bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Binary polypeptide system for permanent and oriented protein immobilization
Authors: Ferrari Enrico , Darios Frédéric , Zhang Fan , Niranjan Dhevahi , Bailes Julian , Soloviev Mikhail , Davletov Bazbek
Published: May 2010

Background

Many techniques in molecular biology, clinical diagnostics and biotechnology rely on binary affinity tags. The existing tags are based on either small molecules (e.g., biotin/streptavidin or glutathione/GST) or peptide tags (FLAG, Myc, HA, Strep-tag and His-tag). Among these, the biotin-streptavidin system is most popular due to the nearly irreversible interaction of biotin with the tetrameric protein, streptavidin. The major drawback of the stable biotin-streptavidin system, however, is that neither of the two tags can be added to a protein of interest via recombinant means (except for the Strep-tag case) leading to the requirement for chemical coupling.

Results

Here we report a new immobilization system which utilizes two monomeric polypeptides which self-assemble to produce non-covalent yet nearly irreversible complex which is stable in strong detergents, chaotropic agents, as well as in acids and alkali. Our system is based on the core region of the tetra-helical bundle known as the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) complex. This irreversible protein attachment system (IPAS) uses either a shortened syntaxin helix and fused SNAP25-synaptobrevin or a fused syntaxin-synaptobrevin and SNAP25 allowing a two-component system suitable for recombinant protein tagging, capture and immobilization. We also show that IPAS is suitable for use with traditional beads and chromatography, planar surfaces and Biacore, gold nanoparticles and for protein-protein interaction in solution.

Conclusions

IPAS offers an alternative to chemical cross-linking, streptavidin-biotin system and to traditional peptide affinity tags and can be used for a wide range of applications in nanotechnology and molecular sciences.
Is Obesity Associated with an Increased Risk for Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Development of Asthma?
Authors: Sharma Sat , Tailor Adarsh , Warrington Richard , Cheang Mary
Published: May 2010

We investigated the association between airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and obesity in adults referred for confirmation of asthma diagnosis. Data were analyzed for obesity class I (body mass index [BMI] 30-34.9 kg/m2), class II (BMI ≥ 35-39.9 kg/m2), and class III (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Of 861 subjects, 401 demonstrated AHR; the mean dose of methacholine was 4.16 ± 2.55 mg/mL. A significant association between obesity and AHR was evident for all subjects: the odds ratio was 1.37 (95% CI 1.02-1.82; p = .0317). One unit of increased BMI (1 kg/m2) was associated with a 3.1% increase in AHR risk (95% CI 1.01-1.05, p < .005). The odds ratio increased from 1.86 (95% CI 1.27-1.76; p = .0012) for class I to 2.61 (95% CI 1.48-4.60; p = .0006) for class III. Obesity was found to be associated with AHR and appears to be a risk factor for asthma.
Occupational Contact Dermatitis
Authors: Sasseville Denis
Published: May 2010

Occupational contact dermatitis accounts for 90% of all cases of work-related cutaneous disorders. It can be divided into irritant contact dermatitis, which occurs in 80% of cases, and allergic contact dermatitis. In most cases, both types will present as eczematous lesions on exposed parts of the body, notably the hands. Accurate diagnosis relies on meticulous history taking, thorough physical examination, careful reading of Material Safety Data Sheets to distinguish between irritants and allergens, and comprehensive patch testing to confirm or rule out allergic sensitization. This article reviews the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of occupational contact dermatitis and provides diagnostic guidelines and a rational approach to management of these often frustrating cases.
Atypical Bacteria and Macrolides in Asthma
Authors: Xepapadaki Paraskevi , Koutsoumpari Ioanna , Papaevagelou Vasiliki , Karagianni Christina , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G.
Published: May 2010

Chlamydophila pneumoniaeandMycoplasma pneumoniaeare common pathogens causing acute illness in both the upper and lower airways. Several observations are supportive of a possible causative role of these pathogens in asthma; however, more evidence is required before this becomes meaningful in clinical practice. Atypical bacteria can enhance airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, both of which have been associated with exacerbations in patients with preexisting asthma. It is less clear whether the above mechanisms might also be responsible for the development of asthma. Difficulties in accurately diagnosing these infections contribute to such uncertainty. In the present report, evidence of the involvement ofChlamydophilaandMycoplasmainfection in the development and the progression of asthma are reviewed.
Should Younger Siblings of Peanut-Allergic Children Be Assessed by an Allergist before Being Fed Peanut?
Authors: Liem Joel J. , Huq Saiful , Kozyrskyj Anita L. , Becker Allan B.
Published: May 2010

The objective of this study was to determine the risk of peanut allergy in siblings of peanut-allergic children. In 2005-2006, 560 households of children born in 1995 in the province of Manitoba, Canada, were surveyed. The index children (8-to 10-year-olds) were assessed by a pediatric allergist and had skin-prick testing and/or capRAST for peanut allergy. Surveys were completed by parents for siblings to determine the presence of peanut allergy. Of 560 surveys, 514 (92%) were completed. Twenty-nine (5.6%) index children were peanut allergic. Fifteen of 900 (1.7%) siblings had peanut allergy. Four of 47 (8.5%) were siblings of peanut-allergic children and 11 of 853 (1.3%) were siblings of non-peanut-allergic children. The risk of peanut allergy was markedly increased in siblings of a peanut-allergic child (odds ratio 6.72, 95% confidence interval 2.04-22.12). Siblings of peanut-allergic children are much more likely to be allergic to peanut. An allergy assessment by a qualified allergist should be routinely recommended before feeding peanut to these children.
Patterns of Expression of Vaginal T-Cell Activation Markers during Estrogen-Maintained Vaginal Candidiasis
Authors: Al-Sadeq Ameera , Hamad Mawieh , Abu-Elteen Khaled
Published: May 2010

The immunosuppressive activity of estrogen was further investigated by assessing the pattern of expression of CD25, CD28, CD69, and CD152 on vaginal T cells during estrogen-maintained vaginal candidiasis. A precipitous and significant decrease in vaginal fungal burden toward the end of week 3 postinfection was concurrent with a significant increase in vaginal lymphocyte numbers. During this period, the percentage of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD152+, and CD28+vaginal T cells gradually and significantly increased. The percentage of CD3+and CD3+CD4+cells increased from 43% and 15% at day 0 to 77% and 40% at day 28 postinfection. Compared with 29% CD152+vaginal T cells in naive mice, > 70% of vaginal T cells were CD152+at day 28 postinfection. In conclusion, estrogen-maintained vaginal candidiasis results in postinfection time-dependent changes in the pattern of expression of CD152, CD28, and other T-cell markers, suggesting that T cells are subject to mixed suppression and activation signals.
Prenatal allergen and diesel exhaust exposure and their effects on allergy in adult offspring mice
Authors: Corson Lin , Zhu Huaijie , Quan Chunli , Grunig Gabriele , Ballaney Manisha , Jin Ximei , Perera Frederica P , Factor Phillip H , Chen Lung-Chi , Miller Rachel L
Published: May 2010

Background

Multiple studies have suggested that prenatal exposure to either allergens or air pollution may increase the risk for the development of allergic immune responses in young offspring. However, the effects of prenatal environmental exposures on adult offspring have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that combined prenatal exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) allergen and diesel exhaust particles will be associated with altered IgE production, airway inflammation, airway hyperreactivity (AHR), and airway remodeling of adult offspring.

Methods

Following sensitization via the airway route toA. fumigatusand mating, pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to additionalA. fumigatusand/or diesel exhaust particles. At age 9-10 weeks, their offspring were sensitized and challenged withA. fumigatus.

Results

We found that adult offspring from mice that were exposed toA. fumigatusor diesel exhaust particles during pregnancy experienced decreases in IgE production. Adult offspring of mice that were exposed to bothA. fumigatusand diesel exhaust particles during pregnancy experienced decreases in airway eosinophilia.

Conclusion

These results suggest that, in this model, allergen and/or diesel administration during pregnancy may be associated with protection from developing systemic and airway allergic immune responses in the adult offspring.
Rapid sympatric ecological differentiation of crater lake cichlid fishes within historic times
Authors: Elmer Kathryn R , Lehtonen Topi K , Kautt Andreas F , Harrod Chris , Meyer Axel
Published: May 2010

Background

After a volcano erupts, a lake may form in the cooled crater and become an isolated aquatic ecosystem. This makes fishes in crater lakes informative for understanding sympatric evolution and ecological diversification in barren environments. From a geological and limnological perspective, such research offers insight about the process of crater lake ecosystem establishment and speciation. In the present study we use genetic and coalescence approaches to infer the colonization history of Midas cichlid fishes (Amphilophuscf.citrinellus) that inhabit a very young crater lake in Nicaragua-theca. 1800 year-old Lake Apoyeque. This lake holds two sympatric, endemic morphs of Midas cichlid: one with large, hypertrophied lips (~20% of the total population) and another with thin lips. Here we test the associated ecological, morphological and genetic diversification of these two morphs and their potential to represent incipient speciation.

Results

Gene coalescence analyses [11 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences] suggest that crater lake Apoyeque was colonized in a single event from the large neighbouring great lake Managua only about 100 years ago. This founding in historic times is also reflected in the extremely low nuclear and mitochondrial genetic diversity in Apoyeque. We found that sympatric adult thin- and thick-lipped fishes occupy distinct ecological trophic niches. Diet, body shape, head width, pharyngeal jaw size and shape and stable isotope values all differ significantly between the two lip-morphs. The eco-morphological features pharyngeal jaw shape, body shape, stomach contents and stable isotopes (δ15N) all show a bimodal distribution of traits, which is compatible with the expectations of an initial stage of ecological speciation under disruptive selection. Genetic differentiation between the thin- and thick-lipped population is weak at mtDNA sequence (FST= 0.018) and absent at nuclear microsatellite loci (FST< 0.001).

Conclusions

This study provides empirical evidence of eco-morphological differentiation occurring very quickly after the colonization of a new and vacant habitat. Exceptionally low levels of neutral genetic diversity and inference from coalescence indicates that the Midas cichlid population in Apoyeque is much younger (ca. 100 years or generations old) than the crater itself (ca. 1 800 years old). This suggests either that the crater remained empty for many hundreds of years after its formation or that remnant volcanic activity prevented the establishment of a stable fish population during the early life of the crater lake. Based on our findings of eco-morphological variation in the Apoyeque Midas cichlids, and known patterns of adaptation in Midas cichlids in general, we suggest that this population may be in a very early stage of speciation (incipient species), promoted by disruptive selection and ecological diversification.
Role of the C-terminal domain of the HIV-1 glycoprotein in cell-to-cell viral transmission between T lymphocytes
Authors: Emerson Vanessa , Haller Claudia , Pfeiffer Tanya , Fackler Oliver T , Bosch Valerie
Published: May 2010

Background

Mutant HIV (HIV-Env-Tr712) lacking the cytoplasmic tail of the viral glycoprotein (Env-CT) exhibits a cell-type specific replication phenotype such that replicative spread occurs in some T-cell lines (referred to as permissive cells) but fails to do so in most T-cell lines or in PBMCs (referred to as non-permissive cells). We aim to gain insight on the underlying requirement for the Env-CT for viral spread in non-permissive cells.

Results

We established that in comparison to HIV-Wt, both cell-free and cell-to-cell transmission of mutant HIV-Env-Tr712 from non-permissive cells were severely impaired under naturally low infection conditions. This requirement for Env-CT could be largely overcome by using saturating amounts of virus for infection. We further observed that in permissive cells, which supported both routes of mutant virus transmission, viral gene expression levels, Gag processing and particle release were inherently higher than in non-permissive cells, a factor which may be significantly contributing to their permissivity phenotype. Additionally, and correlating with viral transfer efficiencies in these cell types, HIV-Gag accumulation at the virological synapse (VS) was reduced to background levels in the absence of the Env-CT in conjugates of non-permissive cells but not in permissive cells.

Conclusions

During natural infection conditions, the HIV-Env-CT is critically required for viral transmission in cultures of non-permissive cells by both cell-free and cell-to-cell routes and is instrumental for Gag accumulation to the VS. The requirement of the Env-CT for these related processes is abrogated in permissive cells, which exhibit higher HIV gene expression levels.
Biomechanical modulation of collagen fragment-induced anabolic and catabolic activities in chondrocyte/agarose constructs
Authors: Chowdhury Tina T , Schulz Ronny M , Rai Sonpreet S , Thuemmler Christian B , Wuestneck Nico , Bader Augustinus , Homandberg Gene A
Published: May 2010

Introduction

The present study examined the effect of collagen fragments on anabolic and catabolic activities by chondrocyte/agarose constructs subjected to dynamic compression.

Methods

Constructs were cultured under free-swelling conditions or subjected to continuous and intermittent compression regimes, in the presence of the N-terminal (NT) and C-terminal (CT) telopeptides derived from collagen type II and/or 1400 W (inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)). The anabolic and catabolic activities were compared to the amino-terminal fibronectin fragment (NH2-FN-f) and assessed as follows: nitric oxide (NO) release and sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content were quantified using biochemical assays. Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release were measured by ELISA. Gene expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), collagen type II and fibronectin were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Two-way ANOVA and the post hoc Bonferroni-corrected t-test was used to examine data.

Results

The presence of the NT or CT peptides caused a moderate to strong dose-dependent stimulation of NO, TNFα and IL-1β production and inhibition of sGAG content. In some instances, high concentrations of telopeptides were just as potent in stimulating catabolic activities when compared to NH2-FN-f. Depending on the concentration and type of fragment, the increased levels of NO and cytokines were inhibited with 1400 W, resulting in the restoration of sGAG content. Depending on the duration and type of compression regime employed, stimulation with compression or incubation with 1400 W or a combination of both, inhibited telopeptide or NH2-FN-f induced NO release and cytokine production and enhanced sGAG content. All fragments induced MMP-3 and MMP-13 expression in a time-dependent manner. This effect was reversed with compression and/or 1400 W resulting in the restoration of sGAG content and induction of collagen type II and fibronectin expression.

Conclusions

Collagen fragments containing the N- and C-terminal telopeptides have dose-dependent catabolic activities similar to fibronectin fragments and increase the production of NO, cytokines and MMPs. Catabolic activities were downregulated by dynamic compression or by the presence of the iNOS inhibitor, linking reparative activities by both types of stimuli. Future investigations which examine the signalling cascades of chondrocytes in response to matrix fragments with mechanical influences may provide useful information for early osteoarthritis treatments.
The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas
Authors: Nunn Nathan , Qian Nancy
Published: May 2010

This paper provides an overview of the long-term impacts of the Columbian Exchange—that is, the exchange of diseases, ideas, food crops, technologies, populations, and cultures between the New World and the Old World after Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas in 1492. We focus on the aspects of the exchange that have been most neglected by economic studies; namely the transfer of diseases, food crops, and knowledge between the two Worlds. We pay particular attention to the effects of the exchange on the Old World.
Corporate Audits and How to Fix Them
Authors: Ronen Joshua
Published: May 2010

Auditors are supposed to be watchdogs, but in the last decade or so, they sometimes looked like lapdogs—more interested in serving the companies they audited than in assuring a flow of accurate information to investors. The auditing profession is based on what looks like a structural infirmity: auditors are paid by the companies they audit. An old German proverb holds: “Whose bread I eat, his song I sing.” While this saying was originally meant as a prayer of thanksgiving, the old proverb takes on a darker meaning for those who study the auditing profession. This paper begins with an overview of the practice of audits, the auditing profession, and the problems that auditors continue to face in terms not only of providing audits of high quality, but also in providing audits that investors feel comfortable trusting to be of high quality. It then turns to a number of reforms that have been proposed, including ways of building reputation, liability reform, capitalizing or insuring auditing firms, and greater competition in the auditing profession. However, none of these suggested reforms, individually or collectively, severs the agency relation between the client management and the auditors. As a result, the conflict of interest, although it can be mitigated by some of these reforms, continues to threaten auditors' independence, both real and perceived. In conclusion, I'll discuss my own proposal for “financial statements insurance, which would redefine the relationship between auditors and firms in such a way that auditors would no longer be beholden to management.
A Structural Perspective on the Experimentalist School
Authors: Keane Michael P
Published: May 2010

What has always bothered me about the “experimentalist” school is the false sense of certainty it conveys. My view, like Leamer's, is that there is no way to escape the role of assumptions in statistical work, so our conclusions will always be contingent. Hence, we should be circumspect about our degree of knowledge. I present some lessons for economics from the field of marketing, a field where broad consensus has been reached on many key issues over the past twenty years. In marketing, 1) the structural paradigm is dominant, 2) the data are a lot better than in some fields of economics, and 3) there is great emphasis on external validation. Of course, good data always helps. I emphasize that the ability to do controlled experiments does not obviate the need for theory, and finally I address different approaches to model validation.
Taking the Dogma out of Econometrics: Structural Modeling and Credible Inference
Authors: Nevo Aviv , Whinston Michael D
Published: May 2010

Without a doubt, there has been a “credibility revolution” in applied econometrics. One contributing development has been in the improvement and increased use in data analysis of “structural methods”; that is, the use of models based in economic theory. Structural modeling attempts to use data to identify the parameters of an underlying economic model, based on models of individual choice or aggregate relations derived from them. Structural estimation has a long tradition in economics, but better and larger data sets, more powerful computers, improved modeling methods, faster computational techniques, and new econometric methods such as those mentioned above have allowed researchers to make significant improvements. While Angrist and Pischke extol the successes of empirical work that estimates “treatment effects” based on actual or quasi-experiments, they are much less sanguine about structural analysis and hold industrial organization up as an example where “progress is less dramatic.” Indeed, reading their article one comes away with the impression that there is only a single way to conduct credible empirical analysis. This seems to us a very narrow and dogmatic approach to empirical work; credible analysis can come in many guises, both structural and nonstructural, and for some questions structural analysis offers important advantages. In this comment, we address the criticism of structural analysis and its use in industrial organization, and consider why empirical analysis in industrial organization differs in such striking ways from that in field such as labor, which have recently emphasized the methods favored by Angrist and Pischke.
Geographic Variation in the Gender Differences in Test Scores
Authors: Pope Devin G , Sydnor Justin R
Published: May 2010

The causes and consequences of gender disparities in standardized test scores—especially in the high tails of achievement—have been a topic of heated debate. The existing evidence on standardized test scores largely confirms the prevailing stereotypes that more men than women excel in math and science while more women than men excel in tests of language and reading. We provide a new perspective on this gender gap in test scores by analyzing the variation in these disparities across geographic areas. We illustrate that male–female ratios of students scoring in the high ranges of standardized tests vary significantly across the United States. This variation is systematic in several important ways. In particular, states where males are highly overrepresented in the top math and science scores also tend to be states where women are highly overrepresented in the top reading scores. This pattern suggests that states vary in their adherence to stereotypical gender performance, rather than favoring one sex over the other across all subjects. Furthermore, since the genetic distinction and the hormonal differences between sexes that might affect early cognitive development (that is, innate abilities) are likely the same regardless of the state in which a person happens to be born, the variation we find speaks to the nature-versus-nurture debates surrounding test scores and suggests environments significantly impact gender disparities in test scores.
Stochastic Root Finding and Efficient Estimation of Convex Risk Measures
Authors: Dunkel Jörn , Weber Stefan
Published: May 2010

Reliable risk measurement is a key problem for financial institutions and regulatory authorities. The current industry standard Value-at-Risk has several deficiencies. Improved risk measures have been suggested and analyzed in the recent literature, but their computational implementation has largely been neglected so far. We propose and investigate stochastic approximation algorithms for the convex risk measure Utility-Based Shortfall Risk. Our approach combines stochastic root-finding schemes with importance sampling. We prove that the resulting Shortfall Risk estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal, and provide formulas for confidence intervals. The performance of the proposed algorithms is tested numerically. We finally apply our techniques to the Normal Copula Model, which is also known as the industry model CreditMetrics. This provides guidance for future implementations in practice.
An Analytic Method for Evaluating the Performance of Aggregation Rules for Probability Densities
Authors: Hora Stephen C.
Published: May 2010

It is shown how infinite sequences of densities with defined properties can be used to evaluate the expected performance of mathematical aggregation rules for elicited densities. The performance of these rules is measured through the average variance, calibration, and average Brier score of the aggregates. A general result for the calibration of the arithmetic average of densities from well-calibrated independent experts is given. Arithmetic and geometric aggregation rules are compared using sequences of normal densities. Sequences are developed that exhibit dependence among experts and lack of calibration. The impact of correlation, number of experts, and degree of calibration on the performance of the aggregation is demonstrated.
Using sketch drawing to induce inconsistency in liars
Authors: Leins Drew , Fisher Ronald P. , Vrij Aldert , Leal Sharon , Mann Samantha
Published: May 2010

Purpose. Consistency as a cue to detecting deception was tested in two experiments using sketch drawing and verbal reports in repeated interviews. Liars were expected to be less consistent than truth‐tellers.

Methods. In Expt 1, 80 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about an alleged lunch date – they sketched the layout of the restaurant and then answered spatial questions about objects in the restaurant. Ratings were given for the consistency between sketches and verbal reports. In Expt 2, 34 undergraduate students reported truthfully or deceptively about completing a series of unrelated tasks – they answered spatial questions about objects in a room and then sketched the layout of the room. Proportions were calculated for the consistency between verbal reports and sketches.

Results. Expt 1. Liars were rated as less consistent than truth‐tellers. Up to 80% of truth‐tellers and 70% of liars could be correctly classified. Expt 2. Liars were less consistent than truth‐tellers on consistency proportions. Up to 100% of truth‐tellers and 77% of liars could be correctly classified.

Conclusions. Using sketches to induce inconsistency may be a reliable, resource efficient way to help investigators detect deception.
Women and firesetting: A qualitative analysis of context, meaning, and development
Authors: Cunningham Eimear M. , Timms Jo , Holloway Gerrie , Radford Shirley A.
Published: May 2010

Objectives. To explore subjective experiences of women in secure services of their firesetting behaviour, its personal meaning and the factors that contributed to its development.

Design. An interview‐based study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Methods. Interviews were carried out with nine women, in medium secure services, with histories of firesetting.

Results. Three overarching but interlinked themes emerged, reflecting a narrative progression from the context of life experiences that preceded firesetting (including subthemes: distressing experiences and isolation from support), through the experience and meaning of the firesetting act (influencing others and getting help, achievement and control, and not thought through), to the individual's current position regarding past actions.

Conclusions. The clinical implications of the findings are considered in the context of the existing male‐orientated firesetting knowledge base and emerging models of service delivery to women in secure settings.
The " Partagé Child" and the Emergence of the Modernist Novel in What Maisie Knew
Authors: Phillips Michelle H.
Published: May 2010

This essay examines the figure of the divided child in What Maisie Knew and its pivotal role in shaping James's emergently modernist method. The product of divorce, Maisie's is an unconventional interiority whose division the novel seeks to preserve in ironic contrast to the Victorian ideals of childhood unity. Subsequently, Maisie develops a method of sustained detachment and restraint, which the novel itself comes to embrace in the method of its telling. Silence, secrecy, and diversion characterize Maisie's method, but they also come to characterize the narrative technique of a novel that never, at last, reveals what Maisie knew.
The Double Life in the Cage: The Queering of the Social in Henry James's Late Short Fiction
Authors: Laughlin Thomas A.
Published: May 2010

It is now widely accepted that a thematic of male-male desire operates within the matrices of a Jamesian freeplay of the signifier. Yet the fate of a proper homosexual subject is confined to the closet, as James's rhetoric doubles back on itself. This article proposes that while the frustrated, and at times contradictory, narrative economies of exposure and retreat in James's late short fiction clearly problematize subjectivity and same-sex sexual identity, they also work to reveal a rich and dynamic interrelation of selves and others that is always already in operation.
"Rather Rude Jolts": Henry James, Serial Novels, and the Art of Fiction
Authors: Ihara Rachel
Published: May 2010

Although the vast majority of Henry James's novels appeared first in monthly instalments in American and British periodicals, this aspect of James's literary career has received surprisingly little scholarly attention. This essay addresses this critical oversight by reading several of James's novels in terms of their periodical publication history and by examining James's public and private statements on this nineteenth-century publishing phenomenon. Such an analysis offers a more nuanced understanding of James's awareness of the possibilities and constraints of serialization, while providing insight into James's developing understanding of the art of fiction within the context of latenineteenth-century literary marketplace.
"This Matter of Attention and Discrimination": Henry James's Essays on Speech, Manners, and American Women
Authors: Ringuette Dana
Published: May 2010

Three essays by Henry James—"The Question of Our Speech," "The Speech of American Women," and "The Manners of American Women"—comprise what he calls an "exceptional inquiry" into the changing cultural status of American women and the shifting American scene. Pursuing a line of reasoning that these essays demonstrate a deliberate series in which the ideas of the later two essays build upon the themes and implications set forth in the first, this article argues that James fosters the development of a critical acumen that would allow women to make penetrating distinctions that go beyond the superficial or the tacit and to acquire a keen practical judgment that recognizes the relations among these distinctions.
The Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Data Project
Authors: Cingranelli David L. , Richards David L.
Published: May 2010

The CIRI Human Rights Data Project provides information about government respect for a broad array of human rights in nearly every country in the world. Covering twenty-six years, fifteen separate human rights practices, and 195 countries, it is one of the largest human rights data sets in the world. This essay provides an overview of the CIRI project and our response to some critiques of the CIRI physical integrity rights index. Compared to the Political Terror Scale (PTS), the CIRI physical integrity rights index is focused on government human rights practices , can be disaggregated, is more transparent in its construction, and is more replicable because of the transparency of our coding rules. Furthermore, unlike the PTS, the unidimensionality of the CIRI index has been demonstrated empirically. For these reasons, the CIRI index is a more valid index of physical integrity rights.
Enhancing Enforcement of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Using Indicators: A Focus on the Right to Education in the ICESCR
Authors: Kalantry Sital , Getgen Jocelyn E. , Koh Steven Arrigg
Published: May 2010

Nearly fifteen years ago, Audrey Chapman emphasized the importance of ascertaining violations of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as a means to enhance its enforcement. Today, this violations approach is even more salient given the recent adoption of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR. This article focuses on the right to education in the ICESCR to illustrate how indicators can be employed to ascertain treaty compliance and violations. Indicators are important to enforcing economic, social, and cultural rights because they assist in measuring progressive realization. The methodology that we propose calls for: 1) analyzing the specific language of the treaty that pertains to the right in question; 2) defining the concept and scope of the right; 3) identifying appropriate indicators that correlate with state obligations; 4) setting benchmarks to measure progressive realization; and 5) clearly identifying violations of the right in question.
Indivisibility and Linkage Arguments: A Reply to Gilabert
Authors: Nickel James W.
Published: May 2010

This reply discusses Pablo Gilabert's response to my article, "Rethinking Indivisibility." It welcomes his distinction between conceptual, normative, epistemic, and causal forms of support from one right to another. It denies, however, that "Rethinking Indivisibility" downplayed linkage arguments for human rights (although it did call for careful evaluation of such arguments), and rejects Gilabert's suggestion that we understand the indivisibility of two rights as two rights being highly useful to each other (interdependence) rather than as mutual indispensability. In the final section, I offer two new worries about the system-wide indivisibility of human rights.
Missing the Green: Golf Course Ecology, Environmental Justice, and Local "Fulfillment" of the Human Right to Water
Authors: Hiskes Richard P.
Published: May 2010

As global supplies diminish and climate change threatens future supplies even more, water as a human right has received increasing attention among human rights scholars and in international commissions and agreements. In this article, the author argues that the right to water should be recognized as a basic right in and of itself, not merely as a component of the right to development or to a healthy life. The right to water, described both substantively and procedurally, is an "emergent" right that uniquely connects present and future generations into a relationship of justice involving reciprocity. As such, the human right to water needs to be not only a part of international politics and law, but must also percolate down to the local level in specific policy decisions regarding land use, zoning, and development. It is time for human rights to return to those "small places, close to home" where Eleanor Roosevelt famously claimed that they invariably originate. A primary example is the local regulation of golf courses, especially in light of their profligate water usage. A golf course's impact on neighboring communities and, by implication, on a global water system is, therefore, a legitimate focus of human rights litigation and advocacy.
The Political Terror Scale (PTS): A Re-introduction and a Comparison to CIRI
Authors: Wood Reed M. , Gibney Mark
Published: May 2010

Despite the frequency with which scholars have utilized the Political Terror Scale (PTS), a surprising number of questions remain regarding the origins of the scale, the coding scheme it employs, and its conceptualization of "state terror." This research note attempts to clarify these issues. We also take this opportunity to compare the PTS with the Cingranelli and Richards Human Rights Data Project (CIRI). Although the PTS and CIRI are coded from the same source material and capture the same class of human rights violations, we observe some important differences between the two that we believe may be of interest to scholars in the quantitative human rights community. First, we believe that the CIRI claims a level of precision that is not possible given the source data from which both datasets are coded. We believe that the PTS offers a transparent coding system that recognizes the inherent limitations in measuring abuses of physical integrity rights. Second, we argue that the CIRI's method of summing across abuse types leads to some inappropriate categorizations. For instance, the absence of one type of abuse prevents a state from being coded into a more repressive overall category regardless of the levels of other types of abuse. Lastly, the PTS accounts for the "range" of violence committed by the state—in short, what segments of the population are targeted. We believe that range is an important dimension to consider in measuring human rights and one to which CIRI does not attend.
The Impact of State Regulations on the Costs of Public School Construction
Authors: Vincent Jeffrey M. , Monkkonen Paavo
Published: May 2010

Spending by states and local school districts on school construction has increased dramatically over the last decade, not only because more and higher-quality schools are being built, but also because construction costs have increased by an unprecedented degree. Many states struggle to afford the new schools needed in local communities. The emerging body of academic literature studying the determinants of school construction costs focuses on the impact of prevailing wage laws; however, there are several other state-level school construction regulations that have as much potential cost impact as wage laws. In this article, we measure the impacts of three regulations on the costs of construction in a model that incorporates a more comprehensive set of project and locality characteristics than previous research. Using a database of nearly 3,000 schools constructed nationwide from 1995 to 2004, we find that when regulations are considered as additive, construction costs were 11% higher for each additional state regulation. However, we show that when combinations of regulations are considered separately, states with all three regulations have construction costs that are roughly 30% higher than states with none of the three regulations. We also find that prevailing wage laws are not the regulation with the largest cost impact. We conclude that the effects of regulation on school construction costs are more complicated than what previous research suggests. Therefore, rather than understanding the impacts of individual regulation as contributing to marginal increases in costs for each additional regulation, it is the whole regulatory environment of a place that has complex impacts on costs. We assert that three key research advances are needed in order to better address the cost of school construction: first, analysis should incorporate more detailed project-level data; second, analysis of the costs of state regulation need to be measured against the benefits of the better "product" realized by these regulations; and third, a better understanding of the interactions among regulations within a state's whole regulatory environment is needed.
Examining School District Efficiency in Georgia
Authors: Houck Eric A. , Rolle R. Anthony , He Jiang
Published: May 2010

This article examines the relative production efficiency of school districts in Georgia using the modified quadriform method. Overall, we find that the modified quadriform allows state-level policymakers to access a basic tool for analysis that makes relative comparison of school district productivity for use in policy analysis and policy development. While the results of this study are in line with studies in other states using the modified quadriform, we also note that performance in Georgia is tied to a host of community characteristics as well as the percentage of expenditures dedicated to instruction.
Term-Time Employment and the Academic Performance of Undergraduates
Authors: Wenz Michael , Yu Wei-Choun
Published: May 2010

This article outlines a framework for evaluating the decision of undergraduate students to engage in term-time employment as a method of financing higher education. We then examine the impact of work on academic achievement and find that employment has modest negative effects on student grades, with a grade point average (GPA) falling by 0.007 points per work hour. We use a unique custom dataset based on students at a traditional regional state university that provides information on student motivations and allows us to directly address some of the endogeneity problems that affect existing literature. We find that students who work for primarily financial reasons earn lower grades than students who work for career-specific skills but higher grades than those students motivated by a desire for general work experience.
The Estonian Deaf Community
Authors: Hein Kadri
Published: May 2010

Interest in research on Estonian Sign Language, or eesti viipekeel (EVK), has been increasing. Studies have been conducted on different aspects of EVK, such as ways of expressing time (Trükmann 2006) and color terms (Hollman and Sutrop 2007, Hollman 2008). Moreover, EVK has lately received more attention in legislation. The language obtained an official status in 2007, which the Deaf community greatly appreciated. Therefore, an overview of the Estonian Deaf community and EVK should be given in order to identify the areas that have been studied and those that have not received much attention. The main aspects of the Deaf community covered in this article are as follows: history, members, and Deaf associations. The distinguishing features of the language used by the Deaf community are also described, and Deaf children's educational options in Estonia are explained.
Images of the East and French fin-de-sicle spiritual pursuits
Authors: Gill Hlne
Published: May 2010

The chief motivation behind this article is to investigate the spiritual context behind the second French expansion in the latter part of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the twentieth as reflected in painted representations of the colonized East. It arises from a simple
curiosity regarding the impact if any of the new and by then politically dominant concept of Lacit on French representations of colonized territories. This context ought to set the second French expansion apart from other colonial ventures, such as the first French expansion, under
the staunchly Catholic rule of the absolute monarchy, but also from the moral justifications for empire invoked by other expansionist Western (Christian) powers. The investigation is conducted here through the study and contextualization of painted representations of the time, some of which
are usually labelled Orientalist, whilst others have been recognized as forming part of the French aesthetic canon. The outcome is shown to be a clash between an aestheticism inspired by the mystical East in painters of exotic themes and the increasingly secularist mentality of the time. This
clash stands to reason, but has rarely been emphasized in studies of French colonialism. The article highlights a number of complexities, tensions and paradoxes prompted by examples drawn from the painted work of the time, from J.-L. Grme to Etienne Dinet.
Les mythes cologiques dans le discours postcolonial: le cas de Francis Bebey
Authors: Lassi tienne-Marie
Published: May 2010

This article examines the importance of the natural environment in Francis Bebey's novels. Using environmental concepts to study the city/countryside opposition, considered respectively as anthropogenic and autogenic spaces, it illustrates the interactions between the two spaces as
well as between humans and nature. It comes to the conclusion that in Bebey's works, ecological beliefs are important constituents of the postcolonial discourse from which the novels derive a significant political meaning.
Amours inter-dites: allers (et retours) Maroc-France
Authors: Parris David L
Published: May 2010

Rachid O and Abdellah Taa are Moroccan authors whose works and lives have much in common. Their texts often identified as novels on the title page are autobiographical, and recount their sexual awakening, first under the influence of a member of their family, and then with Europeans.
This awakening to love goes hand in hand with their initiation to European culture. Though both authors have warm memories of their childhood, they cannot complete their sexual awakening in Morocco. While Europe is indispensable to the affirmation of their sexual identity, their day-to-day
relationship with their new environment is sometimes difficult.
Book Reviews
Authors: Aissaoui Rabah , Murdoch H. Adlai , Oktapoda Efstratia , Chapman Rosemary , Hodgson Kate , Marsh Kate , Oktapoda Efstratia , Marsh Kate
Published: May 2010

Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed, Martin Evans and John Phillips (2007) New Haven, CT and London: Yale University Press, xv + 352 pp., ISBN 978-0-300-10881-1 (hbk), US$ 35.00/19.99

Comparing Postcolonial Diasporas, Michelle Keown, David Murphy and
James Procter (eds) (2009) London: Palgrave Macmillan, 227+3 pp., ISBN 978-0-230-54708-7 (hbk), 50

Contemporary Matriarchies in Cameroonian Francophone Literature: On est ensemble, Cheryl Toman (2008) Birmingham, Alabama: Summa Publications, 187 pp., ISBN 978-1-883479-60-2
(hbk), $45.95

Deux littratures francophones en dialogue: du Qubec et de la Suisse romande, Martin Dor and Doris Jakubec (eds) (2004) Quebec: Presses de l'Universit Laval, 378 pp., ISBN 2-7637-8095-4 (pbk), $35

Exotic Subversions in Nineteenth Century French
Fiction, Jennifer Yee (2008) Oxford: Legenda, 136 pp., ISBN 978-1-905981-51-9 (hbk), 40 ($75 US).

Les langages de la mmoire: Littrature, mdias et gnocide au Rwanda, Pierre Halen and Jacques Walter (eds) (2008) Metz: Universit Paul Verlaine-Metz Centre de Recherches
critures, 403 pp., ISBN 978-2-917403-00-6 (pbk), 22

Questions de communication. Mdias, mdiations, immigrations, FLEURY Batrice et Jacques WALTER (dirs) (2007) Nancy: Presses Universitaires de Nancy, Srie actes, No 4, 200 pp., ISSN 1633-5961 (pbk), 20.00

The
Other Hybrid Archipelago: Introduction to the Literatures and Cultures of the Francophone Indian Ocean, Peter Hawkins (2007) Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 207 pp., ISBN 978-0-7391-1676-0 (hbk), 43
Neural Processing of Risk
Authors: Mohr Peter N. C. , Biele Guido , Heekeren Hauke R.
Published: May 2010

In our everyday life, we often have to make decisions with risky consequences, such as choosing a restaurant for dinner or choosing a form of retirement saving. To date, however, little is known about how the brain processes risk. Recent conceptualizations of risky decision making highlight that it is generally associated with emotions but do not specify how emotions are implicated in risk processing. Moreover, little is known about risk processing in non-choice situations and how potential losses influence risk processing. Here we used quantitative meta-analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments on risk processing in the brain to investigate (1) how risk processing is influenced by emotions, (2) how it differs between choice and non-choice situations, and (3) how it changes when losses are possible. By showing that, over a range of experiments and paradigms, risk is consistently represented in the anterior insula, a brain region known to process aversive emotions such as anxiety, disappointment, or regret, we provide evidence that risk processing is influenced by emotions. Furthermore, our results show risk-related activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex in choice situations but not in situations in which no choice is involved or a choice has already been made. The anterior insula was predominantly active in the presence of potential losses, indicating that potential losses modulate risk processing.