bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Urbanisms: Psychotechnik in Weimar Berlin
Authors: Vasudevan Alexander
Published: December 2006

That the historical geography of the modern city is intertwined with the practice of biopolitics has in recent years gained wide currency. In this paper I seek to deepen and complicate this perspective by focusing on Weimar Berlin (1919–33) and on the active role of the experimental life sciences in manufacturing a new habitus for a rapidly modernising metropolis. To do so, I investigate the ways in which contemporary psychiatric theories and experimental practices seized on and transformed different aspects of the metropolitan experience, and turn, in particular, to accounts of the psychotechnical testing enterprise ( Psychotechnik). In addition to the development of a series of experimental embodiments which were scientifically fashioned and tested, I also shift attention to the widespread dissemination of new realms of everyday conduct that were equally tasked with accommodating the impact of the modern urban experience. Ultimately, I hope to show to what extent the various incarnations of Weimar psychiatry were themselves enrolled in a larger project of policing and recuperating a national Gemeinschaft. As I argue, these experimental arrangements not only represented another example of the pervasive injunction of the period to ‘perform or else,’ but also spoke to the wide governmental reach of a pouvoir psychiatrique (Michel Foucault, 2003 Le Pouvoir Psychiatrique Seuil, Paris) through which experimental procedures for analysing, shaping, and regulating a new habitus were introduced, tested, and widely circulated.
The Making of Investor Subjects in Anglo-American Pensions
Authors: Langley Paul
Published: December 2006

An individualisation of responsibility and risk is underway in US and UK pensions, as both state and employers scale back insurance commitments that expanded during the post-1945 era. Approached from the perspective of the Foucauldian-inspired governmentality literature, this neoliberal reworking of responsibility and risk across state and occupational pensions is characterised by the summoning up of the responsible individual worker as an entrepreneurial investor subject. Collective insurance, as a technology for constructing, managing, and pooling ‘risk’ as potential danger, is sidelined in favour of the promotion of individual investment to calculate, embrace, and bear ‘risk’ as opportunity or reward. As pension guides produced by state agencies for popular consumption illustrate, only financial market investment appears as capable of providing the individual with a secure and ‘free’ retirement. Contradictions in neoliberal government ensure, however, that the investor as a subject position that is called up in this discourse is not simply an identity that is performed by individuals.
Variable Geometries of Connection: Urban Digital Divides and the Uses of Information Technology
Authors: Crang Michael , Crosbie Tracey , Graham Stephen
Published: December 2006

This paper proposes a new way of conceptualising urban 'digital divides'. It focuses on the ways in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) unevenly affect the pace of life within the urban environment. Based on a detailed case study of how ICTs are being used in an affluent and a marginalised neighbourhood in Newcastle upon Tyne, the paper suggests that urban digital divides need to be understood as more than uneven patterns of access. They emerge in this work as more than the presence or absence of specific technological artefacts. Rather, it is argued that different styles and speeds of technologically mediated life now work to define urban socio-spatial inequalities. The paper distinguishes between two such key styles and speeds. First, the paper argues that affluent and professional groups now use new media technologies pervasively and continuously as the 'background' infrastructure to sustain privileged and intensely distanciated, but time-stressed, lifestyles. Secondly, more marginalised neighbourhoods tend to be characterised by instrumental and episodic ICT usage patterns which are often collectively organised through strong neighbourhood ties. For the former, mediated networks help to orchestrate neighbourhood ties; for the latter, it is those neighbourhood ties that enable on-line access.
A Spatially Disaggregated Approach to Commuting Efficiency
Authors: Niedzielski Michael A.
Published: December 2006

During the past two decades, the concept of commuting efficiency has been used to evaluate the relationships between the journey to work and land use at the regional scale. The common approach of calculating regional statistics masks the intraurban variation of commuting efficiency. This paper develops an alternative approach to commuting efficiency and spatial structure assessments based on spatial disaggregation. The extension of existing regional measures by estimating zonal average trip lengths for workers leaving home and employers attracting workers facilitates analysis of intrametropolitan commuting efficiency. Spatially disaggregated metrics are formulated and applied to journey-to-work data for the cities of Warsaw, Poznan, Lodz and Krakow in Poland. At the regional scale, excess commuting varies from 48 per cent (Warsaw) to 67 per cent (Lodz). Intraurban variations in excess commuting indicate that estimates of commuting efficiency are impacted by the jobs-housing balance and are sensitive to locations of zones within the study area.
Economic Wellbeing and Where We Live: Accounting for Geographical Cost-of-living Differences in the US
Authors: Curran Leah Beth , Wolman Harold , Hill Edward W. , Furdell Kimberly
Published: December 2006

Regional cost-of-living differences affect the quality of life that individuals and families experience in different metropolitan areas. Yet, lack of metropolitan cost-of-living indexes has left analysts without the ability to make accurate cost-of-living adjustments to measures of economic wellbeing. This paper evaluates alternative approaches to cost-of-living measurement and then applies the ACCRA cost-of-living index to various US metropolitan area datasets, including median household income, the number of people living in poverty, and family eligibility for the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch and Head Start programmes to illustrate some of the policy impacts of adjusting economic indicators of wellbeing for geographical cost-of-living differentials.
Nested Loyalties: Local Networks' Effects on Neighbourhood and Community Cohesion
Authors: Hipp John R. , Perrin Andrew
Published: December 2006

Recent scholarship has suggested that cohesion at the neighbourhood level may not translate into greater cohesion for the broader community and may even have detrimental effects. Employing a sample from a recently developed 'new urbanist' community within a southern US city, the paper simultaneously explores the determinants of perceived cohesion with the local neighbourhood and with the broader community. It is found that there is indeed a positive relationship between the two in this sample. However, the determinants of the two differ: while both strong and weak informal ties in the neighbourhood increase perceived neighbourhood cohesion, only weak ties foster perceived cohesion with the broader community. No effect is found of residents' structural positions within local networks on perceived cohesion beyond the effect of strong and weak ties. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of the findings for the broader literature viewing the effects of bridging and bonding social capital.
Sustainable Soundscapes: Noise Policy and the Urban Experience
Authors: Adams Mags , Cox Trevor , Moore Gemma , Croxford Ben , Refaee Mohamed , Sharples Steve
Published: December 2006

This paper introduces regulatory components influencing city soundscapes in Europe and the UK, illustrating the abatement approach taken within noise policy, demonstrating the importance of individual experience in assessing the soundscapes of urban environments and identifying a terminology to facilitate an introduction of soundscapes into the planning process. Drawing on work from soundscape ecology, a way is demonstrated to coalesce these divergent positions. Reviewing interviews undertaken in Clerkenwell, the paper demonstrates that it is not simply noise levels that are important to people in an urban area. Context, source, distance, temporariness and control over noise, are all relevant to whether people would want to see a particular sound eliminated from their soundscape. Using Schafer's terminology 'keynote sounds', 'soundmarks' and 'sound signals', a rationale is proposed through which experienced soundscapes may be articulated, challenging the strategy of noise abatement which could produce a conformity of soundscape that homogenises place and dissolves local uniqueness.
Potential for Pricing Policies in Water Resource Management: Estimation of Urban Residential Water Demand in Zaragoza, Spain
Authors: Arbues Fernando , Villanua Inmaculada
Published: December 2006

This paper presents an empirical study to estimate the urban residential water demand in Zaragoza, Spain; this allows the testing of the short-run sensitivity of water demand to changes in a set of socioeconomic variables and especially in prices. A residential water demand model is estimated using a dynamic panel data technique. Furthermore, three water demand equations have been proposed and two alternative process specifications are applied. The empirical application suggests that the linear demand specification is the most adequate. Finally, the results indicate that domestic demands are inelastic with respect to price.
BRCA1 foci in normal S-phase nuclei are linked to interphase centromeres and replication of pericentric heterochromatin
Authors: Pageau Gayle J. , Lawrence Jeanne B.
Published: December 2006

Breast cancer–associated protein 1 (BRCA1) forms foci at sites of induced DNA damage, but any significance of these normal S-phase foci is unknown. BRCA1 distribution does not simply mirror or overlap that of replicating DNA; however, BRCA1 foci frequently abut sites of BrdU incorporation, mostly at mid-to-late S phase. Although BRCA1 does not overlap XIST RNA across the inactive X chromosome, BRCA1 foci position overwhelmingly in heterochromatic regions, particularly the nucleolar periphery where many centromeres reside. In humans and mice, including early embryonic cells, BRCA1 commonly associates with interphase centromere–kinetochore complexes, including pericentric heterochromatin. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen or BrdU labeling demonstrates that BRCA1 localizes adjacent to, or “paints,” major satellite blocks as chromocenters replicate, where topoisomerase is also enriched. BRCA1 loss is often associated with proliferative defects, including postmitotic bridges enriched with satellite DNA. These findings implicate BRCA1 in replication-linked maintenance of centric/pericentric heterochromatin and suggest a novel means whereby BRCA1 loss may contribute to genomic instability and cancer.
EPI64 regulates microvillar subdomains and structure
Authors: Hanono Abraham , Garbett Damien , Reczek David , Chambers David N. , Bretscher Anthony
Published: December 2006

EPI64 is a TBC domain–containing protein that binds the PDZ domains of EBP50, which binds ezrin, a major actin-binding protein of microvilli. High-resolution light microscopy revealed that ezrin and EBP50 localize exclusively to the membrane-surrounded region of microvilli, whereas EPI64 localizes to variable regions in the structures. Overexpressing EPI64 results in its and EBP50's relocalization to the base of microvilli, including to the actin rootlet devoid of ezrin or plasma membrane. Uncoupling EPI64's binding to EBP50, expression of any construct mislocalizing its TBC domain, or knock down of EBP50 results in loss of microvilli. The TBC domain of EPI64 binds directly to Arf6-GTP. Overexpressing the TBC domain increases Arf6-GTP levels, and expressing dominant-active Arf6 results in microvillar loss. These data reveal that microvilli have distinct cytoskeletal subdomains and that EPI64 regulates microvillar structure.
A conserved late endosome–targeting signal required for Doa4 deubiquitylating enzyme function
Authors: Amerik Alexander , Sindhi Nazia , Hochstrasser Mark
Published: December 2006

Enzyme specificity in vivo is often controlled by subcellular localization. Yeast Doa4, a deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB), removes ubiquitin from membrane proteins destined for vacuolar degradation. Doa4 is recruited to the late endosome after ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport III) has assembled there. We show that an N-terminal segment of Doa4 is sufficient for endosome association. This domain bears four conserved elements (boxes A–D). Deletion of the most conserved of these, A or B, prevents Doa4 endosomal localization. These mutants cannot sustain ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis even though neither motif is essential for deubiquitylating activity. Ubiquitin-specific processing protease 5 (Ubp5), the closest paralogue of Doa4, has no functional overlap. Ubp5 concentrates at the bud neck; its N-terminal domain is critical for this. Importantly, substitution of the Ubp5 N-terminal domain with that of Doa4 relocalizes the Ubp5 enzyme to endosomes and provides Doa4 function. This is the first demonstration of a physiologically important DUB subcellular localization signal and provides a striking example of the functional diversification of DUB paralogues by the evolution of alternative spatial signals.
Oxidation state governs structural transitions in peroxiredoxin II that correlate with cell cycle arrest and recovery
Authors: Phalen Timothy J. , Weirather Kelly , Deming Paula B. , Anathy Vikas , Howe Alan K. , van der Vliet Albert , Jönsson Thomas J. , Poole Leslie B. , Heintz Nicholas H.
Published: December 2006

Inactivation of eukaryotic 2-Cys peroxiredoxins (Prxs) by hyperoxidation has been proposed to promote accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for redox-dependent signaling events. We examined the oxidation and oligomeric states of PrxI and -II in epithelial cells during mitogenic signaling and in response to fluxes of H2O2. During normal mitogenic signaling, hyperoxidation of PrxI and -II was not detected. In contrast, H2O2-dependent cell cycle arrest was correlated with hyperoxidation of PrxII, which resulted in quantitative recruitment of ∼66- and ∼140-kD PrxII complexes into large filamentous oligomers. Expression of cyclin D1 and cell proliferation did not resume until PrxII-SO2H was reduced and native PrxII complexes were regenerated. Ectopic expression of PrxI or -II increased Prx-SO2H levels in response to oxidant exposure and failed to protect cells from arrest. We propose a model in which Prxs function as peroxide dosimeters in subcellular processes that involve redox cycling, with hyperoxidation controlling structural transitions that alert cells of perturbations in peroxide homeostasis.
Cracking up: symmetry breaking in cellular systems
Authors: Paluch Ewa , van der Gucht Jasper , Sykes Cécile
Published: December 2006

The shape of animal cells is, to a large extent, determined by the cortical actin network that underlies the cell membrane. Because of the presence of myosin motors, the actin cortex is under tension, and local relaxation of this tension can result in cortical flows that lead to deformation and polarization of the cell. Cortex relaxation is often regulated by polarizing signals, but the cortex can also rupture and relax spontaneously. A similar tension-induced polarization is observed in actin gels growing around beads, and we propose that a common mechanism governs actin gel rupture in both systems.
New component of ESCRT-I regulates endosomal sorting complex assembly
Authors: Chu Tony , Sun Ji , Saksena Suraj , Emr Scott D.
Published: December 2006

The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) complexes play a critical role in receptor down-regulation and retroviral budding. Although the crystal structures of two ESCRT complexes have been determined, the molecular mechanisms underlying the assembly and regulation of the ESCRT machinery are still poorly understood. We identify a new component of the ESCRT-I complex, multivesicular body sorting factor of 12 kD (Mvb12), and demonstrate that Mvb12 binds to the coiled-coil domain of the ESCRT-I subunit vacuolar protein sorting 23 (Vps23). We show that ESCRT-I adopts an oligomeric state in the cytosol, the formation of which requires the coiled-coil domain of Vps23, as well as Mvb12. Loss of Mvb12 results in the disassembly of the ESCRT-I oligomer and the formation of a stable complex of ESCRT-I and -II in the cytosol. We propose that Mvb12 stabilizes ESCRT-I in an oligomeric, inactive state in the cytosol to ensure that the ordered recruitment and assembly of ESCRT-I and -II is spatially and temporally restricted to the surface of the endosome after activation of the MVB sorting reaction.
The depletion attraction: an underappreciated force driving cellular organization
Authors: Marenduzzo Davide , Finan Kieran , Cook Peter R.
Published: December 2006

Cellular structures are shaped by hydrogen and ionic bonds, plus van der Waals and hydrophobic forces. In cells crowded with macromolecules, a little-known and distinct force—the “depletion attraction”—also acts. We review evidence that this force assists in the assembly of a wide range of cellular structures, ranging from the cytoskeleton to chromatin loops and whole chromosomes.
The ability of two commercially available quick test kits to detect drug‐facilitated sexual assault drugs in beverages
Authors: Beynon C. M. , Sumnall H. R. , McVeigh J. , Cole J. C. , Bellis M. A.
Published: December 2006

Aims  Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of two commercially available ‘drug‐facilitated sexual assault’ drug detector kits, Drink Guard and Drink Detective.

Design  Experimental.

Setting  Laboratory.

Measurements  Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) sodium salt, ketamine hydrochloride, temazepam, flunitrazepam and diazepam were dissolved (Tween added to benzodiazepine solutions) as separate stock solutions and added to 330 ml samples of cola (Pepsi Max®), beer (Stella Artois®), ‘alcopop’ (Bacardi Breezer®) and placebo (distilled water). The doses used are reported to be common in cases of intoxication. Each kit was tested 10 times for each drink/drug combination. Two blind, independent observers scored each test (presence/absence of drug) in accordance with kit instructions; χ2 was used to compare the proportion of times raters scored tests correctly and incorrectly. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated overall, for each drink, and sensitivity was calculated for each drug. Inter‐observer agreement was evaluated using the kappa statistic.

Findings  While both raters were able to score significantly more tests correctly than incorrectly using Drink Detective, and one rater scored similarly using Drink Guard, the overall sensitivity of Drink Detective and Drink Guard was 69.0% (95% CI 64.2–73.5%) and 37.5% (95% CI 30.1–45.5%), respectively. Sensitivity was drink‐dependent. Drink Detective was unable to detect our dose of GHB in water, with all tests scored negatively by both raters for this drink/drug combination (n = 20 negative scores). Overall, specificity was 76.6% (95% CI 71.5–81.0%) and 87.9% (95% CI 83.0–91.6%) for Drink Guard and Drink Detective, respectively, but was affected by the beverage. Inter‐rater agreement was poor for Drink Guard (kappa = 0.278 ± 0.069) but excellent for Drink Detective (kappa = 0.894 ± 0.245). Inter‐observer agreement was drug‐dependent.

Conclusions  Use of drug detector kits by the public in the night‐time environment needs further investigation and may create a false sense of security (false negatives) and undue concern (false positives) among kit users.
DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION FOR WORKERS AND the POOR IN CHINA AND INDIA, COMPARING COUNTRIES, CITIES AND ICT CLUSTERS
Authors: DIJK MEINE PIETER VAN
Published: December 2006

The effects of globalisation on income, the income distribution and other social indicators in China and India will be analysed in this paper. A comparison between the two countries is made on a large number of variables to determine how globalisation influences wages and labour conditions. The question asked is what explains the differences in competitiveness of information and communication technology (ICT) clusters in a Chinese and an Indian city. Labour cost and conditions turn out to be one of the factors influencing the competitiveness of the two countries and clusters. It is not so much the price of labour that explains the difference in performance, but rather the productiveness and the labour legislation. A number of other factors underlying the rapid economic growth of China are analysed to conclude that that country, more than India, has benefited from globalisation. The resulting income distribution is more unequal in China, however, there is also more employment created, poverty alleviated and wages are higher and have increased recently in China.
PLASTIC YAM AND PLASTIC YAM STICKS – PERSPECTIVES ON INDIGENOUS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AMONG JAMAICAN FARMERS
Authors: BARKER DAVID , BECKFORD CLINTON
Published: December 2006

Yam farming in Jamaica has been one of the few success stories in agriculture since Independence in 1962. Production is entirely dominated by small farmers who have intensified production systems. Over the last decade yam farmers experienced a ‘yam stick problem’ due to the scarcity, poor quality and high prices of yam sticks. This paper focuses on the content and contextualisation of indigenous technical knowledge among yam farmers. The intrinsic dynamic nature of indigenous technical knowledge is revealed by showing how farmers have adapted their cultivation methods and have themselves innovated new ways of staking yams in efforts to solve the yam stick problem. In effect they have had to rely on their own indigenous knowledge base as a source of new ideas. We discuss a series of alternatives to traditional yam staking methods with a large sample of farmers, including both real and hypothetical examples of externally‐induced innovations. Farmers’ responses to these innovations are reported and analysed in the context of Briggs’ recent review of indigenous knowledge and development issues. Our research suggests that farmer innovation is a normal consequence of coping with farming problems. Further, farmers are not intrinsically unresponsive to externally‐induced innovations, which supports the view that ‘Western science’ and indigenous knowledge are not necessarily bipolar and mutually exclusive knowledge systems. We conclude that indigenous technical knowledge can provide a nexus for research in fostering partnerships with farmers, NGOs and planners in their search for sustainable solutions to the yam stick problem and broader aspects of rural development and resource management.
INDIRECT MEASUREMENT OF REGIONAL CULTURE IN THE NETHERLANDS
Authors: BRONS LAJOS L.
Published: December 2006

Culture is a key concept in contemporary cultural and economic geography, but geographical research on culture is thus far mainly limited to case studies. To supplement this qualitative approach with a quantitative analysis of cultural causes and effects of geographic phenomena a data set is needed that somehow measures culture. This paper presents an attempt at such a measurement at the spatial scale of Dutch municipalities. Culture as a ‘map for behaviour’ is measured here indirectly, by means of factor analysis. Five dimensions of Dutch regional culture were found in this way: (1) post‐materialism; (2) Protestant conservatism; (3) classical individualism; (4) egalitarian anti‐conservatism; and (5) dissatisfaction. Although the regional differences in these dimensions are to a considerable extent related to differences in urbanisation, income and education rather than to some historical cultural geography, the measurement is shown to be empirically relevant and can be used in further research on culture in geography.
RESIDENTIAL DESEGREGATION DYNAMICS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CITY OF POLOKWANE (PIETERSBURG)
Authors: DONALDSON RONNIE , KOTZE NICO
Published: December 2006

This paper revisits the city of Pietersburg more than ten years after the repealing of the Group Areas Act in order to determine the extent to which the socio‐spatial impress of apartheid segregation has been changed. The socio‐spatial changes that have taken place in the city were brought about mainly through residential desegregation. The scrapping of the Group Areas Act in 1991 saw the movement of blacks into the city's former white, Indian and coloured suburbs. Initially the percentage in this regard was low: in 1992 the city's suburbs were one per cent desegregated. Ten years later, the city's desegregation level had increased to 32 per cent. In all neigbourhoods except three, the number of black property‐owners had doubled. New Pietersburg remained undeveloped until informal squatters invaded it in the 1990s after the fall of apartheid. This area was earmarked for the development of low‐income housing units in the 1997 Land Development Objectives. More than 300 land claims were lodged at the time. Because of the complexity of land claims and urban restructuring, the problem was still unresolved by 2005.
EVALUATING THE SOCIO‐CULTURAL CARRYING CAPACITY OF RURAL TOURISM COMMUNITIES: A ‘VALUE STRETCH’ APPROACH
Authors: MANSFELD YOEL , JONAS ALIZA
Published: December 2006

Using the carrying capacity value stretch (CCVS) model incorporated into nominal group technique (NGT) methodology, this paper investigated a rural community's determinants of socio‐cultural carrying capacity perceptions in the wake of rural tourism development. The case of Kibbutz Yiron in Northern Israel was used to detect the tourism impacts, to evaluate to what extent rural tourism in this community is violating its limits for acceptable change and what necessary steps should be taken in order to mitigate existing, and to avoid future negative impacts? Results of this study support previous tourism impact studies. However, they are unique in their interpretation of carrying capacity measures in a qualitative and multidimensional manner. Based on the analysis of perceived intolerable, current and expected tourist impacts, these results can guide planning and policy oriented benchmarks for socio‐culturally sustainable rural tourism.
THE RETURN OF REGULATION IN THE SHOPPING LANDSCAPE? REFLECTING ON THE PERSISTENT POWER OF CITY CENTRE PRESERVATION WITHIN SHIFTING RETAIL PLANNING IDEOLOGIES
Authors: SPIERINGS BAS
Published: December 2006

Since the construction of the hierarchical retail system in the postwar period, the main goal of Dutch retail planning has been to preserve city centres and the complementary shopping centres. National guidelines restricted the development of large‐scale retail locations on peripheral sites. Considering this restrictive planning ideology since the 1970s, the recent proposal to deregulate and decentralise retail planning came as a surprise and caused great controversy. Dutch retailers in particular raised their voices. They feared a disruption of the hierarchical retail system, following the removal of national restrictions on peripheral developments. The policy goal to preserve city centres seemed to disappear but returned when the national government and provincial authorities decided to reregulate retail planning. This paper analyses shifting retail planning ideologies in the Netherlands and reflects on the strength and persistence of city centre preservation within these shifts.
Corporate Financing Decisions: UK Survey Evidence
Authors: Beattie Vivien , Goodacre Alan , Thomson Sarah Jane
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Despite theoretical developments in recent years, our understanding of corporate capital structure remains incomplete. Prior empirical research has been dominated by archival regression studies which are limited in their ability to fully reflect the diversity found in practice. The present paper reports on a comprehensive survey of corporate financing decision‐making in UK listed companies. A key finding is that firms are heterogeneous in their capital structure policies. About half of the firms seek to maintain a target debt level, consistent with trade‐off theory, but 60% claim to follow a financing hierarchy, consistent with pecking order theory. These two theories are not viewed by respondents as either mutually exclusive or exhaustive. Many of the theoretical determinants of debt levels are widely accepted by respondents, in particular the importance of interest tax shield, financial distress, agency costs and also, at least implicitly, information asymmetry. Results also indicate that cross‐country institutional differences have a significant impact on financial decisions.
The Diversification Puzzle: Revisiting the Value Impact of Diversification for UK Firms
Authors: Barnes Edel , Hardie‐Brown Gael
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  The literature on value impact of diversification decisions has focused on US firms and has examined industrial rather than geographic diversification. This study exploits the Lang and Stulz (1994), Berger and Ofek (1995) and Bodnar et al. (1999) methodologies and controls for form of diversification in assessing value impact for a sample of UK firms, for the period 1996‐2000. Using an adjusted value metric that controls for industry effects, we report a significant and perverse geographic discount of 14%, and no systematic industrial value impact, suggesting that sector characteristics may be a significant driver of diversification choice for UK firms.
Value Gains on Flotation and IPO Underpricing
Authors: Hill Paula , Wilson Nicholas
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Utilising a unique dataset of 502 UK IPOs we undertake an empirical analysis of the relationship between underpricing and value gains on flotation. We find support for our hypothesis that IPO underpricing is related to the extent of anticipated value gains on the private to public transition. We analyse alternative driving mechanisms behind this relationship, and our results suggest that the underpricing of IPOs is driven by both underwriters and issuing company directors, each of whom derive net benefits over the longer term from underpricing at the IPO.
Optimal endpoints of resuscitation and early goal‐directed therapy
Authors: Prittie Jennifer
Published: December 2006

Objective: To review the available endpoints of shock resuscitation, including traditional perfusion parameters, oxygen‐transport variables, lactate, base deficit (BD), venous oxygen saturation, and gastric mucosal pH, and to discuss the currently accepted methods of assessing successful reversal of oxygen (O2) debt in shock patients.

Human‐based studies: Early goal‐directed therapy has unequivocally been shown to positively affect outcome in human patients experiencing cardiovascular shock. However, specific endpoints of resuscitation to target in critically ill patients remain controversial. Reliance on traditional endpoints of resuscitation (heart rate [HR], blood pressure [BP]) appears insufficient in detection of ongoing tissue hypoxia in shock states. A multitude of publications exist suggesting that indirect indices of global (lactate, base deficit, mixed/central venous oxygen saturation), regional (gastric intramucosal pH [pHi]) and cellular (transcutaneous oxygen) oxygenation are more successful in outcome prediction and in assessing adequacy of resuscitative efforts in this patient population.

Veterinary‐based studies: While there are several large studies evaluating endpoints of resuscitation in experimental canine shock models, this author was unable to find similar research pertaining to small animal veterinary patients. The few articles in which blood lactate is evaluated for prognostic purposes in canine patients are included in this review.

Data sources: Veterinary and human literature review.

Conclusions: Optimization of early resuscitative efforts has proven to have a survival benefit in human shock patients, and major strides have been made in determining which endpoints of resuscitation to target in this patient population. Similar clinical trials designed to evaluate indices of ongoing global and regional tissue hypoxia in small animal veterinary shock patients are warranted.
Fluid therapy for the traumatized patient
Authors: Driessen Bernd , Brainard Benjamin
Published: December 2006

Objective:To review the rationale behind and experiences with traditional and newly evolving concepts of fluid therapy in the traumatized patient, and to review conventional and novel fluid preparations for use in trauma resuscitation.

Data sources:Human and veterinary clinical and research studies.

Human data synthesis:Current treatment guidelines recommend aggressive fluid resuscitation with lactated ringers solution (LRS) or saline as optimum management of hemorrhagic shock in trauma, regardless of whether bleeding is controlled or not. The rationale behind this strategy is to restore intravascular volume as rapidly as possible to ensure adequate vital organ perfusion. Recently, this strategy has been challenged, especially in patients with uncontrolled hemorrhage, as neither laboratory evidence nor clinical trials support this practice. Current research indicates that vigorous fluid infusion may exacerbate bleeding and cause severe hemodilution, both impairing resuscitation outcome. As a result, a new line of thinking is emerging that balances the risks and benefits of intravenous volume infusion by offering the clinician alternative treatment strategies and emphasizes continuous endpoint‐oriented monitoring. ‘Hypotensive’ or ‘hypovolemic’ resuscitation techniques as well as initial volume replacement with fluids other than LRS or saline (e.g., hypertonic saline [HTS], HTS with dextran 70 [HTS‐D]) have been introduced in human medical practice as additional options for treatment of victims of trauma under certain circumstances. Clinical studies evaluating the use of hemoglobin‐based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) in the trauma setting are underway and may soon lead to an expansion of the fluid arsenal available to the clinician for treatment of trauma patients.

Veterinary data synthesis:Based on available animal data, neither strict guidelines nor a clear fluid preference for resuscitation of traumatic shock have been defined. Although systematic clinical trials are missing, combinations of crystalloid and colloid (natural or artificial) appear to be as effective for resuscitation as crystalloid alone. Judicious use of an HBOC (e.g., Oxyglobin®) as a substitute for blood/red blood cells may be recommended in situations where whole blood or pRBCs are not or not yet available.

Conclusions:The search for optimal methods of fluid resuscitation in trauma is ongoing. At this point the best solution is a differentiated approach to fluid therapy, one that tailors type and volume of resuscitation solution(s) used to the type and severity of injury in an individual patient and uses monitoring of perfusion and oxygenation parameters to guide resuscitation. Crystalloid fluids are effective for resuscitation but may need to be combined with or replaced by colloidal fluids in certain clinical situations.
Comparative cardiovascular and pulmonary effects of sedatives and anesthetic agents and anesthetic drug selection for the trauma patient
Authors: Haskins Steve C.
Published: December 2006

Objective:To integrate and compare the effects of tranquilizer/sedatives and anesthetic drugs on various parameters of cardiovascular function in normal dogs and in dogs stressed by hypovolemia, anemia, and endotoxemia, and to discuss the relative merits and appropriate precautions of anesthetic drugs with respect to specific patient physiologic complications.

Data sources:Personal data and experiences in conjunction with veterinary and human clinical and research studies.

Human and veterinary data synthesis:Drugs that produce calming, sedation, muscle relaxation, analgesia, and loss of consciousness have the potential to produce marked cardiorespiratory effects particularly in hemorrhaged, hypovolemic‐traumatized animals. Acute but key cardiovascular components that are affected by sedative and anesthetic drugs include heart rate and rhythm, venous return (preload), systemic vascular resistance (afterload), and myocardial contractile (inotropic) and relaxation (lusitropic) properties. In addition, all sedative and anesthetic drugs alter or depress normal baroreceptor reflex activity, thereby inhibiting or eliminating the animal's normal physiologic response to decreases in arterial blood pressure and predisposing to tissue hypoperfusion, decreased oxygen delivery, and oxygenation. Oxygen delivery needs to be adequate to meet the metabolic (oxygen) requirements of the patient. Decreases in oxygen delivery to tissues increases oxygen extraction, thereby maintaining tissue oxygenation (supply‐independent oxygen consumption phase) until compensatory processes reach their limit and any further decrease in oxygen delivery causes a decrease in oxygen consumption (supply‐dependent oxygen consumption phase). The critical oxygen delivery that defines the transition between these 2 phases is generally higher in the anesthetized state than in the awake state. The effect of anesthetics on critical oxygen delivery at comparable anesthetic dosages is pentobarbital=ketamine>alfentanil>etomidate=propofol>inhalational anesthetics. Anesthetics generally decrease oxygen consumption from the awake, baseline state; exceptions are ketamine and ether. Ketamine, however, increases oxygen delivery and oxygen extraction.

Conclusions:The transition from the awake to the anesthetized state is a huge imposition on the physiology of animals and, therefore, should be accomplished with great care and proper vigilance. Rapid, ‘crash’ induction of anesthesia should be avoided in hypotension‐prone animals and slow, prolonged induction should be avoided in animals with respiratory disorders. It is not recommended to implement an unfamiliar protocol in critical patients, even if it might be pharmacologically preferable. Familiarity with an anesthetic drug is a very important reason for its selection.
Erosive Pustular Dermatosis of the Scalp after Perinatal Scalp Injury
Authors: Siegel Dawn H. , Holland Kristen , Phillips Roderic J. , Drolet Beth A. , Esterly Nancy B. , Frieden Ilona J.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  We report four infants born with necrotic caput succedaneum that led to a scarring alopecia with ongoing inflammation and persistent scale–crust. These lesions did not significantly improve with topical or oral antibiotics, but did respond somewhat to topical corticosteroids. Alopecia with chronic erosive scale–crust and a moderate response to topical corticosteroids are findings consistent with a diagnosis of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp.
Chronic Disseminated Cutaneous Blastomycosis in an 11‐Year Old, with a Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Garvey Kathleen , Hinshaw Molly , Vanness Erin
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Chronic disseminated cutaneous blastomycosis is rare in children. We discuss an 11‐year‐old immunocompetent boy who presented with a history of persistent and multiple skin lesions of >1 year's duration. These lesions proved to be secondary to chronic Blastomyces dermatitidis infection. Complete resolution of clinical disease occurred after a 6‐month course of oral itraconazole. We also present a brief review of the literature focusing on the epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric blastomycosis.
Disseminated Cutaneous Bacille Calmette‐Guérin Infection Identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction in a Patient with X‐linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Authors: Huang Li‐Hsin , Shyur Shyh‐Dar , Weng Jyh‐Der , Shin‐Chi, M.D.  , Huang Fu‐Yuan , Tzen Chin‐Yuan
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  An 8‐month‐old boy developed a disseminated cutaneous mycobacterial infection at 6 months of age that responded poorly to treatment. Further immunologic study and sequence analysis showed the presence of a missense mutation in the IL2RG gene, and X‐linked severe combined immunodeficiency was diagnosed. To identify the strain of the microorganism causing the cutaneous infection, polymerase chain reaction with four pairs of primers was performed on skin biopsy specimens positive for acid‐fast bacilli. Sequence analysis showed 99.36% homology with a bacilli Calmette‐Guérin positive control. Disseminated bacilli Calmette‐Guérin disease must be considered in any infant with cutaneous mycobacterial lesions, especially those with atypical histologic findings or who are immunocompromised. Testing by polymerase chain reaction using the proper primers may help in making a precise diagnosis.
Early Diffuse Alopecia in a Neonate with Congenital Syphilis
Authors: Reddy Sujana , Bushore David , Levy Alan , Skinner Robert B.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Neonatal alopecia has been described in many circumstances but never as a part of the constellation of signs in congenital syphilis. Common clinical features of early congenital syphilis include hepatosplenomegaly, skeletal deformities, hematologic disturbances, and mucocutaneous features such as rhinitis and maculopapular rash. Syphilitic alopecia has previously been described only in conjunction with secondary syphilis. In this article, we describe the first occurrence of alopecia in a neonate with congenital syphilis.
A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing the Efficacy and Adverse Effects of Four Recognized Treatments of Molluscum Contagiosum in Children
Authors: Hanna Dominique , Hatami Afshin , Powell Julie , Marcoux Danielle , Maari Catherine , Savard Pascal , Thibeault Huguette , McCuaig Catherine
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral disease of childhood presenting as small, firm, dome‐shaped umbilicated papules. Although benign and generally self‐limited, this condition is contagious and can lead to complications such as inflammation, pruritus, dermatitis, bacterial superinfection, and scars. No consensus has been established concerning the management of this condition. We conducted a prospective randomized study comparing four common treatments for molluscum contagiosum in 124 children aged 1 to 18 years. One group was treated with curettage, a second with cantharidin, a third with a combination of salicylic acid and lactic acid, and a fourth with imiquimod. Patients needing, respectively, one, two, or three visits for treatment of their mollusca were: 80.6%, 16.1%, and 3.2% for curettage, 36.7%, 43.3%, and 20.0% for cantharidin, 53.6%, 46.4%, and 0% for salicylic acid and glycolic acid, and 55.2%, 41.4%, and 3.4% for imiquimod. The rate of side effects was 4.7% for group 1, 18.6% for group 2, 53.5% for group 3, and 23.3% for group 4. Curettage was found to be the most efficacious treatment and had the lowest rate of side effects. It must be performed with adequate anesthesia and is a time‐consuming procedure. Cantharidin is a useful bloodless alternative particularly in the office setting, but has moderate complications due to blisters and necessitated more visits in our experience. The topical keratolytic used was too irritating for children. Topical imiquimod holds promise but the optimum treatment schedule has yet to be determined. Finally, we believe that the ideal treatment for mollusca depends on the individual patient preference, fear, and financial status, distance from the office, and whether they have dermatitis or blood‐borne infections.
Darbepoetin Alfa and Ferric Gluconate Ameliorate the Anemia Associated with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa
Authors: Kuo Dennis J. , Bruckner Anna L. , Jeng Michael R.
Published: December 2006

Abstract:  Our objective was to describe the efficacy of darbepoetin alfa and ferric gluconate complex in the treatment of the anemia associated with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. To accomplish this aim, we retrospectively reviewed a series of patients with this disease treated in a single institution with darbepoetin alfa and parenteral iron for anemia. Four patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa were treated for a mean length of treatment of 14.5 months (4–18 months). Three patients received parenteral iron in the form of ferric gluconate complex and one received iron dextran. The mean pretreatment hemoglobin was 6.8 g/dL (4.9–9.6 g/dL). All four had improvements in their hemoglobin levels and energy levels with a mean increase in hemoglobin level of 2.8 g/dL (p = 0.003). We found darbepoetin alfa and ferric gluconate complex to be effective in the treatment of anemia associated with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and to have distinct advantages over previously described formulations, and we concluded that they should be considered in the supportive care of this disease. We recommend the development of a standardized protocol for the evaluation and management of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa‐associated anemia.
Functions of histone H2A variants
Authors: LI Shaohua , LIU Honglin
Published: December 2006

One way that cells alter their chromatin structure is by incorporating histone variants into their nucleosomes. Unlike canonical histones, which are deposited behind the replication fork during the S‐phase of cell division, the accumulation of histone variants is independent of DNA replication. However, among the histone variants, H2A variants play an important role in DNA replication, damage repair, recombination and gene expression. This paper provides a review of H2A histone variants and their functions, exchange in the chromatin and depositional modes by specific chaperones.
Comparison of genetic improvement for litter size at birth by direct and indirect selection in swine herd
Authors: SATOH Masahiro
Published: December 2006

Responses to selection for number of piglets born alive (NBA) by the total number of piglets born (TNB), the NBA, and the NBA plus number of piglets born dead (NBD) were compared using the accuracy of selection and expected genetic gain calculated from the selection index with family information and the real response to selection, using data generated by Monte Carlo computer simulation. The accuracy of selection for NBA selected by TNB was higher than that by NBA only if the genetic correlation between TNB and NBA was close to 1.0, or the value of heritability for the TNB was much larger than that for the NBA. The accuracy of selection for the NBA selected by the combination of the TNB and the NBA was generally highest in the three selection methods in each family structure. Selection by the TNB resulted in the greatest expected genetic gain for the TNB among the selection methods. In the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) selection, the genetic gain for the NBA accumulated by the NBA tended to be similar to that accumulated by the combination of the NBA and the NBD, and both genetic gains at generation 10 were significantly larger than that by the TNB (P < 0.001). The accumulated responses selected by the two‐trait animal model BLUP estimated from genetic parameters with errors were similar to those estimated from the true parameters, and there was no significant difference between them. These results indicate that selection by the NBA or by the NBA and the NBD gives more genetic improvement in the NBA than that by the TNB.