bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Currently Accepted Practices That Are Known to Lead to Death,
and PAS: Is There an Ethically Relevant Difference?
Authors: CAVANAUGH THOMAS A.
Published: July 2002

A number of common and generally noncontroversial
practices in the care of patients at the end of life lead
to their deaths. For example, physicians honor a patient's
refusal of medical intervention even when doing so leads
to the patient's death. Similarly, with a patient's
or surrogate's consent, physicians administer sedatives
in order to relieve pain and distress at the end of life,
even when it is known that doing so will cause the patient's
death. In contemporary U.S. public policy, these practices
are accepted as ethical and legal while physician-assisted
suicide (PAS) is—for the most part—rejected
in current U.S. law and public policy. Some think, however,
that if one accepts practices that are known to lead to
a patient's death, then one cannot reasonably reject
a patient's request for a lethal dose of medication
so that she may kill herself (PAS).
CQ Sources/Bibliography
Authors: Buehler David A.
Published: July 2002

CQ Sources is compiled and edited by David A. Buehler, 50 Elliot Street, Dartmouth,
MA 02720 USA. Please send any additions, corrections or suggestions directly to him at
this address or online to 〈Sources@AOL.com.〉
Connected Matroids with Symmetric Tutte Polynomials
Authors: QIN HONGXUN
Published: July 2002

We show that connected matroids with symmetric Tutte polynomials are not necessarily
self-dual; in fact, we construct matroids that are not self-dual, have arbitrarily high
connectivity, and yet have symmetric Tutte polynomials.
On a Square Packing Problem
Authors: BOUCHERON S. , FERNANDEZ de la VEGA W.
Published: July 2002

An instance of the square packing problem consists of n squares with independently,
uniformly distributed side-lengths and independently, uniformly distributed locations on the
unit d-dimensional torus. A packing is a maximum family of pairwise disjoint squares. The
one-dimensional version of the problem is the classical random interval packing problem.
This paper deals with the asymptotic behaviour of packings as n tends to infinity while d = 2.
Coffman, Lueker, Spencer and Winkler recently proved that the average size of packing
is Θ(nd/(d+1)). Using partitioning
techniques, sub-additivity and concentration of measure
arguments, we show first that, after normalization by n2/3, the size of two-dimensional
square packings tends in probability toward a genuine limit γ. Straightforward concentration
arguments show that large fluctuations of order n2/3 should have probability vanishing
exponentially fast with n2/3. Even though γ remains unknown, using a change of measure
argument we show that this upper bound on tail probabilities is qualitatively correct.
On a Combinatorial Theorem of Erdös, Ginzburg and Ziv
Authors: HAMIDOUNE YAHYA OULD , ORDAZ OSCAR , ORTUÑO ASDRUBAL
Published: July 2002

Let G be an abelian group of order n and let
μ
be a sequence of elements of G with length
2n−k+1 taking k distinct values. Assuming
that no value
occurs n−k+3 times, we prove that the sums of the

n-subsequences of μ must include a non-null subgroup. As a
corollary we show
that if G is cyclic then μ has an n-subsequence summing
to 0. This last
result, conjectured by Bialostocki, reduces to the Erdos–Ginzburg–Ziv

theorem for k=2.
Studying Balanced Allocations with Differential Equations
Authors: MITZENMACHER MICHAEL
Published: July 2002

Using differential equations, we examine the GREEDY algorithm studied by Azar, Broder,
Karlin and Upfal for distributed load balancing [1]. This approach yields accurate estimates
of the actual load distribution, provides insight into the exponential improvement GREEDY
offers over simple random selection, and allows one to prove tight concentration theorems
about the loads in a straightforward manner.
On the Number of Elements in Matroids with Small
Circuits or Cocircuits
Authors: DENLEY TRISTAN , REID TALMAGE JAMES
Published: July 2002

It has been conjectured that a connected matroid with largest circuit size
c [ges ] 2 and largest
cocircuit size c* [ges ] 2 has at most ½cc* elements.
Pou-Lin Wu has shown that this conjecture
holds for graphic matroids. We prove two special cases of the conjecture, not restricted to
graphic matroids, thereby providing the first nontrivial evidence that the conjecture is true
for non-graphic matroids. Specifically, we prove the special case of the conjecture in which
c = 4 or c* = 4. We also prove the special case for binary matroids with
c = 5 or c* = 5.
Sparse 0−1 Matrices and Forbidden Hypergraphs
Authors: BERTRAM-KRETZBERG CLAUDIA , HOFMEISTER THOMAS , LEFMANN HANNO
Published: July 2002

We consider the problem of determining the maximum number
N(m, k, r) of columns of
a 0−1 matrix with m rows and exactly r ones in each
column such that every k columns
are linearly independent over ℤ2. For fixed integers
k[ges ]4 and r[ges ]2, where k is even and
gcd(k−1, r) = 1, we prove the lower bound
N(m, k, r) =
Ω(mkr/2(k−1)
·(ln m)1/k−1). This improves on earlier results
from [14] by a factor Θ((ln m)1/k−1).
Moreover, we describe a polynomial time algorithm achieving this new lower bound.
Conflict and urban government in later medieval England: St Augustine's Abbey and Bristol
Authors: Fleming Peter
Published: July 2002

Conflict between the town and county of Bristol and the liberty of St Augustine's Abbey was largely the consequence of the failure of the county's founding charter of 1373 to recognize the separate existence of the liberty. In 1496 a confrontation between the abbey and the town resulted in an appeal to Council, and the production of The Great White Book, to record the evidence collected for the hearing. This allows both a reconstruction of the 1496 conflict and its precursors, and an interpretation of the Bristol political elite's rhetorical exploitation both of the conflict itself and of its representation.
Research in urban history: a review of recent theses
Authors: Doyle Barry M.
Published: July 2002

Returning to the pattern of previous years, this review provides a broad overview of recent unpublished doctoral theses from both Britain and the United States – mostly completed in 1997. Employing a broad interpretation of ‘urban history’ which includes both the history of, and history in, urban areas, it consists of brief summaries based on abstracts published in the Aslib Index to Theses [ASLIB] and Dissertations Abstracts International[DAI]. The thirty-nine dissertations explore subjects ranging chronologically from the third millennium BC to the 1990s, with the majority covering the late nineteenth through to the mid-twentieth centuries, with another smaller concentration focusing on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Spatially most cover British (15) and North American (10) subjects, though there are studies of elements of urban history in France, Germany, China, Venezuela and Cape Colony, as well as studies comparing British cities with similar places in France and Holland, Ireland and the United States. Though many different types of urban settlement are represented in the theses under review – including some of the earliest in Syro-Palestine – the British selection is dominated by work on London (7) along with a smaller number covering Belfast and Liverpool, whilst American studies include four exploring aspects of late nineteenth- and early-twentieth century Chicago and two on Caracas, Venezuela, in the same period. In terms of subject, ‘space’ – the theme of the recent Urban History Group conference in Oxford – features prominently, as does cultural politics ranging from a redefinition of the meaning of ‘misrule’ in the medieval period to two studies of the importance of culture in the American Civil Rights Movement and the eighteenth-century British and Irish port town. These newer organizing concepts and locations feature alongside the more usual subjects such as the law, policing, leisure, gender and ethnicity and a revival of interest in London, especially in the early modern period.
Retailing in urban Japan, 1868–1945
Authors: Hirano Takashi
Published: July 2002

In Japan, department stores and public markets grew rapidly from the early twentieth century, and these had significant impacts on both consumers and traditional retailers. Despite pressures from the large-scale retailers, however, traditional, small-scale retailers stubbornly survived. As a result, the Japanese retail system in the pre-war period was characterized as ‘the dual structure’. In addition, the government played a critical role in Japan's retail development. These features can be accounted for as reflections of the unique modernization process of the country.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Placental Development
Authors: Rote Neal S
Published: July 2002

The antiphospholipid (aPL) syndrome has been defined as the production of autoantibodies against negatively charged phospholipids or phospholipid-protein complexes, clinically associated with thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, or pregnancy loss. The syndrome is considered a disease of systemic thrombosis. The frequency of thrombosis, however, is very low, despite most patients having stable levels of circulating aPLs. Documented thrombosis occurs only in approximately 35% of the patients, and, if recurrent, the events are generally separated by years (Table 1). The most common complication, however, is disturbance of pregnancy. Patients with aPLs have an 80% to 90% pregnancy loss rate, half of which occur in the first trimester. The incidence of pregnancy loss, however, depends on the criteria upon which the patients were selected and whether pregnancy outcome is analyzed retrospectively or prospectively. In some studies the pregnancy loss rate may be as low as 50% to 75%. Even the few cases of successful pregnancy are at risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), placental abruption, prematurity, and early and severe pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Therefore, the vast majority of pregnancies in the presence of aPLs result in miscarriage or are severely complicated, with indications that placental damage occurs by the first trimester. When pregnancies are evaluated in the first trimester by ultrasound, IUGR is observed commonly before the death of the fetus. The strong and relatively specific association with pregnancy complications suggests that the syndrome should be redefined as “a syndrome of pregnancy”.
Cervical physiology in pregnancy and labour
Authors: Sohan Karen , Wiggins Rebecca , Soothill Peter
Published: July 2002

The uterine cervix is a remarkable structure, which plays an essential role in pregnancy. During the development of the conceptus within the uterus, the cervix usually remains firmly closed to ensure that the developing fetus attains an appropriate degree of maturity to permit extra-uterine survival. On the other hand, it prepares for labour and birth, by undergoing a process of effacement, whereby the substance of the cervix shortens and thins out. During labour, it must be stretched and dilated to a sufficient diameter, usually about 10cm at term, to allow the successful passage of the fetus through the birth canal.
A non-invasive method for measuring preimplantation embryo physiology
Authors: Trimarchi James R. , Liu Lin , Porterfield D. Marshal , Smith Peter J.S. , Keefe David L.
Published: July 2002

The physiology of the early embryo may be indicative of embryo vitality and therefore methods for non-invasively monitoring physiological parameters from embryos could improve preimplantation diagnoses. The self-referencing electrophysiological technique is capable of non-invasive measurement of the physiology of individual cells by monitoring the movement of ions and molecules between the cell and the surrounding media. Here we use this technique to monitor gradients of calcium, potassium, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide around individual mouse preimplantation embryos. The calcium-sensitive electrode in self-referencing mode identified a region of elevated calcium concentration (∼0.25 pmol) surrounding each embryo. The calcium gradient surrounding embryos was relatively steep, such that the region of elevated calcium extended into the medium only 4 μm from the embryo. By contrast, using an oxygen-sensitive electrode an extensive gradient of reduced dissolved oxygen concentration was measured surrounding the embryo and extended tens of micrometres into the medium. A gradient of neither potassium nor hydrogen peroxide was observed around unperturbed embryos. We also demonstrate that monitoring the physiology of embryos using the self-referencing technique does not compromise their subsequent development. Blastocysts studied with the self-referencing technique implanted and developed to term at the same frequency as did unexamined, control embryos. Therefore, the self-referencing electrode provides a valuable non-invasive technique for studying the physiology and pathophysiology of individual embryos without hindering their subsequent development.
Actin filament distribution in blocked and developing pig embryos
Authors: Wang Wei-Hua , Abeydeera Lalantha R. , Prather Randall S. , Day Billy N.
Published: July 2002

Summary

Actin filaments play an important role in cell division. The present study was designed to examine the relationship between actin filament distribution and pig embryo development. When in vivo matured and fertilised pig oocytes were cultured in TCM 199 or NCSU 23, in various proportions, 45–65% of inseminated oocytes developed to the 2- to 4-cell stages but blastocyst development was observed only in NCSU 23 (34%) or NCSU 23 containing 10% TCM 199 (7%). Supplementation of NCSU 23 medium with 20% or more TCM 199 resulted in no blastocyst formation. Examination of actin filaments indicated that microfilaments were distributed in the cortex, at the junction of blastomeres and in the perinuclear area in the embryos cultured in NCSU 23, but perinuclear actin filaments were not observed in embryos cultured in TCM 199. When 2- to 4-cell stage embryos obtained from TCM 199 were transferred to NCSU 23 medium at 36 h after in vivo fertilisation, 57% of the cleaved embryos developed to blastocysts, which was no different from the proportion obtained after culture in NCSU 23 alone (56%). In addition, when 2- to 4-cell stage embryos obtained from TCM 199 were transferred to NCSU 23, most embryos showed perinuclear actin filaments within 6 h. The results indicate that the composition of the culture medium plays an important role in the polymerisation of actin filaments, which in turn influences embryo development. It is possible that pig embryo development was blocked by some components in TCM 199 which prevented actin filament polymerisation.
Tamoxifen-induced alterations in meiotic maturation and cytogenetic abnormalities in mouse oocytes and 1-cell zygotes
Authors: London Steve N. , Mailhes John B.
Published: July 2002

Alterations in the rate of oocyte meiotic maturation (OM) and the timing of

the metaphase-anaphase transition may predispose oocytes to premature

centromere separation (PCS) and aneuploidy. Tamoxifen has the potential for

perturbing the rate of OM since it can function as a calcium antagonist by

binding to calmodulin and inhibiting the formation of a calcium-calmodulin

complex which is needed for activating calmodulin-dependent cAMP

phosphodiesterase and initiating OM. The objective of this study was to

test the hypothesis that tamoxifen alters the rate of OM and predisposes

oocytes to PCS and aneuploidy. Different does of tamoxifen were administered

by oral gavage to female mice preovulation. Metaphase II oocyte and 1-cell

zygote chromosomes were C-banded and cytogenetically analysed. Tamoxifen

treatment resulted in a modest, but significant (p < 0.05), increase in

oocytes with PCS. Similar frequencies of hyperploidy and oocytes with

unpaired, single chromatids (SC) were found. Metaphase I, diploid and

premature anaphase (PA) oocytes were not detected. Hyperploidy, polyploidy,

PCS, PA and SC were not detected in zygotes. These data indicate that the

levels of tamoxifen-induced PCS found in mouse oocytes did not predispose

zygotes to aneuploidy. Tamoxifen did, however, reduce the proportion of

females exhibiting oestrus.
Wilde and wilder: fin de siècle – fin de millénaire
Authors: PFISTER MANFRED
Published: July 2002

This paper traces the presence of fin de siècle Wilde in the postmodernist fin de millénaire a century after his death. He is still alive, not only with scholars and critics but, more importantly, with a wider public and with writers and film makers who keep re-inventing him in their novels, plays and films, radicalizing him into a postmodernist avant la lettre. This ‘wilder’ Wilde is studied here in recent biopics, bioplays and biofictions, such as Peter Ackroyd's The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde or Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love, as well as in re-writings of his texts, such as in Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw or Mark Ravenhill's Handbag.
Operational lee wave forecasting
Authors: Shutts Glenn
Published: July 2002

An operational lee wave forecasting code is described and tested on a number of actual cases. Although the solution procedure involves a well‐known numerical algorithm, its implementation for operational purposes needs to be intelligent and flexible. The technique involves an eigenvalue problem based on the vertical structure equation for stationary, internal gravity waves. Since the orientation of the trapped lee waves is not known a priori, the code solves the eigenvalue problem for a range of wind directions centred on the low‐level wind direction and makes a decision as to which direction will have the largest amplitude and most highly trapped lee wave. The amplitude of the lee wave motion depends on the intensity of orographic forcing in a spectral band centred on the resonant wavelength. For complex terrain this is difficult to quantify. Here, it is assumed that the Fourier spectrum of the orography follows a power law in wavenumber and that the wave amplitude is attributed with a ‘wave launching‐height’ condition. One of the test cases considered is the notorious ‘Sheffield gale’ of 16 February 1962, and in that case the lee wave code does predict an unusually large‐amplitude wave. Copyright © 1997 Royal Meteorological Society.
Example retrieval from a translation memory
Authors: CRANIAS LAMBROS , PAPAGEORGIOU HARRIS , PIPERIDIS STELIOS
Published: July 2002

Clustering of a translation memory is proposed to make the
retrieval of similar translation examples from a translation memory more
efficient,
while a second contribution is a metric of
text similarity which is based on both surface structure and content. Tests
on the two proposed
techniques are run on part of the CELEX database. The results reported
indicate that the
clustering of the translation memory results in a significant gain in the
retrieval response
time, while the deterioration in the retrieval accuracy can be considered
to be negligible. The
text similarity metric proposed is evaluated by a human expert and found
to be compatible
with the human perception of text similarity.
FACTITIOUS DISORDER: A COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Kinsella Philip
Published: July 2002

This paper presents a cognitive behavioural perspective on factitious disorder. The DSM-IV definition will
be given and aetiological and epidemiological information will be presented, whilst noting the difficulty in collecting
data from this group. The difficulty in engaging the patient will be addressed. In assessing the patient, the role of early
experiences, the beliefs about their feigning of symptoms, the gains from this behaviour and the reaction of others will
be considered. The similarities with somatization and malingering will be discussed. A model of this disorder based
on the Beckian approach will be given as will an explanation of why this disorder may become chronic. A treatment
strategy will be suggested looking at helping the patient understand their disorder, discussing with them the pros and
cons of alerting others to their feigning behaviour, helping them get their needs met in a more appropriate way, looking
at the risks involved in the behaviour, and addressing issues of abuse.
A Preconceptioned Perspective on a Plethora of Papyrologic Philosophers
Authors: Bogen J.E.
Published: July 2002

Biased over 70 years of acquired preconceptions, I will
discuss mainly Philosophical Debates, with occasional
references to Consciousness Lost and Found. The bottom
line is that neuropsychologists are more likely to benefit from
Lost and Found than from Debates.
Cognitive decline in patients with Cushing's syndrome
Authors: FORGET HÉLÈNE , LACROIX ANDRÉ , SOMMA MAURICE , COHEN HENRI
Published: July 2002

Chronic exposure to elevated glucocorticoid levels
in Cushing's syndrome (CS), is associated with deficits
in cognitive function and in emotion. The hippocampus plays
a crucial role in the behavioral manifestations of the
syndrome as it is richest in glucocorticoid receptors and
is thus particularly vulnerable to glucocorticoid excess.
The wide distribution of glucocorticoid receptors throughout
the cerebral cortex, however, suggests that several cognitive
functions can also be affected by the dysregulation of
glucocorticoids. In this study, we investigated how an
excess of glucocorticoid hormones affects cognitive processes.
Nineteen patients with chronic hypercortisolemia due to
CS were compared to healthy controls matched for age, sex,
education, and occupation in tests of processing of visual
and spatial information, memory, reasoning and concept
formation, language and verbal functions, and attention.
Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed overall differences
in tests of treatment of visual and spatial information,
reasoning and concept formation as well as in verbal and
language performance, with poorer performance from CS patients.
Differences were also observed in nonverbal aspects of
memory and in attention tasks. The results suggest that
chronic exposure to elevated levels of cortisol is associated
with deficits in several areas of cognition, particularly
those involving processing of selective attention and visual
components. This study also shows that hormones play an
important role in the modulation of cognitive function
and that their influence on cerebral structure and function
merits closer scrutiny. (JINS, 2000, 6,
20–29.)
The effects of policies on farming households' decisions: economic evidence and environmental implications in northern Nigeria
Authors: FREEMAN H. ADE , ROE TERRY L. , SMITH JOYOTEE
Published: July 2002

There is increasing concern that the intensification of cereal production in northern Nigeria is threatening the sustainability of the agricultural environment. This article describes the effects of trade restrictions on grain imports and of fertilizer subsidy on households' decisions, and draws implications for degradation of the agricultural environment. It develops social accounting matrices (SAMs) for two household types as the basis for capturing the structure of resource allocation, cropping choices, and input use, and then uses the SAM to simulate household responses to changes in relative grain prices and fertilizer prices. Both simulations, but particularly the fertilizer price change, favour the shift from cereals to legumes. A third simulation reflecting technical change in legumes results in the largest shifts from cereals to legumes. It is concluded that appropriate policy reforms complemented by technical change will increase diversification of the cropping system and reduce inefficient fertilizer use. The cumulative effects of these changes will improve soil nitrogen and organic matter and help break the pest and disease complex, thereby improving the agricultural environment.
The United States embargo on shrimp imports: legal and economic considerations
Authors: STEWART TAIMOON
Published: July 2002

The use of trade measures for environmental purposes has given rise to a series of economic and legal issues. These are explored in the paper through an examination of the United States embargo on imports of shrimp from several countries for environmental reasons, currently being considered by a WTO dispute settlement panel. The paper examines the effect on competitiveness of compliance with the higher standard imposed by the US, the appropriateness of universalizing those standards, and whether the US action is consistent with WTO rules. The major findings are that, in the case of Trinidad, (a) the competitiveness of the affected fishermen was reduced, (b) the US regulation was inappropriate to the conditions which prevailed in the shrimp industry there, and (c) the US action was WTO inconsistent given current interpretation of WTO rules. The paper anticipates that the current case could lead to a review of WTO rules, in favour of the environment.
Reducing degradation of forests in poor countries when permanent solutions elude us: what instruments do we really have?
Authors: BLUFFSTONE RANDALL A.
Published: July 2002

This paper evaluates policies for addressing forest degradation in developing country hill areas, where agriculture is the major activity and villagers depend on forests for important economic inputs. Population growth, poverty, and open access probably explain most 'overuse' in such areas, but these are very difficult, long-term problems. The paper argues that under such conditions interim demand-side policies should be seriously considered, but the case is also made that the set of feasible instruments is quite small. Focusing on the case of Nepal, two instruments for reducing fuelwood demand – promotion of more efficient, wood-burning cookstoves and policies that reduce the prices of alternative fuels (e.g., through subsidies) – are evaluated. Using a simple analytical model and results from two household surveys conducted in Nepal, it is concluded that promoting improved stoves is a much more efficient and equitable instrument than, for example, subsidizing the major alternative fuel, which is kerosene. The cost of fuelwood saved using improved stoves is predicted to be a very low $2.77 per metric ton.
Aural landscape: musical space
Authors: EMMERSON SIMON
Published: July 2002

This paper seeks to examine how sound in general (and electroacoustic music in particular) can evoke a sense of being and place which may be strongly related to our visual experience. The auditory system has evolved to seek the reasons for the soundfield it encounters and this property cannot meaningfully be ignored by composers in this medium. The acousmatic condition stimulates and enhances this response. The science of acoustics cannot any longer alone explain sound phenomena and requires psychological and ecological dimensions. The idea of the ‘frame’ is developed from large-scale to small-scale soundfields: ‘landscape’, ‘arena’ and ‘stage’ are seen to be flexible components of this approach to composition. The paper concludes that a mature relationship of audio and visual art forms requires a greater acknowledgement of these attributes of sound.
Food Refusal Associated With Illness
Authors: Harris Gillian , Blissett Jacqueline , Johnson Rebecca
Published: July 2002

The incidence of food refusal associated with illness is reviewed, not
illness by illness, but according to those factors that affect the ability to eat;
normal learning about eating, aversive learning about eating, regulation of
appetite, children's cognitions about foods, and parental anxiety about
intake. Diseases affecting the major organs are likely to generate food
refusal based on at least one of these factors, if not all of them. However,
some minor disease processes can also have a major impact on food
acceptance. Child temperament also affects food acceptance and may
interact with the disease process to produce food refusal.
Treating Severe Self-injury in a Community Setting:
Constraints on Assessment and Intervention
Authors: Davies Mark , Howlin Patricia , Bernal Jane , Warren Stephen
Published: July 2002

This paper describes attempts to implement a ‘functional
analysis’
approach to the treatment of severe self-injurious behaviour in a 4-year-old

boy living at home. Although a degree of success is reported, problems

in systematically applying assessment and intervention procedures are
described. The paper discusses the successes and limitations of such an

approach in the home environment and in a crisis situation.
Mary Warnock
Authors: Graham Philip
Published: July 2002

Plato's view that we should be ruled by
philosophers has never really caught on in
Britain. Indeed, in recent years, political
attitudes to the study of philosophy have
resulted in the closure of departments of
philosophy in our universities, so that the
subject is less studied at undergraduate
level than it was 20 or 30 years ago. So it is
surprising that the way our generation
thinks about education, genetic experimentation, broadcasting, and some of the
other most contentious issues of our time
should have been so influenced by a professional philosopher whose working life
has never taken her out of Oxford and
Cambridge.

Mary Warnock has served as chairman of
government committees on special education, on animal experimentation, on
human fertilisation, and on teaching quality. Further, the recommendations of the
committees she has chaired have usually
been rapidly adopted by the government of
the time and then translated into legislation
with bipartisan support and considerable
speed. The fate of her reports firmly refutes
the commonly held view that governments
set up committees to avoid making difficult
decisions and then leave their weighty
conclusions to sit on shelves, gathering
dust until the topics in question have lost
the interest of the public.
Peter Wilson
Authors: Graham Philip
Published: July 2002

For a relatively new organisation (it was
founded only 10 years ago), Young Minds
has already made a major impact on the
CAMHS field. Its magazine contains lively
articles by writers such as Susie Orbach
and Adam Phillips and is widely read. It
runs a well-used information service for
parents concerned about the mental health
of their children, and a consultancy service
for professionals. High profile personalities
such as Spike Milligan, John Bird, John
Fortune and Nick Hornby have given their
services to its fund-raising events. Who can
take the major credit for the success of
Young Minds? Stand up, Peter Wilson, the
subject of this profile. He was initially
Chair of the organisation and has been
Director since April 1992.
CONVERGENCE OF ADAPTIVE LEARNING AND EXPECTATIONAL STABILITY:
THE CASE OF MULTIPLE RATIONAL-EXPECTATIONS EQUILIBRIA
Authors: Heinemann Maik
Published: July 2002

This paper analyzes the relationship between the expectational stability of rational
expectations solutions and the possible convergence of adaptive learning processes.
Both concepts are used as selection criteria in the case of multiple rational
expectations solutions.
Results obtained using recursive least squares lead to the conjecture that
there exists a general one-to-one correspondence between these two selection criteria.
On the basis of a simple linear model and a stochastic gradient algorithm as an
alternative learning procedure, it is demonstrated that such a conjecture would be incorrect:
There are cases in which stochastic gradient learning converges to rational
expectations solutions that are not expectationally stable.
Short‐term impacts of extreme environmental disturbance on the bats of Puerto Rico
Authors: Jones Kate E. , Barlow Kate E. , Vaughan Nancy , Rodríguez‐Durán Armando , Gannon Michael R.
Published: July 2002

The sensitivity of bat species to stochastic disturbance was investigated by exploiting the natural experiment provided by Hurricane Georges, which struck the island of Puerto Rico (Caribbean) in September 1998. Six forest habitats and three cave roost sites sampled for bats prior to the hurricane were sampled in the same way after the hurricane. Populations showed significant declines in abundance and species richness across all forest habitats sampled. Species' sensitivity to disturbance were not equal: larger species were significantly more affected by disturbance than smaller species, once the effects of phylogenetic non‐independence were removed. There was some evidence that frugivorous and nectarivorous species are more affected by hurricane disturbance than insectivorous species. These findings have important implications for maintaining viable populations of species in areas that experience a high degree of environmental fluctuation.
Trust and Institutional Dynamics in Japan: The Construction of Generalized Particularistic Trust
Authors: Eisenstadt S. N.
Published: July 2002

Japan constitutes a very interesting and paradoxical case from the point of view of the place of trust in the processes of institution building and institutional dynamics. This problem has, of course, been the basic thrust of Durkheim's emphasis on the importance of precontractual elements for the fulfillment of contracts seemingly dealing with purely ‘utilitarian’ considerations. But this crucial insight – and problematic – has not been systematically followed up in the social science literature. Only lately it has been again taken up – initially, perhaps paradoxically – from within various rational choice approaches which have come to recognize that continuity of patterns of social interaction and of institutional frameworks cannot be explained by purely rational-utilitarian considerations (Braithwaite and Levi, 1998; Kramer and Tyler, 1993). At the same time the more recent analyses have also pointed to some of the complexities, paradoxes; and problems of the construction of trust in social interaction and institution building.
Anion-Channel Blockers Interfere with Auxin Responses in Dark-Grown Arabidopsis Hypocotyls
Authors: Thomine S. , Lelievre F. , Boufflet M. , Guern J. , Barbier-Brygoo H.
Published: July 2002

Anion channels are thought to participate in signal transduction and turgor regulation in higher plant cells. The regulation of hypocotyl cell elongation is a situation in which these channels could play important roles because it involves ionic fluxes that are implicated in turgor control and orchestrated by various signals. We have used a pharmacological approach to reveal the contribution of anion channels in the regulation of the development of hypocotyls by auxins. Auxins induce an inhibition of elongation, a disintegration of the cortical cell layers, and the formation of adventitious roots on Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyls grown in the dark. Anion-channel blockers such as anthracene-9-carboxylic acid, 4,4[prime]-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2–2[prime]-disulfonic acid, 4-acetamido-4[prime]-isothiocyanato-stilbene-2–2[prime]-disulfonic acid, and R(+)-methylindazone; indanyloxyacteic acid-94, which produce little or no stimulation of hypocotyl elongation by themselves, are able to counteract the inhibition and the disintegration induced by auxins with various efficiencies. This interference appears to be specific for auxins and does not occur when hypocotyl elongation is inhibited by other growth regulators such as ethylene or cytokinins. The putative involvement of anion channels in auxin signal transduction is discussed.
An Embryo-Defective Mutant of Arabidopsis Disrupted in the Final Step of Biotin Synthesis
Authors: Patton David A. , Schetter Amy L. , Franzmann Linda H. , Nelson Karin , Ward Eric R. , Meinke David W.
Published: July 2002

Auxotrophic mutants have played an important role in the genetic dissection of biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms. Equivalent mutants have been more difficult to identify in plants. The bio1 auxotroph ofArabidopsis thaliana was shown previously to be defective in the synthesis of the biotin precursor 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid. A second biotin auxotroph of A. thaliana has now been identified. Arrested embryos from thisbio2 mutant are defective in the final step of biotin synthesis, the conversion of dethiobiotin to biotin. This enzymatic reaction, catalyzed by the bioB product (biotin synthase) in Escherichia coli, has been studied extensively in plants and bacteria because it involves the unusual addition of sulfur to form a thiophene ring. Three lines of evidence indicate that bio2 is defective in biotin synthase production: mutant embryos are rescued by biotin but not dethiobiotin, the mutant allele maps to the same chromosomal location as the cloned biotin synthase gene, and gel-blot hybridizations and polymerase chain reaction amplifications revealed that homozygous mutant plants contain a deletion spanning the entire BIO2-coding region. Here we describe how the isolation and characterization of this null allele have provided valuable insights into biotin synthesis, auxotrophy, and gene redundancy in plants.
Nonphotochemical Reduction of the Plastoquinone Pool in Sunflower Leaves Originates from Chlororespiration1
Authors: Feild Taylor S. , Nedbal Ladislav , Ort Donald R.
Published: July 2002

We investigated the relationship between nonphotochemical plastoquinone reduction and chlororespiration in leaves of growth-chamber-grown sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Following a short induction period, leaves of previously illuminated sunflower showed a substantially increased level of minimal fluorescence following a light-to-dark transition. This increase in minimal fluorescence was reversed by far-red illumination, inhibited by rotenone or photooxidative methyl viologen treatment, and stimulated by fumigation with CO. Using flash-induced electrochromic absorption-change measurements, we observed that the capacity of sunflower to reduce plastoquinone in the dark influenced the activation state of the chloroplast ATP synthase, although chlororespiratory transmembrane electrochemical potential formation alone does not fully explain our observations. We have added several important new observations to the work of others, forming, to our knowledge, the first strong experimental evidence that chlororespiratory, nonphotochemical plastoquinone reduction and plastoquinol oxidation occur in the chloroplasts of higher plants. We have introduced procedures for monitoring and manipulating chlorores-piratory activity in leaves that will be important in subsequent work aimed at defining the pathway and function of this dark electron flux in higher plant chloroplasts.
Biosynthesis of Lipoic Acid in Arabidopsis: Cloning and Characterization of the cDNA for Lipoic Acid Synthase
Authors: Yasuno Rie , Wada Hajime
Published: July 2002

Lipoic acid is a coenzyme that is essential for the activity of enzyme complexes such as those of pyruvate dehydrogenase and glycine decarboxylase. We report here the isolation and characterization of LIP1 cDNA for lipoic acid synthase of Arabidopsis. The ArabidopsisLIP1 cDNA was isolated using an expressed sequence tag homologous to the lipoic acid synthase of Escherichia coli. This cDNA was shown to code for Arabidopsis lipoic acid synthase by its ability to complement alipA mutant of E. coli defective in lipoic acid synthase. DNA-sequence analysis of the LIP1cDNA revealed an open reading frame predicting a protein of 374 amino acids. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence with those ofE. coli and yeast lipoic acid synthase homologs showed a high degree of sequence similarity and the presence of a leader sequence presumably required for import into the mitochondria. Southern-hybridization analysis suggested that LIP1 is a single-copy gene in Arabidopsis. Western analysis with an antibody against lipoic acid synthase demonstrated that this enzyme is located in the mitochondrial compartment in Arabidopsis cells as a 43-kD polypeptide.
ATP-Dependent Formation of Phosphatidylserine-Rich Vesicles from the Endoplasmic Reticulum of Leek Cells
Authors: Sturbois-Balcerzak Bénédicte , Vincent Patrick , Maneta-Peyret Lilly , Duvert Michel , Satiat-Jeunemaitre Béatrice , Cassagne Claude , Moreau Patrick
Published: July 2002

Leek (Allium porrum) plasma membrane is enriched in phosphatidylserine (PS) by the vesicular pathway, in a way similar to that already observed in animal cells (B. Sturbois-Balcerzak, D.J. Morré, O. Loreau, J.P. Noel, P. Moreau, C. Cassagne [1995] Plant Physiol Biochem 33: 625–637). In this paper we document the formation of PS-rich small vesicles from leek endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes upon addition of ATP and other factors. The omission of ATP or its replacement by ATPγ-S prevents vesicle formation. These vesicles correspond to small structures (70–80 nm) and their phospholipid composition, characterized by a PS enrichment, is compatible with a role in PS transport. Moreover, the PS enrichment over phosphatidylinositol in the ER-derived vesicles is the first example, to our knowledge, of phospholipid sorting from the ER to ER-derived vesicles in plant cells.
Developmental and Stress Regulation of RCI2A andRCI2B, Two Cold-Inducible Genes of Arabidopsis Encoding Highly Conserved Hydrophobic Proteins
Authors: Medina Joaquı́n , Catalá Rafael , Salinas Julio
Published: July 2002

The capability of most higher plants to tolerate environmental conditions strongly depends on their developmental stage. In addition, environmental factors have pleiotropic effects on many developmental processes. The interaction between plant development and environmental conditions implies that some genes must be regulated by both environmental factors and developmental cues. To understand their developmental regulation and obtain possible clues on their functions, we have isolated genomic clones for RCI2A andRCI2B, two genes from Arabidopsis ecotype Columbia (Col), whose expression is induced in response to low temperature, dehydration, salt stress, and abscisic acid. The promoters ofRCI2A and RCI2B were fused to theuidA (GUS)-coding sequence and the resulting constructs used to transform Arabidopsis. GUS activity was analyzed in transgenic plants during development under both stressed and unstressed conditions. Transgenic plants with either theRCI2A or RCI2B promoter showed strongGUS expression during the first stages of seed development and germination, in vascular bundles, pollen, and most interestingly in guard cells. When transgenic plants were exposed to low temperature, dehydration, salt stress, or abscisic acid, reporter gene expression was induced in most tissues. These results indicate that RCI2A and RCI2B are regulated at transcriptional level during plant development and in response to different environmental stimuli and treatments. The potential role ofRCI2A and RCI2B in plant development and stress response is discussed.
Induction of ApL3 Expression by Trehalose Complements the Starch-Deficient Arabidopsis Mutantadg2-1 Lacking ApL1, the Large Subunit of ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase
Authors: Fritzius Thorsten , Aeschbacher Roger , Wiemken Andres , Wingler Astrid
Published: July 2002

The disaccharide trehalose has strong effects on plant metabolism and development. In Arabidopsis seedlings, growth on trehalose-containing medium leads to an inhibition of root elongation, an accumulation of starch in the shoots, an increased activity of ADP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), and an induction of the expression of the AGPase gene, ApL3 (A. Wingler, T. Fritzius, A. Wiemken, T. Boller, R.A. Aeschbacher [2000] Plant Physiol 124: 105–114). We used Arabidopsis mutants deficient in starch synthesis to examine whether the primary effect of trehalose was to affect carbohydrate allocation by the induction of AGPase in the photosynthetic tissue. In a mutant lacking the large AGPase subunit, ApL1, (adg2-1 mutant) growth on trehalose restored AGPase activity and led to a strong accumulation of starch in the shoots. In contrast, starch synthesis could not be induced in a mutant lacking the small AGPase subunit, ApS, (adg1-1 mutant) or in a mutant lacking plastidic phosphoglucomutase (pgm1-1 mutant). These results indicate that ApL3 can substitute for ApL1 in the AGPase complex. In addition, root elongation in the mutants, especially in the adg1-1 mutant, was partially resistant to trehalose, suggesting that the induction ofApL3 expression and the resulting accumulation of starch in the shoots were partially responsible for the effects of trehalose on the growth of wild-type plants.
Food retailing loyalty schemes – and the Orwellian Millennium
Authors: Evans Martin
Published: July 2002

The food retailing loyalty scheme is one of the marketing phenomena of the 1990s with most of the major supermarket multiples now having a customer loyalty card scheme. Consumers reciprocate by possessing loyalty cards – there are 40 million such cards in circulation. By knowing what individual consumers buy, the food retailer should be able to target them with relevant offers whilst the consumer saves money in the process. The dilemma for the consumer is one of cheaper shopping on the one hand and privacy invasion on the other because they reveal details about themselves every time they let their purchases at the checkout be matched with their data file via the loyalty card. The dilemma for supermarkets is whether loyalty schemes create truly loyal relationships or whether they are merely sales promotions.
Meat avoidance and the role of replacers
Authors: McIlveen Heather , Abraham Clare , Armstrong Gillian
Published: July 2002

Manufacturers are producing an extensive range of added value products which are formulated using meat replacers but which are designed to appeal to a wide range of consumers, above and beyond the “traditional vegetarian” market. This study considered the relatively recent impact of such products on the Northern Ireland market, with a particular emphasis on the quality and acceptability of Quorn based products. A small‐ scale questionnaire (n = 100) considered customer perceptions of meat replacers, whilst the acceptance of selected tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and Quorn products was measured using selected sensory evaluation techniques. The study concluded that Quorn can offer similar texture and flavour attributes to those consumers who wish to avoid meat products for health and/or safety reasons. It is this customer base which needs to be targeted, but it must be noted that negative perceptions of meat replacers still exist. Therefore, further developments need to be supported by appropriate marketing strategies which will both attract and educate consumers and help to achieve a sustained level of purchasing.
Designer surfaces for titanium components
Authors: Dong Hanshan , Bell Tom
Published: July 2002

Despite their outstanding combination of properties, titanium and its alloys are very susceptible to severe adhesive wear in rubbing with almost all the engineering surfaces and can exhibit poor corrosion resistance in some aggressive environments. Surface engineering research centred at the University of Birmingham has been focused on creating designed surfaces for titanium components. Great progress has been made recently through the development of such novel surface engineering techniques as thermal oxidation, palladium‐treated thermal oxidation, oxygen diffusion and duplex systems. Such advances thus provide scope for designing titanium components for a diversified range of engineering applications, usually as direct replacements for steel components. By way of example, some of our successful steps towards titanium designed surfaces are demonstrated. To date, the potential of these novel techniques has been realised first in auto‐sport and off‐shore industries.
The empowerment of middle managers in a community health trust: structure, responsibility and culture
Authors: Procter Stephen , Currie Graeme , Orme Helen
Published: July 2002

The concern of this paper lies with empowerment of middle managers in a community health trust. It considers the impact of traditional structures and cultures upon the level of decision which middle managers are empowered to make. The conclusion reached is one which suggests that the level of discretion available to middle managers was one of making task‐orientated decisions rather than decisions about strategic change. However, even this was compromised by financial constraints and by “best practices” imposed by the personnel function.