bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Fully Automated Sequential‐Injection Analyser for Dual Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence/Amperometric Detection
Authors: Economou Anastasios , Nika Maria
Published: June 2006

This work describes the development of a dedicated, fully automated sequential‐injection analysis (SIA) apparatus suitable for simultaneous electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) and amperometric detection. The instrument is composed of a peristaltic pump, a multiposition selection valve, a home‐made potentiostat, a thin‐layer electrochemical/optical flow‐through cell, and a light detector. Control of the experimental sequence and simultaneous data acquisition of the light and the current intensities were performed in LabVIEW6.1. The CL reagents and the sample were first aspirated as distinct zones into the holding coil of the analyser and, then, delivered to the cell; during their travel, the individual zones mixed and the ECL reaction was initiated as soon as the mixed regents reached the cell. The utility of the analyser was demonstrated for the detection of oxalate and H2O2based on their ECL reactions with Ru(bpy)3 2and luminol, respectively.
Sumudu transform fundamental properties investigations andapplications
Authors: Belgacem Fethi Bin Muhammed , Karaballi Ahmed Abdullatif
Published: June 2006

The Sumudu transform, whose fundamental properties are presented
in this paper, is still not widely known, nor used. Having scale
and unit‐preserving properties, the Sumudu transform may be used
to solve problems without resorting to a new frequency domain. In
2003, Belgacem et al have shown it to be the theoretical dual to
the Laplace transform, and hence ought to rival it in problem
solving. Here, using the Laplace‐Sumudu duality (LSD), we avail
the reader with a complex formulation for the inverse Sumudu
transform. Furthermore, we generalize all existing Sumudu
differentiation, integration, and convolution theorems in the
existing literature. We also generalize all existing Sumudu
shifting theorems, and introduce new results and recurrence
results, in this regard. Moreover, we use the Sumudu shift
theorems to introduce a paradigm shift into the thinking of
transform usage, with respect to solving differential equations,
that may be unique to this transform due to its unit‐preserving
properties. Finally, we provide a large and more comprehensive
list of Sumudu transforms of functions than is available in the
literature.
Parkinson′s Disease in Relation to Pesticide Exposure and Nuclear Encoded Mitochondrial Complex I Gene Variants
Authors: Corder Elizabeth H. , Mellick George D.
Published: June 2006

Parkinson′s disease (PD) is a common age‐related neurodegenerative disorder thought to result from the integrated effects of genetic background and exposure to neuronal toxins. Certain individual nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial complex I gene polymorphisms were found to be associated with ∼2‐fold risk variation in an Australian case‐control sample. We further characterized this sample of 306 cases and 321 controls to determine the mutual information contained in the 22 SNPs and, additionally, level of pesticide exposure: five distinct risk sets were identified using grade‐of‐membership analysis. Of these, one was robust to pesticide exposure (I), three were vulnerable (II, III, IV), and another (V) denoted low risk for unexposed persons. Risk for individual subjects varied >16‐fold according to level of membership in the vulnerable groups. We conclude that inherited variation in mitochondrial complex I genes and pesticide exposure together modulate risk for PD.
Adenovirus‐Mediated In Vivo Silencing of Anaphylatoxin Receptor C5aR
Authors: Sun Lei , Gao Hongwei , Sarma Vidya J. , Guo Ren-feng , Ward Peter A.
Published: June 2006

C5a, one of the most potent inflammatory peptides, induces its
inflammatory functions by interacting with C5a receptor (C5aR)
that belongs to the rhodopsin family of seven‐transmembrane G
protein‐coupled receptors. C5a/C5aR signaling has been implicated
in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory and immunological
diseases such as sepsis and acute lung injury. Widespread
upregulation of C5aR has been seen at both the protein level and
transcriptional level under pathological conditions. Here, we show
that C5aR gene expression can be specifically suppressed by siRNA,
both in vitro and in vivo. A panel of chemically siRNA
oligonucleotides was first synthesized to identify the functional
siRNA sequences. The short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were also
designed, cloned, and tested for the silencing effects in C5aR
transfected cells. The effective shRNA expression cassettes were
then transferred to an adenovirus DNA vector. ShRNA‐expressing
adenoviruses were intratracheally administered into mouse lung,
and a significant in vivo silencing of C5aR was obtained four days
after administration. Thus, C5aR shRNA‐expressing adenoviruses
appear to be an alternative strategy for the treatment of
complement‐induced disorders.
Evidence of a Genomic Biomarker in Normal Human Epithelial Mammary Cell Line, MCF‐10A, That Is Absent in the Human Breast Cancer Cell Line, MCF‐7
Authors: Crawford Brian H. , Hussain AKM A. , Jideama Nathan M.
Published: June 2006

This study investigated the use of DNA amplification
fingerprinting (DAF) to identify biomarkers useful in the
elucidating genetic factors that lead to carcinogenesis. The DNA
amplification fingerprinting (DAF) technique was used to generate
fingerprint profiles of a normal human mammary epithelial cell
line (MCF‐10A) and a human breast cancer cell line (MCF‐7).
When compared with one another, a polymorphic biomarker gene
(262 base pairs (bps)) was identified in MCF‐10A but was not present in MCF‐7. This gene was cloned from the genomic DNA of
the MCF‐10A cell line, and subjected to Genbank database
analysis. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence polymorphic
marker (Genbank account: AC079630) shows that this biomarker has 100% homology with the nucleotide sequence of human
chromosome 12 BAC RP11‐476D10 (bps 19612‐19353). The nucleotide sequence was used for possible protein translation
product and the result obtained indicated that the gene codes for
hypothetical protein XF2620. In order to evaluate the effects that the 262 bps biomarker would have on the morphology of
MCF‐7 cells, it was transfected into MCF‐7 cells. There were observable changes in the morphology of the transfected cells. These changes included an increase in cell elongation and a decrease in cell aggregation.
Generation of RNAi Libraries for High‐Throughput Screens
Authors: Clark Julie , Ding Sheng
Published: June 2006

The completion of the genome sequencing for several organisms has created a great demand for genomic tools that can systematically analyze the growing wealth of data. In contrast to the classical reverse genetics approach of creating specific knockout cell lines or animals that is time‐consuming and expensive, RNA‐mediated interference (RNAi) has emerged as a fast, simple, and cost‐effective technique for gene knockdown in large scale. Since its discovery as a gene silencing response to double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) with homology to endogenous genes in Caenorhabditis elegans (C elegans), RNAi technology has been adapted to various high‐throughput screens (HTS) for genome‐wide loss‐of‐function (LOF) analysis. Biochemical insights into the endogenous mechanism of RNAi have led to advances in RNAi methodology including RNAi molecule synthesis, delivery, and sequence design. In this article, we will briefly review these various RNAi library designs and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each library strategy.
Signaling, Polyubiquitination, Trafficking, and Inclusions: Sequestosome 1/p62′s Role in Neurodegenerative Disease
Authors: Wooten Marie W. , Hu Xiao , Babu J. Ramesh , Seibenhener M. Lamar , Geetha Thangiah , Paine Michael G. , Wooten Michael C.
Published: June 2006

Aggregated misfolded proteins are hallmarks of most neurodegenerative diseases. In a chronic disease state, including pathologic situations of oxidative stress, these proteins are sequestered into inclusions. Accumulation of aggregated proteins can be prevented by chaperones, or by targeting their degradation to the UPS. If the accumulation of these proteins exceeds their degradation, they may impair the function of the proteasome. Alternatively, the function of the proteasome may be preserved by directing aggregated proteins to the autophagy‐lysosome pathway for degradation. Sequestosome 1/p62 has recently been shown to interact with polyubiquitinated proteins through its UBA domain and may direct proteins to either the UPS or autophagosome. P62 is present in neuronal inclusions of individuals with Alzheimer′s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we review p62′s role in signaling, aggregation, and inclusion formation, and specifically as a possible contributor to Alzheimer′s disease. The use of p62 as a potential target for the development of therapeutics and as a disease biomarker is also discussed.
Cellular Prion Protein and Caveolin‐1 Interaction in a Neuronal Cell Line Precedes Fyn/Erk 1/2 Signal Transduction
Authors: Toni Mattia , Spisni Enzo , Griffoni Cristiana , Santi Spartaco , Riccio Massimo , Lenaz Patrizia , Tomasi Vittorio
Published: June 2006

It has been reported that cellular prion protein (PrPc) is enriched in caveolae or caveolae‐like domains with caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) participating to signal transduction events by Fyn kinase recruitment. By using the Glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST)‐fusion proteins assay, we observed that PrPc strongly interacts in vitro with Cav‐1. Thus, we ascertained the PrPc caveolar localization in a hypothalamic neuronal cell line (GN11), by confocal microscopy analysis, flotation on density gradient, and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Following the anti‐PrPc antibody‐mediated stimulation of live GN11 cells, we observed that PrPc clustered on plasma membrane domains rich in Cav‐1 in which Fyn kinase converged to be activated. After these events, a signaling cascade through p42/44 MAP kinase (Erk 1/2) was triggered, suggesting that following translocations from rafts to caveolae or caveolae‐like domains PrPc could interact with Cav‐1 and induce signal transduction events.
Delivery Systems for the Direct Application of siRNAs to Induce RNA Interference (RNAi) In Vivo
Authors: Aigner Achim
Published: June 2006

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful method for specific gene
silencing which may also lead to promising novel therapeutic
strategies. It is mediated through small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)
which sequence‐specifically trigger the cleavage and subsequent
degradation of their target mRNA. One critical factor is the
ability to deliver intact siRNAs into target cells/organs in vivo.
This review highlights the mechanism of RNAi and the guidelines
for the design of optimal siRNAs. It gives an overview of studies
based on the systemic or local application of naked siRNAs or the
use of various nonviral siRNA delivery systems. One promising
avenue is the the complexation of siRNAs with the polyethylenimine
(PEI), which efficiently stabilizes siRNAs and, upon systemic
administration, leads to the delivery of the intact siRNAs into
different organs. The antitumorigenic effects of
PEI/siRNA‐mediated in vivo gene‐targeting of tumor‐relevant
proteins like in mouse tumor
xenograft models are described.
Gaucher Disease and the Synucleinopathies
Authors: Hruska Kathleen S. , Goker-Alpan Ozlem , Sidransky Ellen
Published: June 2006

Several recent observations suggest a connection between Gaucher
disease, the inherited deficiency of glucocerebrosidase, and the
synucleinopathies. Rare patients have been observed who develop
both Gaucher disease and parkinsonism. Autopsy studies on these
subjects reveal synuclein‐positive Lewy bodies and inclusions. An
increased incidence of synucleinopathies also has been noted in
relatives of Gaucher probands. In complementary studies, screening
of patients with parkinsonism has identified a greater than
expected frequency of glucocerebrosidase mutations. These
glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers have a wide spectrum of
associated parkinsonian phenotypes, ranging from classic
L‐dopa‐responsive Parkinson disease to a phenotype
more characteristic of Lewy body dementia. Despite this
association, the vast majority of Gaucher carriers and patients
with Gaucher disease never develop parkinsonism. However,
mutations in this gene are likely to be a contributing risk factor
in subjects otherwise prone to developing synucleinopathies.
siRNA Efficiency: Structure or Sequence—That Is the Question
Authors: Kurreck Jens
Published: June 2006

The triumphant success of RNA interference (RNAi) in life sciences
is based on its high potency to silence genes in a
sequence‐specific manner. Nevertheless, the first task for
successful RNAi approaches is the identification of highly active
small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Early on, it has been found that
the potency of siRNAs can vary
drastically. Great progress was made when thermodynamic properties
that influence siRNA activity were discovered. Design
algorithms based on these parameters enhance the chance to
generate potent siRNAs. Still, many siRNAs designed accordingly
fail to silence their targeted gene, whereas others are highly
efficient despite the fact that they do not fulfil the recommended
criteria. Therefore, the accessibility of the siRNA‐binding site
on the target RNA has been investigated as an additional parameter
which is important for RNAi‐mediated silencing. These and other
factors which are crucial for successful RNAi approaches will be
discussed in the present review.
Neutrophil Secretion Induced by an Intracellular Ca2+Rise and Followed by Whole‐Cell Patch‐Clamp Recordings Occurs Without any Selective Mobilization of Different GranulePopulations
Authors: Granfeldt Daniel , Harbecke Olle , Björstad Åse , Karlsson Anna , Dahlgren Claes
Published: June 2006

We have investigated calcium‐induced secretion in human
neutrophils, using a whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique.
Mobilization of subcellular granules to the cell membrane was
followed as the change in membrane capacitance (△Cm).
Both the magnitude and the kinetics of the response differed
between low and high concentrations of Ca2+. A sustained
secretion following a short lag phase was induced by high
concentrations of Ca2+ (100 μM and higher). A
stable plateau was reached after 5–7 minutes at △Cm
values corresponding to values expected after all specific as well
as azurophil granules have been mobilized. Capacitance values of
the same magnitude could be obtained also at lower Ca2+
concentrations, but typically no stable plateau was reached within
the measuring time. In contrast to previous studies, we were
unable to detect any pattern of secretion corresponding to a
distinct submaximal response or selective mobilization of granule
subsets specified by their Ca2+‐sensitivity.
The Relationship Between Serum Levels of Total IgE, IL‐18, IL‐12, IFN‐γ and Disease Severity in Children With Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Aral Murat , Arican Ozer , Gul Mustafa , Sasmaz Sezai , Kocturk Sumeyra Alkis , Kastal Ummugulsum , Ekerbicer Hasan Cetin
Published: June 2006

Studies about the role of cytokines on the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) are generally based on in vitro observations and this role has not been completely clarified yet. Serum levels of total IgE, IL‐18, IL‐12, IFN‐γ and the relationship between these parameters and disease severity, determined using the SCORAD index, in a group of atopic patients were investigated in this study. Serum levels of total IgE were measured by the nephelometric method and serum levels of IL‐18, IL‐12/p40 and IFN‐γ were measured by ELISA method. Serum levels of total IgE and IL‐18 were found significantly higher in study group than in controls (P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between patients and controls in respect of serum levels of IL‐12/p40 (P = .227). A statistically significant relationship between SCORAD values and serum levels of total IgE (P < .001), IL‐18 (P < .001), and IL‐12/p40 (P < .001) was determined. These results show that serum levels of IL‐18 can be a sensitive parameter that importantly correlates with clinical severity of AD, can play a role in the immunopathogenesis of AD, and furthermore may be used in the diagnosis and follow‐up of the disease in addition to other parameters.
Nonlinear dynamic analysis based on experimental data of RC telecommunication towers subjected to wind loading
Authors: Silva Marcelo A. , Brasil Reyolando M. L. R. F.
Published: June 2006

The goal of this paper is to propose a nonlinear dynamic model based on experimental data and NBR‐6123‐87 to accomplish a nonlinear dynamic analysis of slender structures subjected to wind loading. At first we compute the static answer given by the mean wind speed. In this part of the problem we consider the concept of effective stiffness to represent the physical nonlinearity of material and a P‐Delta method to represent the geometrical nonlinearity. Considering the final stiffness obtained in that P‐Delta method, we compute the dynamic answer given by the floating wind speed, according to the discrete dynamic model given by NBR‐6123‐87. A 40 m RC telecommunication tower was analyzed, and the results obtained were compared with those given by linear static and dynamic models.
The use of Adomian decomposition method for solving problems in calculus of variations
Authors: Dehghan Mehdi , Tatari Mehdi
Published: June 2006

In this paper, a numerical method is presented for finding the solution of some variational problems. The main objective is to find the solution of an ordinary differential equation which arises from the variational problem. This work is done using Adomian decomposition method which is a powerful tool for solving large amount of problems. In this approach, the solution is found in the form of a convergent power series with easily computed components. To show the efficiency of the method, numerical results are presented.
TheSM/M/Nqueueing system with broadcasting service
Authors: Lee Moon Ho , Dudin Alexander N. , Klimenok Valentina I.
Published: June 2006

We consider a multiserver queueing model with the semi‐Markovian arrival process and exponential service time distribution. Novel customers admission discipline is under study. The customer, which sees several free servers upon arrival, is served simultaneously by all these servers. Such situation occurs, for example, in modeling wireless communication network with broadcasting. Systems with infinite buffer and with losses are investigated. Stationary distributions of a queue, waiting and sojourn times, and the main performance measures are calculated.
Relative Hypocalcaemia and Muscle Cramps in Patients Receiving Imatinib for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour
Authors: Zekri Jamal M. , Robinson Martin H. , Woll Penella J.
Published: June 2006

Purpose. Imatinib treatment causes muscle cramps in up to
40% of patients, but their pathogenesis is unknown. We present
a case series illustrating an association between imatinib,
relative hypocalcaemia, and the development of cramps.
Patients. The index patient developed muscle spasms and
cramps after receiving imatinib for gastrointestinal stromal tumour
(GIST) for 5 months. The adjusted serum calcium had dropped to the
lower limit of normal. The low serum calcium and muscle cramps
improved on stopping imatinib and recurred on rechallenge. We
reviewed the medical records of 16 further patients.
Results. Two patients reported muscle cramps (12%).
There was a rapid and sustained reduction in adjusted serum
calcium in the first 6 months from 2.45 ± 0.11 mmol/L
(mean ± SD) to 2.30 ± 0.08 mmol/L (p = 0.025).
Conclusion. Imatinib treatment of GIST is associated with
reduction in serum calcium which may explain the development of
neuromuscular symptoms. In patients receiving imatinib, serum
electrolytes should be monitored and muscle cramps treated by
correction of serum calcium, or an empirical trial of quinine
sulphate.
The Vectors of Postwar Victim Reparations: Relief, Redress and Memory Politics
Authors: Ludi Regula
Published: June 2006

This article discusses the reparation schemes that were developed in response to the nazi policies of persecution and genocide. It looks at the measures aimed at redressing nazi atrocities in a wider context of postwar planning and reconstruction and asks how proposals for individual compensation payments dealt with the shortfalls in international law. In comparing French, East German and Swiss compensation policies, it also focuses on intersections between victim reparations and the construction of collective memory. Depending on a country's history in the nazi era and its desire to construct meaningful narratives of this period, reparation policies were often aimed at bolstering dominant interpretations of the past. At the same time, they also mirrored the degree of political influence that specific victim groups could mobilize in favour of their rehabilitation. This raises the question of how such interconnections affected the chances of individual victims to find recognition of their victimhood as well as financial relief for the damages they had suffered.
Ulbricht in October 1956: Survival of the Spitzbart during Destalinization
Authors: Granville Johanna
Published: June 2006

This article seeks to answer the question, how exactly did the East German leader Walter Ulbricht survive destalinization in the 1950s and remain in power until 1971, while his Hungarian counterpart Mátyás Rákosi (and his successor Ernő Gerő) were forced to resign and flee to the USSR in July 1956? How was Ulbricht able to prevent the kind of unrest that was occurring in Poland and Hungary? Both Ulbricht and Rákosi had spent the second world war in the Soviet Union and were ‘Muscovites’. Both were unpopular, diehard Stalinists who dragged their feet in implementing the reforms dictated by the Twentieth CPSU Congress. The article will conclude that, while the answer lies in a combination of factors, the most influential factor in Ulbricht's survival was probably Soviet support. Ordinarily, influenced by the Poles and Hungarians, the East Germans probably would have tried to oust him in 1956. However, historical and domestic factors intervened in the GDR case, especially the aborted June 1953 uprising and resulting fatalism vis-à-vis the Soviet military and Stasi. Thus, despite their relative economic deprivation and distrust of the punitive Ulbricht, the East Germans did not rise up against him and the SED regime.
Self-Identity Modification and Intent to Return
Authors: Palazesi Louis Mark , Bower Beverly L.
Published: June 2006

This study examines the value importance to baby boomers of the community college as a means to reinvent or modify self-view and how value importance influences intent to return to the college for further educational services. Understanding the reinvention-self-identity modification phenomenon can help institutions create more satisfying environments for baby boomer consumers
Taking ‘Galton's Problem’ Seriously
Authors: Braun Dietmar , Gilardi Fabrizio
Published: June 2006

This article builds on the recent policy diffusion literature and attempts to overcome one of its major problems, namely the lack of a coherent theoretical framework. The literature defines policy diffusion as a process where policy choices are interdependent, and identifies several diffusion mechanisms that specify the link between the policy choices of the various actors. As these mechanisms are grounded in different theories, theoretical accounts of diffusion currently have little internal coherence. In this article we put forward an expected-utility model of policy change that is able to subsume all the diffusion mechanisms. We argue that the expected utility of a policy depends on both its effectiveness and the payoffs it yields, and we show that the various diffusion mechanisms operate by altering these two parameters. Each mechanism affects one of the two parameters, and does so in distinct ways. To account for aggregate patterns of diffusion, we embed our model in a simple threshold model of diffusion. Given the high complexity of the process that results, strong analytical conclusions on aggregate patterns cannot be drawn without more extensive analysis which is beyond the scope of this article. However, preliminary considerations indicate that a wide range of diffusion processes may exist and that convergence is only one possible outcome.
The Visual Sign as Semiotic Signifier in the Arabian Nights
Authors: Ghazoul Ferial J.
Published: June 2006

This article concentrates on tales from the Arabian Nights where visual signs play a part in communication and narrative unfolding. The Tales of ‘Azīz and Azīza’ and ‘The Hunchback’ are examined in terms of how visual signs are interpreted by the characters. The typology and codes of these signs are explored to construct a latent semiotics based broadly on the categories of Peirce (icon, index and symbol) as well as insights drawn from recent semiotic research. This article also presents theoretical positions on the visual sign and on signification developed in medieval Arab civilisation in order to relate the underlying folk semiotics of the Arabian Nights to the learned semiotics and theories of interpretation articulated by medieval philosophers and scientists.
Reconceptualizing E-Mail Overload
Authors: Thomas Gail Fann , King Cynthia L. , Baroni Brian , Cook Linda , Keitelman Marian , Miller Steve , Wardle Adelia
Published: June 2006

This study explores social processes associated with e-mail overload, drawing on Sproull and Kiesler's first and second-order effects of communication technologies and Boden's theory of lamination. In a three-part study, the authors examined e-mail interactions from a government organization by logging e-mails, submitting an e-mail string to close textual analysis, and analyzing focus group data about e-mail overload. The results reveal three characteristics that contribute to e-mail overload— unstable requests, pressures to respond, and the delegation of tasks and shifting interactants—suggesting that e-mail talk, as social interaction, may both create and affect overload.
Different Spaces, Different Times
Authors: Neumark Norie
Published: June 2006

This article investigates cross-platform possibilities for digital audio. It is concerned with ways in which cross-platform work can open possibilities for expanded practices and experiences of radio and digital audio - rather than with practices of simply digitizing radio programmes for internet distribution, by downloading, streaming or Podcasting. These possibilities are investigated through discussion of a particular case study, Checklist for an Armed Robber, which was produced as part of a research collaboration project between researchers (myself included) from The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) radio and new media. The research initiative, titled Visual-Audio: research into cross-media audio drama, aimed to investigate more effective and engaging dimensions in cross-media (radio and internet) drama. It also sought to explore how spatial audio might specifically configure this dramatic space on the internet in ways that could in turn affect the space of radio drama.
Will the iPod Kill the Radio Star? Profiling Podcasting as Radio
Authors: Berry Richard
Published: June 2006

The Apple iPod has not only become a ‘must have’ style accessory for the ‘wirefree’ generation but has also revolutionized the way we consume music. At the time of writing, (November 2005) the revolution has already started in the audio world, and has been going for the last 18 months. ‘Podcasting’ allows anyone with a PC to create a ‘radio’ programme and distribute it freely, through the internet to the portable MP3 players of subscribers around the world. Podcasting not only removes global barriers to reception but, at a stroke, removes key factors impeding the growth of internet radio: its portability, its intimacy and its accessibility. This is a scenario where audiences are producers, where the technology we already have assumes new roles and where audiences, cut off from traditional media, rediscover their voices.
Assessment of outcome in depression
Authors: Nelson J. Craig , Portera Laura , Leon Andrew C.
Published: June 2006

Valid and reliable methods of assessing outcome in depression are crucial to antidepressant efficacy studies but are also important for all studies that relate response to other variables. In this paper we review basic issues of reliability and validity associated with outcome measurement. We distinguish between scales or inventories designed for screening or diagnosis and those intended for outcome assessment. We note historical changes in patient selection (e.g. outpatients instead of inpatients, differentiating psychotic and non-psychotic) and how these changes affect commonly used scales such as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. We examine whether antidepressants with different mechanisms of action are best assessed with similar or different symptoms. And we review studies that have identified 'core' symptoms of depression and compare these findings to the magnitude of individual symptom change we found in five studies of selective serotonergic or nonadrenergic antidepressants.
Meta-analysis in the assessment of treatment outcome
Authors: Geddes John
Published: June 2006

Randomized clinical trials provide the most reliable estimates of the benefits and harms of treatments. Limited sample sizes restrict their power to allow informative analyses of secondary outcomes, or patient subgroups. The overall results of trials only apply to the average patient and clinical application ignores the individual patient differences.

Meta-analysis in the context of a systematic review can produce more precise estimates of effect by combining the results of primary studies. This is particularly valuable for investigating rare, but important outcomes such as suicide. Variations between the trial-specific results can be investigated by meta-regression.

Individual patient data meta-analyses (IPDMAs) are potentially much more powerful designs because they allow analysis of patient-level variables. As more genetic factors are identified that might account for treatment variability between individuals, IPDMAs offer a powerful strategy that can be used on existing trial data sets. Despite practical difficulties, IPDMAs are increasingly being conducted.
Protective Orders
Authors: Logan TK , Shannon Lisa , Walker Robert , Faragher Teri Marie
Published: June 2006

Current media portrayal of protective orders is often negative, focusing on weaknesses in how protective orders are obtained and enforced. This review of research findings on protective orders examines issues and suggests areas in need of future research to clarify and improve public policy. More specifically, this review has five main objectives: (a) to provide background information about partner violence and the need for protective orders; (b) to describe what protective orders are, how many women obtain them, and the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining protective orders; (c) to examine characteristics of women who seek protective orders; (d) toexplore research on whether protective orders actually increase women's safety; and(e) to highlight opportunities and gaps in the practice and research literature regarding theuse of protective orders for women with violent partners or ex-partners.
Learning to Love the State Action Doctrine
Authors: Brewbaker William S.
Published: June 2006

The state action doctrine receives relatively little attention in the Federal Trade Commission/Department of Justice 2004 report on competition in the health care sector. Not surprisingly, the report focuses primarily on urging states to reconsider specific laws that tend to restrict competition in health care markets but that are clearly shielded by the state action doctrine. Relatively little attention is given to the interpretation of the doctrine itself. This article employs the twin themes of institutional choice and market failure to evaluate a number of interpretive proposals affecting the state action doctrine that were available to, but not taken up by, the agencies. It also proposes using the state action doctrine to ease the burden on courts in market-failure cases in which there is an obvious threat to competition and the alternative of publicly accountable regulatory action is available.
Synthesis of New Monoporphyrinato Lanthanide Complexes for Potential Use in Optical Limiting
Authors: Fu Shitao , Zhou Guijiang , Zhu Xunjin , Ye Cheng , Wong Wai-Kwok , Li Zaoying
Published: June 2006

Three monoporphyrinato lanthanide complexes based on 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(p-diphenylaminophenyl)-21H,23H-porphine (H2TDPAPP) were synthesized, and experimental investigations of the nonlinear optical transmittance characteristics at 532 nm show that they are excellent optical limiters with performance comparable or superior to those of the reverse saturable absorption dyes such as fullerene C60 and metal phthalocyanine complexes.
Synthesis of Water-soluble Tris(cyclophane) Hosts and Surface Plasmon Resonance Study on Guest-binding Interaction with Immobilized Guests
Authors: Hayashida Osamu , Kitaura Atsushi
Published: June 2006

Tris(cyclophane) derivatives were prepared as water-soluble hosts by connecting three macrocyclic skeletons. The present hosts showed enhanced guest-binding affinity relative to that by simple cyclophane, as confirmed by surface plasmon resonance measurements.
The World Technology Frontier
Authors: Caselli Francesco , Coleman Wilbur John
Published: June 2006

We study cross-country differences in the aggregate production function when skilled and unskilled labor are imperfect substitutes. We find that there is a skill bias in cross-country technology differences. Higher-income countries use skilled labor more efficiently than lower-income countries, while they use unskilled labor relatively and, possibly, absolutely less efficiently. We also propose a simple explanation for our findings: rich countries, which are skilled-labor abundant, choose technologies that are best suited to skilled workers; poor countries, which are unskilled-labor abundant, choose technologies more appropriate to unskilled workers. We discuss alternative explanations, such as capital-skill complementarity and differences in schooling quality.
Media Frenzies in Markets for Financial Information
Authors: Veldkamp Laura L
Published: June 2006

Emerging equity markets witness occasional surges in prices (frenzies) and cross-market price dispersion (herds), accompanied by abundant media coverage. An information market complementarity can explain these anomalies. Because information has high fixed costs, high volume makes it inexpensive. Low prices induce investors to buy information that others buy. Given two identical assets, investors learn about one; abundant information reduces its payoff risk and raises its price. Transitions between low-information/low-asset-price and high-information/high-asset-price equilibria resemble frenzies. Equity data and new panel data on news coverage support the model's predictions: Asset market movements generate news and news raises prices and price dispersion.
An Efficient Dynamic Auction for Heterogeneous Commodities
Authors: Ausubel Lawrence M
Published: June 2006

This article proposes a new dynamic design for auctioning multiple heterogeneous commodities. An auctioneer wishes to allocate K types of commodities among n bidders. The auctioneer announces a vector of current prices, bidders report quantities demanded at these prices, and the auctioneer adjusts the prices. Units are credited to bidders at the current prices as their opponents' demands decline, and the process continues until every commodity market clears. Bidders, rather than being assumed to behave as price-takers, are permitted to strategically exercise their market power. Nevertheless, the proposed auction yields Walrasian equilibrium prices and, as from a Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanism, an efficient allocation.
A Change Would Do You Good .... An Experimental Study on How to Overcome Coordination Failure in Organizations
Authors: Brandts Jordi , Cooper David J
Published: June 2006

We study how financial incentives can be used to overcome a history of coordination failure using controlled laboratory experiments. Subjects' payoffs depend on coordinating at high effort levels. In an initial phase, the benefits of coordination are low, and play typically converges to an inefficient outcome. We then explore varying financial incentives to coordinate at a higher effort level. An increase in the benefits of coordination leads to improved coordination, but large increases have no more impact than small increases. Once subjects have coordinated on a higher effort level, reductions in the incentives to coordinate have little effect on behavior.
Handcuffs for the Grabbing Hand? Media Capture and Government Accountability
Authors: Besley Timothy , Prat Andrea
Published: June 2006

It has long been recognized that the media play an essential role in government accountability. Even in the absence of censorship, however, the government may influence news content by maintaining a “cozy” relationship with the media. This paper develops a model of democratic politics in which media capture is endogenous. The model offers insights into the features of the media market that determine the ability of the government to exercise such capture and hence to influence political outcomes.
Pareto-Improving Social Security Reform when Financial Markets Are Incomplete!?
Authors: Krueger Dirk , Kubler Felix
Published: June 2006

This paper studies an overlapping generations model with stochastic production and incomplete markets to assess whether the introduction of an unfunded social security system leads to a Pareto improvement. When returns to capital and wages are imperfectly correlated, a system that endows retired households with claims to labor income enhances the sharing of aggregate risk between generations. Our quantitative analysis shows that, abstracting from the capital crowding-out effect, the introduction of social security represents a Pareto-improving reform, even when the economy is dynamically efficient. However, the severity of the crowding-out effect in general equilibrium tends to overturn these gains.
Exclusive Dealing and Entry, when Buyers Compete
Authors: Fumagalli Chiara , Motta Massimo
Published: June 2006

Rasmusen et al. (1991) and Segal and Whinston (2000) show that an incumbent monopolist might prevent entry of a more efficient competitor by exploiting externalities among buyers. We show that their results hold only when downstream competition among buyers is weak. Under fierce downstream competition, if entry took place, a free buyer would become more competitive and increase its output and profits at the expense of buyers that sign an exclusive deal with the incumbent. Anticipating that orders from a single buyer would trigger entry, no buyer will sign the exclusive deal and entry will occur. This result is robust across different specifications of the game.
Training and Lifetime Income
Authors: Kuruscu Burhanettin
Published: June 2006

This paper challenges the notion that on-the-job training investments are quantitatively important for workers' welfare and argues that on-the-job training may not increase lifetime income by more than 1 percent. I argue that it is very difficult to reconcile the slowdown in wage growth late in a worker's career with optimizing behavior unless the technology for learning on the job is such that it generates very low gains from training. The analysis is based on a nonparametric methodology for estimating the learning technology from wage profiles; the results are arrived at by comparing the lifetime income when the worker optimally invests in his human capital to the one where he does not make any investments.
Analyses of Synteny Between Arabidopsis thaliana and Species in the Asteraceae Reveal a Complex Network of Small Syntenic Segments and Major Chromosomal Rearrangements
Authors: Timms Lee , Jimenez Rosmery , Chase Mike , Lavelle Dean , McHale Leah , Kozik Alexander , Lai Zhao , Heesacker Adam , Knapp Steven , Rieseberg Loren , Michelmore Richard , Kesseli Rick
Published: June 2006

Comparative genomic studies among highly divergent species have been problematic because reduced gene similarities make orthologous gene pairs difficult to identify and because colinearity is expected to be low with greater time since divergence from the last common ancestor. Nevertheless, synteny between divergent taxa in several lineages has been detected over short chromosomal segments. We have examined the level of synteny between the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and species in the Compositae, one of the largest and most diverse plant families. While macrosyntenic patterns covering large segments of the chromosomes are not evident, significant levels of local synteny are detected at a fine scale covering segments of 1-Mb regions of A. thaliana and regions of <5 cM in lettuce and sunflower. These syntenic patches are often not colinear, however, and form a network of regions that have likely evolved by duplications followed by differential gene loss.
Parallel Genetic Architecture of Parallel Adaptive Radiations in Mimetic Heliconius Butterflies
Authors: Kronforst Marcus R , Kapan Durrell D , Gilbert Lawrence E
Published: June 2006

It is unknown whether homologous loci underlie the independent and parallel wing pattern radiations of Heliconius butterflies. By comparing the locations of color patterning genes on linkage maps we show that three loci that act similarly in the two radiations are in similar positions on homologous chromosomes.
The Relative Roles of Three DNA Repair Pathways in PreventingCaenorhabditis elegansMutation Accumulation
Authors: Denver Dee R , Feinberg Seth , Steding Catherine , Durbin Matthew , Lynch Michael
Published: June 2006

Mutation is a central biological process whose rates and spectra are influenced by a variety of complex and interacting forces. Although DNA repair pathways are generally known to play key roles in maintaining genetic stability, much remains to be understood about the relative roles of different pathways in preventing the accumulation of mutations and the extent of heterogeneity in pathway-specific repair efficiencies across different genomic regions. In this study we examine mutation processes in base excision repair-deficient (nth-1) and nucleotide excision repair-deficient (xpa-1) Caenorhabditis elegans mutation-accumulation (MA) lines across 24 regions of the genome and compare our observations to previous data from mismatch repair-deficient (msh-2 and msh-6) and wild-type (N2) MA lines. Drastic variation in both average and locus-specific mutation rates, ranging two orders of magnitude for the latter, was detected among the four sets of repair-deficient MA lines. Our work provides critical insights into the relative roles of three DNA repair pathways in preventing C. elegans mutation accumulation and provides evidence for the presence of pathway-specific DNA repair territories in the C. elegans genome.
Poor Performance of Bootstrap Confidence Intervals for the Location of a Quantitative Trait Locus
Authors: Manichaikul Ani , Dupuis Josée , Sen Śaunak , Broman Karl W
Published: June 2006

The aim of many genetic studies is to locate the genomic regions (called quantitative trait loci, QTL) that contribute to variation in a quantitative trait (such as body weight). Confidence intervals for the locations of QTL are particularly important for the design of further experiments to identify the gene or genes responsible for the effect. Likelihood support intervals are the most widely used method to obtain confidence intervals for QTL location, but the nonparametric bootstrap has also been recommended. Through extensive computer simulation, we show that bootstrap confidence intervals behave poorly and so should not be used in this context. The profile likelihood (or LOD curve) for QTL location has a tendency to peak at genetic markers, and so the distribution of the maximum-likelihood estimate (MLE) of QTL location has the unusual feature of point masses at genetic markers; this contributes to the poor behavior of the bootstrap. Likelihood support intervals and approximate Bayes credible intervals, on the other hand, are shown to behave appropriately.
Use of Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Analog and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin to Spawn Early-Egg-Stage Striped Bass
Authors: Yeager David M
Published: June 2006

Female striped bass Morone saxatilis with eggs in early stages of development were successfully spawned after being given a priming injection of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog followed by a resolving injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Over 2 years, 18 of 19 injected fish spawned, producing over 3.5 million viable fry. Egg fertilization rates for all fish that spawned averaged 41%. This procedure, which differs from the traditional spawning method of HCG injection, can increase production by increasing the duration of the production season. In addition, broodfish that once would have been released at capture because they contained early egg developmental stages can now be spawned and used in production.
Evaluation of survival time in dogs with stage III osteosarcoma that undergo treatment: 90 cases (1985–2004)
Authors: Boston Sarah E. , Ehrhart Nicole P. , Dernell William S. , Lafferty Mary , Withrow Stephen J.
Published: June 2006

Objective—To assess survival time in dogs that underwent treatment for stage III osteosarcoma and evaluate factors affecting survival.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—90 dogs with stage III osteosarcoma.

Procedures—Records in the osteosarcoma database at the Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University from 1985 to 2004 were searched for dogs with metastatic disease at the time of evaluation. Dogs were included in the study if they had metastasis to any site and if treatment was initiated. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed, and the influences of age, sex, breed, primary tumor site, metastatic sites, and treatment on outcome were analyzed via log-rank analysis.

Results—Median survival time was 76 days, with a range of 0 to 1,583 days. No significant differences in survival times on the basis of age, sex, breed, or primary site were observed. Breeds and primary tumor sites were typical of those usually associated with osteosarcoma in dogs. Dogs treated palliatively with radiation therapy and chemotherapy had a significantly longer survival time (130 days) than dogs in all other treatment groups. Dogs treated with surgery alone had a significantly shorter survival time (3 days) than dogs treated with surgery and chemotherapy (78 days). Dogs with bone metastases had a longer survival time than dogs with soft tissue metastases.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Treatment of dogs with stage III osteosarcoma can result in various survival times. Dogs with metastasis to bone and dogs that were treated palliatively with radiation and chemotherapy had the longest survival times.