bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure of the rotor ring modified with
N
,
N
′
-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide of the Na
+
-transporting vacuolar ATPase
Authors: Mizutani Kenji , Yamamoto Misaki , Suzuki Kano , Yamato Ichiro , Kakinuma Yoshimi , Shirouzu Mikako , Walker John E. , Yokoyama Shigeyuki , Iwata So , Murata Takeshi
Published: August 2011

The prokaryotic V-ATPase of
Enterococcus hirae
, closely related to the eukaryotic enzymes, provides a unique opportunity to study the ion-translocation mechanism because it transports Na
+
, which can be detected by radioisotope (

) experiments and X-ray crystallography. In this study, we demonstrated that the binding affinity of the rotor ring (K ring) for

decreased approximately 30-fold by reaction with
N
,
N
′
-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), and determined the crystal structures of Na
+
-bound and Na
+
-unbound K rings modified with DCCD at 2.4- and 3.1-Å resolutions, respectively. Overall these structures were similar, indicating that there is no global conformational change associated with release of Na
+
from the DCCD-K ring. A conserved glutamate residue (E139) within all 10 ion-binding pockets of the K ring was neutralized by modification with DCCD, and formed an “open” conformation by losing hydrogen bonds with the Y68 and T64 side chains, resulting in low affinity for Na
+
. This open conformation is likely to be comparable to that of neutralized E139 forming a salt bridge with the conserved arginine of the stator during the ion-translocation process. Based on these findings, we proposed the ion-translocation model that the binding affinity for Na
+
decreases due to the neutralization of E139, thus releasing bound Na
+
, and that the structures of Na
+
-bound and Na
+
-unbound DCCD-K rings are corresponding to intermediate states before and after release of Na
+
during rotational catalysis of V-ATPase, respectively.
The early history of tumor virology: Rous, RIF, and RAV
Authors: Rubin Harry
Published: August 2011

One hundred years ago Peyton Rous recovered a virus, now known as the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), from a chicken sarcoma, which reproduced all aspects of the tumor on injection into closely related chickens. There followed recovery of causal viruses of tumors of different morphology from 4 more of 60 chicken tumors. Subsequent studies in chickens of the biology of the first RSV isolated moved slowly for 45 y until an assay of ectodermal pocks of the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken embryos was introduced. The inadequacies of that assay were resolved with the production of transformed foci in cultures of chicken fibroblasts. There followed a productive period on the dynamics of RSV infection. An avian leukosis virus (ALV) was found in some chicken embryos and named resistance-inducing factor (RIF) because it interferes with RSV. Its epidemiology in chickens is described. Another ALV was found in stocks of RSV and called Rous-associated virus (RAV). Cells preinfected with RAV interfere with RSV infection, but RSV does not produce infectious virus unless RAV is added during or after RSV infection. Intracellular RAV provides the infectious coat for the otherwise defective RSV. The coat determines the antigenicity, host range, and maturation rate of RSV. RSV particles carry reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that converts their RNA into DNA and allows integration into the cell's DNA, where it functions as a cellular gene. This was the bridge that joined the biological era to the molecular era. Its relation to oncogenes and human cancer is discussed.
Bipolar and unipolar resistive switching in Zn0.98Cu0.02O films
Authors: Xu Qingyu , Wen Zheng , Wu Di
Published: August 2011

We report the coexistence of bipolar and unipolar resistive switching (BRS and URS) in a Ag/Zn0.98Cu0.02O/ITO structure. The resistance ratio between the high-resistance state (HRS) and the low-resistance state (LRS) is about 106 for the BRS. The URS is observed with a positive bias applied on the ITO electrode, which is more stable than the BRS. The resistance ratio between the HRS and LRS of the URS is about 104. The Schottky barrier at the Zn0.98Cu0.02O/Ag interface plays an important role in both the BRS and URS processes.
Fluorescence quenching of 5DJ (J = 1, 2 and 3) levels and Judd–Ofelt analysis of Eu3+ in NaGdTiO4 phosphors
Authors: Li Xiangping , Chen Baojiu , Shen Rensheng , Zhong Haiyang , Cheng Lihong , Sun Jiashi , Zhang Jinsu , Zhong Hua , Tian Yue , Du Guotong
Published: August 2011

NaGdTiO4 phosphors with various Eu3+ concentrations were synthesized by a solid-state reaction. The crystal structure and fluorescence properties were characterized by means of x-ray diffraction and fluorospectroscopy, respectively. An effective energy transfer from the titanate matrix to the activator Eu3+ was observed. An intense red emission originating from 5D0 → 7F2 of Eu3+ was observed while excited at the
charge transfer bands or f–f absorption bands of Eu3+. The fluorescence quenching of 5D
J
(J = 1, 2 and 3) levels were studied based on the Van Uitert model. Electric dipole–dipole interaction was confirmed to be the main mechanism of the fluorescence quenching of 5D
J
levels, which is responsible for the cross-relaxation between Eu3+ ions. The full optical transition intensity parameters Ωλ (λ = 2, 4, 6) of Eu3+ in the NaGdTiO4 phosphors were calculated in the framework of Judd–Ofelt theory to be 6.024 × 10−20, 1.512 × 10−20 and 0.374 × 10−20 cm2.
Integrating fundamental and formant frequencies in women’s preferences for men’s voices
Authors: Feinberg D. R. , Jones B. C. , DeBruine L. M. , O’Connor J. J. M. , Tigue C. C. , Borak D. J.
Published: August 2011

Prior work has emphasized independent effects of voice pitch and apparent vocal tract length on women’s preferences for men’s voices. An interaction between the effects of pitch and apparent vocal tract length on male vocal attractiveness might be expected, however, given interactions between the effects of voice pitch and apparent vocal tract length on perceptions of body size, age, and sex. Here, we present empirical evidence for such an interaction. Women preferred low pitch in men’s voices more when associated with large vocal tracts than when associated with small vocal tracts and preferred large vocal tracts in men’s voices more when associated with low pitch than when associated with high pitch. Collectively, these findings demonstrate integration of different vocal cues in women’s mate preferences, potentially allowing women to better assess the quality of potential mates.
Identification of heat-shock protein 90 beta in Japanese encephalitis virus-induced secretion proteins
Authors: Hung Chun-Yu , Tsai Meng-Chieh , Wu Yi-Ping , Wang Robert Y. L.
Published: August 2011

Five host cellular proteins were identified in the secretion medium from Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)-infected baby hamster kidney-21 (BHK-21) cells, including three molecular chaperones: Hsp70, GRP78 and Hsp90. Hsp90 isoforms were characterized further. Hsp90α was observed to be retained inside the nuclei, whereas Hsp90β associated with virus particles during assembly and was released into the secretion medium upon JEV infection. The association of Hsp90β and viral E protein was demonstrated by using sucrose-density fractionation and Western blot analysis. Moreover, JEV viral RNA replication was not affected by treatment with geldanamycin, an Hsp90 inhibitor, but impaired virus infectivity that was determined by a plaque-forming assay. Our results show that Hsp90β, not Hsp90α, is present in the JEV-induced secretion medium and is required for JEV infectivity in BHK-21 cells.
The Tomato Terpene Synthase Gene Family
Authors: Falara Vasiliki , Akhtar Tariq A. , Nguyen Thuong T.H. , Spyropoulou Eleni A. , Bleeker Petra M. , Schauvinhold Ines , Matsuba Yuki , Bonini Megan E. , Schilmiller Anthony L. , Last Robert L. , Schuurink Robert C. , Pichersky Eran
Published: August 2011

Compounds of the terpenoid class play numerous roles in the interactions of plants with their environment, such as attracting pollinators and defending the plant against pests. We show here that the genome of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) contains 44 terpene synthase (TPS) genes, including 29 that are functional or potentially functional. Of these 29 TPS genes, 26 were expressed in at least some organs or tissues of the plant. The enzymatic functions of eight of the TPS proteins were previously reported, and here we report the specific in vitro catalytic activity of 10 additional tomato terpene synthases. Many of the tomato TPS genes are found in clusters, notably on chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10. All TPS family clades previously identified in angiosperms are also present in tomato. The largest clade of functional TPS genes found in tomato, with 12 members, is the TPS-a clade, and it appears to encode only sesquiterpene synthases, one of which is localized to the mitochondria, while the rest are likely cytosolic. A few additional sesquiterpene synthases are encoded by TPS-b clade genes. Some of the tomato sesquiterpene synthases use z,z-farnesyl diphosphate in vitro as well, or more efficiently than, the e,e-farnesyl diphosphate substrate. Genes encoding monoterpene synthases are also prevalent, and they fall into three clades: TPS-b, TPS-g, and TPS-e/f. With the exception of two enzymes involved in the synthesis of ent-kaurene, the precursor of gibberellins, no other tomato TPS genes could be demonstrated to encode diterpene synthases so far.
The effectiveness of interventions for reducing stigma related to substance use disorders: a systematic review
Authors: Livingston James D. , Milne Teresa , Fang Mei Lan , Amari Erica
Published: August 2011

Aims  This study provides a systematic review of existing research that has empirically evaluated interventions designed to reduce stigma related to substance use disorders.

Methods  A comprehensive review of electronic databases was conducted to identify evaluations of substance use disorder related stigma interventions. Studies that met inclusion criteria were synthesized and assessed using systematic review methods.

Results  Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was moderately strong. Interventions of three studies (23%) focused on people with substance use disorders (self‐stigma), three studies (23%) targeted the general public (social stigma) and seven studies (54%) focused on medical students and other professional groups (structural stigma). Nine interventions (69%) used approaches that included education and/or direct contact with people who have substance use disorders. All but one study indicated their interventions produced positive effects on at least one stigma outcome measure. None of the interventions have been evaluated across different settings or populations.

Conclusions  A range of interventions demonstrate promise for achieving meaningful improvements in stigma related to substance use disorders. The limited evidence indicates that self‐stigma can be reduced through therapeutic interventions such as group‐based acceptance and commitment therapy. Effective strategies for addressing social stigma include motivational interviewing and communicating positive stories of people with substance use disorders. For changing stigma at a structural level, contact‐based training and education programs targeting medical students and professionals (e.g. police, counsellors) are effective.
Defining the correct role of minimal residual disease tests in the management of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Cazzaniga Giovanni , Valsecchi Maria Grazia , Gaipa Giuseppe , Conter Valentino , Biondi Andrea
Published: August 2011

Minimal residual disease (MRD) has acquired a prominent role in the management of childhood and adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) for its high prognostic value. Several studies have demonstrated the strong association between MRD and risk of relapse in childhood and adult ALL, irrespective of the methodology used. MRD is now used in clinical trials for risk assignment and to guide clinical management. Negativity at early time points may be considered to decrease treatment burden in patients who are likely to be cured with reduced intensity regimens. On the other hand, high MRD levels at late time points (end of consolidation) define ALL subgroups which deserve investigation of more effective treatments. The predictivity of MRD as a measurement of drug response in vivo opened new perspectives for its use in clinical decision, to deliver risk‐based treatments, and possibly as a surrogate for efficacy in the evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches.
Patient-centred screening for primary immunodeficiency, a multi-stage diagnostic protocol designed for non-immunologists: 2011 update
Authors:   European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) members, de Vries E
Published: August 2011

Members of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) and other colleagues have updated the multi-stage expert-opinion-based diagnostic protocol for non-immunologists incorporating newly defined primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs). The protocol presented here aims to increase the awareness of PIDs among doctors working in different fields. Prompt identification of PID is important for prognosis, but this may not be an easy task. The protocol therefore starts from the clinical presentation of the patient. Because PIDs may present at all ages, this protocol is aimed at both adult and paediatric physicians. The multi-stage design allows cost-effective screening for PID of the large number of potential cases in the early phases, with more expensive tests reserved for definitive classification in collaboration with a specialist in the field of immunodeficiency at a later stage.
Evaluating sampling completeness in a desert plant–pollinator network
Authors: Chacoff Natacha P. , Vázquez Diego P. , Lomáscolo Silvia B. , Stevani Erica L. , Dorado Jimena , Padrón Benigno
Published: August 2011

1. The study of plant–pollinator interactions in a network context is receiving increasing attention. This approach has helped to identify several emerging network patterns such as nestedness and modularity. However, most studies are based only on qualitative information, and some ecosystems, such as deserts and tropical forests, are underrepresented in these data sets.

2. We present an exhaustive analysis of the structure of a 4‐year plant–pollinator network from the Monte desert in Argentina using qualitative and quantitative tools. We describe the structure of this network and evaluate sampling completeness using asymptotic species richness estimators. Our goal is to assess the extent to which the realized sampling effort allows for an accurate description of species interactions and to estimate the minimum number of additional censuses required to detect 90% of the interactions. We evaluated completeness of detection of the community‐wide pollinator fauna, of the pollinator fauna associated with each plant species and of the plant–pollinator interactions. We also evaluated whether sampling completeness was influenced by plant characteristics, such as flower abundance, flower life span, number of interspecific links (degree) and selectiveness in the identity of their flower visitors, as well as sampling effort.

3. We found that this desert plant–pollinator network has a nested structure and that it exhibits modularity and high network‐level generalization.

4. In spite of our high sampling effort, and although we sampled 80% of the pollinator fauna, we recorded only 55% of the interactions. Furthermore, although a 64% increase in sampling effort would suffice to detect 90% of the pollinator species, a fivefold increase in sampling effort would be necessary to detect 90% of the interactions.

5. Detection of interactions was incomplete for most plant species, particularly specialists with a long flowering season and high flower abundance, or generalists with short flowering span and scant flowers. Our results suggest that sampling of a network with the same effort for all plant species is inadequate to sample interactions.

6. Sampling the diversity of interactions is labour intensive, and most plant–pollinator networks published to date are likely to be undersampled. Our analysis allowed estimating the completeness of our sampling, the additional effort needed to detect most interactions and the plant traits that influence the detection of their interactions.
Predictors of preoperative anxiety in surgical inpatients
Authors: Yilmaz Meryem , Sezer Hafize , Gürler Hesna , Bekar Mine
Published: August 2011

Aims and objectives.  The aims of the present study were to identify the levels of preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing elective surgery and the relationship between preoperative anxiety and social support. In addition, predictors of preoperative anxiety were studied in surgical inpatients.

Background.  Major life changes are significant factors that cause anxiety; hospitalisation and surgery are among such changes. Social support may decrease the anxiety associated with surgery.

Design.  This is a descriptive study that included 500 patients in a surgery clinic.

Methods.  The data collected included: A Patient Information Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Surgical Anxiety Scale. The results were analysed using the Chi‐square test and logistic regression analysis.

Results.  Five hundred patients participated in this research: 59·6% were female, 54·6% were 65 years of age or older, 80·6% were married, 70·4% were literate and 62% of the patients had moderate level surgery. There was a significant relationship between the sociodemographic patient features, the level of preoperative anxiety (p < 0·05), the presence of social support and the severity of anxiety (p = 0·001). The age and level of anxiety were not significant factors. The mean anxiety score for all patients was 31·91 (SD 6·30) and the mean social support score was 66·38 (SD 13·69).

Conclusion.  The results of this study showed that the preoperative anxiety of patients awaiting surgery was associated with demographic characteristics as well as social support resources.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Anxiety testing is feasible during the preoperative period. Such testing allows for the detection of patients with high anxiety, and for clinicians to take the appropriate steps to ameliorate this problem. Identification of patient anxiety allows for providing a focus on social support in an attempt to reduce the level of anxiety.
Functional Mapping of the Neural Circuitry of Rat Maternal Motivation: Effects of Site‐Specific Transient Neural Inactivation
Authors: Pereira M. , Morrell J. I.
Published: August 2011

The present review focuses on recent studies from our laboratory examining the neural circuitry subserving rat maternal motivation across postpartum. We employed a site‐specific neural inactivation method by infusion of bupivacaine to map the maternal motivation circuitry using two complementary behavioural approaches: unconditioned maternal responsiveness and choice of pup‐ over cocaine‐conditioned incentives in a concurrent pup/cocaine choice conditioned place preference task. Our findings revealed that, during the early postpartum period, distinct brain structures, including the medial preoptic area, ventral tegmental area and medial prefrontal cortex infralimbic and anterior cingulate subregions, contribute a pup‐specific bias to the motivational circuitry. As the postpartum period progresses and the pups grow older, it is further revealed that maternal responsiveness becomes progressively less dependent on the medial preoptic area and medial prefrontal cortex infralimbic activity, and more distributed in the maternal circuitry, such that additional network components, including the medial prefrontal cortex prelimbic subregion, are recruited with maternal experience, and contribute to the expression of late postpartum maternal behaviour. Collectively, our findings provide strong evidence that the remarkable ability of postpartum females to successfully care for their developing infants is subserved by a distributed neural network that carries out efficient and dynamic processing of complex, constantly changing incoming environmental and pup‐related stimuli, ultimately allowing the progression of appropriate expression and waning of maternal responsiveness across the postpartum period.
Identification of a Novel CD8+ T Cell Epitope Derived from Cancer‐Testis Antigen MAGE‐4 in Oesophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Z. Y. , Gao Y. F. , Wu Y. H. , Liu W. , Sun M. , Zhai M. X. , Qi Y. M. , Ye Y.
Published: August 2011

MAGE‐4 is considered as an attractive cancer‐testis (CT) antigen for tumour immunotherapy, and it is overexpressed in oesophageal carcinoma (EC). To identify MAGE‐4‐derived HLA‐A2 restricted epitopes, native peptides and their analogues were predicted with prediction programs. The native peptide, p286 (KVLEHVVRV), and its analogues, p286‐1Y2L and p286‐1Y2L9L, showed potent binding affinity and stability towards HLA‐A*0201 molecule. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) induced by p286‐1Y2L9L could release IFN‐γ in ELISPOT assay. In cytotoxicity assay, p286‐1Y2L9L showed the capability to induce specific CTLs which could lyse the target cancer cells from both PBMCs of healthy donors and HLA‐A2.1/Kb transgenic mice. Our results indicated that the peptide p286‐1Y2L9L could serve as a novel candidate epitope to develop peptide vaccines against oesophageal carcinoma.
Genetic variations in the dopaminergic system and alcohol use: a system‐level analysis
Authors: Chen Chunhui , Chen Chuansheng , Moyzis Robert , He Qinghua , Li He , Li Jin , Zhu Bi , Lessard Jared , Stern Hal , Dong Qi
Published: August 2011

Alcohol use is highly heritable and has been associated with many gene variants, including those related to dopamine (DA). However, single gene association studies have shown inconsistent and small effects. Using a system‐level approach, the current study aimed to estimate the overall effect of genetic variations in the DA system on alcohol use among male drinkers. One hundred seventy‐six male college students who reported to have ever drunk alcohol were enrolled. Alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Ninety‐eight representative polymorphisms in all major DA neurotransmitter genes were genotyped. Using analysis of variance, we identified six single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)s that made statistically significant contributions to alcohol use. Next, main effects and interactions of these SNPs were assessed using multiple regression. The final model accounted for approximately 20% of the variance for alcohol use. Finally, permutation analyses ascertained the probability of obtaining these findings by chance to be low, p ranging from 0.024 to 0.048. These results confirmed that DA‐related gene variants made strong contributions to reported alcohol use and suggest that multiple regression can be a promising way to explore the genetic basis for multi‐gene‐determined human behaviors.
Environmental enrichment counters cocaine abstinence‐induced stress and brain reactivity to cocaine cues but fails to prevent the incubation effect
Authors: Thiel Kenneth J. , Painter Michael R. , Pentkowski Nathan S. , Mitroi Danut , Crawford Cynthia A. , Neisewander Janet L.
Published: August 2011

Environmental enrichment (EE) during a period of forced abstinence attenuates incentive motivational effects of cocaine‐paired stimuli. Here we examined whether EE during forced abstinence from cocaine self‐administration would prevent time‐dependent increases in cue‐elicited cocaine‐seeking behavior (i.e. the incubation effect). Rats were trained to self‐administer cocaine, which was paired with light/tone cues, for 15 days while living in isolated conditions (IC). Controls received yoked saline infusions. Subsequently, rats were assigned to live in either continued IC or EE for either 1 or 21 days of forced abstinence prior to a test for cocaine‐seeking behavior. During testing, responding resulted only in presentation of the light/tone cues. Contrary to our prediction, cocaine‐seeking behavior increased over time regardless of living condition during abstinence; however, EE attenuated cocaine‐seeking behavior relative to IC regardless of length of abstinence. Brains were harvested and trunk blood was collected immediately after the 60‐minute test and later assayed. Results indicated that short‐term EE elevated hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and reduced plasma corticosterone compared with IC. Furthermore, 21 days of EE during forced abstinence prevented increases in the cue‐elicited amygdala phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase expression that was observed in IC rats. These findings suggest that EE attenuates incentive motivational effects of cocaine cues through a mechanism other than preventing the incubation effect, perhaps involving reduction of stress and neural activity in response to cocaine‐paired cues during acute withdrawal.
Assessment of the influence of HLA class I and class II loci on the prevalence of keloid disease in Jamaican Afro‐Caribbeans
Authors: Ashcroft K. J. , Syed F. , Arscott G. , Bayat A.
Published: August 2011

Keloid disease (KD) is a common abnormal cutaneous fibrotic disorder of unknown aetiopathogenesis. KD is reported to have a strong genetic component as it is often familial and has a high incidence in certain ethnicities, in particular those of Afro‐Caribbean origin. Genetic risk factors combined with aberrant lesional inflammatory responses point to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system as a viable target for investigating disease aetiology. Sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction with allele sequencing was used to determine HLA‐DQA1 and DQB1 allele frequencies (AF) for 165 KD patients and 119 healthy controls of black Jamaican Afro‐Caribbean origin. HLA class I alleles A*01, A*03, A*25, B*07 and Cw*08:02, previously identified as KD associated in a different ethnicity, were also analysed. Allele sequencing confirmed typing accuracy but no statistically significant differences in AF were identified between KD patients and controls. Furthermore, KD subgroups including patient gender, family history and multiple‐ or single‐site scarring did not show significant allele‐disease associations.
Computed Tomographical (CT) Anatomy of the Thoracoabdominal Cavity of the Male Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Authors: Petnehazy O. , Benczik J. , Takacs I. , Petrasi Zs. , Sütő Z. , Horn P. , Repa I.
Published: August 2011

With 10 figures

In the present work, our goal was to match high‐resolution computed tomography (CT) scans with cross‐sectional anatomical pictures of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Two male BUT 6 (a commercial line) turkeys were used. CT scans with 1 mm slice thickness were performed. The images covered the trunk from the level of the 9th cervical vertebra to the end of the coccyx. The anatomical sections and the CT scans were matched, and the important structures were identified and labelled on the corresponding pictures. The aim of this study was to create a reference for evaluating CT scans of avian species.
Coxa Morphologically Adapted to Large Egg in Aepyornithid Species Compared with Various Palaeognaths
Authors: Endo H. , Akishinonomiya F. , Yonezawa T. , Hasegawa M. , Rakotondraparany F. , Sasaki M. , Taru H. , Yoshida A. , Yamasaki T. , Itou T. , Koie H. , Sakai T.
Published: August 2011

With 12 figures and 3 tables

The coxa of palaeognaths including extinct aepyornithid species was compared by means of osteology, computed tomography (CT) imaging and macroscopic anatomy. The pre‐acetabular area of the ilium was proportionally much larger in width and height in aepyornithid species than in other extant palaeognaths. The post‐acetabular area of the ilium, ischium and pubis was relatively short and bilaterally extended in aepyornithid species. Although the Aepyornis species might have produced egg with a major axis exceeding 300 mm in major axis, the short post‐acetabular coxa and widely opened ischium and pubis would not have been able to stably hold the eggs in the posterior space of the pelvic cavity unlike the situation in the ostrich. As aepyornithid species resembled the kiwi in measurement ratios of length and width in the pre‐acetabular area, a functional–morphological model of the coxa in the aepyornithid species can be proposed based on that of the kiwi. From our data, we suggest that the extinct species of Aepyornis and Mullerornis species effectively used the anterior space of the pelvic cavity to support their extraordinary large egg.
As‐Killing‐As‐Possible Vector Fields for Planar Deformation
Authors: Solomon Justin , Ben‐Chen Mirela , Butscher Adrian , Guibas Leonidas
Published: August 2011

Cartoon animation, image warping, and several other tasks in two‐dimensional computer graphics reduce to the formulation of a reasonable model for planar deformation. A deformation is a map from a given shape to a new one, and its quality is determined by the type of distortion it introduces. In many applications, a desirable map is as isometric as possible. Finding such deformations, however, is a nonlinear problem, and most of the existing solutions approach it by minimizing a nonlinear energy. Such methods are not guaranteed to converge to a global optimum and often suffer from robustness issues. We propose a new approach based on approximate Killing vector fields (AKVFs), first introduced in shape processing. AKVFs generate near‐isometric deformations, which can be motivated as direction fields minimizing an “as‐rigid‐as‐possible” (ARAP) energy to first order. We first solve for an AKVF on the domain given user constraints via a linear optimization problem and then use this AKVF as the initial velocity field of the deformation. In this way, we transfer the inherent nonlinearity of the deformation problem to finding trajectories for each point of the domain having the given initial velocities. We show that a specific class of trajectories — the set of logarithmic spirals — is especially suited for this task both in practice and through its relationship to linear holomorphic vector fields. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for planar deformation by comparing it with existing state‐of‐the‐art deformation methods.
A Multiscale Approach to Optimal Transport
Authors: Mérigot Quentin
Published: August 2011

In this paper, we propose an improvement of an algorithm of Aurenhammer, Hoffmann and Aronov to find a least square matching between a probability density and finite set of sites with mass constraints, in the Euclidean plane. Our algorithm exploits the multiscale nature of this optimal transport problem. We iteratively simplify the target using Lloyd's algorithm, and use the solution of the simplified problem as a rough initial solution to the more complex one. This approach allows for fast estimation of distances between measures related to optimal transport (known as Earth‐mover or Wasserstein distances). We also discuss the implementation of these algorithms, and compare the original one to its multiscale counterpart.
THE IMPACT OF ETHNIC HETEROGENEITY ON EDUCATION SPENDING: A SPATIAL ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF UNITED STATES SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Authors: Ajilore Olugbenga
Published: August 2011

In the public finance literature it is well understood that a community's spending can be affected by neighboring communities’ spending. It is relatively straightforward to see why these spillovers exist. For example, if a school district increases its spending on public education, this could affect the spending level of neighboring school districts. This paper uses spatial analysis to test the hypothesis that a school district's ethnic heterogeneity affects support for public education. Using a Spatial Lag Model and a national panel of U.S. school districts, I find that spatial dependence does exist in the data and that ethnic heterogeneity is negatively related to school district spending.
‘No Doubt she's Really a Little Princess’: A Case Study of Trouble in a Therapeutic Community
Authors: McKeganey Neil
Published: August 2011

This paper seeks to provide an ethnographic description of the processes involved in constructing a deviant status and may best be seen as making a modest contribution to what has been described elsewhere as the micro politics of trouble and its resolution. Specifically I shall describe the situation of one handicapped child (Linda) resident within a Rudolf Steiner Therapeutic Community. In addition to focusing upon the various ways in which staff accounted Linda as a ‘troublesome child’ I shall examine their various attempts to cope with the sorts of difficulties they saw her as presenting. As well as focusing upon the ways in which staff sought to cope with Linda I shall also describe their attempts to develop a therapeutic relationship with her.
Justice and the Division of Labour: A Reconsideration of Durkheim's Division of Labour in Society
Authors: Sirianni Carmen J.
Published: August 2011

Durkheim's Division of Labour in Society is re-evaluated in terms of its profound theoretical tensions. On the one hand, his analysis of an emergent organic solidarity assigns a central place to the values of individuality and justice, and articulates a critical methodology for determining their progressive realization. Justice becomes the overriding requirement of social evolution, and the condition for structural integration and normative legitimation. On the other hand, various empirical claims, as well as naturalistic and functionalist assumptions, allow for an overly easy, and quite un-Durkheimian, resolution of the problems posed by justice and individuality in a highly stratified division of labour. An attempt is made to understand how these profound tensions are sustained theoretically, and how Durkheim's own conception of the division of labour as socially interactive and morally constitutive can be rescued for a critical analysis committed to democratic and egalitarian reform.
Social Theory and the De-Escalation of International Conflict
Authors: Kriesberg Louis
Published: August 2011

Are we like the mothers and fathers at Jonestown, with the cyanide in place, rehearsing for suicide-murder? Daniel Ellsberg (1981) observes that the marchers protesting nuclear weapons are doing what the mothers and fathers in Jonestown waited too long to say ‘No! Not our children! This is craziness; we won't be part of it.’ He writes that ‘It is none too soon to be saying this to the President/Prime Minister/Chairman Jim Jones's of the world; nor is it, yet, too late.’

How did we get into a place that even resembles Jonestown: And more importantly, how do we get out of it? Social theory should help provide answers to such questions, but does not obviously do so. In the first part of this paper I discuss an emerging theoretical paradigm that has particular relevance for understanding how international conflicts increase and decrease in intensity. Then I apply that paradigm to instances of international conflict de-escalation, focusing on declines in tension and hostility between the Soviet and American governments and the Israeli and Egyptian governments. Finally, I will point to some implications of the discussion for social theory and for international policy.
Work History Analysis, Women and Large Scale Data Sets
Authors: Dex Shirley
Published: August 2011

This paper describes the methods and concepts which were developed during an analysis of women's work histories contained in a recent large-scale source, the Women and Employment Survey. Large scale longitudinal data are relatively rare in social science although more sources are becoming available but the techniques and methods of approaching such data are lagging behind. The concepts described here were developed in the context of a specific type of work history but they are thought to have general relevance to these data, as are the methods of approach which are also described. The main approach was to classify individuals' longitudinal employment experiences aided by inspection and computer graphical displays. This single variable can be used subsequently in multivariate analyses of the large scale data set. This method provides a micro foundation to macro-sociology or economics.
Contradictions of State Socialism: The Case of Poland
Authors: Runciman W. G.
Published: August 2011

This article originates from an invitation to give a paper at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw in the Autumn of 1980. As then drafted, the paper consisted mainly of a discussion of the writings of selected Polish and British sociologists on the structure and workings of contemporary state-socialist societies, and it was my intention to revise it for submission to the Sociological Review as a sequel to, and commentary on, the article by Christopher G.A. Bryant published in the issue of February, 1980.1 On return from Warsaw, I decided against doing so for two reasons: first, it seemed to me that the writings which I had taken as my starting-point were too remote from the actual course of events in Poland; second, I did not see how I could use the many informative conversations about those events which I had had with Polish sociologists and others in an academic journal article. On further reflection, however, I do not believe that either of these reasons should prevent my attempting to set out and justify my view of the implications for sociological theory of the Polish case, even though it is based in part on non-documentary sources and (more seriously) I Jack the knowledge of the language which would give me direct access to the documentary ones. In what follows, accordingly, I first outline the framework within which the forms and distribution of power in state-socialist societies in general and Poland in particular can, in my view, best be analysed; I then set out in slightly more detail what I see as the reasons why events in Poland between 1956 and 1981 followed the course they did; and I conclude with a brief discussion of what I believe to be the principal weakness in the recent British sociological literature on state socialism insofar as it relates to the Polish case.
Power and Identity in Theory and Practice
Authors: Knights David , Willmott Hugh
Published: August 2011

Power is often theorised in a way that equates its meaning with A's control over B. Alternatively, it is regarded as a universal transformative capacity. In which case, power is conceptualised in terms of its accomplishment of social order. The central objective of this paper is to expose the contribution and limitations of existing functionalist, action theoretic, radical and relational conceptions of power. This is done by attending to the significance of identity securing strategies in the reproduction of power relations. Highlighting the relevance of this identity dimension, we argue that individuals' attempts to distance and protect themselves from their ‘powerlessness’ can have important, self-defeating consequences in respect of the reproduction of asymmetrical relations of power. Connecting the search for independence to the preoccupation with securing a stable and valued sense of identity, we explore how this preoccupation sustains the very structural conditions that promote insecurity. Our thesis on power and identity is then applied and illustrated through a critical discussion of relevant aspects of two recent labour ethnographies: Nichols and Beynon's Living with Capitalism and Willis's Learning to Labour.
The Good, the Bad and the Unnatural: A Study of Coroners' Decisions in Northern Ireland
Authors: Prior Lindsay
Published: August 2011

This paper is concerned with an examination of the investigatory resources and explanatory principles which surround the dead. The central focus is upon the distinctions which are drawn between natural and unnatural death, and the paper has two main aims. First, it attempts to measure the direction and flow of investigatory and observatory power which emanates from the coroners' court. Second, it attempts to unravel the connotations embodied in the concept of unnatural death. It is argued that the characteristics of the natural and the unnatural are not to be found within the anatomy or physiology of the corpse, but rather in the principles of an aetiological framework which seeks to decontextualise death and disease from their social base, and which consequently distorts our vision of the human condition at death. The data on which the arguments are based are drawn from studies of those deemed to have died unnaturally in Belfast at various periods during the twentieth century.
‘Family Ideology’: Identification and Exploration
Authors: Bernardes Jon
Published: August 2011

The issue of ‘family ideology’ has been systematically ignored by a majority of ‘family’1 scholars whilst it has been taken for granted by a minority. The following study arises from the author's attempts to explore the issue of alternative theoretical approaches to the analysis of ‘family life’.2 Increasing numbers of contemporary researchers concur in recognising the diversity of ‘family forms’ and the inappropriateness of speaking of ‘The Family’.3 Despite these recognitions many researchers find themselves re-adopting the term ‘The Family’ in their discussions and especially in the titles of their work. For example, Segal clearly recognises that the ‘traditional family model’ no longer reflects the reality of our lives (1983, 11) and yet the title of her book is What is to be done about THE FAMILY)? (emphasis added).

One reason for the re-importation of the idea of ‘The Family’ may be found in the rather limited nature of previous conceptualisations of ‘family ideology’. With the exception of Barrett (1980), recognitions of ‘family ideology’ tend to be conceptualised in terms of sets of partisan beliefs supporting a particular ‘family form’. Thus the concept of ‘The Family’ is rarely regarded as being problematic in itself, rather attention is paid to the presumed virtues or deficiencies of the particular form of ‘The Family’ which is assumed to be prevalent. Notwithstanding the recognition of ‘family diversity’ or the inappropriateness of the term ‘The Family’, nearly all discussion becomes a straightforward attack upon, or defence of, ‘The Family’.4 Only very rarely does analysis avoid this trap and question whether ‘The Family’ really exists to be attacked or defended; thus Collier et al. have asked ‘Is there a Family?’ (1982) and the present author has asked ‘Do we really know what “The Family” is?’ (Bernardes, 1984a).

The objective here is to identify and explore a specific conceptualisation of ‘family ideology’. The aim is to avoid engaging in attacks upon, or defences of, ‘The Family’ but rather to address the ideological context of such debates themselves, especially in respect of the assumed existence of ‘The Family’. It is hoped that this approach will stimulate a much more critical examination of ‘family ideology’ and the concept of ‘The Family’. More generally, the attempt to conceptualise ‘family ideology’ in this much broader sense is seen as a pre-requisite for the development of an alternative theoretical approach to the analysis of ‘family life’.
Dealing with the Transsituational Demands of Professional Socialization
Authors: Barbour Rosaline S.
Published: August 2011

Insofar as studies of professional socialization have been concerned with the subjective experience of students they have concentrated on students' experience within the confines of their training course. The present paper examines that parallel but often neglected strand in professional socialization: what becoming a professional entails for students within the context of their private lives. An in-depth participant observation study of one cohort of social work students revealed that assuming a professional identity had important consequences for both the self-concept and social lives of students. They were faced with ‘transsituational demands’ – i.e. expectations that they would behave in situations where they were not functioning as social workers in a manner which was nevertheless congruent with their claims to this title. Such reorganization of students' personal hierarchies was both evidenced and accomplished by the ‘frame work’ in which students engaged. Goffman's frame analysis is expanded to include the concept of ‘cross-framing’ in order to explain students' responses to the encroachment of the social-work frame on their everyday world. Although social work as a profession does make extensive demands on the private space of the recruit, it is argued that the analysis developed here can be used to study empirically the internalization of the beliefs associated with any occupational role.
‘Waiting for Gojko’: Two One-Act Plays after Goffman
Authors: Allcock John B.
Published: August 2011

The sociological and anthropological literature dealing with the social and cultural effects of tourism not uncommonly refers to its adverse effects; and among these is a tendency to create and reinforce patterns of deference on the part of the ‘host’ population towards the foreign ‘guests’. The author's personal observations suggest that this expectation is not typically met in the case of Yugoslavia. An informal interactionist analysis of the Yugoslav restaurant industry, based on observation principally in two regions of the country, attempts to indicate why this should be the case. Models of behaviour rooted outside the restaurant itself, governing such factors as the relations between different age groups, and the evaluation of occupational skills, shape interaction within the restaurant, and define the relative statuses of guests and staff. It is also possible to point to ways in which the staff can be seen to exercise a measure of authority within the restaurant, regulating by their corporate authority the patterns of interaction found there. While the article does not challenge the claim that tourist-based development may under certain circumstances generate deferential or obsequious behaviour, it concludes with the demand that such claims be subjected to careful comparative scrutiny, in order to avoid misleading over-generalisation.
Functionalism and the Survey: The Relation of Theory and Method
Authors: Platt Jennifer
Published: August 2011

Many writers hold that research method is necessarily determined by theory, and it is common to suggest the relationship between functionalism and survey method in post-war US sociology as an example of this. This paper questions the extent to which that method and that theory were in reality meaningfully associated, and argues against the position that theory and method are in general invariably connected in the way suggested.
Food for Feminist Thought
Authors: Charles Nickie , Kerr Marion
Published: August 2011

Women's relationship with food on a daily basis is contradictory and problematic. Women are expected to deny themselves food in order to remain sexually attractive and, at the same time, they have to feed their partners and children with healthy and nutritious meals. The power of ideologies equating sexual attractiveness with slimness means that most women are not happy with their body image. This dissatisfaction is reinforced by the comments of men, particularly their partners. Food, as well as being a ‘fattening’ enemy is a comfort and is resorted to at times of emotional stress. Women's ‘normal’ relationship with food lies on a continuum of which the eating disorders are the extremes and is a product of their structural position in society.