bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic Comparison of HEA and HEMA as Initiators in Enzymatic Ring‐Opening Polymerizations
Authors: Xiao Yan , Takwa Mohamad , Hult Karl , Koning Cor E. , Heise Andreas , Martinelle Mats
Published: February 2009

Two initiators containing a cleavable ester bond were compared in the lipase‐catalyzed ROP of CL and PDL. The results show that transesterification reactions are present at high rates throughout the enzymatic ROP and start at low conversion. HEA and HEMA displayed similar reaction efficiencies as initiators (acyl acceptors) in the enzymatic ROP. However, transacylation reactions on the HEA‐initiated polyesters were found to be 15 times faster. While in both cases the amount of HEA‐ and HEMA‐initiated polymers could be maximized by short reaction times, a well‐defined (meth)acrylation by this approach was not possible. Our results show that transesterification reactions have to be considered when performing an enzyme‐catalyzed ROP.

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Synthesis of Oligosaccharide‐Branched Ribofuranan by Ring‐Opening Polymerization of a New Anhydroribo Trisaccharide Monomer
Authors: Yoshida Dai , Han Shuqin , Narita Kei‐Ichi , Hattori Kazuyuki , Yoshida Takashi
Published: February 2009

A new anhydroribotrisaccharide monomer, A2B3LR (1), was synthesized and ROP was carried out to elucidate the polymerizability and to obtain oligosaccharide‐branched polysaccharides with defined structures. The new trisaccharide monomer was found to be polymerized readily with BF3 · OEt2 as a catalyst at −40 °C to give a lactose‐branched polymer. Copolymerization with ADBR gave the corresponding copolymers in good yields. After removal of protective benzyl groups, D‐lactose‐branched ribofuranans with free hydroxyl groups were obtained in good yields. The structure of polymers was analyzed by 1H, 13C, and two‐dimensional NMR measurements, suggesting that D‐lactose‐branched ribofuranans had (1 → 5)‐α stereoregularity.

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Ultraviolet photofragmentation of biomolecular ions
Authors: Reilly James P.
Published: February 2009

Mass spectrometric identification of all types of molecules relies on the observation and interpretation of ion fragmentation patterns. Peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids that are often found as components of complex biological samples represent particularly important challenges. The most common strategies for fragmenting biomolecular ions include low‐ and high‐energy collisional activation, post‐source decay, and electron capture or transfer dissociation. Each of these methods has its own idiosyncrasies and advantages but encounters problems with some types of samples. Novel fragmentation methods that can offer improvements are always desirable. One approach that has been under study for years but is not yet incorporated into a commercial instrument is ultraviolet photofragmentation. This review discusses experimental results on various biological molecules that have been generated by several research groups using different light wavelengths and mass analyzers. Work involving short‐wavelength vacuum ultraviolet light is particularly emphasized. The characteristics of photofragmentation are examined and its advantages summarized. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 28:425–447, 2009
Motor learning in essential tremor
Authors: Shill Holly A. , De La Vega Frederick J. , Samanta Johan , Stacy Mark
Published: February 2009

Classical conditioning is abnormal in patients with cerebellar degeneration. Pathological studies have recently demonstrated the finding of Purkinje cell loss in a subset of essential tremor (ET). We studied 10 subjects with long duration ET using a blink reflex conditioning paradigm and compared them with nine controls. A 55.6% reduction in motor learning was seen in the first block of stimulation and this finding persisted across all subsequent trials. We conclude that motor learning is significantly abnormal in subjects with advanced ET and likely reflects pathological involvement of the cerebellum. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society
Designing and pricing menus of extended warranty contracts
Authors: Hartman Joseph C. , Laksana Kamonkan
Published: February 2009

Extended warranties provide “piece of mind” to a consumer in that product failures which occur after the base warranty expires are rectified at little or no cost. They also provide an additional source of revenue for manufacturers or third‐party providers, such as retailers or insurance providers, and help cultivate consumer loyalty. In this article, we analyze a number of extended warranty contracts which differ in design, including restrictions on deferrals and renewals. With the use of dynamic programming, we compute the optimal strategy for a consumer with perfect information and determine the optimal pricing policy for the provider given the consumer's risk characterization. We also provide insight into when different contracts should be issued. Finally, we illustrate how profits can be dramatically increased by offering menus of warranty contracts, as opposed to stand alone contracts, with the use of integer programming. Surprisingly, risk‐taking consumers provide the greatest benefit to offering menus. These insights can help a company develop a comprehensive warranty planning strategy for given products or product lines. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009
Reciprocity Relations in Newtonian and Eshelbian Mechanics
Authors: Kienzler Reinhold
Published: February 2009

By considering a stressed body subjected sequentially to a material displacement of a defect and the application of a physical force, a reciprocity theorem analogous to that of Betti/Maxwell has been established which couples Newtonian and Eshelbian mechanics. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Self‐limited febrile syndromes temporally associated with the use of propofol for sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures
Authors: Blossom D. B. , Chen T. H. , Li J. , Langer A. J. , Carpenter L. R. , Glenshaw M. T. , Gould C. V. , Weltman A. , Srinivasan A.
Published: February 2009

Purpose

To investigate cases of febrile illnesses in patients who received propofol for sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Methods

Active case finding for patients who underwent endoscopy between 1 April and 30 May 2007 and suffered unexplained fever, chills, or myalgia within 48 hour after the procedure. We reviewed medications and clinical practices to find factors associated with the reactions.

Results

Seventy‐four cases at eight facilities in five states were identified yielding a rate of 36 reactions per 1000 procedures, compared with a baseline rate of 0.6 per 1000. The majority of patients experienced self‐limited fever (89.2%), chills (73.0%), or myalgia (63.5%). Blood samples from five patients were collected for culture; no organisms grew. All health care facilities that reported cases and fully participated in the investigation (n = 7) had received a common lot of propofol just before recognition of the first case. Bacterial endotoxin and sterility testing on unopened vials from this lot of propofol showed no abnormalities. Cases terminated after facilities stopped using the associated lot of propofol.

Conclusions

We found a temporal association between a particular lot of propofol and an outbreak of febrile illnesses at several healthcare facilities performing endoscopy. When propofol is used to sedate patients for endoscopy, fever is a rare outcome and healthcare professionals should investigate clusters of these reactions. Post‐procedure surveillance is important to identify possible medication reactions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Morphology, thermal, and rheological behavior of nylon 11/multi‐walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites prepared by melt compounding
Authors: Huang Shu , Wang Min , Liu Tianxi , Zhang Wei‐De , Tjiu Wuiwui Chauhari , He Chaobin , Lu Xuehong
Published: February 2009

Nylon 11 (PA11) nanocomposites with different loadings of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were prepared by melt compounding. Scanning electron microscopy images on the fracture surfaces of the composites showed a uniform dispersion of MWNTs throughout the matrix. The presence of the MWNTs significantly improved the thermal stability and enhanced the storage modulus (G′) of the polymer matrix. Melt rheology studies showed that, compared with neat PA11, the incorporation of MWNT into the matrix resulted in higher complex viscosities (|η*|), storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and lower loss factor (tanδ). PA11 and its nanocomposites containing less than 1 wt% MWNTs showed similar frequency dependencies and reached a Newtonian plateau at low frequencies. For the nanocomposite with 2 wt% MWNTs, the regional network was destroyed and the orientation of the MWNTs during shearing exhibited a very strong shear thinning effect. The complex viscosities (|η*|) of the nanocomposites are larger than that of neat PA11 and decreased with increasing the temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Fabrication of barium titanate nanoparticles‐polymethylmethacrylate composite films and their dielectric properties
Authors: Kobayashi Y. , Kurosawa A. , Nagao D. , Konno M.
Published: February 2009

A method for incorporating barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is proposed to prepare composite films with a high dielectric constant and high transparency. BT particles with particle sizes of 7.8–24.0 nm and crystal sizes of 8.60–17.7 nm were synthesized with a complex alkoxide method. Surface of the BT particles was modified with 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to introduce double bonds that was grafted with PMMA. The PMMA‐grafted BT particles were suspended in PMMA/N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrodinone solution and spin‐coated onto glass substrates to prepare the PMMA/BT composite films. The surface modification gave composite films having smooth surfaces and high transparency. An increase in BT particle size and BT volume fraction in the film tended to increase the dielectric constant while keeping the dissipation factor around 5%. The dielectric constant of the film prepared for a particle size of 24.0 nm at 39 vol% attained a value of 19.8 that was around four times higher than that of the pure PMMA film. The dielectric constants of the BT particles estimated by the application of Lichtenecker's mixing model to the composite films were 75.3, 105.1, and 166.3 for particle sizes of 7.8, 11.0, and 24.0 nm, respectively. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
A new fluidized bed coating process via photo‐initiated cationic polymerization
Authors: Feng Jianxin , Zhu Linjie , Lu Chunmeng , Teng Shuli , Young Ming‐Wan , Gogos Costas G.
Published: February 2009

An ultraviolet (UV) photo‐polymerization particle coating process was developed by coupling the photo‐initiated cationic polymerization with the fluidized bed coating techniques. Unlike the conventional air‐suspension coating in the fluidized bed, the new process employs a UV curable composition instead of a solvent/water‐borne system as a coating material, which has a rapid curing rate and virtually no inhibition to oxygen and moisture. A modified fluidized bed coater equipped with a quartz window allows UV light to penetrate and to initiate the curing of photo‐sensitive polymerizable chemicals coated on the particles. A UV‐curable liquid composed of cycloaliphatic epoxide, oxetane, and triarylsulfonium cationic photo‐initiator was specifically formulated for the fluidized bed particle coating process. A systematic experimental approach including photo‐Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and tackiness measurements has been developed to characterize the curing mechanism of the cationic UV curable formulations and to optimize the chemical compositions. The effects of the UV curable chemicals, viscosity of coating liquid, and the fluidization operating conditions on the physical properties of coated particles have been thoroughly investigated. Under optimized conditions, this novel process is very efficient as follows: particles can be coated very rapidly with ultra‐thin films of the cured chemicals, with little, if any, formation of particulate agglomeration. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Sol‐gel process of alkyltriethoxysilane in latex for alkylated silica formation in natural rubber
Authors: Siramanont Jirawan , Tangpasuthadol Varawut , Intasiri Amarawan , Na‐Ranong Nuchanat , Kiatkamjornwong Suda
Published: February 2009

Sol‐gel process of alkyltriethoxysilanes that was dispersed in natural rubber latex was used to generate alkylated silica particles inside the rubber matrix. Three types of alkyltriethoxysilanes were chosen, i.e., vinyltriethoxysilane (VTOS), ethyltriethoxysilane (ETOS), and i‐butyltriethoxysilane (BTOS), as they differed in the type of one substituent group. Together with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), a typical precursor for silica formation, all silanes were studied for their conversion to silica and subsequent reinforcement capabilities in sulfur‐vulcanized rubber. The in situ generated silicas were fine and well dispersed in the rubber matrix, as analyzed by SEM and TEM. Solid‐state 29Si‐NMR technique was used to confirm the presence of alkyl substituents on the silica particles buried inside the rubber matrix. Tensile and tear properties of the in situ silica‐filled NR vulcanizates were higher than those of the vulcanizate prepared by conventional mixed method. Among the three alkyltriethoxysilanes used, only VTOS, when used as a mixture with TEOS, did not cause a reduction in silica formation. The resulting vinylated silica tended to enhance the tensile modulus and resistant to tear of the rubber vulcanizates. Cure characteristic and swelling behavior in toluene of the silica‐containing vulcanizates were also investigated. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Exploring the Role of Steering Committees in Realizing Value from Project Management
Authors: Lechler Thomas G. , Cohen Martin
Published: February 2009

The impact of steering committees on project performance and their role in creating value from project management capabilities is not well understood. A case study analysis was chosen to analyze the configurations and specific functions of project steering committees. A measurement model for steering committee configurations was developed to enable further survey-based studies. One of the major insights resulting from the authors’ interviews with project managers and senior managers was that they perceived the existence of a project steering committee only when the context was defined and clarified. Furthermore, a large variety of committee involvements was identified, concluding that steering committees per se are very rare. On the project level, the cases clearly demonstrate that committees with project steering functions play an important role in the selection, initiation, definition, and control of projects. On the organizational level, they are important to implement and maintain project management standards. Finally, the results clearly indicate that steering committees directly support project success and are instrumental for attaining value from an organization's investments in its project management system.
Determinants of physical activity among women treated for breast cancer in a 5‐year longitudinal follow‐up investigation
Authors: Emery Charles F. , Yang Hae‐Chung , Frierson Georita M. , Peterson Laura J. , Suh Sooyeon
Published: February 2009

Objective: To estimate the 5‐year trajectory of physical activity among women with breast cancer, and to evaluate biopsychosocial variables (health status, physical symptoms, health‐related quality of life (HRQL), depressive symptoms, and social support), measured soon after breast cancer diagnosis, as predictors of the 5‐year trajectory.

Methods: Women diagnosed with Stage II or III regional breast cancer (n=227), surgically treated and awaiting the start of adjuvant therapy completed baseline assessments of medical, psychological, and behavioral functioning. Follow‐up evaluations were conducted every 4 months during the first year and every 6 months during the subsequent 4 years (12 assessments total during the 5‐year study). Mixed‐effects modeling was utilized to estimate the baseline level of physical activity as well as rate of change over time. Measures of physical health status, HRQL, depressive symptoms, and social support were included as predictors of the physical activity trajectory.

Results: A curvilinear pattern of change in physical activity was evident over the 5‐year follow‐up (p=0.002). Physical activity increased gradually during the first 18 months, then declined steadily over the subsequent 42 months. Poor physical health, depressive symptoms, and lower emotional HRQL were associated with less physical activity. Higher family support was associated with a slower decline in physical activity in the latter 42 months of the study.

Conclusions: Emotional HRQL following diagnosis with breast cancer appears to be important for sustaining physical activity in the first 1–2 years following diagnosis. Physical activity interventions among breast cancer survivors should address depressive symptoms early in the course of treatment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of treatment factors, comorbidities and health‐related quality of life on self‐efficacy for physical activity in cancer survivors
Authors: Perkins Heidi Y. , Baum George P. , Carmack Taylor Cindy L. , Basen‐Engquist Karen M.
Published: February 2009

Objective: The physical and psychological benefits of exercise for cancer survivors are well documented. Researchers have examined self‐efficacy (SE) as a target for promoting exercise; however, the predictors of SE, including treatment factors and comorbidities, have not been examined extensively. The purpose of this cross‐sectional analysis was to examine how variables related to cancer and cancer treatment, comorbid health problems, health‐related quality of life (QOL), and depression relate to SE for physical activity in cancer survivors.

Methods: This secondary analysis examined treatment factors, comorbidity, and QOL data from 148 breast cancer and 134 prostate cancer survivors who had participated in studies examining exercise and QOL. A predictive regression model was developed by testing each variable individually with SE and including the variables that had a significance of ≤0.2 in a multivariate regression model.

Results: For the breast cancer population, vitality (B=0.23, p=0.02), bodily pain (B=0.16, p=0.07), and mental health (B=0.15, p=0.01) were associated with SE for physical activity. For the prostate cancer survivors, education, (B=−0.20, p=0.036) vitality (B=0.26, p=0.01), and bodily pain (B=0.13, p=0.182) remained in the model.

Conclusion: Treatment factors and comorbidities were not associated with SE for physical activity, but health‐related QOL factors of vitality and bodily pain were associated with SE. Thus, subjective measures of well‐being are important factors to consider when developing targeted interventions to increase physical activity in cancer survivors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film solar cells under non‐vacuum condition
Authors: Moritake Noriko , Fukui Yuki , Oonuki Masatoshi , Tanaka Kunihiko , Uchiki Hisao
Published: February 2009

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film solar cells have been fabricated with the all semiconductor layers prepared under non‐vacuum conditions. For the solar cell structure of Al/ZnO:Al/CdS/CZTS/Mo/Soda Lime Glass (SLG) substrate, ZnO:Al window, CdS buffer and CZTS absorber layers were deposited by sol‐gel, chemical bath deposition (CBD) and sol‐gel sulfurizing methods, respectively. Since the CdS buffer layer plays an important role in the final photovoltaic properties of thin film solar cells, an optimum condition of the CdS deposition was first determined. As a result of the investigations, the best solar cell showed an open circuit voltage of 554 mV, a short current density of 6.70 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 43.4% and a conversion efficiency of 1.61%. This is the highest conversion efficiency to date of the CZTS solar cell prepared under non‐vacuum conditions. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication of a n ‐type ZnO/p ‐type Cu–Al–O heterojunction diode by sputtering deposition methods
Authors: Takahata Satoru , Saiki Keita , Imao Takashi , Nakanishi Hisayuki , Sugiyama Mutsumi , Chichibu Shigefusa F.
Published: February 2009

CuAlO2 polycrystalline films were deposited by the helicon‐wave‐excited plasma sputtering (HWPS) method at 700 °C. The best full‐width at half‐maximum value of the (006) CuAlO2 X‐ray diffraction peak was 0.19 degrees, which was similar to those reported previously using other deposition methods. While, noncrystalline Cu–Al–O films were deposited by a conventional RF sputtering method. Using this p ‐type transparent conducting oxide (TCO) film and an n ‐type ZnO film deposited by HWPS, a n ‐type ZnO/p ‐type Cu–Al–O heterojunction diode was fabricated. Optical transmittance of the device was approximately 80% in the near infrared region. The rectifying current–voltage characteristics with a threshold forward voltage approximately 1.4 V were obtained. These results are the first step toward realizing an electrical/optical device using p ‐type CuAlO2 or Cu‐Al‐O films. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A Microwell Array Platform for Picoliter Membrane Protein Assays
Authors: Binkert Andreas , Studer Philipp , Vörös Janos
Published: February 2009

A novel microwell chip is developed that can be used to detect protein binding in a liquid environment, together with a liquid handling system that allows the performance of assays with picoliter volumes. A PDMS well structure is cast on a planar optical waveguide, providing reaction containers combined with a high‐sensitivity fluorescence readout system. Individual wells of the array can be addressed, filled, and rinsed using a contact‐mode pin and ring spotter. This allows for immunoassays in a heavily multiplexed way, as all steps of the assay can be individually chosen per well. An array density of over 1000 wells cm−2 is used for the current experiments. The wells provide a protected liquid environment in which the handling of proteins in their natural state is possible, thus maintaining their activity. The membrane protein annexin V is chosen as a model protein to demonstrate the current possibilities. Annexin V binds to phosphatidylserine (PS) head groups of lipids in a Ca2+‐dependent manner and is often chosen as a marker for cell apoptosis. Lipid vesicles with and without PS are spotted in individual wells and spontaneously formed a planar lipid bilayer on the bottom of the buffer‐filled wells. Annexin V can be used to distinguish between wells containing PS groups previously incorporated in the membrane patches and reference wells without PS head groups. Also, the dependence on the calcium concentration can be shown. Fluorescence readout of the assays is performed using a highly sensitive system based on a planar optical waveguide.
Macrophage Inflammatory Response to Self‐Assembling Rosette Nanotubes
Authors: Journeay W. Shane , Suri Sarabjeet S. , Moralez Jesus G. , Fenniri Hicham , Singh Baljit
Published: February 2009

Rosette nanotubes (RNTs) are a new class of nanomaterials with significant therapeutic potential. However, societal concerns related to the potential adverse health effects of engineered nanomaterials drew attention towards the investigation of their interaction with the human U937 macrophage cell line. The cells are treated with medium only (control), lysine (50 µg mL−1), lysine‐functionalized RNTs (RNT‐K; 1, 5, and 50 µg mL−1), Min‐U‐Sil quartz microparticles (80 µg mL−1), or lipopolysaccharide (1 µg mL−1). The supernatant and cells are assayed for cell viability, cytokine protein, and mRNA expression at 1, 6, and 24 h post‐treatment. The results indicate that RNT‐K activate transcription of proinflammatory genes (interleukin‐8 and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α)) within 1 h, but this effect is not accompanied by protein secretion into the supernatant. The effect of the length of RNTs on human U937 macrophage viability is also investigated. Although both short and long RNT‐K exhibit time‐dependent effects on TNF‐α transcription, only the short RNT‐K (5 µg mL−1) increase TNF‐α concentration at 6 h relative to the long RNT‐K. Moreover, RNT‐K (1 and 5 µg mL−1) have no effect on cell viability by 24 h. These data indicate that RNT‐K do not induce a robust inflammatory response or cytotoxicity in the U937 human macrophage cell line, and therefore could be used for biomedical applications.
Motion control of electric vehicles and prospects of supercapacitors
Authors: Hori Yoichi
Published: February 2009

Novel motion control techniques for electric vehicles (EVs) on the basis of the quick torque generation in these vehicles have been developed at the Hori Laboratory. Because EVs are powered by electric motors, they have three major advantages: (i) motor torque generation is quick and accurate, (ii) a motor can be attached to each wheel, and (iii) motor torque can be estimated precisely. These advantages enable us to (i) easily realize high‐performance antilock braking systems and traction control systems with minor feedback control of each wheel, (ii) control chassis motion, for example, direct yaw control, and (iii) estimate road surface condition. We have developed test vehicles and confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Recently, we have manufactured small EVs that are powered only by supercapacitors. Supercapacitors have long operating life, large current density, and are environmental friendly. Furthermore, their energy level can be estimated from their terminal voltage. Because EVs powered by supercapacitors can run for more than 20 min by charging only for 30 s, recharging EVs will not be a major problem. In the future, EVs will be recharged via contactless power transfer. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Aberrant Methylation of the Netrin‐1 Receptor Genes UNC5C and DCC Detected in Advanced Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Hibi Kenji , Mizukami Hiroki , Shirahata Atsushi , Goto Tetsuhiro , Sakata Makiko , Sanada Yutaka
Published: February 2009

Background

UNC5C and DCC, the netrin‐1 receptors, belong to the functional dependence receptors family, which shares the ability to induce apoptosis in the absence of their ligands. Recently, two reports indicated that UNC5C and DCC methylation was closely associated with loss of gene expression in colorectal cancer. These results prompted us to examine the methylation status of the UNC5C and DCC genes in the colorectal carcinomas we surgically removed.

Methods

The methylation status of the UNC5C and DCC genes were examined in primary carcinomas and the corresponding normal tissues derived from 50 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP). The correlation between the methylation status and the clinicopathologic findings was then evaluated.

Results

Aberrant methylation of the netrin‐1 receptor genes were detected in 41 of the 50 (82%) primary colon cancers, suggesting that the aberrant methylation of netrin‐1 receptors was frequently observed in colorectal cancer. The clinicopathologic data were then correlated with this result.

Conclusions

A significant difference was observed in the Dukes stage (p = 0.0438). Netrin‐1 receptors might act as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancers, and thus methylation might present a malignant potential in colorectal cancer.
A test of Sporormiella representation as a predictor of megaherbivore presence and abundance
Authors: Raper Diana , Bush Mark
Published: February 2009

Spores of the dung fungus Sporormiella have been suggested to indicate the presence, perhaps also the abundance of past megaherbivore populations. Nonetheless, basic studies demonstrating a correlation between Sporormiella concentration in lacustrine sediments and modern herbivore abundance are lacking. This study of Sporormiella representation in grazed and ungrazed landscapes provides supporting evidence for the application of Sporormiella as an indicator of megaherbivore presence and abundance in ancient landscapes. However, Sporormiella representation is spatially sensitive to the distance from the dung source. In lakes where Sporomiella are abundant in shoreline sediments, they decline sharply with increasing distance from the lake edge. Although this study provides supporting evidence for the application of Sporormiella as a proxy for herbivore presence and abundance, independent proxies should be applied in conjunction with Sporormiella to control for changes in lake size.
Self-similar solutions for imploding z-pinch shells in magnetized plasmas
Authors: SHTEMLER Y. M. , MOND M.
Published: February 2009

Imploding z-pinch shells with total currents that are proportional to some power of time are investigated. Time-space separable self-similar solutions with cylindrical symmetry are explicitly obtained. The problem is treated asymptotically in high thermal conductivity within the model of magnetized resistive plasmas, while the ionization and radiation processes are ignored.
Diachronic Understanding
Authors: Schmidt H. D.
Published: February 2009

Psychological time—as distinct from physical time—divides the past from the future by means of the experienced present and serves as a frame of reference for objects, events, actions, and persons. There are cases when our understanding of objects and events gains in depth with every additional time dimension, until we are able to arrange all the data in a meaningful sequence ranging from the past through the present to the future across time. A description of city traffic when confined to the present is one step towards analysing special problems and understanding congestion in certain areas. The historical development of the city offers additional insight into the evolution of bottlenecks, while current changes, made by the municipal authorities, can only be understood in connection with a long-term development plan. A lecturer on town planning will, therefore, offer his audience a more profound understanding of the subject by combining a description of the visible present with a causal explanation of the past and a teleological account of future projects.
Games and Family Resemblances
Authors: Manser Anthony
Published: February 2009

In his Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein introduces the notion of a ‘family resemblance’ to deal with certain problems. Talking of games and what they seem to have in common, he points out that there are no common features (or no common feature) in virtue of which we call all games ‘games’. Instead there are, he claims, many different similarities and relationships; he says ‘we see a complicated network of similarities overlapping and criss-crossing: sometimes overall similarities, sometimes similarities of detail’. (§ 66.) He then goes on to add: ‘I can think of no better expression to characterise these similarities than “family resemblances”; for the various resemblances between members of a family: build, features, colour of eyes, gait, temperament, etc. etc. overlap and criss-cross in the same way,—And I shall say: “games form a family”.’ (§ 67.) Wittgenstein also instances numbers as forming a ‘family’ in the same manner. This notion of a ‘family resemblance’ has come to be used by many philosophers to deal with a range of situations where there appears to be a difficulty in finding a single definite common property and yet there exists a desire to call some set of things by the same name. I myself have succumbed to this temptation. Perhaps the widest claim for the use of this device is that made by Mr Bambrough in an article entitled ‘Universals and Family Resemblances’ (Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 1960–61, pp. 207–222). This begins with the words ‘I believe that Wittgenstein solved what is known as “the problem of universals”’.
On Spurious Egocentricity
Authors: Prior A. N.
Published: February 2009

It is frequently said that words like ‘now’, ‘then’, ‘ago’, ‘present’, ‘past’, ‘future’ and the various indications of tense, are ‘egocentric’ or ‘token-reflexive’ in character. I want to suggest, on the contrary, that the apparent egocentricity or token-reflexiveness of this class of expression is deceptive. It is perhaps not easy to see how on a point of this sort deception is possible, but a parallel case may make the position clearer.
Politics and Expertise
Authors: Wilson John
Published: February 2009

I wish here to advance the still unfashionable thesis that there can be ‘political experts’ not just in the sense (a) that some people are better than others at practical politics (getting bills passed, etc.), nor (b) that there are experts who can tell us the best means to achieve our ends, nor (c) that some people are expert in reconciling political interests, making good compromises, and so forth. I mean (d) that there are people better equipped than others to decide what is right, in the context of ends as well as means, for a society or a state: the thesis maintained but inadequately defended in Plato's Republic. The thesis does not, of course, entail (e) that these experts are eo ipso entitled to enforce their status as experts, or their decisions, on the rest of us: at most, it would entail that the rest of us would be wise to entrust such decisions to the experts.
Art without Form?: A Question Prior to an Aesthetic of Poetry
Authors: Carritt E. F.
Published: February 2009

Rogery Fry in Last Lectures threw out the suggestion that the inferiority of neolithic to palaeolithic painting might be due to the birth or growth of language and the consequent temptation to dull the vivid sensibility for individual life by the practically useful habit of abstract or generalized thinking. Whether or no the birth and growth of language involved a set-back for graphic and plastic art, it certainly first made poetry possible. And the question which puzzles me is this: Would any art analogous to poetry have been possible without speech? What if a tongue-tied race had invented a system of ideograms or purely conventional gestures?
Political Arguments: Politics and Ethics
Authors: Ewing A. C.
Published: February 2009

Nobody who reads this article is likely to need convincing that there are bad political arguments. But, however many of them are bad, unless there are also some good ones, we can do nothing by reason in politics, there is no possibility of settling disputes rationally or in any other way except by fighting and there could be no ground either why we fight for any one cause rather than any other or why we should fight rather than make peace or vice versa. But surprisingly little has been said by philosophers about this important type of argument. However, this omission is less surprising and less harmful than it might appear at first sight because all thoroughgoing political arguments are, I think, at bottom arguments as to what ought to be done and therefore ethical arguments in a wide sense of the word, and philosophers have certainly said a good deal about ethical arguments. However, it is well worth while treating political arguments separately, especially in these very political days, and considering their particular character. By political arguments I mean, not the abstract arguments of books on political philosophy, but the everyday concrete political arguments of the platform, the press and the meal-time conversation. What is their logical nature in so far as they are not mere fallacies or unsupported assertions, and can the philosopher qua philosopher say anything that will help in such discussions and contribute towards the replacement of bad arguments by good, a most desirable consummation and one the achievement of which in all countries would certainly have prevented the present war?
Modes of Causality
Authors: Burkill Alec
Published: February 2009

In his analysis of the concept of causality, Hume finds that all events accounted causes and effects are contiguous and successive. No object can act efficaciously upon another so long as the objects are at a distance from each other. It may sometimes appear that “distant objects are productive of one another,” but on examination it is discovered that they are linked together by a series of intermediate causes which are contiguous among themselves; and even where examination does not directly disclose the intermediate causal chain, it is still presumed that it exists. Also the cause is temporally prior to the effect. If I throw a stone through a window, the smashing of the glass follows the act of throwing the stone. It is only after the realization of the cause that the effect appears. Thus a cause is an object that is precedent to and contiguous with another object that is called the effect.
Plato's Political Thought and its Value To-day
Authors: Field G. C.
Published: February 2009

I must begin by apologizing for taking a somewhat well-worn subject for my theme. My reason is that I have not yet found a recent treatment of it which is altogether to my satisfaction. Most of them seem to me too often to approach the subject from a point of view which, in a way, expects too much from the study of Plato or any other ancient author, and consequently either makes exaggerated claims for it or fails to do justice to what we really can learn.
The Free-will Controversy
Authors: Wood Ledger
Published: February 2009

Few philosophical controversies have been waged with greater acrimony than the controversy between the libertarians and the determinists; the vigour with which both sides of the question have been espoused is due not only to the metaphysical importance of the issue—which is indeed considerable—but more especially to its moral and religious implications. No other philosophical issues, with the exception of those pertaining to God and the immortality of the soul, are of greater ethical and theological moment. So thoroughly has the question been debated that further consideration of it may seem futile. Has not the evidence been so completely canvassed on both sides of the controversy that further discussion will be a fruitless reiteration of long familiar arguments? The free-will problem is considered by many contemporary thinkers an admittedly unsolved but completely outmoded problem to which they respond with impatience or complete indifference. This attitude toward the problem is quite indefensible since the question of the freedom of the will is one of those perennially significant philosophical issues which takes on new meaning in every age and is particularly significant in the context of contemporary science and philosophy. Recent psychology, in large measure through the influence of Freud, has achieved a more penetrating analysis of human motivation by bringing to the fore certain hitherto obscure factors which are operative in volition. The psychology of the subconscious by filling in apparent gaps in the psychological causation of volition has furthered the case for determinism.
Freedom and Personality Again
Authors: Taylor A. E.
Published: February 2009

In an essay entitled “Freedom and Personality” (Philosophy, XIV, 55, July 1939) I have contended that “intelligence (or rationality) is a principle of indetermination within us.” As I find that my argument, though to myself it appears incontrovertible, has not produced conviction in some quarters where I had hoped it might be effective, I can only suppose that, presumably by my own fault, it was not stated as clearly as it should have been. This must be my excuse for returning to the subject; in doing so I shall try to be, to the best of my power, at once brief and lucid.
The Nature of Tragedy: A Psychological Essay
Authors: Allen A. H. B.
Published: February 2009

The nature of tragedy has always been felt to be a problem, not only by the philosopher, but also, and perhaps even more, by the ordinary man. The question so often asked is: why, if there is so much suffering already in the world, do we want to go to a theatre or read a story describing more suffering? Why indeed should the spectacle of suffering ever be pleasing to us? Yet it is obvious that olarge numbers of ordinary people do like reading or seeing tragedies; and that there are some tragedies which are generally judged to be the most valuable works of literary art ever produced. What then is the nature of the value which we extract from these works? That is the question to which I would like to address myself.
Sketch-Map of Human Nature
Authors: Stapledon Olaf
Published: February 2009

The troubles of our time have many causes, economic, political, cultural. All are intimately connected. Of the cultural causes, one of the most important has been disillusionment about human nature. The old view which exalted man to something a little lower than the angels has given way in many quarters to the conviction that in essentials he is no higher than the beasts, and that anyhow the very notion that anything can be ethically higher than anything else is illusory. I believe that in each of these attitudes to human nature there is a distorted half-truth, in both a blindness to the half-truth of the other. In this essay I shall try to map out the main contours of human nature, so as to emphasize that, although man is at bottom identical with the beasts, he is also in a limited but all-important manner unique. I shall also argue that one consequence of his uniqueness is moral experience, and that in human nature properly understood, a moral goal is very clearly revealed.
Practical Reason
Authors: Jackson Reginald
Published: February 2009

“The will is nothing but practical reason.” In other words choice, without being any kind of judgement, resembles inference in being either valid or invalid. Moral lightness is validity of choice.
The World After the War
Authors: Samuel Viscount
Published: February 2009

Your founders were men of vision. They built for the future. Dr. Birkbeck, Lord Brougham, Francis Place, and the rest—they must sometimes have wondered what this London would be—and England, Europe, the world—a hundred years or so after their time. When, on December 2, 1823, they opened the doors of the London Mechanics Institution, destined to grow, through many vicissitudes, to become the renowned College in which we meet to-day, they may well have let their imagination guess what might be the changes and developments in which this enterprise of theirs, according to its measure and scope, might play a part. That was a time when modern science was in its brilliant youth; when the movement for popular education was beginning to take hold, opening great prospects for the future; when, after twenty years of war, the British nation was gathering its forces for a sustained effort to remedy the great social evils that afflicted it, while in the political field, the powerful campaign was beginning that was destined to win victory in the Great Reform Bill of 1832. We may be sure that those men, of the sort—as a present-day poet writes:

“Who watch the world with pity and pride

And warm to all mankind,”

that those men would have had visions, hopes, expectations, an assurance even, that in later days a wiser and better instructed people, having established full political liberty, would have used their power to cure those social evils; with the help of a developed science, would have got rid of poverty; clasping hands with other free peoples, would have established securely the reign of peace, and so made possible an age of high material prosperity and brilliant intellectual splendour.
The Interconnection of Faith and Morals
Authors: Norburn R. G.
Published: February 2009

“The well-intentioned person…must…assume the being of a moral author of the world, that is, a God” (Critique of Judgement, B. 391). Since Kant wrote those words, the so-called Moral Argument has been a battleground. In our day, at least three eminent Gifford lecturers have attested the view that the facts of the moral life are such as to warrant the belief that when truly analysed and their implications brought to light, certain quite definite theistic conclusions emerge. I refer, of course, to Professors Taylor and De Burgh and to the late Professor Sorley. But, whilst a more recent holder of that illustrious office, Professor Laird, has expressed his scepticism, no less an authority than Professor N. Hartmann on the other hand holds the opinion that far from morality implying any sort of theistic conclusion, in actual fact a living authentic morality suggests quite the opposite and seemingly postulates the non-existence of God. This somewhat startling divergence of view is accentuated by their common agreement on one all-important point, namely, that the moral consciousness recognizes an unconditional obligation to realize certain moral values which are absolute and ultimate.
Voltaire and Metaphysics
Authors: Alexander Ian W.
Published: February 2009

It is too often assumed that Voltaire is uninterested in metaphysics and that his whole attitude is inimical to such studies. This assumption is of course largely dependent on the definition of the term metaphysics. To modern minds metaphysics tends to imply knowledge of the absolute obtained by some direct intuition of reality, and to the Bergsonian definition of metaphysics as the science which claims to dispense with symbols the present writer would largely subscribe. Given this modern definition of metaphysics, which is also the Kantian one, as a special mode of knowledge, it is an undoubted fact that Voltaire is not in this sense a metaphysical mind; the appeal to any peculiar or specifically a priori mode of thought was, of course, incompatible with his empiricism.
Impartial Thinking
Authors: Hubbard Irene M.
Published: February 2009

Philosophers are apt to assume that impartial thinking is both possible and desirable. This article, originating in a very definite doubt of this assumption, is an attempt at an examination of the problem.
Politics and Culture
Authors: Lamont W. D.
Published: February 2009

Philosophy is very largely concerned with speculation upon problems of a highly abstract character, but some of the questions with which it deals have important practical aspects; and I think that social philosophy occupies—and rightly occupies—a dominant place in contemporary thought. If post-war policies are to render more secure the lives, the liberties and the happiness of mankind, they must be based upon sound principles; and it is with the intention of throwing certain of these principles into bold relief that I have ventured to choose the realm of politics and culture as the subject of these reflections.
Whitehead's Philosophy: Propositions and Consciousness
Authors: Hooper Sydney E.
Published: February 2009

In earlier articles I explained the fundamental entities in the Organic Philosophy, namely: actual entities or actual occasions, and eternal objects. But there is also a third type of entity called “propositions,” very important for the introduction of novelty into our world, and indispensable for “consciousness” and the higher phases of experience. Before discussing Consciousness and these higher phases, it is necessary, therefore, to give an account of propositions.
The Philosophy of Berdyaeff
Authors: Inge W. R.
Published: February 2009

The late Archbishop Temple regarded Berdyaeff as one of the most important writers of the present time, and several good judges have said the same. He is a lonely, original, combative thinker, nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri, whose philosophy is based solely on his own spiritual experience. Contradictions and ambiguities may certainly be found in his writings, but the same may be said of every philosopher who recognizes what Heraclitus calls the fathomless depths of human personality, the clash of Yes and No in which Boehme says that all things consist. For him omnia exeunt in mysterium. He does not attempt an ambitious and coherent system, or disguise his transient obligations to the various currents of thought which he has followed and in part rejected. As he says himself, “the contradictions which may be found in my thought are expressions of spiritual conflict, of contradictions which lie at the very heart of existence itself.”