bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Raising the level: orangutans use water as a tool
Authors: Mendes Natacha , Hanus Daniel , Call Josep
Published: July 2007

We investigated the use of water as a tool by presenting five orangutans (Pongo abelii) with an out-of-reach peanut floating inside a vertical transparent tube. All orangutans collected water from a drinker and spat it inside the tube to get access to the peanut. Subjects required an average of three mouthfuls of water to get the peanut. This solution occurred in the first trial and all subjects continued using this successful strategy in subsequent trials. The latency to retrieve the reward drastically decreased after the first trial. Moreover, the latency between mouthfuls also decreased dramatically from the first mouthful in the first trial to any subsequent ones in the same trial or subsequent trials. Additional control conditions suggested that this response was not due to the mere presence of the tube, to the existence of water inside, or frustration at not getting the reward. The sudden acquisition of the behaviour, the timing of the actions and the differences with the control conditions make this behaviour a likely candidate for insightful problem solving.
The physical interpretation of the lift discrepancy in Lanchester–Prandtl lifting wing theory for Euler flow, leading to the proposal of an alternative model in Oseen flow
Authors: Chadwick Edmund , Hatam Ali
Published: July 2007

Consider uniform, steady potential and incompressible flow past a fixed thin wing inclined at a small angle to the flow. An investigation is conducted into the physical interpretation and consequences of the revision by Chadwick (Chadwick 2005
Proc. R. Soc. A
461
, 1–18) of the Lanchester–Prandtl lifting wing theory in Euler flow. In the present paper, the lift is evaluated from the pressure distribution over the top and bottom surfaces together with a contribution across the trailing edge of the wing. It is shown that this contribution across the trailing edge has previously been erroneously omitted in the standard approach but confirms and provides a physical explanation for the discrepancy in the lift calculation found by Chadwick. This results in a reduction of the lift by a half, but this reduction in lift from the additional calculation is not the right answer, and instead arises from a mathematical discrepancy with the physically observed lift. The discrepancy is due to the pressure becoming singular at the trailing edge in the Euler model. The physical explanation is that in real flow the pressure is regularized by the action of viscosity and so is not singular at the trailing edge. So this lift force at the trailing edge is present in the Euler model but not in a real flow. In a real flow, the viscous effects prevent the pressure becoming singular and so there is no lift force, and consequently no large torque, concentrated at the trailing edge. That the lift force at the trailing edge has been ignored in the Lanchester–Prandtl theory in Euler flow has led to fortuitous agreement with the experimental results on real flows. This shows that the Euler model does not properly predict forces for this problem in which there are singularities (vorticity) within the flow field. We propose a revision to the Euler model by allowing a counterbalancing singular viscous velocity term to reside on the trailing vortex sheet, which is derived from the lift oseenlet. This viscous term ensures that the pressure and velocity are not singular in the flow field. The consequences for the flow due to the inclusion of this term for extending triple-deck and similar asymptotic theories to the case for flow past wings rather than aerofoils are discussed, as well as for the (ideal) high Reynolds number limit and for slender body lift.
Quenched invariance principles for random walks on percolation clusters
Authors: Mathieu P , Piatnitski A
Published: July 2007

We consider a supercritical Bernoulli percolation model in

,
d
≥2, and study the simple symmetric random walk on the infinite percolation cluster. The aim of this paper is to prove the almost sure (quenched) invariance principle for this random walk.
Miniaturized orb-weaving spiders: behavioural precision is not limited by small size
Authors: Eberhard William G
Published: July 2007

The special problems confronted by very small animals in nervous system design that may impose limitations on their behaviour and evolution are reviewed. Previous attempts to test for such behavioural limitations have suffered from lack of detail in behavioural observations of tiny species and unsatisfactory measurements of their behavioural capacities. This study presents partial solutions to both problems. The orb-web construction behaviour of spiders provided data on the comparative behavioural capabilities of tiny animals in heretofore unparalleled detail; species ranged about five orders of magnitude in weight, from approximately 50–100 mg down to some of the smallest spiders known (less than 0.005 mg), whose small size is a derived trait. Previous attempts to quantify the ‘complexity’ of behaviour were abandoned in favour of using comparisons of behavioural imprecision in performing the same task. The prediction of the size limitation hypothesis that very small spiders would have a reduced ability to repeat one particular behaviour pattern precisely was not confirmed. The anatomical and physiological mechanisms by which these tiny animals achieve this precision and the possibility that they are more limited in the performance of higher-order behaviour patterns await further investigation.
Genetic rescue and inbreeding depression in Mexican wolves
Authors: Fredrickson Richard J , Siminski Peter , Woolf Melissa , Hedrick Philip W
Published: July 2007

Although inbreeding can reduce individual fitness and contribute to population extinction, gene flow between inbred but unrelated populations may overcome these effects. Among extant Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi), inbreeding had reduced genetic diversity and potentially lowered fitness, and as a result, three unrelated captive wolf lineages were merged beginning in 1995. We examined the effect of inbreeding and the merging of the founding lineages on three fitness traits in the captive population and on litter size in the reintroduced population. We found little evidence of inbreeding depression among captive wolves of the founding lineages, but large fitness increases, genetic rescue, for all traits examined amongF1offspring of the founding lineages. In addition, we observed strong inbreeding depression among wolves descended fromF1wolves. These results suggest a high load of deleterious alleles in the McBride lineage, the largest of the founding lineages. In the wild, reintroduced population, there were large fitness differences between McBride wolves and wolves with ancestry from two or more lineages, again indicating a genetic rescue. The low litter and pack sizes observed in the wild population are consistent with this genetic load, but it appears that there is still potential to establish vigorous wild populations.
Mg2+ signalling defines the group A streptococcal CsrRS (CovRS) regulon
Authors: Gryllos Ioannis , Grifantini Renata , Colaprico Annalisa , Jiang Shengmei , DeForce Emelia , Hakansson Anders , Telford John L. , Grandi Guido , Wessels Michael R.
Published: July 2007

CsrRS (or CovRS) is a two‐component system implicated in the control of multiple virulence determinants in the important human pathogen, group A Streptococcus (GAS). Earlier studies suggested that extracellular Mg2+ signalled through the presumed sensor histidine kinase, CsrS. We now confirm those findings, as complementation of a csrS mutant restored Mg2+‐dependent gene regulation. Moreover, we present strong evidence that Mg2+ signals through CsrS to regulate an extensive and previously undefined repertoire of GAS genes. The effect of Mg2+ on regulation of global gene expression was evaluated using genomic microarrays in an M‐type 3 strain of GAS and in an isogenic csrS mutant. Unexpectedly, of the 72 genes identified in the Mg2+‐stimulated CsrRS regulon, 42 were absent from the CsrR regulon (the latter being defined by comparison of wild‐type and CsrR mutant transcriptomes at low Mg2+). We observed CsrS‐dependent regulation of 72 of the 73 genes whose expression changed in response to elevated extracellular Mg2+ in wild‐type bacteria, a result that identifies CsrS as the principal, if not exclusive, sensor for extracellular Mg2+ in GAS. To our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize global gene regulation by a GAS two‐component system in response to a specific environmental stimulus.
An Exploratory study to evaluate the efficacy of pimecrolimus cream 1% for the treatment of pityriasis alba
Authors: Fujita Wayne H. , McCormick Calogera L. , Parneix‐Spake Anne
Published: July 2007

Background  Use of topical corticosteroids for the treatment of pityriasis alba is limited by their potential side‐effects, such as skin atrophy especially with long‐term use on the face. Pimecrolimus cream 1% is a topical calcineurin inhibitor that has anti‐inflammatory properties, lacks the cutaneous side‐effects associated with steroids, and provide a potential benefit for the treatment of pityriasis alba.

Methods  This 10‐patient, prospective, single‐arm, open‐label, single‐center, 12‐week, investigator‐initiated proof of concept study assessed the efficacy, safety, and patient acceptance of pimecrolimus cream 1% twice daily. In addition to pimecrolimus cream, patients used facial emollient containing SPF 15 sunscreen and mild soap‐free cleanser. Efficacy assessments were Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) of disease severity and evaluation of uneven skin color, scaling, eczema, follicular keratosis, and pruritus. All efficacy assessments were reported on a 4‐point scale (0 = none to 3 = severe).

Results  Of the 10 patients enrolled (aged: 12–35 years), all had intensive sun‐exposure, 90% had skin type IV–V, and 80% completed the 12‐week treatment. At baseline, mean IGA was 1.20 (mild–moderate), uneven skin color was 2.3 (moderate–severe) and scaling was 1.2 (mild). IGA decreased to 0.25 by week 12, uneven skin color improved by week 3 with near complete resolution by week 12 (mean = 0.38) and scaling resolved at week 3. Pruritus, eczema, and follicular keratosis remained at low levels from baseline throughout the course of the study. Patients consistently reported satisfaction with the treatment (“satisfied” or “very satisfied”). No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions  Pimecrolimus cream 1% may represent an alternative for the treatment of pityriasis alba.
Staphylococcus aureus induces the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α in primary human keratinocytes
Authors: Aufiero Barbara , Guo Meng , Young Chen , Duanmu Zhengbo , Talwar Harvinder , Lee Hae Kyung , Murakawa George J.
Published: July 2007

Background  Staphylococcus aureus induces inflammatory cytokines and causes skin inflammatory diseases, but infection parameters leading to cytokine induction are poorly understood in keratinocytes, the primary skin cells to interface with S. aureus.

Methods  Human primary keratinocytes were infected with S. aureus under various conditions to identify properties of infection that cause the induction of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), a proinflammatory cytokine that initiates host inflammatory responses.

Results  Staphylococcus aureus induced TNF‐α mRNA and protein in a dose‐dependent manner. Cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization and S. aureus invasion, failed to prevent the induction of TNF‐α, indicating that invasion was not a requirement. Furthermore, ultraviolet‐, heat‐, and gentamicin‐treated bacteria did not induce TNF‐α, suggesting that de novo bacterial protein synthesis of viable bacteria was required. Finally, S. aureus infection of primary human keratinocytes also led to an induction of the TNF‐α receptor, TNFR1 (p55).

Conclusion  Early (preinvasion) S. aureus–keratinocyte surface interactions that require protein synthesis induce TNF‐α. Bacterial surface components embedded within the cell wall do not suffice as TNF‐α mediators, but require active protein synthesis and/or the accompaniment of secreted bacterial products. Furthermore, S. aureus infection leads to the specific induction of the TNF‐α receptor TNFR1, but not TNFR2.
Spectrum of skin disorders in human immunodeficiency virus‐infected patients in Singapore and the relationship to CD4 lymphocyte counts
Authors: Goh Boon‐Kee , Chan Roy K. W. , Sen Priya , Theng Colin T. S. , Tan Hiok‐Hee , Wu Yuan‐Jing , Paton Nicholas I.
Published: July 2007

Background  Skin disorders are extremely common and cause significant morbidity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected individuals. There are few data on their prevalence and association with CD4 counts in Asians.

Aim  To evaluate the prevalence of skin disorders in ambulatory HIV‐infected individuals attending a specialized skin clinic in Singapore and the association with the degree of immunosuppression.

Methods  A cross‐sectional study on skin disorders in HIV‐positive outpatients in the Communicable Disease Centre of Singapore was performed. The association between skin disease prevalence and CD4 count was evaluated using logistic regression.

Results  Ninety‐six patients (male : female, 8 : 1) were enrolled. The most common mode of HIV transmission was heterosexual (75%), followed by homosexual/bisexual contacts (22%), and intravenous drug abuse (3%). The distribution of patients in terms of current CD4 cell counts was as follows: 38.5% with less than 50 × 106/L, 25% with between 50 and 199/µL, and 36.5% with at least 200 × 106/L. The most common skin disorder was pruritic papular eruption (PPE) of HIV infection (31 cases), followed by psoriasis (24), seborrheic dermatitis (18), xerosis (17), herpes simplex (17), and adverse drug eruptions (17). A CD4 cell count of less than 200 × 106/L was significantly associated with a higher number of skin disorders (P = 0.002) and the development of psoriasis [odds ratio (OR), 8.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.70–47.16; P = 0.010], PPE (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.21–9.53; P = 0.020), and adverse drug eruption (OR, 5.83; 95% CI, 1.21–28.00; P = 0.028).

Conclusions  A preponderance of inflammatory dermatoses and an absence of skin tumors characterized this study. A low CD4 cell count was associated with a higher number of skin disorders and an increased incidence of PPE, psoriasis, and adverse drug eruptions.
Constraints on microbial metabolism drive evolutionary diversification in homogeneous environments
Authors: GUDELJ I. , BEARDMORE R. E. , ARKIN S. S. , MACLEAN R. C.
Published: July 2007

Understanding the evolution of microbial diversity is an important and current problem in evolutionary ecology. In this paper, we investigated the role of two established biochemical trade‐offs in microbial diversification using a model that connects ecological and evolutionary processes with fundamental aspects of biochemistry. The trade‐offs that we investigated are as follows:(1) a trade‐off between the rate and affinity of substrate transport; and (2) a trade‐off between the rate and yield of ATP production. Our model shows that these biochemical trade‐offs can drive evolutionary diversification under the simplest possible ecological conditions: a homogeneous environment containing a single limiting resource. We argue that the results of a number of microbial selection experiments are consistent with the predictions of our model.
No direct selection to increase offspring number of bet‐hedging strategies in large populations: Simons’ model revisited
Authors: KISDI É.
Published: July 2007

In mixed or ‘bet‐hedging’ strategies, offspring phenotypes are taken randomly from a distribution determined by the genotype and shaped by evolution. Offspring of a single parent represent a finite sample from this distribution, and therefore are subject to variability because of sampling. Contrary to a recent article by A.M. Simons (2007; J. Evol. Biol.20: 813–817), I show that selection does not favour the production of many offspring just to reduce sampling variability when such mixed strategies are used in large populations.
Expression patterns of promoters for NPY Y1 and Y5 receptors in Y5RitTA and Y1RVenus BAC‐transgenic mice
Authors: Oberto Alessandra , Acquadro Elena , Bus Thorsten , Sprengel Rolf , Eva Carola
Published: July 2007

In the rat brain, neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1 and Y5 receptors are coexpressed in various forebrain regions where they mediate several NPY‐activated functions, including feeding behaviour, anxiety, neuronal excitability and hormone secretion. We studied the distribution pattern and cellular colocalization of the Y1 and the Y5 receptor gene expression in the mouse brain by using transgenic mice with genomically integrated BAC clones, where the coding regions of the Y1 and Y5 receptor genes were replaced by Venus and the synthetic transcription factor itTA reporter genes, respectively (TgY5RitTA/Y1RVenus mice). Analysis of Venus fluorescence and itTA‐mediated activation of Cre recombinase revealed copy number‐dependent expression levels, between the lines, but similar expression patterns. In three transgenic lines the BAC encoded Y5 receptor promoter induced strong Cre expression in the olfactory system, cerebral cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia. Weaker expression was found in most of the hypothalamic nuclei of line 25, the highest‐expressing transgenic line. Activation of Cre was itTA‐dependent and could be regulated by doxycycline. The Y1 receptor promoter‐induced Venus fluorescence was intense, widely present through the brain and colocalized with Cre immunostaining in neurons of distinct brain regions, including the cerebral cortex, basolateral amygdala, dentate gyrus and paraventricular nucleus. These data provide a detailed and comparative mapping of Y1 and Y5 receptor promoter activity within cells of the mouse brain. The TgY5RitTA/Y1RVenus‐transgenic mice generated here also represent a genetic tool for conditional mutagenesis via the Cre lox system, particularly of genes involved in feeding behaviour, neuronal excitability and hormone secretion.
Acute and chronic changes in glycogen phosphorylase in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex after status epilepticus in the adult male rat
Authors: Walling Susan G. , Rigoulot Marie‐Aude , Scharfman Helen E.
Published: July 2007

Glial cells provide energy substrates to neurons, in part from glycogen metabolism, which is influenced by glycogen phosphorylase (GP). To gain insight into the potential subfield and laminar‐specific expression of GP, histochemistry can be used to evaluate active GP (GPa) or totalGP (GPa + GPb). Using this approach, we tested the hypothesis that changes in GP would occur under pathological conditions that are associated with increased energy demand, i.e. severe seizures (status epilepticus or ‘status’). We also hypothesized that GP histochemistry would provide insight into changes in the days and weeks after status, particularly in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, where there are robust changes in structure and function. One hour after the onset of pilocarpine‐induced status, GPa staining was reduced in most regions of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex relative to saline‐injected controls. One week after status, there was increased GPa and totalGP, especially in the inner molecular layer, where synaptic reorganization of granule cell mossy fibre axons occurs (mossy fibre sprouting). In addition, patches of dense GP reactivity were evident in many areas. One month after status, levels of GPa and totalGP remained elevated in some areas, suggesting an ongoing role of GP or other aspects of glycogen metabolism, possibly due to the evolution of intermittent, recurrent seizures at approximately 3–4 weeks after status. Taken together, the results suggest that GP is dynamically regulated during and after status in the adult rat, and may have an important role in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy.
Proposed mechanisms of lower urinary tract injury in fractures of the pelvic ring
Authors: Andrich Daniela E. , Day Adrian C. , Mundy Anthony R.
Published: July 2007

Authors from the UK review their experience of lower urinary tract injuries in association with fractures of the pelvic ring. They found that the pattern of pelvic fracture did not help with the prediction of the presence of lower urinary injury, but that the type of injury was related to the fracture mechanism. This study represents a large review of such injuries in both men and women, and the authors present their own theories on mechanisms of injury.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the observation of particular pelvic fracture patterns enables the clinician to predict the presence and type of injuries to the lower urinary tract, as the mechanisms of injury to the lower urinary tract in association with fractures of the pelvic ring are unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The case‐notes and radiographs of 168 patients with either pelvic ring or acetabular fractures were reviewed; 108 pelvic ring fractures (81 men, 27 women) and 60 acetabular fractures (46 men, 14 women). The pelvic fractures were classified according to the system described by Tile and were correlated with the incidence and type of lower urinary tract injury (LUTI).

RESULTS

Overall, of the 108 men and women with pelvic ring fractures, 27 (25%) had a LUTI documented either radiologically or as an intraoperative finding. Of the 81 men with pelvic ring fractures, 24 (30%) had a LUTI, of whom six (7%) had an isolated bladder laceration, 14 (17%) a partial urethral injury (PUI) and four (5%) a complete urethral disruption (CUD). Five of the 18 men with urethral injuries also had bladder injuries and in three of these, the bladder neck was also injured. Three of 27 women (11%) had a LUTI, all of whom had isolated bladder lacerations. Of the 46 men with an acetabular fracture, one (2%) had a CUD, and three (7%) had a PUI. One of 14 of women with an acetabular fracture sustained a bladder laceration. None of the three men with a Tile Type‐A pelvic ring fracture sustained a LUTI. Of the 28 men with ‘open‐book’ (Tile Type‐B1) fractures, 21 (75%) had no associated LUTI and seven (25%) had a LUTI (five partial urethral injuries and two bladder lacerations). Of the 10 men with ‘lateral compression’ (Tile Type‐B2) fractures, six had no LUTI and four had a LUTI (two partial urethral injuries and two bladder lacerations). Of the 40 men with ‘vertical shear’ (Tile Type‐C) fractures, 27 (68%) had no LUTI and 13 (32%) a LUTI (four complete urethral disruptions, seven partial urethral injuries, and two bladder lacerations) including all of the combined bladder and urethral injuries and all of the bladder neck injuries.

CONCLUSION

The pelvic fracture pattern alone does not predict the presence of a LUTI. When it occurs, the type of LUTI appears to be related to the fracture mechanism. The pattern of injury to the soft tissue envelope and specifically to the ligaments supporting the lower urinary tract offers the best correlation with the observed LUTI. We propose a mechanism for this.
A Modern Resource Based Approach to Unrelated Diversification
Authors: Ng Desmond W.
Published: July 2007

abstract  For over three decades, the questions of how and why an organization diversifies into related and unrelated businesses have drawn the attention of strategy scholars. However, explanations of unrelated diversification have been less than clear. A conceptual model of unrelated diversification is thus proposed. In drawing on Penrose's (1959) resource based approach, unrelated diversification is explained by an organization's ‘three pillars’, which consist of its strength of dynamic capabilities, absorptive capacity, and weak ties. The role of the three pillars is to discover new resource applications or uses in conditions of market failure that are characterized by ‘incomplete’ markets. A novel feature of this model is that an organization can diversify more broadly than predicted by Penrose (1959) and other modern resource‐based approaches (Teece et al., 1997). Furthermore, unrelated diversification can be beneficial. This study also offers suggestions to measure the three pillars; its contributions and implications are discussed as well.
Editorial introduction
Authors: Jones Campbell
Published: July 2007

This special issue presents the results of a three‐day conference that was held between 27 and 29 October 2005 at the Centre for Philosophy and Political Economy at the University of Leicester. The papers in this issue approach the work of Emmanuel Levinas and respond to him in different ways. Some introduce his work, some apply it in various contexts, some propose to extend it, while others question it. The issue also includes, in English for the first time, a translation of ‘Sociality and Money’, a text by Levinas that directly addresses the prospects for ethics in what he calls a ‘civilisation of money’. It is hoped that this text by Levinas will provide those unfamiliar with his writing something of an introduction to his work, and for readers familiar with Levinas it will provide access to a new text that concerns itself here explicitly with money and economic life. The editorial introduction seeks to provide some context for Levinas's work and its reception in philosophy and business ethics before overviewing the papers in the issue.
Levinas: beyond egoism in marketing and management
Authors: Desmond John
Published: July 2007

The primary aim of this paper is to accentuate those features that distinguish Levinasian ethics from the egoism that prevails in management thought. It focuses on differences in the constitution of the subject, how Levinas seeks an ethics that goes beyond the subjective point of view that structures the self as being self‐present, self‐interested, free and systematic and relates to others through this perspective. Levinas's concepts are critically discussed by reading these alongside Jacques Lacan and Adam Smith, which enable observations to be made about Levinas's concept of the Same and about the difference he effects between human and the nonhuman. It is concluded that it can be easy to misread Levinas in key respects in ways that may act to assimilate his thought to egoism.
Singular justice and software piracy
Authors: Introna Lucas D.
Published: July 2007

This paper assumes that the purpose of ethics is to open up a space for the possibility of moral conduct in the flow of everyday life. If this is the case then we can legitimately ask: ‘How then do we do ethics?’ To attempt an answer to this important question, the paper presents some suggestions from the work of Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida. With Levinas, it is argued that ethics happens in the singularity of the face of the Other before me ‘here and now’. Ethics matters in my everyday contact with the Other that disturbs my egological existence and claims my response. But what about all other Others, not here now but nevertheless simultaneously already present? What about their equal claim on me? With Levinas and Derrida, the paper attempts to articulate the notion of singular justice as the simultaneous demand of all others requiring my response. In singular justice, the paper attempts to show how the demands of ethics (the singular) and the demands of justice (all other Others) can become the impossible possibility for a ‘justice where there is no distinction between those close and those far off, but in which there also remains the impossibility of passing by the closest’. Furthermore, the paper attempts to argue that singular justice is our calling – or more precisely my calling – to do the right thing, here and now. Finally, by way of explication, the paper discusses a case of software piracy to try to show how singular justice can help us not to think about ethics, which is important, but to (almost) do it – which is very important.
The HIV/AIDS crisis and corporate moral responsibility in the light of the Levinasian notions of proximity and the Third
Authors: Soares Conceição
Published: July 2007

This paper focuses on the set of problems regarding the HIV/AIDS crisis in the specific domain of corporate moral responsibility within a context of the Levinasian notion of proximity (infinite responsibility) and the Third. Against a totalitarian, homogeneous society, Levinas opens the way to a social pluralism, which has its sources in the disquiet provoked by the strangeness of the Other's face. Corporate responsibility, understood from this point of view, would not reduce institutional relations to an anonymous world of neutrality. Corporate responsibility is unconditional in the sense that to be responsible is not a question of choice, but one of deep liberty, the liberty of taking the burden of the infinite responsibility for the Other – customers, employees, the public at large and those who suffer in the world. This paper argues that it would then also mean that society (individuals, NGOs and governments) in accordance with the spirit of the Levinasian philosophy of infinite responsibility could exert pressure on corporations, such as pharmaceutical companies. Owing to their power, they could change their present responsibility policies to a more affirmative and engaged responsibility with regard to those who are ill and who suffer death or debilitation from HIV/AIDS and other prevalent diseases in the poorest parts of the world today.
US Market Integration and Corporate Governance Practices: evidence from Canadian companies
Authors: Bozec Richard
Published: July 2007

The objective of this study is to investigate further the interplay between market globalisation and corporate governance practices. The study is conducted in Canada using a sample of 230 firms listed on the TSX in 2002 and ranked by Report on Business (ROB) on a set of corporate governance best practices. The ROB corporate governance index is built around four categories, namely board composition, compensation, shareholder rights and disclosure. The interaction of the sample companies with the US markets is analysed on the three following dimensions: financial market, product market and multi‐markets (combining financial, product and labour markets). Overall, our results show that greater US market interaction is associated with higher corporate governance ratings.

This study adds evidence on the positive relation between market integration and corporate governance practices and, as such, provides some credence to the claim that globalisation will lead to a certain degree of market‐driven convergence in corporate governance.
Where is Independent Director Efficacy?
Authors: Luan Chin‐Jung , Tang Ming‐Je
Published: July 2007

Theoretically and empirically, the linkage between outside directors and firm performance is not conclusive in previous studies. We suspect that the mixed results are due to the failure to meet the requirements of the independence of outside directors. As the Taiwanese government has a rigorous definition of outside director independence, we employ a data set from Taiwan to test the impact of independent outside director assignment on a firm's performance. Our findings suggest that after controlling for a firm's past performance, independent outside director appointments do have a significantly positive impact on a firm's performance, and outperforming firms may have better performance but not significantly when assigning outside directors due to their absorptive capacity.
A Priori Conceptions, Methodological Dogmatism and Theory versus Practice: three reasons why CEO pay research lacks convergence
Authors: O'Neill Graham
Published: July 2007

Pay Without Performance: The Unfilled Promise of Executive Compensation by Lucian Bebchuk and Jesse Fried (Harvard University Press, 2004) challenges the view that executive remuneration arrangements are designed to maximise shareholder value. The authors argue that managerial power results in remuneration being structured to benefit executives at the expense of shareholders. This paper contends that Bebchuk and Fried's approach illustrates issues that contribute to the problematic nature of executive remuneration research. In particular, it is proposed that a priori conceptions about executive remuneration, methodological dogmatism in research approaches and a significant gap between theory and practice, each contribute to the lack of convergence in executive pay research. Illustrative data taken from interview‐based research conducted with Australian non‐executive directors supports the view that reliance on economic efficiency arguments alone does not provide a sufficient framework to explain the subjective, judgemental and socially interactive processes involved in determining executive pay.
Collective relationship banking and private information monitoring in Korea1
Authors: Chang Yoonhee Tina
Published: July 2007

This paper introduces the notion of collective relationship banking (CRB) as a mechanism for monitoring private information and characterizes the probability of such a banking relationship existing when the borrowing firms have heterogeneous vertical ownership structures. Using a Korean firm‐level panel dataset, the empirical results of the paper suggest that firms with smaller holding companies’ ownership stakes are more likely to choose CRB. This can be explained in terms of CRB as a means to overcome informational asymmetries as holding companies can provide indirect monitoring. The paper then addresses policy concerns associated with corporate restructuring which may create a more concentrated banking relationship with a few dominant banks.
Generalization of Anger‐Coping Skills from Day‐Service to Residential Settings
Authors: Willner Paul , Tomlinson Sarah
Published: July 2007

Objective  To evaluate the extent to which anger management training provided within a learning disabilities day service generalizes to residential settings.

Method  Eleven day‐service users participated in one of two anger management groups. Treatment was delivered by day‐service staff and an assistant psychologist, using a standard cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) package shown to be effective in earlier studies. Evaluation was by the Provocation Index and the Profile of Anger‐Coping Skills, which measure, respectively, the potential to react in an angry manner, and the utilization of eight different anger‐coping skills.

Results  Participants showed a decrease in anger and an increase in anger‐coping skills, which was maintained at 6‐month follow‐up. Similar changes were reported by day‐service key‐workers and by residential carers (and by the participants themselves). At the level of the group, key‐workers and home carers did not differ significantly, at any time, in their ratings of anger, aggregate coping skills or individual coping skills. Within each setting, profiles of coping skills differed between individuals but were relatively stable across the 6‐month follow‐up period. However, there was no significant correlation between the profiles of coping skills reported for individual service users in the two settings.

Conclusions  The results confirm that group‐based CBT is an effective treatment for people with learning disabilities and anger management problems. Therapeutic gains are maintained for at least 6 months and generalize across settings. Different anger‐coping skills may be used by different people, or by the same person in different environments.

A Manual for the group is available on request.
Characterization of 20 microsatellite loci in the long‐tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus (Aegithalidae, AVES)
Authors: SIMEONI MICHELLE , DAWSON DEBORAH A. , ROSS DOUGLAS J. , CHÂLINE NICOLAS , BURKE TERRY , HATCHWELL BEN J.
Published: July 2007

We characterized 20 microsatellite loci in the long‐tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus. Polymorphic loci were identified by testing 114 loci that had been originally isolated in other avian species. The loci were characterized in 23–163 unrelated long‐tailed tits from a British population and displayed between two and 42 alleles, with observed heterozygosity ranging between 0.09 and 0.97.
Characterization of 30 new microsatellite markers, developed from enriched genomic DNA library of zoysiagrass Zoysia japonica Steud.
Authors: MA KYUNG‐HO , JANG DUK‐HWAN , DIXIT ANUPAM , CHUNG JONG‐WOOK , LEE SOK‐YOUNG , LEE JUNG‐RO , KANG HEE‐KYOUG , KIM SEONG‐MIN , PARK YONG‐JIN
Published: July 2007

The present study reports the development of 30 polymorphic microsatellite markers for zoysiagrass Zoysia japonica Steud. The 30 markers produced a total of 125 alleles with an average of 4.2 alleles per locus. Values for observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.10 to 0.95 and from 0.15 to 0.81, respectively. At significance threshold (P < 0.05), 11 loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, whereas significant linkage disequilibrium values were observed between 16 pairs of loci. These markers may provide information needed to select genetically diverse parents for developing breeding and mapping populations of zoysiagrass.
Something about young people or something about elections? Electoral participation of young people in Europe: Evidence from a multilevel analysis of the European Social Survey
Authors: FIELDHOUSE EDWARD , TRANMER MARK , RUSSELL ANDREW
Published: July 2007

Abstract. Turnout at general elections across Europe is in decline as it is in other established democracies. A particular cause for concern is that young people are less likely to participate than older voters. Evidence presented in this article, based on national election results and the 2002–2003 European Social Survey, shows the overall turnout rate for 22 European countries in elections between 1999 and 2002 was 70 per cent compared to 51 per cent for electors aged less than 25. The authors examine national variations in turnout for young people across Europe, and use multilevel logistic regression models to understand these variations, and to test the extent to which they are attributable to the characteristics of young people and the electoral context in each country. Variations in turnout among young people are partially accounted for by the level of turnout of older voters in the country and partly by the characteristics of young voters, including the level of political interest and civic duty. The authors conclude that both individual‐level and election‐specific information are important in understanding the turnout of young electors.
The changing colours of the post‐communist state: The politicisation of the senior civil service in Hungary
Authors: MEYER‐SAHLING JAN‐HINRIK
Published: July 2007

Abstract. This article examines claims that senior civil services in post‐communist Europe are subject to instability and politicisation, and that both features are at the centre of what amounts to the emergence of a distinct type of executive governance different from Western traditions. At the conceptual level, the article develops four modes of politicisation that differ with respect to the political control over the making and breaking of bureaucratic careers. Modes of politicisation serve as an analytical tool to assess and classify the politicisation of post‐communist senior civil services and to compare them to prevailing modes of politicisation in Western democracies as well as the communist past. At the empirical level, the article examines the politicisation of the senior civil service in post‐communist Hungary. It argues that the politicisation of the Hungarian senior civil service is characterised by high turnover, recruitment of outsiders and heavy reliance on the appointment of officials who come and go with their bloc of political parties while bridging the out‐of‐office period in the private sector, academia or at a political party. The article concludes that the politicisation of the senior civil service in post‐communist Hungary has more in common with the communist past than with the prevailing modes of politicisation in Western democracies. The main difference from the communist era lies in the periodically changing political colours of the post‐communist state.
Therapeutic Potential of VIVIT, a Selective Peptide Inhibitor of Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells, in Cardiovascular Disorders
Authors: Yu Haixiang , Van Berkel Theo J.C. , Biessen Erik A.L.
Published: July 2007

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in industrialized nations. Targeted intervention in calcineurin, a calmodulin‐dependent, calcium‐activated phosphatase and its substrate, nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), was demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Although effective in the disruption of calcineurin phosphatase activity, cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 also resulted in undesired side effects and toxicity, prompting the discovery of VIVIT, a novel peptide inhibitor. VIVIT selectively and potently inhibits calcineurin/NFAT interaction, but does not compromise calcineurin phosphatase activity and non‐NFAT‐mediated signaling. VIVIT displays a favorable therapeutic profile as a potential drug candidate and constitutes a useful tool in exploring calcineurin‐NFAT functionality. This review describes the development of VIVIT peptide as a selective NFAT inhibitor and its application as a therapeutic agent in cardiovascular disorders including cardiac hypertrophy, restenosis, atherosclerosis, and angiogenesis.
Thoracolumbar Dorsolateral Laminectomy with Osteotomy of the Spinous Process in Fourteen Dogs
Authors: FORTERRE FRANCK , SPRENG DAVID , RYTZ ULRICH , JAGGY ANDRE , SCHAWALDER PETER
Published: July 2007

Objective— To describe outcome after an alternative unilateral approach to the thoracolumbar spine for dorsal laminectomy.

Study Design— Retrospective clinical study.

Animals— Dogs (n=14) with thoracolumbar spinal cord compression.

Methods— Thoracolumbar spinal cord compression was lateral (6 dogs), dorsal (4), and dorsolateral (4) caused by subarachnoid (7) and synovial cysts (2) and intradural‐extramedullary neoplasia (5). All dogs were treated by dorsal laminectomy with osteotomy of the spinous process using a unilateral paramedian approach. The contralateral paraspinal muscles were not stripped from the spinous process and the osteoligamentous complexes were preserved. Retraction of the spinous process and muscles to the contralateral side resulted in complete visualization of the dorsal vertebral arch thereby allowing dorsal laminectomy to be performed.

Results— No technique complications occurred. Approximately 75% exposure of the spinal cord (dorsal and lateral compartments) was achieved providing adequate visualization and treatment of the lesions. Transient deterioration of neurologic state occurred in 5 dogs because of extensive spinal cord manipulation. At long‐term follow‐up, 6 dogs were normal, 6 had clinical improvement, and 2 were unchanged.

Conclusion— Dorsal laminectomy after osteotomy and retraction of the spinous process may be considered in canine patients with dorsal, dorsolateral, or lateral compression to facilitate adequate decompression of the spinal cord.

Clinical Significance— This surgical technique offers an alternative approach to the thoracolumbar spine and spinal cord by a modified dorsal laminectomy that preserves the paraspinal muscle integrity on the contralateral side.
Iatrogenic Sciatic Nerve Injury in Eighteen Dogs and Nine Cats (1997–2006)
Authors: FORTERRE FRANCK , TOMEK ALES , RYTZ ULRICH , BRUNNBERG LEO , JAGGY ANDRE , SPRENG DAVID
Published: July 2007

Objective— To report clinical features associated with iatrogenic peripheral nerve injury in dogs and cats admitted (1997–2006) to a referral teaching hospital.

Study Design— Retrospective study.

Animals— Dogs (n=18), 9 cats.

Methods— Patients had acute signs of monoparesis attributable to sciatic nerve dysfunction that developed after treatment. Neurologic examination and electrodiagnostic testing were performed. Surgical therapy was used for nerve entrapment and delayed reconstructive surgery used in other cases.

Results— Of 27 nerve injuries, 25 resulted from surgery (18 with treatment of pelvic injuries). Iliosacral luxation repair resulted in tibial (4 cats) and peroneal (3 dogs) nerve dysfunction. Other causes were intramedullary pinning of femoral fractures (3), other orthopedic surgery (cemented hip prosthesis [2] and tibial plateau‐leveling osteotomy [1]), and perineal herniorrhaphy [1]. Nerve injury occurred after intramuscular injection (1 cat, 1 dog). Immediate surgical treatment was removal of intramedullary nails, extruded cement, or entrapping suture. Delayed nerve transplantation was performed in 2 dogs. Within 1 year, 13 patients recovered completely, clinical improvement occurred in 7, and there was no improvement in 7. Five of the 7 dogs that did not recover had acetabular or ilium fracture.

Conclusion— Iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury occurred most commonly during treatment of pelvic orthopedic diseases and had a poor prognosis. Clinical variation in sciatic nerve dysfunction in dogs and cats can be explained by species anatomic differences.

Clinical Relevance— Iatrogenic sciatic nerve injury leads to severely debilitating locomotor dysfunction with an uncertain prognosis for full‐functional recovery.
Real‐Time Monitoring of Thermal Cycling Damage in Ceramic Matrix Composites Under a Constant Stress
Authors: Mei Hui , Cheng Laifei , Zhang Litong , Fang Peng , Meng Zhixin , Liu Chidong
Published: July 2007

Under a constant stress of 50 MPa, a thermal strain with a range of 0.2% was measured on a carbon‐fiber‐reinforced SiC‐matrix composite (C/SiC) subjected to thermal cycling between 700° and 1200°C. Acoustic emission (AE) technology was implemented to assist in monitoring the occurrence of damage during testing. The monitored AE signals, together with the measured strain, were shown to have a significant dependence on temperature in a single cycle and to change periodically with repetitive temperature. In a single cycle, the cycled specimens emitted fewer acoustic emissions during heating, but as the cooling stage approached, the emission rate increased dramatically. As the cycle proceeded, the AE energy increased stepwise, whereas this stepwise increment per cycle continuously decreased until finally it nearly disappeared at 15 cycles, after which no further increase in thermal cycle creep strain was observed with a rate of zero, and the measured coating crack density reached a stable value of about 5.0 mm‐1.
Threshold Stress for Crack Healing of Mullite Reinforced by SiC Whiskers and SiC Particles and Resultant Fatigue Strength at the Healing Temperature
Authors: Takahashi Koji , Uchiide Kenichi , Kimura Yoshitaka , Nakao Wataru , Ando Kotoji , Yokouchi Masahiro
Published: July 2007

A mullite/SiC whisker/SiC particle multi‐composite, having excellent crack‐healing ability and mechanical properties, was hot pressed in order to investigate the crack‐healing behavior under stress and the resultant fatigue strength at the temperature of healing. A semi‐elliptical surface crack 100 μm in surface length was introduced on each specimen. The pre‐cracked specimens were crack healed under cyclic or constant stress by using a three‐point bending stress at 1473 K, and the resultant bending strength and cyclic fatigue strength were measured at 1473 K. The pre‐crack on the surface of the specimens could be healed even under stress. The threshold stresses for crack healing, as determined by evaluating the strengths of crack‐healed specimens at a healing temperature of 1473 K, were 170 MPa for both constant and cyclic stresses, corresponding to 77% of the bending strength of the pre‐cracked specimens. The static and cyclic fatigue behaviors of crack‐healed specimens were also investigated at a healing temperature of 1473 K.