bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
International Technology Transfer to Local Suppliers by Volvo Trucks in India
Authors: Ivarsson Inge , Alvstam Claes Göran 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTThis paper present a case study of international technology transfer, where foreign transnational companies (TNCs) in developing countries provide their local suppliers with technological assistance as part of their on‐going business relationships. The analysis is set against a background of changing corporate strategies, where TNCs increasingly use ‘follow sourcing’, i.e. international suppliers set up operations close to their main established customers worldwide, leading to a situation where smaller indigenous suppliers, especially in developing countries, face difficulties in establishing business relationships with foreign TNCs that can lead to increased technological capabilities. We use unique firm‐level data collected at Volvo Trucks’ assembly plant in India and show that domestic suppliers can improve their technological capability through a transfer of both product and production technology. Our findings complement the existing empirical litterature by showing that local technology transfer can arise from new green‐field investments by TNCs focused on more simple assembly operations.
Regional Inequality in China: A Case Study of Zhejiang Province
Authors: Wei Yehua Dennis , Ye Xinyue 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTMost studies on regional inequality in China are based on macro regions and provinces. Studies on intraprovincial inequality remain limited, although there is a growing literature on Guangdong and Jiangsu. Zhejiang is a leading coastal province of China experiencing rapid economic growth and has been known for its Wenzhou model of development based on private enterprises. This paper uses time‐series county data to examine regional inequalities in Zhejiang from 1952 to 1998, with a focus on the reform period of 1978–98. We find that intermunicipal and intercounty inequalities in Zhejiang increased substantially, and overall inequality also increased, especially in the 1990s when more radical market reforms were implemented. While cities like Hangzhou and Ningbo have maintained their higher level of wealth, some counties, particularly coastal counties in municipalities like Wenzhou and Taizhou, have recorded dramatic growth, centred on private enterprises. However, municipalities such as Quzhou, which were favoured by Mao's industrialisation policy, recorded slower growth, as did the traditionally poorer municipalities. We have analysed the role of localities, the state, and globalisation in the changing patterns of regional development in Zhejiang, with an emphasis on local agents of development.
Glocalisation and Nature Conservation Strategies in 21st‐Century Southern Africa
Authors: Ramutsindela Maano 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTThis paper refers to the establishment of the Great Limpopo on the South Africa‐Mozambique‐Zimbabwe border and the Kgalagadi on the South Africa‐Botswana border to illuminate the involvement of actors under conditions that cannot more appropriately be captured by analyses that place emphasis on particular scales. It reaffirms the view that the global‐local infusion involves actors at multiple levels. To that end, the paper uses the debate about global‐local connections as an interpretative framework for understanding various actors involved in the creation of transfrontier parks in southern Africa. Drawing from case study material in the Great Limpopo and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Parks, the paper shows that changing conservation philosophies, the socio‐political environment, economic imperatives and conditions in and around national parks combined to make the region favourable to the new nature conservation schemes.
Restructuring the Belgian Professional Football League: A Location‐Allocation Solution
Authors: Dejonghe Trudo 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTIn the 1990s, and even more since the Bosman Case, professional football in Europe has been transformed from a utility maximisation to a more endogenous growth‐based profit maximisation consumer‐oriented service. In the post‐Bosman period Belgian football has declined in the European rankings and has in a more economic‐oriented climate problems in surviving. The recent transformation implies that in the long run the economic features and more specific the location of the club is becoming a very important factor. The existing heterogeneous characteristics of the different clubs made it necessary to introduce an empirically‐based modified maximum covering location model. The empirical results prove that a restructuring of Belgian professional football to 14 clubs and in some cases a relocation or merger might be a solution for the contemporary problems.
Perceptions of Urban Space in the Periphery: Potsdam's Kirchsteigfeld
Authors: Basten Ludger 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTAs theories of postmodernism have challenged many established theoretical positions in geo‐graphy, they have also led to a reassessment of the urban periphery and its significance for an understanding of contemporary urban development. In addition, these regions have witnessed the emergence of a new type of development project where planners and urban designers have attempted to create truly urban spaces, embodying rather traditional forms and concepts of urbanism in spite of their peripheral location.This paper investigates one such project on the outskirts of Potsdam, Germany. Drawing on theoretical ideas of postmodern urbanism it discusses a number of issues related to perceptions of this new space in the urban periphery, namely contextualisation, urban design/architecture, meaning/identity of place, and the differences of perception between creators and users of the project. Non‐standardised in‐depth interviews are analysed to investigate the experience and perception of this space and discuss some possible implications for urban design and planning.
The Power of Cross‐Border Labour Market Immobility
Authors: Henk Van Houtum  , Van Der Velde Martin 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTIn this paper we critically address and interrogate the issue of cross‐border labour mobility in the European Union. Despite fifteen years of policy stimulation, cross‐border labour movements are still exceptions and not the dominant pattern. It is argued that it is a further understanding of the concept of immobility more than mobility that should be at the core of the research on cross‐border labour markets. It is the critical awareness of the power of immobility that may help to contextualise and understand the non‐existence of a flourishing and fluid international labour market. It is postulated that the bordering of our orientation and (id)entity is preventing the existence of a large‐scale cross‐border or transnational labour market in the European Union. The social border produces a difference in the imagination of belonging and as such it produces an attitude of indifference towards the market on what is perceived as the ‘Other side’. The avoidance of uncertainty and wish to border oneself and identify with an existing socio‐spatial category then become important motivators for non‐action. This idea runs counter to the Cartesian worldview of human action, which has found its present translation in the rational agent in mainstream economics, which still motivates European Union labour market policy‐making. What is suggested here is the inclusion of the attitude of nationally habitualised indifference that may help to explain why most workers do not even consider seeking work across the border.
Blockade of the NPY Y5 receptor potentiates circadian responses to light: complementaryin vivoandin vitrostudies
Authors: Yannielli P. C. , Brewer J. McKinley , Harrington M. E. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractNeuropeptide Y (NPY) is delivered to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) circadian pacemaker via an input from the thalamic intergeniculate leaflet. NPY can inhibit light‐induced responses of the circadian system of Syrian hamsters. Here we studied whether an antagonist to NPY receptors can be used to potentiate photic phase shifts late in the subjective night. First we determined byin situhybridization that both NPY Y1 and Y5 receptor mRNA are expressed in the SCN of Syrian hamsters. Second, similar to our previous findings at Zeitgeber time 14 (ZT 14, where ZT 12 was the time of lights off), we found that NPY applied at ZT 18.5 onto the SCN region of brain slices maintainedin vitrocould block NMDA‐induced phase advances of the spontaneous firing rate rhythm, and this blocking effect was probably mediated by the Y5 receptor, since co‐application of Y5 receptor antagonists completely reversed the effect of NPY, while application of a Y1 receptor antagonist had no effect under the same conditions. Third, we found that co‐treatment with a Y5 receptor antagonistin vivo(s.c., 10 mg/kg) not only reversed the effect of NPY applied to the SCNin vivothrough a cannula but also significantly potentiated the light‐induced phase advance in the absence of NPY. This is the first report of a NPY receptor antagonist having such an effect, and indicates that NPY Y5 receptor antagonists could be clinically useful for potentiating circadian system responses to light.
Olfactory bulb neurons express functional, entrainable circadian rhythms
Authors: Granados‐Fuentes Daniel , Saxena Meera T. , Prolo Laura M. , Aton Sara J. , Herzog Erik D. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractCircadian pacemakers drive many daily molecular, physiological and behavioural rhythms. We investigated whether the main olfactory bulb is a functional circadian pacemaker in rats. Long‐term, multielectrode recordings revealed that individual, cultured bulb neurons expressed near 24‐h oscillations in firing rate. Real‐time recordings of Period1 gene activity showed that a population of cells within the bulb expressed synchronized rhythmicity starting on embryonic day 19. This rhythmicity was intrinsic to the mitral, and not the granule, cell layer, entrainable to physiological temperature cycles and temperature compensated in its period. However, removal of the olfactory bulbs had no effect on running wheel behaviour. These results indicate that individual mitral/tufted cells are competent circadian pacemakers which normally synchronize to each other. The daily rhythms in gene expression and firing rate intrinsic to the olfactory bulb are not required for circadian patterns of locomotion, indicating that they are involved in rhythms outside the canonical circadian system.
Spatiotemporal properties of cytoplasmic cyclic AMP gradients can alter the turning behaviour of neuronal growth cones
Authors: Munck Sebastian , Bedner Peter , Bottaro Thierry , Harz Hartmann 
Published: February 2004

AbstractGrowth cones, the terminal structures of elongating neurites, use extracellular guidance information in order to navigate to appropriate target cells. The directional information of guidance cues is transduced to a cytoplasmic gradient of messenger molecules across the growth cone leading to rearrangements of the cytoskeleton. One messenger molecule regulating growth cone turning is cAMP, which is also known to be sufficient to direct growth cone attraction. Cytoplasmic cAMP gradients have been generated in the present study by photolysing caged cAMP with UV light focused on one side of growth cones of chick sensory neurons. Using this method we show that only specific time patterns of pulsed cAMP release are capable of inducing growth cone turning whereas others, which release the same amount of cAMP, are ineffective. Theoretical calculations show that diverse time patterns produce different intracellular gradients, which were visualized directly in HeLa cells expressing cAMP‐sensitive ion channels as a reporter system. Together these data indicate that the spatiotemporal properties of the intracellular gradient are crucial for growth cone turning.
Long‐ and short‐range reward expectancy in the primate orbitofrontal cortex
Authors: Hikosaka Kazuo , Watanabe Masataka 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is important in motivation and emotion. We previously reported reward expectancy‐related delay activities during a delayed reaction time task in primate OFC neurons. To further investigate the significance of the OFC in motivational operations, we examined pre‐instruction, baseline activities of OFC neurons in relation to reward expectancy during the delayed reaction time task. In this task, an instruction cue indicated whether reward would be present or absent in the trial. Each set of four consecutive trials constituted one block within which three different kinds of rewards and one trial with no reward were given in a fixed order that differed from the monkey's reward preference. We identified two types of OFC neurons with reward expectancy‐related pre‐instruction activities: Step‐type neurons showed stepwise changes (increase or decrease) in pre‐instruction activity toward the trial with a particular outcome, which usually was the most or least attractive within a block; Pref‐type neurons showed pre‐instruction activity changes according to the monkey's preference for each trial's outcome. We propose that Step‐type and Pref‐type neurons are related to long‐range and short‐range reward expectancies of a particular outcome, respectively. The OFC is considered to play important roles in goal‐directed behaviour by adjusting the motivational level toward a certain (current or future) outcome of a particular motivational significance based on the two kinds of reward expectancy processes. Impairments in goal‐directed behaviour by OFC patients may be caused by a lack of long‐range expectancy or by a deficit in compromising between short‐range and long‐range expectancies.
Peripheral nerve injury induces trans‐synaptic modification of channels, receptors and signal pathways in rat dorsal spinal cord
Authors: Yang Liang , Zhang Fang‐Xiong , Huang Fen , Lu Yin‐Jing , Li Guo‐Dong , Bao Lan , Xiao Hua‐Sheng , Zhang Xu 
Published: February 2004

AbstractPeripheral tissue injury‐induced central sensitization may result from the altered biochemical properties of spinal dorsal horn. However, peripheral nerve injury‐induced modification of genes in the dorsal horn remains largely unknown. Here we identified strong changes of 14 channels, 25 receptors and 42 signal transduction related molecules in Sprague–Dawley rat dorsal spinal cord 14 days after peripheral axotomy by cDNA microarray. Twenty‐nine genes were further confirmed by semiquantitative RT‐PCR, Northern blotting, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. These regulated genes included Ca2+ channel α1E and α2/δ1 subunits, α subunits for Na+ channel 1 and 6, Na+ channel β subunit, AMAP receptor GluR3 and 4, GABAA receptor α5 subunit, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α5 and β2 subunits, PKC α, βI and δ isozymes, JNK1–3, ERK2–3, p38 MAPK and BatK and Lyn tyrosine‐protein kinases, indicating that several signal transduction pathways were activated in dorsal spinal cord by peripheral nerve injury. These results demonstrate that peripheral nerve injury causes phenotypic changes in spinal dorsal horn. Increases in Ca2+ channel α2/δ1 subunit, GABAA receptor α5 subunit, Na+ channels and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in both dorsal spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia indicate their potential roles in neuropathic pain control.
Distributed neuronal networks for encoding category‐specific semantic information: the mismatch negativity to action words
Authors: Shtyrov Yury , Hauk Olaf , Pulvermüller Friedemann 
Published: February 2004

AbstractMismatch negativity (MMN), an index of experience‐dependent memory traces, was used to investigate the processing of action‐related words in the human brain. Responses to auditorily presented movement‐related English words were recorded in a non‐attend odd‐ball protocol using a high‐density electroencephalographic (EEG) set‐up. MMN was calculated using responses to the same words presented as standard and deviant stimuli in different sessions to avoid contamination from phonetic–acoustic differences. The topography of the mismatch negativity to action words revealed an unusual centro‐posterior distribution of the responses, suggesting that activity was at least in part generated posterior to usually observed frontal MMNs. Moreover, responses to hand‐related word stimulus (pick) had a more widespread lateral distribution, whereas leg‐related stimulus (kick) elicited a more focal dorsal negativity. These differences, remarkably reminiscent of sensorimotor cortex topography, were further assessed using distributed source analysis of the EEG signal (L2 minimum‐norm current estimates). The source analysis also confirmed differentially distributed activation for the two stimuli. We suggest that these results indicate activation of distributed neuronal assemblies that function as category‐specific memory traces for words and may involve sensorimotor cortical structures for encoding action words.
VIP and PACAP induce selective neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Cazillis Michèle , Gonzalez Bruno J. , Billardon Claude , Lombet Alain , Fraichard Alexandre , Samarut Jacques , Gressens Pierre , Vaudry Hubert , Rostène William 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThe capacity of embryonic stem cells (ES cells) to differentiate into neuronal cells represents a potential source for neuronal replacement and a model for studying factors controlling early stages of neuronal differentiation. Various molecules have been used to induce such differentiation but so far neuropeptides acting via functional G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) have not been investigated. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) are neuropeptides expressed in early development which affect neuronal precursor proliferation and neuronal differentiation. VIP and PACAP share two common receptors (VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors) while only PACAP binds with high affinity to PAC1 receptors. The aim of the study was to determine whether VIP and PACAP could produce functional neuronal differentiation of ES cells. Mouse ES cells were allowed to aggregate in embryoid bodies (EBs) in the presence or not of VIP and PACAP for 1 week. VIP and PACAP potently increased the proportion of EB‐derived cells expressing specifically a neuronal phenotype shown by immunocytochemistry and neurite outgrowth without altering glial cell number. Binding and RT‐PCR analyses demonstrated the presence of VPAC2 and PAC1 receptors on ES cells. Accordingly, both peptides increased cyclic AMP and intracellular calcium. In contrast, EB‐derived cells only expressed a functional PAC1 receptor, suggesting a switch in GPCR phenotype during ES cell differentiation. These original data demonstrate that functional GPCRs for VIP and PACAP are present on ES cells and that these neuropeptides may induce their differentiation into a neuronal phenotype. It opens an exciting new field for neuropeptide regulation of tissue ontogenesis.
Risk factors for dopaminergic neuron loss in human α‐synuclein transgenic mice
Authors: Thiruchelvam M. J. , Powers J. M. , Cory‐Slechta D. A. , Richfield E. K. 
Published: February 2004

AbstractGenetic background, pesticide exposure, age, gender, diet and lifestyle are implicated risk factors in Parkinson's disease. We demonstrate dopamine neuron loss and other features of Parkinsonism based on the interaction of several of these human risk factors in transgenic mice expressing human α‐synuclein. Mice expressing different forms of human α‐synuclein had progressive declines in locomotor activity and abnormal responses to apomorphine that were modified by transgenic status. Stereological counts of tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive neurons significantly declined with age only in the transgenic lines, consistent with a constant or decreasing risk, with the line expressing a double‐mutant form of human α‐synuclein more severely affected than the line expressing wild‐type human α‐synuclein. Treatment with Mn2+‐ethylenebisdithiocarbamate and paraquat resulted in significantly greater effects in the double‐mutant line than the other lines. Inclusions were not identified in the transgenic lines. Overexpression of human α‐synuclein had adverse effects on substantia nigra pars compacta dopaminergic neurons that were modified by risk factors interacting in humans, including human α‐synuclein mutations, ageing, and exposure to pesticides.
Alteration of dopamine D1 receptor‐mediated motor inhibition and stimulation during development in rats is associated with distinct patterns of c‐fos mRNA expression in the frontal‐striatal circuitry
Authors: Diaz Heijtz Rochellys , Scott Lena , Forssberg Hans 
Published: February 2004

AbstractDopamine D1 receptors have been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, little is known about potential late maturational changes of the motor inhibitory and stimulatory role of these receptors. Here, we investigated the effects of a full and selective D1 receptor agonist, SKF‐81297, on motor activity and expression of the plasticity‐associated gene, c‐fos, in the prefrontal cortex and striatum of juvenile and adolescent male rats. In general, SKF‐81297 produced a biphasic effect on motor activity (locomotor and rearing activity), which consisted of an initial short inhibition followed by a long‐lasting stimulation. These effects were dose‐ and age‐ dependent. The inhibitory phase was more pronounced in adolescent than in juvenile rats whereas the opposite was true for the stimulatory phase. During the initial inhibitory phase of the drug, c‐fos mRNA expression was increased in the prefrontal cortex of juvenile rats but reduced in adolescent rats. There was also an increase in c‐fos mRNA expression in the medial‐dorsal striatum and olfactory tubercle, which was more evident in juvenile rats. In contrast, during the stimulatory phase, c‐fos mRNA expression was increased in both the dorsal and ventral striatum, especially in the nucleus accumbens, as well as in the prefrontal cortex, in both age groups. The increase of c‐fos mRNA in the dorsal striatum, however, was more pronounced in juvenile rats. These results indicate the presence of two distinct D1 receptor populations within the frontal‐striatal circuitry, which have opposite effects on motor activity, and which have different maturational profiles.