bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative evaluation of freeze‐dried and liquid antigens in the direct agglutination test for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (ITMA‐DAT/VL)
Authors: Jacquet Diane , Boelaert Marleen , Seaman Jill , Rijal Suman , Sundar Shyam , Menten Joris , Magnus Eddy
Published: October 2006

Objective  The direct agglutination test (DAT) for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) with liquid (LQ) antigen is known to be only moderately reproducible because of inter‐observer and batch‐to‐batch variability as well as its sensitivity to temperature and shaking during transport. We evaluated a DAT with freeze‐dried (FD) antigen and compared it with the LQ antigen version.

Methods  Blood samples of clinical VL suspects and healthy endemic controls were collected in Sudan, Nepal and India. Both test versions were performed in duplicate in the respective countries and in the reference laboratory. Interbatch variability and stability tests were conducted and agreement was examined within and between centres on a dichotomic scale by Cohen's kappa as well as on a continuous scale through Bland–Altman plots.

Results  The FD antigen remains fully active even after storage at 45 °C for 24 months. Using a cut‐off titre of 1 : 6400, the agreement between the FD and the LQ formats was excellent.

Conclusion  The major advantages of FD antigen are its better stability at higher temperatures and its longer shelf life, which make it much more suitable than the LQ version for use in the field.
The modular nature of genetic diseases
Authors: Oti M , Brunner HG
Published: October 2006

Evidence from many sources suggests that similar phenotypes are begotten by functionally related genes. This is most obvious in the case of genetically heterogeneous diseases such as Fanconi anemia, Bardet‐Biedl or Usher syndrome, where the various genes work together in a single biological module. Such modules can be a multiprotein complex, a pathway, or a single cellular or subcellular organelle. This observation suggests a number of hypotheses about the human phenome that are now beginning to be explored. First, there is now good evidence from bioinformatic analyses that human genetic diseases can be clustered on the basis of their phenotypic similarities and that such a clustering represents true biological relationships of the genes involved. Second, one may use such phenotypic similarity to predict and then test for the contribution of apparently unrelated genes to the same functional module. This concept is now being systematically tested for several diseases. Most recently, a systematic yeast two‐hybrid screen of all known genes for inherited ataxias indicated that they all form part of a single extended protein–protein interaction network. Third, one can use bioinformatics to make predictions about new genes for diseases that form part of the same phenotype cluster. This is done by starting from the known disease genes and then searching for genes that share one or more functional attributes such as gene expression pattern, coevolution, or gene ontology. Ultimately, one may expect that a modular view of disease genes should help the rapid identification of additional disease genes for multifactorial diseases once the first few contributing genes (or environmental factors) have been reliably identified.
No evidence of association of the MYO9B polymorphisms with celiac disease in the Spanish population
Authors: Núñez C. , Márquez A. , Varadé J. , Martínez A. , Polanco I. , Maluenda C. , Fernández‐Arquero M. , De La Concha E. G. , Urcelay E.
Published: October 2006

Inconsistent results concerning the association of polymorphisms in the MYO9B gene with celiac disease (CD) have been recently published. This gene encodes a myosin with a guanosine‐triphosphatase (GTPase)‐activating protein domain for the Rho‐family of small G proteins, which are involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and therefore potentially involved in intestinal permeability. Functional and positional reasons led us to investigate the role of MYO9B polymorphisms in the Spanish CD population. A case–control study, including 415 CD patients and 433 ethnically matched healthy controls, and a familial study, including parents of 145 of those CD patients, was performed. Six MYO9B variants previously associated with CD were analyzed: rs2305767, rs2279003, rs962917, rs1457092, rs2305765 and rs2305764. No MYO9B variants or MYO9B haplotypes were found associated with CD, either before or after stratification of the patients for the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐DQ2–positive risk factor. The family study revealed no distorted transmission of the aforementioned MYO9B polymorphisms or haplotypes. Our results support a negligible influence of this gene on CD predisposition.
Rapid sequence intubation without a neuromuscular blocking agent in a 14‐year‐old female patient with myasthenia gravis
Authors: POLITIS GEORGE D. , TOBIAS JOSEPH D.
Published: October 2006

The anesthesia care of a 14‐year‐old female patient with an acute exacerbation of myasthenia gravis (MG) and a full stomach who required emergency surgery for placement of a hemodialysis catheter is described. A nonventilated rapid sequence induction was successful with the use of propofol, lidocaine, remifentanil, cricoid pressure and no neuromuscular blocking agent. Although the use of combinations of i.v. anesthetic agents have been suggested for tracheal intubation without the need for neuromuscular blocking agents, none of these techniques has been advocated for rapid sequence intubation. We review existing literature on the topic of tracheal intubation using remifentanil and propofol without a neuromuscular blocking agent and on the topic of tracheal intubation of patients with MG using i.v. anesthesia and no neuromuscular blocking agents.
A Multidimensional Product‐Concept Model Enhancing Cross‐Functional Knowledge Creation in the Product Innovation Process: The Case of the Suunto t6 Training Wrist Computer
Authors: Hänninen Seppo , Kauranen Ilkka
Published: October 2006

This article presents a four‐dimensional product‐concept model enhancing cross‐functional knowledge creation in product innovation: the dimensions presented in the new model are: technology, end‐user, brand and business logic. The application of the model is described in the case study of the Suunto t6 training wrist computer. For the Suunto t6 development it was revealed that cross‐functional knowledge creation had happened on an even larger scale than expected. Analysis of the results suggests that certain dimensions of the product concept can be especially indicative of cross‐functional knowledge creation, such as concern with the end‐user’s experience. Furthermore, the new product concept may provide an early warning of innovation‐based diversification. Nicknames for the product concept under development, which requires the verbalisation of tacit subjective associations, can be used as indicators of cross‐functional integration within the organization and as suitable indicators of tacit knowledge. Measurement of all relevant organizational capabilities is discussed.
Triptans in Orgasmic Headache
Authors: Frese A , Gantenbein A , Marziniak M , Husstedt IW , Goadsby PJ , Evers S
Published: October 2006

Orgasmic headache (headache associated with sexual activity type 2 according to the International Headache Society classification) is a sudden severe headache which occurs at orgasm. Experiences with triptan therapy are described. Two out of four patients with severe headache continuing for >2 h had a positive response to acute triptan therapy. Two out of three patients using triptans as short-term prophylaxis reported a reliable response on several occasions. Trip- tans might be a treatment option to shorten orgasmic headache attacks after the diagnosis is clear and, particularly, subarachnoid haemorrhage has been excluded. In patients who chose to predict their sexual activity, short-term prophylaxis with oral triptans 30 min before sexual activity might be a therapeutic option in those not responsive to or not tolerating indomethacin.
The functions of belly‐soaking in Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus
Authors: AMAT JUAN A. , MASERO JOSE A.
Published: October 2006

We tested whether belly‐soaking (i.e. wetting of ventral plumage) in incubating Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus in a hot environment serves to cool overheated eggs, or whether belly‐soaking would mainly serve for adult thermoregulation, and egg wetting would be a mere consequence of the ventral feathers of incubating adults being wet. When ambient temperature was high (> 30 °C), body temperature of incubating Kentish Plovers increased with ambient temperatures. When adults departed from nests to belly‐soak, egg temperatures were not critical for embryos. However, eggs in exposed nests overheated to levels that may be lethal for embryos when adults left the nests to belly‐soak, and adults also employed belly‐soaking to cool down overheated eggs when they returned to their nests. Indeed, the cooling rate of eggs was much faster when they were wetted. We conclude that the primary function of belly‐soaking in the Kentish Plover is to dissipate body heat in heat‐stressed incubating adults, rather than to cool overheated eggs. Eggs overheated as a consequence of short‐term interruptions in nest attendance by heat‐stressed adults to belly‐soak, and Plovers employed secondarily belly‐soaking to cool down overheated eggs. These results indicate that adult thermoregulation and egg cooling are not mutually exclusive functions of belly‐soaking.
Nestin expression in cutaneous melanomas and melanocytic nevi
Authors: Brychtova Svetlana , Fiuraskova Michala , Hlobilková Alice , Brychta Tomas , Hirnak Jaroslav
Published: October 2006

Background:  Nestin is one of the intermediate filaments that are expressed in proliferating neural progenitor cells during development of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system. Postnatal re‐expression of the protein occurs mainly under pathological conditions, including injury and neoplasia. In this study, nestin expression was detected in both benign and malignant melanocytic skin lesions and its diagnostic relevance was then evaluated.

Methods:  Altogether 139 bioptic tissue samples consisting of 42 nodular melanomas, 32 superficial spreading melanomas, 12 metastatic melanomas, 10 dysplastic nevi and 43 common melanocytic intradermal and dermoepidermal nevi were analysed using indirect immunohistochemical staining.

Results:  We demonstrated that nestin immunostaining was significantly increased in melanomas where it correlated with more advanced stages of the disease.

Conclusion:  We conclude that expression of the intermediate filament protein nestin might be an indicator of tumor dedifferentiation and more aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, we suggest that nestin might be a relevant marker of tumorous and non‐tumorous angiogenesis.
Pustulo‐ovoid bodies of Milian in granular cell tumors
Authors: Epstein Darin S. , Pashaei Shayesteh , Hunt Edgar , Fitzpatrick James E. , Golitz Loren E.
Published: October 2006

Background:  Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are benign neural tumors with a distinct histologic appearance on light microscopy, characterized by eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules. Pustulo‐ovoid bodies of Milian (POB) are larger granules surrounded by a clear halo. There have been no histologic studies to document their prevalence in GCT.

Methods:  We examined the sections of 47 cases of GCT stained with hematoxylin and eosin to determine the frequency of POB within this tumor. POB were measured per 10 high‐power fields (HPFs) and were divided into the following categories: less than 10 POB per 10 HPFs, 10–30 per 10 HPFs, 30–50 per 10 HPFs and greater than 50 per 10 HPFs.

Results:  POB were present in 100% of the specimens examined. Eleven cases (23%) had between 1 and 9 POBs per 10 HPFs, twelve cases (26%) had between 10 and 29 POBs per HPFs, five cases (11%) had between 30 and 50 POBs per HPFs and nineteen cases (40%) had greater than 50 POBs per HPFs. When grouped according to clinical characteristics, there was an even distribution of POB by age, sex and site of the tumor.

Conclusions:  In our series, POB were present in varying numbers in all the tumors studied. They appear to represent the heterogeneity of the lysosomes, giving the appearance of large granules that have partially detached from the adjacent cytoplasm. POB are an easily recognizable component of GCTs.
Spectral Shift of Fluorescent Dye FM4‐64 Reveals Distinct Microenvironment of Nuclear Envelope in Living Cells
Authors: Zal Tomasz , Anna Zal M , Lotz Carina , Goergen Craig J. , Gascoigne Nicholas R. J.
Published: October 2006

We report a distinct microenvironment within the nuclear envelope (NE) in living cells revealed by a spectral shift of the fluorescent dye FM4‐64 (N‐(3‐triethylammoniumpropyl)‐4‐(p‐diethylaminophenylhexatrienyl)‐pyridinium 2Br). The dye readily translocated to the NE at physiological temperature where it exhibited enhanced fluorescence when excited at 620–650 nm in contrast to 480–520 nm excitation in the endocytic pathway and in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In vitro data indicated that the dye reveals an enrichment of negatively charged lipids, presumably due to local phospholipid synthesis. Dual‐excitation imaging of FM4‐64 in relation to lamina‐associated polypeptide‐1–green fluorescent protein during mitosis suggested that the disassembly of NE preserves microscale lipid complexes in the ER. Convolutions of NE in cancer or primary cells were readily visualized, and killing of tumor cells by T cells was marked by sudden loss of the long‐wavelength excited fluorescence in the NE coincident with apoptosis. This report of FM4‐64 as the first vital dye sensitive to the NE environment opens new ways for real‐time visualization and functional studies of the NE.
Rethinking Women and Property in Sixteenth‐ and Seventeenth‐Century England
Authors: Hammons Pamela
Published: October 2006

If one were to consider male‐authored literary works alone – with no reference to historical documents or women's writing – one would probably be left with a distorted picture of women's status in relation to property. However, work in three main areas – legal history, material culture, and women's writing – in the last fifteen years has improved our understanding of women and property considerably. For example, revisions of legal history have highlighted differences between Renaissance women's everyday practices in relation to property and what the law theoretically required, and materialist work on women's connections to cloth production and theatrical properties ascribes significant agency to them. While analyses of women's diaries, letters, and wills have illuminated their thoughts and behavior in relation to property, we can still learn more from women's imaginative writing, especially their poetry.
Effects of ATP on rat renal haemodynamics and excretion: role of sodium intake, nitric oxide and cytochrome P450
Authors: Dobrowolski L. , Walkowska A. , Kompanowska‐Jezierska E. , Kuczeriszka M. , Sadowski J.
Published: October 2006

Aim: Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (ATP) affects intrarenal vascular tone and tubular transport via P2 receptors; however, the actual role of the system in regulation of renal perfusion and excretion remains unclear and is the subject of this whole‐kidney study.

Methods: Effects of suprarenal aortic ATP infusion, 0.6–1.2 mg kg−1 h−1, were examined in anaesthetised rats maintained on low‐ (LS) or high‐sodium (HS) diet. Renal artery blood flow (RBF, transonic flow probe) and the perfusion (laser‐Doppler flux) of the superficial cortex (CBF) and outer and inner medulla (OM–BF, IM–BF) were measured, together with sodium and water excretion and urine osmolality.

Results: Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate did not change arterial pressure, RBF or CBF while the effects on medullary perfusion depended on sodium intake. In LS rats ATP increased IM–BF 19 ± 6%, the effect was prevented by inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) withN‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester. In HS rats ATP decreased OM–BF 16 ± 3% and IM–BF (7 ± 4%, not significant); previous inhibition of cytochrome P450 with 1‐aminobenzotriazol blunted the OM–BF decrease and reversed the previous decrease of IM–BF to a 13 ± 8% increase. Inhibition of P2 receptors with pyridoxal derivative (PPADS) abolished medullary vascular responses to ATP. In HS rats pre‐treated with PPADS, ATP increased tubular reabsorption, probably via adenosine formation and stimulation of P1 receptors.

Conclusion: The data indicate a potential role of ATP in the selective control of renal medullary perfusion, different in sodium depleted and sodium replete rats. The action of ATP appears to be mediated by the NO system and the cytochrome P450 dependent vasoactive metabolites.
Mechanism of blood coagulation in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Authors: LI Shuangan , LIU Yuzhi , ZHAO Guoxian , LI Junjie , HOU Jianhua , GAO Ming , LI Yurong
Published: October 2006

In vitro, carp blood was anticoagulated by using MgSO4 at a final concentration of 22.2 mmol L−1 and sodium citrate at a final concentration of 11.8 mmol L−1. The coagulation times for carp plasma diluted by ion‐free water (1:1), and that of carp plasma to which thrombocytes and small lymphocytes were added, were measured at 23 °C using standard methods, and then contrasted with the coagulation times for plasma obtained from chickens and rabbits. The shapes of the thrombocytes and small lymphocytes, which were either wet mounted or stained with hematoxylin and eosin, were observed under a light microscope. We found that: (i) the coagulation reaction of carp blood was significantly (P < 0.01) accelerated by the addition of ion‐free water; (ii) the three types of blood cells (thrombocytes, small lymphocytes and red blood cells) promoted plasma coagulation to a similar extent (P > 0.05); (iii) in carp Mg2+ plasma and K2C2O4 plasma, the thrombocytes were usually morphologically normal, but many small lymphocytes were destroyed and became aggregated; (iv) in the citrate plasma, thrombocytes were often aggregated, but the small lymphocytes were usually morphologically normal; and (v) the coagulation time for chicken and rabbit plasma was significantly extended by adding ion‐free water.
Enhanced preventive programme at a beryllium oxide ceramics facility reduces beryllium sensitisation among new workers
Authors: Cummings Kristin J , Deubner David C , Day Gregory A , Henneberger Paul K , Kitt Margaret M , Kent Michael S , Kreiss Kathleen , Schuler Christine R
Published: October 2006

Background:A 1998 survey at a beryllium oxide ceramics manufacturing facility found that 10% of workers hired in the previous 6 years had beryllium sensitisation as determined by the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT). In response, the facility implemented an enhanced preventive programme to reduce sensitisation, including increased respiratory and dermal protection and particle migration control.

Aim:To assess the programme’s effectiveness in preventing sensitisation.

Methods:In 2000, the facility began testing newly hired workers for beryllium sensitisation with the BeLPT at time of hire and during employment. The sensitisation rate and prevalence for workers hired from 2000 to 2004 were compared with that for workers hired from 1993 to 1998, who were tested in the 1998 survey. Facility environmental conditions for both time periods were evaluated.

Results:Newly hired workers in both cohorts worked for a mean of 16 months. Of the 97 workers hired from 2000 to 2004 with at least one employment BeLPT result, four had abnormal results at time of hire and one became sensitised during employment. Of the 69 workers hired from 1993 to 1998 and tested in 1998, six were found to be sensitised. The sensitisation rate for the 2000–4 workers was 0.7–2.7/1000 person-months of employment, and that for the 1993–8 workers was 5.6/1000 person-months, at least 2.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6 to 8.4) and up to 8.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 188.8) times higher than that for the 2000–4 workers. The sensitisation prevalence for the 2000–4 workers was 1% and that for the 1993–8 workers was 8.7%, 8.4 (95% CI 1.04 to 68.49) times higher than that for the 2000–4 workers. Airborne beryllium levels for production workers for the two time periods were similar.

Conclusions:A comprehensive preventive programme reduced beryllium sensitisation in new workers during the first years of employment, despite airborne beryllium levels for production workers that were similar to pre-programme levels.
EFFECTIVE COMPUTATIONAL REUSE FOR ENERGY EVALUATIONS IN PROTEIN FOLDING
Authors: SANTOS EUNICE E. , SANTOS EUGENE
Published: October 2006

Predicting native conformations using computational protein models requires a large number of energy evaluations even with simplified models such as hydrophobic-hydrophilic (HP) models. Clearly, energy evaluations constitute a significant portion of computational time. We hypothesize that given the structured nature of algorithms that search for candidate conformations such as stochastic methods, energy evaluation computations can be cached and reused, thus saving computational time and effort. In this paper, we present a caching approach and apply it to 2D triangular HP lattice model. We provide theoretical analysis and prediction of the expected savings from caching as applied this model. We conduct experiments using a sophisticated evolutionary algorithm that contains elements of local search, memetic algorithms, diversity replacement, etc. in order to verify our hypothesis and demonstrate a significant level of savings in computational effort and time that caching can provide.
THE RIGHT THRESHOLD VALUE: WHAT IS THE RIGHT THRESHOLD OF COSINE MEASURE WHEN USING LATENT SEMANTIC ANALYSIS FOR EVALUATING STUDENT ANSWERS?
Authors: PENUMATSA PHANNI , VENTURA MATTHEW , GRAESSER ARTHUR C. , LOUWERSE MAX , HU XIANGEN , CAI ZHIQIANG , FRANCESCHETTI DONALD R.
Published: October 2006

AutoTutor is an intelligent tutoring system that holds conversations with learners in natural language. AutoTutor uses Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to match student answers to a set of expected answers that would appear in a complete and correct response or which reflect common but incorrect understandings of the material. The correctness of student contributions is decided using a threshold value of the LSA cosine between the student answer and the expectations. In previous work LSA has shown to be effective in detecting good answers of students. The results indicate that the best agreement between LSA matches and the evaluations of subject matter experts can be obtained if the cosine threshold is allowed to be a function of the lengths of both student answer and the expectation being considered. Based on some of our experiences with LSA and AutoTutor, we are developing a new mathematical model to improve the precision of AutoTutor's natural language understanding and discriminative ability.
WEB MISUSE DETECTION THROUGH TEXT CATEGORISATION OF APPLICATION SERVER LOGS
Authors: GARCÍA ADEVA JUAN JOSÉ , PIKATZA ATXA JUAN MANUEL
Published: October 2006

Security in web-based systems that handle confidential information can be considered a particularly sensitive subject that requires assuming some responsibilities about security. Achieving a secure web application involves tackling several issues such encryption of traffic and certain database information, strictly restricted access control, etc. In this work we focus on detecting misuse of the web application in order to gain unauthorised access. We introduce an Intrusion Detection component that by applying Text Categorisation is capable of learning the characteristics of both normal and malicious user behaviour from the regular, high-level log entries generated by web application through its application server. Therefore, the detection of misuse in the web application is achieved without the need of explicit programming or modification of the existing web application. We applied our Intrusion Detection component to a real web-based telemedicine system in order to offer some evaluation measurements. This articles offers an overview of the model, our experiences, and observations.
DOPPLER EFFECTS FROM BENDING OF LIGHT RAYS IN CURVED SPACE–TIMES
Authors: RUGGIERO MATTEO LUCA , TARTAGLIA ANGELO , IORIO LORENZO
Published: October 2006

We study Doppler effects in curved space–time, i.e. the frequency shifts induced on electromagnetic signals propagating in the gravitational field. In particular, we focus on the frequency shift due to the bending of light rays in weak gravitational fields. We consider, using the PPN formalism, the gravitational field of an axially symmetric distribution of mass. The zeroth order, i.e. the sphere, is studied then passing to the contribution of the quadrupole moment, and finally to the case of a rotating source. We give numerical estimates for situations of physical interest, and by a very preliminary analysis, we argue that analyzing the Doppler effect could lead, in principle, in the foreseeable future, to the measurement of the quadrupole moment of the giant planets of the Solar System.
DEVELOPING DISTRIBUTED SERVICES USING AN ASPECT ORIENTED MODEL DRIVEN FRAMEWORK
Authors: SOLBERG ARNOR , SIMMONDS DEVON , REDDY RAGHU , FRANCE ROBERT , GHOSH SUDIPTO , AAGEDAL JAN ØYVIND
Published: October 2006

To manage the development of cooperative information systems that support the dynamics and mobility of modern businesses, separation of concern mechanisms and abstractions are needed. Model driven development (MDD) approaches utilize abstraction and transformation to handle complexity. In MDD, specifying transformations between models at various levels of abstraction can be a complex task. Specifying transformations for pervasive system services that are tangled with other system services is particularly difficult because the elements to be transformed are distributed across a model. This paper presents an aspect oriented model driven framework (AOMDF) that facilitates separation of pervasive services and supports their transformation across different levels of abstraction. The framework facilitates composition of pervasive services with enterprise services at various levels of abstraction. The framework is illustrated using an example in which a platform independent model of a banking service is transformed to a platform specific model.
COMPARING QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT PATTERNS AND SEVERITIES OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Authors: Tangtrakulwanich Boonsin , Chongsuvivatwong Virasakdi , Geater Alan F.
Published: October 2006

Objective: To identify what extent different patterns and severities of involvement affect quality of life of people suffering knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: This population-based survey involved 288 women and 288 men aged 40 years or older from Songkhla province, southern Thailand. Quality of life was measured using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form Health sutvery (SF-36) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Radiographic investigation included antero-posterior and skyline view of both knees. Osteoarthritis was categorized into 3 patterns; isolated patellofemoral, isolated tibiofemoral and combined with diagnosis based on Kellgren & Lawrence grade 2 or higher.

Results: Quality of life as measured by SF-36 and WOMAC showed poorer score in moderate or severe grade than in mild grade of severity. Isolated patellofemoral and combined patterns demonstrated showed poorer scores on both WOMAC and SF-36 than isolated tibiofemoral pattern. Body mass index, income level and pattern of involvement could independently predict total scores of WOMAC, while age, marital status and pattern of involvement affected total score of SF-36.

Conclusion: Pattern of involvement is a better predictor of quality of life than disease severity in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
ON HOMOGENEOUS CR MANIFOLDS AND THEIR CR ALGEBRAS
Authors: ALTOMANI ANDREA , MEDORI COSTANTINO
Published: October 2006

In this paper we show some results on homogeneous CR manifolds, proved by introducing their associated CR algebras. In particular, we give different notions of nondegeneracy (generalizing the usual notion for the Levi form) which correspond to geometrical properties for the corresponding manifolds. We also give distinguished equivariant CR fibrations for homogeneous CR manifolds. In the second part of the paper we apply these results to minimal orbits for the action of a real form of a semisimple Lie group Ĝ on a flag manifold Ĝ/Q.
TRANSGRESSION FORMS IN DIMENSION 4
Authors: SALAVESSA ISABEL M. C. , DO VALE ANA PEREIRA
Published: October 2006

We compute explicit transgression forms for the Euler and Pontrjagin classes of a Riemannian manifold M of dimension 4 under a conformal change of the metric, or a change to a Riemannian connection with torsion. These formulas describe the singular set of some connections with singularities on compact manifolds as a residue formula in terms of a polynomial of invariants. We give some applications for minimal submanifolds of Kähler manifolds. We also express the difference of the first Chern class of two almost complex structures, and in particular an obstruction to the existence of a homotopy between them, by a residue formula along the set of anti-complex points. Finally we take the first steps in the study of obstructions for two almost quaternionic-Hermitian structures on a manifold of dimension 8 to have homotopic fundamental forms or isomorphic twistor spaces.
REDUCED HOLONOMY, HYPERSURFACES AND EXTENSIONS
Authors: CONTI DIEGO , SALAMON SIMON
Published: October 2006

We study the geometry of hypersurfaces in manifolds with Ricci-flat holonomy group, on which we introduce a G-structure whose intrinsic torsion can be identified with the second fundamental form. The general problem of extending a manifold with such a G-structure so as to invert this construction is open, but results exist in particular cases, which we review. We list the five-dimensional nilmanifolds carrying invariant SU(2)-structures of this type, and present an example of an associated metric with holonomy SU(3).
AFFINE HYPERSPHERES ASSOCIATED TO SPECIAL PARA-KÄHLER MANIFOLDS
Authors: CORTÉS VICENTE , LAWN MARIE-AMÉLIE , SCHÄFER LARS
Published: October 2006

We prove that any special para-Kähler manifold is intrinsically an improper affine hypersphere. As a corollary, any para-holomorphic function F of n para-complex variables satisfying a non-degeneracy condition defines an improper affine hypersphere, which is the graph of a real function f of 2n variables. We give an explicit formula for the function f in terms of the para-holomorphic function F. Necessary and sufficient conditions for an affine hypersphere to admit the structure of a special para-Kähler manifold are given. Finally, it is shown that conical special para-Kähler manifolds are foliated by proper affine hyperspheres of constant mean curvature.
ROLE OF TITANIUM CAPPING LAYER IN AMORPHOUS SILICON NANOWIRE GROWTH BY SOLID-STATE REACTION
Authors: SONG YOUNGSIK , CHOI JAEWU
Published: October 2006

Role of titanium capping layer in synthesis of amorphous silicon nanowires by solid-state reaction was studied by Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Silicon nanowires were not grown from 20nm thick nickel film on silicon (100) but grown from 20nm thick nickel film on silicon (100) with 100 nm thick titanium capping layer. The study shows that titanium capping layer plays an important role in formation of Ni–Ti–Si ternary alloy, which acts as a nucleation seed and a promoter for silicon nanowire growth.
Contralateral effects of unilateral strength training: evidence and possible mechanisms
Authors: Carroll Timothy J. , Herbert Robert D. , Munn Joanne , Lee Michael , Gandevia Simon C.
Published: October 2006

If exercises are performed to increase muscle strength on one side of the body, voluntary strength can increase on the contralateral side. This effect, termed the contralateral strength training effect, is usually measured in homologous muscles. Although known for over a century, most studies have not been designed well enough to show a definitive transfer of strength that could not be explained by factors such as familiarity with the testing. However, an updated meta-analysis of 16 properly controlled studies (range 15–48 training sessions) shows that the size of the contralateral strength training effect is ∼8% of initial strength or about half the increase in strength of the trained side. This estimate is similar to results of a large, randomized controlled study of training for the elbow flexors (contralateral effect of 7% initial strength or one-quarter of the effect on the trained side). This is likely to reflect increased motoneuron output rather than muscular adaptations, although most methods are insufficiently sensitive to detect small muscle contributions. Two classes of central mechanism are identified. One involves a “spillover” to the control system for the contralateral limb, and the other involves adaptations in the control system for the trained limb that can be accessed by the untrained limb. Cortical, subcortical and spinal levels are all likely to be involved in the “transfer,” and none can be excluded with current data. Although the size of the effect is small and may not be clinically significant, study of the phenomenon provides insight into neural mechanisms associated with exercise and training.
Orographic Influences on Subtropical Stratocumulus
Authors: Richter I. , Mechoso C. R.
Published: October 2006

The impact of South American orography on subtropical stratocumulus clouds off the Peruvian coast is investigated in the context of an atmospheric general circulation model. It is found that stratocumulus incidence is significantly reduced when South American orography is removed. Key to this behavior is a decrease in lower tropospheric stability (LTS) that allows for more frequent stratocumulus destruction through the model’s cloud-top entrainment instability mechanism. The role of orography in enhancing Peruvian stratocumulus is as follows. Within the PBL, orography deflects the midlatitude westerly winds equatorward in association with cold air advection and blocking of the low-level flow from the continent. Above the PBL, the steep and high South American orography deflects a significant portion of the midlatitude westerlies equatorward. This flow sinks along the equatorward sloping isentropes, thus promoting subsidence. Both processes increase LTS over the stratocumulus region. In further AGCM experiments, the sensitivity of Peruvian stratocumulus to the use of unsmoothed orographic boundary conditions is assessed. The results show no significant differences to the control simulation, which uses smoothed orography. This suggests that, in the context of GCMs, a representation of South American orography more detailed than is generally used has little potential for improving the performance of coupled ocean–atmosphere models in the eastern tropical Pacific.
Tsunami Recovery
Authors: Rittichainuwat Bongkosh Ngamsom
Published: October 2006

A survey of travelers to Thailand’s Andaman Coast, now recovering from the December 2004 tsunami, reveals three overall travel motivators, relating to nature (the area’s beauty), people (the residents’ welcoming attitude), and value for money. Curiosity to see tsunami debris ranked a poor last, and despite Thailand’s cut-rate “fun package” promotion, most tourists were neutral toward low-cost tour packages as a reason for their travel. In that regard, hoteliers who were interviewed for this case study believed that low-cost tour packages are ineffective tools for long-term marketing promotion.
What Recovery?
Authors: Kivela Jaksa
Published: October 2006

Although according to some the recovery from the December 2004 Asian tsunami is just about as complete as it can be, issues concerning what kind of recovery are by and large ignored, save for the plethora of information about the economic recovery. This commentary asks the reader to think beyond the economic recovery and consider what the recovery might mean in human terms. It also steers the reader toward an issue of greater concern: in Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, tourism business considerations often override safety requirements, and in 2004 this had devastating results.
You (Don’t) Look Marvelous
Authors: King G. Roger , Winchester Jeffrey D. , Sherwyn David
Published: October 2006

Under federal law, employers are generally allowed to set policies regulating employees’ appearance, provided that those policies do not impinge on groups specifically protected under federal statute. State and local laws, however, may preclude employers from implementing such dress and appearance policies. Employers whose workers are unionized must consider the provisions of the bargaining agreement. One trend in connection with regulations relating to employees’ appearance and dress is that creative lawyers have stretched the law to cover certain workers.
Retaliation
Authors: Sherwyn David , Eigen Zev , Gilman Gregg
Published: October 2006

Many employers were shocked and alarmed when the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2006 unanimously established a relatively broad standard regarding employees’ complaints of retaliation by employers when employees have made discrimination complaints. An examination of case law as well as comments made by those attending the 2006 Labor and Employment Law Roundtable at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration allow us to conclude that although employees who make complaints need to be treated carefully, employers need not panic. Instead, they must thoroughly document any personnel actions and base them on actual performance, making sure that any termination or demotion is, in fact, not a retaliation.
Development of a Novel Isotropic Conductive Adhesive Filled with Silver Nanowires
Authors: Wu Haiping , Wu Xijun , Liu Jinfang , Zhang Guoqing , Wang Youwen , Zeng Yuewu , Jing Jianzhong
Published: October 2006

As an alternative to lead-bearing solder, isotropic conductive adhesives (ICA) have been utilized for many years in microelectronic packaging. ICAs filled with conductive particles generally show high initial contact resistance, unstable contact resistance, and inferior impact strength. In this study, silver nitrate (AgNO3) is used as a precursor, N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent and reducing agent for preparing silver (Ag) nanowires in the nanoporous templates formed by the controlled hydrolysis and condensation of butyl titanate (Ti(OC4H9)4). Fundamental material characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are conducted on these Ag nanowires. A novel ICA is developed by using Ag nanowires as conductive fillers. Electrical and mechanical properties are investigated and compared with that of conventional ICA filled with micrometer-sized Ag particles or nanometer-sized Ag particles, the average diameter of these Ag particles is about 1 mm and 100 nm, respectively. It is found that at a lower filler content, the ICA filled with Ag nanowires exhibited lower bulk resistivity and higher shear strength than ICA filled with micrometer-sized Ag particles or nanometer-sized Ag particles. Possible conductive mechanism of the new ICA is analyzed.
Modeling Iso-Ahola’s Motivation Theory in the Tourism Context
Authors: Snepenger David , King Jesse , Marshall Eric , Uysal Muzaffer
Published: October 2006

Iso-Ahola’s theory asserts that personal escape, personal seeking, interpersonal escape, and interpersonal seeking motivate tourism and recreation. This article operationalizes and empirically tests Iso-Ahola’s theory for similar tourism and recreation experiences. The motivation dimensions are monitored using scenario-based data for sporting events, beaches, amusement parks, and natural parks. The first investigation used confirmatory factor analysis to explore the efficacy of six competing motivational structures. Three of these competing models achieved superior and similar fit statistics, with one model incorporating the most parsimonious structure. This model gave equal and direct salience to each of the four motivations. The second investigation examined the differences in motivation levels for tourism and recreation experiences. Tourism experiences exhibited higher levels of motivation, particularly for the personal seeking and personal escape dimensions. The third investigation found no relationship between the number of recent domestic and international vacations and tourism motivations among the subjects.
Tourism Market Potential Analysis in Botswana: A Delphi Study
Authors: Kaynak Erdener , Marandu Edward E.
Published: October 2006

This article explores what would be the most probable scenario for the tourism industry in Botswana by the year 2020. A modified Delphi technique was used to generate data from 68 industry experts. The findings show that experts forecast progressively more changes and higher impact as one moves from values, structures, and events. The implication for policy makers and industry operators is that efforts aimed at increasing tourism may prove more fruitful if focused on changing structures and hosting events, rather than changing the values of the people. The study also improves on the understanding of Delphi forecasting behavior. It demonstrates that an expert who is optimistic on one factor—say, values—is likely to perceive the same with regard to other factors such as structure and events.
The Committee Has/Have Decided...
Authors: Hundt Marianne
Published: October 2006

Standard English is not a monolithic entity but shows systematic variation in terms of regional or stylistic preferences and ongoing change. The corpus-based approach has been used to study these patterns of variation in a number of so-called inner-circle varieties. Linguists have only recently started to collect data on variation in outer-circle varieties. The cumulative evidence from a number of such studies will eventually allow us to determine whether these varieties are still oriented toward exonormative models or whether they are developing internal (endonormative) models of usage. This article aims to contribute to this field of research by investigating one syntactic variable— concord with collective nouns—in two outer-circle varieties: Singaporean English, which is British-based, and Philippine English, which is American-based. For both varieties, components of the International Corpus of English are examined. The results show that neither Singaporean nor Philippine English patterns exactly like its “parent” variety.
Negative Concord as an English “Vernacular Universal”
Authors: Nevalainen Terttu
Published: October 2006

This article is a contribution to the study of English vernacular universals, and its aims are twofold. Its empirical aim is to give a sociolinguistic account of the use and nonuse of negative concord, or multiple negation, from Late Middle to Late Modern English between 1400 and 1800. Its second aim is theory-driven: to consider the spread of nonassertive indefinites (negative polarity items) into negative contexts in terms of linguistic typology. In particular, the discussion will connect the generalization of nonassertive forms across interrogatives, conditionals, comparatives, and negatives in the history of English using the semantic map proposed by Haspelmath (1997). The article comes to the conclusion that while this negative polarity concord affects the choice of indefinites, negative versus nonassertive, which come under the scope of negation in standard and vernacular varieties of English, it does not alter the basic typology of English verbal negation with indefinites.
Naturalism and Ideology: Towards a Phenomenology of Political Discourse
Authors: Cameron Gregory
Published: October 2006

Lefort's ‘Outline of the Genesis of Ideology in Modern Societies’ constitutes an important attempt to reinvigorate the notion of ideology through a critique of the Marxist use of the term while retaining the basic features of Marx's own understanding. In particular, Lefort attempts to understand the transformations through which ideology goes in non-bourgeois social forms. He achieves this primarily through a critique of the naturalism inherent in Marx's understanding of society and ideology. In this article, I argue that Lefort's understanding of ideology and his critique of Marx belong squarely within the phenomenological tradition, despite the fact that Lefort does not make this explicit. More importantly, I argue that there is a strong continuity between Lefort's understanding of ideology and Husserl of the ‘Vienna Lecture’. The article ends with a short application of these thoughts to ideology in the age of globalization.
The Politics of Claude Lefort's Political: Between Liberalism and Radical Democracy
Authors: Ingram James D.
Published: October 2006

Claude Lefort's rethinking of ‘the political’ has been highly fruitful for political theory, yet its politics remain unclear. It has inspired transformative, radical-democratic projects, but has also served as a basis for more liberal conceptions. This article explores the sources and implications of this ambiguity by setting Lefort's work against the backdrop of the anti-totalitarian moment in French political thought and the trajectories of two of his students, Miguel Abensour and Marcel Gauchet. It emerges that although Lefort's democratic theory cannot be reduced to a defensive liberalism, neither is it as expansive as some might hope.
Lefort and the Problem of Democratic Citizenship
Authors: Blackell Mark
Published: October 2006

To interpret the possibilities of a Lefort-inspired theory of citizenship requires first that we depart from traditional liberal and republican theories of citizenship that conceive of the citizen's attachment to the political order in terms of interest or virtue. A Lefort-inspired theory of citizenship must also reconfigure the object of citizen attachment from an ‘empty place’ of power to an ‘absent-presence’. The nature of modern democratic citizenship is framed in terms of ambivalence as a symptom of the symbolic order of democracy, and the precarious nature of political attachment in modern democracy is read as paralleling the precariousness of the symbolic order of modern democracy. In the face of this ambivalence, the possibilities of a Lefort-inspired theory of citizenship are conceived of explicitly not in terms of identification between competing political principles but in terms of a partial gesture of love to a metaphysical limit of democratic political society.