bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconciling Nation and Region: Vietnamese Nation Building and Asean Regionalism
Authors: Sutherland Claire
Published: May 2008

The article sets out to gauge the usefulness of the concepts of legitimacy, sovereignty and nation in theorising a specific, South-East Asian case of nation building. It looks at the interplay between nation building and regionalist ideology in Vietnam, within the context of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). As one of the world's last communist states, the way in which Vietnam has reconciled hard-won sovereignty with regionalisation is all the more intriguing. The article distinguishes the state-led ideology of regionalism from the macro-level process of regionalisation in charting how sovereignty, legitimacy and nation are constructed in the Vietnamese case, with a view to drawing parallels with experiences in other regions. The first section looks at the concepts of legitimacy, sovereignty and nation and how they underpin the state construct, before relating these to Vietnam's ongoing nation-building project in the second section. The final section evaluates the evolution of these concepts within a regional framework, with specific reference to Vietnam's experience as a member of ASEAN. It concludes that official nation building in Vietnam continues to be based on the premises of state sovereignty and legitimacy, an approach eminently compatible with ‘the ASEAN way’. The Vietnamese Communist party seeks to reconcile regionalism with its ongoing nation-building project in a bid to bolster both domestic legitimacy and external sovereignty.
Low‐wage Employment and Mobility in Spain
Authors: Cuesta Maite Blázquez
Published: May 2008

Abstract. The issue of low‐wage employment has received increased interest during recent decades in many European countries. In this paper I analyse the patterns of low‐wage employment in Spain. Using a sample of Spanish workers extracted from the European Community Household Panel for the period 1995–2001, I first analyse the earnings distribution as a whole, and how low‐wage employment has evolved over the period 1995–2001. Furthermore, I examine the determinants of low‐wage employment using an analytical framework that is characterized by the ability to ac count for the endogeneity of initial conditions. Finally, I explore the effects of low pay on job mobility in Spain. For this purpose I adopt an approach based on competing risks in order to allow for different risks of failure.
Does the Expansion of Higher Education Increase the Equality of Educational Opportunities? Evidence from Italy
Authors: Bratti Massimiliano , Checchi Daniele , De Blasio Guido
Published: May 2008

Abstract.  This paper studies the role of the expansion of higher education (HE) in increasing the equality of tertiary education opportunities. We examine Italy's experience during the 1990s, when policy changes prompted HE institutions to offer a wider range of degrees and to open new sites in neighbouring provinces. Our analysis focuses on non‐mature full‐time students and suggests that HE expansion might have had only limited effects in terms of reducing existing individual inequality in HE achievement as it had a significantly positive impact only on the probability of university enrolment but not on that of obtaining a university degree.
Temporary Contracts and Transitions to Stable Jobs in Italy
Authors: Picchio Matteo
Published: May 2008

Abstract.  This paper evaluates whether and to what extent temporary jobs have been springboards to stable jobs in Italy. Using the 2000, 2002, and 2004 waves of the Survey of Italian Households' Income and Wealth, several dynamic unobserved effects probit models for the probability of having a permanent job are estimated. The main result is that a temporary job, rather than unemployment, significantly increases the probability of having a permanent job 2 years later by about 13.5–16 percentage points. The robustness of this stepping‐stone effect is then assessed relaxing parametric assumptions on the unobserved individual heterogeneity distribution.
Employee performance management across borders: A review of relevant academic literature
Authors: Claus Lisbeth , Briscoe Dennis
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this paper is to survey the emerging academic literature on employee performance management (PM) from an international perspective. The primary information source was a search of electronic databases. Two criteria were used to determine which studies to include in the literature survey: (1) those published in an English‐language blind refereed academic journal, and (2) those focused on employee PM or performance appraisal (PA) from an international/global perspective. Sixty‐four articles, published between 1985 and 2005, met the criteria. A preliminary scheme was developed for classifying the existing academic research into conceptual and empirical articles. The empirical articles were further classified by their foci and themes. In addition to classifying the articles, the paper presents a summary of what can be learned from the major findings of the empirical studies. The major conclusion is that the academic literature on cross‐border PM is relatively atheoretical and exploratory in nature and that the design and substance of the research studies are weak. With regard to themes, there are a number of foci in the literature with only scant attention paid to the central concern with the PM of expatriates as expressed by firms. The empirical articles look at the disparate components of PA and are interested mainly in cultural differences as an intervening variable. Several recommendations are presented for researchers to help focus future research on cross‐border PM.
Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: A review of empirical studies and issues of integration
Authors: Molina‐Azorín José F. , Tarí Juan J. , Claver‐Cortés Enrique , López‐Gamero María D.
Published: May 2008

Quality management (QM) and environmental management (EM) are two business practices that may affect firm performance. These practices are being increasingly introduced into firms, which often use them jointly owing to their similarities. As a result of these similarities, their integration has become a popular topic of research and practice. In the field of integration, the highest level of integration may be achieved by means of a single, full QM–EM system (QEM) in which QM and EM lose their independence. It is therefore desirable to identify dimensions from which to assess these management practices and their effects on performance. The aim of this paper is to carry out a literature review in order to propose and analyse dimensions for QM, EM, QEM and firm performance, as well as models of cause–effect relationships between these variables. The topics reviewed are the following: (1) the QM and EM dimensions; (2) the empirical studies about QM–performance and EM–performance links; and (3) issues of integration. The review suggests that the large body of QM research may inform EM and QEM. This is so because research on the QM side is more advanced and developed than that on the EM side.
The Market Valuation of Cash Dividends: The Case of the CRA Bonus Issue*
Authors: CHU H. , PARTINGTON G.
Published: May 2008

In 1996, Australia's CRA and UK's RTZ merged to form the world's largest mining company, but the companies remained separately listed on their domestic exchanges. In order to equalize the price of the two companies' shares, before the dual listing, CRA made a bonus issue. Shares in the bonus issue were not entitled to the next CRA dividend, which carried imputation tax credits. The contemporaneous price differences between the old shares and the bonus shares are used to measure the market value of dividends and associated tax credits. Consistent with imputation tax credits adding value to the dividend, 1 dollar face value of dividends was observed to have a market value significantly greater that its face value. The market value of the dividend varied depending on the proximity of observations to the ex‐dividend date. Close to the ex‐dividend date, the premium of market value over face value was smaller. The results are consistent with dividend values set by short‐term traders about the ex‐dividend date and by long‐term investors at other times.
Price and Volume Behavior around the Ex‐dividend Day: Evidence on the Value of Dividends from American Depositary Receipts and their Underlying Australian Stocks*
Authors: JUN AELEE , ALAGANAR V. T. , PARTINGTON GRAHAM , STEVENSON MAX
Published: May 2008

Australian residents are tax‐advantaged, relative to American investors, in their access to imputation tax credits on Australian stocks. This paper provides evidence consistent with a difference in dividend valuations between Australian stocks and their American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The ex‐dividend drop‐off ratio is lower for ADRs relative to their underlying Australian stocks and this difference is most pronounced for stocks that have imputation tax credits and high dividend yields. Consistent with dividend capture trading in the Australian market, the difference in drop‐off ratios is driven by both temporarily higher Australian cum‐prices and temporarily lower Australian ex‐prices. Abnormal trading volume about the ex‐day is present in both markets and in the Australian market the abnormal volume is greater for dividends with imputation tax credits. Dividend‐related trading leads to price differences across the markets on the ex‐dividend day. Price differences are also observed when the stock and the ADR trade with different dividend entitlements due to different ex‐dividend dates.
Linkage Validation of RP25 Using the 10K GeneChip Array and Further Refinement of the Locus by New Linked Families
Authors: Barragán I. , Abd El‐Aziz M. M. , Borrego S. , El‐Ashry M. F. , O'Driscoll C. , Bhattacharya S. S. , Antiñolo G.
Published: May 2008

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of retinal dystrophies, characterised by rod photoreceptor cell degeneration with autosomal recessive RP (arRP) as the commonest form worldwide. To date, a total of 26 loci have been reported for arRP, each having a prevalence of 1–5%, except for the RP25 locus which was identified as the genetic cause of 14% of arRP cases in Spain. In order to validate the original linkage of RP25, we undertook a total genome scan using the 10K GeneChip mapping array on three of the previously linked families. The data obtained supported the initial findings of linkage. Additionally, linkage analysis in 18 newly ascertained arRP families was performed using microsatellite markers spanning the chromosome 6p12.1‐q15 interval. Five out of the 18 families showed suggestive evidence of linkage to RP25, hence supporting the high prevalence of this locus in the Spanish population. Furthermore, the finding of a crossover in one of these families is likely to have refined the disease interval from the original 16 cM to only a 2.67 cM region between D6S257 and D6S1557.
Production of the gaseous signal molecule hydrogen sulfide in mouse tissues
Authors: Linden David R. , Sha Lei , Mazzone Amelia , Stoltz Gary J. , Bernard Cheryl E. , Furne Julie K. , Levitt Michael D. , Farrugia Gianrico , Szurszewski Joseph H.
Published: May 2008

The gaseous molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been proposed as an endogenous signal molecule and neuromodulator in mammals. Using a newly developed method, we report here for the first time the ability of intact and living brain and colonic tissue in the mouse to generate and release H2S. This production occurs through the activity of two enzymes, cystathionine‐γ‐lyase and cystathionine‐β‐synthase. The quantitative expression of messenger RNA and protein localization for both enzymes are described in the liver, brain, and colon. Expression levels of the enzymes vary between tissues and are differentially distributed. The observation that, tissues that respond to exogenously applied H2S can endogenously generate the gas, strongly supports its role as an endogenous signal molecule.
Finer‐Scale Extraction of Viscoelastic Properties from Nanoindentation Characterised by Viscoelastic–Plastic Response
Authors: Jäger A. , Lackner R.
Published: May 2008

Abstract:  Motivated by recent progress in viscoelastic indentation analysis, the identification of viscoelastic properties from materials exhibiting elastic, viscous and plastic material behaviour by means of nanoindentation is dealt with in this paper. Based on existing solutions for pure viscoelastic material behaviour, two methods allowing us to consider the effect of plastic deformation are presented: (i) the so‐called double‐indentation technique, with the second indentation characterised by pure viscoelastic material response and (ii) the use of spherical indenter geometries instead of commonly used pyramidal indenters avoiding plastic deformation at all. Both methods are applied to three different polymers, giving access to the model parameters of the fractional dash‐pot which is used to describe the viscoelastic behaviour. The results obtained are compared with results from standard (single) indentation tests using a Berkovich indenter. Moreover, the influence of the maximum load, determining the amount of plastic material response, on the identified model parameters is investigated. Finally, the creep‐compliance functions identified by nanoindentation are compared with the respective macroscopic creep‐compliance functions obtained from bending‐beam rheometer tests.
Spenser's ‘goodly thought’: Heroides 15 and The Teares of the Muses
Authors: Harmer James
Published: May 2008

Ovid's Heroides are engaged by Edmund Spenser's complaint poem The Teares of the Muses (published 1591). Spenser makes use of a shard of text from Heroides 15 (Sappho to Phaon) in an effort to represent the origins of self‐consciousness as revealed in the instant of poetic inspiration. At the centre of this representation of Spenser's is the existence of a voice inside the head out of which first emerges the thinking of new thoughts. The sixteenth‐century editorial recensions of the well known crux contained in the lines from Heroides 15 with which Spenser engages point to the frisson of such inner speech. Correspondingly, the dialectical quality of the Heroides as voices seeking responses is exploited by Spenser's intertextual poetics in his representation of the momentary fulfilment of a newly created thought. In the resulting display of the immanent origins of self‐consciousness, Spenser's Heroides enable his quest to reveal the present source from which a sense of self might develop across past and future; such a development being a major preoccupation of his poetic career.
‘Large complaints in little papers’: negotiating Ovidian genealogies of complaint in Drayton's Englands Heroicall Epistles
Authors: Thorne Alison
Published: May 2008

Taking as its starting point Michael Drayton's reworking of a key Heroidean topos, the heroine's self‐conscious reflection on letter‐writing as an activity fraught with anxiety, this essay examines the cultural and literary factors that conspire to inhibit or facilitate the emergence of a distinctive feminine epistolary voice in Englands Heroicall Epistles. In particular, it seeks to explain how Drayton's female letter‐writers manage to negotiate the impediments to self‐expression they initially encounter and thus go on to articulate morally and politically incisive forms of complaint. It argues that the participation of Drayton's fictional writers in the authorial business of revising Ovid for an altered historical context plays a crucial role in supporting that process. This allows Drayton's heroines to recover a degree of textual authority through an independent critical engagement, by turns resistant and identificatory, with his Ovidian sources, including the Metamorphoses as well as the Heroides. A comparative analysis of the ways in which intertextual allusions to these sources are deployed by his male and female writers reveals them to be governed by a different dynamic and used for different ends. It is primarily by means of their complex, intersecting dialogues with their male correspondents and with the Ovidian models upon which they draw that Drayton's heroines are able to formulate a compelling counter‐perspective on the politics of love and history.
The Native Police of Queensland
Authors: Richards Jonathan
Published: May 2008

The European colonisation of Queensland largely depended on the armed and mounted men of the Native Police – a brutal force which killed many Indigenous people on the frontier. Detachments of mounted Aboriginal troopers led by European officers would surround Aboriginal camps and fire into them at dawn, killing men, women and children. The bodies were often burned to destroy the evidence.

Jonathan Richards has spent many years researching this controversial and distressing subject, finding his way through the secrecy, misinformation and supposed ‘lost’ files. In this article, based on the first comprehensive study of the force's history in Queensland, he argues that the Native Police was a classic example of ‘divide and rule’ practices. This colonising tactic, successfully used by the British and other imperial powers, was approved by government and by most European settlers.
Mobilization, collection, and transplantation of peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cells in a patient with multiple myeloma and hemoglobin SC disease
Authors: Tormey Christopher A. , Snyder Edward L. , Cooper Dennis L.
Published: May 2008

BACKGROUND:The use of granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) for mobilization, collection, and transplantation of autologous hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in patients with hemoglobinopathies can be complicated by severe vasoocclusive crises. Erythrocytapheresis before G‐CSF administration may help prevent these complications. To date, no cases regarding the safety and outcome of erythrocytapheresis followed by autologous high‐dose G‐CSF mobilization in hemoglobinopathy populations have been reported.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:A patient with hemoglobin (Hb) SC disease and multiple myeloma underwent erythrocytapheresis followed by high‐dose (16 µg/kg) G‐CSF in preparation for HPC mobilization and collection.

RESULTS:Erythrocytapheresis reduced the patient's combined Hb S and C levels to less than 20 percent. Subsequent HPC mobilization and peripheral blood harvesting using high‐dose G‐CSF yielded approximately 9 × 106CD34+ HPCs per kg over 3 days of collection. Mobilization and leukapheresis were completed without vasoocclusive complications. Two weeks after collection, and after myeloablative chemotherapy, 5.33 × 106CD34+ HPCs per kg were infused to the patient; platelet and white cell engraftment occurred, respectively, on Days +9 and +10 posttransplant. The patient experienced no vasoocclusive complications in the posttransplant period.

CONCLUSIONS:The results of this case demonstrate that erythrocytapheresis before high‐dose G‐CSF HPC mobilization and collection appears to be an effective means for prevention of vasoocclusive crisis in patients with hemoglobinopathies undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.
Aberrant intracellular trafficking of a variant B glycosyltransferase
Authors: Seltsam Axel , Grüger Daniela , Just Burkhard , Figueiredo Constança , Gupta Christa Das , DeLuca David S. , Blasczyk Rainer
Published: May 2008

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the mechanism by which amino acid polymorphisms outside the catalytically active cleft of ABO glycosyltransferases cause weak ABO phenotypes.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Extensive ABO phenotyping and genotyping were performed to classify the blood of a healthy blood group O donor with weak isoagglutinins. ABO antigen and glycosyltransferase expression profiles were then studied in eukaryotic transfection experiments, and the topology of ABO glycosyltransferase was analyzed.

RESULTS: The donor's red blood cells were retyped as Aweak, and his serum contained weakly reactive anti‐A and anti‐B. Sequence analysis revealed two novel ABO alleles. A donor splice‐site mutation detected at the exon 6/intron 6 junction of an ABO*A101 allele was predicted to result in skipping exon 6 in the mRNA. The other haplotype displayed a single 688G>C substitution predicting a Gly230Arg exchange in the catalytic domain in an otherwise normal ABO*B101 allele. The transfection studies revealed very weak expression of B antigen by the novel ABO*B allele. According to the topologic analysis, steric hindrance due to the Gly230Arg exchange may cause conformational changes in the variant B transferase. Compared to the wild‐type B transferase, the transfected cells exhibited lower‐level protein expression and intracellular dislocation.

CONCLUSION: This study provides first evidence that aberrant trafficking of variant ABO transferases may be involved in the formation of weak ABO phenotypes.
Snow‐tracking and GIS: using multiple species‐environment models to determine optimal wildlife crossing sites and evaluate highway mitigation plans on the Trans‐Canada Highway
Authors: ALEXANDER SHELLEY M.
Published: May 2008

Snow‐tracking data were collected for cougars ( Felis concolor), lynx ( Lynx canadensis), martens (Martes americana) and wolves (Canis lupus) and combined with remotely sensed imagery in a geographic information system (GIS) to identify wildlife crossing sites on the Trans‐Canada Highway in Banff National Park, Alberta. We used logistic regression to assess the dependent (species presence/absence) relative to measures of topography and vegetation. The exponent form of each logistic regression equation was used to predict crossing sites in a GIS, which were then contrasted with mitigation sites proposed by Parks Canada. We found that: (1) cougars were influenced positively by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); negatively by northness and distance to ruggedness, (2) lynx were influenced positively by wetness, greenness, rugged terrain, eastness and distance to rugged terrain; negatively by slope, (3) martens were related positively to wetness, elevation, eastness, and distance to rugged terrain; negatively to northness, (4) wolves were influenced positively by distance to ruggedness; negatively by brightness, elevation, eastness and terrain ruggedness. There were few sympatric crossing sites for all species, supporting the use of species‐specific mitigation or wide structures that capture multiple species needs. Inconsistencies were observed between the crossing sites predicted in this study and the Parks Canada proposal. The usefulness of GIS and track data to enhance mitigation projects is illustrated.
Voluntarism and long‐term care in the countryside: the paradox of a threadbare sector
Authors: SKINNER MARK W.
Published: May 2008

This article contributes to the burgeoning literature on the geographies of voluntarism by addressing how voluntary sector providers in rural communities respond to the downloading of responsibilities for health and social care associated with public service restructuring. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of long‐term care in Ontario, it focuses on the consequent actions of non‐profit organizations, community support groups and volunteer caregivers in three different rural settings. Despite evidence of increasingly disproportionate levels of voluntarism amongst rural communities, the results reveal sector‐ and place‐specific opportunities that allow voluntary sector providers to overcome the limitations of the rural service environment. The findings suggest that in the longer run, however, the growing dependence on local solutions will only exacerbate the uneven geographies of health and social care across rural space. Resolving this paradox remains a critical yet neglected challenge for sustainable rural services and communities.
Work and life in the clear‐cut: communities of practice in the northern Ontario tree planting industry
Authors: SWEENEY BRENDAN , HOLMES JOHN
Published: May 2008

Based on ethnography, interviews with tree planters and a survey of tree planting contractors, this article focuses on work cultures in northern Ontario tree planting camps. The compressed planting season and the relatively high yearly turnover in the workforce requires that new workers quickly learn how to plant efficiently. These features result in the development of distinctive work cultures and practices that facilitate learning and the sharing of tacit knowledge between planters. Using the concept of communities of practice, we emphasize the social practices that facilitate the integration of planters into their working communities. At one level, tree planters belong to an extensive network of practice and have a shared sense of identity, irrespective of for which contractor, in which region or in which camp, they work. However, at a finer level there are noticeable variations between camps. Both the client for whom planting is done and the operational practices of the tree planting contractor shape the communities of practice in individual camps. However, the most important factor accounting for differences between camps is the process by which communities of practice are socially produced, reproduced and transformed over time and the role, played in this process by worker turnover and retention.
Interpreting urban space through cognitive map sketching and sequence analysis
Authors: HUYNH NIEM TU , HALL G. BRENT , DOHERTY SEAN , SMITH WAYNE W.
Published: May 2008

Traditionally, analysis of sketch maps of urban areas has focused on the interpretation of hand‐drawn renditions of features that are most familiar to individuals. Few researchers have investigated the sequence that sketchers use to identify features on the urban landscape and how these features are linked together to form a coherent ‘picture’ of an area. This article builds upon previous research by exploring the sequential pattern of sketch map creation. Two research questions are proposed, namely, can a repetitive sequential order in element inclusion be identified for different individuals sketching the same urban environment? If so what features are mapped in which order to create the sketchers' image of the city? Findings suggest that three distinct groups of cognitive maps exist, namely, sequential, spatial and hybrid, and that the map elements of each group are organised in a distinctive manner with paths and landmarks as principal elements. It is suggested that insights into this process provide more substance to understanding how individuals interpret and structure urban space and use this information to navigate both known and new environments.
Dry times: hard lessons from the Canadian drought of 2001 and 2002
Authors: WHEATON ELAINE , KULSHRESHTHA SUREN , WITTROCK VIRGINIA , KOSHIDA GRACE
Published: May 2008

Droughts are one of the world's most significant natural hazards. They have major impacts on the economy, environment, health and society. In 2001 and 2002, many regions within Canada experienced unprecedented drought conditions, or conditions unseen for at least 100 years in some regions. This article draws upon a national assessment of this drought with particular attention to its implications for the agriculture and water sectors, although some attention is also devoted to other sectors. The study's methodology involves a comprehensive inter‐disciplinary, cause–effect integrated framework as a basis to explore the characteristics of drought and the associated biological and physical impacts and socio‐economic consequences. Numerous primary and secondary sources of data were used, including public and semi‐public sources such as Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada, Environment Canada, Statistics Canada, Crop Insurance Corporations and provincial governments, as well as phone interviews, focus groups, print media surveys and economic modelling. Evidence indicates that the risk of drought is increasing as demands for food and water relentlessly climb and the manifestations of climate change become more apparent. The key to better dealing with drought lies in taking the steps necessary to enhance our adaptive capacity and decrease vulnerability.
Human serum amyloid A (SAA) and high sensitive C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) in preterm newborn infants with nosocomial infections
Authors: Lannergård A , Larsson A , Friman G , Ewald U
Published: May 2008

Human serum amyloid A (SAA) and high sensitive C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) and their relation to suggestive nosocomial infections (NIs) were investigated in very preterm (VPT) newborn infants.

In a retrospective analysis, information of suggestive NI was matched to levels of SAA and hsCRP in 224 serum samples from 72 VPT newborn infants. As a control group, 35 healthy‐term newborn infants were chosen. Of the 224 serum samples, 145 samples were not associated with nosocomial infections. However, 79 were associated with NI: of these 79, 42 were found to be culture‐proven NI. Trimmed mean (α= 0.05) levels for SAA and hsCRP in VPT newborn infants were higher than in control term newborn infants (1.74, 2.67 mg/L vs. 0.78, 0.16 mg/L; p = 0.01 and <0.0001, respectively), and higher in the NI group than in the non‐NI group (5.14, 5.74 mg/L vs. 1.03, 1.18; p < 0.01 and <0.0001; respectively). The areas under the curve (AUC) for hsCRP, calculated from the receiver–operator characteristic (ROC) curves, was greater (0.816; 95% CI 0.759–0.864) than for SAA (0.610; 95% CI 0.543–0.675).

Conclusion: Identifying and monitoring of bacterial and fungal infections in VPT might be further improved by the use of SAA and hsCRP.
Multidimensional measure for gastroesophageal reflux disease (MM‐GERD) symptoms in children: a population‐based study
Authors: Malaty Hoda M , O’Malley Kimberly J , Abudayyeh Suhaib , Graham David Y , Gilger Mark A
Published: May 2008

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms are very common in children with major presenting symptoms of abdominal pain, heartburn and regurgitation. The presence of GERD symptoms often result in an impaired health‐related quality of life for both the patients and their parents. Evaluation of children with GERD symptoms continues to challenge physicians due to the lack of a validated measure for GERD symptoms.

Aims: To develop and test a multidimensional measure for GERD symptoms in children and to evaluate the responses of the measure among children attending pediatric gastroenterology (GI) clinics.

Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional study that enrolled children with GERD symptoms from pediatric GI clinic. All children and parents received a standardized questionnaire concerning socio‐economic parameters, GERD symptoms, duration, frequency, intensity and missed activities due to GERD symptoms. Each child and parent pair was interviewed by a physician to complete baseline information for the multidimensional measure that consisted of four scales: symptoms scale (10 items), pain intensity scale (3 items); disability scale (3 items) and satisfaction scale (2 items).

Results: One hundred and thirty‐three children participated in the study; 59% girls, ages 4 to 18 years, mean age = 10 ± 3, 50%, 10 years and younger. There was an excellent correlation between the four‐scales measure among children 7 years and younger (R = 0.70, p = 0.0001) and children >7 years (R = 0.74, p = 0.0001). The inter‐item consistency (Cronbach's co‐efficient alpha) for the symptoms items, pain intensity items, disability items and satisfaction items were 0.71, 0.74, 0.78 and 0.60, respectively, demonstrating adequate reliability of the measure.

Conclusion: Children with GERD symptoms have good responses to the multidimensional measure for GERD symptoms, showing that the measure performed well across populations. The measure is reliable and specific for assessing the symptoms of GERD in children and is an appropriate outcomes measure for clinical trials involving GERD symptoms in children.
Which Way through the Open Door? Reflections on the Internationalization of Chinese Firms
Authors: Boisot Max , Meyer Marshall W.
Published: May 2008

Received internationalization theory argues that firms occupy domestic space before going abroad; in other words, large, oligopolistic firms are most likely to internationalize. The experience of China, whose economy is fragmented and whose firms are small by global standards, suggests otherwise. We construct a model of small firm internationalization driven by the relative transaction costs of crossing domestic (in the case of China, provincial) and international borders. When the costs of crossing domestic borders exceed the costs of crossing international borders, firms will internationalize at a relatively early stage of development. In the case of China, local protectionism and inefficient domestic logistics increase the costs of doing business domestically; moreover, protection of property rights in the West and the advantages afforded Chinese owned firms reconstituted as foreign entities operating in China decrease the costs of ‘going out’. We coin the term ‘institutional arbitrage’ to capture Chinese firms' pursuit of efficient institutions outside of China. We argue that strategic exit from the home country rather than strategic entry into foreign markets may explain the internationalization of many Chinese firms.
Alcohol and Taxation
Authors: Ludbrook Anne
Published: May 2008

Binge-drinking and the abuse of alcohol have become an important issue; in the last budget the Chancellor increased the tax on alcohol with the specific aim of reducing these social evils. Will it work?Anne Ludbrook looks at the evidence.
Seat Belt Laws: Why We Should Keep Them
Authors: Allsop Richard , Carsten Oliver , Evans Andrew , Gifford Robert
Published: May 2008

In the June 2007 issue of Significance, John Adams argued for the repeal of seat belt laws. They have never been demonstrated to save lives, he said; and they increase the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed on the roads. Richard Allsop, Oliver Carsten, Andrew Evans and Robert Gifford argue that Parliament should keep the seat belt laws on the statute book and that we should all keep wearing belts whenever we travel in a car, van or coach—and they contest John's statistics.
Differential gene expression profiles of red and green forms of Perilla frutescens leading to comprehensive identification of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes
Authors: Yamazaki Mami , Shibata Masahisa , Nishiyama Yasutaka , Springob Karin , Kitayama Masahiko , Shimada Norimoto , Aoki Toshio , Ayabe Shin‐ichi , Saito Kazuki
Published: May 2008

Differential screening by PCR‐select subtraction was carried out for cDNAs from leaves of red and green perilla, two chemovarietal forms of Perilla frutescens regarding anthocyanin accumulation. One hundred and twenty cDNA fragments were selected as the clones preferentially expressed in anthocyanin‐accumulating red perilla over the nonaccumulating green perilla. About half of them were the cDNAs encoding the proteins related presumably to phenylpropanoid‐derived metabolism. The cDNAs encoding glutathione S‐transferase (GST), PfGST1, and chalcone isomerase (CHI), PfCHI1, were further characterized. The expression of PfGST1 in an Arabidopsis thaliana tt19 mutant lacking the GST‐like gene involved in vacuole transport of anthocyanin rescued the lesion of anthocyanin accumulation in tt19, indicating a function of PfGST1 in vacuole sequestration of anthocyanin in perilla. The recombinant PfCHI1 could stereospecifically convert naringenin chalcone to (2S)‐naringenin. PfGST1 and PfCHI1 were preferentially expressed in the leaves of red perilla, agreeing with the accumulation of anthocyanin and expression of other previously identified genes for anthocyanin biosynthesis. These results suggest that the genes of the whole anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway are regulated in a coordinated manner in perilla.
The Sustainable Suburban High Street: A Review of Themes and Approaches
Authors: Griffiths Sam , Vaughan Laura , Haklay Mordechai (Muki) , Emma Jones Catherine
Published: May 2008

Whether suburbs are regarded as a distinctive feature of the contemporary urban landscape or as symptomatic of ‘sprawl’ the recent upsurge of scholarly interest in suburbia has done little to displace the dominant image of the suburb as a primarily residential phenomenon. In a wide ranging survey of the academic literature, taking account of current developments in the policy debate relating to suburban regeneration and also drawing on research conducted by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's Towards Successful Suburban Town Centres project at University College London, this article argues for an approach to the suburbs that emphasises their importance as historical centres of diverse social and economic activity. The focus is on the ‘typical’ British suburban high street, regarded as a complex and dynamic socio‐spatial entity facing particular challenges to its vitality and viability in the light of ongoing socio‐economic change. It is suggested that an improved understanding of the relation between suburban society and the built form of suburban centres over time would lead to a fuller appreciation of the actual and potential contribution of the local high street to achieving sustainable built environments.
Gq‐coupled Rhodopsin Subfamily Composed of Invertebrate Visual Pigment and Melanopsin†
Authors: Koyanagi Mitsumasa , Terakita Akihisa
Published: May 2008

Rhodopsins (rhodopsins and their related photopigments) are phylogenetically classified into at least seven subfamilies, which are also roughly discriminated by molecular function. The Gq‐coupled rhodopsin subfamily, members of which activate the Gq type G protein upon light absorption, contains pigments which underlie both visual and nonvisual physiologic functions. Gq‐coupled visual pigments have been found in the rhabdomeric photoreceptor cells of varied protostomes, and those of molluskans and arthropods have been extensively investigated. Recently, a novel photopigment, melanopsin, and its homologs have been identified in varied vertebrates. In mammals, melanopsin is localized in retinal ganglion cells and is involved in nonvisual systems, including circadian entrainment and pupillary light responses. More recently, we discovered a melanopsin homolog in amphioxus, the closest living invertebrate to vertebrates. Amphioxus melanopsin is localized in putative nonvisual photoreceptor cells with rhabdomeric morphology and exhibits molecular properties almost identical to those of invertebrate Gq‐coupled visual pigments. The localization and properties of amphioxus melanopsin bridged the functional and evolutionary gap between invertebrate Gq‐coupled visual pigments and vertebrate circadian photopigment melanopsins. Research into the Gq‐coupled rhodopsin subfamily, especially invertebrate melanopsins, will provide an opportunity to investigate the evolution of various physiologic functions, based on orthologous genes, during animal evolution.
Solar and Supplemental UV‐B Radiation Effects in Lemon Peel UV‐B‐absorbing Compound Content—Seasonal Variations
Authors: Hilal Mirna , Rodríguez‐Montelongo Luisa , Rosa Mariana , Gallardo Miriam , González Juan A. , Interdonato Roque , Rapisarda Viviana A. , Prado Fernando E.
Published: May 2008

Effects of solar and supplemental UV‐B radiation on UV‐B‐absorbing compounds and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulations in the peel of lemons collected in summer and winter were analyzed. UV‐B‐absorbing compounds were higher in flavedo than in albedo tissue in both seasons; however, the highest values were observed in summer. These compounds were also higher in outer than in inner flavedo surface. Lemons were categorized as sun‐, semisun‐ and shaded‐lemon according to localization inside the tree canopy. Depending on‐tree localization UV‐B‐absorbing compounds were higher in flavedo of sun‐lemon than in semisun‐ and shaded‐lemon. Supplementary UV‐B radiation (22 kJ m−2 day−1 UV‐BBE) induced UV‐B‐absorbing compound synthesis in on‐tree and postharvest lemons. Two minutes of supplemental UV‐B irradiation in summer lemons produced a strong increment (300%) of UV‐B‐absorbing compound content, whereas in winter lemons a slight increase (30%) was observed only after 3 min of irradiation. By contrast, UV‐B‐absorbing compound accumulation was not observed in albedo. MDA accumulation showed approximately a similar trend of UV‐B‐absorbing compounds. According to our results, solar UV‐B was not required for UV‐B‐absorbing compound accumulation in lemon peel. Relationships between UV‐B‐absorbing compounds, MDA, reactive oxygen species and pathogen protection are also discussed.
Sunbed Radiation Provokes Cutaneous Vitamin D Synthesis in Humans—A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Thieden Elisabeth , Jørgensen Henrik L. , Jørgensen Niklas Rye , Philipsen Peter A. , Wulf Hans Christian
Published: May 2008

We wanted to investigate whether the use of sunbeds with sunlamps emitting mainly UVA and only 0.5% or 1.4% UVB will increase the level of serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). In a randomized, controlled, open study on healthy, Caucasian females (>50 years) sunbed radiation was given as follows: four 6‐min sunbed sessions (days 0, 2, 4 and 7) and four 12‐min sunbed sessions (days 9, 11, 14 and 16 ) with sunlamps emitting 0.5% UVB (n = 20) or with sunlamps emitting 1.4% UVB (n = 15). The controls (n = 21) had no intervention. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured on days 0, 9 and 18 in all three groups. The average increase in serum 25(OH)D from day 0 to day 9 was 12 nmol L−1 (SD 11 nmol L−1, P = 0.0002) in the 0.5% UVB group and 27 nmol L−1 (SD 9 nmol L−1, P < 0.0001) in the 1.4% UVB group. From day 9 to day 18 a further but not significant increase in serum 25(OH)D of 3 nmol L−1 (SD 9 nmol L−1, P = 0.2) in the 0.5% UVB group and 0.6 nmol L−1 (SD 18 nmol L−1, P = 0.9) in the 1.4% UVB group was seen. No significant changes were found in the control group. Increasing with UVB dose and exposure time, 37–64% of the sunbed sessions resulted in side effects such as erythema or polymorphic light eruption. The results showed that sunbeds emitting 0.5% and 1.4% UVB increased 25(OH)D serum levels. The increases were dose dependent but reached a plateau after few sessions. Sunbed use as vitamin D source is, however, not generally recommendable due to the well‐known carcinogenicity and high frequency of acute side effects.
A TiO2/CNT Coaxial Structure and Standing CNT Array Laminated Photocatalyst to Enhance the Photolysis Efficiency of TiO2
Authors: Wang Gou‐Jen , Lee Ming‐Way , Chen Yi‐Hong
Published: May 2008

In this study a TiO2/CNT coaxial structure and standing CNT array laminated photocatalyst to enhance the photolysis efficiency of TiO2 is presented. An electrochemical bath that used a nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membrane as the separation grating to separate two vessels with a transmembrane concentration gradient was constructed. The catalyzed photolysis efficiency was measured in terms of the photolysis‐induced ion current. The experimental results demonstrate that the photolysis efficiency of TiO2 could be increased by the high electron conductibility of the standing CNT array. The experimental results also indicate that photolysis efficiency could be enhanced by increasing the height of the standing CNT array substrate; however, it degraded as the thickness of the TiO2/CNT coaxial structure and the TiO2 shell increased.
How We See Ourselves and How We See Others
Authors: Pronin Emily
Published: May 2008

People see themselves differently from how they see others. They are immersed in their own sensations, emotions, and cognitions at the same time that their experience of others is dominated by what can be observed externally. This basic asymmetry has broad consequences. It leads people to judge themselves and their own behavior differently from how they judge others and those others' behavior. Often, those differences produce disagreement and conflict. Understanding the psychological basis of those differences may help mitigate some of their negative effects.
Interfacial Polygonal Nanopatterning of Stable Microbubbles
Authors: Dressaire Emilie , Bee Rodney , Bell David C. , Lips Alex , Stone Howard A.
Published: May 2008

Micrometer-sized bubbles are unstable and therefore difficult to make and store for substantial lengths of time. Short-term stabilization is achieved by the addition of amphiphilic molecules, which reduce the driving force for dissolution. When these molecules crystallize on the air/liquid interface, the lifetime of individual bubbles may extend over a few months. We demonstrated low gas-fraction dispersions with mean bubble radii of less than 1 micrometer and stability lasting more than a year. An insoluble, self-assembled surfactant layer covers the surface of the microbubbles, which can result in nanometer-scale hexagonal patterning that we explain with thermodynamic and molecular models. The elastic response of the interface arrests the shrinkage of the bubbles. Our study identifies a route to fabricate highly stable dispersions of microbubbles.
Ecosystem Feedbacks and Nitrogen Fixation in Boreal Forests
Authors: DeLuca Thomas H. , Zackrisson Olle , Gundale Michael J. , Nilsson Marie-Charlotte
Published: May 2008

Biological feedback mechanisms regulate fundamental ecosystem processes and potentially regulate ecosystem productivity. To date, no studies have documented the down-regulation of terrestrial nitrogen (N) fixation via an ecosystem-level feedback mechanism. Herein, we demonstrate such a feedback in boreal forests. Rapid cycling of N in early secondary succession forests yielded greater throughfall N deposition, which in turn decreased N fixation by cyanobacterial associates in feather moss carpets that reside on the forest floor. The forest canopy exerts a tight control on biotic N input at a period of high productivity.
Water Activity and the Challenge for Life on Early Mars
Authors: Tosca Nicholas J. , Knoll Andrew H. , McLennan Scott M.
Published: May 2008

In situ and orbital exploration of the martian surface has shown that acidic, saline liquid water was intermittently available on ancient Mars. The habitability of these waters depends critically on water activity (

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), a thermodynamic measure of salinity, which, for terrestrial organisms, has sharply defined limits. Using constraints on fluid chemistry and saline mineralogy based on martian data, we calculated the maximum

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for Meridiani Planum and other environments where salts precipitated from martian brines. Our calculations indicate that the salinity of well-documented surface waters often exceeded levels tolerated by known terrestrial organisms.
The Cassiopeia A Supernova Was of Type IIb
Authors: Krause Oliver , Birkmann Stephan M. , Usuda Tomonori , Hattori Takashi , Goto Miwa , Rieke George H. , Misselt Karl A.
Published: May 2008

Cassiopeia A is the youngest supernova remnant known in the Milky Way and a unique laboratory for supernova physics. We present an optical spectrum of the Cassiopeia A supernova near maximum brightness, obtained from observations of a scattered light echo more than three centuries after the direct light of the explosion swept past Earth. The spectrum shows that Cassiopeia A was a type IIb supernova and originated from the collapse of the helium core of a red supergiant that had lost most of its hydrogen envelope before exploding. Our finding concludes a long-standing debate on the Cassiopeia A progenitor and provides new insight into supernova physics by linking the properties of the explosion to the wealth of knowledge about its remnant.