bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Developmental Impact of Asian Drivers on Kenya with Emphasis on Textiles and Clothing Manufacturing
Authors: Kamau Paul , McCormick Dorothy , Pinaud Nicolas 
Published: December 2009

Abstract(1251) Paul Kamau with Dorothy McCormick and Nicolas PinaudKenya has enjoyed a relatively diversified economy (at least by SSA standards), with light manufacturing industries in particular playing a significant growing role. The rise of Asian competition (locally, regionally and on third‐country markets), partly due to the erosion of trade preferences for clothing and footwear, has raised fresh policy challenges. The specific relevance of the clothing industry in the analysis of China’s and India’s impact on Africa is manifold: this is a low‐skilled labour‐intensive industry, and hence an avenue for African economies’ diversification; the competition from Asian producers vis‐à‐vis the SSA clothing industry is felt at the local, regional and global level (on third‐country markets): it is therefore direct and indirect; also, the Asian Drivers’ impact on African clothing industries has both a trade and investment dimension while being competitive and complementary.
The Developmental Impact of Asian Drivers on Ethiopia with Emphasis on Small‐scale Footwear Producers
Authors: Gebre‐Egziabher Tegegne 
Published: December 2009

Abstract(1252) Tegegne Gebre‐EgziabherThis paper examines the developmental impact of China and India on Ethiopia by examining macro‐level trade, investment and aid relation, and micro‐level impacts on local micro and small‐scale footwear producers. Both secondary and primary data were used. At macro level there are clear evidences of an increase in trade between Ethiopia on the one hand and China and India on the other, though the trade balance disfavours Ethiopia. China has displaced other countries as export destinations for Ethiopia. Similarly, the presence of China and India is also felt in the areas of investment and aid. At local level, Chinese imports of footwear have forced local enterprises to downsize their activity and lose assets and money. At the same time, however, firms have followed both the high road of competition (design and quality improvement, investment in machinery, product specialisation) and the low road of competition (lowering price and profit, reducing raw materials and inputs, and joining the informal sector) to withstand the impact of Chinese imports. The long‐term effect of Chinese imports is to crowd out local efforts of using the sector as the basis for industrialisation. Government, non‐government organisations and local producers should work together in order to withstand the negative impacts of footwear imports by raising the competitiveness of the local producers.
The Asian Drivers and SSA: Is There a Future for Export‐oriented African Industrialisation?
Authors: Kaplinsky Raphael , Morris Mike 
Published: December 2009

Abstract(1253) Raphael Kaplinsky and Mike MorrisExport‐oriented industrialisation is the orthodoxy and is widely indicated as a development path for sub‐Saharan Africa. In recent years there has been a surge of clothing exports from a limited number of SSA economies to the US. In 2006 these exports accounted for more than half of SSA’s manufactured exports (excluding South Africa). However, the ending of quota controls on Chinese clothing exports to the US led to a significant fall in these exports. Is this a harbinger for the future of export‐oriented industrialisation in SSA in a world of a level trading playing field?
Molecular marker‐based pedigrees for animal conservation biologists
Authors: Jones O. R. , Wang J. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractPedigrees, depicting the genealogical relationships between individuals in a population, are of fundamental importance to several research areas including conservation biology. For example, they are useful for estimating inbreeding, heritability, selection, studying kin selection and for measuring gene flow between populations. Pedigrees constructed from direct observations of reproduction are usually unavailable for wild populations. Therefore, pedigrees for these populations are usually estimated using molecular marker data. Despite their obvious importance, and the fact that pedigrees are conceptually well understood, the methods, and limitations of marker‐based pedigree inference are often less well understood. Here we introduce animal conservation biologists to molecular marker‐based pedigrees. We briefly describe the history of pedigree inference research, before explaining the underlying theory and basic mechanics of pedigree construction using standard methods. We explain the assumptions and limitations that accompany many of these methods, before going on to explain methods that relax several of these assumptions. Finally, we look to future and discuss some recent exciting advances such as the use of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, inference of multigenerational pedigrees and incorporation of non‐genetic data such as field observations into the calculations. We also provide some guidelines on efficient marker selection in order to maximize accuracy and power. Throughout we use examples from the field of animal conservation and refer readers to appropriate software where possible. It is our hope that this review will help animal conservation biologists to understand, choose, and use the methods and tools of this fast‐moving field.
Endangered, apparently: the role of apparent competition in endangered species conservation
Authors: DeCesare N. J. , Hebblewhite M. , Robinson H. S. , Musiani M. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractConservation biologists have reported growing evidence of food‐web interactions as causes of species endangerment. Apparent competition is an indirect interaction among prey species mediated by a shared predator, and has been increasingly linked to declines of prey species across taxa. We review theoretical and empirical studies of apparent competition, with specific attention to the mechanisms of asymmetry among apparently competing prey species. Asymmetry is theoretically driven by niche overlap, species fitness traits, spatial heterogeneity and generalist predator behavior. In real‐world systems, human‐induced changes to ecosystems such as habitat alteration and introduced species may be ultimate sources of species endangerment. However, apparent competition is shown to be a proximate mechanism when resultant changes introduce or subsidize abundant primary prey for predator populations. Demonstration of apparent competition is difficult due to the indirect relationships between prey and predator species and the potential for concurrent exploitative competition or other community effects. However, general conclusions are drawn concerning the characteristics of prey and predator species likely to exhibit asymmetric apparent competition, and the options for recovering endangered species. While short‐term management may be required to avoid imminent extinction in systems demonstrating apparent competition, we propose adaptive conservation efforts directed at long‐term recovery.
Body condition does not predict immunocompetence of western pond turtles in altered versus natural habitats
Authors: Polo‐Cavia N. , Engstrom T. , López P. , Martín J. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractMany authors have addressed the relationship between body condition and ecological parameters in a wide range of studies, suggesting a better fitness in those individuals with higher values of body condition. However, body size and body condition of individuals can vary significantly at the intraspecific level between geographic locations, which is usually explained by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation. We suggest that a higher body condition per se might not be a good indicator of physiological health status, particularly when comparing populations inhabiting places with different levels of habitat alteration. We examined two populations of the western pond turtle Emys marmorata in the northern part of California's Central Valley, and found that individuals inhabiting a water pollution control plant located on the valley floor had significantly larger body size and higher body condition than those inhabiting an unaltered natural habitat in the foothills. However, turtles from the water pollution control plant did not show a better health status, estimated by comparisons between two immune system variables: T‐cell‐mediated immune response and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio. Parameters such as body size and body condition might be misleading indicators of health condition, particularly when they are used to estimate health status of populations from habitats with different levels of alteration. We emphasize the importance of using physiological methods in assessing the conservation state of wildlife populations, rather than relying on biometric indices that might miss important effects of alteration.
Identification of amino acids in the pore region of Kv1.2 potassium channel that regulate its glycosylation and cell surface expression
Authors: Utsunomiya Iku , Tanabe Shinya , Terashi Tomonori , Ikeno Souichi , Miyatake Tadashi , Hoshi Keiko , Taguchi Kyoji 
Published: December 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009) 112, 913–923.AbstractThe Kv1.4 potassium channel is reported to exhibit higher cell surface expression than the Kv1.1 potassium channel when expressed as a homomer in cell lines. Kv1.4 also shows highly efficient trans‐Golgi glycosylation whereas Kv1.1 is not glycosylated. The surface expression and glycosylation of Kv1.2 is intermediate between those of Kv1.1 and Kv1.4. Amino acid determinants controlling the surface expression of Kv1 channels were localized to the highly conserved pore region and both positive and negative determinants of Kv1.1 and Kv1.4 trafficking have been reported. In this study, we analyzed the effect of substituting amino acids in the pore region of Kv1.2 with the corresponding amino acid present in Kv1.1 or Kv1.4 on glycosylation and trafficking of Kv1.2. Mutations in the outer pore region of Kv1.2 of Arg354 to Pro (corresponding to Kv1.4) and to Ala (corresponding to Kv1.1) enhanced and reduced, respectively, cell surface expression of Kv1.2. Mutations in a different outer pore region of Val381 to Lys (Kv1.4) and Tyr (Kv1.1) both reduced the cell surface expression. In contrast, mutation in the deep pore region of Ser371 to Thr (Kv1.4) markedly enhanced cell surface expression. These results suggest that the cell surface expression of Kv1.2 is regulated by specific amino acids in the pore region in a similar manner to Kv1.1 and Kv1.4, and that the cell surface expression of Kv1.2, a channel intermediate between Kv1.1 and Kv1.4, can be attributed to these specific residues.
Reductions of acetylcholine release and nerve growth factor expression are correlated with memory impairment induced by interleukin‐1β administrations: effects of omega‐3 fatty acid EPA treatment
Authors: Taepavarapruk Pornnarin , Song Cai 
Published: December 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009) 112, 1054–1064.AbstractInterleukin (IL)‐1β may play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease. However, the relationships between glucocorticoids and acetylcholine (ACh), and between neurotrophins and ACh in IL‐1‐induced memory deficits are unknown. While ethyl‐eicosapentaenoate (E‐EPA) has recently been reported to reduce inflammation and improve memory, cholinergic and neurotrophic mechanisms by which E‐EPA improves memory is unclear. This study evaluated: (i) the correlation between ACh release and memory impairment; (ii) the effect of glucocorticoids on ACh release; (iii) the relationship between nerve growth factor (NGF) and inflammation; and (iv) the effects of E‐EPA treatment on IL‐1β‐induced changes. Intracerebroventricular IL‐1β administrations produced a significant reduction in hippocampal ACh release in rats fed control diet, which was partially attenuated by mifepristone (RU 486) and completely blocked by IL‐1 receptor antagonist. In eight‐arm radial maze, significantly less ACh release was correlated with the memory deficits after IL‐1β administrations. mRNA expression of hippocampal NGF was lower, whereas IL‐1β was higher when compared with controls. E‐EPA treatment significantly improved the memory, which was correlated with normalizing ACh release, and expressions of NGF and IL‐1β. This study revealed important mechanisms by which IL‐1β impairs, while E‐EPA improves memory through IL‐1‐glucocorticoid‐ACh release and IL‐1‐NGF‐ACh release pathways.
Molecular characterization and gene disruption of a novel zinc‐finger protein, HIT‐4, expressed in rodent brain
Authors: Tanabe Yasutaka , Hirano Akiko , Iwasato Takuji , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Araki Kazuaki , Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi , Ichikawa Tomio , Kumanishi Toshiro , Aizawa Yoshifusa , Takahashi Hitoshi , Kakita Akiyoshi , Nawa Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2009

J. Neurochem. (2010) 112, 1035–1044.AbstractTo identify a novel regulatory factor involved in brain development or synaptic plasticity, we applied the differential display PCR method to mRNA samples from NMDA‐stimulated and un‐stimulated neocortical cultures. Among 64 cDNA clones isolated, eight clones were novel genes and one of them encodes a novel zinc‐finger protein, HIT‐4, which is 317 amino acid residues (36–38 kDa) in length and contains seven C2H2 zinc‐finger motifs. Rat HIT‐4 cDNA exhibits strong homology to human ZNF597 (57% amino acid identity and 72% homology) and identity to rat ZNF597 at the carboxyl region. Furthermore, genomic alignment of HIT‐4 cDNA indicates that the alternative use of distinct promoters and exons produces HIT‐4 and ZNF597 mRNAs. Northern blotting revealed that HIT‐4 mRNA (∼6 kb) is expressed in various tissues such as the lung, heart, and liver, but enriched in the brain, while ZNF597 mRNA (∼1.5 kb) is found only in the testis. To evaluate biological roles of HIT‐4/ZNF597, targeted mutagenesis of this gene was performed in mice. Homozygous (−/−) mutation was embryonic lethal, ceasing embryonic organization before cardiogenesis at embryonic day 7.5. Heterozygous (+/−) mice were able to survive but showing cell degeneration and vacuolization of the striatum, cingulate cortex, and their surrounding white matter. These results reveal novel biological and pathological roles of HIT‐4 in brain development and/or maintenance.
ALTERNATIVES TO NATIONAL AVERAGE INCOME DATA AS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIES: A SOCIAL JUSTICE PERSPECTIVE
Authors: SHEBAYA SIRINE , SUTHERLAND ANDREA , LEVINE ORIN , FADEN RUTH 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTCurrent strategies to address global inequities in access to life‐saving vaccines use averaged national income data to determine eligibility. While largely successful in the lowest income countries, we argue that this approach could lead to significant inefficiencies from the standpoint of justice if applied to middle‐income countries, where income inequalities are large and lead to national averages that obscure truly needy populations. Instead, we suggest alternative indicators more sensitive to social justice concerns that merit consideration by policy‐makers developing new initiatives to redress health inequities in middle‐income countries.
AFRICAN AND WESTERN MORAL THEORIES IN A BIOETHICAL CONTEXT
Authors: METZ THADDEUS 
Published: December 2009

ABSTRACTThe field of bioethics is replete with applications of moral theories such as utilitarianism and Kantianism. For a given dilemma, even if it is not clear how one of these western philosophical principles of right (and wrong) action would resolve it, one can identify many of the considerations that each would conclude is relevant. The field is, in contrast, largely unaware of an African account of what all right (and wrong) actions have in common and of the sorts of factors that for it are germane to developing a sound response to a given bioethical problem. My aim is to help rectify this deficiency by first spelling out a moral theory grounded in the mores of many sub‐Saharan peoples, and then applying it to some major bioethical issues, namely, the point of medical treatment, free and informed consent, standards of care and animal experimentation. For each of these four issues, I compare and contrast the implications of the African moral theory with utilitarianism and Kantianism, my overall purposes being to highlight respects in which the African moral theory is distinct and to demonstrate that the field should take it at least as seriously as it does the Western theories.
Who sets the agenda and who responds to it in the Danish parliament? A new model of issue competition and agenda‐setting
Authors: GREEN‐PEDERSEN CHRISTOFFER , MORTENSEN PETER B. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractInspired by the agenda‐setting literature, this article outlines a model of issue competition focusing on the interaction between government and opposition parties through the party‐system agenda. Unlike previous studies of issue competition, the model makes it possible to answer questions such as why some parties have greater success than others in forcing other parties to address unpleasant issues. One of the central implications of the model is that opposition parties are freer to focus continually on issues that are advantageous to themselves, whereas government parties more often are forced to respond to issues brought up on the party‐system agenda. Using data on issue competition in Denmark covering 25 years and 23 issue categories, the issue competition model is evaluated and finds strong support in a set of cross‐sectional time‐series analyses.
Do parties matter in internationalised policy areas? The impact of political parties on environmental policy outputs in 18 OECD countries, 1970–2000
Authors: KNILL CHRISTOPH , DEBUS MARC , HEICHEL STEPHAN 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThis article analyses the extent to which national policies in the highly internationalised environmental sector are influenced by the policy preferences of political parties. The focus is on policy outputs rather than environmental performance as the central indicator of policy change. Based on a discussion of the relevant theoretical literature competing hypotheses are presented. For an empirical test, a dataset is used that includes information on the number of environmental policies adopted in 18 OECD countries at four points in time between 1970 and 2000. The results show that not only international integration, economic development and problem pressure, but also aspects of party politics, influence the number of policies adopted. The number of environmental measures increases if the governmental parties adopt more pro‐environmentalist policy positions. This effect remains robust even when controlling for the institutional strength of governments, the left‐right position of parties in government, the inclusion of an ecological or left‐libertarian party inside the (coalition) government, and the presence of a portfolio that deals exclusively with environmental issues.
Does democracy produce quality of government?
Authors: CHARRON NICHOLAS , LAPUENTE VICTOR 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThis article analyses the effects of political regimes over state capacity or the quality of government (QoG): Do democratic states perform better than authoritarian ones? Previous studies point to a nonlinear relationship between democracy and government quality. It is argued here that QoG is a function of both forces of supply (leaders who have the power to make reforms) and demand (citizens' desire for mid‐ to long‐term investments over short‐term needs), the latter of which is a function of economic development. In democratic states, leaders have stronger incentives to improve QoG after a certain degree of wealth is reached, while in poorer countries they have little incentive for long‐term bureaucratic investments. Thus it is predicted that the relationship between democracy and QoG is conditional, based on economic development. With over 125 countries in the sample, this hypothesis is tested using time‐series panel data and spatial models, and strong empirical support is found.
Effect of 180 Days of Water Storage on the Transverse Strength of Acetal Resin Denture Base Material
Authors: Arıkan Ayla , Ozkan Yasemin Kulak , Arda Tugberk , Akalın Buket 
Published: December 2009

Abstract Purpose: Acetal resin has been used as an alternative denture base and clasp material since 1986. The manufacturers claim that acetal resin has superior physical properties when compared to conventional denture base acrylic resins. Limited information is available about transverse strengths of acetal resin. The purpose of this investigation was to compare transverse strengths of pink and white acetal resins to transverse strengths of conventional heat‐polymerized polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin in increasing durations of water storage. Materials and Methods: A transverse strength test was performed in accordance with International Standards Organization (ISO) specification No 1567. Twenty 65 × 10 × 2.5 mm3 specimens of each resin were prepared; five specimens of each resin group were subjected to three‐point bending test after 50 hours, 30 days, 60 days, and 180 days of water storage in distilled water at 37°C. Experimental groups’ transverse strengths were compared by three‐way ANOVA and Duncan's multiple range tests. Results: Transverse strength of PMMA denture base material was found to be in accordance with the requirements of ISO specification No 1567. Transverse strengths of white and pink acetal resin could not be calculated in this study, as white and pink acetal resin specimens did not break at the maximum applied force in the three‐point bending test. Flexural strength of acetal resin was found to be within the ISO specification limits. As the water storage time increased, the deflection values of PMMA showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Both the white and pink acetal resin showed significant increase in deflection as the water storage time was increased from 50 hours to 180 days (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that transverse strength values of PMMA were within the ISO specification limit. Water storage time (50 hours, 30, 60, and 180 days) had no statistically significant effect on the transverse strength and deflection of PMMA. Acetal resin suffered from permanent deformation, but did not break in the three‐point bending test. Acetal resin showed significant increase in deflection as the water storage time was increased from 50 hours to 180 days. All materials tested demonstrated deflection values in compliance with ISO specification No 1567.