bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Test of the monophyly of Odostomiinae and Turbonilliinae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Pyramidellidae) based on 16S mtDNA sequences
Authors: Schander Christoffer , Halanych Kenneth M. , Dahlgren Thomas , Sundberg Per
Published: December 2004

Schander, C., Halanych, K. M., Dahlgren, T. & Sundberg, P. (2003) Test of the monophyly of Odostomiinae and Turbonilliinae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Pyramidellidae) based on 16S mtDNA sequences. — Zoologica Scripta, 32, 243−254.

While gastropod phylogeny has received much recent attention, relationships within some major gastropod clades have still not been studied. The Pyramidellidae is one such group, comprising more than 6000 named species in more than 350 genera. We sequenced part of the mitochondrial 16S gene from 32 species in an attempt to clarify pyramidellid phylogeny and employed a successive alignment approach that allowed us to maximize the phylogenetic signal of the data. Neighbour‐joining, maximum parsimony and likelihood analyses recovered two distinct clades. One clade consisted of Noemiamea which nested within Odostomia (sensu stricto). The inclusion of Brachystomia, Megastomia, Jordaniella and Liostomia within Odostomia is not supported. The second clade comprised Spiralinella, Brachystomia, Boonea, Jordaniella, Liostomia and Parthenina. Our results further suggest that Turbonilla, as interpreted by most authors, is polyphyletic. This study shows that the 16S gene is useful in unravelling pyramidellid phylogeny but needs to be combined with other data (including molecular, morphological and developmental) to fully clarify the evolutionary relationships.
Molecular phylogeny of elopomorph fishes inferred from mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA sequences
Authors: Wang Chien‐Hsun , Kuo Chien‐Hsien , Mok Hin‐Kiu , Lee Sin‐Che
Published: December 2004

Wang, C. H., Kuo, C. H., Mok, H. K. & Lee, S. C. (2003). Molecular phylogeny of elopomorph fishes inferred from mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA sequences. — Zoologica Scripta, 32, 231–241.

Fishes of the superorder Elopomorpha include tenpounders (Elops), tarpon (Megalops), bonefishes (Albula), spiny eels (Notacanthus), apodes, and gulper eels; despite highly diversified morphological features, all undergo a leptocephalus larval stage and are thus treated (although with some dissenting views) as monophyletic. Following analysis of 12S rRNA sequences we present results that confirm a monophyletic Elopomorpha clearly separated from Clupeomorpha. Elops and Megalops share a common ancestor and are clustered in a subclade at the bottom of Elopomorpha. Albula and Notacanthus share a common ancestor forming the sister group to Anguilliformes. Saccopharyngiformes is not a sister group of Anguilliformes, as the single species sequenced here is nested deeply within the latter. Neither the suborder Congroidei nor the superfamily Congroidea within Anguilliformes are monophyletic.
A permutation test for the robust sib‐pair linkage method
Authors: WAN Y. , COHEN J. , GUERRA R.
Published: December 2004

The robust sib‐pair method introduced by Haseman & Elston (1972) is one of the most widely circulated allele‐sharing methods for linkage analysis. The procedure evaluates linkage by significance testing of a regression coefficient and, hence, a standard t‐test has traditionally been applied despite known violations of the statistical assumptions underlying the test. We present a permutation based reference distribution for the estimate of the regression coefficient that is motivated by genetic principles rather than by standard regression testing procedures. The permutation test approximates Mendelian co‐segregation under the null hypothesis of no linkage, making it a very natural approach. Theory and simulations show that the conventional t‐test approximates the permutation test quite well, even when dependent sib pairs are used for analysis. These results thus indirectly address concerns over the t‐test. To illustrate the permutation test using real data we applied the procedure to two lipoprotein systems that have been well characterized.
DNA haplotypes of the complement C6 and C7 genes associated with deficiencies of the seventh component; and a new DNA polymorphism in C7 exon 13
Authors: FERNIE B. A. , ORREN A. , SCHLESINGER M. , WÜRZNER R. , PLATONOV A. E. , COOPER R. C. , WILLIAMS Y. E. , HOBART M. J.
Published: December 2004

Eight common DNA polymorphisms have been described for the linked C6 and C7 genes. We now describe a ninth polymorphism in C7 exon 13 which is located in a tight cluster with two previously reported markers. We have used all these markers to investigate the heterogeneity of C7 deficiency. Five of the nine C7 deficient probands (resident in Ireland, South Africa, Russia and Israel) are heterozygous for C6/C7 haplotypes. Seven different C7 deficient haplotypes were found for C7 markers alone, but all the four Israelis share one and three out of four Irish haplotypes share another. The markers appear to be a good guide to the heterogeneity of C7 deficiency and have been useful in choosing homozygous subjects for the investigation of molecular defects.
Genetic contribution of the HLA region to the familial clustering of coeliac disease
Authors: PETRONZELLI F. , BONAMICO M. , FERRANTE P. , GRILLO R. , MORA B. , MARIANI P. , APOLLONIO I. , GEMME G. , MAZZILLI M. C.
Published: December 2004

In order to assess the effect of the HLA region on familiality of coeliac disease (CD), we carried out a study on 121 CD index cases and 325 first degree relatives. The transmission disequilibrium test confirmed the importance of the HLA‐DR3 haplotype in CD susceptibility. However, the different distortion found in affected children inheriting maternal or paternal DR3 alleles suggested that the sex of the parent might influence the risk conferred by this haplotype. The increase in risk to siblings of affected individuals relative to the risk in the general population (λs) and the contribution of the HLA genes to this clustering (λsHLA) have also been estimated. Non‐overlapping data from the literature have been collected and combined with our sample to extend such analysis. Then, the percentage contribution of the HLA region to the development of CD among siblings was 36·2%. This result confirms that the HLA genotypes are an important genetic background to CD development but shows that additional susceptibility factors remain to be identified.
Alpha coat protein COPA (HEP‐COP): presence of an Alu repeat in cDNA and identity of the amino terminus to xenin
Authors: CHOW V. T. K. , QUEK H. H.
Published: December 2004

We previously sequenced the 4333‐nucleotide cDNA of the COPA (HEP‐COP) gene which encodes the human homologue of the α‐subunit of the coatomer protein complex, involved in intracellular protein transport. Within the 3′ untranslated region at nucleotides 4049–4333 was observed an Alu repeat containing conserved A and B block elements, and showing high homology to the human Alu‐Sx subfamily consensus sequence. Upstream of the Alu repeat were noted a TATA box, a CAAT motif and two activating transcription factor (ATF)‐like binding sites, which represent putative regulatory elements directing Alu transcription. In addition, the 25 and 35 N‐terminal amino acid residues of COPA and its bovine homologue were identical to xenin‐25 and proxenin, respectively. Xenin‐25 is a gastrointestinal hormone that stimulates exocrine pancreatic secretion. This peptide is related to xenopsin, neurotensin and neuromedin N which are bioactive peptides derived from larger precursors via proteolytic cleavage by cathepsin E at processing sites determined by conserved C‐terminal sequences, i.e. proline/valine‐X‐X‐hydrophobic amino acid. Given the conformity of the C‐terminal residues of xenin‐25 (PWIL) and of its progenitor molecule, proxenin (VIQL), it is proposed that these peptides are generated by a similar mechanism of post‐translational modification involving a parent precursor represented by the α‐subunit of coatomer.
A new alpha 1‐antitrypsin mutation, Thr–Met 85, (PI Zbristol) associated with novel electrophoretic properties
Authors: LOVEGROVE J. U. , JEREMIAH S. , GILLETT G. T. , TEMPLE I. K. , POVEY S. , WHITEHOUSE D. B.
Published: December 2004

A new AAT allele (PI Zbristol) has been discovered in a woman with an obstetric history of three perinatal deaths from fulminant liver disease and no living offspring. She and her father were both PI M1Zbristol heterozygotes. The Zbristol protein is active as a proteinase inhibitor but appeared to be deficient in the plasma to about the same degree as the S protein in MS heterozygotes. It focuses on the basic side of Z and lacks the normal pattern of secondary isoforms associated with the commonly occurring AAT variants and migrates faster than normal on an SDS electrophoresis gel. The Zbristol mutation was found to be a C to T transition at codon 85 changing ACG (Thr) to ATG (Met). This disrupts the N‐glycosylation site starting at Asn 83 preventing glycosylation at residue 83 in the PI Zbristol protein and explains the protein isoelectric focusing and SDS gel electrophoresis results. An analysis of haplotypes in the propositus and her father indicated that the Zbristol mutation occurred on the common M1(Val 213) genetic background. The new mutation also led to the generation of an NlaIII restriction endonuclease recognition site. Cell lines from two offspring tested for the presence of this NlaIII site revealed that one had the variant and the other did not. Thus, the relationship between Zbristol and fulminant liver disease in the offspring is unclear.
Mapping ESTs to the TSC1 candidate interval by use of the ‘Science 96’ transcript map
Authors: WOLFE J. , JEREMIAH S. , YOUNG J. , BURLEY M. W. , STEWART H. , McCULLEY M. , GRANT C. , NAZ K. , POVEY S.
Published: December 2004

The transcription map of the human genome published by Schuler et al. (1996) is a valuable resource in which approximately one quarter of all human genes have been mapped with respect to genetic framework markers using radiation hybrids. We have taken information from this map to provide potential genes within the TSC1 candidate region on chromosome 9q34. In so doing we have been able to provide an independent assay of the quality of the radiation hybrid mapping by using somatic cell hybrids and a 2 Mb cosmid contig covering the TSC1 region as mapping tools. In addition, we have built sequence contigs of ESTs for 25 clusters. This has shown that about 20% of the relevant EST clusters in the Unigene resource (Boguski & Schuler 1995) contain chimaeric clones.
Spanish and African contribution to the genetic pool of the Canary islanders: data from GM and KM haplotypes and RFLPs in the immunoglobulin IGHG loci
Authors: ESTEBAN E. , DUGOUJON J. M. , VALVENY N. , GONZALEZ‐REIMERS E. , MORAL P.
Published: December 2004

Data on the GM and KM haplotypes and RFLPs in the immunoglobulin IGHG loci are reported intending to evaluate the genetic contribution of the different populations (Europeans and Africans) who settled Tenerife Island. The GM and KM allotypic systems reveal an estimated European genetic admixture of 88%. The only possible African contribution is the presence of the GM*1,17;..;5* haplotype (2.5%), but no other traces of Black African characteristic haplotypes are found. Although new RFLP haplotypes are described, DNA variation is similar to that reported in Caucasoids with a marked absence of restriction fragments characteristic of Black Africans.
Use of siblings as controls in case‐control association studies
Authors: CURTIS D.
Published: December 2004

The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) is a simple means to detect association which should only be positive if the marker allele is linked to the disease locus, but it cannot be used if parents of affected subjects are unavailable, as can occur when the disease has a late age of onset. Although one can sometimes deduce parental genotypes using the siblings of affected cases, reliance on this procedure can introduce bias and may also result in discarding many families which could provide useful information. Instead, it is shown that the use of unaffected siblings as controls is, like the TDT, robust against bias due to population stratification and other sources, and is expected only to produce positive results when a marker is both associated and linked with the disease locus. The method can have much less power than a case‐control study using unrelated controls, but this can be guarded against by seeking unaffected siblings which are genotypically distinct from cases and by focusing only on alleles which are different within pairs of cases and controls. This yields a pair‐wise test for association which can be used for multiallelic markers in a manner exactly analogous to the extended TDT (ETDT). The use of siblings as controls is simple, robust, practical and worthy of further consideration.
Testing an ‘aging gene’ in long‐lived Drosophila strains: increased longevity depends on sex and genetic background
Authors: Spencer Christine C. , Howell Christine E. , Wright Amber R. , Promislow Daniel E. L.
Published: December 2004

Molecular advances of the past decade have led to the discovery of a myriad of ‘aging genes’ (methuselah, Indy, InR, Chico, superoxide dismutase) that extend Drosophila lifespan by up to 85%. Despite this life extension, these mutants are no longer lived than at least some recently wild‐ caught strains. Typically, long‐lived mutants are identified in relatively short‐lived genetic backgrounds, and their effects are rarely tested in genetic backgrounds other than the one in which they were isolated or derived. However, the mutant's high‐longevity phenotype may be dependent on interactions with alleles that are common in short‐lived laboratory strains. Here we set out to determine whether one particular mutant could extend lifespan in long‐lived genetic backgrounds in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We measured longevity and resistance to thermal stress in flies that were transgenically altered to overexpress human superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the motorneurones in each of 10 genotypes. Each genotype carried the genetic background from a different naturally long‐lived wild‐caught Drosophila strain. While SOD increased lifespan on average, the effect was genotype‐ and sex‐specific. Our results indicate that naturally segregating genes interact epistatically with the aging gene superoxide dismutase to modify its ability to extend longevity. This study points to the need to identify mutants that increase longevity not only in the lab strain of origin but also in naturally long‐lived genetic backgrounds.
Phosphorylcholine and Poly(D,L‐lactic acid) Containing Copolymers as Substrates for Cell Adhesion
Authors: Watanabe Junji , Ishihara Kazuhiko
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Fibroblast cell culture was performed to evaluate cell adhesion and cell morphology on novel hydrolyzable copolymers composed of poly(D,L‐lactic acid) (PDLA) macromonomer, 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), and n‐butyl methacrylate. The copolymers were used as cell culture materials for regulating the interaction between the cells and the polymer surface. The results of X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the PDLA chains and MPC units were present in the copolymer coating on PET films. Cell adhesion and morphology of adherent cells on coatings of the copolymers were studied. The number of cells on the surface increased with the PDLA content of the copolymer. As for the cell morphology, a round shape was observed on copolymers containing MPC units. These findings suggest that the cells recognize the PDLA and MPC units on the surface via changes in protein adsorption and/or conformation, and that the numbers of adhering cells and the cell morphology can be regulated by the composition of the copolymer.
Control Strategy for Maintaining Physiological Perfusion with Rotary Blood Pumps
Authors: Giridharan Guruprasad A. , Skliar Mikhail
Published: December 2004

Abstract:We present arguments and simulation results in favor of a novel strategy for control of rotary blood pumps. We suggest that physiological perfusion is achieved when the blood pump is controlled to maintain an average reference differential pressure. In the case of rotary left ventricular assist devices, our simulations show that maintaining a constant average pressure difference between the left ventricle and aorta results in physiological perfusion over a wide range of physical activities and clinical cardiac conditions. We simulated rest, light, and strenuous exercise conditions, corresponding to cardiac demands of 4.92, 7.98, and 14.62 L/min, respectively. For different exercise levels, the clinical conditions ranged from normal to failing to asystolic heart. By maintaining a constant pressure difference of 75 mm Hg between the left ventricle and aorta, with either an axial or a centrifugal blood pump, a total cardiac output close to the physiological cardiac demand was achieved, irrespective of the heart condition. The simulations of the transitions between different levels of exercise indicate that with the same reference differential pressure, the proposed approach leads to rapid adaptation of the total cardiac output to physiological levels, while avoiding suction. Comparison with the traditional control strategy of maintaining a reference rotational speed (rpm) of the pump indicates that though the traditional approach has some degree of adaptability, it is only adequate over a narrow range of cardiac demand and clinical conditions of the patient. Our results indicate that the proposed approach is superior to the alternatives in providing an adequate and autonomous adaptation of the total cardiac output over a broad range of exercise conditions (expected when an assist device is used as a destination therapy) and clinical statuses of the native heart (such as further deterioration or recovery of cardiac function), while having the potential to improve the quality of life of patients by reducing the need for monitoring and frequent human intervention. The proposed approach can be clinically implemented using simple controllers, and requires the implantation of two pressure sensors, or estimation of the pressure difference based on other available measurements.
Effects of Direct Mechanical Ventricular Assistance on Regional Myocardial Function in an Animal Model of Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Kaczmarek Ingo , Feindt Peter , Boeken Udo , Guerler Semih , Gams Emmeran
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Direct mechanical ventricular assistance (DMVA) improves hemodynamics in failing hearts without complications associated with a blood/device interface. Epicardial Doppler displacement transducers provide exact measurements of tissue displacement and regional myocardial function (RMF). An in vivo porcine model of acute heart failure was used to examine the effects of DMVA on RMF, which have not been reported before. In 8 anesthetized pigs cardiac output (CO), left ventricular pressure (LVP), aortic blood pressure (BP), systolic contractility (dp/dt max), and systolic wall thickening fraction (WT%) were measured. A multichamber pump system (IMPS) surrounding the left ventricle was implanted and the measurements were repeated. Then acute heart failure was induced by β‐blockade, resulting in a decline of all measured parameters to more than 30% compared to baseline values. In the further course of the experiment, repeated measurements were taken at several intervals with and without DMVA by the implanted device. The IMPS implantation caused no significant hemodynamic changes. Under conditions of acute heart failure DMVA improved LVP (46 ± 7 to 81 ± 9 mm Hg), dp/dt max (532 ± 207 to 744 ± 361 mm Hg/s), CO (1.5 ± 0.1 to 1.9 ± 0.5 L/min) and WT% (19 ± 7% to 32 ± 8%). Left ventricular myocardium not directly assisted by external pressure application showed improved regional myocardial function during DMVA. We conclude that DMVA is capable of improving hemodynamics due to extrinsic compression. It also enhances the remaining myocardial function of the failing heart, which might lead to myocardial recovery. These synergistic effects are considered responsible for the high efficiency shown by the IMPS in previous investigations.
A Wound Contraction Experimental Model for Studying Keloids and Wound‐healing Modulators
Authors: Kamamoto Fábio , Paggiaro Andre Oliveira , Rodas Andrea , Herson Marisa Roma , Mathor Monica Beatriz , Ferreira Marcus Castro
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  Preventing and treating hypertrophic and keloid scars is difficult because of the lack of knowledge about their genesis. Tissue repair can be studied with biocompatible matrices and ex vivo cultures of different cell types. We used an experimental model where collagen gels populated by human fibroblasts underwent progressive contraction, allowing the study of wound healing remodeling. The fibroblast‐populated lattices showed the greater contraction of the gel populated by fibroblasts from keloids versus fibroblasts from normal skin. Moreover, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) involved in scar formation were added to the collagen gels populated by normal skin fibroblasts. TGF‐β caused an increase in gel contraction; FGF did not. The mean percentages of contraction of the gels populated by keloid fibroblasts were very similar to the percentages of gels populated by normal skin fibroblasts with added TGF‐β. These observations confirm the existing hypothesis that TGF‐β may be involved in keloid formation.
Microvascular blood flow of the optic nerve head and peripapillary retina in unilateral exfoliation syndrome
Authors: Ocakoglu Ozcan , Koyluoglu Nilufer , Kayiran Alp , Tamcelik Nevbahar , Ozkan Sehirbay
Published: December 2004

Purpose: To measure microvascular blood flow in patients with unilateral exfoliation syndrome (XFS) without glaucoma or ocular hypertension and to compare the values in the eyes with clinically detected exfoliation, their nonexfoliative fellow eyes of the same patients and control eyes.

Methods: Twenty‐two patients with clinically detected unilateral XFS and 30 age‐matched healthy subjects were included in this study. Group 1 consisted of 22 eyes with clinical XFS, and the nonexfoliative fellow eyes of the same patients formed Group 2. The control group (Group 3) comprised the randomly selected eyes of 30 age‐matched healthy subjects. Ocular blood flow values (volume, flow and velocity) were recorded from the optic nerve head (ONH) and peripapillary retina (PPR) using the Heidelberg retinal flowmeter (HRF). The differences between the three groups were compared statistically.

Results: The mean values of blood flow obtained from the ONH and PPR in eyes with clinically detected exfoliation (Group 1) and their nonexfoliative fellow eyes (Group 2) were both significantly lower than the values for the control eyes (Group 3). The differences in ocular blood flow between the eyes with exfoliation and the nonexfoliative fellow eyes were not statistically significant [one‐way analysis of variance (anova), Dunnett's T3 test, p ≥ 0.05).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the eyes with clinically detected unilateral XFS were associated with reduced blood flow values in both the ONH and the PPR. The nonexfoliative fellow eyes also have lower blood flow values than the control eyes.
Risk factors for pterygium in an adult Jordanian population
Authors: Al‐Bdour Muawyah D. , Al‐Latayfeh Mo'tasem M.
Published: December 2004

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors for the development of pterygium in a Middle Eastern country (Jordan) and to compare our findings with those from other countries.

Methods: This study was conducted in Irbid District, in northern Jordan, a region located 31 degrees north of the equator, with a stable, subtropical climate. In this case control study, 96 adult subjects presenting with pterygium were interviewed and compared to 192 control subjects who were group‐matched for age and sex. A standard questionnaire and eye examination were completed for both groups.

Results: There was a strong positive association between pterygium and environmental factors. The most striking increase in the risk of pterygium occurred in subjects who worked outdoors compared to those who worked indoors, with an odds ratio of 5.47. Current and previous sunlight exposures were associated with a higher risk of developing pterygium, with odds ratios of 3.54 and 4.52, respectively. Previous use of sunglasses represented a protective element, but the protective role of recent use of sunglasses was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: There is a statistically significant association between outdoor work, sunlight exposure and pterygium formation. Efforts should be made to educate outdoor workers to wear sunglasses and brimmed hats. Public education should focus on avoidance of unnecessary sunlight exposure.
Persistent social dysfunction in anxious and depressed patients with personality disorder
Authors: Seivewright H. , Tyrer P. , Johnson T.
Published: December 2004

Objective:  To determine the long‐term social function of psychiatric patients with anxiety and depressive disorders and to relate this to personality status and other factors.

Method:  A cohort of 210 patients (mean age 35 years) with dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder diagnosed using a structured interview (SCID) were assessed at baseline for personality status using the Personality Assessment Schedule (PAS) and ratings of anxiety and depression. Exactly 12 years later social function was assessed using the Social Functioning Questionnaire (SFQ) and personality reassessed with the PAS by a rater blind to initial personality status. Individual social function items were examined in those with and without personality disorders.

Results:  Social function was significantly better in those with little or no baseline personality disturbance (P < 0.001) and the domains of close relationships, stress in completing tasks, use of spare time and family relationships showed the largest personality differences. A multiple linear regression model showed that self‐rated depression scores, single marital status and personality status were the main baseline variables predicting social function at 12 years.

Conclusion:  Although personality characteristics may change over time social dysfunction persists and persistent social dysfunction in mental state disorders may be a strong indicator of personality disturbance rather than an indicator of treatment resistance.
Suitability for psychoanalytic psychotherapy: a review
Authors: Valbak K.
Published: December 2004

Objective:  To review empirical studies on outpatients’ pretherapy suitability for psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Method:  A literature search for studies in English was made in the databases MEDLINE, PsychInfo and EM‐base. Forty‐one studies spanning 20 years were selected for a thorough evaluation.

Results:  Seventy‐five per cent of the studies concerned brief dynamic psychotherapy. In general, application of single measures of suitability had a modest predictive value with correlations in the range of 0.17–0.73. There was no consistent difference between various formats of therapies. Most promising variables with the highest correlations with good outcome were: ‘good quality of object relations’, ‘psychological mindedness’ and ‘motivation for change’. Some clinical guidelines can be drawn from quantitative research to provide the therapist with best method and format.

Conclusion:  The importance of psychological variables known from the development of the brief dynamic therapies and earlier research was confirmed. Most correlations were modest and single factors could not be identified. Multivariate designs that combine different methods and formats with patient characteristics seem most promising in future predictor‐outcome research.
Panic attacks and psychopathology among youth
Authors: Goodwin R. D. , Gotlib I. H.
Published: December 2004

Objective:  To determine the association between panic attacks and mental disorders among youth in the community.

Method:  Data were drawn from the Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders study (n = 1285), a community‐based sample of youth aged 9–17. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between panic attacks and the range of mental disorders, diagnosed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children 2.3.

Results:  Panic attacks were prevalent among 3.3% of the sample. Panic attacks were associated with an increased likelihood of any anxiety disorders [OR = 4.6 (2.5, 8.5)] and any affective disorder [OR = 5.8 (2.8, 11.7)], as well as social phobia [OR = 2.3 (1.0, 5.4)], specific phobia [OR = 3.4 (1.1, 10.1)], agoraphobia [OR = 2.9 (1.1, 7.6)], generalized anxiety disorder [OR = 4.8 (1.9, 12.1)], separation anxiety disorder [OR = 3.1 (1.3, 7.7)], major depression [OR = 3.6 (1.6, 8.3)], dysthymia [OR = 6.7 (2.9, 15.5)], and hypomania [OR = 26.1 (5.5, 124.1)].

Conclusion:  These data are consistent with, and extend, previous clinical findings by showing that panic attacks are associated with increased likelihood of a range of affective and anxiety disorders, but not substance use disorders, among youth in the community. The use of longitudinal study designs in future investigations may be useful in increasing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these associations.
The role of age in the development of Schneiderian symptoms in patients with a first psychotic episode
Authors: González‐Pinto A. , van Os J. , Peralta V. , Pérez de Heredia J. L. , Mosquera F. , Aldama A. , González C. , Gutiérrez M. , Micó J. A.
Published: December 2004

Objective:  The likelihood of developing psychotic symptoms greatly increases after puberty. In acute psychotic disorders, first rank symptoms (FRS) are prevalent and considered useful for the diagnostic process. The aim of this study was to test for a linear association between age and the probability of occurrence of FRS in patients with a first psychotic episode (FPE).

Method:  A total of 112 patients, consecutively admitted with an FPE, were included at baseline and evaluated yearly over a 3‐year period using SCID‐I and a checklist of 11 items of FRS.

Results:  FRS were documented for 65.2% patients at baseline. There was a dose–response relationship in the association between age and FRS. There was no interaction with sex or with final diagnostic category.

Conclusion:  Variation in the expression of the core positive symptoms of psychosis is subject to the influence of underlying age‐dependent maturational processes both in terms of occurrence and level of severity.
Sample environment and experimental setup for inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of liquid hydrogen fluoride and (HF)x(H2O)1−x solutions
Authors: Angelini R. , Giura P. , Henriquet C. , Monaco G. , Verbeni R. , Ruocco G. , Sette F.
Published: December 2004

In order to study the dynamic structure factor of hydrogen fluoride and its water solutions, we have realized a sample container able to resist these highly reacting hydrogen-bonded liquids and suitable for near-forward x-ray scattering experiments. The design and development of each part of the apparatus together with a discussion on the choice of the materials is reported. Two cells have been built for pure HF and for (HF)x(H2O)1−x solutions based on similar schemes but developed with different materials and some structural variations. Their contribution to the total scattered intensity has been measured. An example of inelastic x-ray scattering spectra at fixed temperature (T=283K) and momentum transfer (Q=4nm−1) is reported as a function of the concentration of hydrogen fluoride [(HF)x(H2O)1−x,with x=0,0.2,0.4,0.73,1].
Caloric restriction increases neurotrophic factor levels and attenuates neurochemical and behavioral deficits in a primate model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Maswood Navin , Young Jennifer , Tilmont Edward , Zhang Zhiming , Gash Don M. , Gerhardt Greg A. , Grondin Richard , Roth George S. , Mattison Julie , Lane Mark A. , Carson Richard E. , Cohen Robert M. , Mouton Peter R. , Quigley Christopher , Mattson Mark P. , Ingram Donald K.
Published: December 2004

We report that a low-calorie diet can lessen the severity of neurochemical deficits and motor dysfunction in a primate model of Parkinson's disease. Adult male rhesus monkeys were maintained for 6 months on a reduced-calorie diet [30% caloric restriction (CR)] or an ad libitum control diet after which they were subjected to treatment with a neurotoxin to produce a hemiparkinson condition. After neurotoxin treatment, CR monkeys exhibited significantly higher levels of locomotor activity compared with control monkeys as well as higher levels of dopamine (DA) and DA metabolites in the striatal region. Increased survival of DA neurons in the substantia nigra and improved manual dexterity were noted but did not reach statistical significance. Levels of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, which is known to promote the survival of DA neurons, were increased significantly in the caudate nucleus of CR monkeys, suggesting a role for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in the anti-Parkinson's disease effect of the low-calorie diet.
Detecting genetic drift versus selection in human evolution
Authors: Ackermann Rebecca Rogers , Cheverud James M.
Published: December 2004

Recent paleoanthropological discoveries reveal a diverse, potentially speciose human fossil record. Such extensive morphological diversity results from the action of divergent evolutionary forces on an evolving lineage. Here, we apply quantitative evolutionary theory to test whether random evolutionary processes alone can explain the morphological diversity seen among fossil australopith and earlyHomocrania from the Plio–Pleistocene. We show that although selection may have played an important role in diversifying hominin facial morphology in the late Pliocene, this is not the case during the early evolution of the genusHomo, where genetic drift was probably the primary force responsible for facial diversification.
Impact of population structure, effective bottleneck time, and allele frequency on linkage disequilibrium maps
Authors: Zhang Weihua , Collins Andrew , Gibson Jane , Tapper William J. , Hunt Sarah , Deloukas Panos , Bentley David R. , Morton Newton E.
Published: December 2004

Genetic maps in linkage disequilibrium (LD) units play the same role for association mapping as maps in centimorgans provide at much lower resolution for linkage mapping. Association mapping of genes determining disease susceptibility and other phenotypes is based on the theory of LD, here applied to relations with three phenomena. To test the theory, markers at high density along a 10-Mb continuous segment of chromosome 20q were studied in African-American, Asian, and Caucasian samples. Population structure, whether created by pooling samples from divergent populations or by the mating pattern in a mixed population, is accurately bioassayed from genotype frequencies. The effective bottleneck time for Eurasians is substantially less than for migration out of Africa, reflecting later bottlenecks. The classical dependence of allele frequency on mutation age does not hold for the generally shorter time span of inbreeding and LD. Limitation of the classical theory to mutation age justifies the assumption of constant time in a LD map, except for alleles that were rare at the effective bottleneck time or have arisen since. This assumption is derived from the Malecot model and verified in all samples. Tested measures of relative efficiency, support intervals, and localization error determine the operating characteristics of LD maps that are applicable to every sexually reproducing species, with implications for association mapping, high-resolution linkage maps, evolutionary inference, and identification of recombinogenic sequences.
Trends in neighbourhood inequality of Australian, Canadian, and United States of America cities since the 1970s
Authors: Hunter Boyd Hamilton
Published: December 2004

It is important to locate recent increases in neighbourhood inequality and economic segregation of Australian cities within the international debate about increasing urban disparities. The present article uses standard inequality techniques to show that neighbourhood inequality is increasing within Australian, Canadian, and USA cities. While the labour market status of people in poor neighbourhoods is similar for Australia and the USA, there is an almost inexorable trend towards increasing income inequality, probably reflecting ongoing labour market deregulation and the stricter welfare regimes that have been in place since the 1980s. Policy options to deal with locational disadvantage and increased economic segregation are also considered in detail.
International Workshop on Multiethnic Asia
Authors: Komlosy Anouska
Published: December 2004

Conference reviewed:

Anouska Komlosy, International Workshop on Multiethnic Asia Peace, Co–operation and Sustainable Development: Yunnan University, Kunming, China, 12–16 June 2002
Near and Far: homoeroticism, labour and Hamo Thornycroft’s Mower
Authors: Hatt Michael
Published: December 2004

This article offers a general and speculative theorization of the homoerotic and a specific historical account of Thornycroft’s sculpture The Mower, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1884. The first part of the article examines the statue in relation to the sculpture’s erotically charged friendship with poet and critic Edmund Gosse. Here, I discuss the sculpture as homoerotic, by which I mean positioned on the border between homosocial and the homosexual, both enabling and containing desire. I then go on to examine the relationship between the homoerotic and labour. On the one hand, for Thornycroft, the subject of labour legitimates a certain limited erotic interest in the male body. This eroticism, in turn, displaces the threat of class politics. On the other hand, for John Addington Symonds, who attempts to reveal the occluded operation of the homoerotic, the statue embodies a Utopian democracy where homosexual desire and radical politics are fused, and where social contradictions are transformed into affective unity. Finally I explore this complex relationship between desire and class in relation to the object’s skin, deploying Benjamin’s concept of aura. I offer some general comments on the different ways in which the material nature of sculpture and the experience of the viewer mediate the tension between politics and desire.
The eye of God?
Authors: Blackshaw Gemma
Published: December 2004

Book reviewed in this article:

Tobias G. Natter (ed.), Oskar Kokoschka: Early Portraits from Vienna and Berlin 1909–1914
Surviving History: a Situationist archive
Authors: Stracey Frances
Published: December 2004

It is the contention of this article that the Situationists were keenly aware that conventional forms of historical memorialization risked participating in the reification of everyday life, which they diagnosed as characteristic of a ‘society of the spectacle’ that reduces social relations to their petrified image. Focusing on a particular Situationist book called Mémoires, this article attempts to reconstruct the Situationists’ strategies of self–archiving, through which they tried to counter a spectacular monumentalization of their own history. In the process I attempt to elaborate the alternative model of an archive indicated in Mémoires– what I term an ‘involuntary archive’– and the implications this has for writing a history of the Situationists.
The expeditious artist
Authors: Cooper Donal
Published: December 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Jean K. Cadogan, Domenico Ghirlandaio – Artist and Artisan

Ronald G. Kecks, Domenico Ghirlandaio und die Malerei der Florentiner Renaissance
Baedecker ruins
Authors: Malvern Sue
Published: December 2004

Book reviewed in this article:

Nicola Lambourne, War Damage in Western Europe: The Destruction of Historic Monuments in the Second World War
A gesture of openness
Authors: Elsner Jaś
Published: December 2004

Book reviewed in this article:

Lauren Golden (ed.), Raising the Eyebrow: John Onians and World Art Studies. An Album Amicorum in His Honour
Teaching Statistical Consulting Before Statistical Methodology
Authors: Taplin Ross H.
Published: December 2004

This paper outlines and discusses the advantages of an ‘Introduction to Statistical Consulting’ course (ISC) that exposes students to statistical consulting early in their studies. The course is intended for students before, or while, they study their units in statistical techniques, and assumes only a first‐year introductory statistics unit. The course exposes undergraduate students to the application of statistics and helps develop statistical thinking. An important goal is to introduce students to work as a statistician early in their studies because this motivates some students to study statistics further and provides a framework to motivate the learning of further statistical techniques. The ISC has proved popular with students, and this paper discusses the reasons for this popularity and the benefits of an ISC to statistical education and the statistics profession.
A New Measure of Kurtosis Adjusted for Skewness
Authors: Blest David C.
Published: December 2004

Studies of kurtosis often concentrate on only symmetric distributions. This paper identifies a process through which the standardized measure of kurtosis based on the fourth moment about the mean can be written in terms of two parts: (i) an irreducible component, about L4, which can be seen to occur naturally in the analysis of fourth moments; (ii) terms that depend only on moments of lower order, in particular including the effects of asymmetry attached to the third moment about the mean. This separation of the effect of skewness allows definition of an improved measure of kurtosis. This paper calculates and discusses examples of the new measure of kurtosis for a range of standard distributions.
The General Multivariate Gauss—Markov Model of the Incomplete Block Design
Authors: Oktaba Wiktor
Published: December 2004

The aim of the paper is to generalize testing and estimation for the multivariate standard incomplete block model (Rao & Mitra, 1971a) to the general multivariate Gauss—Markov incomplete block model with singular covariance matrix. The results of this paper can be applied to particular cases of the multivariate Gauss—Markov incomplete block model, including the Zyskind—Martin model.
Sequential Procedure For Fixed Accuracy Estimation of the Population Size in Recapture Sampling
Authors: Yip Paul S.F. , Fang Xiangzhong , Zhou Yong , Wang Yan
Published: December 2004

A sequential procedure is constructed to provide a fixed‐accuracy estimator for the number of faults in a system. This paper focuses on the case when faults are homogeneous. However, the method can be adapted to other models by choosing a more robust estimator. The accuracy of the estimator depends on the failure intensity, the length of testing period and the total number of faults in the system. Simulations illustrate the performance of the proposed procedure. The method is applied to an information system failure dataset.
Reclaiming Community? From Welfare Society to Welfare State in Australian Catholic Social Thought
Authors: Smyth Paul
Published: December 2004

Influenced by both conservative and left wing communitarian thinking, current debate about welfare governance in Australia reflects an inflated evaluation of the potential role of the third sector or civil society organisations in the production of welfare. This paper gives an overview of twentieth century Australian Catholic social thinking about state, market and civil society relations in the production of welfare. It highlights the neglected, historical role of the Catholic Church in promoting a “welfare society” over a “welfare state” in Australia. It points to the reasons for the Church's later embrace of the welfare state and suggests that these reasons should make us deeply sceptical of the current communitarian fad.
Dot.Con: The Dangers of Cyber Crime and a Call for Proactive Solutions
Authors: Granville Johanna
Published: December 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Howard R. Davia, Fraud 101: Techniques and Strategies for Detection

William Hutchinson and Matthew Warren, Information Warfare: Corporate Attack and Defense in a Digital World

Peter Lilley, Dirty Dealing: The Untold Truth About Global Money Laundering

Abraham D. Sofaer and Seymour E. Goodman, eds., The Transnational Dimension of Cyber Crime and Terrorism

Guy Stessens, Money Laundering: A New International Law Enforcement Model
Sources of Reform in Britain: A Review Article
Authors: Davis Michael T
Published: December 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Anna Clark and Sarah Richardson, History of Suffrage

Gregory Claeys (Ed), The Chartist Movement in Britain 1838–1850
Evaluating ‘Australian Women in Agriculture’: 1992–2002
Authors: Pini Barbara , Brown Kerry , Simpson Lyn
Published: December 2004

Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA) will be 10 years old this year. This paper draws on 20 interviews with members of AWiA to describe the changing nature of the group over this period and to examine its achievements and future in terms of its five stated goals. The group has been most successful in achieving its first aim: raising the profile of women in agriculture. AWiA has achieved its second aim: securing local, regional and international recognition; and its third aim: of being seen as a political force. There is, however, still much for the group to achieve in meeting its final two goals: addressing rural and agricultural inequities and ensuring the survival of agriculture for future generations. The AWiA, having achieved status and recognition, is now in a strategic position to address these goals. How it may do this and not unsettle the members' shared identity as ‘women in agriculture’ to the point where the future of the group is threatened is the challenge for AWiA as it begins its second decade.
A Framework for Reforming the Independence and Accountability of Statutory Officers of Parliament: A Case Study of Victoria
Authors: Clark Colin , De Martinis Michael
Published: December 2004

Considerable attention has been given to the independence of auditors‐general in the literature. However, there are other officers of parliament who also have roles that may require protection from the excessive use of power by the executive arm of government. In response to the recent Public Accounts and Estimates Committee Inquiry into a Legislative Framework for Victorian Statutory Officers of Parliament, the study compares the enabling legislation of four Victorian officers of parliament in terms of their powers, independence, funding and mandate as well as the accountability mechanisms available to parliament in terms of their appointment, tenure and oversight. The four officers are: the auditor‐general; the ombudsman; the regulator‐general; and the director of public prosecutions. A number of notable differences in the enabling legislation are identified and reform options for strengthening such legislation are presented.