bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth and variation in the bacula of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Dyck Markus G. , Bourgeois Jackie M. , Miller Edward H.
Published: October 2004

Structure and growth of the baculum (os penis) in arctoid carnivores have been well described for many species. This study presents the first extensive analysis of bacular growth and variation for bears (Ursidae), based on 871 bacula of polar bears Ursus maritimus (858 of known age) that were shot in the Canadian Arctic from 1994 to 1997. Bacular length, maximal diameter and mass increased from 109 mm, 5.93 mm and 2.68 g respectively in 1‐year‐old bears (n= 34) to 190 (maximum 222) mm, 18.7 (24.4) mm, and 20.4 (31.9) g respectively in bears ≥ 10 years of age (n > 200). Bacular length is ˜8% of body length in adults. Bacula were moderately variable in size: coefficient of variation for length, diameter, and mass1/3 were 5.2, 10.0 and 5.4% respectively (16.3% for mass). No geographic variation in size was apparent. Bacula reached asymptotic size at 8–9 years of age. At physiological sexual maturity (˜6 years of age), bacula were at 89, 73 and 62% of asymptotic length, diameter and mass respectively (compared with body length at ˜95%). Interpretation of these findings must await behavioural and physiological information on courtship and copulation in the polar bear, and comparative data on other ursids.
The Appeal of Utilitarianism
Authors: SHAVER ROBERT
Published: October 2004

Utilitarianism continues to vex its critics even in the absence of generally respected arguments in its favour. I suggest that utilitarianism survives largely because of its welfarism. This explains why it survives without the backing of respected arguments. It survives without such arguments because justifying the value of welfare requires no such argument.
Talent, Slavery and Envy in Dworkin's Equality of Resources
Authors: CHRISTOFIDIS MIRIAM COHEN
Published: October 2004

In this article I argue against Ronald Dworkin's rejection of the labour auction in his ‘Equality of Resources’. I criticize Dworkin's claims that the talented would envy the untalented in such an auction, and that the talented in particular would be enslaved by it. I identify some ways in which the talent auction is underdescribed and I compare the results for the condition of the talented of different further descriptions of it. I conclude that Dworkin's deviation from the ‘envy test’ criterion results in an inequality between the talented and the untalented which cannot be justified in egalitarian terms.
The Second Mistake in Moral Mathematics is not about the Worth of Mere Participation
Authors: PETERSSON BJÖRN
Published: October 2004

‘The Second Mistake’ (TSM) is to think that if an act is right or wrong because of its effects, the only relevant effects are the effects of this particular act. This is not (as some think) a truism, since ‘the effects of this particular act’ and ‘its effects’ need not co-refer. Derek Parfit's rejection of TSM is based mainly on intuitions concerning sets of acts that over-determine certain harms. In these cases, each act belongs to the relevant set in virtue of a causal relation (other than marginal contribution) to a specific harmful event. This feature may make an act wrong, in a fashion consequentialists could admit. That explication of TSM does not rely on the questionable assumption that the set of acts is what harms here. Independently of this, there are several other reasons to prefer it to the ‘mere participation’ approach.
Utilitarianism and Obviousness
Authors: LENMAN JAMES
Published: October 2004

This article seeks to diagnose a serious defect in a highly influential supposed counterexample to utilitarianism: Bernard Williams's case of Jim and the Indians. Discussing this, Williams argues that, according to utilitarianism, it is obviously right to say that Jim should kill an Indian. But as this is not obviously right, Williams takes the example to furnish a forceful counterexample to utilitarianism. I note here that the force of the supposed counterexample is in fact very doubtful as the utilitarian can readily enough explain the non-obviousness of the claim that Jim should kill with reference to the non-obviousness of utilitarianism itself.
Treatment of shoulder and upper limb pain after stroke: an obstacle course for evidence-based practice
Authors: Price Christopher IM
Published: October 2004

The upper limb (UL) is a common site for poststroke pain, which is often regarded as a direct consequence of proximal motor impairment. Although the subacromial region is the commonest site, pain can also occur lower down the UL and some causes are not directly related to hemiplegia. As distal clinical features unrelated to motor consequences of stroke can be useful for making a management plan for pain, this review will generally refer to poststroke upper limb pain (PULP) rather than use traditional terms such as hemiplegic shoulder pain (which may erroneously imply a proximal, purely motor related aetiology).
Laboratory tests in older people: an update
Authors: Kafetz Kalman
Published: October 2004

Since the last review of this subject in this journal, there have been a number of developments in this area that are of relevance to the management of clinical problems of older people. It is important to note that the results of blood tests obtained in older people may differ in significance compared to those obtained from younger people. This review is based on a literature search using Medline, usually going back to 1998, combining sets of papers with the key word ‘elderly’. Studies known to the author were also included.
The need for effective assessment and management of pain among older people in care homes
Authors: Cowan David T , Roberts Julia D , Fitzpatrick Joanne M , While Alison E
Published: October 2004

The increasing number of older people requiring interventions for improved health and social care has been identified as a crucial challenge for the twenty-first century. The reported high prevalence of pain in older people in long-term care facilities has been described as a public health issue not only in the USA but also globally. Rather than merely extending life, the reduction of morbidity, ways of coping with disability, preventing incapacity, extending the quality of life and enhancing the functional independence of older people are identified as important components of service provision. In Britain, the number of people aged over 65 years has doubled in the last 70 years and the number of people over 90 years is expected to double in the next 25 years, which will increase the need for health care in the future. Estimates for the UK indicate that approximately 445 800 older people are currently resident in care homes. The UK government has recently pledged to provide high-quality care and treatment for this population, to treat older people with respect and dignity and to allocate fair resources for conditions that affect them, while simultaneously easing the financial burden of long-term care.
Management of inflammatory arthritis in the older person
Authors: Kamath S , Hassell AB
Published: October 2004

Joint problems in older people are common–both as ongoing chronic problems but also individuals presenting for the first time with joint symptoms. The assessment of an elderly person presenting with joint symptoms poses special challenges. There is a large potential differential diagnosis and more than one form of arthritis may co-exist, most commonly osteoarthritis. The clinical presentation in older patients may differ from typical findings in a younger individual and co-morbid conditions may complicate management strategies. In this article we discuss the differential diagnosis and management of conditions presenting as inflammatory arthritis in older people.
Telling older patients and their families what they want to know
Authors: Bayer Antony
Published: October 2004

Good communication between health and social care professionals and patients, their families and carers is recognized increasingly as integral to best management. Thus a central principle of the NHS Plan is that all patients should have open access to information about services, treatments and performance and should be treated as partners in their own care. Lack of information and poor communication is a common basis for complaints, and there is little evidence that older patients want any less information than those who are younger Certainly, if elderly people living with long-term illness, frailty or disability are fully informed, they will be better able to make appropriate decisions and actively participate in managing their own condition and their lives. In general, it is for professionals to provide the required information and support, or to direct people to other quality sources of evidence-based information, and not for them to decide whether or what should be disclosed.
Assistive technology and people with dementia
Authors: Cash Marilyn
Published: October 2004

The use of the term ‘technology’ in relation to dementia care provokes conflicting reactions. For some, ‘technology is a saviour, the way to paradise; others are deeply suspicious of technology and scrutinize its proponents carefully for any tell-tale marks of the Beast’. These conflicting reactions may be attributed to the confusion surrounding the term ‘technology’, the lack of awareness at all levels of the potential of technology to assist people with dementia, and the ethical issues surrounding the use of technology.
Antioxidant supplementation of boar spermatozoa from different fractions of the ejaculate improves cryopreservation: changes in sperm membrane lipid architecture
Authors: Peña F.J. , Johannisson A. , Wallgren M. , Martinez H. Rodriguez
Published: October 2004

Previous studies have shown sperm quality after cryopreservation differs depending on the fraction of seminal plasma the boar spermatozoa are contained in. Thus, spermatozoa contained in the first 10 ml of the sperm-rich fraction (portion I) withstand handling procedures (extension, handling and freezing/thawing) better than those contained in the latter part of a fractionated ejaculate (second portion of the sperm-rich fraction and the post-spermatic fraction; portion II). The present study evaluated whether an exogenous antioxidant, the water-soluble vitamin E analogue Trolox (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid), could, when added to the freezing extender in a split-sample design trial, improve the post-thaw viability and membrane quality of this particular portion of the ejaculate, with particular attention to the status of the plasma membrane. Using a split-sample design, the initial changes in the fluidity status of the sperm plasmalemma after thawing were measured by flow cytometry (FC) after loading with Merocyanine-540 and YO-PRO-1. The FC-derived data revealed a clear ejaculate portion-dependent effect of the antioxidant supplementation. While no beneficial effect of the antioxidant supplementation was visible in spermatozoa from portion I, more spermatozoa with intact membranes were observed in the supplemented samples of portion II, suggesting the protective effect of vitamin E is dependent of the portion of the boar ejaculate considered.
Relationship between the appearance of preantral follicles in the fetal ovary of Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and hormone concentrations in the fetal heart, umbilical cord and maternal blood
Authors: Muranishi Yuki , Sasaki Motoki , Hayashi Kengo , Abe Norihito , Fujihira Takuma , Ishikawa Hajime , Ohsumi Seiji , Miyamoto Aiko , Fukui Yutaka
Published: October 2004

The present study aimed to determine the relationship among changes in the number of preantral follicles and concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A) and estradiol-17β (E2) in the fetal heart, umbilical cord and maternal blood. Primordial follicles had already appeared in a 20 cm fetus and primary follicles were observed in a 50 cm fetus. In a 70 cm fetus, the number of primordial and primary follicles increased rapidly and secondary follicles were present. The concentrations of LH and FSH did not change between 20 cm and 160 cm in fetal length. When the fetal length became >70 cm, serum levels in the fetus, umbilical cord and mothers, and E2 levels in umbilical cord increased synchronously (p<0.05). These results showed increases in the number of preantral follicles in the Antarctic minke whale fetal ovary along with fetal growth during the early gestation period. These findings suggest that the change in preantral follicles was associated with changes in the concentration of steroids in early gestation periods. The changes in steroid concentrations in the fetal and umbilical cord blood and the increased number of preantral follicles were coincident at around 70 cm in fetal length, whereas the growth and differentiation of primordial and primary follicles appeared to be independent of FSH and LH.
Effects of the time interval between fusion and activation on in vitro rabbit nuclear transfer efficiency when nuclear donor cells are derived from older adults
Authors: Cervera R.P. , Garcia-Ximénez F.
Published: October 2004

Cloning older adult rabbits can serve as a model in animal breeding, biodiversity preservation and in human therapeutic cloning. To establish the required exposure time of fibroblasts from these kind of animals to reprogramming factors, in the present study three different time intervals between fusion and activation were tested (30 min, 30-ADF group; 60 min, 60-ADF group; and 90 min, 90-ADF group). Vitrified epithelial fibroblasts derived from four older adult rabbit females (D1, D2, D3 and D4) and cultured from passages 0 to 4 were used as nuclear donors. Nuclear status of reconstructed embryos was not evaluated. No differences were observed in blastocyst rate (30-ADF 21% vs 60-ADF 19% vs 90-ADF 18%). Differences in hatching rates did not reach significance (30-ADF 11% vs 60-ADF 18% vs 90-ADF 18%). However, in the 60- and 90-ADF groups, embryos reached the blastocyst stage earlier than in the 30-ADF group (day 4: 40% and 50% vs 8%; p>0.05). Moreover, the quality of blastocysts (good vs poor) was lower in the 30-ADF group (good: 30-ADF 38% vs 60-ADF 90% vs 90-ADF 90%; p>0.05). Overall, these results suggest an unfavourable effect of the shortest exposure time tested (30 min). Differences between specimen origins were detected (blastocyst and hatching rates: D2 (26%; 25%) and D4 (25%; 27%) vs D1 (10%; 11%) and D3 (12%; 12%)), but significance were not reached. Effect of culture passage was not detected in any parameter studied.
Ageing-induced changes in the cortical granules of mouse eggs
Authors: Díaz Hugo , Esponda Pedro
Published: October 2004

The cortical cytoplasm and cortical granules (CGs) of mouse oocytes were analysed by electron microscopy. Oocytes were collected soon and 20 h after ovulation from adult young females (3–4 months old). In addition, gametes collected soon after ovulation from 12- to 14-month-old females were used. Ultrastructural analyses were undertaken using the conventional procedures and the alcoholic PTA method. PTA selectively stains the CGs indicating the presence of lysine-rich proteins in these granules. Oocytes from young females showed CGs as dense granules 300–500 nm in diameter linearly arranged under the oolemma. In oocytes recovered 20 h after ovulation 24.31% of CGs appeared vacuolated and 38.40% internalized in the cytoplasm. In gametes collected from old females several changes were observed in the cortical cytoplasm: (a) CGs appeared concentrated in some areas while others regions were devoid of granules; (b) groups of CGs appeared internalized in the egg cytoplasm; (c) the CG contents had swollen and changed, showing dense and clear areas; (d) numerous dense structures and vesicles (lysosome-like vesicles) were present; (e) cytoplasmic fragmentation was frequently seen. Fragments contained CGs, dense structures and vacuoles. These changes are closely related to the low fertilization rates shown by these oocytes when they were used for in vitro fertilization procedures.
Additional effect of epidermal growth factor during in vitro maturation for individual bovine oocytes using a chemically defined medium
Authors: Oyamada Takahiro , Iwayama Hiroshi , Fukui Yutaka
Published: October 2004

This study was performed to establish an individual bovine oocyte-IVP system using a chemically defined simple medium (mSOFaa containing 1 mg/ml polyvinyl alcohol: PVA) and to investigate the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) during oocyte maturation on in vitro maturation, fertilization and embryonic development. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were collected from bovine ovaries and were matured in mSOFaa containing PVA (control medium) supplemented with 0, 1, 10 or 50 ng/ml of EGF. Two further groups (TCM199 and mSOFaa, supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum were also included. In this study, mSOFaa containing PVA were used as a basic medium for fertilization and embryo development in vitro. Experiments were conducted in both group- and individual-IVP systems. In the group-IVP system, the proportion of matured oocytes (MII) in the control medium (62.7%±5.0%) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than in all other treatments, and in the individual-IVP system, the addition of 1 ng/ml EGF significantly (p<0.05) increased the maturation rate (1 ng/ml EGF vs control: 76.2%±5.4% vs 57.1%±14.4%). The addition of EGF did not affect the proportions of penetrated and normally fertilized oocytes in either individual- or group-culture systems. In the group-IVP system, no significant difference among treatments was found in the rate of blastocyst formation, whereas in the individual-IVP system the control medium supplemented with 10 ng/ml EGF resulted in a significantly (p<0.05) higher the rate of blastocyst formation (20.0±5.2%) than that in the control medium (6.2%±3.5%). These results indicate that bovine oocytes can successfully develop to blastocysts in an individual-IVP system using a single chemically defined medium, and that the group-IVP system also resulted in a similar level of blastocyst formation to that in a standard multiple-media system in our laboratory. The effect of EGF during oocyte maturation medium differed depending on whether embryos were cultured individually or in groups.
Mitochondrial lipids in Bufo arenarum full-grown oocytes
Authors: Gili Valeria , Alonso Telma S.
Published: October 2004

Both the content and composition of polar and neutral lipids from the mitochondrial fraction of ovarian full-grown Bufo arenarum oocytes were analysed in the present study. Triacylglycerols (TAG) represent 33% of the total lipids, followed by phosphatidylcholine (PC), free fatty acids (FFA) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) or cardiolipin, a specific component of the inner mitochondrial membrane, represents about 4% of the total lipid content. Palmitic (16:0) and arachidonic (20:4n6) acids are the most abundant fatty acids in PC and PE, respectively. DPG is enriched in fatty acids with carbon chain lengths of 18, the principal component being linoleic acid. In phosphatidylinositol (PI), 20:4n6 and stearic acid (18:0) represent about 72 mol% of the total acyl group level. The main fatty acids in TAG are linoleic (18:2), oleic (18:1), and palmitic acids. The fatty acid composition of FFA and diacylglycerols (DAG) is similar, 16:0 being the most abundant acyl group. PE is the most unsaturated lipid and sphingomyelin (SM) has the lowest unsaturation index.
Meiotic inhibition with different cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in bovine oocytes and its effects on maturation and embryo development
Authors: Adona Paulo Roberto , Leal Cláudia Lima Verde
Published: October 2004

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) such as butyrolactone I (BL-I) and roscovitine (ROS) maintain bovine oocytes blocked at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage. Bohemine (BOH), another CDKI, has been used for oocyte activation. The objective of this study was to determine whether BOH blocks meiosis and to compare its efficiency with other CDKIs (ROS and BL-I). Oocytes were cultured for 24 h in 0, 50, 100 and 150 μM BOH to determine the best concentration for blocking meiosis (experiment 1). GV rates were 3.3%, 64.5%, 83.3% and 88.9% (0, 50, 100 and 150 μM, respectively). Experiment 2 compared meiotic inhibition efficiency of BOH (100 μM), ROS (25 μM) and BL-I (100 μM). BL-I presented the highest GV rates (97.5%). BOH and ROS were similar to each other (85.4% and 79.9%, respectively). To assess the reversibility of meiotic inhibition (experiment 3), oocytes underwent in vitro maturation (IVM) for 18 h after the 24 h inhibition. Control oocytes were submitted to IVM for 18 h (C18) or 24 h (C24). Maturation rates were either similar to (ROS and BL-I: 96.0% and 93.6%, respectively) or superior to (BOH, 96.9%) C24 (91.0%). All groups were superior to C18 (82.5%). In experiment 4, oocytes were treated as in experiment 3 and then in vitro fertilized and cultured for 8 days. Blastocyst rates for BL-I (32.3%) were similar to C24 (35.0%), while those for BOH (20.2%) and ROS (24.2%) were inferior. All groups were inferior to C18 (43.4%). The results show that: (a) BOH inhibits meiosis resumption; (b) BL-I is the most effective of the CDKIs tested for blocking meiosis; (c) culture of oocytes with meiosis inhibitors is fully reversible in terms of nuclear maturation but they may either decrease (BOH and ROS) or maintain (BL-I) embryo development rates.
Effects of transferring in vitro-cultured rabbit embryos to recipient oviducts on mucin coat deposition, implantation and development
Authors: Joung So Young , Kim Hyun Joo , Choi Wha Sik , Im Kyung Soon , Lee Seong Ho , Park Chang Sik , Jin Dong II
Published: October 2004

A mucin coat is deposited on rabbit embryos during passage through the oviduct; rabbit blastocysts cultured from the 1-cell stage in vitro have no mucin coat. When cultured blastocysts are transferred to recipients, the lack of mucin coat might account in part for subsequent failure of pregnancy. We have investigated the possibility that mucin coat deposition is induced following transfer of in vitro 72 h-cultured blastocysts to oviducts of asynchronous or synchronous recipients. One-cell embryos were collected by flushing oviducts 19–20 h post-coitus and were cultured in vitro for 72 h until they reached the blastocyst stage. The blastocysts were transferred to the oviducts of recipients that were synchronized either with the donors (synchronous) or 1 day later than the donors (asynchronous). They were recovered after 24–48 h and the mucin coat thickness and embryo degeneration rate were measured. The degeneration rate of blastocysts recovered from uteri of synchronous recipients was higher than that from asynchronous recipients (72.2% vs 40.0%). The mucin coats around embryos recovered from oviducts of asynchronous recipients after 48 h were thicker than those from synchronous recipients. More asynchronous recipients were pregnant and gave birth to more pups than synchronous recipients. These results indicate that the oviducts of asynchronous recipients secreted more mucin around the transferred embryos, causing higher rates of implantation of the in vitro-cultured blastocysts.
Glycoconjugate profiles of the lancelet (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) ovary: a lectin histochemical study by laser confocal microscopy
Authors: Del Buono Francesca , Candiani Simona , Pestarino Mario , Focarelli Riccardo
Published: October 2004

The presence and the distribution of carbohydrate moieties in ripe lancelet (Branchiostoma lanceolatum) oocytes (mean diameter 130 μm) was studied by lectin histochemistry in combination with enzyme and chemical treatments. Binding sites for eight lectins with specificities towards different glycan moieties were studied on sections of the whole body of mature female lancelets. Only three of the lectins tested reacted positively. Concanavalin-A (ConA)-binding glycoconjugates were localized in the cytoplasm, namely in yolk granules, whereas Artocarpus integrifolia (AIA) and Ricinus communis (RCA) agglutinins bound strongly to extracellular coats of the oocyte identified as the jelly coat and vitelline layer. No other tissues of the lancelet body were found to be positive to any lectin tested, except gut enterocytes which reacted strongly with AIA. Reactivity to ConA was abolished by pretreatment of sections with N-glycosidase F but not by mild alkaline hydrolysis, confirming that the glycoconjugates were of the N-linked type. On the contrary, chemical removal of O-linked chains by mild alkaline hydrolysis abolished AIA and RCA reactivity but had no effect on ConA positivity.
Characteristics of invasive cells found in between zona pellucida and oocyte during follicular atresia in mice
Authors: Kamo Atsuko , Araki Yoshihiko , Maeda Kunihiko , Watanabe Hiroshi
Published: October 2004

During the process of follicular atresia, cells are observed to invade the zona pellucida (invasive cells) where they presumably play an important role in eliminating degraded oocytes. Although our preliminary studies have suggested that these cells may originate from granulosa cells and not from macrophages, a detailed morphological analysis of the cells has not been conducted. The objective of this study was to characterize the cells more precisely by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, using sexually immature mice. The results show that the invasive cells were first observed within advanced primary (non-antral) atretic follicles. The cells frequently contained cytoplasmic lysosome-like granules after passing through the zona pellucida. F4/80 and Mac-1, reported as macrophage-specific antibodies, were reactive with the cells in most cases, but some immunonegative invasive cells were also observed. The ultrastructural features of the invasive cells were quite similar to those of granulosa cells, not macrophages. Gap junctions, which are typical cytoplasmic structures of epithelial cells, were frequently identified between neighbouring cells. Although direct evidence indicating a contribution by the cells to the elimination of degenerated oocytes was not obtained, our results strongly suggest that the invasive cells originated from granulosa cells surrounding the zona pellucida, and that they may have a macrophage-like cell function for the elimination of oocytes from atretic follicles in mice.
Effect of GnRH injection timing in the production of pronuclear-stage zygotes used for DNA microinjection
Authors: Baldassarre Hernan , Wang Bin , Gauthier Melanie , Neveu Nathalie , Lazaris Anthoula , Karatzas Costas N.
Published: October 2004

This study was aimed at developing a hormonal treatment protocol in order to optimize the proportion of pronuclear-stage embryos to be used for DNA microinjection in a goat transgenic founder production programme. A total of 46 adult BELE® and 47 adult standard goats (1–5 years old) were used as donors and recipients, respectively. They were heat-synchronized using intravaginal sponges containing 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate for 10 days with an injection of 125 μg cloprostenol on the morning of the eighth day. Recipients were injected with 400 IU eCG at the time of sponge removal while donors received a total of 133 mg NIH-FSH-P1 (Folltropin-V) given twice daily in decreasing doses over 3 days starting 48 h before sponge removal. Ovulation was induced in donors by injecting 100 μg of GnRH at 24 h (GnRH24) or 36 h (GnRH36) after sponge removal. Embryo recovery was performed by oviduct flushing following a standard mid-ventral laparotomy procedure. The proportion of embryos in the pronuclear stage of development was higher in the GnRH36 group (90% vs 34%, p<0.01). Embryos were microinjected with a DNA expression cassette followed by transfer to the oviduct of synchronized recipients. A higher, yet not statistically significant, pregnancy rate was found in the recipients transferred with pronuclear-stage embryos compared with those transferred with 2-cell-stage embryos (64% vs 37%, chi-square p=0.06). One transgenic female founder was produced from the group of recipients transferred with pronuclear-stage microinjected embryos.
Spindle dynamics in living mouse oocytes during meiotic maturation, ageing, cooling and overheating: a study by polarized light microscopy
Authors: Sun Xiao-Fang , Zhang Wen-Hong , Chen Xin-Jie , Xiao Guo-Hong , Mai Wei-Yang , Wang Wei-Hua
Published: October 2004

A liquid crystal polarized light microscope (LC PolScope) was used to examine spindle dynamics in living mouse oocytes. Immature oocytes were cultured for 0–48 h and spindles were imaged with the PolScope at various time points of culture. Oocytes at metaphase I (M-I) and metaphase II (M-II) were also exposed to shifts of temperature from 25 to 41 °C to examine the effects of fluctuations of temperature on spindle dynamics. After examination with the PolScope, some oocytes were fixed and examined by immunocytochemical staining and confocal microscopy. After culturing for 6 h, 76% and 2% of the oocytes reached M-I and M-II stages and all oocytes had birefringent spindles. When the oocytes were cultured for 14–16 h, 88% and 6% of oocytes were at M-II and M-I stages respectively and all oocytes had birefringent spindles. However, when the oocytes were cultured for 22–48 h, the proportions of oocytes with birefringent spindles decreased as culture time was increased. Exposure of oocytes to 25 °C induced spindle disassembly within 10–20 min in both M-I and M-II oocytes. Most (93–100%) oocytes reassembled spindles after warming at 37 °C. Furthermore, exposure of oocytes at M-I stage but not at M-II stage, to 30 °C also induced significant microtubule disassembly. However, exposure of oocytes to 38–41 °C did not obviously change the quantity of microtubules in the spindles, which was measured by retardance. This study indicates that the PolScope can be used to examine spindle dynamics in living oocytes, and it has the advantage over the routine fluorescence microscope in that images can be obtained in the same individual oocyte and the quantity of microtubules can be measured by retardance in living oocytes. These results also indicate that the M-II spindle in mouse oocytes is sensitive to oocyte ageing and cooling, but not heating, and M-I spindle is more sensitive to temperature decline than M-II spindle.
Characterization of mid-spindle microtubules during furrow positioning in early cleavage period zebrafish embryos
Authors: Lee Karen W. , Ho Steven M. , Wong Carey H. , Webb Sarah E. , Miller Andrew L.
Published: October 2004

We report evidence to suggest that during the first few meroblastic cell divisions in zebrafish embryos a dynamic population of central-spindle microtubules serve a crucial function in positioning the cleavage furrow at the surface of the blastoderm. Originating from the mid-zone of the mitotic spindle they develop into what we term a mid-spindle ‘pre-furrowing microtubule array’ that expands upward and outward from the spindle mid-zone towards the blastodisc surface. We suggest that this structure transmits positional information to the blastodisc cortex that results in the correctly positioned assembly of the cytokinetic contractile apparatus. We also propose that the pre-furrowing microtubule array then develops into a furrow-ingression microtubule array that helps direct and assemble the deepening furrow as it cuts its way through the blastodisc. Due to the location of its origin, the pre-furrowing microtubule array serves to successfully separate the daughter nuclei and thus equally divide the blastoderm. Furthermore, co-localization with elements of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum and their inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors suggests that the pre-furrowing microtubule array may also play a role in organizing localized Ca2+ transients that have been shown to be essential to the furrow positioning, propagation and deepening process during cytokinesis in zebrafish embryos.
Canada – Dairy Canada – Measures Affecting the Importation of Dairy Products and the Exportation of Milk
Authors: JANOW MERIT E. , STAIGER ROBERT W.
Published: October 2004

This paper summarizes and critically reviews the dispute brought before the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning Canada – Measures Affecting the Importation of Dairy Products and the Exportation of Milk, euphemistically referred to herein as Canada – Dairy. This dispute is centered on the WTO Agricultural Agreement, though it also involves the WTO Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) Agreement and GATT – 1994.
National climate change policies and WTO law: a case study of Germany's new policies
Authors: DRÖGE SUSANNE , TRABOLD HARALD , BIERMANN FRANK , BÖHM FRÉDÉRIC , BROHM RAINER
Published: October 2004

This article analyses the relationship between national climate change policy instruments and WTO rules with particular emphasis on the case of Germany. Our main finding is that national policies whose aim is to reduce greenhouse gases can be brought into compliance with international trade law. Compliance can be achieved, first, through various methods of labelling electricity from renewable resources. Second, it can be achieved through trading systems for green certificates that respect basic WTO principles. Third, it can be achieved through energy taxes. To offset the competitive impacts of such taxes, border tax adjustments are a possibility. Although WTO law has not yet clearly defined the eligibility of border tax adjustments for energy taxes, the balance of evidence suggests that it would support such adjustments under certain circumstances. Fourth, compliance with WTO rules can be achieved through financial incentives to the producers of energy from renewable sources which are conferred in such a way that they do not pass through the hands of the government. Hence, climate change policies can even rely on ‘subsidies’ (in the economic sense) without getting into conflict with WTO rules. Fifth, when compliance cannot be achieved, national policies aiming at international environmental protection can claim an exception under GATT Article XX (b) or (g) if measures are not applied in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner. In addition, countries should further strive to find solutions to the global climate change problem in the Kyoto process.
The Appellate Body's GSP decision
Authors: CHARNOVITZ STEVE , BARTELS LORAND , HOWSE ROBERT , BRADLEY JANE , PAUWELYN JOOST , REGAN DONALD
Published: October 2004

CHARNOVITZ: The Appellate Body's decision in the Tariff Preferences case demonstrates the value of a second-level review of panel decisions. Notwithstanding the composition of the panel – which was as highly qualified, balanced, and diverse as any panel could possibly be – the panel issued a decision that met widespread disapproval. In what is probably a record for third-party support of the plaintiff, eight countries asked the Appellate Body to reverse key points. Happily, the Appellate Body did reverse many of the troubling holdings in the panel report. Unhappily for the world community, the Appellate Body did not have an opportunity to review the panel's interpretation of GATT Article XX, which (like many previous panels) has chiseled away at vital exceptions.
North–South trade in intellectual property: can it be fair?
Authors: CANNADY CYNTHIA
Published: October 2004

For many developing countries trading in intellectual property has been a spectator sport. Active play in the high stakes game of ‘trading in knowledge’ has been for a few wealthy countries whose institutions and citizens own intellectual property (IP). These IP-owner countries have the equipment needed to play – the funding systems, patent lawyers, marketing support services, and thriving government subsidized research labs and universities – enabling them to turn their research and development into IP, intangible but highly valuable financial assets. In the game of ‘trading in knowledge’, capturing strategic IP portfolios is the goal, and lucrative licensing contracts are the touchdown.
The measurement and effects of barriers to trade in basic telecommunication services: the role of negotiations
Authors: BROWN RICHARD W. , FEINBERG ROBERT M.
Published: October 2004

Using econometric methods, this analysis develops quantity impacts of impediments to trade in voice telephone services, focusing on the perspective of negotiated agreements. These impacts, estimated on the basis of market, demographic, and policy variables, establish a baseline from which the achievements of future trade rounds, including the Doha Round, could be compared. In a departure from previous literature in this area, this article draws on documents appended or pertaining to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to identify barriers to trade in voice telephone services, and to estimate quantity impacts on this basis. The article finds that market access and national treatment commitments scheduled by WTO members under the GATS, when complemented by commitments to pro-competitive regulatory disciplines, may be formulated into meaningful policy variables. These policy variables are found to be statistically significant in explaining market penetration in voice telephone services, as are variables for income and private sector ownership.
Whose Harm? Harm Reduction and the Shift to Coercion in UK Drug Policy
Authors: Hunt Neil , Stevens Alex
Published: October 2004

Building on Stimson's (2000) analysis, this paper examines the shift from a focus on health towards one of crime within UK drug policy. The increased use of coerced or compulsory treatment of drug users is discussed with reference to harm reduction theory and the question of whose harm is prioritised in shaping drug services. We also identify mechanisms by which the efficacy of treatment approaches based on coercion may be lessened or reduce the efficacy of other existing services. Failure to consider these may be an important omission in any appraisal of the impact of policies that increasingly prioritise crime prevention and coercion over heath and voluntarism.
Campaigning for Older People: A Case Study Approach to the Input of Voluntary and Community Organisations in the Policy Process
Authors: Wilkinson Mick
Published: October 2004

Third sector or civil society organisations are seen by many as important routes through which citizens contribute to the development and implementation of public policy and to the democratic process. This contribution has been acknowledged in the UK in the requirement for their participation across a range of new government policies and programmes. But how far are these claims justified? This paper explores, through a case study approach focusing on issues relating to older people, how voluntary and community organisations input to the policy process. It argues for a clearer balance between state and voluntary sector, based around ‘creative tension’.
The ‘Let them eat cake’ strategy for ‘industrial branch’ insurance clients: Reflecting on the Demise of a Sector in Financial Services
Authors: Alferoff Catrina , Knights David , Leyshon Andrew , Signoretta Paola
Published: October 2004

Declining state provision, low levels of financial capability (FSA/DTI, 2002), and, it must be added, regulation on savings and investments have impacted severely on the ability of some sections of the UK population to purchase life assurance and savings products. In addition, according to a report submitted to the Treasury, ‘there is a wide consensus that the UK population is not saving enough for retirement. Savings levels are 20 per cent or more below what they should be. The problem appears to be particularly acute amongst the less affluent, where insufficient levels of saving are likely to have a more serious impact’ (Sandler, 2002: 2). This is due in no small part to current banking and insurance practices that have excluded many of the least affluent customers from essential financial services (Kempson and Whyley, 1998; Kempson et al., 2000; NCC, 1997), that afford them the protection of:

[bull ] Financial security for a rainy day;

[bull ] Greater comfort during retirement and old age;

[bull ] Access to greater independence and opportunity throughout their lives; (HM Treasury, 2001b)

Ideally for less affluent consumers, product design should incorporate simplicity and transparency, preferably offer automatic savings of small amounts weekly or fortnightly and be flexible enough for payments to be suspended during times of financial hardship without incurring penalties (Kempson and Whyley, 1998: 50–51).
Why we should Care about Friends: An Argument for Queering the Care Imaginary in Social Policy
Authors: Roseneil Sasha
Published: October 2004

This paper sets out an argument for the re-imagining of care in social policy on three interrelated grounds: epistemological–theoretical, substantive socio-historical, and normative political–philosophical. It takes up the epistemological challenge offered by queer theory to propose a different gaze be cast on care which recognizes the practices of care which take place outside normative heterosexual couples and families. Following on from this, it suggests that the care that has been the object of study in social policy has failed to keep up with transformations in the realm of sociability which characterize the contemporary world. It outlines findings of research which show the increasing importance of friendship to those at the cutting edge of processes of individualization. Finally, it points to the new and valuable lens that the study of caring practices of friends might cast on the ethics of care, and it ends with some pointers to what it might mean for social policy to take friendship seriously.
Managing Kinship over Long Distances: The Significance of ‘The Visit’
Authors: Mason Jennifer
Published: October 2004

This article explores the meaning of ‘the visit’ to Pakistan by a sample of people living in the North of England, with relatives in Pakistan. It argues that the visit has a particular symbolic and practical significance in the maintenance of transnational kin relationships. Visiting involves travelling and ‘co-presence’ with people, as well as in a place – in this case, Pakistan. It is particularly important in the process of ‘knowing’ one's geographically distant relatives, and in ‘doing things together’ and ‘being there at key moments’. These elements are woven together with other ways of keeping in touch in between visits, and help to sustain family narratives of ‘the regular visit’ and the kinship network that is active over distances and over time. The visit was also important in helping to confirm a sense of belonging or affinity with Pakistan, even though for many in the study England was seen as home. However, visiting involves complex and sometimes difficult sets of negotiations and decisions about propriety, morality, exchange, and belonging in transnational kin relationships.
Some Useful Sources
Authors: Groves Keleigh
Published: October 2004

The websites listed here provide free access to a large body of information on the ‘state’ of families, care and welfare – working papers, policy position statements, lectures, book excerpts, statistical reviews, press releases, consultation papers, project reports, and findings documents. All websites were visited on 14 May 2004.
The Social Patterning of Values and Rationalities: Mothers' Choices in Combining Caring and Employment
Authors: Duncan Simon , Irwin Sarah
Published: October 2004

The assumption of individualised rationality runs through the two dominant theorisations of family behaviour – new household economics and individualisation. We demonstrate the inaccuracy of this assumption, using the results of two CAVA projects into mothers' perceptions and choices in combining mothering with paid work, in allocating tasks with partners, and in choosing childcare. Rather, mothers make such decisions within socially negotiated accounts of what is morally adequate, and we go on to show how these decisions and the values informing them are socially patterned by class and ethnicity. Finally, we consider how both theory and policy can make a ‘rationality mistake’ in neglecting the importance of social ties and moral responsibilities in family life.
Care, Values and an Uncaring Media
Authors: Phillips Angela
Published: October 2004

Evidence of ‘dissemination’ is now seen as part of research delivery by grant-giving bodies such as the ESRC and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Drawing on the growing body of research into media sources (Manning 2001, Davis, 2000) and relating it to debates on the public sphere (Habermas 1989), the paper will ask what (if anything) researchers have to gain from involvement with the mass media and whether specialised help can assist in bringing social policy research from the margins into the mainstream of media discourse. It will look in particular at the special difficulties of disseminating ‘fuzzy’ qualitative research findings which do not lend themselves to obviously eye-catching headlines. The paper will draw on an ESRC funded experiment at the University of Leeds as a case study with which to explore these issues.
Different Interpretations of Agency within Welfare Debates
Authors: Deacon Alan
Published: October 2004

J. Le Grand (2003), Motivation, Agency, and Public Policy: Of Knights and Knaves, Pawns and Queens, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

R. Lister (2004), Poverty, Polity Books, Cambridge.

L. Mead (2004), Government Matters: Welfare Reform in Wisconsin, Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford.
Expressivität, Instrumentalität und psychische Gesundheit
Authors: Altstötter-Gleich Christine
Published: October 2004

Zusammenfassung: Es werden zwei Studien zur Testgüte eines Messinstruments (GTS+) berichtet, das auf der Basis der Items des BSRI und des EPAQ sowie eines Itempools zur Erfassung von Expressivität und Instrumentalität ( Altstötter-Gleich, 1996 , 1998 ) konstruiert wurde. Es enthält Adjektive, die einerseits gut zwischen Geschlechterstereotypen trennen und andererseits über eine hohe soziale Erwünschtheit verfügen. Explorative und konfirmatorische Faktorenanalysen verweisen auf die Separierbarkeit der Dimensionen Expressivität und Instrumentalität, die interne Konsistenz der Skalen ist hoch. Am Beispiel von Konstrukten der psychischen Gesundheit, erhoben mittels des Trierer Persönlichkeitsfragebogens ( Becker, 1989 ) und des NEO-FFI ( Borkenau & Ostendorf, 1993 ), werden erste Belege für die Konstruktvalidität der Skala erbracht, indem aus dem Androgyniekonzept ableitbare Annahmen zum Zusammenhang zwischen Expressivität, Instrumentalität und Facetten psychischer Gesundheit überprüft werden.
Veränderungsmessung in der Psychotherapie mit dem Ergebnisfragebogen (EB-45)
Authors: Haug Severin , Puschner Bernd , Lambert Michael J. , Kordy Hans
Published: October 2004

Zusammenfassung: Für ein kontinuierliches Monitoring psychotherapeutischer Veränderungen sind kurze, valide und veränderungssensitive Instrumente erforderlich. Die Eignung des Ergebnisfragebogens (EB-45) zu diesem Zweck wurde in dieser Studie untersucht. Anhand einer Bevölkerungsstichprobe (n = 232), einer Stichprobe von Bahnpendlern (n = 615), einer Stichprobe ambulanter Psychotherapiepatienten (n = 671) und einer Stichprobe stationärer Psychotherapiepatienten (n = 960) wurden Aspekte der konvergenten und diskriminativen Validität sowie die Veränderungssensitivität des Ergebnisfragebogens untersucht. Weiter wurden für die externen Kriterien “Suizidgedanken” und “Arbeitsfähigkeit” Sensitivitäts-Spezifitätsanalysen durchgeführt. Für die beiden klinischen Stichproben zeigte sich auf einzelnen Skalen des EB-45 eine Abhängigkeit vom Geschlecht, Alter und der klinischen Diagnose. Mäßige Konkordanzen (κ ~0.4) ergaben sich mit der Symptom-Checkliste und deren Kurzform, dem Brief Symptom Inventory, geringe Konkordanzen mit dem Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit und dem Gießener Beschwerdebogen. Die Diskrimination zwischen den klinischen und nicht-klinischen Stichproben war auf den einzelnen Subskalen und der Gesamtskala gut. Eine Verringerung der Skalenwerte bei wiederholter Messung im Verlauf der Therapie konnte bei beiden klinischen Stichproben gezeigt werden. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die Eignung des Ergebnisfragebogens für ein kontinuierliches Monitoring psychotherapeutischer Veränderungen in der klinischen Praxis im Rahmen der Qualitätssicherung.