bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response of amino acid changes in Aphis gossypii (Glover) to elevated CO2 levels
Authors: Sun Y. C. , Jing B. B. , Ge F.
Published: March 2009

Effects of elevated CO2 levels on the amino acid constituents of cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover), fed on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) cotton [Cryl A(c)], grown in ambient and double‐ambient CO2 levels in closed‐dynamics CO2 chambers, were investigated. Lower amounts of amino acids were found in cotton phloem under elevated CO2 than under ambient CO2 levels. However, higher amounts of free amino acids were found in A. gossypii fed on elevated CO2‐grown cotton than those fed ambient CO2‐grown cotton, and the contents of amino acids in honeydew were not significantly affected by elevated CO2 levels. A larger amount of honeydew was produced by cotton aphids feeding on leaves under elevated CO2 treatment than those feeding on leaves under ambient CO2 treatment, which indicates that A. gossypii ingests more cotton phloem because of the higher C:N ratio of cotton phloem under elevated CO2 levels. Moreover, the amino acid composition was similar in bodies of aphids ingesting leaves under both CO2 treatments, except for two alkaline amino acids, lysine and arginine. This suggests that the nutritional constitution of the phloem sap was important for A. gossypii. Our data suggest that more phloem sap will be ingested by A. gossypii to satisfy its nutritional requirement and balance the break‐even point of amino acid in elevated CO2. Larger amounts of honeydew produced by A. gossypii under elevated CO2 will reduce the photosynthesis and result in the occurrence of some Entomophthora spp.
Effect of rearing strategy and gamma radiation on fecundity and fertility of codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Carpenter J. E. , Bloem S. , Taggart S.
Published: March 2009

The codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a serious pest of pome fruit worldwide. In an effort to reduce the use of pesticides to control this pest, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is used or considered for use as a component of area‐wide integrated pest management programmes. Rearing codling moths through diapause has been shown to improve the competitiveness of sterile moths released in orchards, and provides management alternatives that would allow mass‐rearing facilities to increase their yearly production of sterile moths. Because radiosensitivity in insects can be influenced by numerous biological factors, laboratory tests were conducted to examine whether the response to increasing doses of radiation, as expressed in the fecundity and fertility of cohorts of moths, is similar for adult moths mass‐reared through diapause or through standard (non‐diapause) production protocols. Our data revealed that the effect of increasing doses of radiation on fecundity and fertility of codling moths reared through both rearing strategies was similar. In the case of fertility, this is a particularly important finding for the expanded application of codling moth SIT. If mass‐rearing facilities use year‐round diapause rearing, the dose required to treat the insects prior to release will be similar to that used when codling moths are reared through standard production protocols.
Downregulation of ubiquitin gene expression in the deltamethrin‐resistant diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L.)
Authors: Luogen C. , Jianing X. , Jing X. , Ying W. , Zhongying L.
Published: March 2009

Plutella xylostella (L.) has long been regarded as a very important universal pest of cruciferous crops. It is therefore important to understand its mechanisms of insecticide resistance. In our previous study, we obtained a differently expressed sequence with relatively high homology to the ubiquitin (UBI) gene as assessed via cDNA representational difference analysis (RDA). To further study this product, we cloned UBI open reading frame (ORF) sequences identified from both sexes of the deltamethrin‐resistant strain (DRF and DRM) and the deltamethrin‐sensitive strain (SF and SM) of P. xylostella. The deduced protein sequence of DRM was different from the other samples. The expression level was measured using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. The results of both analyses revealed the expression levels, in order from highest to lowest, to be in SF, SM, DRF and DRM. This indicates that the long‐term use of deltamethrin on P. xylostella results in decreased expression of the UBI gene.
Role of the VEGF 936 C/T polymorphism in diabetic microvascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: KIM HYE WON , KO GANG JEE , KANG YOUNG SUN , LEE MI HWA , SONG HYE KYOUNG , KIM HYOUNG KYU , CHA DAE RYONG
Published: March 2009

Aim:  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications and the genetic polymorphism of this gene may contribute to the development and progression of diabetic microvascular complications. In this study, we investigated whether a genetic polymorphism of VEGF is associated with diabetic complications.

Methods:  A total of 398 type 2 diabetic patients and 526 healthy controls were enrolled. The study subjects were divided based on the state of nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. The VEGF 936 C/T polymorphism was evaluated using standard PCR techniques, and plasma and urinary levels of VEGF were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results:  There was no difference in VEGF genotype distribution between the control and diabetic patients based on the state of diabetic nephropathy and neuropathy. However, a higher frequency of the TT genotype was observed in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, plasma levels of VEGF were significantly higher in the TT genotype. However, urinary levels of VEGF did not show a significant relationship with the VEGF genotype. Urinary VEGF levels showed a significant relationship with urinary albumin excretion, proteinuria, serum creatinine level and creatinine clearance, as well as fasting blood glucose levels, postprandial 2 h glucose levels and C‐reactive protein.

Conclusion:  Our study suggests that the 936 C/T polymorphism of the VEGF gene may be an important factor determining plasma VEGF levels and that its polymorphism is related with diabetic retinopathy. Urinary levels of VEGF are not associated with plasma VEGF levels and associated with the stage of diabetic nephropathy.
Blood pressure assessment in haemodialysis patients: Comparison between pre‐dialysis blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure measurement
Authors: FAGUGLI RICCARDO MARIA , RICCIARDI DANIELA , ROSSI DAVIDE , DE GAETANO ANDREA , TAGLIONI CHIARA
Published: March 2009

Aim:  Hypertension is common in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Determining the most appropriate method of blood pressure (BP) measurement, representative of target organ damage, is still an issue. BP variations between pre‐ and post‐HD treatment, or between on‐dialysis day and off‐dialysis day, are common. The aim of this study was to examine the possible differences between pre‐HD office BP (OBP) levels, inter‐HD (iHD) or HD day 24 h ambulatory BP measurement (ABPM) with 48 h ABPM, where the latter was considered the gold standard.

Methods:  163 HD patients were studied. BP was monitored consecutively for 48 h with a Takeda TM2421 device, then sub‐analysed into two periods of 24 h: HD and iHD day. An average of 12 sessions pre‐HD OBP measurements was determined.

Results:  OBP significantly overestimates systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) when compared with 48 h ABPM. SBP and DBP are significantly higher on iHD day than on HD day: 141.2 ± 20.8 versus 137.9 ± 20.9, and 77.1 ± 11.1 versus 76.1 ± 10.9 (P < 0.01). No differences of SBP night/day ratio were reported between 48 h ABPM and iHD 24 h ABPM or HD 24 h ABPM. The highest correlations were reported between 48 h SBP/DBP with iHD or HD 24 h ABPM (r2 = 0.95, P < 0.001), while the lowest between 48 h SBP/DBP and OBP (r2 = 0.40, P < 0.01, r2 = 0.12, P < 0.01). The narrowest limits of agreement using the Bland and Altman test were reported between 48 h SBP or DBP and 24 h iHD or HD day ABPM. Considering 48 h ABPM, 80.5% of patients had BP higher than the norm, compared with 61.7% of patients in the case of OBP (χ2 = 13.28, P < 0.001). The sensibility for detecting hypertension for iHD day 24 h ABPM was 98.4%, with specificity of 90%. The sensibility of 24 h HD day ABPM was 90.3%, with specificity 96.6%. In the case of OBP, sensibility and specificity were considerably lower, that is, 72.6% and 83.3% respectively.

Conclusion:  Significant differences are shown between OBP and 48 h ABPM in the recognition of a hypertensive state. OBP measurement has a lower sensibility and specificity than 24 h ABPM, which remains a valid alternative approach to 48 h ABPM in HD patients. Errors of OBP estimation should be taken into account, with possible negative impact on treatment strategies and epidemiology studies.
Association between metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease in the Korean population
Authors: CHANG IN HO , HAN JUNE HYUN , MYUNG SOON CHUL , KWAK KYUNG WON , KIM TAE‐HYOUNG , PARK SANG WOOK , CHOI NAK YOUNG , CHUNG WOO HYUN , AHN SEUNG HYUN
Published: March 2009

Aim:  We performed a retrospective study to examine the association between the metabolic syndrome (MS) and risk for the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods:  This cohort study included 60 921 healthy adults recruited from two health promotion centres. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, fasting glucose, lipid profile and serum creatinine were evaluated. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated (eGFR) using the abbreviated equation developed by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. CKD was defined as an eGFR of <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or the presence of proteinuria.

Results:  The prevalence of MS and CKD was 19.0% and 7.2% respectively. Those with MS had a higher prevalence of CKD (11.0% vs 6.3%, P < 0.001) than those without MS. As the number of MS components increased, the prevalence of CKD increased and the eGFR decreased. The multiple linear analyses showed that each of the components of the MS was negatively correlated with the eGFR. Unadjusted and multivariate adjusted associations were identified between MS and CKD. Individuals with MS had a multivariate adjusted odds ratio of 1.680 (95% confidence interval, 0.566–1.801) for CKD compared with those without MS.

Conclusion:  Our findings, which were obtained from a large Korean cohort, suggest that MS was associated with CKD.
Isolated lepromatous conjunctivo‐corneal granuloma in a cat from Italy
Authors: Lamagna Barbara , Paciello Orlando , Ragozzino Manuela , Papparella Serenella , Montagnaro Serena , Lamagna Francesco
Published: March 2009

Objective  To describe a case of a conjunctivo‐corneal mass in a cat associated with acid‐fast bacilli.

Methods  A 2‐year‐old female black European Short‐Hair cat, living outdoors in a suburban environment in Italy, was referred for evaluation of a nodular, vascularized mass of 2 weeks duration. The mass involved the dorsal bulbar conjunctiva at the temporal canthus of OS and invaded the sclera and cornea. Routine ophthalmic and systemic examination, serologic testing, cytology and histology of the mass were performed. Mycobacterium specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of variable regions 1, 2 and 3 of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was also performed.

Results  Neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages and giant cells with intracytoplasmic acid‐fast bacilli were seen on cytological examination. The histological examination confirmed the presence of a granulomatous lesion with acid‐fast bacilli within macrophages. Bacteriological culture of the material from the lesion was negative for Mycobacterium spp. Mycobacterium 16S rRNA gene specific PCR was positive.

A diagnosis of feline leprosy was made. The owners refused any treatment, and 1 year later the lesion was still present.

Conclusions  Veterinary ophthalmologists should be aware of conjunctivo‐corneal leproma as an unusual symptom of leprosy.
Treatment of proliferative feline eosinophilic keratitis with topical 1.5% cyclosporine: 35 cases
Authors: Spiess Amelie K. , Sapienza John S. , Mayordomo Aloma
Published: March 2009

Objective Proliferative feline eosinophilic keratitis is a chronic keratopathy caused by a suspected immune mediated response to an unknown antigenic stimulus. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of topical 1.5% cyclosporine solution in proliferative feline eosinophilic keratitis.

Methods Thirty‐five cats were treated topically with 1.5% cyclosporine A between 1997 and 2007. Eosinophilic keratitis was diagnosed by clinical appearance and evidence of eosinophils and/or mast cells in corneal cytology. The patients were treated with topical cyclosporine (1.5%) twice (26 of 35, 74.3%) and three times (9 of 35, 25.7%) daily. The minimum period for follow‐up was 5 months.

Results The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 13 years with a mean age of 6.0 years. Twenty‐two were neutered males, and 13 were females. The represented breeds were 30 DSH, 3 DLH, one Siamese and one Maine Coon. Cytologic examination of a corneal scrape revealed the presence of eosinophils in 34 of 35 specimens, and mast cells in 25 of 35 specimens. Improvement in the treated eyes was seen in 31 cats (88.6%). Four animals (11.4%) did not respond to the treatment with topical cyclosporine. Recurrences were seen in seven (22.6%) cases. Blepharitis was noted as an infrequent side effect.

Conclusion Based on our findings, topical cyclosporine (1.5%) is an effective treatment of proliferative feline eosinophilic keratitis in the vast majority of cases. Recurrences were mainly associated with poor owner compliance. Chronic, often lifelong therapy with medications is thus recommended.
Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland in a dog
Authors: Perlmann Eduardo , Dagli Maria L. Z. , Martins Maria C. , Siqueira Sheila A. C. , Barros Paulo S. M.
Published: March 2009

A case of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland in a 7‐year‐old American Cocker Spaniel is reported. An enlargement of the third eyelid gland, abundant mucopurulent discharge, mild hyperemia and corneal pigmentation in the OD was present. Excisional biopsy of the mass revealed the gland was infiltrated and partially destroyed by a uniform population of neoplastic plasma cells. The neoplastic cells were positive for CD138, Ki‐67 and λ light chain. CD20, CD3, κ light chain and cytokeratin were negative. Twelve months following surgery, no recurrence was observed. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland reported in dogs.
Immunohistochemical analysis of ocular hemangiomas and hemangiosarcomas in dogs
Authors: Chandler Heather L. , Newkirk Kimberly M. , Kusewitt Donna F. , Dubielzig Richard R. , Colitz Carmen M. H.
Published: March 2009

Purpose To determine if molecular markers typically associated with ultraviolet exposure could be detected in canine ocular hemangiomas (HA) and hemangiosarcomas (HSA).

Methods Paraffin‐embedded samples of canine ocular HA (n = 6) and HSA (n = 6) were examined for the presence of p53, p21, p16, cyclin D, PCNA, pAkt, telomerase, and estrogen receptor (ER)‐α using immunohistochemistry.

Results p53 and cyclin D protein were not detected in any of the canine HA or HSA samples. The majority of the HA and HSA were negative for both p21 and telomerase. pAkt immunoreactivity was absent in one HA, one HSA, but was present in five HA and five HSA. All of the HA or HSA samples were strongly positive for p16 and PCNA. ERα was expressed in all of the samples examined; there was more intense staining in the HSA samples compared to the HA samples.

Conclusions Results from this study describe the protein expression, via immunohistochemistry, that might be altered in UV exposure in HA and HAS formation. p53 may not play an important role in tumor development; rather, in the tumors examined, expression of cell cycle regulators independent of the p53 pathway appear central in HA and HSA formation and progression. In addition, this study finds that ERα may be involved in promoting the invasive behavior associated with HSA.
Recurrent Neural Network for Approximate Earthquake Time and Location Prediction Using Multiple Seismicity Indicators
Authors: Panakkat Ashif , Adeli Hojjat
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  A computational approach is presented for predicting the location and time of occurrence of future moderate‐to‐large earthquakes in an approximate sense based on neural network modeling and using a vector of eight seismicity indicators as input. Two different methods are explored. In the first method, a large seismic region is subdivided into several small subregions and the temporal historical earthquake record is divided into a number of small equal time periods. Seismicity indicators are computed for each subregion for each time period and their relationship to the magnitude of the largest earthquake occurring in that subregion during the following time‐period is studied using a recurrent neural network. In the second more direct approach, the temporal historical earthquake record is divided into a number of unequal time periods where each period is defined as the time between large earthquakes. Seismicity indicators are computed for each time‐period and their relationship to the latitude and longitude of the epicentral location, and time of occurrence of the following major earthquake is studied using a recurrent neural network.
Numerical Analyses of Hybrid‐Bonded FRP Strengthened Concrete Beams
Authors: Wu Yu‐Fei , Wang Zhenyu , Liu Kang , He Wei , Wang Zhenyu
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  To overcome the problem of debonding, a new hybrid‐bonded fiber‐reinforced polymers (HB‐FRP) strengthening system has recently been developed. This HB‐FRP technique can increase the interfacial bond strength several folds. In this work, a finite element (FE) model for HB‐FRP strengthened beams is developed to simulate the responses of the new structural system. The interfacial behaviors between the FRP and the concrete are simulated with a shear friction model. Comparisons between the predictions from this model and the test results demonstrate the accuracy of the FE model. The mechanism of the HB‐FRP system and failure modes are then studied using the proposed model.
Homography‐Based Vision Algorithm for Traffic Sign Attribute Computation
Authors: Hu Zhaozheng , Tsai Yichang (James)
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Traffic signs are transportation assets important for roadway safety. Traffic sign attributes are typically collected manually in the field, which is time‐consuming, costly, and dangerous. This article proposes an algorithm to extract traffic sign attributes, including height, tilted angle, location, and sign‐to‐camera distance, from video log images. The article makes two contributions. First, the article develops an algorithm that computes traffic sign attributes by applying a homography‐based computation model. The algorithm has four main steps: homography computation, camera calibration, sign pose calculation, and computation of traffic sign attributes. Second, the article uses three‐coordinate systems to solve out‐of‐view and occlusion problems; sign attributes can be computed when the bottom of a sign is occluded by objects like grass or is not available in the image due to the camera's angle of view. Simulation data was first used to test the algorithm performance with different noise levels, sign‐to‐camera distances, and calibration errors, which are difficult to obtain from real data. A typical 60 cm × 75 cm rectangular speed limit sign, 3 m high and with a 6° tilted angle, was created for the simulation. Under a typical 8 m measurement distance and 0.5 pixel noise level, the computed sign angle has an error of 0.4 ° with a standard deviation of 4.0 °. The means and standard deviations for the errors of the height and sign‐to‐camera distance are 10 cm, 18 cm, and 1 cm, 4 cm, respectively. In the real image test, the algorithm was further validated by the images collected from the Georgia Tech campus and by using the actual video log images taken from Georgia State Route 10 and provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The experiments show that the algorithm could work well for traffic signs with different types and shapes. Future research is also discussed.
Response to Vanclayet al.on Farming Styles: Q Methodology for Identifying Styles and its Relevance to Extension
Authors: Fairweather John R. , Klonsky Karen
Published: March 2009

In 2006 Vanclayet al.provided a critical account of the concept of farming styles and proposed revised concepts that enhance our understanding of styles. Their research experience led them to reconceptualise farming styles by applying them to five levels. They concluded that there was no support for a single set of farming styles, that farming styles are more an intellectual construction than a social construction, and that they were not real. In their revised view of farming styles Vanclayet al.discussed and assessed eight issues about the concept of farming styles. We agree with all but two of these assessments – the claim that there is no method that can uncover styles of farming and the claim that such research is not useful for extension. We show in this article that there is a well‐established method for identifying farming styles and that such research is very useful for extension. In making our case we contribute to a better understanding of farming styles, one that uses a method that rests on what farmers state is their approach to managing a farm rather than on methods that rely on researcher assessments of farming styles.
From the Social to the Economic and Beyond? A Relational Approach to the Historical Development of Danish Organic Food Networks
Authors: Kjeldsen Chris , Ingemann Jan Holm
Published: March 2009

The organic movement has its roots in a critical attitude towards the capitalist development of farming and food systems and constitutes in that sense an alternative to conventional food systems. The article aims at exploring which meaning the notions of ‘alternative’ and ‘conventional’ carry, using the historical development of organic food in Denmark as an example. From the 1970s and onwards, organic food networks in Denmark have evolved from being primarily a marginal social movement to becoming included in the market mainstream. The social and spatial settings for organic food networks in Denmark have thus been significantly altered. Using debates on the conventionalisation of organic food systems as the starting point, it is argued in this article that this development in Denmark can be interpreted from a relational perspective as an ongoing process of establishing organisational innovations, which transcends established dichotomies between notions like alternative and mainstream.
THE USE OF CONTRACT BY GOVERNMENT AND ITS AGENTS
Authors: Ricketts Martin
Published: March 2009

Given that the provision of a service is being controlled by the state, the decision whether to contract out that service provision to the private sector is essentially a business decision. A number of economic advantages and disadvantages need to be offset against each other. Governments are poorly placed to make such decisions and it is no surprise that PPPs are often inefficient and steered by political objectives.
PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE NETHERLANDS: POLICY, PROJECTS AND LESSONS
Authors: Klijn Erik‐Hans
Published: March 2009

This article examines the re‐emergence of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the Netherlands since the 1980s, summarising the policy discussions that have taken place, and analysing the projects that have been implemented or planned. Several policy conclusions are drawn from the Dutch experience with PPPs.
BANKRUPTCY, THE CREDIT CARD AND AMERICAN FREEDOM
Authors: Ellmann Robert
Published: March 2009

Over the past 30 years, the USA has enhanced economic freedom in a paradigmatic way. This was accomplished through its unique 1978 bankruptcy law legislation, which itself had been necessitated by the previous over‐use of the credit card. Curiously, this expansion of economic freedom is reminiscent of some nineteenth‐century calls for social justice.
CURRENT GLOBAL WARMING ALARMISM AND THE MONT PELERIN SOCIETY'S LONG‐TERM AGENDA1
Authors: Klaus Václav
Published: March 2009

In a speech to the Mont Pelerin Society, the President of the Czech Republic argued that environmentalism, and climate alarmism in particular, is a vehicle for advocating, drafting and implementing large‐scale government intervention and an unprecedented suppression of human freedom.
BUSH'S NEW DEAL
Authors: Gorka Katharine Cornell
Published: March 2009

The current US policy of spreading democracy across the globe applies New Deal progressivism to a wider world. Like all government interventions, however, it has unintended consequences and is inefficient. The US should return to a more traditional conception of national security and leave the promotion of democratic principles to the private sector.
SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR IN GENEVA
Authors: Stewart‐Brown Ronald
Published: March 2009

This article reflects on how close World Trade Organization members came to reaching agreement in Geneva last July on the key agricultural and industrial issues at the heart of the Doha Round. But since 6 November, when the text of this article was finalised, the global economy has been in continuing decline and there was insufficient convergence on outstanding issues to justify a new ministerial meeting tentatively planned for December. The prospects of completing the round by the end of 2009 have therefore weakened.
OPEN OCCUPATIONS – WHY WORK SHOULD BE FREE
Authors: Potts Jason
Published: March 2009

The benefits of openness are widely apparent everywhere except, seemingly, in occupations. Yet the case against occupational licensing still remains strong. Consideration of dynamic costs strengthens the case further.
ON THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF FISCAL POLICY AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MACROECONOMIC POLICY
Authors: Congdon Tim
Published: March 2009

Spending depends on the quantity of money. If an increase in the budget deficit is financed by sales of government debt to non‐banks, the quantity of money is unchanged and public borrowing ‘crowds out’ private spending. But – if the government finances its deficit (or buybacks of existing debt) from the banks – the quantity of money, and hence spending and national income increase.
SOUTH–SOUTH TRADE: BEYOND GEOGRAPHY
Authors: Das Dilip K.
Published: March 2009

Starting from a low base, south–south trade has picked up momentum over the last two decades. It is emerging as a new dimension of the global economy and can potentially usher in several benefits for developing economies. The emerging economies of the dynamic south (EEDS) not only provided a striking impetus to south–south trade but also contributed to the changing mise‐en‐scène of the global economy. However, given the moribund state of the Doha Round, additional policy measures need to be taken by the EEDS.
MONETARY POLICY AND THE CREDIT CRUNCH
Authors: Minford Patrick
Published: March 2009

This article examines how interest rates should have been changed in response to the commodity price shock and the credit crunch under different assumptions for the decision rules that might be used by central banks.
GREAT CRASH/CREDIT CRUNCH: FRIEDRICH HAYEK'S BUSINESS CYCLE THEORY
Authors: Steele G. R.
Published: March 2009

Friedrich Hayek's foreboding of the Great Crash would have been equally relevant for the Credit Crunch. It was based upon precepts that have never been taken up by the economics mainstream. Although Maynard Keynes set no store by quantification, mathematical modelling of the economy and statistical analysis saturate the journals. Thoughtful analysis per se carries little weight if it does not lend itself to econometric confirmation, which means that Hayek's microeconomic analysis of the impact of easy‐money policy and the mechanisms that best explain the débâcles of 1929 and 2008 are again likely to be ignored.
A REVIEW OF THE BRITISH ACADEMY REPORT, PUNCHING OUR WEIGHT: THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PUBLIC POLICY MAKING1
Authors: Smith Craig
Published: March 2009

The report argues that policy‐makers fail to make effective use of the high quality research of UK academics in the humanities and social sciences. Yet greater co‐operation between the government and academia could undermine the independence of the latter by increasing the role of the state in the funding and direction of university research.
Labour mobility during transition Evidence from Georgia1
Authors: Bernabè Sabine , Stampini Marco
Published: March 2009

This article deals with labour mobility in Georgia during economic transition. We use quarterly 1998–99 panel data to examine mobility across six labour market statuses (inactivity, unemployment, formal wage employment, informal wage employment, self‐employment and farming). Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis of labour market segmentation. Formal employment is preferred to informal employment. Unemployment is largely a queuing device for individuals with higher education waiting for formal jobs. Some self‐employment is subsistence activities and consistent with a segmented labour market, while other is high risk and potentially high return activities. Age, gender and education are significant determinants of labour mobility. Finally, informal employment serves as a buffer in times of recession – with farming and informal wage employment absorbing labour shed by other statuses during the Russian financial crisis.
What explains persistent inflation differentials across transition economies?1
Authors: Hammermann Felix , Flanagan Mark
Published: March 2009

We document that a persistent inflation differential has opened across different groups of transition economies since 2001, with the CIS‐West seeing particularly high outcomes. We consider a range of non‐monetary explanations discussed in the literature (economic structure, policy and institutions), and controlling for economic shocks, we find a role for political stability, as emphasized in previous cross‐country work. However, our results suggest that lagging internal and external liberalization have been the key disincentives to disinflation. Consequently, lower inflation targets would not be credible in the absence of stronger structural and monetary policy frameworks.
The informal economy and the growth of small enterprises in Russia1
Authors: Kim Byung‐Yeon , Kang Youngho
Published: March 2009

This article uses Russian regional data to estimate the determinants of the informal economy and to examine the relationship between the informal economy and the growth of legally registered small private enterprises during the transition period. After obtaining an estimate of the size of the informal economy in each Russian region from 1992 to 1999, an analysis is performed to find whether reform progress and institutional qualities account for the informal economy. An evaluation of the links between the informal economy and the growth of small enterprises within Russia is then carried out. The findings suggest that Russia's informal economy resulted from a delay in reform and low qualities of institutions. It was found that the growth of small enterprises is positively affected by the informal economy. These results imply that the informal economy helped entrepreneurial activities to grow in the face of government failure, but these informal activities tend to become official over time.
Regional unemployment and human capital in transition economies1
Authors: Jurajda Štěpán , Terrell Katherine
Published: March 2009

Differences in regional unemployment in post‐communist economies are large and persistent. We show that within‐country regional variation in inherited human capital in four such economies explains the bulk of regional variation in unemployment; we explore potential explanations. Our evidence suggests that internal skill‐biased migration and the flow of foreign direct investment are not working as adjustment mechanisms but rather help explain the lack of convergence in regional unemployment rates. Although this capital and labour mobility pattern is consistent with the presence of regional skill spillovers, we find little support for this hypothesis. Instead, the observed migration pattern appears to arise from different skill‐specific adjustments to regional shocks brought about in part by labour‐market institutions such as guaranteed welfare income.
Profit‐maximizing behaviour replaces social sanctions in urban microcredit markets The case of Italian MAGs1
Authors: Calidoni Federica , Fedele Alessandro
Published: March 2009

Poor local information networks and weak social sanctions in urban settings make joint liability unable to guarantee high repayment rates to microlenders. Yet, microcredit programmes in Western Europe report good performance even if the majority of them require no collateral. We collected data from three Italian microcredit institutions which operate in urban areas, granting individual loans without collateral to single entrepreneurs and teams (associations and cooperatives). We found that teams repay with higher probability. On this basis we developed a microlending instrument which, like joint liability implemented in rural economies, mitigates informational problems but, unlike joint liability, fits the urban context in that it reproduces a cohesion among entrepreneurs based on profit‐maximizing behaviour and not on social capital.
The political economy of corruption and the role of economic opportunities1
Authors: Boerner Kira , Hainz Christa
Published: March 2009

In many developing and transition countries, we observe rather high levels of corruption. We argue that the missing political support for anti‐corruption policies is due to a lack of economic and financial reforms. Our model is based on the fact that corrupt officials have to pay entry fees to get lucrative positions. In a probabilistic voting model, we show that this, together with the lack of economic opportunities, makes anti‐corruption policies less likely. Compared to a reformed economy, more voters are part of the corrupt system and, more importantly, rents from corruption are distributed differently. Economic liberalization increases the support for anti‐corruption measures. The additional effect of financial liberalization is ambiguous.
Insider Trading and Corporate Governance: The Case of Germany
Authors: Betzer André , Theissen Erik
Published: March 2009

We analyse transactions by corporate insiders in Germany. We find that insider trades are associated with significant abnormal returns. Insider trades that occur prior to an earnings announcement have a larger impact on prices. This result provides a rationale for the UK regulation that prohibits insiders from trading prior to earnings announcements. Both the ownership structure and the accounting standards used by the firm affect the magnitude of the price reaction. The position of the insider within the firm has no effect, which is inconsistent with the informational hierarchy hypothesis.
Portfolio Performance Measurement: a No Arbitrage Bounds Approach
Authors: Ahn Dong‐Hyun , Cao H. Henry , Chrétien Stéphane
Published: March 2009

This paper presents a new method to examine the performance evaluation of mutual funds in incomplete markets. Based on the no arbitrage condition, we develop bounds on admissible performance measures. We suggest new ways of ranking mutual funds and provide a diagnostic instrument for evaluating the admissibility of candidate performance measures. Using a monthly sample of 320 equity funds, we show that admissible performance values can vary widely, supporting the casual observation that investors disagree on the evaluation of mutual funds. In particular, we cannot rule out that more than 80% of the mutual funds are given positive values by some investors. Moreover, we empirically demonstrate that potential inference errors embedded in existing parametric performance measures can be of important magnitude.
‘Sprechmaschine Du’: Sprachkritik in Ausgewählten Romanen Hedwig Dohms
Authors: Mikus Birgit
Published: March 2009

Der Topos der Sprache bzw. des Sprachverlusts von Frauen in literarischen Texten ist heute bereits ein viel beachteter Gegenstand der Forschung. Auch die besondere Schwierigkeit von Autorinnen, sich innerhalb des Sprachsystems, aus dem sie als sprachloses Gesellschaftsobjekt ausgeschlossen sind, dennoch schreibend Gehör zu verschaffen, steht zumindest in der feministischen Literaturwissenschaft außer Frage. Weil in der Forschung die Analysen und Theorien von Jacques Lacan, Luce Irigaray, oder Julia Kristeva in Bezug auf Sprache meistens rückblickend auf literarische Texte angewendet werden, wird oft übersehen, dass auch die Autorinnen des 19. Jahrhunderts sich oft sehr deutlich der Diskrepanz ihrer sprachlichen Fähigkeiten und der Notwendigkeit, abseits von geläufigen Erwartungen und Klischees zu formulieren, bewusst waren. Vor diesem Hintergrund muss angenommen werden, dass eine Autorin wie Hedwig Dohm, die in diesem soziokulturellen Rahmen gelebt und geschrieben hat, diese Einschränkungen nicht nur selbst erlebt, sondern sich auch kritisch damit auseinandergesetzt hat. Damit ist zum einen die sehr restriktive Erziehung der jungen Mädchen im 19. Jahrhundert gemeint, die oft zu Sprachverlust führt und von vielen Autorinnen kritisiert wird, zum anderen aber auch der reflektierte Umgang mit bzw. Einsatz von Sprache im eigenen Schreiben. Im Folgenden soll untersucht werden, auf welche Weise Hedwig Dohm den Einfluss von Sprache auf die sich entwickelnden Selbstbilder von Frauen darstellt, und wie Sprache von verschiedenen Institutionen der Gesellschaft instrumentalisiert wird, um die bestehende soziale Ordnung, und damit die vorherrschenden Bilder und Rollen von Frauen zu etablieren und zu verstärken.
Re‐Membering Adorno: Political and Cultural Agendas in the Debate about Post‐Holocaust Art
Authors: Ryland Charlotte
Published: March 2009

This essay examines the reception of one of the most oft quoted and misquoted phrases in German literary history: ‘nach Auschwitz ein Gedicht zu schreiben, ist barbarisch’ (Theodor W. Adorno, ‘Kulturkritik und Gesellschaft’, 1951). It argues that interpretations of Adorno's words by German writers and intellectuals have invariably failed to engage with the dialectical detail of his essay, and that these responses consequently reveal more about each individual writer's background and cultural and political agenda than about the issue of post‐Holocaust literature itself. By examining Adorno's original essay and then its reception by Peter Härtling, Harald Hartung and Hilde Domin in the late 1960s, at the height of the debate about ‘committed’ literature, this essay shows that the particular concerns of these writers have influenced how they cite Adorno's words. The analyses of essays by these writers reveal that the varying positions in the debate about Adorno's statement, generally considered irreconcilable, are grounded in the different approaches taken to literature by poets and by literary critics respectively. The literary critic achieved a more critical and therefore nuanced reading of Adorno's words, but it was nevertheless the responses of poets and authors that determined the trajectory of the debate as it continued into the 1970s.
‘…von der Unmöglichkeit der Gegenwart’: Geschlecht, Generation und Nation in Petzolds Die Innere Sicherheit und Sanders‐Brahms' Deutschland, Bleiche Mutter
Authors: Hofer Stefanie
Published: March 2009

Christian Petzold gehört zur Berliner Schule, die sich gern als Gegenbewegung zum deutschen Kommerzkino versteht und der deshalb Parallelen zum Neuen Deutschen Film nachgesagt werden. Ein Vergleich zwischen Petzolds Die innere Sicherheit (2000) und Sanders‐Brahms' Deutschland, bleiche Mutter (1980) wird jedoch aufzeigen, dass fundamentale Unterschiede in der Bedeutung bestehen, die der (cineastischen) Erinnerung beigemessen werden. Besonders anschaulich lässt sich dieser Gegensatz am Generationenverständnis ablesen. In Deutschland, bleiche Mutter sorgt – typisch für feministische Filme des Neuen Deutschen Kinos – intergenerationelle Kommunikation und die aktive Aufarbeitung der (konfliktreichen) Vergangenheit für die Subjektwerdung. Gleichzeitig hinterfragt der Film traditionelle Generationenvorstellungen, die die ödipale Rebellion favorisieren, und gesellschaftliche Konventionen, die die Unterdrückung der Frau befürworten. In Petzolds Terroristendrama ist es dagegen der Generationenkonflikt, der gesellschaftlichen Wandel vorantreibt. Nicht die Auseinandersetzung mit der Vergangenheit, sondern der Bruch mit ihr ist für die persönliche und soziale Identitätsentwicklung verantwortlich. Folglich favorisiert Die innere Sicherheit ein psychoanalytisches und soziologisches Generationenverständnis, das – im Gegensatz zur (feministischen) Tradition des Neuen Deutschen Films – eine erstaunlich patriarchalische Prägung aufweist.
‘Gegen den Strich’: The Early Representation of German Wartime Suffering in Walter Kempowski's Mark Und Bein (1991)
Authors: Berger Karina
Published: March 2009

This article examines Walter Kempowski's Mark und Bein. Eine Episode (1991), a text that commemorates and represents the flight and expulsion of ethnic Germans from the eastern territories at the end of the Second World War. Published almost a decade before the recent preoccupation with ‘German wartime suffering’ began, the book was largely ignored by critics, scholars and the public at the time of its publication. I argue that Mark und Bein anticipates some of the major themes in Germany's ongoing ‘Vergangenheitsbewältigung’ and should be reconsidered in the context of the current wave of literary representations of German victimhood. Reflecting on the various ‘memory contests’ surrounding the Nazi past, the text aims to represent German victimhood in a way that shuns both ‘political correctness’ and apologism, and attempts a more inclusive portrayal where German suffering and German perpetration stand alongside each other. This article contends that Mark und Bein largely succeeds in achieving historical balance, despite occasional dehistoricising or relativising elements in the narrative, and is thus an early and valuable example of post‐unification German fiction attempting adequately to represent Germany's past.
Poetics of the ‘Gruppenbild’: The Fictions of Vladimir Vertlib1
Authors: Haines Brigid
Published: March 2009

Taking as its starting point Vladimir Vertlib's noted ability to cross borders and represent otherness in his writing, the article examines this Russian‐Austrian‐Jewish author's use of narrative form in all his work to date. While his deceptively conventional realist narratives achieve provisional closure at the level of plot, they are structured so as to juxtapose voices, times and modes in a way which probes, but does not resolve, a range of contemporary problems. These concern migration (in Abschiebung and Zwischenstationen), memory, remembrance and twentieth‐century European history (in Das besondere Gedächtnis der Rosa Masur), Jewish identities and the negative German‐Jewish symbiosis (in Letzter Wunsch), and the remembrance of the Third Reich in central Europe (in Mein erster Mörder and …und alle Toten starben friedlich…). Close readings reveal Vertlib's increasing integration into Austrian culture, while stressing the global import of his dialogism and border crossings.
Effects of parasitic infection and radio‐transmitters on condition, hematological characteristics and corticosterone concentrations in Texas ratsnakes
Authors: Sperry J. H. , Butler L. K. , Romero L. M. , Weatherhead P. J.
Published: March 2009

Parasites are a health concern of many wildlife species, although their effect on reptiles is poorly studied. Here we examine effects of hemogregarine and external parasites on Texas ratsnake Elaphe obsoleta white blood cell (WBC) concentrations, WBC differentials, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios, packed cell volume (PCV), corticosterone concentrations and body condition. We found little evidence that either ectoparasites or hemogregarines affected the health of Texas ratsnakes. We found a seasonal increase in corticosterone, consistent with glucocorticoids priming the snakes to deal with higher predation risks later in the season. We also examined whether the potential stress of carrying a surgically implanted radio‐transmitter compounds any parasitic health effects. We found no effect of transmitters on most aspects of health. We did find equivocal evidence that WBC concentrations were higher in snakes with transmitters and that PCV decreased following transmitter implantation. Although our results generally support the view that data collected using radio‐telemetry are unlikely to be biased due to adverse health effects of transmitters, the growing importance of telemetry for studies of snakes and other taxa argues for further research on this topic. When possible, researchers should design telemetry studies in such a way that assessing potential heath effects of transmitters is one of the objectives.
A global sense of migrant places: towards a place perspective in the study of migrant transnationalism
Authors: GIELIS RUBEN
Published: March 2009

Contemporary transnational migrants have complex social lives in that they live in a number of different cross‐border social networks at the same time. Most transmigration scholars try to grasp this social complexity of migrant transnationalism by using a network lens. In this article, I argue in favour of adding a place lens to the analytical tool kit of transmigration scholars. Although a network lens works well for studying the internal complexity of cross‐border social networks, a place lens is more useful for gaining an understanding of their external complexity, in other words the ways these networks interrelate. By drawing on geographical and anthropological literature on open and relational understandings of place, and especially on the work of Doreen Massey and Arjun Appadurai, I shall show that interrelating migrant networks are visible in place in two ways. On the one hand, migrant places are meeting places of social networks, and on the other hand they are sites (translocalities) where transmigrants can reach out to people in other places.
Bionic Woman (2007): gender, disability and cyborgs
Authors: Quinlan Margaret M. , Bates Benjamin R.
Published: March 2009

This paper explores a representation of overlapping categories of gender, disability and cyborgs in Bionic Woman (2007). The television show Bionic Woman (2007) is a popular culture representation that uniquely brings together these categories. Three themes emerged from an analysis of blogger discourse surrounding the show. The themes reveal significant disempowering potentialities for women, individuals with and without disabilities and cyborgs. Conclusions and implications of these themes are offered.