bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfectionism and the Common Good
Authors: Brink David O.
Published: August 2004

This book presents a study of T. H. Green's classic Prolegomena to Ethics (1883) and its role in his philosophical thought. Green is one of the two most important figures in the British idealist tradition, and his political writings and activities had a profound influence on the development of Liberal politics in Britain. The Prolegomena is his major philosophical work. It begins with his idealist attack on empiricist metaphysics and epistemology and develops a perfectionist ethical theory that aims to bring together the best elements in the ancient and modern traditions, and that provides the moral foundations for Green's own distinctive brand of liberalism. This book tries to restore the Prolegomena to its rightful place in the history of philosophy by providing a prolegomenon to the Prolegomena — one that situates the work in its intellectual context, sympathetically but critically engages its main themes, and explains Green's enduring significance for the history of ethics and contemporary ethical theory. The book examines Green's life and work, his idealist attack on empiricism, his conception of agency, his perfectionist ethics of self-realization, the connections he draws between perfectionism and the common good, his conception of the differences between perfectionism and utilitarianism, and the connections between his perfectionism and his defence of a new form of political liberalism.
Five Fallacies: Northern Ireland and the Liabilities of Liberalism
Authors: McGarry John , O'Leary Brendan
Published: August 2004

This chapter criticizes five popular arguments central to the thinking of liberal integrationists: (i) extremist political and religious elites are responsible for conflicts; (ii) conflicts have fundamental economic and material foundations; (iii) conflicts flow from archaic religious and non-religious political cultures; (iv) segregation is the key social and structural cause of conflict; and (v) individual discrimination is the primary motor of conflict. The authors insist instead on the ethno-national nature of the conflict and the need for appropriate political means to address this.
The Labour Government and Northern Ireland, 1974–9
Authors: McGarry John , O'Leary Brendan
Published: August 2004

The chapter is highly critical of the Wilson cabinet's failure to defend Northern Ireland's first consociational experiment, the Sunningdale Agreement, although it concedes that this agreement may have had an inevitable encounter with a coroner. It analyses the government's reaction to the 1974 strike by the Ulster Workers Council, which led to the demise of Sunningdale. The chapter also illustrates the limits of the Callaghan government's policies in Northern Ireland, including its flawed experiments in ‘Ulsterization’, ‘normalization’, and ‘criminalization’.
‘Democracy’ in Northern Ireland: Experiments in Self-rule from the Protestant Ascendancy to the Good Friday Agreement
Authors: McGarry John , O'Leary Brendan
Published: August 2004

Pierre van den Berghe has argued that democracy in divided societies can take five different forms: Herrenvolk democracy, ethnic democracy, liberal democracy, multicultural democracy, and consociational democracy. This chapter argues that each of these five ostensible versions of democracy, or relatives of them, has been experimented with in pre-partition Ireland and Northern Ireland. While all have clear limits, the one that is most suited to Northern Ireland's conditions is consociational democracy. The chapter discusses some limits of the consociational approach, but also defends it against common criticisms.
British Post-war Sociologists
Authors: Halsey A. H.
Published: August 2004

A dozen sociologists attended LSE in the aftermath of the Second World War. They were the first generation of professional sociologist in Britain. This chapter offers an account of their origins, the subject they learnt, the influence of Glass and Shils on them, their anti‐Marxist but left‐wing orientation, their suspicion of functionalism, and their contribution of a sociological description of British society—its demography, class structure, ethnic composition, religion, industry, and crime.
Revolt 1968–75
Authors: Halsey A. H.
Published: August 2004

Between the Robbinsian expansion of the 1960s and the restrictions of the 1980s there was, among other social dramas, a period of student rebellion, imported largely from California and France. Sociology was not a prime cause but bore a main part of the consequences. Over the centuries, British students have been relatively peaceable. Low student/staff ratios, the absence of a separate administration, and shared domesticity had distinguished British universities from their counterparts in France. Germany, and USA. The LSE, a recent addition, approximated least to the ‘English idea of the university’ and it was here that the troubles began. In consequence, the popular image of the undergraduate was transformed, and sociologists were widely held to have been responsible, but the most serious consequence was the rise of anti‐positivism and the intellectual disarray of sociology itself.
Agency and Public Finance
Authors: Grand Julian Le
Published: August 2004

Examines how individuals should be left to make their own decisions with respect to other areas of welfare, such as saving for their pension or long‐term care. It concludes that there is a case for government intervention in individuals’ savings and insurance decisions. This case is based, not on some individual failure, but on various forms of market failure: information problems, transactions costs, and the fact that all relevant interests, notably future selves, are not being represented in the market. All of these problems suggest that, if left to themselves, people will save, or insure for, too little. Hence, the state needs to adopt methods of increasing people's savings.
A Demogrant
Authors: Grand Julian Le
Published: August 2004

Discusses an idea for turning pawns into queens of which the author was an initiator: the idea of a universal stakeholder or demogrant to every young adult. A similar idea has been termed stakeholding grants or ‘baby bonds’, and the British Government has just introduced another version: the child trust fund. Gives the historical background to the idea, and locates it as part of the growing movement toward ‘asset‐based welfare’. Discusses its pros and cons, and the details of practical implementation
Partnership Savings
Authors: Grand Julian Le
Published: August 2004

Discusses an idea of which the author was an initiator: ‘partnership’ matching grants to encourage savings for pensions and long‐term care. It argues that current systems for encouraging individuals to save for their old age or for long‐term care, such as tax relief on pensions contributions, are regressive and opaque. They should be replaced by a more progressive, transparent system whereby the government directly matches contributions made by individuals.
Humanitarian Intervention and Afghanistan
Authors: Chesterman Simon
Published: August 2004

This chapter argues that humanitarian intervention in Afghanistan provided much needed legitimacy to US military actions which were undertaken for (at best) partly humanitarian reasons. Operation Enduring Freedom, like most incidents claimed as humanitarian intervention, displayed a range of intentions — some genuine, some asserted, others claimed after the fact. It showed a recognition on the part of the acting state that such intervention cannot be purely military in character to be effective.
Growth, Distribution, and Poverty Reduction: LDCs are Falling Further Behind
Authors: Naschold Felix
Published: August 2004

Poverty levels in the developing world have been declining steadily over the 1990s. However, this progress has been very unequally distributed. Some regions and groups of countries have made rapid progress, while poverty levels in others, particularly in the least developed countries (LDCs) have been stagnant or rising. Economic growth performance is one factor explaining these differences, but there may also be fundamental differences in the efficiency with which growth and distribution reduce poverty in different groups of countries.
Redistribution does Matter: Growth and Redistribution for Poverty Reduction
Authors: DaĞdeviren Hűlya , Hoeven Rolph Van Der , Weeks John
Published: August 2004

Recent development literature has placed priority on poverty reduction, and on possible growth enhancement from a more equal distribution of assets and income. At the same time, empirical work consistently shows that economic growth is no more than distribution neutral. In that context, this study explores the relationship among growth, inequality, and poverty, and considers policy that might be used to make growth more equitable.
Efficient Monopolies
Authors: Ungern-Sternberg Thomas von
Published: August 2004

Compares the market for property insurance in five European countries, Britain, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany. The comparisons are of particular interest, as the regulatory frameworks vary widely from country to country and so do the market outcomes, both in terms of premium level and in terms of available insurance cover. In particular, the state insurance monopolies in Spain and parts of Switzerland permit property owners to obtain global cover against a wide range of natural damages (including floods) at a very low premium rate. The premiums of private insurance companies are much higher because they typically spend more than one third of premium income on commissions and administrative costs. State monopolies are considerably more efficient in this respect.

In several countries, insurance against occurrences such as floods is not available in competitive insurance systems, or it is offered only to the better risks. This is probably due to problems of adverse selection. For compulsory state monopolies, adverse selection is not an issue.
Switzerland
Authors: Ungern-Sternberg Thomas Von
Published: August 2004

Compares the premium rate of the state property insurance monopolies in large parts of Switzerland with those of the private insurance companies active in the rest of the country. The state monopolies have a 40% lower premium rate, operate with substantially lower administrative costs, spend considerably more on prevention, and have lower claims rates. Integrating prevention and insurance seems to be a particularly efficient solution.
Germany
Authors: Ungern-Sternberg Thomas Von
Published: August 2004

Studies the causes and consequences of the disappearance of Germany's state property insurance monopolies. The main reasons why the German insurance monopolies did not fight hard enough to defend their interests were (1) most of them knew that they would be bought up by other local public insurance companies, and (2) the German monopolies did not have their own interest group. They were defended by the Association of Public Insurers, which had much wider interests to defend.

For the small customer, the disappearance of the state monopolies was a painful event. Within five years, their premium rates rose by about 50%, and the contributions paid by the insurance companies for fire prevention fell massively.
Introduction
Authors: Massey Douglas S. , Taylor J. Edward
Published: August 2004

By the year 2000, the total population of people living outside their country of birth or citizenship reached approximately 160 million. Over the next few decades, we can expect to see larger and more diverse international migrant flows, driven by widening income inequalities across nations, improvements in transportation and communications, expanding formal and informal recruitment networks, sending‐country policies that encourage and train people for work abroad, and structural changes in the economies and societies of migrant‐sending and host countries. Continuing economic integration among nations may reduce economic pressures for international migration in the long run by bringing capital to would‐be migrants in their home countries as an alternative to having people migrate to capital in developed countries. Nevertheless, in the short run, market liberalization is likely to create labour‐market dislocations that intensify migration pressures.
International Migration in the Asia–Pacific Region: Emerging Trends and Issues
Authors: Hugo Graeme
Published: August 2004

With more than half the world's population, the Asia‐Pacific Region has become the world's major source of international migrants, although there is also a great deal of migration within and into the region. The mobility has increased in scale and complexity involving refugees, south‐north migrants, overseas contract workers and student migration. Remittances are now a major factor in the economies of several sending nations, females are increasingly participating in the migration, undocumented migration is expanding exponentially and governments in both origin and destination countries have become more involved in influencing movement. Migration in the region is being facilitated by a flourishing immigration industry and an expanding set of strong migration networks. The impacts of migration on development in the region are complex with both brain drain and positive economic effects of emigration in evidence.
Sexual Networks and HIV in Four African Populations: The Use of Standardized Behavioral Survey with Biological Markers
Authors: Morris Martina
Published: August 2004

This chapter describes the local network data collected in four African towns in the late 1990s to ascertain the determinants of the large observed HIV prevalence differentials. The design used a household-based multi-stage cluster sample of about 2,000 15–49 year old persons in each town. The surveys collected information on the attributes of the respondents and their sexual partners–up to eight non-regular partners in the last twelve months, and up to four current spouses–attributes of the partnerships, and behaviors within the partnerships. The chapter reviews the study design, fieldwork experience and measurement of network characteristics, and concludes by presenting a sampling of findings from studies using the network data.
The Urban and Rural Networks Project: Atlanta and Flagstaff
Authors: Morris Martina
Published: August 2004

This chapter describes the partial network data collected by two studies of partnership networks conducted in Atlanta and Flagstaff in the early 1990s to compare the HIV and STD risk networks. The underlying sampling design was adaptive, using a mix of chain-links and random walks. The surveys collected information on the attributes of the respondents and their partners, attributes of the partnerships, sexual and injection behaviors within the partnership, and alter adjacency. The Atlanta study enrolled about 300 respondents, who in turn named about 4,500 contacts; in Flagstaff the corresponding numbers were about 250 and 500. The chapter reviews the study design, fieldwork experience and measurement of network characteristics, and concludes by presenting a sampling of findings from studies using the network data.
The Seattle “Sexual Mixing,” “Sexual Networks,” and “Sexual Partnership Types” Studies
Authors: Morris Martina
Published: August 2004

This chapter describes the partial network data collected by a set of related studies of sexual partnership networks conducted in Seattle in the early 1990s. The purpose was to assess HIV transmission potential. The samples included attendees at STD clinics, attendees at non-STD health facilities, partners of STD-infected individuals reached through contact tracing, respondents from targeted areas, and representative samples of the general population. The surveys collected information on the attributes of the respondents and their partners, attributes of the partnerships, and sexual behaviors within the partnership. The chapter reviews the study design, fieldwork experience and measurement of network characteristics, and concludes by presenting a sampling of findings from studies using the network data.
Why there is Something rather than Nothing
Authors: Rundle Bede
Published: August 2004

If, as the theist maintains, God is a being who exists of necessity, his existence explains why there is something rather than nothing. However, a less demanding explanation is also possible: not that there is some particular being that has to be, but simply that there has to be something or other. Reasons are given in favour of this weaker claim, and it is then argued that if anything at all exists, the physical exists. The priority of the physical is supported by eliminating rival contenders: the supernatural is dismissed, and while other forms of being, notably the abstract and the mental, are not reducible to the physical, they presuppose its existence. The question whether ultimate explanations can be given is forever in the background, and the book concludes with an investigation of this issue and of the possibility that the universe could have existed for an infinite time. Other topics discussed include causation, verification, essence, existence, spirit, force, fine tuning, and laws of Nature.
Towards a Soviet Order of Things: The 1926 Census and the Making of the Soviet Union
Authors: Hirsch Francine
Published: August 2004

Looks at the connections between census‐taking, border‐making, and identity‐formation in the Soviet Union. It focuses on the All‐Union Census of 1926, which was the first census to categorize the entire population of the USSR according to ‘nationality.’ It analyses the process through which ethnographers and statisticians used their expertise to formulate a census question about nationality and to create an official definitional grid. Also focuses on the activation of official nationality categories on the ground in Central Asia. In particular, it looks at how self‐identified Tajik and Uzbek leaders used the occasion of the census to mobilize their populations and vie for contested territories.
Making up China's ‘Black Population’
Authors: Greenhalgh Susan
Published: August 2004

State‐created, bureaucratically elaborated social categories are so normalized a feature of modern life that we usually ignore them—at our peril. Shows how the bureaucratic categories of state programmes often work to ‘make up’ persons, in Ian Hacking's felicitous phrase, who then come to fit their categories. Focusing on China, home to the world's largest population, it shows how, through the deployment of its central category, the planned/unplanned birth, China's programme of state birth planning, designed to modernize the populace, inadvertently created a huge ‘black population’ of persons deprived of the benefits of citizenship and modern life. The China material shows how state categorizing practices quietly participate in the construction of social reality by producing new forms of personhood, new kinds of politics, and new lines of social and political exclusion.
Gender Roles and Women's Status: What They Mean to Hausa Muslim Women in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Renne Elisha P.
Published: August 2004

Compares characteristics associated with women's status commonly used in demographic surveys with women's status, matsayi mace, as it is defined by a group of Hausa Moslem women in the northern Nigerian town of Zaria. Their assessments of appropriate gender roles and what constitutes ‘women's status’, which include the importance of respectability, mutunci, and seclusion, suggest that while distinctive cultural ideas and religious beliefs are essential in framing these definitions, there is no necessary congruence with the conventional ‘social indicators’, such as women's education and work, used in standardized surveys.
We Have a Firm Foundation
Authors: Vincent Andrew
Published: August 2004

Explores the generic foundations of political theory in the twentieth century. It sorts and analyses the overarching perceptions of the political theory, at a broad level of generality, during the bulk of the century. The five positions outlined are normative political theory, institutional theory, historical political theory, empirical political theory, and ideological theory.
Dialogic Foundations
Authors: Vincent Andrew
Published: August 2004

Examines the intellectual context of the works of Jürgen Habermas and Hans‐Georg Gadamer. Both thinkers successfully utilize language and dialogue to develop a viable perspective on political theory, which does not succumb to postmodern or conventionalist critique. The linking element underpinning all these discussions is the focus on language and dialogue as the central facets of political theory. This chapter examines the inception of critical theory and then provides a detailed review of the contribution of Habermas to contemporary political theory.
Income Distribution Changes and Their Impact in the Post-Second World War Period
Authors: Cornia Giovanni Andrea , Addison Tony , Kiiski Sampsa
Published: August 2004

Analyses the trends in within‐country inequality during the post‐Second World War period, with particular attention to the last 20 years, on the basis of a review of the relevant literature and of an econometric analysis of inequality trends in 73 countries accounting for 80% of the world's population and 91% of world gross domestic product–purchasing power parities (GDP–PPP). Suggests that the last two decades (the 1980s and 1990s) have been characterized by a surge in within‐country inequality in about two‐thirds of the developing, developed, and transitional nations analysed. Also suggests that in those countries where the upsurge in inequality was sizeable or where inequality rose from already high levels, growth, and poverty alleviation slowed down perceptibly. While this trend towards higher inequality differs substantially across countries in its extent, timing, and specific causes, it marks a clear departure from that observed during the first 30 years of the post‐Second Word War period during which, with the exception of Latin America and parts of sub‐Saharan Africa, a widespread move towards greater egalitarianism was noted in most of the socialist, developing, and industrialized economies.
Rural and Urban Income Inequality and Poverty: Does Convergence between Sectors Offset Divergence within Them?
Authors: Eastwood Robert , Lipton Michael
Published: August 2004

Explores recent trends in developing and transitional economies in rural–urban, rural, and urban inequality of income and poverty risk, and the offsetting trends in inequality hypothesis (OTI), which claims that, underlying the overall inequality trend, there has been a tendency for rising intrasectoral inequality to be offset by falling rural–urban inequality. The data reviewed in the chapter refute OTI with the possible, partial exception of Latin America: first, the data show no overall tendency for within‐country rural–urban inequality to increase or decrease since the 1980s; second, while modest national and regional tendencies exist, they do not, on the whole, offset trends in overall inequality. Urban–rural ratios of both mean consumption and poverty risk have commonly either risen or fallen alongside total inequality, or even been trendless. Changing urban–rural ratios of poverty or per‐person consumption need not imply changing urban bias; they may be caused by exogenous changes in relative returns to urban activities, plus entry or exit barriers, although rural‐urban inequality trends in ‘human development’ indicators (literacy, longevity, etc.) do suggest rising urban bias. The chapter is arranged in three sections: Introduction and Summary; Rural–Urban and Intrasectoral Contributions to Changes in the Overall Inequality of Consumption or Income—an econometric analysis; and Changing Rural–Urban Poverty Ratios and ‘Urban Bias’.
Economic Organizations and Corporate Governance in Japan
Authors: Milhaupt Curtis J. , West Mark D.
Published: August 2004

Using an institutional and empirical approach, this book analyses the role of formal rules (law and regulations) and informal rules (norms, practices, and shared beliefs) in the Japanese economy. Through in‐depth studies of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, financial regulation, organized crime, and markets for everything from venture capital to legal talent, Professors Milhaupt and West show that institutions play a crucial and heretofore overlooked role in the structure of the Japanese economy, which often is portrayed as being governed exclusively by interpersonal relations and bureaucratic fiat. As these rules change, Japanese actors are responding, reshaping corporate governance and financial markets, while eroding the bureaucracy's power.
Pachydermia is Not Diagnostic of Active Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease
Authors: Hill R Keith , Simpson C Blake , Velazquez Ruben , Larson Nicole
Published: August 2004

Objective: To determine the change in pachydermia/posterior commissure hypertrophy in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) on long‐term acid‐suppressive therapy.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: Seventeen patients with LPR who were compliant with long‐term acid‐suppressive treatment and had good control of their symptoms for at least 20 months were examined. Pre‐ and posttreatment still laryngeal images from these patients were analyzed by five otolaryngologists blinded to patient information and were scored for pachydermia/posterior commissure hypertrophy according to the Reflux Finding Score (RFS) subset. Test‐retest intraobserver reliability, intergrader correlations, as well as a paired t test for means of the data sets were then calculated.

Results: There was no significant difference in the grading scores between the pre‐ and posttreatment group for degree of pachydermia/posterior commissure hypertrophy despite a prolonged treatment interval (mean = 32 months) (P = .25).

Conclusions: There is no statistically significant difference in the degree of pachydermia/posterior commissure hypertrophy found at diagnosis and after long‐term acid suppressive therapy in patients with LPR. Therefore, it appears that pachydermia, as an isolated finding, is unreliable in determining the presence of active LPR.
Nasopharyngeal pH Monitoring in Chronic Sinusitis Patients Using a Novel Four Channel Probe
Authors: Wong I W. Y. , Omari T I. , Myers J C. , Rees G , Nair S B. , Jamieson G G. , Wormald P J.
Published: August 2004

Objective: To determine the prevalence of acid reflux into the nasopharynx in patients with chronic sinusitis.

Study design: Prospective study of patients presenting to a specialist rhinology practice with chronic sinusitis.

Methods: Forty patients with chronic sinusitis underwent ambulatory 24 hour pH testing. The mean age of the patients was 56.3 years (25 Female, 15 Male). The studies were performed using a specially developed bifurcated 4 channel pH probe, incorporating 2 circumferential sensors positioned at the naso‐ and hypo‐pharynx, and 2 unidirectional sensors positioned at the proximal and distal esophagus.

Results: The circumferential band sensors yielded a stable recording largely free of artefact allowing meaningful recordings to be obtained from thirty‐seven patients. Twelve patients (32.4%) were diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux. A total of 809 reflux episodes were recorded. Of these, 596 (73.7%) reached the distal esophagus, with 187 (23.1%) and 24 (3.0%) reaching the proximal esophagus and hypopharynx respectively. Only 2 episodes (0.2%) were recorded in the nasopharynx. This occurred in 2 of 37 patients (5%).

Conclusions: Acid reflux into the nasopharynx is a rare event in patients with chronic sinusitis even though a significant proportion (32.4%) have abnormal 24 hour pH studies. It is likely that alternative mechanisms other than direct acid contact are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis.
Voice Changes after Androgen Therapy for Hypogonadotrophic Hypogonadism
Authors: Akcam Timur , Bolu Erol , Merati Albert L. , Durmus Coskun , Gerek Mustafa , Ozkaptan Yalcin
Published: August 2004

Objectives/Hypothesis: Males with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) fail to undergo normal sexual development, including the lack of masculinization of the larynx. The objective of this study was to measure the mean vocal fundamental frequency (MF0) in IHH patients and determine the impact of androgen treatment. An additional aim was to compare the MF0 between IHH patients and controls.

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Methods: Twenty‐four patients with IHH were identified along with 30 normal males and females. Voice recordings were obtained on all subjects. Androgen therapy was administered to the IHH patients. The MF0 and serum sex hormone levels were measured before treatment and at intervals during therapy. These results were compared with the pretreatment data within the IHH group. Voice parameters were also compared between the pre‐ and posttreatment IHH patients and the normal males and females.

Results: The MF0 in untreated IHH patients was 229 ± 41 Hz. This was intermediate between the normal male (150 ± 22 Hz, P < .001) and normal female patients (256 ± 29 Hz, P < .01). After treatment, the MF0 in the IHH group decreased to 173 ± 30 Hz (P < .0001); indeed, their posttreatment MF0 approached that of normal males (P < .08). Serum hormone levels responded to the injected testosterone, but these levels did not directly correlate with MF0.

Conclusions: MF0 in IHH patients is intermediate between normal male and female levels. After treatment with testosterone, these values approach the range of normal males. This prospective study details the impact of androgens on the larynx and vocal function in patients with IHH.
The Effect of Endogenous Nitric Oxide on Cholinergic Ciliary Stimulation of Human Nasal Mucosa
Authors: Alberty Jürgen , August Christian , Stoll Wolfgang , Rudack Claudia
Published: August 2004

Objectives/Hypothesis: Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) production by inducible nitric oxide synthase is enhanced in the nasal ciliated respiratory tract epithelium of patients with allergic rhinitis. Recent experimental data have suggested endogenous NO to be strongly involved in the complex regulation of ciliary activity, the driving force of the mucociliary transport system. The authors investigated the effect of endogenous NO on acetylcholine‐stimulated ciliary activity of human nasal mucosa.

Study Design: In vitro study.

Methods: Cultures of human nasal mucosa explants were incubated with tumor necrosis factor‐α and bacterial lipopolysaccharides to enhance endogenous NO production. Expression of inducible NO synthase was morphologically demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Ciliary beat frequency was determined by phase‐contrast microscopy of ciliated epithelium, using a computerized photoelectric technique. Stimulation experiments were performed in vitro with acetylcholine and N(G)‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME), a NO synthase inhibitor.

Results: Upregulation of inducible NO synthase in the respiratory tract epithelium after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor‐α and lipopolysaccharide was visualized by immunohistochemical analysis. Experimental inhibition of enhanced endogenous NO production by 10−2 mol/L L‐NAME significantly reduced baseline ciliary beat frequency from 8.6 ± 0.2 to 7.8 ± 0.2 Hz (P < .05). Cholinergic ciliary stimulation above baseline by 10−4 mol/L acetylcholine was not significantly different before (11.5%) or after (10.8%) blocking of endogenous NO production.

Conclusion: Taken together, the study results suggest that baseline ciliary activity depends on endogenous NO production but that the extent of cholinergic ciliary stimulation is independent of endogenous NO production. The combination of the two effects may improve nasal mucociliary clearance of inhaled allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis.
High‐Dose Cisplatin With Amifostine: Ototoxicity and Pharmacokinetics
Authors: Ekborn Andreas , Hansson Johan , Ehrsson Hans , Eksborg Staffan , Wallin Inger , Wagenius Gunnar , Laurell Göran
Published: August 2004

Objectives/Hypothesis:Ototoxicity is a common side effect of high‐dose cisplatin treatment. Thiol‐containing chemoprotectors ameliorate cisplatin ototoxicity under experimental conditions. The trial was initiated to test the efficacy of amifostine protection in high‐dose cisplatin treatment (125–150 mg/m2) for metastatic malignant melanoma, to correlate the ototoxic outcome with cisplatin pharmacokinetics, and to evaluate the importance of using a selective analytical method for the quantification of cisplatin.

Study Design:Prospective study of 15 patients with stage IV malignant melanoma.

Methods:Clinical follow‐up of therapeutic response, pure‐tone audiometry, and analysis of cisplatin and its monohydrated complex in blood ultrafiltrate by liquid chromatography with postcolumn derivatization were performed. Ultrafiltered blood platinum was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Results:Ototoxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity were the most prominent side effects. Three patients ultimately required hearing aids. All patients had audiometric changes at one or more frequencies after the second treatment course, and all but one patient reported auditory symptoms. No correlation was found between hearing loss and blood cisplatin pharmacokinetics. Platinum levels determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were higher than total platinum levels calculated from cisplatin and monohydrated complex concentrations obtained by liquid chromatography analysis.

Conclusion:Ototoxicity was unacceptable despite amifostine treatment. Cisplatin pharmacokinetics during the first treatment course were not predictive of hearing loss. Amifostine caused a lowering of dose‐normalized area under the concentration‐time curve for cisplatin and monohydrated complex. Use of the unselective inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis leads to an overestimation of active drug. Selective analysis of cisplatin is especially important when evaluating cisplatin pharmacokinetics during chemoprotector treatment.
The interplay between experiment and theory in charge-density analysis
Authors: Coppens Philip , Volkov Anatoliy
Published: August 2004

The comparison of theory and experiment remains a cornerstone of scientific inquiry. Various levels of such comparison applicable to charge-density analysis are discussed, including static and dynamic electron densities, topological properties, d-orbital occupancies and electrostatic moments. The advantages and drawbacks of the pseudoatom multipole are discussed, as are the experimentally constrained wavefunctions introduced by Jayatilaka and co-workers, which combine energy minimization with the requirement to provide a reasonable fit to the X-ray structure factors. The transferability of atomic densities can be exploited through construction of a pseudoatom databank, which may be based on analysis of ab initio molecular electron densities, and can be used to evaluate a host of physical properties. Partitioning of theoretical energies with the Morokuma–Ziegler energy decomposition scheme allows direct comparison with electrostatic interaction energies obtained from electron densities represented by the pseudoatom formalism. Compared with the Buckingham expression for the interaction between non-overlapping densities, the agreement with theory is much improved when a newly developed hybrid EP/MM (exact potential/multipole model) method is employed.
Topological analyses and bond characterization of 1,3,5,7-tetra-tert-butyl-s-indacene: a weak C
sp
3
—H...H—C
sp
2
-type dihydrogen interaction
Authors: Wang Chih-Chieh , Tang Ting-Hua , Wu Lai-Chin , Wang Yu
Published: August 2004

Topological analyses of experimental and theoretical calculated electron densities of 1,3,5,7-tetra-tert-butyl-s-indacene provide bond characterizations of the chemical bond and of the π-delocalization. A weak C
sp
3
—H...H—C
sp
2
-type intramolecular dihydrogen interaction (DHI) is identified through this analysis.
Variable-temperature X-ray crystallographic studies: a complementary tool for charge-density investigation of soft (organometallic) bonds
Authors: Macchi Piero , Sironi Angelo
Published: August 2004

Comparative X-ray diffraction studies at different temperatures are used to complement the information usually extracted from `single-point' charge-density studies. The response of soft bonds against (temperature driven) changes of the crystalline environment might be indicative of some intramolecular mode associated with an incipient bonding. This is in fact confirmed for the anion [FeCo(CO)8]− in the [(Ph3P)2N]+ salt. In contrast, the [Cr2H(CO)10]− anion, whose conformation is known to strongly depend on the counterion, is actually insensitive to T variations in the [K(C18H36N2O6)]+ salt.
The quantum topological electrostatic potential as a probe for functional group transferability
Authors: Popelier P. L. A. , Devereux M. , Rafat M.
Published: August 2004

The electrostatic potential can be used as an appropriate and convenient indicator of how transferable an atom or functional group is between two molecules. Quantum-chemical topology (QCT) is used to define the electron density of a molecular fragment and the electrostatic potential it generates. The potential generated on a grid by the terminal aldehyde group of the biomolecule retinal is compared with the corresponding aldehyde group in smaller molecules derived from retinal. The terminal amino group in the free amino acid lysine was treated in a similar fashion. Each molecule is geometry-optimized by an ab initio calculation at B3LYP/6-311G+(2d,p)//HF/6-31G(d) level. The amino group in lysine is very little influenced by any part of the molecule further than two C atoms away. However, the aldehyde group in retinal is influenced by molecular fragments six C atoms away. This dramatic disparity is ascribed to the difference in saturation in the carbon chains; retinal contains a conjugated hydrocarbon chain but lysine an aliphatic one.
Synchrotron charge-density studies in materials chemistry: 16 K X-ray charge density of a new magnetic metal-organic framework material, [Mn2(C8H4O4)2(C3H7NO)2]
Authors: Poulsen R. D. , Bentien A. , Graber T. , Iversen B. B.
Published: August 2004

A new magnetic metal-organic framework material, [Mn2(C8OH4
4)2(C3H7NO)2], has been synthesized. The structure consists of chains of carboxylate-bridged Mn atoms interconnected with acid linkers, giving much larger interchain than intrachain Mn...Mn distances. Magnetic susceptibility data fitted to a Curie–Weiss law give Θ = −5.7 K and a total magnetic moment of 5.96 µB. The heat capacity provides no evidence of magnetic ordering down to 2 K. The X-ray charge density was determined from multipole modeling of 16 (1) K single-crystal synchrotron-radiation data. The structural surroundings of the two unique Mn centers are different, but orbital population analysis reveals close to single electron occupation in all 3d orbitals of both Mn sites, in agreement with the magnetic susceptibility measurements. Bader topological analysis shows the presence of direct chemical Mn...Mn interactions only in two out of three intrachain contacts, which suggests a `broken' chain. The topological measures and approximate energy densities at the metal–ligand bond critical points (ρ, ∇2ρ, G, V and H) indicate ionic interactions. Formal electron counting suggests mixed-valence Mn sites, but this hypothesis is not supported by the Bader atomic charges [q(Mn) = +2.035 and +2.031].
Topological properties of the electron density of solids and molecules. Recent developments in Oviedo
Authors: Luaña Víctor , Costales Aurora , Mori-Sánchez Paula , Blanco MiguelA. , Martín Pendás A.
Published: August 2004

Some of the latest advances in the analysis of electron density are reviewed, including: (a) topological indices that provide a useful characterization of the global properties of the density; (b) specific results on some prototypical metal and low heteropolarity systems; and (c) calculation of the local curvature of the interatomic surface.
The experimental electron density in polymorphs A and B of the anti-ulcer drug famotidine
Authors: Overgaard Jacob , Hibbs David E.
Published: August 2004

Accurate structure factors have been measured for the two known conformational polymorphs (A and B) of famotidine up to a maximum resolution of sin(θ)/λ = 1.2 Å−1 at 100 K using a conventional X-ray source and a CCD-based diffractometer. The experimental electron-density distribution was modelled using a multipole model and the interatomic interactions were analysed following the atoms-in-molecules theory. Excellent equivalence between most electronic and electrostatic properties in the polymorphs exists and no significant differences were found to exist across polymorphs either in the interatomic interactions (via the topological analysis) or in the atomic charges from integration of the atomic basins. Additional derived properties, such as the molecular dipole moment, similarly did not distinguish between the polymorphs. Only the molecular electrostatic potential mapped on top of the molecular surface, i.e. the isodensity contoured at 0.00675 e Å−3, was able to uncover the differences between A and B. In both conformations, the sizes of the electronegative and electropositive areas match. However, the average electrostatic potential in the electronegative area of A is −40 kJ mol−1, while the corresponding value in B is −55 kJ mol−1. Together with the physical shape and dimensions of A and B, this leads to a conclusion that the polymorphs are mutually exclusive at the same receptor binding site.
Shadowing and absorption corrections of high-pressure powder diffraction data: toward accurate electron-density determinations
Authors: Katrusiak Andrzej
Published: August 2004

The shadowing of the primary beam and of reflections from a powder crystal sample enclosed in a diamond-anvil high-pressure cell (DAC) is described for unrestricted data-collection procedures. The corrections account for the shadowing of the data measured with point- or area-detector diffractometers and can be applied for any containers of environment devices enclosing a powdered sample. The general procedure for correcting the powder diffraction data can be applied for analysing and optimizing diffractometric procedures of data collection and provides facilities for collecting high-pressure powder diffraction data with the DAC positioned optimally and rotated to counteract the preferred-orientation and particle-size effects, and to increase the resolution of data. The quadrature effects of numerical integration for the accuracy of computed corrections have been analysed.
An empirical analysis of favoritism during business training
Authors: Roy Matthew H. , Roy Francine C.
Published: August 2004

There is a paucity of information on student perceptions of favoritism in a training setting. The purpose of this study is to explore specific individual, situational, and relationship variables associated with student perceptions of favoritism in the business classroom. Respondents were asked to react to a series of vignettes involving student‐initiated and trainer‐initiated comparisons. Other relationships analyzed include the correlation between student self‐esteem and favoritism, grade point average and perceived favoritism, etc. The study concludes with an assessment of the extent and magnitude of favoritism in the business classroom with recommendations for eliminating perceptions of partiality.
Digital library research in the US: an overview with a knowledge management perspective
Authors: Chen Hsinchun
Published: August 2004

The provision of information resources and services is now readily available online via digital libraries furnished by a wide variety of information providers. Information is no longer just text and pictures, and is now available in a wide variety of multimedia formats. Digital libraries represent a new form of information technology in which content management, service delivery and social impact matter as much as technological advancement. In addition, for digital library researchers there is a need to transform information access to knowledge creation and management. Based on research in the USA in the Digital Libraries Initiative and the National Science Digital Library programmes, a review is provided of significant past and emerging digital library research activities, and research based on new knowledge management concepts and technologies is suggested.
Influence of cutting parameters on surface roughness in turning glass‐fibre‐reinforced plastics using statistical analysis
Authors: Paulo Davim J. , Mata Francisco
Published: August 2004

Surface roughness, normally defined by the Ra and Rt/Rmax parameters, is an important topic in the manufacturing engineering, for controlling produced components. This paper presents a study of the influence of cutting parameters on surface roughness in turning of glass‐fibre‐reinforced plastics (GFRPs). A plan of experiments was performed on controlled machining with cutting parameters prefixed in workpiece. A statistical technique, using orthogonal arrays and analysis of variance, has been employed to investigate the influence of cutting parameters on surface roughness in turning GFRPs tubes using polycrystalline diamond cutting tools. The objective was to obtain the contribution percentages of the cutting parameters (cutting velocity and feed rate) on the surface roughness in GFRPs workpiece.
Structure‐energy model of the wear resistance of metallic materials in heterogeneous continua
Authors: Kaczyński Roman , Pogodaev Leongard I.
Published: August 2004

This paper describes the elastic state of heterogenous materials within the framework of the mechanics of heterogenous continua. Failure condition of a two‐phase material is formulated and the dependencies of hydroabrasive and cavitational wear of steel on the spacing of the inclusions of martensite in steels with ferritic‐cementitic and austenitic structures are established. The dependence of the wear resistance criterion on the stress, distribution density and austenitic grain diameter is also presented. The results made it possible to develop an effective structure‐energy model to describe wear processes of materials and coatings.
Robots provide 24/7 milking service for cows
Authors: Kochan Anna
Published: August 2004

Dutch company Insentec has developed a robotic solution for milking cows. Using a standard industrial robot and machine vision, Insentec's Galaxy product is a fully automated milking station that is available to cows 24 h a day. Some 100 systems are already in use on farms around Europe.
Griffon: a man‐portable hybrid UGV/UAV
Authors: Yamauchi Brian , Rudakevych Pavlo
Published: August 2004

To demonstrate proof‐of‐concept of the Griffon man‐portable hybrid unmanned ground vehicle/unmanned aerial vehicle (UGV/UAV) based on the iRobot PackBot we developed the Griffon air mobility system consisting of a gasoline‐powered propeller engine, a steerable parafoil, and a radio‐controlled servo system. We integrated the AMS with a PackBot prototype, and we conducted ground and flight tests to validate this concept. The Griffon prototype was capable of remote‐controlled flight, take‐off, and landing. The Griffon achieved speeds of over 20 mph and altitudes of up to 200 feet. We demonstrated the feasibility of developing a man‐portable hybrid UGV/UAV. Future work may explore the possibilities for teleoperated, semi‐autonomous, and fully autonomous control using the Griffon concept. The parafoil wing limits the usability of this vehicle in windy conditions, but this could be addressed using a lightweight fixed wing instead. Man‐portable hybrid UGV/UAVs may be used by the military to perform reconnaissance and strike missions in urban environments, and by civilian teams to conduct search‐and‐rescue operations in hazardous terrain. This research provides the first demonstration of a man‐portable unmanned vehicle capable of both flight and ground locomotion, and it does so using a combat‐tested UGV platform.