bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peasant Revolution in Ethiopia
Authors: Young John
Published: December 2009

In the wake of the overthrow of the Haile-Selassie regime in Ethiopia in 1974 and the coming to power of the military, a number of opposition forces launched insurrections. But only one movement, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) triumphed, liberating Tigray in 1989, and in an ethnic-based coalition which it dominated, assuming state power in 1991. This is the first chronicle of the history of that struggle, and it is based largely on interviews with peasants who formed the core of the Tigrayan revolution and the TPLF leadership. It provides the necessary background to understanding post-1991 political developments in Ethiopia. It also offers an explanation of peasant-based revolution that contrasts with contemporary approaches by Marxists, Skocpol, and in particular the works of Wolf, Paige and Scott, all of whom largely ignore the political considerations and the role of the revolutionary party, which Dr Young identifies as a critical element in his study.
The Quest for Quarks
Authors: McCusker Brian
Published: December 2009

This short account of elementary particles written for the layman poses the questions: are quarks the fundamental building blocks of matter; what are they like; how many different kinds exist; and can they exist in the free state? What is the ultimate structure of matter? Is it made of atoms, small, simple, indivisible particles, or not? John Dalton's 'chemical atoms' turned out to be composite, composed of an electron cloud and a very small, very dense nucleus. This nucleus, in turn, was found to be composite, made up of protons and neutrons bound together by pions. All three of these (and many like particles) have now been found to be made of quarks. At first there were only three of these and they were thought to be long sought after fundamental building blocks. But now we know of at least 18 quarks, 18 anti-quarks and eight 'gluons' that hold the quarks together. The whole atomic idea is in doubt and the alternate possibility of a Universe that is one, whole and indivisible opens up. This fascinating book will be an inspiration to anyone wishing a first exposure to this intriguing and mystical area of modern physics.
The Crisis of Vision in Modern Economic Thought
Authors: Heilbroner Robert L. , Milberg William S.
Published: December 2009

A deep and widespread crisis affects modern economic theory, a crisis that derives from the absence of a 'vision' - a set of widely shared political and social preconceptions - on which all economics ultimately depends. This absence, in turn, reflects the collapse of the Keynesian view that provided such a foundation from 1940 to the early 1970s, comparable to earlier visions provided by Smith, Ricardo, Mill, and Marshall. The 'unraveling' of Keynesianism has been followed by a division of discordant and ineffective camps whose common denominator seems to be their shared analytical refinement and lack of practical applicability. Heilbroner and Milberg's analysis attempts both to describe this state of affairs, and to suggest the direction in which economic thinking must move if it is to regain the relevance and remedial power it now pointedly lacks.
Computational Gasdynamics
Authors: Laney Culbert B.
Published: December 2009

Numerical methods are indispensable tools in the analysis of complex fluid flows. This book focuses on computational techniques for high-speed gas flows, especially gas flows containing shocks and other steep gradients. The book decomposes complicated numerical methods into simple modular parts, showing how each part fits and how each method relates to or differs from others. The text begins with a review of gasdynamics and computational techniques. Next come basic principles of computational gasdynamics. The last two parts cover basic techniques and advanced techniques. Senior and graduate level students, especially in aerospace engineering, as well as researchers and practising engineers, will find a wealth of invaluable information on high-speed gas flows in this text.
Crimes against Humanity
Authors: May Larry
Published: December 2009

This book was the first booklength treatment of the philosophical foundations of international criminal law. The focus is on the moral, legal, and political questions that arise when individuals who commit collective crimes, such as crimes against humanity, are held accountable by international criminal tribunals. These tribunals challenge one of the most sacred prerogatives of states - sovereignty - and breaches to this sovereignty can be justified in limited circumstances, following what the author calls a minimalist account of the justification of international prosecution. Written in a clear and accessible style, this book should appeal to anyone with an interest in international law, political philosophy, international relations, and human rights theory.
Automata Theory with Modern Applications
Authors: Anderson James A.
Published: December 2009

Recent applications to biomolecular science and DNA computing have created a new audience for automata theory and formal languages. This is the only introductory book to cover such applications. It begins with a clear and readily understood exposition of the fundamentals that assumes only a background in discrete mathematics. The first five chapters give a gentle but rigorous coverage of basic ideas as well as topics not found in other texts at this level, including codes, retracts and semiretracts. Chapter 6 introduces combinatorics on words and uses it to describe a visually inspired approach to languages. The final chapter explains recently-developed language theory coming from developments in bioscience and DNA computing. With over 350 exercises (for which solutions are available), many examples and illustrations, this text will make an ideal contemporary introduction for students; others, new to the field, will welcome it for self-learning.
Composite Fermions
Authors: Jain Jainendra K.
Published: December 2009

This book was first published in 2007. When electrons are confined to two dimensions, cooled to near absolute zero temperature, and subjected to a strong magnetic field, they form an exotic new collective state of matter. Investigations into this began with the observations of integral and fractional quantum Hall effects, which are among the most important discoveries in condensed matter physics. The fractional quantum Hall effect and a stream of other unexpected findings are explained by a new class of particles: composite fermions. This textbook is a self-contained, pedagogical introduction to the physics and experimental manifestations of composite fermions. Ideal for graduate students and academic researchers, it contains numerous exercises to reinforce the concepts presented. The topics covered include the integral and fractional quantum Hall effects, the composite-fermion Fermi sea, various kinds of excitations, the role of spin, edge state transport, electron solid, bilayer physics, fractional braiding statistics and fractional local charge.
Digital Design for Computer Data Acquisition
Authors: Spencer Charles D.
Published: December 2009

This book is a digital electronics text focused on 'how to' design, build, operate and adapt data acquisition systems. The book is intended to serve people whose goals include teaching or learning one or more of the following: digital electronics, circuit design for computer expansion slots, software which interacts with outside hardware, the process of computer based data acquisition, and the design, adaptation, construction and testing of measurement systems. The fundamental idea of the book is that parallel I/O ports (available for all popular computers) offer a superior balance of simplicity, low cost, speed, flexibility and adaptability.
Cohen-Macaulay Rings
Authors: Bruns Winfried , Herzog H. Jürgen
Published: December 2009

In the last two decades Cohen-Macaulay rings and modules have been central topics in commutative algebra. This book meets the need for a thorough, self-contained introduction to the homological and combinatorial aspects of the theory of Cohen-Macaulay rings, Gorenstein rings, local cohomology, and canonical modules. A separate chapter is devoted to Hilbert functions (including Macaulay's theorem) and numerical invariants derived from them. The authors emphasize the study of explicit, specific rings, making the presentation as concrete as possible. So the general theory is applied to Stanley-Reisner rings, semigroup rings, determinantal rings, and rings of invariants. Their connections with combinatorics are highlighted, e.g. Stanley's upper bound theorem or Ehrhart's reciprocity law for rational polytopes. The final chapters are devoted to Hochster's theorem on big Cohen-Macaulay modules and its applications, including Peskine-Szpiro's intersection theorem, the Evans-Griffith syzygy theorem, bounds for Bass numbers, and tight closure. Throughout each chapter the authors have supplied many examples and exercises which, combined with the expository style, will make the book very useful for graduate courses in algebra. As the only modern, broad account of the subject it will be essential reading for researchers in commutative algebra.
Epidemic Modelling
Authors: Daley D. J. , Gani J.
Published: December 2009

This general introduction to the ideas and techniques required for the mathematical modelling of diseases begins with an outline of some disease statistics dating from Daniel Bernoulli's 1760 smallpox data. The authors then describe simple deterministic and stochastic models in continuous and discrete time for epidemics taking place in either homogeneous or stratified (non-homogeneous) populations. Several techniques for constructing and analysing models are provided, mostly in the context of viral and bacterial diseases of human populations. These models are contrasted with models for rumours and vector-borne diseases like malaria. Questions of fitting data to models, and their use in understanding methods for controlling the spread of infection, are discussed. Exercises and complementary results at the end of each chapter extend the scope of the text, which will be useful for students taking courses in mathematical biology who have some basic knowledge of probability and statistics.
Economic Theory and Global Warming
Authors: Uzawa Hirofumi
Published: December 2009

In this book, Professor Uzawa modifies and extends the theoretical premises of orthodox economic theory to those broad enough to be capable of analyzing the phenomena related to environmental disequilibrium, particularly global warming, and of finding institutional arrangements and policy measures that may bring about a more optimal state where natural and institutional components are harmoniously blended. He constructs a theoretical framework in which three major problems concerning global environmental issues may effectively be addressed. First, all phenomena involved with global environmental issues exhibit externalities of one kind or another. Secondly, global environmental issues involve international and intergenerational equity and justice. Thirdly, global environmental issues concern the management of the atmosphere, the oceans, water, soil, and other natural resources that have to be decided by a consensus of all affected countries.
Drug-Crime Connections
Authors: Bennett Trevor , Holloway Katy
Published: December 2009

Drug-Crime Connections challenges the assumption that there is a widespread association between drug use and crime. Instead, it argues that there are many highly specific connections. The authors draw together in a single volume a wide range of findings from a study of nearly 5,000 arrestees interviewed as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) programme. It provides an in-depth study of the nature of drug-crime connections, as well as an investigation into drug use generally among criminals and the kinds of crimes that they commit. They explore topics that previously have fallen outside the drug-crime debate, such as gender and drugs, ethnicity and drugs, gangs, guns, drug markets, and treatment needs. The book provides both an up-to-date review of the literature and a concise summary of a major study on the connection between drug use and crime.
Microbes and Man
Authors: Postgate John
Published: December 2009

Microbes are everywhere. Normally invisible, they are abundant in the air we breathe, in soil, in water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, on and in the food we eat. They make the soil fertile; they clean up the environment; they change, often improve, our food; some protect us from less desirable microbes. Yet most people are scarcely aware that they exist - except when they become ill. Microbes, as 'germs', are widely regarded as nasty, unpopular because a few can cause disease and a few can spoil food. Yet collectively microbes present a fascinating world of miniscule creatures, who together encompass all the processes of which terrestrial life is capable: creatures who have profound effects on our lives and surroundings. In this up-dated edition, the extraordinary impact which the microbial community has on our everyday lives is described in an accessible and easy to read style.
Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation
Authors: Phillips D. Z.
Published: December 2009

Leading philosopher of religion D. Z. Phillips argues that intellectuals need not see their task as being for or against religion, but as one of understanding it. What stands in the way of this task are certain methodological assumptions about what enquiry into religion must be. Beginning with Bernard Williams on Greek gods, Phillips goes on to examine these assumptions in the work of Hume, Feuerbach, Marx, Frazer, Tylor, Marett, Freud, Durkheim, Lévy-Bruhl, Berger and Winch. The result exposes confusion, but also gives logical space to religious belief without advocating personal acceptance of that belief, and shows how the academic study of religion may return to the contemplative task of doing conceptual justice to the world. Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation extends in important ways D. Z. Phillips' seminal 1976 book Religion Without Explanation. It will be of interest to scholars and students of philosophy, anthropology, sociology and theology.
The Making of Bronze Age Eurasia
Authors: Kohl Philip L.
Published: December 2009

This book provides an overview of Bronze Age societies of Western Eurasia through an investigation of the archaeological record. The Making of Bronze Age Eurasia outlines the long-term processes and patterns of interaction that link these groups together in a shared historical trajectory of development. Interactions took the form of the exchange of raw materials and finished goods, the spread and sharing of technologies, and the movements of peoples from one region to another. Kohl reconstructs economic activities from subsistence practices to the production and exchange of metals and other materials. Kohl also argues forcefully that the main task of the archaeologist should be to write culture-history on a spatially and temporally grand scale in an effort to detect large, macrohistorical processes of interaction and shared development.
The Price of Peace
Authors: Dannatt Richard
Published: December 2009

Lively political and public debates on war and morality have been a feature of the post-Cold War world. The Price of Peace argues that a re-examination of the just war tradition is therefore required. The authors suggest that despite fluctuations and transformations in international politics, the just war tradition continues to be relevant. However they argue that it needs to be reworked to respond to the new challenges to international security represented by the end of the Cold War and the impact of terrorism. With an interdisciplinary and transatlantic approach, this volume provides a dialogue between theological, political, military and public actors. By articulating what a reconstituted just war tradition might mean in practice, it also aims to assist policy-makers and citizens in dealing with the ethical dilemmas of war.
Politicians and Poachers
Authors: Gibson Clark C.
Published: December 2009

Although wildlife fascinates citizens of industrialized countries, little is known about the politics of wildlife policy in Africa. In this innovative book, Clark Gibson challenges the rhetoric of television documentaries and conservation organizations to explore the politics behind the creation and change of wildlife policy in Africa. This book examines what Clark views as a central puzzle in the debate: Why do African governments create policies that apparently fail to protect wildlife? Moving beyond explanations of bureaucratic inefficiency and corrupt dictatorships, Gibson argues that biologically disastrous policies are retained because they meet the distributive goals of politicians and bureaucrats. Using evidence from Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, Gibson shows how institutions encourage politicians and bureaucrats to construct wildlife policies that further their own interests. Different configurations of electoral laws, legislatures, party structures, interest groups, and traditional authorities in each country shape the choices of policymakers - many of which are not consonant with conservation. This book will appeal to students of institutions, comparative politics, natural resource policymaking, African politics, and wildlife conservationists.
The problem of raccoon intelligence in behaviourist America
Authors: PETTIT MICHAEL
Published: December 2009

Even during its heyday, American behaviourist psychology was repeatedly criticized for the lack of diversity in its experimental subjects, with its almost exclusive focus on rats and pigeons. This paper revisits this debate by examining the rise and fall of a once promising alternative laboratory animal and model of intelligence, the raccoon. During the first two decades of the twentieth century, psychological investigations of the raccoon existed on the borderlands between laboratory experimentation, natural history and pet-keeping. Moreover, its chief advocate, Lawrence W. Cole, inhabited the institutional and geographic borderlands of the discipline. This liminality ultimately worked against the raccoon's selection as a standardized model during the behaviourist era. The question of raccoon intelligence was also a prominent topic in the contemporaneous debates over the place of sentiment in popular nature writing. Although Cole and others argued that the raccoon provided unique opportunities to study mental attributes such as curiosity and attention, others accused the animal's advocates of sentimentalism, anthropomorphism and nature faking. The paper examines the making and unmaking of this hybrid scientific culture as the lives of experimenters and animals became entangled.
Britain on the Couch: The Popularization of Psychoanalysis in Britain 1918—1940
Authors: Richards Graham
Published: December 2009

The Argument

Despite the enormous historical attention psychoanalysis has attracted, its popularization in Britain (as opposed to the United States) in the wake of the Great War has been largely overlooked. The present paper explores the sources and fate of the sudden “craze” for psychoanalysis after 1918, examining the content of the books through which the doctrine became widely known, along with the roles played by religious interests and the popular press. The percolation of Freudian and related language into everyday English was effectively complete by the 1930s. Crucially, it is argued that in Britain the character of psychoanalytic theory itself demonstrably converged with the psychological needs of the British population in the postwar period. The situation in Britain was clearly different in many respects from that in the United States. This episode bears on numerous questions about scientific popularization, the distinctiveness of British psychoanalysis, and though it is treated here only peripherally the epistemological status or nature of psychoanalysis. More generally the present paper may be read as an exercise in reflexive disciplinary historiography, in which the levels of discipline (“Psychology”) and subject matter (“psychology”) are viewed as interpenetrating and mutually constitutive.
Morphological facilitation for regular and irregular verb formations in native and non-native speakers: Little evidence for two distinct mechanisms
Authors: FELDMAN LAURIE BETH , KOSTIĆ ALEKSANDAR , BASNIGHT-BROWN DANA M. , ĐURĐEVIĆ DUŠICA FILIPOVIĆ , PASTIZZO MATTHEW JOHN
Published: December 2009

The authors compared performance on two variants of the primed lexical decision task to investigate morphological processing in native and non-native speakers of English. They examined patterns of facilitation on present tense targets. Primes were regular (billed–bill) past tense formations and two types of irregular past tense forms that varied on preservation of target length (fell–fall; taught–teach). When a forward mask preceded the prime (Exp. 1), language and prime type interacted. Native speakers showed reliableregularandirregular length preservedfacilitation relative to orthographic controls. Non-native speakers' latencies after morphological and orthographic primes did not differ reliably except for regulars. Under cross-modal conditions (Exp. 2), language and prime type interacted. Native but not non-native speakers showed inhibition following orthographically similar primes. Collectively, reliable facilitation for regulars and patterns across verb type and task provided little support for a processing dichotomy (decomposition, non-combinatorial association) based on inflectional regularity in either native or non-native speakers of English.
The relationship between physical activity and mental health varies across activity intensity levels and dimensions of mental health among women and men
Authors: Asztalos Melinda , De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Cardon Greet
Published: December 2009

Objective

To explore gender-specific variations related to activity intensity in the relationship between physical activity (PA) and mental health (MH). Evaluating whether psychological well-being enhances with increases in PA at recommended levels and above, in the general population.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Population-based, representative for Belgium.

Subjects

A total of 6803 adults aged 25–64 years from the Belgian National Health Interview Survey.

Results

Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that clearly different intensity levels characterised the PA that associated with MH in women and men. In men, inverse associations existed between participation in vigorous-intensity PA and feelings of depression (OR = 0·580; 95 % CI 0·405, 0·830), anxiety (OR = 0·547; 95 % CI 0·364, 0·821) and symptoms of somatisation (OR = 0·590; 95 % CI 0·398, 0·874). In women, positive associations existed between walking and emotional well-being (OR = 1·202; 95 % CI 1·038, 1·394) and inverse associations between participation in moderate-intensity PA and symptoms of somatisation (OR = 0·737; 95 % CI 0·556, 0·977). Secondary analyses confirmed that differences in psychological complaints were significant for vigorous PA in men, and for moderate PA in women, whereas differences in emotional well-being were significant for walking exclusively in women.

Conclusions

In the general population, the PA–MH relationship is always positive, regardless of activity intensity. In men, it addresses complaints (symptoms, palpable discomfort) and the optimal PA intensity is high. In women, it addresses complaints, but also distress (lowered mood, disturbing anxiety, altered well-being) and the PA intensity is mild.
Introduction and Errata
Authors: Smith Lucy Toulmin
Published: December 2009

The Corporation of Bristol possess in their Archives several valuable manuscript volumes. Among them one of the most prized is The Mayor's Kegister or Mayor's Kalendar, an evidence of the worthy design of a Town Clerk, 400 years ago, to collect together for the benefit of his fellow citizens some account of the history of their town, their privileges and liberties, their local and social customs, and of the municipal laws of London which they made their exemplar.
The State of England, Anno Dom. 1600
Authors: Wilson Thomas
Published: December 2009

It is a commonplace that contemporary descriptions of England depend for their historical value largely on the personalities of their authors, and the major claim of the following document for publication lies less in any exclusive information that it may contain than in the point of view from which it is written. Wilson himself was scarcely an important person, but the circumstances of his life bred in him habits of thought that make his comments on society more illuminating than those of worthier and ablermen.
Gesta Dunelmensia, A.D. M°CCC°.
Authors: Richardson Robert K.
Published: December 2009

Homo quidam descendebat ab Ierusalem in Ierico et incidit in latrones qui despolia(verun)t (eum) et vulneraverunt, plagis inpositis (ab)ierunt, semivivo reli(ct)o, Domino doctore . . . sanctos.
The English Conquest of Jamaica. An account of what happened in the island of Jamaica, from May 20 of the year 1655, when the English laid seige to it, up to July 3 of the year 1656, by Captain Julian de Castilla
Authors: Wright Irene A.
Published: December 2009

The document which forms the subject of the present communication is a Spanish account, heretofore unknown, describing the English seizure of the island of Jamaica, in May, 1655, and the Spanish resistance to that invasion up to July 3 of the following year. It was written by an ecclesiastic, Captain Julian de Castilla, who was "one of those present upon these coasts, south and north, nearly fourteen months "–that is, during the entire period which his narrative covers
Fractional advection‐dispersion equations for modeling transport at the Earth surface
Authors: Schumer Rina , Meerschaert Mark M. , Baeumer Boris
Published: December 2009

Characterizing the collective behavior of particle transport on the Earth surface is a key ingredient in describing landscape evolution. We seek equations that capture essential features of transport of an ensemble of particles on hillslopes, valleys, river channels, or river networks, such as mass conservation, superdiffusive spreading in flow fields with large velocity variation, or retardation due to particle trapping. Development of stochastic partial differential equations such as the advection‐dispersion equation (ADE) begins with assumptions about the random behavior of a single particle: possible velocities it may experience in a flow field and the length of time it may be immobilized. When assumptions underlying the ADE are relaxed, a fractional ADE (fADE) can arise, with a non‐integer‐order derivative on time or space terms. Fractional ADEs are nonlocal; they describe transport affected by hydraulic conditions at a distance. Space fractional ADEs arise when velocity variations are heavy tailed and describe particle motion that accounts for variation in the flow field over the entire system. Time fractional ADEs arise as a result of power law particle residence time distributions and describe particle motion with memory in time. Here we present a phenomenological discussion of how particle transport behavior may be parsimoniously described by a fADE, consistent with evidence of superdiffusive and subdiffusive behavior in natural and experimental systems.
Pore water flow due to near‐bed turbulence and associated solute transfer in a stream or lake sediment bed
Authors: Higashino Makoto , Clark Jeffrey J. , Stefan Heinz G.
Published: December 2009

A model of pore water flow induced by pressure fluctuations from a turbulent boundary layer flow over a permeable sediment bed is presented. The bed has a smooth or rough flat surface without bed forms. Pressure and velocity fluctuations that penetrate from the sediment/water interface into the sediment pore system and affect mass (solute) transfer are described as periodic in space and time. The amplitude (p0) is determined from a study of the turbulent kinetic energy balance for wall turbulence; the wave number (χ) and the period (T) are given as functions of the shear velocity (U*) based on the near‐bed coherent motions. The flow field in the sediment is described by the continuity equation and Darcy's law. Simulation results show that pore water velocity is faster when the shear velocity (U*) on the sediment bed and/or the permeability of the sediment bed (k) are increased. Accordingly, the exchange velocity of water or solute transfer rate across the sediment/water interface (V0) becomes larger when (U*) and (k) are increased. However, the penetration depth of pore water velocity fluctuations into the sediment bed becomes smaller when (U*) is larger, i.e., when the period of fluctuating pressure is short. Overall, this paper provides new and quantitative information on the enhancement of pore water flow in a flat sediment bed over which a turbulent current is flowing.
Homology Modeling of Human α~2A~-Adrenoceptor
Authors: Patel Jignesh , G Gourja , Kumar Vivek , Narkhede Yogesh , Gupta Shikhar , Mohan C. Gopi
Published: December 2009

α~2A~-adrenoceptor (ADA2A) is a membrane bound receptor which has been classified as the member of larger superfamily G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs); also known as seven transmembrane (7-TM) domains receptor. Around 50% drugs currently available in the market exert their effects through GPCRs. Membrane proteins are difficult to crystallize as compared to soluble proteins. There is a need of 3D-structure of ADA2A to understand binding modes of various agonists and antagonists and hence homology model of ADA2A was developed. Homology model of ADA2A constructed based on crystal structure of β~2~-adrenoceptor. The crystal structure of β~2~-adrenoceptor (PDB ID: 2RH1) was used as template, which has good sequence identity and higher resolution (2.4 Å) and models were generated using MODELLER9v7, among them some models were selected based on molpdf and DOPE score. The built homology model was evaluated using various programs like ERRAT, PROCHECK, PROSA2003, and WHAT_IF. The built homology model can be useful for designing more potent subtype selective antagonists or/and agonists and can provide guidance for mutagenesis studies.
A Primary Care Intervention for Weight Loss: Results of a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Tsai Adam G. , Wadden Thomas A. , Rogers Marisa A. , Day Susan C. , Moore Renee H. , Islam Buneka J.
Published: December 2009

Most primary care providers (PCPs), constrained by time and resources, cannot provide intensive behavioral counseling for obesity. This study evaluated the effect of using medical assistants (MAs) as weight loss counselors. The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in two primary care offices at an academic medical center. Patients (n = 50) had a BMI of 27–50 kg/m2 and no contraindications to weight loss. They were randomized to quarterly PCP visits and weight loss materials (Control group) or to the same approach combined with eight visits with a MA over 6 months (Brief Counseling). Outcomes included change in weight and cardiovascular risk factors (glucose, lipids, blood pressure, and waist circumference). Patients in the Brief Counseling and Control groups lost 4.4 ± 0.6 kg (5.1 ± 0.7% of initial weight) and 0.9 ± 0.6 kg (1.0 ± 0.7%), respectively, at month 6 (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups for changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Brief Counseling patients regained weight between month 6 and month 12, when MA visits were discontinued. Attrition was 10% after 6 months and 6% after 12 months. Brief Counseling by MAs induced significant weight loss during 6 months. Office‐based obesity treatment should be tested in larger trials and should include weight loss maintenance counseling.
Computing absolute free energies of disordered structures by molecular simulation
Authors: Schilling T. , Schmid F.
Published: December 2009

We present a Monte Carlo simulation technique by which the free energy of disordered systems can be computed directly. It is based on thermodynamic integration. The central idea is to construct an analytically solvable reference system from a configuration which is representative for the state of interest. The method can be applied to lattice models (e.g., the Ising model) as well as off-lattice molecular models. We focus mainly on the more challenging off-lattice case. We propose a Monte Carlo algorithm, by which the thermodynamic integration path can be sampled efficiently. At the examples of the hard sphere liquid and a hard disk solid with a defect, we discuss several properties of the approach.
Specificity and Coherence of Body Representations
Authors: Kammers Marjolein P M , Longo Matthew R , Tsakiris Manos , Dijkerman H Chris , Haggard Patrick
Published: December 2009

Bodily illusions differently affect body representations underlying perception and action. We investigated whether this task dependence reflects two distinct dimensions of embodiment: the sense of agency and the sense of the body as a coherent whole. In experiment 1 the sense of agency was manipulated by comparing active versus passive movements during the induction phase in a video rubber hand illusion (vRHI) setup. After induction, proprioceptive biases were measured both by perceptual judgments of hand position, as well as by measuring end-point accuracy of subjects' active pointing movements to an external object with the affected hand. The results showed, first, that the vRHI is largely perceptual: passive perceptual localisation judgments were altered, but end-point accuracy of active pointing responses with the affected hand to an external object was unaffected. Second, within the perceptual judgments, there was a novel congruence effect, such that perceptual biases were larger following passive induction of vRHI than following active induction. There was a trend for the converse effect for pointing responses, with larger pointing bias following active induction. In experiment 2, we used the traditional RHI to investigate the coherence of body representation by synchronous stimulation of either matching or mismatching fingers on the rubber hand and the participant's own hand. Stimulation of matching fingers induced a local proprioceptive bias for only the stimulated finger, but did not affect the perceived shape of the hand as a whole. In contrast, stimulation of spatially mismatching fingers eliminated the RHI entirely. The present results show that (i) the sense of agency during illusion induction has specific effects, depending on whether we represent our body for perception or to guide action, and (ii) representations of specific body parts can be altered without affecting perception of the spatial configuration of the body as a whole.
Two Isoforms of Npap60 (Nup50) Differentially Regulate Nuclear Protein Import
Authors: Ogawa Yutaka , Miyamoto Yoichi , Asally Munehiro , Oka Masahiro , Yasuda Yoshinari , Yoneda Yoshihiro
Published: December 2009

Npap60 (Nup50) is a nucleoporin that binds directly to importin α. In humans, there are two Npap60 isoforms: the long (Npap60L) and short (Npap60S) forms. In this study, we provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence that Npap60L and Npap60S function differently in nuclear protein import. In vitro binding assays revealed that Npap60S stabilizes the binding of importin α to classical NLS-cargo, whereas Npap60L promotes the release of NLS-cargo from importin α. In vivo time-lapse experiments showed that when the Npap60 protein level is controlled, allowing CAS to efficiently promote the dissociation of the Npap60/importin α complex, Npap60S and Npap60L suppress and accelerate the nuclear import of NLS-cargo, respectively. These results demonstrate that Npap60L and Npap60S have opposing functions and suggest that Npap60L and Npap60S levels must be carefully controlled for efficient nuclear import of classical NLS-cargo in humans. This study provides novel evidence that nucleoporin expression levels regulate nuclear import efficiency.
Phosphoprotein Enriched in Astrocytes 15 kDa (PEA-15) Reprograms Growth Factor Signaling by Inhibiting Threonine Phosphorylation of Fibroblast Receptor Substrate 2α
Authors: Haling Jacob R. , Wang Fen , Ginsberg Mark H.
Published: December 2009

Changes in cellular expression of phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes of 15 kDa (PEA-15) are linked to insulin resistance, tumor cell invasion, and cellular senescence; these changes alter the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. Here, we define the mechanism whereby increased PEA-15 expression promotes and sustains ERK1/2 activation. PEA-15 binding prevented ERK1/2 membrane recruitment and threonine phosphorylation of fibroblast receptor substrate 2α (FRS2α), a key link in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor activation of ERK1/2. This reduced threonine phosphorylation led to increased FGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of FRS2α, thereby enhancing downstream signaling. Conversely, short hairpin RNA-mediated depletion of endogenous PEA-15 led to reduced FRS2α tyrosine phosphorylation. Thus, PEA-15 interrupts a negative feedback loop that terminates growth factor receptor signaling downstream of FRS2α. This is the dominant mechanism by which PEA-15 activates ERK1/2 because genetic deletion of FRS2α blocked the capacity of PEA-15 to activate the MAP kinase pathway. Thus, PEA-15 prevents ERK1/2 localization to the plasma membrane, thereby inhibiting ERK1/2-dependent threonine phosphorylation of FRS2α to promote activation of the ERK1/2 MAP kinase pathway.
Bisque: a platform for bioimage analysis and management
Authors: Kvilekval Kristian , Fedorov Dmitry , Obara Boguslaw , Singh Ambuj , Manjunath B. S.
Published: December 2009

Motivation: Advances in the field of microscopy have brought about the need for better image management and analysis solutions. Novel imaging techniques have created vast stores of images and metadata that are difficult to organize, search, process and analyze. These tasks are further complicated by conflicting and proprietary image and metadata formats, that impede analyzing and sharing of images and any associated data. These obstacles have resulted in research resources being locked away in digital media and file cabinets. Current image management systems do not address the pressing needs of researchers who must quantify image data on a regular basis.

Results: We present Bisque, a web-based platform specifically designed to provide researchers with organizational and quantitative analysis tools for 5D image data. Users can extend Bisque with both data model and analysis extensions in order to adapt the system to local needs. Bisque's extensibility stems from two core concepts: flexible metadata facility and an open web-based architecture. Together these empower researchers to create, develop and share novel bioimage analyses. Several case studies using Bisque with specific applications are presented as an indication of how users can expect to extend Bisque for their own purposes.

Availability: Bisque is web based, cross-platform and open source. The system is also available as software-as-a-service through the Center of Bioimage Informatics at UCSB.

Contact:  kris@cs.ucsb.edu; fedorov@ece.ucsb.edu

Supplementary information: The supplementary material is available at Bioinformatics online, including screen shots, metadata XML descriptions and implementation details.
Valéry: From Artistic Practice to a Conception of Drawing
Authors: Ryan Paul
Published: December 2009

This article examines the extensive artistic practice of Valéry, tracing its genesis back to his earliest drawing notebooks, many years before his legendary connections with the leading figures of the art world of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Degas, Monet, Picasso). Reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci whose
Notebooks
informed the method and form of the
Cahiers
, Valéry commonly used drawing as a complementary graphic representation of the abstract and theoretical investigations in his own notebooks as well as using it as a genetic support in the manuscripts. However, for over sixty years much of his creative output gave independent expression in the form of watercolours to his innate artistic sensibility. Valéry was not only a very accomplished painter and engraver, but devised a comprehensive theory of drawing. While some of this research emerges in the monograph
Degas Danse Dessin
and in numerous prefaces for painters and sculptors, this conception was fully developed in the privacy of the
Cahiers
across a multitude of fragments which this article synthesizes.
Randomized Study Assessing the Accuracy of Cervical Facet Joint Nerve (Medial Branch) Blocks Using Different Injectate Volumes
Authors: Cohen Steven P. , Strassels Scott A. , Kurihara Connie , Forsythe Akara , Buckenmaier Chester C. , McLean Brian , Riedy Gerard , Seltzer Sharon
Published: December 2009

Background

Neck pain is a frequent cause of disability, with facet joint arthropathy accounting for a large percentage of cases. The diagnosis of cervical facet joint pain is usually made with diagnostic blocks of the nerves that innervate them. Yet, medial branch blocks are associated with a high false-positive rate. One hypothesized cause of inaccurate diagnostic blocks is inadvertent extravasation of injectate into adjacent pain-generating structures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of medial branch blocks by using different injectate volumes.

Methods

Twenty-four patients received cervical medial branch blocks, using either 0.5 or 0.25 ml of bupivacaine mixed with contrast. One half of the patients in each group were suballocated to receive the blocks in the prone position and the other half through a lateral approach. Participants then underwent computed tomography of the cervical spine to evaluate accuracy and patterns of aberrant contrast spread.

Results

Sixteen instances of aberrant spread were observed in nine patients receiving blocks using 0.5 ml versus seven occurrences in six patients in the 0.25 ml group (P = 0.07). Aberrant spread was most commonly observed (57%) when an injection at C3 engulfed the third occipital nerve. Among the 86 nerve blocks, foraminal spread occurred in five instances using 0.5 ml and in two cases with 0.25 ml. The six "missed" nerves were equally divided between treatment groups. No significant difference in any outcome measure was observed between the prone and lateral positions.

Conclusions

Reducing the volume during cervical medial branch blocks may improve precision and accuracy.
Cerebral Blood Flow, Blood Volume, and Mean Transit Time Responses to Propofol and Indomethacin in Peritumor and Contralateral Brain Regions
Authors: Rasmussen Mads , Juul Niels , Christensen Søren M. , Jónsdóttir Kristjana Y. , Gyldensted Carsten , Vestergaard-Poulsen Peter , Cold Georg E. , Østergaard Leif
Published: December 2009

Background

The regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to propofol and indomethacin may be abnormal in patients with brain tumors. First, the authors tested the hypothesis that during propofol anesthesia alone and combined with indomethacin, changes in CBF, cerebral blood volume (CBV), and plasma mean transit time (MTT) differ in the peritumoral tissue compared with the contralateral normal brain region. Second, the authors tested the hypothesis that CBF and CBV are reduced and MTT is prolonged, in both regions during propofol anesthesia and indomethacin administration compared with propofol alone.

Methods

The authors studied eight patients subjected to craniotomy under propofol-fentanyl anesthesia for supratentorial brain tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging, including perfusion- and diffusion-weighted and structural sequences, was performed (1) on the day before surgery, (2) before and (3) after administration of indomethacin in the propofol-fentanyl anesthetized patient, and (4) 2 days after surgery. Maps of CBF, CBV, and MTT were calculated. The regions of interest were peritumoral gray matter and opposite contralateral gray matter. Analysis of variance was used to analyze flow data.

Results

Propofol anesthesia was associated with a median 32% (range, 3-61%) and 47% (range, 17-67%) reduction in CBF in the peritumoral and contralateral regions, respectively.The interaction between intervention with propofol and indomethacin and region of interest was not significant for any flow modalities. Neither intervention nor region was significant for MTT, CBF, and CBV (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The CBF, CBV, and MTT responses to propofol and indomethacin are not different in the peritumoral region compared with contralateral brain tissue. Indomethacin did not further influence regional CBF, CBV, and MTT during propofol anesthesia.
Blood Pressure, but Not Cerebrospinal Fluid Fentanyl Concentration, Predicts Duration of Labor Analgesia from Spinal Fentanyl
Authors: Nelson Kenneth E. , Houle Timothy T. , Eisenach James C.
Published: December 2009

Background

There is a wide variability in dilution of drugs in cerebrospinal fluid after spinal injection, as measured near the site of injection. With local anesthetics, there is a wide variability in speed of onset, which correlates with block duration. The authors tested whether local cerebrospinal fluid drug concentrations and onset time would predict duration of analgesia from spinal fentanyl in laboring women.

Methods

After written informed consent, fentanyl (50 microg) was injected using the combined spinal epidural method in 56 women requesting analgesia for labor. The stylet was reinserted in the spinal needle, and 60 s later, the cerebrospinal fluid was aspirated for fentanyl assay. Time to analgesia and duration of analgesia were recorded, and data were analyzed by linear regression.

Results

Fifty-two women were included for data analysis. The cerebrospinal fluid fentanyl concentrations were 3.1 +/- 5.9 microg/ml, with a 7-fold range (0.9-5.9 microg/ml). Fentanyl concentration did not correlate with onset, initial sensory level at 5 and 10 min, or duration of analgesia. Decreased diastolic and increased systolic blood pressure and lower parity, but not fentanyl concentrations, correlated with longer labor analgesia. The resultant model was predictive when applied to data from four previous studies of spinal opioid analgesia duration.

Conclusions

Contrary to our hypothesis, the local concentration of fentanyl in the cerebrospinal fluid 1 min after injection was not correlated with onset or duration of labor analgesia. The unexpected but consistent relationship between blood pressure and combined spinal epidural analgesia duration suggests that resting hemodynamic state affects the distribution and/or clearance of intrathecally administered opioids.
Incidence, Reversal, and Prevention of Opioid-induced Respiratory Depression
Authors: Dahan Albert , Aarts Leon , Smith Terry W.
Published: December 2009

Opioid treatment of pain is generally safe with 0.5% or less events from respiratory depression. However, fatalities are regularly reported. The only treatment currently available to reverse opioid respiratory depression is by naloxone infusion. The efficacy of naloxone depends on its own pharmacological characteristics and on those (including receptor kinetics) of the opioid that needs reversal. Short elimination of naloxone and biophase equilibration half-lives and rapid receptor kinetics complicates reversal of high-affinity opioids. An opioid with high receptor affinity will require greater naloxone concentrations and/or a continuous infusion before reversal sets in compared with an opioid with lower receptor affinity. The clinical approach to severe opioid-induced respiratory depression is to titrate naloxone to effect and continue treatment by continuous infusion until chances for renarcotization have diminished. New approaches to prevent opioid respiratory depression without affecting analgesia have led to the experimental application of serotinine agonists, ampakines, and the antibiotic minocycline.