bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of telecare in the management of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the home
Authors: Mair F S , Wilkinson M , Bonnar S A , Wootton R , Angus R M
Published: October 2002

We examined home care as an alternative to hospital admission in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We performed a pilot study to investigate the feasibility of using telecommunications technology to assist in the support of acutely ill patients with exacerbations of COPD at home. Realtime, interactive video, via an analogue videophone, was used to allow patients in their own homes to obtain nursing support from a nurse located at a distant base station. Six individuals, four male and two female, had video-phones installed in their homes by members of the nursing intervention team. The age range was 52–72 years, mean 61.5. These patients used the system on 18 occasions. Experience in home telecare, via interactive video, has been limited to provision of ongoing support for relatively stable individuals with chronic illness. This pilot project represents the first attempt at providing home telecare in the UK to those experiencing an acute exacerbation of their chronic illness, who would otherwise have merited acute hospital admission.
A possible role of 20‐hydroxyecdysone in embryonic development of the silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: Makka Toshihiro , Seino Atsushi , Tomita Shuichiro , Fujiwara Haruhiko , Sonobe Haruyuki
Published: October 2002

It has been well established that eggs of insects, including those of the silkworm Bombyx mori, contain various ecdysteroids and the amounts of these ecdysteroids fluctuate during embryonic development. In order to know the function of egg ecdysteroids in embryonic development of B. mori, we examined the biological activities of various egg ecdysteroids by in vitro ligand‐binding assay and bioassay using B. mori eggs. First, using the ecdysteroid receptor of B. mori (BmEcR‐B1/BmUSP heterodimer) prepared by yeast and Escherichia coli expression systems, the interaction between the ecdysteroid receptor and various egg ecdysteroids of B. mori was analyzed. The relative binding affinities of egg ecdysteroids to the BmEcR‐B1/BmUSP heterodimer decreased in the order of 20‐hydroxyecdysone > 2‐deoxy‐20‐hydroxyecdysone > 22‐deoxy‐20‐hydroxyecdysone > ecdysone > 2‐deoxyecdysone > ecdysone 22‐phosphate. Next, several egg ecdysteroids of B. mori were injected into the prospective diapause eggs, which show a very low level of free ecdysteroids at the onset of embryonic diapause (gastrula stage). Approximately 7% of them (P < 0.002, χ2‐test) developed beyond the gastrula stage without entering diapause by the injection of 20‐hydroxyecdysone (25 ng/egg). In contrast, the injection of other ecdysteroids was not effective in inducing embryonic development. These results suggest that 20‐hydroxyecdysone, via the ecdysteroid receptor, is responsible for the developmental difference between diapause and non‐diapause in B. mori embryos. Furthermore, it was suggested that continuous supply of 20‐hydroxyecdysone may be required to induce embryonic development. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 51:111–120, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Individual and ecological assets and positive developmental trajectories among gang and community‐based organization youth
Authors: Taylor Carl S. , Lerner Richard M. , von Eye Alexander , Balsano Aida Bilalbegovic , Dowling Elizabeth M. , Anderson Pamela M. , Bobek Deborah L. , Bjelobrk Dragana
Published: October 2002

The Search Institute framework for conceptualizing developmental assets was used in a longitudinal study of African American male youth involved in gangs or in community‐based organizations (CBOs) serving youth. Analyses of intraindividual change indicated that individual and ecological assets are linked to positive developmental trajectories among these youth.
Population Growth, Urbanisation and the Role of Government in China: A Political Economic Model of Demographic Change
Authors: Feng Yi , Kugler Jacek , Zak Paul J.
Published: October 2002

This essay uses a political economy model to study the relationship between urbanisation and demographic change in China. The model identifies political stability and government capacity as two crucial factors that shape family decisions regarding the number of children. As population growth and economic growth are interrelated, a government can use the political process to achieve its economic objectives. The implications of the model are tested using Chinese data for 1960-95. The results show that, while those in the urban areas are supportive of the model, birth rates in the countryside do not confirm the theoretical proposal. The major policy implication of this discrepancy is that, in order to sustain its economic development, China must urbanise the countryside to facilitate not only economic but also political development so that a set of conditions favouring long-term growth can be generated.
Studies to Investigate the Absorption and Excretion of Shea Oleine Sterols in Rat and Man
Authors: Earl Lesley K. , Baldrick Paul , Hepburn Paul A.
Published: October 2002

Shea oleine (SU), an oil fraction derived from the nut of the African tree, Butyrospermum parkii, is used as a frying oil and, after hardening (SH), in margarine and toffee fat. Both SU and SH contain a high level (approximately 8%) of 4,4-dimethylsterols (4,4-DMS), mostly as esters of cinnamic acid. As part of a series of studies evaluating SU, investigations to study rat and human dietary utilization were carried out. These comprised fecal fat analysis of groups of Wistar rats and a small number (four subjects) of human volunteers. Groups of rats were administered SU in a semisynthetic diet over 3 weeks at up to 20% in the diet (approximately 10 g/kg/day). In the human study, four male volunteers consumed a single 25-g portion of SU (approximately 0.4 g/kg) and ate no other vegetable fat during the course of the study. No preferential absorption of any of the 4,4-DMS occurred in the rat or man. Apparent absorption of the most prominent sterol fraction in the unsaponifiable material, 4,4-DMS, as estimated by its disappearance from feces, was similar in both species (27% to 52% in the rat compared with 13% to 49% in human subjects). Both rats and humans showed a similar profile of dietary and fecal 4,4-DMS fraction sterol components.
A Study to Develop Methodology for Feeding 24-Hour-Old Neonatal Swine for 3 Weeks
Authors: Wedig John , Christian Mildred S. , Hoberman Alan , Diener Robert M. , Thomas-Wedig Rita
Published: October 2002

Pediatric evaluations are useful only when the animal model and human neonate have similar timing in system development. The objective of this study was to compare the growth of 24-hour-old swine provided 3 different feeding regimens of a simulated sow milk formula for 3 weeks. Three groups of three swine per sex were used. Group 1 was fed every 4 hours for weeks 1 through 3. Group 2 was fed every 3 hours during week 1 and every 4 hours during weeks 2 and 3. Group 3 (as close to ad libitum as possible) was fed every 2 hours for the first 2 days; every 2.5 hours for the next 2 days; every 3 hours for the next 3 days; and every 4 hours during weeks 2 and 3. No mortality occurred. Body weights were within normal limits. Organ weights, physical and ophthahnologic examinations, hematology and serum chemistry parameters, gross necropsy observations, and microscopic evaluation of the brain, liver, and kidneys were not affected by the three feeding regimens. Day 21 body weight gain of group 3 was greater than that for groups 1 or 2. Mean formula consumption (ounces/day) over 21 days was significantly increased ( p <.01) for group 3 (males and combined sexes) compared to the two other groups, supporting the greater weight gain of group 3 versus groups 1 and 2 over the 21-day feeding period. Body weights of the piglets fed simulated sow milk and historical control 21-day-old suckling pigs were within the same range. Only the labor-intensive feeding of simulated sow milk in a regimen close to ad libitum produced maximal weight gain in 24-hour-old piglets during the initial 3 weeks postpartum.
Standardization of Clinical Cholinesterase Measurements
Authors: Wilson Barry W. , Henderson John D. , Ramirez Al , O'Malley Michael A.
Published: October 2002

Previous studies showed that commonly used kits for measuring cholinesterases were not optimal for determining acetyl-cholinesterase (ACh E) activity. Clinical use of different kits and methodologies resulted in ACh E levels being reported in different units and activities that were not reproducible among laboratories. Findings such as these led to a revision in California regulations (covering ACh E measurements for pesticide worker safety) calling for clinical laboratories to standardize their findings. The laboratories were contacted and invited to participate in a split-sample study of human blood ACh E and nonspecific cholinesterase (BCh E) assays. Participating laboratories measured erythrocyte (RBC) ACh E and/or plasma BCh E from undiluted and 50% diluted blood, according to their practices. Aliquots of blood samples were shipped to University of California Davis for measurement, using an optimized semiautomated plate reader version of the method of Ellman. Nine of 25 laboratories sent samples for comparison. Two others performed their own comparisons and submitted data to the state. Best correlations were obtained with BCh E activity. Correlations ( r2) were.88 or above for four of five laboratories for BCh E, and above.9 for two of seven laboratories for ACh E. Reasons for poor correlations may include difficulties in pipetting RBCs, storage, and processing. A bovine ACh E RBC ghost “standard” was devised and tested. Activity of the preparation was maintained at-70°C for approximately 11 months. A test with an East coast laboratory resulted in a high correlation, demonstrating the reliability of the RBC ghost standard and that one laboratory can replicate the ACh E findings of another. The overall poor correlation of interlaboratory cholinesterase results points to the need to further standardize sample handling and assay methods.
Importance of Respiratory Exposure to Pesticides Among Agricultural Populations
Authors: Dowling Kathryn C. , Seiber James N.
Published: October 2002

In the majority of cases, respiratory exposure accounts for a small fraction of total body exposure to pesticides; however, higher volatility pesticides pose a greater risk for exposure, particularly in enclosed spaces and near application sites. In 2000, nearly 22 million pounds of activeingredients designated as toxic air contaminants (TACs) were applied as pesticides in California (combined agricultural and reportable non-agricultural uses; California Department of Pesticide Regulation, 2001a, Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data, 2000, Sacramento, CA: author). Agricultural workers and agricultural community residents are at particular risk for exposure to these compounds. The TAC program in California, and more recently the federal Clean Air Act amendments, have begun to address the exposures of these groups and have promulgated exposure guidelines that are, in general, much more stringent than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) worker exposure guidelines. Choosing lower volatility pesticides, lower concentrations of activeingredients, and handling equipment designed to minimize exposure can often reduce worker respiratory exposures significantly. The use of personal protective equipment, which would be facilitated by the development of more ergonomic alternatives, is important in these higher respiratory exposure situations. Finally, in the case of community residents, measures taken to protect workers often translate to lower ambient air concentrations, but further study and development of buffer zones and application controls in a given area are necessary to assure community protection.
Pesticide Impacts on Communities and Schools
Authors: Ames Richard G.
Published: October 2002

Early efforts directed toward the development of pesticide regulations addressed serious acute illnesses associated with pesticide mixing, loading, and application. As those pesticide exposures and illnesses came under control through official regulatory action, attention has turned toward problems associated with the impacts of pesticides on communities and schools. By contrast to the early successes in bringing major acute poisoning under control, the problems of pesticide impacts on communities and schools have been especially difficult to resolve through the regulatory process. This article discusses the dynamics of the new and emerging impacts of pesticides on communities and schools, with an emphasis upon California experiences.
Differences Between Children and Adults: Implications for Risk Assessment at California EPA
Authors: Miller Mark D. , Marty Melanie A. , Arcus Amy , Brown Joseph , Morry David , Sandy Martha
Published: October 2002

The California legislature enacted a law requiring the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to evaluate whether our risk assessment methodologies are adequately protective of infants and children. In addition both OEHHA and the California Air Resources Board must examine whether the Ambient Air Quality Standards set for criteria air pollutants and the health values developed for air toxics are adequately protective of infants and children. We have initiated a program to look at potential differences in response to toxicants between children and adults. We are evaluating this issue from the perspective of exposure differences as well as toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic differences between children and adults. Data on specific chemicals are rather limited. As a result, we will be pooling information to determine whether there are generic differences between children and adults that may be applicable to risk assessment in general or to risk assessment of specific classes of compounds. This paper discusses the rationale for approaching the issue of determining whether our risk assessment methods are adequate for infants and children and includes a discussion of some of the available information on both qualitative and quantitative differences in response to toxicants between children and adults or immature and mature laboratory animals. We provide examples of differences between children and adults in absorption, metabolism, and excretion of toxicants as well as qualitative differences in toxic response.
Transcription Profiling ofCandida albicansCells Undergoing the Yeast-to-Hyphal Transition
Authors: Nantel André , Dignard Daniel , Bachewich Catherine , Harcus Doreen , Marcil Anne , Bouin Anne-Pascale , Sensen Christoph W. , Hogues Hervé , van het Hoog Marco , Gordon Paul , Rigby Tracey , Benoit François , Tessier Daniel C. , Thomas David Y. , Whiteway Malcolm
Published: October 2002

The ability of the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans to switch from a yeast to a hyphal morphology in response to external signals is implicated in its pathogenicity. We used glass DNA microarrays to investigate the transcription profiles of 6333 predicted ORFs in cells undergoing this transition and their responses to changes in temperature and culture medium. We have identified several genes whose transcriptional profiles are similar to those of known virulence factors that are modulated by the switch to hyphal growth caused by addition of serum and a 37°C growth temperature. Time course analysis of this transition identified transcripts that are induced before germ tube initiation and shut off later in the developmental process. A strain deleted for the Efg1p and Cph1p transcription factors is defective in hyphae formation, and its response to serum and increased temperature is almost identical to the response of a wild-type strain grown at 37°C in the absence of serum. Thus Efg1p and Cph1p are needed for the activation of the transcriptional program that is induced by the presence of serum.
Self-Assembly of Highly Phosphorylated Silaffins and Their Function in Biosilica Morphogenesis
Authors: Kröger Nils , Lorenz Sonja , Brunner Eike , Sumper Manfred
Published: October 2002

Silaffins are uniquely modified peptides that have been implicated in the biogenesis of diatom biosilica. A method that avoids the harsh anhydrous hydrogen fluoride treatment commonly used to dissolve biosilica allows the extraction of silaffins in their native state. The native silaffins carry further posttranslational modifications in addition to their polyamine moieties. Each serine residue was phosphorylated, and this high level of phosphorylation is essential for biological activity. The zwitterionic structure of native silaffins enables the formation of supramolecular assemblies. Time-resolved analysis of silica morphogenesis in vitro detected a plastic silaffin-silica phase, which may represent a building material for diatom biosilica.
NONCOMMUTATIVE SYMMETRIC FUNCTIONS VI: FREE QUASI-SYMMETRIC FUNCTIONS AND RELATED ALGEBRAS
Authors: DUCHAMP GÉRARD , HIVERT FLORENT , THIBON JEAN-YVES
Published: October 2002

This article is devoted to the study of several algebras related to symmetric functions, which admit linear bases labelled by various combinatorial objects: permutations (free quasi-symmetric functions), standard Young tableaux (free symmetric functions) and packed integer matrices (matrix quasi-symmetric functions). Free quasi-symmetric functions provide a kind of noncommutative Frobenius characteristic for a certain category of modules over the 0-Hecke algebras. New examples of indecomposable Hn(0)-modules are discussed, and the homological properties of Hn(0) are computed for small n. Finally, the algebra of matrix quasi-symmetric functions is interpreted as a convolution algebra.
Identification of Novel Interactions Between Domains of Myosin Binding Protein-C That Are Modulated by Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Missense Mutations
Authors: Moolman-Smook Johanna , Flashman Emily , de Lange Willem , Li Zhili , Corfield Valerie , Redwood Charles , Watkins Hugh
Published: October 2002

Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBPC) is a modular protein consisting of 11 domains whose precise function and sarcomeric arrangement are incompletely understood. Identification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)–causing missense mutations in cMyBPC has highlighted the significance of certain domains. Of particular interest is domain C5, an immunoglobulin-like domain with a cardiac-specific insert, which is of unknown function yet is the site of two HCM-causing missense mutations. To identify interactors with this region, a human cardiac cDNA library was screened in a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay using the C5 sequence as bait. Screening >7×10
6
clones surprisingly revealed that domain C5 preferentially bound to clones encoding C-terminal fragments of cMyBPC; the interacting region was narrowed to domain C8 by deletion mapping. A surface plasmon resonance assay using purified recombinant cMyBPC domains was used to measure the affinity of C5 and C8 in vitro (K
a
=1×10
5
mol/L
−1
). This affinity was decreased about 2-fold by the HCM mutation R654H, and by at least 10-fold by the mutation N755K. Further Y2H assays also demonstrated specific binding between domains C7 and C10 of cMyBPC. Based on these novel interactions, and previous biochemical and structural data, we propose that cMyBPC molecules trimerize into a collar around the thick filament, with overlaps of domains C5-C7 of one cMyBPC with C8-C10 of another. We speculate that this interaction may be dynamically formed and released, thereby restricting or favoring cross-bridge formation, respectively. We suggest that the HCM mutations act by altering the cMyBPC collar, indicating its importance in thick filament structure and regulation.
Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Trigger Calcium Increases During Hypoxia in Pulmonary Arterial Myocytes
Authors: Waypa Gregory B. , Marks Jeremy D. , Mack Mathew M. , Boriboun Chan , Mungai Paul T. , Schumacker Paul T.
Published: October 2002

We hypothesized that mitochondria function as the O
2
sensors underlying hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction by releasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) from complex III of the electron transport chain (ETC). We have previously found that antioxidants or inhibition of the proximal region of the ETC attenuates hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in rat lungs and blocks hypoxia-induced contraction of isolated pulmonary arterial (PA) myocytes. To determine whether the hypoxia-induced increases in mitochondrial ROS act to trigger calcium increases, we measured changes in cytosolic calcium ([Ca
2+
]
i
) using fura 2-AM (fluorescence at 340/380 nm) during perfusion with hypoxic media (P
o
2
12 mm Hg). Hypoxia caused an increase in fura 2 fluorescence, indicating an increase in [Ca
2+
]
i
. In superfused PA myocytes, diphenyleneiodonium, rotenone, and myxothiazol, which inhibit the proximal region of the ETC, attenuated hypoxia-induced calcium increases. Antimycin A and cyanide, which inhibit the distal region of the ETC, failed to abolish hypoxia-induced [Ca
2+
]
i
increases. To test whether mitochondrial H
2
O
2
is required to trigger [Ca
2+
]
i
increases, catalase was overexpressed in PA myocytes with the use of a recombinant adenovirus. Catalase overexpression attenuated hypoxia-induced increases in [Ca
2+
]
i
, suggesting that H
2
O
2
acts upstream from calcium increases during hypoxia. These results support the conclusion that mitochondria function as O
2
sensors during hypoxia and demonstrate that ROS generated in the proximal region of the ETC act as second messengers to trigger calcium increases in PA myocytes during acute hypoxia.
Regulation of G Protein–Coupled Receptor Signaling by Scaffold Proteins
Authors: Hall Randy A. , Lefkowitz Robert J.
Published: October 2002

The actions of many hormones and neurotransmitters are mediated through stimulation of G protein–coupled receptors. A primary mechanism by which these receptors exert effects inside the cell is by association with heterotrimeric G proteins, which can activate a wide variety of cellular enzymes and ion channels. G protein–coupled receptors can also interact with a number of cytoplasmic scaffold proteins, which can link the receptors to various signaling intermediates and intracellular effectors. The multicomponent nature of G protein–coupled receptor signaling pathways makes them ideally suited for regulation by scaffold proteins. This review focuses on several specific examples of G protein–coupled receptor-associated scaffolds and the roles they may play in organizing receptor-initiated signaling pathways in the cardiovascular system and other tissues.
Advice on Statistical Analysis for Circulation Research
Authors: Kusuoka Hideo , Hoffman Julien I.E.
Published: October 2002

Since the late 1970s when many journals published articles warning about the misuse of statistical methods in the analysis of data, researchers have become more careful about statistical analysis, but errors including low statistical power and inadequate analysis of repeated-measurement studies are still prevalent. In this review, several statistical methods are introduced that are not always familiar to basic and clinical cardiologists but may be useful for revealing the correct answer from the data. The aim of this review is not only to draw the attention of investigators to these tests but also to stress the conditions in which they are applicable. These methods are now generally available in statistical program packages. Researchers need not know how to calculate the statistics from the data but are required to select the correct method from the menu and interpret the statistical results accurately. With the choice of appropriate statistical programs, the issue is no longer how to do the test but when to do it.
Risks to the children born to mothers with autoimmune diseases
Authors: Scott J R
Published: October 2002

This article reviews current information regarding the development and long-term effects on children born to women with connective tissue diseases. There are few data on specific effects attributed to the underlying maternal disease, but fetal growth restriction and preterm birth are relatively common. Antenatal use of prednisone as treatment for these disorders appears to be safe, and most children have developed normally. However, there is growing concern that prolonged fetal exposure to other glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone or betamethasone may lead to decreased growth and abnormal neuronal development. Low birth weight is reportedly associated with long-term medical complications such as adult-onset hypertension. Evidence also suggests that immunosuppressive agents taken during pregnancy might predispose the progeny to autoimmune disorders, malignancies and reproductive problems. Further research is warranted to determine that there are no unrecognized long-term risks to the offspring of these women.
PARP‐mediated proteasome activation: A co‐ordination of DNA repair and protein degradation?
Authors: Arnold Jenny , Grune Tilman
Published: October 2002

During the evolution of aerobic life, antioxidant defence systems developed that either directly prevent oxidative modifications of the cellular constituents or remove the modified components. An example of the latter is the proteasome, which removes cytosolic oxidised proteins. Recently, a novel mechanism of activation of the nuclear 20S proteasome was discovered: automodified poly‐(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1) activates the proteasome to facilitate selective degradation of oxidatively damaged histones. Since activation of the PARP‐1 itself is induced by DNA damage and is supposed to play a role in DNA repair, these new results suggest a joint role of PARP‐1 in the removal of oxidised nucleoproteins and in DNA repair. We hypothesise that PARP‐1 could provide a co‐ordinative link between two nuclear antioxidant defence systems, whose concerted activation would produce a fast and efficient restoration of the native chromatin structure following oxidative stress. BioEssays 24:1060–1065, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Periodicals, Inc.
Multiperiod hedging with futures contracts
Authors: Low Aaron , Muthuswamy Jayaram , Sakar Sudipto , Terry Eric
Published: October 2002

The hedging problem is examined where futures prices obey the cost‐of‐carry model. The
resultant hedging model explicitly incorporates maturity effects in the futures basis. Formulas for the optimal
static and dynamic hedges are derived. Although these formulas are developed for the case of direct hedging, the
framework used is sufficiently flexible so that these formulas can be applied to many cross‐hedging
situations. The performance of the model is compared with that of several other models for two hedging
scenarios: one involving a financial asset and the other involving a commodity. In both cases, significant
maturity effects were found in the first and second moments of the futures basis. Our hedging formulas
outperformed other hedging strategies on an ex‐ante basis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut
Mark 22:1179–1203, 2002
Heart and the peritoneal cover of the gut sinus in the polychaete Arenicola marina: An ultrastructural and autoradiographic study
Authors: Martynova Marina G. , Chaga Oleg Y.
Published: October 2002

To elucidate the cellular mechanism underlying the growth of the peritoneal cover of the gut sinus and the heart in the polychaete Arenicola marina, cellular organization of these structures and proliferative potential of their cells were investigated using electron microscopy and electron microscopic autoradiography. Arenicola has a pair of dorsolaterally situated hearts connected to the gut sinus via a short duct and composed of two muscular layers separated by a layer of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The peritoneal cover of the gut sinus and the outer muscular layer of the heart present a myoepithelial layer resting on the ECM. The inner muscular layer of the heart is composed of myofibril‐containing cells lacking well‐defined polarity in arrangement of organelles. However, their persistent connection to branches of the ECM and the adherens‐like intercellular junctions allow for considering the inner layer a modified myoepithelium. In the peritoneal cover of the gut sinus and in both myoepithelial layers of the heart, noncontractile epithelial cells have been observed. As determined by thymidine labeling, these epithelial cells are capable of DNA synthesis, while myoepithelial cells are not. Some suggestions are made about the myogenic nature of the epithelial cells in the investigated structures of A. marina. J. Morphol. 254:312–319, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leverage, liquidity, volatility, time horizon, and the risk of ruin
Authors: Norland Erik , Wilford D.Sykes
Published: October 2002

In order to meet their financial goals, investors, whether institutions or individuals, must make asset allocation decisions by balancing their return targets with their tolerance for volatility, their liquidity requirements, and time horizons. Yet even optimal mixes of investments with regard to time horizon, liquidity, and volatility levels are sometimes not adequate to achieve the return objectives of a firm or an individual. Using leverage scales up both returns and risks, introducing the potential for default. When using leverage, either as a fund manager or as an investor into a fund, fully understanding the potential for default is absolutely necessary. Using standard measures of risk and return can be very misleading. Sharpe ratios and information ratios can lead the investor into a state of unwarranted comfort with respect to the probability of losing more than is acceptable. Many traditional measures of risk do not deal with this problem correctly. This paper takes a barrier option theoretic approach to analyzing the potential for losses and the potential for the leveraged investor to be knocked‐out of his position even under circumstances of perfect knowledge of the end return. Thus, it demonstrates the necessity of a more rigorous approach to understanding the risk of any particular style of investment, particularly when dealing with hedge funds.
GS15 Forms a SNARE Complex with Syntaxin 5, GS28, and Ykt6 and Is Implicated in Traffic in the Early Cisternae of the Golgi Apparatus
Authors: Xu Yue , Martin Sally , James David E. , Hong Wanjin
Published: October 2002

The subcellular localization, interacting partners, and function of GS15, a Golgi SNARE, remain to be established. In our present study, it is revealed that unlike proteins (Bet1 and the KDEL receptor) cycling between the Golgi and the intermediate compartment (IC, inclusive of the ER exit sites), GS15 is not redistributed into the IC upon incubation at 15°C or when cells are treated with brefeldin A. Immuno-electron microscopy (immuno-EM) reveals that GS15 is mainly found in the medial-cisternae of the Golgi apparatus and adjacent tubulo-vesicular elements. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments suggest that GS15 exists in a distinct SNARE complex that contains SNAREs (syntaxin5, GS28, and Ykt6) that are implicated in both ER-to-Golgi and intra-Golgi transport but not with SNAREs involved exclusively in ER-to-Golgi traffic. Furthermore, components of COPI coat can be selectively coimmunoprecipitated with GS15 from Golgi extracts. Overexpression of mutant forms of GS15 affects the normal distribution of cis- and medial-Golgi proteins (GS28, syntaxin 5, and Golgi mannosidase II), whereas proteins of the trans-Golgi and TGN (Vti1-rp2/Vti1a and syntaxin 6) and Golgi matrix/scaffold (GM130 and p115) are less affected. When the level of GS15 is reduced by duplex 21-nt small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown approach, diverse markers of the Golgi apparatus are redistributed into small dotty and diffuse labeling, suggesting an essential role of GS15 in the Golgi apparatus.
The Mammalian Septin MSF Localizes with Microtubules and Is Required for Completion of Cytokinesis
Authors: Surka Mark C. , Tsang Christopher W. , Trimble William S.
Published: October 2002

Cytokinesis in animal cells involves the contraction of an actomyosin ring formed at the cleavage furrow. Nuclear division, or karyokinesis, must be precisely timed to occur before cytokinesis in order to prevent genetic anomalies that would result in either cell death or uncontrolled cell division. The septin family of GTPase proteins has been shown to be important for cytokinesis although little is known about their role during this process. Here we investigate the distribution and function of the mammalian septin MSF. We show that during interphase, MSF colocalizes with actin, microtubules, and another mammalian septin, Nedd5, and coprecipitates with six septin proteins. In addition, transfections of various MSF isoforms reveal that MSF-A specifically localizes with microtubules and that this localization is disrupted by nocodazole treatment. Furthermore, MSF isoforms localize primarily with tubulin at the central spindle during mitosis, whereas Nedd5 is mainly associated with actin. Microinjection of affinity-purified anti-MSF antibodies into synchronized cells, or depletion of MSF by small interfering RNAs, results in the accumulation of binucleated cells and in cells that have arrested during cytokinesis. These results reveal that MSF is required for the completion of cytokinesis and suggest a role that is distinct from that of Nedd5.
A Herpetological Treasure Trove
Authors: Halliday Tim
Published: October 2002

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica
. A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Jay M. Savage. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2002. 954 pp., illus. $75, £52.50. ISBN 0-226-73537-0.

This thorough account of Costa Rica's rich herptofauna and its ecological and evolutionary context will reward general readers, ecotourists, students, and professional biologists alike.
ISGUR–WISE FUNCTION IN A QCD INSPIRED QUARK MODEL, WITH TWO-LOOP STATIC POTENTIAL
Authors: CHOUDHURY D. K. , BORDOLOI NAMITA SHARMA
Published: October 2002

We incorporate the effect of two-loop static potential in the result of Isgur–Wise function reported by us recently, investigated with a QCD inspired quark model.
PRESENTATIONS OF FINITELY GENERATED SUBMONOIDS OF FINITELY GENERATED COMMUTATIVE MONOIDS
Authors: ROSALES J. C. , GARCÍA-SÁNCHEZ P. A. , GARCÍA-GARCÍA J. I.
Published: October 2002

We give an algorithmic method for computing a presentation of any finitely generated submonoid of a finitely generated commutative monoid. We use this method also for calculating the intersection of two congruences on ℕp and for deciding whether or not a given finitely generated commutative monoid is t-torsion free and/or separative. The last section is devoted to the resolution of some simple equations on a finitely generated commutative monoid.
A new ecologically valid method to assess body size estimation and body size dissatisfaction
Authors: Shafran Roz , Fairburn Christopher G.
Published: October 2002

Objective

The primary aim of the present study was to develop an ecologically valid method for assessing the perception of body size (as opposed to the memory of body size).

Method

Women with clinical eating disorders (N = 14) and no eating disorder (N = 24) estimated their actual and desired body size while looking in a mirror. Estimations were made using projected images that were the same height as the participants' reflections in the mirror.

Results

This new method assessed the perception of body size under conditions that resembled the real‐life situation of viewing oneself in a mirror. Participants with eating disorders significantly overestimated their body size relative to controls (p < .05) and tended to be more dissatisfied with their body size (p = .07).

Discussion

It is argued that the new method assesses the perception of body size, is ecologically valid, and is the most clinically relevant of the methods developed to date. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 458–465, 2002.
Irving Fisher and statistical approaches to risk
Authors: Stabile Donald R , Putnam Bluford H
Published: October 2002

Irving Fisher has been recognized as one of the most prominent economists in the US in the first half of the 20th century. His contribution to financial economics has not been well recognized, however. This article describes Fisher's pioneering efforts to apply statistical methods to the analysis of investment risk. In addition, it will argue that Fisher's statistical analysis of risk had a Bayesian philosophy of probability theory. Finally, the highs and lows of Fisher's investment strategy for the 1920s and 1930s will be discussed.
Role of Rpn11 Metalloprotease in Deubiquitination and Degradation by the 26
S
Proteasome
Authors: Verma Rati , Aravind L. , Oania Robert , McDonald W. Hayes , Yates John R. , Koonin Eugene V. , Deshaies Raymond J.
Published: October 2002

The 26
S
proteasome mediates degradation of ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. Although ubiquitin is recycled from proteasome substrates, the molecular basis of deubiquitination at the proteasome and its relation to substrate degradation remain unknown. The Rpn11 subunit of the proteasome lid subcomplex contains a highly conserved Jab1/MPN domain–associated metalloisopeptidase (JAMM) motif—EX

n

HXHX
10
D. Mutation of the predicted active-site histidines to alanine (
rpn11AXA
) was lethal and stabilized ubiquitin pathway substrates in yeast. Rpn11
AXA
mutant proteasomes assembled normally but failed to either deubiquitinate or degrade ubiquitinated Sic1 in vitro. Our findings reveal an unexpected coupling between substrate deubiquitination and degradation and suggest a unifying rationale for the presence of the lid in eukaryotic proteasomes.
Song Science from Physiology to Fitness
Authors: Gwynne Darryl T.
Published: October 2002

Acoustic Communication in Insects and Anurans
. Common Problems and Diverse Solutions. H. Carl Gerhardt and Franz Huber. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2002. 543 pp. $100, £70. ISBN 0-226-28832-3. Paper, $35, £24.50. ISBN 0-226-28833-1.

Drawing on findings from a wind range of perspectives (including bioacoustics, behavior, neurophysiology, ethology, and evolutionary biology), the authors compare and contrast adaptations for acoustic communication in insects and frogs.
Population of the black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) in a fragmented landscape in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
Authors: Estrada Alejandro , Mendoza Adrián , Castellanos Lucía , Pacheco Reyna , Van Belle Sarie , García Yasminda , Muñoz David
Published: October 2002

Little is known about the population characteristics ofAlouatta pigraunder conditions of forest fragmentation–information that is important to understanding its tolerance to habitat loss. In this work we present data on forest loss and on troop size, age, and sex composition for a population of black howler monkeys existing in the fragmented landscape surrounding the Mayan site of Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico. Two aerial photos (1:70,000) of the study area (261 km2) taken in 1984 and 2001 were examined to assess forest loss. Between June and December 2001 and January and March 2002 we surveyed 44 forest fragments for the presence of howler monkeys. Examination of aerial photos showed that 33% of the forest present in 1984 had disappeared by 2001, and detected an increment in the number of forest fragments present in the landscape. We discovered a total of 115 howler monkeys living in 22 of the 44 forest fragments studied, of which 107 were members of 18 troops. The rest were solitary males or small groups of males living in isolated forest fragments. Troop size ranged from two to 15 individuals (mean 5.9+3.0 ind). 31% and 15% of individuals in the troops were juveniles and infants, respectively, suggesting continued reproductive activity. Howler monkey troops in the forest fragments were on average smaller (5.9±3.0 ind) than troops in the nearby protected forest of the Mayan site (7.0±2.8 ind). The mean density of howlers in the forest fragments was 119±82.9 ind/km2. The establishment of corridors is suggested as a possible conservation scenario for the fragmented howler population investigated, and as a conservation measure to connect this population with the howler population found in the protected forest of the Mayan site. Am. J. Primatol. 58:45–55, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gender identity disorder and eating disorders
Authors: Hepp Urs , Milos Gabriella
Published: October 2002

We report three cases of transsexual patients who are suffering from an eating disorder: A biological male patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), a biological male patient with bulimia nervosa (BN), and a biological female patient with AN as well as a severe alcohol dependence. The relationship between eating behavior, gender identity, sexual orientation, and body dissatisfaction is discussed. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 473–478, 2002.
Self‐harm and substance use in a community sample of Black and White women with binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa
Authors: Dohm Faith‐Anne , Striegel‐Moore Ruth H. , Wilfley Denise E. , Pike Kathleen M. , Hook Julie , Fairburn Christopher G.
Published: October 2002

Objective

This study evaluated rates of self‐harm and substance use in women with either bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED) and assessed whether differences in self‐harm and substance use are related to sexual or physical abuse.

Method

Alcohol abuse, self‐harm, and use or abuse of various illicit drugs were evaluated in a sample of 53 women with BN and 162 women with BED.

Results

Self‐harm and substance use generally did not differentiate BED and BN cases, but rates of self‐harm and substance use were elevated among women with a history of sexual or physical abuse relative to women without such a history.

Discussion

Elevated rates of self‐harm and substance use may not be related uniquely to BN diagnostic status, but may be related to a characteristic shared by women with BN and BED, such as a history of sexual or physical abuse. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 389–400, 2002.
Hedging foreign currency, freight, and commodity futures portfolios—A note
Authors: Haigh Michael S. , Holt Matthew T.
Published: October 2002

Foreign exchange hedging ratios are simultaneously estimated alongside freight and commodity ratios in a
time‐varying portfolio framework. Foreign exchange futures are by far the most important derivative
instrument used to reduce uncertainty for traders. Our results lend support to the decision by the London
International Financial Futures Exchange to cease trading the Baltic International Freight Futures Exchange
freight futures contract because of its low levels of trading activity that likely resulted from its apparent
unattractiveness as a hedging instrument. @ 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 22:1205–1221,
2002
Developmental morphology of limb reduction in hemiergis (squamata: scincidae): chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, and heterochrony
Authors: Shapiro Michael D.
Published: October 2002

Digit loss is a common theme in tetrapod evolution that may involve changes in several developmental processes. The skink genus Hemiergis provides an ideal model to study these processes in closely related taxa: within three Western Australian Hemiergis species, digit quantity ranges between two and five. For three consecutive reproductive seasons, gravid females of Hemiergis were collected in the field and their embryos prepared for histological analysis of limb skeletal development (chondrogenesis and osteogenesis). Comparative studies of skeletal developmental morphology demonstrate that limbs with fewer than five digits do not result from a simple truncation of a putative ancestral (five‐digit) developmental program. The developmental and adult morphologies in two‐, three‐, and four‐digit Hemiergis are neither predicted nor explained by a simple model of heterochrony involving either chondrogenesis or osteogenesis. In postnatal Hemiergis, digit number and relative limb length do not correlate in a simple linear fashion. Instead, limb size and digit reduction may correlate with substrate conditions and burrowing behavior. J. Morphol. 254:211–231, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association between prostate cancer and serum testosterone levels
Authors: Zhang Ping L. , Rosen Seymour , Veeramachaneni Ravindra , Kao Jerry , DeWolf William C. , Bubley Glenn
Published: October 2002

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the presence of prostate cancer altered serum testosterone levels.

METHODS

Initially, we evaluated both serum total and free testosterone levels in patients with either high‐grade (n = 18) or moderate‐grade (n = 146) prostate cancer, detected by prostate needle biopsies. Then both serum total and free testosterone levels, before and after prostatectomy, were compared in 79 of the 164 men with prostate cancer.

RESULTS

In the first setting, serum total and free testosterone levels (307 ± 24 ng/dl and 1.14 ± 0.09 ng/dl) in patients with high‐grade prostate cancer were significantly lower than those in patients with moderate‐grade prostate cancer (452 ± 12 ng/dl and 1.51 ± 0.04 ng/dl) and those without prostate cancer (451 ± 17 ng/dl and 1.55 ± 0.06 ng/dl). After prostatectomy in 79 patients with prostate cancer, serum levels of both total and free testosterone (511 ± 15 ng/dl and 1.78 ± 0.05 ng/dl) were found significantly elevated when compared with their respective presurgical total and free testosterone levels (450 ± 17 ng/dl and 1.60 ± 0.06 ng/dl).

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that serum total and free testosterone levels in patients with prostate cancer are altered, supporting the possibility that prostate cancer may inhibit serum testosterone levels. Prostate 53: 179–182, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ICER reverses tumorigenesis of rat prostate tumor cells without affecting cell growth
Authors: Mémin Elisabeth , Yehia Ghassan , Razavi Reza , Molina Carlos A.
Published: October 2002

BACKGROUND

Inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER) is an important mediator of cAMP antiproliferative activity that acts as a putative tumor suppressor gene product. ICER is a transcriptional repressor that negatively regulates cAMP‐mediated gene expression. Here, we report the effect of ectopically increasing the expression of ICER on in vitro and in vivo proliferation of the highly metastatic and androgen‐insensitive AT6.3 rat prostate cells.

METHODS

The proliferative potential of stable AT6.3 cell clones expressing ICER was studied by cell counts, thymidine incorporation, flow cytometry, colony formation in soft agar, and growth in immunodeficient nude mice.

RESULTS

cAMP inhibits the growth of AT6.3 cells. ICER mRNA and protein levels were markedly induced by cAMP in AT6.3 cells. Forced expression of ICER in AT6.3 cells did not affect cell growth, thymidine incorporation, or the cell cycle. However, these ICER‐bearing AT6.3 cells were rendered unable to grow in soft agar or to form tumors in nude mice.

CONCLUSION

These results show that ICER specifically affects the tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cell without affecting their growth. Therefore, the manipulation of ICER expression could be used for the treatment of androgen‐insensitive prostate tumors without causing undesirable toxicity to the cells. Prostate 53: 225–231, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Creating the conditions linked to positive youth development
Authors: Granger Robert C.
Published: October 2002

This chapter describes a framework for conceptualizing interventions intended to create the conditions linked to positive youth development. These interventions involve strategies designed to enhance either the will or the capacity of individuals, organizations, systems, or communities to change.