bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intergenerational Allocation of Government Expenditures: Externalities and Optimal Taxation
Authors: IQBAL KAZI , TURNOVSKY STEPHEN J.
Published: January 2008

This paper studies optimal capital and labor income taxes when the benefits of public goods are age‐dependent. Provided the government can impose a consumption tax, it can attain the first‐best resource allocation. This involves the uniform taxation of the cohorts' labor income and a zero capital income tax. With no consumption tax and optimally chosen government spending, labor income should be taxed nonuniformly across cohorts and the capital income tax should be nonzero. Deviations of the public goods from their respective optima create distortions. These affect the labor supply decisions of both cohorts and capital accumulation, providing a further reason to tax (or subsidize) capital income.
Efficiency of Screening and Labor Income Inequality
Authors: ECKWERT BERNHARD , ZILCHA ITZHAK
Published: January 2008

We analyze the importance of information about individual skills for understanding human capital accumulation and income inequality. The paper uses the framework of an overlapping generations economy with endogenous investment in human capital. Agents in each generation differ by random individual ability, or talent, which affects the screening process. The human capital of an agent depends on both his talent and his investment in education. The investment decision is based on a public signal (test outcome), which screens all agents for their talents. We analyze how a better information system, which allows more efficient screening, affects investment in education and, hence, income inequality in equilibrium. As a main result, we find that, typically, less inequality in the distribution of actual incomes can only be achieved at the expense of more inequality in the distribution of income opportunities.
The Effect of Removing Geographic Restrictions on Banking in the United States: Lessons for Europe*
Authors: Kroszner Randall S.
Published: January 2008

In this paper the author argues that cross‐border, intra‐European bank mergers are likely to generate benefits similar to those enjoyed in the United States when interstate banking restrictions were removed. These benefits include greater banking efficiency, higher economic and employment growth, more entrepreneurial activity, and reduced economic volatility.
Remarks on Basel II
Authors: Le Pan Nicholas
Published: January 2008

In this paper Le Pan focuses on some key issues related to Basel II, such as complexity, impact on capital and home‐host implementation, and offers ten thoughts on the post Basel II world.
China's Convergence to IFRS with Particular Respect to Its Banking Industry
Authors: Ping Luo
Published: January 2008

In this paper the author provides an overview of the process of China's convergence to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) with particular respect to its banking industry.
The Structure of Cross‐Sector Financial Supervision
Authors: Herring RichardJ. , Carmassi Jacopo
Published: January 2008

In this paper the authors note that, over the last decade, in many countries the financial supervisory functions that were once performed by central banks have been combined with those performed by other official agencies and/or self‐regulatory organizations to form a single financial services regulator. They consider three questions: (1) Why has this change occurred? (2) What role in supervision, if any, should the central bank continue to play? and (3) Do these organizational changes in financial supervision pose risks to financial stability?
‘Why Do All the Women Disappear?’ Gendering Processes in a Political Science Department
Authors: Kantola Johanna
Published: January 2008

The article provides an in‐depth analysis of the gendering processes among PhD candidates in a political science department. It uses Joan Acker's theory of gendered organizations operating through four dimensions: the gendered division of labour, gendered interaction, gendered symbols and gendered interpretations of one's position in the organization. The article combines this approach with theories of hidden discrimination. The key theoretical aim is to contribute to gendered organizational theory by examining the ways in which hidden discrimination and the gendered organization work together. This generates detailed and differentiated knowledge about the mechanisms of hidden discrimination that produce gender inequalities in the department. The findings presented in this article point to the role of gendered division of labour and the lack of information about departmental practices. PhD supervision by men is a particularly strong structural barrier for women because of the gendered nature of interaction in supervision and the difficulties that female PhD students have in a male‐dominated environment. The article further contributes to debates on gendered organizations by focusing upon the gendered symbols of expertise in political science. These symbols reproduce the man as the political scientist norm and result in women interpreting their own position as marginal or as outsiders.
Longitudinal Assessment of Response Preparation and Evaluation in Migraine Gives Evidence for Deviant Maturation
Authors: Oelkers-Ax R , Schmidt K , Bender S , Reimer I , Möhler E , Knauss E , Resch F , Weisbrod M
Published: January 2008

Evidence for deviant maturation of sensory processing in migraine has come recently from cross-sectional studies during childhood. Age-dependent development of response preparation and evaluation is characterized using a longitudinal design in school-aged migraine patients and controls in order to challenge the hypothesis of migraine as a maturation disorder. Forty-six children with migraine and 57 healthy controls aged 6-18 years were investigated and followed up 4 years later using a simple acoustic contingent negative variation (CNV) paradigm. Maturation in controls was characterized by increasing negativity of late and total CNV and stability of initial CNV (iCNV) and the motor postimperative negative variation (mPINV). Migraine patients showed a lack of development for late and total CNV and decreasing iCNV and mPINV negativity. This first longitudinal study confirms cross-sectional results of deviant CNV maturation in migraine. Altered maturation was not correlated with clinical improvement and may represent a vulnerability marker for migraine.
Prevalence and Associated Factors for Episodic and Chronic Daily Headache in the Colombian Population
Authors: Rueda-Sánchez M , Diaz-Martinez LA
Published: January 2008

There are multiple risk factors for chronic daily headache (CDH), but they are usually assessed in an isolated form without an adequate control for confounders. CDH is considered a variant of episodic headache, but studies have not gathered enough evidence to evaluate simultaneously CDH and episodic in the same population. We set out to establish simultaneously the factors associated with chronic daily or episodic headache in a population setting, using a cross-sectional survey in a random sample of 1505 adult urban inhabitants (Bucaramanga, Colombia). The survey asked questions about headache, family and personal history of disease, and consumption or abuse of caffeine, alcohol, hypnotics and analgesics. The association among independent variables and CDH or episodic headache was made with multinomial logistic regression. Female gender, arterial hypertension or cranial trauma history, and a high score in the depression scale are associated with episodic headache and CDH. Parents with CDH, the complaint of multiple arousals during sleep and use of hypnotics are associated with CDH, but not with episodic headache. Age < 36 years, alcoholism and snoring are factors associated only with episodic headache. Chronic daily headache and episodic headache have several common risk factors, but there are other factors not shared by both conditions.
A novel simple technique for en face endothelial observations using water‐soluble media –‘thinned‐wall’ preparations
Authors: Jelev L. , Surchev L.
Published: January 2008

A new, easily applicable technique providing en face preparations for light microscopy observations of the rat aorta and human thin wall arteries is described here. The major steps of the technique include attachment of the fixed and flattened vessel with the endothelium face down on a glass slide, covered with a water‐soluble adhesive medium; drying and softening the vessel wall with another water‐soluble medium; removal of the adventitia and most of the media; detaching the layer by placing the glass slide in water; and final attachment of the layer with the endothelium upwards. On such ‘thinned‐wall’ preparations, 40–50 µm in thickness, the stained endothelial cells are clearly visible. Because of the preparation thickness and the use of water‐soluble media during the preparation, some subendothelial lipid accumulations, characteristic of the early stages of atherosclerosis process, are well preserved.
Comparative anatomy and muscle architecture of selected hind limb muscles in the Quarter Horse and Arab
Authors: Crook T. C. , Cruickshank S. E. , McGowan C. M. , Stubbs N. , Wakeling J. M. , Wilson A. M. , Payne R. C.
Published: January 2008

The Quarter Horse (bred for acceleration) and the Arab (bred for endurance) are situated at either end of the equine athletic spectrum. Studies into the form and function of the leg muscles in human sprint and endurance runners have demonstrated that differences exist in their muscle architecture. It is not known whether similar differences exist in the horse. Six Quarter Horse and six Arab fresh hind limb cadavers were dissected to gain information on the muscle mass and architecture of the following muscles: gluteus medius; biceps femoris; semitendinosus; vastus lateralis; gastrocnemius; tibialis cranialis and extensor digitorum longus. Specifically, muscle mass, fascicle length and pennation angle were quantified and physiological cross‐sectional area (PCSA) and maximum isometric force were estimated. The hind limb muscles of the Quarter Horse were of a significantly greater mass, but had similar fascicle lengths and pennation angles when compared with those of the Arab; this resulted in the Quarter Horse hind limb muscles having greater PCSAs and hence greater isometric force potential. This study suggests that Quarter Horses as a breed inherently possess large strong hind limb muscles, with the potential to accelerate their body mass more rapidly than those of the Arab.
Molecular characterization of the injury‐induced aromatase transcript in the adult zebra finch brain
Authors: Wynne Ryan D. , Maas Stefan , Saldanha Colin J.
Published: January 2008

In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the aromatase gene is transcribed from one of two promoters resulting in two transcripts constitutively expressed in brain or ovary. These transcripts differ only in Exon 1 which lies in the 5′ un‐translated region (UTR). An inducible form of aromatase is expressed following brain injury in glia. Towards characterizing this transcript, we (a) examined the up‐regulation of amplicons within the aromatase transcript using quantitative PCR (qPCR), (b) performed 5′ and 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) on injured brain RNA and (c) sequenced the injury‐induced aromatase transcript. qPCR suggested that inducible aromatase may contain a novel 3′UTR. However, neither 3′ nor 5′ RACE revealed novel UTRs in the injured telencephalon. We then sequenced aromatase from injured entopallium, a region that lacks detectable constitutive aromatase. Inducible aromatase was identical in sequence to the known neural aromatase transcript. These data suggest that injury‐induced aromatase differs from ovarian, but is indistinguishable from neuronal aromatase. We suggest that an injury‐specific signal in glia may modulate aromatase transcription. Alternatively, injury‐induced aromatase transcription may be silenced under constitutive conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that documents the sequence of inducible aromatase in any vertebrate.
Full‐thickness eyelid penetration during cosmetic blepharopigmentation causing eye injury
Authors: De Monya , Marshak Harry , Uzcategui Nicolas , Chang Eli
Published: January 2008

Purpose   This paper aims to present a case of iatrogenic injury to the globe during cosmetic eyelid blepharopigmentation (tattooing).

Design/Methods   Observational case report.

Results   A 46‐year‐old Asian female presented with chemosis and injection of the conjunctiva one day following cosmetic blepharopigmentation. The tattoo needle had penetrated full‐thickness through the lid margin, resulting in a line of pigment along the superior bulbar conjunctiva with an associated inflammatory reaction. The conjunctivitis resolved with treatment, but the pigment remained.

Conclusion   Physicians should be aware of the potential complications of cosmetic tattooing. Some measures for the prevention of iatrogenic injury are suggested.
Use of light‐emitting diode photomodulation to reduce erythema and discomfort after intense pulsed light treatment of photodamage
Authors: Khoury Jane G , Goldman Mitchel P
Published: January 2008

Objectives  This study evaluates the use of light‐emitting diode (LED) photomodulation therapy to accelerate resolution of post–intense pulsed light (IPL) erythema.

Methods  In this split‐face study, 15 subjects were randomized to receive LED treatment to one side of the face as determined by computer‐generated randomization numbers. All 15 subjects received a single IPL treatment for facial photodamage. Immediately after IPL treatment, one side of the face was treated for 35 s with the LED device. The other side was not treated. Subjects returned 24 h later for a second LED treatment on the same side of the face. Posttreatment erythema was rated on both sides of the face by the blinded investigator and by subjects immediately after IPL treatment, 24 h later, and 1 week later on a scale of 0% (no erythema) to 100% (severe erythema). Patients commented on posttreatment discomfort immediately after IPL treatment.

Results  Mean erythema scores on the first visit were significantly higher (P = 0.0054) on the side not treated with LED (52.7 ± 24.6) than on the LED‐treated side (43.3 ± 21.9). Visit 2 data showed a similar trend (P = 0.0281). The subjects reported similar findings with mean erythema scores on the first visit on the LED‐treated side (46.7 ± 25.3) compared with the untreated side (60.0 ± 23.3); the difference was significant (P = 0.0382). On the second visit, the mean erythema scores trended lower on the LED‐treated side (24.3 ± 22.1) than on the untreated side (27.9 ± 25.8), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.1365). Erythema scores on both facial sides were 0 for all subjects 1 week after IPL treatment. Four patients commented that posttreatment discomfort was considerably less on the LED‐treated side immediately after treatment.

Conclusion  LED photomodulation treatment may accelerate the resolution of erythema and reduce posttreatment discomfort in IPL‐treated patients with photodamage.
Treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars using bleomycin
Authors: Aggarwal Himanshu , Saxena Anurag , Lubana Parvinder S , Mathur R K , Jain D K
Published: January 2008

Background  Numerous treatments have been attempted with unsatisfactory results using either single or combination modalities for treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars. The aim of our study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of bleomycin in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids.

Methods  This study included 50 patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars. Bleomycin was administered through multiple superficial puncture technique. Three applications were given at intervals of 15 days each, followed by a fourth and final application 2 months after the last application. Final results were read 2 months after the last application.

Results were evaluated according to change in size as follows:

Group
Response

a.
Complete flattening (100% regression)

b.
Significant flattening (75–99% regression)

c.
Adequate flattening (50–74% regression)

d.
Inadequate flattening (less than 50%)

Patients were assessed for any complication of bleomycin (systemic as well as local) and recurrence of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Regular follow‐up for side‐effects was done for 18 months.

Results  Out of 50 patients, complete flattening was observed in 22 cases (44%); significant flattening in 11 cases (22%); and adequate flattening was observed in 7 cases (14%). Only 10 cases (20%) did not show any satisfactory flattening. Pruritis was relieved completely in 40 patients (88.88%). Recurrence was seen in seven patients.

Conclusion  Bleomycin is easy to administer, is cheap, shows high regression rate, and has minimum complication and recurrence. Thus, it can be used as the first‐line treatment modality for management of keloids and hypertrophic scars.
Different formulations of botulinum toxin type A have different migration characteristics: a double‐blind, randomized study
Authors: Cliff Sandeep H , Judodihardjo Harryono , Eltringham Elizabeth
Published: January 2008

Objective  Different formulations of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) are not identical and may behave differently in clinical practice. The reportedly lower incidence of adverse effects with one formulation (from Allergan, Ltd.) relative to another (from Ipsen, Ltd.) may be due to differences in the degree of migration of the neurotoxin–protein complex from its injection site. A double‐blind, randomized, within‐subject pilot study was performed to compare the migration characteristics of each formulation.

Methods  Twelve healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive three 0.1 mL intradermal injections in their forehead: 4 U BoNTA (Allergan) on one side, 12 U BoNTA (Ipsen) on the contralateral side, and saline in the center. At day 14, Minor's iodine starch test was performed, and the subjects walked around a hot room to induce sweating. The appearance of each forehead was documented using Canfield photography and the area of each anhidrotic halo calculated using software.

Results  Overall, the area of anhidrosis was significantly larger with BoNTA (Ipsen) than BoNTA (Allergan) – mean ± SD of 2.7 ± 0.78 cm2 vs. 1.8 ± 0.65 cm2 (P = 0.005) – with the area of anhidrosis being greater with BoNTA (Ipsen) than BoNTA (Allergan) in 11 of the 12 subjects. Across all subjects, the area of anhidrosis was greater with BoNTA (Ipsen) than BoNTA (Allergan) by a mean of 77%.

Conclusions  BoNTA (Ipsen) migrates more than BoNTA (Allergan) under the conditions described. The lower potential of BoNTA (Allergan) to migrate promotes more precise localization of clinical effects, thereby helping to optimize the risk/benefit ratio.
Poly‐l‐lactic acid: a perspective from my practice
Authors: Sadick Neil S
Published: January 2008

Lipoatrophic sagging in the periorbital and cheek areas is a characteristic feature of the aging face. Soft tissue regeneration in these areas using a volumizer such as poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) can help reduce the impact of these features. PLLA generates semipermanent correction, lasting for 2 years, and is a resorbable biocompatible device with a history of successful use in many clinical applications. This practice has administered many treatments of PLLA over the past 2 years with excellent results and with minimal complications. Minimization of adverse events and optimal cosmetic results are achieved when PLLA is diluted appropriately, injected in the proper plane and with posttreatment massage. The physician can fine‐tune tissue volume correction with PLLA by spacing treatment sessions at least 4 to 6 weeks apart. Although approved for the correction of facial lipoatrophy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus, approval for the use of PLLA for cosmetic indications is currently pending.
Skin‐lightening effects of a new face care product in patients with melasma
Authors: Scherdin U , Bürger Anette , Bielfeldt Stephan , Filbry Alexander , Weber Teresa , Schölermann Andrea , Wigger‐Alberti Walter , Rippke Frank , Wilhelm Klaus‐Peter
Published: January 2008

Background  Melasma is a common pigmentation disorder having considerable effect on patients’ emotional and psychological well‐being.

Objective  Assessment of efficacy and tolerability of a new face care product for the targeted spot treatment of darker pigmented areas in subjects with melasma and evaluation of effects on patients’ quality of life.

Methods  Twenty subjects with melasma were enrolled in this study. Data of 19 participants were available for analysis. Melasma severity was evaluated at baseline, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks by using the Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI). Furthermore, chromametry and digital image analysis of videomicroscopic photographs were performed, and quality of life was measured using the Melasma Quality of Life Scale.

Results  The application of the product resulted in a significant lightening of melasma in comparison with baseline and to untreated control areas. The MASI score dropped by more than 40% after 8 weeks. Measurement of skin color by chromametry revealed lightening of pigmented areas and a significant decrease in contrast between melasma and normal‐pigmented surrounding skin. These results were confirmed by digital image analysis. Tolerability of the product was rated to be excellent, and patients experienced a significant gain in quality of life.

Conclusion  The data demonstrate that the new face care product is effective and highly skin tolerable and clearly improves quality of life of patients with melasma.
Chronic inflammation is etiology of extrinsic aging
Authors: Thornfeldt Carl R
Published: January 2008

Skin care regimens using active ingredients that are recommended by physicians who treat mucocutaneous conditions including aging should become more focused on reversing and preventing chronic inflammation. This adjustment of therapeutic and preventive strategies is necessary because chronic inflammation appears strongly linked to many preventable and treatable skin diseases and conditions such as visible skin aging. Mucocutaneous inflammation as the final common pathway of many systemic and mucocutaneous diseases including extrinsic aging has been established at the molecular and cellular levels. The corollary to this strategy includes inhibition of primary activators of mucocutaneous inflammation such as stratum corneum permeability barrier disruption, blocking any pro‐inflammatory environmental insult such as ultraviolet radiation, and quenching tissue responses to these insults. This review will present the scientific rationale substantiating the conclusion that chronic inflammation is the common denominator in many mucocutaneous pathophysiologic processes including extrinsic skin aging.
THE TECHNOLOGY OF PRODUCTION OF SASANIAN GLAZED POTTERY FROM VEH ARDAŠ?R (CENTRAL IRAQ)
Authors: PACE M. , PREVOT A. BIANCO , MIRTI P. , RICCIARDI R. VENCO
Published: January 2008

Scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive X‐ray detector (SEM‐EDS) has been used to study samples of Sasanian glazed pottery. Analysis of ceramic bodies revealed a general homogeneity in composition among the studied samples and the use of calcareous clay for their manufacture. Glazes are typically alkaline in composition, with sodium and potassium oxide contents between 8 and 13%, and between 3 and 5%, respectively; calcium and magnesium oxide contents are between 7 and 10%, and between 3 and 5%, respectively. These data suggest the use of plant ash together with a silica source for glaze production. Coating thickness is highly variable among different samples, from some 400 up to 1200 µm, but it is generally uniform when a single sample is concerned. Glazes are mostly coloured blue or blue‐green; copper and iron are the colouring agents detected; abundance of bubbles, silicate crystals and relics of unmelted material are responsible for their generally opaque appearance, together with the presence of weathering products. The characteristics of the body to glaze contact zone, together with the widespread presence of bubbles, would not rule out production by a single firing process. A few samples feature a peculiar gritty coating on one side of their surface; SEM images show that they are actually partially vitrified, and EDS data denote a rather heterogeneous composition. It seems possible that they result from mixing clay together with the frit used for glaze development.
DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN UNKNOWN BLUE‐GREEN MAYA PIGMENT: VESZELYITE*
Authors: GARCIA MORENO R. , MATHIS F. , MAZEL V. , DUBUS M. , CALLIGARO T. , STRIVAY D.
Published: January 2008

Blue‐green mosaic and polychrome masks and funerary offerings from the royal tombs of Calakmul, Mexico, were analysed by scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and particle induced X‐ray emission (PIXE). This led to the first identification of the use of veszelyite, a rare hydrated copper‐zinc phosphate, as green pigment. Analyses of a geological sample of this mineral have been done to confirm the characterization of this Mayan pigment, which might help determine pre‐Columbian trade routes of precious and luxury objects in the ancient Maya Classic period (ad 250–800).
A COMPARISON OF THE CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING CHARACTERISTICS OF ANCIENT ROMAN HYDRAULIC CONCRETE WITH A MODERN REPRODUCTION OF VITRUVIAN HYDRAULIC CONCRETE*
Authors: GOTTI E. , OLESON J. P. , BOTTALICO L. , BRANDON C. , CUCITORE R. , HOHLFELDER R. L.
Published: January 2008

The authors have completed structural and compositional analysis of Roman hydraulic concrete using large cores taken from a variety of maritime structures. In 2005 an 8 m3 block of hydraulic, pozzolanic concrete was built in the sea at Brindisi (Italy), applying the materials and procedures specified by the Roman architect Vitruvius. Cores were taken at 6 months and 12 months after construction and subjected to the same analyses as the first‐century bc cores from pilae associated with the Villa of the Domitii Ahenobarbi at Santa Liberata. Results show that a slight variation on the Vitruvian formula yields results closest to the Roman material, and that substantial curing requires 12 months.
Negotiating in stages: National positions and the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact
Authors: BLAVOUKOS SPYROS , PAGOULATOS GEORGE
Published: January 2008

Abstract.  This article examines the politics of the 2005 reform of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). It distinguishes between two stages in the reform process. The first stage delimited the negotiation space – confining reform into an interpretation of the formal clauses that prescribe SGP functioning – and set the reform agenda. In the second, decision‐making stage, Member States engaged in high politics bargaining, more sensitive to their short‐term (fiscal deficit) and long‐term (fiscal sustainability) macroeconomic conditions, attempting to upload country‐specific ‘expenditure exceptionalism’. The authors of this article find a crucial disjunction in some Member States between positions held across the two stages. Strategic considerations, comprising the broader constitutional/political game and the need to demonstrate national macroeconomic credibility, account for such discrepancy in the two negotiation stages.
Research Note: On the inverse relationship between votes and proximity for niche parties
Authors: EZROW LAWRENCE
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Do niche parties occupying left‐right policy positions that diverge sharply from the centre of the voter distribution gain more popular support than those moderately positioned along the left‐right continuum? Cross‐sectional analyses, based on observations from twelve Western European countries from 1984–1998, are presented that suggest the answer is ‘yes’. By contrast, these analyses strongly suggest that for mainstream parties, policy radicalism depresses popular support. The implication of these findings is that for niche parties, it is the distinctiveness of their left‐right positions that enhances their competitiveness in democratic elections. While this finding runs counter to the intuition of standard spatial theory, it is consistent with recent dynamic accounts of niche party responsiveness to shifts in public opinion and electoral support for niche parties. These findings have implications for party strategies, spatial theories and the understanding of political representation.
Electoral turnout and income redistribution by the state: A cross‐national analysis of the developed democracies
Authors: MAHLER VINCENT A.
Published: January 2008

Abstract.  This article explores the sources of variation in state redistribution across 13 developed democracies over the period 1979–2000, drawing upon data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the Luxembourg Income Study and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. The discussion begins with the median voter hypothesis, which predicts that the extent of state redistribution in a country will be positively related to the degree of pre‐government inequality. In seeking to extend the median voter approach, the article takes into account two additional variables: the level of electoral turnout and the degree to which turnout is skewed by income. The analysis confirms that pre‐government inequality is indeed positively related to state redistribution. However, the predictive power of the median voter approach is significantly improved when account is taken of the level of electoral turnout and the extent to which the turnout rate reflects an income skew – variables that are themselves related. The link between turnout and redistribution is especially strong for social transfers as opposed to taxes, and for the lower and middle, as opposed to the upper, part of the income spectrum.
Regime transition in the regions of Russia: The freedom of mass media: Transnational impact on sub‐national democratization?
Authors: OBYDENKOVA ANASTASSIA
Published: January 2008

Abstract.  The mass media have the main function of serving as a mediator between society and the authorities and is, therefore, positioned to be a catalyst for change in society. From the end of the 1980s into the 2000s, under Gorbachev and Yeltsin, the development of the independent mass media played a key role in Russia's regime transition. It is also a good reflection, or indicator, of the pace of transition on the regional level, and an objective criterion of regional democratization. The regional media markets are not shaped entirely by the national government. Each of the 88 regional mass media markets is ‘the product of the cultural traditions of a region, its economy, the unique local relationship between the state and society, the tendency of a region towards a traditional/modernized or agrarian/urban society’. However, while these factors are important and have been analyzed in a number of articles, the role of foreign, transnational, factors has hardly been taken into account. This article is an attempt to single out the European impact on the development of the freedom mass media in the regions through different forms of transnational regional cooperation.
The anatomy of autonomy: Reassessing the autonomy of the European Commission
Authors: TRONDAL JARLE
Published: January 2008

Abstract.  The European Commission (Commission) occupies a pivotal role as the key executive institution of the European Union (EU). Yet, the factual autonomy of the Commission remains largely unexplored, contributing to contradictory assessments of it. This study reassesses the behavioural autonomy of the Commission, as well as organisational conditions thereof. The article utilises one under‐researched laboratory of the Commission: temporary officials (SNEs). SNEs may serve as a crucial test‐bed of Commission autonomy due to their ambiguous affiliation towards the Commission. Whereas past studies claim that SNEs have a predominantly intergovernmental behavioural pattern, this study demonstrates that the SNEs blend departmental, epistemic and supranational behavioural dynamics, thereby safeguarding their behavioural autonomy. Understanding Commission autonomy requires that the organisational anatomy of the Commission organisation be carefully considered. The organisational anatomy is measured by considering four independent variables: the organisational composition of the Commission services; organisational incompatibilities across levels of governance; recruitment procedures of Commission officials through a so‐called ‘submarine’ approach; and socialisation dynamics inside the Commission. The autonomy of the Commission is organisationally contingent and not only subject to what has been called ‘actors’ conspicuous desire for autonomy’.
Conservation Value of Remnant Riparian Forest Corridors of Varying Quality for Amazonian Birds and Mammals
Authors: LEES ALEXANDER C. , PERES CARLOS A.
Published: January 2008

Abstract:  Forest corridors are often considered the main instrument with which to offset the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation. Brazilian forestry legislation requires that all riparian zones on private landholdings be maintained as permanent reserves and sets fixed minimum widths of riparian forest buffers to be retained alongside rivers and perennial streams. We investigated the effects of corridor width and degradation status of 37 riparian forest sites (including 24 corridors connected to large source‐forest patches, 8 unconnected forest corridors, and 5 control riparian zones embedded within continuous forest patches) on bird and mammal species richness in a hyper‐fragmented forest landscape surrounding Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. We used point‐count and track‐sampling methodology, coupled with an intensive forest‐quality assessment that combined satellite imagery and ground truthed data. Vertebrate use of corridors was highly species‐specific, but broad trends emerged depending on species life histories and their sensitivity to disturbance. Narrow and/or highly disturbed riparian corridors retained only a depauperate vertebrate assemblage that was typical of deforested habitats, whereas wide, well‐preserved corridors retained a nearly complete species assemblage. Restriction of livestock movement along riparian buffers and their exclusion from key areas alongside deforested streams would permit corridor regeneration and facilitate restoration of connectivity.
Factors Associated with Alien Plants Transitioning from Casual, to Naturalized, to Invasive
Authors: MILBAU ANN , STOUT JANE C.
Published: February 2008

Abstract: To explain current plant invasions, or predict future ones, more knowledge on which factors increase the probability of alien species becoming naturalized and subsequently invasive is needed. We created a database of the alien plants in seminatural habitats in Ireland that included data on taxonomy, invasive status, invasion history, distribution, and biological and ecological plant characteristics. We used information from this database to determine the importance of these factors in increasing the ability of species to become naturalized and invasive. More specifically, we used two multiple logistic regressions to identify factors that distinguish naturalized from casual alien plant species and invasive from noninvasive, naturalized alien species. Clonal growth, moisture‐indicator value, nitrogen‐indicator value, native range, and date of first record affected (in order of decreasing importance) the probability of naturalization. Factors that distinguished invasive from noninvasive species were ornamental introduction, hermaphrodite flowers, pollination mode, being invasive elsewhere, onset of flowering season, moisture‐indicator value, native range, and date of first record. Incorporation of phylogenetic information had little influence on the results, suggesting that the capacity of alien species to naturalize and become invasive evolved largely independently in several phylogenetic lineages. Whereas some of the variables were important for both transitions, others were only important for naturalization or for invasion. This emphasizes the importance of studying different stages of the invasion process when looking for mechanisms of becoming a successful invasive plant, instead of simply comparing invasive with noninvasive alien species. Our results also suggest that a combination of species traits and other variables is likely to produce the most accurate prediction of invasions.
Challenges in high‐pressure granulite metamorphism in the era of pseudosections: reaction textures, compositional zoning and tectonic interpretation with examples from the Bohemian Massif
Authors: O'BRIEN P. J.
Published: January 2008

High‐pressure granulites are an important record of geodynamic processes in overthickened or subducted continental crust. Orthopyroxene‐free assemblages in granitic (ternary feldspar(s) + quartz + garnet + kyanite + rutile), intermediate (ternary feldspar(s) + quartz + garnet + clinopyroxene ± kyanite ±rutile ± titanite) and basic (garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± quartz + rutile) compositions indicate formation conditions at mantle depths. Clinopyroxene compositions in Variscan high‐pressure granulites are unusual in that they include omphacite (in plagioclase‐bearing rocks thus not eclogite) and Al‐rich diopside (i.e. indicating high Ca‐Tschermak content), with both yielding temperatures above 900 °C. Problems such as compositional zoning, multiple generations of key phases in reaction domains and unmixing of high‐temperature solid‐solution phases during cooling (ternary feldspars, omphacite) clearly indicate disequilibrium and require very careful interpretation as to which phases and compositions possibly represent a former equilibrium association. Pressure–temperature (P–T) determination by the pseudosection method, although allowing prediction of mineral assemblages, compositions and molar proportions for a fixed bulk composition for modelled P–T conditions, still requires reliable activity–composition information for the key phases feldspar and clinopyroxene as well as an interpretation of former equilibrium compositions in the investigated samples, i.e. the same restrictions applying to conventional thermobarometry. The interpretations of some recently determined pseudosections for the composition of Variscan clinopyroxene‐bearing high‐pressure granulites contradict numerous published P–T paths. However, quantitative information from thermobarometry or pseudosections must be integrated with key petrographic observations. In the case of the Variscan example, it is argued that petrographic observations and published P–T paths are consistent with mineral assemblages predicted in pseudosections and support existing tectonometamorphic models.
An autosomal dominant genetically heterogeneous variant of rolandic epilepsy and speech disorder
Authors: Kugler Steven L. , Bali Bhavna , Lieberman Philip , Strug Lisa , Gagnon Bernadine , Murphy Peregrine L. , Clarke Tara , Greenberg David A. , Pal Deb K.
Published: January 2008

Summary

We report a three generation pedigree with 11 of 22 affected with a variant form of rolandic epilepsy, speech impairment, oromotor apraxia, and cognitive deficit. The core features comprised nocturnal rolandic seizures, interictal centrotemporal spike waves with early age of onset and late age of offset. The transmission of the phenotype was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance, with variable expressivity but no evidence of anticipation. We found evidence that the seizure and speech traits may be dissociated. No abnormalities were found by cytogenetic analysis. Linkage analysis excluded loci at 11p, 15q, 16p12, and Xq22 for related phenotypes, suggesting genetic heterogeneity.
Alcohol, Psychological Dysregulation, and Adolescent Brain Development
Authors: Clark Duncan B. , Thatcher Dawn L. , Tapert Susan F.
Published: January 2008

While adolescent alcohol consumption has been asserted to adversely alter brain development, research in human adolescents has not yet provided us with sufficient evidence to support or refute this position. Brain constituents actively developing during adolescence include the prefrontal cortex, limbic system areas, and white matter myelin. These areas serving cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation may be particularly vulnerable to adverse alcohol effects. Alternatively, deficits or developmental delays in these structures and their functions may underlie liability to accelerated alcohol use trajectories in adolescence. This review will describe a conceptual framework for considering these relationships and summarize the available studies on the relationships among risk characteristics, alcohol involvement and brain development during this period. The cross‐sectional designs and small samples characterizing available studies hamper definitive conclusions. This article will describe some of the opportunities contemporary neuroimaging techniques offer for advancing understanding of adolescent neurodevelopment and alcohol involvement.
Family History of Alcoholism Is Associated With Lower 5‐HT2A Receptor Binding in the Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Underwood Mark D. , Mann J. John , Huang Yung‐Yu , Arango Victoria
Published: January 2008

Background:  5‐Hydroxytryptophan (5‐HT2A) receptor involvement in alcoholism is suggested by less 5‐HT2A binding in alcohol preferring rats, association of a 5‐HT2A receptor gene polymorphism with alcohol dependence and reduced alcohol intake with 5‐HT2A antagonists. We sought to determine postmortem whether 5‐HT2A receptors are altered in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of alcoholics.

Methods:  Brain tissue from 25 alcoholics and 19 controls was collected at autopsy. Diagnosis of DSM‐IV alcoholism/abuse and other psychiatric disorders and the determination of family history of alcoholism were made by psychological autopsy. Specific binding to 5‐HT2A (3H‐ketanserin) receptors in the PFC was measured by quantitative autoradiography.

Results:  5‐HT2A binding decreased with age [Brodmann areas (BA) 9, 46 gyrus; r = −0.381, −0.334, p < 0.05]. No differences in receptor binding between alcoholics and controls were detected in the gyrus or sulcus of any PFC area examined. Cases (controls or alcoholics) with a family history of alcoholism (n = 23) had less 5‐HT2A binding throughout PFC than subjects without (n = 21) a family history of alcoholism (p < 0.05). 5‐HT2A receptor binding in alcoholics without a family history of alcoholism (n = 7) did not differ from controls without a family history of alcoholism (n = 14). There was no association between alcoholism or alcohol rating and genotype. There was an association between genotype and the total amount of 3H‐ketanserin binding in BA46 with the TT genotype having more binding (TT>TC≈CC).

Conclusions:  Lower 5‐HT2A receptor binding in the PFC of cases with a family history of alcoholism suggests a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Alcohol abuse by itself did not have a significant effect on PFC 5‐HT2A binding and as 5‐HT2A binding in alcoholics is not different from controls and antagonists may be therapeutic, fewer receptors may result in downstream developmental effects on the brain resulting in a predisposition to alcoholism.
Information Acquisition and Strategic Disclosure in Oligopoly
Authors: Jansen Jos
Published: January 2008

I study the incentives of oligopolists to acquire and disclose information on a common demand intercept. Because firms may fail to acquire information even when they invest in information acquisition, firms can credibly conceal unfavorable news while disclosing favorable news. Firms may earn higher expected profits under such a selective disclosure regime than under the regimes where firms commit to share all or no information. In particular, this holds under both Cournot and Bertrand competition, if the firms have sufficiently flat information acquisition cost functions. For steeper cost functions Cournot duopolists prefer strategic disclosure, if their goods are sufficiently differentiated.
Diametral Tensile and Compressive Strengths of Several Types of Core Materials
Authors: Yüzügüllü Bulem , Çiftçi Yalçnı , Saygılı Gülbin , Canay Şenay
Published: January 2008

Purpose: Compressive and diametral tensile strengths (DTSs) of core materials are thought to be important, because cores usually replace a large bulk of tooth structure and should provide sufficient strength to resist intraoral tensile and compressive forces. This study was undertaken to compare the mechanical properties of materials used for direct core foundations.

Material and Methods: The differences between the compressive and DTSs of six core materials, including Duralloy (high‐copper amalgam), Grandio (visible light‐cured nanohybrid resin composite), Admira (organically modified ceramic), Filtek P60 (packable composite resin), Rebilda DC (dual‐cure adhesive core material), and Argion Molar (silver‐reinforced glass ionomer cement), were tested. A total of 120 specimens, half for the compressive strength (CS) test (6 mm in height, 4 mm in diameter) and the other half for the DTS test (6 mm in diameter, 3 mm in thickness), were prepared. The specimens were stored at room temperature in distilled water for 7 days. The Lloyd testing machine was used to load the specimens at a crosshead speed 0.5 cm/min, and the strength values were determined in MPa.

Results: The compressive and DTS test values (in MPa), respectively, of the materials were: Admira (361, 44); Filtek P60 (331, 55); Grandio (294, 53); Rebilda DC (279, 42); Duralloy (184, 40); and Argion Molar (107, 9). Kruskal–Wallis test was computed, and multiple comparisons test discerned many differences among materials (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Packable composite resin (Filtek P60), visible light cured nanohybrid resin composite (Grandio), and organically‐modified ceramic (Admira) had higher compressive and DTS values than the other materials.
Evaluation of Load at Fracture of Procera AllCeram Copings Using Different Luting Cements
Authors: AL‐Makramani Bandar M. A. , Razak A. A. A. , Abu‐Hassan M. I.
Published: January 2008

Purpose: The current study investigated the effect of different luting agents on the fracture resistance of Procera AllCeram copings.

Methods: Six master dies were duplicated from the prepared maxillary first premolar tooth using nonprecious metal alloy (Wiron 99). Thirty copings (Procera AllCeram) of 0.6‐mm thickness were manufactured. Three types of luting media were used: zinc phosphate cement (Elite), glass ionomer cement (Fuji I), and dual‐cured composite resin cement (Panavia F). Ten copings were cemented with each type. Two master dies were used for each group, and each of them was used to lute five copings. All groups were cemented according to manufacturer's instructions and received a static load of 5 kg during cementation. After 24 hours of distilled water storage at 37°C, the copings were vertically compressed using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min.

Results: ANOVA revealed significant differences in the load at fracture among the three groups (p < 0.001). The fracture strength results showed that the mean fracture strength of zinc phosphate cement (Elite), glass ionomer cement (Fuji I), and resin luting cement (Panavia F) were 1091.9 N, 784.8 N, and 1953.5 N, respectively.

Conclusion: Different luting agents have an influence on the fracture resistance of Procera AllCeram copings.