bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE EMERGENCE OF PEASANT SOCIETIES IN EAST ASIA
Authors: Miyajima Hiroshi
Published: December 2004

In the recent debates about Confucianism and its role in East Asian economic development, there has been little discussion about why East Asian societies embraced Confucian values in the first place. Here, “Confucian” refers particularly to the ideas of the Song dynasty Zhu Xi school (neo-Confucianism) which became associated in China with the shidafu scholar-bureaucrat class. Zhu Xi political philosophy was anchored in a centralized governing bureaucracy under the emperor, and differed markedly from political ideals underlying medieval feudal society in Europe, for example. Land-ownership was not a condition of shidafu status, and there is only a partial resemblance between the Chinese landowner and European feudal ruling strata. In Japan and Korea, notwithstanding the fact that neo-Confucianism was an imported philosophy and there arose discrepancies between its ideas and social reality, it sank deep roots into both societies. This paper looks at the conditions that allowed this to happen, and concludes that the spread of Confucian ideas depended on structural changes in Korea and Japan that were similar to those that had occurred in China. It is in the emergence of peasant society that we find the key to such changes. This, I contend, is a far more important watershed than the one that divides early-modern and modern.
MARRIAGE IN TAIPEI CITY: REASONS FOR RETHINKING CHINESE DEMOGRAPHY
Authors: Wolf Arthur P. , Gates Hill
Published: December 2004

The only pre-1950 Chinese cities for which reliable demographic records exist are those in Taiwan. Analysis of two samples of the records from Taipei City produces surprising results. Urban women were far less likely to marry than rural women and consequently had markedly lower fertility. This was due to a greater demand for female labor in the city but not because employment outside of the home freed women to refuse marriages arranged by their parents. Parental authority was as strong in the city as in the country. The difference was that given the possibility of remunerative employment for their daughters many parents chose to keep them at home rather than giving them to another family in marriage.
Equatorial upwelling rates inferred from helium isotope data: A novel approach
Authors: Klein Birgit , Rhein Monika
Published: December 2004

Upwelling is one of the key processes to maintain the Tropical Atlantic cold tongue. This feature is of special interest to climate research, since its SST variability is significantly correlated with the West African Monsoon. Direct measurements of the upwelling have been hampered by the small speeds involved. Instead, vertical motion has to be estimated by indirect methods. Here we propose a novel approach to infer equatorial upwelling velocities by exploiting the helium isotope disequilibrium between atmosphere and equatorial oceanic mixed layer. The data were collected during WOCE cruises A13 and A14. Although the vertical and horizontal resolution of the helium data in the upper tropical oceans was too poor to support a detailed study, it was sufficient to show the potential of the method.
Distribution of magnesium in coral skeleton
Authors: Meibom Anders , Cuif Jean‐Pierre , Hillion François , Constantz Brent R. , Juillet‐Leclerc Anne , Dauphin Yannicke , Watanabe Tsuyoshi , Dunbar Robert B.
Published: December 2004

Ion micro‐probe imaging of the aragonite skeleton of Pavona clavus, a massive reef‐building coral, shows that magnesium and strontium are distributed very differently. In contrast to strontium, the distribution of magnesium is strongly correlated with the fine‐scale structure of the skeleton and corresponds to the layered organization of aragonite fibers surrounding the centers of calcification, which have up to ten times higher magnesium concentration. This indicates a strong biological control over the magnesium composition of all structural components within the skeleton. Magnesium may be used by the coral to actively control the growth of the different skeletal crystal components.
Evidence for microbial enhanced electrical conductivity in hydrocarbon‐contaminated sediments
Authors: Atekwana Estella A. , Atekwana Eliot A. , Werkema D. Dale , Allen Jonathan P. , Smart Laura A. , Duris Joseph W. , Cassidy Daniel P. , Sauck William A. , Rossbach Silvia
Published: December 2004

Bulk electrical conductivity of sediments during microbial mineralization of diesel was investigated in a mesoscale laboratory experiment consisting of biotic contaminated and uncontaminated columns. Population numbers of oil degrading microorganisms increased with a clear pattern of depth zonation within the contaminated column not observed in the uncontaminated column. Microbial community structure determined from ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer analysis showed a highly specialized microbial community in the contaminated column. The contaminated column showed temporal increases in bulk conductivity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and calcium, suggesting that the high bulk conductivity is due to enhanced mineral weathering from microbial activity. The greatest change in bulk conductivity occurred in sediments above the water table saturated with diesel. Variations in electrical conductivity magnitude and microbial populations and their depth distribution in the contaminated column are similar to field observations. The results of this study suggest that geophysical methodologies may potentially be used to investigate microbial activity.
Interdecadal changes in the El Nino–La Nina asymmetry
Authors: An Soon‐Il
Published: December 2004

The SST anomalies (SSTA) over the past 148 years have been analyzed to describe the interdecadal change in the skewness of SSTA (ICS) in the tropical Pacific and possible consequence of this change. The first EOF mode of ICS represents the interdecadal changes in the El Nino‐La Nina asymmetry. The corresponding PC time series is related to the ENSO predictability, suggesting that ENSOs are more predictable during the positive ICS decades than during the negative ICS decades, and to the propagation characteristics of ENSO such that SSTA during the positive (negative) ICS decades tend to propagate eastward (westward). Moreover, ICS was found to be associated with interdecadal SST variations in the tropical eastern pacific, suggesting a nonlinear positive feedback between ENSO variability and mean climate change. The ICS also is negatively correlated to SSTA over the northern midlatitude oceans and positively correlated to those over the southern midlatitude oceans.
Variability of aerosol parameters over Kanpur, northern India
Authors: Singh R. P. , Dey Sagnik , Tripathi S. N. , Tare Vinod , Holben Brent
Published: December 2004

Aerosol optical properties and the spectral behavior of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Kanpur, an urban‐industrial city in the Ganga basin, have been presented for the first time. Measurements by the ground‐based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) during January 2001 to December 2003 show pronounced seasonal influence, with maximum dust loading during the premonsoon season (April–May). The distribution of AOD is found to be large with a mean value of 0.6 at 500 nm wavelength. The frequency distribution of the Ångström parameter α reveals two modes (α < 1 dominant dusty condition and α > 1 urban aerosols). Diurnal variations of AOD, water vapor content (WVC), and Ångström parameter show strong seasonal influence. Maximum variation of AOD is found during the monsoon season (presence of mixed types of aerosols), maximum variation of WVC is observed during the winter season (frequent changes in humidity and air pressure), and α shows maximum variations during the premonsoon (dust dominating the atmospheric optical conditions) season. The aerosol volume size distributions show two distinct modes, fine (geometric mean radii of 0.17 μm and standard deviation of 0.03) and coarse (geometric mean radii of 3.37 μm and standard deviation of 0.1), but during May–August (period of dust loading), a third mode (around 1–2 μm) appears because of hygroscopic growth of finer aerosols. The single‐scattering albedo (SSA) is found to increase with wavelength in the presence of dust and shows a reverse trend in dust‐free conditions. Refractive indices show the presence of dust as the main component during the premonsoon season and dominance of anthropogenic urban‐industrial aerosols during the winter season, when the optical state of the atmosphere is more absorbing. The aerosol parameters show distinct interannual variations, with increasing aerosol burden over the region. Aerosol loading over Kanpur is found to be controlled by the regional climatology.
Comparative inverse analysis of satellite (MOPITT) and aircraft (TRACE‐P) observations to estimate Asian sources of carbon monoxide
Authors: Heald Colette L. , Jacob Daniel J. , Jones Dylan B. A. , Palmer Paul I. , Logan Jennifer A. , Streets D. G. , Sachse Glen W. , Gille John C. , Hoffman Ross N. , Nehrkorn Thomas
Published: December 2004

We use an inverse model analysis to compare the top‐down constraints on Asian sources of carbon monoxide (CO) in spring 2001 from (1) daily MOPITT satellite observations of CO columns over Asia and the neighboring oceans and (2) aircraft observations of CO concentrations in Asian outflow from the TRACE‐P aircraft mission over the northwest Pacific. The inversion uses the maximum a posteriori method (MAP) and the GEOS‐CHEM chemical transport model (CTM) as the forward model. Detailed error characterization is presented, including spatial correlation of the model transport error. Nighttime MOPITT observations appear to be biased and are excluded from the inverse analysis. We find that MOPITT and TRACE‐P observations are independently consistent in the constraints that they provide on Asian CO sources, with the exception of southeast Asia for which the MOPITT observations support a more modest decrease in emissions than suggested by the aircraft observations. Our analysis indicates that the observations do not allow us to differentiate source types (i.e., anthropogenic versus biomass burning) within a region. MOPITT provides ten pieces of information to constrain the geographical distribution of CO sources, while TRACE‐P provides only four. The greater information from MOPITT reflects its ability to observe all outflow and source regions. We conducted a number of sensitivity studies for the inverse model analysis using the MOPITT data. Temporal averaging of the MOPITT data (weekly and beyond) degrades the ability to constrain regional sources. Merging source regions beyond what is appropriate after careful selection of the state vector leads to significant aggregation errors. Calculations for an ensemble of realistic assumptions lead to a range of inverse model solutions that has greater uncertainty than the a posteriori errors for the MAP solution. Our best estimate of total Asian CO sources is 361 Tg yr−1, over half of which is attributed to east Asia.
U.S. Air Force Predicts Space Weather Impacts on Technological Systems
Authors: Simpson Sarah
Published: December 2004

Web‐based maps enable U.S. Department of Defense personnel to pinpoint when and where space weather may cause glitches in communications, navigation, and radar signals.
Mitogen‐activated protein kinase signalling pathways in IL‐1β‐dependent rat airway smooth muscle proliferation
Authors: Zhai Wenwu , Eynott Paul R , Oltmanns Ute , Leung Sum Yee , Chung Kian Fan
Published: December 2004

Asthma is associated with abnormal airway smooth muscle (ASM) growth that may contribute to airway narrowing and hyperresponsiveness. We investigated the role of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in IL‐1β induced ASM proliferation in the rat.

Rat tracheal ASM cells were dissociated and maintained in culture. We examined the effect of selective MAPK inhibitors, SB239063 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor), U0126 (a mitogen‐activated and extracellular regulated kinase kinase, MEK‐1, inhibitor which inhibits downstream extracellular regulated kinase, ERK, activity), and SP600125 (a c‐jun N‐terminal kinase, JNK, inhibitor) on IL‐1β‐induced proliferation.

Proliferation of ASM cells was significantly increased following exposure to IL‐1β in a dose‐dependent manner. p38, JNK and ERK MAPKs were activated by IL‐1β in a time‐dependent manner, with peak activation time at 30, 60 min and at 6 h, respectively. This activation was inhibited by their respective inhibitors. SP600125 (20 μM) had no effect on IL‐1β‐induced ERK and p38 phosphorylation.

SB239063, U0126 and SP600125 dose‐dependently inhibited IL‐1β‐dependent proliferation at doses that inhibit the activities of p38, ERK and JNK MAPKs, respectively. No additive or synergistic effects were observed on proliferative responses with any combination of these compounds.

In conclusion, the three major MAPK pathways, ERK as well as the p38 MAPK and JNK pathways, are independent regulators of IL‐1β‐dependent proliferation of rat ASM.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 143, 1042–1049. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705971
β2‐Adrenergic receptor regulation of human neutrophil function is sexually dimorphic
Authors: de Coupade Catherine , Gear Robert W , Dazin Paul F , Sroussi Herve Y , Green Paul G , Levine Jon D
Published: December 2004

While the mechanisms underlying the marked sexual dimorphism in inflammatory diseases are not well understood, the sexually dimorphic sympathoadrenal axis profoundly affects the inflammatory response. We tested whether adrenergic receptor‐mediated activation of human neutrophil function is sexually dimorphic, since neutrophils provide the first line of defense in the inflammatory response.

There was a marked sexual dimorphism in β2‐adrenergic receptor binding, using the specific β2‐adrenergic receptor ligand, [3H]‐dihydroalprenolol, with almost three times more binding sites on neutrophils from females (20,878±2470) compared to males (7331±3179).

There was also a marked sexual dimorphism in the effects of isoprenaline, a β‐adrenergic receptor agonist, which increased nondirected locomotion (chemokinesis) in neutrophils obtained from females, while having no effect on neutrophils from males.

Isoprenaline stimulated the release of a chemotactic factor from neutrophils obtained from females, but not from males. This chemotactic factor acts on the G protein‐coupled CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) chemokine receptor, since an anti‐CXCR2 antibody and the selective nonpeptide CXCR2 antagonist SB225002, inhibited chemotaxis produced by this factor. While interleukin‐ (IL‐) 8 is a principal CXCR2 ligand, isoprenaline did not produce an increase in IL‐8 release from neutrophils.

IL‐8‐induced chemotaxis was inhibited in a sexually dimorphic manner by isoprenaline, which also stimulated release of a mediator from neutrophils that induced chemotaxis, that was inhibited by anti‐CXCR2 antibodies.

These findings indicate an important role for adrenergic receptors in the modulation of neutrophil trafficking, which could contribute to sex‐differences in the inflammatory response.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 143, 1033–1041. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705972
Mechanisms of β3‐adrenoceptor‐induced eNOS activation in right atrial and left ventricular human myocardium
Authors: Brixius Klara , Bloch Wilhelm , Pott Christian , Napp Andreas , Krahwinkel Andreas , Ziskoven Christoph , Koriller Marco , Mehlhorn Uwe , Hescheler J , Fleischmann Bernd , Schwinger Robert H G
Published: December 2004

β‐adrenoceptors are important modulators of cardiac function. The present study investigated β3‐adrenergic eNOS activation in human myocardium.

We measured nitric oxide (NO) liberation (diaminofluorescence) and signal transduction (immunohistochemistry, phosphorylation of eNOSSer1177, eNOSThr495, eNOSSer114, Akt/protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), and eNOS translocation) in human right atrial (RA, aortocoronary‐bypass OP) and left ventricular nonfailing (LV, rejected donor hearts) myocardium after application of BRL 37344 (BRL), a preferential β3‐adrenoceptor agonist.

In both RA and LV, BRL (10 μl) induced a liberation of NO. An eNOS activation via translocation was only observed in RA after application of BRL (10 μM). Yet, the NO liberation in both LV and RA was accompanied by phosphorylation of eNOSSer1177 and Akt/PKB. BRL‐induced eNOS phosphorylation was abolished by LY292004, a blocker of PI‐3 kinase. eNOS‐Ser114 phosphorylation was unchanged in RA, but decreased in LV after β3‐adrenergic stimulation. BRL did not alter phosphorylation of eNOSThr495.

In conclusion, receptor‐dependent eNOS activation is differentially regulated in the human heart. In the left ventricle, eNOS activation via phosphorylation seems to be of major importance, whereas in human atrial myocardium eNOS translocation is the predominant mechanism induced by β3‐adrenergic activation.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 143, 1014–1022. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705983
PPAR‐γ expression modulates insulin sensitivity in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Verma Navin K , Singh Jaskirat , Dey Chinmoy S
Published: December 2004

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPAR‐γ) expression is very low in skeletal muscle cells, which is one of the most important target tissues for insulin and plays a predominant role in glucose homeostasis. It has recently been shown that muscle‐specific PPAR‐γ deletion in mouse causes insulin resistance. However, it is likely that the observed effects might be due to secondary interaction in whole animal.

The aim of the study was to explore the role of muscle PPAR‐γ in insulin sensitivity. We stably transfected C2C12 skeletal muscle cells with plasmids containing sense or antisense constructs of PPAR‐γ and examined the effect of modulation of PPAR‐γ expression in terms of glucose uptake. Effect was also examined in insulin‐resistant C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.

In transfected C2C12 cell line, the inhibition of PPAR‐γ expression (23.0±0.005%) was observed to induce insulin resistance as determined by functional assessment of 2‐deoxyglucose incorporation.

Overexpression of PPAR‐γ (28.5±0.008%) produced an additional effect on insulin (100 nM) and Pioglitazone (50 μM), resulting in 42.7±3.5% increase in glucose uptake as against 29.2±2.8% in wild‐type C2C12 skeletal muscle cells differentiated under normal (2% horse serum) condition. Under similar treatment, PPAR‐γ overexpressing cells resistant to insulin exhibited enhanced glucose uptake upto 60.7±4.08%, as compared to 23.8±5.1% observed in wild‐type C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.

These data demonstrate a direct involvement of PPAR‐γ in insulin sensitization of TZD action on skeletal muscle cells, and suggest that pharmacological overexpression of muscle PPAR‐γ gene in skeletal muscle might be a useful strategy for the treatment of insulin resistance.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 143, 1006–1013. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706002
Exploring protein-folding ensembles: A variable-barrier model for the analysis of equilibrium unfolding experiments
Authors: Muñoz Victor , Sanchez-Ruiz Jose M.
Published: December 2004

Recent theoretical and experimental results point to the existence of small barriers to protein folding. These barriers can even be absent altogether, resulting in a continuous folding transition (i.e., downhill folding). With small barriers, the detailed properties of folding ensembles may become accessible to equilibrium experiments. However, further progress is hampered because folding experiments are interpreted with chemical models (e.g., the two-state model), which assume the existence of well defined macrostates separated by arbitrarily high barriers. Here we introduce a phenomenological model based on the classical Landau theory for critical transitions. In this physical model the height of the thermodynamic free energy barrier and the general properties of the folding ensemble are directly obtained from the experimental data. From the analysis of differential scanning calorimetry data alone, our model identifies the presence of a significant (>35 kJ/mol) barrier for the two-state protein thioredoxin and the absence of a barrier for BBL, a previously characterized downhill folding protein. These results illustrate the potential of our approach for extracting the general features of protein ensembles from equilibrium folding experiments.
The analysis of large-scale gene expression correlated to the phase changes of the migratory locust
Authors: Kang Le , Chen XiangYong , Zhou Yan , Liu BoWan , Zheng Wei , Li RuiQiang , Wang Jun , Yu Jun
Published: December 2004

The migratory locust is one of the most notorious agricultural pests that undergo a well known reversible, density-dependent phase transition from the solitary to the gregarious. To demonstrate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the phase change, we generated 76,012 ESTs from the whole body and dissected organs in the two phases. Comparing 12,161 unigene clusters, we identified 532 genes as phase-related (
P
< 0.01). Comprehensive assessment of the phase-related expression revealed that, whereas most of the genes in various categories from hind legs and the midgut are down-regulated in the gregarious phase, several gene classes in the head are impressively up-regulated, including those with peptidase, receptor, and oxygen-binding activities and those related to development, cell growth, and responses to external stimuli. Among them, a superfamily of proteins, the JHPH super-family, which includes
j
uvenile hormone-binding protein,
h
examerins,
p
rophenoloxidase, and
h
emocyanins, were highly expressed in the heads of the gregarious hoppers and hind legs of the solitary hoppers. Quantitative PCR experiments confirmed in part the EST results. These differentially regulated genes have strong functional implications that numerous molecular activities are involved in phase plasticity. This study provides ample molecular markers and genomic information on hemimetabolous insects and insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of phase changes in locusts.
“Shim pulses” for NMR spectroscopy and imaging
Authors: Topgaard Daniel , Martin Rachel W. , Sakellariou Dimitris , Meriles Carlos A. , Pines Alexander
Published: December 2004

A way to use adiabatic radiofrequency pulses and modulated magnetic-field gradient pulses, together constituting a “shim pulse,” for NMR spectroscopy and imaging is demonstrated. These pulses capitalize on phase shifts derived from probe gradient coils to compensate for nonlinear intrinsic main magnetic field homogeneity for spectroscopy, as well as for deviations from linear gradients for imaging. This approach opens up the possibility of exploiting cheaper, less-than-perfect magnets and gradient coils for NMR applications.
Balancing work and family demands
Authors: Nordenmark Mikael
Published: December 2004

Aims: The aim of this study is to analyse how increasing demands from work and family life affect the level of strain and whether there are any significant gender differences in this respect. This is be done by testing the following hypotheses: An increase in work and family demands causes (a) an increased risk of suffering from fatigue; (b) an increased need for working fewer hours. Methods: The hypotheses are analysed by using a longitudinal data set consisting of nearly 9,000 Swedish individuals. Results: Multiple demands increase the risk of suffering from fatigue among both women and men, but it is only among women that an increase in the percentage desiring a reduction in their working hours can be found. Conclusions: The results support the role stress theory, especially among women.
Local rigidity of actions of higher rank abelian groups and KAM method
Authors: Damjanović Danijela , Katok Anatole
Published: December 2004

We develop a new method for proving local differentiable rigidity for actions of higher rank abelian groups. Unlike earlier methods it does not require previous knowledge of structural stability and instead uses a version of the KAM (Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser) iterative scheme. As an application we show

C

∞

\mathcal {C}^\infty

local rigidity for

Z

k

 
(
k
≥
2
)

\mathbb {Z}^k\ (k\ge 2)

partially hyperbolic actions by toral automorphisms. We also prove the existence of irreducible genuinely partially hyperbolic higher rank actions by automorphisms on any torus

T

N

\mathbb {T}^N

for any even

N
≥
6

N\ge 6

.
The Yeast GTPase Mtg2p Is Required for Mitochondrial Translation and Partially Suppresses an rRNA Methyltransferase Mutant,mrm2
Authors: Datta Kaustuv , Fuentes Jennifer L. , Maddock Janine R.
Published: December 2004

The assembly of ribosomes involves the coordinated processing and modification of rRNAs with the temporal association of ribosomal proteins. This process is regulated by assembly factors such as helicases, modifying enzymes, and GTPases. In contrast to the assembly of cytoplasmic ribosomes, there is a paucity of information concerning the role of assembly proteins in the biogenesis of mitochondrial ribosomes. In this study, we demonstrate that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae GTPase Mtg2p (Yhr168wp) is essential for mitochondrial ribosome function. Cells lacking MTG2 lose their mitochondrial DNA, giving rise to petite cells. In addition, cells expressing a temperature-sensitive mgt2-1 allele are defective in mitochondrial protein synthesis and contain lowered levels of mitochondrial ribosomal subunits. Significantly, elevated levels of Mtg2p partially suppress the thermosensitive loss of mitochondrial DNA in a 21S rRNA methyltransferase mutant, mrm2. We propose that Mtg2p is involved in mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis. Consistent with this role, we show that Mtg2p is peripherally localized to the mitochondrial inner membrane and associates with the 54S large ribosomal subunit in a salt-dependent manner.
EB1 Is Essential duringDrosophilaDevelopment and Plays a Crucial Role in the Integrity of Chordotonal Mechanosensory Organs
Authors: Elliott Sarah L. , Cullen C. Fiona , Wrobel Nicola , Kernan Maurice J. , Ohkura Hiroyuki
Published: December 2004

EB1 is a conserved microtubule plus end tracking protein considered to play crucial roles in microtubule organization and the interaction of microtubules with the cell cortex. Despite intense studies carried out in yeast and cultured cells, the role of EB1 in multicellular systems remains to be elucidated. Here, we describe the first genetic study of EB1 in developing animals. We show that one of the multiple Drosophila EB1 homologues, DmEB1, is ubiquitously expressed and has essential functions during development. Hypomorphic DmEB1 mutants show neuromuscular defects, including flightlessness and uncoordinated movement, without any general cell division defects. These defects can be partly explained by the malfunction of the chordotonal mechanosensory organs. In fact, electrophysiological measurements indicated that the auditory chordotonal organs show a reduced response to sound stimuli. The internal organization of the chordotonal organs also is affected in the mutant. Consistently, DmEB1 is enriched in those regions important for the structure and function of the organs. Therefore, DmEB1 plays a crucial role in the functional and structural integrity of the chordotonal mechanosensory organs in Drosophila.
Nm23H2 Facilitates Coat Protein Complex II Assembly and Endoplasmic Reticulum Export in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Kapetanovich Lori , Baughman Cassandra , Lee Tina H.
Published: December 2004

The cytosolic coat protein complex II (COPII) mediates vesicle formation from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is essential for ER-to-Golgi trafficking. The minimal machinery for COPII assembly is well established. However, additional factors may regulate the process in mammalian cells. Here, a morphological COPII assembly assay using purified COPII proteins and digitonin-permeabilized cells has been applied to demonstrate a role for a novel component of the COPII assembly pathway. The factor was purified and identified by mass spectrometry as Nm23H2, one of eight isoforms of nucleoside diphosphate kinase in mammalian cells. Importantly, recombinant Nm23H2, as well as a catalytically inactive version, promoted COPII assembly in vitro, suggesting a noncatalytic role for Nm23H2. Consistent with a function for Nm23H2 in ER export, Nm23H2 localized to a reticular network that also stained for the ER marker calnexin. Finally, an in vivo role for Nm23H2 in COPII assembly was confirmed by isoform-specific knockdown of Nm23H2 by using short interfering RNA. Knockdown of Nm23H2, but not its most closely related isoform Nm23H1, resulted in diminished COPII assembly at steady state and reduced kinetics of ER export. These results strongly suggest a previously unappreciated role for Nm23H2 in mammalian ER export.
Sentimental Poses in the
Souvenirs
of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Authors: Percival Melissa
Published: December 2004

In this article, parallels are found between the painting and writing of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, notably in her cultivation of expression and reverie. In the artist's memoirs, the
Souvenirs
, a number of
tableaux
can be found which feature a lone female figure in a pose of emotion or reflection. These
tableaux
contain dense neworks of artistic, literary, dramatic and musical allusion. Two such examples are discussed: the first takes place in a church in Bologna, in which Vigée Le Brun's joyous contemplation of an altarpiece by Domenichino gives way to feelings of loss and exile; the second occurs during a boat ride on Lake Geneva, when the artist's experience of the Swiss landscape is intensified through her evocation of Rousseau. These moments of abandonment are not just indulgent lapses; instead they are a vital part of the creative process. In some ways the motif of the sentimental female functions as a poetic mask for real‐life tribulation. But equally, Vigée Le Brun uses it to elevate her art, consciously rivalling with male artists and writers.
Skeletons in the Closet: Homosocial Secrets in Balzac's
La Comédie Humaine
Authors: Knight Diana
Published: December 2004

This article explores the potential for a reading of Balzac of the interrelated critical concepts of the ‘open secret’ (D. A. Miller, 1985) and the ‘epistemology of the closet’ (Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, 1990). They are used to establish a connection between the content of Balzac's realist representations of homosociality, homosexuality and homophobia in
La Comédie humaine
and the epistemological status of the secrets that circulate within this vast fictional cycle and typically structure its narratives. I argue that Balzac plays ironically with the heterosexual conventions of stage farce (notably the adulterous lover in the closet) to expose, in
La Cousine Bette
, the homosocial underpinning of what is literally a social charade. The position within these structures of the key figure of Rastignac is then traced through three novels:
La Maison Nucingen, Le Père Goriot and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes
.
‘A Blatant Interrogative’ in Marcel Proust's
A La Recherche du Temps Perdu
Authors: Surprenant Céline
Published: December 2004

This article considers interrogative constructions in
A la recherche du temps perdu
, which it links first with the inquisitiveness that jealousy imparts to its sufferers, and more generally, with the problem of the ‘other’ in Proust. It first establishes a distinction between direct and indirect interrogatives according to the type of answers they elicit. Indirect interrogatives go together with other linguistic deviations that the novel compiles, and are signposted by the narrator's comments. The article then examines one example of direct interrogative — ‘Quoi?’ — which, in being paired recurrently with the phrase ‘autre chose’, leads on to the problem of ‘otherness’ in Proust. One of the concerns of the article is whether anything in the Proustian text allows us unambiguously to identify ‘otherness’.
Loss, Re‐figuration and Death in
Raoul de Cambrai
Authors: Sinclair Finn E.
Published: December 2004

Raoul de Cambrai
, like many other
chansons de geste
, portrays a scene of feudal crisis, where the vision of a harmonious homosocial ideal is revealed as flawed and dysfunctional. Yet in
Raoul
the lack inherent in this utopic vision points to something that lies beyond, to the failure of the paternal function itself, as the social construction of the world along patriarchal lines is shown to be innately flawed and the father‐figures of the narrative are found wanting. In place of an inviolable masculine authority founded on the word as law, as imposition — the
nom‐du‐père
— we find a world where this masculine investment in the paternal metaphor is troubled and disrupted. The ambivalence that
Raoul de Cambrai
manifests towards the place of the father is revealed through the text's innate lack of paternal authority and its falling away into violence and death. In contrast to the life of genealogical progression, the repetition and continuation provoked by the father, in particular the dead father, only produce further death. The tension created by this paternal lack can be mapped on to many other epics, which manifest similar patterns of dissatisfaction and attempted recuperation.
‘La force du tact’: Representing the Taboo Body in Jacques Duval's
Traité des hermaphrodits
(1612)
Authors: Harris Joseph
Published: December 2004

The representation of sexual material in any period is potentially a contentious issue and this article discusses how sexual taboos can influence representation even in medical writings. Written at a liminal period before the advent of both ‘modern’ scientific attitudes and the fabled prudery of the ‘Grand Siècle’, Duval's treatise reveals a stance towards language and representation that is both playful and problematic. In a legal trial, Duval saved a young woman named Marie le Marcis who had been sentenced to death for ‘sodomy’ with another woman. By manually stimulating her, Duval was able to prove that she actually possessed an internal penis, and could thus not be accused of ‘unnatural’ acts. Although Duval feels compelled to justify both this action and his general interest in sexual matter against anticipated reproaches of indecency, he also acknowledges the reader's libidinal interest in reading about sex. By comparing the treatise with legal, pornographic and theoretical attitudes towards representing sexual matter, I explore how Duval's text is caught between portraying his own text as ‘transparent’ and acknowledging that, if such a language is possible, then ethical strictures and taboos placed on the empirical body must also condition the representation of this body within discourse.
To Lise Deharme's Lighthouse:
Le Phare de Neuilly
, A Forgotten Surrealist Review
Authors: Barnet Marie‐Claire
Published: December 2004

Lise Deharme (1898–1980) has almost been forgotten, except for being a Surrealist muse and impossible mad love of André Breton. While she may also be remembered (or derided) for her literary salon in the 1950s, her prolific and diverse literary production has been neglected. This article focuses on one particular aspect of her work and investigates the fate of Deharme's forgotten Surrealist review, the ephemeral
Phare de Neuilly
of 1933. Firstly, this analysis introduces the participants and contributions to the review and retraces the links with the earlier, dissident Surrealist reviews,
Documents
(1929–30) and
Bifur
(1929–31). The second section discusses aesthetics and politics, underlining how the technique of collage is applied to mix and (mis)match varied pictures with a wide range of articles. What is highlighted is the subversive and courageous way this ‘phare’ blends ethical and aesthetic issues to address the socio‐political troubles of the early 1930s, in particular the threat of Fascism. Bearing in mind the ambivalence and selective nature of memory and anthologies, the conclusion examines attacks on
Le Phare de Neuilly
to reassess the reputation and the relevance of this original review and its editor.
Nouveau réalisme et politique de l'anti‐spectacle:
Y aura‐t‐il de la neige à Noël?
de Sandrine Veysset
Authors: Beugnet Martine
Published: December 2004

Y aura‐t‐il de la neige à Noël?
est l'un des exemples les plus remarqués du nouveau réalisme qui s'impose dans le cinéma français des années 1990. L'article retrace à grands traits le contexte d'émergence et les caractéristiques de cette tendance avant de se concentrer sur un film qui suscite des interrogations propres à ce type de cinéma. A travers l'analyse de
Y aura‐t‐il de la neige à Noël?
, l'article explore les implications d'une approche qui ne se conforme ni aux conventions naturalistes qui présenteraient la réalité pro‐filmique comme une donnée, ni aux conventions du mélodrame qui privilégieraient l'affect. L'article souligne comment les choix thématiques et stylistiques mettent en relief à la fois la fonction du hors‐champ et l'importance du contexte économique et social. L'article suggère que, dans la maniè re dont il situe et définit le contenu émotionnel et les rapports de pouvoir (notamment les rapports d'âge et de sexe) qu'il met en scène, le film se démarque de certaines des stratégies de représentation traditionnelles les mieux établies du cinéma, et notamment du cinéma français.
Separating the Saints from the Boys: Sainthood and Masculinity in the Old French
Vie de Saint Alexis
Authors: Campbell Emma
Published: December 2004

This article considers how the analysis of medieval French saints' lives might contribute to current discussions concerning the study of gender and identity in literary texts. Basing her discussion on the
Vie de Saint Alexis
, Campbell uses anthropological theories of the gift and its relationship to gender to explore how the masculinity of the Saint is construed in relation to networks of gift exchange, arguing that the parallel terrestrial and celestial economies represented in the poem provide alternative contexts within which this identity is to be read. The article considers, firstly, the evolution of the masculine identity associated with the Saint and the relationship that this gender category bears to the secular and spiritual gender systems represented in the poem. This examination of the Saint's masculinity focuses on how conflicts between worldly and spiritual exchange are used to negotiate a new masculine type that ultimately supersedes secular gender categories. Secondly, this construction of masculinity and its importance as a narrative device are explored in terms of the formulation of response to the Saint. To conclude, the article suggests how viewing gender identity in this way — as part of systems of exchange as opposed to a category independent of these networks — might modify the way gender is discussed in connection with medieval (and non‐medieval) literature.
Writing to Paris: Poets, Nobles and Savages in Nineteenth‐Century Brittany
Authors: Williams Heather
Published: December 2004

In this article, representations of Brittany in nineteenth‐century French‐language literature are studied in order to investigate the way in which cultural cross‐currents can be observed in the detail of the text. A lexical approach shows how writers have re‐worked motifs and clichés about Brittany (particular attention is paid to the lexical field of ‘sauvage’), and to how writers' precise choice of words can reveal the complexity of the relationship between the regional writer and the literary life of the capital. Auguste Brizeux's collection of poetry
Marie
(1831) is identified as marking the emergence of a tradition of Breton writing of French expression. However, the success of this work is attributed to the way in which it is ‘written to Paris’; that is, written with close regard for the fashions and tastes of the capital.
Apollinaire, Salome and the Dance of Death
Authors: Bohn Willard
Published: December 2004

In 1905, Guillaume Apollinaire published a poem in
Vers et Prose
entitled ‘Salomé’, which was later included in
Alcools
. Celebrated by the Symbolists and the Decadents, Salome had become an extremely popular character by this date, and most of the aesthetic options had already been explored. Instead of writing a pastiche, Apollinaire decided to compose a revolutionary new poem, one that would make the literary world sit up and take notice. Inspired perhaps by a medieval painting, he situated the drama in the French royal court during the Middle Ages. In addition, he decided that it would take place on Midsummer Night, a time long associated with madness and the eve of John the Baptist's feast day. Thirdly, he painted a sympathetic picture of Salome who, having loved John, was driven mad by his death (at her own hand). Finally, by employing a dramatic monologue, he created an intimate psychological portrait of Salome. The apparently nonsensical ending, in which the royal party dances around John's grave, is shown to be indebted to two folkloric sources: children's rhymes and Midsummer fires.
How a specialist and a non‐specialist insect cope with dimethyl disulfide produced by Allium porrum
Authors: Dugravot Sébastien , Thibout Eric , Abo‐Ghalia Ahmed , Huignard Jacques
Published: December 2004

Damaged Allium plants produce and release sulfur allelochemicals, presumably to prevent insect herbivory. Defensive sulfur compounds, particularly dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), are highly toxic for non‐adapted species. The toxicity of DMDS in these insects is due to disruption of the cytochrome oxidase system of their mitochondria. The purpose of this study was to compare susceptibility to DMDS in a specialist and a non‐specialist insect of Allium plants, i.e., Acrolepiopsis assectella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Acrolepiidae) and Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) a specialist insect of Leguminosae. Results showed that A. assectella larvae are less susceptible to DMDS than C. maculatus adults. This bruchid becomes more tolerant after a first exposure to 0.2 µl l−1 of DMDS, with second‐exposure toxicity depending on the time lapse between exposures. Higher second‐exposure tolerance could be due to selection and detoxification. To answer this question, the activity of glutathione S‐transferase (GST), a key enzyme in the detoxification system, was analyzed after DMDS exposure of C. maculatus adults and larvae and of A. assectella larvae. Exposure to DMDS increased GST activity in C. maculatus adults and larvae. This finding implies that induced GST is involved in C. maculatus tolerance to DMDS. Exposure to DMDS had no effect on GST activity in A. assectella. Adaptations underlying A. assectella tolerance to sulfur compounds are discussed.
Behavioral and reproductive effects of ultrasound on the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella
Authors: Huang Fangneng , Subramanyam Bhadriraju
Published: December 2004

The daily activity patterns of adult movement, female calling, and mating of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), were examined both in the absence and presence of ultrasound. Moths were exposed to ultrasound from a commercial ultrasonic device (Cix 0600) that produces constant sound patterns, and from a device developed at Kansas State University (KSU device) that produces random sound patterns. Daily activity patterns of adult movement, female calling, and mating followed a similar trend in the absence or presence of ultrasound. Female calling and mating, both in the absence and presence of ultrasound, primarily occurred during scotophase (21.00–07.00 hours). Ultrasound from the two devices significantly reduced the frequency of female calling and mating relative to unexposed moths. Consequently, the number of spermatophores transferred by males to females and egg production were lower in females exposed to ultrasound compared with unexposed females. In the absence of ultrasound, female P. interpunctella mated 2.9 times, resulting in 2.8 spermatophores/female. In the presence of ultrasound from the Cix 0600 device, a female mated 2.1 times and had 1.7 spermatophores. Corresponding values for the KSU device were 1.9 and 1.4, respectively. In the absence of ultrasound, 78% of the matings lasted 30–90 min, whereas in the presence of ultrasound 45–58% of the matings lasted either less than 30 min or more than 90 min. Moths exposed to ultrasound laid 96–130 eggs female−1 compared with 229 eggs female−1 for unexposed moths. Ultrasound did not affect the pre‐oviposition period and adult longevity of P. interpunctella.
Mealybug, Phenococcus solani, and barley aphid, Sipha maydis, response to endophyte‐infected tall and meadow fescues
Authors: Sabzalian Mohammad Reza , Hatami Bijan , Mirlohi Aghafakhr
Published: December 2004

Mealybugs and aphids are insects which damage grass species. The effects of fungal endophytes on the feeding of the mealybug, Phenococcus solani Ferris (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), and barley aphid, Sipha maydis Passerini (Homoptera: Aphididae), on tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and meadow fescue, Festuca pratensis Huds., were studied under greenhouse conditions. Mealybugs preferred endophyte‐free (E–) clones over their endophyte‐infected (E+) counterparts. E+ plants had a significantly lower number of mealybugs than E– plants. A mixture of E+ and E– plants supported intermediate mealybug numbers, between pure plantings of E+ and E– grasses. Barley aphids released on to plant materials were deterred from feeding and could not persist on E+ plants. E– plants did not survive because of aphid damage, while E+ plants generally re‐grew, but were damaged to some degree. The results showed that the use of pure stands of endophyte‐infected grasses or a mixed stand of infected and non‐infected plants may increase the persistence and durability of turf and forage grass species in the presence of foliar damaging insects.
Women's programs versus mixed‐gender day treatment: results from a randomized study
Authors: Kaskutas Lee Ann , Zhang Lixia , French Michael T. , Witbrodt Jane
Published: December 2004

Aims  To compare outcomes and costs of out‐patient women's treatment to mixed‐gender programs.

Design  Randomized clinical trial.

Setting  Northern California (USA).

Intervention  Day treatment: one community‐based women's program, two mixed‐gender community‐based programs and one mixed‐gender hospital‐based program.

Participants  Substance‐dependent women recruited from the community (n = 122).

Measurements  Women were interviewed at baseline, at the end of treatment (94% response rate) and at 6 and 12 months post‐treatment (100% response rates). Measures included alcohol and drug use, and psychiatric and social problems. Program costs were estimated using the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program.

Findings  No significant differences between the women's program and any of the mixed‐gender programs were found for psychiatric problem severity, problems with family and friends or rates of drug use at any of the follow‐up points. Rates of alcohol abstinence and total abstinence were similar between the women's program and both of the mixed‐gender community programs, but were higher at the mixed‐gender hospital program. Only one of these results was replicated in the multivariate analysis, with the odds of total abstinence significantly lower for those randomized to the women's program than the mixed‐gender hospital program. However, the average cost of a treatment episode was significantly higher at the hospital program than at the women's program ($1212 versus $543).

Conclusions  These findings suggest that female substance abusers may be treated as effectively in mixed‐gender programs as in women's programs.