bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic position of Lythriini revised: transferred from Larentiinae to Sterrhinae (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Authors: ÕUnap Erki , Viidalepp Jaan , Saarma Urmas
Published: March 2008

The tribe Lythriini is a small group of diurnally active geometrid moths consisting of a single Palaearctic genus Lythria with five species. The systematic placement of Lythriini has remained controversial: though traditionally it has been placed into the subfamily Larentiinae, a number of morphological characters link this tribe with the subfamily Sterrhinae. A molecular phylogenetic study was conducted to verify the systematic position of Lythriini, using sequences of both mitochondrial and nuclear genes: elongation factor 1α (EF‐1α), wingless (wgl), 28S rRNA expansion segment D2 (28S D2), cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) (a total of 3784 bp). Phylogenetic analysis reliably demonstrated that Lythriini belong to the subfamily Sterrhinae. Therefore, we propose to remove tribe Lythriini from Larentiinae and unite it with Sterrhinae. Moreover, our analysis supports the monophyly of both Sterrhinae and Larentiinae. However, although both morphological data and interspecific genetic distances insinuated that Lythria cruentaria and L. sanguinaria are sister species, the latter formed a clade of sister taxa together with L. purpuraria.
Mitogenic and anti‐apoptotic actions of adipocyte‐derived hormone leptin in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Hoda M. Raschid , Popken Gralf
Published: March 2008

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the proliferative and anti‐apoptotic effects of leptin on human prostate cancer cells, and the role of related signalling pathways in mediating these actions, as obesity is a possible risk factor for prostate cancer and leptin, an adipocyte‐derived hormone, has mitogenic action in various cell types.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two human prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC‐3, were treated with leptin (5–100 ng/mL) for up to 48 h. Under serum‐free conditions, cell proliferation was measured using a colorimetric tetrazolium assay and apoptosis by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay measuring cell death. Also, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt was detected by Western blotting, and specific inhibitors of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) (PD98059; 40 µm) and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3‐K, LY294002; 40 µm) were used to evaluate the role of these signalling pathways.

RESULTS

Leptin dose‐dependently increased the cell number in both cell lines for up to 48 h of incubation, the mean (sem) percentage of the control being 189 (4.3)% for DU145 and 173 (7.5)% for PC‐3 (100 ng/mL leptin, 48 h; P < 0.01). Leptin also significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells after 24 h of treatment, dose‐dependently caused ERK1/2 and Akt phosphorylation; pretreatment with inhibitors of MAPK and PI3‐K inhibited these responses.

CONCLUSION

These results show that chronic increases in leptin might enhance the growth of prostate cancer via the MAPK and PI3‐K pathways. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the ability of leptin to stimulate mitogenic/anti‐apoptotic signal transduction pathways could represent a target for anticancer drug discovery.
Conservative management in selected patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma compares favourably with early radical surgery
Authors: Lucas Steven M. , Svatek Robert S. , Olgin Guadencio , Arriaga Yull , Kabbani Wareef , Sagalowsky Arthur I. , Lotan Yair
Published: March 2008

OBJECTIVE

To compare the outcomes of patients treated for upper tract urothelial carcinoma with either immediate nephroureterectomy (NU) or initial endoscopic management.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The treatments of 108 patients (120 renal units) at the authors’ institution were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups, i.e. those who received immediate NU and those who had conservative initial therapy, which included renal units solely treated with endoscopy with or without delayed NU. Overall and disease‐specific survival (DSS) were compared between the treatment groups.

RESULTS

There were 48 low‐grade tumours, of which 27 (56%) were managed conservatively and 21 (44%) by immediate NU. Seven patients treated conservatively had stage or grade progression and had delayed NU. The mean (sd) DSS at 5 years in patients with low‐grade disease was equally good for conservative treatment and immediate NU, at 86.2 (9.1)% vs 87.4 (8.4)% (P = 0.909). There were 68 high‐grade tumours, of which 12 (18%) patients had conservative management and 56 (82%) had immediate NU. Among the former, seven of 12 had a solitary kidney and three had bilateral disease. In patients managed endoscopically, four of 30 (13%) required delayed NU. The DSS for the conservative and immediate NU groups were 68.6 (18.6)% vs 75.0 (8.1)% (P = 0.528).

CONCLUSION

Management with a conservative approach in selected patients provides comparable outcomes to immediate NU in patients with low‐grade disease.
Protein oxidation as a novel biomarker of bladder decompensation
Authors: Kalorin Carmin M. , Mannikarottu Anita , Neumann Paul , Leggett Robert , Weisbrot Joshua , Johnson Arnold , Kogan Barry A. , Levin Robert M.
Published: March 2008

OBJECTIVE

To measure the degree to which partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) results in oxidative bladder damage, which subcellular components of the bladder are affected and whether these changes correlate with bladder function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 32 rabbits were divided into four groups. Each group underwent PBOO for 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively. Bladder tissue from each group was homogenized and separated into subcellular fractions via differential centrifugation. The carbonyl content within the subcellular fractions, including the nuclear, mitochondrial, and microsomal pellets, was then quantified by dot blot analysis.

RESULTS

Total bladder oxidation increased with duration of obstruction across all subcellular fractions. The largest increase in total oxidation occurred between 4 and 8 weeks. Protein oxidation density in the nuclear and microsomal fractions both showed increases at 2 weeks obstruction, decreases at 4 weeks, and then large increases at 8 weeks. The increase in protein oxidation density between 4 and 8 weeks obstruction was most pronounced in the microsomal fraction.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall bladder protein oxidation increased with the duration of obstruction and increased at a greater rate during the transition to decompensation. Furthermore, the subcellular fraction that exhibited the most oxidation was the microsomal pellet. The amount of protein oxidation correlated with the functional changes in the bladder.
Comparison of vildagliptin and acarbose monotherapy in patients with Type 2 diabetes: a 24‐week, double‐blind, randomized trial
Authors: Pan C. , Yang W. , Barona J. P. , Wang Y. , Niggli M. , Mohideen P. , Wang Y. , Foley J. E.
Published: March 2008

Aims  To compare the efficacy and tolerability of the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor, vildagliptin, with the alpha glucosidase inhibitor, acarbose, in drug‐naive patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  This multi‐centre, randomized, double‐blind, parallel‐arm study compared the efficacy and tolerability of vildagliptin (100 mg daily, given as 50 mg twice daily, n = 441) and acarbose (up to 300 mg daily, given as three equally divided doses, n = 220) during 24‐week treatment in drug‐naive patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Results  Monotherapy with vildagliptin or acarbose decreased glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (baseline ≈ 8.6%) to a similar extent during 24‐week treatment. The adjusted mean change from baseline to end‐point (AMΔ) in HbA1c was −1.4 ± 0.1% and −1.3 ± 0.1% in patients receiving vildagliptin and acarbose, respectively, meeting the statistical criterion for non‐inferiority (upper limit of 95% confidence interval for between‐treatment difference ≤ 0.4%). The decrease in fasting plasma glucose was similar with acarbose (−1.5 ± 0.2 mmol/l) and vildagliptin (−1.2 ± 0.1 mmol/l). Body weight did not change in vildagliptin‐treated patients (−0.4 ± 0.1 kg) but decreased in acarbose‐treated patients (−1.7 ± 0.2 kg, P < 0.001 vs. vildagliptin). The proportion of patients experiencing any adverse event (AE) was 35% vs. 51% in patients receiving vildagliptin or acarbose, respectively; gastrointestinal AEs were significantly more frequent with acarbose (25.5%) than vildagliptin (12.3%, P < 0.001). No hypoglycaemia was reported for either group.

Conclusions  Vildagliptin is effective and well tolerated in patients with Type 2 diabetes, demonstrating similar glycaemic reductions to acarbose, but with better tolerability.
Thermoregulatory sudomotor dysfunction and diabetic neuropathy develop in parallel in at‐risk feet
Authors: Sun P. C. , Lin H. D. , Jao S. H. , Chan R. C. , Kao M. J. , Cheng C. K.
Published: March 2008

Aims  To establish the longitudinal relationship of foot complications to neuropathy based on a 4‐year follow‐up of diabetic patients stratified by sudomotor dysfunctions.

Methods  One hundred and nineteen Type 2 diabetic patients and 36 non‐diabetic subjects were initially registered in the prospective cohort study. Plantar skin temperature and sympathetic skin response (SSR) were used to monitor sympathetic mediated thermoregulation and sudomotor function. Peripheral somatic and central autonomic functions were studied using clinical, nerve conduction and cardiovascular reflex tests. At enrolment, the diabetic patients were classified into one of three groups by the progressive stages of sudomotor dysfunction: SSR+ (SSR present; 49 patients), SSR− (SSR absent; 41 patients) and at‐risk group (SSR absent but with cracked skin involving partial thickness of the dermis; 29 patients).

Results  The at‐risk group had 13.4 times (95% confidence interval 1.4–125.7) higher plantar ulceration rates than the other two patient groups during the 4 years. Skin temperature elevation occurred in parallel with development of foot sweating problems. There were no significant differences between the three patient groups in the ratios of abnormal heart rate variation, orthostatic test and clinical neuropathy score at follow‐up. After 4 years of follow‐up, nerve conduction abnormalities were more frequent in the at‐risk and SSR− groups than in the SSR+ group.

Conclusions  Early deterioration of small sympathetic fibres could not be quantified accurately by the clinical, somatic and autonomic tests. Assessing skin integrity and sudomotor function in at‐risk individuals identifies early peripheral sympathetic neuropathy, even if the patients have no overt clinical symptoms.
Representativeness of point‐wise phenological Betula data collected in different parts of Europe
Authors: Siljamo Pilvi , Sofiev Mikhail , Ranta Hanna , Linkosalo Tapio , Kubin Eero , Ahas Rein , Genikhovich Eugene , Jatczak Katarzyna , Jato Victoria , Nekovář Jiří , Minin Alexander , Severova Elena , Shalaboda Valentina
Published: March 2008

Aim  We examine issues of uncertainty regarding the spatial and temporal representativeness of phenological observations using a newly compiled Europe‐wide data base of phenological observations for Betula species.

Location  Europe.

Methods  A new data base was compiled from national phenological observations covering 15 European countries, with the longest observational periods exceeding several decades for some sites. From this, the spatial and temporal representativeness of phenological observations were evaluated via statistical analysis.

Results  The results showed that there was a significant and irreducible uncertainty related to the use of data of a single station, which varied from 3 to 8 days depending on the station location. In more continental and northern climatic zones the uncertainty was lower, probably due to faster spring‐time weather developments. In mild climatic conditions, the uncertainty of dates of the phenological phases registered by a single station exceeded 1 week. The considerable number of data allowed us to preliminarily estimate the features of some stations, marking them as ‘late’, ‘early’, ‘representative’ or ‘random’, depending on the dates reported by these sites and the corresponding regional means.

Main conclusions  The uncertainties discovered in single‐site phenological observations are significant for virtually any potential application. Possible approaches for handling the uncertainty problem are station pre‐averaging and spatial regularization of the data set, pre‐selection (down‐sampling) or changing the description of the phenomena from deterministic to probabilistic.
Regional variation in the historical components of global avian species richness
Authors: Thomas Gavin H. , Orme C. David L. , Davies Richard G. , Olson Valerie A. , Bennett Peter M. , Gaston Kevin J. , Owens Ian P. F. , Blackburn Tim M.
Published: March 2008

Aim  Using a global data base of the distribution of extant bird species, we examine the evidence for spatial variation in the evolutionary origins of contemporary avian diversity. In particular, we assess the possible role of the timing of mountain uplift in promoting diversification in different regions.

Location  Global.

Methods  We mapped the distribution of avian richness at four taxonomic levels on an equal‐area 1° grid. We examined the relationships between richness at successive taxonomic levels (e.g. species richness vs. genus richness). We mapped the residuals from linear regressions of these relationships to identify areas that are exceptional in the number of lower taxa relative to the number of higher taxa. We use generalized least squares models to test the influence of elevation range and temperature on lower‐taxon richness relative to higher‐taxon richness.

Results  Peaks of species richness in the Neotropics were congruent with patterns of generic richness, whilst peaks in Australia and the Himalayas were congruent with patterns of both genus and family richness. Hotspots in the Afrotropics did not reflect higher‐taxon patterns. Regional differences in the relationship between richness at successive taxonomic levels revealed variation in patterns of taxon co‐occurrence. Species and genus co‐occurrence was positively associated with elevational range across much of the world. Taxon occurrence in the Neotropics was associated with a positive interaction between elevational range and temperature.

Conclusions  These results demonstrate that contemporary patterns of richness show different associations with higher‐taxon richness in different regions, which implies that the timing of historical effects on these contemporary patterns varies across regions. We suggest that this is due to dispersal limitation and phylogenetic constraints on physiological tolerance limits promoting diversification. We speculate that diversification rates respond to long‐term changes in the Earth's topography, and that the role of tropical mountain ranges is implicated as a correlate of contemporary diversity, and a source of diversification across avian evolutionary history.
OPTIMAL MULTIPLE STOPPING AND VALUATION OF SWING OPTIONS
Authors: Carmona René , Touzi Nizar
Published: March 2008

The connection between optimal stopping of random systems and the theory of the Snell envelop is well understood, and its application to the pricing of American contingent claims is well known. Motivated by the pricing of swing contracts (whose recall components can be viewed as contingent claims with multiple exercises of American type) we investigate the mathematical generalization of these results to the case of possible multiple stopping. We prove existence of the multiple exercise policies in a fairly general set‐up. We then concentrate on the Black–Scholes model for which we give a constructive solution in the perpetual case, and an approximation procedure in the finite horizon case. The last two sections of the paper are devoted to numerical results. We illustrate the theoretical results of the perpetual case, and in the finite horizon case, we introduce numerical approximation algorithms based on ideas of the Malliavin calculus.
OPTIMAL RISK SHARING FOR LAW INVARIANT MONETARY UTILITY FUNCTIONS
Authors: Jouini E. , Schachermayer W. , Touzi N.
Published: March 2008

We consider the problem of optimal risk sharing of some given total risk between two economic agents characterized by law‐invariant monetary utility functions or equivalently, law‐invariant risk measures. We first prove existence of an optimal risk sharing allocation which is in addition increasing in terms of the total risk. We next provide an explicit characterization in the case where both agents' utility functions are comonotone. The general form of the optimal contracts turns out to be given by a sum of options (stop‐loss contracts, in the language of insurance) on the total risk. In order to show the robustness of this type of contracts to more general utility functions, we introduce a new notion of strict risk aversion conditionally on lower tail events, which is typically satisfied by the semi‐deviation and the entropic risk measures. Then, in the context of an AV@R‐agent facing an agent with strict monotone preferences and exhibiting strict risk aversion conditional on lower tail events, we prove that optimal contracts again are European options on the total risk.
The changing demand for skills Evidence from the transition1
Authors: Commander Simon , Kollo Janos
Published: March 2008

Transition has involved major job destruction and creation. This paper examines the skill content of these changes using a detailed three country firm survey. It shows that transition has exerted a strong bias against unskilled labour that has lost employment disproportionately. The skill content of blue collar work has shifted upwards. Shifts away from low‐skilled labour were accelerated by technological change. By 2000, the actual and desired levels of employment were close to each other but we find some evidence that technological changes had given rise to shortages of skilled blue collar workers. Although there is variation across the sampled countries, this appears to be explained by differences in the timing of reforms. The observed changes will have major longer run implications for the level and structure of employment and for inequality through the distribution of earnings.
From transition to competition Dynamic efficiency analysis of Polish electricity distribution companies1
Authors: Cullmann Astrid , Von Hirschhausen Christian
Published: March 2008

In this paper, we test the hypothesis that the economic transition toward a market economy increases the efficiency of firms. We study 32 Polish electricity distribution companies between 1997 and 2002, by applying common benchmarking methods to the panel: the non‐parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA), the free disposal hull (FDH), and, as a parametric approach, the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). We then measure and decompose productivity change with Malmquist indices. We find that the technical efficiency of the companies has indeed increased during the transition, while allocative efficiency has deteriorated. We also find significantly increasing returns to scale, suggesting that the regulatory authority should allow companies to merge into larger units.
Similarity in trade structures, integration and catching‐up1
Authors: De Benedictis Luca , Tajoli Lucia
Published: March 2008

In this paper, we look at the role of export composition in the growth process, considering how increased similarity in trade structure among countries can induce catching‐up in income levels in a group of countries in transition. We analyze the sectoral export patterns of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) by comparing them to those of the current members of the European Union (EU), focusing on countries’ specialization as suppliers for the EU market, and we assess whether similar export patterns foster the catching‐up process of the CEECs. Our main result is that similarity in export composition has a positive, significant and non‐linear impact on catching‐up, and seems to be driven by the growth of the main export market and delocalization of production more than by other factors.
Foreign direct investment and exports  The experiences of Vietnam1
Authors: Xuan Nguyen Thanh , Xing Yuqing
Published: March 2008

We examined the implementation statuses of a total of 5,919 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment since 1988, and compiled a database of actually disbursed FDI in Vietnam. The database covers FDI flows into Vietnam from 23 countries from 1990 to 2004. Using the data, we analyzed the impact of FDI on the exports of Vietnam with gravity equations. The empirical results demonstrate that FDI is one of the major factors driving the rapid export growth of Vietnam. It has significantly facilitated the expansion of Vietnam's exports to FDI source countries. In particular, the empirical analysis shows that a 1 percent increase in FDI inflows will be expected to give rise to a 0.13 percent increase in Vietnam's exports to these countries.
MEMORY, AMNESIA AND IDENTITY IN HERMANN BROCH'S SCHLAFWANDLER TRILOGY
Authors: Bartram Graham
Published: March 2008

Through its three novels, set in 1888, 1903 and 1918, Broch's Schlafwandler trilogy traces a progressive fragmentation of social values in late modernity. This article investigates a key marker of this fragmentation: the figuration of individual and collective memory, which undergoes a radical shift between Part I and Part III. In Part I the depiction of memory engages the reader with the protagonist's psychological and moral conflicts and the formation of his individual identity. In Part II memory features as abstract and collective, in allegorical meditations on man's existence in time; in Part III the theme of remembering is largely displaced by that of amnesia, emphasising the isolation of the individual in the era of ‘Wertzerfall’.

This depiction of cultural disintegration is, however, counterbalanced by the symbolic unity of Die Schlafwandler, whose aesthetic structures play an essential part in what Broch saw as the novel's ‘cognitive’ task. Here memory features within the reading process itself. To conclude we examine some of the trilogy's densely intersecting leitmotifs that activate the reader's memory in defiance of disintegration and amnesia, and thereby contribute a vital element to the realisation of the ‘cognitive novel’.
THE LIMITS OF TRAVEL: YOKO TAWADA'S FICTIONAL TRAVELOGUES
Authors: Kraenzle Christina
Published: March 2008

The article argues that many of Yoko Tawada's writings are best understood as forms of travel writing. An analysis of Talisman, ‘Wo Europa anfängt’, and Überseezungen demonstrates how they explore diverse experiences of mobility, from migration, to colonial expansion, to more cosmopolitan forms of leisure travel and tourism. In their emphasis on various forms of travel, Tawada's writings avoid the careless celebration of dislocation and instead display ambivalence towards the effects of displacement. They highlight how travel can disrupt the universalist pretensions of one's own point of view and render meaningless identities based on notions of nation or territory. However, they also question whether travel, especially in its more contemporary forms, can offer the sort of radical change of environment that might facilitate such a disturbance of subjectivity. Talisman and ‘Wo Europa anfängt’ both show how travel may in fact reinforce notions of essential cultural identities, while Überseezungen illustrates how the increasing uniformity of modern‐day travel can make movement between locations less distinct, thus offering no alternatives of perspective or identification. These three works thus cast doubt on the subversive potential of displacement that is often posited by cultural studies.
Mumbai's Development Mafias: Globalization, Organized Crime and Land Development
Authors: WEINSTEIN LIZA
Published: March 2008

For over a decade, researchers have analyzed the effects of liberalization and globalization on urban development, considering the local political implications of shifts at the national and global scales. Taking the case of Mumbai, this article examines how the past 15 years of political reforms in India have reshaped property markets and the politics of land development. Among the newly empowered actors, local criminal syndicates, often with global connections, have seized political opportunities created by these shifts to gain influence over land development. The rise of Mumbai's organized criminal activity in the 1950s was closely linked to India's macroeconomic policies, with strict regulation of imports fuelling the growth of black market smuggling. Liberalization and deregulation since the early 1990s have diminished demand for smuggled consumer goods and criminal syndicates have since diversified their operations. With skyrocketing real estate prices in the 1990s, bolstered by global land speculation, the mafia began investing in property development. Supported by an illicit nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and the police, the mafia has emerged as a central figure in Mumbai's land development politics. The article examines the structural shifts that facilitated the criminalization of land development and the implications of mafia involvement in local politics.

Depuis plus d'une décennie, les chercheurs ont analysé les effets de la libéralisation et de la mondialisation sur l'aménagement urbain en étudiant les implications politiques locales de transformations effectuées à l'échelle nationale et planétaire. Prenant le cas de Mumbai, cet article examine comment les réformes politiques des quinze dernières années en Inde ont reconfiguré les marchés immobiliers et les politiques d'aménagement foncier. Parmi les nouveaux acteurs, les syndicats du crime locaux, opérant souvent dans des réseaux internationaux, ont saisi les occasions politiques créées par ces changements pour gagner en influence sur l'aménagement foncier. A Mumbai, l'activité accrue du crime organisé dans les années 1950 était étroitement liée aux politiques macroéconomiques de l'Inde, une réglementation stricte des importations alimentant l'essor de la contrebande sur le marché noir. Depuis le début des années 1990, libéralisation et déréglementation ont réduit la demande pour les biens de consommation de contrebande, poussant les syndicats du crime à diversifier leurs opérations. Face à la montée en flèche des prix de l'immobilier dans les années 1990, aidée par la spéculation foncière mondiale, la mafia a investi dans la promotion immobilière. Soutenue par un réseau illégal de politiciens, bureaucrates et policiers, elle est donc devenue un personnage central des politiques d'urbanisme à Mumbai. L'article étudie les transformations structurelles qui ont facilité la criminalisation du secteur foncier, et les implications de la présence de la mafia dans la politique locale.
Gentrification ‘Research’ and the Academic Nobility: A Different Class?
Authors: ALLEN CHRIS
Published: March 2008

This essay is a response to Tom Slater's article ‘The eviction of critical perspectives from gentrification research’. My essay addresses two issues. First, I consider the issue of why gentrification research appears to be losing its critical edge. I argue that social position infects understanding and, inevitably therefore, academic knowledge production. Thus the social proximity of the academic nobility to gentrifiers (and social distance between the academic nobility and the displaced) has epistemological consequences, notably, the lack of critical perspectives in gentrification research. Second, Slater's paper appears to be an appeal for more ‘critical’ research from the academic nobility. Perhaps we should go even further. We should actually question the epistemic authority of the academic nobility, which claims its legitimacy to speak about gentrification on the grounds that it undertakes ‘research’ into the phenomenon. There are strong and sound epistemological reasons for also listening to the marginalized voices of people that have ‘first hand’ (albeit not ‘research’) experience of the negative effects of gentrification.

Ce texte est une réponse à l'article de Tom Slater sur ‘l’éviction' des perspectives critiques des études sur la ‘gentrification’. Il aborde deux points. En premier lieu, il traite des raisons pour lesquelles ces études semblent perdre leur acuité critique. La position sociale entache la compréhension et, donc inévitablement, la production de savoir académique. Ainsi, la proximité sociale entre la noblesse académique et les nouveaux propriétaires aisés (et la distance sociale entre la noblesse académique et les déplacés) a des conséquences au plan épistémologique, notamment l'absence de points de vue critiques dans la recherche sur la ‘gentrification’. En second lieu, le texte de Slater apparaît comme un appel à des études plus critiques de la part de la noblesse académique. Peut‐être faudrait‐il aller plus loin, jusqu'à une réelle remise en cause de l'autoritéépistémique de la noblesse académique, laquelle revendique sa légitimité pour parler de la ‘gentrification’ en arguant qu'elle mène des ‘recherches’ sur un phénomène. Il existe des raisons épistémologiques solides et sensées pour écouter les voix marginalisées des gens qui ont une expérience de ‘l’intérieur' (pas de ‘recherche’) sur les effets néfastes de la ‘gentrification’.
Relocating Gentrification: The Working Class, Science and the State in Recent Urban Research
Authors: WACQUANT LOÏC
Published: March 2008

This article amplifies Tom Slater's diagnosis of the causes of the gentrification of recent gentrification research. It argues that the shift from the denunciation to the celebration of gentrification, the elision of the displacement of the established residents, and the euphemistic focus on ‘social mixing’ partake of a broader pattern of invisibility of the working class in the public sphere and social inquiry. This effacing of the proletariat in the city is reinforced by the growing heteronomy of urban research, as the latter becomes more tightly tethered to the concerns of city rulers. Both tendencies, in turn, reveal and abet the shifting role of the state from provider of social support for lower‐income populations to supplier of business services and amenities for middle‐ and upper‐class urbanites — among them the cleansing of the built environment and the streets from the physical and human detritus wrought by economic deregulation and welfare retrenchment. To build better models of the changing nexus of class and space in the neoliberal city, we need to relocate gentrification in a broader and sturdier analytic framework by revising class analysis to capture the (de)formation of the postindustrial proletariat, resisting the seductions of the prefabricated problematics of policy, and giving pride of place to the state as producer of sociospatial inequality.

Cet article amplifie le diagnostic de Tom Slater sur les causes de la ‘gentrification’ des études récentes sur la ‘gentrification’ urbaine. Le glissement de la dénonciation à l'éloge de la gentrification, l'élision du déplacement forcé des habitants établis et la focalisation euphémistique sur la ‘mixité sociale’ s'inscrivent dans un schéma plus large d'invisibilisation de la classe ouvrière dans la sphère publique et les investigations sociologiques. Cet effacement du prolétariat des métropoles est renforcé par l'hétéronomie croissante de la recherche urbaine, plus étroitement liée que jamais aux préoccupations des dirigeants de la ville. Ces deux tendances révèlent et facilitent la mutation du rôle de l'État, de fournisseur de soutiens sociaux aux populations démunies en agence de services et d'équipements marchands pour citadins des classes moyennes et supérieures — au premier rang desquels figure le nettoyage de l'environnement bâti et des rues des détritus humains et matériels engendrés par la dérégulation de l'économie et le recul de la protection sociale. Pour construire de meilleurs modèles des rapports changeants entre classe et espace dans la ville néolibérale, il faut replacer la gentrification des quartiers populaires dans un cadre analytique élargi et renforcé en réélaborant l'analyse de classe pour saisir la (dé)formation du prolétariat post‐industriel, en résistant aux séductions des problématiques préfabriquées de politique publique, et en accordant une place centrale à l'État en tant que producteur d'inégalités sociospatiales.
Polish Regions in the Age of a Knowledge‐based Economy
Authors: ZIENTARA PIOTR
Published: March 2008

The shift to a knowledge‐based economy and the resurgence of interest in the region as a scale of economic organization have been a subject of much debate. Such concepts as innovation, learning, and knowledge diffusion have all come to be seen as crucial elements of regional development strategies associated with the new regionalism. Specifically, the learning region — shifting the focus from technological progress to institutional and cultural factors — has been thought of as offering particularly interesting insights into the mechanisms of regional economies. Yet doubts are being cast on whether the processes of development are actually as critical to the spatial workings of the economy as the paradigm assumes. This is of relevance to a post‐Communist country such as Poland, which, having undergone a systemic transformation, seems to be marked by growing core–periphery and urban–rural divides. Thus, the question arises of whether the theories associated with the new regionalism might help Polish regions to transform their economic fortunes. This article, while emphasizing new regionalism's inadequacies and flaws, argues that some of its premises should form part of a comprehensive strategy aiming to address Poland's regional‐level problems. Hence it makes a case for an eclectic approach that combines nationwide economic liberalization with certain precepts of the new regionalism.

Le passage vers une économie fondée sur le savoir et le regain d'intérêt pour la région en tant qu'échelon d'organisation économique ont été bien souvent débattus. Des notions telles que innovation, apprentissage et diffusion du savoir ont toutes fini par être considérées comme essentielles aux stratégies de développement régional liées au nouveau régionalisme. En particulier, on a pensé que la région apprenante – en décalant l'attention du progrès technologique vers des facteurs institutionnels et culturels – offrait des perspectives très intéressantes sur les mécanismes des économies régionales. Pourtant des doutes sont émis sur le fait que les processus de développement soient réellement aussi vitaux pour les mécanismes spatiaux de l'économie que l'affirme le paradigme. C'est notamment le cas d'un pays post‐communiste comme la Pologne qui, ayant vécu une transformation systématique, semble être marquée par une accentuation des divisions centre‐périphérie et urbain‐rural. La question se pose donc de savoir si les théories associées au nouveau régionalisme pourraient aider les régions polonaises à transformer leur destin économique. L'article, tout en soulignant les insuffisances et défauts du nouveau régionalisme, soutient que certaines de ses hypothèses devraient participer à une stratégie d'ensemble visant à résoudre les problèmes de la Pologne au plan régional. Il plaide ainsi pour une approche éclectique associant la libéralisation économique nationale à certains préceptes du nouveau régionalisme.
Participatory Budgeting in Europe: Potentials and Challenges
Authors: SINTOMER YVES , HERZBERG CARSTEN , RÖCKE ANJA
Published: March 2008

The ‘transfer’ of participatory budgeting from Brazil to Europe has been a highly differentiated process. In Porto Alegre, this innovative methodology enabled democratization and social justice to be articulated. In Europe, participatory budgeting relies on multiple procedures, and it is therefore necessary to give a clear methodological definition of it so that cases can be coherently compared and ideal‐types constructed to understand the variety of concrete experiments. The six ideal‐types we propose (Porto Alegre adapted for Europe; representation of organized interests; community funds at the local and city level; the public/private negotiating table; consultation on public finances; proximity participation) show striking differences that are highly influenced by existing participatory traditions. It is, above all, with the models Porto Alegre adapted for Europe and community funds that an ‘empowered participatory governance’ can develop and that a fourth power, beyond the three classical ones, is developing — that of the citizenry when it directly (or through delegates) assumes a decision‐making power. However, other models have their strengths, too, for example with regard to the reform of public administration which is a critical aspect in the search for ‘another possible world’.

Le ‘transfert’ du budget participatif du Brésil à l'Europe s'est révélé un processus très différencié. A Porto Alegre, cette méthodologie novatrice a permis d'intégrer démocratisation et justice sociale. En Europe, comme le budget participatif s'appuie sur de nombreuses procédures, il faut lui donner une définition méthodologique claire afin de pouvoir comparer correctement les cas et élaborer des idéaltypes pour comprendre la variété des expériences concrètes. Cet article propose six idéaltypes : Porto Alegre adaptéà l'Europe, Représentation des intérêts organisés, Fonds communautaires au niveau local et municipal, Table de négociations public‐privé, Consultation sur les finances publiques, Participation de proximité. Tous présentent des divergences frappantes, fortement influencées par les traditions participatives en place. C'est surtout avec les modèles Porto Alegre adaptéà l'Europe et Fonds communautaires que peut se déployer une ‘gouvernance participative dotée de pouvoirs’ et que se développe un quatrième pouvoir, au‐delà des trois autres classiques : celui de l'ensemble des citoyens exerçant directement (ou via des délégués) un pouvoir décisionnel. Toutefois, d'autres modèles ont leurs atouts également, par exemple vis‐à‐vis de la réforme de l'administration publique donc d'un aspect crucial dans la quête d'un ‘autre monde possible’.
‘A Literal Necessity to be Re‐Placed’: A Rejoinder to the Gentrification Debate
Authors: SLATER TOM
Published: March 2008

This rejoinder begins and ends with some remarks on the gentrification strategies taking place in post‐Katrina New Orleans, and responds to and builds on the commentaries by outlining, first, how the eviction of critical perspectives from gentrification research has continued, second, how displacement must be understood as multifaceted and contextual, and third, how urban researchers have become seduced by the rewards of claiming ‘policy relevance’. It concludes by offering some thoughts on the state of resistance to gentrification, and how much more research is needed not just on working‐class experiences of gentrification, but on how people fight for their right to place in the gentrifying city.

Resumé

Cette réponse débute et finit par quelques remarques sur les stratégies de la ‘gentrification’ qui opèrent à la Nouvelle‐Orléans depuis Katrina. Entre‐temps, elle réagit et ajoute aux commentaires en exposant, d'abord, comment se poursuit l'éviction des perspectives critiques de la recherche sur la ‘gentrification’, ensuite, comment il faut appréhender le déplacement comme présentant plusieurs facettes et dépendant du contexte et, pour finir, comment les chercheurs urbains ont cédé aux mérites de revendiquer une ‘pertinence politique’. En conclusion, elle propose plusieurs réflexions sur l'état de résistance à la ‘gentrification’ et sur le volume de recherches supplémentaires nécessaire, non seulement sur les expériences de la classe ouvrière, mais aussi sur la manière dont les gens luttent pour leur droit à une place dans une ville en cours de la ‘gentrification’.
Efficacy of oleuropein against UVB irradiation: preliminary evaluation
Authors: Perugini P. , Vettor M. , Rona C. , Troisi L. , Villanova L. , Genta I. , Conti B. , Pavanetto F.
Published: March 2008

Synopsis

Oleuropein, a phenolic compound derived from olive leaves and oil, is known to possess several biological properties, many of which may be attributed to its antioxidant and free radical‐scavenging activities. Nevertheless, up to now, the cosmetic activity of this molecule has not been extensively investigated. The aim of this work was to evaluate the cosmetic properties of oleuropein against UVB‐induced erythema. To this end, an emulsion and an emulgel containing oleuropein were prepared, applied and evaluated on healthy volunteers who had undergone UVB irradiation to investigate its protective and/or lenitive activity. Protective effect was assayed by application of topical preparations before irradiation and lenitive effect was evaluated after erythema induction. Vitamin E was used as the reference compound. Our study was carried out by using noninvasive techniques to assess specific skin parameters: barrier function, skin colour and microcirculation. Results clearly showed that oleuropein formulations highlighted lenitive efficacy by reducing erythema, transepidermal water loss and blood flow of about 22%, 35% and 30% respectively. The study allowed us to point out the lenitive property of oleuropein, opening the way to further trials to deepen our specific knowledge about this natural molecule, which could be used in association with other active ingredients in cosmetics to repair UV damages.
A new decorin‐like tetrapeptide for optimal organization of collagen fibres
Authors: Puig A. , Antón J. M. Garcia , Mangues M.
Published: March 2008

Synopsis

Decorin interacts with collagen via its protein core and influences collagen fibrillogenesis, thus regulating excessive bundle‐like aggregation of collagen. As skin ages, there is lack of functional decorin, which results in disrupted collagen fibres and in a reduction in the tensile strength of the skin. Therefore, a substitute for decorin would make up for the non‐functional decorin that is present as we age. Two tetrapeptide sequences have been identified as the specific binding sites of decorin to collagen fibrils. These sequences were engineered to generate new tetrapeptides with improved affinity that would present a decorin‐like activity. A focused library of several candidates was synthesized containing only tetrapeptides that mimicked the binding sequences of decorin. The candidates were screened with an in vitro collagen fibrillogenesis assay and the tetrapeptide with International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) name Tripeptide‐10 Citrulline achieved the best results. Like decorin, this synthetic tetrapeptide proved, through in vitro tests, to regulate collagen fibrillogenesis and to influence the diameter of collagen fibres, making them thinner and more uniform. Tripeptide‐10 Citrulline is a new cosmetic active to target specifically collagen fibre organization. Skin collagen quality is addressed rather than skin collagen quantity. Tripeptide‐10 Citrulline ensures uniformity in fibril diameter and increases skin suppleness because of a better cohesion of collagen fibres.
Green procedure for the preparation of scented alcohols from carbonyl compounds
Authors: Villa Carla , Trucchi Beatrice , Gambaro Raffaella , Baldassari Sara
Published: March 2008

Synopsis

Several alcohols – interesting as cosmetic fragrances whose main preparative route on an industrial scale or in the research laboratory is the reduction of the corresponding carbonyl compound – were obtained by a solvent‐free methodology in a green chemistry context. The process involves the simple mixing of the carbonyl compound with sodium borohydride dispersed in wet alumina in the solid state; the conversions of the carbonyl compounds were obtained in good yields within short reaction times, without energy consumption. The following carbinols were studied: octan‐3‐ol, 2‐cineolylols (endo–exo mixture), α‐ionol, 4‐methylbenzyl alcohol, 1‐phenylethanol, trans‐cinnamyl alcohol, p‐anisyl alcohol, 4‐phenyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol.
Effects of aloesin on melanogenesis in pigmented skin equivalents
Authors: Wang Z. , Li X. , Yang Z. , He X. , Tu J. , Zhang T.
Published: March 2008

Synopsis

Reconstituted 3‐dimensional human skin equivalents in vitro are gaining popularity for studies of skin metabolism and depigmenting agents because they exhibit morphological and growth characteristics similar to human skin. The effects of aloesin on melanogenesis, however, have never been examined with the pigmented skin equivalent. The purpose of the study was to construct the skin equivalent and observe the effects of aloesin on melanogenesis in the model. We constructed an in vitro pigmented skin equivalent and examined the general structure and condition of the pigmented skin equivalent with H&E staining and Fontana Masson staining. Then, we examined the effects of aloesin on tyrosinase activity and formation of melanin in the model. Such a pigmented skin model demonstrated morphology similar to that seen in normal skin and can be used to assess the regulation of pigmentation by melanogenic compounds. The results suggested that aloesin had direct inhibitory effects on melanogenesis and showed dose‐dependent reductions in tyrosinase activity (P < 0.05) and melanin content (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study indicated that skin equivalents provided a convenient and cost‐effective alternative to animal testing for evaluating the regulation of pigmentation. Aloesin showed promise as a pigmentation‐altering agent for cosmetic or therapeutic applications.
Bring Race to the Center: The Importance of Race in Racially Diverse Religious Organizations
Authors: EDWARDS KORIE L.
Published: March 2008

In recent decades we have witnessed increased interest in racially diverse religious organizations. Similar trends are occuring in other institutions, like education and business. In this article I discuss the importance of understanding the role that race, as a system that advantages whites, plays in the congregational life of racially integrated churches. Drawing upon the critical race literature, I propose that because race is central to how our society is organized, interracial chruches will need to placate white members' and affirm their religiocultural preferences and interests in order to sustain a racially diverse congregation. I offer some evidence supporting this claim. I also discuss the strengths and limitations of other perspectives used to explain racially diverse religious organizations.
Politics and Church: Byproduct or Central Mission?
Authors: DJUPE PAUL A. , GILBERT CHRISTOPHER P.
Published: March 2008

One of the more intriguing paradoxes that has developed in mainline Protestantism over the last 30 years is that mainline clergy have become more politically active. Since the public politicking of mainline clergy in the late 1960s generated storms in the churches, why would clergy become more politically active over time? In this article, we adopt the theoretical structure of a benefit exchange between leaders and members initiated by Mancur Olson. We seek to determine the extent to which church members' appetites for political action by the clergy are shaped by a satiating selective benefit exchange or are driven largely by political compatibility. We propose that because of continued political disagreement between clergy and church members and considerable disapproval of clergy involvement in politics by church members, clergy politicking is allowed largely by the satisfaction of a selective benefit exchange.