bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of the Y chromosome: absence of a significant relationship between CAG repeat length in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene and infertility in Indian men
Authors: Dhillon Varinderpal S. , Husain Syed A.
Published: September 2003

The genetic basis of male infertility remains unclear in the majority of cases. Recent studies have indicated an association between microdeletions of the azoospermia factor a (AZFa)–AZFc regions of Yq and severe oligospermia or azoospermia. Increased (CAG)nrepeat lengths in the androgen receptor (AR) gene have also been reported in infertile men. Therefore, in order to assess the prevalence of these genetic defects to male infertility, 183 men with non‐obstructive azoospermia (n = 70), obstructive azoospermia (n = 33), severe oligospermia (n = 80) and 59 fertile men were examined cytogenetically and at molecular level for Yq deletions, microdeletions, and AR‐CAG repeat lengths along with hormonal profiles [luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T)]. We used high resolution cytogenetics to detect chromosome deletions and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) involving 27 sequence‐tagged site (STS) markers on Yq to determine the rate and extent of Yq microdeletions. PCR amplification with primers flanking exon 1 of AR gene was used to determine the AR‐(CAG)nrepeat lengths. Hormonal profiles (LH, FSH and T levels) were also analysed in infertile and fertile men. Testicular biopsies showed Sertoli cell only (SCO) morphology, maturation arrests (MA) and hypospermatogenesis. No chromosome aberrations were found in infertile men but there was a significant increase (p < 0.001) in the association of acrocentric chromosomes including the Y chromosome. Yq microdeletions were found in 16 non‐obstructive azoospermic men (16 of 70; 22%) and seven severe oligospermic individuals (seven of 80; 8.7%) and most of them had deletions in the sY240 locus. No Yq microdeletions were detected in patients with obstructive azoospermia. No statistically significant difference in the mean length of CAG repeats in AR gene was observed between infertile and fertile men (22.2 ± 1.5 and 21.5 ± 1.4 respectively). No significant increase or decrease in levels of LH, FSH and T was observed in infertile and fertile men. In some infertile men, significantly elevated levels of FSH alone or in combination with LH were found to be indicative of failure of spermatogenesis and/or suggestive of testicular failure. Y‐chromosome microdeletions contribute to infertility in some patients but no relationship could be established with the (CAG)nrepeat lengths in exon 1 of the AR gene in infertile Indian men.
Acrosome reaction inhibitor released during in vitro sperm capacitation
Authors: Martins Simone G. , Miranda Patricia V. , Brandelli Adriano
Published: September 2003

Mammalian spermatozoa fertilize only after capacitation. The removal of decapacitation factors that inhibit the acrosome reaction (AR) is one of the events taking place during capacitation. In this report, human sperm were capacitated by 18‐h incubation in Biggers, Whitten & Whittingham medium (BWW) medium and the proteins, on release, were analysed. After gel filtration by high‐performance liquid chromatography a main peak with an approximate native molecular weight of 130 kDa was recognized by an antinormal seminal plasma antibody. This fraction was able to inhibit the follicular fluid as well as the progesterone‐induced AR, when added to capacitated spermatozoa. Additionally, it reacted with an antibody directed against seminal plasma from vasectomized donors but not with an antibody against epididymal proteins. The AR inhibitory activity was heat‐denatured, could be partially destroyed when treated with proteases, and bound to Concanavalin‐A and wheat germ lectins. These results suggest that during in vitro capacitation, human spermatozoa release a glycoproteic decapacitation factor produced by accessory sex glands.
The isolation and characterization of cytochrome c nitrite reductase subunits (NrfA and NrfH) from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774
Authors: Almeida Maria Gabriela , Macieira Sofia , Gonçalves Luisa L. , Huber Robert , Cunha Carlos A. , Romão Maria João , Costa Cristina , Lampreia Jorge , Moura José J. G. , Moura Isabel
Published: September 2003

The cytochrome c nitrite reductase is isolated from the membranes of the sulfate‐reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 27774 as a heterooligomeric complex composed by two subunits (61 kDa and 19 kDa) containing c‐type hemes, encoded by the genes nrfA and nrfH, respectively. The extracted complex has in average a 2NrfA:1NrfH composition. The separation of ccNiR subunits from one another is accomplished by gel filtration chromatography in the presence of SDS. The amino‐acid sequence and biochemical subunits characterization show that NrfA contains five hemes and NrfH four hemes. These considerations enabled the revision of a vast amount of existing spectroscopic data on the NrfHA complex that was not originally well interpreted due to the lack of knowledge on the heme content and the oligomeric enzyme status. Based on EPR and Mössbauer parameters and their correlation to structural information recently obtained from X‐ray crystallography on the NrfA structure [Cunha, C.A., Macieira, S., Dias, J.M., Almeida, M.G., Gonçalves, L.M.L., Costa, C., Lampreia, J., Huber, R., Moura, J.J.G., Moura, I. & Romão, M. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 17455–17465], we propose the full assignment of midpoint reduction potentials values to the individual hemes. NrfA contains the high‐spin catalytic site (−80 mV) as well as a quite unusual high reduction potential (+150 mV)/low‐spin bis‐His coordinated heme, considered to be the site where electrons enter. In addition, the reassessment of the spectroscopic data allowed the first partial spectroscopic characterization of the NrfH subunit. The four NrfH hemes are all in a low‐spin state (S = 1/2). One of them has a gmax at 3.55, characteristic of bis‐histidinyl iron ligands in a noncoplanar arrangement, and has a positive reduction potential.
Constitutive oligomerization of human D2 dopamine receptors expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) and in HEK293 cells
Authors: Gazi Lucien , López‐Giménez Juan F. , Rüdiger Martin P. , Strange Philip G.
Published: September 2003

Human D2Long (D2L) and D2Short (D2S) dopamine receptor isoforms were modified at their N‐terminus by the addition of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or a FLAG epitope tag. The receptors were then expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells using the baculovirus system, and their oligomerization was investigated by means of co‐immunoprecipitation and time‐resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). [3H]Spiperone labelled D2 receptors in membranes prepared from Sf9 cells expressing epitope‐tagged D2L or D2S receptors, with a pKd value of ≈ 10. Co‐immunoprecipitation using antibodies specific for the tags showed constitutive homo‐oligomerization of D2L and D2S receptors in Sf9 cells. When the FLAG‐tagged D2S and HIV‐tagged D2L receptors were co‐expressed, co‐immunoprecipitation showed that the two isoforms can also form hetero‐oligomers in Sf9 cells. Time‐resolved FRET with europium and XL665‐labelled antibodies was applied to whole Sf9 cells and to membranes from Sf9 cells expressing epitope‐tagged D2 receptors. In both cases, constitutive homo‐oligomers were revealed for D2L and D2S isoforms. Time‐resolved FRET also revealed constitutive homo‐oligomers in HEK293 cells expressing FLAG‐tagged D2S receptors. The D2 receptor ligands dopamine, R‐(–)propylnorapomorphine, and raclopride did not affect oligomerization of D2L and D2S in Sf9 and HEK293 cells. Human D2 dopamine receptors can therefore form constitutive oligomers in Sf9 cells and in HEK293 cells that can be detected by different approaches, and D2 oligomerization in these cells is not regulated by ligands.
The single tryptophan of the PsbQ protein of photosystem II is at the end of a 4‐α‐helical bundle domain
Authors: Balsera Mónica , Arellano Juan B. , Pazos Florencio , Devos Damien , Valencia Alfonso , De Las Rivas Javier
Published: September 2003

We examined the microenvironment of the single tryptophan and the tyrosine residues of PsbQ, one of the three main extrinsic proteins of green algal and higher plant photosystem II. On the basis of this information and the previous data on secondary structure [Balsera, M., Arellano, J.B., Gutiérrez, J.R., Heredia, P., Revuelta, J.L. & De Las Rivas, J. (2003) Biochemistry42, 1000–1007], we screened structural models derived by combining various threading approaches. Experimental results showed that the tryptophan residue is partially buried in the core of the protein but still in a polar environment, according to the intrinsic fluorescence emission of PsbQ and the fact that fluorescence quenching by iodide was weaker than that by acrylamide. Furthermore, quenching by cesium suggested that a positively charged barrier shields the tryptophan microenvironment. Comparison of the absorption spectra in native and denaturing conditions indicated that one or two out of six tyrosines of PsbQ are buried in the core of the structure. Using threading methods, a 3D structural model was built for the C‐terminal domain of the PsbQ protein family (residues 46–149), while the N‐terminal domain is predicted to have a flexible structure. The model for the C‐terminal domain is based on the 3D structure of cytochrome b562, a mainly α‐protein with a helical up/down bundle folding. Despite the large sequence differences between the template and PsbQ, the structural and energetic parameters for the explicit model are acceptable, as judged by the corresponding tools. This 3D model is compatible with the experimentally determined environment of the tryptophan residue and with published structural information. The future experimental determination of the 3D structure of the protein will offer a good validation point for our model and the technology used. Until then, the model can provide a starting point for further studies on the function of PsbQ.
Modified merozoite surface protein‐1 peptides with short alpha helical regions are associated with inducing protection against malaria
Authors: Torres Mary H. , Salazar Luz M. , Vanegas Magnolia , Guzman Fanny , Rodriguez Raul , Silva Yolanda , Rosas Jaiver , Patarroyo Manuel E.
Published: September 2003

The merozoite surface protein‐1 represents a prime candidate for development of a malaria vaccine. Merozoite surface protein‐1 has been shown to demonstrate high‐activity peptide binding to human red blood cells. One of the high‐activity binding peptides, named 5501, located in the N‐terminus (amino acid sequence MLNISQHQCVKKQCPQNS) of the 19‐kDa molecular mass fragment of merozoite surface protein‐1, is conserved, nonimmunogenic and nonprotective. Its critical binding residues were identified and replaced with amino acids of similar mass but different charge, in order to modify their immunogenic and protective characteristics. Three analogues with positive or negative immunological results were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance to correlate their three‐dimensional structure with their biological functions. The studied peptides presented α‐helical fragments, but in different peptide regions and extensions, except for randomly structured 5501. We show that altering a few amino acids induced immunogenicity and protectivity against experimental malaria and changed the peptide three‐dimensional structure, suggesting a better fit with immune‐system molecules.
Efficient inhibition of β‐secretase gene expression in HEK293 cells by tRNAVal‐driven and CTE‐helicase associated hammerhead ribozymes
Authors: Nawrot Barbara , Antoszczyk Slawomir , Maszewska Maria , Kuwabara Tomoko , Warashina Masaki , Taira Kazunari , Stec Wojciech J.
Published: September 2003

The β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) is a major component of toxic amyloid plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Aβ is liberated by sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β‐ and γ‐secretases. The level of Aβ depends directly on the hydrolytic activity of β‐secretase. Therefore, β‐secretase is an excellent target for drug design. An approach based on RNA‐cleaving ribozymes was developed to control expression of β‐secretase. Two sites of mRNA coding β‐site APP cleaving enzyme were chosen as target sequences for endogenously delivered ribozymes. The ribozyme cassette was designed to constitute a catalytic hammerhead core and substrate recognition arms, flanked at the 5′‐terminus by tRNAVal and at the 3′‐terminus by constitutive transport element sequences. Ribozyme cassettes were cloned into a pUC19 plasmid and used for transient transfection of HEK293 cells. We demonstrate that such ribozymes efficiently inhibit β‐secretase gene expression at both the mRNA (up to 95%) and the protein (up to 90%) levels. Inhibition of β‐site APP cleaving enzyme activity directly influences the intra‐ and extracellular population of Aβ peptide. Therefore, such ribozymes may be considered as molecular tools for silencing the β‐secretase activity, and further, as therapeutic agents for anti‐amyloid treatment.
A pathway through interferon‐γ is the main pathway for induction of nitric oxide upon stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide in mouse peritoneal cells
Authors: Matsuura Motohiro , Saito Shinji , Hirai Yoshikazu , Okamura Haruki
Published: September 2003

Production of nitric oxide (NO) in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated using cultures of mouse peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and the macrophage cell line RAW264.7. In the presence of anti‐(interferon‐γ) (IFN‐γ), NO production was markedly suppressed in the PEC culture but not in the RAW264.7 culture. In the PEC culture, LPS induced both IFN‐γ production and activation of IFN response factor‐1, which leads to the gene expression of inducible NO synthase, but neither was induced in the culture of RAW264.7 cells. In addition to anti‐(IFN‐γ), antibodies against interleukin (IL)‐12 and IL‐18 showed a suppressive effect on LPS‐induced NO production in the PEC culture, and these antibodies in synergy showed strong suppression. Stimulation of the PEC culture with IL‐12 or IL‐18 induced production of IFN‐γ and NO, and these cytokines, in combination, exhibited marked synergism. Stimulation of the culture with IFN‐γ induced production of NO, but not IL‐12. The macrophage population in the PEC, prepared as adherent cells, responded well to LPS for IL‐12 production, but weakly for production of IFN‐γ and NO. The macrophages also responded well to IFN‐γ for NO production. For production of IFN‐γ by stimulation with LPS or IL‐12 + IL‐18, nonadherent cells were required in the PEC culture. Considering these results overall, the indirect pathway, through the production of intermediates (such as IFN‐γ‐inducing cytokines and IFN‐γ) by the cooperation of macrophages with nonadherent cells, was revealed to play the main role in the LPS‐induced NO production pathway, as opposed to the direct pathway requiring only a macrophage population.
Investigating RNA polymerase II carboxyl‐terminal domain (CTD) phosphorylation
Authors: Palancade Benoît , Bensaude Olivier
Published: September 2003

Phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II's largest subunit C‐terminal domain (CTD) is a key event during mRNA metabolism. Numerous enzymes, including cell cycle‐dependent kinases and TFIIF‐dependent phosphatases target the CTD. However, the repetitive nature of the CTD prevents determination of phosphorylated sites by conventional biochemistry methods. Fortunately, a panel of monoclonal antibodies is available that distinguishes between phosphorylated isoforms of RNA polymerase II's (RNAP II) largest subunit. Here, we review how successful these tools have been in monitoring RNAP II phosphorylation changes in vivo by immunofluorescence, chromatin immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting experiments. The CTD phosphorylation pattern is precisely modified as RNAP II progresses along the genes and is involved in sequential recruitment of RNA processing factors. One of the most popular anti‐phosphoCTD Igs, H5, has been proposed in several studies as a landmark of RNAP II molecules engaged in transcription. Finally, we discuss how global RNAP II phosphorylation changes are affected by the physiological context such as cell stress and embryonic development.
GH1 as candidate gene for variability of meat production traits in Piemontese cattle
Authors: Di Stasio L. , Brugiapaglia A. , Destefanis G. , Albera A. , Sartore S.
Published: September 2003

The aim of this study was to analyse the polymorphism of the intron 3 of GH1 gene in the Piemontese cattle breed and to investigate its possible associations with meat production traits. The polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) analysis revealed two alleles, GH1C and GH1D, with frequencies of 0.842 and 0.158, respectively. The relationships of the polymorphism with 14 in vivo traits and four meat characteristics were analysed. For the in vivo traits none of the substitution or dominance effects were significant, indicating that the variability of the traits is not related to the polymorphism of the gene. Significant effects were observed for cooking losses and tenderness at day 11, indicating the superiority of the GH1C allele over GH1D. However, before any conclusions can be drawn, further studies are necessary, possibly including a larger number of DD genotypes.
Increasing resource specialization among competitors shifts control of diversity from local to spatial processes
Authors: Frank Steven A. , Amarasekare Priyanga
Published: September 2003

We argue that an increase in the number of specialized consumers can shift the control of ecological dynamics from local to spatial processes. When there are only a few specialized types, local dynamics maintains most types within each patch. As the number of types increases, the probability of local extinction rises. Subsequent colonizations perturb local dynamics, setting off another round of extinctions and the potential for later recolonization. Global processes of colonization and extinction reduce local diversity and increase differentiation among patches. We draw an analogy between the specificity of host‐parasite genetics and the specificity of consumer–resource pairs.
Integrating transport systems in supply chain management software tools
Authors: Caputo Antonio C. , Pelagagge Pacifico M. , Scacchia Federica
Published: September 2003

Logistic strategies represent a key factor to increase supply chain (SC) effectiveness, as the optimization of logistics networks enables transport and storage costs reduction as well as quick response leading to higher customer satisfaction. A useful approach for SC performance improvement may be pursued by resorting to advanced software tools able to analyze complex production scenarios, performing concurrent, synchronized and distributed simulations. Support to the logistics planning phase is offered by geographical information system technology, included in the simulation environment in order to manage related geographical data (i.e. warehouse location, choice of vehicle routeings, etc.). In the paper the main characteristics of the proposed hardware and software architecture have been illustrated, focusing attention on the logic phases for implementation by the transport federate. Furthermore, a preliminary functionality validation of the developed tool is presented with reference to simplified test cases.
Between theory and experience
Authors: Meyer Heinz‐Dieter
Published: September 2003

Argues for the need to conceive managerial and administrative knowledge as dia‐logical (as opposed to technical) knowledge and explores the implications for the preparation of education leaders. Although there is widespread agreement that knowledge‐in‐action (know how, intuition, tacit knowledge) is different from technical or propositional knowledge, the preparation of education practitioners continues to be conducted as if the acquisition of technical knowledge was all‐important. Given that the university, as an institution, is always likely to favour technical over dialogical knowledge, it is important to demonstrate that the notion of “intuition”, “experience” or “tacit knowledge” are anchored in the best traditions of pragmatism, as well as in the current surge of interest in knowledge management.
The influence of principals’ values on their perception and management of school problems
Authors: Law Louise Y.S. , Walker Allan , Dimmock Clive
Published: September 2003

This paper describes a grounded theory that emerged from a study of Hong Kong Protestant secondary school principals’ values and their impact on principals’ perceptions and management of problems. This substantive theory is labelled the “value‐based congruence theory”. It implies first, that values influence how Hong Kong principals perceive and manage problems in their schools. Second, that particular principal's value orientations correspond with their behaviour in terms of their perceptions, problem‐solving strategies and the outcomes experienced. Principals’ value orientations fall along the following five value dimensions: the relationship, reform, empowerment, client‐focus and rationality dimensions. These correlations result in five principal types – the pacifists, the progressive mentors, the philosopher mentors, the pragmatists and the eclectics. However, other factors, namely, personal and organizational characteristics as well as the value properties of clarity, commitment, consistency, versatility, breadth and focus, are found to moderate the linkages between principals’ values and their concomitant responses.
A reverse side of the team medal
Authors: Vermeulen Patrick , Benders Jos
Published: September 2003

Publications in the managerial press tend to stress the positive sides of teamworking. Teamworking is heralded at the neglect of possible downsides such as the propensity to withhold effort. This is, however, studied in at least two strands of academic work: social psychology and economic organization theories. From these literatures the paper draws attention to the potential downsides of teamworking. However, various options for overcoming these problems have been identified in the same literatures. Thus, the body of our paper explicitly concentrates on possible solutions for managers to remedy the potential negative effects of teamworking.
The Social Audit Agenda — Primary Health Care in a Stakeholder Society
Authors: Cotton Philip , Fraser Ian A.M. , Hill Wan Ying
Published: September 2003

This paper develops the conceptual and paradigmatic issues of social audit as groundwork for possible implementation within public services focusing particularly on the primary healthcare sector. Early sections of the paper consider arguments as to why social audit may be particularly relevant to the contemporary health care environment as well as some of the possible obstacles and reservations to its implementation. Alternative approaches to social audit are then discussed. A polyvocal citizenship perspective (PCP) which enables the direct participation of stakeholders is adopted. This is grounded in the concepts of reciprocal interest, empowerment evaluation and accountability. A social accounting and audit model is proposed which places emphasis on a system of iterative and interactive process of stakeholder dialogue, feedback and evaluation. Lastly, some prototypical ideas for social audit based on the Patients' Charter are discussed.
Determinants of Audit Fees: Evidence from the Companies Listed in Bahrain
Authors: Joshi P. L. , AL‐Bastaki Hasan
Published: September 2003

Many studies have been conducted on the market for audit services in Anglo‐Saxon countries, but, to‐date, none of them have focused on the Middle Eastern countries. This paper examines the audit fee structure in Bahrain for 38 companies listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE). By analyzing the data concerning a number of variables representing size, risk, complexity, timing of audit, and profitability, a model is developed of the determinants of audit fees. The study strongly confirms that most of the previous research findings are also applicable to the Bahrain market, and that audit fees are significantly associated with the size, risk, profitability and complexity of the client operations. The study also suggests that other important issues be considered, such as non‐audit services, the extent of market concentration, and audit services in the unregulated market.
Auditors as Whistleblowers
Authors: Jubb Peter B.
Published: September 2003

Auditors are being depicted as whistleblowers, a phenomenon which, given negative social attitudes to whistleblowers and informers more generally, can be harmful to the profession and individual practitioners. A recently published general‐purpose definition of whistleblowing is applied to the audit function, considering internal and external auditing separately. The definition is briefly described. It depicts whistleblowing as a disclosure which expresses accusation and dissent; and entails an ethical dilemma of divided loyalty, the origins of which lie in a prima facie duty to respect an organisations proprietary rights over its information. The case argued here is that internal audit disclosures and those arising from the dominant external statutory audit do not qualify as whistleblowing as defined.

Whistleblowing is also examined as an audit metaphor but is discarded as unsuitable mainly on grounds of ambiguity.
The Impact of False Rejection Risk on Posterior Audit Risk Measurement
Authors: Woodhead Anne D. , Dixon Rob , Skerratt Len C. L.
Published: September 2003

This paper investigates false rejection risk, analysing the a priori relationship between the risk of false rejection and the more common risk of false acceptance, of an account balance by a substantive test. The paper uses probability theory to specify the relationship between these two risks and thus generate a model of posterior audit risk.

The paper proceeds to investigate the relationship using the power function of basic statistics. This specifies the relationship between (i) the probability of rejecting the account balance and (ii) the size of the error which the balance contains. We argue that unless there is a discontinuity in the power function around the specified value of material error, then posterior audit risk will be unaffected by the substantive tests undertaken. Posterior risk will then be determined entirely by the assessed inherent and control risks. This conclusion is counter‐intuitive to the approach to audit risk adopted by many professional pronouncements and results from the adoption of a mathematically rigorous definition of the risks encountered by the auditor.

The primary conclusion is that the discontinuity arises under conditions of careful audit planning. If planning is careful, then false rejection risk contributes very little to posterior risk. In addition, there is very little difference between planned risk and posterior risk.
Crib Death
Authors: Lipsitt Lewis P.
Published: September 2003

In developed countries, more children under 1 year of age die of crib death (sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS) than of all other causes combined. Researchers and clinicians have proposed many possible causes of SIDS, but the abrupt, unexpected death of some babies remains mysterious and frightening. Although infant behavior may explain some of these deaths, scant attention has addressed behavioral characteristics of babies who die without medical explanation. Any explanation of SIDS must account for the fact that most SIDS deaths occur at 2 to 5 months of age, acknowledging that a protective mechanism appears to spare babies before 2 months but then disappears. The respiratory occlusion reflex serves as an initial defense against smothering and can provide such an explanation. Infantile reflexes wane, after providing opportunities for learned responses to be acquired. During this well-documented neurobehavioral transition from subcortical to cortically mediated responding, some babies, viable for the first 2 months, may become especially vulnerable if they fail to acquire sufficiently strong defensive behaviors needed to prevent occlusion after the waning of the life-preserving reflex. Recent success of back-to-sleep directives, urging that babies sleep on their backs to avoid smothering, supports this hypothesis.
Attention in Learning
Authors: Kruschke John K.
Published: September 2003

Learners exhibit many apparently irrational behaviors in their use of cues, sometimes learning to ignore relevant cues or to attend to irrelevant ones. A learning phenomenon called highlighting seems especially to demand explanation in terms of learned attention. Highlighting complements the classic phenomenon of conditioned blocking, which has been shown to involve learned inattention. Highlighting and blocking, along with a wide spectrum of other perplexing learning phenomena, can be accounted for by recent connectionist models in which both attentional shifting and associative learning are driven by the rational goal of rapid error reduction.
Inattentional Blindness
Authors: Mack Arien
Published: September 2003

Surprising as it may seem, research shows that we rarely see what we are looking at unless our attention is directed to it. This phenomenon can have serious life-and-death consequences. Although the inextricable link between perceiving and attending was noted long ago by Aristotle, this phenomenon, now called inattentional blindness (IB), only recently has been named and carefully studied. Among the many questions that have been raised about IB are questions about the fate of the clearly visible, yet unseen stimuli, whether any stimuli reliably capture attention, and, if so, what they have in common. Finally, is IB an instance of rapid forgetting, or is it a failure to perceive?
Biological Specializations for Speech
Authors: Trout J.D.
Published: September 2003

Language research over the past 40 years converges on the speech-is-special hypothesis (SiS), according to which speech perception and production are uniquely human adaptations. SiS is grounded in a variety of biological, developmental, and behavioral evidence. In some comparative studies, speechlike stimuli have seemed to cause nonhuman animals to exhibit humanlike performance functions. Auditorists—who believe that spoken language processing is executed by, and is explicable in terms of, general auditory mechanisms—have seized upon such studies as evidence that SiS is incorrect. However, it is difficult to identify biological and functional similarities across different species on the basis of behavior alone, and the elaborate training regimen that nonhuman animals require to achieve human performance levels undermines the significance of certain comparative studies. Both comparative and human behavioral research, including brain-imaging studies of functional localization, electrophysiological recordings of the neural basis of the perception-production link, and developmental studies of a time-locked schedule of language learning, favor SiS over auditorism.
International operations and location decisions: a firm level approach
Authors: Meijboom Bert , Voordijk Hans
Published: September 2003

The purpose of this study is to acquire a better understanding of why certain production and distribution facilities remain in Western Europe, in spite of economic globalisation. This paper focuses on companies located in the Netherlands but acting on an international scale. The issue is not addressed at a sectoral, regional, or even more aggregate level‐of‐analysis. Instead, the firm is the unit‐of‐analysis, which is why exploratory cases were conducted. The notion of strategic role (Ferdows 1989, 1997) is applied to assess internal motives for staying. The effect of external factors on individual facilities that differ with respect to these internal motives are also looked at. The findings suggest that facilities of high strategic importance within the multinational enterprise to which they belong have high expectations of the political/legal and macroeconomic environment. Furthermore, facilities preceding the major decoupling point in a supply chain seem to be more locationally stable than activities subsequent to this point.
Environmental policy in the European Union: community competence vs member state competence
Authors: Folmer Henk , Jeppesen Tim
Published: September 2003

In the environmental federalism literature it is argued that the optimal level of environmental quality varies widely across jurisdictions and that welfare losses associated with enforcing a harmonised uniform standard is quite large. Greater leeway for tailoring environmental standards to local circumstances are therefore in order. In this paper Member States’ possibilities to implement a higher level of environmental protection than the harmonized EU level are examined.
The Case Against Privatizing National Security
Authors: Markusen Ann R.
Published: September 2003

Since the mid‐1990s, the U.S. Pentagon has accelerated efforts to outsource weapons, battlefield and base support operations, and troop training, invoking competition‐based savings and better quality. I review the arguments for and against such privatization and summarize recent Pentagon outsourcing experience. I conclude that the current enthusiasm for privatization is driven largely by commercial concerns and lobbying rather than real gains to the nation and citizens, that it poses dangers of monopolization and undue political influence, and that current contracting practices lack verification and mandatory evaluation safeguards to deliver promised results.
Consumer Research to Focus R&D Projects
Authors: Hauser John R.
Published: September 2003

R&D occurs early in the design stage of a telecommunications product that will be aimed at an unfulfilled market need. New technologies offer some exciting possibilities but the R&D team needs guidance in focusing their technologies on the right set of user benefits. In this article, John R. Hauser uses a case study to show how consumer theory and models for evaluating new product concepts can be used to provide R&D management with diagnostic information to improve the chances of innovation success. It's a good example of how management science can be applied to management problems.
R&D Patterns in the Video Display Terminal Industry
Authors: Link Albert N. , Zmud Robert W.
Published: September 2003

A long‐standing question asks whether small firms or large firms are more successful in product innovation, and the answer seems to be coming up, “It depends.” Professors Link and Zmud reveal some of the things it depends on when they describe the results of their research on the VDT industry. They see the VDT industry as a possible prototype of the several technologically progressive industries now growing toward the early stages of maturity. What we see here today may be a forerunner of what we'll see elsewhere in the near future.
Detecting Buyer Preferences to Guide Product Development and Advertising
Authors: Rabino Samuel , Moskowitz Howard
Published: September 2003

If you could tell which product characteristics consumers would prefer, product development could be targeted sharply and positioning the product competitively could be done with more confidence. This article describes one approach by which a relatively large set of test products is evaluated by consumers in order to identify the most acceptable combination of product attributes. Identification of this combination provides the product developer with guidelines as to which test product should be selected for subsequent introduction. The focus is on the discovery of discernible attributes of a product in a fragmented category to support the advertising claim.
Opportunities for Revitalizing Stagnant Markets: An Analysis of Household Appliances
Authors: Clark William A. V. , Freeman Howard E. , Hanssens Dominique M.
Published: September 2003

For many durable consumer products, the conditions needed for sustained growth in sales seem to have disappeared. Some of these products have reached saturation levels of ownership; others seem to have plateaued at lower levels of ownership. The authors of this article, Professors Clark, Freeman, and Hanssens, have taken a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of one portion of the consumer durables market—household appliances—to detect the underlying components of demand. They speculate on how these demand components will fare in the coming years and draw implications for the way these markets can be stimulated.
An Empirical Comparison of Sales Forecasting Models
Authors: Rao Sanjay‐kumar
Published: September 2003

There has been a veritable industry of forecasting models in recent decades, spurred partly by planners' search for certainty and partly by the data crunching capabilities of computers. In this article, Sanjay‐kumar Rao tests two families of models on some common data sets to see how they compare. He examines how well the models fit the data and how reliable they are as forecasting tools.
What is a Caldicott guardian?
Authors: Roch-Berry C
Published: September 2003

A review of patient confidentiality issues was commissioned and its findings published as the Caldicott Report in December 1997. It made 16 recommendations and formulated six principals. To help in remembering these principles the mnemonic FIONA C can be used: Formal justification of purpose; Information transferred only when absolutely necessary; Only the minimum required; Need to know access controls; All to understand their responsibilities; Comply with and understand the law. Since the Caldicott Report in 1997 the following acts have become law. Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, Audit Commission Act 1998, Terrorism Act 2000, section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and by 2005 The Freedom of Information Act 2000 will become law and affect the NHS. Consequently it can be seen that the role and responsibility of Caldicott guardians has grown significantly into what is now known as information governance.
Retrobulbar haemorrhage associated with chronic Gingko biloba ingestion
Authors: Fong K C S , Kinnear P E
Published: September 2003

Retrobulbar haemorrhage is a rare and potentially sight threatening complication after peribulbar local anaesthetic injection for cataract surgery. A case is reported of a woman who developed this complication and was subsequently found to have been taking Gingko biloba extract tablets which may have predisposed her to developing the haemorrhage.
Entanglement Breaking Channels
Authors: Horodecki Michael , Shor Peter W. , Ruskai Mary Beth
Published: September 2003

This paper studies the class of stochastic maps, or channels, for which (I⊗Φ)(Γ) is always separable (even for entangled Γ). Such maps are called entanglement breaking, and can always be written in the form Φ(ρ)=∑kRkTr Fkρ where each Rkis a density matrix and Fk>0. If, in addition, Φ is trace-preserving, the {Fk} must form a positive operator valued measure (POVM). Some special classes of these maps are considered and other characterizations given.

Since the set of entanglement-breaking trace-preserving maps is convex, it can be characterized by its extreme points. The only extreme points of the set of completely positive trace preserving maps which are also entanglement breaking are those known as classical-quantum or CQ. However, for d≥3, the set of entanglement breaking maps has additional extreme points which are not extreme CQ maps.
ELECTRON-PHONON INTERACTIONS IN INTERSUBBAND LASER HETEROSTRUCTURES
Authors: Kisin Mikhail V. , Dutta Mitra , Stroscio Michael A.
Published: September 2003

We present a simple semianalytical model, which allows comprehensive analysis of the LO-phonon assisted electron relaxation in quantum well intersubband semiconductor lasers. Examples of scattering rate tailoring in type-I double quantum well heterostructures and analysis of the subband depopulation process in type-II heterostructures illustrate applicability of the model.
COOLING BY INVERSE NOTTINGHAM EFFECT WITH RESONANT TUNNELING
Authors: YU Y. , GREENE R. F. , TSU R.
Published: September 2003

The Inverse Nottingham Effect (INE) cooling involves emission of electrons above the Fermi level into the vacuum. Our scheme involves the use of a Double Barrier Resonant Tunneling (DBRT) section positioned between the surface and the vacuum for a much increased emission, and to provide energy selectivity for assuring cooling, without surface structuring such as tips and ridges leading to current crowding and additional heating. Unlike resonant tunneling from contact-to-contact, where barrier heights and thicknesses are controlled by the choice of heterojunctions, the work function at the surface dictates the barrier height for tunneling into the vacuum. The calculated field emission via resonant tunneling gives at least two orders of magnitude greater than without resonance, however, without work function lowering, the large gain happens at fairly high field. The use of resonance to enhance cooling by INE results in an important byproduct, an efficient cold-cathode field emitter for vacuum electronics.
THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE ACOUSTIC PHONON SPECTRA IN QUANTUM-DOT HETEROSTRUCTURES
Authors: RUFO SALVADOR , DUTTA MITRA , STROSCIO MICHAEL A.
Published: September 2003

We present calculations of the acoustic phonon spectra for a variety of quantum dots and consider the cases where the quantum dots are both free-standing and embedded in a selection of different matrix materials — including semiconductors, plastic, and water. These results go beyond previous calculations for free-standing quantum dots and demonstrate that the matrix material can have a large effect on the acoustic phonon spectrum and consequently on a variety of phonon-assisted transitions in quantum-dot heterostructures.
QUANTUM DEVICES WITH MULTIPOLE-ELECTRODE — HETEROJUNCTIONS HYBRID STRUCTURES
Authors: TSU RAPHAEL
Published: September 2003

Since the introduction of the man-made superlattices and quantum well structures, the field has taken off and developed into Quantum Slab, QS; Quantum Wire, QW; Quantum Dot, QD; and Nanoelectronics. This rapidly expanding field owes its success to the development of epitaxially grown heterojunctions and heterostructures to confine carriers in injection lasers. Meanwhile, the advancement of lithography allows potentials to be applied in nanoscale dimension leading to the possibility of quantum confinement without heterostructures. Actually, quantum states in the inversion layer of field effect transistors, FETs, formed by the application of a large gate voltage appeared several years before the introduction of the superlattices and quantum wells. The quantum Hall effect was first discovered in the Si inversion layer. This chapter, Multipole-Electrode Heterojunction Hybrid Structure, MEHHS, discusses hybrid structures of heterojunctions and applied potentials via multipole-electrodes for a much wider variety of structures for future quantum devices. The technology required to fabricate these electrodes, to some degree, is routinely used in the double-gate devices. Few specific examples are detailed here, hopefully, to stimulate a rapid adoption of a hybrid system for the formation of quasi-discrete states for quantum devices.
The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on Bound Polarons in Polar Semiconductor Heterojunctions
Authors: Cao Y. L. , Ban S. L. , Zhao G. J.
Published: September 2003

A variational method is used to investigate the binding energies of bound polarons near the interface in a GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As heterojunction by considering the hydrostatic pressure effect. It is found that the comprehensive pressure effect on the heterojunction factors increases the binding energies near linearly. The pressure influence on the binding energy for the impurity located on the channel side is stronger than that for the impurity located on the barrier side. The pressure effect is more obvious when the impurity is located on the channel side and is not so far from the interface. The pressure influences on the longitudinal optical phonons and interface optical phonons are discussed.
Theoretical Investigation on the Phase Stability and Site Preference of R(Co,T)12 and R(Co,T)12Nx(R=Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Dy, T=Mo, Mn, Ni)
Authors: Shen Jiang , Qian Ping , Chen Nan-Xian
Published: September 2003

The phase stability and site preference of some ternary elements of ThMn 12 type rare-earth intermetallic compounds R(Co,T) 12 and R(Co,T) 12 N x are evaluated based on ab initio converted interatomic potentials. The calculated results show that adding either Mo or Mn makes the crystal cohesive energy decrease markedly. It proved that these elements can stabilize R(Co,T) 12 with ThMn 12 structure. The systemic energy is the lowest when T atoms occupy symmetrically 8i sites. For T=Mo or Mn, the doped nitrogen atom does not affect the order of site preference of these stabilizing elements. Moreover, the nitrogen atom occupies 2b sites. According to the calculated results, it can be seen that lattice parameters and X-rays are in good agreement with experiment. All the above results indicate that the ab initio converted pair potentials are effective for the calculation of these kinds of anisotropy materials and some related nitrides.
On Acculturation in Business Mergers: Empirical Findings from a Commercial Bank's Opinion Survey in Taiwan
Authors: Yen Gili , Liao Nelson N. H.
Published: September 2003

The present paper introduces a conceptual framework, followed by implementation of a structured company-wide questionnaire to examine empirically the issue of acculturation in business merger. Employees working at the acquiring firm grouped either as employees working at the headquarter or as employees working at the existing branches, when compared with their counterparts working at the newly established branch (formerly, the acquired firm), differ along various organizational cultural constructs which in turn lead to statistically significant differences in employees' working attitudes. Based on the above empirical findings, the authors therefore conclude that acculturation in business merger deserves serious attention.
'CHARISMA AND BROTHERHOOD' REVISITED: MASS-MEDIATED FORMS OF SPIRITUALITY IN URBAN MALI
Authors: Schulz Dorothea
Published: September 2003

The case study of the Muslim movement Ansar Dine and its charismatic leader Sharif Haidara illustrates that the debate on, and public significance of, Islam has been shifting in recent years and how broadcast media played into this process. Haidara's extensive use of (mostly aural) media allows him to combine traditional elements of religious authority with new credentials. His public prominence and success suggests that broadcasting contributes to the rationalization of religious genres in a double sense. The dissemination of religious knowledge on broadcast media works through the standardization of genres and styles of religious argument. It contributes to a process of objectification in the course of which 'religion' becomes the object of individual scrutiny and identity construction. But this does not indicate a shift towards a more rational character of religious debate. Haidara's persuasiveness resides to a major extent in his capacity to captivate listeners' aesthetic sensibilities. Popular reception of Haidara's teachings evidences the significance of religious debate in secular state politics. It illustrates some ways in which consumption of religious broadcasts contributes to a partial re-sacralization of everyday experience.