bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Release of dissolved carbohydrates by Emiliania huxleyi and formation of transparent exopolymer particles depend on algal life cycle and bacterial activity
Authors: Van Oostende Nicolas , Moerdijk‐Poortvliet Tanja C. W. , Boschker Henricus T. S. , Vyverman Wim , Sabbe Koen
Published: August 2012

The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi plays a pivotal role in the marine carbon cycle. However, we have only limited understanding of how its life cycle and bacterial interactions affect the production and composition of dissolved extracellular organic carbon and its transfer to the particulate pool. We traced the fate of photosynthetically fixed carbon during phosphate‐limited stationary growth of non‐axenic, calcifying E. huxleyi batch cultures, and more specifically the transfer of this carbon to bacteria and to dissolved high molecular weight neutral aldoses (HMW NAld) and extracellular particulate carbon. We then compared the dynamics of dissolved carbohydrates and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) between cultures of non‐axenic and axenic diploid E. huxleyi. In addition, we present the first data on extracellular organic carbon in (non‐axenic) haploid E. huxleyi cultures. Bacteria enhanced the accumulation of dissolved polysaccharides and altered the composition of dissolved HMW NAld, while they also stimulated the formation of TEP containing high densities of charged polysaccharides in diploid E. huxleyi cultures. In haploid E. huxleyi cultures we found a more pronounced accumulation of dissolved carbohydrates, which had a different NAld composition than the diploid cultures. TEP formation was significantly lower than in the diploid cultures, despite the presence of bacteria. In diploid E. huxleyi cultures, we measured a high level of extracellular release of organic carbon (34–76%), retrieved mainly in the particulate pool instead of the dissolved pool. Enhanced formation of sticky TEP due to bacteria–alga interactions, in concert with the production of coccoliths, suggests that especially diploid E. huxleyi blooms increase the efficiency of export production in the ocean during dissolved phosphate‐limited conditions.
Draft whole genome sequence of the cyanide‐degrading bacteriumPseudomonas pseudoalcaligenesCECT5344
Authors: Luque‐Almagro Víctor M. , Acera Felipe , Igeño Ma Isabel , Wibberg Daniel , Roldán Ma Dolores , Sáez Lara P. , Hennig Magdalena , Quesada Alberto , Huertas Ma José , Blom Jochen , Merchán Faustino , Escribano Ma Paz , Jaenicke Sebastian , Estepa Jessica , Guijo Ma Isabel , Martínez‐Luque Manuel , Macías Daniel , Szczepanowski Rafael , Becerra Gracia , Ramirez Silvia , Carmona Ma Isabel , Gutiérrez Oscar , Manso Isabel , Pühler Alfred , Castillo Francisco , Moreno‐Vivián Conrado , Schlüter Andreas , Blasco Rafael
Published: August 2012

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenesCECT5344 is a Gram‐negative bacterium able to tolerate cyanide and to use it as the sole nitrogen source. We report here the first draft of the whole genome sequence of aP. pseudoalcaligenesstrain that assimilates cyanide. Three aspects are specially emphasized in this manuscript. First, some generalities of the genome are shown and discussed in the context of otherPseudomonadaceaegenomes, including genome size, G + Ccontent, core genome and singletons among other features. Second, the genome is analysed in the context of cyanide metabolism, describing genes probably involved in cyanide assimilation, like those encoding nitrilases, and genes related to cyanide resistance, like theciogenes encoding the cyanide insensitive oxidases. Finally, the presence of genes probably involved in other processes with a great biotechnological potential like production of bioplastics and biodegradation of pollutants also is discussed.
COMBINING HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS USING MASS IMPUTATION TO ESTIMATE POPULATION TOTALS
Authors: Chipperfield James , Chessman Julia , Lim Russell
Published: August 2012

Pressure is often placed on statistical analysts to improve the accuracy of their population estimates. In response to this pressure, analysts have long exploited the potential to combine surveys in various ways. This paper develops a framework for combining surveys when data items from one of the surveys is mass imputed. The estimates from the surveys are combined using a composite estimator (CE). The CE accounts for the variability due to the imputation model and the surveys’ sampling schemes. Diagnostics for the validity of the imputation model are also discussed. We describe an application of combining the Australian Labour Force Survey and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey to estimate employment characteristics about the Indigenous population. The findings suggest that combining these surveys is beneficial.
Leadership in the Academic Field of Business and Management and the Question of Country of Origin: A Commentary on Burgess and Shaw (2010)
Authors: Altman Yochanan , Laguecir Aziza
Published: August 2012

With globalization in business academia expanding and deepening, it is timely to question the validity and utility of the concept of country of origin as a base category for comparative cross‐cultural research and theory development. In their contribution in the British Journal of Management, Burgess and Shaw (2010) rank the most productive institutions and countries contributing to board membership of top ranked journals on the basis of their country of origin. Taking their findings as a starting point for our discourse, we re‐analyse their database, in addition to our own investigations. We contend that while country of origin may be an appropriate category for between‐countries comparison of multinational entities, it is of little use when comparing meta‐national institutions, such as top tier refereed journal boards and the globalized business/management schools from which they are drawn. Our findings point towards the need for finer differentiation of what constitutes the concept country of origin, but also that its relevance should be questioned in, at least, globalized contexts. The question we pose extends to any pertinent ‘globalized’ topic within and without business and management.
Developmental Dynamics of Emotion and Cognition Processes in Preschoolers
Authors: Blankson A. Nayena , O’Brien Marion , Leerkes Esther M. , Marcovitch Stuart , Calkins Susan D. , Weaver Jennifer Miner
Published: August 2012

Dynamic relations during the preschool years across processes of control and understanding in the domains of emotion and cognition were examined. Participants were 263 children (42% non‐White) and their mothers who were seen first when the children were 3 years old and again when they were 4. Results indicated dynamic dependence among the processes studied. Specifically, change in cognitive processes of control and understanding were dependent upon initial levels of the other processes. Changes in emotion control and understanding were not predicted by earlier performance in the other processes. Findings are discussed with regard to the constructs of control and understanding and the developmental interrelations among emotion and cognitive processes.
How Do Technical Barriers to Trade Influence Trade?
Authors: Bao Xiaohua , Qiu Larry D.
Published: August 2012

This paper empirically estimates the trade effects of technical barriers to trade (TBT) based on all TBT notifications from 105 World Trade Organization (WTO) countries during 1995–2008. The paper adopts a modified two‐stage gravity model to control for both sample selection bias and firm heterogeneity bias. It was found that a country's TBT notifications decrease other countries' probability of exporting, but increase their export volumes. The result can be explained by the TBT's differential effects on the fixed and variable cost of export, and consumer confidence. It was further found that (i) a developing country's TBT have significant effects on other developing countries' exports, but no significant effects on the developed countries' exports, (ii) a developed country's TBT have significant effects on the exports from both types of countries, and (iii) exports from developed countries are affected by a developed country's TBT more seriously than a developing country's TBT.
Sovereign Default Risk and Recovery Rates: What Government Bond Markets Expect for Greece
Authors: Karmann Alexander , Maltritz Dominik
Published: August 2012

Bond market data on sovereign bond yields is used to estimate sovereign default risk and the amount of the expected “hair‐cut” for Greece between 2008 and 2011. Using a structural pricing model that relies on compound option theory short‐term and long‐term default probabilities and their dependencies can be inferred. Thereby bond yield spreads for different maturities are integrated. In addition, a reduced form model is applied to infer the recovery rate expected by bond market participants. The paper shows that sovereign default risk and recovery rate dynamics reflect events that are important for Greece's repayment capacity.
A Model of Welfare Enhancing Capital Imports
Authors: Oda Masao , Shimomura Koji
Published: August 2012

This paper proposes a model of welfare enhancing capital imports in a multi‐dimensional framework. Contrary to the pessimistic conventional wisdom of capital imports and welfare, a justification is provided for the acceptance of foreign capital in developing countries.
Some Stylized Facts about International Trade Flows
Authors: Harris Mark N. , Kónya László , Mátyás László
Published: August 2012

Since the mid‐1990s there has been a proliferation of empirical models in the trade literature. Focus has ranged from the effect of particular explanatory variables to improved econometric techniques. However, there appears to be a lack of analyses on large international trade datasets aiming at describing the “stylized facts” of observed bilateral trade flows. Uncovering them is crucial as any empirical econometric model should reflect the basic properties of the data generating process. On the basis of a large panel dataset this paper finds that bilateral trade, despite being often unbalanced, tends to be reciprocal and persistent, and that the extensive margin of trade must not be disregarded. Moreover, bilateral trade flows are probably best modeled as a mixed panel of stationary and non‐stationary processes. The stationary vs non‐stationary separation of these flows, although not random, does not appear to be related to any common characteristics of the trading partners.
Complex Goods' Exports and Institutions: Empirics at the Firm Level
Authors: Ma Yue , Qu Baozhi , Zhang Yifan
Published: August 2012

This paper analyzes the role of institutions in the exporter's country in promoting the exports. Firm‐level evidence from 22 developing and transition countries is provided to show that institutions matter for complex goods. A poor legal system, weak contractual enforcement, and corruption significantly reduce the exports of complex goods. In contrast, the effect of such institutions on the exports of simple goods remains ambiguous. Our main results are robust to the use of different econometric methods.
Repeated measures and longitudinal data analysis using higher‐order entropies
Authors: Al‐Rawwash Mohammad , Al‐Nasser Amjad D.
Published: August 2012

This paper implements the generalized maximum entropy (GME) method in longitudinal data setup to investigate the regression para meters and correlation among the repeated measurements. We derive the GME system using Shannon classical entropy as well as some higher‐order entropies assuming an autoregressive correlation structure. This method is illustrated using two simulated examples to study the effect of changing the support range and compare the performance of the GME approach with the classical estimation methods.
The Emperor Has No Clothes! Power and Resources within the Greek Core Executive
Authors: Featherstone Kevin , Papadimitriou Dimitris
Published: August 2012

International attention has focused recently on the reform “failures” of Greece in the context of its European Union membership. Systemic constraints are increasingly recognized. The present article argues that attention ought also to be given to the inner workings of government at the center and their undermining of reform capacity. It explores the nature of the Greek core executive across five premierships and argues the supposed supremacy of the prime minister is something of a fallacy. In reality, the structure is one of a “solitary centre” amid a “segmented government.” As such, the closest parallels are with Central, rather than Southern, Europe. In developing its empirical analysis, the article makes a methodological contribution to the examination of core executive relations and resources.
Derivation and validation of a Short Form of the Mini‐Mental State Examination for the screening of dementia in older adults with a memory complaint
Authors: Haubois G. , de Decker L. , Annweiler C. , Launay C. , Allali G. , Herrmann F. R. , Beauchet O.
Published: August 2012

Background and purpose

To validate a Short Form of the Mini‐Mental State Examination (SMMSE) as a screening test for dementia in older ambulatory individuals followed in a memory clinic for a memory complaint.

Methods

A total of 202 cognitively healthy individuals, 100 individuals with a mild cognitive impairment and 304 demented individuals sent for a memory complaint by their primary care physician to a memory clinic were prospectively included in this cross‐sectional study. They were randomized into derivation (n = 303) and validation (n = 303) groups. The SMMSE score was built from six memory items of MMSE, with a score ranging from 0 to 6 (i.e. best performance).

Results

The receiver operating characteristic curve showed an area under the curve of 0.98 for the derivation group and 0.97 for the validation group without differences between curves (P = 0.254). The cut‐off between the sensitivity and the specificity of the SMMSE score for clinically diagnosed dementia was ≤4. The performance of the SMMSE for the diagnosis of dementia was high in the derivation and validation groups: sensitivity at 93.1% and 93.8%, specificity at 93.8% and 90.5%, positive predictive value at 94.3% and 90.1%, negative predictive value at 92.5% and 94.0%, likelihood ratio of positive test at 14.9 and 9.8 and of negative test at 0.07 and 0.07, respectively.

Conclusions

The Short Form of the Mini‐Mental State Examination was a good screening test for dementia in older individuals followed in a memory clinic for a memory complaint. The next step should be the confirmation of its discriminative value in older primary care patients.
Equity, Fairness and Justice Implications of Land Tenure Formalization in Cameroon
Authors: Njoh Ambe J.
Published: August 2012

This article examines Cameroon's modern land policy. Initially, it traces the policy's roots to the colonial era. As the only African country that came under the control of three European colonial powers, viz. Germany, Britain and France, Cameroon provides a unique opportunity to understand colonialism's influence on Africa's persistent land problem. This is because the problem is structurally embedded in the historical processes of colonial rule. The heart of the article focuses on the policy's provisions for land tenure formalization, especially the land titling process. Of interest are the implications of this process for questions of equity, fairness and justice as they relate to access to land in the country. It suggests that, contrary to what proponents claim, land tenure formalization is not a panacea enabling capital accumulation for all. The article marshals evidence to show that the land tenure formalization requirements in Cameroon have effectively served to aggravate socioeconomic inequalities in the country. This is especially because the requirements favour societal elites, including bureaucrats, politicians and entrepreneurs. The article concludes that, by making government‐issued land titles the unique testament to landownership, the country's indigenous authorities have aggravated the problem of inequitable, unfair and unjust access to land that they inherited from their colonial predecessors.
Different Manifestations of the Concept of Empowerment: The Politics of Urban Renewal in theUnitedStates and theUnitedKingdom
Authors: Bacqué Marie‐Hélène , Biewener Carole
Published: August 2012

Over the course of the 1990s the concept of empowerment became firmly established within the vocabulary of urban politics in several different national contexts. This article analyzes the spread of this concept by looking at the politics of urban renewal in theUnitedStates and theUnitedKingdom. It shows that even if (and possibly because) the definition of empowerment remained vague, the turn to empowerment came out of and contributed to a shift in the nature of urban politics and to a reconfiguration of governmental methods, the role of the state and, consequently, to changes in civil society, all of which were associated with a rise to prominence of a neoliberal perspective.
Phytohormones and willow gall induction by a gall‐inducing sawfly
Authors: Yamaguchi Hiroki , Tanaka Hiroki , Hasegawa Morifumi , Tokuda Makoto , Asami Tadao , Suzuki Yoshihito
Published: August 2012

A variety of insect species induce galls on host plants. Several studies have implicated phytohormones in insect‐induced gall formation. However, it has not been determined whether insects can synthesize phytohormones. It has also never been established that phytohormones function in gall tissues.

Liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) were used to analyse concentrations of endogenous cytokinins and the active auxinIAAin the gall‐inducing sawfly (Pontaniasp.) and its host plant,Salix japonica. Feeding experiments demonstrated the ability of sawfly larvae to synthesizeIAAfrom tryptophan. Gene expression analysis was used to characterize hormonal signalling in galls.

Sawfly larvae contain high concentrations ofIAAandt‐zeatin, and produceIAAfrom tryptophan. The glands of adult sawflies, the contents of which are injected into leaves upon oviposition and are involved in the initial stages of gall formation, contain an extraordinarily high concentration oft‐zeatin riboside. Transcript levels of some auxin‐ and cytokinin‐responsive genes are significantly higher in gall tissue than in leaves.

The abnormally high concentration oft‐zeatin riboside in the glands strongly suggests that the sawfly can synthesize cytokinins as well asIAA. Gene expression profiles indicate high levels of auxin and cytokinin activities in growing galls.
Isotopes reveal contrasting water use strategies among coexisting plant species in a Mediterranean ecosystem
Authors: Moreno‐Gutiérrez Cristina , Dawson Todd E. , Nicolás Emilio , Querejeta José Ignacio
Published: August 2012

Variation in the stable carbon and oxygen isotope composition (δ13C, Δ18O) of co‐occurring plant species may reflect the functional diversity of water use strategies present in natural plant communities.

We investigated the patterns of water use among 10 coexisting plant species representing diverse taxonomic groups and life forms in semiarid southeast Spain by measuring their leaf δ13C and Δ18O, the oxygen isotope ratio of stem water and leaf gas exchange rates.

Across species, Δ18O was tightly negatively correlated with stomatal conductance (gs), whereas δ13C was positively correlated with intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi). Broad interspecific variation in Δ18O, δ13C andWUEiwas largely determined by differences ings, as indicated by a strong positive correlation between leaf δ13C and Δ18O across species

The 10 co‐occurring species segregated along a continuous ecophysiological gradient defined by their leaf δ13C and Δ18O, thus revealing a wide spectrum of stomatal regulation intensity and contrasting water use strategies ranging from ‘profligate/opportunistic’ (highgs, lowWUEi) to ‘conservative’ (lowgs, highWUEi). Coexisting species maintained their relative isotopic rankings in 2 yr with contrasting rainfall, suggesting the existence of species‐specific ‘isotopic niches’ that reflect ecophysiological niche segregation in dryland plant communities.
Evolutionary stasis of sporopollenin biochemistry revealed by unaltered Pennsylvanian spores
Authors: Fraser W. T. , Scott A. C. , Forbes A. E. S. , Glasspool I. J. , Plotnick R. E. , Kenig F. , Lomax B. H.
Published: August 2012

The biopolymer sporopollenin present in the spore/pollen walls of all land plants is regarded as one of the most recalcitrant biomacromolecules (biopolymers), providing protection against a range of abiotic stresses. This long‐term stability is demonstrated by the near‐ubiquitous presence of pollen and spores in the fossil record with spores providing the first evidence for the colonization of the land.

Here, we report for the first time chemical analyses of geologically unaltered sporopollenin from Pennsylvanian (c. 310 million yr before present (MyBP)) cave deposits.

Our data show that Pennsylvanian Lycophyta megaspore sporopollenin has a strong chemical resemblance to extant relatives and indicates that a co‐polymer model of sporopollenin formation is the most likely configuration.

Broader comparison indicates that extant sporopollenin structure is similar across widely spaced phylogenetic groups and suggests land plant sporopollenin structure has remained stable since embryophytes invaded land.
Generic patient‐reported outcomes in child health research: a review of conceptual content using World Health Organization definitions
Authors: FAYED NORA , DE CAMARGO OLAF KRAUS , KERR ELIZABETH , ROSENBAUM PETER , DUBEY ANKITA , BOSTAN CRISTINA , FAULHABER MARKUS , RAINA PARMINDER , CIEZA ALARCOS
Published: August 2012

Aim  Our aims were to (1) describe the conceptual basis of popular generic instruments according to World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of functioning, disability, and health (FDH), and quality of life (QOL) with health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) as a subcomponent of QOL; (2) map the instruments to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF); and (3) provide information on how the analyzed instruments were used in the literature. This should enable users to make valid choices about which instruments have the desired content for a specific context or purpose.

Method  Child health‐based literature over a 5‐year period was reviewed to find research employing health status and QOL/HRQOL instruments. WHO definitions of FDH and QOL were applied to each item of the 15 most used instruments to differentiate measures of FDH and QOL/HRQOL. The ICF was used to describe the health and health‐related content (if any) in those instruments. Additional aspects of instrument use were extracted from these articles.

Results  Many instruments that were used to measure QOL/HRQOL did not reflect WHO definitions of QOL. The ICF domains within instruments were highly variable with respect to whether body functions, activities and participation, or environment were emphasized.

Interpretation  There is inconsistency among researchers about how to measure HRQOL and QOL. Moreover, when an ICF content analysis is applied, there is variability among instruments in the health components included and emphasized. Reviewing content is important for matching instruments to their intended purpose.
Autophosphorylation of the C2 domain inhibits translocation of the novel protein kinase C (nPKC) Apl II
Authors: Farah Carole A. , Lindeman Amanda A. , Siu Vincent , Gupta Micaela Das , Sossin Wayne S.
Published: August 2012

Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) are critical signaling molecules controlled by complex regulatory pathways. Herein, we describe an important regulatory role for C2 domain phosphorylation. Novel PKCs (nPKCs) contain an N‐terminal C2 domain that cannot bind to calcium. Previously, we described an autophosphorylation site in the Aplysia novel PKC Apl II that increased the binding of the C2 domain to lipids. In this study, we show that the function of this phosphorylation is to inhibit PKC translocation. Indeed, a phosphomimetic serine‐glutamic acid mutation reduced translocation of PKC Apl II while blocking phosphorylation with a serine‐alanine mutation enhanced translocation and led to the persistence of the kinase at the membrane longer after the end of the stimulation. Consistent with a role for autophosphorylation in regulating kinase translocation, inhibiting PKC activity using bisindolymaleimide 1 increased physiological translocation of PKC Apl II, whereas inhibiting phosphatase activity using calyculin A inhibited physiological translocation of PKC Apl II in neurons. Our results suggest a major role for autophosphorylation‐dependent regulation of translocation.
Biosecurity and food security: spatial strategies for combating bovine tuberculosis in the UK
Authors: Enticott Gareth , Franklin Alex , Van Winden Steven
Published: August 2012

Concern over the spread of infectious animal diseases has led to attempts to improve the biosecurity behaviour of farmers. Implicit within these behavioural change strategies are different geographies of knowledge that enact different versions of disease. Some versions are fixed whilst others attempt to live with disease by accommodating difference. This paper explores how these different strategies fare in attempts to promote biosecurity to farmers. The paper compares farmers' responses to ‘high‐risk’ and ‘population’ strategies of biosecurity behaviour change in relation to bovine tuberculosis in cattle. Drawing on quantitative assessments of biosecurity and farmer interviews, the paper suggests that biosecurity behaviour change initiatives that draw on locally situated practices and knowledges of disease are more likely to have an impact on biosecurity behaviour than those which attempt to standardise biosecurity and disease. Through a process of constant tinkering and rewiring biosecurity to fit local social and ecological conditions, approaches like the high‐risk strategy represent one way of living with the uncertainties of disease. It is argued that thinking more broadly about the nature of disease should lead policymakers to re‐evaluate the purpose of disease control and their approaches to it.
Climate change and ‘climategate’ in online reader comments: a mixed methods study
Authors: Koteyko Nelya , Jaspal Rusi , Nerlich Brigitte
Published: August 2012

Climate change has rarely been out of the public spotlight in the first decade of this century. The high‐profile international meetings and controversies such as ‘climategate’ have highlighted the fact that it is as much a political issue as it is a scientific one, while also drawing our attention to the role of social media in reflecting, promoting or resisting such politicisation. In this article, we propose a framework for analysing one type of social media venue that so far has received little attention from social scientists – online reader comments. Like media reporting on climate change, reader comments on this reporting contribute to the diverse, complex and contested discourses on climate change, and can reveal the meanings and discursive resources brought to the ongoing debate by laypeople rather than political elites. The proposed framework draws on research in computer‐mediated communication, corpus linguistics and discourse analysis and takes into account both the content of such ‘lay talk’ and its linguistic characteristics within the specific parameters of the web‐based context. Using word frequencies, qualitative study of co‐text and user ratings, we analyse a large volume of comments published on the UK tabloid newspaper website at two different points in time – before and after the East Anglia controversy. The results reveal how stereotypes of science and politics are appropriated in this type of discourse, how readers’ constructions of climate science have changed after ‘climategate’, and how climate‐sceptic arguments are adopted and contested in computer‐mediated peer‐to‐peer interaction.
Protein engineering and preclinical development of a GM‐CSF receptor antibody for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Minter RR , Cohen ES , Wang B , Liang M , Vainshtein I , Rees G , Eghobamien L , Harrison P , Sims DA , Matthews C , Wilkinson T , Monk P , Drinkwater C , Fabri L , Nash A , McCourt M , Jermutus L , Roskos L , Anderson IK , Sleeman MA
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

For antibody therapies against receptor targets, in vivo outcomes can be difficult to predict because of target‐mediated clearance or antigen ‘sink’ effects. The purpose of this work was to engineer an antibody to the GM‐CSF receptor α (GM‐CSFRα) with pharmacological properties optimized for chronic, s.c. treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Experimental Approach

We used an in silico model of receptor occupancy to guide the target affinity and a combinatorial phage display approach for affinity maturation. Mechanism of action and internalization assays were performed on the optimized antibody in vitro before refining the modelling predictions of the eventual dosing in man. Finally, in vivo pharmacology studies in cynomolgus monkeys were carried out to inform the predictions and support future clinical development.

Key Results

Antibody potency was improved 8600‐fold, and the target affinity was reached. The refined model predicted pharmacodynamic effects at doses as low as 1 mg kg−1 and a study in cynomolgus monkeys confirmed in vivo efficacy at 1 mg kg−1 dosing.

Conclusions and Implications

This rational approach to antibody drug discovery enabled the isolation of a potent molecule compatible with chronic, s.c. self‐administration by RA patients. We believe this general approach enables the development of optimal biopharmaceuticals.
Judges, Litigants, and the Design of Courts
Authors: Brace Paul , Yates Jeff , Boyea Brent D.
Published: August 2012

Two important perspectives on courts highlight fundamentally different elements of adjudication and yield distinct predictions about judicial outcomes. The Attitudinal Model of judicial voting posits judge ideology as a strong predictor of court outcomes. Alternatively, the Law and Economics perspective focuses on the settlement behavior of litigants and reasons that while judges may vote ideologically, litigants adapt to these ideological proclivities, nullifying the effect of judge ideology. This analysis focuses on reconciling expectations about the effects of judge ideology and litigant strategies by examining their contingent nature and the conditioning effects of institutional design. The analysis examines state supreme courts from 1995–1998 to identify empirical evidence supporting both perspectives. While some state supreme courts have discretionary dockets allowing judges greater opportunities to exercise their ideology, others lack discretionary docket control, making dockets and outcomes largely litigant driven. Support for each perspective largely hinges on this fundamental feature of institutional design.
No Country for Made Men: The Decline of the Mafia in Post-Soviet Georgia
Authors: Slade Gavin
Published: August 2012

This article studies the decline of a long-standing mafia known as thieves-in-law in the post-Soviet republic of Georgia. In 2005 an anti-mafia campaign began which employed laws directly targeting the thieves-in-law. Within a year, all Georgia's thieves-in-law were in prison or had fled the country. This article looks at the success of the policy by investigating how Georgia's volatile socio-economic environment in the 1990s affected the resilience of the thieves-in-law to state attack. The article presents data showing that the chaos of this period impacted on the ability of thieves-in-law to coordinate activities, regulate recruitment, and protect their main collective resource—their elite criminal status. Due to this, the reputation of the thieves-in-law as a mafia drastically declined creating vulnerability. The article adds to the literature on resilience in criminal networks and the study of organized crime in the post-Soviet space.
Contract Management Capacity Breakdown? An Analysis of U.S. Local Governments
Authors: Ernita Joaquin M. , Greitens Thomas J.
Published: August 2012

Research indicates that successful government contracting depends on sufficient internal management capacity. Numerous studies have examined the decision to contract out and its pitfalls, but few have tracked government contract management capacity. This study explores whether a change is observable in the capacity of U.S. local governments to engage in effective contracting from 1997 to 2007. The authors discuss whether this change represents a decline or degradation, and in which form and type of government it occurred. Using data from 537 local government units, the analysis reveals that some aspects of capacity have declined as local governments continue to contract out for highly complex services. The authors speculate on the reasons behind the findings and suggest capacity enhancement strategies.
Budgeting and Rebudgeting in Local Governments: Siamese Twins?
Authors: Anessi‐Pessina Eugenio , Sicilia Mariafrancesca , Steccolini Ileana
Published: August 2012

The literature on budgeting in the public sector has traditionally focused on the annual budgetary process. Much less attention has been paid to rebudgeting—that is, what governments do to revise and update their budgets during the fiscal year. Because of its potentially large impact on appropriations, rebudgeting seemingly deserves more attention than it has been granted so far. This article uses data from a sample of Italian municipalities to test hypotheses on the main drivers of budget revisions. According to the results, rebudgeting is strongly affected by the degree of incrementalism in the initial budgeting process, as well as by several internal and external determinants, such as political variables, organizational features, financial conditions, and the local socioeconomic environment.
E‐Participation, Transparency, and Trust in Local Government
Authors: Kim Soonhee , Lee Jooho
Published: August 2012

This article examines the relationship between electronic participation (e‐participation) and trust in local government by focusing on five dimensions of the e‐participationprocess: (1) satisfaction with e‐participation applications, (2) satisfaction with government responsiveness to e‐participants, (3) e‐participants’ development through the participation, (4) perceived influence on decision making, and (5) assessment of government transparency. Using data from the 2009 E‐Participation Survey in Seoul Metropolitan Government, this article finds that e‐participants’ satisfaction with e‐participation applications is directly associated with their development and their assessment of government transparency. The findings reveal that e‐participants’ satisfaction with government responsiveness is positively associated with their perceptions of influencing government decision making. Furthermore, there is a positive association between e‐participants’ perception of influencing government decision making and their assessment of government transparency. Finally, the article finds that there is a positive association between e‐participants’ assessment of government transparency and their trust in the local government providing the e‐participation program.
Contesting Beirut's Frontiers
Authors: BOU AKAR HIBA
Published: August 2012

On May 7, 2008, armed militias took to the streets of Beirut, Lebanon, in the worst sectarian fighting the city had seen since the end of the Lebanese civil war (1975‐1990). This paper argues that critical to the understanding of the contestations of post‐civil war Beirut are the ways in which the production of mundane geographies (such as housing, roads, and industrial zones) by religious‐political organizations have transformed Beirut's peripheral spaces into frontiers of conflict. These geographies are produced within planned and imagined geographies of local and regional wars that are “yet to come.” Based on ethnographic and archival research, this paper maps the transformation of what used to be a peripheral area into a religiously‐contested frontier zone, where spatial contestation has become less about war maneuvering and more about the production of a spatial order of political difference through land markets, building and infrastructure construction, and urban regulations and zoning. The study provides insights into how the geographies of the civil war, economic post‐war restructuring, resistance to Israel's incursions, the regional rise of Hezbollah's military power, the post‐war crisis of war militias such as the PSP, along with the skyrocketing prohibitive costs of land and housing in municipal Beirut have been articulated in new robust, shifting divide lines that configure the urban politics of Beirut's peripheries. I illustrate how the practice of urban planning in Beirut involve innovative techniques to continuously “balance” a spatiality of political difference in order to keep a war at bay while simultaneously allowing for urban growth and development profit.
How Corruption Kills: Pharmaceutical Crime, Mediated Representations, and Middle Class Anxiety in Neoliberal Argentina
Authors: GOLDSTEIN DONNA M.
Published: August 2012

Argentina is referenced by social scientists as a useful case study for exploring the contours of neoliberal crisis in Latin America. The middle classes of Buenos Aires have played a key role in critiquing neoliberal policies, including those that were responsible for the 2001 crisis and subsequent collapse of the country's economy. Yet these same middle classes are also part of an educated urban elite who both produce and consume the newsworthy journalism that remains implicitly supportive of neoliberal truths. The year 2008 marks the beginning of a journalistic saga that revolves around the case of three young pharmaceutical entrepreneurs in Greater Buenos Aires who were kidnapped and killed by what appeared to be a Mexican drug trafficking gang. The alleged intruders were believed to have entered Argentina in order to gain access to ephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine that is made available from the manipulation of legal pharmaceutical products. From this original incident, two cases have emerged as a subject of intense journalistic scrutiny: the “triple homicide case” and the “medicines mafia case.” This essay analyzes the unfolding of these cases in the daily newspapersPágina 12andClarínas an illustration of the ways in which journalistic portrayals of crime in contemporary Argentina are inflected by class. The cases reported could well be characterized as “epic” in that they point to a new form of neoliberal modernity that is populated by entrepreneurial middle class criminals operating at the borderlands of legal and illegal activities. The case suggests that in Argentina, new forms of sociality may be emerging among the middle classes, who have not only experienced neoliberal collapse but have also been subjects of journalistic reporting that predicts their inevitable pauperization.
Is it possible to predict low‐volume and insignificant prostate cancer by core needle biopsies?
Authors: Berg Kasper Drimer , Toft Birgitte Grønkaer , Røder Martin Andreas , Brasso Klaus , Vainer Ben , Iversen Peter
Published: August 2012

In an attempt to minimize overtreatment of localized prostate cancer (PCa) active surveillance (AS) and minor invasive procedures have received increased attention. We investigated the accuracy of pre‐operative findings in defining insignificant disease and distinguishing between unilateral/unifocal and bilateral/multifocal PCa. One‐hundred and sixty patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were included. Histology reports from the biopsies and matching prostatectomies were compared. Three definitions of insignificant cancer were used: InsigE: tumour volume ≤0.5 mL; InsigW: tumour volume ≤1.3 mL; InsigM: tumour ≤5% of total prostate volume and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) ≤10 ng/mL. In all definitions, Gleason score (GS) was ≤6 and the tumour was organ confined. Biopsies alone performed poorly as a predictor of unifocal and unilateral cancer in the prostatectomy specimens with positive predictive values of 17.8% and 18.9% respectively. Inclusion of other clinical and biochemical parameters did not significantly increase the predictive value. However, the combination of GS ≤ 6, PSA ≤ 10 ng/mL and unifocal or unilateral cancer in biopsy cores resulted in a positive predictive value of 61.1%, 38.9% and 12.0%, respectively, for identifying InsigM, InsigW and InsigE in the prostate specimen. Conclusively, routine prostate biopsies cannot predict unifocal and unilateral PCa, and must be regarded insufficient to select patients for focal therapy. Although candidates for AS may be identified using standard biopsies, a considerable fraction of patients will be understaged. There is a need for more precise diagnostic tools to assess intraprostatic tumour growth.
Modifying the role of serotonergic 5‐HTTLPR and TPH2 variants on disulfiram treatment of cocaine addiction: a preliminary study
Authors: Nielsen D. A. , Harding M. J. , Hamon S. C. , Huang W. , Kosten T. R.
Published: August 2012

Disulfiram is a cocaine pharmacotherapy that may act through increasing serotonin, benefiting patients with genetically low serotonin transporter levels (5‐HTTLPR, S′ allele carriers) and low serotonin synthesis (TPH2, A allele carriers). We stabilized 71 cocaine and opioid co‐dependent patients on methadone for 2 weeks and randomized them into disulfiram and placebo groups for 10 weeks. We genotyped the SLC6A4 5‐HTTLPR (rs4795541, rs25531) and TPH2 1125A>T (rs4290270) variants and evaluated their role in moderating disulfiram treatment for cocaine dependence. Cocaine‐positive urines dropped from 78% to 54% for the disulfiram group and from 77% to 76% for the placebo group among the 5‐HTTLPR S′ allele carriers (F = 16.2; df = 1,301; P < 0.0001). TPH2 A allele carriers responded better to disulfiram than placebo (F = 16.0; df = 1,223; P < 0.0001). Patients with both an S′ allele and a TPH2 A allele reduced cocaine urines from 71% to 53% on disulfiram and had no change on placebo (F = 21.6; df = 1,185; P < 0.00001).
Body composition and newborn birthweight in pregnancies of adolescent and mature women
Authors: Contreras Campos María Elena , Rodríguez‐Cervantes Nora , Reza‐López Sandra , Ávila‐Esparza Marina , Chávez‐Corral Dora Virginia , Levario‐Carrillo Margarita
Published: August 2012

Teenage pregnancy has been associated with adverse effects for the mother and the newborn (NB). In order to compare body composition (BC) between adolescents (Ad) and mature women (MW) during pregnancy and to determine the difference in birthweight and perinatal morbidity, pregnant Ad (n = 40) and MW (n = 227) were studied. BC changes between the second and third trimesters were determined by multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, and birthweight and NB morbidity were evaluated. During the second and third trimesters of the pregnancy, fat mass was lower in the Ad group [16 kg (13–19)] than in the MW group [22 kg (17–27)] (P < 0.01; median and quartiles 1–3). Fat‐free mass increased by 3.09 kg (2.29–4.20) and 2.20 kg (1.0–3.59) (P ≤ 0.01), and total body water increased by 2.77 L (0.84–4.49) vs. 2.04 L (0.55–3.89) (P = 0.36), in the Ad and MW groups, respectively (median and quartiles 1–3). Birthweight was not significantly different between NBs of Ad (3223 ± 399 g) and NBs of MW (3312 ± 427 g, P = 0.22). The youngest Ad (<18 year old, n = 8) had NB with lower birthweight than MW (3031 ± 503 g, P = 0.06). NBs of Ad mothers showed a non‐significant trend towards a higher rate of morbidity relative to the NBs of MW. In conclusion, the BC of Ad differs from that of MW during pregnancy. In addition, the NB infants of Ad mothers tended to have a lower birthweight than those from MW, a result that suggests that the Ad should be in strict prenatal control.
Desired characteristics and outcomes of community care services for persons with dementia: What is important according to clients, service providers and policy?
Authors: Low Lee‐Fay , White Fiona , Jeon Yun‐Hee , Gresham Meredith , Brodaty Henry
Published: August 2012

Aim

To examine views of Australian consumers, service providers and policy representatives on important characteristics and outcomes for community care.

Method

Interviews, with 32 consumers (one person with dementia (PWD) and 31 carers), 32 service providers and four policy representatives, were analysed thematically.

Results

Outcomes important to consumers and service providers were that PWD can stay at home safely with personalised activities and socialisation; and that carers receive emotional support, respite and continue paid employment. Consumers and service providers said it was important that community care services were flexible and reliable and provided adequate hours of care and there was continuity of appropriate and well‐trained staff. Overall responses of policy representatives were congruent with consumers and service providers but did not comprehensively cover the issues.

Conclusions

Community care policies and service practices need to be re‐examined to make sure that they are person‐centred and reflect consumer needs, for instance by integrating client and carer services and providing appropriate activities for PWD.
Which cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease and predict future events in advanced age in New Zealand?
Authors: Teh Ruth O , Kerse Ngaire M , Robinson Elizabeth M , Doughty Robert N , Whalley Gillian A
Published: August 2012

Aim

To examine the relationships between cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular health at baseline, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events 28 months later, in advanced age.

Methods

108 adults in advanced age were recruited. Data were collected through a standardised questionnaire including a measure of physical activity, comprehensive physical assessment and fasting blood samples. CVD events at follow‐up were ascertained from hospital records.

Results

Sixty‐seven per cent of participants had CVD at baseline. Physical activity (OR (95% CI): 0.99 (0.98–1.0); P = 0.04) and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) (OR (95% CI): 0.3 (0.09–1.0); P = 0.046) were independently associated with CVD. The 28‐month incidence rate of CVD was 6 cases/100 person‐years. Baseline diastolic BP (OR (95% CI): 0.9 (0.9–1.0); P = 0.03) and waist circumference (OR (95% CI): 1.06 (1.01–1.1); P = 0.01) were independently associated with subsequent CVD events at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Physical activity and HDL levels were inversely associated with CVD at baseline but did not predict future CVD events. CVD in advanced age warrants further investigation.