bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Initial ionospheric observations made by the new Resolute incoherent scatter radar and comparison to solar wind IMF
Authors: Bahcivan Hasan , Tsunoda Roland , Nicolls Michael , Heinselman Craig
Published: August 2010

The first Resolute incoherent scatter radar observations of the polar ionospheric F region show the fine control of the ionospheric plasma density and flow (electric field) by the solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). A summary of 8 days of observations is presented and 10 IMF Bz southward turning events during this period are analyzed in terms of the time delay of plasma density enhancements and ionospheric convection intensification with respect to the timing of Bz southward turning. We find that Ne enhancements are strongly tied to strong (≳5 nT) IMF Bz southward turnings; arrive 25–75 mins (depending on MLT) after the IMF pulse arrives at the bowshock nose; last as long as Bz stays southward; contain as small as ∼25 km horizontal substructures; are altitudinally smooth, a characteristic of a solar produced plasma. The most predictable response of ionospheric convection is anti‐sunward flow intensification on average ∼25 mins after Bz southward change.
The ZEB/miR‐200 feedback loop—a motor of cellular plasticity in development and cancer?
Authors: Brabletz Simone , Brabletz Thomas
Published: August 2010

Epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process in development and disease. Zinc‐finger enhancer binding (ZEB) transcription factors (ZEB1 and ZEB2) are crucial EMT activators, whereas members of the miR‐200 family induce epithelial differentiation. They are reciprocally linked in a feedback loop, each strictly controlling the expression of the other. Now data show that EMT not only confers cellular motility, but also induces stem‐cell properties and prevents apoptosis and senescence. Thus the balanced expression of ZEB factors and miR‐200 controls all these processes. We therefore propose that the ZEB/miR‐200 feedback loop is the molecular motor of cellular plasticity in development and disease, and in particular is a driving force for cancer progression towards metastasis by controlling the state of cancer stem cells.
Identification of the BCL2/adenovirus E1B-19K protein-interacting protein 2 (BNIP-2) as a granzyme B target during human natural killer cell-mediated killing
Authors: Scott Gina B. , Bowles Paul A. , Wilson Erica B. , Meade Josephine L. , Low Boon Chuan , Davison Adam , Blair G. Eric , Cook Graham P.
Published: August 2010

Cytotoxic lymphocytes eliminate infected cells and tumours via the perforin-mediated delivery of pro-apoptotic serine proteases known as granzymes. Granzyme B triggers apoptosis via the cleavage of a repertoire of cellular proteins, leading to caspase activation and mitochondrial depolarization. A simple bioinformatics strategy identified a candidate granzyme B cleavage site in the widely expressed BNIP-2 (BCL2/adenovirus E1B-19K protein-interacting protein 2). Granzyme B cleaved recombinant BNIP-2 in vitro and endogenous BNIP-2 was cleaved during the NK (natural killer) cell-mediated killing of tumour cells. Cleavage required the site identified in the bioinformatics screen and was caspase-independent. Expression of either full-length BNIP-2 or a truncated molecule mimicking the granzyme B cleaved form was pro-apoptotic and led to the caspase-dependent cleavage of BNIP-2 at a site distinct from granzyme B cleavage. Inhibition of BNIP-2 expression did not affect the susceptibility to NK cell-mediated killing. Furthermore, target cells in which BID (BH3-interacting domain death agonist) expression was inhibited also remained highly susceptible to NK cell-mediated killing, revealing redundancy in the pro-apoptotic response to human cytotoxic lymphocytes. Such redundancy reduces the opportunity for escape from apoptosis induction and maximizes the chances of immune-mediated clearance of infected cells or tumour cells.
Botulinum neurotoxin serotype D attacks neurons via two carbohydrate-binding sites in a ganglioside-dependent manner
Authors: Strotmeier Jasmin , Lee Kwangkook , Völker Anne K. , Mahrhold Stefan , Zong Yinong , Zeiser Johannes , Zhou Jie , Pich Andreas , Bigalke Hans , Binz Thomas , Rummel Andreas , Jin Rongsheng
Published: August 2010

The extraordinarily high toxicity of botulinum neurotoxins primarily results from their specific binding and uptake into neurons. At motor neurons, the seven BoNT (botulinum neurotoxin) serotypes A–G inhibit acetylcholine release leading to flaccid paralysis. Uptake of BoNT/A, B, E, F and G requires a dual interaction with gangliosides and the synaptic vesicle proteins synaptotagmin or SV2 (synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2), whereas little is known about the cell entry mechanisms of the serotypes C and D, which display the lowest amino acid sequence identity compared with the other five serotypes. In the present study we demonstrate that the neurotoxicity of BoNT/D depends on the presence of gangliosides by employing phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm preparations derived from mice expressing the gangliosides GM3, GM2, GM1 and GD1a, or only GM3 [a description of our use of ganglioside nomenclature is given in Svennerholm (1994) Prog. Brain Res. 101, XI–XIV]. High-resolution crystal structures of the 50 kDa cell-binding domain of BoNT/D alone and in complex with sialic acid, as well as biological analyses of single-site BoNT/D mutants identified two carbohydrate-binding sites. One site is located at a position previously identified in BoNT/A, B, E, F and G, but is lacking the conserved SXWY motif. The other site, co-ordinating one molecule of sialic acid, resembles the second ganglioside-binding pocket (the sialic-acid-binding site) of TeNT (tetanus neurotoxin).
Understanding Expressive Speech Acts: The Role of Prosody and Situational Context in French-Speaking 5- to 9-Year-Olds
Authors: Aguert Marc , Laval Virginie , Le Bigot Ludovic , Bernicot Josie
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study was aimed at determining the role of prosody and situational context in children’s understanding of expressive utterances. Which one of these 2 cues will help children grasp the speaker’s intention? Do children exhibit a “contextual bias” whereby they ignore prosody, such as the “lexical bias” found in other studies (M. Friend & J. Bryant, 2000)?

Method

In the first experiment, a group of 5- to 9-year-old children and a group of adults performed a computerized judgment task. They had to determine the speaker’s intention on the basis of an utterance produced with a particular prosody (positive or negative) in a particular situational context (positive or negative). In the second experiment, the same prosodic utterances were presented to 5- to 9-year-old children without a situational context.

Results

The 5- and 7-year-old children relied primarily on situational context, in contrast to adults, who relied on prosody. The 9-year-olds relied on both cues (Experiment 1). When prosody was the sole cue (Experiment 2), all children relied on this cue to infer the speaker’s intention.

Conclusions

The results are discussed and integrated into a larger conceptual framework that includes research on lexical bias and sarcasm.
Predicting Expressive Vocabulary Acquisition in Children With Intellectual Disabilities: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study
Authors: Vandereet Joke , Maes Bea , Lembrechts Dirk , Zink Inge
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study’s objectives were to describe expressive vocabulary acquisition in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and to examine specific pre- and early linguistic behaviors used to request and comment, chronological age, cognitive skills, and vocabulary comprehension as predictors of expressive vocabulary.

Method

This study included 36 children with ID, age 3;00 (years;months) to 6;05, with an average initial expressive vocabulary of 67 words. Expressive vocabulary acquisition was longitudinally followed over a 2-year period based on 4-monthly administrations of the Dutch version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory/Words and Gestures (I. Zink & M. Lejaegere, 2002). Specific pre- and early linguistic behaviors used to request and comment as well as cognitive skills and vocabulary comprehension were measured at baseline.

Results

Individual growth modeling indicated that vocabulary comprehension was the only unique predictor of initial expressive vocabulary. Subsequent vocabulary growth was uniquely predicted by proportion of bimodal gesture + vocalization comments, chronological age, and cognitive skills.

Conclusions

The results of this study underscore the great heterogeneity in expressive vocabulary skills in children with ID. The importance of prelinguistic communication, chronological age, cognitive skills, and vocabulary comprehension for explaining differences in expressive vocabulary skills is discussed.
Augmented Language Intervention and the Emergence of Symbol-Infused Joint Engagement
Authors: Adamson Lauren B. , Romski MaryAnn , Bakeman Roger , Sevcik Rose A.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study sought to determine whether the effects of 3 parent-coached language interventions—2 focused on augmented communication using a speech-generating device and 1 focused only on speech—for toddlers with developmental delays and fewer than 10 words (M. A. Romski et al., 2010) generalized to children’s joint engagement during interactions with parents that took place outside the intervention context.

Method

Fifty-seven toddlers who participated in one of three parent-coached language interventions were observed both pre- and post-intervention interacting with their parents using a Communication Play Protocol that produced samples of communication related to social interacting, requesting, and commenting. Their engagement states were reliably coded from the videorecords of these interactions.

Results

Symbol-infused joint engagement of children in all 3 intervention groups increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention. The amount of symbol-infused joint engagement observed post-intervention was significantly associated with whether or not the child produced spoken words and, for children in the 2 augmented conditions, the number of augmented words used during the last intervention session.

Conclusions

The effects of parent-coached augmented language interventions generalize to children’s engagement in child–parent interactions outside the intervention context in ways that may facilitate additional language acquisition.
Single tooth bite forces in healthy young adults
Authors: Ferrario V. F. , Sforza C. , Serrao G. , Dellavia C. , Tartaglia G. M.
Published: August 2010

summary  The assessment of bite forces on healthy single tooth appears essential for a correct quantification of the actual impact of single implant oral rehabilitations. In the present study, a new single tooth strain‐gauge bite transducer was used in 52 healthy young adults (36 men, 16 women) with a complete permanent dentition. The influences of tooth position along the dental arch, of side, and of sex, on maximum bite force were assessed by an anova. No significant left–right differences were found. On average, in both sexes the lowest bite force was recorded on the incisors (40–48% of maximum single tooth bite force), the largest force was recorded on the first molar. Bite forces were larger in men than in women (P < 0·002), and increased monotonically along the arch until the first or second permanent molar (P < 0·0001). The present data can be used as reference values for the comparison of dental forces in patients.
Comment on “Application of Kolmogorov entropy to the self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron lasers” [Phys. Plasmas 11, 1663 (2004)]
Authors: Maraghechi B. , Salehi Elham
Published: August 2010

Zhang and Elgin [Phys. Plasmas 11, 1663 (2004)] studied the dynamical stability of electron trajectories in a free-electron laser (FEL). We have shown that their trajectories are not confined and diverge when self-fields are included or when the adiabatic wiggler magnetic field is removed. Therefore, their results are not relevant to FELs and to the experiment on which their study is based upon.
Photoperiod affects the flowering time of field-sown balansa clover
Authors: Monks D. P. , Moot D. J. , Scott W. R.
Published: August 2010

Two cultivars of balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum Savi.) were sown on eight occasions from 14 October 2005 to 5 February 2007 in Canterbury, New Zealand, which gave a range of photoperiod at emergence between 8.6 and 15.7 h. The duration from emergence to flowering was related to the length and direction of change in photoperiod at the time of emergence. Thermal time (Tt) from emergence to flowering was constant at ~620 degree-days for ‘Bolta’ and ~365 degree-days for ‘Frontier’ balansa clover plants, provided they emerged into increasing photoperiods. For plants that emerged into decreasing photoperiods, Tt from emergence to flowering decreased from ~1500 to ~630 degree-days for ‘Bolta’ but was constant at ~690 degree-days for ‘Frontier’. Models are presented to predict the Tt requirement from emergence to flowering for ‘Bolta’, ‘Frontier’ and, based on reanalysed data, CPI45856 balansa clovers in relation to daylength at emergence. These results are discussed in relation to farm sowing and management practices.
Persistence and productivity of Medicago sativa subspecies sativa, caerulea, falcata and varia accessions at three intermittently dry sites in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Li G. D. , Nie Z. N. , Boschma S. P. , Dear B. S. , Lodge G. M. , Hayes R. C. , Clark B. , Hughes S. J. , Humphries A. W.
Published: August 2010

The persistence and productivity of a diverse range of Medicago sativa germplasm including representatives of subspecies sativa, caerulea, falcata and varia were examined at 3 field sites in south-eastern Australia over 4 years. Sites were located at Tamworth, Barmedman and Hamilton, forming a 1200 km north–south transect with rainfall distribution varying from predominantly summer dominant in the north to winter dominant at the most southerly site. Several entries of subspecies varia and caerulea had herbage yields and persistence equivalent to that of M. sativa subspecies sativa cultivar Sceptre, a highly winter-active type that was used as a standard. The cultivar Cancreep, a cross of M. falcata and M. sativa, had a total yield over 3 years equivalent to 84–91% of Sceptre at the 2 sites where it was sown. Individual lines of subspecies varia demonstrated good persistence under grazing and were ranked 2nd and 6th out of 35 accessions for frequency in year 4 at Barmedman, the driest site, and 5th, 7th and 9th out of 33 accessions at Tamworth, the more summer-dominant rainfall site. Entries of subspecies falcata were among the least productive and persistent. The study indicated that germplasm from subspecies caerulea and varia offered hitherto unexploited potential for selection as persistent and drought-tolerant perennial legume alternatives to M. sativa for extensive low management grazing systems of south-eastern Australia.
Ecological responses to variable water regimes in arid-zone wetlands: Coongie Lakes, Australia
Authors: Puckridge J. T. , Costelloe J. F. , Reid J. R. W.
Published: August 2010

In dryland rivers, interactions between flow variability and complex geomorphology expose floodplain wetlands to long-term patterns of flooding and drying and highly variable short-term events. We consider whether the abundance and diversity of fish, macroinvertebrate and zooplankton communities in wetlands of the Coongie Lakes complex are influenced by long-term water regimes. To relate biological changes to changes in water regime, mean values of assemblage indices were ranked and correlated against ranked frequency of drying (i.e. water retention) in each waterbody. As water-retention time increased, fish species diversity (richness, evenness) and disease incidence rose, and fish species dominance and macroinvertebrate abundance decreased. The more mobile species of fish utilised the habitats and food resources provided by newly flooded waterbodies. We conclude that fish populations utilise wetlands with a variety of water regimes, and reductions in the frequency of inundation will decrease fish diversity with sequential losses of less mobile species.
Are alien fish disadvantaged by extremely variable flow regimes in arid-zone rivers?
Authors: Costelloe J. F. , Reid J. R. W. , Pritchard J. C. , Puckridge J. T. , Bailey V. E. , Hudson P. J.
Published: August 2010

The proliferation of alien fish in dryland rivers potentially obstructs the maintenance of river health. Modified flow regimes are hypothesised to facilitate invasions by alien fish but in unregulated dryland rivers, large floods provide a recruitment advantage for native over alien species whereas droughts favour alien species. We tested these hypotheses by using data from a 3-year study (2000–2003) of fish populations in the unmodified rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin (LEB) of Australia. Results from a lower reach of Cooper Creek were compared with those of an earlier study (1986–1992). During both periods, large floods occurred, with return periods ranging from >1 in 5 to >1 in 25 years. In the lower Cooper, decreases in the abundance of alien species relative to native species, and dramatic increases in recruitment of native species, were observed during a 1–3-year period following large floods. In two other rivers in 2000–2003, there was no statistically significant change in the already low abundances of alien species. We suggest that the naturally variable hydrological regimes and native-dominant fish assemblages of the unregulated LEB rivers afford some resistance to the establishment and proliferation of alien fish through flood and drought conditions.
Multi-scale environmental factors explain fish losses and refuge quality in drying waterholes of Cooper Creek, an Australian arid-zone river
Authors: Arthington Angela H. , Olden Julian D. , Balcombe Stephen R. , Thoms Martin C.
Published: August 2010

Many rivers experience intermittent flows naturally or as a consequence of water abstraction. Climate change is likely to exacerbate flow variability such that dry spells may become more common. It is important to understand the ecological consequences of flow intermittency and habitat fragmentation in rivers, and to identify and protect habitat patches that provide refugia for aquatic biota. This paper explores environmental factors influencing dry season fish losses from isolated waterbodies in Cooper Creek, an unregulated arid-zone river in the Lake Eyre Basin, Australia. Multivariate ordination techniques and classification and regression trees (CART) were used to decompose species–environment relationships into a hierarchically structured data set, and to determine factors explaining changes in fish assemblage structure and species losses over a single dry season. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) explained 74% of fish assemblage change in terms of waterhole morphology (wetted perimeter, depth), habitat structure (bench development, off-take channels), waterhole quality (eroded banks, gross primary production), the size of surrounding floodplains and the relative isolation of waterholes. Classification trees for endemic and restricted species reaffirmed the importance of these waterhole and floodplain variables as drivers of fish losses. The CCA and CART models offer valuable tools for identification of refugia in Cooper Creek and, possibly, other dryland rivers.
Food web dynamics in an Australian Wet Tropics river
Authors: Rayner Thomas S. , Pusey Bradley J. , Pearson Richard G. , Godfrey Paul C.
Published: August 2010

In Australia’s Wet Tropics rivers, perennial base flows punctuated by wet season floods drive instream responses across a range of spatial and temporal scales. We combined gut-content and stable-isotope analyses to produce preliminary webs depicting trophic links between fish, their main prey items and basal productivity sources. We then used these webs to test the applicability of general food web principles developed in other tropical systems. Although a range of sources appeared to underpin fish productivity, a large portion of total energy transfer occurred through a subset of trophic links. Variability in food web structure was negatively correlated with spatial scale, being seasonally stable at river reaches and variable at smaller scales. Wet Tropics rivers are similar to those in other tropical areas, but exhibit some unique characteristics. Their high degree of channel incision improves longitudinal connectivity, thereby allowing fish to move between mesohabitats and target their preferred prey items, rather than shifting their diet as resources fluctuate. However, this also inhibits lateral connectivity and limits terrestrial energy inputs from beyond the littoral zone.
Characteristics of solution gated field effect transistors on the basis of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide
Authors: Ristein Jürgen , Zhang Wenying , Speck Florian , Ostler Markus , Ley Lothar , Seyller Thomas
Published: August 2010

A solution gated field effect transistor has been fabricated on epitaxial single-layer graphene on 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1). Output and transfer characteristics were systematically studied as a function of electrolyte pH. The transfer characteristics of the device show a pH dependent shift of 19 ± 1 mV/pH. From the minimum sheet conductivity observed, an average charge carrier mobility of 1800 ± 100 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature has been inferred. It turns out that the Fermi level in the graphene layer is strongly pinned in the vicinity of the Dirac point. The analysis of the transfer characteristics is consistent with a concentration of 4 × 1014 cm−2 interface states at 0.1 eV below the Dirac energy that is presumably associated with the
-reconstruction at the interface between SiC(0 0 0 1) and graphene.
Statistical properties of the spectrum of the extended Bose–Hubbard model
Authors: Kollath Corinna , Roux Guillaume , Biroli Giulio , Läuchli Andreas M
Published: August 2010

Motivated by the role that spectral properties play for the dynamical evolution of a
quantum many-body system, we investigate the level spacing statistics of the extended
Bose–Hubbard model. In particular, we focus on the distribution of the ratio
of adjacent level spacings, useful at large interactions, to distinguish between
chaotic and non-chaotic regimes. After revisiting the bare Bose–Hubbard model, we
study the effect of two different perturbations: next-nearest-neighbor hopping and
nearest-neighbor interaction. The system size dependence is investigated together with
the effect of the proximity to integrable points or lines. Lastly, we discuss the
consequences of a cutoff in the number of onsite bosons on the level statistics.
Isolation and genotyping of Acanthamoeba strains from corneal infections in Italy
Authors: Gatti Simonetta , Rama Paolo , Matuska Stanislav , Berrilli Federica , Cavallero Annalisa , Carletti Silvia , Bruno Antonella , Maserati Roberta , Di Cave David
Published: August 2010

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal disease caused by members of a genus of free-living amoebae and is associated predominantly with contact lens (CL) use. This study reports 16 cases of culture-proven AK diagnosed in northern Italy. Genotype identification was carried out with a PCR assay based on sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene, and sensitivity and specificity were evaluated in comparison with traditional parasitological techniques. A 405 bp region of the 18S rRNA gene (ASA.S1) including diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3) was amplified using the genus-specific primers JDP1 and JDP2. Genotype assignment was based on phenetic analysis of the ASA.S1 subset of the nuclear small-subunit rRNA gene sequence excluding the highly variable DF3 region. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed on the sequences obtained. All patients complained of monolateral infection; 11 (68.75%) admitted improper CL disinfection. In 14/16 (87.5 %) subjects, corneal scrapings were stained with calcofluor white and haematoxylin and eosin and, in ten cases (62.5 %), microscopy was positive for Acanthamoeba cysts. In vitro culture on 3 % non-nutrient agar plates was obtained in all cases (100 %), whereas cloning and axenic growth were positive for 14 amoebic stocks (87.5 %). PCR analysis had 100 % sensitivity and specificity compared with in vitro axenic culture, showing positive amplification from 15 isolates. All Acanthamoeba strains belonged to the T4 genotype, the main AK-related genotype worldwide. These results confirmed the importance of a complete diagnostic protocol, including a PCR assay, for the clinical diagnosis of AK on biological samples. Genotyping allowed inclusion of all isolates in the T4 group, thus demonstrating the prevalence of this genotype in northern Italy.
Identification of mutants with altered phenazine production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Liang Haihua , Duan Jiali , Sibley Christopher D. , Surette Michael G. , Duan Kangmin
Published: August 2010

Pseudomonas aeruginosais an opportunistic human pathogen that causes serious and chronic infections. Many secondary metabolites are secreted throughout its growth, among which phenazine is a known virulence factor and signalling molecule. Phenazine is coordinately controlled by the global regulatory quorum-sensing (QS) systems. Despite the detailed understanding of phenazine biosynthesis pathways inP. aeruginosa, the regulatory networks are still not fully clear. In the present study, the regulation of thephzA1B1C1D1E1F1G1operon (phzA1) has been investigated. Screening of 5000 transposon mutants revealed 14 interrupted genes with alteredphzA1expression, includingPA2593(QteE), which has been identified as a novel regulator of the QS system. Overexpression ofqteEinP. aeruginosasignificantly reduced the accumulation of homoserine lactone signals and affected the QS-controlled phenotypes such as the production of pyocyanin, rhamnolipids and LasA protease and swarming motility. Indeed, overexpression ofqteEinP. aeruginosaattenuated its pathogenicity in the potato and fruit fly infection models. These findings suggest thatqteEplays an important role inP. aeruginosapathogenicity and is part of the regulatory networks controlling phenazine production.
Essential histidine pairs indicate conserved haem binding in epsilonproteobacterial cytochrome c haem lyases
Authors: Kern Melanie , Scheithauer Juliane , Kranz Robert G. , Simon Jörg
Published: August 2010

Bacterial cytochrome c maturation occurs at the outside of the cytoplasmic membrane, requires transport of haem b across the membrane, and depends on membrane-bound cytochrome c haem lyase (CCHL), an enzyme that catalyses covalent attachment of haem b to apocytochrome c. Epsilonproteobacteria such as Wolinella succinogenes use the cytochrome c biogenesis system II and contain unusually large CCHL proteins of about 900 amino acid residues that appear to be fusions of the CcsB and CcsA proteins found in other bacteria. CcsBA-type CCHLs have been proposed to act as haem transporters that contain two haem b coordination sites located at different sides of the membrane and formed by histidine pairs. W. succinogenes cells contain three CcsBA-type CCHL isoenzymes (NrfI, CcsA1 and CcsA2) that are known to differ in their specificity for apocytochromes and apparently recognize different haem c binding motifs such as CX2CH (by CcsA2), CX2CK (by NrfI) and CX15CH (by CcsA1). In this study, conserved histidine residues were individually replaced by alanine in each of the W. succinogenes CCHLs. Characterization of NrfI and CcsA1 variants in W. succinogenes demonstrated that a set of four histidines is essential for maturing the dedicated multihaem cytochromes c NrfA and MccA, respectively. The function of W. succinogenes CcsA2 variants produced in Escherichia coli was also found to depend on each of these four conserved histidine residues. The presence of imidazole in the growth medium of both W. succinogenes and E. coli rescued the cytochrome c biogenesis activity of most histidine variants, albeit to different extents, thereby implying the presence of two functionally distinct histidine pairs in each CCHL. The data support a model in which two conserved haem b binding sites are involved in haem transport catalysed by CcsBA-type CCHLs.
Repatriation of Export Revenues: Will a 100% Requirement Make a Difference?
Authors: Westin Peter
Published: August 2010

At the beginning of this year, there were signs that the government wanted toimplement further exchange rate restrictions. One of these was an increase of the repatriation requirement for export revenue from the current 75% to 100%. This requirements refers to the share of export revenues that has to be sold on the currency market. Exporters have to return all proceeds from exports to Russia. Back in October 1998, two months into the crisis, the government introduced a 50% repatriation rate for export revenue, and then increased it to 75% in mid‐January 1999. In mid‐March amendments were made allowing exporters who were using 25% of revenues for servicing foreign loans to repatriate only 50%, with the 75% level still applicable to other exporters. The government's objective is to ensure an increase in export revenues returning to Russia, and to help maintain the rouble exchange rate. Since then the government has announced the abolishment of this measure; at best, it has postponed it until the second half of this year. Nevertheless, in this report we briefly analyse the effect of repatriation as experienced so far, in order to make tentative predictions about the effectiveness of a higher repatriation requirement.
Market Competition and Firm Performance in Russia
Authors: Brown David , Earle John
Published: August 2010

The report is based on the test, which measures whether foreign and domestic product market as well as domestic factor market competition affect firm efficiency, using a 1992‐1998 panel of 14,961 Russian industrial firms, covering 75 percent of industrial employment in 1992. The results provide strong evidence that domestic product market competition, import competition, and local labor market competition have strong positive effects on firm efficiency. The impact of liberalization appears only gradually in the domestic product market, taking about four years to attain 90 percent of the long‐run value, but we find no such lags with respect to import competition or labor market competition. The degree of local competition appears to have more of an effect than national competition, suggesting that markets are geographically segmented. Better transportation infrastructure appears to turn potential product market competition into actual competition, while at the same time reducing firms' monopsony power on the labor market by facilitating worker mobility across municipalities. We also find that non‐state firms outperform state enterprises, even after controlling for selection bias in the determination of ownership. The results suggest that a reduction in import barriers, investment in transportation infrastructure, and elimination of interregional administrative trade barriers would stimulate industrial growth.
Russia's External Debt, Solvency and Options for Alternative Capital Inflow
Authors: Pautola Niina
Published: August 2010

At the beginning of this year, Russia owed about $158 bn to foreign governments, Western banks, and multinational lending agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Russia inherited a part of this debt burden from the former Soviet Union, while the rest of it has been accumulated during the transition years. The analysis in the report suggests that the problems of Russia's ability to service its external debt and the solutions to these problems are to be found in structural issues (especially fiscal issues) rather than in features of the current account. The short‐term alternatives for financing Russia's external debt are limited. Significant budget cuts in government spending are unlikely in the near future, money printing would only add to inflation, and receipt of new credits is neither likely nor recommended. The hope of investors who are interested in Russia is that the government will take the route of structural reform. The money earned from Russia's trade surplus remains a significant source for debt finance. However, the extent to which Russia can rely on this source depends greatly on world market developments, particularly changes in natural resource prices. Also the Russian authorities will only be able to reap the full benefit of the trade surplus if they can drastically reduce capital flight, which again leads us back to the necessity of structural reforms. In the long‐run, without significant improvements in state finances and the investment climate, Russia will continue to have difficulty in making external debt payments and attracting new financing from international capital markets. A debt write‐off deal with the Paris Club similar to that, which Russia reached with the London‐Club, would ease the debt burden in the short‐run. However, this would not solve the fundamental problems. Instead, the long‐term solutions lies in new investments, which are the engine of sustainable economic growth. Structural reforms, starting with tax reform, will encourage investments and also encourage people to pay taxes. An increase in real income stimulated by investments also leads to an increase in tax revenue, provided that fiscal discipline is maintained. It remains to be seen whether Russian decision makers have enough political will and fiscal discipline to move from words to actions and implement long‐promised structural reforms.
Strategies of Russian Workers in Adapting to Market Reforms
Authors: Popova Daria
Published: August 2010

Economic transition in the early 1990s brought cardinal changes in the Russian labour market that entailed a steep fall in living standards of the population and widening of income inequality. By the end of the decade, only half of workers have managed to adapt themselves to the new economic conditions. Furthermore, in most cases this has been achieved not through highly paid employment and active behaviour in the labour market but thanks to incomes of other family members and additional non‐monetary incomes. The half of workers, who have failed to adapt, live in families with aggregate per capita income too low to cross the poverty threshold.
Domestic Monetary Policy and World Oil Prices
Authors: Drobyshevsky Sergey
Published: August 2010

In 2000 and 2001 Russia faced a puzzle: high world oil prices, while ensuring GDP growth and strong fiscal balance, generated serious problems for domestic monetary and exchange rate policies. The Central Bank was forced to buy excess foreign exchange supply on the market, thereby paving the way for monetary expansion and inflation. On the other hand, the Central Bank’s rejection of rouble interventions in the forex market would have resulted in nominal appreciation of the rouble. In either case the outcome is fast real appreciation of the rouble, deterioration of the current account and slowdown of the economy. This article attempts to provide grounds for optimal monetary policy choice within the framework of a theoretical model of an open economy, which is similar to that of Russia in 2000 and 2001.
Statistics on Savings and Investment in Russia
Authors: Stroutchenevski Anton
Published: August 2010

This article presents basic concepts of flow of funds analysis, with application to the Russian economy. Flow of funds analysis can be used to examine private and public savings in an economy, investment decisions of economic agents, development of the financial system and its stability, and prospects for economic growth. Flow of funds accounts are a component of the System of National Accounts (SNA). They integrate capital and financial accounts of the SNA in a single framework of sources and uses of financial flows. Flow of funds accounts provide information about savings of individual sectors and their investment decisions. Monetary authorities, the IMF and World Bank, and business analysts use flow of funds accounts as a tool of analysis. For example, the Federal Reserve System of the US and the German Bundesbank regularly estimate and publish flow of funds accounts for their economies. This method also lies at the heart of financial programming ‐ the approach used by the IMF and the World Bank in their macroeconomic analysis.

Russian financial statistics have improved much over recent years. The Central Bank of Russia, Goskomstat, and the Ministry of Finance provide quite detailed information on financial transactions. In spite of this, official estimations of flow of funds accounts and the financial account are still unavailable though some experimental calculations have been made by the staff of the Central Bank. However, there are at least two Russian think‐tanks ‐ the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Institute for Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Science (IEF) ‐ that try to fill this information vacuum. The BEA estimates traditional flow of funds accounts, the IEF ‐ the so‐called Social Accounting Matrixes, which include the financial account. In this article we will use flow of funds accounts estimated by the BEA.
The Performance of Savings and Investments in Russia
Authors: Stroutchenevski Anton
Published: August 2010

This article analyses the problem of economic growth in transition countries. It is argued that growth in transition economies is investment‐driven. The saving ratio and balance of payments are two factors among several, which can limit economic growth, and we concentrate on these issues, using flow of funds accounts in our analysis. We find that there is no limitation for investment‐driven growth in Russia, at least in the short and middle term. Enterprises are the most important savers, and private savings are concentrated in the fuel sector, transport and in trade and catering. Hence, the investment decisions of these industries determine Russia’s macroeconomic performance.
Trends in Professional Education in Russia
Authors: Poletayev Andrei , Savelyeva Irina
Published: August 2010

In the first part of the article we analysed general trends in supply of and demand for educational services. It is obvious, though, that demand for educational services differs between different population groups. In the second part of the article we will examine the three main parameters characterising these group differences: age group, level of preceding education and gender.
Neutrophilic Dermatosis Secondary to Imatinib Therapy in a Patient with CML: A Case Report
Authors: Ayirookuzhi S.J. , Ma L , Ramshesh P. , Mills G.
Published: August 2010

A 53 year old woman with CML in the chronic phase received therapy with Imatinib on two separate occasions. Both occasions were followed by the development of an abrupt onset of skin lesions characterized by painful and tender erythematous plaques and nodules on the upper extremities that subsequently resolved with hyperpigmentation. The patient was also found to have pleural and pericardial effusions. She had a WBC count of 57,250 cells per mm3, a platelet count of 740,000 per mm3 and a single temperature spike of 100.4 °F. Over the course of a week the WBC count dropped to 51,520 cells per mm3 but the percent of mature neutrophils rose to 55%. Imatinib was discontinued and steroid therapy led to resolution of the skin lesions with residual pigmentation. A skin biopsy was obtained that showed neutrophilic dermatosis with epidermal sparing consistent with Sweet's syndrome but with atypical features such as extension into deep dermis and subcutaneous fat. Lab work up including blood cultures and bacterial, fungal and mycobacterial cultures of the skin as well as special stains of the skin biopsy specimen failed to reveal any microbiological etiology.
Pustular Drug Eruption to Voriconazole
Authors: Greene L. , Zavod M. , Krusinski P. , Roseman D. , Hausrath S. , Bosenberg M. , Cook D.
Published: August 2010

A 52‐year‐old male with Crohn’s disease presented with florid pustulosis of the face and trunk. Six months prior to presentation, he received amphotericin for pulmonary aspergillosis. Amphotericin was discontinued after five months due to toxicity, and pharmacotherapy was changed to voriconazole. After four weeks of voriconazole, the acneiform eruption occurred which prompted referral to dermatology. Physical examination revealed innumerable 0.5 cm–1.5 cm pustules, cysts, and inflammatory papules concentrated predominantly over the central face, ears, and conjunctiva, but also involving the chest, shoulders, and back. The clinical differential diagnosis included suppurative folliculitis, papulonecrotic tuberculid, cutaneous Crohn’s disease, acne fulminans, and pustular drug eruption. Multiple biopsies demonstrated diffuse neutrophilic and granulomatous dermal inflammation in a predominantly follicular and perifollicular distribution. Microorganisms were not identified by either histology or culture. The histologic differential diagnosis included cutaneous Crohn’s disease and pustular drug eruption. Voriconazole was discontinued with gradual clearing of the skin lesions. Three months later, worsening of the pulmonary disease necessitated restarting voriconazole. A recurrent pustular eruption, similar to the original eruption, occurred within weeks and subsequently cleared upon discontinuation of voriconazole. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported case of a voriconazole induced pustular drug eruption.
Displacement of Dermal Solar Elastosis in Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Howard M. L. , Evans T. N. , Horenstein M. G.
Published: August 2010

Background: Sun exposure plays an important role in the pathogenesis of melanoma. Melanocytic lesions occur in sun‐exposed skin and protected skin. Here we study the histologic interaction of benign and malignant melanocytic lesions and solar elastosis (SE). Design: We selected 15 invasive malignant melanomas (MM) and 6 benign melanocytic nevi (MN) occurring in sun exposed areas in patients with significant SE. We measured SE thickness in perilesional skin and SE displacement in lesional skin. Results: SE thickness was 0.64 +/− 0.11 mm in MM, and 0.38 +/− 0.06 in MN (P < 0.05). SE displacement was 1.02 + /−0.85 mm in MM, and 0.44 +/− 0.30 in MN (P < 0.05). Tumor cells and host response were responsible for displacement of SE in MM. Thickness of displaced SE was decreased in 6 MM and 1 MN (attenuation), unchanged in 7 MM and 4 MN and increased in 2 MM and 1 MN. Conclusion: Displacement of SE may be helpful in the diagnosis of MM. In MM the newly formed tumor and associated host response appear to push down the preexisting solar elastosis. Conversely, long standing benign MN in sun exposed areas appear to coexist with the SE without significant displacement.
Recurrent Neutrophilic Eccrine Hidradenitis
Authors: Kucenic M. , Fraga G. , Belsito D. , Patterson J. , Ashby J.
Published: August 2010

A 34‐year‐old female with acute myelogenous leukemia underwent induction chemotherapy with cytarabine (Ara‐c) and idarubicin. Seven days later, while on broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy, she simultaneously developed fever coupled with painful, pruritic, and erythematous plaques on the face, neck, and chest along with marked edema and erythema of both palms and one sole. With negative blood cultures and a skin biopsy showing epithelial cell vacuolar degeneration and neutrophilic infiltrates surrounding eccrine gland coils, a diagnosis of neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis (NEH) was rendered. Treatment with oral dapsone rapidly cleared the eruption. During her first consolidation with Ara‐C and idarubicin four weeks later, a similar febrile cutaneous eruption occurred and again dapsone therapy led to resolution. For subsequent consolidation courses, pre‐medication with dapsone was instituted and the patient remained eruption‐free. NEH is a rare and often misdiagnosed disorder. Multiple chemotherapy medications have been implicated as etiologic agents including Ara‐c, cyclophosphamide, topotecan, bleomycin, and mitoxantrone. Current oncologic induction‐consolidation protocols carry the potential for recurrent NEH in predisposed patients. As this is only the second report of prophylactic dapsone therapy for NEH, further investigation into this topic is warranted.
Primary Cutaneous Neuroendocrine Cell Tumor (Merkel Cell Carcinoma) with Prominent Tubulo‐Glandular Features, Mimicking Eccrine Carcinoma
Authors: Li Ning , Zook Paula , Argenyi Zsolt
Published: August 2010

Although cutaneous Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) may show divergent differentiation including tubular/glandular, squamous, eccrine, and rhabdomyoblastic differentiation, a diffuse glandular pattern is exceedingly rare. Herein, we present a case of MCC with prominent tubulo‐glandular differentiation, which precluded a definitive diagnosis in the initial punch biopsy. The patient was a 43 year‐old male with 5–6 weeks history of a rapidly growing plaque at his back. A punch biopsy revealed an infiltrating lesion consisting of tubulo‐glandular structures lined by hyperchromatic basaloid cells, along with some angulated, basaloid tumor nests embedded in a desmoplastic stroma. Immunostains revealed that the tumor cells were strongly positive for chromogranin and BerEP4, variably positive for CK7 and CK5/6, but negative for CK20, synaptophysin, S‐100, EMA, GCDFP‐15, ER/PR, TTF1 and CEA. The reexcision specimen showed multifocal epidermotropism and typical finely stippled nuclear chromatin. Although the lack of CK20 staining is unusual, the histologic characteristics along with the remaining immunohistochemical studies favor the diagnosis of a primary cutaneous neuroendocrine cell carcinoma (MCC) over the variants of microcystic adnexal carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. Our case illustrates that prominent glandular differentiation may occur in MCC, and sometime create difficulty in definitive diagnosis in small biopsy specimen.
Cutaneous and Systemic Plasmacytosis
Authors: Ma L. , Leonard A. , Kamino H. , Meehan S.
Published: August 2010

A 67‐year‐old Chinese man presented with a longstanding history of asymptomatic, brown‐red macules that diffusely involved his trunk and the extremities and was associated with generalized lymphadenopathy. His serum protein electrophoresis revealed a polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. No monoclonal Bence Jones protein was detected in the urine. Flow cytometry of his peripheral blood revealed a normal polyclonal population of B and T cells. Histopathologic examination demonstrated a dense nodular infiltrate of lymphocytes and numerous mature plasma cells in the reticular dermis. Immunoperoxidase studies for kappa and lambda light chains failed to demonstrate clonality. In addition, immunoglobulin gene rearrangement studies failed to reveal a monoclonal band. A bone marrow biopsy showed no abnormality. Cutaneous and systemic plasmacytosis is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of cutaneous infiltrates in which plasma cells predominate.