bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new French‐Canadian family affected by hyperargininaemia
Authors: Qureshi I. A. , Letarte J. , Ouellet R. , Larochelle J. , Lemieux B.
Published: February 2006

A new French‐Canadian family from the province of Quebec is reported, in which a male child was diagnosed as hyperargininaemic after showing positive tests for cystimuria on neonatal screening. The child has no residual activity of erythrocyte arginase, and a plasma arginine level of 633 μmol/l. Both parents have 32–38% of arginase activity. A newborn sister has normal enzyme levels. The propositius did not show abnormal plasma ammonia elevation even after a protein tolerance test (1.5 g protein/kg body weight) but excretes high levels of urinary orotate (845 mg/g creatinine). At 3 1/2 years of age the hyperargininaemic child had started showing abnormal gait, ataxia and slowing of intellectual development. It is suggested that all newborn children showing cystimuria‐lysinuria pattern of amino acid excretion be tested for arginase deficiency.
Congenital alopecia, psychomotor retardation, convulsions in two sibs of a consanguineous marriage
Authors: Perniola T. , Krajewska G. , Carnevale F. , Lospalluti M.
Published: February 2006

A family is described in which two sibs of a consanguineous marriage have alopecia, convulsions, EEG anomalies and mental retardation. Although the children have significant features resembling those described by Moynahan, this syndrome appears to be different in the mode of inheritance and in other aspects (sensorineural hearing loss in the male, syndactyly in the female).
The 4‐methylumbelliferone sulphate sulphatases of human tears
Authors: Jordan T. W. , Heiss F. , Monk B. , Nicholls J.
Published: February 2006

The properties of human tear 4‐methylumbelliferone sulphate sulphatase (EC 3.1.6.1) have been investigated. More than 80% of the enzyme activity behaved as the acidic A isoenzyme on isoelectric focusing and DEAE‐cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The distribution of enzyme activity in a normal population has been investigated. The least interindividual variation was seen when enzyme activities were calculated as units per mg tears. The α‐galactosidase. Β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase and sulphatase enzyme activities in human tears varied independently of each other. The use of tear sulphatases for the detection of metachromatic leukodystrophy (McKusick 24980) is discussed.
Glycine transport by cultured skin fibroblasts from a patient with isolated hyperglycinuria
Authors: Fénéant M. , Moatti N. , Lemonnier F. , Maccario J. , Gautier M. , Charpentier C. , Lemonnier A.
Published: February 2006

Glycine transport is studied in cultured skin fibroblasts from a patient with isolated hyperglycinuria and from five normal subjects. Fibroblasts from the patient take up glycine less well than do cell lines from controls. Kinetic studies are consistent with a single transport system in the patient's and controls' cell lines.Vmax value in the hyperglycinuric lines is normal, but the apparent affinity is always reduced as opposed to those of four different control lines separately tested. Statistical analysis shows significant difference betweenKm values.
L‐2‐Hydroxyglutaric aciduria: an inborn error of metabolism?
Authors: Duran M. , Kamerling J. P. , Bakker H. D. , van Gennip A. H. , Wadman S. K.
Published: February 2006

A 5‐year‐old boy, excreting large amounts of 2‐hydroxyglutaric acid in the urine (3.3–7.6 mmol/l), is described. The patient presented with psychomotor retardation and dystrophy. His skeletal age was delayed. The EEG was not well differentiated; it resembled that observed in 2‐year‐old children. There was a severe anaemia, which reacted well to iron supplements. The 2‐hydroxyglutaric acid was found to have thel‐configuration, as analysed by capillary gas chromatography of theO‐acetylated di‐(‐)‐2‐butyl ester derivative. The relation ofl‐2‐hydroxyglutarate excretion to known metabolic pathways is discussed.
Is pyruvate carboxylase involved in the renal tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate?
Authors: Buist N. R. M.
Published: February 2006

The co‐existence of a hereditary defect of pyruvate carboxylase activity along with proximal renal tubular acidosis in several patients prompted the following theories:

Some of the bicarbonate which is normally reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate is trapped in the mitochondria by pyruvate carboxylase in the conversion of pyruvate to oxaloacetate. The subsequent conversion of oxaloacetate to phosphoenol pyruvate releases CO2 in the cytosol.

The trapping of HCO3− by pyruvate (or other carboxylases) provides an important route for the recovery of filtered HCO3−.

The process of trapping HCO3− from the glomerular filtrate followed by release of CO2 in the cytosol contributes to the apparently high RQ of kidney, since the CO2 does not originate from a metabolic fuel.

Lactate and possibly other fuels are actively taken up by the kidney and are used as energy sources. Diversion of lactate for gluconeogenesis may contribute to the ‘excess substrate uptake’ phenomenon.

It is possible that some of the glucose which is synthesized in the cortex is used for glycolysis in the medulla. Conversely, lactate produced in the medulla may be available to the cortex for bicarbonate trapping and thus for gluconeogenesis.
Inherited metabolic disease in laboratory animals: a review
Authors: Bulfield G.
Published: February 2006

Research on the screening for and study of animal models of inherited metabolic disease is reviewed. It is emphasized that an animal model, to be of value, must be an inherited deficiency of the same enzyme as the one deficient in the human syndrome. If this criterion is adhered to there is a remarkable identity in aetiology between animal and man. Specific examples of inherited metabolic disease in laboratory animals are described for: amino acid metabolism, lysosomal storage diseases, carbohydrate metabolism, transport disorders and trace element metabolism; the mutants found in mice being the easiest to manipulate biochemically and genetically. There is still a lack of adequate screening programmes for animal homologues of the more serious human inborn errors (such as lysosomal storage diseases) where laboratory studies could provide significant advances in therapy.
Diet termination in children with phenylketonuria: a review of psychological assessments used to determine outcome
Authors: Waisbren S. E. , Schnell R. R. , Levy H. L.
Published: February 2006

This paper reviews the 19 published studies that have utilized psychological assessments in determining the outcome of children with phenylketonuria who have discontinued a phenylalanine‐restricted diet. About half the studies showed that, after diet termination, the intellectual performance of children decreased, while the other studies indicated that the intellectual performance of the children did not change. Difficulties in the use of intelligence tests to answer questions about diet termination are outlined. Due to the methodological difficulties and the varying results reported, the issue concerning the safety of diet discontinuation remains unresolved. The conclusion is that the task now is to differentiate those children who should remain on the diet from those who may safely terminate.
Abnormal copper metabolism in cultured fibroblasts from patients with Wilson's disease
Authors: Camakaris J. , Ackland L. , Danks D. M.
Published: February 2006

Skin fibroblasts derived from patients with Wilson's disease have, under certain conditions, elevated concentrations of copper. However, the levels of intracellular copper varied from one experiment to another and the reason for this inconsistency has not yet been determined.64Cu retention after 24 hours and its release in ‘chase’ experiments was not abnormal, thus distinguishing these fibroblasts from Menkes' syndrome fibroblasts. The data provides evidence that the mutant gene responsible for Wilson's disease is expressed in fibroblasts under certain conditions.
On the Standard Length of a Test
Authors: Woodbury Max A.
Published: February 2006

(1) A new descriptive parameter for tests, the standard length, is defined and related to reliability, correlation, and validity by means of simplified versions of known formulas. (2) The standard error of measurement is found to be related in simple fashion to the amount of information in a test in the sense of R. A. Fisher. The amount of information is computable as the test length divided by the standard length of the test. (3) The invariant properties of the standard length of a test under changes in length are discussed and proved. Similar results for the correlation coefficient corrected for attenuation and the index of validity are indicated.
The Estimation of the Parameters of a Negative Binomial Distribution with Special Reference to Psychological Data
Authors: Sichel Herbert S.
Published: February 2006

As an analytical tool the negative binomial distribution may have wide applications in the psychological field. The estimation of its parameters is demonstrated to be often inefficient when fitting by the method of moments. This causes possibly true hypotheses to be rejected. Formulas for the efficiency of the moment method and solution of the likelihood equations are derived. Efficiency graphs and detailed tables for the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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A Successive Approximation Method of Maximizing Test Validity
Authors: Gleser Goldine C. , DuBois Philip H.
Published: February 2006

The ratio of item validity to item-total correlation can be used to select items which will tend to yield the maximum correlation with a criterion. Items to be retained are identified by comparing the ratio for each item with the validity of the original test. Further improvement of the validity in the experimental sample can be obtained by adding items to or removing items from the selected nucleus, according to recomputed ratios involving the correlations of the items with the nucleus and evaluated by means of a revised cut-off point. With slight variations, the method may be used for interest and personality tests as well as for aptitude material. The principal advantage over previous methods is that for any cycle of the analysis an exact cut-off point is provided.
Probabilistic Multidimensional Scaling: Complete and Incomplete Data
Authors: Zinnes Joseph L. , MacKay David B.
Published: February 2006

Simple procedures are described for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of the location and uncertainty parameters of the Hefner model. This model is a probabilistic, multidimensional scaling model, which assigns a multivariate normal distribution to each stimulus point. It is shown that for such a model, standard nonmetric and metric algorithms are not appropriate.

A procedure is also described for constructing incomplete data sets, by taking into consideration the degree of familiarity the subject has for each stimulus. Maximum likelihood estimates are developed both for complete and incomplete data sets.
Parameterizing Inequality Constraints on Unique Variances in Linear Structural Models
Authors: Rindskopf David
Published: February 2006

Current computer programs for analyzing linear structural models will apparently handle only two types of constraints: fixed parameters, and equality of parameters. An important constraint not handled is inequality; this is particularly crucial for preventing negative variance estimates. In this paper, a method is described for imposing several kinds of inequality constraints in models, without the necessity for having computer programs which explicitly allow such constraints. The examples discussed include the prevention of Heywood cases, extension to inequalities of parameters to be greater than a specified value, and imposing ordered inequalities.
A General Framework for using Latent Class Analysis to Test Hierarchical and Nonhierarchical Learning Models
Authors: Rindskopf David
Published: February 2006

Several articles in the past fifteen years have suggested various models for analyzing dichotomous test or questionnaire items which were constructed to reflect an assumed underlying structure. This paper shows that many models are special cases of latent class analysis. A currently available computer program for latent class analysis allows parameter estimates and goodness-of-fit tests not only for the models suggested by previous authors, but also for many models which they could not test with the more specialized computer programs they developed. Several examples are given of the variety of models which may be generated and tested. In addition, a general framework for conceptualizing all such models is given. This framework should be useful for generating models and for comparing various models.
Reliability Estimation for a Test with Parts of unknown Lengths
Authors: Gilmer Jerry S. , Feldt Leonard S.
Published: February 2006

The separate questions on an essay test or the individual judges on a rater panel may constitute congeneric parts rather than tau-equivalent parts. Also, it may be necessary to infer the lengths of the congeneric parts from their variances and covariances, rather than from some obvious feature of each part, such as the range of possible scores. Cronbach's alpha coefficient applied to such part-tests data will underestimate total score reliability. Several reliability coefficients are developed for such instruments. They may be regarded as extensions of the coefficient developed by Kristof for a three-part test.
Validating a Selection Test, a Predictive Probability Approach
Authors: Gross Alan L. , Perry Philippa
Published: February 2006

The problem of inferring the validity of a selection test (x) as a predictor of some criterion (y) when complete xy data are not available is investigated. The basic approach is to construct the predictive probability distribution of the unobserved y scores and then derive interval estimates of the least squares regression weights, the difference in average y scores for selected and unselected cases, and the residual variance in predicting y from x. Further, an approximation to the predictive distribution of the squared correlation between x and y in a future group is derived.
Tests for Stability in Linear Structural Equation Systems
Authors: Bentler P. M. , Freeman Edward H.
Published: February 2006

Interpretations regarding the effects of exogenous and endogenous variables on endogenous variables in linear structural equation systems depend upon the convergence of a matrix power series. Convergence depends upon the eigenvalues of the structural coefficient matrix. The test for convergence developed by Jöreskog and Sörbom is shown to be only sufficient, not necessary and sufficient.
The Irish Sea cod recovery plan: some lessons learned
Authors: Kelly Ciaran J. , Codling Edward A. , Rogan Emer
Published: February 2006

Historically, cod has been one of the most important fish stocks in the North Atlantic. Recent stock collapses have been attributed to overfishing, and in February 2000 the European Commission established a closed area in the Irish Sea as part of a general recovery plan. The recovery plan was further revised and implemented between 2001 and 2005. However, the recovery plan has not provided the expected benefit, and the stock is still thought to be below the safe limit of Blim = 6000 t. We use stochastic simulations to investigate possible stock trajectories over a seven-year period from 1999 to 2005 under various scenarios of fishing mortality. Comparing the results of simulations with reality, it is clear that more drastic action is required if the stock is to recover in the medium term. The recovery plan was not explicitly designed to deal with uncertainty in the system, and this, we believe, resulted in the failure to meet the recovery plan objectives.
The work of economics: how a discipline makes its world
Authors: Mitchell Timothy
Published: February 2006

What is the work of economics? How does it operate to establish facts and make them stable? Is it sometimes able to use the world as a laboratory? If so, what measures are necessary to organize the world as a laboratory for economic experiments? To what extent do these measures rely upon the efforts of nonacademic economists, and of other social agents and arrangements including think tanks, government policies, development programs, NGOs, and social movements? A recent “natural experiment” using the social world as a laboratory, carried out in Peru, produced remarkable results, enthusiastically received by economists in the United States and by international development agencies. The paper examines the work of organizing the socio-technical world required to produce this knowledge, the curious kind of facts that were produced, the connections among those involved in this work, in particular the organized work of the neoliberal movement, and the role of the new facts in making possible further efforts at economic experimentation.
The reinvention of civil society: Trough the looking glass of democracy
Authors: Mastnak Tomaž
Published: February 2006

This article reviews how “civil society” emerged in Eastern Europe in the 1970s and 1980s as the central concept of the new democratic opposition. Through discussion of developments in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the article shows how the concept of civil society was used in the struggle against communist regimes, and and how that usage facilitated its transformation into a central element of the neoliberal global agenda following the end of the Cold War.
Deep neck infection as the main initial presentation of primary head and neck cancer
Authors: Wang Cheng-Ping , Ko Jenq-Yuh , Lou Pei-Jen
Published: February 2006

Objectives: Primary head and neck cancer and deep neck infection are not uncommon, but deep neck infection as the initial presentation of primary head and neck cancer is rare and these patients risk potential misdiagnosis.

Materials and methods: The records of 301 patients with deep neck infection and 3337 patients with primary head and neck cancers from 1990 to 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with primary head and neck cancers who had deep neck infection as their initial presentation were enrolled.

Results: Seven patients were identified (six men and one woman). The median age was 64 years. All patients presented with painful, erythematous neck swelling and all image studies showed abscess formation. Four abscesses received needle aspiration and three received surgical drainage, which yielded malignant cells in four specimens. The primary origins of malignancies were the nasopharynx (two patients), oropharynx (two patients), hypopharynx (one patient), parotid gland (one patient) and maxillary sinus (one patient). All patients had stage IV disease. Only three patients could receive curative therapy and only one patient was disease-free after three years.

Conclusion: We suggest that detailed history-taking, complete examination of the ENT field and pathological study of the infected tissue must be performed for patients with deep neck infection to enable early detection and prompt treatment of any underlying malignancy.
Recurring bilateral parotid gland swelling: two cases of sialodochitis fibrinosa
Authors: Chikamatsu Kazuaki , Shino Masato , Fukuda Yoichiro , Sakakura Koichi , Furuya Nobuhiko
Published: February 2006

Salivary gland swelling is a commonly encountered clinical symptom, but the establishment of a diagnosis is occasionally difficult. Here, we present two sialodochitis fibrinosa patients with recurring bilateral parotid swelling. In both patients, secretion of mucous plugs containing numerous eosinophils was observed from Stensen's ducts. As expected, the level of interleukin-5 in the saliva was much higher than that in the serum. One patient had no medical history of allergic disease; the other had allergic rhinitis which had never been associated with parotid gland swelling. Microbiological examination was unable to isolate significant bacterial specimens from the mucous plugs. Thus, although allergy and/or bacterial infection are reportedly implicated as causes of sialodochitis fibrinosa, there may exist other possibilities for its pathogenesis. Interleukin-5 seems to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of sialodochitis fibrinosa.
Bilateral aplasia of parotid glands correlated with accessory parotid tissue
Authors: Antoniades D Z , Markopoulos A K , Deligianni E , Andreadis D
Published: February 2006

Congenital absence of major salivary glands, especially the parotid gland, is a rare entity. It is usually monolateral and is not correlated with accessory salivary gland tissue. Aplasia of parotid gland may occur alone or in association with abnormalities of other salivary glands, first branchial arch developmental disturbances or other congenital anomalies.

We report an interesting case of bilateral aplasia of the parotid glands together with bilateral accessory parotid tissue, without other congenital or developmental anomalies, and we describe the clinical and radiological findings.
An obstacle avoidance method for mobile robots based on fuzzy decision-making
Authors: Kim Kyung-Hoon , Cho Hyung Suck
Published: February 2006

In this paper, an obstacle avoidance method for wheeled mobile robots is proposed, based on selection of the local target points of robot's movement called “via-points” which are defined in a navigation space, generated by taking into consideration a smooth robot motion. The proposed algorithm utilizes a fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making method in which three fuzzy goals are defined to achieve successful robot navigation by deciding the via-point the robot would proceed at each control step. Via-point is defined as the local target point of a robot's movement at each decision instance. Three fuzzy goals to achieve successful robot navigation are defined. At each decision step, a set of the candidates of a next via-point in a 2D navigation space is constructed by combining various heading angles and velocities. Given the fuzzy goals, the fuzzy decision making enables the robot to choose the best via-point among the candidates. An efficient scheme for local minimum recovery from trapped-in situation is also provided. A series of simulations has been performed to study the effects of associated navigation parameters on the navigation performances. The method has been implemented on an actual mobile robot and experimented in real environments. Results from a series of simulations and experiments conducted in real environments show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed navigation method.
A GLIMPSE ON THE USES OF SEAWEEDS IN ISLAMIC SCIENCE AND DAILY LIFE DURING THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Authors: KHALILIEH HASSAN S. , BOULOS AREEN
Published: February 2006

Islamic polities of the classical period recognized the importance of seaweeds in their daily life. Their men of science, craftsmen, and navigators used them for medicinal purposes, manufacturing, and navigation. The agar components were used in treating pathological conditions such jaundice, spleen, kidney and skin ailments, and malignancies. As food, we stress that our conclusions derive from Qur'ān-based commentaries and Muslim religious law that encouraged seafaring and exploiting the resources of the sea. Concerning navigation, sailors could identify coastal trunk routes, shallows, and various marine phenomena; shipwrights used agar compounds as a protective coating against the Greek Fire. Like their Greco-Roman counterparts, Muslim physicians, chemists, botanists, and professional sailors of this period were acquainted with numerous species of seaweeds and could appreciate the actual scientific importance of each type as well as the aquatic environment where these species lived and developed. Their scholarly literature consists of several generic Arabic and Arabicized terms to denote seaweeds and the terms variations appeared to be physical rather than linguistic.
Word-based predictive text entry using adaptive language models
Authors: TANAKA-ISHII KUMIKO
Published: February 2006

The recent scaling down of mobile device form factors has increased the importance of predictive text entry. It is now also becoming an important communication tool for the disabled. Techniques related to predictive text entry software are discussed in a generalized, language-independent manner. The essence of predictive text entry is twofold, consisting of (1) the design of codes for text entry, and (2) the use of adaptive language models for decoding. Code design is examined in terms of the information-theoretical efficiency. Four adaptive language models are introduced and compared, and experimental results on text entry with these models are shown for English, Thai and Japanese.
Efficient dictionary-based text rewriting using subsequential transducers
Authors: MIHOV S. , SCHULZ K. U.
Published: February 2006

Problems in the area of text and document processing can often be described astext rewriting tasks: given an input text, produce a new text by applying some fixed set of rewriting rules. In its simplest form, a rewriting rule is given by a pair of strings, representing a source string (the “original”) and its substitute. By a rewriting dictionary, we mean a finite list of such pairs; dictionary-based text rewriting means to replace in an input text occurrences of originals by their substitutes. We present an efficient method for constructing, given a rewriting dictionaryD, a subsequential transducerthat accepts any texttas input and outputs the intended rewriting result under the so-called “leftmost-longest match” replacement with skips,t'. The time needed to compute the transducer is linear in the size of the input dictionary. Given the transducer, any texttof length |t| is rewritten in a deterministic manner in timeO(|t|+|t'|), wheret' denotes the resulting output text. Hence the resulting rewriting mechanism is very efficient. As a second advantage, using standard tools, the transducer can be directly composed with other transducers to efficiently solve more complex rewriting tasks in a single processing step.
The Psychopathology of Vomit Phobia
Authors: Veale David , Lambrou Christina
Published: February 2006

A survey of individuals was conducted on self-diagnosed vomit phobics compared to panic disorder and non-clinical controls. Vomit phobics were overwhelmingly female and had had symptoms for over 25 years. They were significantly more likely to fear themselves vomiting (in public and private situations) than fear others vomiting. The vomit phobics interpreted sensations of nausea as impending vomit and had a wide range of safety seeking and avoidance behaviours that were maintaining their fear. Although the vomit phobics reported feeling nauseous more often, there was no difference in their frequency of vomiting compared to the control group. The clinical implications of the study for therapy are discussed.
Angststörungen im Rahmen körperlicher Erkrankungen
Authors: Dattilio  , Zullino
Published: February 2006

Die Wirksamkeit der kognitiven Verhaltenstherapie zur Behandlung von Angststörungen ist in Kombination mit Medikamenten gut belegt. Ist die Angststörung allerdings durch eine körperliche Erkrankung kompliziert, gestaltet sich die Behandlung oftmals schwieriger, insbesondere wenn sich die Symptome der körperlichen Erkrankung und diejenigen der Angststörung überlappen. Der vorliegende Übersichtsartikel soll sowohl komplizierende Faktoren als auch Strategien diskutieren, welche den Betroffenen helfen können, zwischen Symptomen einer körperlichen Erkrankung und denen einer Angststörung, im speziellen der Panikstörung, zu unterscheiden. Anhand zweier Fallbeispiele werden Strategien der kognitiven Verhaltenstherapie zur Reduktion von Ängsten und Panikattacken beschrieben sowie solche zur Differenzierung zwischen wiederauftretenden Symptomen einer körperliche Erkrankung einerseits und denjenigen einer Angststörung andererseits.
Thérapie photodynamique pour les néovascularisations choroïdiennes dans la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge
Authors: Valmaggia
Published: February 2006

La dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge (DMLA) est une altération qui touche le centre de la rétine. En fonction de la sévérité de la pathologie, une absence de symptôme ou des troubles plus ou moins importants de la vision sont constatés. Dans les pays occidentaux, la forme néovasculaire de DMLA est la cause principale de perte irréversible d'acuité visuelle chez les personnes de plus de 65 ans. Cette forme correspond à la prolifération de vaisseaux choroïdiens sous la partie centrale de la rétine. De nombreux traitements visant à éradiquer spécifiquement les vaisseaux choroïdiens pathologiques ont été envisagés. A l'heure actuelle, la thérapie photodynamique (TPD) demeure le traitement de choix pour la forme néovasculaire de DMLA. Ce traitement retarde la progression de la maladie mais ne permet que rarement une amélioration de l'acuité visuelle. L'association de substances antiangiogéniques à la TPD pour tenter d'en améliorer l'efficacité est en cours d'évaluation.
The Effect of Cardiac Cycle Phase on Reaction Time Among Individuals at Varying Risk for Hypertension
Authors: Stewart Jesse C. , France Christopher R. , Suhr Julie A.
Published: February 2006

Abstract: Existing evidence suggests that baroreceptor stimulation may impair sensorimotor functioning. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the adverse effect of baroreceptor stimulation on sensorimotor functioning is more pronounced among individuals at increased risk for hypertension. A visual reaction time task was completed by 93 normotensive men and women at varying risk for hypertension, as defined by the combination of their resting systolic blood pressure and their parental history of hypertension. To correspond with natural fluctuations in baroreceptor stimulation across the cardiac cycle, stimuli were administered at one of 12 intervals after the occurrence of an electrocardiogram (ECG) R-wave (R + 50, 100, 150 . . . 600 ms). Reaction time to stimuli presented during the middle of the cardiac cycle, when baroreceptor stimulation is increased, was significantly slower than to stimuli presented earlier in the cycle, when baroreceptor stimulation is reduced. The influence of cardiac cycle phase on reaction time was similar among participants with high-normal, normal, or low-normal systolic blood pressure as well as among participants with a positive or negative parental history of hypertension. These findings suggest that baroreceptor stimulation impairs sensorimotor functioning in normotensive men and women; however, this effect is not more pronounced among individuals at increased risk for hypertension.
Effects of Experimentally Induced Pain on Mismatch Negativity
Authors: Dick Bruce D. , Connolly John F. , Houlihan Michael E. , McGrath Patrick J. , Finley G. Allen , Stroink Gerhard , Clark Alexander J.
Published: February 2006

Abstract: Previous research has found that pain can exert a disruptive effect on cognitive processing. This experiment was conducted to extend previous research with participants with chronic pain. This report examines pain's effects on early processing of auditory stimulus differences using the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) in healthy participants while they experienced experimentally induced pain. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded using target and standard tones whose pitch differences were easy- or difficult-to-detect in conditions where participants attended to (active attention) or ignored (passive attention) the stimuli. Both attention manipulations were conducted in no pain and pain conditions. Experimentally induced ischemic pain did not disrupt the MMN. However, MMN amplitudes were larger to difficult-to-detect deviant tones during painful stimulation when they were attended than when they were ignored. Also, MMN amplitudes were larger to the difficult- than to the easy-to-detect tones in the active attention condition regardless of pain condition. It appears that rather than exerting a disruptive effect, the presence of experimentally induced pain enhanced early processing of small stimulus differences in these healthy participants.
Differences Between Intention-Based and Stimulus-Based Actions
Authors: Keller Peter E. , Wascher Edmund , Prinz Wolfgang , Waszak Florian , Koch Iring , Rosenbaum David A.
Published: February 2006

Abstract: Actions carried out in response to exogenous stimuli and actions selected endogenously on the basis of intentions were compared in terms of their behavioral (movement timing) and electrophysiological (EEG) profiles. Participants performed a temporal bisection task that involved making left or right key presses at the midpoint between isochronous pacing signals (a sequence of centrally-presented letters). In separate conditions, the identity of each letter either (1) prescribed the location of the subsequent key press response (stimulus-based) or (2) was determined by the location of the preceding key press, in which case participants were instructed to generate a random sequence of letters (intention-based). The behavioral results indicated that stimulus-based movements occurred earlier in time than intention-based movements. The EEG results revealed that activity reflecting stimulus evaluation and response selection was most pronounced in the stimulus-based condition, whereas activity associated with the general readiness to act was strongest in the intention-based condition. Together, the behavioral and electrophysiological findings provide evidence for two modes of action planning, one mediated by stimulus-response bindings and the other by action-effect bindings. The comparison of our results to those of an earlier study ( Waszak et al., 2005 ) that employed spatially congruent visuo-motor mappings rather than symbolic visuo-motor mappings suggests that intention-based actions are controlled by similar neural pathways in both cases, but stimulus-based actions are not.
What kind of stratospheric sudden warming propagates to the troposphere?
Authors: Nakagawa Ken I. , Yamazaki Koji
Published: February 2006

The factors affecting the downward propagation of stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) events to the troposphere are studied through composite analysis of 45‐year reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts. During the growth stage of SSW, events that propagate into the troposphere exhibit enhanced upward flux of the wavenumber 2 wave, while events that do not propagate downward display reduced wavenumber 2 flux. In both events, upward flux of the wavenumber‐1 wave is enhanced, but the enhancement is stronger in the non‐propagating event. The composite for propagating events reveals a negative Eurasian pattern of horizontal geopotential anomalies in the troposphere during the growth stage, and a negative Arctic Oscillation pattern following the event, while non‐propagating events are preceded by a positive Eurasian pattern. In both types of event, the tropospheric anomalies are generated mainly by tropospheric planetary wave forcing prior to the emergence of SSW.
Global mapping of diapycnal diffusivity in the deep ocean based on the results of expendable current profiler (XCP) surveys
Authors: Hibiya Toshiyuki , Nagasawa Maki , Niwa Yoshihiro
Published: February 2006

Based on the results of the extensive XCP surveys in the North Pacific, we first examine the empirical relationship between the estimated diapycnal diffusivity in the thermocline and the numerically predicted, available energy density of the semidiurnal internal tide (major energy source for diapycnal diffusivity) at each location. The diapycnal diffusivity is estimated by applying the parameterization of Gregg (1989) to the fine‐scale vertical shear of horizontal velocity measured by XCP. Next, the numerically predicted energy density of the semidiurnal internal tide at each longitude and latitude in the world's oceans is incorporated into the resulting empirical relationship to obtain the global distribution of diapycnal diffusivity in the thermocline. This model predicts that strong diapycnal mixing (mixing hotspot) is limited to the prominent topographic features at latitudes between 20° and 30°.
Thirty‐year history of glacier melting in the Nepal Himalayas
Authors: Fujita Koji , Thompson Lonnie G. , Ageta Yutaka , Yasunari Tetsuzo , Kajikawa Yoshiyuki , Sakai Akiko , Takeuchi Nozomu
Published: February 2006

Two net balance records of neighboring glaciers under different conditions are analyzed to extract temporal variations in glacier melting in the Himalayas. Significant melt was observed every year at one site (wet site), whereas no melt occurred at the second site because of its high elevation (dry site). Accumulation at the wet site of a glacier is estimated from the dry site neighboring another glacier through a measured precipitation record for a short time period. The difference between the estimated accumulation and the net balances at the wet site is obtained as the “melt index,” which represents the glacier melting conditions. The melt index with an interannual timescale is significant as a climatic proxy at high elevation since no relationship between stable isotopes and temperature is established and few long‐term temperature records are available at high elevations in the Himalayas. The melt index showed a decadal fluctuation with a major amplitude never reported in previous studies with respect to temperature and ice cores analyses in the Himalayas. Ice cores from a site where significant melt occurs every year have not been considered available in reconstructing past climates since climatic signals in ice were disturbed by meltwater infiltration. However, we suggest a new approach to glean temperature information by a combination of wet and dry cores, not obtainable from a good‐quality ice core alone.
Variability of the Indian Ocean sea surface temperature and its impacts on Asian‐Australian monsoon climate
Authors: Yoo Soo‐Hyun , Yang Song , Ho Chang‐Hoi
Published: February 2006

In this study, the authors investigate the relationships between the Indian Ocean (IO) sea surface temperature (SST) and the Asian‐Australian monsoon (AAM) on seasonal to interannual timescales. They focus on the dominant features of IO SST, the impacts of IO SST on different monsoon components, and the relative importance of the northern and southern IO for the AAM. The dominant mode of IO SST is often characterized by uniform warming or cooling, with maximum variance in the Southern Hemisphere. This mode exerts a larger impact on monsoon variability than does the tropical IO dipole. The IO SST is strongly persistent from the boreal fall to the next spring even summer and less persistent from boreal summer to fall, a feature related to seasonal alternation of the dominance of the impacts of Pacific and IO SSTs on the Asian‐Australian monsoons. While the tropical central Pacific SST exerts an apparently larger impact on the monsoon climate in the boreal winter and the transitional seasons, the IO SST affects the summer regional climate more strongly. The springtime IO SST leads to opposite changes in the south Asian monsoon (SAM) and the Southeast Asian monsoon (SEAM), reinforcing the out‐of‐phase relationship that appears often between the two monsoon components. While a warmer IO strengthens the SAM, it weakens the SEAM. Furthermore, the southern IO SST is related to the Asian summer monsoon more closely than the northern IO SST. The boreal fall IO SST, especially that in the north IO, is strongly associated with the subsequent Australian summer monsoon.
Secular trends and climate drift in coupled ocean‐atmosphere general circulation models
Authors: Covey Curt , Gleckler Peter J. , Phillips Thomas J. , Bader David C.
Published: February 2006

Coupled ocean‐atmosphere general circulation models (coupled GCMs) with interactive sea ice are the primary tool for investigating possible future global warming and numerous other issues in climate science. A long‐standing problem with such models is that when different components of the physical climate system are linked together, the simulated climate can drift away from observation unless constrained by ad hoc adjustments to interface fluxes. However, 11 modern coupled GCMs, including three that do not employ flux adjustments, behave much better in this respect than the older generation of models. Surface temperature trends in control run simulations (with external climate forcing such as solar brightness and atmospheric carbon dioxide held constant) are small compared with observed trends, which include 20th century climate change due to both anthropogenic and natural factors. Sea ice changes in the models are dominated by interannual variations. Deep ocean temperature and salinity trends are small enough for model control runs to extend over 1000 simulated years or more, but trends in some regions, most notably the Arctic, differ substantially among the models and may be problematic. Methods used to initialize coupled GCMs can mitigate climate drift but cannot eliminate it. Lengthy “spin‐ups” of models, made possible by increasing computer power, are one reason for the improvements this paper documents.
Thermal infrared data analyses of Meteor Crater, Arizona: Implications for Mars spaceborne data from the Thermal Emission Imaging System
Authors: Wright Shawn P. , Ramsey Michael S.
Published: February 2006

Thermal infrared (TIR) data from the Earth‐orbiting Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument are used to identify the lithologic distribution of the Meteor Crater ejecta blanket. Thermal emission laboratory spectra were obtained for collected samples, and spectral deconvolution was performed on ASTER emissivity data using both image and sample end‐members. Comparison of the spaceborne ASTER data to the airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data was used to validate the ASTER end‐member analyses. The ASTER image end‐member analysis agrees well with past studies considering the effects of resolution degradation. The work at Meteor Crater has direct bearing on the interpretation of Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) data currently being returned from Mars. ASTER and THEMIS have similar spatial and spectral resolutions, and Meteor Crater serves as an analog for similar‐sized impact sites on Mars. These small impact craters have not been studied in detail owing to the low spatial resolution of past orbiting TIR instruments. Using the same methodology as that applied to Meteor Crater, THEMIS TIR data of a provisionally named Winslow Crater (∼1 km) impact crater in Syrtis Major are analyzed. The crater rim and ejecta blanket were found to contain larger block sizes and a lower albedo than the surrounding ejecta‐free plain, indicating a young impact age. The composition of the rim, ejecta, and surrounding plain is determined to be dominated by basalt; however, potential stratigraphy has also been identified. Results of this work could be extended to future investigations using THEMIS data.
A vertically extended stochastic model of soil moisture in the root zone
Authors: Laio F.
Published: February 2006

Comprehension of the soil moisture dynamics in the rhizosphere is fundamental in the study of the water balance, vegetation productivity in water‐limited ecosystems, soil microbial activity, and atmospheric boundary layer dynamics. This paper develops a vertically extended model for soil moisture, which accounts for (1) the stochasticity of precipitation, (2) the vertical distribution of plant roots, and (3) the (linear or nonlinear) dependence of transpiration on soil water content. The stochastic model is mathematically formulated under a few simplifying hypotheses, and the depth‐dependent steady state probability density function of soil moisture is obtained analytically. The dependence of these solutions on climate conditions is discussed through some exemplifying cases.
Promoting Freedom from Poverty: Political Mobilization and the Role of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union
Authors: Zoelle Diana , Josephson Jyl
Published: February 2006

Contemporary social policy toward low-income women in the United States, as evidenced both by Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and by the AFDC programme that preceded it, is in part an artefact of long-standing conceptions of the nature of citizenship. This view sees citizenship as resting primarily on civil and political rights, not on rights with respect to economic, social, and cultural matters. Drawing on scholarly literature on the development of international human rights regimes, the feminist literature that analyses social policy both comparatively and in terms of US domestic policy, and literature regarding contemporary movements among low-income persons, this paper analyses the efforts of one organization, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), to challenge US policy via international human rights law and international enforcement mechanisms. We will suggest that, despite some of the flaws of the KWRU, their approach is a promising one for low-income women. In particular, we wish to suggest that a broader conception of citizenship that takes into account economic, cultural, and social rights is necessary to create a more equitable and democratic polity for women.
Unreal Women: Sex, Gender, Identity and the Lived Experience of Vulvar Pain
Authors: Kaler Amy
Published: February 2006

In this paper, I take up the lives of women with persistent vulvar pain for what they can reveal about the enmeshment of gender, (hetero)sexuality and bodily practices. Women with vulvodynia are unable to perform the central heterogendering act of penetrative intercourse with a male partner. They describe this inability as rendering them effectively ‘genderless’, described as being ‘not a real woman’ or a ‘fake woman’. I analyse their perceptions of gender and bodily performance in relation to feminist theorizing about gender and sexuality, and I argue for the centrality of the lived body to the epistemology of feminist efforts to theorize gender. This paper is based on in-person interviews with 20 women and web-based open-ended interactions with 70 women with vulvodynia.
Children's Imaginings and Narratives: Inhabiting Complexity
Authors: Treacher Amal
Published: February 2006

Drawing on two studies of children aged between seven and 10 years this article explores their narratives of themselves, families, sibling and peer relationships. Their narratives were full of push-pull and contradictory processes. The children moved towards knowledge as well as a disavowal of ‘reality’ about their families and material conditions. Critically they revealed profound wishes for something better alongside the knowledge that ‘this is it’. This article focuses on theorizing children's understandings of and relationships to social and material life in order to argue that meanings matter and meanings have matter. Narratives are social in two critical ways: they involve reaching out and connecting with others, and narratives are constructed within and through the social sphere, while simultaneously they are shot through with conscious and unconscious fantasies. Children are moving towards being in a complex – engaged in and inhabiting many relationships.