bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Subjective Alertness and Motivation on Human Performance Independent of Circadian and Homeostatic Regulation
Authors: Hull Joseph T. , Wright Kenneth P. , Czeisler Charles A.
Published: August 2003

Endogenous circadian rhythmicity and sleep-wake homeostasis are robust regulators of human alertness and performance, yet few studies have examined how these regulatory processes affect motivation. Moreover, the influence of alertness and motivation on performance, independent of circadian phase and hours awake, has not been studied. Healthy subjects, 12 males and 3 females, ages 20 to 41, participated in a 2-week 28-h forced desynchrony protocol to address these issues. Subjects performed a battery of tests every 2 hours during scheduled wakefulness. Performance on a mathematical addition test and ratings of alertness and motivation on visual analog scales were analyzed. Performance scores were categorized as being associated with the highest or lowest alertness and motivation ratings for each circadian phase/hours awake bin to determine whether high levels of alertness and motivation resulted in higher performance scores above and beyond the effects of circadian and homeostatic regulation. Motivation varied significantly as a function of circadian phase and hours awake. Motivation and alertness were correlated. When circadian phase and hours awake were accounted for, performance was better when alertness and motivation ratings were highest and worse when those ratings were lowest. The present findings suggest that human performance is influenced by alertness and motivation independent of circadian phase and hours awake. Future studies examining the influence of circadian phase and sleep-wake homeostasis on human performance also should assess alertness and motivation to aid in the interpretation of performance data. Such studies also may aid in the development of countermeasures to improve human performance.
Nonphotic Phase Shifting in Female Syrian Hamsters: Interactions with the Estrous Cycle
Authors: Janik L. Young , Janik Daniel
Published: August 2003

Nonphotic phase shifting of circadian rhythms was examined in female Syrian hamsters. Animals were stimulated at zeitgeber time 4.5 by either placing them in a novel running wheel or by transferring them to a clean home cage. Placement in a clean home cage was more effective than novel wheel treatment in stimulating large (> 1.5 h) phase shifts. Peak phase shifts (ca. 3.5 h) and the percentage of females showing large phase shifts were comparable to those found in male hamsters stimulated with novel wheels. The amount of activity induced by nonphotic stimulation and the amount of phase shifting varied slightly with respect to the 4-day estrous cycle. Animals tended to run less and shift less on the day of estrus. Nonphotic stimulation on proestrus often resulted in a 1-day delay of the estrous cycle reflected in animals' postovulatory vaginal discharge and the expression of sexual receptivity (lordosis). This delay of the estrous cycle was associated with large phase advances and high activity. These results extend the generality of nonphotic phase shifting to females for the first time and raise the possibility that resetting of circadian rhythms can induce changes in the estrous cycle.
The Study of Gender in India
Authors: Purkayastha Bandana , Subramaniam Mangala , Desai Manisha , Bose Sunita
Published: August 2003

The main purpose of this article is to broaden U.S. scholars' awareness of the similarities and differences of gender literature in another part of the world. In providing this partial review of gender scholarship in India, the authors hope to foster critical reflection on the inequities of global knowledge production and consumption and the role of U.S. academic institutions and scholars in this project. The article is written not by scholars who are based in India but by those who are based in U.S. academies. Given their location, linguistic and cultural competencies, and scholarly expertise, the review, at best, can be described as a glimpse of gender scholarship in India. The four sections of this article feature theoretical and methodological issues, the women's movement, and violence against women in India.
Adjustment, Spirituality, and Health in Women on Hemodialysis
Authors: Tanyi Ruth A. , Werner Joan Stehle
Published: August 2003

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is progressive, requiring adjustment. This descriptive correlational study examined levels of and relationships between adjustment, spiritual well-being, and self-perceived health in women with ESRD. The sample included 65 women aged 24 to 82 receiving hemodialysis at five out-patient centers in a large metropolitan area. Frequencies, central tendencies, and correlations were used for analyses. Overall, these women were fairly well adjusted as measured by the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report. They demonstrated fairly high levels of religious, existential, and overall spiritual well-being. Self-perceived health was good. Spiritual well-being variables were all positively and significantly related to overall psychosocial adjustment and psychological distress adjustment. Self-perceived health variables were all positively and significantly related to overall psychosocial adjustment. Few significant relationships were found between spiritual well-being and other adjustment domains and between self-perceived health and other types of adjustment.
The Mating System of Foragers in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample
Authors: Marlowe Frank W.
Published: August 2003

Among foragers, men's foods are often shared widely outside the household, undercutting variation in the benefit their wives and children receive. This means polygyny may not be due to variation in household provisioning. Some have even suggested that bonds in general, whether polygynous or monogamous, may have less to do with male provisioning than male-male contest competition. However, an analysis of foragers in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample reveals that male provisioning does affect the mating system. Societies with higher male contribution to subsistence are more monogamous. The author argues that women value male provisioning less where males bring in less food, which results in greater polygyny. Where it is difficult for women to acquire food, they value male provisioning more, forcing males to compete via food acquisition. Food sharing prevents the polygyny threshold from being reached but does not completely erase the benefit of pair bonding with a good forager.
Gender, Race, Childhood Abuse, and Body Image among Adolescents
Authors: Logio Kim A.
Published: August 2003

The research presented in this article examines the influences of race, gender, and sexual or physical abuse on unhealthy eating and dieting practices among Black and White adolescents. Specifically, the project considers the intersection of race and gender on actual and perceived body size. The impact of past sexual or physical abuse emerges as a significant predictor of unhealthy dieting and eating behaviors for Whites but not for Blacks. Although girls are more likely to have distorted body images and to engage in disordered eating and dieting, these differences are further explained with race and past sexual or physical abuse.
Metaphor in the Literature of Organizational Analysis: A Preliminary Taxonomy and a Glimpse at a Humanities-Based Perspective
Authors: Inns Dawn
Published: August 2003

This paper reviews the writing on metaphor in organizational analysis. It aims to synthesize developments and draw out trends. It argues that the implications of metaphor, as spelt out by poets, philosophers and linguists, do not seem to have been considered as fully as they might have been by many writers in organizational analysis. It explores possible reasons why this might be the case and what this suggests about dominant assumptions in the field. It concludes by looking at some avenues for research that arise from the study of metaphor from a more humanities-based perspective.
“The Hollywood of Latin America”
Authors: Sinclair John
Published: August 2003

Over the last decade, there has emerged a certain discourse about Miami as “the Hollywood of Latin America,” or even as “the cultural capital,” not just of Latin America, but also of the Spanish-speaking population of the United States. This article examines the basis and extent of Miami's status specifically within the international trade in the production and distribution of Spanish-language television programs and services in the Americas as a whole geolinguistic region. Miami serves as a reminder of the degree to which geospatial features still exert their gravitational pull upon the much-vaunted “deterritorialization” of communication media, yet what appears to be unique about Miami is the combination of cultural as well as locational and economic factors which it offers the rapidly internationalizing Spanish-language television industry. As such, it provides an interesting case for evaluating the relative significance of cultural vis-à-vis economic factors in the making of such an industry.
“Call Me America”: The Construction of Race, Identity, and History in Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Wonders of the African World
Authors: Magubane Zine
Published: August 2003

The article analyzes Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s six-part, 12-hour documentary, Wonders of the African World, and the fierce debates that occurred between Africana and African Americans about issues of race, identity, and history in the wake of the video's release. The article explores the ways in which questions about racial identity, the relationship of African Americans to Africa, and the politics of history were framed in the film and how this relates to larger societal debates about Africans and African Americans in the academy, race and citizenship, and identity and narrative authority.
Developmental regulation and significance of KNOX protein trafficking inArabidopsis
Authors: Kim Jae-Yean , Yuan Zhuang , Jackson David
Published: August 2003

Intercellular communication delivers critical information for position-dependent specification of cell fate. In plants, a novel mechanism for cell-to-cell communication involves the intercellular trafficking of regulatory proteins and mRNAs. The maize KNOTTED1 (KN1) gene acts non cell-autonomously in the maize leaf, and KN1 was the first plant protein shown to traffic cell-to-cell, presumably through plasmodesmata. We have compared the intercellular trafficking of green fluorescent protein (GFP)fusions of KN1 and Arabidopsis KN1-related homeobox proteins to that of the viral movement protein from turnip vein clearing tobamovirus. We show that there is specific developmental regulation of GFP∼KN1 trafficking. GFP∼KN1 was able to traffic from the inner layers of the leaf to the epidermis, but not in the opposite direction, from epidermis to mesophyll. However, GFP or the GFP∼movement protein fusion moved readily out of the epidermis. GFP∼KN1 was however able to traffic out of the epidermal (L1)layer in the shoot apical meristem, indicating that KN1 movement out of the L1 was developmentally regulated. GFP∼KNAT1/BREVIPEDICELLUS and GFP∼SHOOTMERISTEMLESS fusions could also traffic from the L1 to the L2/L3 layers of the meristem. In a test for the functional significance of trafficking, we showed that L1-specific expression of KN1 or of KNAT1 was able to partially complement the strong shootmeristemless-11(stm-11) mutant. However, a cell-autonomous GUS fusion to KN1 showed neither trafficking ability nor complementation of stm-11 when expressed in the L1. These results suggest that the activity of KN1 and related homeobox proteins is maintained following intercellular trafficking,and that trafficking may be required for their normal developmental function.
Simplified modeling of fed‐batch alcoholic fermentation of sugarcane blackstrap molasses
Authors: Converti Attilio , Arni Saleh , Sato Sunao , de Carvalho João Carlos Monteiro , Aquarone Eugênio
Published: August 2003

Simplified modeling based on material balances for biomass, ethanol and substrate was used to describe the kinetics of fed‐batch alcohol fermentation of sugarcane blackstrap molasses. Maintenance requirements were previously shown to be of particular significance in this system, owing to the use of massive inoculum to minimize inhibitions; therefore, they were taken into consideration for kinetic modeling. Average values of biomass and ethanol yields, productivities, and substrate consumption rates, calculated at the end of runs performed either at constant or exponentially varying flow rates, demonstrated that all of these parameters were influenced by the initial sugar‐feeding rate, FoSo. Under conditions of substrate shortage (FoSo ≤ 300 gS h−1), the amount of carbon dioxide produced was higher than that corresponding to the stoichiometry of sucrose fermentation to ethanol, indicating that an appreciable fraction of the carbon source was likely consumed by respiration. Besides, the biomass yields either on substrate, YX/S, or ethanol, YX/E, as well as the product yield on substrate, YE/S, notably decreased. These results are in agreement with the relatively high specific rate of anaerobic substrate consumption for maintenance estimated for this system (mas = 0.789 gS gX−1 h−1), which was responsible for the consumption of more than 70% of the fed carbon source. The proposed equations derived from the Monod model proved to be a useful tool to easily predict the performance of this process. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 84:88–95, 2003
Predicting daily flows in ungauged catchments: model regionalization from catchment descriptors at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina
Authors: Kokkonen Teemu S. , Jakeman Anthony J. , Young Peter C. , Koivusalo Harri J.
Published: August 2003

Regionalization approaches to daily streamflow prediction are investigated for 13 catchments in the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory using a conceptual rainfall‐runoff model of low complexity (six parameters). Model parameters are considered to represent the dynamic response characteristics (DRCs) of a catchment. It is demonstrated that all catchments within the region cannot be assumed to have a similar hydrological behaviour, and thence a regionalization approach considering differences in physical catchment descriptors (PCDs) is required. Such a regionalization approach can be regarded as a top‐down method, in the sense that factors controlling parameter variability are identified first within the entire region under study, and then such information is exploited to predict runoff in a smaller sub‐region. Regionalization results reveal that consideration of interrelations between dependent variables, which here are the parameters of the rainfall‐runoff model, can improve performance of regression as a regionalization method. Breaking the parameter correlation structure inherent in the model, and exploiting merely relationships between model parameters and PCDs (no matter how weakly related they are), can result in a significant decrease in regionalization performance. Also, high significance of regression between values of PCDs and DRCs does not guarantee a set of parameters with a good predictive power. When there is a reason to believe that, in the sense of hydrological behaviour, a gauged catchment resembles the ungauged catchment, then it may be worthwhile to adopt the entire set of calibrated parameters from the gauged catchment instead of deriving quantitative relationships between catchment descriptors and model parameters. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The observer‐based linear quadratic sub‐optimal digital tracker for analog systems with input and state delays
Authors: Huang C. M. , Tsai J. S.‐H. , Provence R. S. , Shieh L. S.
Published: August 2003

This paper presents a new observer‐based sub‐optimal digital tracker for the continuous‐time system with input and state time delays. We directly convert the continuous‐time input‐state delayed system into an equivalent discrete‐time input‐state delayed model and its extended discrete‐time delay‐free model. In addition, we directly discretize the linear quadratic performance index specified in the continuous‐time domain into an equivalent decoupled discrete‐time performance index using the newly developed extended delay‐free model. As a consequence, the well‐developed discrete‐time optimal control theory for discrete‐time delay‐free system can be applied to determine the optimal digital tracker for the continuous‐time input‐state delayed system. When the states of the continuous‐time input‐state delayed system are not available for measurements, we develop a sub‐optimal digital observer for the original continuous‐time input‐state delayed system using the state‐matching digital redesign technique and the digital‐to‐analog model conversion technique. As a result, the proposed observer‐based linear quadratic digital tracker is able to make the output of the digitally controlled continuous‐time input‐state delayed system sub‐optimally track the desired reference signals. An illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design methodology. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cloning and functional expression of dipeptidyl peptidase IV from the ruminal bacterium Prevotella albensis M384T
Authors: Walker Nicola D. , McEwan Neil R. , Wallace R. John
Published: August 2003

Ruminal bacteria of the genusPrevotellaplay a crucial role in peptide breakdown in the rumen, a component of protein catabolism that leads to the inefficient use of dietary protein by ruminant animals. This is the first report of the cloning of a peptidase gene from a ruminal bacterium. Part of the dipeptidyl peptidase type IV (DPP-IV) gene fromPrevotella albensisM384Twas cloned using degenerate primers designed from conserved regions found within other known DPP-IV sequences. Flanking regions were determined by genomic walking. The DPP-IV gene was expressed inEscherichia coli. The cloned enzyme required a free N terminus and catalysed the removal of X-Pro dipeptide from proline-containing oligopeptides, where proline was the second residue from the N terminus. It was inhibited by serine protease inhibitors and the substrate analogue for mammalian DPP-IV, diprotin A. The properties of the cloned enzyme were similar to those of the native form inP. albensisand, in general, DPP-IVs from other organisms. The enzyme contained a conserved motif which is associated with the S9 class of prolyl oligopeptidases. The DPP-IV gene appeared not to be part of a contiguous operon. Regions with similarity to other putative promoters ofPrevotellaspp. were also identified. Construction of a phylogenetic tree demonstrated that the DPP-IV ofP. albensisclusters with other DPP-IVs found in bacteria of theCytophaga–Flexibacter–Bacteroidaceae(CFB) phylum, which are more closely related to eukaryotic DPP-IVs than the DPP-IV-like enzyme (PepX) of the lactic acid bacteria.
Comparative gene genealogical analyses of strains of serotype AD identify recombination in populations of serotypes A and D in the human pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Xu Jianping , Mitchell Thomas G.
Published: August 2003

Cryptococcus neoformans is a major pathogen of humans throughout the world. Using commercial monoclonal antibodies to capsular epitopes, strains of C. neoformans manifest five serotypes: A, B, C, D and AD. Previous studies demonstrated significant divergence among serotypes A, B, C and D, which are typically haploid. In contrast, most strains of serotype AD are diploid or aneuploid and result from recent hybridization between strains of serotypes A and D. Whether serotypes A, B, C and D represent strictly asexual lineages is not known. Using comparative genealogical analyses of two genes, the authors investigated whether recombination occurred among strains within serotypes A and D. For each of 14 serotype AD strains, a portion (642 bp) of the orotidine monophosphate pyrophosphorylase (URA5) gene was cloned and sequenced. Each of these 14 strains contained two different alleles and sequences for both alleles were obtained. The URA5 gene genealogy was compared to that derived from the laccase (LAC) gene, which was reported recently for the same 14 strains. For both genes, each of the 14 serotype AD strains contained two phylogenetically distinct alleles: one allele was highly similar to those from serotype A strains and the other to alleles from serotype D strains. However, within both the serotype A allelic group and the serotype D allelic group, there was significant incongruence between genealogies derived from URA5 and LAC. The results suggest recombination in natural populations of both serotypes A and D.
The Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis 35 kDa protein plays a role in invasion of bovine epithelial cells
Authors: Bannantine John P. , Huntley Jason F. J. , Miltner Elizabeth , Stabel Judith R. , Bermudez Luiz E.
Published: August 2003

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis) enters intestinal epithelial cells of cattle and other ruminants via a mechanism that remains to be fully elucidated. This study showed that a gene encoding the M. paratuberculosis 35 kDa major membrane protein (MMP) is expressed at a higher level in low-oxygen and high-osmolarity conditions that are similar to the environment of the intestine. In addition, cattle with Johne's disease produced antibodies against MMP, suggesting that the protein is present during infection. The gene encoding MMP was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein with the maltose-binding protein (MBP–MMP) in Escherichia coli. Rabbit antisera were raised against a M. paratuberculosis whole-cell sonicate and MMP-specific antibodies were purified from these sera by affinity chromatography. MMP was localized to the surface of M. paratuberculosis by immunoelectron microscopy and by immunoblot analysis of fractionated protein lysates. Both anti-MMP antibodies and MBP–MMP protein inhibited M. paratuberculosis invasion of cultured Madin–Darby bovine kidney cells by 30 %. In similar invasion experiments with M. paratuberculosis incubated in low oxygen tension, these antibodies and protein decreased invasion by 60 %. Collectively, these data show that the 35 kDa MMP is a surface exposed protein that plays a role in invasion of epithelial cells. The authors suggest that the MMP is a virulence factor of M. paratuberculosis that may be important in the initiation of infection in vivo.
Carbon-source-dependent nitrogen regulation in Escherichia coli is mediated through glutamine-dependent GlnB signalling
Authors: Maheswaran Mani , Forchhammer Karl
Published: August 2003

The PIIsignal transduction proteins GlnB and GlnK are uridylylated/deuridylylated in response to the intracellular glutamine level, the primary signal of the cellular nitrogen status. Furthermore, GlnB was shown to be allosterically regulated by 2-oxoglutarate, and thus GlnB was suggested to integrate signals of the cellular carbon and nitrogen status. Receptors of GlnB signal transduction inEscherichia coliare the NtrB/NtrC two-component system and GlnE, an enzyme which adenylylates/deadenylylates glutamine synthetase. In this study, the authors investigated the effect of different carbon sources on the expression of the NtrC-dependent genesglnAandglnKand on the uridylylation status of GlnB and GlnK. With glutamine as nitrogen source, high levels ofglnAandglnKexpression were obtained when glucose was used as carbon source, but expression was strongly decreased when the cells were grown with poor carbon sources or when cAMP was present. This response correlated with the uridylylation status of GlnB, suggesting that the carbon/cAMP effect was mediated through GlnB uridylylation, a conclusion that was confirmed by mutants of the PIIsignalling pathway. When glutamine was replaced by low concentrations of ammonium as nitrogen source, neitherglnAglnKexpression nor GlnB uridylylation responded to the carbon source or to cAMP. Furthermore, glutamine synthetase could be rapidly adenylylatedin vivoby the external addition of glutamine; however, this occurred only when cells were grown in the presence of cAMP, not in its absence. Together, these results suggest that poor carbon sources, through cAMP signalling, favour glutamine uptake. The cellular glutamine signal is then transduced by uridylyltransferase and GlnB to modulate NtrC-dependent gene expression.
Assessing the importance of the development activities for successful new services: does innovativeness matter?
Authors: Gounaris Spiros P. , Papastathopoulou Paulina G. , Avlonitis George J.
Published: August 2003

This article reports on the results of a research project into the development activities undertaken during the launch of 132 new financial services in Greece. According to the results, business analysis and marketing strategy formation as well as launch are the stages of the new service development process which influence the success of a new service irrespective, for the most part, of the degree of innovativeness that characterizes it. The significance of the other three stages of the development process varies depending the degree of innovativeness that characterizes the new service and the type of objective (financial or not) that management considers in order to evaluate its actual performance.
Design and fabrication of silicon condenser microphone using single deeply corrugated diaphragm technique
Authors: Wang W.J. , Lin R.M. , Ren Y.
Published: August 2003

A single wafer silicon condenser microphone with a novel single deeply corrugated diaphragm is presented in this paper. The microphone diaphragm with corrugation depth of 100 μm is only 1 mm2 in area, while the open‐circuit sensitivity as high as 9.8 mV/Pa under a bias voltage of 6 V has been obtained. The recorded frequency bandwidth is about 20 kHz. The measurements show reasonable agreements with the theoretical predictions.
Analysis of economies of scope by data envelopment analysis: comparison of efficient frontiers
Authors: Morita Hiroshi
Published: August 2003

Economies of scope exist when joint production is more efficient than separate production for several kinds of activities. The main purposes are to develop a method for identifying the economies of scope by using data envelopment analysis, which involves the use of non‐parametric production frontiers and does not require cost information on inputs and outputs. The economies of scope are measured by comparing efficient frontiers, where the most robust multipliers are defined for evaluation of the dominance relation of efficient frontiers.
Environmental Vulnerability in Public Perceptions and Attitudes: The Case of Israel's Urban Centers
Authors: Drori Israel , Yuchtman‐Yaar Ephraim
Published: August 2003

Objective. This article investigates how urban environmental vulnerability to hazards reflects in the perceptions and attitudes of the public in three major cities in Israel: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. Our central argument is that the differences between the residents’ perceptions and attitudes toward environmental issues are related mostly to the actual hazard levels of their communities, whereas individual differences in socioeconomic characteristics are of lesser importance in this regard. Methods. The research was based on survey data of representative samples of the adult residents in the three cities. The differences in attitudes and perceptions among the three samples were statistically assessed by means of analysis of variance. Results. We found relatively strong and consistent relationships between actual environmental vulnerability to hazards in the three cities and their residents’ attitudes toward environmental issues. The relationships with socioeconomic characteristics, such as education and income, were considerably weaker and less consistent. Conclusions. The results of this research indicate that environmental concern is not exclusive to groups and individuals characterized by postmaterialist values. Rather, the urban public in general is responsive to the environmental vulnerability of its community. This conclusion supports the argument that attitudes toward the environment are mainly affected by instrumental considerations of objective environmental problems rather than by subjective values.
Deforestation and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: A Cross‐National Investigation of Intervening Mechanisms
Authors: Ehrhardt‐Martinez Karen , Crenshaw Edward M. , Jenkins J. Craig
Published: August 2003

Objective. We draw on ecological modernization theory and international political economy arguments to examine the sources of an environmental Kuznets curve (or EKC) that produces an inverted U‐shaped rate of deforestation relative to economic development. Method. We use ordinary least squares regression with White's (1978) correction for possible heteroskedasticity to examine the rate of deforestation (1980–1995) in less developed countries. Results. Net of controls for initial forest stock and the quality of deforestation estimates, we find strong evidence for an EKC driven by (1) agglomeration effects linked to the level of urbanization, (2) rural‐to‐urban migration that partially offsets rural population pressure, (3) the growth of services‐dominated urban economies, and (4) strong democratic states. We find little evidence that foreign debt or export dependence influence the deforestation rate. Conclusions. Although deforestation continues to pose pressing and potentially irreversible environmental risks, there is evidence of self‐corrective ecological and modernization processes inherent in development that act to mitigate these risks.
The Weak Effect of Imprisonment on Crime: 1971–1998
Authors: DeFina Robert H. , Arvanites Thomas M.
Published: August 2003

Objective. This article studies the impact of increasing incarceration rates on crime rates. First we seek to replicate the findings of previous studies utilizing the pooled, fixed–effects models (which are based on the assumption that the effect of imprisonment does not vary across states). Next we test the validity of this assumption. Finally, we present a new methodology to examine the imprisonment–crime relationship. Methods. Annual state–level data from 1971–1998 are used to estimate 51 state–specific regression models in which crime rates for seven major categories are functions of incarceration rates and a wide array of socioeconomic and dummy control variables. Results. Our findings are consistent with prior studies. More important, the assumptions upon which the fixed–effect models are based were found to be statistically invalid. The results of our new methodology reveal that imprisonment rates are not significantly related to crime in the majority of states for any of the seven crimes studied. Conclusions. Because the state–level lagged imprisonment coefficients varied from significant negative effects to significant positive effects (depending on the state and type of crime), we argue that it is inappropriate to speak about “the” effect of imprisonment on any particular crime or at the national level.
Race, Local Life Circumstances, and Criminal Activity
Authors: Piquero Alex R. , MacDonald John M. , Parker Karen F.
Published: August 2003

Objective. Life–course researchers suggest that changes in local life circumstances explain changes in criminal activity in adulthood. Although the extent to which local life circumstances propel offenders toward/away from criminal behavior is a subject of considerable debate, the issue of race has largely been ignored. The objective in this research is to incorporate race into a life–course perspective that examines the influence of changes in life circumstances on changes in criminal activity. Methods. This objective is met by using longitudinal data on 524 parolees released from the California Youth Authority (CYA) who were followed for seven consecutive years after release. Results. The results suggest that changes in local life circumstances are related to changes in criminal activity, but do not eliminate the race/crime relationship for violence. At the same time, the effect of local life circumstances on criminal activity appears more similar than different across race, with the exception that common–law marriages are crime–generating among nonwhites as compared to whites. Conclusions. Because race continues to be associated with criminal activity over the life course, future research should increase efforts to better understand how race might condition life circumstances when influencing criminal activity. Implications of these findings for life–course theory are discussed.
Elite Interlocks in Three U.S. Sectors: Nonprofit, Corporate, and Government
Authors: Moore Gwen , Sobieraj Sarah , Whitt J. Allen , Mayorova Olga , Beaulieu Daniel
Published: August 2003

This study traces elite interlocks between the economic, political, and civil sectors of the United States in the late 1990s. We assess integration and fragmentation through analyzing patterns of overlap and interaction among influential organizations and leaders in these sectors. Network analyses are conducted with UCINET 5 on the Elite Directors Database, a new data set composed of the directors/trustees for the largest organizations in the business and nonprofit sectors in addition to individuals holding positions on federal advisory committees. The complete data set contains individuals holding 3,976 seats from 100 businesses, 109 nonprofit organizations, and 98 government committees. The network structure reveals substantial linkages between organizations and elites within and across the three sectors. Major corporations and their directors are the best integrated in the intersectoral networks. In spite of the tremendous growth of the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organization linkages fail to offer compelling evidence of elite pluralism in the United States.
Culture Wars in the Congressional Theater: How the U.S. House of Representatives Legislates Morality, 1993–1998
Authors: Oldmixon Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2003

Objective. This article explores the politics of cultural conflict in the U.S. House of Representatives (1993–1998) by analyzing legislator decision making on reproductive issues. Because reproductive policies represent a major contemporary cultural cleavage between feminists and religious traditionalists, decision making should be influenced by elite – and district –level variables reflective of culture. Methods. Pro –choice support scores are derived and, using OLS, are regressed on elite – and district –level cultural and noncultural variables. Results. Republican partisanship and elite ideological and religious conservatism produce low levels of support for pro –choice reproductive policies. Conclusions. Cultural theory is a useful lens through which to view congressional politics. In the area of reproductive policy, legislator decision making is influenced by an array of cultural considerations.
Significance of Pretreatment Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b Hypervariable Region 1 Sequences To Predict Antiviral Outcome
Authors: Gaudy Catherine , Moreau Alain , Veillon Pascal , Temoin Stephanie , Lunel Francoise , Goudeau Alain
Published: August 2003

The heterogeneity of hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), located at the amino terminus of the E2 envelope, may be involved in resistance to alpha interferon (IFN-α) treatment. We investigated whether peculiar HVR1 domain profiles before treatment were associated with the maintenance of sensitivity or the appearance of resistance to treatment. Fifteen patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and treated with IFN with or without ribavirin were selected. Ten responded to treatment (groups R1 and R2) and five did not (group NR). The amino acid sequences of 150 naturally occurring HVR1 variants present in the serum before therapy were compared in relation to treatment outcome. HVR1 variants from the NR group contained a constant nonantigenic amino acid segment that was not found in HVR1 variants from the R groups.
Comparative Evaluation of Real-Time PCR Assays for Detection of the Human Metapneumovirus
Authors: Côté Stéphanie , Abed Yacine , Boivin Guy
Published: August 2003

The human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a new member of the
Paramyxoviridae
family associated with acute respiratory tract infections in humans. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of real-time RT-PCR assays performed in a LightCycler instrument and designed to amplify the viral nucleoprotein (N), matrix (M), fusion (F), phosphoprotein (P), and polymerase (L) genes. In a first evaluation of 20 viral cultures with characteristics compatible with hMPV cytopathic effect, the PCR positivity rates were 100, 90, 75, 60, and 55% using primers for the N, L, M, P, and F genes. In a second evaluation of 10 nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with bronchiolitis and found to be positive for the hMPV N gene, the PCR positivity rates for the L, M, P, and F genes were 90, 60, 30, and 80%, respectively. The analytic sensitivity of the real-time RT-PCR assay for the hMPV N gene was 100 copies using a transcribed viral plasmid. In conclusion, real-time PCR assays aimed at amplifying the N and L genes which are coding for two internal viral proteins appear particularly suitable for hMPV diagnostic.
Vaginal Swabs Are Appropriate Specimens for Diagnosis of Genital Tract Infection with
Chlamydia trachomatis
Authors: Schachter Julius , McCormack William M. , Chernesky Max A. , Martin David H. , Van Der Pol Barbara , Rice Peter A. , Hook Edward W. , Stamm Walter E. , Quinn Thomas C. , Chow Joan M.
Published: August 2003

Because self-collected vaginal swabs (VS) are potentially very useful for screening asymptomatic women for
Chlamydia trachomatis
infection, a multicenter study evaluated that specimen with nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). The objective was to determine whether VS are equal to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared specimens (cervical swabs and first-catch urines [FCU]) for diagnosing genital chlamydial infection. All NAATs then commercially available (October 1996 to October 1999) were used (ligase chain reaction [LCx Probe System; Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill.]; PCR [Amplicor; Roche Molecular Systems, Branchburg, N.J.]; and transcription-mediated amplification, [Amplified CT Assay; Gen-Probe Inc., San Diego, Calif.]). NAATs were performed on FCU, urethral, cervical, self- and clinician-collected VS. Sensitivity was compared to isolation using cervical and urethral swabs. Agreement of NAAT results between VS and cervical swabs or FCU was calculated. Specimens from 2,517 15- to 25-year-old asymptomatic women attending clinics at nine different centers were evaluated. Results with self- and clinician-collected VS were equivalent and were at least as good as results with FCU and cervical swabs. Across all sites, summary specificities for all specimens were >99%. Among culture-positive women, NAAT sensitivity with VS (93%) was as high as or higher than NAAT sensitivity with cervical swabs (91%) or FCU (80.6%) or culture of cervical swabs (83.5%). VS are appropriate specimens for diagnosing chlamydial genital tract infection by NAATs. That patients can efficiently collect them offers important benefits for screening programs. It would be beneficial for public health programs if the NAAT manufacturers sought FDA clearance for this specimen.
Monitoring Response to Antiviral Therapy for Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection by a Core-Antigen Assay
Authors: Rebucci Chiara , Cerino Antonella , Cividini Agostino , Timo Letizia , Furione Milena , Mondelli Mario U.
Published: August 2003

A recently released immunoassay detecting total serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen was used to prospectively monitor virological responses to antiviral treatment in patients with chronic HCV infection. Sustained responders cleared core protein from serum within the first month of therapy and maintained stably negative values for the entire duration of follow-up after treatment discontinuation. However, patients who relapsed or failed to respond showed transient negative values and could not be accurately discriminated either because of the intrinsic lower sensitivity of the core-antigen assay than those of molecular assays or because of differentially regulated secretion of immunoreactive core protein from infected hepatocytes.
Scedosporium prolificans
Osteomyelitis in an Immunocompetent Child Treated with Voriconazole and Caspofungin, as Well as Locally Applied Polyhexamethylene Biguanide
Authors: Steinbach William J. , Schell Wiley A. , Miller Jackie L. , Perfect John R.
Published: August 2003

Scedosporium
species are increasingly isolated from immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Unfortunately,
Scedosporium
infections are generally resistant to amphotericin B, and
Scedosporium prolificans
strains are particularly resistant to the antifungal agents now in use. We report here on an immunocompetent child with
S. prolificans
-associated osteomyelitis successfully treated with debridement, local irrigation with polyhexamethylene biguanide, and the systemic administration of voriconazole and caspofungin despite poor in vitro activity of voriconazole alone against the isolate. We also review the treatments and outcomes of 28 reported cases of osteomyelitis or septic arthritis caused by
Scedosporium
species in immunocompetent patients.
Genetic dissection of partial resistance to race 6 of Venturia inaequalis in apple
Authors: Durel C E , Parisi L , Laurens F , Van de Weg W E , Liebhard R , Jourjon M F
Published: August 2003

Scab, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis, is one of the most important diseases of apple (Malus × domestica). The major resistance gene, Vf, has been widely used in apple breeding programs, but two new races of the fungus (races 6 and 7) are able to overcome this gene. A mapped F1 progeny derived from a cross between the cultivars Prima and Fiesta has been inoculated with two monoconidial strains of race 6. These strains originated from sporulating leaves of 'Prima' and a descendant of 'Prima' that were grown in an orchard in northern Germany. 'Prima' carries the Vf resistance gene, whereas 'Fiesta' lacks Vf. A large variation in resistance and (or) susceptibility was observed among the individuals of the progeny. Several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance were identified that mapped on four genomic regions. One of them was located in the very close vicinity of the Vf resistance gene on linkage group LG-1 of the 'Prima' genetic map. This QTL is isolate specific because it was only detected with one of the two isolates. Two out of the three other genomic regions were identified with both isolates (LG-11 and LG-17). On LG-11, a QTL effect was detected in both parents. The genetic dissection of this QTL indicated a favourable intra-locus interaction between some parental alleles.Key words: Malus × domestica, partial resistance, Venturia inaequalis, resistance breakdown, quantitative trait locus.
Genetic mapping of theSorghum bicolor vp1gene and its relationship with preharvest sprouting resistance
Authors: Carrari Fernando , Benech-Arnold Roberto , Osuna-Fernandez Reyna , Hopp Esteban , Sanchez Rodolfo , Iusem Norberto , Lijavetzky Diego
Published: August 2003

The plant vp1 gene encodes a transcription factor originally identified in maize that participates in the control of the transition from embryogenesis to seed germination. Different lines of evidence suggest that vp1 participates in preharvest sprouting (PHS) resistance in cereals, but the genetic relationship is not yet established. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate if there is a connection between vp1 and the formerly documented quantitative trait loci for PHS in Sorghum bicolor. This gene was mapped in sorghum using two well-studied inbred lines displaying contrasting PHS phenotypes. Linkage analysis revealed that the S. bicolor vp1 (Sbvp1) locus is linked to markers located on chromosomes 3 and 8 in maize. Analysis indicated that this gene is not correlated with PHS at a statistically significant level. Structural analysis of the Sbvp1 gene from both inbred lines showed a high degree of overall conservation (low polymorphism), even in the promoter region. These findings, taken together with the previously observed correlation between the pattern of expression of this gene and PHS performance, suggest that Sbvp1 might act downstream in the signalling pathway that leads to seed germination, or even be differentially regulated as a consequence rather than as a cause of the phenotypic behaviour.Key words: viviparous-1, Sbvp1, dormancy, quantitative trait loci (QTL), pre-harvest sprouting, genetic mapping.
Rapid genomic changes in interspecific and intergeneric hybrids and allopolyploids of Triticeae
Authors: Han F P , Fedak G , Ouellet T , Liu B
Published: August 2003

Allopolyploidy is preponderant in plants, which often leads to speciation. Some recent studies indicate that the process of wide hybridization and (or) genome doubling may induce rapid and extensive genetic and epigenetic changes in some plant species and genomic stasis in others. To further study this phenomenon, we analyzed three sets of synthetic allopolyploids in the Triticeae by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using a set of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and retrotransposons as probes. It was found that 4064.7% of the ESTs detected genomic changes in the three sets of allopolyploids. Changes included disappearance of parental hybridization fragment(s), simultaneous appearance of novel fragment(s) and loss of parental fragment(s), and appearance of novel fragment(s). Some of the changes occurred as early as in the F1hybrid, whereas others occurred only after allopolyploid formation. Probing with retrotransposons revealed numerous examples of disappearance of sequences. No gross chromosome structural changes or physical elimination of sequences were found. It is suggested that DNA methylation and localized recombination at the DNA level were probably the main causes for the genomic changes. Possible implications of the genomic changes for allopolyploid genome evolution are discussed.Key words: allopolyploidy, genome evolution, ESTs, retrotransposons, DNA methylation.
Placement of Deep Brain Stimulators into the Subthalamic Nucleus or Globus pallidus internus: Technical Approach
Authors: Starr Philip A.
Published: August 2003

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) represents a major advance in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). As more neurosurgeons enter this field, technical descriptions of implantation techniques are needed. Here we present our technical approach to subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus internus (GPi) DBS implantation, based on 180 STN implants and 75 GPi implants. The essential steps in DBS implantation are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided stereotactic localization, confirmation of the motor territory of the target nucleus with microelectrode mapping, and intra-operative test stimulation to determine voltage thresholds for stimulation-induced adverse effects. Lead locations are documented by postoperative MRI in all cases.