bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF ENTITLEMENTS AND EQUITY ON COOPERATIVE BARGAINING: AN EXPERIMENT
Authors: BRUCE CHRISTOPHER , CLARK JEREMY
Published: June 2011

In some bargaining situations—for example, collaborative policy making and compulsory arbitration—a third party imposes a backstop position that differs from the status quo. Axiomatic models of cooperative bargaining presume that the status quo in such cases will have no effect on the negotiated outcome, especially if it is Pareto inferior to the backstop. Recent literatures on equity and entitlement, however, suggest that the status quo may establish a focal point that acts as an “anchor” in current negotiations, affecting any ultimate agreement. In a two‐party, two‐attribute experiment, in which subjects jointly select from up to 200 options, we find evidence (1) that the status quo matters, perhaps because of “entitlement effects” and (2) that parties prefer egalitarian outcomes to the Nash bargain. (JEL C92, D74, H44, Q58)
THE IMPACT OF MERGERS ON FARES STRUCTURE: EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN LOW‐COST AIRLINES
Authors: DOBSON PAUL W. , PIGA CLAUDIO A.
Published: June 2011

This paper examines mergers that lead to an almost immediate replacement of the target firm's business model in favor of that of the acquiring firm. We examine the post‐merger behavior of the two leading European dedicated low‐cost airlines, EasyJet and Ryanair, each acquiring another low‐cost airline, Go Fly and Buzz, respectively. We find that both takeovers had an immediate and sustained impact on both the pricing structures and the extent of intertemporal price schedules used on the acquired routes, with early booking fares noticeably reduced and only very late booking fares increased. The analysis suggests that the takeovers had a net beneficial effect for consumers, at least in price terms, as a consequence of the introduction of the acquiring firms' business models and associated yield management pricing systems. (JEL L11, L13, L93)
INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR AND BIDDING HETEROGENEITY IN SEALED BID AUCTIONS WHERE THE NUMBER OF BIDDERS IS UNKNOWN
Authors: ISAAC MARK , PEVNITSKAYA SVETLANA , SCHNIER KURT S.
Published: June 2011

This article uses laboratory data from a series of first‐price (FP) and second‐price (SP) sealed bid auctions in which the number of bidders is unknown to test for possible deviations of individual behavior from theory and study the source of heterogeneity in bidding. In SP auctions we find a substantial amount of coincidence with theory. We observe systematic deviations from risk neutral bidding in FP auctions and show theoretically that these deviations are consistent with risk averse preferences. We find essentially no heterogeneity in bidding in SP auctions where risk preferences and the number of bidders do not affect the optimal bid, while in the FP auctions heterogeneity in bidding persists with experience. We find that heterogeneity in bidding in FP auctions is consistent with heterogeneity in risk preferences, the attempt to count the number of bidders in the auction, and bidder specific noise. (JEL D44, C91)
EFFECTS OF OVERWEIGHT ON RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS
Authors: AVERETT SUSAN , CORMAN HOPE , REICHMAN NANCY E.
Published: June 2011

We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to estimate effects of adolescent girls' overweight on their propensity to engage in risky sexual behavior. We estimate single equation, two‐stage, and sibling fixed‐effects models. We consider both absolute weight and weight relative to other girls in the individual's school. We focus on vaginal intercourse without a condom, any type of sexual activity while under the influence of alcohol, and anal intercourse. Our findings confirm previous research indicating that overweight or obese girls are less likely than their recommended‐weight counterparts to be sexually active. As a result, they are less likely to have vaginal intercourse without a condom. However, overweight or obese girls are not less likely to have sex under the influence of alcohol, and once they have had vaginal intercourse, their consistency of condom use is no different from that of their recommended‐weight peers. The most striking finding is that overweight or obese girls are at least 15% more likely than their recommended‐weight peers to have ever had anal intercourse regardless of whether they have ever had vaginal sexual intercourse. The results from this study underscore the importance of using multifaceted and contemporary measures of risky sexual behavior and have implications for the health and well‐being of adolescent girls. (JEL I12, J13)
CONSUMPTION BENEFITS OF NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE GAME TRIPS ESTIMATED FROM REVEALED AND STATED PREFERENCE DEMAND DATA
Authors: WHITEHEAD JOHN C. , JOHNSON BRUCE K. , MASON DANIEL S. , WALKER GORDON J.
Published: June 2011

This paper examines the demand for hockey game trips among metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residents of Alberta, Canada. Using data on both revealed and stated preference game‐trip behavior from a telephone survey conducted throughout Alberta, we estimate the effect of ticket prices, team quality, arena amenities, and capacity on the latent demand for National Hockey League hockey games. We find that lower ticket prices, higher team quality, and additional capacity encourage attendance. In the status quo scenario, consumer surplus per game is $50 for those who had attended hockey games and about 50% less for those who had not attended games. Exploiting the stated preference data, we develop a number of other consumer surplus estimates. We also include travel costs in the estimation of the demand function and estimate the full value of the game trip considering both ticket prices and travel costs. Sold‐out arenas in Calgary and Edmonton generate annual consumption benefits of $40 and $35 million when only ticket prices are used to calculate consumer surplus (i.e., excluding travel costs). Considering the full‐price consumer surplus for the Calgary Flames of $103 per game trip, the annual consumption benefits may be as high as $82 million. (JEL R22, L83, D61)
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE? A FIELD EXPERIMENT EXPLORING THE TRADE‐OFF BETWEEN INCOME AND CASTE‐STATUS IN AN INDIAN MATRIMONIAL MARKET
Authors: DUGAR SUBHASISH , BHATTACHARYA HAIMANTI , REILEY DAVID
Published: June 2011

A large body of literature depicts that status‐based discrimination is pervasive, but is silent on how economic incentive interacts with such discrimination. This study addresses this question by designing a field experiment in a reputable arranged marriage market that is prone to strong caste‐status‐based discrimination. We place newspaper advertisements of potential grooms by systematically varying their caste and income and focus on responses of higher‐caste females to lower‐caste males. The substantive finding is that despite the evidence of discrimination, discriminatory behavior of higher‐status females decreases with an increase in the advertised monthly income of lower‐status males.(JELC93, J12, J15)
Complementing institutional with localised strategies for climate change adaptation: a South–North comparison
Authors: Wamsler Christine , Lawson Nigel
Published: June 2011

Climate change and disasters pose a serious risk to sustainable development. In the South, local coping strategies are an important element of adaptation to climate and disaster risk. Such strategies have emerged because of the limited assistance provided by urban actors and associated social security and governance systems. In the North, in contrast, local coping strategies are comparatively poorly developed. However, the extent of the changing climatic conditions is also reducing the capacity of Northern institutions to deal with climatic extremes and variability, which emphasises the need for more local‐level engagement in the North. This paper analyses the differences in local and institutional responses to climate change and disasters in a Southern and a Northern city (San Salvador, El Salvador, and Manchester, United Kingdom, respectively), and highlights how the lessons learned might be translated into an improved distributed governance system; that is, an ‘integrated engagement model’, where local and institutionalised responses support rather than hinder each other, as is currently the case.
Long‐Term Earnings Inequality, Earnings Instability and Temporary Employment in Spain: 1993–2000
Authors: Cervini‐Plá María , Ramos Xavier
Published: June 2011

This article provides a longitudinal perspective on changes in Spanish male earnings inequality for the period 1993–2000 by decomposing the earnings covariance structure into its permanent and transitory parts. Cross‐sectional earnings inequality of male full‐time employees falls over the second half of the 1990s. Such decline was determined by a decrease in earnings instability and an increase of the permanent earnings component. Given the marked decline in temporary employment over the sample period, we also examine the effect of the type of contract on earnings variance components and find that workers on a fixed‐term contract face, on average, more instability than workers on a permanent contract. This evidence suggests that the decline in temporary employment is responsible for the decreasing earnings instability.
Issues, Responsibilities and Identities: A Distributed Leadership Perspective on Biotechnology R&D Management
Authors: Lindgren Monica , Packendorff Johann
Published: June 2011

The aim of the research reported here is to contribute to the ongoing development of R&D project leadership studies by applying a distributed leadership perspective in the analysis of a product development project in a small biotechnology venture. A distributed leadership perspective implies that leadership is studied as a process of social interaction, involving several individuals who continuously construct leadership activities together. From a case study of a bio‐tech venture, we conclude that leadership work in R&D projects implies construction of issues, responsibilities and identities. That is, what people do – seen from this perspective – when performing leadership activities in this project is that they gradually move the project and the organization forward by processing issues, resolving ambiguities concerning responsibility, and develop their understandings on the identity bases involved.
Developing Innovation Capabilities: A Longitudinal Study of a Project at Volvo Cars
Authors: Börjesson Sofia , Elmquist Maria
Published: June 2011

Many large firms are struggling to alter and develop their organizational capabilities. There are several discussions in the literature on what these capabilities comprise, and that there is a need to develop them. However, less attention has been paid to how companies can develop these capabilities in practice. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to organizational capability theory by providing insights derived from an empirical study of how organizational capabilities for innovation are developed in large firms, and how these findings compare to the theory. The paper is based on a longitudinal study of Volvo Cars conducted as a long‐term collaborative research project. The authors were involved in a project called Vision 2020, which extended over a period of two and a half years, the findings from which highlight several activities that enabled the changes required for the development of organizational capabilities. The need to develop ‘management capability’ in terms of both cognition and the propensity to act is especially highlighted.
Why There Cannot be Any Such Thing as “Time Travel”
Authors: Read Rupert
Published: June 2011

Extending work of Wittgenstein, Lakoff and Johnson I suggest that it is the (spatial) metaphors we rely on in order to conceptualise time that provide an illusory space for time‐travel‐talk. For example, in the “Moving Time” spatialisation of time, “objects” move past the agent from the future to the past. The objects all move in the same direction – this is mapped to time always moving in the same direction. But then it is easy to imagine suspending this rule, and asking why the objects should not start moving in the opposite direction. This is one way of generating the idea of time‐travel “back” into the past. Time‐travel‐talk essentially involves the unaware projection of fragments of our time‐talk – taken from powerful conceptual metaphors – onto the nature of reality itself. Understanding this dissolves away the charm and attractions of such talk.
A Giant Fast Asleep? Party Incentives and the Politicisation of European Integration
Authors: Green-Pedersen Christoffer
Published: June 2011

Hooghe and Marks recently introduced a new research agenda for the study of European integration focusing on politicisation, that is, the inclusion of mass public attitudes in the politics of European integration. The overall aim of this article is to respond to this new research agenda. Unlike the existing literature, which focuses on Euro-sceptical extreme left or right-wing parties, the article argues that the explanation for politicisation or the lack of it should be found in the incentives the issue offers for mainstream political parties. Denmark serves as a crucial case study to show the limitations of the existing literature and the need to focus on the incentives of mainstream political parties. Empirically, the article argues that expectations about the impending politicisation of European integration are misplaced. The giant is fast asleep because those who could wake it up generally have no incentive to do so and those who have an incentive cannot.
Ambivalent sexism: A tool for understanding and improving gender relations in organizations
Authors: ZAKRISSON INGRID , ANDERZÉN MARIE , LENELL FREDRIK , SANDELIN HÅKAN
Published: June 2011

Zakrisson, I., Anderzén, M., Lenell, F. & Sandelin, H. (2012). Ambivalent sexism: A tool for understanding and improving gender relations in organizations. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 64–70.

This study tested predictions regarding ambivalent sexism, previously studied cross‐culturally, here “within‐culturally”, between groups from different organizational settings. Based on three samples (334 adults in general, 744 industrial employees, and 189 high school students), completing a Swedish version of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), the results revealed that men scored higher on hostile and benevolent sexism than women, and high school students scored higher than both adult samples on both forms of sexism. The results generally confirmed the predictions; the gender gap in benevolent sexism decreased as a function of increasing levels of general sexism and the correlation between hostile and benevolent sexism decreased with higher levels of general sexism. In fact, the groups scoring highest on general sexism displayed significant negative correlations indicating a polarized ideology of women among these groups. Implications, both theoretical and practical, derived from these results are discussed.
Comparing Normal Random Samples, with Uncertainty About the Priors and Utilities
Authors: LONGFORD NICHOLAS T.
Published: June 2011

Abstract.  We study the problem of deciding which of two normal random samples, at least one of them of small size, has greater expected value. Unlike in the standard Bayesian approach, in which a single prior distribution and a single loss function are declared, we assume that a set of plausible priors and a set of plausible loss functions are elicited from the expert (the client or the sponsor of the analysis). The choice of the sample that has greater expected value is based on equilibrium priors, allowing for an impasse if for some plausible priors and loss functions choosing one and for others the other sample is associated with smaller expected loss.
Forgetting and remembering epilepsy: collective memory and the experience of illness
Authors: Shostak Sara , Fox Nicole S.
Published: June 2011

How do people with epilepsy relate to the long and troubling history of this disease? Drawing on two sets of interviews with people with epilepsy, one cohort from the mid‐1970s and one from 2005 to 2006, this article examines how memories of what epilepsy has been shape the individual and collective identities of people living with epilepsy. We find striking similarities in how people in both interview cohorts talk about what epilepsy was in ‘the Dark Ages’, by which they refer to the recent past. Likewise, we find evidence of a collective identity among people with epilepsy. However, memories of epilepsy’s past do not appear to serve as a basis for collective identity. Rather, these recollections are located in narratives of hope, in which people with epilepsy express confidence that the lives and life chances of people with epilepsy have improved – and will continue to improve – over time. Indeed, to the extent that people with epilepsy share a temporal orientation, it is much more to a collective future than to a collective past. Our conclusions, therefore, focus on the ways that the meanings of the past are shaped not only by present events but also by anticipated futures.
Does reading keep you thin? Leisure activities, cultural tastes, and body weight in comparative perspective
Authors: Pampel Fred C.
Published: June 2011

Abstract While sedentary leisure‐time activities such as reading, going to movies, attending cultural events, going to sporting events, watching TV, listening to music, and socialising with friends would seem to contribute to excess weight, a perspective focusing on socioeconomic status (SES) differences in cultural tastes suggests the opposite, that some sedentary activities are associated with lower rather than higher body weight. This study aims to test theories of cultural distinction by examining relationships between leisure‐time activities and body weight. Using 2007 data on 17 nations from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP), the analysis estimates relationships between the body mass index and varied leisure‐time activities while controlling for SES, physical activities, and sociodemographic variables. Net of controls for SES and physical activities, participation time in cultural activities is associated with lower rather than higher body weight, particularly in high‐income nations. The results suggest that both cultural activities and body weight reflect forms of distinction that separate SES‐based lifestyles.
HIV and identity: the experience of AIDS support group members who unexpectedly tested HIV negative in Uganda
Authors: Seeley Janet , Mbonye Martin , Ogunde Nelly , Kalanzi Isaiah , Wolff Brent , Coutinho Alex
Published: June 2011

Living with HIV, for many of those infected, has meant adjusting to life with a stigmatised condition and, until recently, the threat of looming death. We explore the adjustment of a group of long‐term former clients of The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in Uganda who, when tested for HIV during the rollout of antiretroviral therapy in 2004, were found to be HIV negative. In‐depth semi‐structured interviews with 34 former TASO clients were conducted between 2005 and 2007. Their narratives reveal a great deal about the biographical disruption they have faced, and the biographical work that they have undertaken in both the personal and the social dimensions of their lives in order to manage their new‐found HIV‐uninfected status. After the negative test result, as they were no longer HIV‐infected, they had to leave TASO and that support was sorely missed, as was the friendship of TASO members to whom they often felt reluctant to disclose their new status. The identity ‘reversal’ or change was often handled privately. Compared with their transition to an HIV‐positive identity, they now lacked a social dimension to their identity transformation as they managed their new identity in the face of self‐ and public doubt.
Weighted scatter estimation method of the GO‐GARCH models
Authors: Zheng Lingyu , Wei William W. S.
Published: June 2011

We propose a new estimation method for the factor loading matrix in modelling multivariate volatility processes. The key step of the method is based on the weighted scatter estimators, which does not involve optimizing any objective function. The method can therefore be easily applied to high‐dimensional systems without running into computational problems. The estimation is proved to be consistent and the asymptotic distribution is derived. The method inherits robust properties in dealing with ‘outlier’ clusters generated by GARCH processes. Through both simulation and real‐world case studies, we show that the method works well.
Statistical tests for a single change in mean against long‐range dependence
Authors: Baek Changryong , Pipiras Vladas
Published: June 2011

Statistical tests are introduced for distinguishing between short‐range dependent time series with a single change in mean, and long‐range dependent time series, with the former making the null hypothesis. The tests are based on estimation of the self‐similarity parameter after removing the change in mean from the series. The focus is on the GPH (Geweke and Porter‐Hudak, 1983) and local Whittle estimation methods in the spectral domain. Theoretical properties of the resulting estimators are established when testing for a single change in mean, and small sample properties of the tests are examined in simulations. The introduced tests improve on the BHKS (Berkeset al., 2006) test which is the only other available test for the considered problem. It is argued that the BHKS test has a low power against long‐range dependence alternatives and that this happens because the BHKS test statistic involves estimation of the long‐run variance. The BHKS test could be improved readily by considering its R/S‐like regression version which estimates the self‐similarity parameter and which does not involve the long‐run variance. Yet better alternatives are to use more powerful estimation methods (such as GPH or local Whittle) and lead to the tests introduced here.
SDF classifier revisited
Authors: Smiatacz Maciej , Malina Witold
Published: June 2011

This paper is addressing problems related to the construction of classifiers based on the Similarity Discriminant Function (SDF), in which the traditional vector representation of a pattern is replaced with matrix data. We introduce potential modifications of the matrix data structure and propose new variants of the SDF. The algorithms that we present were tested on images of handwritten digits and on photographs of human faces, taken from the ORL and CMU‐PIE databases. The results of experiments show that our modifications significantly improved the performance of the original SDF classifier.
Knowledge modeling through computational agents: application to surveillance systems
Authors: Gascueña José M. , Fernández‐Caballero Antonio , López María T. , Delgado Ana E.
Published: June 2011

Abstract: In this work the concept of computational agent is located within the methodological framework of levels and domains of description of a calculus in the context of different usual paradigms in Artificial Intelligence (symbolic, situated, connectionist, and hybrid). Emphasis in the computable aspects of agent theory is put, leaving open the possibility to the incorporation of other aspects that are still pure cognitive nomenclature without any computational counterpart of equivalent semantic richness. The ideas presented are shown as currently being implemented on semi‐automatic surveillance systems. A case study of a mobile robot application for the detection and following of humans is described.
Building Stakeholder Support for a Sex Offender Public Disclosure Scheme: Learning from the English Pilots
Authors: STOUT BRIAN , KEMSHALL HAZEL , WOOD JASON
Published: June 2011

Abstract: A national scheme to allow the public to have access to information about convicted sex offenders living locally has recently been introduced. This roll‐out follows an evaluation of pilot schemes that operated in four areas. The campaign for the introduction of such a scheme in the UK has had wide media backing but children's charities had previously been reluctant to offer support. This article explores how the views of the children's charities, and other stakeholders, became more positive due to their experience of the pilot schemes. It identifies the characteristics that need to be present to attract such support.
On the significance of social control: Treatment‐entry pressures, self‐choice and alcohol and drug dependence criteria one year after treatment
Authors: Storbjörk Jessica
Published: June 2011

Storbjörk J. On the significance of social control: treatment‐entry pressures, self‐choice and alcohol and drug dependence criteria one year after treatment

This article explores how self‐choice and treatment‐entry pressures are associated with one‐year treatment outcome (dependence symptoms, 0–6, 12 months) among alcohol and drug misusers, respectively. Informal pressures (from family and friends), formal pressures (related to work, healthcare, social services, social allowances, child custody) and legal pressures (related to the police, criminal justice system, compulsory treatment) were analysed. A sample (N= 1,210) representative of the addiction treatment system of Stockholm County was interviewed when starting a new treatment episode and after one year. Regression analyses indicated that self‐choice and pressures are associated with outcome among alcohol misusers but not among drug misusers when controlling for background factors and severity. Self‐choice (without pressures) correlated with a good outcome (a lower number of dependence criteria). Pressures were generally associated with poorer outcome. Alcohol misusers who had experienced threats regarding child custody did better in comparison with those not experiencing such pressure. The difference in results by drug type and implications were discussed.
Erythroderma as a paraneoplastic cutaneous disorder in systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma
Authors: Hanafusa T. , Igawa K. , Takagawa S. , Yahara H. , Harada J. , Tani M. , Sawada Y. , Katayama I.
Published: June 2011

Background  Paraneoplastic cutaneous disorders (PCDs) or dermadromes are skin conditions that have an association with internal malignancies but are not themselves malignant. We report the first two cases of systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (s‐ALCL) accompanied by erythroderma and multiple leg ulcers as PCDs.

Case 1.  A 52‐year‐old Japanese man presented with disseminated itchy papular erythemas which he had over his entire body for the preceding 5 years that later exacerbated to erythroderma. Multiple punched‐out ulcers also developed on his lower legs. Superficial lymph nodes (LNs) were swollen, and a left axillary LN biopsy demonstrated dense CD30+ atypical large cell (ALC) infiltration. By contrast, lymphocytes infiltrating into the erythroderma and leg ulcers were CD30−, and T‐cell receptor β (TCRβ) chain gene rearrangement was negative in skin biopsy specimens. Thus, he was diagnosed with s‐ALCL. Not only his s‐ALCL but also his erythroderma and leg ulcers responded well to chemotherapy.

Case 2.  A 71‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with erythroderma that persisted for approximately 20 years after mastectomy. At her initial hospital visit, she was diagnosed with s‐ALCL by biopsy of swollen left inguinal LNs. Similar to Case 1, CD30+ ALCs were negative in skin samples with normal TCRβ chain gene rearrangement. As the erythrodermic skin lesion responded well to chemotherapy for s‐ALCL, it was considered a PCD.

Conclusion  s‐ALCL development may be predicted by the precedence and concurrence of intractable paraneoplastic erythrodermic and ulcerative skin lesions, as reported in our two cases.
Psychological distress and coping strategies in patients attending a dermatology outpatient clinic
Authors: Mazzotti E. , Mastroeni S. , Lindau J. , Lombardo G. , Farina B. , Pasquini P.
Published: June 2011

Background  Psychological distress is frequent among dermatological patients. The development of a positive attitude toward diagnosis and treatment is thought to be critical for successful coping and mental health outcomes.

Objective  The aim of this study was to assess the coping strategies and the psychological distress, due to anxiety and depression, in an unselected sample of dermatological patients.

Methods  Self‐administered questionnaires (HADS, COPE) were given to 603 dermatological patients.

Results  Out of 567 participants, 149 (26.2%) scored positive for Anxiety, and 52 (9.2%) scored positive for Depression. Multivariate analysis, adjusting for gender, age, socio‐economic status, and disease, showed that both Anxiety and Depression are associated with a less frequent use of Positive attitude coping.

Conclusion  Our results reinforce the notion that while planning the treatment of dermatological patients, evaluating their mental health might help to provide optimal treatment. Since coping ability was found to be important for mental health status, policy implications could include emphasis on social programs to assist individuals to manage stress, as well as psychological support.
Effectiveness of topical calcineurin inhibitors as monotherapy or in combination with hydroxychloroquine in cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Authors: Avgerinou G. , Papafragkaki D.‐K. , Nasiopoulou A. , Arapaki A. , Katsambas A. , Stavropoulos P.G.
Published: June 2011

Background  Calcineurin inhibitors show potent anti‐inflammatory effects and favorable safety profile when used in the treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).

Objective  The present study investigates the change in clinical parameters of erythema, desquamation and edema, when calcineurin inhibitors are used as monotherapy or in combination with hydroxychloroquine in CLE for a period of 60 days.

Methods  18 patients were treated with topical tacrolimus and 20 patients with topical pimecrolimus, as monotherapy or in combination with hydroxychloroquine. Clinical parameters of erythema, desquamation and edema were assessed on a scale from 0 to 3 for erythema and edema and 0 to 2 for desquamation.

Results  Statistically significant improvement in erythema, desquamation and edema was observed in patients on monotherapy with calcineurin inhibitor and combination treatment with hydroxychloroquine, regardless of disease type. Combination treatment resulted in improvement of edema in 100% of patients, while monotherapy did so in 75% of patients.

Conclusions  Topical calcineurin inhibitors enhance the therapeutic effect of systemic agents in cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and result in improvement of the clinical parameters studied.
Malignant melanomas on head/neck and foot: differences in time and latitudinal trends in Norway
Authors: Juzeniene A. , Micu E. , Porojnicu A.C. , Moan J.
Published: June 2011

Background  Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) incidence continues to increase in many parts of the world. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main environmental risk factor for CMM. Different body locations are subjected to different doses and exposure patterns of solar UV. Time and latitudinal trends of CMMs on shielded and exposed skin give valuable information about the aetiology of these cancers. In this study, we have compared the time and latitudinal trends of CMM incidence on skin areas which are chronically (head and neck) and rarely (foot) exposed to UV radiation, to gain more information about the relationship between sun doses, exposure patterns and melanomagenesis.

Methods  We have analysed epidemiological data from the Cancer Registry of Norway, for foot and head and neck CMM for two time periods: 1966–1986 and 1987–2007.

Results  Cutaneous malignant melanoma incidence rate on head and neck has increased with time, while incidence rates of foot CMM have remained almost constant with time in Norway. There is a large north–south gradient in incidence rates of CMM on head and neck in Norway, while there is almost no north–south gradient for CMM incidence on foot.

Conclusions  Comparisons of time trends and latitudinal trends of the incidence rates of CMM on head/neck and on foot indicate that solar radiation plays a role in the induction of the former CMM but probably not for the latter.
Basal cell carcinoma of the head region: therapeutical results of 350 lesions treated with Mohs micrographic surgery
Authors: Veronese F. , Farinelli P. , Zavattaro E. , Zuccoli R. , Bonvini D. , Leigheb G. , Colombo E.
Published: June 2011

Background  Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a non‐melanocytic skin tumour with a high risk of recurrence after incomplete treatment, especially the aggressive subtypes (basosquamous, micronodular and morphea BCC). The percentage of recurrence also depends on the anatomical site of the tumour. Nose–cheek fold, paranasal fold, retroauricular fold and internal canthus are considered to be critical sites.

Objective  The aim of this study was to report on recurrence rates for BCC treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).

Material and Methods  We retrospectively studied 350 BCCs of the head region treated with MMS. Results were analysed with chi‐squared test and Fisher test and were considered significant when P value was ≤0.05.

Results  In our study, the percentage of BCC recurrence rate after MMS was of 3.4% for primary BCC and 4.9% for recurrent BCC; these were similar to the recurrence rates reported in the literature.

Conclusions  Low recurrence rate can be achieved when treated with MMS; it is the treatment of choice for many BCC of the head. Aggressive histopathological subtypes, critical head sites and recurrence after incomplete excision are the most important indications for MMS.
The natural course of gross motor deterioration in metachromatic leukodystrophy
Authors: KEHRER CHRISTIANE , BLUMENSTOCK GUNNAR , GIESELMANN VOLKMAR , KRÄGELOH‐MANN INGEBORG ,   ON BEHALF OF THE GERMAN LEUKONET
Published: June 2011

Aim  Motor deterioration is a key feature in metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The lack of data about its natural course impedes evaluation of therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to provide data about motor decline in MLD.

Method  Fifty‐nine patients (27 males, 32 females) with MLD (21 with late‐infantile MLD and 38 with juvenile MLD) were recruited within a nationwide survey (the German LEUKONET). Median (range) age at onset was 17 months (9–27) for the group with late‐infantile MLD and 6 years 2 months (2y 11mo–14y) for the group with juvenile MLD. Gross motor function was assessed using the Gross Motor Function Classification for MLD.

Results  In late‐infantile MLD, all patients showed loss of all gross motor function until 3 years 4 months of age. Patients with juvenile MLD showed a more variable and significantly longer motor decline (p<0.001). For a patient with the juvenile form showing first gait disturbances, the probability of remaining stable for more than 1 year was 84%, and 51% for more than 2 years. Having lost independent walking, subsequent motor decline was as steep as in the late‐infantile form (median 5mo, interquartile range 3–22).

Interpretation  The course of motor disease was more variable in juvenile MLD with respect to onset and dynamics. However, the motor decline after the loss of independent walking was similarly steep in both forms. These data can serve as a reference for clinical studies that are topics of current research and allow definition of inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Dopamine D1 receptor signaling system regulates ryanodine receptor expression after intermittent exposure to methamphetamine in primary cultures of midbrain and cerebral cortical neurons
Authors: Kurokawa Kazuhiro , Mizuno Koji , Kiyokage Emi , Shibasaki Masahiro , Toida Kazunori , Ohkuma Seitaro
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 773–783.

Regulatory mechanisms of ryanodine receptor (RyR) expression are not well known, although methamphetamine (METH) has been reported to up‐regulate RyRs in mouse brain. This study investigate regulatory mechanisms of RyR expression by dopaminergic system using the midbrain and cerebral cortical neurons in primary culture intermittently exposed to METH and dopamine receptor (DR) agonists (1 h/day, for 3 days). Intermittent METH (10 μM) exposure enhanced RyR‐1 and ‐2 proteins and their mRNA, but not RyR‐3 expression in the both types of the neurons. These METH‐induced increases of RyR proteins and their mRNA were dose‐dependently blocked by SCH23390 (a selective D1DR antagonist), but not a D2DR antagonist sulpiride, suggesting a regulatory role of D1DRs in RyR expression by METH in these neurons. In cerebral cortical neurons, intermittent SKF82958 (a selective D1DR agonist) exposure increased RyR‐1 and ‐2 proteins and their mRNA, whereas quinpirole (a selective D2DR agonist) showed no effects. KT5720, a protein kinase A inhibitor, dose‐dependently attenuated the METH‐stimulated RyR‐1 and ‐2 expressions in cerebral cortical neurons. METH significantly increased phosphorylation of cAMP‐response element‐binding protein, which was completely suppressed by SCH23390. These results indicate that RyR‐1 and ‐2 expressions are regulated by D1DRs via the signal transduction linked to D1DRs.
Spartin recruits PKC‐ζ via the PKC‐ζ‐interacting proteins ZIP1 and ZIP3 to lipid droplets
Authors: Urbanczyk Andreas , Enz Ralf
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 737–748.

Protein kinase C‐ζ interacting proteins (ZIP1‐3) recruit the enzymatic activity of the atypical protein kinase C isoforms PKC‐λ/ι or PKC‐ζ to target proteins. In this study, we searched for binding partners of ZIP3 in the CNS and identified spartin, a multifunctional protein that is mutated in spastic paraplegia type 20. In transfected cells, spartin was present on the surface of lipid droplets (LD), whereas ZIP proteins appeared in intracellular speckles. In the presence of spartin, ZIP1 and ZIP3 were translocated to spartin‐positive LD. This translocation was mediated by amino acids 196–393 of spartin that interacted with an N‐terminal region of ZIP proteins. Furthermore, ZIP proteins interacted simultaneously with spartin and PKC‐ζ, resulting in an enrichment of PKC‐ζ on spartin/ZIP‐labelled LD. Without spartin, neither ZIP proteins nor PKC‐ζ were detected on LD. Interestingly, the presence of the spartin/ZIP/PKC‐ζ complex increased LD size. This effect was most pronounced upon incorporation of the ZIP3 isoform into the trimer. Finally, we co‐localized spartin, ZIP proteins and PKC‐ζ in axon terminals of neurons in the mammalian retina. In summary, we describe spartin as new binding partner of the ZIP/PKC‐ζ dimer that recruits PKC‐ζ to LD and show that the expressed ZIP isoform regulates LD size.
High tryptophan diet reduces extracellular dopamine release via kynurenic acid production in rat striatum
Authors: Okuno Alato , Fukuwatari Tsutomu , Shibata Katsumi
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 796–805.

At endogenous brain concentrations, the neuroinhibitory tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) is a preferential antagonist of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). In the present study, male Wistar rats were fed a high tryptophan diet (adding 0.1–1.5% tryptophan) for 24 h to examine (i) the effect of increased tryptophan on extracellular dopamine (DA) and KYNA levels and (ii) to determine any possible interactions between DA and KYNA. Brain KYNA levels were dose‐dependently increased by tryptophan intake, and these increase were consistent with kynurenine (KYN), the precursor to KYNA, levels in the brain, plasma and liver. Administration of the 1.5% tryptophan added diet reduced the extracellular DA level to 60%, and increased the extracellular KYNA to 320% in the striatum. The DA reduction was attenuated through inhibiting KYNA synthesis with 2‐aminoadipic acid. These results indicate that a high tryptophan diet can induce KYNA production and suppress DA release. One possible mechanism is that as more KYN is metabolized from the high doses of tryptophan in the liver and released into the blood stream, KYNA production in astrocytes is enhanced and the increased extracellular KYNA inhibits DA release by blocking α7nAChRs. Dietary manipulation of KYNA formation in astrocytes may offer a unique strategy to modulate DA.
Primo Levi and the genre of testimony
Authors: Carter‐White Richard
Published: June 2011

Following on from spectral geographical studies of the disruptive aspects of memory, this paper further develops recent interest in the nonrepresentational and paradoxical dynamics of witnessing by drawing out the possibility of a historiography based on the capacity of testimony to interrupt and suspend representational closure. This possibility is posited in relation to the specific historiographical challenges posed by places and events of atrocity, whereby the extreme nature that makes these events so real threatens at the same time to render them the product of a self‐enclosed, alien and absolutely distant world. Through a close reading of Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi, I argue that the genre of testimony is predisposed towards generating disruptive encounters that force the reader of such works to take co‐responsibility in making sense of the text. Focusing upon Levi’s famous distinction between ‘the drowned and the saved’ of the camp, and the multiple possible interpretations of this distinction, I further argue that by establishing a space of uncertainty in which audiences must make an interpretive decision about the text without authorial guarantee, the disruptive form of memory that characterises witness testimony has the capacity to cultivate a fleeting recognition of a shared world between witness and reader, past and present.
Examination of hemostatic parameters to detect hypercoagulability in dogs with severe protein‐losing nephropathy
Authors: Donahue Suzanne M. , Brooks Marjory , Otto Cynthia M.
Published: June 2011

Objective –To identify hemostatic abnormalities in dogs with protein‐losing nephropathies (PLN) that represent risk factors for pathologic thrombosis.

Design –Cross‐sectional observational study of client‐owned dogs with PLN, nonprotein losing renal failure (RF), and systemic illness (SI) exclusive of primary renal disease.

Setting –Urban University Referral Center.

Animals –A total of 29 dogs (n=11 PLN,n=7 RF,n=11 SI) were enrolled between January 2001 and July 2002. Samples were also collected from 20 clinically normal dogs to serve as hemostasis assay controls.

Interventions –None.

Hemostasis Testing –Citrate anticoagulated blood was collected for point‐of‐care testing with a viscoelastic monitor (thromboelastograph [TEG]) and citrate plasma was prepared for coagulation screening tests and specific assay of the following hemostatic proteins: antiplasmin, antithrombin, D‐dimer, Factor VIII, fibrinogen, plasminogen, protein C, and von Willebrand factor.

Results –Dogs with PLN and RF demonstrated TEG abnormalities consistent with hypercoagulability (eg, short clotting time, high clot amplitude) and both groups had significantly lower antithrombin than the SI group. The PLN dogs had significantly higher protein C than either the RF or SI group. Hyperfibrinogenemia was a consistent finding among all 3 disease groups, and the coagulation index a measure of hypercoagulability derived from TEG parameters, directly correlated with fibrinogen values of all study dogs.

Conclusions –Hemostatic abnormalities consistent with systemic hypercoagulability are common in dogs with RF and PLN, however, no prothrombotic factors unique to PLN were identified in our study. The thrombotic tendency of PLN may therefore involve parameters we did not directly assess such as platelet reactivity, fibrinolysis, perturbations in blood flow, and/or endothelial dysfunction. High protein C is a novel finding in PLN dogs of unknown clinical relevance.
The use of intravenous lipid emulsion as an antidote in veterinary toxicology
Authors: Fernandez Alberto L. , Lee Justine A. , Rahilly Louisa , Hovda Lynn , Brutlag Ahna G. , Engebretsen Kristin
Published: June 2011

Objective
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To review the use of IV lipid emulsion (ILE) for the treatment of toxicities related to fat‐soluble agents; evaluate current human and veterinary literature; and to provide proposed guidelines for the use of this emerging therapy in veterinary medicine and toxicology.

Data Sources
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Human and veterinary medical literature.

Human Data Synthesis
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Human data are composed mostly of case reports describing the response to treatment with ILE as variant from mild improvement to complete resolution of clinical signs, which is suspected to be due to the variability of lipid solubility of the drugs. The use of ILE therapy has been advocated as an antidote in cases of local anesthetic and other lipophilic drug toxicoses, particularly in the face of cardiopulmonary arrest and unsuccessful cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation.

Veterinary Data Synthesis
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The use of ILE therapy in veterinary medicine has recently been advocated by animal poison control centers for toxicoses associated with fat‐soluble agents, but there are only few clinical reports documenting successful use of this therapy. Evidence for the use of ILE in both human and veterinary medicine is composed primarily from experimental animal data.

Conclusions
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The use of ILE appears to be a safe therapy for the poisoned animal patient, but is warranted only with certain toxicoses. Adverse events associated with ILE in veterinary medicine are rare and anecdotal. Standard resuscitation protocols should be exhausted before considering this therapy and the potential side effects should be evaluated before administration of ILE as a potential antidote in cases of lipophilic drug toxicoses. Further research is waranted.
The GPCR‐associated sorting protein 1 regulates ligand‐induced down‐regulation of GPR55
Authors: Kargl J , Balenga NA , Platzer W , Martini L , Whistler JL , Waldhoer M
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Many GPCRs, including the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, are down‐regulated following prolonged agonist exposure by interacting with the GPCR‐associated sorting protein‐1 (GASP‐1). The CB1 receptor antagonist rimonabant has also recently been described to be an agonist at GPR55, a cannabinoid‐related receptor. Here we investigated the post‐endocytic properties of GPR55 after agonist exposure and tested whether GASP‐1 is involved in this process.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We evaluated the direct protein‐protein interaction of GPR55 with GASP‐1 using (i) GST‐binding assays and (ii) co‐immunoprecipitation assays in GPR55‐HEK293 cells with endogenous GASP‐1 expression. We further tested the internalization, recycling and degradation of GPR55 using confocal fluorescence microscopy and biotinylation assays in the presence and absence of GASP‐1 (lentiviral small hairpin RNA knockdown of GASP‐1) under prolonged agonist [rimonabant (RIM), lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI)] stimulation.

KEY RESULTS We showed that the prolonged activation of GPR55 with rimonabant or LPI down‐regulates GPR55 via GASP‐1. GASP‐1 binds to GPR55 in vitro, and this interaction was required for targeting GPR55 for degradation. Disrupting the GPR55‐GASP‐1 interaction prevented post‐endocytic receptor degradation, and thereby allowed receptor recycling.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These data implicate GASP‐1 as an important regulator of ligand‐mediated down‐regulation of GPR55. By identifying GASP‐1 as a key regulator of the trafficking and, by extension, functional expression of GPR55, we may be one step closer to gaining a better understanding of this receptor in response to cannabinoid drugs.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue‐8. To view Part I of Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue‐7