bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing beauty‐enhancing makeup by controlling light reflected from skin (I) – a makeup foundation incorporating an optical effect of red light
Authors: Sakazaki Y. , Suzuki Y. , Nishikata K. , Mohri K.
Published: July 2007

Lighting can change the appearance of the skin in a major way. Taking notice of the fact that illumination with enhanced red content is often used to make skin look more attractive; we evaluated the effect of long wavelength light on the appearance of the skin. We developed a light source that could emit light in any combination of wavelengths, and used a variety of lights against the skin to conduct a visual evaluation. As a result, we found that skin that was illuminated with light containing a large percentage of long wavelength light of at least 600 nm appeared even in tone, with skin faults such as spots and fine wrinkles rendered less visible. Next, we evaluated the light reflected from the skin. As a result of an evaluation of spectral reflectance and skin appearance, we found that as little as a 10% increase in the reflectance of long wavelength light contributed to the enhancement of an even appearance of the skin. We therefore considered methods for incorporating this ‘flattering effect’ to make the skin appear better than it actually is into the development of cosmetic products. We engaged in the development of powdered material that would generate the same kind of reflectance as would be generated by illumination with red light. As a result, we came to develop a red powdered fiber with a #‐shaped cross‐section. This material, with its unique cross section, demonstrated an effect of enhancing only the reflectance of long wavelength light, without lowering lightness or chroma. We verified that when this powder was formulated into a sample foundation and applied to the skin, the skin appeared more even in tone and looked more attractive compared to skin to which conventional foundation was applied.
Genkwanin up‐regulates the transcriptional activation of human type vii collagen gene promoter
Authors: Takebayashi N. , Ikeda M.
Published: July 2007

In a recent study, stimulating the formation of anchoring fibrils at the basement membrane zone in skin contributed to preventing skin ageing, such as wrinkle formation. Expression of the type VII collagen gene induces the formation of anchoring fibrils composed mainly of collagen type VII. We therefore transiently transfected a keratinocyte cell line with the plasmids containing type VII collagen gene promoter located upstream of the luciferase gene. We investigated the promoter activity under the presence of flavonoids and we found that Genkwanin up‐regulates the transcriptional activation of human type VII collagen gene promoter.
Evaluation of a novel hybrid polymer in hair treatment
Authors: Uchida S. , Hayashi N. , Goto N. , Daikai S. , Koyanagi A. , Yoshioka M.
Published: July 2007

Hydrolyzed proteins and silicones have been widely used and played an important role in hair treatment. Effects on hair, of a newly developed hybrid polymer consisting of hydrolyzed protein, alkyl chain and silicone was investigated. It was clear that the polymer was effective in preventing dyed hair from discoloring and in improving the moisture feel of hair. It was confirmed that the polymer had good substantivity contributing to hair luster, manageability, moisture feel, smoothness and good combability. The above effects were remarkably displayed especially on damaged hair. Furthermore, a sensory test in practical use of shampoo even with the polymer highly diluted supported the above results.
Three‐dimensional imaging and analysis of the surface of hair fibres using scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Tomes C. , Jones J. T. , Carr C. M. , Jones D.
Published: July 2007

Synopsis

Cuticle scales are the most obvious feature of a hair fibre's outer surface and much research has focused on assessing the influence of surface topography on the associated hair fibre's properties. However, much of the research has either been qualitative or, if quantitative, employed relatively laborious analytical techniques to establish the necessary statistical robustness. In this study, we report on the application of a 3D image analysis package capable of producing 3D data from multiple 2D scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of hair fibres. Analysis of the surface profile can be carried out quickly and accurately, enabling quantification of the scale structure. To validate the novel technique and ensure that the scale heights measured were indeed accurate and reproducible, extensive calibration of the SEM and the 3d software has been performed. In addition, scale heights on a single hair have been determined by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the results compared with analogous data produced from the same scale edges using the 3D image analysis technique. The data obtained indicate that a relatively quick, accurate and viable method to determine scale height in keratin fibres has been established. A further 3D‐SEM analysis method has been developed which allows individual scales to be monitored and for the cuticular scale height to be quantified after repeated ‘smoothing’ treatments.
Function of surfactants in hair dyeing by oxidation dyes 2. Effect on formation of oxidation dyes by p‐aminophenol and 5‐amino‐o‐cresol in dye bath1
Authors: Yasunaga H. , Ishii Y. , Komoda T. , Shinkawa T. , Kajiwara K. , Urakawa H.
Published: July 2007

Synopsis

The effect of surfactants on an oxidation‐hair‐dye‐formation reaction in a dye bath was studied in order to learn the mechanism of the effect of surfactants on the dyeability of hair by the oxidation dye. The dye‐formation behaviours for the p‐aminophenol and 5‐amino‐o‐cresol system with the surfactants, of which the hydrophilic parts have different charges, were compared changing the concentration of surfactants. It was found that the same dyes are produced, regardless of the charge of surfactants added, and the rate of dye produced in the dyebath is increased in the presence of surfactants. The order of the production rate is, with an anionic surfactant > with non‐ionic surfactant > with cationic surfactant > without surfactant. The relation between the dyeability of hair and the rate of dye produced in the dyebath in the presence of surfactants is not found. The major factor governing the dyeability of hair is different from the mechanism of the increased dye in the solution. It was also found that the dye‐formation rate is increased by immersing hair into the reaction solution, and hair works as an accelerator for the dye‐formation reaction.
A simple experimental method to study depigmenting agents
Authors: Abella M. L. , De Rigal J. , Neveux S.
Published: July 2007

Synopsis

The first objective of the study was to verify that a controlled UV exposure of four areas of the forearms together with randomized product application enabled to compare treatment efficacy and then to compare the depigmenting efficacy of different products with a simple experimental method. Sixteen volunteers received 0.7 minimal erythermal dose for four consecutive days. Products tested were ellagic acid (0.5%), vitamin C (5%) and C8‐LHA (2%). Product application started 72 h post last exposure, was repeated for 42 days, the control zone being exposed, non‐treated. Colour measurements included Chromameter®, Chromasphere®, Spectro‐colorimeter and visual assessment. Comparison of colour values at day 1 and at day 7 showed that all zones were comparably tanned, allowing a rigorous comparison of the treatments. We report a new simple experimental model, which enables the rapid comparison of different depigmenting products. The efficacy and good tolerance of C8‐LHA make it an excellent candidate for the treatment of hyperpigmentory disorders.
Love Thy Neighbour: How Much Bigotry Is There In Western Countries?
Authors: Borooah Vani K. , Mangan John
Published: July 2007

Borrowing from the well known measures of poverty, we propose analogous measures for the amount of prejudice in a country. Values of this index are derived from individual responses to the Human Beliefs and Values Survey's question: ‘Would you like to have persons from this group as your neighbours?’ We use data on the responses to (i) construct measures for the amount of bigotry in a country and rank Western countries on a bigotry scale; (ii) examine the social and economic factors which determine whether people are bigoted or bigotry‐free; (iii) examine three specific phobias to see whether the strength of the ‘bigotry‐determining factors’ varies according to the group being considered.
Incentives and Bonuses – The Case of the 2006 World Cup
Authors: Coupé Tom
Published: July 2007

This paper investigates the determinants and effects of bonus schemes used during the World Cup 2006.
Comparison of pathogen‐induced expression and efficacy of two amphibian antimicrobial peptides, MsrA2 and temporin A, for engineering wide‐spectrum disease resistance in tobacco
Authors: Yevtushenko Dmytro P. , Misra Santosh
Published: July 2007

The rapid accumulation of defensive transgene products in plants only on pathogen invasion has clear advantages over their constitutive synthesis. In this study, two antimicrobial peptides from the skin secretions of frogs, MsrA2 (N‐methionine‐dermaseptin B1) and temporin A, were evaluated for engineering pathogen‐induced disease resistance in plants. Both peptides inhibited plant‐specific pathogens in vitro at micromolar concentrations that were not toxic to plant protoplasts. The plant‐optimized nucleotide sequences encoding MsrA2 and temporin A were transcriptionally fused to the inducible win3.12T poplar promoter, which had strong systemic activity in response to fungal infection, and introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi). Transgene expression was very low in the leaves of unstressed plants; however, it was strongly increased after pathogen challenge or wounding. The pathogen responsiveness of the win3.12T promoter was found to be universal rather than species specific, with high activity in response to all pathogens tested. On induction, the amount of MsrA2 was up to 6–7 µg per gram of fresh leaf tissue. Most importantly, the induced accumulation of MsrA2 and temporin A in transgenic tobacco was sufficient to confer resistance to a variety of phytopathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the oomycete Pythium aphanidermatum and the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum. The accumulation of these peptides in transgenic plants did not alter the normal phenotype of tobacco. Thus, the expression of MsrA2 and temporin A in a pathogen‐inducible manner enables the development of tobacco, and possibly other plant species, with wide‐spectrum disease resistance, which can reduce the use of pesticides and the associated environmental risks.
Improving containment strategies in biopharming
Authors: Murphy Denis J.
Published: July 2007

This review examines the challenges of segregating biopharmed crops expressing pharmaceutical or veterinary agents from mainstream crops, particularly those destined for food or feed use. The strategy of using major food crops as production vehicles for the expression of pharmaceutical or veterinary agents is critically analysed in the light of several recent episodes of contamination of the human food chain by non‐approved crop varieties. Commercially viable strategies to limit or avoid biopharming intrusion into the human food chain require the more rigorous segregation of food and non‐food varieties of the same crop species via a range of either physical or biological methods. Even more secure segregation is possible by the use of non‐food crops, non‐crop plants or in vitro plant cultures as production platforms for biopharming. Such platforms already under development range from outdoor‐grown Nicotiana spp. to glasshouse‐grown Arabidopsis, lotus and moss. Amongst the more effective methods for biocontainment are the plastid expression of transgenes, inducible and transient expression systems, and physical containment of plants or cell cultures. In the current atmosphere of heightened concerns over food safety and biosecurity, the future of biopharming may be largely determined by the extent to which the sector is able to maintain public confidence via a more considered approach to containment and security of its plant production systems.
Modeling Starting Point Bias as Unobserved Heterogeneity in Contingent Valuation Surveys: An Application to Air Pollution
Authors: Aprahamian Frédéric , Chanel Olivier , Luchini Stéphane
Published: July 2007

Up to now, the starting point bias has generally been considered to be a homogeneous phenomenon. In this article, we treat anchoring as an unobserved heterogeneous phenomenon. Our contribution is twofold. First, we show analytically and by way of simulations that assuming homogeneous anchoring can be hazardous and lead to misspecifications. Second, we propose an econometric model that starts with a dichotomous question and then uses an open‐ended question. We finally apply our model to a contingent valuation survey on air quality. Our results suggest that how anchoring is modeled in empirical studies deserves more attention.
Using Ex Ante Approaches to Obtain Credible Signals for Value in Contingent Markets: Evidence from the Field
Authors: Landry Craig E. , List John A.
Published: July 2007

While contingent valuation remains the only option available for measurement of total economic value of nonmarketed goods, the method has been criticized due to its hypothetical nature. We analyze field experimental data to evaluate two ex ante approaches to attenuating hypothetical bias, directly comparing value statements across four distinct referenda: hypothetical, “cheap talk,” “consequential,” and real. Our empirical evidence suggests two major findings: hypothetical responses are significantly different from real responses; and responses in the consequential and cheap talk treatments are statistically indistinguishable from real responses. We review the potential for each method to produce reliable results in the field.
Transport and the rural economy: Institutions and institutional change in Ambeso Village, Indonesia
Authors: Sabandar William
Published: July 2007

This paper is concerned with the interaction between transport improvements and the rural economy. An institutional approach, based primarily on the new institutionalism theory, was used as the theoretical basis for the analysis. Using the evidence from Ambeso Village of Tana Toraja District, Indonesia, the paper examines the way transport improvements have been introduced and provided opportunities for positive change as well as individual responses to these opportunities. The paper ends by emphasising the role of institutions in the interaction between transport and the rural economy and the need for transport policy and research to transcend its traditional boundaries and address the complexities of institutions and institutional change.
Transnationalism through the life course: Hong Kong immigrants in Canada
Authors: Kobayashi Audrey , Preston Valerie
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  Transnationalism needs to be understood as a set of practices fashioned through the life course as well as in relation to contextual factors that include state policy and experiences of discrimination that affect entry to the labour force. The paradox of transnationalism is that families make strategic decisions to separate in order to maintain family unity and to advance the welfare of children. Emigrants from Hong Kong to Canada in the latter decades of the twentieth century were motivated by concern for family welfare and the quality of education in Canada. Yet economic livelihood prospects remained greater in Hong Kong than in Canada, prompting many families to become transnational ‘astronaut’ families with one or more members working in Hong Kong. Migration decisions tend to occur around key points of life‐course transition involving entry to and graduation from education, and entry to and exit from the labour force. Transnational practices are complex and multigenerational, involving different patterns for young adults, those in their middle years and the elderly.
Challenging the developmental state: Nature conservation in Singapore
Authors: Neo Harvey
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  Nature conservation efforts are often reactive to encroaching development plans and systematic conservation planning that is integral with development is not only uncommon, but is often fraught with difficulties even where it is actually attempted. Such obstacles to conservation are especially apparent in developmental states where state legitimacy is largely derived from the state's ability to develop the country. Among other things, developmental states place a premium on physical and economic development. This paper critiques, through the standpoint of nature conservation, the inadequate conceptualisation of ‘development’ in the developmental state thesis. Specifically, this paper argues that the seemingly value‐free (but ultimately economically based) underpinnings of development goals pushed by the developmental state needs to be tempered with a broader concern for the ethics of development. To that end, I draw on two case studies of nature conservation tussles in Singapore to show how alternative extra‐economic visions of development have been articulated, notwithstanding the developmental state's monopoly on the discourse (and practice) of progress and development. The case studies, set in the heady economic growth of the early 1990s, will critique two related aspects of the developmental state: its ‘amoral’ economistic conception of development and its use of growth and materialism as legitimacy.
Yaqona and the Fijian periphery revisited
Authors: Sofer Michael
Published: July 2007

Abstract:  This paper deals with some major economic issues concerning the Pacific plant kava, known in Fiji as yaqona. The plant is the source of the cerebral depressant beverage found throughout many of the Pacific Islands, which besides its daily use plays an important ceremonial and social role in the indigenous culture. This paper deals with yaqona cultivation and commercialisation in the Fijian peripheral island of Kadavu, from a perspective of more than 20 years. The findings suggest that the role of the plant as a major cash crop is even more important than it was in the first half of the 1980s. Moreover, the village semi‐subsistence economy has become increasingly dependent on this crop as part of its survival strategy. The explanations offered are related to physical and ecological conditions and the associated agrotechnical advantages in Kadavu; marketing advantages and worsening terms of trade experienced by the Fijian periphery; and the lack of other economic opportunities in peripheral areas of Fiji, such as Kadavu – in turn, a function of core–periphery relationships. This is a response of the periphery to the increasing marginalisation within the Fiji state and may imply villagers' and communities' acceptance of their marginal position in the economy.
New urban poverty in China: Economic restructuring and transformation of welfare provision
Authors: Wu Fulong , Huang Ningying
Published: July 2007

Abstract: This paper examines the new urban poverty in China since the deepening of market‐oriented reform in the 1990s and argues that the institutional process goes beyond recent market‐oriented reforms. Poverty generation is driven by broad economic restructuring and transformation of welfare provision. De‐industrialisation and decline in state‐owned enterprises have generated a significant number of laid‐off workers, forming the new urban poor who are simultaneously confronted with the transformation of welfare provision. The loss of workplace‐based entitlement is a direct cause of their poverty or exacerbates their underprivileged conditions. For at least a significant proportion of new urban poor without the hope of returning to the mainstream labour market, the minimum living standard support programme in fact captures them at the edge of survival.
‘A good site for health’: Missionaries and the pathological geography of central southern Africa
Authors: Endfield Georgina H. , Nash David J.
Published: July 2007

Throughout much of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the tropics and subtropics were constructed as a relatively homogenous realm. The supposed ‘pathological potency’ of these regions was assumed to render them particularly hazardous for European constitutions relative to ‘temperate’ locations. The interior of Africa represented one such apparently pestilential place. This paper examines how the experiences of nineteenth‐century missionaries based at various stations in central southern Africa might have been influenced by popular and scientific debates focusing on environment, climate and health in Africa. We also illustrate how their perspectives may have challenged popular homogenized conceptualizations of interior Africa as a uniformly dangerous place for Europeans and helped to identify a spatially varied pathological geography of the region.
Rapid urbanization in a transitional economy in China: The case of Hainan Island
Authors: Gu Kai , Wall Geoffrey
Published: July 2007

The outcomes and forms of urbanization and modernization in China following the reform and opening of the late 1970s have attracted extensive attention and competing interpretations in scholarly documentation. This paper focuses on Hainan Island, established in 1988 as the biggest special economic zone in China. Since then, considerable inflows of human as well as speculative capital have led to rapid real estate, in particular tourism‐related, development. While urban expansion and improvements have been encouraged, the ongoing over‐building, unregulated conversion of land use and degradation of the urban environment present serious social and economic problems. This paper summarizes the trajectory, causal factors and outcomes of this urban growth and consequent planning problems that make the island an atypical case in China’s urbanization experience. We argue that the establishment of a practical framework combining socioeconomic planning, land use planning, and the management of both, is crucial to achieve sustainable growth for this transitional economy.
These roads were made for walking? The nature and use of rural public transport services in Garut Regency, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Johnston D.C.
Published: July 2007

Public passenger transport services receive relatively little space in the literatures on rural transport in developing economies, which mostly focus on the provision, or socioeconomic impacts, of roads. The implication is either that rural people are able to purchase or have access to motorized transport – or that they can walk on thoroughfares intended for vehicles. Statistics from Indonesia show that a low proportion of rural households own motor vehicles, but that rural bus services have seen a substantial expansion since the late 1970s; however, the coverage of the rural population is not complete. Based on survey data from villages (desa) in West Java, Indonesia, this paper explores several issues with respect to bus operations and motorcycle taxi (ojek) services in rural areas: the nature of public passenger services, the users of those services and the nature of trips made.
Institutions, the governance of quality and on‐farm value retention for Indonesian specialty coffee
Authors: Neilson Jeff
Published: July 2007

Fluctuating global commodity prices affect the livelihoods of millions of tropical farmers worldwide. In recent years, systemic oversupply of many tropical agricultural products, grown in countries such as Indonesia, has meant that agricultural incomes have continuously fallen below subsistence levels. Within an increasingly open global trade regime, along with the limited ability of governments to protect domestic farm prices, quality‐informed product differentiation appears to offer an escape route from the trap of low commodity prices. However, ownership and governance of quality constructions are fundamental to determining who benefits from such differentiation. This paper examines the use of geographical identities as a specific tool for value‐adding in agricultural produce, presenting the case of specialty coffee production in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The potential for producer‐driven geographical indications compete with corporate‐driven quality constructions, where the latter are able to appropriate place‐related quality associations by using trademarks, vertical integration and tightly coordinated supply chain controls. An emergent politic of quality governance and ownership in global commodity chains reveals the highly restricted institutional terrain within which growers of specialty coffee might attempt to retain a higher share of the economic rent associated with quality production.
Beyond antidevelopment: Discourses, convergences, practices
Authors: Simon David
Published: July 2007

Formulations of anti‐ and postdevelopment are held by some critics to be more appropriate and sensitive successors to development, predicated on the assumption that it is essential to escape and transcend the discredited nature of ‘the development project’. Yet, many such proposals remain unsubstantiated or have not provided significant gains beyond the now very animated theoretical debates. This paper seeks to transcend some of the associated divisions that are hampering progress towards the largely shared goals. A process of progressive convergence in alternative, critical and postdevelopment thinking is advocated and this paper outlines some promising directions being taken by such discursive and practical endeavours.
Geographies of the tropical Internet: An overview
Authors: Warf Barney
Published: July 2007

The literature on the geography of cyberspace has focused heavily on the economically developed countries in the mid‐latitude regions of the world. This paper addresses the spatiality of the Internet among countries located in the tropics. It charts the network of optical fibre lines that make access possible and the critical role played by telecommunications deregulation. It also accounts for the rapidly changing pools and explosive growth of Internet users between 2000 and 2005 in relation to the socioeconomic variables closely associated with access: costs, wealth, literacy and telephone penetration rates. Finally, the paper also looks at government censorship in various regional contexts and summarizes the status of e‐commerce and e‐government in different regions within the tropics.
Constructing optimal randomized response designs with consideration for the level of privacy protection
Authors: Huang Kuo‐Chung
Published: July 2007

This paper considers the problem of procuring truthful responses to estimate the proportion of qualitative characteristics. In order to protect the respondent's privacy, various techniques of generating randomized response rather than direct response are available in the literature. But the theory concerning them is generally developed with no attention to the required level of privacy protection. Illustrating two randomization devices, we show how optimal randomized response designs may be achieved. The optimal designs of forced response procedure as well asBHARGAVA and SINGH [Statistica (2000)Vol. 6, pp 315–321] procedure are shown to be special cases. In addition, the equivalent designs of optimalWARNER[Journal of the American Statistical Association (1965) Vol. 60, pp. 63–69] procedure are considered as well. It is also shown that stratification with proportional allocation will be helpful for improving the estimation efficiency.
A new continuous distribution and two new families of distributions based on the exponential
Authors: Jasso Guillermina , Kotz Samuel
Published: July 2007

Recent work on social status led to derivation of a new continuous distribution based on the exponential. The new variate, termed the ring(2)‐exponential, in turn leads to derivation of two closely related new families of continuous distributions, the mirror‐exponential and the ring‐exponential. Both the standard exponential and the ring(2)‐exponential are special cases of both the new families. In this paper, we first focus on the ring(2)‐exponential, describing its derivation and examining its properties, and next introduce the two new families, describing their derivation and initiating exploration of their properties. The mirror‐exponential arises naturally in the study of status; the ring‐exponential arises from the mathematical structure of the ring(2)‐exponential. Both have the potential for broad application in diverse contexts across science and engineering. Within sociobehavioral contexts, the new mirror‐exponential may have application to the problem of approximating the form and inequality of the wage distribution.
A Bayesian approach for exact optimal measurement and cutting times for a Eucalyptus production forest
Authors: Paulo M. J. , Otten A.
Published: July 2007

This paper addresses the design for supporting the optimal decision on tree cutting in a Portuguese eucalyptus production forest. Trees are usually cut at the biological rotation age, i.e. the age which maximizes the yearly volume production. Here we aim the maximization of the long‐term yearly volume yield reduced by harvest costs. We consider different growth curves, with a known prior distribution, that can occur in each rotation. The optimal cutting time at each rotation depends both on the current growth curve and on the prior distribution. Different priors and strategies are compared with respect to the long‐term production. Optimization of the cutting time allows an improvement of 16% of the long‐term volume production. We conclude that the use of optimal designs can be beneficial for tree cutting in modern production forests.
Adaptive two‐treatment two‐period crossover design for binary treatment responses
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Uttam , Biswas Atanu , Mukherjee Shirsendu
Published: July 2007

Adaptive designs are sometimes used in a phase III clinical trial with the aim, of allocating a larger number of patients to the better treatment. In the present paper, we use some adaptive designs in a two‐treatment two‐period crossover design where the treatment responses are binary. We use some simple designs to choose between the possible treatment combinations AA, AB, BA or BB. The goal is to use the better treatment a larger proportion of times. We calculate the allocation proportions to the possible treatment combinations and their standard deviations. We also study related inferential problems. Related asymptotics are derived. The proposed procedure is compared with some possible competitors. Finally, we use real data to illustrate the applicability of our proposed design.
Examining Associations between Occupation and Health by using Routinely Collected Data
Authors: Carpenter Lucy M. , Maconochie Noreen E. S. , Roman Eve , Cox D. R.
Published: July 2007

When examining a large number of associations simultaneously, as happens when routinely collected data are used to assess associations between occupation and health, it is not obvious how best to identify associations requiring further investigation since some risks may be high, or low, by chance alone. We have developed an approach to deal with this problem which is relatively easy to apply and appropriate to applications where data are not too sparse. Observed to expected ratios are estimated using an empirical Bayes procedure. Anomalous associations can be seen as outliers in a normal probability plot of the log-ratios. The method is illustrated in the analysis of 252 000 cancers registered in men in England during 1981–87.
THE LABOUR MARKET AND TECHNICAL CHANGE IN ENDOGENOUS CYCLES
Authors: Ferri Piero
Published: July 2007

The paper examines how a macro model, where there is an endogenous technical progress and strong interdependence between real and monetary aspects in both the labour and capital markets, can generate endogenous business cycles. This approach helps to understand the ambiguity of the NAIRU, the nature of the Phillips curve and the impact of labour productivity changes on the curve itself. Finally, the presence of expectation functions based upon a Markov‐switching time series process fosters endogenous dynamics and contributes to make asymmetries an important feature of the cycles.
EMULATION, PREVENTION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION IN CONSUMPTION DYNAMICS
Authors: Fatás‐Villafranca Francisco , Saura Dulce , Vázquez Francisco J.
Published: July 2007

In this paper we show that the role of diversity, local interactions and global endogenous change at the level of social standards might be crucial in understanding the evolution of consumption patterns in modern economies. We propose an evolutionary model from which consumption dynamics can be analyzed as global properties emerging from the endogenous transformation of a society inhabited by boundedly rational interactive consumers. This work aspires to take a modest step forward in the direction of an evolutionary theory of demand change.
Effect of gabapentin on oculomotor control and parkinsonism in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy
Authors: Poujois A. , Vidailhet M. , Trocello J.‐M. , Bourdain F. , Gaymard B. , Rivaud‐Péchoux S.
Published: July 2007

The efficacy of gabapentin on motor, oculomotor and frontal lobe symptoms was evaluated in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in a pilot study. Fourteen patients were included and seven of them received gabapentin. Clinical evaluation and horizontal eye movement recordings were performed at inclusion and 5‐weeks later. Motor score and saccade latency in the visually guided saccade (VGS) task were identical in the two groups. However, the error rate in the antisaccade task was significantly decreased in the gabapentin group. This preliminary study shows that gabapentin improves reflexive saccade inhibition in patients with PSP but does not improve the latency of VGSs.
Treatment of hemiplegic migraine with triptans
Authors: Artto V. , Nissilä M. , Wessman M. , Palotie A. , Färkkilä M. , Kallela M.
Published: July 2007

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of triptans in patients who suffer from familial or sporadic hemiplegic migraine. Seventy‐six subjects had used triptans at least once as an abortive treatment. Average triptan response was 6.9 (SD ±3.1) and adverse event severity 4.9 (SD ±3.3) on a scale from 0 to 10 (no response or side effect 0, excellent response or unbearable side effects 10). None of the patients had an ischaemic stroke or a heart attack. One patient reported prolonged neurological symptoms, related to a single dose of rizatriptan, but there were no pathological findings in several MRI‐scans. Triptans seem to be safe and effective treatment for most hemiplegic migraine patients.
NAD(P)H oxidase p22phox C242T polymorphism and ischemic stroke in Japan: the Fukuoka Stroke Registry and the Hisayama study
Authors: Kuroda J. , Kitazono T. , Ago T. , Ninomiya T. , Ooboshi H. , Kamouchi M. , Kumai Y. , Hagiwara N. , Yoshimura S. , Tamaki K. , Kusuda K. , Fujii K. , Nagao T. , Okada Y. , Toyoda K. , Nakane H. , Sugimori H. , Yamashita Y. , Wakugawa Y. , Asano K. , Tanizaki Y. , Kiyohara Y. , Ibayashi S. , Iida M.
Published: July 2007

The C242T polymorphism of p22phox, a component of NAD(P)H oxidase, may have an impact on cardiovascular diseases; however, the association between this polymorphism and brain infarction is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the relationship between the C242T polymorphism and brain infarction in Japan. We recruited 1055 patients with brain infarction and 1055 control subjects. A chi‐squared test revealed that the T‐allele frequency was lower in patients with cardioembolic infarction (5.6%) than in control subjects (11.0%, P < 0.001); however, allele frequencies in patients with lacunar and atherothrombotic infarction (11.2%) were not significantly different from those in control subjects (11.0%). A multivariate‐adjusted conditional logistic regression analysis also revealed no association between CT + TT genotype, and lacunar and atherothrombotic infarction (odds ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval: 0.72–1.32). To investigate the functional effects of the C242T polymorphism, we examined superoxide production in COS‐7 cells cotransfected with Nox4 and p22phox of each genotype. The superoxide‐producing activity in those cells expressing p22phox with the T allele was not significantly different from that in cells expressing p22phox with the C allele. The present results suggest that the p22phox C242T polymorphism may have a protective effect against cardioembolic infarction, but is not related to lacunar and atherothrombotic infarction in Japan.
Polymorphisms in the coagulation factor VII gene and risk of primary intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Greisenegger S. , Weber M. , Funk M. , Endler G. , Lang W. , Ferrari J. , Lalouschek W. , Mannhalter C.
Published: July 2007

Data concerning genetic factors that may influence the risk of primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH) are scarce. One previous study, indicated that the carriers of the (‐323)Ins allele of the coagulation factor VII (FVII) have an increased risk of PICH. Another recent study, tested the effect of apolipoprotein E. We analyzed, whether the (‐401)G → T polymorphism, which is in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the 10‐bp Ins/Del polymorphism at position (‐323), or the (‐402)G → A polymorphisms of the FVII gene are associated with an increased risk for PICH. We performed a small case–control study in 85 patients with PICH and in 85 healthy control subjects. To each patient a control was individually matched for age, gender, and hypertension. We did not find any significant differences in allele frequencies for the A allele of the FVII (‐402)G → A polymorphism (0.25 vs. 0.25; P = 0.900, OR = 1, ns.) nor for the T Allele of the FVII (‐401)G → T polymorphism (0.09 vs. 0.12; P = 0.480, OR = 1.38, ns.). The analysis of haplotype distributions did not reveal significant differences. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the investigated polymorphisms in the FVII gene are significantly associated with the risk for PICH.
Is smoking an extra hazard in pregnant MS women? Findings from a population‐based registry in Norway
Authors: Dahl J. , Myhr K.‐M. , Daltveit A. K. , Skjaerven R. , Gilhus N. E.
Published: July 2007

Multiple sclerosis (MS) in women leads to increased risk of operative delivery and reduced birth weight, which are presumably related to the neurological dysfunction in this patient group. Lifestyle factors may also contribute, and we therefore investigated smoking habits and relevant social factors in pregnant MS women. In total, 372 128 births were registered in the compulsory Medical Birth Registry of Norway from December 1, 1998 to October 6, 2005, and of them 250 by MS mothers. The MS births were compared with all the non‐MS births. Smoking during pregnancy was not increased in the MS group compared with the non‐MS references. From 1998 to 2005 the MS group had a larger reduction in smoking rate during pregnancy than the reference group. The differences in pregnancy and birth outcome between smokers and non‐smokers were similar in the MS and the reference group. Those in the smoking MS group had no increase in birth complications, operative interventions or negative birth outcome compared with those in the smoking reference group. Smoking during pregnancy did not explain the birth weight reduction found for newborns of MS mothers.
EFNS guidelines on neurostimulation therapy for neuropathic pain
Authors: Cruccu G. , Aziz T. Z. , Garcia‐Larrea L. , Hansson P. , Jensen T. S. , Lefaucheur J.‐P. , Simpson B. A. , Taylor R. S.
Published: July 2007

Pharmacological relief of neuropathic pain is often insufficient. Electrical neurostimulation is efficacious in chronic neuropathic pain and other neurological diseases. European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) launched a Task Force to evaluate the evidence for these techniques and to produce relevant recommendations. We searched the literature from 1968 to 2006, looking for neurostimulation in neuropathic pain conditions, and classified the trials according to the EFNS scheme of evidence for therapeutic interventions. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is efficacious in failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I (level B recommendation). High‐frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may be better than placebo (level C) although worse than electro‐acupuncture (level B). One kind of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has transient efficacy in central and peripheral neuropathic pains (level B). Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is efficacious in central post‐stroke and facial pain (level C). Deep brain stimulation (DBS) should only be performed in experienced centres. Evidence for implanted peripheral stimulations is inadequate. TENS and r‐TMS are non‐invasive and suitable as preliminary or add‐on therapies. Further controlled trials are warranted for SCS in conditions other than failed back surgery syndrome and CRPS and for MCS and DBS in general. These chronically implanted techniques provide satisfactory pain relief in many patients, including those resistant to medication or other means.
A self‐motives perspective on feedback‐seeking behavior: Linking organizational behavior and social psychology research
Authors: Anseel Frederik , Lievens Filip , Levy Paul E.
Published: July 2007

Both the feedback‐seeking literature in management and the self‐motives domain in social psychology have focused on how motives affect the way in which people acquire information for self‐evaluation purposes. Despite apparent conceptual similarities, the implications of research in these domains have not been fully integrated. This paper aims to link research on feedback‐seeking behavior to recent theoretical developments in social psychology. First, the current perspective in management on feedback‐seeking motives is depicted. Second, a well‐established framework of self‐motives in social psychology is introduced. Third, similarities and differences between these two motivational perspectives are discussed and a first step towards integration is proposed. Fourth, it is demonstrated how a self‐motives perspective might guide future research on six key issues. Self‐motives might be useful in identifying new antecedents of feedback‐seeking behavior, resolving inconsistencies in the feedback‐seeking literature, understanding the interplay among feedback‐seeking motives, integrating feedback‐seeking and feedback reactions research, examining attitudinal outcomes of feedback‐seeking motives, and enhancing the feedback–performance relationship.
Marketing mix standardization in multinational corporations: A review of the evidence
Authors: Birnik Andreas , Bowman Cliff
Published: July 2007

This paper reports the findings of a systematic review of literature on marketing mix standardization in multinational corporations. The objective is to extract and synthesize ‘best evidence’ regarding marketing mix standardization practices in multinational corporations and to identify evidence regarding the performance impact of marketing mix standardization. Beyond relevance to an academic audience, this review could be useful for management practitioners in multinationals seeking to integrate operations across borders. In this context, the paper seeks to make a contribution to evidence based policy and practice.
Two Cases of Symptomatic Cluster-Like Headache Suggest the Importance of Sympathetic/Parasympathetic Balance
Authors: Straube A , Freilinger T , Rüther T , Padovan C
Published: July 2007

Despite several reports on symptomatic cluster-like headache, there is no clear explanation of how different lesions thought to be causative are related to cluster-like headache. On the basis of two additional cases of symptomatic cluster headache, we discuss the possibility that an acute imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, namely a net overactivity of the parasympathetic system, may be able to trigger these headache attacks in patients who probably have an additional individual predisposition to react with a cluster-like headache. Such an imbalance can be due to an increase in parasympathetic tone (e.g. stimulation of parasympathetic fibres) or to a reduction of the sympathetic tone (e.g. a lesion of the sympathetic fibres).
Nocturnal Secretion of Growth Hormone, Noradrenaline, Cortisol and Insulin in Cluster Headache Remission
Authors: Meyer EL , Marcus C , Waldenlind E
Published: July 2007

We have previously shown decreased, nocturnal lipolysis in both phases of cluster headache (CH). Lipolysis is stimulated by noradrenaline (NA), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol, and inhibited by insulin, hormones which are directly or indirectly regulated by the hypothalamus. Our aim was to investigate the nocturnal secretion of NA, GH, cortisol and insulin in nine CH patients in remission and 10 healthy controls. Nocturnal venous blood samples were collected in hourly intervals for analysis of NA, cortisol and insulin and in 30-min intervals for GH. We found a reduced increase in GH between 24.00 h and 01.00 h (ANOVA, P < 0.05) in CH patients. Nocturnal secretion of NA, cortisol and insulin did not differ significantly between the groups. The altered nocturnal GH pattern that was seen in CH patients in remission might in part explain the altered nocturnal lipolysis previously found and further indicate a permanent hypothalamic disturbance in CH.
Control of atopic eczema with pimecrolimus cream 1% under daily practice conditions: results of a > 2000 patient study
Authors: Ring J , Abraham A , De Cuyper C , Kim K , Langeland T , Parra V , Pigatto P , Reunala T , Szczepanski R , Möhrenschlager M , Bräutigam M , Rossi AB , Meents‐Kopecky E , Schneider D
Published: July 2007

Background  Pimecrolimus cream 1% has been shown to effectively control atopic eczema (AE) when applied twice daily from the first signs or symptoms of AE until clearance. Moreover, pimecrolimus cream 1% has a favourable safety profile, lacking topical corticosteroid‐related side‐effects such as skin atrophy, making it particularly useful to treat delicate body regions (e.g. the face).

Objective  The objective of this naturalistic study was to monitor the safety, tolerability and efficacy of pimecrolimus when used in the long‐term management of AE in a real‐life setting.

Methods  A multicentre, open‐label study was conducted in 2034 patients aged ≥ 3 months with mild to moderate AE for up to 12 months’ duration. Patients applied pimecrolimus cream twice daily, initiating treatment at first signs or symptoms of AE, continuing until clearance.

Results  Patients (n= 1847; 91%) completed 3 months of the study. Treatment success (clear or almost clear AE) after 3 months of treatment was observed on the whole body in 59% of patients and on the face in 81% of patients. Disease improvement of whole body and face was seen in 77% and 63% of patients, respectively. Pruritus was absent or mild in 79% of patients. Pimecrolimus cream was well tolerated throughout the study.

Conclusion  In a daily practice setting, pimecrolimus cream 1% effectively and safely controls AE.