Contents -- Preface -- International Organizing Committee -- Previous publications from this series of conferences -- Photolegend -- Conference Participants -- I. Stereocilia -- The contribution of transduction channels and adaptation motors to the hair cell's active process P. Martin, F. Julicher and A. J Hudspeth -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Active spontaneous oscillations of a hair bundle -- 3.2 A mechanism to explain hair-bundle oscillations -- 3.3 Frequency-selective amplification of sinusoidal stimuli -- 3.4 Compressive nonlinearity of a bundle's active response to stimulation -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Active amplification by critical oscillations F. Julicher, S. Camalet, J. Prost and T. A. J. Duke -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Nonlinear mechanical response -- 3 Critical oscillations -- 4 Oscillations generated by molecular motors -- 5 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Formation and remodeling of hair bundles promoted by continuous actin polymerization at the tips of stereocilia: Mechanical considerations M. E. Schneider, A. Rzadzinska, C. Davies and B. Kachar -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Distribution of beta actin in the hair cell -- 3 Continuous polymerization of actin filaments in the stereocilia -- 4 Membrane recycling -- 5 A new role for myosins in hair-bundle plasticity and mechanics -- 6 Role of renewal of stereocilia in response to injury -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Mechanical-to-chemical transduction by motor proteins J. Howard -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Single-molecular recordings -- 3 Effect of force on chemical equilibria -- 4 Effect of force on the rates of chemical reactions -- 5 A mechanochemical model for kinesin -- 6 Conclusions and Outlook -- References -- Comments and Discussion.

Investigation of the mechanoelectrical transduction at single stereocilia by AFM M. G. Langer, S. Fink, K. Loffler, A. Koitschev and H.-P. Zenner -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Weak mechanical coupling of stereocilia in outer hair cells allows local displacement of single tallest stereocilia by AFM -- 3.2 Mechanoelectrical transducer currents triggered by local displacement of single stereocilia of mammaliam outer hair cells -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Immunocytochemical investigations of the distribution of calbindin and calretinin in the turtle cochlea C. M. Hackney, S. Mahendrasingam and R. Fettiplace -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Immunofluorescent labelling of whole mounts -- 3.2 Post-embedding immunogold labelling -- 3.3 Quantification of relative amounts of calbindin and calretinin present in turtle hair cells -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- The effects of calcium on mechanoh-ansducer channel kinetics in auditory hair cells R Fettiplace, A. C. Crawford and A. J. Ricci -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- 4.1 Ca2+ acts on mechanotransducer channel gating -- 4.2 Dependence of activation kinetics on hair cell CF -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Signal processing by transducer channels in mammalian outer hair cells T. Dinklo, S. M. van Netten, W. Marcotti and C. J. Kros -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 2.1 Signal-to-noise ratio of hair cell transducer channels -- 2.2 Experiments -- 3 Results and Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Measured and modeled motion of kee-standing hair bundles in response to sound stimulation A . J. Aranyosi and D. M. Freeman -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion.

Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Viscoelasticity of active actin-myosin networks L. Le Goff, F. Amblard and E. M. Furst -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- References -- Mechanical stresses and forces in stereocilia bundles of inner and outer hair cells R Mueller, H. Maier, F. Boehnke and W. Arnold -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- Two adaptation processes in auditory hair cells together can provide an active amplifier A. Vilfan and T. A. J. Duke -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Results -- References -- II. Hair cells -- Some pending problems in cochlear mechanics P. Dallos -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Cochlear micromechanics -- 2.1 Cochlear micromechanics -- 2.2 Resonant subsystems -- 2.3 Organ of Corti mechanics -- 2.4 Computations with springs -- 3 Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Functional properties of prestin - how the motormolecule works work B. FakIer and D. Oliver -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Allosteric modulation of the outer hair cell motor protein prestin by chloride V. Rybalchenko and J. Santos-Sacchi -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 OHCs possess a voltage-dependent anion-cation, non-selective conductance permeable to CT anions -- 3.2 Ct current modulates voltage sensitivity and charge-transfer functions of prestin -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- ROCK 'n' Rho in outer hair cell motility M. Zhang, G. Kalinec, F. Kalinec, D. D. Billadeau and R Urrutia -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion.

Ultrastructure of lateral walls of outer hair cells observed by atomic force microscopy H. Wada, M. Sugawara, H. Usukura, K. Kimura, Y. Katori, S. Kakehata, K. Ikeda and T. Kobayashi -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Materials and methods -- 2.1 Cell preparation -- 2.2 Atomic force microscopy -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- 5 Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- The strain ratio of the outer hair cell motor protein R. Hallworth -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 3.1 Length and diameter change in the microchamber -- 3.2 Passive mechanical properties of the OHC membrane -- 3.3 Models of the OHC -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Piezoelectric properties enhance outer hair cell high-frequency response A. A. Spector, A. S. Popel and W. E. Brownell -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Model -- 2. I Modified electric curcuit -- 2.2 Deformation of the cell in the organ of Corti -- 2.3 Parameters of the model -- 3 Results and Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Fast nonlinear currents in outer hair cells from the basal turn of the cochlea X-X. Dong, M. Ospeck and K. H. Iwasa -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Results -- 2.1 Fast outward-rectifying currents in basal turn hair cells -- 2.2 Eflects of blockers -- 2.3 Voltage-dependence of conductance -- 3 Discussion -- 3.1 Evidence for gating -- 3.2 What can fast outward-rectifying currents do? -- 3.3 The RC time constant problem -- 3.4 Why the basal turn? -- 3.5 Viscous drag -- 3.6 The frequency limit -- 4 Conclusions -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Membrane electromechanics at hair-cell synapses W. E. Brownell, B. Farrell and R. M. Raphael -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Model and Results.

2.1 The magnitude of the directflexoelectric eflect during the formation of the exocytotic fusion pore that formsfom two flat membranes -- 2.2 Converse flexoelectric effects leading to force production -- 3 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Comments and Discussion -- Determination of the elastic modulus of thin gels using the atomic force microscope E. K. Dimitriadis, F. Horkay, B. Kachar, J. Maresca and R. S. Chadwick -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- References -- Measurement of mechanical properties of the outer hair cell with atomic force microscopy M. Sugawara, H. Wada and Y. lshida -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Mechanical responses of cochlear outer hair cells D. Z. Z. He -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Results -- 2.1 Infruence of membrane conductances on motility -- 2.2 Influence of mechanical load on the asymmetry andji-equency response characteristics of OHC motility -- 3 Summary -- No correlates for somatic motility in freeze-fractured hair-cell membranes of lizards and birds C. Koppl, A. Forge and G. A. Manley -- 1 Introduction and Methods -- 2 Results and Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Tension-dependence of the active and passive modes of energy generated in the outer hair cell wall A. A. Spector and R. P. Jean -- 1 Introduction and Methods -- 2 Results -- 3 Conclusions -- References -- Hair cell responses and harmonic phase M. A. Cheatham and P. Dallos -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results and Discussion -- References -- Diverse and dynamic expression patterns of voltage-gated ion channel genes in rat cochlear hair cells K. W. Beisel and B. Fritzsch -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Methods -- 3 Results -- 4 Discussion -- Acknowledgments -- References.

A KCNQ-type potassium current in cochlear inner hair cells D. Oliver and B. Fakler.