bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Spindle Checkpoint Functions during Mitosis in the EarlyCaenorhabditis elegansEmbryo
Authors: Encalada Sandra E. , Willis John , Lyczak Rebecca , Bowerman Bruce
Published: December 2004

During mitosis, chromosome segregation is regulated by a spindle checkpoint mechanism. This checkpoint delays anaphase until all kinetochores are captured by microtubules from both spindle poles, chromosomes congress to the metaphase plate, and the tension between kinetochores and their attached microtubules is properly sensed. Although the spindle checkpoint can be activated in many different cell types, the role of this regulatory mechanism in rapidly dividing embryonic animal cells has remained controversial. Here, using time-lapse imaging of live embryonic cells, we show that chemical or mutational disruption of the mitotic spindle in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos delays progression through mitosis. By reducing the function of conserved checkpoint genes in mutant embryos with defective mitotic spindles, we show that these delays require the spindle checkpoint. In the absence of a functional checkpoint, more severe defects in chromosome segregation are observed in mutants with abnormal mitotic spindles. We also show that the conserved kinesin CeMCAK, the CENP-F-related proteins HCP-1 and HCP-2, and the core kinetochore protein CeCENP-C all are required for this checkpoint. Our analysis indicates that spindle checkpoint mechanisms are functional in the rapidly dividing cells of an early animal embryo and that this checkpoint can prevent chromosome segregation defects during mitosis.
The Forkhead-associated Domain Protein Cep170 Interacts with Polo-like Kinase 1 and Serves as a Marker for Mature Centrioles
Authors: Guarguaglini Giulia , Duncan Peter I. , Stierhof York D. , Holmström Tim , Duensing Stefan , Nigg Erich A.
Published: December 2004

We report the characterization of Cep170, a forkhead-associated (FHA) domain protein of previously unknown function. Cep170 was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen for interactors of Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1). In human cells, Cep170 is constantly expressed throughout the cell cycle but phosphorylated during mitosis. It interacts with Plk1 in vivo and can be phosphorylated by Plk1 in vitro, suggesting that it is a physiological substrate of this kinase. Both overexpression and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion studies suggest a role for Cep170 in microtuble organization and cell morphology. Cep170 associates with centrosomes during interphase and with spindle microtubules during mitosis. As shown by immunoelectron microscopy, Cep170 associates with subdistal appendages, typical of the mature mother centriole. Thus, anti-Cep170 antibodies stain only one centriole during G1, S, and early G2, but two centrioles during late G2 phase of the cell cycle. We show that Cep170 labeling can be used to discriminate bona fide centriole overduplication from centriole amplification that results from aborted cell division.
Transformed multipole theory of the response fields
D
and
H
to electric octopole–magnetic quadrupole order
Authors: Raab R. E. , de Lange O. L.
Published: December 2004

We consider multipole theory of linear constitutive relations for the macroscopic electromagnetic response fields

D

and

H

to electric octopole–magnetic quadrupole order. We use a recently developed transformation theory to obtain unique, physically acceptable, constitutive relations from the unphysical relations of conventional multipole theory. Explicit expressions for the transformed material constants and transformed macroscopic multipole moment densities in terms of appropriate macroscopic polarizability tensors are presented for both non–magnetic and magnetic media. The electric octopole–magnetic quadrupole contributions yield a new, physically acceptable multipole expression for the AC magnetizability; they satisfy the Post constraint; and they disagree with published results based on trial–and–error methods.
Energy landscapes for cooperative processes: nearly ideal glass transitions, liquid–liquid transitions and folding transitions
Authors: Angell C. Austen
Published: December 2004

We describe basic phenomenology in the physics of supercooling liquids at constant volume (most simulations), and at constant pressure (most laboratory experiments) before focusing attention on the exceptional cases that exhibit liquid–liquid phase transitions on constant–pressure cooling. We give evidence for point defects in glasses and liquids nearTg. Models based on defects predict transitions with density gaps in constant–pressure systems. We describe the energy landscape representation of such systems. Water, in these terms, is post–critical, and its nearly ideal glass formation can be related to nucleation–free protein ‘funnel–folding’. For nucleated folding of proteins, a pseudo–gap should be present. Experimental methods of distinguishing between alternative folding scenarios are described.
Tax Incentives in an Economy with Public Goods
Authors: Seung Chang Kyu , Kraybill David S.
Published: December 2004

This study employs a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of Ohio to evaluate the effect of a state corporate tax cut. The innovative features of this study are (1) the use of the cost of capital concept, (2) dynamic adjustment mechanisms in factor markets, and (3) incorporation of public goods in the household utility function and firms' production functions. The model results indicate that the stimulatory effects of tax cuts for economic development are muted when effects of public expenditures on the productivity of private capital and the migration of households are taken into account. This is because the reduction in public expenditure due to the tax cut implies (1) lower productivity for private industries and (2) lower levels of labor in‐migration during the initial several periods after the policy shock as compared to the pre‐policy sequence of equilibria. This study shows that evaluation of tax policy without simultaneously considering the effect of public goods can be misleading.
Philosophy of Religion or Philosophical Theology?
Authors: Moore Andrew
Published: December 2004

Books reviewed in this article:

Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief

Bruce Marshall Trinity and Truth
Auditor Concentration of Listed Public Companies on International Stock Exchanges
Authors: Narasimhan Ramesh , Chung Shifei
Published: December 2004

This paper explores the concentration of audit services provided to listed public companies on the Stock Exchanges of Canada, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore. The Canadian and London stock exchanges are chosen as representatives of the North American and European markets, while the Hong Kong and Singapore exchanges represent the newly developed Asia Pacific markets. Public accounting firms have benefited from the globalisation trends by expanding their own markets. The reason frequently mentioned for the mergers of the Big 8 accounting firms to form the Big 6 is that they want to increase their international presence and be in a better position to service multinationals in different markets. However, previous studies of concentration of firms in providing auditing services have all been restricted to the USA or individual countries. This study uses both concentration ratios and Herfindahl indices to examine concentration of audit firms in the international stock exchanges. The results indicate a disparate competition amongst the larger firms in each of the Canadian, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore markets. In all of the four markets, the concentration ratios and Herfindahl indices calculated indicate a lack of competition even at the four firm level. This imbalance was very pronounced when the size of the companies audited is considered using their reported total assets. We also present the market shares of the leading six firms in each exchange and discuss some implications of this disparate competition.
The MultiJurisdictional Disclosure System: Model for Future Cooperation?
Authors: Houston Carol Olson , Jones Roberta Ann
Published: December 2004

This study investigates whether the MultiJurisdictional Disclosure System (MJDS) was successful in meeting its stated objectives, namely, facilitating cross‐border offerings and reporting by Canadian firms. The MJDS is a bilateral agreement implemented in July 1991 between Canadian and US market regulators. It is hypothesized that facilitating crossborder offerings via the MJDS will lead to an increase in the number of US listings by Canadian firms and reduced costs of US listing for extant Canadian listers. Data evaluated include changes in US exchange listings from 1987 to 1995 and questionnaires to two subgroups of Canadian firms: (1) the population of Canadian firms listing their securities in US and Canadian markets and (2) a sample of Canadian firms listing only on Canadian exchanges. We conclude that for most Canadian firms, the MJDS provides no significant benefit. Further, few firms reported that the MJDS affected their decision to list in the United States. Our results suggest that the MJDS has not, overall, provided the benefits originally envisioned under it, and we question whether it is an appropriate model for future cooperation between national regulatory groups.
Full House or Pandora's Box? The Treatment of Variability in Post‐Piagetian Research
Authors: Edelstein Wolfgang , Schroeder Eberhard
Published: December 2004

This commentary focuses on the conceptual implications of analyses of individual differences in francophone post‐Piagetian research. These analyses are viewed as preoccupied by the ‘American question’ of measurement and method, instead of attempting a theoretical account of the issues raised by intraindividual and interindividual variability in development.
Classification of Quad‐encoding Techniques
Authors: Hunter Andrew , Willis Philip
Published: December 2004

Many quad encoding technique have been published previously, using a variety of approaches to the different facets of quad storage, representation and manipulation. We review the major classes and identify three parameters which distinguish them. These are then used explicitly to classify a large number of published methods, with short discussion on each. In doing this we are also able to highlight some new approaches, to identify rare examples which escape the classification, and to suggest approaches to choosing a method to suit a given application.
Million‐Point Sculptures
Authors: Pickover Cliff
Published: December 2004

Visually interesting chaotic attractors resembling sculpture are described.
First We Throw Dust in the Air, then We Claim We Can’t See: Navigating in the Creativity Storm
Authors: Goldenberg Jacob , Mazursky David
Published: December 2004

It is often claimed that many of the leading successful products emerge incidentally. It is hardly possible, even in a retrospective examination, to account for such incidents by ideation methods devised to enhance randomness. The present research reviews the criticism raised in past literature claiming that the widespread randomness‐enhancing methods, which advocate unbounded ideation, are ill defined; they do not specify the goal, the initial state, the operators, or the constraints of the ideation problem. In contrast, scant attention has been devoted, both in research and practice, to bounded scope ideation methods, which advocate that inventive thinking becomes more productive when the ideation process is channeled into pre‐defined routes, particularly, if it follows templates that underlie the internal dynamics of past product‐based trends. The present research exemplifies the use of templates in explaining major marketing breakthroughs, outlines the procedures for using component templates, and assesses empirically the value of this approach among practitioners in relevant ideation tasks.
The Deukalion and Pyrrha Myth in Paul Celan and Christoph Ransmayr
Authors: Williams Scott G.
Published: December 2004

This article examines the rewriting of Ovid's version of the Deukalion and Pyrrha myth by Paul Celan and Christoph Ransmayr. The myth relates how Jupiter destroys the world by deluge and how Deukalion and Pyrrha repopulate the earth. This myth of destruction and renewal finds resonance in the poetry of Celan and the novel Die letzte Welt by Ransmayr, one at the start of the literature of the post‐war years, the other closing the second half of the century. In the case of Celan, this article highlights a connection to the classical tradition little noticed in the critical literature. In turn, it also helps lift a corner of the veil on some of his enigmatic poetry. Ransmayr's version of the myth is embedded in his rewriting of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The analysis of that version also elucidates the sparse reference to the Holocaust in the novel. There are similar metaphoric responses to the myth in both contemporary writers. Furthermore, the critical response to both writers reflects the tumultuous relationship of German‐language literature and history since 1945.
Deutsche Schrift: The Demise and Rise of German Black Letter
Authors: Newton Gerald
Published: December 2004

From 1464 to 1941 German printers had the choice of using Black Letter or roman‐face fonts. The preference generally was for Black Letter face when the text in question was intended for the German‐speaking market only, and roman‐face when the text was in Latin, French or other languages that preferred this face. However, these demarcations began to grow blurred towards the end of the eighteenth century, and during the nineteenth century the question of which type‐face to use became a strident issue, known as the ‘Frakturstreit’. The ‘Frakturstreit’ was, however, dismissed at the stroke of a pen in 1941, when Martin Bormann denounced German Black Letter as ‘Judenlettern’ and issued an order that only roman‐face was from then on to be used as the normal face for printing German‐language texts. Yet since that time of effective abolition, German Black Letter has slowly begun to reappear, helped considerably by the digitalisation of many of these fonts in the 1990s. It is the struggle, the demise and the reappearance that the present article seeks to address.
Journalists and the ‘Professional Ideal’ in Britain: the Institute of Journalists, 1884–1907*
Authors: Hampton Mark
Published: December 2004

This article examines the early history of the Institute of Journalists as a case study of occupational development in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain. It argues that disagreements over the putative meaning of ‘professional’ led to widespread belief that journalists’ interests were best served by organizing as a trade union rather than as a ‘professional organization’. Drawing on trade periodicals, memoirs and journalism handbooks, this article illustrates the complexities of the ‘professional ideal’ and underscores the ambiguous position of the ‘mental labourer’ in British society.
More than a great poster: Lord Kitchener and the image of the military hero
Authors: Surridge Keith
Published: December 2004

Lord Kitchener was once a great legendary figure but the imagery and iconography used to create the legend is less well known. By using his papers and contemporary literature this article attempts to shed light on how Kitchener was regarded by his peers and the public. Instead of the wholesome English traits attributed to his predecessors, Kitchener's admirers and enemies described him as ‘oriental’, ‘teutonic’, devious, cruel, machine-like and efficient, which made him the ideal champion for a country undergoing a collective crisis of confidence before 1914. Thus Kitchener was, in many ways, a new kind of hero.
Protestation, Vow, Covenant and Engagement: swearing allegiance in the English Civil War
Authors: Vallance Edward
Published: December 2004

This article discusses four political tests imposed between 1641 and 1649. Using printed pamphlets and manuscript oath rolls, the article explores both the guidelines established by casuists and pamphleteers for swearing lawfully, and the responses of individual subscribers when confronted with conflicting demands for their political allegiance. In this way, the article demonstrates the importance of subscription returns as a source for political historians, as well as genealogists and demographic researchers. The article concludes that individuals often chose to equivocate or to refuse oaths, not because they found them politically unacceptable, but because they were afraid of forswearing themselves.
What difference did the vote make? Women in public and private life in Britain since 1918*
Authors: Thane Patricia M.
Published: December 2004

This article looks at what has and has not changed in women's lives since they gained the vote. Women are still more prone to poverty than men, especially single mothers and older women, a fact which would have disappointed the suffragists, many of whom saw elimination of poverty as a priority and played a major role in bringing the Welfare State into being. Suffragists did not expect gender equality to follow quickly after getting the vote. They expected – and got – a long, hard struggle. The women's movement was stronger in the nineteen-twenties and thirties than it had ever been and led to an impressive number of legislative changes. Women's activism was more muted after the Second World War, but revived in the nineteen-fifties even before the great wave of feminism after 1968. The spate of legislation which resulted was comparable with that of the nineteen-twenties.

It is not enough to examine legislation. The greatest change in women's lives has been due to increased use of birth control from the late nineteenth century. From the nineteen-sixties the Pill has allowed women to delay starting families without sacrificing sexual relationships, and to establish themselves in a career. However, career opportunities for women remain limited, especially in the skilled trades, while divorce and the ‘long hours’ culture since the nineteen-eighties have made it more difficult for women to combine family and career. The historical record suggests that increased gender equality has been achieved only by campaigns, legislation and measures of positive discrimination, not by gradual persuasion.
Transnational Management Influence over Changing Employment Practice: A Case from the Food Industry
Authors: Coller Xavier , Marginson Paul
Published: December 2004

The means by which multinational companies (MNCs) develop and diffuse transnational industrial relations practices are the focus of this article. It elaborates different channels through which international management exercises influence over local practice in operations across different countries. Drawing on survey findings, it identifies the kinds of MNC in which the exercise of such transnational influence is most prevalent. The processes involved are investigated through an in‐depth study of a European food MNC. This highlights the importance of ‘unobtrusive’ channels of transnational influence operating within a structure which promotes both cooperation and competition between local units.
‘The Rise and Fall of TQM’: the Vision, Meaning and Operation of Change
Authors: McCabe Darren , Wilkinson Adrian
Published: December 2004

The vision of TQM promises unity, teamworking, autonomy and empowerment. This article explores how this vision was contradicted by organisational restructuring and the hierarchical imposition of redundancies and contingent employment insecurity in a medium sized bank. As a result it was found that the meaning and legitimacy of TQM for both employees and many managers was called into question.
Union responses in electronics: a globalised environment
Authors: Rigby Mike , Smith Roger
Published: December 2004

This article examines union responses to a hostile environment in the electronics sector in four European countries. All unions saw the need for change, but those with the greatest need to develop strategic responses were not those which were in the best position to do so.
Editorial: ‘. . . the most lightly regulated labour market . . .’ The UK’s third statutory recognition procedure 1
Authors: Towers Brian
Published: December 2004

This editorial, which is followed by a second contribution from a perceptive North American observer, discusses the problems of workability and perceived fairness of the new procedure, the alternatives to it, and some of its wider implications for the relationship between the trade unions and the Labour Party.
Pregnancy and maternity leave: employment law as a family friend?
Authors: Lewis Paul
Published: December 2004

Law seeking to provide protection for pregnant workers has proved to be complex and uncertain. This article aims to examine the legislation — recently amended — and case law and to assess their effectiveness. The conclusion is that a coherent scheme is emerging but that the level of maternity pay remains problematic.
What's happened to the labour market for early school‐leavers in Britain?
Authors: Cregan Christina
Published: December 2004

This article analyses recent empirical data to explain why the youth labour market has disappeared over the last 20 years. The findings demonstrate that some young people stayed in education to acquire credentials, while others did so merely as a substitute for unemployment. Government policy is discussed in the light of these findings.
The Conceptual Basis of Assessment Centre Ratings
Authors: Hoeft Stefan , Schuler Heinz
Published: December 2004

Although assessment centres exhibit good content‐ and satisfactory criterion‐related validity results, poor outcome is derived from construct‐oriented validity studies. Twenty years of research on this topic have not changed the basic results. Important for the relationship between different assessments is not whether they grasp the same managerial dimension but whether they were obtained through the same exercise. The discussion presented in this article emphasizes among other reasons the conceptual specialties of assessment centre rating dimensions. All too hastily they are given the same status as traditional personality traits. Two studies are extensively described to clarify this argument. The first study utilizes a structural equation approach to demonstrate that commonly utilized AC dimensions differ in the realized degree of trait‐like consistency. The second study investigates the linkage between AC outcomes and traditional trait constructs utilizing a meta‐analytical approach. The highest correlations result for intelligence scores, social competence, achievement motivation, self‐confidence, and dominance measures. In the conclusion, the conceptual differences between trait (= sign‐) and simulation (= sample‐) oriented assessment approaches are highlighted.
Procedural Justice in Personnel Selection: International and Cross‐Cultural Perspectives
Authors: Steiner Dirk D. , Gilliland Stephen W.
Published: December 2004

This article considers the relationships between culture and reactions to personnel selection procedures. The limited international research that has examined perceptions of procedural justice of different selection techniques is reviewed. The consistency in reactions and underlying procedural dimensions associated with those reactions is noteworthy across the countries that have been studied. We also propose a model of cross‐cultural influences on procedural justice in personnel selection by identifying those cultural dimensions that are most likely to influence the salience of different distributive and procedural justice rules. The discussion addresses whether cultural dimensions can adequately capture the international dimensions that most centrally influence reactions to selection procedures and how knowledge of cultural influences on reactions can aid the implementation of selection procedures that are unfamiliar to a particular country.
Cross‐Cultural Comparisons of the Reid Integrity Scale in Latin America and South Africa
Authors: Fortmann Kristen , Leslie Curt , Cunningham Michael
Published: December 2004

Performance on the Abbreviated Reid Report, a pre‐employment integrity attitude scale designed to predict counterproductivity, was examined in three countries. Some 889 job applicants and current employees in Argentina, Mexico and South Africa completed the scale, with appropriate language translations. Supervisors provided performance evaluations for the majority of employees on the dimensions of counterproductive behavior, general work performance, social interaction and positive employee traits. Comparisons of mean scores and reliability coefficients indicated comparable responses to the scale across cultures and with US samples. Reid scale scores significantly predicted supervisor evaluations in all three countries. Comparisons were also made between employee’s admissions of acts of counterproductivity and supervisor perceptions of such acts. Implications for cross‐cultural integrity testing and future research are discussed.
Reactions to Managing Counterproductive Behavior through the Implementation of a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program: Americans and Canadians are More Different than You Might Expect
Authors: Seijts Gerard H. , Skarlicki Daniel P. , Gilliland Stephen W.
Published: December 2004

Many organizations have begun to implement drug and alcohol testing programs to screen potential and existing employees for substance abuse in an effort to curb counterproductive behavior at work. Paradoxically, these policies can be seen as unfair and potentially result in counterproductive behavior. The present study investigated whether differences exist between Canada and the USA, two nations that have often been described as ‘indistinguishable’ from one another, with respect to their perceptions of fairness and acceptance of the introduction of a drug and alcohol testing policy in the workplace. Scenarios were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that Canadians (N= 163) were less accepting of the policy and perceived the policy as less fair than their American counterparts (N= 127). In addition, the results showed that the difference between third‐party observers’ and recipients’ acceptance of the policy was less for Canadians than for Americans.
Training in the UK: does national ownership matter?
Authors: Parker Simon C. , Coleman James
Published: December 2004

We investigate whether UK‐owned and foreign‐owned firms operating in the UK differ with respect to the quality and quantity of training they perform. A simple theoretical model sets up the basis for the empirical analysis, which utilises the 1990 WIRS/EMSPS data set. It is found that, whereas the intensity of training does not seem to vary systematically with ownership, foreign‐owned establishments train significantly more of their employees and seem to provide higher quality training than their UK‐owned counterparts. It also appears that ‘poaching’ of trained labour, which is fairly similar by ownership, is not regarded as a major problem by employers.
Reliability testing of multi‐rater feedback
Authors: Nijhof Wim J. , Jager Anne
Published: December 2004

Multirater feedback is an essential part of a seminar concept used by ARAMARK. Before testing the effectiveness of the seminars in terms of learning effects and transfer of training the reliability and validity of multi‐rating has to be tested. The conclusion is that trainers are better raters, formative and summative processes and assessments should be separated.
Human resource development in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Budhwar Pawan S. , Al–Yahmadi Saud , Debrah Yaw
Published: December 2004

This study explores the scenario of human resource development (HRD) in the Sultanate of Oman. The investigation was conducted with the help of a questionnaire survey in stateowned enterprises (SOEs). The research findings highlight an increased emphasis on HRD initiatives at a national level in Omani firms. There is a significant degree of awareness among the top managers regarding the benefits of a strategic approach to HRD. Despite all this, the implementation of HRD programmes has not been particularly successful. This is because the state has not been able to develop the skills and competencies of the Omani workforce to the levels required under the sixth national five–year plan. The article makes a number of recommendations in this regard. It also highlights key research areas for further examination.
How do Smuggling and Trafficking Operate via Irregular Border Crossings in the Middle East? Evidence from Fieldwork in Turkey
Authors: Içduygu Ahmet , Toktas Sule
Published: December 2004

This article summarizes main trends, issues, actors, and activities regarding the operation and extension of human trafficking and smuggling via irregular border crossings in the Middle East. Its premise is that rather than the obvious involvement of hierarchical mafia‐type organized crime groups, globally articulated networks of locally operating independent, individual groups comprise the essential foundation for human trafficking and smuggling in the region. The available empirical evidence first suggests that elaborating on various aspects of human trafficking and smuggling is a delicate task and any consideration of priorities for data collection and analysis on these activities must start with a clear idea of the information needed and how to obtain that information. Given the highly sensitive nature of trafficking and smuggling issues, there is no simple research practice that can satisfy all these concerns. It is within this context that our analysis here only offers some partial explanation of the complex nature of human trafficking and smuggling in the Middle East. The data used here provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first primary, reliable, and representative information on traffickers and smugglers as they come directly from the narratives of the traffickers and smugglers interviewed.
Pension systems and prospects in Asia and the Pacific
Authors: Beattie Roger
Published: December 2004

There is a diversity of pension systems in the Asia and Pacific region. A growing number of countries have social insurance pension schemes, but many others which have provident funds have not set up any mandatory pension system at all. Demographic, social and economic changes mean the need for a regular income in old age will increase enormously. Existing schemes should be extended to all employees, benefits should meet certain minimum standards, administrative arrangements must adapt to structural change, and the budgeting both of governments and of households must be adjusted to take account of changing age dependency ratios.
Organ Donation After Death — Should I Decide, or Should My Family?
Authors: Boddington Paula
Published: December 2004

Who should decide about organ donation after death, the individual or the family? This paper examines why this practical question can be difficult to resolve. A comparison is made between standard decision‐making in medicine and decision‐making about organ donation. The questions are raised of the connection of the dead body to the person, and of who properly has autonomous control over the dead body. To understand the issues, an exploration of autonomy is needed, but at the same time this shows that a resolution depends on addressing complex spiritual and cultural issues, and questions about the autonomy of the individual versus that of the group.
Transgenerational Obligations: Twenty‐first Century Germany and the Holocaust
Authors: Schroeder Doris , Brecher Bob
Published: December 2004

Abstract Has history assigned special obligations to Germans that can transcend generation borders? Do the grandchildren of Holocaust perpetrators or the grandchildren of inactive bystanders carry any obligations that are only related to their ancestry? These questions will be at the centre of this investigation. It will be argued that five different models of justification are available for or against transgenerational obligations, namely liberalism, the unique evil argument, the psychological view, a form of consequentialist pragmatism and the community‐based approach. Only two of these models stand up to philosophical scrutiny. Applying the community‐based model leads to the conclusion that young Germans do indeed have indirect, indeterminate, but strict obligations that transcend generation borders. However, it will be argued that only the obligation of compensation can be restricted to Germans. The remaining two Holocaust‐related obligations of prevention and remembrance have to be seen as universal.
Differentiating the democratic performance of the West
Authors: FOWERAKER JOE , KRZNARIC ROMAN
Published: December 2004

Abstract.It is a commonplace of comparative politics that the democratic performance of the established democracies of the West is both uniform and superior to that of other democracies across the globe. This commonplace both reflects and reinforces the mainstream measures of democracy, like those of Freedom House or Polity III, that fail to differentiate the democratic performance of the West. This article examines this commonplace by deploying the measures of democratic performance contained in the newly constructedDatabase of Liberal Democratic Performance, and uses descriptive statistics (means and variance) to compare the performance of individual Western democracies, as well as the West overall with the ‘rest’. TheDatabaseis designed to capture a wider normative range of performance than the mainstream measures, and shows that the performance of the West is neither uniform nor superior in every respect, especially with regard to civil and minority rights. These findings are explored and confirmed by comparative case studies of minorities in the criminal justice systems of those Western democracies that tend to perform worst in this respect. In conclusion, it is suggested that the findings may begin to change the way we view the relationships between economic growth and democracy, political culture and democracy, and even constitutional design and democracy.
The Japanese General Election of 25 June 2000
Authors: Inoguchi Takashi
Published: December 2004

The twentieth-fourth general election in Japan took Place on 25 June 2000, shortly after Yoshiro Mori had succeeded his predecessor, Keizo Obuchi, as interim prime minister. (Obuchi had died after being in a coma following a stroke.) He, in his turn, had succeeded Ryutaro Hashimoto to the prime ministership when Hashimoto had resigned after the government lost a considerable number of seats in the election for the upper house in 1998. Keizo Obuchi had managed to increase support for the government by passing two substantial sets of legislative measures to stimulate the economy in 1998 and 1999.
Deconstructing Abacha: Demilitarization and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria after the Abacha Era
Authors: Njoku Raphael Chijioke
Published: December 2004

As Recent Demilitarization And Democratic Trends World-Wide have shown, the exit of a dictator of the calibre of Abacha (1993–98) in Nigeria may foster a strong desire among successors for transition to a more democratic order. As in Chile after General Augusto Pinochet, and in Spain after Franco, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who succeeded General Sani Abacha, presided in Nigeria over a programme of transition to civilian rule. This culminated in the election of General Olusegun Obasanjo (retired) in February 1999, and his subsequent official take-over of government in May 1999. However, since new democracies often revert to dictatorships, the new government faces daunting challenges in Nigeria's search for democracy and political stability.
The National Identity Problem and Democratization: Rustow's Theory of Sequence
Authors: He Baogang
Published: December 2004

In The Early 1970S, Dankwart Rustow Stressed The Centrality of national identity as a background condition for democratization. A recently emerging body of literature has raised this important issue again, opening it up for further discussion. Mark Thompson, Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan, for example, have highlighted the centrality of the national identity question (they use the term ‘stateness’) in their recent work. Henry Bienen and Jeffrey Herbst see the emergence of a sense of national identity as a prerequisite for democratization in Africa, thus confirming Rustow's idea of sequence. Ilter Turan supports Rustow's view on the role of national identity in his analysis of the cases of Iraq and the Central Asian republics, while James Putzel uses the macro variable of the national identity question to explain why democratic politics is more difficult in Indonesia, which faces the risk of disintegration, and in the ethnically-divided Malaysia, with its weak national identity, than in the Philippines where disintegration is not an issue.
On Morality, Self‐interest and Foreign Policy
Authors: Brown Chris
Published: December 2004

A Change Of Government In Britain Does Not Necessarily Imply a change in foreign policy, but when Robin Cook entered the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in May 1997 it was with the ambition of bringing about a break with the past. The FCO was endowed for the first time with a ‘Mission Statement’, in which spreading the values of human rights, civil liberties and democracy (‘mutual respect’) was described as a benefit to be secured through foreign policy; the new Foreign Secretary elaborated this ambition at the launch of the Mission Statement, asserting: The Labour Government does not accept that political values can be left behind when we check in our passports to travel on diplomatic business. Our foreign policy must have an ethical dimension and must support the demands of other peoples for the democratic rights on which we insist for ourselves. We will put human rights at the heart of our foreign policy.
The Constitutional Position of an Independent Central Bank
Authors: Goodhart C. A. E.
Published: December 2004

In 1989 The Reserve Bank Of New Zealand Act Gave The Rbnz the operational independence to vary monetary instruments, in particular to control the level of short-term money market rates, in such a way as to hold inf lation within a stated range over a stated period of time. That numerical range and period were to be agreed in a contractual arrangement between the Minister of Finance and the Governor, and the Governor was to be held personally responsible for achieving those agreed objectives.
Being British
Authors: Parekh Bhikhu
Published: December 2004

In This Article I Do Two Things. I Begin With A Brief Discussion of the nature of political community in general, and argue that a political community is defined and constituted by the common public commitments of its citizens. Its identity is political not ethnic or cultural in nature, an important distinction that is obscured by the term ‘national identity’ and often ignored in much of the discussion of it. Its identity has an inescapable moral content. Although the latter is often shared with other communities, what distinguishes a political community is the way in which it interprets and institutionally articulates these moral principles. I then apply this general analysis to Britain and suggest how we might best define its identity.
America's God
Authors: Holifield E. Brooks
Published: December 2004

Book reviewed in this article:

Mark Noll, America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln
Density regulation in annual plant communities under variable resource levels
Authors: Shilo‐Volin Hagit , Novoplansky Ariel , Goldberg Deborah E. , Turkington Roy
Published: December 2004

Density regulation is assumed to be common, but is very rarely tested experimentally. Using annual plant communities, we tested the hypotheses that 1) regulation of abundance in plants occurs at the level of entire communities, not just within species, and 2) such regulation is strongest when resources are most limiting. We transplanted different amounts of seeds from two diverse source communities in Israel to an experimental garden and monitored plant densities and cover for two years under different irrigation regimes. Both total density and total plant cover showed strong evidence of community‐level regulation; plots sown at higher than average natural density declined or stayed the same in total abundance over time, while plots sown at lower than average natural density increased in abundance over time. This convergence of community abundance was strongest with the lowest irrigation in both source communities, consistent with the hypothesis of stronger regulation when all resources are more limiting (light levels were high, regardless of irrigation level). The main mechanism of regulation was strong density dependent recruitment, while survival was either density independent or inversely density dependent. Thus, the results also emphasize the need for direct experimental studies of the population dynamic consequences of interactions, as well as of individual level consequences.
‘SEN – a politically correct phrase to replace terms such as disabled?’ A study of the views of students entering a secondary PGCE course
Authors: PEARSON SUE
Published: December 2004

The research discussed here by Sue Pearson focuses on the preparation of teachers to work in secondary schools at a time when there is a growing trend towards inclusion. It was influenced by Mittler's (2000) comment that ‘Ensuring that newly qualified teachers have a basic understanding of inclusive teaching and inclusive schools is the best investment that can be made’ (p. 137). Whilst there is statutory guidance about technical aspects to be covered in Initial Teacher Training, less attention has been paid to the affective factors. This piece of research set out to explore the views of one cohort of secondary Post Graduate Certificate of Education students near the start of the course. Whilst this is a small‐scale study it does illustrate both the heterogeneity within this group and the models that it is using. It raises concerns about the adequacy of current provision before suggesting some relevant questions for training providers.
FROM EXPERIENCE: Products Talking to People—Conversation Closes the Gap between Products and Consumers
Authors: Oppenheimer Aaron
Published: December 2004

Product design is a complex undertaking, requiring manufacturers to find a balance among business goals, regulatory guidelines, the requirements of the distributor and retailer, and consumer demand. Along the way, it is sometimes easy to forget that, in the end, an actual person will attempt to operate the product.

Manufacturers are skilled at collecting and analyzing data about their customers and at using this information to formulate a “brand message”: those things a company wants to communicate to consumers, the expectations that should be set in the consumer's mind, and what feelings and associations consumers should take away from an interaction with the company and its products. But while this information may be useful in understanding demographic and economic aspects of consumers, it often does not help the manufacturer understand how the product and user should interact—how the product and user should “talk” to each other. Something is lost in translation as a product goes from being a conceptual instantiation of a brand to being an actual physical object that a consumer must communicate with and must manipulate. The result is an experience that reflects poorly on the product and the manufacturer.

This article presents a framework for developing the interaction between user and product, using the metaphor of conversation between people. Human beings have developed a set of conversational rules and norms over the last few thousand years, and by leveraging these standards, manufacturers can create product interactions that provide a better experience to the consumer.
Moderate hypoxia suppresses exercise‐induced procoagulant changes
Authors: DeLoughery Thomas G. , Robertson Deborah G. , Smith Cristina A. , Sauer David
Published: December 2004

Hypoxia has been implicated as a stimulant of coagulation. As exertion is known to affect haemostasis, we sought to control for this by using a standardized protocol. Subjects were exercised both at room air and at 12% oxygen. Exercise produced an increase in procoagulant factors, which was reduced with hypoxic exercise. Room air exercise increased fibrinolytic markers. Hypoxic exercise did not affect the increase in tissue plasminogen activator, but decreased the increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 expression. Thus, it appears that hypoxia may exert an antithrombotic effect by both damping exercise‐induced procoagulant changes and stimulating fibrinolysis.
Visual function at school age in children with neonatal encephalopathy and low Apgar scores
Authors: Reading Richard
Published: December 2004

Mercuri E,
Anker S,
Guzzetta A,
Barnett AL,
Haataja L,
Rutherford M,
Cowan F,
Dubowitz L,
Braddick O &
Atkinson J.
 
(
2004
)
Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition
,
89
,
F258
–
262
.

Objective

To assess different aspects of visual function at school age in children who suffered from neonatal encephalopathy.

Methods

Thirty‐nine full term infants with neonatal encephalopathy, low Apgar scores, and early neonatal imaging were studied using a battery of tests assessing different aspects of visual function (crowding acuity, stereopsis, visual fields) at school age. The results were compared with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and, when possible, with the results of the assessment of visual function performed at 5 and 12 months, available in 24 of the 39 children examined at school age.

Results

Sixteen of the 39 children (41%) had abnormal results at school age in at least one of the visual tests used. Seven of these 16 were untestable on all tests. The remaining 23 children (59%) had normal results.

Conclusions

The presence and severity of visual impairment was related to the severity of brain lesions. Moderate or severe basal ganglia lesions and severe white matter changes were always associated with abnormal visual function. Infants with normal MRI, minimal basal ganglia lesions and minimal or moderate white matter involvement tended to have normal vision. It was also found that the assessment of visual function performed in the first year was a reliable indicator of visual function at school age. With two exceptions, the results on the 5 months visual assessment were predictive of visual outcome at school age. In the remaining two cases, a normal visual outcome at 5 years was associated with visual abnormalities at 5 months but these had already normalized by the age of 1 year.