bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Caloplaca holocarpa group in the Nordic countries, except Iceland
Authors: ARUP Ulf 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Caloplaca holocarpa group in the Nordic countries, except Iceland, is defined genetically using the nrlTS DNA gene. The members are analysed with regard to morphology, anatomy, ecology, and chemistry. The results show that C. holocarpa seems to be a very small group, but there are many morphologically similar species outside the group. Within the group several species have been confused, but it is shown that C. holocarpa, C. pyracea, and C. vitellinula are separate taxa. Caloplaca cerinella also belongs to the group whereas C. cerinelloides does not, but is included in the treatment because of its similarity to the former species. Caloplaca lithophila H. Magn. is a synonym of either C. holocarpa or C. vitellinula, most probably of the latter. Many specimens determined to C. holocarpa belong to Caloplaca oasis, but this species is shown to have much more variable morphology and wider ecology and distribution than previously understood. Caloplaca oasis has also been confused with C. polycarpa, which is similar, but morphologically and genetically distinct, even though related. Neither of the two species belong to the C. holocarpa group, but are related to the C. citrina group, not to the C. velana group as usually believed. Other species from northern and central Europe similar to C. holocarpa belong in other groups. The treated species are described and illustrated in colour. Distribution maps are given for the study area. A key to species in northern Europe similar to C. holocarpa is also provided.
Rinodina brasiliensis, a new corticolous isidiate species, and closely related taxa
Authors: GIRALT Mireia , KALB Klaus , MAYRHOFER Helmut 
Published: March 2009

AbstractRinodina brasiliensis,a corticolous isidiate species with largePachysporaria-type ascospores is described from south-eastern Brazil. The new species is closely related toR. dolichosporaand toR. guianensis.Rinodina confinisis a synonym ofR. dolichospora.Notes on the taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, chemistry and distribution of these three taxa are given. Descriptions and iconography are provided. A key to species is also included.
The genusMycoblastusin the cool temperate Southern Hemisphere, with special reference to Tasmania
Authors: KANTVILAS Gintaras 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe genusMycoblastusin cool temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere is reviewed. Eight species are treated in detail:M. bryophilusImshaug ex Kantvilas sp. nov., from Campbell Island and Tasmania;M. campbellianus(Nyl.) Zahlbr.,M. coniophorus(Elix & A.W. Archer) Kantvilas & Elix comb. nov. andM. dissimulans(Nyl.) Zahlbr., all widespread across the austral region;M. disporus(C. Knight) Kantvilas comb. nov., from New Zealand and Tasmania;M. kalioruberKantvilas sp. nov, from Tasmania;M. sanguinarioidesKantvilas sp. nov., from Tasmania and south-eastern Australia; andM. leprarioidesKantvilas & Elix sp. nov., from south-eastern Australia (Victoria). Notes are provided on many other species ofMycoblastus, including those recognised for the Northern Hemisphere, and those originally described from austral regions but now excluded from the genus. Major characters of the genus are discussed, including thallus morphology and chemistry, apothecial pigments and ascus structure. It is suggested that the genus is heterogeneous and that some of its closest affinities may lie with the familyMegalariaceaeand the genusJapewia.
Two parasitic species of Placopyrenium (Verrucariaceae) from freshwater habitats in north-west Europe
Authors: ORANGE Alan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTwo species of Placopyrenium, P. cinereoatratum and P. formosum, occur on siliceous rocks at the margins of rivers and lakes. Placopyrenium cinereoatratum is sometimes parasitic on Staurothele fissa; P. formosum is described as a new species, and is initially parasitic on Aspicilia aquatica.
Control Over Bureaucracy: Cultural Theory and Institutional Variety
Authors: Hood Christopher 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe grid-group cultural theory of Mary Douglas is used to produce a basic categorization of polar approaches to control over public administration and management and to illuminate the selfdisequilibrating dynamics of public administration control systems. The four polar types are based on contrived randomness, competition, mutuality and review. The self-disequilibrating processes work through a combination of mutual repulsion among the polar types and the inherent limitations of each type, which will tend to produce more serious side-effects and reverse effects the more emphasis is placed on any one type. Six hybrid types of control are discussed as simple pairwise combinations of the four polar types, but such hybrids are also likely to be unstable. The approach used here appears at least as good on three criteria as any other current available classification of controls over public administration and it offers a distinctive agenda for examining control design and outcomes.
Economic Benefits and Support for Membership in the E.U.: A Cross-National Analysis
Authors: Anderson Christopher J. , Reichert M. Shawn 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTHow can differences in public support for membership in the European Union across the twelve EU member states and among its citizens be explained? Using Eurobarometer polls for 1982, 1986, and 1990, the paper examines how direct and indirect economic benefits associated with EU membership affect support for integration. We find that individuals living in countries that benefit more from EU membership display higher levels of support for their country's participation in the EU. Moreover, the results indicate that those individuals who benefit personally are also more supportive of the integration project. The paper also spells out some of the possible ramifications of these results.
Statutory Coherence and Policy Implementation: The Case of Family Planning
Authors: Meier Kenneth J. , McFarlane Deborah R. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTPolicy theory suggests that coherent statutes – those with precise, clear goals, supported by an adequate causal theory, with clear administrative responsibilities, clear implementation rules, and assigned to committed agencies – are more likely to have their intended impact. Using the Mazmanian and Sabatier policy implementation framework, this article examines U.S. family planning policies with a pooled time series analysis from 1982 to 1988. Of the four family planning statutes, only Title X, the categorical grant program, meets the criteria of a coherent statute. The data analysis reveals that a dollar spent through Title X has a much greater impact on birth rates, abortion rates, late prenatal care, and infant and neonatal mortality than does a dollar spent through other programs. The results are strong evidence in support of designing policies with coherent statutes.
Corporate Direct Taxation in the European Union: Explaining the Policy Process
Authors: Radaelli Claudio M. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe author presents an empirical study of the direct corporate taxation policy process in the European Union. The study links three public policy literatures that are usually considered somewhat distinct and independent: the literature on the politics of tax reform, the literature on policy change and the political role of knowledge, and the literature on European integration. The examination of these literatures leads to a series of hypotheses which are used for addressing the analysis of the policy process. The conclusions assess the hypotheses and draw implications for the study of knowledge utilisation, policy change, and policy types.
Influences on Deficit Spending in Industrialized Democracies
Authors: Hahm Sung Deuk , Kamlet Mark S. , Mowery David C. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTSince 1945, there has been substantial variation among the OECD countries and within them over time in central-government deficits. This paper surveys and assesses the literature on deficit spending in these industrialized democracies, emphasizing positive theories and the empirical support, or lack thereof, for each of them. We begin by considering the degree to which theories about the size of government and empirical tests of these theories about the level of overall government spending can explain deficits. We then survey theories pertaining to the political economy of fiscal deficits per se, including the ‘tax smoothing’ hypothesis, the neo-Keynesian countercyclical hypothesis, the public choice perspective, the ‘left-right ideology’ hypothesis, Roubini and Sachs' (1989) ‘strength of government’ hypothesis, and the importance of divided government in non-parliamentary systems.
A survey on snake robot modeling and locomotion
Authors: Transeth Aksel Andreas , Pettersen Kristin Ytterstad , Liljebäck Pål 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYSnake robots have the potential to make substantial contributions in areas such as rescue missions, firefighting, and maintenance where it may either be too narrow or too dangerous for personnel to operate. During the last 10–15 years, the published literature on snake robots has increased significantly. The purpose of this paper is to give a survey of the various mathematical models and motion patterns presented for snake robots. Both purely kinematic models and models including dynamics are investigated. Moreover, the different approaches to biologically inspired locomotion and artificially generated motion patterns for snake robots are discussed.
Children's treatment by peers: Victims of relational and overt aggression
Authors: Crick Nicki R. , Grotpeter Jennifer K. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPast research on peer victimization has focused on maltreatment through overtly aggressive behaviors. Although a relational form of aggression has been identified in recent research, studies of the victims of relational aggression have not yet been conducted. The present research was designed as a first attempt to address this issue. Four goals were pursued (n = 474; third- through sixth-grade children): (a) development of a self-report measure of victimization through relational and overt aggression; (b) assessment of the relation between overt victimization and relational victimization; (c) assessment of gender, grade, and sociometric status group differences in victimization; and (d) evaluation of the relation between victimization and social-psychological adjustment. Results showed that the newly developed victimization measure had favorable psychometric properties and that most of the identified victims were the targets of cither relational or overt aggression, but not both. Further, rejected children were more relationally and overtly victimized than their better accepted peers, and boys were more overtly victimized than girls. Finally, relational victimization, overt victimization, and the lack of prosocial treatment by peers were all significantly related to social-psychological adjustment difficulties (e.g., depression, loneliness).
Early childhood temperament as a determinant of externalizing behavior in adolescence
Authors: Schwartz Carl E. , Snidman Nancy , Kagan Jerome 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTwo cohorts of adolescents who were categorized at either 21 or 31 months of age as extremely inhibited or uninhibited completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR), and their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). In the second year, inhibited children typically cease ongoing behavior and vocalizing, seek comfort from a familiar person, or withdraw in response to unfamiliar situations. By contrast uninhibited children do not become subdued by novelty and are sociable and outgoing, often vocalizing, smiling, and approaching unfamiliar persons or objects. The 13-year-old adolescents who had been categorized as inhibited at 21 months of age scored significantly lower than adolescents originally classified as uninhibited on the Total Externalizing, Delinquent Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior Scales. Parental ratings of Total Externalizing and Aggressive behavior on the CBCL agreed with the Youth Self-Report. The second cohort of adolescents who had been selected at 31 months yielded similar findings, but only for males. These results suggest that important aspects of the original temperamental profile have been preserved over a 12-year period.
THE BEST LEAST ABSOLUTE DEVIATIONS LINE – PROPERTIES AND TWO EFFICIENT METHODS FOR ITS DERIVATION
Authors: SABO KRISTIAN , SCITOVSKI RUDOLF 
Published: March 2009

AbstractGiven a set of points in the plane, the problem of existence and finding the least absolute deviations line is considered. The most important properties are stated and proved and two efficient methods for finding the best least absolute deviations line are proposed. Compared to other known methods, our proposed methods proved to be considerably more efficient.
Rethinking the Komeito Voter
Authors: EHRHARDT GEORGE 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDrawing on five months of ethnography among rank-and-file Soka Gakkai members, this article takes issue with the conventional view of Komeito and Gakkai political socialization as one of group identity. It uses interviews and primary sources from Gakkai socialization practice to document how the two organizations appeal to Gakkai members by promoting the Komeito policy agenda, and how Gakkai members use the same arguments in search of non-Gakkai votes for the party. Social ties remain important, but they are vehicles for this policy message, not a justification for supporting Komeito. This makes Komeito leadership far more constrained in its political choices than is currently recognized. The article finishes by showing how this theory explains variation in Komeito electoral support better than a social identity alternative.
2008 General Elections in Malaysia: Democracy at Work
Authors: MOTEN ABDUL RASHID 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Barisan Nasional (BN) which won a landslide in 2004 was returned to power in 2008 elections with reduced majority and the loss of five state assemblies. Dissatisfied with unfulfilled promises, the electorate protested by voting for a strong opposition. BN additionally was characterized by factionalism. Three opposition parties joined hands and, using alternative media, unexpectedly won 82 seats in the parliament. A strong responsible opposition bodes well for Malaysian democracy.
Partisan Bias in Japan's Single Member Districts
Authors: JOU WILLY 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe delineation of constituency boundaries and variations in vote distribution across districts often favor certain parties at the expense of others. Applying a hitherto under-utilized formula (Brookes, 1959; Johnstonet al., 1999), this study investigates whether the mechanism translating votes into seats in Japan's single-member districts results in systematic partisan advantage that may influence election outcomes. Simulations are conducted for the 2003 and 2005 general elections under two scenarios: where the governing coalition and the main opposition party receive equal vote shares, and where their vote shares are reversed from the actual results. Components of electoral bias are then disaggregated into size and distribution effects, and the impact of malapportionment, electorate size, turnout, and the role of third party/independent candidates on overall electoral bias is examined. Results show that while partisan bias exists, disadvantages toward one party in some components are likely to cancel out benefits derived from others, producing a relatively small net effect. Furthermore, electoral bias in Japan is found to award sectoral rather than partisan seat bonuses.
Do East Asians Perceive Democracy as a Lesser Evil? Retesting Churchill's Lesser-Evil Notion of Democracy in East Asia
Authors: SHIN DOH CHULL 
Published: March 2009

AbstractWinston Churchill once asserted ‘democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time’. In this conception, democracy is ‘a lesser evil’, something that is not good but is less bad than its alternatives. This study offers a rigorous test of this concept in the context of East Asia. Analysis of the East Asia Barometer surveys conducted in five new democracies in the region reveals that small minorities of these countries actually perceive the current democratic regime as a lesser evil. A large majority of these ‘lesser-evil perceivers’, moreover, refuse to support democracy fully. On the basis of these findings, we argue that the Churchillian lesser-evil notion of democracy has limited utility as an alternative paradigm for the study of democratization among ordinary citizens.
Apology: A Small Yet Important Part of Justice
Authors: COICAUD JEAN-MARC 
Published: March 2009

AbstractJean-Marc Coicaud's article begins by stressing the contemporary importance and the current trend of political apology. Recent political apologies offered in Australia and Canada to their indigenous populations form a significant part of this story. He then analyzes a number of intriguing paradoxes at the core of the dynamics of apology. These paradoxes give meaning to apology but also make the very idea of apology extremely challenging. They have to do with the relationships of apology with time, law and the unforgivable. The most intriguing of these paradoxes concerns apology and the unforgivable. Indeed, the greater the wrong, the more valuable the apology. But, then, the more difficult it becomes to issue and to accept an apology. This latter paradox is namely examined in the context of mass crimes, taken from Europe, Africa and Asia. As a whole these paradoxes are all the more intriguing considering what apology in a political context aims to accomplish, for the actor who issues the apology, for the one who receives it, for their relationship, and for the social environment in which this takes place. Jean-Marc Coicaud concludes his article by outlining what the rise of apology means for contemporary political culture.
Cloning, expression and bioactivity of chicken receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (chRANKL)
Authors: Yan Wang , Jia-Fa Hou 
Published: March 2009

AbstractUsing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gene splicing by overlap extension (SOE-PCR), the DNA sequence encoding the chicken receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) was amplified, cloned into the expressing plasmid pET-32a(+) with His-tag, and highly expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein was then added to primary cultures of chicken osteoclasts to observe its bioactivity. The results showed that the size of the PCR product was 1200 bp, which was consistent with the expected size, and the relative molecular weight of the induced protein was 64 kDa. Western blotting indicated that induced protein could react with anti-His antibody. It was also found that the induced protein can stimulate mature chicken osteoclasts to resorb bone.
Bovine interferon-tau expression inEscherichia coliand identification of its biological activities
Authors: Fang-Fang Gao , Zhong-Yi Wu , Shen-Ming Zeng 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe bovine interferon-tau (bIFN-τ) gene, with signal sequence, was obtained through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from bovine early embryos and subcloned into a pGEM-T vector. After being verified, the fragments, with or without signal sequence, were inserted into the expression vector pET-30a(+). Two recombinant plasmids were induced to express the recombinant proteins by isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside. The results showed that the bIFN-τ gene could be obtained from five bovine blastocysts by PCR without extraction of genomic DNA. It had 99% homology with nucleotides and 97% with amino acids in the GenBank sequence (accession number: XM_593584). The products of recombinant bIFN-τ, minus signal sequence, expressed in pET-30a(+) were analysed by SDS-PAGE. A new 20 kDa protein was detected and its molecular weight was as expected. The antiviral activity of recombinant bIFN-τ was 1×104IU/mg using a standard cytopathic reduction assay. Marked morphological changes were induced by recombinant bIFN-τ in bovine endometrial epithelial cells. The cell volume was larger than that of controls and a lot of vesicles appeared in the cytoplasm after 24 h culture in the presence of 2.9 μg/ml recombinant bIFN-τ. In conclusion, a purified recombinant, biologically active bIFN-τ was obtained in this experiment.
Cryopreservation of boar semen using straws
Authors: Jun-Feng Gao , Xiao-Feng Zheng , Li-Jun Ge , Qing Lu , Rong Rui 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAn optimal protocol for cryopreservation of boar semen was established. First, the boar semen was pre-diluted with ZORLESCO (ZO) solution and pre-equilibrated at room temperature for 1 h. After adding extender I, spermatozoa were equilibrated at 5°C for 1.5 h; then an equal volume of extender II was added and the spermatozoa equilibrated for 2 h. The resulting spermatozoa were loaded into 0.25 ml straws, equilibrated for 10 min at 3 cm above the surface of liquid nitrogen (LN), then promptly submerged into LN. When thawing, straws were incubated in a water bath at 37°C for 30 s. This procedure yielded the highest post-thaw motility of 0.58±0.03 and plasma integrity of 63.2±1.2%, together with a normal acrosome in 51.4±2.6% of spermatozoa. Abnormal spermatozoa after freezing represented only 14.0±3.0%.
Comparison of conventional plasmid vector and Semliki forest virus-derived vectors in expressing growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)
Authors: Xiao-Hui Ren , Hu-Ying Luo , Song-Cai Liu , Ming-Jun Zhang , Song-Ying Ouyang , Hong-Yi Li , Yong-Liang Zhang 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe elements for the Semliki forest virus (SFV) RNA replicon were obtained from the Alphavirus genome. It was designed to overcome the poor efficacy of some current plasmid vectors. Genes coding for viral replicases are preserved while genes coding for structural proteins are replaced by foreign genes in the RNA replicon. High levels of RNA replication and expression of foreign genes in the cytoplasm are regulated by the replicases. To evaluate the effects of the SFV RNA replicon on the improvement of gene expression, a LacZ gene was inserted into pIRES-neo digested by BamHI and dephosphorylated by alkaline phosphatase to construct pIRES-neo-LacZ. The RNA replicon vector pCMV-rep-LacZ and two conventional cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-based vectors (pLNCX-LacZ and pIRES-neo-LacZ) were transfected, using Lipofectin, to prepared 293 cells. Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) expression vectors (pCMV-Rep-GHRH, pCDNA3.1(+)-GHRH and pIRES-neo-GHRH) were also tested using the same procedure. Target gene expression was detected with radioimmunoassay (RIA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results showed that the expression level of the RNA replicon vector was 2–3 times higher than with normal plasmid vectors. This result will help to improve the efficiency of gene expression in eukaryotic cells.