bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioural and emotional disturbances in people with Prader–Willi Syndrome
Authors: Steinhausen H.‐C. , Eiholzer U. , Hauffa B. P. , Malin Z.
Published: December 2003

Background  The study of the behaviour profile in subjects with Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS).

Methods  A total of fifty‐eight 3‐ to 29‐year‐old subjects with PWS were studied using a standardized parent report of behavioural and emotional disturbances.

Results  There was an increase of behavioural and emotional disturbances for the adolescent and young adult age range, whereas gender and intelligence were not significant. Increasing body mass index (BMI) was also associated with more behavioural and emotional disturbances. There was no significant relation between genetic status and behavioural abnormalities.

Conclusions  This systematic study supports single case observations of a heightened psychiatric vulnerability of adolescent and young adult PWS subjects.
Effects of temperature on maturation of pseudothecia ofLeptosphaeria maculansandL. biglobosaon oilseed rape stem debris
Authors: Toscano‐Underwood C. , Huang Y. J. , Fitt B. D. L. , Hall A. M.
Published: December 2003

Effects of temperature on maturation of pseudothecia ofLeptosphaeria maculansandL. biglobosa, closely related species which coexist on UK oilseed rape, were investigated. Stages in pseudothecial maturation on naturally infected oilseed rape debris were examined, both in controlled environments (5, 10, 15 or 20°C) under continuous wetness and in natural conditions (debris exposed in September and December 2000, and July, September and November 2002). Pseudothecia sampled weekly were assigned to maturation classes A (asci undifferentiated), B (asci differentiated), C (ascospores differentiated) or D (ascospores mature). Progress in pseudothecial maturation (assessed by time until 50% of pseudothecia reached each class) was similar forL. maculansandL. biglobosaat 15–20°C, butL. biglobosamatured more slowly at < 10°C. Maturation time decreased almost linearly with temperature from 5 to 20°C under continuous wetness but was longer in natural conditions, especially when periods of dry weather occurred. Differences in pseudothecial maturation are likely to contribute to epidemiological differences betweenL. maculansandL. biglobosa, which may explain their coexistence. It is appropriate to use the degree‐day approximation to assess pseudothecial maturation at temperatures between 5 and 20°C, providing debris is wet.
Detection and identification of a phytoplasma from lucerne with Australian lucerne yellows disease
Authors: Pilkington L. J. , Gibb K. S. , Gurr G. M. , Fletcher M. J. , Nikandrow A. , Elliott E. , Ven R. van de , Read D. M. Y.
Published: December 2003

Foliar and root symptoms are described for Australian lucerne yellows (ALuY), a disease common in Australian lucerne seed crops. A phytoplasma was detected in plants exhibiting symptoms, but not in symptomless lucerne plants. Oligonucleotide primers specific to the phytoplasma 16S‐23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (SR) were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays on DNA extracted from lucerne plants with and without symptoms. Identical restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) enzyme profiles were obtained for PCR products amplified from 10 yellows‐affected lucerne samples. RFLP profiles obtained for four restriction enzymes were different from those of the tomato big bud (TBB) phytoplasma. ALuY phytoplasma PCR products were sequenced to determine phylogeny and were found to fall within the faba bean phyllody phytoplasma group, or phytoplasma group 16srII. Transmission electron microscopy revealed phytoplasmas in the phloem of yellows‐affected plant samples, but not in symptomless plant samples. Fungal, bacterial and viral agents in the aetiology of Australian lucerne yellows were ruled out.
Induction of defence‐related enzymes and resistance by the plant activator acibenzolar‐S‐methyl in tomato seedlings against bacterial canker caused by Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis
Authors: Baysal Ö. , Soylu E. M. , Soylu S.
Published: December 2003

Using tomato seedlings, the plant defence activator acibenzolar‐S‐methyl (benzo‐[1,2,3]‐thiadiazole‐7‐carbothioic acid‐S‐methyl ester, ASM; Bion 50 WG) was assayed for its ability to induce resistance against Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis, the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato. In ASM‐pretreated plants, reduction in disease severity (up to 76·3%) was correlated with lower bacterial growth (up to 68·2% lower) during the time course of infection. To understand the possible mechanism of action of ASM, alterations in the activities of peroxidase (POX) and chitinase were assessed as markers of resistance. The enhanced resistance of ASM‐treated plants was associated with significant increases in the activities of POX and chitinase
Overwintering of Ampelomyces mycoparasites on apple trees and other plants infected with powdery mildews
Authors: Szentiványi O. , Kiss L.
Published: December 2003

Apple shoots and aerial parts of 13 other plant species infected with powdery mildews during the previous season were collected in late winter and early spring between 1998 and 2003 at a total of 34 sample sites in Hungary. Samples were examined for the presence of overwintering structures of Ampelomyces, common mycoparasites of powdery mildews. Pycnidia and resting hyphae resembling those of Ampelomyces were found on six plant species, including apple. Their viability and subsequent mycoparasitic activity of the hyphae emerging from the overwintered fungal structures were studied in vitro to determine whether they can serve as sources of primary inocula of Ampelomyces in the spring. Overwintered pycnidia of Ampelomyces collected in the spring, and produced in both the ascomata and the conidiophores of powdery mildews during the previous season, initiated the life cycle of these mycoparasites when placed close to fresh powdery mildew colonies in vitro. Similarly, thick‐walled resting hyphae, found in the dried powdery mildew mycelia which covered the overwintered aerial parts of the host plants, also germinated and gave rise to new intracellular pycnidia of Ampelomyces when powdery mildew colonies were inoculated with them in vitro. On apple trees, Ampelomyces mycoparasites overwintered as resting hyphae in the dried powdery mildew mycelia covering the shoots and in the parasitized ascomata of Podosphaera leucotricha on the bark and the scales of the buds. Approximately 31% of the field samples collected from apple trees in spring between 1998 and 2003 contained overwintered structures of Ampelomyces. Artificial bursting of apple buds in the laboratory showed that both P. leucotricha and Ampelomyces start their life cycle during or soon after bud burst, but Ampelomyces can only slowly follow the spread of its mycohost on infected leaves. Most probably, the mycoparasites did not overwinter in the dormant hyphae of P. leucotricha in the buds, but only on the bark and the bud scales, as their hyphae were not found in the young hyphae of apple powdery mildew that appeared on the leaf tissues during bud burst. This study demonstrated that Ampelomyces mycoparasites can survive the winter in the field as pycnidia and as resting hyphae in the dried mycelia of their mycohosts.
Propofol and remifentanil for intubation without muscle relaxant: the effect of the order of injection
Authors: Trabold F. , Casetta M. , Duranteau J. , Albaladejo P. , Mazoit J. X. , Samii K. , Benhamou D. , Sitbon P.
Published: December 2003

Background:  Common practice in intubation without muscle relaxant is to inject the opioid drug prior to the hypnotic drug. Because remifentanil reaches adequate cerebral concentration more rapidly than does propofol, we tested the hypothesis that injection of remifentanil after propofol might lead to better intubating conditions.

Methods:  Thirty ASA I–II patients scheduled for elective surgery and with no anticipated difficult intubation were enrolled in the study. Five minutes after midazolam 30 µg kg−1, patients were randomized into two groups: group PR received propofol 2.5 mg kg−1 followed by remifentanil 1 µg kg−1, and group RP received remifentanil 1 µg kg−1 followed by propofol 2.5 mg kg−1. Intubating conditions were compared using a well‐validated score, and continuous arterial pressure was recorded non‐invasively.

Results:  Compared with group RP, intubating conditions were significantly better in group PR. The mean arterial pressure decrease was more pronounced in group RP.

Conclusions:  We therefore conclude that in premedicated healthy patients with no anticipated risk of difficult intubation, intubating and haemodynamic conditions are better when remifentanil is injected after propofol.
Effects of end‐inspiratory and end‐expiratory pressures on alveolar recruitment and derecruitment in saline‐washout‐induced lung injury – a computed tomography study
Authors: Luecke T. , Roth H. , Joachim A. , Herrmann P. , Deventer B. , Weisser G. , Pelosi P. , Quintel M.
Published: December 2003

Background:  Lung protective ventilation using low end‐inspiratory pressures and tidal volumes (VT) has been shown to impair alveolar recruitment and to promote derecruitment in acute lung injury. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two different end‐inspiratory pressure levels on alveolar recruitment, alveolar derecruitment and potential overdistention at incremental levels of positive end‐expiratory pressure.

Methods:  Sixteen adult sheep were randomized to be ventilated with a peak inspiratory pressure of either 35 cm H2O (P35, low VT) or 45 cm H2O (P45, high VT) after saline washout‐induced lung injury. Positive end‐expiratory pressure (PEEP) was increased in a stepwise manner from zero (ZEEP) to 7, 14 and 21 cm of H2O in hourly intervals. Tidal volume, initially set to 12 ml kg−1, was reduced according to the pressure limits. Computed tomographic scans during end‐expiratory and end‐inspiratory hold were performed along with hemodynamic and respiratory measurements at each level of PEEP.

Results:  Tidal volumes for the two groups (P35/P45) were: 7.7 ± 0.9/11.2 ± 1.3 ml kg−1 (ZEEP), 7.9 ± 2.1/11.3 ± 1.3 ml kg−1 (PEEP 7 cm H2O), 8.3 ± 2.5/11.6 ± 1.4 ml kg−1 (PEEP 14 cm H2O) and 6.5 ± 1.7/11.0 ± 1.6 ml kg−1 (PEEP 21 cm H2O); P < 0.001 for differences between the two groups. Absolute nonaerated lung volumes during end‐expiration and end‐inspiration showed no difference between the two groups for given levels of PEEP, while tidal‐induced changes in nonaerated lung volume (termed cyclic alveolar instability, CAI) were larger in the P45 group at low levels of PEEP. The decrease in nonaerated lung volume was significant for PEEP 14 and 21 cm H2O in both groups compared with ZEEP (P < 0.005). Overinflated lung volumes, although small, were significantly higher in the P45 group. Significant respiratory acidosis was noted in the P35 group despite increases in the respiratory rate.

Conclusion:  Limiting peak inspiratory pressure and VT does not impair alveolar recruitment or promote derecruitment when using sufficient levels of PEEP.
Haemodynamic effects of volume resuscitation by hypertonic saline‐dextran (HSD) in porcine acute cardiac tamponade
Authors: Terajima K. , Åneman A. , Haljamäe H.
Published: December 2003

Background:  Hypertonic saline‐dextran (HSD) has been utilized for small‐volume resuscitation in acute circulatory shock. However, HSD has also been reported to induce myocardial depression. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of HSD on cardiac performance and splanchnic perfusion in a low cardiac output model based on experimental cardiac tamponade.

Methods:  Seven anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated pigs of both sexes (weight 24 ± 2 kg, mean ± SEM) completed a randomized, cross‐over protocol. A low cardiac output state was established by intrapericardial infusion of dextran. Animals were resuscitated by bolus infusions (4 ml kg−1 in 2 min) of either 7.5% hypertonic saline‐dextran or Ringer's acetated solution (RAc) and then observed during tamponade (20 min) and following its release (40 min). Central haemodynamics, portal venous (QPV) and renal arterial (QRA) flows were measured together with gastric, jejunal, hepatic and renal laser‐Doppler flowmetry.

Results:  Resuscitation using HSD in a low cardiac output state completely restored QPV and improved gastric, jejunal, hepatic and renal microcirculation as assessed by laser‐Doppler flowmetry while no significant effect was observed in QRA. No such beneficial effects could be observed when animals were resuscitated using RAc. The improved haemodynamic state by HSD was maintained following release of cardiac tamponade while perfusion in RAc resuscitated animals returned to baseline or even remained depressed (hepatic and renal microcirculation). No signs of cardiodepression by HSD were observed.

Conclusion:  Resuscitation using HSD in a low cardiac output state restored splanchnic perfusion and microcirculation without any signs of cardiodepression.
Cellular mechanism of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide‐induced atrial tachyarrhythmia in canine isolated arterially perfused right atria
Authors: Hirose Masamichi , Chiba Shigetoshi
Published: December 2003

1. Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) induces atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT). However, the cellular mechanism responsible for this remains unclear.

2. In six canine isolated arterially perfused right atria, high‐resolution optical mapping techniques were used to measure action potentials during control conditions and after PACAP injection (1 nmol).

3. During steady state pacing at a cycle length of 300 msec, the action potential duration was shorter during PACAP than during control (P < 0.001). In addition, maximum repolarization gradients during PACAP (4 ± 1 msec/mm) were similar to those during control (5 ± 1 msec/mm; n = 6). Transmural repolarization gradients were also similar between the two groups.

4. After PACAP, AT was easily initiated with a single premature extrastimulus and was associated with a focal pattern of activation. However, AT was not initiated by a single premature stimulus during control.

5. In conclusion, the PACAP‐induced AT is associated with a focal pattern of activation that is independent of local repolarization gradients. These data suggest that increased dispersion of repolarization is not necessarily required for the induction of AT.
Which types of non‐bleeding visible vessels in gastric peptic ulcers should be treated by endoscopic hemostasis?
Authors: AMANO Y , MORIYAMA N , SUETSUGU H , ISHIMURA N , IMAOKA T , KOMAZAWA Y , FUJISHIRO H , ISHIHARA S , ADACHI K , KINOSHITA Y
Published: December 2003

Background and Aims:  Because non‐bleeding visible vessels (NBVV) of gastric peptic ulcers have the potential to re‐bleed, endoscopic hemostatic treatment may be necessary during the first emergency endoscopy. However, not all NBVV re‐bleed, and endoscopic hemostasis sometimes causes fatal side‐effects. Therefore, we have evaluated the risk of re‐bleeding from various NBVV in gastric peptic ulcers to determine which types should be treated by endoscopy to prevent re‐bleeding.

Methods:  A total of 227 NBVV in 202 patients with gastric peptic ulcers that were endoscopically followed without endoscopic hemostatic procedures were classified by the following factors: vessel color, form, location of the NBVV in the ulcer crater, and location of the ulcer in the stomach. The re‐bleeding rate was then analyzed for each type of NBVV.

Results:  Significantly high rates of re‐bleeding were observed in cases with white, protruded and peripheral NBVV. In particular, white NBVV located in the peripheral zone of the ulcer crater were frequent re‐bleeding sources. The location of the ulcer in the stomach was not a statistically significant factor in determining re‐bleeding rates.

Conclusion:  We found that white, protruded and peripherally located NBVV in gastric ulcers have a higher chance of re‐bleeding if preventive endoscopic hemostatic procedures are not performed.
Hepatic stellate cells in hepatitis C patients: Relationship with liver iron deposits and severity of liver disease
Authors: MARTINELLI ANA LC , RAMALHO LEANDRA NZ , ZUCOLOTO SERGIO
Published: December 2003

Background and Aim:  To determine the relationship between hepatic stellate cell (HSC) populations and severity of liver disease and liver iron deposits in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). We also studied the relationship between iron cellular distribution and HSC population and the role of HFE mutations in the determination of iron deposits.

Methods:  Forty‐nine chronic HCV patients with varying degrees of liver damage and liver iron deposits were studied. A liver biopsy was scored for histology activity index (HAI), fibrosis and iron deposits. The number of HSC in the liver was evaluated by an immunohistochemical double‐staining method to identify glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and smooth muscle alpha‐actin (α‐SMA).

Results:  The HSC population was significantly higher in HCV patients than in normal controls and was predominant in zones 1 and 3. Liver iron deposits were observed in 49% of patients and were mild/moderate in most cases. We found a significantly higher number of GFAP and α‐SMA positive cells in patients with liver iron deposits compared with those without iron deposits, and a positive correlation between liver iron scores and number (%) of GFAP and α‐SMA positive cells. We observed a significantly higher number of GFAP and α‐SMA positive cells in moderate/severe hepatitis than in minimal/mild hepatitis, and a positive correlation between GFAP and α‐SMA positive cells and HAI and fibrosis scores.

Conclusions:  Liver iron deposits in chronic HCV are common and are associated with activation of HSC. Thus, even mild iron deposits might stimulate HSC and contribute to liver damage.
Randomized comparative study of surgical adjuvant chemotherapy using 5‐fluorouracil and dl‐leucovorin with CDDP, 5‐FU and dl‐leucovorin for advanced colorectal cancer
Authors: OKABE SATOSHI , ARAI TAKEHIRO , YAMASHITA HIRONORI , SUGIHARA KENICHI , SASAKI TSUNEO
Published: December 2003

Background:  5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) is the most useful chemotherapeutic agent for colorectal carcinoma. Recently, the effectiveness of multidrug therapy in modifying the anticancer activity of 5‐FU for advanced cases was clarified. We conducted a randomized comparative study of surgical adjuvant chemotherapy comparing cis‐diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP), 5‐FU and dl‐leucovorin (LV) (PFL therapy) with dl‐LV and 5‐FU (FL therapy) in patients who underwent curative resection of stage II and III colorectal carcinoma.

Methods:  Thirty‐one patients, 13 ungergoing PFL therapy and 18 undergoing FL therapy, completed the scheduled administration, while 20 dropped out. Administration schedules were as follows: PFL therapy consisted of 13 mg/m2 CDDP, 300 mg/m2 5‐FU and 30 mg/body weight LV for 5 consecutive days. The FL therapy consisted of 300 mg/m2 5‐FU and 30 mg/body weight LV for 5 consecutive days in hospital. Both regimens were followed by biweekly administration of the same dosages of LV and 5‐FU in an outpatient setting.

Results:  Seven of 23 patients in the PFL therapy group and five of 28 patients in the FL therapy group experienced recurrence of colorectal carcinomas. Regarding prognosis of stage II patients, both groups showed similar results in 5‐year disease specific survival and disease‐free survival. However, stage III patients obtained better prognostic results in the FL therapy group than in the PFL therapy group. Major toxicities in these regimens were vomiting and leukopenia, both being more frequent in the PFL therapy group. Symptoms of toxicity resolved completely in all patients.

Conclusion:  From the present study we found that PFL therapy brought no benefit for stage II and III colorectal carcinoma compared with FL therapy. We should search for more appropriate adjuvant therapy, increasing the therapeutic effect of 5‐FU + LV for stage II and III colorectal carcinoma.
Walking speed as a good predictor for maintenance of I‐ADL among the rural community elderly in Japan: A 5‐year follow‐up study from TMIG‐LISA
Authors: Suzuki Takao , Yoshida Hideyo , Kim Hunkyung , Yukawa Harumi , Sugiura Miho , Furuna Taketo , Nishizawa Satoshi , Kumagai Shu , Shinkai Shoji , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Watanabe Shuichiro , Shibata Hiroshi
Published: December 2003

Background  A population‐based prospective cohort study was undertaken to examine the predictors of functional decline in instrumental activities of daily living (I‐ADL) among non‐disabled older Japanese subjects living in a rural community during a five‐year interval from 1992 to 1997.

Methods  The subjects consisted of 624 men and women aged from 65–89 years and independent in I‐ADL at baseline, who could be completely followed for five years. Independent variables were various physical factors potentially associated with higher level of functional capacity obtained from an interview survey and medical examinations at baseline. Dependent variables were functional status in I‐ADL obtained at the time of the 5‐year follow‐up.

Results  Significant predictors of functional decline in I‐ADL during a 5‐year follow‐up period included: (1) older age; (2) higher blood pressure; and (3) lower maximum walking speed at baseline. Among these predictor, the maximum walking speed is likely to the strongest predictor for the decline in I‐ADL.

Conclusion  The ability to walk faster in the old age is strongly associated with independence in the other I‐ADL, and walking speed should be modified by the lifestyle to strengthen muscles of the lower extremities in daily life.
An intervention study to improve the nutritional status of functionally competent community‐living senior citizens
Authors: Kumagai Shu , Watanabe Shuichiro , Shibata Hiroshi , Amano Hidenori , Hujiwara Yoshinori , Yoshida Yuko , Shinkai Shoji , Yukawa Harumi , Yoshida Hideyo , Suzuki Takao
Published: December 2003

Objective:  To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a program to improve the dietary habits and nutritional status of functionally competent community‐living senior citizens.

Design:  A four‐year community‐based intervention.

Setting and methods:  The study population was a representative sample of functionally competent seniors aged ≥ 65 years (229 men, 357 women, mean age: 71.0 years) living in a rural area (Nangai village, Northern Japan). Formal services (lectures and practice sessions, focusing mainly on improvement of dietary habits and other aspects of lifestyle) were provided to the community over a 4‐year period (1996–2000). Food frequency questionnaires assessed changes in consumption of the seven main food groups for the region (meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, milk, dark‐colored vegetables, fruit, and fats and oils). Serum albumin and hemoglobin concentrations were measured immediately before and after the intervention. Changes over the intervention period were contrasted with those in an age‐ and gender‐matched population of 179 men and 293 women from the same community who had been observed during the previous four years (1992–1996).

Results:  The frequency of consumption of meat, dark‐colored vegetables, and fats and oils increased significantly in the intervention population, in contrast to the observational population, where the frequency of consumption of meat, fish and shellfish, fats and oils decreased. In apparent consequence, the intervention population showed a significant increase of serum albumin (men and women) and of hemoglobin (women only), whereas the observational population showed decreases in serum albumin and hemoglobin in both men and women.

Conclusions:  These services provided were feasible and effective in improving dietary habits, and enhancing the nutritional status of functionally competent community‐living senior citizens.
Impact of history or onset of chronic medical conditions on higher‐level functional capacity among older community‐dwelling Japanese adults
Authors: Fujiwara Yoshinori , Shinkai Shoji , Kumagai Shu , Amano Hidenori , Yoshida Yuko , Yoshida Hideyo , Kim Hunkyung , Suzuki Takao , Watanabe Shuichiro , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Shibata Hiroshi
Published: December 2003

Background:  Many studies have examined the impact of chronic medical conditions on the age‐related decline in basic activities of daily living (BADL) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), but less is known concerning the influence of chronic disease on physical, cognitive, social, and economic aspects of higher‐level functional capacity.

Methods:  Subjects comprised 793 and 725 persons aged 65–84 years, living in an urban and a rural Japanese community, respectively. A baseline interview established any history of chronic medical conditions. Four years later, a second interview again assessed chronic disease, and higher‐level functional capacity was evaluated using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) Index of Competence.

Results:  Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that declines in total score and/or any of three subscales of the TMIG Index of Competence were significantly associated with a history of chronic disease, the onset of visual impairment and the development of hearing impairment, even after controlling for the subject's age, gender, educational attainment, and baseline TMIG Index of Competence. Episodes of stroke were significantly associated with declines in IADL. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease were also significantly associated with a decrease in functional competence, although each affected a different subscale of the TMIG Index of Competence.

Conclusions:  The present results underline the importance of controlling chronic medical conditions through a physically active lifestyle and an appropriate medical regimen in order to limit the age‐related decline in functional capacity.
Active life expectancy based on activities of daily living for older people living in a rural community in Japan
Authors: Ishizaki Tatsuro , Yoshida Hideyo , Kumagai Shu , Watanabe Shuichiro , Shinkai Shoji , Suzuki Takao , Shibata Hiroshi , Imanaka Yuichi
Published: December 2003

Objectives:  To examine functional transitions in activities of daily living (ADL) over a one‐year interval among older Japanese living in a rural community, and to estimate their active life expectancy (ALE) based on ADL.

Design:  A prospective cohort study.

Setting:  A community‐based environment.

Participants:  A total of 1069 residents aged 65 or older in Nangai Village, Akita, Japan

Measurements:  A structured interviewed questionnaire, which involved age, sex, and four ADL items, was used for each survey in both 1996 and 1997. We defined functional dependency in ADL as a loss of independence in any ADL item. In addition, we defined ALE as the average number of remaining life years free of ADL dependence at a given age.

Results:  Of the baseline cohort (n = 1069), we received 1068 analyzable questionnaires at the follow‐up survey in 1997. During the follow‐up, 95% of subjects who were initially independent in ADL remained independent. Active life expectancies for men and women were estimated to be 15.4 and 17.8 more years at 65 years of age, respectively.

Conclusion:  The study revealed that women had longer average life years than men in terms of ADL disabilities.
Is Nature Enough? Introduction
Authors: Cavanaugh Michael
Published: December 2003

Abstract. The forty‐ninth annual IRAS conference on Star Island pursued the science‐religion dialogue primarily in terms of two concepts: nature and transcendence. Robust Yes responses and likewise robust No responses were presented by both scientists and theologians to the theme question, “Is Nature Enough? The Thirst for Transcendence.” After this introductory survey of the definitional landscape, representative papers from the conference are presented.
Is Nature Enough? Yes
Authors: Stone Jerome A.
Published: December 2003

Abstract. Religious naturalism encompasses thinkers from Baruch Spinoza, George Santayana, John Dewey, Henry Nelson Wieman, and Ralph Burhoe to recent writers. I offer a generic definition of religious naturalism and then outline my own version, the “minimalist vision of transcendence.” Many standard issues in the science‐and‐religion dialogue are seen to fade in significance for religious naturalism. I make suggestions for our understanding of science, including the importance of transcognitive abilities, the need for a revised notion of rationality as an alternative to extreme versions of postmodernism, the value of rational dissensus, and the education of appreciation. Finally, I suggest ways to interpret the religious traditions of the world by religious naturalism.
From Biology to Consciousness to Morality
Authors: Goodenough Ursula , Deacon Terrence W.
Published: December 2003

Abstract.Social animals are provisioned with prosocial orientations that operate to transcend self‐interest.Morality, as used here, describes human versions of such orientations. We explore the evolutionary antecedents of morality in the context of emergentism, giving considerable attention to the biological traits that undergird awareness and our emergent human forms of mind. We suggest that our moral frames of mind emerge from our primate prosocial capacities, transfigured and valenced by our symbolic languages, cultures, and religions.
Hindu Perspectives on the Thirst for Transcendence
Authors: Raman Varadaraja V.
Published: December 2003

Abstract. Definitions of nature and transcendence are given, and the framework of Hindu thought is presented. The levels of reality as discovered by physics are then discussed, which leads us to revise our notions of reality and objectivity. Transcendence is defined as something beyond matter‐energy in space‐time and is explored in several contexts of modern science, as in pre‐Big‐Bang state, negative entropy, information, complexity, and others. Finally, a philosophical reflection on consciousness is presented.
The Biology of Morality
Authors: Morrison Nancy K. , Severino Sally K.
Published: December 2003

Abstract. The morality of human beings, defined here as our ability to determine whether our actions are right or wrong, depends not just on following rules but also on understanding the impact of our actions on another person. How we understand the impact of our actions on another person depends on our state of consciousness, which is mediated by our brain and nervous system. We describe how we understand our morality to flow naturally from the biological state we are living in and how we see our biology and our morality as mutually interactive. A change in one changes the other. Another way of saying this is that changing either our morality or our biology changes both—changes who we are and what we do.
Environmental Decline and the Rise of Religion
Authors: Orr Matthew
Published: December 2003

Abstract.Historically, crises have spawned deliberate, widespread efforts to change a culture's worldviews. Anthropologists have characterized such efforts as “revitalization movements” and speculated that many of the world's religions, including Christianity, arose through revitalization. Some responses to the planet's environmental crisis share the characteristics of both a revitalization movement and an incipient religion. They call for a science‐based cosmology and an encompassing reverence for nature, and thus differ from responses to environmental decline offered by traditional religions. As environmental problems deepen, historical precedent suggests that religious shifts in affected cultures may follow.
Is our Universe Deterministic? Some Philosophical and Theological Reflections on an Elusive Topic
Authors: Smedes Taede A.
Published: December 2003

Abstract.The question of whether or not our universe is deterministic remains of interest to both scientists and theologians. In this essay I argue that this question can be solved only by metaphysical decision and that no scientific evidence for either determinism or indeterminism will ever be conclusive. No finite being, no matter how powerful its cognitive abilities, will ever be able to establish the deterministic nature of the universe. The only being that would be capable of doing so would be one that is at once transcendent and immanent. Such a being is compatible with the God of the Christian tradition, which yields that a deterministic worldview is compatible with (yet does not necessarily lead to) a deterministic worldview. A more important point is that because science is never able to establish the determinism of our universe, it can never definitely rule out divine action except on metaphysical grounds.
Untying The Gordian Knot: The Multiple Links Between Exchange Rates and Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: PAIN NIGEL , VAN WELSUM DESIRÉE
Published: December 2003

Theoretical and empirical studies show that the level and volatility of exchange rates can have significant effects on foreign direct investment (FDI). But the evidence is ambiguous, with the impact of exchange rates being heterogeneous across countries and types of investment, and varying over time. Fixed exchange rate regimes may stimulate investment, but largely because of their indirect benefits for the investment climate rather than because of lower currency volatility, especially in larger economies. Careful judgements still need to be made about the appropriate entry rate, since real exchange rate levels can have a long‐lasting impact on the spatial distribution of economic activities and living standards.
A Macroeconomic Analysis of EU Accession under Alternative Monetary Policies
Authors: DEVEREUX MICHAEL B.
Published: December 2003

This article provides an analytical discussion of the adjustment to EU accession for an economy under alternative assumptions about monetary policy rules. The post‐accession phase is characterized by rapid capital inflows and real exchange rate appreciation. If accession is combined with membership of the euro area and a pegged exchange rate, then the post‐accession period exhibits excessive foreign borrowing, high wage inflation, an excessive stock market boom, and much too rapid growth in the non‐traded sector at the expense of the exportable goods sector. Alternative monetary policies can be used to eliminate the inefficiencies of the post‐accession adjustment, but some bring real costs in terms of lower growth and unemployment. We find that the best policy is one of flexible inflation targeting with some weight on exchange rate stability. In the absence of exchange rate adjustment, fiscal policy could be used, but this requires complicated time‐varying expenditure taxes. While the analytical discussion emphasizes the benefits of exchange rate adjustment, a later section of the article explores some more recent arguments regarding non‐traditional costs of exchange rate volatility.
Institutional recipes as a source of information about food habits*
Authors: Mitchell Janet
Published: December 2003

The School of Home Science at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand was established in 1911 to enable women to obtain a university qualification in Home Science. Accommodation was provided for students in the Home Science Hostels. From 1940 until 1990 the hostels accommodated approximately 120 students each year. In 1943, a set of recipe cards was published for use in hostel kitchens. They were used continuously as a basis for hostel meals until 1993 and were revised four times during the period. It is suggested that an explanation of the original selection of the recipes together with an interpretation of additions and omission over the period would mirror and explain changing attitudes to food in New Zealand society. The content of the sets was examined, omissions and additions noted and a comparison made with recipes included in popular New Zealand and American household cookbooks. Overall, it was found that factors that influenced the make‐up of the recipe set and bought about change were: the background of the Foods Department staff, the hostel food supervisors, the requirements of the student residents, nutritional guidelines and food ideologies. The first recipe set revealed some American influence, but over the period, despite the institutional context, hostel meals, remained fairly traditional and mirrored the food practices of most New Zealand households.
Deskilling the domestic kitchen: national tragedy or the making of a modern myth?**
Authors: Lyon Phil , Colquhoun Anne , Alexander Emily
Published: December 2003

In the UK, television cookery programmes engage the attention and enthusiasm of large audiences. Celebrity chefs are household names whose books nearly always top best‐seller lists. Magazines and newspapers routinely include meal recipes and reports on food‐related issues. In this sense, the domestic preparation of food has probably never attracted greater public interest. Paradoxically, much is also now said and written about the general loss of practical cooking skills. The latter takes on a special significance especially in relation to adverse changes in UK eating patterns and food safety problems. The paper contributes to an understanding of this paradox by examining what has happened to food preparation skills. The 20th century was a context for massive social and technological changes, and these were reflected in the domestic environment. Among younger cohorts many of traditional food preparation skills have atrophied but to some extent we can view this in terms of changed timescales of acquisition. Also, on the basis of historical evidence, there may be grounds for optimism in a re‐evaluation of the extent and diversity of cooking skills in the past.
Linking Objectives to Actions: A Decision Support Approach Based on Cause–Effect Linkages
Authors: Tan Kim Hua , Platts Ken
Published: December 2003

The process of translating objectives into actions is a difficult task. This difficulty is due to the wide range of possibilities and the lack of structured information. Managers must take into account relevant information and generate a range of options before a decision is reached. So far, little is available to guide managers in translating a set of objectives into actions. This paper presents a three‐stage action‐planning process to address this gap. The process, supported by a software tool, takes managers through the stages of model building, action generation, and action evaluation and selection. A case study illustrates the application of the process. The paper concludes by discussing the implication of this work for managers and academics.
Improving Decision Effectiveness of Artificial Neural Networks: A Modified Genetic Algorithm Approach
Authors: Sexton Randall S. , Sriram Ram S. , Etheridge Harlan
Published: December 2003

This study proposes the use of a modified genetic algorithm (MGA), a global search technique, as a training method to improve generalizability and to identify relevant inputs in a neural network (NN) model. Generalizability refers to the NN model's ability to perform well on exemplars (observations) that were not used during training (out‐of‐sample); improved generalizability enhances NN's acceptability as a valid decision‐support tool. The MGA improves generalizability by setting unnecessary weights (or connections) to zero and by eliminating these weights. Because the eliminated weights have no further impact on the training (in‐sample or out‐of‐sample data), the relevant variables can be identified from the model. By eliminating unnecessary weights, the MGA is able to search and find a parsimonious model that generalizes well. Unlike the traditional NN, the MGA identifies the model variables that contribute to an outcome, helping decision makers to rationalize output and accept results with greater confidence. The study uses real‐life data to demonstrate the use of MGA.
The Effects of Knowledge Management on Team Members' Ratings of Project Success and Impact*
Authors: Fedor Donald B. , Ghosh Soumen , Caldwell Steven D. , Maurer Todd J. , Singhal Vinod R.
Published: December 2003

Many organizations are trying to improve the generation and utilization of knowledge. The activities associated with these efforts are identified as organizational knowledge management (KM). While much has been written about knowledge management from the organizational level, the success of such efforts over the long run will depend upon on how KM activities impact important outcomes as perceived by those at the employee level who actually implement the activities. This study used the input‐process‐output framework of team effectiveness to investigate the relationship between selected KM‐related activities on integrated product and process development team members' satisfaction with their project's success and the impact they expected it to have on the organization. The results indicate that team‐level leadership and support (i.e., inputs), along with knowledge generation and dissemination (i.e., processes), are key drivers of member performance‐related ratings (i.e., outputs). Finally, and possibly most importantly, a number of interactions were evident suggesting that the KM processes moderate the effects of the KM inputs. These findings and their implications are discussed.
L‐type Ca2+ channel and ryanodine receptor cross‐talk in frog skeletal muscle
Authors: Squecco Roberta , Bencini Chiara , Piperio Claudia , Francini Fabio
Published: December 2003

The dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs)/L‐type Ca2+ channels of skeletal muscle are coupled with ryanodine receptors/Ca2+ release channels (RyRs/CRCs) located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The DHPR is the voltage sensor for excitation–contraction (EC) coupling and the charge movement component qγ has been implicated as the signal linking DHPR voltage sensing to Ca2+ release from the coupled RyR. Recently, a new charge component, qh, has been described and related to L‐type Ca2+ channel gating. Evidence has also been provided that the coupled RyR/CRC can modulate DHPR functions via a retrograde signal. Our aim was to investigate whether the newly described qh is also involved in the reciprocal interaction or cross‐talk between DHPR/L‐type Ca2+ channel and RyR/CRC. To this end we interfered with DHPR/L‐type Ca2+ channel function using nifedipine and 1‐alkanols (heptanol and octanol), and with RyR/CRC function using ryanodine and ruthenium red (RR). Intramembrane charge movement (ICM) and L‐type Ca2+ current (ICa) were measured in single cut fibres of the frog using the double‐Vaseline‐gap technique. Our records showed that nifedipine reduced the amount of qγ and qh moved by ∼90% and ∼55%, respectively, whereas 1‐alkanols completely abolished them. Ryanodine and RR shifted the transition voltages of qγ and qh and of the maximal conductance of ICa by ∼4−9 mV towards positive potentials. All these interventions spared qβ. These results support the hypothesis that only qγ; and qh arise from the movement of charged particles within the DHPR/L‐type Ca2+ channel and that these charge components together with ICa are affected by a retrograde signal from RyR/CRC.
Dynamic interactions of excitatory and inhibitory inputs in hypoglossal motoneurones: respiratory phasing and modulation by PKA
Authors: Saywell Shane A. , Feldman Jack L.
Published: December 2003

The balance of excitation and inhibition converging upon a neurone is a principal determinant of neuronal output. We investigated the role of inhibition in shaping and gating inspiratory drive to hypoglossal (XII) motoneuronal activity. In neonatal rat medullary slices that generate a spontaneous respiratory rhythm, patch‐clamp recordings were made from XII motoneurones, which were divided into three populations according to their inhibitory inputs: non‐inhibited, inspiratory‐inhibited and late‐inspiratory‐inhibited. In late‐inspiratory‐inhibited motoneurones, blockade of GABAA receptors with bicuculline abolished inspiratory‐phased inhibition and increased the duration of inspiratory drive currents. In inspiratory‐inhibited motoneurones, bicuculline abolished phasic inhibition, which frequently revealed excitatory inspiratory drive currents. In non‐inhibited motoneurones, neither bicuculline nor strychnine markedly changed inspiratory drive currents. Inhibitory currents in XII motoneurones were potentiated by protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Intracellular dialysis of the catalytic subunit of PKA or bath application of the PKA activator Sp‐cAMP significantly increased the amplitude of expiratory‐phased IPSCs without any change in IPSP frequency. Inspiratory‐phased inhibition in inspiratory‐inhibited motoneurones was potentiated by Sp‐cAMP. We conclude that inspiratory‐phased inhibition is prevalent in neonatal XII motoneurones and plays an important role in shaping motoneuronal output. These inhibitory inputs are modulated by PKA, which also modulates excitatory inputs.
Equivalence of Gaussian and piston ultrasonic transducer voltages
Authors: Lobkis Oleg I. , Chimenti D. E.
Published: December 2003

A plane-wave decomposition of collimated beams and electromechanical reciprocity relations are used to demonstrate fundamental differences and unusual similarities about transducer fields and transducer voltages at ultrasonic frequencies under various conditions. It is shown that the voltage induced by a transmitting acoustic piston transducer (constant particle velocity over the transducer surface) radiating into an ideal fluid medium on a second identical piston transducer, operating as a receiver, is nearly identical to the voltage observed when the two transducers have instead a Gaussian radial surface velocity distribution. The strong similarity in induced voltage begins when the two devices are separated by only several acoustic wavelengths, still well within the nearfield of both transducers, and the similarity increases with separation. Cases of transducer velocity distributions different from piston, such as Lorentzian or triangular, yield results nearly identical to the piston case. Transducers of differing size are also treated. It is further shown that an “equivalent transducer” can be derived for any combination of radiators, whose field is identical to the voltage measured using the pair. Moreover, with this concept the calculation of voltage in two-probe experiments is as simple as well-known approximations to the Rayleigh integral for a single transducer. These results have substantial consequences for calculations, either analytical or numerical, that predict the voltage measured in two-transducer experiments.
On derivation of differential equations of coupled-mode propagation from the reciprocity principle (L)
Authors: Godin Oleg A.
Published: December 2003

In a Letter to the Editor, McDaniel [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 114, 3020–3023 (2003)] criticizes the derivation of equations of coupled-mode propagation [O. A. Godin, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103, 159–168 (1998)] based on the reciprocity principle and proposes another derivation. A close examination of McDaniel’s arguments shows that her criticism is unwarranted. The derivation presented by McDaniel does not apply to acoustic waveguides with sloping boundaries and/or interfaces, which are the subject of analysis reported in the 1998 article. Two alternative derivations are discussed and shown to give the same mode-coupling equations as originally obtained by Godin.