bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Interictal Subdural EEG Analyses in Children with Neocortical Epilepsy
Authors: Asano Eishi , Muzik Otto , Shah Aashit , Juhász Csaba , Chugani Diane C. , Sood Sandeep , Janisse James , Ergun Eser Lay , Ahn‐Ewing Judy , Shen Chenggang , Gotman Jean , Chugani Harry T.
Published: March 2003

Summary:  Purpose: We studied the relation between quantitative interictal subdural EEG data and visually defined ictal subdural EEG findings in children with intractable neocortical epilepsy, and determined whether interictal EEG data are predictive of ictal EEG onset zones.

Methods: Thirteen children (aged 1.2–15.4 years) underwent prolonged intracranial EEG recording, using 48‐ to 120‐channel subdural electrodes. Three distinct 10‐min segments of the continuous interictal EEG recording were selected for each patient, and the spike frequency for each channel was determined by using an automatic spike‐detection program. Subsequently the average spike frequency of each electrode was compared with ictal assessment (onset, spread, and no early ictal involvement). In addition, 50 distinct interictal spikes were averaged for each patient, and the amplitude and latency after the leading spike (averaged spike showing the earliest peak) were measured for each electrode and analyzed with respect to ictal EEG findings.

Results: Reproducibility of the spike‐frequency pattern derived from three 10‐min segments was high (Kendall's W, 0.85 ± 0.08). Electrodes showing the highest spike frequency, the highest spike amplitude, and the leading spike were found to be a part of the seizure onset in 13 of 13, 12 of 13, and 10 of 13 cases, respectively. There was significant correlation between ictal assessment and spike frequency as well as spike amplitude. A receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that a cutoff threshold at 14% of the maximal spike frequency resulted in a specificity of 0.90 and a sensitivity of 0.77 for the detection of seizure‐onset electrodes.

Conclusions: Quantitative interictal subdural EEG may predict ictal‐onset zones in children with intractable neocortical epilepsy.
Lipoprotein(a) Concentration Increases during Treatment with Carbamazepine
Authors: Brämswig Suzanne , Sudhop Thomas , Luers Claus , Von Bergmann Klaus , Berthold Heiner K.
Published: March 2003

Summary:  Purpose: Treatment with carbamazepine (CBZ) is known to affect apolipoprotein B–containing lipoprotein concentrations in serum. However, little is known about the effects of anticonvulsant drugs (AEDs) on lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], although Lp(a) has been characterized as independent cardiovascular risk factor. We investigated prospectively the effect of CBZ on lipoprotein(a) concentration in normolipidemic healthy adults.

Methods: Twenty male volunteers were included in the study. Lp(a) levels were determined before and 69 ± 19 days after CBZ administration by using an enzyme‐linked immunoassay.

Results: CBZ (mean plasma concentration, 6.6 ± 0.6 μg/ml) caused a significant increase in Lp(a) concentrations, with a median change of +19.5% (95% CI: +8.2, +53.3; p < 0.001). Total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides also increased significantly.

Conclusions: Although the precise mechanism of action of CBZ on Lp(a) elevation remains uncertain, it might be related to its enzyme‐inducing properties. During treatment with CBZ, special focus should be given to elevated LDL cholesterol and Lp(a) concentrations with regard to increased risk for atherosclerotic vascular diseases.
Short‐Term Plasticity of Hippocampal Neuropeptides and Neuronal Circuitry in Experimental Status Epilepticus
Authors: Wasterlain Claude G. , Mazarati Andrey M. , Naylor David , Niquet Jerome , Liu Hantao , Suchomelova Lucie , Baldwin Roger , Katsumori Hiroshi , Shirasaka Yukiyoshi , Shin Don , Sankar Raman
Published: March 2003

Summary:  Purpose: We used a model of self‐staining status epilepticus (SSSE), induced by brief intermittent stimulation of the perforant path in unanesthetized rats, to study the mechanism of initiation and of maintenance of SSSE and the role of neuropeptides in those processes.

Methods: The perforant path was stimulated intermittently for 7 min (ineffective stimulation) or 30 min (generating SSSE). Peptides and their agonists and antagonists were delivered either intraperitoneally, or directly into the hippocampus through a implanted cannula. Behavior and electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded through a videotape‐telemetry system with automatic spike and seizures detection programs, which were supplemented by manual review of the records to confirm the diagnosis. Immunocytochemistry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay followed published methods.

Results: Initiation of SSSE was blocked by many agonists of inhibitory neurotransmitters or neuromodulators, and by many antagonists of excitatory synapses, and was facilitated by agents with the opposite action, suggesting the activation of a complex circuit with multiple potential entry points. Once SSSE was established, however, only N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA)‐receptor ligands and a few neuropeptides had major effects on its maintenance. Galanin and dynorphin had powerful anticonvulsant roles in the maintenance phase of SSSE, whereas somatostatin and neuropeptide Y suppressed seizures only transiently. SSSE seemed to induce maladaptive changes in neuropeptides: it depleted the hippocampus of the galanin‐ and dynorphin‐immunoreactive (IR) fibers, which normally function as endogenous anticonvulsants; whereas it induced overexpression of the proconvulsant neuropeptides substance P and neurokinin B; however, late in the course of SSSE, galanin‐IR interneurons appeared in the dentate hilus.

Conclusions: Initiation of SSSE seems to involve a circuit with many points of entry, and blockage of any point along this circuit inhibits the development of SSSE. Far fewer agents alter the maintenance phase of SSSE. Galanin, dynorphin, somatostatin, and neuropeptide Y have anticonvulsant roles, matching the previous described convulsant role of substance P and neurokinin B. Galanin and dynorphin seem to undergo maladaptive changes, which appear to play an important role of the maintenance phase of SSSE. Later, the de novo expression of inhibitory neuropeptides in novel cells in hippocampus coincides with the waning of seizures and may play a role in their termination.
Veratridine, But Not Elevated K+, Inhibits Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter Activity in Rat Hippocampal Slices
Authors: Claudio O. I. , Berríos N. , García M. , Casasnovas R. , Ortiz J. G.
Published: March 2003

Summary: Purpose:Excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT) activity prevents Glu from reaching toxic levels, but their contribution to epileptogenesis remains controversial. We examined how the convulsant veratridine causes inhibition of EAAT activity and how it differs from the effects of another convulsant, high (50 mM) K+, that also increases Na+conductance.

Methods:Transverse rat hippocampal slices were incubated for 1 h with 100 μMveratridine in oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) with or without extracellular Ca2+. The medium was replaced by 50 μM[3H]glutamate in aCSF, and the slices incubated for 10 min at 37°C. The slices were washed 3 times with cold aCSF after removal of the extracellular medium, and the radioactivity was quantified after solubilization of the slices.

Results:Veratridine caused a time‐ and dose‐dependent decrease, whereas high K+had no effect on EAAT activity. The effects of veratridine on EAAT activity were not prevented by tetrodotoxin (TTX; 10 μM). Coincubation of ouabain with veratridine resulted in further decreases of EAAT activity. Removal of extracellular Ca2+potentiated the inhibitory effects of veratridine (and other convulsants) on EAAT activity. Chelation of intracellular Ca2+with BAPTA also increased the inhibitory effects of veratridine on EAAT activity.

Conclusions:Veratridine caused changes Ca2+dynamics that led to inhibition of EAAT activity. Such changes in EAAT activity can contribute to the sustained epileptiform activity caused by veratridine.
Molecular Genetics of Febrile Seizures
Authors: Iwasaki Nobuaki , Nakayama Junko , Hamano Kenzo , Matsui Akira , Arinami Tadao
Published: March 2003

Summary: Febrile seizures are the most common form of convulsion, occurring in 2–5% of infants in Europe and North America and in 6–9% in Japan. In large families, the febrile seizure (FS) susceptibility trait is inherited by the autosomal dominant pattern with reduced penetrance. Two putative FS loci, FEB1 (chromosome 8q13‐q21) and FEB2 (chromosome 19p13.3) have been mapped. A clinical subset of FS, termed generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+), was reported. In GEFS+ families, a mutation in the voltage‐gated sodium channel β1 subunit gene (SCN1B) at chromosome 19q13.1 and two mutations of the same α1 subunit gene (SCN1A) at chromosome 2q24 were identified. These loci are linked to febrile convulsions in large families. We conducted a genome‐wide linkage search for FS in one large family with subsequent linkage confirmation in 39 nuclear families using nonparametric allele‐sharing methods, and found a new FS susceptibility locus, FEB4 (chromosome 5q14‐q15). In contrast to the FEB1, FEB2, and GEFS+ genetic loci, linkage to FEB4 was suggested in nuclear FS families, indicating that FEB4 may be the most common linkage locus in FS families.
Solitary Cerebral Cysticercus Granuloma
Authors: Rajashekhar Vedantam
Published: March 2003

Summary: Solitary cerebral cysticercus granuloma (SCCG) is one of the commonest causes of seizures in Indian patients. SCCG has been confused in the past with tuberculomas, but by applying a set of diagnostic criteria proposed by the author, they can be diagnosed accurately in the vast majority of patients. Patients with SCCG are managed effectively with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The role of cysticidal drugs in their management is controversial. SCCG resolves spontaneously at a variable rate and has a good seizure outcome, with >90% of patients remaining seizure free after discontinuation of AEDs.
Transcriptional Control of the Inflammatory Response: A Role for the CREB‐Binding Protein (CBP)
Authors: Matt Theresia
Published: March 2003

Summary: The cellular pathophysiology of septic shock is characterized by the activation of genes in response to exposure of cells to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) or endotoxin induce the activation of two major transcription factors, NF‐κB (nuclear factor‐kappaB) and AP‐1 (activating protein‐1), which in turn induce genes involved in chronic and acute inflammatory responses. The activity of both of them is regulated by phosphorylation and subsequent interaction with the coactivator protein CBP (CREB‐binding protein). Thus, the limiting CBP may play an important role in the development of critical illness.
Host plant choice and location by larvae of the wheat bulb fly (Delia coarctata)
Authors: Marriott C. , Evans K. A.
Published: March 2003

Wheat bulb fly (Delia coarctata Fallen, Diptera: Anthomyiidae) is an important pest of winter wheat in the eastern half of the UK, and in northern and eastern Europe. The larvae must find a host plant and invade a tiller soon after hatching in late January. Chemical controls are costly and weather conditions may reduce their efficacy or prevent their application. Post‐emergence control relies on organophosphate insecticides, which may soon be withdrawn due to concerns about their negative health and environmental effects. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the preferred cereal host, but other winter cereals and related grasses may also be attacked, while oats (Avena spp.) are shunned. In choice test bioassays, neonate larvae chose couch grass (Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski syn. Elymus repens (L.) Gould, Agropyearon repens (L.) Beauv.) seedlings and exudates over wheat seedlings and exudates, and exhibited geotaxis and negative phototaxis. Analysis of larval trails in choice test bioassays of seedling exudates showed that couch exudates are more attractive than wheat exudates, and that wheat exudates are more arrestant than couch exudates. This suggests that infochemicals isolated from couch, wheat, and oats could be used in wheat bulb fly control; possible delivery mechanisms are discussed. These findings, previous research, and a comparison of the phenologies and geographical distributions of D. coarctata and its hosts suggest that E. repens is the natural host of D. coarctata.
Effect of neonicotinoid synergists on entomopathogenic nematode fitness
Authors: Koppenhöfer Albrecht M. , Cowles Richard S. , Cowles Elizabeth A. , Fuzy Eugene M. , Kaya Harry K.
Published: March 2003

In previous greenhouse and field studies, the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid interacted synergistically with five entomopathogenic nematode species against five scarab species. Two other neonicotinoids, thiamethoxam and acetamiprid, showed a weaker interaction with nematodes in scarab larvae. Entomopathogenic nematodes have the potential to recycle in hosts after inundative applications, thereby increasing the persistence of nematodes and insect control. Thus we investigated the effect of neonicotinoids on nematode fitness after tank mixing and after combined applications. Tank mixing only had a negative effect on nematode survival and infectivity in a few nematode–insecticide combinations and only if both insecticide concentration and exposure time were several times higher than typical for field applications. Combined application of nematodes with imidacloprid generally had no negative effect on the percentage of scarab cadavers producing progeny or the number of nematode progeny emerging per cadaver. In experiments with a synergistic increase in scarab mortality, the total number of progeny in combination treatments was up to four times higher than in nematodes only treatments. Similarly, nematode populations in soil from combination treatments were 13.2 times greater than for nematodes only treatments at 28 days after treatment. Combined imidacloprid–nematode applications did not affect the pathogenicity or infectivity of the nematode progeny. Combining thiamethoxam with nematodes had no negative effects on nematode reproduction in the majority of treatments. However, due to the weaker interaction of thiamethoxam and nematodes on scarab mortality, the total number of nematode progeny per treatment generally did not increase compared with nematodes only treatments. The demonstrated tank mix compatibility of imidacloprid and nematodes improves the feasibility of combining these agents for curative white grub control. The positive effect of imidacloprid on nematode reproduction after combined application may increase the likelihood of infection of white grubs by subsequent generations of nematodes, thereby improving their field persistence and biological control potential.
Effects of mowing frequency on densities of natural enemies in three Pacific Northwest pear orchards
Authors: Horton David R. , Broers Debra A. , Lewis Richard R. , Granatstein David , Zack Richard S. , Unruh Thomas R. , Moldenke Andrew R. , Brown John J.
Published: March 2003

Effects of mowing frequency on ground cover composition and on numbers of predators, parasitoids, and select phytophagous arthropods in the ground cover of three reduced‐insecticide pear orchards were determined. Concurrent samples taken in the tree canopy (with beating trays) and in the herbicide strips on the orchard floor (with pitfall traps) tested whether counts of natural enemies in these two habitats were also affected by mowing regime. A reduction in frequency of mowing from two to three times per month (= control) to once per month or once per growing season led to increased cover of grasses, broadleaf plants, and broadleaf plants in flower. Sweep net samples of natural enemies in the ground cover were dominated numerically by spiders (Araneae), parasitic Hymenoptera, and predatory Heteroptera, with lesser numbers of other taxa (Syrphidae, Neuroptera, Coccinellidae). Predators and parasitoids showed substantial increases in numbers associated with decreased mowing frequency. Sweep net counts of aphids, Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae), and leafhoppers/planthoppers, all potential prey of predators, also increased significantly with decreased mowing frequency. In the pitfall samples, only the European earwig (Forficula auricularia L.) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) exhibited a change in counts associated with mowing treatment; numbers of earwigs in pitfall traps declined as mowing frequency decreased. For the beat tray samples, mean tray counts for most natural enemy taxa were higher in the less frequently mowed plots, but significantly (P < 0.05) so only for two taxa: spiders and a predatory mirid, Deraeocoris brevis (Uhler) (Heteroptera: Miridae). It remains to be determined whether biological control of pests in the tree canopy can be enhanced by manipulating mowing frequency. Questions raised by this study include whether there is extensive movement by natural enemies between the ground cover and tree canopy, and whether plot size affects the likelihood of showing that mowing frequency influences predator densities in the tree canopy.
The Two Variants of Oxysterol Binding Protein-related Protein-1 Display Different Tissue Expression Patterns, Have Different Intracellular Localization, and Are Functionally Distinct
Authors: Johansson Marie , Bocher Virginie , Lehto Markku , Chinetti Giulia , Kuismanen Esa , Ehnholm Christian , Staels Bart , Olkkonen Vesa M.
Published: March 2003

Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) homologs comprise a family of 12 proteins in humans ( Jaworski et al., 2001 ; Lehtoet al., 2001 ). Two variants of OSBP-related protein (ORP) 1 have been identified: a short one that consists of the carboxy-terminal ligand binding domain only (ORP1S, 437 aa) and a longer N-terminally extended form (ORP1L, 950 aa) encompassing three ankyrin repeats and a pleckstrin homology domain (PHD). We now report that the two mRNAs show marked differences in tissue expression. ORP1S predominates in skeletal muscle and heart, whereas ORP1L is the most abundant form in brain and lung. On differentiation of primary human monocytes into macrophages, both ORP1S and ORP1L mRNAs were induced, the up-regulation of ORP1L being >100-fold. The intracellular localization of the two ORP1 variants was found to be different. Whereas ORP1S is largely cytosolic, the ORP1L variant localizes to late endosomes. A significant amount of ORP1S but only little ORP1L was found in the nucleus. The ORP1L ankyrin repeat region (aa 1–237) was found to localize to late endosomes such as the full-length protein. This localization was even more pronounced for a fragment that additionally includes the PHD (aa 1–408). The amino-terminal region of ORP1L consisting of the ankyrin repeat and PHDs is therefore likely to be responsible for the targeting of ORP1L to late endosomes. Interestingly, overexpression of ORP1L was found to enhance the LXRα-mediated transactivation of a reporter gene, whereas ORP1S failed to influence this process. The results suggest that the two forms of ORP1 are functionally distinct and that ORP1L is involved in control of cellular lipid metabolism.
Specificity of Class II Hsp40 Sis1 in Maintenance of Yeast Prion [RNQ+]
Authors: Lopez Nelson , Aron Rebecca , Craig Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2003

Sis1 and Ydj1, functionally distinct heat shock protein (Hsp)40 molecular chaperones of the yeast cytosol, are homologs of Hdj1 and Hdj2 of mammalian cells, respectively. Sis1 is necessary for propagation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae prion [RNQ+]; Ydj1 is not. The ability to function in [RNQ+] maintenance has been conserved, because Hdj1 can function to maintain Rnq1 in an aggregated form in place of Sis1, but Hdj2 cannot. An extended glycine-rich region of Sis1, composed of a region rich in phenylalanine residues (G/F) and another rich in methionine residues (G/M), is critical for prion maintenance. Single amino acid alterations in a short stretch of amino acids of the G/F region of Sis1 that are absent in the otherwise highly conserved G/F region of Ydj1 cause defects in prion maintenance. However, there is some functional redundancy within the glycine-rich regions of Sis1, because a deletion of the adjacent glycine/methionine (G/M) region was somewhat defective in propagation of [RNQ+] as well. These results are consistent with a model in which the glycine-rich regions of Hsp40s contain specific determinants of function manifested through interaction with Hsp70s.
TheChlamydomonasFus1 Protein Is Present on the Mating TypeplusFusion Organelle and Required for a Critical Membrane Adhesion Event during Fusion withminusGametes
Authors: Misamore Michael J. , Gupta Surabhi , Snell William J.
Published: March 2003

The molecular mechanisms of the defining event in fertilization, gamete fusion, remain poorly understood. The FUS1 gene in the unicellular, biflagellated green alga Chlamydomonas is one of the few sex-specific eukaryotic genes shown by genetic analysis to be essential for gamete fusion during fertilization. In Chlamydomonas, adhesion and fusion of the plasma membranes of activated mt+ and mt- gametes is accomplished via specialized fusion organelles called mating structures. Herein, we identify the endogenous Fus1 protein, test the idea that Fus1 is at the site of fusion, and identify the step in fusion that requires Fus1. Our results show that Fus1 is a ∼95-kDa protein present on the external surface of both unactivated and activated mt+ gametes. Bioassays indicate that adhesion between mating type plus and mating type minus fusion organelles requires Fus1 and that Fus1 is functional only after gamete activation. Finally, immunofluorescence demonstrates that the Fus1 protein is present as an apical patch on unactivated gametes and redistributes during gamete activation over the entire surface of the microvillous-like activated plus mating structure, the fertilization tubule. Thus, Fus1 is present on mt+ gametes at the site of cell-cell fusion and essential for an early step in the fusion process.
Free trade agreements without delocation
Authors: Baldwin Richard E. , Robert‐Nicoud Frederic
Published: March 2003

Small nations fear that FTAs with larger, richer nations will erode their industrial bases. These concerns are recognized in FTA and multilateral talks: small nations may explicitly or implicitly maintain higher trade barriers. Using a model where symmetric liberalization de‐industrializes small, poor nations, we characterize the path of protection‐asymmetries that allow liberalization without delocation. In welfare terms, the large nation prefers this no‐delocation liberalization scheme only when barriers are sufficiently high; the small nation's ranking is reversed. An anti‐delocation scheme involving international income transfers is also evaluated and found infeasible.

Accords de libre‐échange quand il y a délocalisation. Les petits pays craignent que les accords de libre‐échange avec des pays plus grands et plus riches n'entament leur base industrielle. Ces malaises sont reconnus dans les négociations bilatérales et multilatérales: on permet aux petits pays de maintenir explicitement ou implicitement des barrières commerciales plus élevées. A l'aide d'un modéle où la libéralisation des échanges engendre une désindustrialisation des petits pays pauvres, les auteurs identifient les niveaux d'asymétrie dans le niveau de protection qui permettent d'engendrer une désindustrialisation sans délocalisation. En termes de niveau de bien‐être, le grand pays préfère cet arrangement sans délocalisation seulement quand les barrières commerciales sont suffisamment élevées; la préférence des petits pays est à l'inverse. On évalue un arrangement sans délocalisation impliquant des transferts internationaux de revenus, et on montre qu'il est impraticable.
TRIMs, environmental taxes, and foreign investment
Authors: Chao Chi‐Chur , Yu Eden S.H.
Published: March 2003

Various second‐best policy mixes of investment measures and environmental taxes for a polluted, small open economy with foreign capital and immovable trade restrictions are examined. The optimal policy mix depends on the types of trade restrictions. When tariffs are in place, strict policies of pollution taxes and export requirements are optimal for alleviating tariff‐induced consumption and production distortions. When involuntary quotas are used in lieu of tariffs, however, the optimal policy mix is a zero export requirement and Pigouvian taxes on pollution. For the case of VERs, however, the optimal policy demands export requirements and a less stringent pollution tax.

TRIMs, impôts environnementaux et investissement étranger. Ce mémoire examine certains ensembles de politiques de second‐ordre portant sur l'investissement et les impôts environnementaux dans une petite économie ouverte polluée où il y a capital étranger et restrictions au commerce international. Quand on a des droits de douane en place, des politiques de fiscalité environnementale et d'exportations requises sont optimales pour corriger les distorsions aux patterns de production et de consommation engendrées par les droits de douane. Cependant quand des contingentements involontaires sont en place plutôt que des droits de douane, le mélange optimal de politiques est de ne pas requérir d'exportation mais d'imposer des taxes à la Pigou sur la pollution. Pour ce qui est des restrictions volontaires à l'exportation, le mélange optimal de politiques réclame une taxe moins forte sur la pollution accompagnée par un certain niveau d'exportation requis.
Did tax flattening affect RRSP contributions?
Authors: Veall Michael R.
Published: March 2003

In 1988 marginal personal income tax rates changed in Canada, for some individuals by reasonably substantial amounts. In this note a large sample of tax‐filer data is examined and the conclusion is drawn that, when attention is paid to the possible confounding of marginal tax rate and non‐linear income effects, there is no convincing evidence that the tax rate changes affected contributions to Registered Retirement Saving Plans (RRSPs).

Est‐ce que l'aplatissement des taux d'imposition influence les contributions au REER? En 1988, les taux marginaux d'imposition du revenu personnel ont changé au Canada, et, pour certaines personnes, ces changements ont été substantiels. Cette note examine un grand échantillon de rapports d'impôts et en arrive à la conclusion que, quand on prend en compte le mélange possible des effets du taux marginal d'imposition et des effets de revenu non‐linéaires, il n'y a pas de résultats qui montrent de façon probante que les changements dans les taux d'imposition ont influencé les contributions au REER.
Education, earnings, and the ‘Canadian G.I. Bill’
Authors: Lemieux Thomas , Card David
Published: March 2003

Canadian Second World War veterans benefited from an extensive educational program similar to the U.S. G.I. Bill. Because of differences in military enlistment rates, however, a much lower fraction of Quebec men were eligible for these benefits than men from other provinces. Building on this fact, we analyse inter‐cohort patterns of education and earnings for English‐speaking men from Ontario, using French‐speaking men from Quebec as a control group. We find that the instrumental variables estimates of the return to schooling are typically as big or bigger than the corresponding OLS estimates. JEL Classification: J24, I21

Education, revenus, et le ‘G.I. Bill canadien.’ Les anciens combattants canadiens de la deuxième guerre mondiale ont bénéficié d'un programme d'aide aux études similaire au G.I. Bill américain. Relativement peu de Québécois ont cependant pu bénéficier de ce programme en raison de la faible proportion de ces derniers qui ont fait leur service militaire durant cette période. Sur la base de cette observation, nous analysons les différences intergénérationelles dans la scolarisation et les revenus des Ontariens anglophones en se servant des Québécois francophones comme groupe témoin. Nos résultats indiquent que les estimés du taux de rendements de l'éducation obtenus à l'aide de la méthode des variables instrumentales sont comparables sinon plus élévés que ceux obtenus par moindres carrés ordinaires.
An empirical analysis of intergovernmental tax interaction: the case of business income taxes in Canada
Authors: Hayashi Masayoshi , Boadway Robin
Published: March 2003

Both federal and provincial governments in Canada levy corporate taxes on businesses in their jurisdictions, which potentially gives rise to horizontal and vertical tax externalities within the federation. Using a simple model of interdependent tax choices, we estimate tax‐setting functions for the federal government, Ontario, Quebec, and an aggregate of the remaining eight provinces. We find evidence of significant vertical and horizontal tax interactions. Provincial tax rates respond negatively to the federal tax rate, while at least some provinces increase their tax rates in response to increases in the tax rates of other provinces. JEL Classification: H25, H7

Une analyse empirique de l'interaction fiscale entre gouvernements: le cas des impôts sur les revenus d'affaires au Canada. Au Canada, les gouvernements fédéral et provinciaux collectent des impôts sur le revenu de sociétés sous leur jurisdiction. Voilà qui peut donner lieu à des effets externes horizontaux et verticaux à l'intérieur de la fédération. A l'aide d'un modèle de choix fiscaux interdépendants, les auteurs calibrent les fonctions d'imposition du gouvernement fédéral, des gouvernements du Québec et de l'Ontario, et d'une entité composée des huit autres provinces. On montre que les effets verticaux et horizontaux d'interaction fiscale sont significatifs. Les taux d'imposition des provinces réagissent négativement au taux d'imposition fédéral, mais certaines provinces accroissent leur taux d'imposition en réponse à des accroissements dans les taux d'imposition d'autres provinces.
Bootstrap inference in econometrics
Authors: MacKinnon James G.
Published: March 2003

The astonishing increase in computer performance over the past two decades has made it possible for economists to base many statistical inferences on simulated, or bootstrap, distributions rather than on distributions obtained from asymptotic theory. In this paper, I review some of the basic ideas of bootstrap inference. I discuss Monte Carlo tests, several types of bootstrap test, and bootstrap confidence intervals. Although bootstrapping often works well, it does not do so in every case.

Inférence par la méthode d’auto–amorçage (bootstrap) en économétrie. L’incroyable accroissement dans la puissance des ordinateurs au cours des deux dernières décennies a permis aux économistes de fonder plusieurs inférences sur des distributions simulées, ou obtenues par auto–amorçage, plutôt que sur des distributions obtenues par la théorie aymptotique. Dans ce texte, l’auteur passe en revue quelques–unes des idées de base de l’inférence par la méthode d’auto–amorçage. Le texte discute aussi des tests de Monte Carlo, de divers types de tests et des intervalles de confiance obtenus par la méthode d’auto–amorçage. Même si le processus d’auto–amorçage fonctionne souvent bien, cela n’est pas toujours le cas.
Ethnicity, Economic Polarization and Regional Inequality in Southern Slovakia
Authors: Smith Adrian
Published: March 2003

This paper examines the relationships between ethnicity and regional economic transformation in Slovakia. It takes as its focus the position of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia in the uneven process of regional change. The paper places these issues within the context of struggles over ethnicity and ‘nation’ in post‐independence Slovakia. The paper argues that ethnicity has been a thoroughly contested issue since the collapse of ‘communism’ in Slovakia and a variety of struggles have been waged over enhancing the rights and position of the Hungarian minority population. The concentration of the Hungarian minority in the southern Slovak border regions with Hungary is examined within the context of the uneven economic impacts of the ‘transition to capitalism’. It is argued that, while the economic decline seen in many of these ‘Hungarian’ regions has impacted negatively on the local populations, the roots of these changes lie within the ways in which such regions were integrated into the state socialist regional division of labor. In particular, the role of peripheral industrialization in such regions prior to 1989, in attempting to reduce economic differences among various ethnic groups, resulted in the establishment of branch plant economies which have had difficulty in surviving since 1989. It is therefore the interweaving of the economics of regional decline and the politics of ethnicity that help us to understand the complex place of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
The Struggle for Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka
Authors: Stokke Kristian , Ryntveit Anne Kirsti
Published: March 2003

Regionalism has commonly been expected to dissolve as a consequence of the administrative regional penetration of the centralized modern state and the homogenizing forces associated with modernization. This mode of reasoning has reappeared recently among authors who see globalization as a universal force that will eradicate regional economic inequalities, local identities and regional political mobilization. Contrary to these expectations, regional autonomy movements continue to play a central political role within many states. Consequently, it remains an important analytical challenge to understand the construction and politicization of regional interests.

Against this background, the article presents a critical interpretation and contextual analysis of Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka. It is argued that studies of nationalist movements should seek inspiration in the contemporary dialog between three main perspectives on social movements (theories of new social movements, resource mobilization theories, and theories of collective identity) and a corresponding three‐dimensional understanding of place (location, locale, and sense of place). The paper shows how nationalist mobilization cannot be reduced to essentialist notions of primordial nations, territorial nation‐states, or internal colonialism, but instead should be understood as the outcome of cultural and political practices by a multitude of actors, operating in time‐ and place‐specific contexts.
Noisy Time‐Series Prediction using Pattern Recognition Techniques
Authors: Singh Sameer
Published: March 2003

Time‐series prediction is important in physical and financial domains. Pattern recognition techniques for time‐series prediction are based on structural matching of the current state of the time‐series with previously occurring states in historical data for making predictions. This paper describes a Pattern Modelling and Recognition System (PMRS) which is used for forecasting benchmark series and the US S&P financial index. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of such a system on noise free and Gaussian additive noise injected time‐series. The results show that the addition of Gaussian noise leads to better forecasts. The results also show that the Gaussian noise standard deviation has an important effect on the PMRS performance. PMRS results are compared with the popular Exponential Smoothing method.
Case‐Base Maintenance By Integrating Case‐Index Revision and Case‐Retention Policies in a Derivational Replay Framework
Authors: Muñoz‐Avila Héctor
Published: March 2003

This article presents case‐base maintenance policies for case index revision and case retention. The policies are formulated in the context of case‐based planners performing case adaptation by derivational replay. I implemented these policies on a particular case‐based planner and claim that my case‐index revision policy improves the accuracy of the retrieval and that the case‐retention policy filters redundant cases better than other case‐retention policies known from the literature. My claims are validated by empirical validation. It will be seen that there is an interrelation between the two policies that improves the filtering process of the case‐retention policy.
Maintaining Retrieval Knowledge in a Case‐Based Reasoning System
Authors: Craw Susan , Jarmulak Jacek , Rowe Ray
Published: March 2003

The knowledge stored in a case base is central to the problem solving of a case‐based reasoning (CBR) system. Therefore, case‐base maintenance is a key component of maintaining a CBR system. However, other knowledge sources, such as indexing and similarity knowledge for improved case retrieval, also play an important role in CBR problem solving. For many CBR applications, the refinement of this retrieval knowledge is a necessary component of CBR maintenance. This article focuses on optimization of the parameters and feature selections/weights for the indexing and nearest‐neighbor algorithms used by CBR retrieval. Optimization is applied after case‐base maintenance and refines the CBR retrieval to reflect changes that have occurred to cases in the case base. The optimization process is generic and automatic, using knowledge contained in the cases. In this article we demonstrate its effectiveness on a real tablet formulation application in two maintenance scenarios. One scenario, a growing case base, is provided by two snapshots of a formulation database. A change in the company's formulation policy results in a second, more fundamental requirement for CBR maintenance. We show that after case‐base maintenance, the CBR system did indeed benefit from also refining the retrieval knowledge. We believe that existing CBR shells would benefit from including an option to automatically optimize the retrieval process.
Systematic Maintenance of Corporate Experience Repositories
Authors: Nick Markus , Althoff Klaus‐Dieter , Tautz Carsten
Published: March 2003

Experience‐based continuous learning is essential for improving products, processes, and technologies in emerging as well as established areas of business and engineering science. This can be facilitated by case‐based organizational learning through capturing relevant experience in the form of cases for reuse in a corporate experience repository. For obvious reasons, learning from experience needs to be a permanent endeavor. Thus an organization has to handle a “continuous stream of experience.” Consequently, such an experience repository requires maintenance. This should not simply happen ad hoc but in a systematic manner. To make competent decisions about maintenance, the experience base and its usage have to be analyzed (i.e., evaluated). To improve maintenance itself, it is necessary to learn about it. For this purpose, we identify the relevant tasks for maintaining an experience repository and the responsibilities of the roles involved. Maintenance addresses not only the actual experience in the form of cases but also the conceptual model and the methods, techniques, and tools that are used for filling and updating the experience repository. To support the roles involved in the maintenance tasks, we provide a flexible, practical maintenance and evaluation framework. This framework provides guidance for the roles. The framework can be combined with other approaches from artificial intelligence, knowledge engineering, and software engineering at different levels of detail. For the practical application of the framework, we describe an integrated technical solution for a corporate experience repository that is maintained using our framework. Furthermore, we discuss the empirical validation of the framework and its implementation.
Discovering Maximal Generalized Decision Rules Through Horizontal and Vertical Data Reduction
Authors: Hu Xiaohua , Cercone Nick
Published: March 2003

We present a method to learn maximal generalized decision rules from databases by integrating discretization, generalization and rough set feature selection. Our method reduces the data horizontally and vertically. In the first phase, discretization and generalization are integrated and the numeric attributes are discretized into a few intervals. The primitive values of symbolic attributes are replaced by high level concepts and some obvious superfluous or irrelevant symbolic attributes are also eliminated. Horizontal reduction is accomplished by merging identical tuples after the substitution of an attribute value by its higher level value in a pre‐defined concept hierarchy for symbolic attributes, or the discretization of continuous (or numeric) attributes. This phase greatly decreases the number of tuples in the database. In the second phase, a novel context‐sensitive feature merit measure is used to rank the features, a subset of relevant attributes is chosen based on rough set theory and the merit values of the features. A reduced table is obtained by removing those attributes which are not in the relevant attributes subset and the data set is further reduced vertically without destroying the interdependence relationships between classes and the attributes. Then rough set‐based value reduction is further performed on the reduced table and all redundant condition values are dropped. Finally, tuples in the reduced table are transformed into a set of maximal generalized decision rules. The experimental results on UCI data sets and a real market database demonstrate that our method can dramatically reduce the feature space and improve learning accuracy.
The Europeanization of National Administrations: A Comparative Study of France and the Netherlands
Authors: Harmsen Robert
Published: March 2003

Studies of the impact of European integration on the national administrations of the member states of the European Union (EU) have pointed towards an uneven process of “Europeanization.” While there has unquestionably been a growing range and frequency of contacts between national administrations and the EU system, there is little evidence of an expected convergence towards a common institutional model. This uneven Europeanization is presently explained with reference to a neo‐institutionalist framework, drawing primarily on the work of March and Olsen. It is argued that the politico‐administrative systems of the member states differentially adapt to the pressures of European integration in a manner which reflects the preexisting balance of domestic institutionnal structures, as well as th broader matrices of values which define the nature of appropriate political forms in the case of each national polity. Distinctive national patterns of institutional adjustment, rather than appearing anomalous, emerge as corresponding to a basic logic of differentiation indissociable from the integration process itself. The general argument is illustrated by an extended comparative study of France and the Netherlands, examining both the making and the implementation of European policy in the two countries.
‘Beyond Left and Right’: The New Partisan Politics of Welfare
Authors: Ross Fiona
Published: March 2003

The ‘new politics of the welfare state,’ the term coined by Pierson (1996) to differentiate between the popular politics of welfare expansion and the unpopular politics of retrenchment, emphasizes a number of factors that distinguish countries' capacities to pursue contentious measures and avoid electoral blame. Policy structures, vested interests, and institutions play a prominent role in accounting for cross‐national differences in leaders' abilities to diffuse responsibility for divisive initiatives. One important omission from the ‘new politics’ literature, however, is a discussion of partisan politics. ‘Old’ conceptualizations of the political right and left are implicitly taken as constants despite radical changes in the governing agenda of many leftist parties over the last decade. Responding to this oversight, Castles (1998) has recently probed the role of parties with respect to aggregate government expenditures, only to concludethat parties do not matter under ‘conditions of constraint.’ This article contends that parties are relevant to the ‘new politics’ and that, under specified institutional conditions, their impact is counterintuitive. In some notable cases the left has had more effect inbruising the welfare state than the right. One explanation for these cross‐cutting tendencies is that parties not only provide a principal source of political agency, they also serve as strategies, thereby conditioning opportunities for political leadership. By extension, they need to be situatedwithin the ‘new politics’ constellation of blame‐avoidance instruments.
Governance and Democracy in Northern Ireland: The Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector after the Agreement
Authors: McCall Cathal , Williamson Arthur
Published: March 2003

Since 1998, Northern Ireland has been the subject of a unique experiment in governance and democracy. The experiment includes the establishment of a participatory Civic Forum in which the voluntary and community sector has an important stake. Beginning with a discussion of the merits of a participatory aspect to democracy in the contemporary age, this paper identifies factors that might help establish the Civic Forum as a successful participatory institution in Northern Ireland. Key factors include the attitude towards the Forum of political representatives and their willingness to foster a participatory dimension to the new democracy. Other important factors are inclusiveness and the balance of sectoral representation in the Forum.
Administrative Reform: Changing Leadership Roles?
Authors: Christensen Tom
Published: March 2003

Three interwoven change elements characterize New Public Management: substantial horizontal and vertical specialization, substituting an integrated sector model for a fragmented functional model, and extensive use of contracts as part of a “make the manager manage” kind of incentive system. This article discusses the effects and implications of these reform elements on political‐democratic processes in general, and on political, administrative, and public enterprise leadership roles more specifically. Examples from Norway and New Zealand illustrate the discussion.