bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bladder voiding in sleeping infants is consistently accompanied by a cortical arousal
Authors: ZOTTER HEINZ , SAUSENG WERNER , KUTSCHERA JOERG , MUELLER WILHELM , KERBL REINHOLD
Published: February 2006

The aim of the study was to find out whether bladder voiding in healthy sleeping infants was accompanied by any arousal reaction. Polygraphic recordings were performed in 21 healthy infants (11 female) born at term. The infants’ age at study entry was 42 ± 4 days and actual body weight was 4852 ± 689 g (mean ± SD). Bladder voiding was recorded by an adapted enuresis detector which was connected to the polygraphic computer unit. Arousals were defined as suggested by the ‘International Paediatric Work Group on Arousals’. Awakenings were excluded from the study. Bladder voiding was recorded at a mean time of 68 ± 7 min after the infant had fallen asleep and occurred during quiet sleep (QS). Electroencephalogram frequency (P < 0.01) and heart rate (P < 0.05) were higher during the 5‐s period before and after bladder voiding when compared with a 30‐s interval before voiding. Furthermore, bladder voiding was accompanied by body movements in all infants. Respiratory frequency did not change significantly. We could demonstrate for the first time in sleeping infants, that bladder voiding during QS was accompanied by a cortical arousal.
Nocturnal sustained attention during sleep deprivation can be predicted by specific periods of subjective daytime alertness in normal young humans
Authors: TAILLARD JACQUES , MOORE NICHOLAS , CLAUSTRAT BRUNO , COSTE OLIVIER , BIOULAC BERNARD , PHILIP PIERRE
Published: February 2006

In our 24‐h society, nocturnal sleep‐related accidents are common. Because all individuals are not equal in their responses to sleep loss, it is very important to identify predictors of vulnerability to sleep deprivation in normal subjects. We investigated the performance of a cognitive test of sustained attention, electroencephalogram theta/alpha power, subjective sleepiness, and two circadian markers (core temperature and melatonin) in 18 healthy men (nine morning types and nine evening types, 21.4 ± 1.9 years) during a 36‐h sleep deprivation in a constant routine protocol. Sleep need (self‐reported) and baseline sleep structure were also investigated. Nighttime performance impairment was defined as the difference between the mean nocturnal number of lapses (00:00–19:30 hours) and the mean diurnal number of lapses (07:30–20:30 hours) expressed as a percentage. Feeling fully alert in the morning just after awakening and/or sleepy in early afternoon were the only two factors (Multiple R > 0.80, >60% of explained variance) which better predicted the decrease in performances of nocturnal operational tasks requiring sustained attention.
A novel high‐affinity arginine transporter from the human parasitic protozoan Leishmania donovani
Authors: Shaked‐Mishan Pninit , Suter‐Grotemeyer Marianne , Yoel‐Almagor Tamar , Holland Neta , Zilberstein Dan , Rentsch Doris
Published: February 2006

We describe the first functional and molecular characterization of an amino acid permease (LdAAP3) from the human parasitic protozoan Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in humans. This permease contains 480 amino acids with 11 predicted trans‐membrane domains. Expressing LdAAP3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants revealed that LdAAP3 codes for a high‐affinity arginine transporter (Km 1.9 µM). LdAAP3 is highly specific for arginine as its transport was not inhibited by other amino acids or arginine‐related compounds. Using green fluorescence protein (GFP) fused to the N‐terminus of LdAAP3, this transporter was localized to the surface membrane of promastigotes. The GFP–LdAAP3 chimera mediated a threefold increase in arginine transport in promastigotes, indicating that it is active and confirmed that LdAAP3 codes for an arginine transporter in parasite cells as well. LdAAP3 is novel as it shares a high level of homology with amino acid permeases from other trypanosomatidae but almost none with permeases from other phyla. The results of this work suggest that LdAAP3 might play a role in host–parasite interaction.
The PmrA/PmrB and RcsC/YojN/RcsB systems control expression of the Salmonella O‐antigen chain length determinant
Authors: Delgado Mónica A. , Mouslim Chakib , Groisman Eduardo A.
Published: February 2006

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the outermost component of the cell envelope in Gram‐negative bacteria. It consists of the hydrophobic lipid A, a short non‐repeating core oligosaccharide and a distal polysaccharide termed O‐antigen. We report here that the PmrA/PmrB and RcsC/YojN/RcsB two‐component systems of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium independently promote transcription of the wzzst gene, which encodes a protein that determines the chain length of the O‐antigen. We show that the regulatory proteins PmrA and RcsB footprint partially overlapping regions of the wzzst promoter stimulating transcription from the same start site. Induction of the PmrA/PmrB or RcsC/YojN/RcsB systems increased the fraction of LPS molecules containing 16–35 O‐antigen subunits, leading to heightened resistance to serum. The LPS of a rcsB null mutant exhibited an altered mobility in the O‐antigen subunits attached to the lipid A‐core region when separated on a SDS/PAGE gel, suggesting that RcsB may regulate additional LPS genes. Inactivation of the wzzst gene eliminated the enhanced swarming behaviour exhibited by the rcsB mutant. That multiple regulatory systems control wzzst expression suggests that the Wzzst protein is required under different environmental conditions.
Characterization of a unique type IA topoisomerase in Bacillus cereus
Authors: Li Zhiyu , Hiasa Hiroshi , DiGate Russell
Published: February 2006

Bacillus cereus topoisomerase IIIβ (bcTopo IIIβ) has been cloned, overexpressed and biochemically characterized. This enzyme exhibits 64% and 33% sequence identity to Bacillus subtilis topoisomerase III (bsTopo III) and Escherichia coli topoisomerase III (ecTopo III) respectively. The enzymatic properties of bcTopo IIIβ differ substantially from other bacterial type IA topoisomerases, including E. coli type IA topoisomerases and B. cereus topoisomerase I (bcTopo I) and IIIα (bcTopo IIIα). bcTopo IIIβ only partially relaxes negatively supercoiled DNA and appears incapable of generating fully relaxed topoisomers. In contrast to ecTopo III and bcTopo IIIα, bcTopo IIIβ is not a decatenase. bcTopo IIIβ is unable to compensate the loss of ecTopo III in vivo. Therefore, bcTopo IIIβ is a unique prokaryotic type IA topoisomerase that is different from previously characterized topoisomerases.
NBU1 integrase: evidence for an altered recombination mechanism
Authors: Schmidt John W. , Rajeev Lara , Salyers Abigail A. , Gardner Jeffrey F.
Published: February 2006

NBU1 is a 10.3 kbp Bacteroides mobilizable transposon. A previous study had identified a 2.7 kbp segment of the excised circular intermediate that was sufficient to mediate integration of the element after transfer. This segment contained an integrase gene, intN1, and a region spanning the ends of the circular form within which integration occurred (attN1). The integrase protein, IntN1, appeared to be a member of the tyrosine recombinase family because it contains the canonical C‐terminal RKHRHY [RK(H/K)R(H/W)Y] motif that characterizes members of that family. In this study, we describe an Escherichia coli‐based integration assay system that has allowed us to characterize attN1 in detail. We first localized attN1 to a 250 bp region. We then used site‐directed mutations to identify directly repeated sequences within attN1 that were required for site‐specific integration. The locus of NBU1 site‐specific integration in the Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron chromosome, attBT1‐1, contains a 14 bp sequence that is identical to a 14 bp sequence that spans the joined ends of the NBU1 attN1 site (common core sequences). The effects of mutations in the common core were different from the expected results if NBU1 integration was similar to λ integration. In particular single base changes near one end of the common core region, which introduced heterology, actually increased the frequency of integration. By contrast, compensating changes that restored homology in the common core region reduced the integration frequency. The recombination mechanism also differs from the one used by conjugative transposons that have coupling sequences between the sites of strand cleavage and exchange. These results indicate that although NBU1 integrase is considered to be a member of the tyrosine recombinase family, it catalyses an integrative recombination reaction that occurs by a different crossover mechanism.
Ribosomal protein L11 mutations in two functional domains equally affect release factors 1 and 2 activity
Authors: Sato Hanae , Ito Koichi , Nakamura Yoshikazu
Published: February 2006

Bacterial release factors (RFs) 1 and 2 catalyse translation termination at UAG/UAA and UGA/UAA stop codons respectively. It has been shown that limiting the amount of ribosomal protein L11 affects translation termination at UAG and UGA differently. To understand the functional interplay between L11 and RF1/RF2, we isolated 21 distinct mutations in L11 as suppressors of either temperature‐sensitive (ts) RF1/RF2 strains or read‐through mutants of lacZ nonsense (UAG or UGA) strains. 10 of 21 mutants restored ts lethal growth of RF1 and/or RF2 strains. All the selected L11 mutants, including the RF1ts‐ and RF2ts‐specific suppressors, had the same effect, either enhancing or reducing, on UAG and UGA termination efficiency in vivo. The specific properties of the selected L11 mutations remained unchanged in an RF3 deletion strain. Moreover, ribosomes absent of L11 had equally reduced activity for both RF1‐ and RF2‐mediated peptide release in vitro. These results suggest that, unlike the previous notion, L11 has a common, cooperative role with RF1 and RF2. These L11 mutations were located on the surface of two domains of L11, and interpreted to affect the interaction between L11 and rRNA or the RFs thereby leading to the altered translation termination.
First estimates of the fundamental parameters of the relatively bright Galactic open cluster NGC 5288
Authors: Piatti Andrés E. , Clariá Juan J. , Ahumada Andrea V.
Published: February 2006

In this paper we present charge-coupled device (CCD) images in the Johnson B and V and Kron—Cousins I passbands for the previously unstudied open cluster NGC 5288. The sample consists of 15 688 stars reaching down to V∼ 20.5. The cluster appears to have a relatively small but conspicuous nucleus and a low-density extended coronal region. Star counts carried out in 25 × 25 pixel2 boxes distributed throughout the whole observed field allowed us to estimate the angular core and corona radii as∼1.3 and 6.3 arcmin, respectively. Our analysis suggests that NGC 5288 is moderately young and probably more metal-rich than the Sun. Adopting the theoretical metal content Z= 0.040, which provides the best global fit, we derive an age of 130+40−30 Myr. Simultaneously, we have obtained colour excesses E(B-V) = 0.75 and E(V-I) = 0.95 and an apparent distance modulus V-MV= 14.00. The law of interstellar extinction in the cluster direction is found to be normal. NGC 5288 is located at 2.1 ± 0.3 kpc from the Sun beyond the Carina spiral feature and∼7.4 kpc from the Galactic Centre. The cluster metallicity seems to be compatible with the cluster position in the Galaxy, given the recognized radial abundance gradient in the disc. For the first time, in this paper we determine the basic parameters for the open cluster NGC 5381, situated in the same direction as NGC 5288. This determination was reached by using CCD VI data published almost a decade ago by Pietrzyński et al. (1997) for NGC 5381. The properties of some open clusters aligned along the line of sight of NGC 5288 are examined. The properties of clusters of similar ages to NGC 5288 are also looked into. Evidence is presented that these did not form mainly along the spiral arms but rather in the thin Galactic disc (Z∼±100 pc).
Over‐expression of different aldehyde dehydrogenase genes in Arabidopsis thaliana confers tolerance to abiotic stress and protects plants against lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress
Authors: KOTCHONI SIMEON O. , KUHNS CHRISTINE , DITZER ANDREA , KIRCH HANS‐HUBERT , BARTELS DOROTHEA
Published: February 2006

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) play a major role in the detoxification processes of aldehydes generated in plants when exposed to abiotic stress. In previous studies, we have shown that the Arabidopsis thaliana ALDH3I1 gene is transcriptionally activated by abiotic stress, and over‐expression of the ALDH3I1 gene confers stress tolerance in transgenic plants. The A. thaliana genome contains 14 ALDH genes expressed in different sub‐cellular compartments and are presumably involved in different reactions. The purpose of this study was to compare the potential of a cytoplasmic and a chloroplastic stress‐inducible ALDH in conferring stress tolerance under different conditions. We demonstrated that constitutive or stress‐inducible expression of both the chloroplastic ALDH3I1 and the cytoplasmic ALDH7B4 confers tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress. Stress tolerance in transgenic plants is accompanied by a reduction of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) derived from cellular lipid peroxidation. Involvement of ALDHs in stress tolerance was corroborated by the analysis of ALDH3I1 and ALDH7B4 T‐DNA knockout (KO) mutants. Both mutant lines exhibited higher sensitivity to dehydration and salt than wild‐type (WT) plants. The results indicate that ALDH3I1 and ALDH7B4 not only function as aldehyde‐detoxifying enzymes, but also as efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and lipid peroxidation‐inhibiting enzymes. The potential of ALDHs to interfere with H2O2 was also shown for recombinant bacterial proteins.
Predicting the clinical outcome of tetanus: the tetanus severity score
Authors: Thwaites C. L. , Yen L. M. , Glover C. , Tuan P. Q. , Nga N. T. N. , Parry J. , Loan H. T. , Bethell D. , Day N. P. J. , White N. J. , Soni N. , Farrar J. J.
Published: February 2006

Objectives  To create a new tetanus score and compare it with the Phillips and Dakar scores.

Methods  We used prospectively acquired data from consecutive patients admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, to create the Tetanus Severity Score (TSS) with multivariate logistic regression. We compared the new score with Phillips and Dakar scores by means of resubstituted and prospective data, assessing performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver operator characteristic curves.

Results  Resubstitution testing yielded a sensitivity of 77% (298/385) and a specificity of 82% (1183/1437) for the TSS; 89% (342/385) and 20% (281/1437) for the Phillips score; and 13% (49/385) and 98% (1415/1437) for the Dakar score. The TSS showed greatest discrimination with 0.89 area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (95% CI 0.88–0.90); this was 0.74 for the Dakar score and (95% CI 0.71–0.77) and 0.66 for the Phillips score (95% CI 0.63–0.70; P values <0.001). Prospective testing showed 65% (13/20) sensitivity and 91% (210/230) specificity for the TSS; 80% (16/20) and 51% (118/230) for the Phillips score; and 25% (5/20) and 96% (221/230) for the Dakar score. The TSS achieved the greatest area under TSS of 0.89 (95% CI 0.82–0.96), significantly greater than the Phillips score [0.74 (0.6–0.88), P = 0.049] but not the Dakar score [0.80, (0.71–0.90), P = 0.090].

Conclusions  The TSS is the first prospectively developed classification scheme for tetanus and should be adopted to aid clinical triage and management and as a basis for clinical research.
Earnings, Schooling and Social Capital of Cooperative Managers
Authors: Barros Carlos Pestana
Published: February 2006

Abstract**: This paper estimates a human capital model for co‐operative managers and compares the results with the social capital model, based on a questionnaire distributed in Portugal in 2003. The study disentangles the relative contributions of the two competing theories of earnings: the human capital and social capital theories, as applied to co‐operative managers. We conclude that co‐operative managers’ earnings are a function of both theories. Policy implications are derived.
Structural Changes in the Development of European Co‐operative Societes
Authors: Fernández Guadaño Josefina
Published: February 2006

Abstract**: In spite of the wealth of experience which co‐operative societies now have behind them, they have not gained uniform recognition across Europe. Supranational authorities such as the European Commission, the UN and the ILO have highlighted the important contribution made by co‐operative societies in the creation of employment and in the mobilization of resources particularly at the local level. For several years now, however, two different tendencies in the development of the European co‐operative movement are becoming apparent and they are analysed in this study. One is towards the creation of growth processes through formulas which aim to bring under the same roof asset holders who by their very nature are a difficult fit, all the while trying to maintain certain cooperative principles. And on the other hand, a tendency towards the creation of micro‐companies that act in local markets and allow for territorial development by means of the mobilization of local resources, based on local allegiance of the partners and democratic participation.
Fiberoptic light source‐induced surgical fires – the contribution of forced‐air warming blankets
Authors: Williams D. M. , Littwin S. , Patterson A. J. , Brock‐Utne J. G.
Published: February 2006

Background:  Fiberoptic light sources have been identified as a fire ignition mechanism in the operating room. This study attempted to determine whether a forced‐air warming blanket (FAWB) could affect the ignition or spread of fire caused by a fiberoptic light source.

Methods:  We exposed surgical drapes to a fiberoptic light source at close range. The results were categorized according to time to first smoke and damage resulting at 1 min. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney rank‐sum test.

Results:  The sums of the rank values for the components of the drape indicated that there was a greater than 96.8–99.2% chance that the FAWB accelerated the time to first smoke. The FAWB appeared to protect the patient gown from damage during all trials. The presence of an FAWB under a surgical drape accelerated the time to first smoke when exposed to unprotected fiberoptic light sources, yet prevented damage to the underlying patient gown. In an actual surgical setting, it is likely that the FAWB would offer some protection to the patient's skin directly below the surgical drape.

Conclusion:  It is likely that the FAWB can offer some protection to the patient should an unprotected fiberoptic light source cause a fire.
Post‐operative unwashed shed blood transfusion does not modify the cellular immune response to surgery for total knee replacement
Authors: Muñoz M. , Cobos A. , Campos A. , Ariza D. , Muñoz E. , Gómez A.
Published: February 2006

Background:  In patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR), most blood loss occurs post‐operatively, and the return of unwashed filtered shed blood (USB) from post‐operative drainage may represent an alternative to allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT). We evaluated the impact of USB return on the cellular immune response (CIR) after TKR.

Patients and methods:  Forty TKR patients, intended to receive post‐operative USB, entered the study. Blood samples were obtained before and 6 h, 24 h, 72 h and 7 days after surgery, and from USB, after it had been passed through a 40‐µm filter. Full blood cell counts, lymphocyte subsets and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) were measured in all samples. A set of clinical data was collected from each patient.

Results:  Twenty‐four of the 25 patients received a mean of 1.2 USB units and did not need additional ABT (USB group). Twelve of the 15 remaining patients who received neither USB nor ABT served as a control group for the post‐operative CIR study. All patients showed a post‐operative decrease in T‐cell and natural killer (NK) cell counts, but not B‐cell counts, and there were no significant differences between the groups with regard to CIR parameters, post‐operative infection or hospital stay.

Conclusions:  Post‐operative salvage and return of USB after TKR does not seem to increase the post‐operative infection rate or hospital stay, and does not modify CIR induced by surgery. These findings add to the clinical experience that post‐operative USB return, as a source of autologous blood, is safe, and questions the beneficial effect of blood washing.
Fatigue crack growth under variable amplitude loading Part II: analytical and numerical investigations
Authors: SANDER M. , RICHARD H. A.
Published: February 2006

In part I, the effects of variable amplitude loadings on the fatigue crack growths were illustrated by means of experimental results. Within the scope of part II, systematic analytical and numerical investigations are presented. Using different analytical concepts it can be shown that the lifetime depends both on the concept used and on the loading sequence. Also, the influence of the parameters that must be fitted by experimental data for all analytical prediction models has been investigated. By means of detailed elastic–plastic finite element simulations it becomes obvious that not only the crack opening caused by large plastic deformations subsequent to overloads and block loadings, but also the stress field in the ligament is an indicator for the retardation effect. If the σy‐stresses both at maximum and minimum loading are identical with the σy‐stress distribution of an appropriate constant amplitude (CA) loading, one can assume that the interaction effect is annihilated.
Breaking down barriers – examining health promoting behaviour in the family. Kellogg's Family Health Study 2005
Authors: Jefferson A.
Published: February 2006

Summary  Dietary habits learnt during childhood form the foundations for behaviour throughout the rest of life. With the ever‐increasing challenge of childhood overweight and obesity, finding ways to promote healthy behaviours in the family environment is a key factor in both the prevention and treatment of these conditions. This study was carried out by Kellogg's in order to explore barriers to healthy eating and physical activity and to identify possible triggers to participation in these health behaviours. This article provides a review of the study, and outlines its key findings and their implications for healthcare professionals.
The nutritional properties of flours derived from Orkney grown bere barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Authors: Theobald H. E. , Wishart J. E. , Martin P. J. , Buttriss J. L. , French J. H.
Published: February 2006

Summary  Bere barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a six‐row barley landrace, the ancestry of which may go back to the 8th century or earlier. The cultivation of bere on any scale is currently restricted to Orkney, although it was at one time grown more widely in Scotland. Within the UK, bere is unique in being the only barley grown commercially for milling and, in Orkney, flours derived from bere are traditionally used for making bannocks, bread and biscuits. There is potential for the use of bere flours in a much wider range of foods, and for this reason the nutritional properties of such flours were investigated. The energy, macronutrient and micronutrient content of both wholemeal and white flours derived from bere were measured. Flours derived from bere grown in Orkney contain a wide variety of nutrients including significant quantities of folate, thiamin, pantothenic acid, iron, iodine and magnesium. Although the nutrient content of bere bannocks has previously been published, to our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the nutritional properties of wholemeal and white flours derived from bere.
Dietary cholesterol, eggs and coronary heart disease risk in perspective
Authors: Lee A. , Griffin B.
Published: February 2006

Summary  The idea that dietary cholesterol increases risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by turning into blood cholesterol is compelling in much the same way that fish oil improves arthritis by lubricating our joints! Dietary cholesterol, chiefly in the form of eggs, has long been outlawed as a causative agent in CHD through its association with serum cholesterol. However, the scientific evidence to support a role for dietary cholesterol in CHD is relatively insubstantial in comparison with the incontrovertible link between its circulating blood relative in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and CHD. Interpretation of the relationship between dietary cholesterol and CHD has been repeatedly confounded by an often inseparable relationship between dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. It has also been exaggerated by the feeding of unphysiologically high intakes of eggs. Nonetheless, numerous studies have shown that dietary cholesterol can increase serum LDL‐cholesterol, but the size of this effect is highly variable between individuals and, according to over 30 years of prospective epidemiology, has no clinically significant impact on CHD risk. Variation in response to dietary cholesterol is a real phenomenon and we can now identify nutrient–gene interactions that give rise to this variation through differences in cholesterol homeostasis. More importantly, to view eggs solely in terms of the effects of their dietary cholesterol on serum cholesterol is to ignore the potential benefits of egg consumption on coronary risk factors, including obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular risk in these conditions is largely independent of LDL‐cholesterol. These conditions are also relatively unresponsive to any LDL‐cholesterol raising effects of dietary cholesterol. Treatment is focused primarily on weight loss, and it is in this respect that eggs may have a new and emerging role in facilitating weight loss through increased satiety.
The interactive effects of personal traits and guided practices on preservice teachers’ changes in personal teaching efficacy
Authors: Yeh Yu‐Chu
Published: February 2006

Personal teaching efficacy is associated with a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. To enhance this efficacy in a computer‐simulated training program, both personal traits and guided practices need to be considered concurrently. In this study, it was hypothesised that the interactive effects from the coupling of personal traits with guided practices would be a reliable predictor of the degree of improvement in personal teaching efficacy during computer‐simulated training. One hundred and seventy‐eight preservice teachers completed an interactive teaching experience via the Computer Simulation for Teaching General Critical‐thinking Skills in which guided practices were integrated via specially designed teaching sequences and loops. The findings suggest that intrapersonal intelligence, critical‐thinking dispositions and a judicial thinking style are related to self‐awareness, analytical learning and reflective thinking and that in this study, these personal qualities seemingly interacted with guided practices, which resulted in reflective teaching and mastery experience. This, in turn, may very well have brought about improvement in the preservice teachers’ personal teaching efficacy during the computer‐simulated teaching.
REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON GROWTH, POVERTY AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION: THE CASE OF VIETNAM
Authors: Nguyen Tien Dung , Ezaki Misuo
Published: February 2006

Trade liberalization and regional economic integration have recently accelerated in East Asia, where several free trade areas have been established or are under negotiation. Vietnam, after acquiring Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) membership in 1995, has signed a bilateral trade package with the United States and participated in the China‐ASEAN free trade area. This paper attempts to analyze the impact on Vietnam of ongoing regional economic integration, focusing on growth, poverty reduction and income distribution. For this purpose, we have constructed a globally linked Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model and made use of Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) database version 6.0 and Vietnam's living standards surveys. The simulation analysis shows that the regional economic integration generally has a positive impact. It both enhances welfare and improves income‐distribution for Vietnam. Household income and consumption increase, and poor and rural household groups benefit more than urban high income groups.
BROADBAND AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A MUNICIPAL CASE STUDY FROM FLORIDA
Authors: Ford George S. , Koutsky Thomas M.
Published: February 2006

In this paper, we explore whether broadband investment by municipalities has an effect on economic growth. To do so, we employ an econometric model to compare economic growth between counties in the State of Florida. Our econometric model shows that Lake County – a small county in central Florida – has experienced significantly greater growth in economic activity relative to comparable Florida counties since making its municipal fiber‐optic network generally available to businesses and municipal institutions in the county. Our findings are consistent with other analyses that postulate that broadband infrastructure can be a significant contributor to economic growth.
PROPERTY RIGHTS, GENES, AND COMMON GOOD
Authors: Reed Esther D.
Published: February 2006

This paper applies aspects of Hugo Grotius's theologically informed theory of property to contemporary issues concerning access to the human DNA sequence and patenting practices. It argues that Christians who contribute to public debate in these areas might beneficially employ some of the concepts with which he worked—notably “common right,” the “right of necessity,” and “use right.” In the seventeenth century, wars were fought over trading rights and access to the sea. In the twenty‐first century, information and intellectual property are the issues of the day. Grotius's writings serve to correct the overemphasis in modern liberalism on individual rights, and have practical application to the debate concerning the reduction of the human genome to the status of private property.
WISDOM, PESSIMISM, AND “MIRTH” Reflections on the Contribution of Biblical Wisdom Literature to Business Ethics
Authors: Branick Vincent P.
Published: February 2006

Ancient Israel's wisdom literature dealt explicitly with moral education. Applying this literature to modern challenges of business ethics requires reading the texts in the light of existential structures that bond the ancient with the modern world. Such structures could include the temporal categories of present and future along with the challenging angst of managing the future. By providing conflicting positions the ancient wisdom literature provides an attitude of heart for the modern person, especially the modern business person, whose all‐absorbing attention to the future may well be based on an underlying existential situation behind much unethical behavior in modern business.
KAIROS: BETWEEN COSMIC ORDER AND HUMAN AGENCY  A Comparative Study of Aurelius and Confucius
Authors: Zhu Rui
Published: February 2006

In nontheistic moral traditions, there is a typical ethical conundrum concerning the relation between cosmic order and human agency. Within those traditions, it is generally recognized that the universe has its own order and history that are independent of human will. A moral discourse has to find space to accommodate human agency in the midst of the iron grid of cosmic law. Both Confucius and Aurelius use the concept of timeliness (kairos) to resolve the difficult issue. But their philosophies take on divergent paths. By studying their resolutions of the issue, we will be able to appreciate the distinctive nature of their nontheistic moral narratives.
WHOSE INTERESTS ARE THEY, ANYWAY?
Authors: Mohrmann Margaret E.
Published: February 2006

This review both praises Richard Miller's book—a thoughtful, judicious, and comprehensive analysis of bioethics for the pediatric age group, notably the first effort worthy of the name—and points out the work still to be done in this area, work firmly based in and illuminated by Miller's ground‐breaking thesis. Specifically, the book rightly compels us to recognize obligations of beneficence as primary and to refocus on the child's basic interests, rather than putative “best” interests. There remains much to be done in defining and discerning basic interests and in distinguishing whose interests are on the table when decisions are being made for seriously ill and dying children.
Prediction of response to IVIg treatment in patients with lower motor neurone disorders
Authors: Strigl‐Pill N. , König A. , Schröder M. , Beranek H. , Schoser B.G.H. , Spaeth M. , Pongratz D. , Müller‐Felber W.
Published: February 2006

The distinction between multifocal motor neuropathy, treatable by intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg), and degenerative motor neurone disorders is often difficult. To find predictive factors for the response to IVIg treatment, 40 consecutive patients with pure lower motor neurone disorders (LMND) were prospectively examined. They all received at least two times IVIg (2 g/kg bodyweight). Prior to the first and before all the following treatments a standardized evaluation was performed including clinical examination, neurophysiological and laboratory evaluation. According to changes in the neurological examination and the Neuromuscular Symptom Score, the patients were divided into responders and non‐responders after the second course of treatment. In our study, no single clinical, neurophysiological, or laboratory parameter was sensitive enough to predict response. The only single parameter that highly correlated with a positive response to treatment was an elevated GM1 antibody titre. Lack of response to IVIg treatment is likely in patients with generalization of electromyographic signs of denervation beyond the clinically involved site, proximal localization of the weakness, and an elevated level of the creatinekinase. Conduction blocks do not distinguish between both groups. We propose a scoring system combining clinical, serological and neurophysiological data in order to decide which patients with LMND may receive IVIg.
Subtle cognitive deficits after cerebellar infarcts
Authors: Hokkanen L. S. K. , Kauranen V. , Roine R. O. , Salonen O. , Kotila M.
Published: February 2006

The role of the cerebellum in cognitive functions has been under debate. We investigated the neuropsychological functioning of patients with cerebellar lesions (infarcts) and evaluated the significance of laterality in cognitive symptoms. Twenty‐six patients with exclusive cerebellar lesions as verified by clinical and neuroradiological findings underwent a neuropsychological assessment at the acute stage and at 3 months. Their performance was compared with 14 controls, also assessed twice. The focus was on four domains: visuospatial/motor functions, episodic memory, working memory and attentional shifting/execution. Both groups improved over time. Statistical differences emerged in tests in the visuomotor domain as well as in the episodic and working memory domains. Patients with left cerebellar lesion were slow in a visuospatial task, whereas those with right cerebellar lesions had verbal memory difficulty compared with controls. By 3 months, 77% of the patients had returned to work, and only one had cognitive impairment and did not return to work. Our results indicate that cerebellar infarcts may result in subtle cognitive changes perhaps primarily related to working memory deficit. The symptoms may be mediated by the contralateral cortical hemisphere, left cerebellar infarcts producing mild right hemispheral dysfunction and right cerebellar infarct producing mild left hemispheral dysfunction.
The Relationship between Migraine Pain and Other Associated Symptoms
Authors: Kelman L , Tanis D
Published: February 2006

This study explores the relationship of the pain of the migraine headache and the associated features of migraine. Migraineurs ( n = 1025) (ICHD-2, 1.1-1.2 and 1.5.1) were evaluated retrospectively using a detailed database (daily unremitting excluded). Variables studied included headache intensity and duration, associated symptoms and pain characteristics. Non-parametric correlations were used to evaluate relationships among variables. Headache intensity correlated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, dizziness (all P = 0.000), running of the nose/tearing of the eyes ( P = 0.007), and osmophobia ( P = 0.044), but not with diarrhoea or taste abnormality. Headache duration correlated only with osmophobia ( P = 0.002) and taste abnormality ( P = 0.005). Throbbing, pressure and stabbing pain correlated with most of the associated symptoms. Aching correlated only with taste abnormality. This correlational study demonstrates that migraine pain is clearly related to nausea, but is also correlated with other associated migraine symptoms. Taste abnormality and osmophobia are better correlated with headache duration rather than headache intensity.
Patterns of Experimentally Induced Pain in Pericranial Muscles
Authors: Schmidt-Hansen PT , Svensson P , Jensen TS , Graven-Nielsen T , Bach FW
Published: February 2006

Nociceptive mechanisms in the craniofacial muscle tissue are poorly understood. The pain pattern in individual pericranial muscles has not been described before. Experimental muscle pain was induced by standardized infusions of 0.2 ml 1 M hypertonic saline into six craniofacial muscles (masseter, anterior temporalis, posterior temporalis, trapezius, splenius capitis and sternocleidomastoid) in 20 healthy subjects. The pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were determined before and after infusions. The subjects continuously reported intensity of saline-induced pain on an electronic visual analogue scale (VAS) and the perceived area of pain was drawn on anatomical maps. The pain areas were measured and the localization determined by a new centre-of-gravity method. The PPTs were lowest on the sternocleidomastoid muscle (ANOVA: P < 0.001), but the saline-evoked VAS pain scored highest following injection into the masseter muscle (ANOVA: P < 0.05). The centre-of-gravity measures demonstrated significantly different localization of the pain areas (ANOVA: P < 0.001). The trigeminally vs. the cervically innervated muscles had significantly different patterns of spread and referral of pain according to trigeminally vs. cervically innervated dermatomes ( P < 0.005). In conclusion, there appear to be characteristic pain patterns and pain sensitivity in different craniofacial muscles in healthy volunteers, which may be of importance for further research on different craniofacial pain conditions.
On the Determinants and Dynamics of Trade Credit Use: Empirical Evidence from Business Start‐ups
Authors: Huyghebaert Nancy
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  Business start‐ups provide an excellent opportunity for testing various hypotheses on why firms use trade credit. At the time of start‐up, failure risk and financial constraints are typically large. Also, start‐ups have no established relationships with banks and suppliers. The literature has related all these features to trade credit use. Moreover, as firms grow older, these characteristics become less pronounced, allowing us to test the dynamics of trade credit use. We find that start‐ups use more trade credit when financial constraints are large, when suppliers have a financing advantage over banks in financing high‐risk firms, when entrepreneurs value private benefits of control and when transaction costs are important. Furthermore, the dynamic implications of these theories are supported.
The Relevance of Target Accounting Quality to the Long‐Term Success of Cross‐Border Mergers
Authors: Black Ervin L. , Carnes Thomas A. , Jandik Tomas , Henderson B. Charlene
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  We investigate a sample of cross‐border mergers involving US firms that acquired foreign targets between 1985 and 1995. Our general interest is in the long‐term success of the acquisitions, measured by the post‐merger abnormal returns to the US acquirers. Our primary focus is the relationship between the quality of the foreign target's accounting disclosures and the acquisition's long‐term success. Employing a procedure recommended by Lyon et al. (1999), we find that US acquirers in cross‐border mergers experience significantly negative long‐term abnormal returns post‐merger. These returns also are significantly more negative than those realized by a matched sample of US acquirers that acquired US targets. To investigate the potential association between the US acquirers' post‐acquisition returns and target firms' accounting disclosures, we classify the merger transactions by target firm home country. We define variables to reflect the quality of accounting disclosures and control for other important country‐specific features. The results reveal that post‐merger abnormal returns are less negative for acquirers of targets based in countries where accounting data is less value relevant. This may be due to a higher cost of capital for target firms in these countries, resulting in a built‐in discount in the pricing of targets. An examination of the premiums paid in a subset of 79 cross‐border mergers reveals evidence consistent with this contention: premiums are lower for target firms based in countries where accounting data is less value relevant. These results suggest that shareholders of targets from such countries pay a price for their country's institutional framework that makes accounting information less value relevant.
The Seasoned‐Equity Issues of UK Firms: Market Reaction and Issuance Method Choice
Authors: Barnes Edel , Walker Martin
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  This study examines the seasoned equity issues of companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. Recent regulatory changes have allowed UK firms more discretion in choice of issue approach, and this has led many firms to issue through placing in preference to a rights issue. Having first documented the trend towards increasing use of placings, we go on to identify an interesting subset of placings that are less likely to be anticipated by the market, and find a significant positive market reaction to such placings, which contrasts with the significant negative reaction we find for issues by rights. We also examine the choice of seasoned equity issuance method, focusing on the choice between placings versus rights issues. We develop a model to explain the choice of equity issue method that achieves a high level of predictive accuracy.
Real‐Time Risk Pricing Over the Business Cycle: Some Evidence for the UK
Authors: Evans Kevin P. , Speight Alan E. H.
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  The fully‐revised data typically utilized in empirical research do not reflect the true information available to financial market participants at the time of their decision‐making. This paper uses a new real‐time macroeconomic dataset to appraise the relative importance of different vintages of data on economic variables as determinants of UK stock returns using the framework of Arbitrage Pricing Theory. We find that two factors influence expected stock returns, namely unanticipated inflation and economic uncertainty, but only when measured in real‐time. Moreover, their pricing influence is only present during phases of the business cycle when their associated risks are at their most prevalent.
How Investors Trade Around Interim Earnings Announcements
Authors: Vieru Markku , Perttunen Jukka , Schadewitz Hannu
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  This study focuses on non‐institutional trading behaviour around interim earnings announcements in the emerging market. We separate the stock trading activity of Finnish households into five trading classes and compare the results to institutional trading. Data covering the years 1996–2000 shows that earnings news triggers trading in every trading class. We also find some evidence that actively trading individuals especially (compared to passively trading ones) show increased buying and selling activity before the event compared to the non‐event period. After the event we find that Finnish households in the most active investor class tend to follow a contrarian strategy, especially selling after good news. This adds to previous evidence by Grinblatt and Keloharju (2000b). Furthermore, the performance of the active investor classes is superior to that of passive ones. Finally, the institutional trading class is clearly less affected by the announcement than the active investor classes, suggesting that institutions utilize a broader information set than individual investors.
Ownership Structure and IPO Underpricing
Authors: Hill Paula
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  Stoughton and Zechner (1998) and Brennan and Franks (1997) argue that underpricing can be employed to determine post IPO ownership structure, and thereby to influence monitoring and/or control of the company post issue. This paper employs unique data relating to shareholdings of firms listing on the London Stock Exchange, and provides compelling evidence that IPO underpricing does not arise from efforts to determine the ownership structure of the post IPO firm. It is suggested that research is directed elsewhere to find an answer to the underpricing phenomenon, and for means other than IPO underpricing to affect post IPO ownership structure.
How Do Different Types of Investors React to New Earnings Information?
Authors: Ekholm Anders
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  The purpose of this study is to investigate how different types of investors react to new earnings information. Using the extremely comprehensive official register of share holdings in Finland, we find that the majority of investors are more likely to sell (buy) stocks in a company after a positive (negative) earnings surprise and that they are biased towards buying after the disclosure of an annual report. Large investors show behaviour opposite to that of the majority of investors. We consider several possible explanations for this heterogeneous investor behaviour, of which differences in investor overconfidence emerges as the strongest candidate.
An extinct species of tooth‐billed pigeon (Didunculus) from the Kingdom of Tonga, and the concept of endemism in insular landbirds
Authors: Steadman D. W.
Published: February 2006

The tooth‐billed pigeon Didunculus strigirostris lives on three islands in Western (Independent) Samoa. A larger, extinct species, Didunculus placopedetes, is described from bones recovered in late Quaternary cave deposits on 'Eua, Kingdom of Tonga. Also referred to D. placopedetes are bones from archaeological sites on the larger Tongan island of Tongatapu and the smaller, lower islands of Lifuka, Ha'ano, 'Uiha and Ha'afeva. As with so many other landbirds in Polynesia, the extinction of D. placopedetes occurred since the arrival of people and presumably was due to human impact. The peopling of Tonga is why the genus Didunculus is considered to be endemic to Samoa. The biogeographic implications of the new data on Didunculus are not unique; human activities have reduced or eliminated the natural range of nearly every genus and species group of Polynesian landbird. The reduced ranges of surviving taxa have created a situation (herein called ‘pseudo‐endemism’) where a taxon that seems today to be endemic to a restricted area (often one or two islands) was much more widespread at first human arrival. As the prehistoric record of insular birds improves in the Pacific and elsewhere, the list of pseudo‐endemic taxa will continue to grow.