bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assisting the Long‐Term Unemployed: Results from a Randomised Trial
Authors: Breunig Robert , Cobb‐Clark Deborah A. , Dunlop Yvonne , Terrill Marion
Published: May 2004

Welfare reform in Australia centres on both economic and social participation. The policy concern is that people who fail to participate in economic and social life may become entrenched in disadvantage. In 2000–2001, a randomised trial was conducted by the Department of Family and Community Services to assess whether an intensive interview with follow‐ups would result in increased participation for long‐term recipients of income support. Participation in the trial led to a reduction in average hours worked, but increased hours spent in study or training. We find evidence of increased social integration associated with participation in the trial.
Trade and Tradability: Exports, Imports, and Factor Markets in the Salter‐Swan Model
Authors: Thierfelder Karen , Robinson Sherman
Published: May 2004

We extend the Salter‐Swan model to include both factor markets and semi‐traded goods. In our model, changes in relative factor prices depend on changes in world commodity prices, factor endowments, and the trade balance. In contrast, only changes in world commodity prices can affect factor prices in the neoclassical trade model. The inclusion of semi‐traded goods weakens the magnification effect in both the Stolper‐Samuelson and Rybczynski theorems. When imports and domestic goods are poor substitutes, a characteristic of some commodities in developing countries, the sign of the Stolper‐Samuelson theorem is reversed.
No association between interleukin‐18 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes in Dutch sarcoidosis patients
Authors: Janssen R. , Grutters J.C. , Ruven H.J.T. , Zanen P. , Sato H. , Welsh K.I. , Du Bois R.M. , Van Den Bosch J.M.M.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Previously, an association between susceptibility to sarcoidosis and a polymorphism in the interleukin (IL‐18) gene (IL‐18 −607A/C) has been reported in Japanese. The aim of the present study was to validate this association in a clinically well‐characterized population of Dutch Caucasians. Three other polymorphisms at positions −656, −137, and 1248 were included in order to extend the mapping of the IL‐18 gene and to enable the construction of haplotypes. Polymorphisms were determined using sequence‐specific primers (SSPs) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 236 individuals was studied (133 patients and 103 controls). No significant differences were observed in the distribution of the −607 and the other polymorphisms between Dutch sarcoidosis patients and controls. However, significant differences in IL‐18 −607 genotype and allele frequency distributions were found between the Dutch and the Japanese. From the investigated IL‐18‐promoter polymorphisms, we were able to deduce four haplotypes. No differences were observed in haplotype frequencies between Dutch sarcoidosis patients and controls. In conclusion, IL‐18 polymorphisms do not appear to influence the susceptibility to sarcoidosis in Dutch Caucasians. Important differences in allele frequencies were observed between Japanese and Dutch sarcoidosis patients and controls.
Sequencing of two new HLA class II alleles: DRB3*0218 and DQB1*030202
Authors: Balas A. , Aviles M.J. , Lillo R. , Alonso‐Nieto M. , Zarapuz L. , García‐Villaescusa R. , García‐Sánchez F. , Vicario J.L.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Two novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles for DRB3 and DQB1 genes detected in Caucasoid Spanish individuals are described: DRB3*0218 and DQB1*030202. Both alleles have been found during routine high‐resolution typing by sequencing. DRB3*0218 shows a novel DRB3 gene polymorphic position, located at amino acid residue 58, alanine to glutamic acid. This residue is shared by several DRB1 alleles, including all described DRB1*11 subtypes. DQB1*030202 differs from DQB1*030201 by a point mutation at position 319 (T to C). This nucleotide change generates a new codon at amino acid position 75 that is not shared by any other DQB1 allele.
Identification of a novel HLA‐DPB1 allele, DPB1*9701, by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Lapi S. , Curcio M. , Fornaciari S. , Mariotti M.L. , Isola P. , Bonci F. , Pistello M. , Scatena F.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  This report describes the identification of a novel DPB1 allele, DPB *9701, found in an Italian Caucasian individual. The new allele was detected by human leukocyte antigen sequence‐based typing carried out to investigate the role of genetic factors in determining the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. DPB1*9701 was identical to DPB1*0501 except for a single‐nucleotide substitution at codon 43 (GGG → TGG). This nucleotide change is a non‐synonymous mutation and results in the amino acid substitution glycine (G) → tryptophan (W). The nucleotide sequence has been deposited in GenBank under the accession number AY033075, and denominated DPB1*9701 by the official World Health Organization Nomenclature Committee.
New HLA‐B alleles detected by polymerase chain reaction–sequence‐specific oligonucleotide typing: HLA‐B*0725, B*0728, and B*3808
Authors: Dodd R. , Hersee J. , Greville W.D. , Chapman G. , Taverniti A. , Le T. , Wallace R. , Kennedy A. , Dunckley H.
Published: May 2004

Abstract: Three novel alleles, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐B*0725, B*0728, and B*3808, were discovered during routine genotyping of samples for the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and Australian Cord Blood Bank. The new alleles contain amino acid changes in the antigen‐binding site of the expressed HLA protein, which may alter the antigen‐binding properties of the functional protein.
Identification of a new HLA‐Cw*05 allele, HLA‐Cw*0505*
Authors: Bengtsson M. , Danielsson F. , Jansson I.E. , Senkas A.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  We have identified a new human leukocyte antigen‐C allele in a Caucasian potential stem‐cell donor. The new allele is identical to the other Cw*05 alleles in exon 2 but differs from Cw*0501 and *0503 at nucleotide position 379 in exon 3, where a C is substituted with a G. This results in an amino acid substitution from leucine to valine at residue 103 in α2 helix.
Detection of a novel HLA‐A allele by polymerase chain reaction– sequence‐specific oligonucleotide typing: HLA‐A*0252
Authors: Hersee J. , Dodd R. , Greville W.D. , Chapman G. , Taverniti A. , Le T. , Wallace R. , Kennedy A. , Dunckley H.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  A new human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I allele, HLA‐A*0252, has been found during routine typing of samples for the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry. A*0252 differs from A*020101 at four codon positions, with all the new polymorphisms resulting in an amino acid change. The amino acids involved are located in the antigen‐binding region of the HLA protein.
A novel HLA‐DRB1 allele, DRB1*0449, with a rare point mutation found in the Han population of Guangdong China
Authors: Lv F. , Gao J. , Lin J. , Liu Z. , Fu Y. , Lin B. , Liu Y. , Xu A.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  A novel HLA‐DRB1 allele, DRB1*0449, has been identified in the Han population of Guangdong Province of China. Compared with DRB1*0406, it has only one single‐nucleotide mutation from G to A at position 18 of exon 2, which causes a change in the protein sequence from valine to isoleucine at codon 11 of DR beta chain.
HLA‐B*1819, a novel HLA‐B allele identified by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Frison S. , Crespiatico L. , Longhi E. , Guizzardi E. , Poli F. , Scalamogna M.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  In this brief communication, we describe a novel human leukocyte antigen‐B (HLA‐B) allele (HLA‐B*1819). This allele, found in an Italian Caucasian individual, differs from HLA‐B*180101 by three nucleotide changes in exon 3. These mutations are located at positions 527, 538, and 539 where a T, a C, and a T are substituted respectively, by an A, a T, and a G, leading to three aminoacidic substitutions at codon 152 from Valine to Glutamic Acid (GTG→GAG), at codon 155 from Histidine to Glutamine (CAC→CAG), and at codon 156 from Cysteine to Tryptophan (TGT→TGG).
Multiplexed analysis of polymorphisms in the HLA gene complex using bead array chips
Authors: Li A.X. , Seul M. , Cicciarelli J. , Yang J.C. , Iwaki Y.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  A novel custom bead array technology is introduced, and it is applied to multiplexed analysis of highly polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genetic loci. Our technology combines the construction of probe libraries on color‐encoded microparticles (beads) with semiconductor chip processing to produce custom‐designed high‐density bead array chips in large quantities. Using this novel assay format, two modes of parallel molecular typing of the HLA complex were implemented, namely direct hybridization, illustrated here for class II HLA‐DR, and a novel format of on‐chip polymerase‐mediated primer elongation, illustrated here for class I HLA‐A, HLA‐B, and HLA‐DR using patient and reference cell‐line DNA samples. Hybridization‐mediated multiplexed analysis of polymorphism method was validated with 142 samples, resulting in 100% concordance with sequence‐specific oligonucleotide typing results and a concomitant average of 40% less allele ambiguity. In addition, elongation and hybridization reactions were combined to identify multiple polymorphisms on the same phase of DNA for allele identification.
A novel polymorphic GATA site in the human IL‐12Rβ2 promoter region affects transcriptional activity
Authors: Van Rietschoten J.G.I. , Westland R. , Van Den Bogaard R. , Nieste‐Otter M.A. , Van Veen A. , Jonkers R.E. , Van Der Pouw Kraan T.C.T.M. , Den Hartog M.T. , Wierenga E.A.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) is a potent inducer of interferon‐γ production by T cells and is a major factor for the development of T‐helper 1 (Th1) cells. It exerts its biological effects through binding to the IL‐12 receptor (IL‐12R), a heterodimer composed of a 1 and a β2 subunits. The signaling β2 chain is expressed on Th1 cells and to a lesser extent on Th0 cells, but not on Th2 cells, rendering these latter cells unresponsive to IL‐12. Polymorphisms in the coding region of the IL‐12Rβ2 gene were shown to be associated with atopic disease. Here, we analyzed the 5′‐regulatory region of the human IL‐12Rβ2 gene by denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography (Transgenomic WAVE system, San Jose, CA). We found five novel single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the proximal 1.2 kb IL‐12Rβ2 promoter region, i.e. −237C/T, −465A/G, −1023A/G, −1033T/C, and −1035A/G. SNP −465A/G is of particular interest as it determines the integrity of a GATA consensus site. By functional comparison of both −465 alleles in transient transfection assays, we show that promoter activity is increased in case of the −465G allele, disrupting the intact GATA site. Comparison of the prevalence of −465A/G SNP alleles in small cohorts of allergic asthmatic and healthy control individuals provided no evidence for an altered distribution in the asthmatic population. In conclusion, we have identified a novel polymorphic GATA site that may affect transciptional activity of the human IL‐12Rβ2 gene under GATA3‐mediated, Th2‐polarizing conditions.
Characterization of a new HLA‐C allele: Cw*0719
Authors: Paul P. , Apgar J. , Cook D.J. , Ball E.J.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  We describe a new human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐Cw*07 allele that differs from Cw*0718 by a single‐coding nucleotide. DNA‐based genotyping identified a clinical sample from a Black African‐American patient that differed from known Cw alleles. The allele was amplified independently with a haplo‐specific primer and sequenced in its entirety.
A new HLA‐B allele, B*1565, identified in three unrelated samples
Authors: Dunckley H. , Dodd R. , Greville W. D. , Hersee J. , Le T. , Taverniti A. , Wallace R. , Strickland J. , Hogbin J‐P. , Truong J. , Velickovic Z. M.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  A new human leukocyte antigen‐B allele, B*1565, has been identified during routine typing of cord blood samples. Subsequently, two individuals from the same family as the first cord blood sample plus two unrelated Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry samples have been found to carry this novel allele.
Identification of a new allele, HLA‐DRB1*1360, on a DRB5 haplotype in a Brazilian individual
Authors: Testa G.V. , Bunce M. , Sheldon M.H. , Dunn P.P.J. , Day S. , Marques S.B.D.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  The application of DNA‐based methods for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping has revealed an ever‐increasing degree of polymorphism within the HLA‐DRB loci and has resulted in the discovery of new alleles. We have identified a new DRB1 allele that was subsequently named DRB1*1360 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. This allele is unusual for a DRB1*13 allele, as it is present on a DRB5 haplotype rather than the normal DRB3 haplotype found in association with DRB1*13 alleles.
Insulin‐like growth factor 1 promoter polymorphism influences insulin gene variable number of tandem repeat‐associated risk for juvenile onset type 1 diabetes
Authors: Eerligh P. , Roep B.O. , Giphart M.J. , Koeleman B.P.C.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) plays an important role in the development and function of pancreatic β‐cells and contributes to infant growth, which we recently reported to be associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we studied an IGF1 microsatellite in 206 families with T1D and its interaction with the polymorphism near the insulin (INS) gene variable number of tandem repeats. The IGF1 microsatellite was associated with T1D (P = 0.045), which was mainly caused by a protective effect of the 194 bp allele (36% transmission to affected offspring). Interestingly, co‐segregation of this IGF1 194 bp allele affected the risk of INS alleles. These results provide the first evidence for an association of IGF1 with T1D and imply that co‐inheritance of these functional genetic variants of IGF1 and insulin predispose to T1D.
Characterization a novel HLA‐B40 allele with serological Bw4 motif, HLA‐B*4047, in the Finnish population and confirmation of B*270503 allele
Authors: Peräsaari J. P. , Koskela S. , Partanen J.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  We describe a novel HLA‐B*40 allele assigned as B*4047*. The B*4047 allele was detected in a Finnish patient awaiting kidney transplantation. The patient had a “short” B60‐like serological specificity with Bw4 association. After sequencing, the B*4047 allele was found to be identical to B*4001, except having five amino acid changes in exon 2, including the entire motif corresponding to Bw4 and w6 specificity. As a result of recombination or gene conversion, B*4047 has the Bw4 motif instead of expected Bw6. Screening of B40 alleles in the Finnish population revealed no other cases with this pattern, suggesting that this allele is rare. The sequence of B*270503 presented here provides the complete sequence for exons 2 and 3 for this allele. B*270503 allele differs from B*270502 by a single synonymous nucleotide substitution at non‐variable position 489 in exon 3.
Identification of a novel HLA‐DQA1 null allele, DQA1*0403N, from an East African woman
Authors: Luo M. , Cohen C.R. , Narayansingh M.J. , Pan S. , Mckinnon L. , Brunham R.C. , Plummer F.A.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  We report a novel DQA1 allele (DQA1*0403N) identified during sequence‐based HLA‐DQA1 typing of a Kenyan population. The new allele is identical to DQA1*0401 at exon 2 except for a single‐nucleotide substitution at codon 53, changing it from lysine to a stop codon (CAA→TAA). The substitution at codon 53 was confirmed by sequencing two separate polymerase chain reaction products and by sequencing multiple clones obtained following TOPO‐TA cloning. The resulting stop codon at position of codon 53 in exon 2 is predicted to produce a non‐functional DQA1 α‐chain. The new allele has been named by the WHO nomenclature committee as DQA1*0403N. This is the first report of a null allele detected in the DQA1 gene.
HLA‐A*24020102L in the UK blood donor population
Authors: Dunn P.P.J. , Turton J.R , Downing J. , Williams S. , Navarrete C.V. , Darke C.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  The low‐expression allele HLA‐A*24020102L was identified on a likely haplotype bearing B*55, Cw*01 during the investigation of nine cases (four families and five unrelated subjects) of HLA‐A*24 lacking the A24 specificity. A search was made of 70,007 HLA‐A, HLA‐B, and HLA‐C DNA‐based typed largely northwestern European Caucasoid blood donors on the British Bone Marrow Registry and Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry panels for phenotypes possessing A*24, B*55, Cw*01. Fifty three were found, and 12 of these were subsequently shown to possess A*24020102L by sequence‐based typing or polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific primers. This indicated that the likely A*24, B*55, Cw*01 haplotype has a frequency of 0.000378 in the UK and that approximately 22.6% of these will possess A*24020102L. Consequently, HLA‐A*24020102L, B*55, Cw*01 is a principal A*24020102L‐bearing haplotype, and the minimum carriage and gene frequencies of A*24020102L are 0.017% and 0.000086, respectively, in UK blood donors.
HLA class I allele distribution of a Hong Kong Chinese population based on high‐resolution PCR‐SSOP typing
Authors: Middleton D. , Hawkins B.R. , Williams F. , Meenagh A. , Moscoso J. , Zamora J. , Arnaiz‐Villena A.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  A stem cell registry population from Hong Kong, of Chinese ethnicity, was examined for HLA‐A and HLA‐B alleles using a two‐stage sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probe system. Comparison of the HLA‐A and HLA‐B frequencies with different populations showed a close relationship with a Chinese population from Singapore, although there were several differences in the presence/absence of alleles at the HLA‐B locus. Having the data available on these registry donors will influence the search strategy and the ongoing compilation of new donors to the registry. In addition, knowing which alleles do/do not occur in this population will aid in the distinction of ambiguities which result from the use of many of the typing kits available.
HLA‐DQ relative risks for coeliac disease in European populations: a study of the European Genetics Cluster on Coeliac Disease
Authors: Margaritte‐Jeannin P. , Babron M.C. , Bourgey M. , Louka A.S. , Clot F. , Percopo S. , Coto I. , Hugot J.P. , Ascher H. , Sollid L.M. , Greco L. , Clerget‐Darpoux F.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Coeliac disease is an enteropathy due to an intolerance to gluten. The association between HLA‐DQ genes and CD is well established. The majority of patients carry the HLA‐DQ heterodimer encoded by DQA1*05/DQB1*02, either in cis or in trans. The remaining patients carry either part of the DQ heterodimer or DQA1*03‐DQB1*0302. The aim of the study was to estimate the risks associated with different DQ genotypes in European populations. HLA information was available for 470 trio families from four countries: France (117), Italy (128), and Norway and Sweden (225). Five DQA1‐DQB1 haplotypes were considered and control haplotype frequencies were estimated from the set of parental haplotypes not transmitted to the affected child. The possible genotypes were grouped into five genotype groups, based on the hierarchy of risk reported in the literature. A north–south gradient in the genotype group frequencies is observed in probands: homogeneity is strongly rejected between all country pairs. For each country, the relative risks associated with each genotype group were computed taking into account the control haplotype frequencies. Homogeneity of relative risks between countries was tested pairwise by maximum likelihood ratio statistics. The hypothesis of homogeneity of relative risks is rejected (P is approximately 10−6) for all country pairs. In conclusion, the gradient in the genotype group frequencies in probands is not only due to differences in haplotype frequencies but also due to differences in genotype relative risks in the studied populations; the relative risks associated with each DQ genotype group are different between northern and southern European countries; neither are they ordered in the same way.
Major histocompatibility complex class I chain‐related gene A in Thai psoriasis patients: MICA association as a part of human leukocyte antigen‐B‐Cw haplotypes
Authors: Romphruk A.V. , Romphruk A. , Choonhakarn C. , Puapairoj C. , Inoko H. , Leelayuwat C.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Although the aetiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis are unproven, it is hypothesised that the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene/haplotype contributes to the susceptibility of psoriasis in many populations. MHC class I chain‐related gene A (MICA), located 46‐kb centromeric of HLA‐B, is expressed on keratinocytes and fibroblasts. MICA is in linkage disequilibrium with HLA‐B and is involved in natural killer‐cell functions. To investigate the relative contribution of the MICA gene in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, extracellular polymorphisms of MICA were studied by polymerase chain reaction‐sequence specific primers in 128 Thai psoriasis patients (87 and 41 were Types I and II, respectively) from Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. The control group included 255 healthy, unrelated Northeast Thais. We observed 11 MICA alleles (or groups of alleles) in the patients. A comparison of the psoriasis patients and the control group revealed that MICA*010 and MICA*017 were associated with Type I psoriasis whereas only MICA*010 was associated with Type II. The haplotype analysis revealed that MICA*008‐HLA‐B*13‐Cw*0602 and MICA*010‐HLA‐B*4601‐Cw*01 were significantly increased in both Types I and II, whereas MICA*002‐HLA‐B*38‐Cw*07 (01–03) and MICA*017‐HLA‐B*57‐Cw*0602 were elevated only in Type I. MICA*010 was in strong linkage with Cw*01. Analysis of independent association of MICA*010 in individuals lacking Cw*01 failed to maintain an association. Our results suggest that a significant increase of the MICA alleles in the patient group is a part of HLA‐B‐Cw haplotypes. It is conceivable that an unknown susceptibility gene, on certain HLA‐B‐Cw haplotypes, is responsible for the development of psoriasis.
Events that led to the discovery of T‐cell development and function – a personal recollection
Authors: Miller J.F.A.P.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  The 1950s, 60s, and 70s were an exciting time for immunologists, as major discoveries were made concerning the role of the thymus in immunity and the existence of two distinct but interacting lymphocyte subsets, one derived from the thymus (T cells) and involved in cellular immunity, helping the other subset, derived from the bone marrow (B cells), in producing antibody. This led to a re‐investigation of numerous immunological phenomena to determine the contribution of each subset to the particular immune response under scrutiny.
MhcDRB‐sequences from cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) of different origin
Authors: Leuchte N. , Berry N. , Köhler B. , Almond N. , LeGrand R. , Thorstensson R. , Titti F. , Sauermann U.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Cynomolgus macaques are frequently used in biomedical research. However, in contrast to their closest relative, the rhesus macaque, little is known about their Mhc genes except for the DQB1 locus. In this study, 33 DRB‐sequences belonging to 17 allelic lineages were detected in a total of 68 macaques, 58 originating from Mauritius and 10 from China. The majority of the sequences were detected in the few macaques from China, confirming the low degree of genetic variation in macaques from Mauritius. In summary, the DRB region in cynomolgus macaques is polymorphic. The sequences belong in general to the same allelic lineages as in their closest relative, the rhesus macaque. Two exon 2 DNA sequences were identical in both species and may represent a trans‐species origin. In addition, protein sequences of members of the DRB*W1 lineage seem to be rather conserved in the three macaque species examined so far. Six DRB‐haplotypes were detected in the macaques from Mauritius. While single DRB‐alleles or some protein sequences seemed to be conserved among macaque species, we could not detect any evidence for a trans‐species conservation of a complete DRB region. Overall, the data indicate that reorganization of the DRB region by recombination is a major force in creating diversity in cynomolgus macaques as it is in rhesus macaques.
A novel polymorphism of FcαRI (CD89) associated with aggressive periodontitis
Authors: Kaneko S. , Kobayashi T. , Yamamoto K. , Jansen M.D. , Van De Winkel J.G.J. , Yoshie H.
Published: May 2004

Abstract:  Immunoglobulin A Fc receptor (FcαRI) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, because increased IgA responses and FcαRI‐bearing neutrophils are observed in the disease lesions. Inter‐individual differences in susceptibility to periodontitis may be attributable to genetic variability in FcαRI‐mediated immunity. We here identified an FcαRI novel polymorphism (nt 324 A‐to‐G transition) in the membrane‐distal extracellular domain encompassing the ligand‐binding site, not resulting in an amino acid change. We compared the FcαRI genotype distributions among 46 Japanese aggressive periodontitis (AGP) patients, 80 race‐matched healthy controls (HCs), and 59 Caucasian HCs. No ethnic differences were observed in the FcαRI genotype distributions between Japanese and Caucasian HC. Notably, we observed a difference in the genotype distribution between the AGP and HC groups. Carriage rate of the nt 324 A allele was higher in the AGP (65.2%) than that in the HC group (42.5%) (odds ratio 2.54). Polymorphonuclear neutrophils from peripheral blood and gingival crevicular fluid exhibited a decreased phagocytosis of periodontopathic bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis) in the nt 324 A/A patients as compared with the nt 324 G/G patients. These results document a genetic polymorphism at the FcαRI ligand‐binding site to be associated with susceptibility to AGP.
External cephalic version: a safe procedure? A systematic review of version‐related risks
Authors: Collaris Ronald J. , Oei S. Guid
Published: May 2004

Background.  The Term Breech Trial has considerably increased the number of cesareans. External cephalic version (ECV) might be an effective method of lowering the rate of cesareans; its efficacy has been well established. However, although in the absence of anesthesia the risks are thought to be low, most studies have used populations too small to allow definite conclusions on version‐related risks.

Methods.  In an attempt to make an inventory of these risks, we have systematically analyzed 44 studies, covering a total of 7377 patients from 1990 to 2002. The studies used were derived from a Medline and Embase search.

Results.  The most frequently reported complications were transient abnormal cardiotocography (CTG) patterns (5.7%). Persisting pathological CTG readings (0.37%) and vaginal bleeding occur rarely (0.47%). The incidence of placental abruption was even lower, at 0.12%. Fetomaternal transfusion was absent in five out of seven studies, with a mean incidence of 3.7%. Emergency cesareans were performed in 0.43% of all versions. Perinatal mortality was 0.16%.

Conclusions.  External cephalic version seems to be a safe procedure.
Storytelling as a Way to Work Through Intractable Conflicts: The German‐Jewish Experience and Its Relevance to the Palestinian‐Israeli Context
Authors: Bar‐On Dan , Kassem Fatma
Published: May 2004

The storytelling method can be used to work through intractable conflicts. Working‐through enables people who have suffered traumatic social experiences to learn to live with these painful events while developing an ability to listen to the pain of the “other.” The storytelling approach focuses on the way personal storytelling facilitates the working‐through processes in intractable conflicts. The storytelling approach was used in To Reflect and Trust (TRT), a dialogue group that began in 1992 and involved descendants of Nazi perpetrators and Jewish descendants of Holocaust survivors. The storytelling method was applied to a year‐long Jewish‐Palestinian student workshop held at Ben Gurion University in 2000–2001.
Promoting Coexistence by Means of Conflict Education: The MACBE Model
Authors: Desivilya Helena Syna
Published: May 2004

This article presents a conflict education program designed to restore relationships among adversaries experiencing protracted, seemingly intractable intergroup conflict. It is designed on the basis of a systems model. The underlying assumption is that breaking the escalation cycle and ameliorating the adversaries' relationships requires a comprehensive intervention. Consequently, the curriculum imparts knowledge about conflict dynamics and teaches constructive conflict resolution skills, enhancing the probability of behavior and attitude change. The program is deemed relevant to efforts of improving Arab‐Jewish relations in Israel. Implementation of the intervention requires ample resources, cooperation of local communities, and forbearance of program initiators and participants, which rarely exist in tandem. Nonetheless, even partial implementation can contribute to peaceful coexistence of Arabs and Jews.
Cops and Robbers: Selective Literalism in American Criminal Law
Authors: Tiersma Peter M. , Solan Lawrence M.
Published: May 2004

Police often ask people to consent to a search of their person or possessions. Many people agree to allow such searches because they interpret the officers' ostensible “requests” as indirect commands. Yet courts routinely interpret police utterances in this situation as requests. A similar issue arises in the context of custodial interrogation. People being interrogated are inclined to invoke their right to counsel in relatively indirect or tentative terms. Yet courts often conclude that the suspect did not really “request” the presence of counsel. We refer to this inconsistency as “selective literalism,” by which we mean that courts selectively consider pragmatic circumstances in interpreting the speech of suspects. Using analytical tools from linguistic theory, this article explores how courts employ selective literalism. It further examines some of the consequences of this inconsistent use of interpretive devices, both practically and jurisprudentially.
A Brief History of Doing Time: The California Institution for Women in the 1960s and the 1990s
Authors: Gartner Rosemary , Kruttschnitt Candace
Published: May 2004

Recent scholarship on penality describes profound changes in the ideology, discourses, and policies shaping criminal punishment in the late-twentieth-century United States. To assess the implications of these changes for those subject to criminal punishment, we examine the experiences of women in prison at two key points in the recent history of penality. We compare how imprisonment was practiced and responded to at the California Institution for Women in the early 1960s, when the rehabilitative model dominated official penal discourse, and in the mid-1990s, near the height of the “get tough” era. We find that the ways in which women related and responded to other prisoners, to staff, and to the prison regime, while in some ways specific to one or the other penal era, did not fundamentally change. Thus, penal regimes ostensibly informed by profoundly different rationalities nevertheless structured the daily lives of prisoners through a very similar set of deprivations, restrictions, and assumptions.
Business Litigation in the Transition: A Portrait of Debt Collection in Russia
Authors: Hendley Kathryn
Published: May 2004

Russian firms are drowning in debt. Managers are increasingly turning to the courts for help. Drawing on a database of 100 non-payments cases decided by three courts in 2000, the article explores the parameters of this litigation and the motivations for filing lawsuits. The analysis shows that the docket is dominated by small-scale disputes between trading partners with short shared histories, suggesting that those who have long-term, trust-based relationships avoid the courts. Along with fear of disrupting ongoing relationships, the disinclination to use the courts is also motivated by a reluctance to open up transactions to state scrutiny. By contrast, the petty disputes that are brought to court tend to be simple and, therefore, managers are willing to risk exposure to the state. Indeed, in a world in which firms manipulate their financial records to create the impression of no income in order to avoid taxes (often putting bogus debts on the books), some of these managers bring cases even when there is little chance of recovering the debt because the decision provides convincing evidence to the tax authorities that the debt is bona fide.
On maintaining and extending contrasts: notker's anlautgesetz
Authors: Lahiri Aditi , Kraehenmann Astrid
Published: May 2004

Native speakers deal with their phonological system without any knowledge of a lost contrast. To avoid neutralisations, speakers can only make use of their present phonological system of contrasts. Speakers of Old Alemannic (the dialect of Notker der Deutsche) had no contrast in voicing or fortis/lenis after the Second Consonant Shift had reduced the pre‐OHG voiceless stops to fricatives and affricates. They had instead a quantity contrast, which they utilised to distinguish between an old coronal stop and a new one developed from *þ, thereby introducing a word‐initial contrast only in coronal stops. This contrast was again later extended to other places of articulation through generations while adapting loans from donor languages which had a contrast in voicing. No new contrast was added due to loans. As a result, modern Alemannic dialects such as Thurgovian have a quantity contrast in stops in all positions of a word.
Definiteness effects: evidence from Sardinian
Authors: Bentley Delia
Published: May 2004

In this paper I consider the definiteness effects which are found in Sardinian presentational structures. I argue that they result from well‐formedness conditions on the encoding of information structure. In particular, two kinds of information are encoded in morphosyntax: on the one hand, the pragmatic relations between the denotata of the sentence constituents and the propositions in which they are arguments and predicates, and, on the other hand, the status of such denotata in the minds of the discourse participants (see Lambrecht 1994: 49). An RRG analysis in terms of non‐derivational linking between semantics and syntax suggests that the syntax of existentials and locatives is irrelevant to agreement and the definiteness value of the nominal. The Sardinian evidence suggests that agreement can be subject to pragmatic constraints in dependent‐marking languages, regardless of pro drop. Finally, Sardinian presentationals with activity predicates, which are allegedly rare across languages, are analysed in terms of pragmatically motivated exceptional mapping between semantics and syntax. This analysis is likely to apply to analogous constructions which occur in Romance.
Assumptions Behind Grammatical Approaches To Code‐Switching: When The Blueprint Is A Red Herring
Authors: Gardner‐Chloros Penelope , Edwards Malcolm
Published: May 2004

Many of the so‐called ‘grammars’ of code‐switching are based on various underlying assumptions, e.g. that informal speech can be adequately or appropriately described in terms of ‘‘grammar’’; that deep, rather than surface, structures are involved in code‐switching; that one ‘language’ is the ‘base’ or ‘matrix’; and that constraints derived from existing data are universal and predictive. We question these assumptions on several grounds. First, ‘grammar’ is arguably distinct from the processes driving speech production. Second, the role of grammar is mediated by the variable, poly‐idiolectal repertoires of bilingual speakers. Third, in many instances of CS the notion of a ‘base’ system is either irrelevant, or fails to explain the facts. Fourth, sociolinguistic factors frequently override ‘grammatical’ factors, as evidence from the same language pairs in different settings has shown. No principles proposed to date account for all the facts, and it seems unlikely that ‘grammar’, as conventionally conceived, can provide definitive answers. We conclude that rather than seeking universal, predictive grammatical rules, research on CS should focus on the variability of bilingual grammars.
EDITORIAL NOTE
Authors: Savva Susan
Published: May 2004

The compilers would like to thank all those reviewers who have responded to our request for information about their research interests and expertise. We now have a most valuable search tool to help us identify the very best reviewer for each assignment.
The pathogenic activation of calpain: a marker and mediator of cellular toxicity and disease states
Authors: Vanderklish Peter W. , Bahr Ben A.
Published: May 2004

Over‐activation of calpain, a ubiquitous calcium‐sensitive protease, has been linked to a variety of degenerative conditions in the brain and several other tissues. Dozens of substrates for calpain have been identified and several of these have been used to measure activation of the protease in the context of experimentally induced and naturally occurring pathologies. Calpain‐mediated cleavage of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin, in particular, results in a set of large breakdown products (BDPs) that are unique in that they are unusually stable. Over the last 15 years, measurements of BDPs in experimental models of stroke‐type excitotoxicity, hypoxia/ischemia, vasospasm, epilepsy, toxin exposure, brain injury, kidney malfunction, and genetic defects, have established that calpain activation is an early and causal event in the degeneration that ensues from acute, definable insults. The BDPs also have been found to increase with normal ageing and in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and the calpain activity may be involved in related apoptotic processes in conjunction with the caspase family of proteases. Thus, it has become increasingly clear that regardless of the mode of disturbance in calcium homeostasis or the cell type involved, calpain is critical to the development of pathology and therefore a distinct and powerful therapeutic target. The recent development of antibodies that recognize the site at which spectrin is cleaved has greatly facilitated the temporal and spatial resolution of calpain activation in situ. Accordingly, sensitive spectrin breakdown assays now are utilized to identify potential toxic side‐effects of compounds and to develop calpain inhibitors for a wide range of indications including stroke, cerebral vasospasm, and kidney failure.
Systemic and local effects of long‐term exposure to alkaline drinking water in rats
Authors: Merne Marina E.T. , Syrjänen Kari J. , Syrjänen Stina M.
Published: May 2004

Alkaline conditions in the oral cavity may be caused by a variety of stimuli, including tobacco products, antacids, alkaline drinking water or bicarbonate toothpaste. The effects of alkaline pH on oral mucosa have not been systematically studied. To assess the systemic (organ) and local (oral mucosal) effects of alkalinity, drinking water supplemented with Ca(OH)2 or NaOH, with pH 11.2 or 12 was administered to rats (n = 36) for 52 weeks. Tissues were subjected to histopathological examination; oral mucosal biopsy samples were also subjected to immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses for pankeratin, CK19, CK5, CK4, PCNA, ICAM‐1, CD44, CD68, S‐100, HSP 60, HSP70, and HSP90.At completion of the study, animals in the study groups had lower body weights (up to 29% less) than controls despite equal food and water intake, suggesting a systemic response to the alkaline treatment. The lowest body weight was found in rats exposed to water with the highest pH value and starting the experiment when young (6 weeks). No histological changes attributable to alkaline exposure occurred in the oral mucosa or other tissues studied. Alkaline exposure did not affect cell proliferation in the oral epithelium, as shown by the equal expression of PCNA in groups. The up‐regulation of HSP70 protein expression in the oral mucosa of rats exposed to alkaline water, especially Ca(OH)2 treated rats, may indicate a protective response. Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) positivity was lost in 6/12 rats treated with Ca(OH)2 with pH 11.2, and loss of CD44 expression was seen in 3/6 rats in both study groups exposed to alkaline water with pH 12. The results suggest that the oral mucosa in rats is resistant to the effects of highly alkaline drinking water. However, high alkalinity may have some unknown systemic effects leading to growth retardation, the cause of which remains to be determined.
Apoptosis of rat gastric mucosa and of primary cultures of gastric epithelial cells by indomethacin: role of inducible nitric oxide synthase and interleukin‐8
Authors: Imamine Satoshi , Akbar SK. MD. fazle , Mizukami Yuji , Matsui Hidetaka , Onji Morikazu
Published: May 2004

In order to gain insights into indomethacin‐induced gastric injury, rats were fed with indomethacin (20 mg/kg), or alternatively, the primary cultures of rat gastric epithelial cells were cultured with different doses of indomethacin (1–1000 µm). Light microscopy, electron mircroscopy, fluorescence microscopy, TdT‐mediated dUTP‐biotin nick end labelling staining, ssDNA staining and DNA fragmentation assay were employed to evaluate the levels of gastric injury and apoptosis. Cells expressing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin (IL)‐8 were localized at the rat gastric mucosa by immunohistochemistry. Administration of indomethacin to rats caused apoptosis and injury of the gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Indomethacin also induced apoptosis of primary cultures of gastric epithelial cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Cells expressing iNOS and IL‐8 were detected at and around the sites of gastric injury in the indomethacin‐fed rats, but not in the control rats. The induction of apoptosis by indomethacin in the primary cultures of gastric epithelial cells suggests that the direct apoptotic capacity of indomethacin. iNOS and IL‐8 may be involved in this process.
Peplomycin, a bleomycin derivative, induces myofibroblasts in pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Osaki Tokio , Yoneda Kazunori , Tatemoto Yukihiro , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Yokoyama Takeshi , Enzan Hideaki
Published: May 2004

To analyse the mechanism by which a bleomycin derivative, peplomycin (PLM) induces pulmonary fibrosis, we investigated differentiation of rat pulmonary fibroblasts to myofibroblasts (MF). In intraperitoneally PLM (5 mg/kg/day)‐injected rats, the peripheries of lungs adjacent to the pleura revealed advanced fibrosis with a small number of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA)‐positive MF, which ultrastructurally possessed abundant microfilaments and cellular organelles. In the fibrotic tissue, the expression of α‐SMA‐mRNA was detected by in situ reverse transcription‐polymerase (RT‐PCR). The message was strong just after a 2‐week administration of PLM then decreased thereafter, although fibrosis advanced. When pulmonary fibroblasts were separated from saline‐injected rats (N‐Fib) and cultivated for 7 days in the presence of 5 mg/mL PLM, α‐SMA protein was weakly expressed, while the majority of pulmonary fibroblasts separated from PLM‐injected rats (P‐Fib) became positive for α‐SMA in 7‐day cultivation and the expression of α‐SMA in P‐Fib was strongly increased by cultivation in the presence of PLM and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), but not basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), although the cell proliferation was most strongly enhanced by bFGF and only slightly by PLM and TGF‐β. The α‐SMA‐positive cells expressed vimentin, but only weakly expressed desmin. Additionally, P‐Fib generated larger amounts of TGF‐β and bFGF than were generated by N‐Fib. These results indicate that PLM induces pulmonary fibrosis by differentiating fibroblasts to α‐SMA‐positive MF, and that bFGF and TGF‐β play each critical role in the different phases of PLM‐induced pulmonary fibrosis by inducing fibroblast proliferation and transformation, respectively.
Changes in serum concentration of antioxidants following treadmill exercise testing in patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease
Authors: Ashmaig M.E. , Starkey B.J. , Ziada A.M. , Amro A. , Sobki S. , Ferns G.A.A.
Published: May 2004

Twenty‐four subjects with suspected ischaemic heart disease underwent a treadmill exercise stress test (TEST). Nine individuals developed ischaemia as defined by standard criteria. Total plasma antioxidant status (TPAS), and serum concentrations of vitamin E were measured pre‐TEST, and 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h following the treadmill test. Mean serum vitamin E concentrations fell by 33% in the group as a whole (from 9.53 ± 0.92 mg/L pre‐TEST to 6.39 ± 1.06 mg/L immediately post stress test, P < 0.02) and rose to baseline over the subsequent 24 h. The levels of serum vitamin E fell by 34% in the group of patients who had a positive TEST, and 32% in those who did not develop ischaemia during the TEST. Serum cholesterol concentrations also fell significantly during the TEST. In the total group serum cholesterol fell by 6.5% (P = 0.0052), and in the subgroup who were positive for ischaemia the fall in serum cholesterol was 10.3% (P = 0.004). The reduction in serum cholesterol was 4.1% in the subgroup who did not develop ischaemia (P > 0.05). Mean total plasma antioxidant status showed no significant temporal change for the group as a whole, although there was a nonsignificant decrease immediately post‐TEST in the ischaemic group and a slight rise at 8 h in the group negative for ischaemia.
Diverging diversity patterns of vascular plants and geometrid moths during forest regeneration on Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Authors: Axmacher Jan C. , Tünte Henry , Schrumpf Marion , Müller‐Hohenstein Klaus , Lyaruu Herbert V. M. , Fiedler Konrad
Published: May 2004

Aim  This study investigates diversity patterns of vascular plants and plant‐feeding geometrid moths during montane rain forest regeneration in relation to the biogeographical and historical conditions of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Location  Investigations were undertaken on the south‐western slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro at altitudes between 2075 and 2265 m.

Methods  Thirteen plots were selected for this study. Four of these were situated in the middle of large clearings (> 1000 m2), three in secondary forest, two in mature forest remnants surrounded by secondary forest and four plots within continuous closed mature forest. Vascular plant species were recorded in an area of 20 × 20 m2. Geometrid moths were attracted using lamps placed inside reflective gauze cylinders.

Results  Ninety‐three species of vascular plants were recorded on the plots. Plant diversity increased in the course of forest regeneration from clearings and secondary forest to mature forest remnants and mature forest. This increase was visible in all vegetation strata as well as in the species number of Dicotyledoneae. The diversity of geometrid moths conversely decreased from early to late successional stages. A total of 2276 Geometridae representing 114 morphospecies were included in the study. Local values of Fisher's α varied from 10.3 to 18.3 on clearings and in secondary forest, whereas they remained below 8.0 in mature forest and mature forest remnants. There was a significant negative correlation between the diversity of Geometridae and the number of dicots, and of plant species in the shrub layer.

Main conclusions  Contrary to an expected positive correlation between the diversity of vascular plants and herbivorous geometrid moths, diversity patterns of these two groups are strongly diverging due to biogeographical and ecological factors differently affecting the two groups. The increase in plant diversity can chiefly be explained with an increase in epiphyte diversity which is related to the occurrence of suitable habitats in extensive moss layers on huge Ocotea usambarensis (Engl.) trees in the mature forest. The low diversity of geometrid moths in these forests may be connected to the isolation and relatively young age of the montane rain forests on Mt Kilimanjaro. Hence only a small number of moth species adapted to the cool and perhumid conditions within moist mature forest have so far immigrated into these habitats, and time was insufficient for the evolution of many new species.