bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Experience: Why Bad Things Happen to Good New Products
Authors: Rackham Neil
Published: October 2003

The rollout of a new product can be an exhilarating time for everyone involved in the development and launch effort. Just as a construction crew may meet at a local gathering place to hail the “topping‐off” of a new home or office building, the development team—or possibly the entire company—may gather to celebrate a new product's release. Launch meetings generate enthusiasm among the salespeople, and favorable reviews lead to an influx of inquiries from prospective customers. Despite this initial wave of enthusiasm, however, customer desire for the innovative new product may soon wane. Does this mean that everyone was wrong about the new product's potential?

Citing three examples of launches that followed this pattern, Neil Rackham addresses a key question for product development professionals: “Why should promising products from highly respected companies fail despite clear evidence of market need, strong marketing support, and real enthusiasm and energy from salespeople?” Based on his own experience in these three cases, as well as research investigations into elements of these and other launches, he rejects the conventional wisdom that the problem stems from resistance to change on the part of either the customers or the salespeople.

He suggests that the problem rests with the way in which highly innovative products are launched to the salesforce, which in turn influences the manner in which the products are sold. He notes that the launch of an innovative product typically focuses on all the great new features the product offers. However, the new features that make the product so exciting may draw the salesperson's attention away from the most important issue in the selling process: the customer's needs. In other words, he suggests that the launch and the selling of innovative products tend to be product‐centered instead of customer‐centered, causing customer interest to fade as the selling process progresses.

Rather than fill the salesforce with details about a product's “bells and whistles,” he suggests that the launch should focus on describing the product in terms of the problems it solves for the customer. Similarly, rather than bombard customers with details about product features, he suggests that the salesperson should focus on asking questions. In this customer‐centered approach, the product's features are considered only in terms of the manner in which they meet the customer's needs.
The Augmented Service Offering: A Conceptualization and Study of Its Impact on New Service Success
Authors: Storey Chris , Easingwood Christopher J.
Published: October 2003

Unlike companies that produce tangible goods, service firms typically cannot rely on product advantage as a means for ensuring the success of a new service. Developing a competitive response to a tangible product may require significant investments of time and effort. In many cases, however, competitors can easily duplicate the core elements of a firm's new service. This fundamental difference between new products and new services means that managers who hope to find the keys to new‐service success must look to factors other than sustainable product advantage.

Chris Storey and Christopher Easingwood suggest that managers must understand the totality of the service offering from the customer's perspective. They explain that the purchase of a service is influenced not only by the service itself, but also by such factors as the service firm's reputation and the quality of the customer's interaction with the firm's systems and staff—in other words, by the augmented service offering (ASO). Using the results of a study they conducted in the consumer financial services industry in the U.K., they identify the components of the ASO, and they examine the relative contributions of these components to the success of new services.

In their model, the ASO comprises three elements: the service product, service augmentation, and marketing support. The core of the ASO—the service product—includes such dimensions as product quality, product distinctiveness, and perceived risk. The study's results suggest that improvements in the service product open up new opportunities for the firm, but have only modest effects on sales and profitability.

Rounding out the ASO model are service augmentation and marketing support. Service augmentation encompasses such dimensions as distribution strength, staff‐customer interactions, and reputation. The customer recognizes and responds to these elements of the ASO, but they are not part of the product core. Marketing support involves those marketing and management actions that affect the quality of the product and its augmentation, even though customers typically are not aware of them. These elements include knowledge of the marketplace, training of contact staff, and internal marketing. Enhanced service augmentation has significant effects on profitability and sales for the firms in this study, but it does not offer enhanced opportunities. The marketing support elements contribute significantly to all aspects of performance for the firms in this study.
The Breakfast of Champions: Associations Between Champions and Product Development Environments, Practices and Performance
Authors: Markham Stephen K. , Griffin Abbie
Published: October 2003

According to conventional wisdom, if an innovative new product development (NPD) effort is to stand any chance for success, the project must have a champion. The role of the champion has taken on almost mythic proportions, through oft‐told tales of the development of such disparate products as instant cameras, automobiles, and microprocessors. Notwithstanding the purportedly essential role that champions play, however, we have only anecdotal evidence of the manner in which effective champions operate and the benefits that they offer.

Stephen K. Markham and Abbie Griffin suggest that before we can explore questions about how champions affect product development performance, we must address an even more fundamental issue: whether champions actually influence performance. Using data from the 1995 PDMA study of best practices in product development, they test various widely held assumptions about champions and NDP performance. Specifically, they investigate the association between championing and the following variables: NPD performance at the program, firm, and project levels; industry characteristics; and project‐ and firm‐related NPD characteristics.

In several respects, the results of their study run counter to current beliefs about product development champions. For example, the study suggests that champions are just as likely to be found in large firms as they are in small firms. Similarly, the results indicate that the likelihood of finding a champion does not differ significantly between technology‐driven firms and marketing‐driven firms. For the firms in this study, champions are no more likely to support radical innovations than they are to back incremental innovations or product line extensions.

The results of the study suggest that champions do not directly affect firm‐level NPD performance. Instead, the results of this study associate increased championing with higher levels of NPD program performance, which positively affects firm‐level performance. The results of this study also do not support the notion that a champion can directly improve the market success of a particular project.
An Empirical Study of Platform and Derivative Product Development Projects
Authors: Tatikonda Mohan V.
Published: October 2003

Many firms now realize the importance of planning product families and product platforms. However, little research addresses planning and execution of different types of projects within a product family platform series. This study investigates project characteristics, development challenges, typical outcomes, and success factors for product development projects at different locations in the product family spectrum. “Platform” projects result in products that initiate a new product family platform for a company. “Derivative” projects result in products consisting of extensions to an existing product family platform. Data on 108 new product development projects from a variety of assembled products industries were collected via a detailed survey and analyzed. Findings indicate that: (1) platform and derivative projects differ in project task characteristics (including the amount of new technology development undertaken and project complexity) and market newness; (2) platform and derivative projects generally do not differ in terms of project success (achievement of project objectives, level of company satisfaction, and perceived customer satisfaction) or smoothness of project execution; (3) both platform and derivative projects generally are executed in similar ways; (4) certain managerial approaches (including contingency planning, project‐based evaluation of personnel, and overlap of design and manufacturing engineering) are associated with higher project execution success for both platform and derivative projects; and (5) use of interdependent technologies and novel project objectives are associated with project execution failure for platform projects. The results suggest that firms can continue to employ a single product development management process for both platform and derivative projects, as long as modest customization of the process is made for the given project type. Completely different management processes are not required. In all, the results presented in this article suggest specific managerial actions companies can take to significantly improve product development success. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.
Introducing Interface Management in New Product Family Development
Authors: Sundgren Niklas
Published: October 2003

Creating product platforms from which many products can easily be leveraged is an issue of increasing concern for many companies. This article introduces and explores the concept of interface management (IM) in new product platform development. IM is the distinct process of developing and defining the physical platform interfaces. The concept of IM is empirically explored in two product family development projects in the Swedish manufacturing industry that have been longitudinally studied for more than 3 years. It is proposed that firms which have a product family development approach that is associated with an extensive IM process enjoy a high degree of freedom in deciding how to balance its time to market for individual products with the beneficial utilization of design familiarities across all products. Moreover, if product managers understand and explicitly focus on the IM process, the often challenging shift from a single product development approach to a product family development approach is likely to be facilitated. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.
From Experience: Linking Projects to Strategy
Authors: Englund Randall L. , Graham Robert J.
Published: October 2003

There is a dramatic rise in the use of project management as organizations shift to provide customer‐driven results and systems solutions. Some implementations of project management have been successful, whereas others are spectacular failures. A common occurrence in many organizations is too many projects being attempted by too few people with no apparent link to strategy or organizational goals. Research and experience indicate that the support of upper management is critical to project success. This article reviews actions that upper managers can take to create an environment for more successful projects in their organizations. Specifically, the authors discuss practices for upper manager teamwork and offer a complete model for selecting projects that support a strategic emphasis. The article includes experiences from within Hewlett‐Packard Company. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.
Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process in New Product Screening
Authors: Calantone Roger J. , Di Benedetto C. Anthony , Schmidt Jeffrey B.
Published: October 2003

The initial screening of a new product idea is critically important. Risky projects (i.e., those with high probabilities of failure) need to be eliminated early before significant investments are made and opportunity costs incurred. Unfortunately, previous research suggests that it is often difficult for managers to “kill” new product development projects once they have begun. Furthermore, recent studies (including some centering on PDMA members) suggest there is much room for improving new product screening, because this decision often is taken informally or unsystematically. Whereas tools such as Cooper's NewProd software are available to aid in the screening decision, management science decision support models for screening are not used frequently. In the present study, the authors illustrate the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decision support model to aid managers in selecting new product ideas to pursue. The need for flexible models that are highly customized to each firm's challenges (such as AHP) to support the screening decision and to generate knowledge that will be used as input for a firm's expert support system is emphasized. The authors then present an in‐depth example of an actual application of AHP in new product screening and discuss the usefulness of this process in gathering and processing knowledge for making new product screening decisions. Finally, the authors explain how a customized AHP process can be incorporated into a sophisticated information system or used as standalone support. © 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.
The Implications of Demand Instability for the Behavior of Firms: The Case of Residential Construction
Authors: Manski Charles F. , Rosen Kenneth T.
Published: October 2003

The position of the new residential construction sector as a large but very volatile component of total investment has provoked much study of the causes of that volatility and of its relation to the stability of the economy as a whole. There has never been, however, serious analysis of the assertion that this same volatility of housing starts, by creating an unstable environment for firms operating in the industry, serves to increase the cost of producing and marketing housing.

This paper will focus on the phenomenon of demand instability as it affects firm behavior. It approaches the demand instability problem from two distinct but complementary perspectives. The first part sets forth a theoretical conception of the manner in which demand instability should influence any firm's organization and operations. The second part presents an analysis of interviews conducted with representatives of a number of firms which supply materials for residential construction. This analysis provides a partial test of the theory and offers insights into areas on which theory alone sheds little light.
Hedging Forward Mortgage Loan Commitments: The Option of Futures and a Future for Options
Authors: Thygerson Kenneth J.
Published: October 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze theoretically the problem of how mortgage lending institutions assume the interest rate risks inherent in the granting of fixed‐rate mortgage loan commitments.

Two approaches to hedge this risk are analyzed. First, the use of the GNMA futures market is evaluated from the standpoint of how it might be used to hedge against mortgage commitment risks. Secondly, the use of an appropriate pricing model—the Black‐Scholes option pricing model—is offered as a proxy for establishing the market value of a fixed‐rate mortgage commitment. This model is extended and empirically estimated for several hypothetical environments.

The paper demonstrates a basic flaw in the GNMA futures market as a hedge against mortgage commitments. Once this is established, the use of the options pricing approach is offered as a more rational approach for hedging these risks.
New Home Affordability, Equity, and Housing Market Behavior
Authors: Weicher John C.
Published: October 2003

Recent analyses have reported quite different estimates of the percentage of American families who can afford to buy new homes. However, the differences in the levels of affordability have obscured two more important similarities between the studies: most measures of affordability are closely correlated over time, and none correlate at all with what in fact is occurring in the housing market. One important reason for the latter phenomenon is that affordability measures concentrate on income and ignore wealth. Newly available data from the Annual Housing Survey makes it possible to estimate the equity of current homeowners, which is one important component of wealth. With this data, it is possible to compute a new measure of affordability, which more closely corresponds to the actual market behavior of households. This new measure shows a much higher level of affordability than those previously published, and also shows that young families, who have been the subject of particular concern among housing policy‐makers, appear to be slightly better off in the housing market than older families.
A Note on Inflation and Relative Tenure Prices
Authors: Diamond Douglas B.
Published: October 2003

This article develops a simplified model of housing costs to analyze the effects of the expected rate of inflation on residential tenure choice. Inflation, working though the Federal Tax Code, affects a number of the components of housing costs in ways which vary between tenure modes. On net, the tax subsidy to owner‐occupancy is more positively leveraged with respect to expected inflation than are tax preferences for rental residential real estate. In fact, it is likely that higher expectations of inflation will reduce the after‐tax cost of owner‐occupied housing.
The Attraction of Home Ownership
Authors: Case Fred E.
Published: October 2003

George Sternlieb argues convincingly that rental housing is likely to remain in somewhat short supply in the immediate future with some loosening at a later date. All of this is premised on no significant change in current construction and market trends. On the other hand, a change in national housing policy and sharing equity advantages with tenants could produce significant increases in rental units.
FHA Multifamily Financial Failure: A Review of Empirical Studies*
Authors: Fredland J. Eric , MacRae C. Duncan
Published: October 2003

The FHA addresses the rental housing needs of low‐ and middle‐income households through multifamily project mortgage insurance programs. These programs have been hindered, however, by substantial financial losses due to project default, assignments, and foreclosure. A review of existing empirical studies suggests that characteristics of project owners, the quality of project management, the adequacy of HUD screening, project construction, and project location all have an impact on financial viability. The results do not support claims that tenant characteristics are associated with failure. Although financial variables are closely related to failure, they are little used in the studies reviewed.
Comment on “Multifamily Housing Demand”
Authors: Reid Gary , Schafer Robert
Published: October 2003

“Multifamily Housing Demand” is probably correct in concluding that public policies to expand the capacity of the private sector to build multifamily housing are not necessary. There are, however, two important flaws in this article. First, the claim that a basic cost issue exists in multifamily housing is not supported by the evidence. Second, the focus of the policy analysis on the supply side of the housing market is misdirected if the real issue is, in fact, income distribution. Under such circumstances, policy prescriptions ought to concentrate on the demand side.
The Changing Liability Structure of Savings and Loan Associations
Authors: Jaffee Dwight , Rosen Kenneth
Published: October 2003

The paper surveys the key factors, past and future, affecting Savings and Loan Association liability structure. The economic principles underlying Savings and Loan liability management are illustrated with emphasis on the dynamic aspects of decision‐making and on the lack of perfect competition within the industry. Specific topics include the matching of asset and liability maturities, liquidity management, discrimination among classes of liabilities, and Regulation Q ceilings. The major shifts in the liability structure of Savings and Loan Associations during the 1970s is then reviewed. Key points include the steadily declining share of passbook accounts, the increasing average maturity of liabilities until 1978, and the ramifications of newly introduced deposit categories such as Money Market Certificates. Finally, the likely liability structure of Savings and Loans during the 1980s is discussed in the context of the removal of Regulation Q ceilings. The necessity for Savings and Loans to offer competitive interest rates on all maturity categories, and to offer deposit liabilities with liquidity features comparable to those available from other sources is emphasized.
Rates of Return on GNMA Securities: The Cost of Mortgage Funds
Authors: Dunn Kenneth B. , McConnell John J.
Published: October 2003

This paper examines rates of return earned on GNMA securities over the period January 1971 through June 1978. We find that over this period the mean monthly return on GNMAs was greater than the mean return on long‐term government bonds and slightly greater than the mean return on high‐grade corporate bonds. However, in neither case was the difference statistically significant. Thus, based on this evidence, it is not possible to conclude that the cost of acquiring funds to finance single‐family housing purchases through the GNMA program exceeded the cost of acquiring funds by the U.S. treasury or financially‐strong corporations.
Taxation of Residential Property in New York City: The Sources of Differential Treatment
Authors: Drennan Matthew P. , Tobier Emanuel
Published: October 2003

Intrajurisdictional variations in the effective residential property tax are analyzed for New York City. Significant variation is observed by type of structure, by borough, by income quartiles, and over time. Cross‐sectional regression equations indicate that effective rates tend to vary inversely with income and positively with the proportion of poverty households and building size. Market values, on the other hand, tend to vary inversely with poverty households and building age, and positively with income and building size. Over time, effective tax rates show a strong inverse relationship with the rate of inflation.
The Suburbanization of Industry and Its Effects Upon Labor Force Participation Rates of Suburban Women
Authors: Rubin Marilyn
Published: October 2003

Post‐World War II intrametropolitan dispersion of industry has been well documented in the literature on contemporary suburbanization. There has, however, been no empirical research conducted to determine the effect of the restructured metropolitan economy upon labor force participation rates of suburban residents, especially of suburban married women. The purpose of this study is to fill this research gap. The hypothesis tested is that increased employment opportunities in the suburbs will increase labor force participation of suburban married women, ceteris paribus. The research results show the hypothesized relationship to be correct. The variable developed in this study and used as a proxy for the degree of intrametropolitan industrial dispersion is statistically significant, albeit a bit weak, in explaining intersuburban variation in labor force participation rates of married women, husband present. Other variables (such as median school years completed) included in more traditional non‐spatially oriented labor force behavior models are statistically insignificant in explaining areal variation in participation rates. The findings point up the necessity of recognizing the spatial complexities of the urban economy.
The Effect of Regional Growth Characteristics on Regional Housing Prices
Authors: Pritchett Clayton P.
Published: October 2003

As contrasted with strictly national housing reports, this article highlights the regional variations in population growth patterns and recently built owner‐occupied housing as a means of determining single‐family housing price components (i.e., developed lot values, homebuilding costs, and builder's profit and overhead) by region. The assertion that escalating lot costs and increases in new housing costs will limit the demand for single‐family housing is challenged on a national basis and treated individually for the West, Northeast, South, and North Central Regions of the country.
Housing Statistics: Some Sources and Some Limitations
Authors: Kidd Phillip E.
Published: October 2003

There are presently more statistics on the size, composition, and quality of the housing stock than ever before. This article discusses some of these sources and some of their limitations. The number and diversity of housing statistics, however, can overwhelm the user, and a model or framework is needed to keep the analyst on target. The same is true of a discussion of housing statistics. The framework in Kristof's study of housing needs for the National Commission on Urban Problems is used to limit the discussion to significant housing statistics from which any type of housing analysis can be constructed.
Is There A “New” Internal Rate of Return Literature?
Authors: Jaffe Austin J.
Published: October 2003

Recent writing in various real estate journals appears to have become interested in an issue which a number of other journals have treated previously. Specifically, the concept known as the internal rate of return (IRR) has been examined extensively by the literatures of business finance, management science, and economic theory. This paper surveys and reviews the literature by problem, journal and date. The paper concludes that this demonstration suggests the necessity of an understanding of literature in related disciplines as well as our own.
Urban Growth: A View from the Supply Side
Authors: Goldberg Michael A. , Allan Blake
Published: October 2003

Traditionally, models of urban growth have focused on demand factors. Housing has been the primary area of interest since it uses a great deal of land and thus is a major shaper of urban growth and structure. This emphasis on demand is sound in principle: consumer demand drives developer location and land using decisions, since developers' locational choices are derived from consumer preferences. This reasoning will pertain as long as developers can meet consumer preferences without difficulty. In actuality such preferences can only be met, within consumer budget constraints, by working within existing and often constraining institutional settings. This paper explores urban growth, from the supply side by examining residential developer location criteria as obtained from surveys. These behavioral findings are then used to obtain allocation functions for a simulation model. The allocation functions are based on the stated locational preferences of developers. The resulting simulation output is compared with actual growth in the Greater Vancouver Region of British Columbia for the period 1971–1975. The results are encouraging and point up areas where additional work is needed to better test the utility of the behavioral data in forecasting urban growth.
The Supply Curve for Housing
Authors: Mason John M.
Published: October 2003

This article discusses the macro foundations of the supply curve for housing. The crucial points examined in the paper are the responsiveness of the supply curve to price, the independence of the supply curve from the demand curve for housing, and the stability of the supply curve. After the author discusses the theoretical foundations of the housing market, a small empirical model is constructed and estimated. Special attention is given to the identification problem connected with the estimation of the supply curve. The results are then examined and the within sample tracking ability of the model is discussed.
Optimizing the Distributions of Limited Partnership Returns
Authors: Miller Norman G. , McKeown Patrick G.
Published: October 2003

Limited partnerships are accorded great flexibility with respect to the allocation of cash, profits or losses, and gains to each partner. Using iterative linear programming techniques a model is designed to redistribute the various investment flows from a real estate type of investment between partners so as to simultaneously maximize each and all of the partners returns over the investment horizon.
An Investment Analysis and Decision Making Framework for Real Estate Development*
Authors: Wurtzebach Charles H. , Kim Kee S.
Published: October 2003

Recent research analyzing real estate investment decisionmaking has concentrated upon existing income properties. Projects planned for future development have been analyzed as though they were completed and generating rental income. Such analysis has not considered the impact of development period decisions upon operating cash flow and hence project value. This paper proposes a framework for investment analysis which accurately reflects the interrelatedness of the development and operating periods of the real estate development process. A stochastic Markov process is used to develop a model which treats the development and operating periods as an integrated system. The resulting model allows project investment decisions to be made on the basis of a minimum expected profitability index distribution and/or terminal value.
Creating social spaces for transnational feminist advocacy: the Canadian International Development Agency, the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women and Philippine women's NGOs
Authors: Angeles Leonora C.
Published: October 2003

The postauthoritarian democratisation process in the Philippines saw the rise of ‘state feminism’, which emphasised gender mainstreaming in government development planning. Various international development agencies, particularly the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), played an important role in harnessing the social capital of women's movements and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) for gender and development (GAD) programs in the post‐Marcos era (1986–2002). This period was marked by a decline in the CIDA's direct assistance to women's NGOs in the Philippines and its shift to institutional capability‐building of government agencies, particularly the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW). The article examines how local women's organisations have interpreted, engaged and negotiated transnational discursive practices on ‘development’, ‘social capital’, ‘capacity‐building’ and ‘gender mainstreaming.’ The CIDA‐funded Women NGOs Umbrella Project and Canadian aid to the Negros Occidental province are used as case studies to illustrate issues and problems in transnational linkages between Philippine women NGOs, national and local governments and Canadian development agencies. Such transnational linkages, embodied in the interesting mix of ‘gender mainstreaming’ and ‘critical engagement’ between states, donor agencies and women NGOs, show the interpenetration of the ‘global’ and the ‘local’ and the blurring of boundaries between ‘state’ and ‘civil’ societies in the course of gender advocacy. At the same time, transnational processes and demands may concurrently create better understanding, as well as conflicts and tensions between state machinery, NGOs and social movements, thus defeating the original intentions of development projects sponsored by international donor agencies.
Gendering environmental geography
Authors: Reed Maureen G. , Mitchell Bruce
Published: October 2003

Despite sharing common interests in being advocates for social change, feminist and environmental geographers have yet to acknowledge interests they share in common. Environmental geographers, particularly those focused on policy and institutional analysis, have not embraced feminist theories or methodologies, while few feminist geographers have engaged issues associated with environmental policy‐making. Our purpose is to initiate a dialogue about how linkages might be forged between feminist and environmental geography, particularly among Canadian environmental geographers working on institutional and policy analysis. We begin by illustrating that environmental geographers working on Canadian problems have neglected to introduce gender as an analytical category or feminist conceptual frameworks to guide their research. Second, we identify four feminist research approaches that should also be pursued in environmental geography. Third, we consider examples of how feminist perspectives might be incorporated in three themes of environmental geography: institutional and policy analysis, participatory environmental and management systems and alternative knowledge systems. Fourth, we consider two research frameworks—political ecology and environmental justice—and suggest that these may be useful starting points for integrating feminist analysis into environmental geography. Last, we summarise our suggestions for how future research of feminist and environmental geographers could benefit from a closer association.
Signalling pathway of nitric oxide in synaptic GABA release in the rat paraventricular nucleus
Authors: Li De‐Pei , Chen Shao‐Rui , Finnegan Thomas F. , Pan Hui‐Lin
Published: October 2003

In the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, nitric oxide (NO) inhibits sympathetic outflow through increased GABA release. However, the signal transduction pathways involved in its action remain unclear. In the present study, we determined the role of cGMP, soluble guanylyl cyclase, and protein kinase G in the potentiating effect of NO on synaptic GABA release to spinally projecting PVN neurones. The PVN neurones were retrogradely labelled by a fluorescent tracer injected into the thoracic spinal cord of rats. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings were performed on labelled PVN neurones in the hypothalamic slice. Bath application of the NO donor, S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐penicillamine (SNAP), reproducibly increased the frequency of miniature GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) without changing the amplitude and the decay time constant. Neither replacement of Ca2+ with Co2+ nor application of Cd2+ to block the Ca2+ channel altered the effect of SNAP on mIPSCs. Also, the effect of SNAP on mIPSCs was not significantly affected by thapsigargin, a Ca2+‐ATPase inhibitor that depletes intracellular Ca2+ stores. Application of a membrane‐permeant cGMP analogue, pCPT–cGMP, mimicked the effect of SNAP on mIPSCs in the presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, IBMX. Furthermore, both the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, ODQ, and the specific protein kinase G inhibitor, Rp pCPT cGMP, abolished the effect of SNAP on mIPSCs. Thus, these data provide substantial new information that NO potentiates GABAergic synaptic inputs to spinally projecting PVN neurones through a cGMP–protein kinase G pathway.
Hybridization Between
Brassica napus
and
B. rapa
on a National Scale in the United Kingdom
Authors: Wilkinson Mike J. , Elliott Luisa J. , Allainguillaume Joël , Shaw Michael W. , Norris Carol , Welters Ruth , Alexander Matthew , Sweet Jeremy , Mason David C.
Published: October 2003

Measures blocking hybridization would prevent or reduce biotic or environmental change caused by gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops to wild relatives. The efficacy of any such measure depends on hybrid numbers within the legislative region over the life-span of the GM cultivar. We present a national assessment of hybridization between rapeseed (
Brassica napus
) and
B. rapa
from a combination of sources, including population surveys, remote sensing, pollen dispersal profiles, herbarium data, local Floras, and other floristic databases. Across the United Kingdom, we estimate that 32,000 hybrids form annually in waterside
B. rapa
populations, whereas the less abundant weedy populations contain 17,000 hybrids. These findings set targets for strategies to eliminate hybridization and represent the first step toward quantitative risk assessment on a national scale.
Introductory Physics on the World Wide Web
Authors: Halliwell C.
Published: October 2003

Animations of introductory physics material are now widely available on the World Wide Web. They are available in two forms: those that need a resident application to run them and those that are Java-based. Although the latter offer advantages over the former (superior graphics, no proprietory software etc.) they suffer from the drawback that they cannot be easily modified. This restriction may not be important to many educators but it can affect those who are trying to tailor their efforts to a specific audience. If this is the case, the disadvantage of Java-based simulations may be so important as to render them of minimal use.
Markov Chain Analysis of Single Spin Flip Ising Simulations
Authors: Hennecke Michael
Published: October 2003

The Markov processes defined by random and loop-based schemes for single spin flip attempts in Monte Carlo simulations of the 2D Ising model are investigated, by explicitly constructing their transition matrices. Their analysis reveals that loops over all lattice sites using a Metropolis-type single spin flip probability often do not define ergodic Markov chains, and have distorted dynamical properties even if they are ergodic. The transition matrices also enable a comparison of the dynamics of random versus loop spin selection and Glauber versus Metropolis probabilities.
Digital Physics Approach to Computational Fluid Dynamics: Some Basic Theoretical Features
Authors: Chen Hudong , Teixeira Chris , Molvig Kim
Published: October 2003

We present an outline description of some fundamental theoretical properties in the Digital Physics lattice-gas algorithm.
Numerical Solution of Kinetic Equations Through a Spline Expansion Method
Authors: Barbosa V. C. , Carrilho P. , Donangelo R. , Souza S. R.
Published: October 2003

We present an alternative and simple method for solving kinetic equations which is based on a spline expansion of the one-body phase space occupation. The usefulness of the method is illustrated by studying the dynamic evolution of a hot and compressed infinite slab of nuclear matter, in the framework of the Vlasov approach.
Diffractive Higgs Boson Production at Tevatron and LHC: An Experimental Review
Authors: Royon C.
Published: October 2003

We discuss the different models of central diffractive production of the Higgs boson at the Tevatron and the LHC. We also describe how the models can be tested using diffractive production data being taken at the Tevatron. We finally discuss the advantages of using diffractive events to reconstruct the mass of the Higgs boson especially at the LHC.
On the Enhancement of Impurity Collisions in a Bose–Einstein Condensate
Authors: Cardone Fabio , Mignani Roberto , Perconti Walter
Published: October 2003

We present a possible explanation of the discrepancy between theory and experiment (observed by Chikkatur et al.) in the collisional density of impurities in a Bose–Einstein condensate of sodium atoms. The discrepancy is ascribed to the fact that the experiment was carried out in a situation of strong instability, where small variations of the initial number of impurities in the condensate may give rise to a large variation in the number of colliding atoms.
Free Group Automorphisms and Knotted Tori in S4
Authors: Silver Daniel S.
Published: October 2003

Let ϕ be an automorphism of a finitely generated free group F, w and element of F, and H the subgroup of F generated by the orbit {ϕn (w), |n ∈ Z}. We describe sufficient conditions ensuring that H is non-finitely generated. Using this we give a simple construction of tori T embedded in S4 in such a way that the commutator subgroup of π1(S4 - T) is finitely generated but not finitely presented. Such tori have no minimal Seifert manifolds. An example of an embedded torus with the latter property was given recently by T. Maeda using different methods.
Strong Correlation of the Vacuum in Relativistic Mean Field Theory
Authors: Panda P. K. , Patra S. K. , Reinhardt J. , Maruhn J. , Stöcker H. , Greiner W.
Published: October 2003

We study the strong hadronic vacuum correlation in the vicinity of a nucleus using the relativistic mean field formalism. It is particularly pronounced for higher nuclear densities as occurring in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions. The high density scenario in the mean field theory is achieved by a scaling procedure in the density and radius. The production of anti-baryon clusters is predicted for very high density and temperature, and the possible experimental investigation of such antibaryon cluster production is also discussed.
Critical Role of Interleukin-1β for Transcriptional Regulation of Endothelial 6-Pyruvoyltetrahydropterin Synthase
Authors: Franscini Nicola , Blau Nenad , Walter Roland B. , Schaffner Andreas , Schoedon Gabriele
Published: October 2003

Objective—

Synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH
4
), an essential cofactor for nitric oxide synthases, is strongly induced on immunostimulation in vascular endothelial cells (VECs). Expression of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH), the first enzyme in BH
4
biosynthesis, is regulated by cytokines and considered rate-limiting. Herein we investigated the molecular mechanism and relevance of cytokine-dependent regulation of 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS), the second enzyme in BH
4
synthesis, in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs).

Methods and Results—

Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a 4-fold induction of PTPS and a 300-fold induction of GTPCH expression by interleukin (IL)-1β/tumor necrosis factor-α/interferon-γ, mainly through de novo transcription. On immunostimulation, PTPS became rate-limiting. Importantly, IL-1β induced PTPS rather than GTPCH. As a result, IL-1β contributed significantly to the amount of BH
4
produced (+40%) but concomitantly reduced the accumulation of the GTPCH intermediate, 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate (−50%).

Conclusion—

Our data show that PTPS induction is necessary for optimized BH
4
synthesis in cytokine-stimulated HCAECs and point to IL-1β as a leading cytokine in this process.
Adiponectin and Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Matsuzawa Yuji , Funahashi Tohru , Kihara Shinji , Shimomura Iichiro
Published: October 2003

In this review article, the crucial roles of adipocytes in the development of so-called metabolic syndrome and vascular disease are reviewed, focusing on adipocyte-derived bioactive substances, adipocytokines. Recent progress in adipocyte biology shows that adipocytes are not merely energy-storing cells but that they secrete a variety of hormones cytokines, growth factors, and other bioactive substances. To search for novel adipocytokines by the large-scale random sequence analysis of expressed genes in adipocytes, we identified an adipose-specific collagen-like molecule, adiponectin. This novel adipocytokine has plural biofunctions, such as antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, and antiinflammatory functions. Adiponectin plasma levels decrease with the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue. In this review, we discuss the link of adiponectin to visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and vascular diseases.
Effects of Pulmonary Insufficiency on Biventricular Function in the Developing Heart of Growing Swine
Authors: Kuehne Titus , Saeed Maythem , Gleason Kelly , Turner Daniel , Teitel David , Higgins Charles B. , Moore Phillip
Published: October 2003

Background—

This study was conducted to determine the effects of chronic pulmonary insufficiency (PI) on right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular function in young growing swine.

Methods and Results—

Six PI and 5 control animals were studied. PI was induced by transcatheter placement of stents across the pulmonary valve. Indices of systolic function (ejection fraction, cardiac output, and cardiac functional reserve), diastolic function (compliance), and myocardial contractility (the slope of the relationship of end-systolic pressure versus end-systolic volume [E
max
] and the slope of the dP/dt
max
–end-diastolic volume relationship [M
dP/dt
]) were assessed within 2 days of intervention and 3 months later. MRI was used to quantify PI and ventricular volumes. Conductance catheter techniques were used to obtain indices of contractility and diastolic compliance from pressure-volume relations at rest and under dobutamine infusion. In the PI group, pulmonary regurgitant fraction was 49.2±5.9% at 3-month follow-up. RV cardiac functional reserve was limited, diastolic function was preserved, and myocardial contractility was altered (E
max
=2.6±0.3 mm Hg/mL for the PI group versus 3.5±0.4 mm Hg/mL for control;
P
<0.01). LV cardiac functional reserve was limited, ventricular compliance decreased, and myocardial contractility was preserved.

Conclusions—

In the young developing heart, chronic PI alters biventricular systolic function, RV myocardial contractility, and LV diastolic performance.
Electrophysiological and Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Focal Atrial Tachycardia Originating From the Pulmonary Veins
Authors: Kistler Peter M. , Sanders Prashanthan , Fynn Simon P. , Stevenson Irene H. , Hussin Azlan , Vohra Jitendra K. , Sparks Paul B. , Kalman Jonathan M.
Published: October 2003

Background—

The objective of this study was to describe the electrophysiological characteristics, anatomic distribution, and long-term outcome after focal ablation (RFA) of pulmonary vein (PV) atrial tachycardia (AT). Both atrial fibrillation (AF) and AT may be due to a rapidly firing focus in the PVs. Whether these represent two aspects of the same process is unknown.

Methods and Results—

Twenty-seven patients with 28 PV(16%) ATs of a consecutive series of 172 undergoing RFA for focal AT are reported. The mean age was 39±16 years, with symptoms for 9±14 years resistant to 1.7±0.8 medications. AT occurred spontaneously or with isoproterenol in all patients and was not inducible with PES in any. The distribution of PV ATs was right superior PV, 11; left superior PV, 11; left inferior PV, 5; and right inferior PV, 1; 26of 28 foci (93%) were ostial. RFA was successful in 28 of 28 PV ATs acutely. RFA was focal in 25 of 28, with PV isolation of a single target vein in 3. There were 4 recurrences at a mean of 3.3 months. Repeat RFA was performed in all 4 and successful in 3 of 4. All but one recurrence occurred from the same site. Long-term success was achieved in 26 of 27 (96%) patients at mean follow-up of 25±22 months. No patients have had subsequent development of AF or AT from a different site.

Conclusions—

PV AT has a distribution similar to PV AF, with a propensity to upper veins. However, the majority of foci are ostial, and only a small percentage occur from deep in the PV. Focal RFA is associated with high long-term success, with freedom from both AT from other sites and from AF. PV AT is a localized process and therefore may be different from PV AF.