bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bcl‐2 rearrangements with breakpoints in both vcr and mbr in non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Merup Mats , Spasokoukotskaja Tatjana , Einhorn Stefan , Edvard Smith C. I. , Gahrton Gösta , Juliusson Gunnar
Published: October 2003

The bcl‐2 gene is rearranged in most cases of follicular lymphoma and the breakpoint clusters into two specific regions: mbr and mcr. Rearrangements to immunoglobulin heavy chain genes (IgH) result in a deregulation of the gene and increased transcription of mRNA for the bcl‐2 protein. In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) expression of bcl‐2 protein is increased but rearrangement of the gene can be found only in a minority of cases; commonly a variant translocation with a breakpoint region located 5′ of the bcl‐2 gene (vcr) with preferential rearrangement to immunoglobulin light chain genes. We have analysed breakpoints in mbr and vcr in malignant cells from 96 patients with B‐CLL, 45 with hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) and 41 with high‐ and low‐grade non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). Vcr rearrangements were observed in nine patients (12%) with B‐CLL. Four patients had co‐migration of rearranged bcl‐2 bands to kappa genes and two patients to IgH. Cytogenetic abnormalities involving 18q21, the site of the bcl‐2 gene, was found in two cases only. In several cases with bcl‐2 gene rearrangement chromosomal aberrations not including 18q21 were observed. In six patients (two B‐CLL, one follicular lymphoma, one immunocytoma and two high‐grade lymphomas), breakpoints in both vcr and mbr were found. In HCL a rearrangement in the vcr region was found in one case. Bcl‐2 protein immunostaining of B‐CLL showed intense bcl‐2 expression in all cases and no correlation was found between gene rearrangement and protein expression. Our study confirms that breakpoints in the bcl‐2 gene commonly cluster to the vcr region in B‐CLL, but in most cases over‐expression of bcl‐2 protein has to be explained by other mechanisms than bcl‐2 gene rearrangement. We also report that simultaneous breakpoints in mbr and vcr is a recurrent phenomenon in B‐CLL and in other high‐ and low‐grade non‐Hodgkin’s lymphomas.
Kinetics of colony formation by BFU‐E grown under different culture conditions in vitro
Authors: Marley S. B. , Amos T. A. S. , Gordon M. Y.
Published: October 2003

Colony formation by erythroid burst‐forming units (BFU‐E) involves a variable number of cell divisions before individual ‘subcolonies’ begin to appear. Consequently the numbers of subcolonies vary amongst individual bursts. If this observation is interpreted as a reflection of a stochastic process, the number of subcolonies in each individual burst represents the number of divisions by the BFU‐E prior to commitment to terminal differentiation. This provides a means for quantitating the probability of erythroid differentiation (pD) and the probability of renewal (1 − pD). In order to determine whether these kinetics of burst formation can be influenced by exogenous factors we used three commercially available media designed for the growth of BFU‐E. We found that subcolony numbers per burst ranged from one to 64 and that the cumulative distributions of subcolonies per burst followed a logarithmic curve (r  > 0.90). Differences were observed in the distribution of subcolonies per burst when BFU‐E were grown in different media ( P = 0.03; Kruskall‐Wallis test). The probability of immediate terminal differentiation (i.e. committment to form a subcolony) was 0.25 for two of the media and 0.7 for the third. The corresponding renewal probabilities were 0.75 and 0.3. These data indicate that the proliferation kinetics of BFU‐E are susceptible to regulation by exogenous factors.
The R0Har Rh:33 phenotype results from substitution of exon 5 of the RHCE gene by the corresponding exon of the RHD gene
Authors: Beckers E. A. M. , Faas B. H. W. , Krvon dem Borne A. E. G. , Overbeeke M. A. M. , Van Rhenen D. J. , Van Der Schoot C. E.
Published: October 2003

The highly polymorphic Rh (Rhesus) system is encoded by two homologous genes, one encoding the D polypeptide and the other the CcEe polypeptides. Partial D antigens may be caused by gene rearrangements, deletions or point mutations. In this study the molecular basis of R0Har Rh:33, a Rh phenotype of low frequency, is described. The R0Har Rh:33 phenotype is characterized by partial expression of D, altered expression of e, absence of G and the presence of two antigens of low frequency: Rh33 and FPTT. Southern blot analysis, RHD typing by PCR and sequence analysis of Rh transcripts revealed that the RHD gene is absent in subjects with this phenotype. Apart from the expected RHCE transcripts, a new Rh transcript, RHc(D)(e), was identified in three unrelated individuals expressing R0Har Rh:33. The RHc(D)(e) transcript showed the same sequence as the RHce transcript, with the exception of exon 5, which was substituted by the corresponding exon of the RHD gene. A method for PCR‐based genotyping was developed to determine specifically the c(D)(e) haplotype. The c(D)(e) PCR proved to be a reliable alternative method for R0Har Rh:33 typing.
Continuing care after cancer treatment
Authors: Pateman Brian , Wilson Kate , McHugh Gretl , Luker Karen A.
Published: October 2003

Background. Despite nearly three decades of debate and policy guidance there is evidence that, in the United Kingdom, patient hospital discharge remains problematic. District nurses, who deliver skilled home nursing care, receive referrals from hospitals for continuing nursing care needs. However, district nurses’ expectations of appropriate patient referral from hospitals are not always achieved. In an attempt to improve services after hospital discharge, government policy has emphasized partnership between care providers, highlighting the need for smooth transition between care settings.

Aim. To explore hospital discharge and referral procedures for patients with cancer, with particular emphasis on referrals made by hospital nurses to district nurses.

Method. In‐depth interviews were carried out with nurses actively involved in the discharge process as both referrers and recipients of referrals. Twenty nurses from a regional cancer centre and 20 district nurses from three adjacent primary care trusts were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically, and themes compared between the two care settings.

Conclusions. We conclude that competing sets of expectations, not only between hospital and community nursing settings, but amongst district nurses themselves, are a major factor impeding agreement on referral criteria and satisfaction with the referral process.
Seasonal body mass changes in Eurasian Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria staging in the Netherlands: decline in late autumn mass peak correlates with increase in raptor numbers
Authors: Piersma Theunis , Koolhaas Anita , Jukema Joop
Published: October 2003

Eurasian Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria staging in the Netherlands during the non‐breeding season show strikingly constant seasonal changes in body mass with a first mass peak in late November and December and a second peak in late April and May. Despite huge sample sizes, variations in this pattern over successive years in the 1990s and among age classes were minuscule. However, in contrast to the body mass levels at other times of the year, there was a marked decline in the winter peak mass of Golden Plovers from the 1970s/early 1980s to 1989–2000. The decrease, by an average of 29 g, was about half the extra mass previously stored in autumn. This additional mass is known to consist of fat and may be interpreted as an energy store − insurance − for sudden cold spells when a negative energy balance forces the birds to move south and stay in front of the frostline. As the rate of the mass increase in September–October showed no change from the 1980s to the 1990s, changes in food availability are unlikely to explain the long‐term mass decline. Also, there were no differences in two factors known to influence energy expenditure and feeding rate, air temperature and rainfall. The one striking environmental change relevant to plovers was the steep increase in the occurrence of raptors in the northern Netherlands in the 1980s, notably Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus and Goshawks Accipter gentilis. We argue that the halving of the winter mass peak over a decade is consistent with the hypothesis that under increased risk of predation, birds lower their body mass in order to reduce individual vulnerability, a reduction that may be traded off against an increased risk of starvation.
Interspecific and intraspecific differences in two Liriomyza leafminer species in California
Authors: Reitz Stuart R. , Trumble John T.
Published: October 2003

In recent years, the pest status of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) and L. huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) has changed in California, as well as other areas of the world. In California, L. huidobrensis has become the predominant Liriomyza species in valleys along the central coast, while L. trifolii remains the predominant species in southern California. To investigate possible reasons for this change in status, differences in host plant use and reproductive success of intraspecific populations were examined for Liriomyza trifolii and L. huidobrensis from both central and southern California. The southern L. trifolii fed, oviposited and reproduced successfully on all five hosts tested, but the central population fed significantly less on all hosts and was restricted to reproducing on pepper only. With the exception of pepper, southern L. trifolii had significantly greater larval survival on all hosts than central L. trifolii. In contrast, the central L. huidobrensis population had greater reproductive success than the southern population of that species on all hosts plants tested. However, pepper was not a suitable host for either L. huidobrensis population. Both species showed positive assortative mating, with homotypic mating occurring more frequently than heterotypic mating; however, the difference between L. trifolii populations was much more pronounced than between L. huidobrensis populations. These data indicate that central and southern California populations of each species are distinct biotypes. Furthermore when coupled with previous genetic data, our results suggest the possible existence of cryptic species within L. trifolii.
SecA2-dependent secretion of autolytic enzymes promotes
Listeria monocytogenes
pathogenesis
Authors: Lenz Laurel L. , Mohammadi Sina , Geissler Aimee , Portnoy Daniel A.
Published: October 2003

Pathogenic bacteria secrete proteins that promote invasion of host tissues and resistance to immune responses. However, secretion mechanisms that contribute to the enormous morbidity and mortality of Gram-positive bacteria are largely undefined. An auxiliary protein secretion system (SecA2) has recently emerged in
Listeria monocytogenes
and eight other Gram-positive pathogens. Here, a proteomics approach identified seventeen SecA2-dependent secreted and surface proteins of
L. monocytogenes
, the two most abundant of which [the p60 and
N
-acetylmuramidase (NamA) autolysins] hydrolyze bacterial peptidoglycan (PGN) and contribute to host colonization. SecA2-deficient (ΔSecA2) bacteria were rapidly cleared after systemic infection of murine hosts, and in cultured cells showed reduced cell-cell spread. p60 or NamA deficiencies (Δp60 and ΔNamA) caused intermediate reductions in bacterial virulence
in vivo
, yet showed no defect for infection of cultured cells. Restoration of virulence in Δp60 bacteria required full-length p60 with an intact catalytic domain, suggesting that PGN hydrolysis by p60 is crucial for
L. monocytogenes
virulence. Coordinated PGN hydrolysis by p60 and NamA activities is predicted to generate a muramyl glycopeptide, glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide (GMDP), which is known to modify host inflammatory responses. Thus, SecA2-dependent secretion may promote release of muramyl peptides that subvert host pattern recognition.
Toxin-induced resistance in
Bacillus anthracis
lethal toxin-treated macrophages
Authors: Salles Isabelle I. , Tucker Amy E. , Voth Daniel E. , Ballard Jimmy D.
Published: October 2003

In the current study, we show that macrophages adaptively resist anthrax lethal toxin (LT) through a toxin-activated process termed toxin-induced resistance (TIR). TIR was triggered by pretreatment of RAW 264.7 or J774A.1 macrophages with a low dose of LT for at least 6 h, which resulted in resistance to high doses of LT for 96 h. Activation of TIR required functional toxin, because LT subunits, mutants, and heat-inactivated toxin were unable to trigger resistance. TIR macrophages were not altered in toxin receptor levels or cell cycle profiles. Treatment of TIR macrophages with high doses of LT resulted in a sustained decline in full-length mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2, a known target of lethal factor, and a marked reduction in diphosphorylated extracellular response kinases 1,2 for 24 h. However, despite the sustained loss of full-length mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2, by 48 h, TIR macrophages regained diphosphorylated extracellular response kinases 1,2, suggesting an adaptation led to recovery of this signaling pathway. TIR macrophages were also able to maintain normal levels of ubiquitinylated proteins, whereas sensitive cells show a rapid reduction in ubiquitin-modified proteins before cell death, indicating a possible alteration in proteasome activity contributed to resistance. These results provide a paradigm for toxin-cell interactions and suggest macrophages are capable of adapting to and tolerating toxic doses of LT.
Accelerating New Product Development: A Preliminary Empirical Test of a Hierarchy of Implementation
Authors: Nijssen Ed J. , Arbouw Arthur R. L. , Commandeur Harry R.
Published: October 2003

Although time to market and a product's profitability are closely linked, simply speeding up new product development (NPD) is no guarantee of success. In fact, haphazardly adopting the numerous methods for accelerating NPD may jeopardize the potential success of the new product and the company.

An article in a previous issue of The Journal of Product Innovation Management suggests that companies seeking to speed up their NPD process should take a hierarchical approach to implementing the various acceleration techniques. To improve the likelihood that efforts to accelerate NPD will pay off with shorter development time, greater market share, and improved profitability, it is recommended that a company start by focusing on simplification of the NPD process. From there, the company can proceed in sequence through techniques involving the elimination of unnecessary steps in the NPD process, parallel processing (i.e., performing two or more NPD steps at the same time), the elimination of delays, and speeding up of the NPD process.

Ed J. Nijssen, Arthur R. L. Arbouw, and Harry R. Commandeur follow up on this earlier work by addressing several key questions regarding the proposed hierarchy of techniques for accelerating NPD. First, do companies that make extensive use of the proposed hierarchy develop new products faster than companies that do not? Second, do companies that make extensive use of the hierarchy enjoy better financial performance than those that do not? Third, regardless of the hierarchy, are products developed faster by companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods than by companies that use fewer methods of acceleration? Finally, how does financial performance compare among companies that make more intensive use of acceleration methods without following the hierarchy and those that use fewer methods of acceleration?

A survey of Dutch companies finds that the proposed hierarchy of techniques has a positive effect on NPD speed. The survey results also suggest that faster NPD is possible through the use of the various acceleration methods without regard for the order in which they are implemented. However, a strong positive relationship is evident between the hierarchy and the profitability of the product and the company. In other words, a random approach to NPD acceleration does not improve financial performance. By trying to accelerate NPD in accordance with the proposed hierarchy of methods, a company can avoid critical mistakes that might otherwise limit financial results.
Complementarity, Compatibility, and Product Change: Breaking with the Past?
Authors: Dhebar Anirudh
Published: October 2003

Product managers are caught between a rock and a cliche (or two). The market response to “new” Coke seems to support those who argue, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” On the other hand, rapidly shrinking product life‐cycles lend credence to the notion that the only constant is change. Preserving the status quo places both the product and the company on a fast track to obsolescence. To remain competitive, companies need a structured approach to understanding and managing product change.

Anirudh Dhebar offers such an approach by focusing on three interrelationships in which a product is involved. These interrelationships, or complementarities, are between a product and its users, other products with which the product is typically used, and databases that are created and repeatedly modified with the help of the product. These complementarities define the context in which the product is used. By understanding them, a company can better anticipate how a planned product change will affect consumers.

In planning product changes, it is important to remember that effective use of the product requires compatibility between the product and its complements. A change that somehow disrupts the product's complementarities can be viewed as a break with the past. In other words, such a change creates a new version of the product which is incompatible with the old version.

This type of change results in a switching cost for the consumer. That is, the consumer may have to invest time, money, and effort to reestablishing the complementarities that have been disrupted by the product change. For example, if a new software release includes significant changes to the user interface, consumers must weigh the potential benefits of any new features against the time and effort involved in relearning the interface. If these switching costs are too high, the new release will fail in the marketplace.

When planning product changes, a company must recognize the extent of a product's complementarities, and assess how a break in any of them will affect consumers' switching costs. It is important to recognize that the switching costs and the perceived benefits of the new product version may not be the same for all consumers. Finally, careful consideration must be given to the implementation of the product change. For example, the company must decide whether to offer some sort of bridge that helps consumers make the break with the past. The company also needs to decide whether the change is implemented throughout the product line or only in selected models.
Enhancing Concept Test Validity by Using Expert Consumers
Authors: Schoormans Jan P. L. , Ortt Roland J. , de Bont Cees J. P. M.
Published: October 2003

In standard concept testing practice, consumers may be invited to participate in a test if they use or possess the product. However, merely using or possessing a product is no guarantee that a consumer has the level of product knowledge that is necessary for judging the concept. Conducting a concept test with consumers who lack the necessary product knowledge may jeopardize the validity of the test results. That is, the results of such a concept test may not accurately indicate how consumers will evaluate the real product.

To ensure the validity of concept test results, Jan Schoormans, Roland Ortt, and Cees de Bont suggest that consumers who are invited to participate in a concept test should possess a degree of product knowledge. When a consumer is asked to evaluate a concept, their product expertise allows them to understand product information faster, fill in missing information, and learn more easily. Consumers with product expertise are better able to discriminate between important and unimportant aspects of a product. They are also better able to infer benefits from a product's physical attributes.

To explore the effects of consumer expertise on the quality of the evaluations provided by concept tests, the authors conducted two experiments, both of which resemble actual concept tests. The first experiment examines the effect of consumer expertise on the results of a concept test for a major innovation, Videotext. This experiment tests the hypothesis that the similarity between the evaluations of a concept and an actual product will be greater for consumers with a high level of product‐category expertise than for consumers with low product‐category expertise. The results of the experiment clearly support the idea that product‐category expertise enhances a respondent's ability to evaluate concepts in a test of major innovations. From this, it is concluded that only respondents with high product‐category expertise should be used for concept tests of major innovations.

The second experiment explores the effects of product expertise on consumers' evaluations of a minor innovation, a redesigned coffee maker. This experiment tests two hypotheses. First, it is proposed that consumers with high product expertise give more consistent evaluations in a concept test than consumers with low product expertise. Second, it is suggested that consumers with product expertise generate more stable evaluations over time than consumers without product expertise. The results of this experiment clearly indicate that using consumers with moderate to high levels of product expertise is beneficial to the validity of the results from concept tests of minor innovations.
Real Estate Investment Perception: A Multidimensional Analysis
Authors: Wofford Larry E. , Preddy R. Keith
Published: October 2003

Investor perceptions are critical to the selection of investment media. It is the perceived level of those attributes the investor considers important that determines the similarity or dissimilarity of alternative investment media. This study investigates investment perception by developing a geometrical representation of the perceptual space of a subject group for alternative investment media using multidimensional scaling techniques. The dimensions most salient to differences in perception are then analyzed. A four dimensional configuration is considered the best. Risk and return are important, but not simple, dimensions. Risk requires two dimensions, corresponding to different concepts of risk, to be adequately explained. Return occupies only one dimension, but the concept incorporates both monetary and non‐monetary returns. Real estate is perceived as possessing high returns and moderate risk.
Uses and Abuses of Residential Building Permits in Forecasting Private Housing Starts
Authors: Teplin Albert M.
Published: October 2003

This paper examines the commonly held view that the Census Bureau's monthly series for residential building permits issued is a leading indicator of the series for private housing starts. A close study of the residential building permits and housing starts series shows that on a quarterly basis the series are coincident, with cyclical peaks and troughts in the seasonally adjusted data occurring in the same period. On the monthly basis for the period 1960 through 1976, the peaks and troughs in the building permits series have usually followed those in the housing starts series. Also, evidence presented in the paper shows that monthly changes in the residential building permits series are not highly correlated with changes in the housing starts series one to five months in the future. Finally, the analysis suggests that changes in the backlog of unused residential building permits are not indicative of future changes in the rate of housing starts. The major implication of these results is that permits data offer little or no information about future month‐to‐month changes in the rate of housing starts. However, because the building permits series is less irregular than the housing starts series and the cyclical movements of the series are basically the same, permits data can be used to identify irregular monthly movements in the starts series.
Distributional Consequences of Alternative Mortgage Instruments
Authors: Vandell Kerry D.
Published: October 2003

One of the major factors hindering the introduction of alternative mortgage instruments is the possibility of adverse consequences to certain groups of households seeking to obtain credit for homeownership. This study examines this issue through an analysis of cross‐sectional household data obtained from the 1970 Survey of Consumer Finances. Using multiple regression analysis, a series of structural demand models are derived and estimated. These models relate the probability of homeownership, levels of housing consumption, mortgage credit usage, and downpayment to income, assets, and other socioeconomic variables, to variables representing the relative price of housing and homeownership, and to certain variables representing the present value and cash flow costs of mortgage credit. Several mortgage‐related variables are found to be influential in housing demand decisions. These models are then used to simulate alternative instrument introduction. The graduated‐payment and price‐level adjusted mortgages are predicted to be superior to the current instrument of mortgage finance in encouraging homeownership, housing consumption, and the use of mortgage credit among all household classes. The standard variable‐rate mortgage, especially one tied to a short‐term interest rate, is predicted to be inferior to the standard instrument, with the most adverse impacts upon lower‐income, young, elderly, and black households.
Avoiding Both Disinvestment and Speculation in Private Multifamily Housing
Authors: Goetz Rolf
Published: October 2003

Maintaining the health of existing urban neighborhoods requires a radically different approach from that of simply intervening with recently developed housing tools such as Urban Renewal, FHA mortgages, FAIR plan insurance, HUD subsidized loans and the like. Instead, the dynamics of healthy and pathological neighborhoods must be more closely examined so the workings of the prevailing system can be identified. Housing policy has largely been formulated on the concept of housing “filtering or trickling down” while people move up, but this theory frequently fails to fit the facts.

Neighborhood change and response to interventions often seem unpredictable. A new theory based on the inherent strength of existing stable urban neighborhoods to stave off forces that lead to disinvestment on the one hand, and speculation on the other, would be more useful than one that accepts deterioration and obsolescence as inevitable. This paper seeks to contribute to such a theory. While the data presented here are drawn from research in multi‐family housing, many of the inferences apply to single‐family housing as well.
The Gatekeeper Appraiser's Role in an Era of Higher Energy Prices*
Authors: Haney Richard L. , Crask Melvin R. , Isakson Hans R.
Published: October 2003

This article discusses the notion of gatekeeper, or opinion leader, appraisers. Because these appraisers are instrumental in disseminating information to other appraisers they are very influential in shaping appraisal practices. A sample of 763 appraisers is used to identify these gatekeepers and to examine their appraisal practices relative to other appraisers. Differences are noted between opinion leaders and non‐opinion leaders in the importance attached to and in the use of energy conservation components of real property in appraisals.
The Impact of Market Experience Upon Appraisers' Energy Awareness*
Authors: Isakson Hans R. , Haney Richard L.
Published: October 2003

This article explores the notion that appraisers respond to a very rapid change in any factor that will ultimately affect real estate values only after they witness the effects of this change in actual marketplace transactions. An analysis of 685 responses to a recent national appraiser survey suggests that a cause and effect relationship exists between their energy related market experiences and their energy awareness level. Market imperfections and the difficulty of predicting future energy prices are identified as barriers that inhibit the appraisers' ability to achieve a high level of energy awareness.
Macroeconomic Determinants of Multifamily Housing Starts: A Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Kawaller Ira G.
Published: October 2003

The multifamily component of residential construction has received relatively little attention in the existing literature on macro‐economic housing markets. In those studies where single and multifamily starts have been treated separately [Kawaller (1976), Arcelus and Meltzer (1973), Brady (1973), Kalchbrenner (1972)Smith (1969), the greater share of attention and background discussion has been directed toward the singlefamily sector. Such treatment probably is due to the fact that multifamily starts have traditionally accounted for the smaller fraction of total private starts. Since the Census Bureau began recording the starts breakdown in 1959, however, this fraction has not fallen much below a fifth in any quarter, and it has been as high as 48 percent. Moreover, with a growing acceptance of the condominium and cooperative housing concepts, expanding Federal rental assistance initiatives, and changing life style preferences, it would appear that increased attention given to the multifamily sector, may significantly enhance our understanding of housing markets in general.
A Property Tax Base Model
Authors: Epstein Ira
Published: October 2003

This model analyzes fiscal year changes and shifts in local government's real property tax base. The three variables quantified by this analysis are net new development, change in assessment‐market price ratio and appreciation. The model's results provide useful analytical data to taxpayers and policy makers. These data can be used to help determine policy actions relative to (1) the amount and type of development and its impact on the future fiscal position of the respective jurisdiction; (2) the equity of the various property classes' assessment‐sales price ratios; and (3) possibly altering the rate of appreciation among the various classes. The model might also be used on a sub‐area basis to help determine prospering and declining areas, and to help forecast the property tax base and revenue.
Mortgage Lending, Social Responsibility, and Public Policy: Some Perspectives on HMDA and CRA
Authors: King A. Thomas
Published: October 2003

This paper sets out a simple model of the neighborhood housing market. With this as a frame of reference it reviews some of the concerns associated with redlining and relates these to evidence presented at the HMDA and CRA Hearings. Does this evidence support the claims that lenders were acting irresponsibly? What if anything can be concluded from such evidence about the alleged role of inadequate and discriminatory lending in causing urban decay? The HMDA was approved so that citizens would have access to data which would enable them to appraise the social responsibility shown by lenders; and the CRA, so that regulatory agencies would have a tool to encourage lenders to do better. How well do the Acts fulfill these intentions?
Homeowner Warranties: A Study of the Need and Demand for Protection Against Unanticipated Repair Expenses
Authors: Brewster J. Alan , Crespi Irving , Kaluzny Richard , Ohls James , Thomas Cynthia
Published: October 2003

The decision to purchase a home often is made without complete information concerning the structural soundness of the dwelling or the condition of its mechanical systems.

This paper presents detailed information on the nature and magnitude of unanticipated home repair costs on the basis of data obtained from a HUD‐sponsored survey of some 1800 households that purchased existing homes two years prior to the survey. The potential market demand for home inspection and warranty programs is estimated on the basis of data obtained from a second survey of approximately 1800 recent home purchasers. Finally, the economic feasibility of two potential government warranty programs is examined and a number of tentative policy conclusions are drawn.
Expected Equity Returns on Real Estate Financed with Life Insurance Company Loans: 1967–1977
Authors: Sirmans C. F. , Webb James R.
Published: October 2003

This paper estimates the internal rate of return on eleven real property types for the period 1967–1977 using a national sample of over 39 billion dollars worth of real property. Returns are calculated four ways—1) before tax, before financing. 2) before tax, after financing, 3) after tax, before financing, and 4) after tax, after financing. Comparisons are then made to determine the effects of taxes and financing on the returns. Finally, the results are compared to an earlier study for the period 1954–1966 to determine the changes of the various factors over time.
Public Policies for the Preservation of Capital in Older Areas
Authors: Ahlbrandt Roger S.
Published: October 2003

This paper provides a framework for considering approaches to the preservation of older neighborhoods. Particular attention is paid to the role of financial institutions in the dynamics of neighborhood change and to public/private collaborative efforts to stem decline. In general, public policie to preserve neighborhoods must be comprehensive in nature and require a variety of tools to take into account the unique aspects of a neighborhood's environment. To create or maintain a stable neighborhood environment, however, there are no alternatives to an overall approach which embodies local governments, the private sector, and private citizens. Any other approach may provide short‐run gains that will not create the dynamics necessary for long‐term stability.
The Uncharted Trend: Toward Increased Public‐Private Cooperation in Housing Development
Authors: Priest Donald E.
Published: October 2003

National housing forecasters are beginning to recognize that local government policies have an impact on national housing production. From a reading of the recent past record of local government‐developer conflicts, one might assume that the future for increased housing production is not so rosy. But a number of powerful economic and social forces are forcing both public officials and private developers to recognize their mutual interest in cooperating. We may be heading toward a new era of public‐private cooperative housing production, with important implications for the volume and quality of new housing.
Optimal Real Estate Portfolios
Authors: Findlay M. Chapman , Hamilton Carl W. , Messner Stephen D. , Yormark Jonathan S.
Published: October 2003

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid the problem of analyzing, evaluating and selecting real estate investments within the context of a portfolio. Most approaches simply attempt to adapt existing theory and models from the well‐developed literature of securities investments. Most adaptations or extensions to real estate are not without serious problems, however, because of several fundamental difficulties relating to optimization technology inadequacies and a general lack of reliable and consistent market data.

This article deals with the major problems of utilizing some of the classic securities investment models for real estate. Further, a risk‐return model is advanced which overcomes most of the fundamental problems outlined earlier in the article.
The Likely Impact of Increases in Deposit Rate Ceilings on Thrift Earnings and Housing Construction*
Authors: Hendershott Patric H.
Published: October 2003

Simulations of a seventy‐equation econometric model are run in an attempt to deduce the likely impact of increases in deposit rate ceilings on financial markets, the earnings of depository institutions, and the composition of nonfinancial investment. The analysis suggests that the effect of binding rate ceilings during the 1973–75 period was to raise home mortgage rates (by about 30 basis points), accentuate the downturn in single family housing starts (by about 40,000 per year), and maintain earnings at depository institutions. Without the ceilings thrift earnings would have been about a billion dollars less per year. However, this loss might well be more than compensated for by greater thrift earnings in subsequent years and by lower noninterest expenses.
A Descriptive Analysis of the AREUEA Members: 1978
Authors: Rabianski Joseph , Harris Jackson
Published: October 2003

A survey of AREUEA members reveals that the association is a diverse professional organization composed of individuals from academia, the government and the real estate industry. This paper presents the data obtained from this survey and identifies the membership by type of employment, teaching and research interests, other professional affiliations and professional designations.
Human Phagocytic Cell Responses toScedosporium apiospermum(Pseudallescheria boydii): Variable Susceptibility to Oxidative Injury
Authors: Gil-Lamaignere Cristina , Roilides Emmanuel , Lyman Caron A. , Simitsopoulou Maria , Stergiopoulou Theodouli , Maloukou Avgi , Walsh Thomas J.
Published: October 2003

Scedosporium apiospermum(Pseudallescheria boydii) is an emerging opportunistic filamentous fungus that causes serious infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. To gain insight into the immunopathogenesis of infections due toS. apiospermum, the antifungal activities of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), mononuclear leukocytes (MNCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) against two clinical isolates ofS. apiospermumwere evaluated. Isolate SA54A was amphotericin B resistant and was the cause of a fatal disseminated infection. Isolate SA1216 (cultured from a successfully treated localized subcutaneous infection) was susceptible to amphotericin B.MDMs exhibited similar phagocytic activities against conidia of both isolates. However, PMNs and MNCs responded differently to the hyphae of these two isolates. Serum opsonization of hyphae resulted in a higher level of superoxide anion (O2−) release by PMNs in response to SA54A (amphotericin B resistant) than that seen in response to SA1216 (amphotericin B susceptible;P< 0.001). Despite this increased O2−production, PMNs and MNCs induced less hyphal damage to SA54A than to SA1216 (P< 0.001). To investigate the potential mechanisms responsible for these differences, hyphal damage was evaluated in the presence of antifungal oxidative metabolites as well as in the presence of a series of inhibitors and scavengers of antifungal PMN function. Mannose, catalase, superoxide dismutase, dimethyl sulfoxide, and heparin had no effect on PMN-induced hyphal damage to either of the two isolates. However, azide, which inhibits PMN myeloperoxidase activity, significantly reduced hyphal damage to SA1216 (P< 0.01) but not to SA54A. Hyphae of SA1216 were slightly more susceptible to oxidative pathway products, particularly HOCl, than those of SA54A. Thus,S. apiospermumis susceptible to antifungal phagocytic function to various degrees. The selective inhibitory pattern of azide with respect to hyphal damage and the parallel susceptibility to HOCl suggests an important difference in susceptibilities to myeloperoxidase products that may be related to the various levels of pathogenicity and amphotericin B resistance ofS. apiospermum.
Role of Actin Filament Network in
Burkholderia multivorans
Invasion in Well-Differentiated Human Airway Epithelia
Authors: Schwab Ute E. , Ribeiro Carla M. P. , Neubauer Heiner , Boucher Richard C.
Published: October 2003

The role of the actin-based cytoskeleton in the internalization process of
Burkholderia multivorans
by well-differentiated human airway epithelia was investigated by immunohistology and confocal microscopy. Our data suggest that an intact actin cytoskeleton is required for biofilm formation but not single cell entry or paracytosis.
Self Diffusion and Activation Energy of Liquid Palladium
Authors: Akhter J. I. , Yaldram K.
Published: October 2003

Molecular dynamics studies of the temperature dependence of self diffusion coefficient of palladium has been carried out using the many body potential generated by the Embedded Atom Method of Daw and Baskes. These values as well as the results for activation energy are compared with similar results for other fcc metals.
ARC Index and the Kauffman Polynomial
Authors: Nutt Ian J.
Published: October 2003

Recent work of Birman and Menasco discusses braid index of satellite links, and introduces a new geometrical invariant of links, which they have called the arc index. Here, we marry the work of Birman and Menasco with that of Rodolph on quasipositivity of knots, to deduce a lower bound for arc index from the Kauffman polynomial.
Alexander-Conway Limits of Many Vassiliev Weight Systems
Authors: Kricker A.
Published: October 2003

Previous work has shown that certain leading orders of arbitrary Vassiliev invariants are generically in the algebra of the coefficients of the Alexander-Conway polynomial [KSA]. Here we illustrate this for a large class of examples, exposing the simple logic behind several existing results in the literature [FKV, BNG]. This approach facilitates an extension to a large class of Lie (super) algebras.
HADAS: A Network-Centric Framework for Interoperability Programming
Authors: Ben-Shaul Israel , Cohen Avron , Holder Ophir , Lavva Boris
Published: October 2003

The explosive growth in global networking infrastructures has created the opportunity to construct systems involving large number of independent and widely-distributed computational components. Administrative and operational autonomy considerations imply that the actual establishment of agreements regarding all aspects of component interaction must be explicitly declared and effectively formed. Moreover, since agreements may evolve over time, their representation needs to be highly tailorable. Design autonomy considerations imply the need to interoperate between pre-existing components, yet not enforce a fixed interoperability standard. The HADAS system addresses both concerns by providing a model and a corresponding programmable interface to component interoperability. Specifically, it provides an integration framework in which components "live", a peer-based configuration model for forming agreements and interconnections between components, and a coordination language for explicitly programming the actual desired distributed computation using these components. The framework rests on an underlying reflective object model that supports mutability and mobility, and an infrastructure that provides object interconnectivity, security and persistence. HADAS is fully implemented in Java and comes with a full programming environment for developing and executing network-centric applications.
Body Mass Index
Authors: Wolk Robert , Berger Peter , Lennon Ryan J. , Brilakis Emmanouil S. , Somers Virend K.
Published: October 2003

Background—

In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), acute thrombosis frequently occurs in coronary arteries with only mild or moderate stenoses. Obesity increases the risk of atherosclerosis, but it is not known whether it also increases the risk of coronary thrombosis. We hypothesized that body mass index (BMI) might be an independent predictor of an acute coronary syndrome in patients with established coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

Of 504 patients undergoing coronary angiography, those with evidence of >10% coronary artery stenoses were divided into 2 groups, with either stable (n=226) or unstable CAD (unstable angina or myocardial infarction; n=156). After adjusting for other risk factors (age, gender, blood pressure, lipid levels, insulin resistance, leptin, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), CAD severity on angiography, smoking status, and a history of myocardial infarction or hypertension), BMI had a significant independent association with an acute coronary syndrome, with an odds ratio of 1.49 (
P
=0.014). This positive relation between BMI and the risk of acute coronary events was evident for even mildly elevated BMI values. Multivariate analysis also showed that CRP and the number of coronary lesions were independent predictors of risk of an acute coronary event.

Conclusions—

In patients with established coronary atherosclerosis, BMI, as well as CRP and number of coronary lesions, are independently associated with acute coronary syndromes. There is evidence of increased risk even at mildly elevated BMI levels.
Racial Disparities in Receipt of Secondary Stroke Prevention Agents Among US Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Christian Jennifer B. , Lapane Kate L. , Toppa Rebecca S.
Published: October 2003

Background and Purpose—

Although medications can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent stroke, little is known about the extent to which such therapies are given to nursing home residents. We sought to evaluate the extent to which people of color were less likely to receive pharmacological agents in the treatment of recurrent stroke while living in US nursing homes.

Methods—

We identified 19 051 residents with a recent hospitalization and primary discharge diagnosis of 434 or 436 in 5 states from 1992 to 1996; of these, 7053 had concomitant conditions indicating anticoagulant therapy. We considered aspirin, dipyridamole, ticlopidine, or warfarin alone or in combination as secondary drug prevention. Generalized linear models provided estimates of the absolute difference in prevalence estimates of the receipt of agents used for the prevention of recurrent stroke between each race-ethnicity group adjusted for potential confounders.

Results—

Variability in use of any treatment was observed by race-ethnicity ranging from 58% of American Indians receiving therapy to only 39% of Asian/Pacific Islanders. Among residents with an indication for anticoagulant therapy, the absolute estimated crude differences indicated that residents of color were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to receive warfarin. After controlling for confounding, Asian/Pacific Islanders, blacks, and Hispanics eligible for anticoagulant therapy received warfarin less often than non-Hispanic white residents.

Conclusions—

Overall, only half of our elderly population received any pharmacological agent for secondary prevention of stroke. Interventions designed to improve the pharmacological management of recurrent stroke regardless of race are needed in the nursing home setting.
Mantle cell lymphoma with t(11;14) and unmutated or mutated VH genes expresses AID and undergoes isotype switch events
Authors: Babbage Gavin , Garand Richard , Robillard Nelly , Zojer Niklas , Stevenson Freda K. , Sahota Surinder S.
Published: October 2003

Isotype switch commonly follows onset of somatic hypermutation in the germinal center (GC), with activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) as a prerequisite. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) with t(11;14) includes a subset with unmutated (UM) and a minor subset with mutated (MUT) VH genes. Here, we investigated whether switch events and AID expression occur in MCL. In 4 of 6 UM and 4 of 7 MUT MCLs, alternative tumor-derived Cγ,α,ϵ transcripts were identified. AID transcripts, including a splice variant, were common to both subsets. AID expression correlated with switch in 8 of 8 cases, but in 3 of 5 cases it occurred with switch absent. Circle transcripts (Iγ-Cμ/Iα-Cμ) were identified in 5 of 7 evaluated cases. In 1 of 12 cases, 12% of tumor cells expressed immunoglobulin L-restricted surface IgA. Ongoing switch recombination events appear to be a feature of MCL, likely restricted to a minor tumor subpopulation, with occasional variant sIg expression. UM MCLs implicate origins from pre-GC B cells and reveal switch events at ectopic sites. (Blood. 2004;103:2795-2798)