bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why is self-help neglected in the treatment of emotional disorders? A meta-analysis
Authors: DEN BOER P. C. A. M. , WIERSMA D. , VAN DEN BOSCH R. J.
Published: October 2004

Background. Although the burden of emotional disorders is very high, mental health care is only available to a minority of patients. The literature suggests that self-help strategies, both bibliotherapy and self-help groups alike, are effective for various, less serious complaints but it is unclear whether available data support a role for self-help in treatment protocols for patients with clinically significant emotional disorders.

Method. We searched the literature with a focus on ‘anxiety’ and/or ‘depressive disorder’. Standardized assessment of diagnosis or symptoms and randomized controlled trials were inclusion criteria for a meta-analysis.

Results. The mean effect size of self-help (mainly bibliotherapy) v. control conditions is 0·84, and 0·76 for follow-up; the effect sizes of self-help v. treatment are −0·03 and −0·07 respectively. A longer treatment period is more effective.

Conclusions. Bibliotherapy for clinically significant emotional disorders is more effective than waiting list or no treatment conditions. The dearth of studies on self-help groups for emotional disorders does not permit an evidence-based conclusion concerning the effects of self-help groups. No difference was found between bibliotherapy and psychiatric treatment of relatively short duration.
The risk factors for depression in first myocardial infarction patients
Authors: DICKENS C. M. , PERCIVAL C. , McGOWAN L. , DOUGLAS J. , TOMENSON B. , COTTER L. , HEAGERTY A. , CREED F. H.
Published: October 2004

Background. Depression affects outcome following myocardial infarction but the risk factors for such depression have been little studied. This study considered whether the causes of depression occurring before and after myocardial infarction were similar to those of depression in the general population.

Method. Consecutive patients admitted to hospital following their first myocardial infarction were interviewed with the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry to detect psychiatric disorders and the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule to assess recent stress. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at entry to the study and 1 year later and the risk factors associated with a high score at both times were assessed.

Results. Of 314 (88% of eligible) patients who were recruited, 199 (63%) were male and 63 (20%) had depressive disorders. Logistic regression identified the following as independently associated with depressive disorder that had been present for at least 1 month before the myocardial infarction: younger age, female sex, past psychiatric history, social isolation, having marked non-health difficulties and lack of a close confidant. At follow-up 269/298 (90%) responded; of 189 participants not depressed at first assessment, 39 (21%) became depressed by the 1 year follow-up. Logistic regression identified frequent angina as the only significant predictor of raised HADS scores at 12 months.

Conclusions. Depression developing during the year following myocardial infarction does not have the same risk factors as that which precedes myocardial infarction. Further clarification of the mechanisms linking depression to poor outcome may require separation consideration of pre- and post-myocardial infarction depression, and its risk factors.
Finite spirits as theoretical entities
Authors: WIEBE PHILLIP H.
Published: October 2004

Finite spirits can be plausibly viewed as entities postulated by a theory, comparable to the position on mental states and processes developed in the latter part of the twentieth century. This position is developed here by reference to the account in the synoptic gospels of the exorcism of the Gadarene demoniacs. The role played by specifying causal relationships between postulated entities and objects whose existence is not in doubt is examined. Also, various features of theories are discussed in relation to this example, viz. theory-laden description, classifying theories as naturalistic or supernaturalistic, kinds of evidence, and the importance of the method of hypothesis (or abduction) in critically scrutinizing the claims of religion.
Supervenience and property-identical divine-command theory
Authors: ALMEIDA MICHAEL J.
Published: October 2004

Property-identical divine-command theory (PDCT) is the view that being obligatory is identical to being commanded by God in just the way that being water is identical to being H2O. If these identity statements are true, then they express necessary a posteriori truths. PDCT has been defended in Robert M. Adams (1987) and William Alston (1990). More recently Mark C. Murphy (2002) has argued that property-identical divine-command theory is inconsistent with two well-known and well-received theses: the free-command thesis and the supervenience thesis. I show that Murphy's argument is vitiated by mistaken assumptions about the substitutivity of metaphysical identicals in contexts of supervenience. The free-command thesis and the supervenience thesis therefore pose no serious threat to PDCT.
The Church of England and the Anglican Communion: a timely engagement with the national church tradition?
Authors: O'Donovan Joan Lockwood
Published: October 2004

The following is a critical appreciation of the Reformation theological foundations of English church establishment which seeks to demonstrate their importance not only for the Church of England in the current political and legal climate, but also for non-established Anglican churches and for the Anglican Communion. It identifies as their central structure the dialectic of church and nation, theologically articulated as the dialectic of proclamation and jurisdiction. The enduring achievement of this dialectic, the paper argues, is to hold in fruitful tension the two unifying authorities of sinful and redeemed human society: the authority of God's word of judgement and grace and the authority of the community of human judgement under God's word. The historical analysis traces the evolving ecclesiastical and civil poles of the dialectic through their Henrician, Edwardian and Elizabethan formulations, from William Tyndale and the early Cranmer to John Whitgift and Richard Hooker, clarifying the decisive late medieval and contemporary continental influences, and the key schematic contribution made by the humanist Thomas Starkey. A continuous concern of the exposition is with the paradigmatic place occupied by interpretations of monarchical Israel in the shifting constructions of both civil and ecclesiastical polity, with the attendant dangers from a relatively undialectical relation between the ‘old Israel’ and the ‘new Israel’. The concluding evaluation and application focuses on the contemporary need for a theological construction of the nation and the church that grasps the complexities of the dialectic of proclamation and jurisdiction, especially as they bear on the unity and discontinuity of ecclesiastical and secular law at the national and international levels.
Bishops in the kirk: William Cowper of Galloway and the puritan episcopacy of Scotland
Authors: Todd Margo
Published: October 2004

The anti-episcopal polemic of early Scottish presbyterian historians like Row and Calderwood has misled us to presume that most contemporary presbyterians saw bishops as enemies of the gospel. Instead, both episcopal writings and the manuscript records of kirk sessions, presbyteries, and synods show presbytery within prelacy working quite well in Scotland from the Reformation until the troubled 1630s. William Cowper, minister of Perth from 1595 to 1613 and thereafter bishop of Galloway, illustrates how and why the system worked. Calvinist, visionary, preacher, and vigorous reformer of manners, Cowper as minister joined with the Perth session to impose discipline, administered communion Geneva-style, and enforced the Reformation's abolition of traditional holidays. He was by any definition a puritan, and he remained one after his acceptance of a bishopric in 1612. As bishop of Galloway he declined to enforce kneeling or observance of Christmas despite royal mandate, cooperated with presbyteries and sessions, and continued active preaching and discipline. Charges against him of greed and ambition prove unfounded. His puritan episcopacy represents and explains the success of the kirk's hybrid polity in the post-Reformation period.
Culture, community and commitments: Stanley J. Grenz on theological method
Authors: Spencer Archie J.
Published: October 2004

This article is a critical but appreciative response to the emerging theology and proposed theological method of Stanley J. Grenz. It is appreciative of the way that Grenz is helping evangelicals face the fact that they should be more engaging of the broader theological discussions regarding method if it is to avoid becoming hopelessly irrelevant, both within and beyond evangelicalism. At the same time it is critical of the apparent ambiguity in Grenz's proposals for a revised theological method and its resulting theology. The article reflects on the prior work of Grenz but employs his most recent book, Beyond Foundationalism, co-authored with John R. Frank and published by Fortress Press in 2001. In the final analysis the author takes a cautious approach to Grenz's proposals due to the fact that there seems to be an ambiguous understanding of postmodern culture, an uncritical acceptance of a social trinitarian basis for community and a somewhat conflicted understanding of foundations for theology, understood as ‘(post)foundationalism’.
The virtue of ambiguity: a response to Archie Spencer
Authors: Grenz Stanley J.
Published: October 2004

In his essay ‘Culture, Community and Commitments’, Archie Spencer expresses interest in, and appreciation for, my proposal for evangelical theology, because he finds in me what he characterizes as ‘a moderating voice between the extremes’ in the contemporary discussion. I am deeply gratified that a younger theologian of his potential would look to me as a pioneer and would honor me by taking such keen interest in my work.
Recent Michael Finnissy
Authors: Stadlen Shoël
Published: October 2004

MICHAEL FINNISSY: ‘Lost Lands’. Dilok; Delal; Kulamen Dilan; Moon's gain' down; Runnin' wild; Keroiylu; Lost Lands. Topologies: Christopher Redgate (ob), Julian Warburton (perc), Philip Gibbon (bsn), Guy Cowley (E-flat cl), Andrew McNeil (soprano sax), Darragh Morgan (vln), Ian Pace (piano). Metier MSVCD92050.

FINNISSY: ‘Etched Bright with Sunlight’. Snowdrift; O, schöner Mai; Free Setting; Verdi Transcription No.10; Stanley Stokes, East Street 1836; Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sind; Alkan-Paganini; Etched Bright with Sunlight. Nicolas Hodges (pno). Metronome MET CD 1058.
London, Sinfonietta and Spitalfields: new works by Judith Weir
Authors: Conway Paul
Published: October 2004

Judith Weir's Tiger under the Table, premièred by the London Sinfonietta under Thomas Adès in March 2003, is a reference to an exceptional energy in the lower registers, exemplified by an angry bassoon and twanging double bass. The gruff and dark-hued emphasis on the bass line in the opening section is in stark contrast to the typically bright and shiny ‘Judith Weir sound’ as exemplified by Moon and Star and the Piano Concerto, for example. The feeling of an underground upheaval recalls, rather, the ominous stringed-instrument slapping from the fifth movement of Weir's We Are Shadows. A heavenly string quartet offers repose: as in Vaughan Williams's Tallis Fantasia, it operates on a different plane from the rest of the ensemble. There ensues a quick parade of trios and quartets made up of unlikely combinations, including an ill-fated attempt to form a piano concerto. Finally, all 14 players join together and the composer truly becomes herself again in a witty and jazzy coda of prodigious invention. The pointillism here is engagingly full of heart. Glissandi threaten to destabilie the structure, but the work ends optimistically, with a warm unison.
Conference Report: Potsdam – The New Jewish School in Music
Authors: Miller Malcolm
Published: October 2004

Both for the quality of the repertoire and the influence of the composers, the ‘New Jewish School in Music’, the subject of a two-day conference on 10–11 May 2004 at the University of Potsdam, Germany, represents a significant aesthetic movement in the history of 20th-century music. To apply the term ‘school’ to a varied group which lasted from 1908 till 1938, and spread from St. Petersburg, through Russia, to Berlin and Vienna, as in the conference title (it is also that of a new book by Dr Jascha Nemtsov, conference organizer), begs the question of the extent to which there was a unanimity of aesthetic purpose and style. Yet while this is still open to debate, what emerged from the conference was a common agenda and a sense that it was certainly ‘new’ and young, since all the composers were keenly interested in contemporary, avant-garde music. Though diverse in idioms, they all shared a profound involvement with the revival of a folk culture and its assimilation into art music.
The first failed empire of the 21st century
Authors: Mann Michael
Published: October 2004

American foreign policy has been recently dominated by the venture into Iraq. This has not gone well. Most criticism has focused on ‘mistakes’ – there were not enough US troops, or they were of the wrong type, the Iraqi army was mistakenly disbanded after it surrendered, looting was not anticipated, oil expectations were unreal, the US depended too much on Iraqi exile claims, and so forth. Indeed, these were mistakes. 250,000 troops trained also in police roles would have made a difference. So might Iraqi army units converted into security police. So might better planning all round. But the mistakes were only the surface phenomena of a more profound American failure. The Iraq venture was doomed from the outset by the attempt to create what some neo-conservatives styled a ‘New American Empire’. This exaggerated American powers, made facile historical comparisons with previous Empires, mis-identified the enemy, and mis-identified the century we live in. This early twenty-first century attempt at Empire is failing. There will not be others.
Important role of force/velocity characteristics in sensory-motor coordination for control design of object manipulation by a multi-fingered robot hand
Authors: Bae J.-H. , Arimoto S.
Published: October 2004

The purpose of this paper is in duplicate to present computer simulation results of concurrent grasp and object manipulation by a pair of three degrees of freedom (3-dof) robot fingers with rigid hemispherical finger-ends that induce rolling contacts with an object and propose a guidance of gain tuning. Although the existence of a class of sensory feedback signals that realize stable grasp and orientation control of the object concurrently has been shown theoretically, the problem of tuning of their feedback gains has not yet been solved. This paper proposes a guideline for tuning sensory feedback gains by deriving a relationship between the object mass and damping coefficients of finger motions through analyzing the overall fingers-object dynamics and taking into account the well-known force/velocity characteristics of human muscle in muscle physiology.
The effects of fire on behaviour and relative abundance of three lizard species in an Amazonian savanna
Authors: Faria Alessandra Saraiva , Lima Albertina Pimentel , Magnusson William Ernest
Published: October 2004

Most savanna areas are affected by fire (San José & Fariñas 1983, Scholes & Archer 1997), and presumably all of the fauna that normally occurs in them have characteristics that allow them to maintain populations despite regular fires. Fires are frequent in Amazonian savannas and the vegetation is fire adapted. The Amazonian savanna at Alter do Chão suffers regular fires that affect vegetation structure (Sanaiotti & Magnusson 1995). Fires pass quickly in this area, the vegetation recovers most of the pre-fire cover within 6 mo, and there appears to be no long-term effect on soil structure. Trees are generally little affected by fires and they retain most of their foliage after the fire passes.
‘Alive and Present’: Theatresports and Contemporary Live Performance
Authors: ENGELBERTS MATTHIJS
Published: October 2004

Theatresports have been played for several decades now, and the form can claim international acceptance. This success is best viewed against the background of theatre's position in contemporary art and society. This form of theatre markedly takes advantage of the specificity of theatre, of its immediacy, of the fact that it is ‘live’ art. The improvisational matches thereby stress to what extent the ‘live’ aspect of theatrical performance has become distinctive in the domain of art. Moreover, theatresports highlight the social nature of theatre to such an extent that they probe the boundaries between the artistic and the social fields. By privileging the social event theatresports turn to advantage an aspect that allows theatre to buttress its position in competition with screen media.
Shakespeare in a Fountain: The First Italian Production of The Tempest Directed by Giorgio Strehler in 1948
Authors: COLLI GIAN GIACOMO
Published: October 2004

The Italian director Giorgio Strehler (1921–97) staged more plays by Shakespeare than by any other playwright, but only a few of his most recent and successful Shakespearean stagings have received international critical attention. By focusing on one of Strehler's early productions, The Tempest of 1948, this article has a double purpose: to examine the cultural context of a production that was quite anomalous for the Piccolo Teatro of Milan, then in its second season, and to underline how, from the beginning of his career, Strehler developed a crucial attention for a mutable theatre space.
Mimicry in coral reef fishes: ecological and behavioural responses of a mimic to its model
Authors: Eagle Janelle V. , Jones Geoffrey P.
Published: October 2004

Mimicry is a widely documented phenomenon in coral reef fishes, but the underlying relationships between mimics and models are poorly understood. Juveniles of the surgeonfish Acanthurus pyroferus mimic the coloration of different pygmy angelfish Centropyge spp. at different locations throughout the geographic range of the surgeonfish, while adopting a common species‐specific coloration as adults. This study examines the ecological and behavioural relationships between A pyroferus and one of its models, Centropyge vroliki, in Papua New Guinea. Surgeonfish underwent a transition from the juvenile (mimetic) coloration to the adult (non‐mimetic) coloration when they reached the maximum size of the angelfish. As typical of mimic–model relationships, mimic surgeonfish were always less abundant than their model. Spatial variation in the abundance of mimics was correlated with models, while the abundance of adults was not. We show that juvenile surgeonfish gain a foraging advantage by mimicking the angelfish. Mimic surgeonfish were always found within 1–2 m of a similar‐sized individual of C. vroliki with which they spent c. 10% of their time in close association. When in association with angelfish, juvenile surgeonfish exhibited an increase of c. 10% in the amount of time spent feeding compared to when they were alone. This foraging benefit seems to be explained by reduced aggression by the territorial damselfish Plectroglyphidon lacrymatus, which dominates the reef crest habitat. While adult A. pyroferus and all other surgeonfish were aggressively displaced from damselfish territories, mimic surgeonfish and their models were attacked less frequently and were not always displaced. Stomach contents analysis showed that the diet of C. vroliki differed substantially from P. lacrymatus, while that of A. pyroferus was more similar to the damselfish. We hypothesize that mimics deceive damselfish as to their diet in order to gain access to food supplies in defended areas.
Variation in harem size of red deer (Cervus elaphus L.): the effects of adult sex ratio and age‐structure
Authors: Bonenfant Christophe , Gaillard Jean‐Michel , Klein François , Maillard Daniel
Published: October 2004

The relationships among harem size, adult sex ratio (proportion of males > 5 years in the adult population, i.e. males > 5 years plus females > 2 years) and male age‐structure of red deer Cervus elaphus were investigated in La Petite Pierre National Reserve (PPNR) in France. We tested whether: (1) increasing adult sex ratio leads to a decrease in harem size along with an increase in the number of harems within a given rut period; (2) whether participation of sub‐adult males in mating activities increases with decreasing adult sex ratio, and as the proportion of adult males decreases. Harem size did not vary over the mating period, suggesting a high turnover of harem‐holders leading to an increase in the costs of mating for males. Harem size averaged 1.43 ± 0.91 and was lower than harem sizes typically reported for red deer (e.g. > 2.5 in Scotland and Norway). In support of the first prediction, a decrease in harem size and an increase in the total number of harems seen with an increasing sex ratio was observed (harem size = 2.08 – 1.26 [±0.43] ± (sex ratio); r2= 0.25, F1,18= 6.19, P= 0.02). Both the uniform distribution of females among harem stags and the small harem sizes observed in PPNR might concur to a smaller variance in male reproductive success than previously reported in red deer. Lastly, in partial support of the second prediction, the proportion of sub‐adult males observed during the mating season decreased with increasing adult sex ratio and with increasing proportions of adult males. Whether or not the lower proportion of sub‐adults seen when competition among mature males increases means that fewer young males mate cannot be assessed from our study.
Sperm competition affects the structure of the mammalian vas deferens
Authors: Anderson Matthew J. , Nyholt Jenna , Dixson Alan F.
Published: October 2004

Sperm competition is widespread, resulting in sexual selection when the gametes of two or more males compete for access to a given set of ova. This study shows, for the first time, that sexual selection has influenced the evolution of the mammalian vas deferens – that is, the muscular duct which rapidly transports spermatozoa from the cauda epididymis to the ampulla during sexual activity. Morphometric studies of 103 species, representing 70 genera of mammals, show that the vas deferens is on average 33% shorter and its muscular walls are 45% thicker, in those forms where sperm competition pressures are greatest. The outer and inner longitudinal muscle layers of the vas are thickened under these conditions, whereas the central, circular muscle layer is significantly reduced. Thus, mammals that have multiple partner mating systems, and large testes in relation to body weight, have shorter and more muscular vasa deferentia than mammals where single partner mating systems, and smaller relative testes sizes, are the norm. These differences are statistically significant after application of procedures to correct for possible phylogenetic biases in the data set. Sperm competition has played an important role in the evolution of the mammalian vasa deferentia, favouring muscular specializations that enhance sperm transport.
Needs, Moral Demands and Moral Theory
Authors: READER SORAN , BROCK GILLIAN
Published: October 2004

In this article we argue that the concept of need is as vital for moral theory as it is for moral life. In II we analyse need and its normativity in public and private moral practice. In III we describe simple cases which exemplify the moral demandingness of needs, and argue that the significance of simple cases for moral theory is obscured by the emphasis in moral philosophy on unusual cases. In IV we argue that moral theories are inadequate if they cannot describe simple needs-meeting cases. We argue that the elimination or reduction of need to other concepts such as value, duty, virtue or care is unsatisfactory, in which case moral theories that make those concepts fundamental will have to be revised. In conclusion, we suggest that if moral theories cannot be revised to accommodate needs, they may have to be replaced with a fully needs-based theory.
Consequentialism and the Principle of Indifference
Authors: MASON ELINOR
Published: October 2004

James Lenman argues that consequentialism fails as a moral theory because it is impossible to predict the long-term consequences of our actions. I agree that it is impossible to predict the long-term consequences of actions, but argue that this does not count as a strike against consequentialism. I focus on the principle of indifference, which tells us to treat unforeseeable consequences as cancelling each other out, and hence value-neutral. I argue that though we cannot defend this principle independently, we cannot do without it in practical rationality. Thus abandoning the principle of indifference would involve abandoning all of rationality, not just consequentialist reasoning. I suggest that we should understand the principle as P. F. Strawson understands inductive reasoning – as being part of rationality.
Measuring renal function in old age
Authors: Chattopadhyay Indrajit
Published: October 2004

The kidneys undergo a multitude of structural and functional changes with advancing age. Structurally, there is a progressive loss of predominantly cortical renal mass, a decrease in the number of glomeruli, an increase in the proportion of sclerotic glomeruli, atherosclerotic vascular changes and interstitial changes resulting in atrophy and fibrosis. Functionally, there is a decline in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), resulting primarily from a decrease in the number of functioning nephrons.
Use of mouse oocytes to evaluate the ability of human sperm to activate oocytes after failure of activation by intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Authors: Araki Yasuyuki , Yoshizawa Midori , Abe Hiroyuki , Murase Yoshihiko , Araki Yasuhisa
Published: October 2004

The objective of the present study was to investigate the nuclei of human sperms that failed to fertilize human oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The sperms were injected into mouse oocytes by a piezo-micromanipulator, and some of these oocytes were artificially activated with strontium chloride (SrCl2) after ICSI. The oocytes were fixed, stained, and subjected to chromosomal analysis. The survival rate of mouse oocytes injected with infertile human sperms was 92.0% (46/50), while that of the control mouse oocytes injected with fertile human sperms was 73.6% (81/110). The rate of two pronuclei (2PN) formation was 0 (0/46) by the infertile sperms and 81.5% (66/81) by the fertile ones, a significant difference (p<0.01). Sperm chromosomes in non-activated oocytes were present as premature chromosome condensation (PCC). Artificial activation after ICSI increased the 2PN formation rate in the infertile group to 90.3% (28/31). The results of the present study suggest that infertile sperms have a low potential to spontaneously activate oocytes and to form pronuclei. Thus, artificial activation after ICSI may rescue oocytes fertilized with infertile human sperms that do not produce 2PN. The present study proved the usefulness of mouse oocytes as specimens in evaluating the oocyte-activating capacity of objective human sperms prior to ICSI treatment.
Murine Asb-17 expression during mouse testis development and spermatogenesis
Authors: Kim Kye-Seong , Kim Myung-Sun , Kim Soo-Kyung , Baek Kwang-Hyun
Published: October 2004

In this study we isolated a murine mAsb-17 from mouse testis by RT-PCR using primers designed based on the sequences from the GenBank database. The sequence analysis showed that mAsb-17 encodes a 295 amino acid polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 34 kDa containing two ankyrin repeats and one SOCS box. The amino acid sequence of mASB-17 showed 87.5%, 98.3% and 92.9% identity with that of human, rat and dog, respectively. Interestingly, northern blot analysis showed that mAsb-17 was expressed only in the testis. The expression analysis by RT-PCR for mAsb-17 in mouse indicates that mAsb-17 is expressed from the fourth week after birth to adult, with the highest expression in round spermatids. Both northern blot and RT-PCR analyses suggest that mASB-17 may play essential roles in testis development and spermatogenesis.
Reconstruction of enucleated mouse germinal vesicle oocytes with blastomere nuclei
Authors: Grabarek Joanna B. , Płusa Berenika , Modliński Jacek A. , Karasiewicz Jolanta
Published: October 2004

We have investigated the possibility that mitotic nuclei originating from preimplantation stage embryos and placed in the oocyte cytoplasm can undergo remodelling that allows them to undergo meiosis in the mouse. To address this question, we have used enucleated germinal vesicle (GV) ooplasts as recipients and blastomeres from the 2-, 4- or 8-cell stage as nuclear donors. We employed two methods to obtain ooplasts from GV oocytes: cutting and enucleation. Although efficiency of the reconstruction process was higher after enucleation than after cutting (90% and 70% respectively), the developmental potential of the oocytes was independent of how they had been produced. Nuclei from the 2-, 4-, or 8-cell stage embryos supported maturation in about 35%, 55% and 60% of cases, respectively. The time between nuclear envelope breakdown and the first meiotic division was shortened by up to 5 h in reconstructed oocytes, a period equivalent to the mitotic division of control blastomeres. About one-third of oocytes reconstituted with blastomere nuclei divided symmetrically instead of extruding a polar body; however, in the majority of them metaphase plates were found, suggesting that reconstructed oocytes (cybrids) underwent a meiotic rather than mitotic division. The highest percentage of asymmetric divisions accompanied by metaphase plates was found in cybrids with 8-cell-stage blastomere nuclei, suggesting that the nuclei from this stage appear to conform best to the cytoplasmic environment of GV ooplasts. Our results indicate that the oocyte cytoplasm is capable of remodelling blastomere nuclei, allowing them to follow the path of the meiotic cell cycle.
Growth factors protect in vitro cultured embryos from the consequences of oxidative stress
Authors: Kurzawa Rafał , Glabowski Wojciech , Baczkowski Tomasz , Wiszniewska Barbara , Marchlewicz Mariola
Published: October 2004

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of insulin-like growth factors (IGF1 and IGF2), stem cell factor (SCF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the development of embryos exposed to oxidative stress. C3B6F1 female mice were stimulated with 5 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin and 5 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). Two-cell embryos were flushed out from the fallopian tubes 40 h after eCG administration and mating with DBA males. In each experiment embryos were divided into three groups and cultured in (1) control medium, (2) control medium with 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide and (3) control medium with hydrogen peroxide and separately with IGF1, IGF2, SCF or EGF in concentrations of 1 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml. Under phase-contrast microscopy, 8-cell and compacted embryos, and early, expanded, hatched and outgrown blastocysts were counted at 24 h. The total blastocyst (TB) and inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers were established by differential staining. Blastocyst cell viability was examined under fluorescence microscopy. To detect apoptosis, TUNEL was performed and visualized under a laser scanning confocal microscope. Hydrogen peroxide decreased embryo growth, blastocyst rates, blastocyst cell viability as well as TB and ICM counts. The TUNEL reaction revealed significantly more apoptotic cells in oxidative stress conditions. Tested factors revealed a varying extent of protective activity against oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide. In media containing hydrogen peroxide and one of the four tested factors (IGF1, IGF2, SCF or EGF) the embryos developed faster than in media with hydrogen peroxide alone. IGF1, IGF2 and EGF increased both TB and (or) ICM counts in embryos exposed to hydrogen peroxide. All tested factors reduced the number of apoptotic cells (TUNEL) in embryos exposed to hydrogen peroxide.
Serotonin localization and its functional significance during mouse preimplantation embryo development
Authors: Il'ková Gabriela , Rehák Pavol , Veselá Jarmila , Čikoš štefan , Fabian Dušan , Czikková Soňa , Koppel Juraj
Published: October 2004

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter functioning also as a hormone and growth factor. To further investigate the biological role of serotonin during embryo development, we analysed serotonin localization as well as the expression of specific serotonin 5-HT1D receptor mRNA in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos. The functional significance of serotonin during the preimplantation period was examined by studying the effects of serotonin on mouse embryo development. Embryo exposure to serotonin (1 μM) highly significantly reduced the mean cell number, whereas lower concentrations of serotonin (0.1 μM and 0.01 μM) had no significant effects on embryo cell numbers. In all serotonin-treated groups a significant increase in the number of embryos with apoptotic and secondary necrotic nuclei was observed. Expression of serotonin 5-HT1D receptor mRNA in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos was confirmed by in situ hybridization showing a clearly distinct punctate signal. Immunocytochemistry results revealed the localization of serotonin in oocytes and embryos to the blastocyst stage as diffuse punctate cytoplasmic labelling. It appears that endogenous and/or exogenous serotonin in preimplantation embryos could be involved in complex autocrine/paracrine regulations of embryo development and embryo-maternal interactions.
The role of parliament in international relations and WTO negotiations: the case of Norway
Authors: LANGHELLE OLUF , ROMMETVEDT HILMAR
Published: October 2004

According to traditional constitutional theory, foreign affairs is the prerogative of the executive. However, globalisation and the dual process of internationalisation of domestic affairs and domestification of international affairs imply that the days when foreign policy was the exclusive domain of the executive are over. The article explores the effects of globalisation on the role of Parliament in international relations in general, and WTO negotiations specifically, using the Norwegian Parliament as an illustration. Three findings are presented. First, at the international level attempts are made to develop a ‘parliamentary dimension of the WTO’. Second, at the national level the Norwegian Parliament has become more actively engaged in international relations. And, third, the Norwegian Parliament plays an important role in the processes of defining national interests and determining national negotiation positions in the WTO, especially with regard to possible trade-offs between the offensive interests of fisheries and the defensive interests of agriculture.
Securing Quality in the Mixed Economy of Care: Difficulties in Regulating Training
Authors: Balloch Susan , Banks Laura , Hill Michael
Published: October 2004

This study explores issues about securing quality of provision in social care using evidence from research into training in the adult care sector in two English local authorities. It shows that progress towards securing a trained workforce is slow and explores reasons for this. It argues that since the government is making particular efforts to increase training in this sector, these data provide a good test case of the problems about using regulation to raise care standards. It concludes that significant progress is unlikely to be made in respect of training unless the impact of other factors, such as the occupational segregation of the workforce and contracting out, are also taken into account.
Care, Values and Support in Local Self-help Groups
Authors: Williams Fiona
Published: October 2004

This article examines ‘care’ and ‘values’ in local self-help groups and voluntary organisations which mobilise around partnering and parenting. It finds that a shared identity based upon common experiences of misrecognition and stigma is the most significant element of involvement. This provides the basis for new knowledge, for challenging professional practice, and for alternative practices of care and support based on trust, reciprocity and mutual respect. However, sometimes it also contributes to forms of social closure. The article sets these findings in the context of New Labour policy on voluntary organisations, participation, and parenting and partnering.
Geschlechtsspezifische Ideale im Wandel der Zeit
Authors: Swazina Karl Ralf , Waldherr Karin , Maier Kathrin
Published: October 2004

Zusammenfassung: Ausgehend von vorhandenen Hypothesen einer zeitlichen Veränderung der Sozialen Erwünschtheit der femininen und maskulinen Eigenschaften des Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974 ; Schneider-Düker, 1978 ) für Frauen und Männer wurden im Zuge einer ersten Datenerhebung insgesamt 90 Eigenschaften von 42 Studierenden der Universität Wien eingestuft. Für acht feminine und fünf maskuline Eigenschaften des BSRI wurde eine Abweichung zwischen den neu erhobenen Werten und jenen von 1978 festgestellt. Zusätzlich ergaben sich aus diesem und einem zweiten Datensatz für einige weitere Eigenschaften Hinweise eines zeitlichen Wandels der Sozialen Erwünschtheit. Diese wurden im Zuge einer zusätzlichen Datenerhebung überprüft, wobei jene 90 Eigenschaften nun von 314 StudentInnen eingestuft wurden. Die Ergebnisse der ersten Erhebung konnten bestätigt sowie für weitere sieben maskuline und vier feminine Eigenschaften ein Anstieg der Sozialen Erwünschtheit für das jeweils andere Geschlecht festgestellt werden. Die erfassten Unterschiede zu früheren Normen werden im Sinne einer veränderten Auffassung über weibliche und männliche Ideale in unserer Gesellschaft interpretiert.
Characteristics of Asian aerosol transport simulated with a regional‐scale chemical transport model during the ACE‐Asia observation
Authors: Satake Shinsuke , Uno Itsushi , Takemura Toshihiko , Carmichael Gregory R. , Tang Youhua , Streets David , Sugimoto Nobuo , Shimizu Atsushi , Uematsu Mitsuo , Han Jin‐Seok , Ohta Sachio
Published: October 2004

The transport and optical thickness of tropospheric aerosols (dust, sulfate, carbonaceous aerosols, and sea salt) during the ACE‐Asia intensive observation period (spring 2001) were simulated using a CFORS chemical transport model coupled with a regional meteorological model. Simulated aerosol fields were examined intensively with surface monitoring stations (PM10, sulfate, and total carbonaceous aerosol), Mie Lidar, and satellite observation data. It was shown that CFORS aerosol fields agree with observations and reproduced many observed characteristics including the several high concentration levels associated with the continental outflow, aerosol vertical profiles and strong correlation between dust and sulfate transports. We found the presence of the latitudinal gradient of aerosol concentrations from these comparisons. The two‐month (March and April) averaged aerosol concentration and AOT fields show this latitudinal gradient more clearly, and indicated that the main dust field is located between 30°N and 45°N, while sulfate and carbonaceous field are mainly dominant from their main sources in central China and Southeast Asia to northern Japan (between 25°N and 45°N). Analyses of aerosol horizontal fluxes were also performed. We found that these distributions are closely related to characteristics of wind field of springtime and that each aerosol has the following transport route; the main dust flow is eastward along the 45°N parallel and is located in the free atmosphere; sulfate and carbonaceous aerosols within the boundary layer has a clockwise and divergent flow pattern over central China, which produce the strong outflow associated with anthropogenic emissions at northern latitudes and constrain the continental outflow at the southern latitude; and carbonaceous aerosols at the upper level (2–6 km) have another transport pathway that is along about 30°N from Thailand and Laos. Regional budgets of tropospheric aerosols showed that total emissions were 105 Tg for dust, 8.3 Tg‐SO2 for sulfur (73% from human activities and 27% from volcanic activities), and 3.07 Tg for carbonaceous aerosols. Dry deposition, gravitational settling, and northward outflow of dust accounted for 33%, 27%, and 14% of total emissions, respectively. Wet deposition, eastward outflow, and dry deposition of sulfur accounted for 33%, 27%, and 21%, respectively. Regarding carbonaceous aerosols, the outflow to the east has the highest fraction (49%), followed by dry deposition (16%) and the outflow to the north (14%).
Spectral aerosol optical characteristics during the northeast monsoon over the Arabian Sea and the tropical Indian Ocean: 1. Aerosol optical depths and their variabilities
Authors: Ramachandran S.
Published: October 2004

From the cruise expeditions conducted during 1996–2000 in the northeast winter monsoon seasons over the Arabian Sea (AS), tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) aerosol optical depths (AODs) in the 0.4–0.85 μm wavelength region are measured, and their yearly, monthly mean variabilities and trends are analyzed. The AODs are found to show a steep latitudinal gradient as the ship moves away from the coast towards the pristine oceanic region. AODs are found to exhibit an increasing trend over coastal India (CI) and AS, while the AODs are found to decrease over TIO during the 5‐year period. The monthly mean AODs from December to April are found to increase over CI and AS, while they decrease over TIO. AODs obtained over two land locations (Trivandrum (TVM), Vishakapatnam (VSK)) in peninsular India, and two marine locations (Minicoy (MCY), Kaashidhoo (KCO)), situated in the downwind direction of the Indian subcontinent for the 1996–2000 period are analyzed and compared. The 5‐year mean AOD spectra over TVM, VSK, and MCY/KCO are found to exhibit a less steeper gradient and the AODs over these locations are comparable. The AODs are found to show an increasing trend in the 4‐year period over TVM. Over VSK no definite positive or negative trends are visible in the AODs. The yearly mean AODs over MCY/KCO are found to exhibit a decreasing trend quite consistent with the trends seen over the Indian Ocean. The monthly mean AODs are found to increase over the land and marine locations during the December–April period.
Spectral aerosol optical characteristics during the northeast monsoon over the Arabian Sea and the tropical Indian Ocean: 2. Ångström parameters and anthropogenic influence
Authors: Ramachandran S.
Published: October 2004

Ångström parameters are estimated from the spectral aerosol optical depths (AODs) measured over the Arabian Sea (AS) and tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) during the northeast winter monsoon seasons of 1996–2000, and their yearly and monthly mean variabilities are investigated. The 5‐year mean Ångström wavelength exponent α is found to be 1.5 over coastal India (CI), AS, and TIO. The 5‐year mean β, turbidity parameter, is found to be about 0.14 over CI, 0.10 over AS, and about 0.05 over TIO indicating the less polluted nature of TIO. The α and β values display year‐to‐year and monthly mean variations. The 5‐year mean α and β values over two land locations (Trivandrum (TVM), Vishakapatnam (VSK)) in peninsular India and marine locations (Minicoy (MCY), Kaashidhoo (KCO)) are found to be around 1 and 0.2. An examination of the daily mean wind speeds and the 0.5 μm AODs obtained during 1996–2000 yielded an index of wind dependence 0.05 for AS and 0.11 over TIO. The scaling distance, the distance up to which the effects of continental aerosols are noticeable over the oceanic regions, is estimated to be 1500 km over the Indian Ocean region. The 5‐year mean anthropogenic contribution to the 0.5 μm AODs over CI, AS, and TIO estimated by comparing with the wind speed dependent sea salt aerosol is found to be above 90% over CI and AS, while it is 74% over TIO. The 5‐year mean anthropogenic contribution over TVM and VSK is in excess of 80%. Over MCY/KCO the anthropogenic contribution is lower at 70%.
Evidence and timing of crustal extension versus shortening in the early tectonothermal evolution of a Proterozoic continental rift sequence at Broken Hill, Australia
Authors: Gibson G. M. , Peljo M. , Chamberlain T.
Published: October 2004

Low‐pressure (P)–high‐temperature (T) metamorphism previously attributed to crustal thickening accompanying nappe emplacement in the Paleoproterozoic Willyama Supergroup at Broken Hill is reinterpreted as a response to crustal extension (D1) and bimodal magmatism commencing circa 1700 Ma. D1 deformation occurred under amphibolite‐granulite facies conditions, producing layer‐parallel fabrics (S1) and metapelitic mineral assemblages in which andalusite dominated over sillimanite. Crustal extension ceased soon after 1640 Ma to be followed by crustal thickening, higher‐pressure metamorphism, and northeast vergent recumbent folding (D2) attendant on inversion of the original D1 extensional structures. D2 recumbent folding has previously gone unrecognized but probably peaked around 1600 Ma before further amphibolite facies metamorphism between 1600 and 1590 Ma accompanying upright folding and northwest directed thrust faulting (D3). In the light of this revised tectonothermal history, geodynamic models erected to explain elevated thermal gradients and low‐P–high‐T granulite facies metamorphism in tectonically thickened crust may not be as relevant to Broken Hill as once thought. Above average crustal temperatures and low‐P–high‐T metamorphism in the Willyama Supergroup more likely occurred in response to voluminous magmatic intrusion accompanying crustal thinning, mantle upwelling and emplacement and unroofing of midcrustal rocks along a major detachment surface. A second major structural and/or stratigraphic break in the Willyama Supergroup is indicated by the absence of D1 fabrics from the uppermost part of the sequence.
CH4 sources estimated from atmospheric observations of CH4 and its 13C/12C isotopic ratios: 1. Inverse modeling of source processes
Authors: Mikaloff Fletcher Sara E. , Tans Pieter P. , Bruhwiler Lori M. , Miller John B. , Heimann Martin
Published: October 2004

A time‐dependent inverse modeling approach that estimates the global magnitude of atmospheric methane sources from the observed spatiotemporal distribution of atmospheric CH4, 13C/12C isotopic ratios, and a priori estimates of the source strengths is presented. Relative to the a priori source estimates, the inverse model calls for increased CH4 flux from sources with strong spatial footprints in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere and decreases in sources in the Northern Hemisphere. The CH4 and 13C/12C isotopic ratio observations suggest an unusually high CH4 flux from swamps (∼200 ± 44 Tg CH4/yr) and biomass burning (88 ± 18 Tg CH4/yr) with relatively low estimates of emissions from bogs (∼20 ± 14 Tg CH4/yr), and landfills (35 ± 14 Tg CH4/yr). The model results support the hypothesis that the 1998 CH4 growth rate anomaly was caused in part by a large increase in CH4 production from wetlands, and indicate that wetland sources were about 40 Tg CH4/yr higher in 1998 than 1999.