bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possible involvement of protein kinase C activation in differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelium‐derived cell into smooth muscle‐like cell
Authors: Ishisaki Akira , Tsunobuchi Hironaka , Nakajima Keiichi , Imamura Toru
Published: June 2004

Summry— We previously reported that when deprived of fibroblast growth factor, human umbilical vein endothelium‐derived cells (HUVE‐DCs) are capable of differentiating into smooth muscle‐like cells through activin A‐induced, Smad‐dependent signaling, and that maintenance of the endothelial‐cell phenotype and differentiation into smooth muscle‐like cells are reciprocally controlled by fibroblast growth factor‐1 and activin A (Ishisaki et al., 2003). Here, we examined how protein kinase C (PKC), which plays pivotal roles in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation in numerous cell types, might affect the above differentiation. We found that phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate‐induced down‐regulations of some PKCs accompany suppressions of the expressions of smooth muscle cell markers in HUVE‐DCs deprived of fibroblast growth factor. Moreover, the PKC‐inhibitors Go¨6850 and Go¨6983 suppressed the differentiation of HUVE‐DCs into smooth muscle‐like cells. These results strongly suggest that activation of PKC is involved in the above differentiation.
Aβ production as consequence of cellular death of a human neuroblastoma overexpressing APP
Authors: Recuero Marı́a , Serrano Elena , Bullido Marı́a J , Valdivieso Fernando
Published: June 2004

In human brain the Aβ peptide is produced mainly by neurons and the overexpression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) that involves an increase in Aβ secretion, has been observed in some areas of the Alzheimer's disease patients brain. We have generated two stably transfected human neuroblastoma lines which overexpress APP; both of them secreted Aβ and showed morphological changes and cell death with apoptotic program characteristics. Interestingly, coculture experiments with the untransfected human neuroblastoma cell line showed that the Aβ peptide was not responsible for the death in those cell lines; additionally, we indicate that upon cell death, Aβ peptide is secreted into cell medium.
Analysis of human tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 dominant‐negative mutants reveals a major region controlling cell surface expression
Authors: Fielding Ceri A , Siebert Stefan , Rowe Martin , Brennan Paul
Published: June 2004

Tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) plays a critical role in host defence and inflammation. We have identified a membrane proximal region (aa 218–324) of TNFR1 that restricts surface expression. This was prompted by comparing the dominant‐negative properties of a C‐terminal truncation of TNFR1 with a point mutant that prevents signalling. C‐terminal truncation (aa 218–426) generates a better dominant‐negative TNFR1 mutant than inactivation of the death domain by point mutation. The increased dominant‐negative activity correlates with increased cell surface expression. The membrane proximal region is the most important region of the receptor for restricting expression.
The intrinsic stability of the second intermediate following the dioxygen‐bound form in the O2 reduction by cytochrome c oxidase
Authors: Oda Kenji , Ogura Takashi , Appelman Evan H , Yoshikawa Shinya
Published: June 2004

Aeration of a two‐electron reduced cytochrome c oxidase provides a species with two Raman bands at 804 and 356 cm−1, identifying it as the second intermediate following the O2‐bound species in the enzymatic O2 reduction process. It degrades directly to the fully oxidized form with a half‐life time of 70 min at pH 8.0. The stability suggests an effective insulation for the active site in an extremely high oxidation state (Fe4+ with one oxidative equivalent nearby) against spontaneous electron leaks, which would dissipate proton motive force. The formation and degradation of the second intermediate are pH‐dependent.
Direct interaction between BKCa potassium channel and microtubule‐associated protein 1A
Authors: Park Soo Mi , Liu Guoxia , Kubal Anup , Fury Matthew , Cao Luxiang , Marx Steven O
Published: June 2004

The BKCa channel, a potassium channel that is allosterically activated by voltage and calcium, is expressed in both excitable and non‐excitable cells. The channel plays an important role in regulating membrane excitability. The channel activity can be modulated by post‐translational modifications such as phosphorylation. Recently, hippocampal BKCa channels were shown to be directly modulated by assembly/disassembly of the submembranous actin cytoskeleton. Here, we report that the BKCa channel physically interacts with the light chain of microtubule associated protein 1A (MAP1A). The light chain was isolated in a yeast two‐hybrid screen of a human brain cDNA library. The specificity of the interaction was demonstrated in biochemical experiments utilizing GST fusion protein pulldown assays and reciprocal co‐immunoprecipitations from rat brain. Furthermore, utilizing immunofluorescence, the BKCa channel and MAP1A co‐localize in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum. These studies identify a novel interaction between the C‐terminal tail of the BKCa channel and the light chain of MAP1A, which enables channel association with and modulation by the cytoskeleton.
Characterization of an oxaloacetate decarboxylase that belongs to the malic enzyme family
Authors: Sender Pablo D , Martı́n Mauricio G , Peirú Salvador , Magni Christian
Published: June 2004

The citM gene from Lactococcus lactis CRL264 was demonstrated to encode for an oxaloacetate decarboxylase. The enzyme exhibits high levels of similarity to malic enzymes (MEs) from other organisms. CitM was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and its oxaloacetate decarboxylase activity was demonstrated by biochemical and genetic studies. The highest oxaloacetate decarboxylation activity was found at low pH in the presence of manganese, and the K
m value for oxaloacetate was 0.52 ± 0.03 mM. However, no malic activity was found for this enzyme. Our studies clearly show a new group of oxaloacetate decarboxylases associated with the citrate fermentation pathway in gram‐positive bacteria. Furthermore, the essential catalytic residues were found to be conserved in all members of the ME family, suggesting a common mechanism for oxaloacetate decarboxylation.
P‐domain and lectin site are involved in the chaperone function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae calnexin homologue
Authors: Xu Xiaohua , Azakami Hiroyuki , Kato Akio
Published: June 2004

Cne1p, a calnexin homologue from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been shown to possess a conserved P‐domain and lectin site as mammalian calnexin. The effect of P‐domain and lectin site on the function of Cne1p was investigated in vitro using recombinant P‐domain, P‐domain deletion mutant of Cne1p, and lectin site mutant of Cne1ps (E181A and E398A) The binding of monoglucosylated oligosaccharide (G1M9) with Cne1p was clearly demonstrated using lectin site mutants. The P‐domain deletion mutant and the letcin site mutants partially decreased the ability to suppress the aggregation of citrate synthase (CS) and chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin at levels different from Cne1p. Furthermore, the P‐domain deletion mutant and the lectin site mutants decreased the ability to enhance the refolding of CS. These results suggest that the cooperation between the P‐domain and the lectin site are important for the complete function of Cne1p. Thus, we conclude that P‐domain in cooperation with the lectin site of Cne1p functions as a chaperone.
The HIF prolyl hydroxylase PHD3 is a potential substrate of the TRiC chaperonin
Authors: Masson Norma , Appelhoff Rebecca J. , Tuckerman Jason R. , Tian Ya-min , Demol Hans , Puype Magda , Vandekerckhove Joel , Ratcliffe Peter J. , Pugh Christopher W.
Published: June 2004

Hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF) is regulated by oxygen‐dependent prolyl hydroxylation. Of the three HIF prolyl hydroxylases (PHD1, 2 and 3) identified, PHD3 exhibits restricted substrate specificity in vitro and is induced in different cell types by diverse stimuli. PHD3 may therefore provide an interface between oxygen sensing and other signalling pathways. We have used co‐purification and mass spectrometry to identify proteins that interact with PHD3. The cytosolic chaperonin TRiC was found to copurify with PHD3 in extracts from several cell types. Our results indicate that PHD3 is a TRiC substrate, providing another step at which PHD3 activity may be regulated.
Chambered Microarrays: Relevance to Genomic Data
Authors: Granchelli Joseph
Published: June 2004

The obvious utility of microarray technology is its incredibly high feature density. An entire genome can be assayed in a single experiment. However, this same strength creates difficulties. First, what does one do with the transcription data of a gene whose function(s) are unknown? Second, in most applications, hundreds—not hundreds of thousands—of genes are regulated. Why collect replicate data on thousands of genes not involved in the problem at hand? In one sense, a high-density microarray is a fishing expedition that identifies the important players. Subsequently, efforts may be focused on the complete, albeit smaller set of regulated elements.
IQ®Technology: An Automated, High-Throughput Screening Assay for Kinase, Phosphatase, and Protease Targets
Authors: McCauley Timothy J. , Mathrubutham Mahesh , Morgan Aric G. , Onken Jessica , Stanaitis Michael L. , Millis Sherri Z.
Published: June 2004

IQ® Technology, a homogeneous, universal-detection platform, originally designed for high-throughput screening (HTS) of kinases and phosphatases, has now been applied to protease screening. Representative enzymes from the major classes of proteases have been assayed in the IQ® format. Enzyme activity and compound inhibition data are presented for such enzymes as Trypsin, Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) and Calpain 1. The technology has been tested in 96- to 384- to 1536-well microplate formats and is universally suited for automated screening. IQ® Technology is a direct, noncompetitive assay that does not require antibodies or radioisotopes. Fluorophore-labeled peptides are used as enzyme substrates. Kinase or phosphatase activity is quantified by direct measurement of the phosphorylation state of the substrate. For protease activity, cleavage is quantified with a peptide substrate containing a phospho-residue distal to the fluorphore. Cleavage of the substrate liberates the fluorphore-labeled terminus from the terminus containing the phospho-residue. Protease activity is measured by the change in fluorescence intensity that occurs when a proprietary compound binds specifically to phosphoryl groups on peptides and quenches the fluorescence. Iq® Technology can be used with any peptide sequence and is insensitive to high concentrations of ATP and substrate. The IQ® Technology has been validated against a large number of detergents, organics, and other reagents found in reaction mixtures and has been optimized for HTS applications exhibiting representative Z' values of 0.7. (JALA 2004;9:171-6)
Automated Selection of Aminoglycoside Aptamers
Authors: Goertz Patrick W. , Cox J. Colin , Ellington Andrew D.
Published: June 2004

The in vitro selection of aptamers that bind to low molecular weight targets is commonly a tedious, time-consuming project. We have expanded current automated selection protocols to include aptamer selections against small molecules including the aminoglycosides neomycin, kanamycin, and tobramycin. This modified procedure decreases both the frequency of manual handling of the selection reagents and the time required to perform the experiment, generating aptamers against the chosen target at a much greater rate. Using this process, we have selected aptamers of good affinity against all three aminoglycosides chosen. The method is suitable for integration with high-throughput technologies, greatly expanding the possibility of discovering useful aptamers against other low weight targets. (JALA 2004;9:150-4)
Automated Optimization of Aptamer Selection Buffer Conditions
Authors: Stovall Gwendolyn M. , Cox J. Colin , Ellington Andrew D.
Published: June 2004

Optimizing the buffer conditions of the selection of nucleic acid binding species (aptamers), increases the likelihood of producing a target aptamer. Aptamers, with high target affinity and specificity, are often compared to antibodies, as aptamers emerge in the industry as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The increased demand for aptamers encourages high-throughput aptamer generation. The selection buffer conditions may vary as widely as the selection targets, and therefore buffer optimization is helpful if not required for effective aptamer selections. Such optimization work is time consuming and repetitious, which bodes well for high-throughput applications. To accommodate this, an automated buffer testing protocol has been developed to test target-to-unselected RNA pool binding in the presence of 96 different buffer conditions. The dynamic program may vary the monovalent salt(s) identity, monovalent salt(s) concentration, divalent salt(s) identity, divalent salt concentration, buffer identity, buffer concentration, and pH. The optimized buffer conditions likely increase the probability of a successful selection and therefore promote higher ratios of successful aptamer selections against a variety of targets.

Preliminary results show trends with the buffer matrix solutions and lysozyme:unselected pool binding. In general, an inverse relationship between lysozyme binding and monovalent salt concentration is observed. (JALA 2004;9:117-22)
Mechanical differences between lumbar and tail discs in the mouse
Authors: Sarver Joseph J. , Elliott Dawn M.
Published: June 2004

The mouse lumbar and tail discs are both used as models to study disc degeneration; however, the mechanical behavior of these two levels has not been compared. The objective of this study was to compare the elastic and viscoelastic mechanical properties of lumbar and tail discs of the mouse under axial compression–tension loading. We hypothesized that tail discs would have a larger transition zone (e.g., neutral zone) and would be less stiff in compression. To test these hypotheses, lumbar and tail bone–disc–bone motion segments were loaded in axial compression and tension. The nonlinear elastic mechanical behavior was examined using a tri‐linear curvefit. Elastic behavior of lumbar and tail discs was most different in the low‐stiffness transition region (neutral zone), where lumbar discs were nearly twice as stiff over half the axial displacement. In addition, viscoelastic behavior, which was examined using a stretch–exponential curvefit, also showed large lumbar and tail differences, where lumbar discs compressed by 60% of their original height and tail discs by 98% after static creep compression. These results demonstrate that tail discs undergo far more axial displacement than lumbar discs under the same load. These findings are relevant to rodent tail models where chronic loads are applied in vivo to study mechanical pathways of degeneration. Furthermore, the tri‐linear model, used here to curvefit the nonlinear compression–tension data, quantified stiffness in the transition zone for the first time, which may prove useful in future disc mechanical studies. © 2004 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Growth factor induced fibroblast differentiation from human bone marrow stromal cells in vitro
Authors: Moreau Jodie E. , Chen Jingsong , Bramono Diah S. , Volloch Vladimir , Chernoff Herman , Vunjak‐Novakovic Gordana , Richmond John C. , Kaplan David L. , Altman Gregory H.
Published: June 2004

Utilizing a two‐dimensional tissue culture plastic screening system and a fractional factorial design, specific media formulations and growth factor combinations were determined that support human bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) differentiation toward fibroblast characteristics for utilization in tissue engineering, specifically cell morphology and alignment, metabolic activity, abundant expression of collagen types I and III, and negligible expression of other tissue‐specific markers. BMSCs were cultured for up to 14 days on tissue culture plastic, supplemented with Dulbecco's Minimal Essential Medium (DMEM)/10% FBS or Advanced DMEM(ADMEM)/5% FBS. Each medium base was supplemented with one of nine possible growth factor combinations and ascorbate‐2‐phosphate (Asc‐2‐P) for the duration of culture. ADMEM supported comparable cell viability with half the serum content of the DMEM formulation. Asc‐2‐P was potent in promoting BMSC proliferation, in the absence of a mitogen, supporting significant increases in cell activity over 14 days of culture. DMEM promoted significant increases in cell viability for 7 of 9 growth factor groups when compared to their ADMEM counterparts. ADMEM, however, promoted increased cell transcript and protein expression, as 5 of 9 growth factor combinations induced a 200% increase in collagen type I versus equivalent DMEM cultures. Cell morphology and collagen type I immunostaining, when assessed in context of MTT and RNA results, identified 3 growth factor and medium combinations that supported fibroblast differentiation for future development of ligament tissue in vitro. © 2004 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sources of Registration Error with Image Guidance Systems During Endoscopic Anterior Cranial Base Surgery
Authors: Snyderman Carl , Zimmer Lee A. , Kassam Amin
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the registration process and to identify potential sources of error during anterior cranial base surgery.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

The registration accuracy of image guidance and the location of excluded fiducials were recorded prospectively from 50 endoscopic, anterior cranial base procedures in an academic university setting.

RESULTS

The mean error of initial registration was 2.8 mm (range, 1.4 to 7.1 mm). Following the exclusion of fiducials the mean error of registration was 1.6 mm (range, 0.6 to 3.7 mm). There was a significant improvement in the mean error rate from initial to final registration following the exclusion of fiducials (P < 0.0001). Posterior fiducials were excluded most often and anterior fiducials were excluded the least. Registration accuracy was similar for CT and MRI (P = 0.64).

CONCLUSIONS

The accuracy of the Stryker Image Guidance System is enhanced by the exclusion of individual fiducials with high registration errors.

SIGNIFICANCE

The exclusion of fiducials with high registration errors increases the accuracy of image guidance in anterior cranial base surgery.
A New Measure of Placebo Response and Patient Satisfaction in Office Encounters
Authors: Ovchinsky Alexander , Ovchinsky Nadia , Rosenfeld Richard M.
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVES

Placebo response is defined as a change in health status resulting from the symbolic significance attributed by the patient or proxy to the physician encounter. Our goals were to validate the PR12 survey as a measure of placebo response and to analyze the placebo response as a discrete and measurable component of everyday office encounters with the otolaryngologist.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a prospective, before‐and‐after clinical outcomes study of 95 children aged 6 months to 12 years conducted in an academic metropolitan pediatric otolaryngology practice. Caregivers completed the PR‐12 survey at entry and at least 4 weeks later. The survey included 3 domains (4 questions each) reflecting the main components of the placebo response: meaningful explanation, care and concern, and mastery and control. PR‐12 was correlated with longitudinal change in health status at least 1 to 2 months after the baseline visit. Outcome measures included direct and indirect measures of change in disease‐specific quality of life and satisfaction with change.

RESULTS

Test‐retest reliability was fair for most PR‐12 survey items (R = 0.41 to 0.76) but was higher for domains (0.60 to 0.66) and the overall survey score (0.66). PR‐12 had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.91) and appropriate construct validity. Caregiver satisfaction change at follow‐up correlated with the PR‐12 (r = ‐.25, P = 0.036). Conversely, no correlation was seen between the PR‐12 and direct and indirect measures of change in disease specific quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Placebo response is an important and potentially measurable aspect of clinical encounters. PR‐12 is a promising first step at creating a brief, reliable, and valid instrument to assess the placebo response.

SIGNIFICANCE

Reemphasizing the therapeutic potential of the doctor‐patient relationship may improve quality of care and disease outcomes.
Anatomic Limitations of Posterior Exposure of the Sinus Tympani
Authors: Aslan Asim , Guclu Gulay , Tekdemir Ibrahim , Elhan Alaittin
Published: June 2004

OBJECTIVE

The sinus tympani is a challenging area for the otologic surgeon to access and from which to remove the disease process. Recently, a posterior approach to the sinus tympani through the mastoid was proposed as an alternative technique in cases of deep sinus tympani.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

The posterior approach was performed by dissecting the triangular bony area formed by the facial nerve, lateral semicircular canal, and posterior semicircular canal in 8 temporal bone specimens.

RESULTS

The edges of the triangle on the facial nerve and lateral semicircular canal were almost constant at 5 mm. The edge on the posterior semicircular canal was about 4 mm.

CONCLUSION

It is possible to expose the sinus tympani from the posterior by careful dissection through this triangle, which has almost constant dimensions.
CASSAVA LEAF LITTER ESTIMATION IN ON-FARM TRIALS
Authors: CARSKY R. J. , TOUKOUROU M. A.
Published: June 2004

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) returns organic matter and nutrients to the soil through leaf litter and these amounts need to be quantified to help understand and design sustainable cropping systems. Our objectives were to estimate dry matter and nutrient contents in cassava leaf litter and to derive relationships between litter fall and easily measurable cassava yield components. Litter traps (1 m2) were placed in farmers' fields for monthly monitoring during a three year period. Maximum monthly leaf litter production ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 t ha−1, and occurred at the end of the first rainy season and at the onset of the next rainy season. In the first year, the mean dry matter of leaves collected during 12 months of growth was 3.4 t ha−1 for the unamended treatment, and 4.1 t ha−1 when N-P-K fertilizer was applied. The totals were 2.4 and 3.0 t ha−1 in 2000–2001 and 1.6 and 2.5 t ha−1 in 2001–2002, respectively. Annual differences were apparently related to rainfall. The relationship with fresh root yield was best described using one slope and yearly intercepts giving an r2 of 0.63. This relationship can be exploited for estimating litter dry matter in agronomic experiments when rough estimates are sufficient, keeping in mind that the relationship may not be the same for cultivars of differing architecture. Otherwise, the use of litter traps gives the best estimate of annual litter production.
GRAIN AND STRAW FOR WHOLE PLANT VALUE: IMPLICATIONS FOR CROP MANAGEMENT AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES
Authors: SCHIERE J. B. , JOSHI A. L. , SEETHARAM A. , OOSTING S. J. , GOODCHILD A. V. , DEINUM B. , VAN KEULEN H.
Published: June 2004

Straws and stovers are often called ‘by-products’ of grain production even though they are increasingly important, e.g. for animal feed, thatching, soil improvement, mushroom production and industrial use. As a result, plant breeders, agronomists, economists and animal nutritionists have to pay more attention than before to the total value of crops, i.e. whole plant value in which straws and grain both play a part. This paper reviews literature about the technical potential of breeding and/or management for more or better straw. It then discusses issues of the economic value (EV) and nutritional value (NV) of straw and stovers for livestock feed to guide research and development in cereal breeding and management. It is mainly based on experiences from the Indian subcontinent and semi-arid regions of the Near and Middle East. The paper shows that the quantity and quality of straw produced has changed considerably over recent decades as a result of breeding policies, new cultivation patterns and choice of cultivars. Both EV and NV depend on type of grain, animal production system and access to other feeds. A classification of these factors is provided and suggests that the EV of straw is particularly important in low-input systems with stovers from coarse grains.
RESPONSE OF LATE-PLANTED COTTON TO THE APPLICATION OF A GROWTH REGULATOR (Chlorocholine chloride, CYCOCEL 75)
Authors: MONDINO M. H , PETERLIN O. A , GARAY F.
Published: June 2004

The influence of a growth regulator, chlorocholine chloride (commercial name Cycocel 75) on plant growth, (yield) and quality of late-seeded (mid-December) cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) was studied in the Río Dulce Irrigation Area, northwest Argentina, during three growth cycles (1998–2001). Cycocel 75 reduced plant height and node number as well as the total production of aerial biomass, thus increasing the harvest index. Due to an increase in the boll weight and boll number per plant, the yield of treated plots increased by an average of 35% in comparison with the control. Cycocel 75 improved fibre strength significantly, although other parameters of fibre quality, such as length, uniformity, elongation, and micronaire index were not affected. This study indicated that late-planted cotton responds favourably to the application of Cycocel 75, especially when its development cycle is extended due to low air temperatures during the latter part of the growing season.
PARTICIPATORY ON-FARM CONSERVATION TILLAGE TRIAL IN THE ETHIOPIAN HIGHLAND VERTISOLS: THE IMPACT OF POTASSIUM APPLICATION ON CROP YIELDS
Authors: ASTATKE ABIYE , MAMO TEKALIGN , PEDEN DON , DIEDHIOU MAMADOU
Published: June 2004

The two years on-farm tillage research during the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons in Ethiopian highland Vertisol area demonstrated the importance of adapting cultural practices into participatory trials. The minimum tillage package could be an effective intervention for soil conservation due to the early-vegetative cover of the soil. Based on farmers' application of ash on Vertisols at Chefe Donsa, the incorporation of 50 kg ha−1 of potassium sulphate (K2SO4) in the on-farm trial significantly increased grain and straw yields of wheat. The nitrogen levels in the grain and straw of wheat on plots given K2SO4 were higher than those without. The nitrogen level for both wheat grain and straw was even higher when grown on plots previously growing legumes that received K2SO4. This showed that the availability of extra potassium in these soils improved the extraction of nitrogen by the wheat crop, thus improving the grain yield. The findings indicate the need to reassess the traditionally-practised system of not applying potassium fertilizer to Ethiopian soils.
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH THROUGH A ‘NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT’ LENS
Authors: SUMBERG JAMES , REECE DAVID
Published: June 2004

In this paper, we present the case for making better use of the theory, concepts, language and experience from the field of industrial and commercial ‘new product development’ within agricultural research. The argument is that by conceptualizing, organizing and managing applied and adaptive research activities as new product development, agricultural research will be better able to respond to enlarging agendas, increased expectations of impact and declining budgets. The role of the design function in innovation development is highlighted, and the major implications of a new product development stance for the organization and management of agricultural research are identified.
A sound education: the gramophone and the classroom in the United Kingdom and the United States, 1920–1940
Authors: Symes Colin
Published: June 2004

The advent of the gramophone transformed the cultural conditions of contemporary music, including the way it was taught. For a considerable period of time, musicians and music educators disparaged the gramophone. The members of the musical appreciation movement were more sympathetic and helped transform the gramophone's educational image during the 1920s and 1930s. They argued that the gramophone, contrary to its detractors, might stem the appeal of popular music. As is clear from the sentiments of those espousing the pedagogic uses of the gramophone – which are analysed in this paper – their advocacy went far beyond music and was part of a broader cultural agenda, which included arresting the moral dangers associated with popular music.
Editorial
Authors: COX GORDON , PITTS STEPHANIE
Published: June 2004

Technology has historically presented music educators with myriad challenges, and it is perhaps salutary to recollect that back in the 1920s and 1930s the development of the gramophone generated considerable misgivings amongst music teachers. As Colin Symes points out in his paper ‘A Sound Education’, many feared that recorded music would discourage individuals from reading books, and it was a commonly held view that the phonograph was counter-educational. With hindsight we know that this new technology affected music education profoundly, contributing to the rise of the music appreciation movement and the central place afforded to listening. It enabled music educators to broaden the tastes of the population, and eventually made accessible a range of music that had remained a closed book to Western ears.
Making Mathematics in an Oral Culture: Göttingen in the Era of Klein and Hilbert
Authors: Rowe David E.
Published: June 2004

This essay takes a close look at specially selected features of the Göttingen mathematical culture during the period 1895–1920. Drawing heavily on personal accounts and archival resources, it describes the changing roles played by Felix Klein and David Hilbert, as Göttingen's two senior mathematicians, within a fast-growing community that attracted an impressive number of young talents. Within the course of these twenty-five years Göttingen exerted a profound impact on mathematics and physics throughout the world. Many factors contributed to the creation of a special atmosphere that served as a model for several other important centers for mathematical research. Göttingen exemplified a dynamic new way of doing mathematics within a highly competitive community in which the spoken word often carried more weight than did information conveyed in written texts. This oral dimension of the Göttingen culture played an important, till now overlooked role in the early development of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Voluntarism and the Shape of a History
Authors: ADAMS ROBERT MERRIHEW
Published: June 2004

This article is concerned with the shape of the story of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century moral philosophy as told by J. B. Schneewind in The Invention of Autonomy. After discussion of alternative possible shapes for such a story, the focus falls on the question to what extent, in Schneewind's account, strands of empiricist voluntarism and rationalist intellectualism are interwoven in Kant. This in turn leads to consideration of different types of voluntarism and their roles in early modern ethical theory.
Morality as Self-governance: Has it a Future?
Authors: SKORUPSKI JOHN
Published: June 2004

In The Invention of Autonomy, Schneewind argues that a main development in early modern ethical thought is the transition from a conception of morality as obedience to a conception of morality as self-governance. I consider the presuppositions implicit in the latter conception and ask whether they can be maintained.
Sidgwick's Conception of Ethics
Authors: DEIGH JOHN
Published: June 2004

J. B. Schneewind's Sidgwick's Ethics and Victorian Moral Philosophy surpassed all previous treatments of Sidgwick's The Methods of Ethics by showing how Sidgwick's work follows a coherent plan of argument for a conception of ethics as grounded in practical reason. Schneewind offered his interpretation as the product of a historical rather than a critical study. This article undertakes a critical study of Sidgwick's work based on Schneewind's interpretation. Its thesis is that the conception of ethics for which Sidgwick argued is incoherent. As a result, it is argued, the coherent plan of argument in the Methods that Schneewind disclosed masks a deep incoherence in the argument itself.
Broome's Argument against Value Incomparability
Authors: CARLSON ERIK
Published: June 2004

John Broome has argued that alleged cases of value incomparability are really examples of vagueness in the betterness relation. The main premiss of his argument is ‘the collapsing principle’. I argue that this principle is dubious, and that Broome's argument is therefore unconvincing.
Mussolini's Follies: Fascism in Its Imperial and Racist Phase, 1935–1940
Authors: DE GRAND ALEXANDER
Published: June 2004

With the outbreak of war in Ethiopia in late 1935 Italian Fascism shifted into a new phase, which can be called imperial-colonialist-racial. Until 1935 Italy had invested little in the colonies and maintained a relatively small presence in Africa beyond a few cities in Libya. Yet from 1935 to 1940 the Fascist regime shifted enormous amounts of money and effort to create a new Fascist colonial society. This article attempts to explain how this happened by linking the shift to imperial politics to a new totalitarian drive to re-educate Italians and to the adoption of official racism.
From Dissidents to Presidents: Dobrica Ćosić and Vojislav Koštunica Compared
Authors: BUDDING AUDREY H.
Published: June 2004

The article compares the careers of two men, Dobrica Ćosić and Vojislav Koštunica, who gained prominence as dissident intellectuals in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later served as presidents of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After outlining the main features of each man's dissident career, the article traces how one aspect of each's thought – his conception of the Serbian national interest – evolved during his transition from intellectual to political engagement. While highlighting differences in Ćosić's and Koštunica's political careers, the article emphasises similarities in their national thought. In conclusion, it considers some general aspects of the dominant Serbian response to Yugoslavia's dissolution.
Comment
Authors: RUSINOW DENNISON
Published: June 2004

The contributors to this section have produced three authoritative vignettes or ‘side-bars’ that enhance and add important corrective nuances to our understanding of Yugoslavia's disintegration and civil wars and especially the positions and roles of varieties of Serbian nationalism and nationalist intellectuals in the background to and the course of those events. Drawing on their previous work, which has established each of them as respected specialists on their respective and overlapping subjects, the authors also make use of more recently published and unpublished sources to offer fresh or revised perspectives and evaluations of the personalities, ideas and consequences of their subjects. The result is a coherent, conjoined triune analysis, with emphasis on individual and collective internal incoherencies and contradictions that constructively confound efforts to ascribe some kind of evolving consistency, continuity and coherence to the ideas, role and consequences of these intellectuals and the Serbian national ideas and programmes they shaped and often initiated.
A History of Failures and Miscalculations? Britain's Relationship to the European Communities in the Postwar Era (1945–1973)
Authors: CLEMENS GABRIELE
Published: June 2004

Alan S. Milward, The Rise and Fall of a National Strategy 1945–1963 (The United Kingdom and The European Community, Vol. I) (London and Portland: Frank Cass, 2002), 512 pp., £65.00 (hb), ISBN 0-7146-5111-7.

Alex May, ed., Britain, the Commonwealth and Europe: The Commonwealth and Britain's Applications to Join the European Communities (Houndsmill and New York: Palgrave, 2001), 188 pp., £55.00 (hb), ISBN 0-333-80013-3.

Oliver J. Daddow, ed., Harold Wilson and European Integration. Britain's Second Application to Join the EEC (London and Portland: Frank Cass, 2003), 298 pp., £45.00 (hb), ISBN 0-7146-5222-9, £17.50 (pb), ISBN 0-7146-8207-1.

Sir Con O'Neill, Britain's Entry into the European Community. Report by Sir Con O'Neill on the Negotiations of 1970–1972, ed. and with a foreword by Sir David Hannay (London and Portland: Frank Cass, 2000), 464 pp., £55.00 (hb), ISBN 0-7146-5117-6.
Everyday Communism: New Social History of the German Democratic Republic
Authors: KOTT SANDRINE
Published: June 2004

Konrad Jarausch, ed., Dictatorship as Experience. Toward a Socio-Cultural History of the GDR (New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books, 1999), 388 pp., £14.00 (pb), ISBN 1-57181-182-6.

Thomas Lindenberger, ed., Herrschaft und Eigensinn in der Diktatur (Cologne, Weimar and Vienna: Böhlau Verlag, 1999) 367 pp., €39.90 (hb), ISBN 3-412-13598-4.

Annegret Schüle, ‘Die Spinne’. Die Erfahrungsgeschichte weiblicher Industriearbeit im VEB Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei (Leipzig: Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2001), 398 pp., €18.00 (pb), ISBN 3-934565-87-5.

Patrick Major and Jonathan Osmond, eds., The Workers' and Peasants' State. Communism and Society in East Germany under Ulbricht 1945–71 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002), 272 pp., £15.99 (pb), ISBN 0-7190-6289-6.

Joshua Feinstein, The Triumph of the Ordinary. Depictions of Daily Life in the East German Cinema 1949–1989 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002), 331 pp., £19.50 (pb), ISBN 0-8078-5385-2.
Epidemics, racial anxiety and community formation: Chinese Americans in San Francisco
Authors: FONG TIMOTHY
Published: June 2004

Immigration adaptation and race relations in the United States began receiving a great deal of scholarly attention early in the twentieth century, primarily in response to the arrival of large numbers of newcomers from eastern and southern Europe. The pre-eminent theory has been sociologist Robert Park's (1950) ‘race relations’ cycle, which posits that immigrants and racial minorities initially clashed with natives over cultural values and norms, but over time, adapt and are eventually absorbed into the mainstream society. This four-part cycle of contact, competition, accommodation and assimilation, according to Park, is ‘progressive and irreversible’. Unlike European Americans, however, the Chinese American experience in the United States has never been a consistent trajectory toward progressive and irreversible acceptance and assimilation.
‘For the honour of the town’: comparison, competition and civic identity in eighteenth-century England
Authors: ELLIS JOYCE M.
Published: June 2004

Eighteenth-century England was not merely ‘polite and commercial’; it was also notoriously competitive. This article argues that competition and contrast were not confined to weighing up the comparative status and achievements of individuals but were also fundamental to the development of civic consciousness and identity. Contemporaries developed a wide, comparative frame of reference which encouraged a heightened sense of competition with rival urban centres. However, this process also encouraged elements within urban society to define themselves in opposition to rival ‘communities’ within their own walls.
Impact of horizontal model resolution and orography on the simulation of a western disturbance and its associated precipitation
Authors: Dimri A. P.
Published: June 2004

A nonhydrostatic version of Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) is used to study the effects of the horizontal model resolution and orography while simulating an active western disturbance (WD) that affected northwest India from 21 to 25 January 1999. Two numerical experiments are conducted with six combinations of two factors: horizontal model resolution and topography. National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysed data are used for the initial and boundary conditions. Simulation results indicate that the distribution and the rate of simulated precipitation due to a WD over northwest India is highly sensitive to the horizontal model resolution and topography. The model with finer resolution (30 km) is better able to estimate effects of mesoscale forcing on precipitation over the selected domain. The amount of precipitation simulated over the coarse domain is much less than the observed precipitation owing to the model's unrealistic representation of orographic effects and mesoscale forcing. Simulated terrain, vertical velocity, wind and streamline at different horizontal model resolutions are presented. The detailed structure and distribution of wind speed are simulated in the finer domain. Simulated vertical velocity and precipitation are less in the second experiment when a flat topography is used across the domain, which indicates that topography plays a significant role in modulating the WD. Sensitivity of the horizontal model resolution for precipitation is assessed and it is found that the finer domain of the model simulation gives better results. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society.
A Post-Productivist Future for Social Democracy?
Authors: Fitzpatrick Tony
Published: June 2004

The purpose of this article is to contrast productivism with post-productivism and raise a question mark over the extent to which social democrats should support the former rather than the latter. It offers a definition of post-productivism, explaining this in terms of the ‘reproductive value’ of care and sustainability. The paper then sketches the limits to social democracy and indicates why post-productivist solutions might therefore be appropriate. It concludes by speculating on some implications for social policy.
Globalisation, Unemployment and the Welfare Regime in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Raymond K.H.
Published: June 2004

Hong Kong has a liberal economy, and its welfare regime relies, first, on income through employment and, second, on support provided by family and community members. Although the government has strategically invested in certain social services, generally speaking, its aid is intended to be a secondary, if not the last resort. This system was effective when Hong Kong benefited from globalisation, enjoyed virtually full employment in the decades preceding the mid-1990s. However, the changes in capital flow and increasing capital relocation to Mainland China have had a negative impact on employment. As a result, the current welfare regime is unsustainable. The neo-liberal ideologies adopted by the government have only led to further social polarisation and instability. It is time for an approach that combines balanced development with broader social support.
Beyond Crisis and Dissonance – the Restructuring of the Japanese Welfare State under Globalisation
Authors: Takahashi Mutsuko
Published: June 2004

The crisis and dissonance in a society under globalisation tend to be associated with suspicion against the welfare state. This article however attempts to argue for the crucial role of the welfare state in the formation of the politics of welfare that shapes a basic framework for a policy response to changes in the welfare society. The discussion sets out by illustrating the impacts of globalisation in contemporary Japan with special reference to the change in family and working practices. It goes on to analyse the current policy debates regarding socialisation of care in which ideological conflicts are manifested. Despite growing vulnerability of the family in Japan's ageing society, informal care-giving work tends to be undervalued and the stigma attached to the welfare state regarding elderly care and public assistance is persistent. It will be discussed how the long-run welfare reforms, as efforts of policy change, can be made sense of in Japan for escaping from a vicious circle of crisis and dissonance.
Welfare Reforms in Post-Crisis Korea: Dilemmas and Choices
Authors: Lee Hye Kyung
Published: June 2004

This paper explicates the welfare reforms executed in Korea after the abrupt financial meltdown in November 1997, and asks whether the same line of reforms will continue further into the twenty-first century Korea. The DJ government's post-crisis policy choice was to persue an expansion and consolidation of the social welfare system based upon the principle of solidarity. Consequently, the size of social welfare expenditure grew fast between 1996 and 1999. Korean experience of post-crisis years demonstrates the case in which the global integration of economy brought about the fast expansion of social welfare programs. The ultimate question is will this growth continue in the sea of neo-liberal challenges, with the new government's ‘Participatory Welfare’ whose complete design is not made public yet.
Versorgung suizidaler Älterer in der Schweiz
Authors: de Mendonça Lima Carlos Augusto , Küng Adrian , Camus Vincent
Published: June 2004

Zusammenfassung: Obwohl die Lebensbedingungen für ältere Menschen in der Schweiz eher günstig zu sein scheinen, verhindern sie nicht hohe Suizidraten dieser Altersgruppe. Seit 1986 wird ein Anstieg im Verhältnis von Suizidraten Älterer im Vergleich mit Jüngeren verzeichnet. Angesichts des zunehmenden Anteils Älterer an der Gesamtbevölkerung wird mit einer Verdoppelung der Suizide Älterer bis 2030 gerechnet. Deshalb sind alten Menschen angepasste Maßnahmen zur Suizidprävention dringend erforderlich.
Unterstützende Intervention bei dementen Patienten und ihren pflegenden Angehörigen in der Gemeinde
Authors: Eloniemi-Sulkava Ulla , Notkola Irma-Leena , Hentinen Maria , Kivelä Sirkka-Liisa , Sivenius Juhani , Sulkava Raimo
Published: June 2004

Zusammenfassung: Die Einweisung dementer Patienten in Langzeiteinrichtungen kann mit Hilfe eines Familienpflegekoordinators für Demenzkranke hinausgezögert werden. Allerdings waren am Ende der Zwei-Jahres-Intervention die Zahlen der institutionalisierten Patienten in der Interventions- und in der Kontrollgruppe ähnlich. Dennoch scheint es nützlich zu sein, diese Art der intensiven Unterstützung insbesondere schwer kranken Demenzpatienten und ihren Angehörigen zukommen zu lassen. Auf der Grundlage unserer Erfahrungen schlagen wir vor, dass die Intervention durch einen Familienpflegekoordinator für Demenzkranke speziell auf solche Patienten abzielen sollte, bei denen die Kontinuität der Gemeindekrankenpflege problematisch ist.
Die Versorgung dementer Patienten in Deutschland aus epidemiologischer Sicht
Authors: Weyerer Siegfried , Schäufele Martina
Published: June 2004

Zusammenfassung: Bezogen auf die 65-Jährigen und Älteren sind in Deutschland - bei einer mittleren Prävalenzrate von 7.2% - etwa 900000 Menschen von einer Demenzerkrankung betroffen und in der Regel nicht mehr zur selbstständigen Lebensführung in der Lage; erstmals an einer Demenz erkranken jährlich etwa 200000 Menschen. In den meisten Industrieländern leben Demenzkranke überwiegend - in Deutschland beispielsweise etwa 60% - in Privathaushalten und werden hauptsächlich von Angehörigen versorgt. Je nach dem Grad der Pflegebedürftigkeit und dem Vorhandensein informeller Hilfe werden pflegende Angehörige von ambulanten Diensten und Einrichtungen der Tagespflege unterstützt. Epidemiologische Untersuchungen in diesen Einrichtungen haben - und das gilt besonders für die Tagespflege - eine überdurchschnittlich hohe Rate demenzieller Erkrankungen ergeben. Im Rahmen der institutionellen Versorgung Demenzkranker kommt den Alten- und Altenpflegeheimen die größte Bedeutung zu. In Deutschland und anderen Industrieländern leiden etwa 60% aller in Einrichtungen der stationären Altenhilfe versorgten Menschen an einer Demenz. Für das Jahr 2050 ist zu erwarten, dass die Anzahl Demenzkranker in Deutschland auf über zwei Millionen ansteigen wird. Da parallel zu dieser Entwicklung das familiale Pflegepotenzial abnehmen wird, ist mit einer starken Nachfrage nach professioneller Altenhilfe zu rechnen.
Psychische Gesundheit der älteren Bevölkerung in Europa
Authors: Rutz Wolfgang
Published: June 2004

Mental Health in Europe's Elderly Populations