bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
African Historical Demography in the Years since Edinburgh
Authors: Cordell Dennis D.
Published: May 2006

The study of African demography, unlike the study of populations in Europe, North America, and even Asia, has been remarkably ahistorical. The absence of historical understandings of the facts and dynamics of African populations based on focused, local research has led to the creation and perpetuation of notable myths about African populations in the past. Perhaps the most powerful of these stereotypes is the Malthusinn and neo-Malthusian belief that, whatever the historical era and whatever the social and economic contexts, African populations have invariably sought to maximize births.

In 1977 participants at the first conference on African historical demography, convened at the African Studies Center in the University of Edinburgh, argued for a more historicized analysis of the evolution of African populations. Papers presented at Edinburgh in 1977, at a second seminar there in 1981, and in a respectable number of conferences, seminars, and panel sessions in the last two decades, confirm in a variety of time periods and social and economic contexts just how historical research contributes to our understanding of the pasts and presents of African societies.

This paper surveys research in African historical demography by demographers and by historians “in the years since Edinburgh,” concluding with a mention of a variety of demographic topics—fertility, nuptiality, mortality, migration, and family history—to show how such research has added depth and complexity to our appreciation of social history in Africa, and how various were the ways that African societies sought to ensure their demographic survival.
Of Hunters, Goats and Earth-Shrines: Settlement Histories and the Politics of Oral Tradition in Northern Ghana
Authors: Lentz Carola
Published: May 2006

The present paper deals with the settlement history of a West African agricultural society, that of the Dagara in present-day northwestern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso. In it, I shall be particularly interested in the appropriation of space, which is ritually legitimized through the acquisition of earth-shrines, and in the conflict-ridden relationships between the in-migrating Dagara and the Sisala, who were already settled in their new habitat. My primary concern, however, is not to examine the Dagara's expansion strategies or the history of interethnic conflicts as such, but their working out in disputed oral traditions. Using the example of the controversial settlement history of Nandom (see map 1), I wish to show how Africans, both today and in the colonial past, have used oral traditions in order to conduct politics. I shall discuss the methodological implications that this mutual constitution of oral traditions and political interests has for the reconstruction of settlement history and examine the possibilities of a thorough criticism of sources to detect core elements of the historical settlement process and appropriation of space as well as the presentday confrontations with history.

Oral traditions have played an important role in research into African history and societies. This is because in many places it was European missionaries and colonial masters who first introduced literacy and writing, and because we have only a few written sources—sometimes none at all—for the period up to the end of the nineteenth century.
New Sources for German Colonial History in Dresden
Authors: Ludwig Jörg
Published: May 2006

The Central state Archive in Dresden has recently acquired new archival material relating to Africa. Although of modest proportions, this material would certainly be of interest for specialized studies. It consists of two parts: records of the firm Hermann Schubert, and the papers of the German colonial politician Oskar Wilhelmn Stübel.

Hermann Schubert's firm was established in 1862 as a small textile factory in Zittau. It grew rapidly and in the first third of the twentieth century assumed a leading role in the world market for sewing thread. In 1907, in collaboration with the colonial authorities of the German Reich, it established a cotton plantation in the Rufiji District of German East Africa (today southern Tanzania) known as Schuberthof. Partly due to a lack of experience in growing cotton, the plantation sustained considerable losses and was abandoned after World War I.

Records concerning Schuberthof form part of the papers of the firm Hermann Schubert/VEB Textilwerke Zittau. They are of a fragmentary nature; all that has survived are reports of the plantation to the firm's headquarters for 1909, and documents relating to a visit of the firm's head to German East Africa in 1907. The latter includes travel notes, reports on conversations with Walter Rathenau and the secretary of State for Colonies, as well as glass plates with snapshots of a tourist nature.

Oskar Wilhelm Stübel was born in Dresden in 1846. He studied at the universities of Leipzig, Berlin, and Heidelberg, obtained his doctorate in Leipzig, and entered the Saxon civil service.
Being Fair to the Hounds: The Function and Practice of Annotation, II
Authors: Henige David
Published: May 2006

Visual strategy begins on the first page. The most pretentious form of first page differentation is the “lead-in” quotation whereby the author prefaces the main body of the text with a quote from an esteemed scholar, a famous decision, or some other prestigious source. … The objective of the “lead-in” quote is to spark immediate attention with a titillating example of erudition, humor, or impertinence… Ideally the lead-in quote should be obscure—oriental sources are recommended—and should not have a substantive link to the subject matter of the article. … This technique can generate guilt among readers who suspect the game but lack the nerve to speak out.

His books positively clank and groan under the weight of apparatus. Very good it is too.

As indicated in the first part of this paper, I adopt a generous definition of “annotation” in this discussion. There the traditional forms, footnotes, and other textual apparatus were discussed. Here I want to concentrate on a number of forms of annotation that are not usually treated under that rubric. Included (in roughly the order in which they are likely to appear in a given work) are titles, tables of contents, prefaces, epigraphs, graphs and charts, maps, quoted matter, facsimiles, appendices, glossaries, bibliographies, and indexes. Each of these is an occasion—and an opportunity—to provide access to the text, to the author's own sources, or to the author's mind. While every work will not use all of these, certain of them (prefaces, tables of contents, bibliographies, and indexes) should be a part of every substantial scholarly study.
The Place of Birth: Wodaabe Changing Histories of Origin
Authors: Loftsdóttir Kristín
Published: May 2006

Two children came out of the water and they made a grass house (suurel) and stayed at that place. Later, some cows came out of the water and stayed during the evening with the children. And then the children migrated (gurgiisi, a short migration movement). The cows followed the children every place they went because the children had made them fire (Loose translation: tape transcript 1997).

His voice is difficult to understand; he is an old man. Sitting on a mat placed on the sand beneath his chair, I listen carefully, even though I know that my tape recorder will later help me in reconstructing his speech. His narrative is not unfamiliar and in fact it is almost surprising to me the similarity to WoDaaBe origin narratives that I have seen on print.

My discussion here focuses on WoDaaBe origin stories from the perspective of histories as being socially meaningful, integrated into political contexts. Ethnographic research among the WoDaaBe has reflected rather similar stories of origin as the one presented here, focusing on the WoDaaBe as originating in a mythical way, along with their cattle. My own research in the Tchin-Tabaraden area in Niger in 1996-98 indicated, however, that even though the narratives documented earlier by travelers and anthropologists are known, people were generally more interested in reciting and discussing stories strongly grounded in time and space. In my approach, I follow Jan Vansina's comment that “all messages have some intent which has to do with the present, otherwise they would not be told in the present” (Vansina 1985:92). Similarly, Ellen Basso has pointed out in relation to narratives, that it is not enough to ask, “what is a story about;”whyit was told must be questioned as well (Basso 1995:x). I also contribute from theorists that have emphasized history itself as a political phenomenon formulating relations between past and present (Popular Memory Group 1982:240), making how the past is understood relevant to the present political-cultural context, without reducing it to merely functional justification for the present (Werbner 1998:2). History and memory thus have a texture that is both social and historic (Bommes et al., 1982:256), intertwined with power and meaning.
Who and Where Were the Baga? European Perceptions from 1793 to 1821
Authors: Mouser Bruce L.
Published: May 2006

By the end of the eighteenth century the Baga, or peoples of the seaside (the bae raka), were already long-term residents of mangrove islands located between Guinea-Bissau and Iles de Los—the northern half of Guinea-Conakry's current coast. That fact is well known and accepted by everyone interested in the ethnohistory of this part of Guinea. What is less clearly documented or understood is how far they extended inland, the context of that residence which allowed them to operate economically and socially with guests upon their lands, and perhaps how outsiders influenced their characteristics, within a historically definable period. Drawing on observations from first-hand accounts written between 1793 and 1821, this study attempts to answer these questions and to suggest assumptions about the Baga experience and conclusions for particular Baga groups by 1821.

This paper flows from a longer and broader study of peoples and commercial activities in the Rio Nunez to Iles de Los section of coastal Guinea-Conakry for the 1750 to 1865 period, that period just prior to establishment of French suzerainty. It also emerges from a historian's desire to assign ethnic groups or at least ethnic types to identifiable regions and to understand relationship traits that may have operated during a specific period. The Baga were likely minor players in political and commercial transformations that accompanied the rise of slave trading or establishment of new markets for commodities' traffic occurring with its decline in the late 1830s. As producers of rice, salt, and livestock, and collectors of cola, however, and as ‘first-comers’ with claim to land through which commerce with the interior inevitably flowed, the Baga favorably served trades that found their basis in both trades and that attached interior markets to those of the coast.
The Archives of the Consolata Mission and the Formation of the Italian Empire, 1913-1943
Authors: Sbacchi Alberto
Published: May 2006

The Institute of the Consolata for Foreign Missions was founded in Turin, Italy in 1901 by the General Superior, Giuseppe Allamano (1851-1926). The primary purpose of the mission is to evangelize and educate non-Christian peoples. Allamano believed in the benefit of religion and education when he stated that the people “will love religion because of the promise of a better life after death, but education will make them happy because it will provide a better life while on earth.” The Consolata distinguishes itself for stressing the moral and secular education and its enthusiasm for missionary work. To encourage young people to become missionaries, Allamano convinced Pius X to institute a world-wide mission day in 1912. Allamano's original plan was for his mission to work among the “Galla” (Oromo) people of Ethiopia and continue the mission which Cardinal Massaia had begun in 1846 in southwestern Ethiopia. While waiting for the right moment, the Consolata missionaries ministered among the Kikuyu people of Kenya. In 1913 the Propaganda Fides authorized the Consolata Mission to begin work in Kaffa, Ethiopia. In 1919 it entered Tanzania and, accepting a government invitation in 1924, the Consolata installed itself in Italian Somalia and in 1925 in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Before the World War I the mission also expanded in Brazil, in 1937, and after 1937 its missionaries went to Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Canada, the United States, Zaire, Uganda, South Africa, and South Korea.
Muscle Weakness
Authors: Andreassen Christer S. , Jakobsen Johannes , Andersen Henning
Published: May 2006

The aim of the study was to determine the progression of muscle weakness in long-term diabetes and its relation to the neuropathic condition. Thirty patients were recruited from a cohort of 92 diabetic patients who participated in a study on muscular function 6–8 years earlier. Nine subjects were nonneuropathic, 9 had asymptomatic neuropathy, and 12 had symptomatic neuropathy. Thirty matched control subjects who participated in the initial studies were also included. At follow-up, isokinetic dynamometry at the ankle, electrophysiological studies, vibratory perception thresholds, and clinical examination (neuropathy symptom score and neurological disability score [NDS]) were repeated. The annual decline of strength at the ankle was 0.7 ± 1.7% in control subjects, 0.9 ± 1.9% in nonneuropathic patients, 0.7 ± 3.1% in asymptomatic neuropathic patients, and 3.2 ± 2.3% in symptomatic neuropathic patients. In the symptomatic patients, the decline of muscle strength at the ankle was significant when compared with matched control subjects (P = 0.002) and with the other diabetic groups (P = 0.023). Also, the annual decline of muscle strength at the ankle was related to the combined score of all measures of neuropathy (r = −0.42, P = 0.03) and to the NDS (r = −0.52, P = 0.01). In patients with symptomatic diabetic neuropathy, weakness of ankle plantar and dorsal flexors is progressive and related to the severity of neuropathy.
Mechanisms of [Ca2+]i Transient Decrease in Cardiomyopathy of db/db Type 2 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Pereira Laetitia , Matthes Jan , Schuster Iris , Valdivia Héctor H. , Herzig Stefan , Richard Sylvain , Gómez Ana M.
Published: May 2006

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the diabetic population. However, molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic cardiomyopathy remain unclear. We analyzed Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release and excitation-contraction coupling in db/db obese type 2 diabetic mice and their control littermates. Echocardiography showed a systolic dysfunction in db/db mice. Two-photon microscopy identified intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) transient decrease in cardiomyocytes within the whole heart, which was also found in isolated myocytes by confocal microscopy. Global [Ca2+]i transients are constituted of individual Ca2+ sparks. Ca2+ sparks in db/db cardiomyocytes were less frequent than in +/+ myocytes, partly because of a depression in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load but also because of a reduced expression of ryanodine receptor Ca2+ channels (RyRs), revealed by [3H]ryanodine binding assay. Ca2+ efflux through Na+/Ca2+ exchanger was increased in db/db myocytes. Calcium current, ICa, triggers sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and is also involved in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ refilling. Macroscopic ICa was reduced in db/db cells, but single Ca2+ channel activity was similar, suggesting that diabetic myocytes express fewer functional Ca2+ channels, which was confirmed by Western blots. These results demonstrate that db/db mice show depressed cardiac function, at least in part, because of a general reduction in the membrane permeability to Ca2+. As less Ca2+ enters the cell through ICa, less Ca2+ is released through RyRs.
A Polymorphism in the AMPKα2 Subunit Gene Is Associated With Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes in the Japanese Population
Authors: Horikoshi Momoko , Hara Kazuo , Ohashi Jun , Miyake Kazuaki , Tokunaga Katsushi , Ito Chikako , Kasuga Masato , Nagai Ryozo , Kadowaki Takashi
Published: May 2006

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acts as a fuel gauge for glucose and lipid metabolism. The gene encoding the α2 isoform of the catalytic subunit of AMPK (PRKAA2) is located at one of the Japanese type 2 diabetes loci mapped by our previous genome scan (1p36-32). PRKAA2 is, therefore, a good candidate gene for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We screened all nine exons, their exon-intron boundaries, and the 5′ and 3′ flanking regions of PRKAA2 to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and we genotyped 192 type 2 diabetic patients and 272 nondiabetic subjects to assess possible associations between genotypes or haplotypes and type 2 diabetes. None of the 10 SNPs genotyped was associated with type 2 diabetes, but the haplotype analysis, consisting of six representative SNPs, revealed one haplotype, with the A (minor) allele for rs2051040 and a major allele for the other five SNPs, to be associated with type 2 diabetes (P = 0.009). This finding was confirmed in two larger replication samples (657 case and 360 control subjects, P = 0.021; and 356 case and 192 control subjects from the same area in Japan, P = 0.007) and a significant P value was obtained in the joint haplotype analysis of all samples (1,205 case and 824 control subjects, P = 0.0001). Furthermore, insulin resistance was associated with rs2051040 in nondiabetic subjects, and those with the A (minor) allele had a higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index than those who did not (initial control subjects [n = 272], P = 0.002; and joint replication control subjects [n = 552], P = 0.037). We speculate that the PRKAA2 gene influences insulin resistance and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in the Japanese population.
Increased Brain Monocarboxylic Acid Transport and Utilization in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Mason Graeme F. , Petersen Kitt F. , Lebon Vincent , Rothman Douglas L. , Shulman Gerald I.
Published: May 2006

We hypothesized that increased capacity for brain utilization of nonglucose substrates (monocarboxylic acids [MCAs]) by upregulation of the MCA transporters may contribute metabolic substrates during hypoglycemia. To test this hypothesis, we assessed brain acetate metabolism in five well-controlled type 1 diabetic subjects and six nondiabetic control subjects using 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy during infusions of [2-13C]acetate during hypoglycemia (∼55 mg/dl). Acetate is transported into the brain through MCA transporters that are also used for lactate and ketones. Brain acetate concentrations were over twofold higher in the subjects with diabetes than the control subjects (P = 0.01). The fraction of oxidative metabolism from acetate (P = 0.015) and the rate of MCA transport (P = 0.01) were also approximately twofold higher in the diabetic subjects. We conclude that during hypoglycemia MCA transport in the brain was increased by appoximately twofold in patients with well-controlled type 1 diabetes, as reflected by higher brain acetate concentrations and rates of acetate oxidation. This upregulation would potentially allow a similar twofold increase in the transport of other MCAs, including lactate, during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that upregulation of MCA transport may contribute to the maintenance of brain energetics during hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes.
Evaluation of the association between feeding raw meat and Salmonella enterica infections at a Greyhound breeding facility
Authors: Morley Paul S. , Strohmeyer Rachel A. , Tankson Jeanetta D. , Hyatt Doreene R. , Dargatz David A. , Fedorka-Cray Paula J.
Published: May 2006

Objective—To investigate Salmonella enterica infections at a Greyhound breeding facility.

Design—Cross-sectional study.

Animal and Sample Populations—138 adult and juvenile dogs and S enterica isolates recovered from the dogs and their environment.

Procedures—The investigation was conducted at the request of a Greyhound breeder. Observations regarding the environment and population of dogs were recorded. Fecal, food, and environmental specimens were collected and submitted for Salmonellaculture. Isolates were serotyped and tested for susceptibility to 16 antimicrobials. Isolates underwent genetic analyses by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and ribotyping.

Results—S enterica was recovered from 88 of 133 (66%) samples of all types and from 57 of 61 (93%) fecal samples. Eighty-three (94.3%) of the isolates were serotype Newport, 77 (87.5%) of which had identical resistance phenotypes. Genetic evaluations suggested that several strains of S enterica existed at the facility, but there was a high degree of relatedness among many of the Newport isolates. Multiple strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Newport were recovered from raw meat fed on 1 day.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—S enterica infections and environmental contamination were common at this facility. A portion of the Salmonellastrains detected on the premises was likely introduced via raw meat that was the primary dietary constituent. Some strains appeared to be widely disseminated in the population. Feeding meat that had not been cooked properly, particularly meat classified as unfit for human consumption, likely contributed to the infections in these dogs.
Does age matter in the selection of treatment for men with early‐stage prostate cancer?
Authors: Konski Andre , Eisenberg Debra , Horwitz Eric , Hanlon Alexandra , Pollack Alan , Hanks Gerald
Published: May 2006

BACKGROUND

The specific aim of the current study was to compare freedom from biochemical failure, distant metastases‐free survival, and overall survival in men age ≤55 years, men ages 60 to 69 years, and men age ≥70 years presenting with localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

A matched pair analysis compared patients age ≤55 years (Group 1) who were treated with 3‐dimension conformal radiation without androgen deprivation to men age ≥60 years and <70 years (Group 2), and men age ≥70 years (Group 3) who were treated at the Fox Chase Cancer Center between November 1989 and October 2001. The groups were matched for disease stage (T1/T2b vs. T2C/T3), Gleason grade (2‐6 vs. 7‐10), radiation dose (<70 Gray [Gy] vs. ≥70–76 Gy vs. ≥76 Gy), and pretreatment prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level. Estimates of outcome were accomplished using Kaplan‐Meier methodology and compared by age group using the log‐rank test.

RESULTS

Eighty‐four men were identified according to the selection criteria. No statistically significant difference was found in the 5‐year overall survival rates for Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 (94%, 95%, and 87%, respectively) or the 5‐year rate of freedom from biochemical failure in Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 (82%, 76%, and 70%, respectively), or freedom from distant metastases (96%, 97%, and 98%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Men age ≤55 years who present with localized prostate cancer do not appear to have a worse prognosis. External beam radiation therapy appears to be a viable treatment alternative and should be offered to men age ≤55 years who present with organ‐confined prostate cancer. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Diastereoselective and Enantioselective Henry (Nitroaldol) Reaction Utilizing a Guanidine‐Thiourea Bifunctional Organocatalyst
Authors: Sohtome Yoshihiro , Hashimoto Yuichi , Nagasawa Kazuo
Published: May 2006

A highly enantio‐ and diastereoselective Henry reaction of various aldehydes with nitroethane was developed using the guanidine‐thiourea bifunctional catalyst 1 (syn selectivity of 86:14 to 99:1 with 84–99 % ee). A variety of nitroalkanes was treated with unbranched and branched aldehydes and gave nitro alcohols with high syn diastereoselectivities (90:10 to 99:1) and high enantioselectivities (85–95 % ee). This reaction was successfully utilized in a straightforward synthesis of (4S,5R)‐epi‐cytoxazone.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Linear fractional relations for Hilbert space operators
Authors: Khatskevich V. A. , Ostrovskii M. I. , Shulman V. S.
Published: May 2006

In this paper we study linear fractional relations defined in the following way.

Let ℋ︁i and ℋ︁i ′, i = 1, 2, be Hilbert spaces. We denote the space of bounded linear operators acting from ℋ︁j to ℋ︁i ′ by L (ℋ︁j , ℋ︁i ′). Let T ∈ ℒ︁(ℋ︁1 ⊕ ℋ︁2, ℋ︁1′ ⊕ ℋ︁2′). To each such operator there corresponds a 2 × 2 operator matrix of the form
equation image
where Tij ∈ ℒ︁ (ℋ︁j , ℋ︁i ′), i, j = 1, 2. For each such T we define a set‐valued map GT from ℒ︁(ℋ︁1, ℋ︁2) into the set of closed affine subspaces of ℒ︁(ℋ︁1′, ℋ︁2′) by
G T (K ) = {K ′ ∈ ℒ︁(ℋ︁1′, ℋ︁2′) : T 21 + T 22K = K ′(T 11 + T 12K )} .

The map GT is called a linear fractional relation .

The main result of the paper is the description of operator matrices of the form (.) for which the relation GT is defined on some open ball of the space ℒ︁(ℋ︁1, ℋ︁2).

Linear fractional relations are natural generalizations of linear fractional transformations studied by M. G. Krein and Yu. L. Šmuljan (1967).

The study of both linear fractional transformations and linear fractional relations is motivated by the theory of spaces with an indefinite metric and its applications. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Periodic solutions of a Lotka–Volterra type multi‐species population model with time delays
Authors: Xu Rui , Chaplain M. A. J. , Davidson F. A.
Published: May 2006

A delayed periodic Lotka–Volterra type population model with m predators and n preys is investigated. By using Gaines and Mawhin's continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory and by constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals, sufficient conditions are derived for the existence, uniqueness and global stability of positive periodic solutions of the model. Numerical simulation is presented to illustrate the feasibility of our main results. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Harnack inequality for two‐weight subelliptic p ‐Laplace operators
Authors: Ferrari Fausto
Published: May 2006

In this note, we prove a Harnack inequality for two‐weight subelliptic p ‐Laplace operators together with an upper bound of the Harnack constant associated with such inequality. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Advances in engineered remediation for use in the Arctic and Antarctica
Authors: Filler D.M. , Reynolds C.M. , Snape I. , Daugulis A.J. , Barnes D.L. , Williams P.J.
Published: May 2006

Creative remediation schemes have been implemented with success at petroleum-contaminated sites in Alaska and Canada during the past decade. Contaminated media have been landfarmed, amended with fertilizers, augmented with microbial products, and manipulated with engineered systems. Phytoremediation developments and use of biodegradable synthetic and polymeric resins for potential use with petroleum and xenobiotic contaminants are on the horizon. Treatment of supra-permafrost water and melt-water runoff with permeable reactive barriers and partitioning bioreactors is now possible. Cost and time limitations will likely continue to drive remediation decisions in the Arctic. Environmental policy, environmental constraints, and cost will dictate what technologies are appropriate for Antarctic clean-up, although the pressure of time is less acute because land transfer and liability are not drivers. This paper discusses some recent advances in remediation engineering for use in polar regions. Conceptual models are presented, and case study treatment costs and durations are highlighted to aid environmental decision-making.
New evidence on the Manager's Villa in Stromness Harbour, South Georgia
Authors: Basberg Bjørn L. , Burton Robert
Published: May 2006

In May 1916 Sir Ernest Shackleton and two companions arrived at the Stromness whaling station, South Georgia, after their dramatic boat journey from Elephant Island and traverse of the island's mountains. The Manager's Villa, where they were believed to have been made welcome, became a historic building that has been frequently visited by those journeying to South Georgia. There have been two different manager's dwellings in Stromness through the years, but their history has not been clear. New evidence indicates that the Villa that was assumed to be the one Shackleton reached in 1916, was not erected in Stromness until 1925. In that year it was moved from the abandoned Ocean Harbour whaling station farther south on the island and replaced the original Manager's Villa. This paper reviews new evidence on the Stromness villas and concludes that the historic focus should be shifted to the correct building.
Observations of juvenile ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada, August 2005
Authors: Higdon Jeff W. , Romberg Stefan
Published: May 2006

Canadian ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) populations have declined ca. 80% since the early 1980s, and observations, especially of juveniles, are noteworthy. From 20 to 26 August 2005 adult and juvenile ivory gulls were observed and photographed at Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada. The numbers of gulls observed reached a peak on 23 August when 18 birds (13 adults and 5 juveniles) were present. A minimum of 7 juveniles and 13 adults were present on 21 and 23 August, respectively, for a total minimum estimate of 20 ivory gulls. The highest numbers were observed during the stormiest days, suggesting that the gulls were taking shelter in the protected bay. Ivory gulls were observed in close proximity to other seabirds, and one fish capture attempt was observed. These are the first reported juveniles for Resolute Bay since 2000, and the first reported for the Canadian High Arctic since 2002, suggesting that breeding success in 2005 may have been better than in previous years.
Fielded applications of case-based reasoning
Authors: CHEETHAM WILLIAM , WATSON IAN
Published: May 2006

This commentary describes notable commercial applications of case-based reasoning, including systems that have been in continuous profitable use for over a decade. It is divided into sections on engineering applications, helpdesk applications and on-line case-based reasoning.
Retrieval, reuse, revision and retention in case-based reasoning
Authors: LOPEZ DE MANTARAS RAMON , MCSHERRY DAVID , BRIDGE DEREK , LEAKE DAVID , SMYTH BARRY , CRAW SUSAN , FALTINGS BOI , MAHER MARY LOU , COX MICHAEL T , FORBUS KENNETH , KEANE MARK , AAMODT AGNAR , WATSON IAN
Published: May 2006

Case-based reasoning (CBR) is an approach to problem solving that emphasizes the role of prior experience during future problem solving (i.e., new problems are solved by reusing and if necessary adapting the solutions to similar problems that were solved in the past). It has enjoyed considerable success in a wide variety of problem solving tasks and domains. Following a brief overview of the traditional problem-solving cycle in CBR, we examine the cognitive science foundations of CBR and its relationship to analogical reasoning. We then review a representative selection of CBR research in the past few decades on aspects of retrieval, reuse, revision and retention.
Call for papers: NJL Special Issue on Aspect
Authors: Folli Raffaella , Harley Heidi
Published: May 2006

The second issue of Volume 20 (2007) of the Nordic Journal of Linguistics will be a special issue on Aspect. The guest editors are Raffaella Folli (University of Ulster), Heidi Harley (University of Arizona) and Britta Jensen (University of Cambridge).
Finnish negation, the EPP feature and the valuation theory of morphosyntax
Authors: Brattico Pauli , Huhmarniemi Saara
Published: May 2006

The Extended Projection Principle (EPP) has remained a controversial topic in generative grammar. This article proposes to derive the EPP from a generalized theory of nominal case and verbal agreement. According to the proposal presented in this article, morphosyntactic features such as case and verbal phi-features are valued uniformly by the closest asymmetrically c-commanding element, whereas the PF interface is constrained so as to prevent verbs from being valued nominal case and nominals by verbal phi-features. This constraint together with a new theory of valuation explains the appearance of the EPP. The theory is applied to the investigation of negative clauses in Finnish and other languages, Finnish (elliptical) non-finite negative clauses, expletive constructions, multiple wh-movement in a variety of languages, multiple agreement both in the finite and nominal domains, and asymmetries between finite and non-finite clauses.
Endocannabinoids potently protect the newborn brain against AMPA‐kainate receptor‐mediated excitotoxic damage
Authors: Shouman Basma , Fontaine Romain H , Baud Olivier , Schwendimann Leslie , Keller Matthias , Spedding Michael , Lelièvre Vincent , Gressens Pierre
Published: May 2006

Brain lesions induced in newborn mice or rats by the glutamatergic agonists ibotenate (acting on NMDA and metabotropic receptors) or S‐bromowillardiine (acting on AMPA‐kainate receptors) mimic some aspects of white matter cysts and transcortical necrosis observed in human perinatal brain damage associated with cerebral palsy. Exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids have received increasing attention as potential neuroprotective agents in a number of neurodegenerative disorders of the adult. One recent study showed neuroprotection by the cannabinoid agonist WIN‐55212 in a newborn rat model of acute severe asphyxia.

The present study was designed to assess the neuroprotective effects of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide using a well‐defined rodent model of neonatal excitotoxic brain lesions.

In this model, anandamide provided dose‐dependent and long‐lasting protection of developing white matter and cortical plate reducing the size of lesions induced by S‐bromowillardiine. Anandamide had only marginal neuroprotective effect against ibotenate‐induced cortical grey matter lesions. Anandamide‐induced neuroprotection against AMPA‐kainate receptor‐mediated brain lesions were blocked by a CB1 antagonist but not by a CB2 antagonist. Furthermore, anandamide effects were mimicked by a CB1 agonist but not by a CB2 agonist. Real‐time PCR confirmed the expression of CB1 receptors, but not CB2 receptors, in the untreated newborn neocortex. Finally, neuroprotective effects of anandamide in white matter involved increased survival of preoligodendrocytes and better preservation of myelination.

The present study provides experimental support for the role of endocannabinoids as a candidate therapy for excitotoxic perinatal brain lesions.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 148, 442–451. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706755
The role of the integral membrane nucleoporins Ndc1p and Pom152p in nuclear pore complex assembly and function
Authors: Madrid Alexis S. , Mancuso Joel , Cande W. Zacheus , Weis Karsten
Published: May 2006

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a large channel that spans the two lipid bilayers of the nuclear envelope and mediates transport events between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Only a few NPC components are transmembrane proteins, and the role of these proteins in NPC function and assembly remains poorly understood. We investigate the function of the three integral membrane nucleoporins, which are Ndc1p, Pom152p, and Pom34p, in NPC assembly and transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that Ndc1p is important for the correct localization of nuclear transport cargoes and of components of the NPC. However, the role of Ndc1p in NPC assembly is partially redundant with Pom152p, as cells lacking both of these proteins show enhanced NPC disruption. Electron microscopy studies reveal that the absence of Ndc1p and Pom152p results in aberrant pores that have enlarged diameters and lack proteinaceous material, leading to an increased diffusion between the cytoplasm and the nucleus.
E-cadherin engagement stimulates proliferation via Rac1
Authors: Liu Wendy F. , Nelson Celeste M. , Pirone Dana M. , Chen Christopher S.
Published: May 2006

E-cadherin has been linked to the suppression of tumor growth and the inhibition of cell proliferation in culture. We observed that progressively decreasing the seeding density of normal rat kidney-52E (NRK-52E) or MCF-10A epithelial cells from confluence, indeed, released cells from growth arrest. Unexpectedly, a further decrease in seeding density so that cells were isolated from neighboring cells decreased proliferation. Experiments using microengineered substrates showed that E-cadherin engagement stimulated the peak in proliferation at intermediate seeding densities, and that the proliferation arrest at high densities did not involve E-cadherin, but rather resulted from a crowding-dependent decrease in cell spreading against the underlying substrate. Rac1 activity, which was induced by E-cadherin engagement specifically at intermediate seeding densities, was required for the cadherin-stimulated proliferation, and the control of Rac1 activation by E-cadherin was mediated by p120-catenin. Together, these findings demonstrate a stimulatory role for E-cadherin in proliferative regulation, and identify a simple mechanism by which cell–cell contact may trigger or inhibit epithelial cell proliferation in different settings.
Direct evidence for coherent low velocity axonal transport of mitochondria
Authors: Miller Kyle E. , Sheetz Michael P.
Published: May 2006

Axonal growth depends on axonal transport. We report the first global analysis of mitochondrial transport during axonal growth and pauses. In the proximal axon, we found that docked mitochondria attached to the cytoskeletal framework that were stationary relative to the substrate and fast axonal transport fully accounted for mitochondrial transport. In the distal axon, we found both fast mitochondrial transport and a coherent slow transport of the mitochondria docked to the axonal framework (low velocity transport [LVT]). LVT was distinct from previously described transport processes; it was coupled with stretching of the axonal framework and, surprisingly, was independent of growth cone advance. Fast mitochondrial transport decreased and LVT increased in a proximodistal gradient along the axon, but together they generated a constant mitochondrial flux. These findings suggest that the viscoelastic stretching/creep of axons caused by tension exerted by the growth cone, with or without advance, is seen as LVT that is followed by compensatory intercalated addition of new mitochondria by fast axonal transport.
Remarrying Marketing and Logistics with Information Systems
Technology
Authors: Watson Richard , Pitt Leyland
Published: May 2006

Information Systems Technology (IST) has a recognised role in
creating and sustaining competitive advantage. The link is developed
between logistics and the use of IST to improve competitive performance
by outlining a model of the logistics function that stimulates thinking
about logistics issues and by describing instances of organisations that
are using IST to gain competitive advantage in logistics. It is argued
that IST will be a powerful tool for putting logistics and marketing
together again. The majority of the case studies are drawn from the
Australian business environment. A general process is also described
that strategic planners can use when attempting to identify strategic
information systems.
Quality in the Service Sector: A Review
Authors: Lewis Barbara R.
Published: May 2006

Quality in the service sector is of increasing concern to both
academics and practitioners. Previously published material is reviewed
and attention is focused on the importance of people and internal
marketing in the changing environment of service industries, definitions
and measurement of service quality, and the service quality/customer
care programmes presently being developed and implemented.
The Selection of Banks and Banking Services among Corporate
Customers in South Africa
Authors: Turnbull Peter W. , Gibbs Michael J.
Published: May 2006

Findings are presented from an empirical study focused on the
banking behaviour of corporate customers in South Africa. The selection
of banks and bank services were investigated: the most important factors
in selection were found to be quality of service, quality of staff, the
nature of relationships with managers, and price of services. Further,
although most of the responding companies had split banking
arrangements, strong loyalty existed between organisations and their
lead commercial banks.
Prospects and Problems of the Quality Control Circle Transplant: The Permeable Discipline Barriers
Authors: Georgantzas Nicholas C.
Published: May 2006

The job redesign framework is implicit in the Quality Control Circle literature. It separates QCC′s from any policy considerations and creates grave distortions of view. The required broadened conception of American companies′ operations core can only be achieved if the languages of different disciplines merge to confront crucial management issues.
Total Quality Control in an Asian Division of a Multinational Corporation
Authors: Sohal Amrik S. , Tay Geok‐Seng , Wirth Andrew
Published: May 2006

During the 1980s many organisations around the world adopted the total quality control concept, and many successes and failures have been reported. The process of TQC implementation in a South East Asian division of a multinational corporation producing electronic components, the evaluation programme and the results achieved, are described. The need to develop TQC as an integral part of the organisational corporate culture is discussed.
Gorbachev's Perestroika — Beginning of a Soviet Socialist Social Market Economy?
Authors: Karsten Siegfried G.
Published: May 2006

To what extent Mikhail Gorbachev′sGlasnostandPerestroikaanticipate the paradigm of a socialist market economy, is investigated. Gorbachev, like China′s Deng Xiaoping, realises that socio‐economic theories which abstract themselves from the observations and needs of daily life have little relevance. That is, a meaningful paradigm has to pay attention to society′s values, especially to the interrelationship of personal initiative, morality, law, government and public policy. Hence, Gorbachev advocates the establishment of more favourable socio‐economic conditions to lay the foundation for a “functional socialist social market economy”, however defined, in the Soviet Union.
Transfer Pricing: Some Empirical Evidence from Ireland
Authors: Stewart J.C.
Published: May 2006

Ireland has extensive corporate tax allowances and low rates of corporation tax. Thus connected companies have an incentive to switch profits to Ireland using transfer pricing. This article examines value added and trade statistics of certain chemical and food sectors published by the CSO in Ireland. These data were found to be consistent with switching profits to Ireland using transfer pricing. To date in Ireland, the main debate centring on the use of transfer pricing has been the distortion to economic statistics. However it is likely that tax‐collecting authorities in other countries are concerned with tax strategies associated with profit‐switching transfer pricing (pstp). This article shows that Ireland is important in terms of tax savings for several large US‐based MNCs and as a corollary to this Ireland is also important in terms of investigations by the Internal Revenue Service of the US.
Bringing about Organisational Change‐A Framework
Authors: Stewart J.D.
Published: May 2006

The article describes a framework for devising or selecting
strategies and methods for implementing planned change. The framework
rests on three key propositions concerning organisation change. These
are that change needs to be measurable and/or observable; that
organisation change requires invidual change; and that individual change
requires that learning has occurred and that motivation to apply the
learning exists. Two models concerned with organisational change are
offered which emphasise the need for individual involvement and
provision of appropriate training and development in order for planned
change to be successful. The framework itself, derived from the
propositions and supported by the theoretical models, indicates the
level and nature of involvement for different categories of change.
Customer Service Research: Past, Present and Future
Authors: Sterling Jay U. , Lambert Douglas M.
Published: May 2006

Although significant advances have been made in customer service
research, a majority of this research has concentrated on defining and
measuring the importance of customer service in isolation from the other
components of the marketing mix. In order to achieve a competitive
advantage from customer service, it is necessary to establish service
levels as part of the firm′s overall marketing strategy. This monograph
reviews the development of customer service; evaluates past customer
service research; presents a methodology for integrating customer
service and marketing strategy, and provides some suggestions for future
research.
Information Technology – Creating Strategic Opportunities for Logistics
Authors: Kerr Andrew
Published: May 2006

Advances in computer and telecommunications technology are
providing logistics managers with a wide range of strategic
opportunities. However, there is a widening gap between opportunities
available through technology and effective utilisation of the
technology. Unless logistics managers take a broader strategic view of
their role, these opportunities will be lost and their companies will
fall behind in the face of increasingly intense global competition.
Logistics managers who seek innovative ways to apply both existing and
new technology, especially information technology, will play an
increasingly important role in their organisation′s profitability.
Assessing International Port Operations
Authors: Murphy Paul R. , Dalenburg Douglas R. , Daley James M.
Published: May 2006

A mail survey was conducted among 535 worldwide water ports and
water carriers to learn about (1) the importance of various port
selection factors and (2) the influence of contemporary trade issues on
international port operations. Analysis of 134 responses (25 per cent
response rate) revealed general agreement among respondents in terms of
port selection factors, with equipment availability and loss and damage
record ranked as most important. However, there was little agreement
among survey participants concerning the influence of contemporary trade
issues. Comparison by respondent nationality (US, non‐US) revealed that
US interests oppose an increase in the value of the US dollar; US
respondents also indicate that ports are not secure from terrorist
actions. Comparison by primary function (ports, carriers) found
substantial disagreement on operational issues and personnel issues.
Prime Vendor/Hospital Purchasing Relationships
Authors: Young Scott T.
Published: May 2006

Sourcing research to date has concentrated on manufacturing,
primarily in the form of just‐in‐time purchasing systems. This study
examines sourcing in an important service industry – hospitals.
Hospital materials management integrates purchasing, inventory control
and distribution. A prime vendor relationship, an agreement between a
multi‐line distributor and a hospital, streamlines the purchasing
process by reducing the number of vendors and paperwork for the buyer.
An examination of 22 general hospitals in Georgia, USA, yielded
preliminary evidence the prime vendor relationship led to better
materials management performance. This article explores the potential
advantages and disadvantages for hospital buyers and vendors and the
implications for performance.
An Evaluation of Logistics and Related Journals
Authors: Emmelhainz Larry W. , Stock James R.
Published: May 2006

Logistics and related journals typically are oriented towards two
audiences: practitioners and/or educators. This article examines
practitioner and educator perceptions of logistics and related journals.
Comparisons are made among the various journals both with each other and
with the perceived ideal characteristics of logistics journals. While
differences were found to exist between the academics and practitioners,
the overall perceptions were surprisingly similar.