bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spindle cell carcinoma arising in the pharynx, with granulocytosis and high serum granulocyte colony stimulating factor titre
Authors: Kanayama R , Oka K , Fukunaga M , Tomisawa H , Takahashi Y , Okano M , Hakozaki H
Published: December 2006

We report the case of a 67-year-old man with a left pharyngeal tumour, whose peripheral blood showed granulocytosis (white blood cell count, 58 300/μl) and a high serum granulocyte colony stimulating factor titre (184 pg/ml). The tumour showed pleomorphic proliferation of atypical spindle cells in a myxomatous stroma, revealing a sarcomatous pattern. The spindle-shaped neoplastic cells had irregularly shaped nuclei, a thick nuclear membrane, prominent eosinophilic nucleoli and abundant cytoplasm. They strongly expressed wide-spectrum keratin, cytokeratins (CAM5.2, MNF116), vimentin and vascular endothelial growth factor. A few neoplastic cells expressed granulocyte colony stimulating factor. A spindle cell carcinoma was diagnosed. This may be the first documented case of a granulocyte colony stimulating factor producing cancer arising in the pharynx. The patient died four months after the initial symptoms appeared.
Morphologically defined subgenera ofPlasmodiumfrom avian hosts: test of monophyly by phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial genes
Authors: MARTINSEN E. S. , WAITE J. L. , SCHALL J. J.
Published: December 2006

Malaria parasites in the genusPlasmodiumare now placed within 11 subgenera based on morphology under the light microscope, life-history traits, and host taxon. The phylogenetic significance of these characters, however, is problematic because the observed variation could be homoplasious. UsingPlasmodiuminfections found in 2632 birds of many avian families collected in the USA, and several samples from other locations, we compared identifications to subgenus based on morphology in blood smears with a 2-gene molecular phylogeny (the first for avianPlasmodium) to determine if the 5 avianPlasmodiumsubgenera represent monophyletic groups. Phylogenetic trees recovered by parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian methods presented nearly identical topologies. The analysis allowed testing the hypothesis of monophyly for the subgenera. Monophyly of the subgeneraHaemamoeba,Huffia, andBennettiniawas supported by the analysis. The distinctive morphology ofHaemamoebaspecies appears to have evolved once. Most samples identified toNovyellaalso fell within a monophyletic clade with the exception of 2 samples that fell basal to all other avianPlasmodium. Samples of the subgenusGiovannolaiadid not form a monophyletic group. Thus, the characters used by parasitologists for over a century to define subgenera ofPlasmodiumvary in their phylogenetic significance.
Men with chronic occupational stress benefit from behavioural/psycho-educational group training: a randomized, prospective, controlled trial
Authors: NICKEL C. , TANCA S. , KOLOWOS S. , PEDROSA-GIL F. , BACHLER E. , LOEW T. H. , GROSS M. , ROTHER W. K. , NICKEL M. K.
Published: December 2006

Background

Overworking is one of the most frequent stressors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of behavioural/psycho-educational group training in men who are chronically stressed from overworking.

Method

Of 72 male subjects, 36 were randomly assigned to training for 8 weeks and another 36 formed the control group, which received a placebo intervention. Primary outcome measures were systolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol concentration upon awakening, and self-reported changes on the scales of the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress (TICS), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Results

A significant reduction in mean values was observed in daily systolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol concentration on all the TICS and most of the STAXI and SF-36 scales.

Conclusions

Behavioural/psycho-educational group training appears to be effective in the treatment of men suffering from chronic stress due to overworking.
Care-home providers as professionals: understanding the motivations of care-home providers in England
Authors: MATOSEVIC TIHANA , KNAPP MARTIN , KENDALL JEREMY , HENDERSON CATHERINE , FERNANDEZ JOSÉ-LUIS
Published: December 2006

The financial and social climate in which the residential-care sector operates in the United Kingdom has changed substantially over recent years. This paper examines the underlying motivations for providing residential-care services for older people. We focus on the motivations of a sample of managers and owners of care homes drawn from eight English local authorities, and explore the intrinsic aspects of their motivations, particularly professional achievement, recognition and job satisfaction. The majority of the respondents' primary motivations were to meet the needs of older people and to accomplish professional achievements. Their caring motivations had four principal components, which were labelled professional, financial, client-specific and client-generic, and as for their professional motivations, the interviewees reported high levels of job satisfaction. The respondents were satisfied with their career choice and felt that, through their work, they were contributing to society. The study identified several personal and external factors that influenced the providers' intrinsic motivations and professional aspirations. The presented evidence suggests that if future policies are to improve the quality of care-home services, it is essential that they also incorporate the professional needs of care-home providers.
Risk factors for sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections in FoodNet sites, 1999–2000
Authors: VOETSCH A. C. , KENNEDY M. H. , KEENE W. E. , SMITH K. E. , RABATSKY-EHR T. , ZANSKY S. , THOMAS S. M. , MOHLE-BOETANI J. , SPARLING P. H. , McGAVERN M. B. , MEAD P. S.
Published: December 2006

To monitor risk factors for illness, we conducted a case-control study of sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157) infections in 1999–2000. Laboratory-confirmed cases of STEC O157 infection were identified through active laboratory surveillance in all or part of seven states. Patients and age-matched controls were interviewed by telephone using a standard questionnaire. Information was collected on demographics, clinical illness, and exposures to food, water, and animals in the 7 days before the patient's illness onset. During the 12-month study, 283 patients and 534 controls were enrolled. STEC O157 infection was associated with eating pink hamburgers, drinking untreated surface water, and contact with cattle. Eating produce was inversely associated with infection. Direct or indirect contact with cattle waste continues to be a leading identified source of sporadic STEC O157 infections.
Activation of maturation promoting factor inBufo arenarumoocytes: injection of mature cytoplasm and germinal vesicle contents
Authors: Toranzo G. Sánchez , Bonilla F. , Zelarayán L. , Oterino J. , Bühler M.I.
Published: December 2006

Although progesterone is the established maturation inducer in amphibians,Bufo arenarumoocytes obtained during the reproductive period (spring–summer) resume meiosis with no need of an exogenous hormonal stimulus if deprived of their enveloping follicle cells, a phenomenon called spontaneous maturation. In this species it is possible to obtain oocytes competent and incompetent to undergo spontaneous maturation according to the seasonal period in which animals are captured. Reinitiation of meiosis is regulated by maturation promoting factor (MPF), a complex of the cyclin-dependent kinase p34cdc2and cyclin B. Although the function and molecule of MPF are common among species, the formation and activation mechanisms of MPF differ according to species. This study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of pre-MPF inBufo arenarumoocytes incompetent to mature spontaneously and the effect of the injection of mature cytoplasm or germinal vesicle contents on the resumption of meiosis. The results of our treatment ofBufo arenarumimmature oocytes incompetent to mature spontaneously with sodium metavanadate (NaVO3) and dexamethasone (DEX) indicates that these oocytes have a pre-MPF, which activates and induces germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) by dephosphorylation on Thr-14/Tyr-15 by cdc25 phosphatase and without cyclin B synthesis. The injection of cytoplasm containing active MPF is sufficient to activate an amplification loop that requires the activation of cdc25 and protein kinase C, the decrease in cAMP levels, and is independent of protein synthesis. However, the injection of germinal vesicle content also induces GVBD in the immature receptor oocyte, a process dependent on protein synthesis but not on cdc25 phosphatase or PKC activity.
“Removing the perpetuity of hatred”: on South Africa as a model example
Authors: Cassin Barbara
Published: December 2006

Based on the example of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, the author analyses the conditions necessary from a philosophical and philological perspective — even if they are never enough — to move from war to reconciliation, and thus to deal with hatred: a policy of remembrance, a policy of justice and a policy of speech.
Provoking the dragon on the patio Matters of transitional justice: penal repression vs. amnesties
Authors: Olson Laura M.
Published: December 2006

This article modestly seeks to address some of the various matters related to transitional justice and focuses on whether penal repression for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law must be insisted upon in all situations, or if there are cases where other action, in particular amnesties, would be more appropriate to ensure national reconciliation or the peaceful development of a country. Dilemmas clearly exist in responding to such choices, calling for the ability to maintain a judicious balancing act between competing important interests, including the most basic decision of whether or not to provoke the dragon on the patio.
Cooperation between truth commissions and the International Committee of the Red Cross
Authors: Pfanner Toni
Published: December 2006

Starting with the usual functions of truth and reconciliation commissions, the article outlines the possibilities for and limits of cooperation by the ICRC with the varying types of commissions. The question as to the degree of such cooperation has mostly been resolved on similar lines to the privilege of non-disclosure in international criminal trials. Within the parameters of its principles of neutrality and impartiality and the operative rule of confidentiality established to enable access to victims of armed conflicts and internal violence, the ICRC has, however, cooperated with such commissions. The author explains some criteria determining the appropriate degree of cooperation and shows some forms it can take. He finally discusses the ICRC's policy vis-à-vis the amnesty provisions of truth and reconciliation commissions, which often preclude the prosecution of persons involved in offences committed during periods of violence.
The Iraqi High Criminal Court: controversy and contributions
Authors: Newton Michael A.
Published: December 2006

The Iraqi High Criminal Court established to prosecute Saddam Hussein and other leading Ba'athists is one of the most visible of the current efforts to establish criminal accountability for violations of international norms. Juxtaposed against other tribunals, the High Criminal Court has provoked worldwide debate over its processes and its prospects for returning societal stability founded on respect for human rights and the rule of law to Iraq. This article explores in detail the legal basis for the formation of the High Criminal Court under the law of occupation. It addresses the relationship between the Iraqi model of prosecuting crimes in domestic fora incorporating international law and the alternative model of transferring jurisdiction to an international forum. The controversial aspects of the Iraqi model are considered, such as the legitimacy of its creation, the revocation of official immunity, the procedural fairness of the Statute in the light of international norms, and the substantive coverage of what some have termed an internationalized domestic process. The author concludes that accountability for international crimes is one of the unifying themes that should bind humanity in common purpose with the Iraqi jurists as they pursue justice in accordance with international norms.
The Rise of the Phoenix: Methodological Innovation as a Discourse of Renewal
Authors: Wastell David G , McMaster Tom , Kawalek Peter
Published: December 2006

The imperatives on contemporary organizations to adapt to an increasingly uncertain and turbulent environment are intense. The pace of change is at least as great in the public as the private sector, with technology being integral to the UK government's modernization agenda. Resilience refers to the ability of individuals and organizations to cope with change through a continuous process of renewal. Much research on resilience is uncritical, normative and written from a detached perspective that emphasizes the agency of senior management. In contrast, this paper provides an ethnographically based account of resilience at the middle level of a large, public sector bureaucracy. Finding itself under increasing pressure to move away from its traditional, technically oriented role, the IS function sought to reinvent itself as a strategic driver of business transformation. The development of a business process reengineering methodology was seen as the key to operationalizing this new role. Although innovation in IS methodology can be problematic, here it was brought off successfully. This was attributed to several factors, including the adoption of a participative action research approach and the commitment of IS management. Above all, the sense of crisis prevailing at the outset of the initiative was decisive. Crises present a major challenge to organizational sense-making; here, a resilient ‘discourse of renewal’ was kindled with the impending threat interpreted positively as a proactive opportunity to develop the new strategic identity. The paper concludes with some critical reflections on the limits of managerial agency and the notion of resilience as a designable capacity.
The Impact of Enterprise Systems on Organizational Resilience
Authors: Ignatiadis Ioannis , Nandhakumar Joe
Published: December 2006

Enterprise systems are used to facilitate the seamless integration and exchange of data between the various departments within an organization. In order to achieve this, rigidly defined control mechanisms must be in place in the system, which safeguard the company's data and protect the company against unauthorized and unintended uses of the system. This is ideal for total control; however, is only achievable to a certain extent. The configuration of controls in the enterprise system may have unintended organizational implications, due to organizational necessities. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from a company case study, where an enterprise system is being used. We suggest that the introduction of an enterprise system creates power differentials, which serve to increase control in the organization. This results in increased rigidity, and a possible decrease in organizational flexibility and resilience. On the other hand, enterprise systems can also cause drift, resulting from the unexpected consequences of these power differentials, as well as from the role of perceptions of people in solving a problem within the enterprise system. This reduction in control may serve in some circumstances as an enabler to organizational resilience.
Angiotensinergic stimulation of vascular endothelium in mice causes hypotension, bradycardia, and attenuated angiotensin response
Authors: Ramchandran Ramaswamy , Takezako Takanobu , Saad Yasser , Stull Linda , Fink Bruno , Yamada Hirotsugu , Dikalov Sergey , Harrison David G. , Moravec Christine , Karnik Sadashiva S.
Published: December 2006

It is not clear whether endothelial cell (EC) activation by the hormone angiotensin II (Ang II) modulates contraction of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in the vasculature and whether impairment of this regulationin vivocontributes to hypertension. Delineation of the actions of Ang II through the type 1 receptor (AT1R) on ECs in the blood vessels has been a challenging problem because of the predominance of the AT1R functions in VSMCs that lie underneath the endothelium. We have obviated this limitation by generating transgenic (TG) mice engineered to target expression of the constitutively active N111G mutant AT1R only in ECs. In these TG mice, the enhanced angiotensinergic signal in ECs without infusion of Ang II resulted in hypotension and bradycardia. The pressor response to acute infusion of Ang II was significantly reduced. Increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and production of hypotensive mediators, nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate, cause these phenotypes. Hypotension and bradycardia observed in the TG mice could be rescued by treatment with an AT1R-selective antagonist. Our results imply that the Ang II action by means of EC-AT1R is antagonistic to vasoconstriction in general, and it may moderate the magnitude of functional response to Ang II in VSMCs. This control mechanismin vivomost likely is a determinant of altered hemodynamic regulation involved in endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
Proteolytic processing of SDF-1α reveals a change in receptor specificity mediating HIV-associated neurodegeneration
Authors: Vergote David , Butler Georgina S. , Ooms Martine , Cox Jennifer H. , Silva Claudia , Hollenberg Morley D. , Jhamandas Jack H. , Overall Christopher M. , Power Christopher
Published: December 2006

Proteolytic cleavage of constitutively expressed proteins can generate peptides with novel bioactive properties. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 cleaves the 4 amino-terminal residues of the chemokine, stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α, yielding a highly neurotoxic molecule, SDF(5-67), which fails to bind to its cognate receptor, CXCR4. Herein, we detected SDF(5-67) in brain monocytoid cells of HIV-infected persons, particularly in those with HIV-associated dementia. SDF(5-67) activated cell type-specific expression of proinflammatory genes including IL-1β, TNFα, indoleamine 2′,3′-dioxygenase (IDO), and IL-10 in both astrocytic and monocytoid cells (P< 0.05). Unlike SDF-1α, SDF(5-67) caused neuronal membrane perturbations with ensuing neurotoxicity and apoptosis (P< 0.05) through engagement of an inducible receptor. CXCR3 antagonists and siRNA-mediated knockdown of CXCR3 inhibited SDF(5-67)-stimulated neurophysiological changes, neuronal death, and neuroimmune activation (P< 0.05). Moreover SDF(5-67) bound directly to CXCR3 in a competitive manner, mediated by its amino terminus.In vivoneuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and neurobehavioral abnormalities caused by SDF(5-67) (P< 0.05) were prevented by a CXCR3 antagonist. These studies reveal additive neuropathogenic properties exerted by a proteolytically cleaved chemokine as consequences of a change in receptor specificity, culminating in neurodegeneration.
Thymic rejuvenation and the induction of tolerance by adult thymic grafts
Authors: Nobori Shuji , Shimizu Akira , Okumi Masayoshi , Samelson-Jones Emma , Griesemer Adam , Hirakata Atsushi , Sachs David H. , Yamada Kazuhiko
Published: December 2006

The thymus, the site of origin of T cell immunity, shapes the repertoire of T cell reactivity through positive selection of developing T cells and prevents autoimmunity through negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Previous studies have demonstrated an important role for the thymus not only in central deletional tolerance, but also in the induction of peripheral tolerance by vascularized renal allografts in juvenile miniature swine recipients. The same protocol did not induce tolerance in thymectomized recipients nor in recipients beyond the age of thymic involution. We subsequently reported that vascularized thymic lobe grafts from juvenile donors were capable of inducing tolerance in thymectomized juvenile hosts. However, the important question remained whether aged, involuted thymus could also induce tolerance if transplanted into thymectomized hosts, which, if true, would imply that thymic involution is not an intrinsic property of thymic tissue but is rather determined by host factors extrinsic to the thymus. We report here that aged, involuted thymus transplanted as a vascularized graft into juvenile recipients leads to rejuvenation of both thymic structure and function, suggesting that factors extrinsic to the thymus are capable of restoring juvenile thymic function to aged recipients. We show furthermore that rejuvenated aged thymus has the ability to induce transplant tolerance across class I MHC barriers. These findings indicate that it may be possible to manipulate thymic function in adults to induce transplantation tolerance after the age of thymic involution.
The unique DKxanthene secondary metabolite family from the myxobacterium
Myxococcus xanthus
is required for developmental sporulation
Authors: Meiser Peter , Bode Helge B. , Müller Rolf
Published: December 2006

Under starvation conditions myxobacteria form multicellular fruiting bodies in which vegetative cells differentiate into heat- and desiccation-resistant myxospores. Myxobacteria in general are a rich source of secondary metabolites that often exhibit biological activities rarely found in nature. Although the involvement of a yellow compound in sporulation and fruiting body formation of
Myxococcus xanthus
was described almost 30 years ago, the chemical principle of the pigment remained elusive. This work presents the isolation and structure elucidation of a unique class of pigments that were named DKxanthenes (DKX). The corresponding biosynthetic gene cluster was identified, and DKX-negative mutants were constructed to investigate the physiological role of DKX during development. In these mutants, fruiting body formation was delayed. Moreover, severely reduced amounts of viable spores were observed after 120 h of starvation, whereas no viable spores were formed at all after 72 h. The addition of purified DKX to the mutants resulted in the formation of viable spores after 72 h. Even though an antioxidative activity could be assigned to DKX, the true biochemical mechanism underlying the complementation remains to be elucidated.
Expression of
Aedes
trypsin-modulating oostatic factor on the virion of TMV: A potential larvicide
Authors: Borovsky Dov , Rabindran Shailaja , Dawson William O. , Powell Charles A. , Iannotti Donna A. , Morris Timothy J. , Shabanowitz Jeffry , Hunt Donald F. , DeBondt Hendrik L. , DeLoof Arnold
Published: December 2006

We report the engineering of the surface of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) virion with a mosquito decapeptide hormone, trypsin-modulating oostatic factor (TMOF). The TMV coat protein (CP) was fused to TMOF at the C terminus by using a read-through, leaky stop codon that facilitated expression of CP and chimeric CP-TMOF (20:1 ratio) that were coassembled into virus particles in infected
Nicotiana tabacum
. Plants that were infected with the hybrid TMV RNA accumulated TMOF to levels of 1.3% of total soluble protein. Infected tobacco leaf discs that were fed to
Heliothis virescens
fourth-instar larvae stunted their growth and inhibited trypsin and chymotrypsin activity in their midgut. Purified CP-TMOF virions fed to mosquito larvae stopped larval growth and caused death. Because TMV has a wide host range, expressing TMV-TMOF in plants can be used as a general method to protect them against agricultural insect pests and to control vector mosquitoes.
Mitochondrial uncoupling protein is required for efficient photosynthesis
Authors: Sweetlove Lee J. , Lytovchenko Anna , Morgan Megan , Nunes-Nesi Adriano , Taylor Nicolas L. , Baxter Charles J. , Eickmeier Ira , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: December 2006

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) occur in the inner mitochondrial membrane and dissipate the proton gradient across this membrane that is normally used for ATP synthesis. Although the catalytic function and regulation of plant UCPs have been described, the physiological purpose of UCP in plants has not been established. Here, biochemical and physiological analyses of an insertional knockout of one of the
Arabidopsis
UCP genes (
AtUCP1
) are presented that resolve this issue. Absence of UCP1 results in localized oxidative stress but does not impair the ability of the plant to withstand a wide range of abiotic stresses. However, absence of UCP1 results in a photosynthetic phenotype. Specifically there is a restriction in photorespiration with a decrease in the rate of oxidation of photorespiratory glycine in the mitochondrion. This change leads to an associated reduced photosynthetic carbon assimilation rate. Collectively, these results suggest that the main physiological role of UCP1 in
Arabidopsis
leaves is related to maintaining the redox poise of the mitochondrial electron transport chain to facilitate photosynthetic metabolism.
Crosstalk between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ and VEGF stimulates cancer progression
Authors: Wang Dingzhi , Wang Haibin , Guo Yong , Ning Wei , Katkuri Sharada , Wahli Walter , Desvergne Beatrice , Dey Sudhansu K. , DuBois Raymond N.
Published: December 2006

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. PPARδ may ameliorate metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. However, PPARδ's role in colorectal carcinogenesis remains controversial. Here, we present genetic and pharmacologic evidence demonstrating that deletion of PPARδ decreases intestinal adenoma growth in
Apc
Min/+
mice and inhibits tumor-promoting effects of a PPARδ agonist GW501516. More importantly, we found that activation of PPARδ up-regulated VEGF in colon carcinoma cells. VEGF directly promotes colon tumor epithelial cell survival through activation of PI3K–Akt signaling. These results not only highlight concerns about the use of PPARδ agonists for treatment of metabolic disorders in patients who are at high risk for colorectal cancer, but also support the rationale for developing PPARδ antagonists for prevention and/or treatment of cancer.
Synapse-specific regulation of AMPA receptor function by PSD-95
Authors: Béïque Jean-Claude , Lin Da-Ting , Kang Myoung-Goo , Aizawa Hiro , Takamiya Kogo , Huganir Richard L.
Published: December 2006

PSD-95 is a major protein found in virtually all mature excitatory glutamatergic synapses in the brain. Here, we have addressed the role of PSD-95 in controlling glutamatergic synapse function by generating and characterizing a PSD-95 KO mouse. We found that the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA)subtype of glutamate receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic transmission was reduced in these mice. Two-photon (2P) uncaging of MNI-glutamate onto individual spines suggested that the decrease in AMPAR function in the PSD-95 KO mouse stems from an increase in the proportion of “silent” synapses i.e., synapses containing
N
-methyl-
d
-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) but no AMPARs. Unexpectedly, the silent synapses in the KO mouse were located onto morphologically mature spines. We also observed that a significant population of synapses appeared unaffected by PSD-95 gene deletion, suggesting that the functional role of PSD-95 displays synapse-specificity. In addition, we report that the decay of NMDAR-mediated current was slower in KO mice: The contribution of NR2B subunit containing receptors to the NMDAR-mediated synaptic current was greater in KO mice. The greater occurrence of silent synapses might be related to the greater magnitude of potentiation after long-term potentiation induction observed in these mice. Together, these results suggest a synapse-specific role for PSD-95 in controlling synaptic function that is independent of spine morphology.
A theoretical and experimental program on human and animal behaviour
Authors: Iñesta Emilio Ribes
Published: December 2006

In 1985 the author proposed a theoretical taxonomy of behaviour functions that followed the interbehavioural field model developed by J. R. Kantor. The formulation of the taxonomy is an attempt to overcome logical, conceptual, and empirical limitations in prevailing behavioural approaches, especially operant theory. A molar analysis of behaviour is provided. In this paper, the author summarizes the main concepts and assumptions of this taxonomy, and describes some of the relevant methodological preparations and experimental data. The proposed interbehavioural field taxonomy (IF) consists of a classification of stimulus‐response functions that describe the structural relations of a given behaviour segment. A behaviour segment consists of an organism interacting with stimulus objects and other organisms in a given setting. The behaviour segment contrasting with traditional conditioning framework includes categories with different logical functions. These categories are: (1) the interactive history, (2) the situational factors, (3) the medium of contact, (4) the field boundaries, and (5) the distinctions between object/organism, stimulus/response, and the stimulus‐response function. Five general research programs are presented by the author: (1) basic research on animal behaviour, (2) complex human behaviour, (3) behavioural development processes, (4) extension to natural and social settings, (5) conceptual and theoretical analysis. Several experimental and theoretical developments are presented.
Experimental analysis of behaviour in the European French‐speaking area
Authors: Richelle Marc N. , Baqué Esteve Freixa i , Lambert Jean‐Luc , Pomini Valentino
Published: December 2006

The influence and development of behaviour analysis in French‐speaking Europe has been different in the different countries, as can be seen when comparing developments in France and in the French‐speaking parts of Belgium and Switzerland. French psychology has shown persistent reluctance towards behaviour analysis, except for a few individuals in a few institutional circles. On the other hand, Belgium has been the main centre from which behaviour analysis has propagated to the French‐speaking area as a whole. Territorial specificities both in experimental analysis and in applied behaviour analysis are described and placed in context. In general, French‐speaking Europe has not been especially receptive to Skinner's radical analysis of behaviour. Few of Skinner's books have been translated into French, as compared with other major Western languages. In none of the geographical areas being considered was psychology prepared to integrate radical behaviourism, in spite of its having important experimental developments in learning, perception, cognition, and other basic processes. By the time some faint echoes of Skinner's work reached France and its neighbours, cognitivism had already invaded. In spite of the lack of experimental and conceptual developments, applications mainly in behaviour therapy and in special and normal education did take place in all French‐speaking countries.
Changing Land Policy and its Impact on Local Growth: The Experience of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China, in the 1980s
Authors: Zhu Jieming
Published: December 2006

Having elaborated the transformation of land policy in the wake of Chinese economic reform and the background to the formation of a new land policy in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, China, this paper examines whether the new land policy, which is intended to assist inward and indigenous industries, has achieved positive effects on local growth in Shenzhen. In the course of implementation of the new policy, a dual land market has been created, which contracts commercial land supply on the one hand and encourages subsidized land hoarding on the other. Through the process of revived market-oriented property development, the survey has found that the main beneficiaries of the land subsidy are developers and property investors, while real tenants and the local government have not benefited as much as the land policy intended.
A Compared Cohort History of Residential Mobility, Social Change and Home-ownership in Paris and the Rest of France
Authors: Lelievre Eva , Bonvalet Catherine
Published: December 2006

The joint analysis of two INED longitudinal surveys, one based on a national sample and the other on a sample of Parisians, presents a reconstruction of the residential history of a cohort born between 1926 and 1935 and an evaluation of the role of the Paris region in the migration patterns of these generations. The first part of the paper advocates the advantages offered by such longitudinal data which nevertheless presents the researcher with new challenges. For those French generations born between the two world wars, the beginnings in the post-war housing crisis were difficult. A comparison of the social as well as the residential histories of individuals confirms the close link between geographical and social mobility. The analysis of the social origin and the occupational characteristics of individuals in these categories exhibits the high social mobility in the Paris region which favours dynasties of professionals and provides better opportunities for the other occupations. The Paris region appears as the ideal location to improve one's chances of social advancement. Another characteristic of the post-1950s housing transformation is the diffusion of home-ownership. This affected provincials and Parisians in different ways, both of which are closely examined.
Seasonality and Cointegration of Regional House Prices in the UK
Authors: Alexander Carol , Barrow Michael
Published: December 2006

The data generation process underlying regional house prices in the UK is investigated using new statistical tests. It is found that causal flows tend to be northwards: the South East (rather than Greater London) acts as an exogenous price determinator of the other regions in the south; the Midland regions have a great influence on prices in the north and flows through the East Midlands are characterised by bi-directional causality. These results are largely independent of assumptions made about the data generation process (and tests of these assumptions have low power in any case). There are also similarities between this causality and migration patterns, particularly in the south of England.
A Joint Model of Tenure Choice and Demand for Housing in the City of Karachi
Authors: Ahmad Nuzhat
Published: December 2006

The paper estimates a joint model of tenure choice and demand for housing for the city of Karachi, Pakistan, using a two-stage estimation procedure. Permanent income and demographic variables are included in the analysis. The study uses data collected at the household level in the city in 1987/88. Results show that ownership rates are high in Karachi. Ownership is more likely with increases in permanent income, age, household size and residence in the Unauthorised Areas. Permanent income, transitory income, age and education of the head significantly affect the consumption of housing both for renter and owner households. Results of the analysis and the estimated income elasticities of demand are comparable and consistent with those reported for other developing countries.
How Do Community Associations Vary? The Structure of Community Associations in Calgary, Alberta
Authors: Davies Wayne K. D. , Townshend Ivan J.
Published: December 2006

The growth in territorial community associations has been one of the major trends in Western cities in recent years, but there are few comprehensive studies of the range of variation of these organisations in a single city. This case study of Calgary, a Canadian city of three-quarters of a million people in 1991, addresses this gap in our understanding by showing the variation in the character of all 118 community associations in the city. The city contained 94 local community buildings; 21 with an insured value of over 1m dollars. Yet membership levels were relatively low with a mean of 18.9 per cent. A factor analysis of 11 key variables of the variations in community association characteristics revealed 5 basic sources of differentiation, summarised as: resources; programmes and organisation; age and rental revenue dependency; membership; and salaries. A further factor analysis of the social structural characteristics of the community areas identified nine axes called: economic status; family status; age-participation; early middle age; mobility; immigrant-Charter Group; each European ethnic; central and southern European ethnic; and Dutch ethnic-old housing. In general, there were few strong associations between the two sets of generalised axes, demonstrating that the contextual effects of the variations in community association activity were not strong. The only exceptions were that membership levels had medium positive correlates with economic status, and old age areas had community associations that depended highly on revenues from the rental of community facilities to non-member groups.
Measuring the Demand for Improved Urban Sanitation Services: Results of a Contingent Valuation Study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Authors: Anjum Altaf Mir , Hughes Jeffrey A.
Published: December 2006

In developing countries, there are few institutional mechanisms for the incorporation of demand information in the planning of public services. As a result, misjudgements about consumer preferences have often led to poor project design and performance. The contingent valuation method which relies on direct elicitation of consumer preferences and willingness to pay has emerged as one approach to address this shortcoming. The paper describes an application of the method to facilitate demand-driven planning for provision of improved sanitation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The results suggest that demand information about unfamiliar technologies can be successfully obtained and can serve as a useful input in the design of public services.
The Plasma Membrane Proteins Prm1 and Fig1 Ascertain Fidelity of Membrane Fusion during Yeast Mating
Authors: Aguilar Pablo S. , Engel Alex , Walter Peter
Published: December 2006

As for most cell–cell fusion events, the molecular details of membrane fusion during yeast mating are poorly understood. The multipass membrane protein Prm1 is the only known component that acts at the step of bilayer fusion. In its absence, mutant mating pairs lyse or arrest in the mating reaction with tightly apposed plasma membranes. We show that deletion of FIG 1, which controls pheromone-induced Ca2+ influx, yields similar cell fusion defects. Although extracellular Ca2+ is not required for efficient cell fusion of wild-type cells, cell fusion in prm1 mutant mating pairs is dramatically reduced when Ca2+ is removed. This enhanced fusion defect is due to lysis. Time-lapse microscopy reveals that fusion and lysis events initiate with identical kinetics, suggesting that both outcomes result from engagement of the fusion machinery. The yeast synaptotagmin orthologue and Ca2+ binding protein Tcb3 has a role in reducing lysis of prm1 mutants, which opens the possibility that the observed role of Ca2+ is to engage a wound repair mechanism. Thus, our results suggest that Prm1 and Fig1 have a role in enhancing membrane fusion and maintaining its fidelity. Their absence results in frequent mating pair lysis, which is counteracted by Ca2+-dependent membrane repair.
LdCompare: rapid computation of single- and multiple-markerr2 and genetic coverage
Authors: Hao K. , Di X. , Cawley S.
Published: December 2006

Summary: The scale of genetic-variation datasets has increased enormously and the linkage equilibrium (LD) structure of these polymorphisms, particularly in whole-genome association studies, is of great interest. The significant computational complexity of calculating single- and multiple-marker correlations at a genome-wide scale remains challenging. We have developed a program that efficiently characterizes whole-genome LD structure on large number of SNPs in terms of single- and multiple-marker correlations.

Availability: LdCompare is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Source code, documentation, testing datasets and precompiled executables are available for download at:

Contact:  ke_hao@affymetrix.com
A distribution free summarization method for Affymetrix GeneChip® arrays
Authors: Chen Zhongxue , McGee Monnie , Liu Qingzhong , Scheuermann Richard H.
Published: December 2006

Motivation: Affymetrix GeneChip arrays require summarization in order to combine the probe-level intensities into one value representing the expression level of a gene. However, probe intensity measurements are expected to be affected by different levels of non-specific- and cross-hybridization to non-specific transcripts. Here, we present a new summarization technique, the Distribution Free Weighted method (DFW), which uses information about the variability in probe behavior to estimate the extent of non-specific and cross-hybridization for each probe. The contribution of the probe is weighted accordingly during summarization, without making any distributional assumptions for the probe-level data.

Results: We compare DFW with several popular summarization methods on spike-in datasets, via both our own calculations and the ‘Affycomp II’ competition. The results show that DFW outperforms other methods when sensitivity and specificity are considered simultaneously. With the Affycomp spike-in datasets, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for DFW is nearly 1.0 (a perfect value), indicating that DFW can identify all differentially expressed genes with a few false positives. The approach used is also computationally faster than most other methods in current use.

Availability: The R code for DFW is available upon request.

Contact:  mmcgee@smu.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The automation of Nested Clade Phylogeographic Analysis
Authors: Panchal Mahesh
Published: December 2006

Summary: ANeCA is a fully automated implementation of Nested Clade Phylogeographic Analysis. This was originally developed by Templeton and colleagues, and has been used to infer, from the pattern of gene sequence polymorphisms in a geographically structured population, the historical demographic processes that have shaped its evolution. Until now it has been necessary to perform large parts of the procedure manually. We provide a program that will take data in Nexus sequential format, and directly output a set of inferences. The software also includes TCS v1.18 and GeoDis v2.2 as part of automation.

Availability: The software is available free of charge from . The program is written in Java and requires the Java 1.4 Runtime Environment (or later) to run. The source code is included in the package, and includes the source from TCS and GeoDis. ANeCA, TCS and GeoDis are released under the GNU General Public License.

Contact:  m.panchal@rdg.ac.uk
Exploiting large scale computing to construct high resolution linkage disequilibrium maps of the human genome
Authors: Lau Winston , Kuo Tai-Yue , Tapper William , Cox Simon , Collins Andrew
Published: December 2006

Summary: Linkage disequilibrium (LD) maps increase power and precision in association mapping, define optimal marker spacing and identify recombination hot-spots and regions influenced by natural selection. Phase II of HapMap provides ∼2.8-fold more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) than phase I for constructing higher resolution maps. LDMAP-cluster, is a parallel program for rapid map construction in a Linux environment used here to construct genome-wide LD maps with >8.2 million SNPs from the phase II data.

Availability: The LD maps, LDMAP-cluster and documentation are available from:

Contact:  arc@soton.ac.uk

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
RelEx—Relation extraction using dependency parse trees
Authors: Fundel Katrin , Küffner Robert , Zimmer Ralf
Published: December 2006

Motivation: The discovery of regulatory pathways, signal cascades, metabolic processes or disease models requires knowledge on individual relations like e.g. physical or regulatory interactions between genes and proteins. Most interactions mentioned in the free text of biomedical publications are not yet contained in structured databases.

Results: We developed RelEx, an approach for relation extraction from free text. It is based on natural language preprocessing producing dependency parse trees and applying a small number of simple rules to these trees. We applied RelEx on a comprehensive set of one million MEDLINE abstracts dealing with gene and protein relations and extracted ~150 000 relations with an estimated perfomance of both 80% precision and 80% recall.

Availability: The used natural language preprocessing tools are free for use for academic research. Test sets and relation term lists are available from our website ().

Contact:  katrin.fundel@bio.ifi.lmu.de
Genomic sweeping for hypermethylated genes
Authors: Goh Liang , Murphy Susan K. , Muhkerjee Sayan , Furey Terrence S.
Published: December 2006

Motivation: Genes silenced by the aberrent methylation of nearby CpG islands can contribute to the onset or progression of cancer and represent potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Relatively few have thus far been validated as hypermethylated in cancer among over 14 000 candidates with promoter region CpG islands. A descriptive set of genes known to be unmethylated in cancer does not exist. This lack of a negative set and a large number of candidates necessitated the development of a new approach to identify novel genes hypermethylated in cancer.

Results: We developed a general method, cluster_boost, that in an imbalanced data setting predicts new minority class members given limited known samples and a large set of unlabeled samples. Synthetic datasets modeled after the hypermethylated genes data show that cluster_boost can successfully identify minority samples within unlabeled data. Using genome sequence features, cluster_boost predicted candidate hypermethylated genes among 14 000 genes of unknown status. In primary ovarian cancers, we determined the methylation status for 15 genes with different levels of support for being hypermethlyated. Results indicate cluster_boost can accurately identify novel genes hypermethylated in cancer.

Availability: Software and datasets are freely available at

Contact:  tsfurey@duke.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Deposit Insurance, Capital Adequacy Requirements and Interest Rate Dynamics
Authors: Karels Geppert Prakash Gordon V., John M., Arun J.
Published: December 2006

This paper examines the long run interaction among deposit insurance, bank deposit rates and capital adequacy requirements. Using analysis similar to the price discrimination model of Lott and Roberts (1991) we find that a competitive environment among banks would link the spread between insured and uninsured deposit rates to the size of the insurance premium. We also find that banks that choose to operate at the regulatory minimum capital level, would increase asset risk with increased capital requirements if (1) the implicit interest paid to insured and uninsured depositors is equally sensitive to changes in risk and capital adequacy and (2) the insurance premium is independent of the level of risk and capital adequacy. Under the present risk‐based premium structure, asset risk has the potential to decline when the regulatory agency raises capital requirements. Finally, we examine the time series behavior of insured and uninsured interest rates to see if it is consistent with our theoretical model. We find that insured and uninsured rates, along with deposit insurance premiums, are cointegrated series as suggested by our model.