bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matching Technologies with Potential End Users: A Knowledge Engineering Approach for Agricultural Research Management
Authors: Reece J. David , Sumberg James , Pommier Ludovic
Published: November 2007

This paper addresses the problem of priority setting that faces developing country agricultural research, a problem whose relevance has been sharpened by the current context of demands for greater efficiency and targeted impact. A new method for ex ante estimation of the impact of developing each of several alternative proposed technologies is described and illustrated through an example from West Africa. This method is based on the notion of market segmentation, which normally makes intensive use of secondary data‐sets that are simply not available for rural areas of developing countries. To circumvent this lack of secondary data, the method adopts a knowledge engineering approach based on the views of an expert panel familiar with the region to be served. Descriptions of proposed technologies are matched with the interests and resources of identified market segments, together with the characteristics of their farming systems and locations, to identify those segments whose members are likely to use the proposed technology. Further development of the method is discussed.
Report of the Managing Editor
Authors: LLOYD TIM
Published: November 2007

Overall, 2003 was a fair year for the Journal. Importantly, the target of a four‐month average turnaround for submissions has been achieved and further steps have been set in train to reduce lags on papers in the tail of the distribution. Although the JAE slipped in to second place behind the AJAE in 2002 on the Institute of Scientific Information's ranking, the JAE's impact factor was higher than the average for recent years. An initial assessment of the JAE on‐line usage is positive with nearly 9,000 hits being recorded since the service was introduced in July 2002. This activity translates to over 500 hits per month, of which around 12% are downloads of full papers. Future growth of online usage is expected.
Household‐level Impacts of Dairy Cow Ownership in Coastal Kenya
Authors: Nicholson Charles F. , Thornton Philip K. , Muinga Rahab W.
Published: November 2007

This study uses heteroskedastic Tobit and Censored Least Absolute Deviations models to examine the impacts of dairy cow ownership on selected outcomes for a sample of 184 households in coastal Kenya. The outcomes examined include gross household cash income, gross non‐agricultural income, consumption of dairy products, time allocated to cattle‐related tasks, number of labourers hired and total wage payments to hired labourers. The number of dairy cows owned has a large and statistically significant impact on household cash income; each cow owned increased income by at least 53% of the mean total income of households without dairy cows. Dairy cow ownership also increases consumption of dairy products by 1.0 litre per week, even though most of the increase in milk production is sold. The number of dairy cows has no significant effect on total labour for cattle‐related tasks. However, in contrast to previous studies, labour allocation to cattle by household members decreases and labour requirements for dairy cows are met primarily by an increase in hired labour. Dairy cow ownership results in relatively modest increases in payments to hired labourers and the number of hired labourers employed. The large positive impacts on income and the substitution of hired for household labour in cattle care suggest that intensification of smallholder dairying can be beneficial as a development strategy in the region if disease and feed constraints are addressed.
On the Relationship Between Aquaculture and Reduction Fisheries
Authors: Asche Frank , Tveterås Sigbjørn
Published: November 2007

Recently, there has been a growing concern that increased aquaculture production poses an environmental threat to the species targeted in so‐called reduction fisheries, the main source for fishmeal. The argument is that increased aquaculture production leads to higher feed demand, and then presumably to higher fishing effort in these fisheries. In this paper we address whether aquaculture production threatens sustainability of such fisheries. First, we ask under which management regimes can increased demand pose a threat to the species in question? Second, we investigate what is the market for fishmeal; is fishmeal a unique product or is it part of the larger market for protein meals which includes Soyameal? This is an important issue since the market structure for fishmeal is a key factor in determining whether increased aquaculture production can affect fishmeal prices, and thereby increase fishing pressure in reduction fisheries.
Explaining the Decline in UK Agricultural Productivity Growth
Authors: Thirtle Colin , Lin Lin Lin , Holding Jim , Jenkins Lindie , Piesse Jenifer
Published: November 2007

This paper reports the results of a study of total factor productivity (TFP) growth in UK agriculture, from 1953‐2000. It shows that prior to 1984 TFP grew at 1.68% per annum and after that date at only 0.26%. International comparisons show that the UK has fallen far behind the leading EU countries. Yield growth declined even more and only labour productivity continues to grow rapidly. In part, the result is due to better data that incorporates more quality adjustment, but the real decline can be explained mainly by cuts in R&D, less patents, less growth in farm size and the demise of public extension. There are other negative factors, which have not been quantified, including asset fixity, convergence and ozone pollution, and a background argument that recent growth rates cannot be sustained.
Modelling Population and Resource Scarcity in Fourteenth‐century England
Authors: Chavas Jean‐Paul , Bromley Daniel W.
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the empirical data relevant in the analysis of the agrarian transformation of England in the Middle Ages. It presents an empirical analysis of available data that investigates the role and extent of resource scarcity in 14th‐century England. The analysis offers a way forward for economists and historians to reach a plausible consensus about the reality of what may be one of the most important transition periods in European economic history. The insights gained throw useful light on the processes whereby agricultural relations evolved from ancient feudal structures.
A Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Treatment of the Ban on UK Beef Exports: A Note
Authors: Philippidis George , Hubbard Lionel
Published: November 2007

Hubbard and Philippidis Journal of Agricultural Economics (2001) Vol. 52, pp. 87–95] employ the standard Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to analyse the impact of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)‐induced ban on exports of UK beef. This note extends that study in four ways: (i) the dynamic GTAP model is employed to characterise long‐run savings–investment behaviour more correctly; (ii) the effect of the foot‐and‐mouth disease (FMD) outbreak of 2001 is included; (iii) an allowance is made for different levels of recovery in consumer confidence; and (iv) the impact analysis is now compared through time with a ‘no‐ban’ baseline. Long‐run comparisons after removal of the ban suggest that its legacy may continue for some time. However, because of the remedial safeguards and assurances offered in the wake of the BSE and FMD crises, there is a possibility that exports and outputs increase. Nevertheless, the economy‐wide impacts are negligible in both the short and the long run.
Farm Size Growth and Participation in Agri‐environmental Schemes: A Configural Frequency Analysis of the Swiss Case
Authors: Mann Stefan
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the relationship between farm growth and participation in agri‐environmental schemes, using the example of meadow extensification schemes in Switzerland. As a result of small farm sizes in Swiss agriculture, theory would suggest that economies of scale are considerable for market production activities, so that for growing farms it would be rational to intensify. Configural frequency analysis is used to identify and describe combinations of farm size development and proportion of meadows placed under agri‐environmental schemes. In the Swiss case, growing farms are likely to reduce their participation, whereas shrinking farms have a growing share of their meadows under extensification schemes.
Fetal growth restriction and other risk factors for stillbirth in a New Zealand setting
Authors: McCOWAN Lesley M. E. , GEORGE‐HADDAD Maha , STACEY Tomasina , THOMPSON John M. D.
Published: November 2007

Background:  Stillbirth affects almost 1% of pregnant women in the Western world but is still not a research priority.

Aims:  To assess in a cohort of stillbirths: the demographic risk factors, the prevalence of small for gestational age (SGA) by customised and population centiles, and the classification of death using the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Perinatal Death Classification (PSANZ‐PDC).

Methods:  The study population comprised 437 stillborn babies (born from 1993 to 2000 at National Women's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand) and their mothers. The referent population for demographic factors was live births n = 69 173.

Results:  After multivariable analysis, risk factors for stillbirths were: Indian (odds ratio (OR) 1.85, 95%CI (1.18, 2.91)), or Pacific Islander (OR 1.65, 95%CI (1.27, 2.14)); smoking (OR 1.33, 95%CI (0.99, 1.79)) or unknown smoking status (OR 2.87, 95%CI (2.30, 3.58)); nulliparity (OR 1.42, 95%CI (1.10, 1.83)), and para 2 (OR 1.36, 95%CI (1.01, 1.83)). One hundred and twenty‐nine (46%) stillbirths born ≥ 24 weeks (n = 278) were SGA by customised, and 94 (34%) by population centiles. Customised SGA was more common in preterm versus term stillbirths (101 of 198 (51%) vs 28 of 80 (35%), respectively, P = 0.02) but rates of population SGA did not differ (72 of 198 (36%) vs 22 of 80 (28%) P = 0.16). ‘Spontaneous preterm’ was the most common cause of stillbirth at < 28 weeks and ‘unexplained’ at ≥ 28 weeks using PSANZ‐PDC classification.

Conclusions:  This study again emphasises the importance of suboptimal fetal growth as an important risk factor for stillbirth. Customised centiles identified more stillborn babies as SGA than population centiles especially preterm.
Improving health behaviours during pregnancy: A new direction for the pregnancy handheld record
Authors: WILKINSON Shelley A. , MILLER Yvette D.
Published: November 2007

Obstetric documentation processes may influence the clinical, behavioural, and psychological outcomes of pregnancy, although recent alterations to integrate obstetric documentation with pregnancy handheld records have been unsuccessful. Woman‐held records as a companion to usual obstetric documentation have the potential to improve pregnancy‐related health behaviours with a demonstrated association with maternal and infant health outcomes, and recommendations for their format and content are provided.
Employee entitlements during pregnancy and maternal psychological well‐being
Authors: COOKLIN Amanda R. , ROWE Heather J. , FISHER Jane R. W.
Published: November 2007

Background:  Antenatal psychological well‐being is multifactorially determined, including by social circumstances. Evidence suggests that workplace conditions are salient determinants of mental health, but it is not known whether employment conditions influence antenatal psychological well‐being.

Aims:  To investigate the relationship between employment conditions and antenatal psychological well‐being in Australian women.

Methods:  A sociodemographically diverse consecutive cohort of employed nulliparous women was recruited in late pregnancy. Data were collected by a structured interview assessing sociodemographic characteristics, employment arrangements, experience of pregnancy‐related discrimination, and access to maternity leave entitlements. Participants completed two standardised psychometric measures of maternal mood: the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) and the Profile of Mood States (PoMS). Comparisons of self‐reported mood were made between women by experience of workplace adversity, using a composite measure of workplace events.

Results:  Of 205 eligible women, 165 agreed to participate. Of these, 114 of 165 (69%) reported at least one form of workplace adversity during pregnancy. More women without private health insurance (78%) reported workplace adversity than those who were privately insured (57%) (χ21 = 6.95, P = 0.008). Women experiencing workplace adversity had significantly worse psychological well‐being as indicated by the EDS score (7.7 ± 5.1) than those who were experiencing no workplace adversity (5.5 ± 3.4), mean difference (95% CI) = –2.2 (–3.7 to –0.8), P = 0.003. Similar results were reported for the PoMS.

Conclusions:  Workplace adversity during pregnancy is associated with poorer maternal psychological well‐being. Workplace conditions and entitlements are salient factors for consideration in assessments of antenatal psychosocial well‐being.
Colonization and Infection by Helicobacter pylori in Humans
Authors: Andersen Leif Percival
Published: November 2007

When Helicobacter pylori arrives in the human stomach, it may penetrate the mucin layer and adhere to the gastric epithelial cells or it may pass through the stomach without colonizing the mucosa. In this paper, the colonization process and the ensuing immunological response will be briefly described. Urease production is necessary for H. pylori to establish a pH‐neutral microenvironment around the bacteria. The flagella enable the bacteria to move and the shape of H. pylori makes it possible to penetrate the mucin layer where it comes into contact with the gastric epithelial cells. H. pylori contains several adhesins that enable it to adhere to the epithelial cells. This adherence activates IL‐8 which, together with bacterial antigens, attracts polymorphs and monocytes and causes acute gastritis. Antigen‐presenting cells activate lymphocytes and other mononuclear cells that are attracted to the inflamed mucosa, causing chronic superficial gastritis and initiating a cytotoxic or an antigen‐producing Th response. The infection is established within a few weeks after the primary exposure to H. pylori. After this initial colonization, many chemical, biochemical, and immunologic reactions take place that are of importance in the progress of the infection and the development of disease.
Helicobacter pylori Gastritis, the Unifying Concept for Gastric Diseases
Authors: Egan Brian J. , Holmes Kate , O’Connor Humphrey J. , O'Morain Colm A.
Published: November 2007

Helicobacter pylori infection causes a broad spectrum of clinical diseases and the clinical manifestations of the infection depend on host, environmental, and bacterial factors. These factors have an impact on the pattern and severity of gastritis and ultimately determine the clinical outcome of H. pylori infection. Better staging of gastritis may help to identify patients at risk of gastric cancer. In this article we will examine the complex interaction between host, environmental, and bacterial factors in the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection.
Evolution of Helicobacter pylori Research as Observed Through the Workshops of the European Helicobacter Study Group
Authors: Mégraud Francis
Published: November 2007

The European Helicobacter Study Group established a yearly workshop that has been held from 1988 to 2007. The analysis of the data from these workshops shows that 7246 abstracts were presented originating from 76 different countries. The distribution according to specific years follows a Gauss‐type curve with a peak in the mid‐1990s. The presenters were mainly from Europe, but an increasing number coming from non‐European countries was observed throughout the years. The evolution of the topics selected also evolved but was relatively stable these last 10 years. Some landmarks have been highlighted. These data constitute an important source of information with regard to the evolution of Helicobacter pylori research over these 20 years.
Long‐term bone marrow culture and its clinical potential in chronic wound healing
Authors: Badiavas Evangelos V. , Ford Dwayne , Liu Paul , Kouttab Nicola , Morgan John , Richards Amy , Maizel Abby
Published: November 2007

Bone marrow‐derived cells have long been regarded to play a crucial role in the homeostasis of skin. We have previously described the clinical benefit of directly applying autologous bone marrow aspirate and cultured bone marrow cells to recalcitrant chronic skin wounds. The initial response to treatment appears to be vascular in nature with the formation of new blood vessels. The difficulty in consistently growing adequate numbers of cells for delivery to patients was, however, a limiting factor. Here, in a subsequent protocol, we describe an improved bone marrow culture system yielding a reliable growth of bone marrow cells and leading to a greater clinical response. Cells expressing markers of endothelial progenitors including CD133, CD146, and particularly CD14 are enhanced in these cultures. CD14‐isolated cells produced colonies in endothelial cell assays and sprouting in matrigel assays. Angiogenic cytokines, including angiogenin, epithelial neutrophil‐activating protein‐78, growth‐regulated oncogene, growth‐regulated oncogene‐α, Interleukin‐8, CXC16, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, were found to be elevated in these cultures. Administration of improved culture cells to patients with chronic wounds present for >1 year lead to an enhanced clinical response.
Students' and Teachers' Assessments of the Need for Accuracy in the Oral Production of German as a Foreign Language
Authors: CHAVEZ MONIKA
Published: November 2007

Previous research indicates that foreign language learners are much more focused on accuracy, particularly grammatical accuracy, than their teachers are. The purpose of the current study was to gain a more detailed understanding of American learners' views of the need for accuracy in the oral production of a foreign language (German) by (a) distinguishing among 4 different purposes of language use (deriving a personal sense of accomplishment; being comprehensible to a native speaker [NS]; being pleasant to an NS; receiving an A in the course); (b) specifying 19 different language forms (grammatical, phonological, lexical, and pragmatic) of German; (c) asking the learners to assess the likelihood of ever attaining 90% or higher accuracy in each of these features; (d) examining learners in 4 different years of instruction; and (e) comparing the learners' beliefs to those of their teachers.

The results revealed that (a) the learners in this study were not universally motivated toward accuracy in oral production generally or toward grammatical accuracy specifically; (b) they assumed that the grade requirements demanded much higher levels of accuracy than were necessary (as reported by the teachers) and were needed for communication with NSs or for their personal sense of accomplishment; (c) the year of instruction distinguished ratings of needed accuracy in specific forms, but not ratings of the overall degree of needed accuracy; and (d) the views of beginning learners especially and their teachers differed on the degree of accuracy needed to obtain a grade of A in the course, to derive a sense of accomplishment, and in the usage of specific language forms. Here, the learners appeared to construct unwarranted equivalencies between form‐meaning relationships in the first language (L1) and the second language (L2) when they perceived that a low degree of accuracy was needed in certain German forms, particularly case endings and suprasegmental features.

These findings suggest that judgments of required accuracy: (a) interact with the specific language‐use purpose and specific language forms; (b) may vary by specific L1–L2 pairings; and (c) may have reflected in previous research the learners' perceptions of grade requirements rather than their true personal motivations.
Effects of Study‐Abroad Experiences on EFL Writers: A Multiple‐Data Analysis
Authors: SASAKI MIYUKI
Published: November 2007

This study was a comparison of the changes in English writing behavior of 7 Japanese university students (the study‐abroad group) who spent 4 to 9 months in English‐speaking countries with those of 6 counterparts majoring in British and American studies (the at‐home group) who remained in Japan. The study aimed at confirming the results of Sasaki (2004), who investigated similar students' English‐writing behavior over 3.5 years. After a 1‐year observation period, (a) both groups improved their general English proficiency; (b) only those in the study‐abroad group improved their second language (L2) writing ability and fluency; (c) unlike Sasaki's participants, the study‐abroad group made more local plans and the at‐home group fewer; (d) at the end of the study, both groups translated their ideas into the L2 as often as they did at the beginning of the study; and (e) only the study‐abroad group became more motivated to write better L2 compositions.
Federal Highway Assistance Funds in the State Infrastructure Bank Programs: Mechanisms, Merits, and Modifications
Authors: RYU JAY EUNGHA
Published: November 2007

In response to the declining financial resources for state transportation infrastructures, the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 (P. L. 104–159) authorized the establishment of the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) Pilot Programs. This paper shows how the federal assistance funds deposited into the SIB equity fund can maximize state highway resources through a simulation. From 1998 to 2003, one dollar of the federal funds augmented state highway expenditures by 5.24 dollars in a specific year in contrast to the original intention of perpetuating state highway spending. This study further suggests ways to modify and improve the current SIB mechanism.
The Effects of Candidate Gender on Campaign Spending in State Legislative Elections*
Authors: Hogan Robert E.
Published: November 2007

Objective. This article will investigate whether candidate gender affects levels of campaign spending in state legislative elections.

Methods. The analysis compares men and women candidates running for the state legislature in 20 states over two election cycles. By controlling for a range of contextual factors, the analysis isolates the independent influence of candidate gender.

Results. The findings demonstrate that women and men spend similar levels of campaign funding in running for the state legislature. Running as incumbents, challengers, or open‐seat candidates, women are not at a financial disadvantage relative to similarly situated men candidates in the general election.

Conclusions. Although women may suffer difficulties at other parts of the electoral process, women are not at a disadvantage relative to men in how much money their campaigns ultimately allocate for the purposes of gaining voter support.
Men's Migration and Women's Lives: Views from Rural Armenia and Guatemala*
Authors: Menjívar Cecilia , Agadjanian Victor
Published: November 2007

Objectives. This study seeks to comparatively assess the consequences of men's migration for gender roles and relations in Armenia and Guatemala.

Methods. We use 29 in‐depth interviews conducted with women in Guatemala and 27 interviews conducted in Armenia, complemented with field observations. Results. Men's migration exerts diverse effects on their wives' lives, and these effects are mediated by the sociocultural milieu in which the women live and by the context in which the men generate incomes. As do other studies, we find that women take on added responsibilities when their partners migrate for work, but unlike most other studies, our data do not show that these new responsibilities significantly transform women's status and relationships.

Conclusions. On balance, the division of labor established through the husbands' migration further reinforces gender inequality. Men's role as breadwinners and primary decisionmakers is further strengthened, as is women's subordinate position in the household.
Undergraduate Women in Science and Engineering: Effects of Faculty, Fields, and Institutions Over Time*
Authors: Sonnert Gerhard , Fox Mary Frank , Adkins Kristen
Published: November 2007

Objective. Taking an institutional approach to the determinants of outcomes for women in science and engineering, we examine the effects on women's percentages among undergraduate majors and among degree recipients of four basic factors: (1) the percentage of faculty who are women in the students' major science/engineering area; (2) the students' disciplines (biology, physical sciences, and engineering); (3) the type of institution in which students are enrolled (“Research I” vs. others); and (4) a time trend (1984–2000).

Method. We use longitudinal, multivariate, and multi‐institutional data from the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) and from a mail survey of registrars.

Results. Over the observation period, the women's percentages have risen steadily. The effects of disciplines and departments are stronger than those of institutions. Especially notable is that the percentages of women among undergraduate science/engineering majors and degree recipients are associated with the percentages of women among the faculty in these fields.

Conclusion. The findings contribute empirically to the discussion about the effects of “role models” for the participation and performance of women in science and engineering—and point to the strong effects of departments, compared to institutions, in accounting for degrees awarded to undergraduate women.
Who's Calling the Shots? Women Coaches in Division I Women's Sports*
Authors: Welch Susan , Sigelman Lee
Published: November 2007

Objective. During the past 30 years, women have become an increasingly small proportion of coaches of women's sports. We test several explanations for why some institutions have women coaches and others do not.

Methods. Taking the 329 NCAA Division I institutions with women's sports programs as the cases in point, we explore possible explanations for the dearth of women coaches: the resources and prestige of an institution or sport; the gender of the athletic director; and institutional traditionalism.

Results. Within Division I schools, women coaches are more frequently found in more prestigious, resource‐richer institutions and those that devote more resources to women's sports.

Conclusions. Although the analysis is confined to Division I schools, it appears that more institutional and organizational efforts need to be made to increase the number of women in the eligible pools for head coaching jobs.
Material Hardship, Poverty, and Disability Among Working‐Age Adults*
Authors: She Peiyun , Livermore Gina A.
Published: November 2007

Objectives. We used data from the 1996 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the extent to which working‐age people with disabilities experience several types of material hardships.

Methods. We constructed a series of logistic regression models to assess the importance of disability to material hardship experiences after controlling for income and other sociodemographic characteristics.

Results. The findings indicate that disability is an important determinant of material hardship even after controlling for these factors. We also found that a large majority of the low‐income respondents reporting a material hardship also reported being work‐limited for some period of time.

Conclusions. Our findings provide support for policies that account for disability‐related expenditures and needs when determining eligibility for means‐tested assistance programs, and highlight an important limitation of the official poverty measure—it overstates the relative economic well‐being of people with disabilities.
The Effect of Black Descriptive Representation on Black Electoral Turnout in the 2004 Elections*
Authors: Whitby Kenny J.
Published: November 2007

Objective. The principal objective in this study is to examine the effects of African‐American descriptive representation on African‐American voter turnout levels. As it stands, the extant literature on minority electoral empowerment has produced conflicting reports.

Methods. Unlike previous investigations, this study employs official voter turnout data from the States of Louisiana and South Carolina to test the theoretical assertion that black descriptive representation has a politicizing effect on the black potential electorate. The voting records of the 2004 general elections are examined using ordinary least squares regression.

Results. The findings show that descriptive representation does matter, that is, there is a positive association between African‐American officeholders and African‐American turnout levels. Moreover, this study demonstrates that African‐American turnout levels are linked to changes in African‐American descriptive representation across time.

Conclusions. The benefits of African‐American descriptive representation extend beyond the realm of public policy and can be found in the electoral process where the presence of African‐American officeholders positively affects the politicalization of the black potential electorate.
Definitions of recovery and outcomes of major depression: results from a 10‐year follow‐up
Authors: Furukawa T. A. , Fujita A. , Harai H. , Yoshimura R. , Kitamura T. , Takahashi K.
Published: November 2007

Objective:  Consensus operational definitions for symptomatic remission and recovery of a major depressive episode have been proposed but only irregularly followed.

Method:  We examined the predictive validity of different definitions of recovery in a multi‐center 10‐year follow‐up study of an inception cohort of untreated unipolar major depressive episodes (n = 95). Time to recovery and time to recurrence after recovery were estimated by Kaplan–Meier survival analyses for alternative definitions requiring 2, 4, 6 or 12 months of remission to declare recovery.

Results:  The median time to recovery was 3.0, 4.0, 4.0 and 12.0 months respectively. The index episode lasted longer than 24 months in 9.4%, 9.2%, 12.6% and 24.5%. The median time to subthreshold recurrence was 16.0, 32.0, 42.0 and 74.0 months.

Conclusion:  Either 4‐ or 6‐month duration of remission defined a change point before which the episode was continuous and after which the recurrence was reasonably unlikely.
Writing Eighteenth‐Century Women's Literary History, 1986 to 2006
Authors: Schellenberg Betty A.
Published: November 2007

Under the influence of feminist theory and criticism, the late 1980s saw a flowering of literary histories of eighteenth‐century women writers. This work was very influential in assuming the existence of a distinct women's literary history conditioned by an increasingly rigid gender ideology of the time, in focusing on the novel genre, and in creating appreciation for the more recognizably feminist writers of the early and latter portions of the ‘long eighteenth century’. Subsequent work questioned the dependence of these histories on the ‘separate spheres’ model of gender, on a limited group of genres associated with women and with the literary, and on notions of feminism congenial to the late‐twentieth‐century critic. More broadly, feminist generalizations of women's experience were challenged by the rise of class, race and sexuality studies, while the very enterprise of historiography was placed under suspicion by postmodernist criticism of master narratives and of claims to objective interpretation of evidence. In response, studies of eighteenth‐century women's writing began to attend to a broader range of genres and spheres of action within the larger field of print culture, as well as to produce more nuanced studies of individual writers and the conditions within which they wrote. However, general literary studies remained dependent on the models of the 1980s, while writers seemed reluctant to write new literary histories. Only recently are there indications of a return to large‐scale women's literary histories. This return revises the pioneering work of the 1980s by attending to new, detailed studies of numerous individual writers, expanding generic coverage, incorporating electronic resources, experimenting with inclusive studies of male and female writers, and reconsidering questions of literary value.
Modulation of P‐glycoprotein‐mediated multidrug resistance by acceleration of passive drug permeation across the plasma membrane
Authors: Regev Ronit , Katzir Hagar , Yeheskely‐Hayon Daniella , Eytan Gera D.
Published: November 2007

The drug concentration inside multidrug‐resistant cells is the outcome of competition between the active export of drugs by drug efflux pumps, such as P‐glycoprotein (Pgp), and the passive permeation of drugs across the plasma membrane. Thus, reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR) can occur either by inhibition of the efflux pumps or by acceleration of the drug permeation. Among the hundreds of established modulators of Pgp‐mediated MDR, there are numerous surface‐active agents potentially capable of accelerating drug transbilayer movement. The aim of the present study was to determine whether these agents modulate MDR by interfering with the active efflux of drugs or by allowing for accelerated passive permeation across the plasma membrane. Whereas Pluronic P85, Tween‐20, Triton X‐100 and Cremophor EL modulated MDR by inhibition of Pgp‐mediated efflux, with no appreciable effect on transbilayer movement of drugs, the anesthetics chloroform, benzyl alcohol, diethyl ether and propofol modulated MDR by accelerating transbilayer movement of drugs, with no concomitant inhibition of Pgp‐mediated efflux. At higher concentrations than those required for modulation, the anesthetics accelerated the passive permeation to such an extent that it was not possible to estimate Pgp activity. The capacity of the surface‐active agents to accelerate passive drug transbilayer movement was not correlated with their fluidizing characteristics, measured as fluorescence anisotropy of 1‐(4‐trimethylammonium)‐6‐phenyl‐1,3,5‐hexatriene. This compound is located among the headgroups of the phospholipids and does not reflect the fluidity in the lipid core of the membranes where the limiting step of drug permeation, namely drug flip‐flop, occurs.
Analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor gene 936 C/T polymorphism in patients with familial Mediterranean fever
Authors: Gunesacar R. , Erken E. , Ozer H. T. E. , Bozkurt B. , Dinkci S. , Deveci D.
Published: November 2007

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a cytokine that promotes endothelial cell proliferation, leucocyte chemotaxis and expression of adhesion molecules and is a major mediator of vascular permeability. It has been demonstrated that VEGF directly activates neutrophils and it could promote acute recruitment of leucocytes. It is known that neutrophils are the major cell population involved in acute inflammation in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and the role of VEGF in these cells may be crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the 936 C/T functional polymorphism of the VEGF gene is associated with susceptibility to FMF and its relationship with the main clinical features of the disease. Polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was used to determine 936 C/T polymorphism within the VEGF gene in 75 patients with FMF and 122 non‐related healthy controls. Genotype and allele frequencies of the VEGF 936 C/T polymorphism between patients with FMF and healthy control groups were not significantly different (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.40–1.37, P = 0.335 for CT genotype; OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.67–1.83, P = 0.700, for T allele). Although VEGF 936 TT genotype was found to be more frequent in patients with FMF than in healthy controls (6.7% vs. 1.6%, respectively), the difference was not significant (OR = 4.28, 95% CI = 0.81–22.67, P = 0.108). No associations were found between the studied polymorphism and either the clinical features such as arthritis, abdominal pain, pleuritis, myalgia, arthralgia and erysipelas‐like erythema of the disease or the four common studied exon 10 mutations (M694V, M680I, V726A, M694I) of the Mediterranean fever gene. Present results suggest that VEGF gene 936 C/T polymorphism does not seem to be associated with susceptibility to FMF and its clinical manifestations.
Delirium in Acute Stroke: A Review
Authors: Oldenbeuving A. W. , de Kort P. L. M. , Jansen B. P. W. , Roks G. , Kappelle L. J.
Published: November 2007

Background

Delirium is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by disturbances of consciousness, attention, cognition, and perception. It may be the presenting feature of acute stroke, but more often it complicates the clinical course in the early stage of rehabilitation.

Summary of review

Risk factors for delirium are older age, pre-existing cognitive decline, metabolic disturbances, infections, and polypharmacy. Recognition of delirium in patients with stroke is important because of its association with a longer stay in the hospital, a poor functional outcome, and an increased risk of developing dementia. The diagnosis may be difficult because of the fluctuating course and the neurological deficits that are caused by the stroke. Nonpharmacological preventive measures, early identification, and additional medical intervention are the key measures in the management of delirium after stroke.

Conclusion

This review describes incidence, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnostic tools, and management of delirium in patients with a recent stroke.
New developments in predicting stage–discharge curves, velocity and boundary shear stress distributions in open channel flow
Authors: Omran Mazen
Published: November 2007

The stage–discharge curve, depth‐averaged velocity and boundary shear stress distributions are required to be determined for flood alleviation schemes. These parameters are hard to predict because of the three‐dimensional (3‐D) aspects of flow in open channels. This paper proposes a new approach for modelling open channel flow based on the Shiono and Knight Method (SKM), which is a depth‐averaged model based on the governing Navier–Stokes equations. The modelling philosophy is applied to natural rivers and artificial channels both in inbank and overbank flow conditions. Accurate results are obtained when compared with field data and experimental measurements. Modelling philosophies are presented for the three calibration coefficients of the SKM. These coefficients represent the most important features of the 3‐D flow mechanism.
De facto independence after delegation: A fuzzy‐set analysis
Authors: Maggetti Martino
Published: October 2007

The phenomenon of delegating public authority from elected politicians (or ministries headed by elected politicians) to formally independent regulatory agencies (RAs) is becoming increasingly widespread. This paper examines the relation between formal independence, as prescribed in the constitutions of agencies, and de facto independence. Toward this end, it conceptualizes and assesses de facto independence of RAs, and discusses organizational, institutional, and political explanations for divergence from formal independence. The complex relations between de facto and formal independence are examined with a cross‐national, cross‐sectoral comparison of 16 Western European RAs using fuzzy‐set analysis. The results show that formal independence is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for explaining variations in the de facto independence of agencies. Other factors, such as the lifecycle of agencies, veto players, and European networks of agencies, have a decisive impact.
Increased antibodies against unfolded viral antigens in the elderly after influenza vaccination
Authors: Gulati Upma , Keitel Wendy A. , Air Gillian M.
Published: November 2007

Objective  Our studies aimed to measure the quality of antibody response to influenza vaccines in the elderly. The frequency of significant rise in hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titer in the elderly is low and although annual vaccination reduces morbidity and mortality, better correlates of vaccine efficacy in the elderly are needed.

Methods  We measured the amount and avidity of serum antibodies against native H3N2 influenza glycoproteins or denatured virus (unfoldons) in pre‐ and post‐vaccinated sera of 36 elderly subjects.

Results  Eighty percent of subjects had high pre‐immunization antibody levels and only 13% showed ≥2fold increase after vaccination, but 33% showed ≥2fold increase in avidity. With increasing dosage there was a significant increase in avidity against unfoldons with 50% of subjects showing ≥2fold increase at the highest dose. Elderly subjects given subunit vaccine showed higher reactivity with unfoldons (78% of native) than younger subjects studied earlier who were given inactivated whole virus vaccine (19% of native).

Conclusion  The clear inverse relationship between pre‐immunization antibody levels and antibody increase after vaccination implies that a major reason for the low frequency of antibody responses in elderly subjects is simply because they have high pre‐immunization antibody levels. Only low reactivity was observed with earlier viruses. The increased proportion and avidity of antibodies against unfoldons is of concern, as these are not protective, and vaccine developers need to be aware of the role of age or vaccine formulation in inducing anti‐unfoldon antibodies.
Variability of UV Irradiance in Europe
Authors: Seckmeyer Gunther , Pissulla Darius , Glandorf Merle , Henriques Diamantino , Johnsen Bjorn , Webb Ann , Siani Anna‐Maria , Bais Alkis , Kjeldstad Berit , Brogniez Colette , Lenoble Jacqueline , Gardiner Brian , Kirsch Peter , Koskela Tapani , Kaurola Jussi , Uhlmann Beate , Slaper Harry , Den Outer Peter , Janouch Michal , Werle Peter , Gröbner Julian , Mayer Bernhard , De La Casiniere Alain , Simic Stana , Carvalho Fernanda
Published: November 2007

The diurnal and annual variability of solar UV radiation in Europe is described for different latitudes, seasons and different biologic weighting functions. For the description of this variability under cloudless skies the widely used one‐dimensional version of the radiative transfer model UVSPEC is used. We reconfirm that the major factor influencing the diurnal and annual variability of UV irradiance is solar elevation. While ozone is a strong absorber of UV radiation its effect is relatively constant when compared with the temporal variability of clouds. We show the significant role that clouds play in modifying the UV climate by analyzing erythemal irradiance measurements from 28 stations in Europe in summer. On average, the daily erythemal dose under cloudless skies varies between 2.2 kJ m−2 at 70°N and 5.2 kJ m−2 at 35°N, whereas these values are reduced to 1.5–4.5 kJ m−2 if clouds are included. Thus clouds significantly reduce the monthly UV irradiation, with the smallest reductions, on average, at lower latitudes, which corresponds to the fact that it is often cloudless in the Mediterranean area in summer.
Transient and Stationary Spectroscopy of Cytochrome c: Ultrafast Internal Conversion Controls Photoreduction
Authors: Löwenich Dennis , Kleinermanns Karl , Karunakaran Venugopal , Kovalenko Sergey Alexander
Published: November 2007

Photoreduction of cytochrome c (Cyt c) has been reinvestigated using femtosecond‐to‐nanosecond transient absorption and stationary spectroscopy. Femtosecond spectra of oxidized Cyt c, recorded in the probe range 270–1000 nm, demonstrate similar evolution upon 266 or 403 nm excitation: an ultrafast 0.3 ps internal conversion followed by a 4 ps vibrational cooling. Late transient spectra after 20 ps, from the cold ground‐state chromophore, reveal a small but measurable signal from reduced Cyt c. The yield φ for Fe3+→Fe2+ photoreduction is measured to be φ403 = 0.016 and φ266 = 0.08 for 403 and 266 nm excitation. These yields lead to a guess of the barrier EfA = 55 kJ mol−1 for thermal ground‐state electron transfer (ET). Nanosecond spectra initially show the typical absorption from reduced Cyt c and then exhibit temperature‐dependent sub‐microsecond decays (0.5 μs at 297 K), corresponding to a barrier EAb = 33 kJ mol−1 for the back ET reaction and a reaction energy ΔE = 22 kJ mol−1. The nanosecond transients do not decay to zero on a second time scale, demonstrating the stability of some of the reduced Cyt c. The yields calculated from this stable reduced form agree with quasistationary reduction yields. Modest heating of Cyt c leads to its efficient thermal reduction as demonstrated by differential stationary absorption spectroscopy. In summary, our results point to ultrafast internal conversion of oxidized Cyt c upon UV or visible excitation, followed by Fe‐porphyrin reduction due to thermal ground‐state ET as the prevailing mechanism.
Fluorescence Studies of the Interactions of Ubiquinol‐10 with Liposomes
Authors: Fiorini Rosamaria , Ragni Letizia , Ambrosi Simona , Littarru Gian Paolo , Gratton Enrico , Hazlett Theodore
Published: November 2007

Ubiquinone‐10 plays a central role in energy production and its reduced form, ubiquinol‐10 is also capable of acting as a potent radical scavenging antioxidant against membrane lipid peroxidation. Efficiency of this protection depends mostly on its localization in lipid bilayer. The intrinsic fluorescence of ubiquinol‐10 and of the exogenous probe, Laurdan, has been used to determine the location of ubiquinol‐10 in unilamellar liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine (EggPC) and dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine. Laurdan fluorescence moiety is positioned at the hydrophilic–hydrophobic interface of the phospholipid bilayer and its parameters reflect the membrane polarity and microheterogeneity, which we have used to explore the coexistence of microdomains with distinct physical properties. In liquid–crystalline bilayers ubiquinol has a short fluorescence lifetime (0.4 ns) and a high steady‐state anisotropy. In a concentration‐dependent manner, ubiquinol‐10 influences the Laurdan excitation, emission and generalized polarization measurements. In EggPC liposomes ubiquinol‐10 induces a decrease in membrane water mobility near the probe, while in dimyristoyl liposomes a decrease in the membrane water content was found. Moreover the presence of ubiquinol results in the formation of coexisting phospholipid domains of gel and liquid–crystalline phases. The results indicate that ubiquinol‐10 molecules are mainly located at the polar‐lipid interface, inducing changes in the physico‐chemical properties of the bilayer microenvironment.