bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of human vitreous and hyalocyte‐derived factors on vascular endothelial cell growth
Authors: Zhu M , Penfold PL , Madigan MC , Billson FA
Published: November 2007

Purpose:

In the present study we have examined the effects of human vitreous and hyalocyte‐conditioned medium on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

Methods:

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and treated in quadruplicate with human vitreous and hyalocyte‐conditioned medium at different concentrations. Cell numbers were counted on days 1, 3, 5 and 7. Morphological changes and the viability of cells after treatment were also monitored.

Results:

The results indicate that both human vitreous and hyalocyte‐conditioned medium inhibit proliferation and reduce the viability of HUVEC in vitro. These inhibitory effects were dose‐ and time‐dependent.

Conclusions:

The observations suggest that human hyalo‐cytes and vitreous contain anti‐angiogenic factors that influence vascular endothelial cell growth. These results, combined with those of previous studies, may yield important information about the functional role of vitreous and hyalocytes in intraocular vascular regression.
Measurement of vasoactivity in the guinea‐pig choroid
Authors: Cringle SJ , Yu D‐Y , Alder VA , Su E‐N , Yu PK
Published: November 2007

Purpose:

A perfusion system for studying the vasoactive properties of the guinea‐pig choroid is described.

Methods:The principle of operation is that the vascular resistance of the entire vascular network of an isolated, perfused eye can be monitored by recording the pressure required to deliver a constant flow of perfusate through the network. Delivery of the pharmacological agent of interest into the perfusate stream and the subsequent determination of the magnitude of any induced pressure changes allows the vasoactive potency of various agonists to be assessed.

Results:

The baseline vascular resistance was 1.35 ± 0.16 mmHg. min/μL (mean ± SEM; n=10) and the mean response to intraluminal delivery of 124 mmol/L K+ Krebs was an increase in resistance of 297±67%. Vasoactive responses were sustainable for more than 8 h.

Conclusions:

This system will now be used to study the vasoactive properties of the guinea‐pig choroid in greater detail.
Cat‐301 immunoreactivity in the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex of the strabismic amblyopic cat
Authors: Yin ZQ , Crewther SG , Pirie B , Crewther DP
Published: November 2007

Purpose:

It was investigated whether alterations in neuronal structure and function occasioned by strabismic amblyopia also may be reflected in alterations in the expression on Y type neurons of a Cat‐301 antibody sensitive antigen in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and cortex of our cat model of strabismic amblyopia.

Methods/Results:

The percentage of positively labelled cells was reduced in LGN laminae that received input from the deviated eye in strabismic amblyopic cats compared with normal cats. In the strabismic cortex, the density of immunopositive neurons was significantly reduced compared with normal, the effect being most pronounced in layer IV

Conclusions:

Despite previous physiological recordings indicating a decrease in X‐cell associated acuity in strabismic amblyopia, the present findings imply that the changes in the early visual experience occasioned by strabismus also produce specific molecular changes in theY neuronal class.
Family history and age‐related maculopathy: The Blue Mountains Eye Study
Authors: Smith Wayne , Mitchell Paul
Published: November 2007

Purpose: To assess the associations between stages of age‐related maculopathy (ARM) and reported family history of this eye disease.

Methods: A cross‐sectional study of 3654 subjects from a defined geographical area west of Sydney (NSW, Australia) identified subjects with late age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and early ARM from masked detailed grading of retinal photographs. Interviewer‐administered questionnaires provided data on family history of ARM. Logistic regression was used to assess associations, adjusting for other known risk factors.

Results: A family history of ARM was significantly associated with both late AMD (odds ratio (OR) 3.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34‐11.46) and early ARM (OR 2.17; 95% CI 1.04‐4.55). The association was highest for neovascular AMD.

Conclusions: These findings provide persuasive evidence that a stated family history of ARM is an important risk factor for ARM.
Outcomes of cytomegalovirus retinitis following the use of ganciclovir implants
Authors: McCluskey Peter J , Shah Rajiv , Versace Patrick
Published: November 2007

Purpose: To determine the results and complications from the use of ganciclovir implants to treat patients with HIV infection and cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.

Methods: The present study was a retrospective review of 87 consecutive ganciclovir implant surgeries performed in 60 patients over a 3 year period.

Results: Based on the results of the present study, ganciclovir implants are an efficacious therapy for CMV retinitis but are associated with significant postoperative complications, including retinal detachment (12.0%), vitreous haemorrhage (7.2%) and cataract formation (6.0%). In this series, all implanted eyes responded to treatment and the mean time to progression was 252 days. Only a small number of patients developed second eye involvement (n= 9) or clinically significant CMV infection of other organ systems (n= 5).

Conclusions: This small retrospective study provides additional data confirming the effectiveness of ganciclovir implants and the complications from their use.
Identification of the lower end of the nasolacrimal duct with a fibre‐optic light ‘pipe’
Authors: Elder James E
Published: November 2007

Purpose: To report a method of identifying the lower end of the nasolacrimal duct when more usual methods have failed.

Methods: A vitreoretinal fibre‐optic light pipe was used to identify the lower end of the nasolacrimal duct in a child with unusual congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Results: This intraluminal light source enabled easy cut down onto the ‘blind’ end of the lacrimal drainage apparatus and subsequent intubation with silicone tubing to overcome the obstruction.

Conclusion: This technique may prove useful in the rare cases in which it is not possible to identify the lower end of the nasolacrimal duct with a probe and nasal endoscope alone.
Treatment of pigment epithelial detachments due to age‐related macular degeneration with intra‐ocular C3F8 injection*
Authors: Gross‐Jendroska Mirjam , Flaxel Christina J , Schwartz Steve D , Holz Frank G , Fitzke Fred W , Gabel Veit‐Peter , Bird Alan C
Published: November 2007

Purpose: To flatten pigment epithelial detachments (PED) cue to age‐related macular degeneration in an attempt to visualize the underlying choroidal neovascularization by fluorescein angiography (FA) and reveal a treatment target.

Methods: Nine patients with PED received intravitreal gas injections via the pars plana and postured face down. Fluorescein angiograms were obtained before and after gas injection. In two patients, retinal scotopic sensitivity was also measured.

Results: Eight patients demonstrated change in the shape and size of the PED following gas injection. Four patients showed a better delineation of underlying structures on FA. Three patients had focal laser treatment to the newly visible choroidal neovascular complex, but this was successful in only one patient with flattening of the PED.

Conclusion: Pigment epithelial detachments can be modified by intravitreal gas injection in some patients, but this treatment did not have a major impact on overall outcome or management.
Ring tunnel keratoplasty in high and extreme myopia correction
Authors: Robman L , Shusterov Y
Published: November 2007

Background: A surgical method for correction of high and extreme myopia was developed.

Methods: The corneal optical zone is flattened by bringing strip‐shaped corneal grafts into the interlamellar tunnel surrounding the corneal optical centre. Instruments and an operative technique were developed.

Results: In 72 operations on rabbits, dependency of the refractive effect on ring diameter and transplant thickness was revealed. In the clinic, the average refractive effect of 100 consecutive standard operations was 10.1 ± 2.0 D. The maximal refractive effect was 14.5 D. Regression of the refractive effect was 12%.

Conclusion: Ring tunnel keratoplasty was shown to be a reliable method of optical correction.
Persistent adhesion of corneal epithelial tissue on synthetic lenticules in vivo
Authors: Evans MDM , Xie RZ , Tout SD , Steele JG , Sweeney DF
Published: November 2007

Purpose: In intact cornea, firm anchorage of the epithelium to its underlying stroma is provided by a system of adhesive structures, which include the epithelial basement membrane, adhesion complexes and associated α6β4 integrin receptors. In the present study we sought to determine whether the sustained epithelialization of synthetic lenticules observed in vivo involved the formation of adhesive structures at the epithelial‐lenticule interface similar to those present in intact tissue.

Methods: Collagen l‐coated microporous polycarbonate membranes were implanted in the anterior stroma of adult cats. Successfully epithelialized lenticules were maintained on eye for 9–12 weeks, after which time the epithelial‐lenticule interface was examined for evidence of adhesive structures using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.

Results: Immunohistochemistry identified laminin, hemidesmosomal plaque, collagen VII and α6 integrin at the tissue‐lenticule interface. Ultrastructural examination showed evidence of assembly of these components into a basement membrane and adhesion complexes.

Conclusions: The formation of these adhesive structures is likely to have contributed to the sustained epithelialization observed clinically on the collagen‐coated synthetic lenticules.
Recombinant adenovirus‐mediated gene delivery into the rat retinal pigment epithelium in vivo
Authors: Rakoczy PE , Lai CM , Shen WY , Daw N , Constable IJ
Published: November 2007

Purpose: The present paper describes changes following the subretinal injection of a recombinant replicationdeficient adenovirus carrying the β‐galactosidase reporter gene construct into the rat retina.

Methods: Ad. RSV. βgal‐mediated transduction of rat retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in vitro and in vivo was examined following X‐gal staining.

Results: There was a low level of β‐galactosidase expression in the RPE cells at 4 days postinjection. At 7 days postinjection, a strong transgene expression was present in RPE cells and the expression was maintained at 14 days postinjection. Except for the accumulation of cells at the site of the injection, the morphology of the rest of the retina remained normal.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the RPE layer can be successfully targeted for gene delivery in the rat.
Non‐mydriatic fundus photography: A viable alternative to fundoscopy for identification of diabetic retinopathy in an Aboriginal population in rural Western Australia?
Authors: Diamond Jeremy P. , McKinnon Moira , Barry Christopher , Geary Darren , McAllister Ian L. , House Phillip , Constable Ian J.
Published: November 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the Canon CR5‐45NM non‐mydriatic fundus camera (Canon, Kanagawa, Japan) for identifying retinopathy and the need for laser treatment in a population of Aboriginal patients with diabetes mellitus in rural Western Australia.

Methods: Diabetic Aboriginal patients were photographed through undilated pupils using a Canon CR5‐45NM nonmydriatic fundus camera, after which ophthalmoscopy was performed using indirect ophthalmoscopy through dilated pupils. The examining ophthalmologist recorded the presence of retinopathy and the need for laser treatment. A proportion of patients were rephotographed through dilated pupils. Photographs were reviewed by a second ophthalmologist who evaluated the quality of the image, the presence of retinopathy and the need for laser treatment. Results of fundus photographs and ophthalmoscopy were compared.

Results: Three hundred and twenty‐eight eyes in 164 Aboriginal patients were examined. The mean patient age was 48.2 years (range 16–81 years) and the mean duration of diabetes was 7.5 years (range 1–35 years). Seventy‐four eyes (22.6%) were diagnosed with retinopathy using combined examination techniques, 44 (59.5%) of which were identified by ophthalmoscopy and 55 (74.3%) by photography. Thirty‐five eyes were deemed to need treatment, 18 (51.4%) of which were identified by ophthalmoscopy and 30 (85.7%) by photography. Kappa coefficient measurement for agreement for presence of retinopathy and need for referral was 0.41 and 0.53, respectively. Photograph quality was significantly improved following pupil dilation.

Conclusions: The Canon CR5‐45NM non‐mydriatic fundus camera was relatively good at identifying diabetic retinopathy and could usefully be applied within a screening programme for treatable disease within this population.
Overview of studies on metabolic and vascular regulatory changes in early diabetic retinopathy*
Authors: Alder Valerie A. , Su Er Ning , Yu Dao‐Yi , Cringle Stephen , Yu Paula
Published: November 2007

The present review provides an overview of recent research describing functional changes to the retinal vasculature in very early diabetes. The research focuses on the streptozotocin rat model after 4–6 weeks of induced diabetes and describes functional changes to retinal blood flow, vascular control and retinal oxygenation, as well as a strong vasodilatory response to insulin in the retinal vasculature. The review raises the question of whether choroid dysfunction is also a feature of diabetic retinopathy.
Immunoglobulin G crystalline keratopathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy
Authors: Hutchinson Kenneth , Pra Mark Dal , Apel Andrew
Published: November 2007

Purpose: Two cases of corneal crystal deposition are reported, both caused by a benign monoclonal gammopathy.

Methods: Similar corneal pathology is identified in these two patients, both of whom presented with visual acuities of 6/6 or better Consideration of possible causes involved biochemical and haematological testing and assessment.

Results: Potential for malignant transformation of monoclonal gammopathy was recognized, hence the need for ongoing haematological follow‐up.

Conclusion: Corneal crystals may be the initial presentation in a patient with monoclonal gammopathy, a rare, but significant, clinical finding.
Rats dying for mice: Modelling the competitor release effect
Authors: CAUT STÉPHANE , CASANOVAS JORGE G. , VIRGOS EMILIO , LOZANO JORGE , WITMER GARY W. , COURCHAMP FRANCK
Published: November 2007

Abstract  Introduced vertebrate predators are one of the most important threats to endemic species throughout a range of ecosystems, in particular on islands in biodiversity hot spots. Consequently, the reduction of predator numbers is considered a key conservation action in the management of many native vertebrates vulnerable to predators. It is now established that control attempts may affect non‐target species through trophic interactions, but little is known concerning their consequences on competitive relationships. We study a mathematical model mimicking the effects of controlling introduced species in the presence of their competitors. We used two competing rodents to illustrate our study: black rats, Rattus rattus, and mice, Mus musculus. Analyses of the model show that control of only one introduced species logically results in the dramatic increase of the overlooked competitor. We present empirical data that confirm our theoretical predictions. Less intuitively, this process, which we term ‘the competitor release effect’, may also occur when both introduced competitors are simultaneously controlled. In our setting, controlling both predators can promote their coexistence. This occurs as soon as the inferior competitor benefits from the differential effect of the simultaneous control of both competitors, that is, when the indirect positive effect of control (the removal of their competitors) exceeds its direct negative effect (their own removal). Both control levels and target specificity have a direct influence on the extent of this process: counter‐intuitively, the stronger and more specific the control, the greater the effect. The theoretical validation of the competitor release effect has important implications in conservation, especially for control management.
Rapid prey‐induced shift in body size in an isolated snake population (Notechis scutatus, Elapidae)
Authors: AUBRET FABIEN , SHINE RICHARD
Published: November 2007

Abstract Geographic divergence in phenotypic traits between long‐isolated populations likely has a genetic basis, but can phenotypic plasticity generate such divergence rapidly in the initial stages of isolation? Australian tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus, Elapidae) provide a classic model system for the evolution of body size: mean adult sizes are relatively invariant in mainland populations, but many offshore islands have dwarf or giant populations. Previous work has shown a genetic basis to this divergence in long‐isolated islands (>10 000 years), but what of the initial stages of this process? Human translocation of mainland snakes to Carnac Island 90 years ago gives us a unique opportunity to assess the proximate reasons for the giant size of Carnac Island animals compared with mainland conspecifics. Our data suggest a major role for phenotypic plasticity. Feeding trials on captive snakes from both island and mainland populations showed a strong link between food intake and growth rates, similar in the two populations. Snakes given abundant food grew much larger than we have ever recorded in the wild, demonstrating that observed mean body sizes are driven by food availability rather than genetic limits to growth. In combination with earlier work showing genetic divergence in growth rates in snakes from long‐isolated islands, our data suggest that geographical divergence in mean adult body sizes in this system initially is driven by a rapid shift due to phenotypic plasticity, with the divergence later canalized by a gradual accumulation of genetic differentiation.
Do invasive cane toads (Chaunus marinus) compete with Australian frogs (Cyclorana australis)?
Authors: GREENLEES MATTHEW J. , BROWN GREGORY P. , WEBB JONATHAN K. , PHILLIPS BENJAMIN L. , SHINE RICHARD
Published: November 2007

Abstract  Despite widespread concern about the ecological impacts of invasive species, mechanisms of impact remain poorly understood. Cane toads (Chaunus [Bufo] marinus) were introduced to Queensland in 1935, and have now spread across much of tropical Australia. One plausible impact of toad invasion concerns competition between toads and native frogs, but there has been no previous experimental evaluation of this possibility. We examined interactions between toads and a morphologically similar species of native frog (Cyclorana australis) by manipulating toad and frog densities within large outdoor enclosures beside a floodplain in the wet‐dry tropics of the Northern Territory. Toads differed from frogs significantly in dietary composition and feeding rates, even in comparisons controlling for body‐size differences between these two taxa. Perhaps reflecting the abundant insect biomass, manipulating anuran densities or the presence of the putatively competing species did not influence food intake or dietary composition. However, the presence of toads suppressed activity levels of native frogs. The degree to which the invasion of cane toads influences attributes such as the activity levels, food intake and dietary composition of native frogs warrants further study, but our study suggests that competitive effects are likely to be minor compared with other pathways (such as direct poisoning during ingestion attempts) by which toads can affect frog populations.
Long‐term effects of exclusion of grazing stock on degraded herbaceous plant communities in a riparian Eucalyptus camaldulensis forest in south‐eastern Australia
Authors: LUNT IAN D. , JANSEN AMY , BINNS DOUG L. , KENNY SALLY A.
Published: November 2007

Abstract  Stock grazing has degraded many riparian ecosystems around the world. However, the potential for ecosystem recovery following the removal of grazing stock is poorly known. We developed a conceptual model to predict the responses of native and exotic herbaceous plants to grazing exclusion, based on site productivity and the degree of initial vegetation degradation. The effects of excluding grazing stock on richness, cover and composition of herbaceous plants were examined over 12 years in the degraded understorey of a riparian forest in Gulpa Island State Forest in south‐eastern Australia. We predicted that grazing exclusion would lead to limited changes in vegetation cover, richness and composition, owing to presumed low site productivity and the high degree of understorey degradation. Results showed that the cover, richness and composition of native and exotic species varied significantly among years. Over all plots, regions and years, total cover was slightly but significantly lower in grazed than in ungrazed plots (43.4% vs. 50.8%). While the cover of native plants increased over time in both treatments, the rate of increase was slightly greater in ungrazed plots. Grazing exclusion had no effect on the richness of native or exotic species, but had a significant but minor impact on plant composition, with different common species (mostly exotics) being promoted or diminished in ungrazed plots. The composition of grazed and ungrazed areas did not become more different over time. Overall, the effects that could be attributed to grazing exclusion were relatively minor and transient. Results are consistent with predictions based on site productivity and initial degradation, and should not be extrapolated to other more productive, or less degraded, riparian systems.
Entrepreneurship and Firm Boundaries: The Theory of A Firm
Authors: Jacobides Michael G. , Winter Sidney G.
Published: November 2007

abstract  In this paper, we consider how a better understanding of entrepreneurial activities can help explain how firm and industry boundaries change over time and how a more comprehensive understanding of boundary setting can explain where entrepreneurial activities are directed. We start from the premise that while entrepreneurs believe themselves to have superior ideas in one or multiple parts of the value chain, they are characteristically short of cash, and of the ability to convince others to provide it. This premise motivates a simple model in which the entrepreneur has a value‐adding set of ideas for ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ parts of a value chain, as well as for the ways to make these two parts of the value chain work better when joined under unitary control. Assuming that the entrepreneur's objective is to maximize her wealth, we observe that even in the presence of transactional risks or other factors that might make integration preferable to specialization, initial scope depends also on relatively unexplored factors such as (a) how severe the entrepreneur's cash constraint is, and (b) how much value the entrepreneur's ideas add at each part of the value chain. Entrepreneurs will focus on the areas that provide the maximum profit yield per available cash – a criterion which implies that scope choices depend on cash availability and the depth of the demand for the new idea along the value chain. We also note that entrepreneurs make money not only from the operating profits of their firms, but also from the appreciation of the assets the firm has accumulated. This consideration can change the optimal choice of the firms’ boundaries, as entrepreneurs must be sensitive to choosing the segment that will enable them to benefit not only in terms of profit, but also in terms of asset appreciation. We propose that, in the entrepreneurial context especially, it is helpful to focus on the multiple considerations affecting the choice of boundaries for ‘a’ firm – the context faced by an individual entrepreneur – rather than on generic considerations affecting ‘the’ (representative) firm. Scope choices reflect the entrepreneur's own theory of ‘how to make money’.
Resources, Capabilities and Entrepreneurial Perceptions*
Authors: Kor Yasemin Y. , Mahoney Joseph T. , Michael Steven C.
Published: November 2007

abstract We review and develop a subjectivist theory of entrepreneurship that focuses on individuals, their knowledge, resources and skills, and the processes of discovery and creativity, which constitute the heart of entrepreneurship. First, we establish the fundamental importance of subjectivity in entrepreneurial discovery and creativity. Second, we build onPenrose (1959) to elaborate how entrepreneurs' perceptions and personal knowledge shape a firm'ssubjective productive opportunity set. Third, we explain that entrepreneurial perceptions and knowledge partly originate from entrepreneurs' experiences in specific business settings such as the firm, the management team, and the industry. Fourth, we highlight the causal connections between subjectivity in entrepreneurship and observed heterogeneity in firm‐level economic performance. Lastly, we suggest directions for further advancing a subjectivist resource‐based approach to future entrepreneurship research.
Governing Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition in MNEs: Aligning Interests and Cognition Under Uncertainty*
Authors: Mahnke Volker , Venzin Markus , Zahra Shaker A.
Published: November 2007

abstract Entrepreneurial activities contribute to the innovativeness and performance of subsidiaries and their parent multinational enterprises (MNEs). Though a strong multinational presence can spur the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, it also creates uncertainty that complicates the alignment of cognition and interest in the governance of MNEs' multi‐level entrepreneurial activities. We integrate economic and behavioural approaches to identify communicative, behavioural, and value uncertainties encountered in the MNEs' opportunity recognition phase. In addition, we discuss key contingencies that influence solutions to these uncertainties through delegation of authority, provision of incentives, promotion rules, and use of clan structures.
Do You See What I Mean? An Entrepreneurship Perspective on the Nature and Boundaries of the Firm
Authors: Zander Ivo
Published: November 2007

abstract In answering the questions ‘why does the firm exist?’ and ‘what determines its boundaries?’, established theories of the firm have focused on boundary choice in a context of relatively easily identified and evaluated alternatives. This paper starts by asking the kindred question ‘why does the firm come into existence?’, shifting attention to the circumstances and choices surrounding new firm formation and the exploitation of new and untried business ideas. It proceeds to delineate an entrepreneurship perspective on the nature and boundaries of the firm, where boundary decisions are driven by the difficulty of implementing new, subjective means–ends frameworks in sometimes very unreceptive markets. A set of propositions developing the concepts of cognitive incongruence and cognitive incompleteness suggests that activities are internalized when other market participants are unable to accept or understand the entrepreneur's subjectively perceived means–ends framework. In conclusion, the paper supports the development of theory that explains choice of modes of action based on subjective world views and the emerging notion of a distinctive entrepreneurship‐based theory of the firm.
Protecting cultural assets from bushfires: a question of comprehensive planning
Authors: Laidlaw Prue , Spennemann Dirk H.R. , Allan Catherine
Published: November 2007

Cultural heritage sites form an unrenewable asset that is threatened by natural disasters. Given the high bushfire risk, mandatory Bush Fire Risk Management Plans have been drawn up throughout New South Wales, Australia. We compared their mandatory provisions for the protection of heritage assets with an‘Ideal Heritage Disaster Plan', containing a series of non‐negotiable elements. The examined plans fell well short of the ideal. Preparedness Plans generally lacked a discussion of suppression techniques (for historic heritage), prevention, prescribed drills and communication procedures. None of the Response Plans or Recovery Plans contained any of the required core elements, such as rapid suppression techniques and stabilisation procedures. Where aspects were covered, they were addressed in an inadequate level of detail. The overall quality of the cultural heritage components of the plans is judged to be poor. Suggestions are made on how to improve the situation if heritage assets are to have a future following bushfire events.
Enhancing community‐based disaster preparedness with information technology
Authors: Troy Douglas A. , Carson Anne , Vanderbeek Jean , Hutton Anne
Published: November 2007

A critical component of community‐based disaster preparedness (CBDP) is a local resource database of suppliers providing physical, information and human resources for use in disaster response. Maintenance of such a database can become a collaborative responsibility among community‐based non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and public and private community organisations. In addition to mobilising resources, this process raises awareness within the community and aids in assessing local knowledge and resources. This paper presents the results of a pilot study on implementing a community‐based resource database through collaboration with local American Red Cross chapters and public and private community organisations. The design of the resource database is described. The resource database is accessible via the internet and offline using laptops and handheld Personal Digital Assistants. The study concludes that CBDP is strengthened through a combination of appropriate information technology and collaborative relationships between NGOs and community‐based organisations.
Port competition in the Yangtze River Delta
Authors: Comtois Claude , Dong Jieshuang
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  This paper canvasses the port development of the Yangtze River Delta. Initially, we consider changes in container trade in the region since the 1990s. Competition between the ports of Ningbo and Shanghai are studied by measuring the overlapping hinterland of container distribution for Zhejiang province. We then analyse the strategies pursued by international carriers and terminal operators to secure success in this increasingly competitive environment.
Container river services and gateway ports: Similarities between the Yangtze River and the Rhine River
Authors: Notteboom Theo
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  Container ports located in a delta of navigable waterways generally strive to develop the inland river services as a competitive transport mode, with a view to serving local and distant hinterland regions. The spatial and functional development of river‐based container networks is location‐specific and time‐specific. While each barging network and associated seaport system has its own dynamics, similarities in development patterns cannot be excluded. This paper discusses similarities and dissimilarities between the spatial and the functional development of the container river service networks of the Yangtze River and the Rhine River. It is shown that the Yangtze service network has the tendency to converge, in more than one aspect, with the (historical) development pattern of inland container services in the Rhine basin.
Potential futures for road transportation CO2 emissions in the Asia Pacific
Authors: Marcotullio Peter J. , Marshall Julian D.
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  Will future transportation carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita in Asia Pacific economies follow historical trends of the now developed world? Evidence to date is inconclusive. A comparison at similar income levels (purchasing power parity) between recent emissions in Asia Pacific countries and historical emissions in developed countries suggests diverging patterns. (A) High‐income Asia economies (Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore –‘low emitters’) exhibit lower emissions than a selected sample of seven developed countries (United States, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and United Kingdom). (B) Another set of Asian countries (South Korea and Taiwan –‘medium emitters’) follow the emissions trends of European countries, which are lower than those of Australia and the United States. (C) A third Asian group (Malaysia and Thailand –‘high emitters’) exhibit emission trends comparable to that of Australia. We describe these trends, examine their causes and extrapolate likely futures for emissions in low‐income Asia Pacific economies (China, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam). Although such predictions are speculative, the available evidence suggests that road CO2 emissions for Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam will follow those of the third group (high emitters), while those for China may follow either Group B or Group C.
Awkward geographies: Spatializing academic responsibility, encountering Sri Lanka
Authors: Jazeel Tariq
Published: November 2007

This paper responds to recent postcolonial geographical scholarship that sets forth transformative agendas in order to create more cosmopolitan theoretical projects within the discipline. For many geographers the challenges they face are located within not only their own disciplinary parameters, but also those of other specific research communities within which their work situates them. By bringing geography and area studies into productive conversation, this paper explores the tensions between negotiating one's academic voice, position and responsibility within geography as well as within a specific area studies community. More specifically, as a UK‐based geographer I reflect on some of my own fairly unremarkable, yet extremely awkward, encounters during the course of scholarly praxis in Sri Lanka in order to raise questions over the spatialities of responsibility and political engagement in such academic praxis. I seek to theorize the chasms that open in such awkward encounters between notionally situated ‘local’ and ‘foreign’ scholars respectively and, in particular, develop ways of engaging and reorienting those chasms in ways that might enable the production of theoretically rich, yet richly contextualized postcolonial knowledges committed to the site of one's scholarly praxis – not just to the advancement of a more cosmopolitan theoretical project within geography.
The demonstration effect: Natural resources, ethnonationalism and the Aceh conflict
Authors: McCarthy John F.
Published: November 2007

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami brought Aceh's long‐drawn separatist conflict back to international attention. Yet, the precise way in which the different aspects of the conflict entangled with resource‐related grievances have remained poorly understood. Taking a political ecology approach, this paper sets out to understand the role of natural resource grievances within the complex and shifting set of mutually implicated factors leading to and sustaining the conflict from the early days of Indonesia's independence. The paper argues that the management of Aceh's natural resources – especially the rich gas and oil reserves – was not the sole or primary causal factor. Rather, state managed exploitation of natural resources had a demonstration effect, exemplifying other grievances and supporting the articulation of a separatist discourse naturalizing ‘Acehnese’ conceptualizations of resource entitlement. Comparing Aceh with other separatist conflicts, the paper suggests that, as conflict unfolds at the intersection of a shifting set of concerns, it is increasingly difficult to separate the underlying issues of identity, resource entitlements and human rights.
Ethnic Ties: Social Capital and the Question of Mobilisability
Authors: Anthias Floya
Published: November 2007

This paper reflects on the concept of social capital through a discussion of the differential uses of ethnic ties for minority ethnic groups.

It is argued that we should confine the notion of social capital to mobilisable social ties and networks. Resources such as those found in ethnic networks and bonds will only be social capital if they are mobilisable and usable in pursuing social advantage. This will only happen in the presence of a number of factors including the social valuation of the ethnic ties both within and outside the ethnic category, the social location of the actor (for example their gender) and the social context. The paper elaborates a concept of social capital which recognises the need to embed it within social hierarchies.
Subtle Grey Matter Changes Between Migraine Patients and Healthy Controls
Authors: Schmidt-Wilcke T , Gänßbauer S , Neuner T , Bogdahn U , May A
Published: November 2007

Local morphological alterations of the brain have recently been detected in cluster headache and chronic tension-type headache, but not in migraine. We investigated 35 patients suffering from migraine and compared them with 31 healthy controls with no headache history. Using magnetic resonance imaging and voxel based morphometry, we found a significant decrease of grey matter in areas ascribable to the transmission of pain (cingulate cortex), but not in areas specific for migraine, such as the brainstem. Our data are in line with recent findings in chronic pain states, such as chronic phantom pain and chronic back pain. We suggest that the grey matter change in migraine patients is the consequence of frequent nociceptive input and should thus be reversible when migraine attacks cease.
Post-Craniotomy Headache: Characteristics, Behaviour and Effect on Quality of Life in Patients Operated for Treatment of Supratentorial Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Rocha-Filho PAS , Gherpelli JLD , de Siqueira JTT , Rabello GD
Published: November 2007

We prospectively studied headache characteristics during 6 months after craniotomy performed for treatment of cerebral aneurysms in 79 patients. Semistructured interviews, headache diaries, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scales, the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and McGill Pain Questionnaire were used. Seventy-two patients had headaches, half before the fifth day after surgery. Changes were observed in headache diagnosis, side and site in the postoperative period. Headache frequency increased immediately after surgery and then decreased over time. Headache frequency was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Pain intensity was higher in women and in patients with more anxiety symptoms. An incidence of post-craniotomy headache of 40± was observed according to International Headache Society classification criteria, 10.7± of the acute and 29.3± of the chronic type. The bodily pain domain of the SF-36 was worse in patients with more anxiety symptoms. Greater frequencies of headache were associated with lower scores on bodily pain and social functioning.
Interictal Abnormalities of Gamma Band Activity in Visual Evoked Responses in Migraine: An Indication of Thalamocortical Dysrhythmia?
Authors: Coppola G , Ambrosini A , Clemente L Di , Magis D , Fumal A , Gérard P , Pierelli F , Schoenen J
Published: November 2007

Between attacks, migraineurs lack habituation in standard visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Visual stimuli also evoke high-frequency oscillations in the gamma band range (GBOs, 20–35 Hz) assumed to be generated both at subcortical (early GBOs) and cortical levels (late GBOs). The consecutive peaks of GBOs were analysed regarding amplitude and habituation in six successive blocks of 100 averaged pattern reversal (PR)-VEPs in healthy volunteers and interictally in migraine with (MA) or without aura patients. Amplitude of the two early GBO components in the first PR-VEP block was significantly increased in MA patients. There was a significant habituation deficit of the late GBO peaks in migraineurs. The increased amplitude of early GBOs could be related to the increased interictal visual discomfort reported by patients. We hypothesize that the hypo-functioning serotonergic pathways may cause, in line with the thalamocortical dysrhythmia theory, a functional disconnection of the thalamus leading to decreased intracortical lateral inhibition, which can induce dishabituation.
Migraine Incidence, Comorbidity and Health Resource Utilization in the UK
Authors: Becker C , Brobert GP , Almqvist PM , Johansson S , Jick SS , Meier CR
Published: November 2007

Population-based data on migraine incidence and comorbidity are scarce. We therefore aimed to quantify incidence rates and comorbidity of diagnosed migraine and health resource utilization (HRU) in migraineurs in the UK primary care setting. We conducted a follow-up study with a nested case-control analysis on the General Practice Research Database. The study encompassed 51 688 patients with a first-time diagnosis of migraine between 1994 and 2001, and the same number of matched controls. The migraine incidence rate was 3.69 (95± confidence interval 3.66, 3.73) cases per 1000 person-years. It was around 2.5 times higher in women. Most chronic diseases were slightly more prevalent in migraineurs than in controls. Triptan users had higher health resource utilization than other migraineurs. This study shows that migraine is a common diagnosis in general practice and associated with a high prevalence of comorbidity. The increased HRU in triptan users suggests greater migraine severity.
Can ID MigraineTM be Used as a Screening Test for Adolescent Migraine?
Authors: Zarifoğlu M , Karli N , Taşkapilioğlu Ö
Published: November 2007

Although the ID MigraineTM has been developed and used for adults, it can also be used in adolescents. We aimed to investigate the validity of the ID MigraineTM in the adolescent student population. The study was performed on 1064 adolescents aged 12-17 years. A face-to-face semistructured interview was conducted with students after they had answered a 17-item questionnaire on sociodemographics and headache. Students who had had two or more headache attacks during the last 3 months then answered the ID MigraineTM. The sensitivity and specificity of the ID MigraineTM were 62.1± and 71.1±, respectively. The sensitivity was higher for patients with migraine with aura (71.1±), for girls (71.3±) and for younger adolescents (69.1±). The specificity was higher for boys (77.9±) and for older adolescents (73.3±). The K value was 0.316 ( P< 0.001). Although the K value of the ID MigraineTM is low, the test may be a useful tool in screening adolescent migraine after some changes are made.
Relations between general goal orientations and task‐specific self‐appraisals
Authors: TANAKA KIHO
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of goal orientations on ninth‐grade students’ (54 girls and 55 boys) task‐specific appraisals (i.e., anticipated interest, self‐efficacy, test anxiety, and physical symptoms) and subsequent task performance. The results of structural equation modeling showed that different goal orientations had different effects on task‐specific appraisals. In addition, task performance was directly influenced by self‐efficacy and physical symptoms, whereas the goal orientation served as a predictor of task performance indirectly through task‐specific appraisals. Students’ posttask estimation of success and involvement were differently predicted by the pretask appraisal and actual task performance. Thus self‐appraisals that students experience after performing the task are not only influenced by the actual performance, but also by the task‐related appraisal they form before the task, which is partially determined by their goal orientations. Cluster analysis revealed students with multiple goals, in whom learning and performance goals can work together to facilitate performance and motivation.
Do you remember the day of your graduation ceremony from junior high school?: A factor structure of the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire1
Authors: TAKAHASHI MASANOBU , SHIMIZU HIROYUKI
Published: November 2007

Abstract:   Autobiographical memory refers to the recollection of experiences from an individual's life. Johnson, Foley, Suengas, and Raye (1988) developed a Memory Characteristics Questionnaire (MCQ) to examine several qualitative characteristics of autobiographical memories such as sensory, affective, and contextual details. In the present study, we attempted to determine the factor structure of the MCQ. We asked 1183 participants to rate actual autobiographical memories using the MCQ. On the basis of the factor analyses of the MCQ, we obtained eight factors: (a) clarity, (b) retrospective recollection, (c) time information, (d) overall impression, (e) sensory experiences, (f) spatial information, (g) bizarreness, and (h) events before and after. This factor structure is generally consistent with previous studies that have investigated the factor structure of the MCQ.
NR2A and NR2B subunit containing NMDA receptors differentially regulate striatal output pathways
Authors: Fantin Martina , Marti Matteo , Auberson Yves P. , Morari Michele
Published: November 2007

Triple probe microdialysis was employed to investigate whether striatal NR2A and NR2B subunit containing NMDA receptors regulate the activity of striato‐pallidal and striato‐nigral projection neurons. Probes were implanted in the striatum, ipsilateral globus pallidus and substantia nigra reticulata. Intrastriatal perfusion with the NR2A subunit selective antagonist (R)‐[(S)‐1‐(4‐bromo‐phenyl)‐ethylamino]‐(2,3‐dioxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinoxalin‐5‐yl)‐methyl]‐phosphonic acid (NVP‐AAM077) reduced pallidal GABA and increased nigral glutamate (GLU) release whereas perfusion with the NR2B subunit selective antagonist (R‐(R*,S*)‐α‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐β‐methyl‐4‐(phenylmethyl)‐1‐piperidinepropanol (Ro 25‐6981) reduced nigral GABA and elevated striatal and pallidal GLU release. To confirm that changes in GABA levels were because of blockade of (GLUergic‐driven) tonic activity of striatofugal neurons, tetrodotoxin was perfused in the striatum. Tetrodotoxin reduced both pallidal and nigral GABA release without changing GLU levels. To investigate whether striatal NR2A and NR2B subunits were also involved in phasic activation of striatofugal neurons, NVP‐AAM077 and Ro 25‐6981 were challenged against a NMDA concentration able to evoke GABA release in the three areas. Both antagonists prevented the NMDA‐induced striatal GABA release. NVP‐AAM077 also prevented the NMDA‐induced surge in GABA release in the globus pallidus, whereas Ro 25‐6981 attenuated it in the substantia nigra. We conclude that striatal NMDA receptors containing NR2A and NR2B subunits preferentially regulate the striato‐pallidal and striato‐nigral projection neurons, respectively.