bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of host density and population structure on egg production in the coccidophagous ladybird, Chilocorus nigritus F. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Ponsonby D. J. , Copland M. J. W.
Published: July 2007

1 Studies on aphidophagous coccinellids have indicated that patch quality, and, in particular, the age structure of the prey or the phenological age of the plant, may play an important role in stimulating oviposition behaviour. However, little is known about the egg‐laying tactics of coccidophagous species.

2 When restricted to a single, large colony of overlapping generations of their diaspid host Abgrallaspis cyanophylli (Signoret), adult females of the coccidophagous ladybird Chilocorus nigritus F. varied their egg production rate in a cyclic pattern that lasted for approximately 22 days. This information was used to generate hypotheses relating to eliciting cues for oviposition.

3 Two experiments were carried out in the absence of conspecific larvae to assess: (i) whether changes in host density at levels above those needed to sustain egg production in the females affected egg output and (ii) the effect of restricting beetles to various homogeneous prey population structures on daily egg production.

4 Changes in host density caused a significant but transient decline in egg production whereas a heterogeneous prey population elicited significantly higher levels of oviposition than homogeneous ones with similar host densities, irrespective of the growth stage of the prey.

5 Beetles were fed to satiation throughout the experiments but the data obtained suggest that cues for eliciting oviposition operated in a density‐dependent fashion. The results of the study are used to discuss the possibility that visual and chemical cues are quantitatively used by ovipositing beetles to assess patch suitability.
Surface morphology of eggs of Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Candan Selami , Suludere Zekiye , Bayrakdar Fatma
Published: July 2007

Candan, S., Suludere, Z. and Bayrakdar, F. 2007. Surface morphology of eggs of Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758). —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 88: 000–000.

Filaments covering the egg batches and chorion structure were studied both by light and scanning electron microscopy in the brown‐tailed moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758). Females lay eggs in masses on the underside of apple leaves. The egg batches are covered with brown hairs derived from the bodies of the female. Each female lays about 200–400 eggs. The spherical eggs are about 0.84 mm long and 0.47 mm wide. Newly deposited eggs are golden‐yellow and darken after the onset of embryonic development. The micropylar area appears somewhat depressed and has a circular outline. The region is surrounded by a rosette of 10–12 petal‐shaped primary cells, which are completely surrounded by a series of secondary and tertiary cells. The remainder of the egg is largely smooth, but shows aeropyles. These are located in the corners of ill‐defined polygons.
Uncommon mechanism of egg incubation in the endemic Southern hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis: how is this phenomenon related to egg production?
Authors: Torati Lucas S. , Mantelatto Fernando L.
Published: July 2007

The aim of the present work was to characterize the egg production of Loxopagurus loxochelis. A total of 71 ovigerous females were obtained, 28% of which were simultaneously incubating eggs at different developmental stages. This phenomenon can be the result of incomplete fertilization, or may represent a rapid gonadal cycle by this species in this area, which is, to our understanding, the best explanation of this phenomenon. Egg volume decreased 25.6% during the incubation period. The reproductive output based on dry and wet weight was 6.8 and 19.3%, respectively. Water was the prevailing component of the eggs, representing 86.0% of the total weight at initial stage, increasing to 95.1% at the final stage. Ash content increased at the same time as a decrease in the organic content occurred, indicating the consumption of yolk and absorption of salts from the water medium. In conclusion, we hypothesized that this population has the capacity to copulate and deposit another brood even before the release of the larvae from the previous one, intensifying the reproductive effort of these hermit crabs as a strategy of adaptation in a region considered the northern limit of the geographical distribution of this species.
Gene transfer of the KATP channel restores age‐related erectile dysfunction in rats
Authors: So Insuk , Chae Mee Ree , Lee Sung Won
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

To determine if gene transfer of the ATP‐sensitive potassium (KATP) channel can reverse age‐related erectile dysfunction in the rat, as the KATP channel is an important subtype of potassium channels regulating smooth muscle tone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In an in vitro study, gene were transferred using cDNA of the KATP channel in cultured human corporal smooth muscle (CSM) cells and human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells. After gene transfer, the activities of transferred channels were assessed by the patch‐clamp technique. In an in vivo study, 15 old rats were used for groups of gene therapy and nine young adult rats were used as normal controls. The old rats were divided into three groups, i.e. controls and two gene‐transfer groups (Kir6.1 + SUR2B and Kir6.2 + SUR2B). The intracavernosal pressure (ICP) response to cavernosal nerve stimulation was assessed after intracorporal injection with naked cDNA of the KATP channel. The transgene expression of the KATP channel was examined by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) in rats transfected with cDNA of Kir 6.1 and 6.2.

RESULTS

The transferred gene of the KATP channel was functionally active and appropriate for gene transfer. The mean (sem) ratio of ICP to systemic blood pressure in the gene‐transfer groups, at 79.4 (1)% and 76.5 (2.6)% (both eight rats) was significantly higher than that in age‐matched control rats, at 59.4 (3.3)% (eight), and similar to that in the young control rats, at 77.1 (2.7)% (nine). The RT‐PCR showed expression of Kir6.1 and 6.2 genes in the transfected groups.

CONCLUSION

In vivo gene transfer of the KATP channel can physiologically restore erectile function in aged rats, and might be applicable to the development of new forms of therapy for treating human erectile dysfunction.
Ageing‐related corpora veno‐occlusive dysfunction in the rat is ameliorated by pioglitazone
Authors: Kovanecz Istvan , Ferrini Monica G. , Vernet Dolores , Nolazco Gaby , Rajfer Jacob , Gonzalez‐Cadavid Nestor F.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether ageing‐related changes in the penile corpora cavernosa, namely corporal veno‐occlusive dysfunction (CVOD), loss of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and excessive collagen deposition, can be ameliorated by the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist pioglitazone, in a rat model of ageing as we have shown in a rat model of type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Fischer 344 rats (16–18 months old) were fed chow containing 0%, 0.001% or 0.02% pioglitazone for 2 or 4.5 months, using 5 month old rats as ‘young’ controls. Functional changes were determined by dynamic‐infusion cavernosometry (DIC). Histological changes were assessed by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry followed by quantitative image analysis and/or quantitative Western blot. Reactive oxygen species were estimated in blood.

RESULTS

Pioglitazone at both doses reduced the high DIC ‘drop rate’ present in the untreated aged groups to the level seen in the young rats. The papaverine response was increased to young control levels by short‐term high‐dose pioglitazone and the long‐term low‐dose treatment, but not by the short‐term low‐dose treatment. Pioglitazone at all doses and durations of treatment failed to reverse the decreased corporal SMC/collagen ratio and SMC content, oxidative stress, or the elevated contents of collagen, or transforming growth factor β1, seen in the aged penis, but did reduce the collagen III/I ratio, and at a high dose increased apoptosis. Both treatments inhibited the Rho‐kinase system, by increasing Src homology region 2‐containing protein tyrosine phosphatase and reducing Vav. PPARγ were detected in corporal SMCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Pioglitazone ameliorated ageing‐related CVOD, possibly by a PPARγ‐mediated inhibition of Rho‐kinase and not by a protective effect on the corporal smooth muscle.
Predicting outcome in minimally invasive (T1a and T1b) urothelial bladder carcinoma using a panel of biomarkers: a high throughput tissue microarray analysis
Authors: Mhawech‐Fauceglia Paulette , Fischer Gabor , Alvarez Victor , Ahmed Arsalan , Herrmann François R.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the protein expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐3 (FGFR3), hamartin, 14‐3‐3σ, Aurora‐A, and E‐cadherin using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a series of human bladder carcinomas and to evaluate their value in distinguishing T1a from T1b tumours and in predicting their behaviour, as T1 urothelial bladder tumours present great diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to pathologists and clinicians.

PATIENTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS

Tissue microarrays were constructed from 94 patients (Ta 20, T1a 31, T1b 14, and T2 29 patients) using tissue obtained at first disease presentation.

RESULTS

FGFR3 and 14‐3‐3σ were the only markers that were significantly associated with tumour grade and 14‐3‐3σ was significantly associated with tumour stage. Furthermore, none of these markers could help in distinguishing T1a from T1b tumours. After adjusting for the E‐cadherin expression, FGFR3 expression was a significant factor in predicting the time to recurrence in T1a/T1b. Furthermore, among all the clinical variables, grade and depth of invasion were the only ones that had a significant value in predicting T1a/T1b tumour progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Even though the staging of T1 to T1a/T1b is not a common practice and it is not included in the Tumour‐Node‐Metastasis classification, our data clearly confirmed the importance of a proper sub‐staging of T1 tumours whenever feasible.
The effect of α‐blocker and 5α‐reductase inhibitor intake on sexual health in men with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Barqawi Al Baha , Myers Jeremy B. , O’Donnell Colin , Crawford E. David
Published: July 2007

Associate Editor

Michael G. Wyllie

Editorial Board

Ian Eardley, UK

Jean Fourcroy, USA

Sidney Glina, Brazil

Julia Heiman, USA

Chris McMahon, Australia

Bob Millar, UK

Alvaro Morales, Canada

Michael Perelman, USA

Marcel Waldinger, Netherlands

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of tamsulosin on the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score in men diagnosed with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Analysis from the national database of a programme of the Prostate Cancer Educational Council identified 7974 men who completed the American Urologic Association Symptom Score (AUA‐SS) and SHIM questionnaires. The patients were divided into three groups; group 1, men taking tamsulosin; group 2, men on other prescription medications for treating BPH symptoms; and group 3, men not currently taking any BPH medications. Linear regression was used to assess the association of tamsulosin and other α‐blocker prescriptions for treating BPH symptoms with the decline in SHIM score. The interaction terms between AUA and the intake of tamsulosin was also adjusted for in the final analysis.

RESULTS

The median age of the men was 60 years. In groups 1, 2 and 3, (234, 291 and 7449 men, respectively) the mean (sd) AUA‐SS was 13.0 (7.2), 12.1 (7.2) and 6.9 (5.8), and the mean SHIM scores 11.7 (6.8), 12.7 (6.5) and 15.9 (6.0), respectively. Adjusting for the AUA‐SS, men in group 1 on tamsulosin had a significantly higher SHIM score with increasing AUA‐SS score than men on other medications (P < 0.01), offsetting the negative correlation between the AUA‐SS and SHIM (P < 0.01). Moreover, men in group 1 were more likely to have a higher AUA‐SS and lower SHIM score than men in the other two groups, suggesting more severe symptoms in these men.

CONCLUSIONS

Men taking tamsulosin to treat LUTS appear to be at an advantage over men taking other α‐blockers when the effect of LUTS on sexual health is considered. Furthermore, this effect was more profound in patients with more severe LUTS than those with mild and moderate symptoms. Future prospective trials are warranted to confirm this effect.
Aid and Growth Accelerations: An Alternative Approach to Assessing the Effectiveness of Aid
Authors: Dovern Jonas , Nunnenkamp Peter
Published: July 2007

The paper applies an alternative approach to assess whether foreign aid promotes economic growth in developing countries, based on the concept of temporary growth accelerations suggested by Hausmann, Pritchett and Rodrik. In addition to aggregate aid, we differentiate between major aid categories, including grants, loans and so‐called short‐impact aid. It turns out that aid flows have a small but significantly positive effect on the conditional probability of growth accelerations. This result holds across different estimation methods. However, the significance of results crucially depends on the criteria applied to identify growth accelerations.
Are Inventories a Buffer Against Weak Legal Systems?
Authors: Raja Angara V. , Schaefer Hans‐Bernd
Published: July 2007

Weak legal enforcement of contracts leads to inefficient breach and an overall increase in breaches for firms and individuals. We suggest that firms use inventory holdings as a means to counteract weak contract enforcement. We test the hypothesis that firms operating in weak legal environments have a higher ratio of inventories to net sales than firms operating in strong legal environments. Empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis using data from over three hundred comparable firms from fourteen product groups across thirty‐nine countries is presented.
The development of attention regulation in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task
Authors: Somsen Riek J.M.
Published: July 2007

The present study examined performance on a computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in participants between 6 and 18 years. Test trials were presented upon request, without time constraints, and with a direct coupling between the participant's response and the onset of the feedback. The pattern of findings that emerged from the self‐controlled computerized WCST permitted unique insights into the developmental changes in reasoning and attention regulation during childhood and adolescence. The number of WCST categories achieved developed linearly between 6 and 11 years and asymptoted beyond this age, whereas attentional responses continued to develop. More specifically, a decrease in distractive attention to correct feedback predicted performance in the younger group. In contrast, an increase in attention to error feedback predicted the number of WCST categories achieved by the older children. This pattern of findings indicates that, although trial‐by‐trial feedback monitoring is crucial for the successful detection of WCST categories in both younger and older children, the specifics of attention regulation differ greatly between children and adolescents.
Decision‐making in healthy children, adolescents and adults explained by the use of increasingly complex proportional reasoning rules
Authors: Huizenga Hilde M. , Crone Eveline A. , Jansen Brenda J.
Published: July 2007

In the standard Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), participants have to choose repeatedly from four options. Each option is characterized by a constant gain, and by the frequency and amount of a probabilistic loss. Crone and van der Molen (2004) reported that school‐aged children and even adolescents show marked deficits in IGT performance. In this study, we have re‐analyzed the data with a multivariate normal mixture analysis to show that these developmental changes can be explained by a shift from unidimensional to multidimensional proportional reasoning (Siegler, 1981; Jansen & van der Maas, 2002). More specifically, the results show a gradual shift with increasing age from (a) guessing with a slight tendency to consider frequency of loss to (b) focusing on frequency of loss, to (c) considering both frequency and amount of probabilistic loss. In the latter case, participants only considered options with low‐frequency loss and then chose the option with the lowest amount of loss. Performance improved in a reversed task, in which punishment was placed up front and gain was delivered unexpectedly. In this reversed task, young children are guessing with already a slight tendency to consider both the frequency and amount of gain; this strategy becomes more pronounced with age. We argue that these findings have important implications for the interpretation of IGT performance, as well as for methods to analyze this performance.
Nonspecific verbal cues alleviate forgetting by young children
Authors: Morgan Kirstie , Hayne Harlene
Published: July 2007

Verbal reminders play a pervasive role in memory retrieval by human adults. In fact, relatively nonspecific verbal information (e.g. ‘Remember the last time we ate at that restaurant?’) will often cue vivid recollections of a past event even when presented outside the original encoding context. Although research has shown that memory retrieval by young children can be initiated by physical cues and by highly specific verbal cues, the effect of less specific verbal cues is not known. Using a Visual Recognition Memory (VRM) procedure, we examined the effect of nonspecific verbal cues on memory retrieval by 4‐year‐old children. Our findings showed that nonspecific verbal cues were as effective as highly specific nonverbal cues in facilitating memory retrieval after a 2‐week delay. We conclude that, at least by 4 years of age, children are able to use nonspecific verbal reminders to cue memory retrieval, and that the VRM paradigm may be particularly valuable in examining the age at which this initially occurs.
The mirror neuron system: grasping others’ actions from birth?
Authors: Lepage Jean‐François , Théoret Hugo
Published: July 2007

In the adult human brain, the presence of a system matching the observation and the execution of actions is well established. This mechanism is thought to rely primarily on the contribution of so‐called ‘mirror neurons’, cells that are active when a specific gesture is executed as well as when it is seen or heard. Despite the wealth of evidence detailing the existence of a mirror neuron system (MNS) in the adult brain, little is known about its normal development. Yet, a better understanding of the MNS in infants would be of considerable theoretical and clinical interest, as dysfunctions within the MNS have been demonstrated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. Arguments in favor of an innate, or very early, mechanism underlying action understanding mainly come from studies of neonatal imitation, the existence of which has been questioned by some. Here, we review evidence suggesting the presence of an MNS in the human child, as well as work that suggests, although indirectly, the existence of a mechanism matching the perception and the execution of actions in the human newborn.
Measurement Error in Recall Surveys and the Relationship between Household Size and Food Demand
Authors: Gibson John , Kim Bonggeun
Published: July 2007

Variation in household survey design and implementation is used to obtain evidence of nonrandom measurement error in recall surveys of household expenditure. These surveys, which are used especially in developing countries, appear to have measurement errors in food expenditures and in food budget shares that are correlated with household size. These correlated errors may be part of the explanation for a puzzling pattern of falling food demand with rising household size in poorer countries.
Estimating Policy Effects on Spatial Market Efficiency: An Extension to the Parity Bounds Model
Authors: Negassa Asfaw , Myers Robert J.
Published: July 2007

The standard parity bounds model (PBM) is extended to allow for dynamic shifts in regime probabilities in response to changes in marketing policy. The approach allows estimation of the length of the adjustment period and a statistical test for no policy effects. The extended PBM is applied to maize and wheat markets in Ethiopia. Evidence of a dynamic adjustment path is found and grain marketing reforms are found to have improved spatial efficiency in a few markets, worsened it in a few others, but generally to have had little effect on the spatial efficiency of Ethiopian grain markets.
Dynamic Efficiency Measurement: Theory and Application
Authors: Silva Elvira , Stefanou Spiro E.
Published: July 2007

Nonparametric dynamic measures of production efficiency are developed in the context of an adjustment‐cost technology and intertemporal cost minimization. Bounds on each efficiency measure are derived for each firm using a nonparametric revealed preference approach. Long‐run efficiency measures indicate the relative efficiency of both variable and dynamic factors while short‐run measures of efficiency indicate whether variable inputs are employed efficiently in the production process. The efficiency measures are temporal in nature by describing the degree of efficiency of the firm at a particular point along its adjustment path. The empirical implementation is illustrated for a balanced panel of Pennsylvania dairy operators during 1986–1992.
Threshold Effects in Price Transmission: The Case of Brazilian Wheat, Maize, and Soya Prices
Authors: Balcombe Kelvin , Bailey Alastair , Brooks Jonathan
Published: July 2007

Recent studies into price transmission have recognized the important role played by transport and transaction costs. Threshold models are one approach to accommodate such costs. We develop a generalized Threshold Error Correction Model to test for the presence and form of threshold behavior in price transmission that is symmetric around equilibrium. We use monthly wheat, maize, and soya prices from the United States, Argentina, and Brazil to demonstrate this model. Classical estimation of these generalized models can present challenges but Bayesian techniques avoid many of these problems. Evidence for thresholds is found in three of the five commodity price pairs investigated.
Synergies or Trade‐Offs in University Life Sciences Research
Authors: Foltz Jeremy D. , Barham Bradford L. , Kim Kwansoo
Published: July 2007

Major legislative, legal, and technological changes paved the way for a period of remarkable growth in the patenting of life science research by U.S. universities in the 1980s and 1990s. Using a multiple‐output cost framework and two decades of panel data on ninety‐six universities, this article examines whether economies of scope and/or scale are present in university production of three major life science research outputs: journal articles, patents, and doctorates. The results show strong evidence of economies of scale in life science research production with mixed evidence of economies of scope between articles and patents.
Strike When the Force Is with You: Optimal Stopping with Application to Resource Equilibria
Authors: Cairns Robert D. , Davis Graham A.
Published: July 2007

Optimal investment in a nonrenewable resource project occurs when the rate of increase of the project's forward value falls to the force of interest. This stopping rule yields a financial interpretation of resource quality as being a property of the project rather than of individual units of reserves. It also leads to re‐interpretations of (a) rent as the present value of the project rather than of units of reserves and (b) Hotelling's insight as, not a rule for the path of rents, but an equilibrium algorithm for price. The analysis is extended to sequential development of pesticides, antibiotics, and forests.
Asset Pricing in Created Markets
Authors: Newell Richard G. , Papps Kerry L. , Sanchirico James N.
Published: July 2007

We investigate the applicability of the present‐value asset pricing model to fishing quota markets by applying instrumental variable panel data estimation techniques to 15 years of market transactions from New Zealand's individual transferable quota (ITQ) market. In addition to the influence of current fishing rents, we explore the effect of market interest rates, risk, and expected changes in future rents on quota asset prices. The results indicate that quota asset prices are positively related to declines in interest rates, lower levels of risk, expected increases in future fish prices, and expected cost reductions from rationalization under the quota system.
Root merger in Chinese compounds*
Authors: Zhang Niina Ning
Published: July 2007

Abstract.  Working on the computation of roots in Chinese compounds, this paper presents six major differences between the merger of roots in compound formation and the merger of elements in phrase structure formation: the existence of exocentric structures, the freedom of projectivity, the disappearance of subcategorization, the double licensing of formal features, the effect of Lexical Integrity in movement, and such an effect in pronominalization. All of these differences are accounted for by the hypothesis that roots do not have syntactic features. Moreover, this paper studies a case of merger level underspecification in languages that allow nouns and verbs to occur without any inflection: in the absence of a syntactic context, an isolated string of two elements can be ambiguous between the root‐merger that eventually gives rise to a verb and the merger of a verb and its object that gives rise to a VP.
Focus strategies in Chadic – the case of Tangale revisited*
Authors: Hartmann Katharina , Zimmermann Malte
Published: July 2007

Abstract.  The present article offers a detailed study of focus strategies in some Chadic languages, paying special attention to the focus system of Tangale. It discusses two dimensions of variation with respect to the realization of focus. First, there is a striking variety of focus strategies across the Chadic languages. Second, focus can be realized in different ways within one and the same language: We show that Tangale has at least three focus strategies the application of which is governed by the verbal aspect, the valency of the focused verb, the category of the focus constituent, and the argument status of the focused DP. We conclude that purely syntax‐based theories of focus marking reach their limits when confronted with the complex focus systems of the Chadic languages, and propose a prosody‐based analysis instead.
Diet Revealed?: Semiparametric Estimation of Nutrient Intake–Age Relationships
Authors: Chesher Andrew
Published: July 2007

Smoothed estimates of the complex relationships between age and intakes of energy, fat, calcium and vitamin C are obtained for males and females from British National Food Survey data covering the period 1974–94. Since the data record household food acquisitions during a survey week, not food consumption by individuals, a model is constructed in which average nutrient intakes by sex at each completed year of age are parameters which are estimated by roughness penalized least squares. Income per head and region of residence are controlled for in a non-linear extension of the model. The sensitivity of the estimates to variations in eating out and the incidence of visitors is examined. Age- and sex-specific estimates of the proportion of energy from fat, a key health indicator, are derived and compared across a 21-year period.
Bayesian Analysis of DNA Profiling Data in Forensic Identification Applications
Authors: Foreman Lindsey A. , Smith Adrian F. M. , Evett Ian W.
Published: July 2007

The utilization of DNA evidence in cases of forensic identification has become widespread over the last few years. The strength of this evidence against an individual standing trial is typically presented in court in the form of a likelihood ratio (LR) or its reciprocal (the profile match probability). The value of this LR will vary according to the nature of the genetic relationship between the accused and other possible perpetrators of the crime in the population. This paper develops ideas and methods for analysing data and evaluating LRs when the evidence is based on short tandem repeat profiles, with special emphasis placed on a Bayesian approach. These are then applied in the context of a particular quadruplex profiling system used for routine case-work by the UK Forensic Science Service.
Statistical Classification Methods in Consumer Credit Scoring: A Review
Authors: Hand D. J. , Henley W. E.
Published: July 2007

Credit scoring is the term used to describe formal statistical methods used for classifying applicants for credit into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ risk classes. Such methods have become increasingly important with the dramatic growth in consumer credit in recent years. A wide range of statistical methods has been applied, though the literature available to the public is limited for reasons of commercial confidentiality. Particular problems arising in the credit scoring context are examined and the statistical methods which have been applied are reviewed.
INTEREST AS AN ARTEFACT OF SELF‐VALIDATING CENTRAL BANK BELIEFS
Authors: Aspromourgos Tony
Published: July 2007

The classical/Sraffian approach to distribution is proposed as a more congenial framework for Keynes's concept of interest as a conventional variable—resulting from the interplay between central bank behaviour and financial market sentiment—because it provides a sounder basis for multiple interest rate equilibria. While either monetary policy or market expectations can be decisive, the capacity of policy to ensure markets acquiesce in the authorities' view remains at least as plausible as Keynes supposed. Interest is a result of ‘history’ plus the beliefs of the monetary authorities, where those beliefs may be illusory but nevertheless validated by actual outcomes.
NON‐LINEAR PRICING AS A COOPERATIVE GAME
Authors: Andersson Tommy
Published: July 2007

This paper characterizes non‐linear outlay schedules that are based on a cooperative surplus‐sharing game with transferable utility. First, the pricing game is shown to be convex and, as a consequence, to have a non‐empty core. This is followed by a description of the necessary and sufficient conditions for the envy‐free core to be non‐empty.
PROLIFERATION OF ACADEMIC JOURNALS: EFFECTS ON RESEARCH QUANTITY AND QUALITY
Authors: Goel Rajeev K. , Faria João Ricardo
Published: July 2007

There have been significant structural changes in research markets in recent years reflected in the increase in the number of academic journals. This paper uses a differential game model of authors and journal editors to examine the effects of an increase in competition among academic journals. Does an increase in the number of academic journals lead to an increase in scholarly articles published? Will an increase in publishing outlets adversely affect research quality? The results show greater competition does not affect research output and in fact enhances research quality. The number of journals and the relative discount rates of authors and editors are crucial determinants of the effects of competition.
Neurovascular Headache and Occipital Neuralgia Secondary to Bleeding of Bulbocervical Cavernoma
Authors: Bruti G , Mostardini C , Pierallini A , Villani V , Modini C , Cerbo R
Published: July 2007

It has recently been suggested that the trigeminocervical complex plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of neck discomfort that accompanies migraine attacks. Clinical and neurophysiological data have shown that pain within the occipital area may be transmitted by the first trigeminal branch, which supports an anatomical and functional link between cervical and trigeminal modulation of peripheral afferents. We describe a patient with an acute symptomatic migraine attack and chronic occipital neuralgia, both due to bleeding of a bulbocervical cavernoma. The clinical presentation is also discussed and related to recent scientific data on the role of the trigeminocervical complex in both the clinical picture and underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of cervical and head pain.
Impact of Preventive Therapy with Nadolol and Topiramate on the Quality Of Life Of Migraine Patients
Authors: Garcia-Monco JC , Foncea N , Bilbao A , Velasco I Ruiz de , Gomez-Beldarrain M
Published: July 2007

Preventive therapy is aimed at reducing migraine frequency, but should also improve the much deteriorated quality of life of the migraneur. We aimed to evaluate the impact of preventive therapy with two widely employed drugs (topiramate and nadolol) on the quality of life of migraine patients. A population of consecutive migraineurs aged ≥16 years, with frequent migraines, was selected prospectively for evaluation at baseline and after 16 weeks of therapy with nadolol or topiramate (40 mg and 100 mg daily, respectively) by generic and specific quality of life questionnaires (SF-36 and MSQOL) and by an anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Preventive therapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in physical domains of the SF-36, whereas mental domains remained almost unchanged. Despite this improvement, all domains remained below the population norms. The HADS revealed a moderate depressive state at baseline that did not change with therapy. The MSQOL global score also revealed statistically significant improvement. Both drugs were similarly effective, although topiramate was superior on the role physical domain compared with nadolol. Preventive therapy with nadolol and topiramate significantly improves the quality of life of migraineurs, although additional efforts are needed to place them in a nearer-to-normal situation compared with the general population.
Adult-Onset Hemiplegic Migraine with Cortical Enhancement and Oedema
Authors: Cha Y-H , Millett D , Kane M , Jen J , Baloh R
Published: July 2007

We present genetically identical twin patients who experienced late-onset migraine with visual and somatosensory auras and later developed hemiplegic migraines associated with severe cortical oedema and enhancement. Both positron emission tomography and electroencephalography showed an increase in activity contralateral to the hemiplegic side. Brain biopsy during the attack showed reactive astrogliosis and microgliosis. Mutations in CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SLC1A3 and NOTCH3 were ruled out by sequencing. This report shows the clinical and genetic evaluation of a severe form of familial hemiplegic migraine as well as the evolution of the imaging changes.
Heavily T2-Weighted MR Myelography in Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension: A Case—Control Study
Authors: Tsai P-H , Fuh J-L , Lirng J-F , Wang S-J
Published: July 2007

We performed whole-spine heavily T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) myelography using a single-shot fast spin-echo pulse sequence in 17 patients (8 M/9 F) with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) to detect abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collections. In addition, a group of age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. Follow-up MR myelography was also done at 3 weeks. MR myelography showed three kinds of abnormal CSF collections in 15 patients with SIH (88%): epidural fluid collection ( n = 15, 88%), C1-2 extraspinal collections ( n = 6, 35%) and CSF collections along nerve roots in the lower cervical or upper thoracic spines ( n = 6, 35%). One patient (6%) showed a meningeal diverticulum. In contrast, none of the controls showed these findings. Overall, MR myelography results helped in early diagnosis of SIH in four (24%) patients whose initial brain MRIs failed to show typical SIH findings. Follow-up MR myelography results were compatible with the clinical changes with κ statistics of 0.52 and an agreement rate of 76%. Our study showed heavily T2-weighted MR myelography provided a rapid, non-invasive and high yield method to diagnose and follow-up patients with SIH. Whether the CSF collections along the nerve roots represent the ongoing leakage sites warrants further study.
Psoralen and ultraviolet A and narrow‐band ultraviolet B in inducing stability in vitiligo, assessed by vitiligo disease activity score: an open prospective comparative study
Authors: Bhatnagar A , Kanwar AJ , Parsad D , De D
Published: July 2007

Background  Vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder with great cosmetic and psychological morbidity and an unpredictable course. No treatment available is a definitive cure. Systemic psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) has been the mainstay of treatment. Narrow‐band UVB (NBUVB) was later introduced. In this study, we have compared the phototherapy modalities PUVA and NBUVB in inducing stability in vitiligo, assessed by using vitiligo disease activity score (VIDA), for the first time.

Aims  To investigate the position of NBUVB vis‐à‐vis PUVA in terms of stability achieved during therapy as indicated by the VIDA scores.

Subjects and methods  It was an open, prospective study of 50 patients divided equally in PUVA and NBUVB groups. The study period was from January 2004 to June 2005. This study was done as a part of a larger project to compare the efficacy of mentioned modalities in degree of repigmentation.

Results  In the NBUVB group, disease activity was present in 40% patients before commencement of therapy, which was reduced to 16% at the end of therapy (statistically significant, P = 0.049). In the PUVA group, similar figures were 20% and 16%, respectively. In the NBUVB group, 50% of patients whose disease was active prior to commencement of therapy had less than 50% repigmentation, whereas an equal number of patients had repigmentation of more than 50%. Almost an equal number of stable patients had less than and more than 50% repigmentation. In the PUVA group, 4 of the 5 (80%) patients who had active disease had less than 50% repigmentation, whereas only 1 patient (20%) with active disease obtained more than 50% repigmentation. The time to attain stability was 3.6 ± 2.1 months in the NBUVB group and 3.22 ± 3.1 months in the PUVA group. Eight of the 10 (80%) patients with unstable disease in the NBUVB group achieved stability, whereas 2 of the 5 (40%) patients of similar pre‐treatment status in the PUVA group achieved stability.

Conclusion  NBUVB was in a more statistically advantageous position vis‐à‐vis PUVA, in respect to stability achieved and efficacy in both active and stable disease in a comparable time period.
The importance of setting the right genetic distance threshold for identification of clones using amplified fragment length polymorphism: a case study with five species in the tropical plant genus Piper
Authors: LASSO E
Published: July 2007

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) has been widely used for clone identification, but numerous studies have shown that clonemates do not always present identical AFLP fingerprints. Pairwise AFLP distances that distinguish known clones from nonclones have been used to identify a threshold genetic dissimilarity distance below which samples are considered to represent a single clone. Most studies to date have reported threshold values between 2% and 4%. Here, I determine the consistency of the clonal threshold across five species in the tropical plant genus Piper, and evaluate the sensitivity of genetic diversity indices and estimates of frequency of clonal reproduction to the threshold value selected. I sampled multiple ramets per individual from widely distributed plants for each of the five Piper species to set a threshold at the point where the error rate of clonal assignments was lowest. I then sampled all individuals of each shade‐tolerant species in a 1‐ha plot, and of each light‐demanding species in 25 × 35‐m plot, to estimate the frequency of asexual recruitment in natural populations using a series of different thresholds including the threshold set with the preliminary sampling. Clonal threshold values for the different species ranged from 0% to 5% AFLP genetic dissimilarity distance. To determine the sensitivity of estimates of clonal reproduction, I calculated several clonal diversity indexes for the natural populations of each of the five species guided by the range in clonal threshold values observed across the five Piper species. I show that small changes in the value of the clonal threshold can lead to very different conclusions regarding the level of clonal reproduction in natural populations.
Eighteen trinucleotide microsatellite loci for the solitary vespid wasp Monobia quadridens
Authors: FOUNE CATHERINE L. , BISSETT BOE L. , COWAN DAVID P.
Published: July 2007

We identified 18 polymorphic, trinucleotide microsatellite loci for the solitary vespid wasp Monobia quadridens. These markers are to be used for parentage assessment and for studying population structure and inbreeding. Forty‐eight diploid females from Southwest Michigan, USA were screened for allelic variation at each locus. Observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.50 to 0.88. The primers were also tested on two other solitary vespid wasps Ancistrocerus adiabatus and Ancistrocerus antilope.
Microsatellite markers for leatherside chubs Lepidomeda aliciae and Lepidomeda copei
Authors: MOCK K. E. , BJERREGAARD L. S. , BELK M. C. , ROWE C. , JOHNSON J. B.
Published: July 2007

We report the isolation and characterization of eight microsatellite markers in a rare desert cyprinid fish, the leatherside chub. This taxon has recently been divided into two species (Lepidomeda aliciae and Lepidomeda copei) based on genetic, ecological and morphological data, and we explore the utility of these microsatellite loci in both species. All eight loci show promise as highly polymorphic markers in L. aliciae, but only three of the markers appear to be useful in L. copei.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from the hosta species Hosta albomarginata (Liliaceae)
Authors: YAMAMOTO HIDETOSHI , YAMADA TAKAYUKI , MAKI MASAYUKI
Published: July 2007

Hostas are very popular ornamental plants in gardens in the United States, Europe, and East Asia. We have developed nine microsatellite loci from an enrichment library of genomic DNA in Hosta albomarginata. We characterized these nine microsatellite loci for 20 individuals from a population of H. albomarginata. The primers developed in this study yielded an average of 12.4 alleles per locus (range five to 20) and an average expected heterozygosity of 0.86 (range 0.65 to 0.95). These markers will be powerful tools for breeding programmes of hosta cultivars, studies of population genetics, and the conservation of wild hosta species.
Development of 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) for capture–recapture studies
Authors: SEYOUM SEIFU , TRINGALI MICHAEL D. , HIGHAM MARYANNE
Published: July 2007

Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci for Atlantic tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, were isolated by using PIMA, a polymerase chain reaction‐based technique. The number of alleles at each locus ranged from two to 24 (mean = 7.7) in 65 specimens from Tampa Bay, Florida. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.27 to 0.92 (mean = 0.60) and from 0.28 to 0.95 (mean = 0.62), respectively. Genotypes at one locus deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. In exact tests for genotypic disequilibrium, there was no evidence of associations between any pair of loci. Overall, loci were well resolved and highly polymorphic, confirming their suitability for DNA fingerprinting applications and other genetic studies.
CLIL and immersion classrooms: applied linguistic perspectives
Authors: Smit Ute
Published: July 2007

In the last issue, in accordance with InJAL's new relationship with AILA, the idea and rationale of AILA Research Networks was explained in general terms. In this issue and the next, individual co‐ordinators present their ReNs and the particular activities they are engaged in.
Use of Melatonin in Children and Adolescents: Clinicians’ and Parents’ Perspective
Authors: Banta Seema
Published: July 2007

Background:  There is a paucity of research on professionals’ and parents’ views on melatonin use in children and adolescents with sleep problems.

Method:  A two‐stage survey was employed. First stage: Child psychiatrists and community paediatricians working in a health district were surveyed. Second stage: Parents/carers of children currently on melatonin under the care of these clinicians completed questionnaires.

Results:  Eighty‐seven per cent of the participating clinicians prescribed melatonin, with most of them prescribing melatonin for chronic and treatment resistant cases. Differences in prescribing practices between child psychiatrists and community paediatricians were noted. All children were prescribed either 3 mgs or 6 mgs melatonin. None of them experienced any significant side effects.

Conclusions:  This research highlights that clinicians recognise melatonin as an effective treatment of childhood insomnia and parents value its usefulness too.
Evidence for Interventions for Young Offenders
Authors: Karnik Niranjan S. , Steiner Hans
Published: July 2007

Young offenders are an issue of global concern. Despite a greater understanding of the aetiology of conduct disorder and juvenile delinquency, the research on treatments and the use of evidence‐based methods of interventions has not kept pace. This review critically and selectively examined interventions for young offenders, and organises them based on levels of care. The challenge is to intervene using empirical strategies that are implemented based on our emerging understanding of aggression.
Children's and Young People's Involvement and Participation in Mental Health Care
Authors: Day Crispin
Published: July 2007

Accountability to service users and the wider public has become a guiding principle for the NHS and a central theme of consecutive pieces of policy that place participation and involvement at the centre of clinical practice and service provision. This paper will look at the background and objectives of children and young people's participation in two key policy areas: their own mental health care, and the planning and delivery of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In doing so, the paper will highlight children and young people's unique contribution to clinical care and examine current knowledge and practice that encourages their involvement in clinical processes and service development.
Vaya con Dios: Religion and the Transnational History of the Americas
Authors: Voekel Pamela , Moreton Bethany , Jo Michael
Published: July 2007

Over the past decade, the transnational turn within US academic history has won recognition from the country's key legitimating professional institutions, from journals of record to first‐tier search committees and major conferences. For historians of Latin America, as for scholars of diaspora and others who have long worked to historicize the nation‐state, this is familiar territory. Their work has always challenged imperial hubris and debunked claims to national autogenesis. World systems theory, dependency theory, the Atlantic World tradition, border studies, the historical record seen from the vantage of the invaded – these insured that simply telling the truth about history was an inherently anti‐imperialist act. What has yet to be thoroughly integrated into this tradition, however, are recent questions raised by scholars of religious developments in the global south or the margins of first‐world nation‐states. As arguably the most successful transnational movement in history, religion commands our attention. Moreover, despite the unease it arouses, the study of transnational religion has much to offer to even self‐consciously anti‐imperialist scholarship. Since the Enlightenment, secular states and rational subjects have proclaimed themselves the rightful tutors of their counterparts mired in magical religion and primitive superstition. Because many anti‐imperialist theories share some of the Enlightenment assumptions animating this particular civilizing mission, they cede key ground to imperialism. Recent scholarship on religion challenges a series of dichotomies at the heart of imperialism and some anti‐imperialisms as well: religion and secularism, faith and reason, tradition and modernity, obedience and free will. These interventions suggest that to win the debate over Empire, transnational history must change its terms.