bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissociation between Visual Perception of Allocentric Distance and Visually Directed Walking of its Extent
Authors: Kudoh Nobuo
Published: November 2005

Walking without vision to previously viewed targets was compared with visual perception of allocentric distance in two experiments. Experimental evidence had shown that physically equal distances in a sagittal plane on the ground were perceptually underestimated as compared with those in a frontoparallel plane, even under full-cue conditions. In spite of this perceptual anisotropy of space, Loomis et al (1992 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance18 906–921) found that subjects could match both types of distances in a blind-walking task. In experiment 1 of the present study, subjects were required to reproduce the extent of allocentric distance between two targets by either walking towards the targets, or by walking in a direction incompatible with the locations of the targets. The latter condition required subjects to derive an accurate allocentric distance from information based on the perceived locations of the two targets. The walked distance in the two conditions was almost identical whether the two targets were presented in depth (depth-presentation condition) or in the frontoparallel plane (width-presentation condition). The results of a perceptual-matching task showed that the depth distances had to be much greater than the width distances in order to be judged to be equal in length (depth compression). In experiment 2, subjects were required to reproduce the extent of allocentric distance from the viewing point by blindly walking in a direction other than toward the targets. The walked distance in the depth-presentation condition was shorter than that in the width-presentation condition. This anisotropy in motor responses, however, was mainly caused by apparent overestimation of length oriented in width, not by depth compression. In addition, the walked distances were much better scaled than those in experiment 1. These results suggest that the perceptual and motor systems share a common representation of the location of targets, whereas a dissociation in allocentric distance exists between the two systems in full-cue conditions.
The Hermann Grid Illusion Revisited
Authors: Schiller Peter H , Carvey Christina E
Published: November 2005

The Hermann grid illusion consists of smudges perceived at the intersections of a white grid presented on a black background. In 1960 the effect was first explained by a theory advanced by Baumgartner suggesting the illusory effect is due to differences in the discharge characteristics of retinal ganglion cells when their receptive fields fall along the intersections versus when they fall along non-intersecting regions of the grid. Since then, others have claimed that this theory might not be adequate, suggesting that a model based on cortical mechanisms is necessary [Lingelbach et al, 1985 Perception14(1) A7; Spillmann, 1994 Perception23 691–708; Geier et al, 2004 Perception33 Supplement, 53; Westheimer, 2004 Vision Research44 2457–2465]. We present in this paper the following evidence to show that the retinal ganglion cell theory is untenable: (i) varying the makeup of the grid in a manner that does not materially affect the putative differential responses of the ganglion cells can reduce or eliminate the illusory effect; (ii) varying the grid such as to affect the putative differential responses of the ganglion cells does not eliminate the illusory effect; and (iii) the actual spatial layout of the retinal ganglion cell receptive fields is other than that assumed by the theory. To account for the Hermann grid illusion we propose an alternative theory according to which the illusory effect is brought about by the manner in which S1 type simple cells (as defined by Schiller et al, 1976 Journal of Neurophysiology39 1320–1333) in primary visual cortex respond to the grid. This theory adequately handles many of the facts delineated in this paper.
Effect of cadmium on particle clearence by the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea commercialis (I. & R.)
Authors: Ward TJ
Published: November 2005

Sydney rock oysters, S. commercialis (I. & R.); were exposed to a control and 10. 50 and 100 �g 1-1 cadmium in a flowing seawater system in the laboratory for 45 days. After this period the rates of particle clearance, assessed by using killed 14C-labelled Escherichia coli in suspension, were determined for each group of oysters. A small proportion of 14C-label from the E. coli was recovered from the non-gut tissues of the oyster, suggesting that the oyster digested, and may have derived some energy from, the bacteria. All cadmium- treated oysters displayed reduced efficiency of clearance compared to controls. If this sublethal effect of cadmium occurs in natural populations, oysters could suffer impaired feeding efficiencies with subsequent effects on growth and reproduction.
Foraging ecology of the thermophilic Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti
Authors: Muser Barbara , Sommer Stefan , Wolf Harald , Wehner Rüdiger
Published: November 2005

The paper describes the foraging ecology of the Australian desert ant, Melophorus bagoti, a thermophilic, diurnal scavenger with ground-nesting colonies. Overlapping foraging ranges, low foraging success rates, and intercolony aggression suggest intense competition for food between colonies. Daily foraging starts when soil surface temperatures approach 50°C. Workers search individually and collect predominantly dead insects. Occasionally, they consume plant secretions. Foraging activity peaks on mid-summer days. On cloudy days the onset of foraging is delayed, and the foraging activity is low. Ants do not forage on rainy days. Typically, workers start their above-ground activities with a few short exploration runs. On average, they perform one foraging run on the first day of their outdoor lives. With age they gradually increase foraging site fidelity and daily foraging effort. Individual foraging efficiency is low at the beginning but grows with experience. However, due to a high mortality rate and, hence, high forager turnover, average rates of foraging success for a colony remain rather low. The outdoor activity gradually decreases towards the end of summer and appears to stop completely during the winter months.
Adaptation of wild-caught Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) to captivity: evidence from physical parameters and plasma cortisol concentrations
Authors: Jones Susan M. , Lockhart Tammy J. , Rose Randolph W.
Published: November 2005

This study assessed whether capture and transferral into captivity represents a significant stressor to Tasmanian devils. Four male and four female devils were captured in the wild and housed for 6 months in captivity in male–female pairs. Blood samples were collected for cortisol assay at capture, every 24 h for the first 4 days, and then monthly; body weight and tail width were monitored weekly. In the males, mean plasma cortisol concentrations were highest (49 ± 9.19 ng mL–1) at the time of initial capture; cortisol concentrations declined significantly after 48 h in captivity (9.2 ± 5.96 ng mL–1) and did not change significantly over the months in captivity. Females exhibited a different pattern: plasma cortisol concentrations were highest (74.0 ± 3.24 ng mL–1) in the initial sample, but mean concentrations remained elevated in samples taken at 24, 48 and 96 h after initial capture, and did not exhibit a significant decline (to 20.65 ± 8.95 ng mL–1) until 4 weeks after capture. During the first 2 months in captivity, the male devils lost ~8.7% of their original body weight, and females lost 10.6% during this same period. However, body weights then rose during the rest of the experiment. These results suggest that Tasmanian devils experience elevated plasma cortisol concentrations in response to capture and transfer into captivity. However, these high concentrations are not maintained during 6 months in captivity, suggesting that the animals are not chronically stressed.
Visibility, visual awareness, and visual masking of simple unattended targets are confined to areas in the occipital cortex beyond human V1/V2
Authors: Tse Peter U. , Martinez-Conde Susana , Schlegel Alexander A. , Macknik Stephen L.
Published: November 2005

In visual masking, visible targets are rendered invisible by modifying the context in which they are presented, but not by modifying the targets themselves. Here, we localize the neuronal correlates of visual awareness in the human brain by using visual masking illusions. We compare monoptic visual masking activation, which we find within all retinotopic visual areas, with dichoptic masking activation, which we find only in those retinotopic areas downstream of V2. Because monoptic and dichoptic masking are equivalent in magnitude perceptually, the present results establish a lower bound for maintenance of visual awareness of simple unattended targets. Moreover, we find that awareness-correlated circuits for simple targets are restricted to the occipital lobe. This finding provides evidence of an upper boundary in the visual hierarchy for visual awareness of simple unattended targets, thus constraining the location of circuits that maintain the visibility of simple targets to occipital areas beyond V1/V2.
A Novel Approach for Nontargeted Data Analysis for Metabolomics. Large-Scale Profiling of Tomato Fruit Volatiles
Authors: Tikunov Yury , Lommen Arjen , de Vos C.H. Ric , Verhoeven Harrie A. , Bino Raoul J. , Hall Robert D. , Bovy Arnaud G.
Published: November 2005

To take full advantage of the power of functional genomics technologies and in particular those for metabolomics, both the analytical approach and the strategy chosen for data analysis need to be as unbiased and comprehensive as possible. Existing approaches to analyze metabolomic data still do not allow a fast and unbiased comparative analysis of the metabolic composition of the hundreds of genotypes that are often the target of modern investigations. We have now developed a novel strategy to analyze such metabolomic data. This approach consists of (1) full mass spectral alignment of gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) metabolic profiles using the MetAlign software package, (2) followed by multivariate comparative analysis of metabolic phenotypes at the level of individual molecular fragments, and (3) multivariate mass spectral reconstruction, a method allowing metabolite discrimination, recognition, and identification. This approach has allowed a fast and unbiased comparative multivariate analysis of the volatile metabolite composition of ripe fruits of 94 tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes, based on intensity patterns of >20,000 individual molecular fragments throughout 198 GC-MS datasets. Variation in metabolite composition, both between- and within-fruit types, was found and the discriminative metabolites were revealed. In the entire genotype set, a total of 322 different compounds could be distinguished using multivariate mass spectral reconstruction. A hierarchical cluster analysis of these metabolites resulted in clustering of structurally related metabolites derived from the same biochemical precursors. The approach chosen will further enhance the comprehensiveness of GC-MS-based metabolomics approaches and will therefore prove a useful addition to nontargeted functional genomics research.
Evolutionary Expansion, Gene Structure, and Expression of the Rice Wall-Associated Kinase Gene Family
Authors: Zhang Shibo , Chen Calvin , Li Lei , Meng Ling , Singh Jaswinder , Jiang Ning , Deng Xing-Wang , He Zheng-Hui , Lemaux Peggy G.
Published: November 2005

The wall-associated kinase (WAK) gene family, one of the receptor-like kinase (RLK) gene families in plants, plays important roles in cell expansion, pathogen resistance, and heavy-metal stress tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Through a reiterative database search and manual reannotation, we identified 125 OsWAK gene family members from rice (Oryza sativa) japonica cv Nipponbare; 37 (approximately 30%) OsWAKs were corrected/reannotated from earlier automated annotations. Of the 125 OsWAKs, 67 are receptor-like kinases, 28 receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases, 13 receptor-like proteins, 12 short genes, and five pseudogenes. The two-intron gene structure of the Arabidopsis WAK/WAK-Likes is generally conserved in OsWAKs; however, extra/missed introns were observed in some OsWAKs either in extracellular regions or in protein kinase domains. In addition to the 38 OsWAKs with full-length cDNA sequences and the 11 with rice expressed sequence tag sequences, gene expression analyses, using tiling-microarray analysis of the 20 OsWAKs on chromosome 10 and reverse transcription-PCR analysis for five OsWAKs, indicate that the majority of identified OsWAKs are likely expressed in rice. Phylogenetic analyses of OsWAKs, Arabidopsis WAK/WAK-Likes, and barley (Hordeum vulgare) HvWAKs show that the OsWAK gene family expanded in the rice genome due to lineage-specific expansion of the family in monocots. Localized gene duplications appear to be the primary genetic event in OsWAK gene family expansion and the 125 OsWAKs, present on all 12 chromosomes, are mostly clustered.
Are Poor Neighborhoods Resource Deprived? A Case Study of Childcare Centers in New York*
Authors: Small Mario Luis , Stark Laura
Published: November 2005

Objective. Many social scientists believe poor mothers are better off in middle‐class than in poor neighborhoods, partly because the latter are deprived of important institutional resources. We test whether poor neighborhoods are more likely to lack one critical institutional resource, the childcare center.

Methods. We use geocoded data on all licensed centers in the City of New York, address matched to Census tracts. We estimate logit models of presence of center in tract, testing for the linear and nonlinear effects of tract poverty level after controlling for residential instability, joblessness, ethnic makeup, and other demographic factors. We complement the analysis with documentary, interview, and ethnographic data on centers in one poor and one nonpoor neighborhood in the city.

Results. We find (1) that the probability of presence of a childcare center does not decrease as poverty level increases; (2) the relationship depends strongly on funding source, with privately funded centers being less likely and publicly funded ones more likely to be present in poor neighborhoods; and (3) at least two factors affect why poor neighborhoods are more likely to have certain centers, the local state and the (often neglected) nonprofit infrastructure.

Conclusions. The findings suggest that poor mothers are not necessarily better off in middle‐class neighborhoods in this respect. The market assumptions underlying the initial hypothesis should be modified. More empirical research on the effect of the nonprofit sector on the prevalence of neighborhood institutions is needed.
Child Poverty Among Racial Minorities and Immigrants: Explaining Trends and Differentials*
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Qian Zhenchao , Crowley Martha L.
Published: November 2005

Objective. This article examines the effects of changing family structure (including cohabitation) and maternal employment during the 1990s on child poverty rates across America's diverse racial and ethnic groups. Unlike most previous studies focused on broad pan‐ethnic groups, our analyses examine children distinguished by race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, and national origin (e.g., Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern, among others).

Methods. The analyses, using methods of demographic standardization, are based on data from the 1990 and 2000 Public Use Microdata Samples of the U.S. Decennial Censuses.

Results. Child poverty rates declined broadly across population groups in the 1990s. Increasing maternal employment during the 1990s, rather than changing family structure, accounted for the largest share (nearly 40 percent) of the recent decline in child poverty rates. Changes in family structure played a minor role in reducing child poverty for most of the 25 groups considered in this article. Differences in family structure accounted for a large part of observed child poverty differences between minority groups.

Conclusions. Rapid increases in maternal employment during the 1990s provided a hedge against rising child poverty and a route to economic self‐sufficiency for growing shares of single mothers and their children.
The Road Not Taken? Changes in Welfare Entry During the 1990s*
Authors: Acs Gregory , Phillips Katherin Ross , Nelson Sandi
Published: November 2005

Objective. This article examines how welfare entry rates changed during the 1990s, and also assesses whether changes in entry rates are accompanied by improvements in the circumstances of families that choose not to receive welfare.

Methods. This analysis uses data from the 1990 and 1996 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation to identify three cohorts of low‐income single mothers who are potentially eligible for welfare but are not receiving benefits. Multivariate (competing risk) regression models and decomposition techniques are used to identify the factors responsible for changes in welfare entry patterns over the 1990s.

Results. We find that welfare entry rates declined during the 1990s with the largest declines coming toward the end of the decade. Neither changes in the characteristics of low‐income single mothers nor improvements in the economy directly account for this shift. Rather, the introduction of new policies like time limits, full‐family sanctions, and family caps under welfare reform, along with unmeasured factors such as changes in attitudes toward work and welfare, account for the drop in welfare entry rates. The analysis also shows that declining entry rates are not accompanied by substantial improvements in the circumstances of low‐income single mothers who are not on welfare.

Conclusions. Welfare reform policies adopted during the 1990s reduced entry into welfare, but single mothers who stayed off welfare remained in precarious economic circumstances.
Welfare Reform and Child Fostering: Pinpointing Affected Child Populations*
Authors: Jagannathan Radha , Camasso Michael J. , McLanahan Sara S.
Published: November 2005

Objective. The objective of our research is to examine the impact of New Jersey's welfare reform called the Family Development Program (FDP) on child fostering among children on welfare.

Methods. The research and analytical methods we use include an experimental design and probit regressions.

Results. Our results show that FDP impacts are confined to children of short‐term welfare recipients (new cases) but affects both African‐American and white children in this welfare group. Among new cases, FDP decreases the probability of African‐American children living in foster families, resulting in a 28 percent change from the baseline prevalence rate of 7.2 percent. In contrast, FDP increases the likelihood of white children living in foster families, leading to a 70 percent change from the baseline occurrence rate of 1.4 percent.

Conclusions. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of such segmented impacts of welfare reform for vulnerable child populations.
Does Welfare Participation Affect Women's Wages?*
Authors: Noonan Mary C. , Heflin Colleen M.
Published: November 2005

Objectives. This study examines how welfare participation and employment affect women's wages.

Methods. We use longitudinal data from the 1996 Survey of Income and Program Participation and fixed‐effects regression models to test our hypotheses.

Results. Our results indicate that time spent on welfare while unemployed results in a wage penalty that is similar to the penalty associated with nonwelfare work breaks. Time spent on welfare while employed has no effect on wages, unlike the strong positive impact of nonwelfare work periods.

Conclusions. Working while on welfare does appear to prevent further wage deterioration, but does not lead to substantial wage growth.
The Labor Market Consequences of Childhood Maladjustment*
Authors: Fronstin Paul , Greenberg David H. , Robins Philip K.
Published: November 2005

Objective. This article uses data from the National Child Development Survey on a cohort of individuals born in Great Britain during the first week of March 1958 to investigate whether educational attainment and labor force behavior 33 years later are affected by childhood behavioral problems that are exhibited at both age 7 and age 16.

Method. Regression methods are used to test hypotheses concerning these effects.

Results. Our results indicate that maladjusted children suffer economically when they reach adulthood. Maladjusted children perform worse on aptitude tests and have lower educational attainment. Maladjusted children also are less likely to be employed at age 33 and to have lower wages when employed. Part of the reduced employment and wages is the result of lower education, but part is also due to other factors.

Conclusion. Future research should investigate whether adult labor market outcomes vary with the type of behavioral problems exhibited at younger ages.
Employment Exits and the Race Gap in Young Women's Employment*
Authors: Reid Lori L. , Padavic Irene
Published: November 2005

Objective. A race gap in employment that disadvantages young African‐American women has emerged for the first time in U.S. history. This article addresses the extent to which race differences in employment entry, exits, or both are responsible for the gap.

Methods. The article relies on event‐history analysis using NLSY data.

Results. Analyses show that differences in rates of exit, not entry, explain the race gap. Factors encouraging higher exit rates among African‐American than white women include lower AFQT scores and greater numbers of children.

Conclusion. These findings raise questions about the utility of focusing on employment processes at the point of employment entry, at least for processes involving young women. The importance of exits in understanding race differences in women's employment calls attention to processes within firms that present barriers to African‐American women.
Women's Wages: Cohort Differences in Returns to Education and Training Over Time*
Authors: Hamil‐Luker Jenifer
Published: November 2005

Objective. This article examines the effects of education and work‐related training on wage‐growth trajectories for two cohorts of women as they aged from their early 20s and 30s into their early 30 s and 40 s. I test whether occupational training compensates for an earlier lack of education, thereby decreasing earnings inequality over time within cohorts. Because the broader economic context may influence the relationship between wages, education, and training, I test the assumption that the experiences of a given cohort may be generalized to others.

Methods. Following NLS Young Women between 1977 and 1987 and NLSY79 Women between 1988 and 1998, growth‐curve analyses test whether returns to investments in human capital vary over time, across and within cohorts. Results. Women who did not update their skills over time experienced stagnation or declines in real wages, leading to growing wage inequality within education levels. However, women without a high school degree who engaged in on‐the‐job training experienced the greatest returns to training, thus reducing the initial education‐based wage gap.

Conclusion. Education and training in adulthood can deflect the accumulation of disadvantage, but can also solidify an already uneven distribution of resources across social strata.
Market Transition and Gender Segregation in Urban China*
Authors: Shu Xiaoling
Published: November 2005

Objectives. This article analyzes the impact of the new form of economic segmentation, which emerged in urban China during the market transition, on gender segregation and earnings differentials.

Methods. I compare both over‐time and across‐city change in gender segregation, and use a series of multi‐level cross‐classified models based on data at three levels: a 1995 national sample of individual workers, industry‐sector data for 1990 and 1995, and city‐level data for 1995.

Results. Gender segregation by ownership sector has declined over time now that the state sector has become differentiated and its relative economic advantages wanes. Both earnings differentiation and gender segregation among industries have increased with marketization. In the most marketized cities, the earnings of workers of both sexes in jobs with high rates of female entry are penalized, indicating that marketization exacerbated the negative effect of job feminization on earnings.

Conclusions. These findings lend support for the “queuing” perspective that a decline in jobs' relative wages leads to feminization. The making of the Chinese market economy has created a new set of institutional arrangements, which includes that between job feminization and wages.
Metropolitan Earnings Inequality: Union and Government‐Sector Employment Effects*
Authors: Volscho Thomas W. , Fullerton Andrew S.
Published: November 2005

Objective. This study examines the effects of union density and government‐sector employment on earnings inequality in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the United States.

Methods. Data on 167 MSAs from the 2000 Census are analyzed using standard regression techniques. Four measures of Atkinson's index (e=0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0) are used as the measure of earnings inequality for full‐time, year‐round workers.

Results. MSAs with greater union density and greater government‐sector employment have lower earnings inequality. The progressive effect of union density is strongest for earners in the middle of the distribution and less beneficial for workers at the bottom of the distribution. Government employment is generally associated with lower levels of earnings inequality, but state and federal government employment have the strongest effects.

Conclusion. Even in the late 1990s, unions and government‐sector employment remain effective at reducing earnings inequality.
Determinants of Household Insurance Coverage Among Low‐Income Families from Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio: Evidence from the Three‐City Study*
Authors: Angel Ronald J. , Frias Sonia M. , Hill Terrence D.
Published: November 2005

Objectives. In this article we examine correlates of health insurance coverage for low‐income households.

Methods. Using data from the Welfare, Children, and Families Project (1999–2001), a sample of 2,402 low‐income families from Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio, we estimate two logistic regressions, one that predicts health insurance coverage for one focal child in each household and another that assesses the odds that all children in the household have coverage.

Results. The children of poorly‐educated, immigrant, and Mexican‐origin parents are at an elevated risk of lacking insurance. These characteristics also increase the risk of incomplete household coverage. Mexican‐origin children and households are at particularly high risk of lacking complete coverage, a fact partially reflecting their residential concentration in states with high uninsurance rates, such as Texas.

Conclusions. Serious holes in the health‐care safety net affect poor Americans differently based on their state of residence, race, ethnicity, and household structure.
Extremely Poor Neighborhoods and Homicide*
Authors: Hannon Lance E.
Published: November 2005

Objective. This study explores the wide variation in homicide rates among extremely poor neighborhoods.

Methods. Using cross‐sectional Census tract data for New York City (N= 2,042), the present analysis employs robust regression techniques to estimate the relationship between community resource deprivation and homicide for a subsample of 227 neighborhoods with poverty rates 40 percent and greater.

Results. The main finding is that even at extreme levels of neighborhood poverty, variation in disadvantage is positively associated with variation in homicide rates. Moreover, the disadvantage‐homicide relationship appears especially strong in extremely poor areas (and in predominately African‐American neighborhoods).

Conclusion. Consistent with W. J. Wilson's perspective on inner‐city disadvantage, the results imply that reducing the concentration of poverty will reduce overall homicide rates.
Are Naturalized Voters Driving the California Latino Electorate? Measuring the Effect of IRCA Citizens on Latino Voting*
Authors: Barreto Matt A. , Ramírez Ricardo , Woods Nathan D.
Published: November 2005

Objectives. The 1990s witnessed the growth and maturation of the Latino electorate in California and many scholars have posited as to the reasons. One argument is that naturalizations by way of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) drove the increases in Latino participation. In this article we investigate the extent to which this is the case.

Methods. Using unpublished INS data, we offer the first empirical test of the IRCA theory by examining Latino IRCA petitions by zipcode to determine whether or not IRCA legalizations and subsequent naturalizations were the force behind increased Latino turnout, and the overall growth of the Latino vote. We merge IRCA data with Registrar of Voter data to examine real growth in the Latino vote at the zipcode level from 1996–2000 in southern California.

Results. Although Latino voting grew substantially, we find that IRCA naturalizations did not spur the increases in Latino voting in the 1990s as some have expected. Instead, demographic and mobilization variables explain why the Latino vote grew between 1996 and 2000.

Conclusions. As Congress debates new proposals to “legalize” the millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in this country, many will inevitably ask what impact their citizenship will have on the electorate. This study sheds some light on the relationship between amnesty programs, citizenship, and voting among Latinos.
In God We Trust: Religion and Optimism Toward Biotechnology*
Authors: Scheitle Christopher P.
Published: November 2005

Objectives. Biotechnology has been called a new industrial revolution. This revolution has and will produce many ethical and moral questions. Religion could have a significant role in these debates, yet little is known about how religion affects views of biotechnology.

Methods. The 1997–1998 U.S. Biotechnology Study, a nationally representative data set resulting from telephone interviews, is analyzed to see how belief in a personal God and other religion variables affect scores on an optimism scale.

Results. The analysis shows that church attendance and personal religiosity do not affect optimism. However, holding an image of a personal God who hears individual prayers produces a more optimistic view of biotechnology.

Conclusions. I argue this finding is because holding an image of a personal and powerful God makes one more confident due to the safety net of having a God that could help guide biotechnology and protect against any negative consequences.
Asian‐Pacific Islander Adolescent Sexual Orientation and Defensive Aggression*
Authors: Pinhey Thomas K. , Brown Marilyn M.
Published: November 2005

Objective. This study used the differential‐outcomes hypothesis as a theoretical guide to examine the association of Guam's same‐sex‐ and both‐sex‐oriented Asian‐Pacific Islander adolescents and their participation in defensive aggression.

Methods. Using ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis we tested the hypothesis with a probability sample of Guam's Asian‐Pacific high school students.

Results. The results of the study demonstrated that same‐sex‐oriented males were less likely to participate in physical aggression and that same‐sex‐oriented adolescent females were significantly more likely to report that they had participated in defensive aggression.

Conclusions. Same‐sex‐oriented females are more likely than same‐sex‐oriented males to participate in defensive aggression, primarily because they may be more likely to experience threatening situations on Guam's high school campuses.
Return to Empire: The New U.S. Imperialism in Comparative Historical Perspective
Authors: Steinmetz George
Published: November 2005

The widespread embrace of imperial terminology across the political spectrum during the past three years has not led to an increased level of conceptual or theoretical clarity around the word “empire.” There is also disagreement about whether the United States is itself an empire, and if so, what sort of empire it is; the determinants of its geopolitical stance; and the effects of “empire as a way of life” on the “metropole.” Using the United States and Germany in the past 200 years as empirical cases, this article proposes a set of historically embedded categories for distinguishing among different types of imperial practice. The central distinction contrasts territorial and nonterritorial types of modern empire, that is, colonialism versus imperialism. Against world-system theory, territorial and nonterritorial approaches have not typi-cally appeared in pure form but have been mixed together both in time and in the repertoire of individual metropolitan states.

After developing these categories the second part of the article explores empire's determinants and its effects, again focusing on the German and U.S. cases but with forays into Portuguese and British imperialism. Supporters of overseas empire often couch their arguments in economic or strategic terms, and social theorists have followed suit in accepting these expressed motives as the “taproot of imperialism” (J. A. Hobson). But other factors have played an equally important role in shaping imperial practices, even pushing in directions that are economically and geopolitically counterproductive for the imperial power. Postcolonial theorists have rightly empha-sized the cultural and psychic processes at work in empire but have tended to ignore empire's effects on practices of economy and its regulation. Current U.S. imperialism abroad may not be a danger to capitalism per se or to America's overall political power, but it is threatening and remaking the domestic post-Fordist mode of social regulation.
The Structural Embeddedness of Collective Goods: Connection and Coalitions in Exchange Networks
Authors: Simpson Brent , Willer David
Published: November 2005

The growing body of literature on coalitions in exchange networks has addressed issues such as the kind of social dilemmas posed and how structurally disadvantaged actors overcome free-rider problems. We add to this stream of research by focusing explicitly on what low-power actors can gain from collective action. We offer theory that predicts whether actors can gain a collective good by forming coalitions and, if so, the size of that good, for all types of network connection. The results from new experiments yield strong support for the predictions. Results show that (1) collective goods are latent in some, but not all, types of exchange structures; (2) when present, collective good size is determined by connection type; and (3) these goods are made manifest through collective action. Among other phenomena, the theory explains why networks that generate identical exchange ratios when participants act independently can produce different size collective goods when they act collectively. This article concludes with a discussion of implications, limitations, and directions for future research.
Review article: population screening for colorectal cancer
Authors: NICHOLSON F. B. , BARRO J. L. , ATKIN W. , LILFORD R. , PATNICK J. , WILLIAMS C. B. , PIGNONE M. , STEELE R. , KAMM M. A.
Published: November 2005

Colorectal cancer is a common cancer and common cause of death. The mortality rate from colorectal cancer can be reduced by identification and removal of cancer precursors, adenomas, or by detection of cancer at an earlier stage.

Pilot screening programmes have demonstrated decreased colorectal cancer mortality; as a result many countries are developing colorectal cancer screening programmes. The most common modalities being evaluated are faecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy. Implementation of screening tests has been hampered by cost, invasiveness, availability of resources and patient acceptance. New technologies such at computed tomographic colonography and stool screening for molecular markers of neoplasia are in development as potential minimally invasive tools.

This review considers who should be screened, which test to use and how often to screen.
Efficacy and tolerability of oral iron therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective, comparative trial
Authors: DE SILVA A. D. , TSIRONI E. , FEAKINS R. M. , RAMPTON D. S.
Published: November 2005

Background : In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, oral iron is anecdotally reported to be less effective and less well tolerated than in those without inflammatory bowel disease, and to increase disease activity.

Aim : To study prospectively the effects of oral iron in patients with and without inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods : Patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and non‐inflammatory bowel disease controls, all with iron deficiency anaemia, were assessed with symptom diaries, a quality of life questionnaire (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire; inflammatory bowel disease patients only) and blood tests to measure iron repletion, disease activity and antioxidant capacity before and after starting 4 weeks of oral iron. In patients with ulcerative colitis, sigmoidoscopic scoring and rectal biopsies for reactive oxygen metabolite production were performed before and after iron therapy.

Results : All groups showed increases in haemoglobin and ferritin. Iron intolerance occurred in about a quarter of patients in each group. Two of 33 (6%) of inflammatory bowel disease patients had a relapse during treatment. Symptoms worsened in ulcerative colitis, but not in Crohn's disease or non‐inflammatory bowel disease patients; Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire scores improved in ulcerative colitis. Laboratory markers of disease activity, sigmoidoscopic scores, histological scores, antioxidant capacity levels and reactive oxygen metabolite production did not change.

Conclusions : Oral iron is equally efficacious and well tolerated in inflammatory bowel disease and non‐inflammatory bowel disease patients. A tiny minority of inflammatory bowel disease patients relapse in association with use of oral iron therapy.
Impact of citrus soft drinks relative to grapefruit juice on ciclosporin disposition
Authors: Schwarz Ute I. , Johnston Philip E. , Bailey David G. , Kim Richard B. , Mayo Gail , Milstone Aaron
Published: November 2005

Aims

A recent case report had suggested a citrus soft drink (Sun Drop®) may have caused clinically relevant elevations in ciclosporin levels through a grapefruit juice‐like mechanism via inactivation of intestinal cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of grapefruit juice and citrus sodas Sun Drop®and Fresca®, the latter soda containing 83‐fold higher concentration of the proposed CYP3A4 inhibitor bergamottin than Sun Drop®, relative to water on oral ciclosporin pharmacokinetics.

Methods

In a randomized four‐way crossover study with a washout of at least 1 week, 12 healthy volunteers received a single oral dose of ciclosporin (Neoral®) with Sun Drop®, Fresca®, grapefruit juice and water (control). Each drink (591 ml) was consumed twice on the prior day and three times on the study day. Whole blood concentrations of ciclosporin were measured up to 24 h with a fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

Results

Grapefruit juice increased area under the concentration–time curve by 186% (P < 0.0001; 95% confidence interval of mean difference 3302–6240 ng ml h−1) and peak concentration by 150% (P < 0.0001) of ciclosporin with a significant decrease in oral clearance of 43% (P < 0.0001) when compared with water. Neither citrus soda altered significantly ciclosporin pharmacokinetic variables; changes in mean values ranged from ± 3 to 11% of the corresponding water value.

Conclusion

Although our results do not support a clinically relevant grapefruit juice‐like interaction between oral ciclosporin and citrus constituent containing sodas Sun Drop®or Fresca®, an effect in the setting of chronic ciclosporin therapy cannot be ruled out.
Quantification of infant exposure to celecoxib through breast milk
Authors: Gardiner Sharon J. , Doogue Matthew P. , Zhang Mei , Begg Evan J.
Published: November 2005

Aims

To determine the milk‐to‐plasma (M/P) concentration ratio of celecoxib, and estimate likely infant exposure.

Methods

Blood and milk were sampled for 48 h after oral administration of celecoxib 200 mg to six lactating volunteers. The M/P ratio was derived from the area under the concentration–time curves (0–∞) and the infant ‘dose’ estimated from celecoxib concentrations in milk.

Results

The median (range) M/P ratio was 0.18 (0.15–0.26). The median (range) infant ‘dose’ was 0.23% (0.17–0.30%) of the maternal dose, adjusted for weight.

Conclusion

The relative ‘dose’ of celecoxib to which infants are exposed via milk is very low, suggesting that breastfeeding during routine dosing would pose minimal risk.
Thiazide diuretic prescription and electrolyte abnormalities in primary care
Authors: Clayton J. A. , Rodgers S. , Blakey J. , Avery A. , Hall I. P.
Published: November 2005

Aims

Thiazide diuretics have a number of well‐documented metabolic adverse effects. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia amongst patients taking a thiazide diuretic in primary care.

Methods

A computerized search of the electronic prescribing and laboratory records of six UK general practices was performed. Of the 32 218 adult patients identified, 3773 had received at least one prescription for a thiazide between the years 1990 and 2002.

Results

Detailed prescribing data were available for 2942 patients of whom 951 (32.3%) had a recorded check of their electrolytes. One hundred and ninety‐six (20.6%) had a sodium and/or potassium concentration below the normal range. The sodium distribution had a negative skew (−1.8) and in 130 (13.7%) patients was within the hyponatraemic range. Hypokalaemia was less common, occurring in 79 (8.5%) patients. Hyponatraemia was significantly associated with increased age; the odds ratio for developing hyponatraemia in patients over 70 years was 3.87 compared with those of ≤ 70 years. Hypokalaemia was significantly associated with increased thiazide dose.

Conclusions

Prescription of a thiazide diuretic in primary care is associated with a high frequency of hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia. Thiazides should be prescribed at low dose and the risk of hyponatraemia, especially in the elderly, should be considered and monitored for when prescribing these agents.
T cell receptor-transgenic primary T cells as a tool for discovery of leukaemia-associated antigens
Authors: Ivanov R , Hol S , Aarts T I , Hagenbeek A , Ebeling S B
Published: November 2005

Identification of a broad array of leukaemia-associated antigens is a crucial step towards immunotherapy of haematological malignancies. However, it is frequently hampered by the decrease of proliferative potential and functional activity of T cell clones used for screening procedures. Transfer of the genes encoding the T cell receptor (TCR) α and β chains of leukaemia-specific clones into primary T cells may help to circumvent this obstacle. In this study, transfer of two minor histocompatibility antigen (minor H antigen)-specific TCRs was performed and the feasibility of the use of TCR-transgenic T cells for identification of minor H antigens through cDNA library screening was investigated. We found that TCR-transgenic cells acquired the specificity of the original clones and matched their sensitivity. Moreover, the higher scale of cytokine-production by TCR-transgenic T cells permits the detection of either small amounts of antigen-positive cells or cells expressing low amounts of an antigen. When applied in equal numbers, TCR-transgenic T cells and the original T cell clones produced similar results in the screening of a cDNA library. However, the use of increased numbers of TCR-transgenic T cells allowed detection of minute amounts of antigen, barely discernible by the T cell clone. In conclusion, TCR-transfer generates a large amount of functional antigen-specific cells suitable for screening of cDNA expression libraries for identification of cognate antigens.
Cytokine production from sputum cells in eosinophilicversusnon-eosinophilic asthmatics
Authors: Quaedvlieg V , Henket M , Sele J , Louis R
Published: November 2005

The inflammatory pathways involved in asthma are more complex than the sole Th2-mediated eosinophilic airway inflammation. Different phenotypes of asthma have been recently highlighted and are probably underlied by different immunological profiles. The aim of the study was to assess cytokine production from sputum cells in eosinophilic versus non-eosinophilic asthmatics. Induced sputum was obtained from 48 consecutive stable mild to moderate asthmatics (20 eosinophilic asthmatics, 28 non-eosinophilic asthmatics) and 31 healthy subjects. Cytokine released from sputum cells were measured by a home-made two-step sandwich immunoassay. Cytokines investigated were interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ. Sputum cells from eosinophilic asthmatics produced more IL-4 than those from both healthy subjects (P < 0·05) and non-eosinophilic asthmatics (P < 0·05). Conversely, sputum cells from eosinophilic asthma were found to release lower amounts of TNF-α than those from healthy subjects (P < 0·05). The group of non-eosinophilic asthmatics did not distinguish from healthy subjects with respect to any cytokines measured. Sputum cells from asthmatics exhibiting eosinophilic airway inflammation release more IL-4 and less TNF-α than those of healthy subjects. By contrast, non-eosinophilic asthmatics did not distinguish from healthy subjects by abnormal cytokine release from their sputum cells.
Dose-dependent induction of IL-6 by plant-derived proteasesin vitro
Authors: Rose B , Herder C , Löffler H , Meierhoff G , Schloot N C , Walz M , Martin S
Published: November 2005

Oral administration of proteases such as bromelain and papain is commonly used in patients with a wide range of inflammatory conditions, but their molecular and cellular mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of these proteases on the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other cytokines in the recently described modified mixed lymphocyte culture (MMLC) test system which is based on the mutual interaction of cells of the innate and adaptive immunity. Bromelain and papain enhanced IL-6 production dose-dependently up to 400-fold in MMLC before and up to 30-fold after neutralization of LPS content of proteases using polymyxin B, indicating that IL-6 induction by protease treatment was attributable to both protease action and LPS content of enzyme preparations. The production of IFNγ and IL-10 was not altered by bromelain or papain, indicating a selective and differential immune activation. Both proteases impaired cytokine stability, cell proliferation and expression of cell surface molecules like CD14 only marginally, suggesting no impact of these mechanisms on protease-mediated cytokine release. These findings might provide the mechanistic rationale for the current use of proteases in wound healing and tissue regeneration since these processes depend on IL-6 induction.