bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modernization and reform of Dutch waterboards: resilience or change?
Authors: TOONEN THEO A. J. , DIJKSTRA GERRIT S. A. , VAN DER MEER FRITS
Published: July 2006

In this article, we look into the question whether the Dutch waterboards can still be considered resilient institutions, effectively adapting to changing circumstances as often described in literature. We argue that current waterboards resemble the CPR management form of old only in name. Their institutional nature has changed considerably, thus providing a challenge to the future of CPR water management in the Netherlands. We examine not only the implications for the institutional performance and future of the waterboard system but also discuss possible ways to regenerate the system. With respect to the latter (changes in), the system of governance and community base character of waterboards are examined.
Role of AMT1;1 in NH4+ Acquisition in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Mayer M. , Ludewig U.
Published: July 2006

Abstract: AtAMT1;1 was the founding member of the family of AMT/Rh ammonium transporters and accounts for about one third of the total ammonium absorption in the roots of the model plant Arabidopsis. Recent evidence suggested that at least some AMT/Rh proteins are NH3 gas channels. In order to evaluate the transported form of ammonium in AtAMT1;1, the protein was functionally expressed in Xenopus oocytes. AtAMT1;1 elicited NH4+ and methylammonium (MeA+) inward currents that saturated in a voltage‐dependent manner with a half maximal concentration of 2.7 ± 1.6 μM for NH4+ and 5.0 ± 0.7 μM for the transport analogue methylammonium. AtAMT1;1 was plasma membrane localized and expressed in the root cortex and epidermis, including root hairs. The AtAMT1;1‐GFP fusion construct under control of its endogenous promoter revealed additional localization of the protein in the pericycle, in the leaf epidermis, and in mesophyll cells. The functional data and its localization suggest that AtAMT1;1 participates in concentrative NH4+ acquisition in roots, in long‐distance transport to the shoots, and in re‐uptake of apoplastic NH4+ that derives from photorespiration in shoots.
Analysis of Competition Effects in Mono‐ and Mixed Cultures of Juvenile Beech and Spruce by Means of the Plant Growth Simulation Model PLATHO
Authors: Gayler S. , Grams T. E. E. , Kozovits A. R. , Winkler J. B. , Luedemann G. , Priesack E.
Published: July 2006

Abstract: Inter‐ and intra‐specific competition between plants for external resources is a critical process for plant growth in natural and managed ecosystems. We present a new approach to simulate competition for the resources light, water, and nitrogen between individual plants within a canopy. This approach was incorporated in a process‐oriented plant growth simulation model. The concept of modelling competition is based on competition coefficients calculated from the overlap of occupied crown and soil volumes of each plant individual with the occupied volumes of its four nearest neighbours. The model was parameterised with data from a two‐year phytotron experiment with juvenile beech and spruce trees growing in mono‐ and mixed cultures. For testing the model, an independent data set from this experiment and data from a second phytotron experiment with mixed cultures were used. The model was applied to analyse the consequences of start conditions and plant density on plant‐plant competition. In both experiments, spruce dominated beech in mixed cultures. Based on model simulations, we postulate a large influence of start conditions and stand density on the outcome of the competition between the species. When both species have similar heights at the time of canopy closure, the model suggests a greater morphological plasticity of beech compared with spruce to be the crucial mechanism for competitiveness in mixed canopies. Similar to the experiment, in the model greater plasticity was a disadvantage for beech leading to it being outcompeted by the more persistent spruce.
AtMHX is an auxin and ABA-regulated transporter whose expression pattern suggests a role in metal homeostasis in tissues with photosynthetic potential
Authors: David-Assael Ora , Berezin Irina , Shoshani-Knaani Noa , Saul Helen , Mizrachy-Dagri Talya , Chen Jianxin , Brook Emil , Shaul Orit
Published: July 2006

AtMHX is a vacuolar transporter encoded by a single gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. It exchanges protons with Mg2+, Zn2+, and Fe2+ ions. Proper homeostasis of these metals is essential for photosynthesis and numerous enzymatic reactions. In particular, very little is known about mechanisms involved in Mg2+ homeostasis in plants. Expression analysis using reporter-gene constructs suggested that AtMHX functions in metal homeostasis mainly in tissues with photosynthetic potential. This balancing is conducted by expression in the vascular region, the cortex of stems, trichomes, and hydathodes. Expression in stems is developmentally regulated, suggesting that minerals are accumulated in the upper regions of young stems, and are released during silique development. Mineral content in different stem parts was consistent with this possibility. Expression was induced by auxin and ABA, but not by the metal content of the growth medium, suggesting that expression is mainly regulated by endogenous developmental programs. AtMHX exhibits two distinguished regulatory properties. Its leader intron is absolutely essential for expression, and mediates an 86-fold enhancement of expression. This enhancement is the highest reported thus far for any dicot intron. Another remarkable feature is that a repetitive genomic element of 530 bp (or part of it) functions as an enhancer.
ESAM supports neutrophil extravasation, activation of Rho, and VEGF-induced vascular permeability
Authors: Wegmann Frank , Petri Björn , Khandoga Alexander Georg , Moser Christian , Khandoga Andrej , Volkery Stefan , Li Hang , Nasdala Ines , Brandau Oliver , Fässler Reinhard , Butz Stefan , Krombach Fritz , Vestweber Dietmar
Published: July 2006

Endothelial cell–selective adhesion molecule (ESAM) is specifically expressed at endothelial tight junctions and on platelets. To test whether ESAM is involved in leukocyte extravasation, we have generated mice carrying a disrupted ESAM gene and analyzed them in three different inflammation models. We found that recruitment of lymphocytes into inflamed skin was unaffected by the gene disruption. However, the migration of neutrophils into chemically inflamed peritoneum was inhibited by 70% at 2 h after stimulation, recovering at later time points. Analyzing neutrophil extravasation directly by intravital microscopy in the cremaster muscle revealed that leukocyte extravasation was reduced (50%) in ESAM−/− mice without affecting leukocyte rolling and adhesion. Depletion of >98% of circulating platelets did not abolish the ESAM deficiency–related inhibitory effect on neutrophil extravasation, indicating that it is only ESAM at endothelial tight junctions that is relevant for the extravasation process. Knocking down ESAM expression in endothelial cells resulted in reduced levels of activated Rho, a GTPase implicated in the destabilization of tight junctions. Indeed, vascular permeability stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor was reduced in ESAM−/− mice. Collectively, ESAM at endothelial tight junctions participates in the migration of neutrophils through the vessel wall, possibly by influencing endothelial cell contacts.
A Five‐year Follow‐up of Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer in Anthroposophic and Conventional Care
Authors: Carlsson Marianne , Arman Maria , Backman Marie , Flatters Ursula , Hatschek Thomas , Hamrin Elisabeth
Published: June 2006

Complementary and alternative medicine is used by many cancer patients in most parts of the world, and its use is increasing. The aim of the present study was to examine, over 5 years, the perceived quality of life/life satisfaction in two samples of women with breast cancer who were treated with anthroposophic care or conventional medical treatment only. Data from admission, after 1 year and after 5 years are used for the comparisons. On admission to the study the women in anthroposophic care perceived their quality of life to be lower than that of the women in the conventional treatment group, especially for emotional, cognitive and social functioning and overall quality of life. Sixty women who actively chose treatment with anthroposophic medicine and 60 individually matched women treated with conventional medicine participated. Quality of life was measured by the EORTC QLQ‐C30 and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire. Twenty‐six women within anthroposophic care and 31 women within conventional medicine survived the 5 years. Effect size (ES) estimation favored the anthroposophic group in seven of the subscales mostly measuring emotional functioning. The ES for four of the subscales favored the conventional treatment group, mostly concerning physical functioning. After 5 years there were improvements in overall quality of life and in emotional and social functioning compared to admission for the women in anthroposophic care. The improvements took place between admission and 1 year, but not further on. Only minor improvements were found in the matching group.
A positive feedback loop couples Ras activation and CD44 alternative splicing
Authors: Cheng Chonghui , Yaffe Michael B. , Sharp Phillip A.
Published: July 2006

The Ras signaling pathway is important in both cell proliferation and tumor progression. Alternatively spliced isoforms of CD44 containing variable exon 6 (v6) can serve as coreceptors for growth factor receptors that activate Ras. Here we use v6-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) to investigate the role of CD44 alternative splicing in Ras signaling. We identify a positive feedback loop in which Ras signaling promotes CD44v6 splicing, and CD44v6 then sustains late Ras signaling, which is important for cell cycle progression. These results are the first demonstration of a positive feedback loop linking signaling-dependent alternative splicing to mitogenic progression.
An entrepreneurial‐directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible?
Authors: Heinonen Jarna , Poikkijoki Sari‐Anne
Published: June 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the entrepreneurial‐directed approach to entrepreneurship education by discussing different teaching techniques aimed at infusing entrepreneurial skills and behaviour among students in the university setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors experimented with the entrepreneurial‐directed approach in their university‐level teaching, and used a combination of qualitative research methods and observation techniques to evaluate its feasibility and applicability. Information sources analysed include written material, e.g. learning diaries provided by the students, teachers' observations, and group discussions during the programme.

Findings

The study provides information on recent studies on entrepreneurship emphasising the core role of opportunity – discovering, evaluating and exploiting it – and reviews teaching techniques currently used in entrepreneurship education. The entrepreneurial‐directed approach seems to be well suited to the teaching situation as it encourages students to broaden their perspectives, and also to develop the entrepreneurial skills and behaviour required for their studies.

Practical implications

The paper provides a useful source of information for teachers interested in developing a more entrepreneurial approach, as well as for academics interested in the substance and nature of entrepreneurship education. The approach represents an experiential learning challenge to teachers and students in that it decreases the predictability and control of the teaching situation, on the other hand, increases the interest in learning and teaching.

Originality/value

The value of the approach is in integrating knowledge, experience and action within one entrepreneurship programme.
A methodology for availability assessment of tunnel designs
Authors: Wong Clement L.W. , Tsang Albert H.C. , Chung T.S.
Published: June 2006

Purpose

The reliability and maintainability of tunnel infrastructure and systems is an important factor in assuring normal operation of a tunnel. Evaluating availability of a large‐scale tunnel that includes civil, electrical, mechanical and electronic systems is a difficult task. The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology for performing such assessments, featuring the use of the Markov model.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involves application of failure mode, effect and criticality analysis (FMECA), state space diagram construction, formulation of state space equations, and development of transitional matrices. It also involves transformation of multi‐state models into two‐state models (each comprises of an “up” state and a “down” state) through the use of the frequency and duration method for determining the failure and repair rates, as well as the mean‐time‐between‐failures (MTBF) of the entire tunnel. By using the proposed bottom‐up approach, a MTBF tree linking the availability measures of individual equipment with those of sub‐systems, and ultimately the whole tunnel can be developed.

Findings

The tunnel availability measures obtained by this analysis can be used in making comparisons between different tunnel designs so as to determine the value for money of various options. Furthermore, weaknesses in a tunnel design can be identified in the analysis. The information obtained from this method can also be used to evaluate adequacy, security and maintainability of a tunnel.

Practical implications

The reliability and maintainability of tunnel infrastructure and systems are crucial factors for ensuring safety of tunnel operation. Unsafe conditions will cause closure of a tunnel. Efforts to improve availability of a tunnel often increase the tunnel's construction cost. Due to the complexity of tunnel systems, it is difficult to compare different tunnel designs, and trade‐off analyses to strike a balance between target availability and construction cost of a tunnel design are seldom performed. This paper presents a systematic methodology to address these issues. This methodology allows tunnel management to evaluate the adequacy, security and maintainability of a tunnel so that design weaknesses can be identified and the value of design improvements can be determined. The methodology can also be used to evaluate designs of other complex systems such as power generation or petrochemical processing plants.

Originality/value

A worked example demonstrating the application of the proposed methodology is presented in this paper.
Empirically testing determinants of hospital BPR success
Authors: do Carmo Caccia‐Bava Maria , Guimaraes Valerie C.K. , Guimaraes Tor
Published: June 2006

Purpose

Business process reengineering has been touted in the literature as a dramatic improvement necessary for organization competitiveness, but in practice there are many unsuccessful cases. Thus, there is need for a more systematic and rigorous assessment of the factors deemed important to project success. The main objective of this study is to examine this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

For this research, success has been defined as the benefits the hospital has derived from the BPR project, according to top managers' opinions. A sample of 192 hospital administrators shared their organizations' experience with their last BPR project implementation, where the changes have been operational for at least one year.

Findings

Based on the results, recommendations are made for hospital managers to focus attention and resources on factors important to BPR project success. In general, hospitals are not emphasizing some of the most important activities and tasks recommended in the BPR literature, such as changes to customer/market‐related business processes, the value‐added element of every business activity, and applying the right innovative technology.

Originality/value

Based on the findings as a whole, it behoves top managers not to engage in BPR before ensuring the presence of the success factors found to be important.
Auditors in a changing regulatory environment
Authors: Jayasuriya Dayanath
Published: June 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how corporate responsibility, at the best of times, is taken for granted, and at the worst of times, becomes a much maligned concept.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes how the regulatory landscape is rapidly changing and outlines several conditions that must exist or be achieved to ensure the stability of financial institutions through a better system of regulation and monitoring and rapid intervention, where intervention is called for.

Findings

There is a need for greater clarity as to the role of auditors and as to the expectations of regulators.

Originality/value

Highlights how, for regulators, auditors and stakeholders, the issue of the role of auditors in a changing regulatory climate is an important subject that deserves special consideration.
Converting hedge funds into mutual funds – a primer
Authors: Thomas F. Scott , Jaye John C.
Published: June 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the process for forming and registering a new investment company (or mutual fund) or converting an existing hedge fund into a mutual fund and registering the converted fund. This article discusses the timing, tax and regulatory implications under Delaware law, the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).

Design/methodology/approach

This article summarizes and analyzes rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) applicable to forming and registering new mutual funds and converting existing hedge funds into mutual funds under the 1940 Act and Advisers Act.

Findings

For smaller hedge fund managers who have recently registered with the SEC and desire to sponsor a new registered fund product as part of their advisory business, converting and registering an existing hedge fund is a viable alternative to forming an entirely new fund. The conversion process involves converting an existing hedge fund into a Delaware trust and then registering the new trust as a mutual fund under the 1940 Act. The adviser may, under certain circumstances, advertise the past performance of the hedge fund when marketing the new mutual fund. In addition, the adviser may continue to receive performance based or incentive compensation within the boundaries established by the Advisers Act. The authors believe that the conversion process is a viable and cost‐effective method for smaller hedge fund advisers to expand their existing investment advisory products and more easily grow assets under management.

Originality/value

This article provides a useful summary of the process for forming a new mutual fund or converting an existing hedge fund, including a brief outline of the SEC rules and regulations applicable to the fund registration process generally under the 1940 Act. Many hedge fund managers have recently incurred significant compliance costs as a result of registering as an investment adviser with the SEC. This article provides insight into the fund conversion process, which the authors believe is an overlooked and viable option for smaller hedge fund advisers to leverage existing compliance costs through sponsoring a registered fund product.
Advising the Serious Organised Crime Agency: the role of the specialist prosecutors
Authors: Fitzpatrick David
Published: June 2006

Introduces the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), which was set up in February 2004 and aims to reduce the profit incentive on serious crimes, disrupt criminal enterprises and increase the risks to criminals; it will be advised by specialist prosecutors. Outlines the contents of “One Step Ahead”, the Home Office consultation paper, which expects much more from the specialist prosecutors than presently is provided by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Anticipates that the specialist prosecutors advising SOCA will run into problems similar to those currently facing the CPS whenever covert intelligence has been obtained, and recommends measures such as the employment of telephone intercepts as a source of evidence.
A multivariate model of plant species richness in forested systems: old‐growth montane forests with a long history of fire
Authors: Laughlin Daniel C. , Grace James B.
Published: July 2006

Recently, efforts to develop multivariate models of plant species richness have been extended to include systems where trees play important roles as overstory elements mediating the influences of environment and disturbance on understory richness. We used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship of understory vascular plant species richness to understory abundance, forest structure, topographic slope, and surface fire history in lower montane forests on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, USA based on data from eighty‐two 0.1 ha plots. The questions of primary interest in this analysis were: (1) to what degree are influences of trees on understory richness mediated by effects on understory abundance? (2) To what degree are influences of fire history on richness mediated by effects on trees and/or understory abundance? (3) Can the influences of fire history on this system be related simply to time‐since‐fire or are there unique influences associated with long‐term fire frequency? The results we obtained are consistent with the following inferences. First, it appears that pine trees had a strong inhibitory effect on the abundance of understory plants, which in turn led to lower understory species richness. Second, richness declined over time since the last fire. This pattern appears to result from several processes, including (1) a post‐fire stimulation of germination, (2) a decline in understory abundance, and (3) an increase over time in pine abundance (which indirectly leads to reduced richness). Finally, once time‐since‐fire was statistically controlled, it was seen that areas with higher fire frequency have lower richness than expected, which appears to result from negative effects on understory abundance, possibly by depletions of soil nutrients from repeated surface fire. Overall, it appears that at large temporal and spatial scales, surface fire plays an important and complex role in structuring understory plant communities in old‐growth montane forests. These results show how multivariate models of herbaceous richness can be expanded to apply to forested systems.
Fragrance allergy: assessing the risk from washed fabrics
Authors: Corea Namali V. , Basketter David A. , Clapp Catherine , Van Asten Arian , Marty Jean‐Paul , Pons‐Guiraud Annick , Laverdet Catherine
Published: June 2006

The prevalence of contact allergy to fragrance ingredients increased during the last part of the 20th century with the consequence that a substantial number of individuals are at risk of experiencing allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) if they have a sufficient degree of skin exposure to the chemical to which they have become sensitized. Such exposure does not necessarily have to arise from the type of source that originally induced the sensitization. A number of sources of exposure are clearly associated with risk of elicitation of ACD, but the role of fragrance deposited on fabrics, for example as a result of laundry processes, also can be questioned. In this article, firstly, the risk of the induction of fragrance‐related ACD from exposure to fragrance via fabric is considered. Using a quantitative risk‐assessment approach, the risk appears to be extremely low. The possibility that fragrance residues on laundered fabrics might elicit reactions in those already sensitized by a different route is also discussed. Clinically, clothing pattern dermatitis associated with fragrance allergy is almost never observed, although this could be investigated clinically by exposing sensitized individuals to the relevant fragrance allergen.
Plausible linkage of hypoxia inducible factor‐1α in uterine cervical cancer
Authors: Fujimoto Jiro , Alam Syed Mahfuzul , Jahan Israt , Sato Eriko , Toyoki Hiroshi , Hong Bao Li , Sakaguchi Hideki , Tamaya Teruhiko
Published: June 2006

Angiogenesis is essential for the development, growth and advancement of solid tumors. Angiogenesis is induced by hypoxia with angiogenic transcription factor hypoxia inducible factors (HIF). This prompted us to study the clinical implications of HIF relative to angiogenesis in uterine cervical cancers. Although there was no significant difference in HIF‐1α histoscores and mRNA levels according to histopathological type or lymph node metastasis, HIF‐1α histoscores and mRNA levels increased significantly with advancing cancer stages. The prognosis of 30 patients with high HIF‐1α in uterine cervical cancers was poor (73% survival), whereas the 24‐month survival rate of the other 30 patients with low HIF‐1α was 93%. HIF‐1α histoscores and mRNA levels were correlated with the levels of the angiogenic factors thymidine phosphorylase and interleukin‐8, and HIF‐1α might be linked with these factors in cervical cancer tissue. HIF‐1α is a candidate for prognostic indicator as an angiogenic mediator in uterine cervical cancer. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 861–867)
Adaphostin has significant and selective activity against chronic and acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Orsolic Nada , Golemovic Mirna , Quintás‐Cardama Alfonso , Scappini Barbara , Manshouri Taghi , Chandra Joya , Basic Ivan , Giles Francis , Kantarjian Hagop , Verstovsek Srdan
Published: July 2006

Adaphostin is a tyrphostin that was designed to inhibit Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase by altering the binding site of peptide substrates rather than that of adenosine triphosphate, a known mechanism of imatinib mesylate (IM). However, it has been shown that adaphostin‐mediated cytotoxicity is dependent on oxidant production and does not require Bcr/Abl. We have tested adaphostin against both Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)‐positive (K562, KBM5, KBM5‐R [IM resistant KBM5], KBM7, and KBM7‐R [IM‐resistant KBM7]) and Ph‐negative (OCI/AML2 and OCI/AML3) cells, and against cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Adaphostin significantly inhibited growth of all cell lines (50% inhibition of cell proliferation [IC50] 0.5–1 µM) except K562 (IC50 13 µM). Ph‐positive IM‐resistant cell lines showed significant cross resistance to adaphostin. Simultaneous or sequential treatment with adaphostin and IM did not exert a synergistic effect in any KBM line. Adaphostin induced superoxide and apoptosis in a dose‐dependent and time‐dependent fashion in both Ph‐positive and Ph‐negative cells. Adaphostin selectively inhibited colony growth of cells from CML (IM‐sensitive and IM‐resistant) and AML patients. Analysis of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins after treatment with adaphostin revealed alternate effects in different cells consistent with the modulation of multiple targets. In conclusion, adaphostin showed significant and selective activity against CML and AML cells and its development for clinical testing is warranted. (Cancer Sci 2006; 97: 952–960)
Effect of enhanced iron chelation therapy on glucose metabolism in patients with β‐thalassaemia major
Authors: Farmaki Kalistheni , Angelopoulos Nicholas , Anagnostopoulos George , Gotsis Efstathios , Rombopoulos Grigorios , Tolis George
Published: July 2006

Recently introduced chelation regimens that combine deferoxamine (DFO) and deferiprone have been shown to have greater efficacy in promoting iron excretion than either chelator alone and have been associated with rapid reduction of the iron load in the heart and liver, and with reversal of cardiac dysfunction. It is unclear whether this combined therapy could be associated with a reduction in iron load or decline in the severity of iron‐induced endocrinopathies. Starting in January 2001, 42 patients with β‐thalassaemia major, previously maintained on subcutaneous DFO only, were switched to combined treatment with DFO and deferiprone. The primary endpoint was to investigate the effects of this therapy on the glucose metabolism characteristics of this population. Combination therapy markedly decreased ferritin levels (638 ± 1345 vs. 2991 ± 2093 μg/l, P < 0·001). Glucose responses were improved at all times during an oral glucose tolerance test, particularly in patients in early stages of glucose intolerance. Glucose quantitative secretion also decreased significantly with combined therapy, while no significant change occurred in insulin levels in any group. Insulin secretion, according to the homeostasis assessment model, markedly increased in all groups, while overall reduction in insulin sensitivity did not reach statistical significance. This study showed that the combination of DFO and deferiprone was associated with an improvement in liver iron deposition and glucose intolerance.
Defective maturation of dendritic cells in common variable immunodeficiency
Authors: Scott-Taylor T H , Green M R , Raeiszadeh M , Workman S , Webster A D
Published: July 2006

Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MdDCs) from many patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) have been shown recently to have reduced expression of surface molecules associated with maturity. Using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, we now show that this is due to a partial failure to fix Class II DR molecules on the surface during procedures that induce full maturation in vitro in cells from normal subjects. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, CD86 and CD83 expression were expressed normally, but CD40 was reduced. These abnormalities are unlikely to be due to prior in vivo exposure of monocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as addition of LPS to monocytes from normal subjects in vitro caused a different pattern of changes. CVID MdDCs retained Class II DR in the cytoplasm during maturation, showed increased internalization of cross-linked Class II DR surface molecules and were unable to polarize DR within a lipid raft at contact sites with autologous lymphocytes. These cells retained some features of monocytes, such as the ability to phagocytose large numbers of fixed yeast and fluorescent carboxylated microspheres and expression of surface CD14. These abnormalities, if reflected in vivo, could compromise antigen presentation and may be a fundamental defect in the mechanism of the antibody deficiency in a substantial subset of CVID patients.
Population characteristics predict responses in moose body mass to temporal variation in the environment
Authors: HERFINDAL IVAR , SÆTHER BERNT‐ERIK , SOLBERG ERLING JOHAN , ANDERSEN REIDAR , HØGDA KJELL ARILD
Published: July 2006

A general problem in population ecology is to predict under which conditions stochastic variation in the environment has the stronger effect on ecological processes. By analysing temporal variation in a fitness‐related trait, body mass, in 21 Norwegian moose Alces alces (L.) populations, we examined whether the influence of temporal variation in different environmental variables were related to different parameters that were assumed to reflect important characteristics of the fundamental niche space of the moose.

Body mass during autumn was positively related to early access to fresh vegetation in spring, and to variables reflecting slow phenological development (low June temperature, a long spring with a slow plant progression during spring). In contrast, variables related to food quantity and winter conditions had only a minor influence on temporal variation in body mass.

The magnitude of the effects of environmental variation on body mass was larger in populations with small mean body mass or living at higher densities than in populations with large‐sized individuals or living at lower densities.

These results indicate that the strongest influence of environmental stochasticity on moose body mass occurs towards the borders of the fundamental niche space, and suggests that populations living under good environmental conditions are partly buffered against fluctuations in environmental conditions.
Reorganization of membrane lipids during fast and slow cold hardening in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: OVERGAARD JOHANNES , SØRENSEN JESPER G. , PETERSEN SØREN O. , LOESCHCKE VOLKER , HOLMSTRUP MARTIN
Published: June 2006

Abstract Rapid cold hardening is a naturally occurring phenomenon in insects that is thought to be responsible for increased cold tolerance during diurnal variations in temperature. The underlying physiological mechanisms are still not fully resolved but, in Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen 1830), rapid cold hardening is accompanied by specific changes in the membrane lipid composition. To further understand the link between rapid cold hardening and adjustments in the membrane lipid composition, the present study investigates how different rates of cooling affect thermotolerance and the composition of phospholipid fatty acids. Female Drosophila are cooled gradually from 25 to 0 °C at 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 or 0.5 °C min−1, respectively, and, subsequently, phospholipid fatty acid composition and survival after a 1‐h cold shock at −5 °C is measured. The rapid cold hardening treatments all influence cold tolerance differently so that short and intermediate rapid cold hardening treatments (0.05, 0.1 or 0.5 °C min−1 cooling rates) increase cold shock survival, whereas the slow cooling treatment (0.01 °C min−1) decreases survival relative to an untreated control. The intermediate rapid cold hardening treatments (0.05 or 0.1 °C min−1) induce a similar type of response characterized by an increase in the molar percentage of linoleic acid, 18:2(n‐6), at the expense of 16:0 and 18:1(n‐9), which leads to an increase in the degree of unsaturation. The slowest cooling treatment (0.01 °C min−1) results in a large increase in cis‐16:1(n‐7) and significant reductions in the saturated phospholipid fatty acids 16:0, 18:0 and the unsaturated 16:1(n‐9) and 18:2(n‐6) fatty acids. These changes cause a slight decrease in the average length of the phospholipid fatty acids and an increase in the overall ratio of unsaturated vs. saturated fatty acids. These findings demonstrate that the rate of cooling is important for both the reorganization of membrane lipids, and for the degree of acquired cold tolerance during rapid cold hardening, and they suggest an important role for rapid cold hardening during diurnal rather than seasonal temperature changes.
Shattering the Myth of Legality: The Impact of the Media's Framing of Supreme Court Procedures on Perceptions of Fairness
Authors: Baird Vanessa A. , Gangl Amy
Published: June 2006

The tendency of the media to depict the Supreme Court as inherently apolitical, some scholars argue, is part of the reason that many believe in the “myth of legality” in which the Court is perceived to operate above the ideological skirmishes of everyday politics. Our experimental analyses show that citizens react more negatively to press reports of a politically motivated Court than they do to coverage portraying a Court that strictly follows legal guidelines. Interestingly, our results also suggest that it is not so much the perceived absence of political wrangling among justices but rather it is the presence of legal guidelines driving the outcome that is the source of the perception of fairness.
Diaries and Calendars for Migraine. A Review
Authors: Nappi G , Jensen R , Nappi RE , Sances G , Torelli P , Olesen J
Published: June 2006

Headache is one of the most common types of pain and, in the absence of biological markers, headache diagnosis depends only on information obtained from clinical interviews and physical and neurological examinations. Headache diaries make it possible to record prospectively the characteristics of every attack and the use of headache calendars is indicated for evaluating the time pattern of headache, identifying aggravating factors and evaluating the efficacy of preventive treatment. This may reduce the recall bias and increase accuracy in the description. The use of diagnostic headache diaries does have some limitations because the patient's general acceptance is still limited and some subjects are not able to fill in a diary. In this review, we considered diaries and calendars especially designed for migraine and, in particular, we aimed at: (i) determining what instruments are available in clinical practice for diagnosis and follow-up of treatments; and (ii) describing the tools that have been developed for research and their main applications in the headache field. In addition to the literature review, we added two paragraphs concerning the authors' experience of the use of diaries and calendars in headache centres and their proposals for future areas of research.
Flight from the Ghetto
Authors: Winsberg Morton D.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The movement of middle‐class Blacks from the Black ghettos is a phenomenon which greatly intensified in the 1970s. Using 1980 data for ten Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas with large populations, it was determined that the intensity of the migration varied greatly among the cities, for a variety of different reasons. All ten cities, however, experienced clustering among the middle‐class Blacks who moved from the ghettos. This clustering was usually around large public service institutions, principal employers of the group. Tracts selected by the Black middle class generally have homes more expensive and newer than the tract average, and the period of occupancy of the residents was shorter than the tract average. Usually Black households in White tracts within the Florida cities do not have socioeconomic parity with their White cohorts.
Land Pooling for Resubdivision and New Subdivision in Western Australia
Authors: Archer R.W.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Land pooling is a technique for the unified subdivision of separate private landholdings in urban‐fringe areas. Pooling projects are self‐financing and the costs and profits of each project are shared between the participating landowners. It provides local governments with a powerful tool for implementing their municipal land use plans and for ensuring an adequate supply of urban land. Local governments in Western Australia began using land pooling in 1951, first to redesign and service old, undeveloped subdivision estates (development projects), then to install special infrastructure works in new suburban areas, and later for the progressive development of their municipalities. By 1982 a total of 56 pooling projects ranging from 1.5 to 250 hectares had been undertaken in metropolitan Perth. The technique and its use in the state of Western Australia are described and discussed and improvements 3re proposed. A case history of a typical pooling project is presented in the appendix. The West Australian experience shows that land pooling could be adopted to improve urban development and land supply for housing in the U.S.A. and Canada, and in other mixed‐economy countries.
Land Value Taxation and Housing Development
Authors: Bourassa Steven C.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The effects of land value taxation on housing development are studied in three disparate cities: Pittsburgh, McKeesport, and New Castle, Pennsylvania. These places are examples of three different types of city: central city, suburban city, and relatively isolated city, respectively. Shifting taxes from buildings to land is hypothesized to have different effects in the different types of cities. A liquidity effect, due to increases in the land tax rate, is expected to operate in all three types of cities. An incentive effect, due to decreases in the tax rate on improvements, is expected to function in central cities and, possibly, in relatively isolated cities. It is not expected to be important in suburban cities such as McKeesport. An incentive effect was found in Pittsburgh, but not in the other two cities. No evidence of a liquidity effect was found in any of the three cities. An explanation of why observed effects may not conform with hypotheses is given.
Labor Market Segmentation and Job‐Related Risk
Authors: Graham Julie , Shakow Don M.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Labor market segmentation theory calls into question the neoclassical theory of compensating wage differentials, which posits that workers are compensated for job‐related risk. From the perspective of segmentation theory, one would expect secondary workers to experience greater risk on the job with less likelihood of compensation. An empirical examination of worker samples, using discriminant analysis to construct primary and secondary subsamples, reveals that the wages of primary workers vary directly with the probability of job related death, injury and disease. No such relationship holds for secondary workers, who are also shown to experience significantly higher levels of job related risk and disamenity than their primary counterparts.
The “New Economies” of the People's Republic of China
Authors: Williams Edward E.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. On September 26, 1985, the Communist Party of China Central Committee on the Seventh Five‐Year Plan adopted the outlines of the guiding principles for China's economic and social development for the period 1986–1990. Recently, these principles were reaffirmed with the election of a new Politburo composed of relatively (by Chinese standards) young men who are almost uniformly supportive of the economic reforms that began in China several years ago. These reforms have already considerably altered China economically and otherwise. A country that was once one of the more centralized socialist States in the world has embarked on an ambitious program to create a more efficient economy, one where market forces dire playing an increasingly important role and one where the individual consumer's wants and preferences are receiving substantially more attention. China's major issues resolve around reforming its management system.
Henry George, Protectionism and the Welfare of the Working Class
Authors: Inkster Ian
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Robert J. Rafalko's recent essay in this Journal argued that Henry George provided a view of protectionism which was at once novel and relevant to contemporary debate in economic theory. In response, after arguing that George offered a basically conventional approach to protection and free trade, one which did not deviate substantially from the major body of theory available in the 1880s, this paper goes on to contend that the present debate surrounds assumptions and issues which were not considered in any detail by George. The general work of Henry George was certainly novel and of relevance today, but this may not be said of his position on tariffs and free trade.
Antonio Serra: A Neglected Herald of the Acquisitive System
Authors: Sumberg Theodore A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The spirit of capitalism arose not from a change in religion, as Max Weber claims, but from a break in the philosophic tradition that was initiated by Machiavelli, whose economic consequences were spelled out by the Neapolitan Antonio Serra in a path breaking treatise of 1613. Serra called for an active government promoting manufacturing enterprises that would enjoy ever advancing technology and indefinite declines in unit costs. A newly‐structured market economy would guarantee an ever‐growing consumer basket in an acquisitive system centered in self advantage, national and individual, pursued in independence of traditional moral restraints on avarice. Writing in jail, Serra advances his new and anti‐scholastic ideas with great discretion for fear of persecution by political and ecclesiastical authorities who were, at the time, against innovation of all kinds.
Marshall's Parable of the Meteoric Stones:
Authors: Dooley Pfter C
Published: July 2006

Abstract Marshall defended the classical concepts of land, labor and capital, even though many of his neoclassical contemporaries rejected these old distinctions and explained all factor incomes with a unified and general theory In his parable of the meteoric stones. Marshall illustrated the principles that separately determine rent, quasi‐rent and interest, but he reconciled the old and the new by making special assumptions, which he did not fully explain His theory of rent requires the supply of land to be perfectly inelastic, and his doctrine of quasi‐rent implies that markets are imperfectly competitive
Three Kinds of Economists:
Authors: Copp Carol
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The diversity of thought among American economistsis investigated using samples of the memberships of the American Economic Association, the Union for Radical Political Economists and the Association for Evolutionary Economics. Discriminant analysis reveals a complex web of theoretical and organizational integration and separatism involving theoretical orientation in economics, emulative economists, scholarly research focus, organizational membership, and political values. The modal radical economist espouses a radical political economic philosophy and pursues Marxist/radical scholarship in an academic setting. The modal neoclassical economist, radical in neither disciplinary nor personal political beliefs, is found, more often than the other types, in nonacademic administrative work. Marxist/radical and institutionalist scholarship are mutually exclusive. Other dimensions of the professional role, as well as a number of social and biographical background characteristics, do not differentiate between types of economists.
Simultaneous Multiple Journal Submissions: The Case Against
Authors: Pressman Steven
Published: July 2006

Abstract. Because journals taking so long to review submissions, proposals have been made that authors be permitted to send the same paper to several journals at once. This paper argues that such a reform is ill‐advised. In particular, it will fail to speed up the reviewing process; it wilt fail to advance the careers of individuals who submit their papers to several journals at once; and it will have negative repercussions for the entire profession, because published results will become less reliable under a system of multiple submissions. The paper concludes with some more practical proposals to reduce decision times for submitted papers.
Alumni Contributions to Academics
Authors: Grimes Paul W. , Chressanthis George A.
Published: July 2006

Abstract. The effect of intercollegiate athletics on alumni contributions to the academic endowment of an institution is analyzed empirically. Using time series data from a representative National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I university, a contribution function is estimated which incorporates various measures of success in the major sports programs. After controlling for the population of alumni, student enrollment, state appropriations, and per capita income, the results indicate that contributions are positively related to the overall winning percentage of the intercollegiate sports program. Post season play is not found to be a significant determinant of donations to academics while television appearances are positively related to contributions. The results also suggest that sanctions imposed by the NCAA for rules violation may slightly reduce contributions to academics.