bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clay mineral formation during podzolization in an alpine environment of the Tatra Mountains, Poland
Authors: Skiba Michał
Published: November 2007

The processes of clay mineral formation were studied in seven podzol profiles developed on granitic regoliths in the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains. The selected profiles have similar parent material and macroscopically represent different stages of soil development (from initial to advanced). Bulk soil material (<2 mm fraction) and separated clay fractions (<2 µm) were studied using a petrographic microscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectrometry methods. The mineral compositions of the bulk soil samples are more or less the same (quartz, feldspars, mica and minor amounts of other phyllosilicates). The clay fractions are composed of mica and mixed-layer minerals which contain hydrated interlayers of vermiculitic and/or smectitic type, and kaolinite. Smaller amounts of chlorite, feldspars and quartz were also identified. Chlorite is present almost exclusively (except for one profile) in lower soil horizons (C, B/C, B). The amount of minerals with hydrated interlayers increases up the profiles. Kaolinite is present in all the samples except for the lowermost soil horizons (C) of two of the profiles. In some of the B horizons, the formation of hydroxy interlayers within hydrated interlayers is observed. The main processes of clay mineral formation recognized in the soils studied are: inheritance from the parent rocks; crystallization of kaolinite from soil solutions; the formation of dioctahedral vermiculite at the expense of inherited dioctahedral mica, and the formation of dioctahedral smectite at the expense of vermiculite. The recognized sequence of transformation is as follows: M → R0 M-V (12 Å or 14 Å) → R0 M-12 Å V → R1 M-12 Å V → 12 Å V → V-S → S. Observed formation of hydroxy interlayers seems to be pH dependent, starting when the pH ⩾ 4.4. The process of dissolution of primary silicates occurring simultaneously with the transformation is also documented.
Mixed-valent Fe films (‘schwimmeisen’) on the surface of reduced ephemeral pools
Authors: Grathoff Georg H. , Baham John E. , Easterly Heather R. , Gassman Paul , Hugo Richard C.
Published: November 2007

Floating, mixed-valent Fe films have been observed worldwide in wetlands, ferrous iron-rich seeps, and in seasonally reduced soils, but are usually misidentified as oil or biofilms. There has been little characterization or explanation of their formation. Along the Oregon coast such films were found on ephemeral pools where Fe(II)-rich groundwater (∼100 µM Fe) has been discharged at the base of Pleistocene sand dunes. Fe(II) oxidized to Fe(III) at the air-water interface to form ∼100–300 nm thick films. Analyses indicated that the films contained both Fe(III) and Fe(II) in a ratio of 3:1; Si was the other main cation; OH was the main anion and some C was also identified. The film morphology was flat under optical and electron microscopy with some attached floccules having a string-like morphology. Energy-filtered electron diffraction patterns showed three diffraction rings at 4.5, 2.6 and 1.4 Å in some places and two rings (2.6 and 1.4 Å) in others. Upon further oxidation the films became 2-line ferrihydrite. We are proposing the name ‘schwimmeisen’ for the floating, mixed-valent Fe film.
Making a Go of It: Paternity and Prohibition in the Films of Wes Anderson
Authors: Gooch Joshua
Published: November 2007

Abstract: Wes Anderson's films are narratives about fatherhood structured by fatherhood, both in terms of technique and thematics. Reading Anderson's films through a Lacanian lens reveals the impact of castration on Anderson's work and how his films put viewers through the work of signification and its concomitant losses.
Irresistible Death: 21 Grams as Melodrama
Authors: Stewart Michael
Published: November 2007

Abstract: This essay applies theories of film melodrama to Alejandro González Iñárritu's 21 Grams. It argues that the film presents a turn, progressively, away from the garishness, irony, and hysteria of Sirkian melodrama, as well as the utopian sentiment of various women's and/or rites of passage films, toward nihilism, the abject, and what Jeffrey Sconce calls "cold melodrama."
A Mexican Nouvelle Vague : The Logic of New Waves under Globalization
Authors: Menne Jeff
Published: November 2007

Abstract: This article historicizes the cinematic phenomenon of "new waves" in an effort to descry the set of conditions for their emergence. By deeming the nation-state one such condition, the essay contends that new waves will disappear or find new purpose under globalization. The Mexican "new wave" suggests this new purpose.
Kuhle Wampe and the Problem of Corporal Culture
Authors: Rippey Theodore F
Published: November 2007

Abstract: Kuhle Wampe both thwarts and fosters visceral spectator response, and this tension suggests the limits of the collective body culture the film envisions. Specifying these limits deepens our insight into the politics of the body in the Weimar Republic and the general relationship of corporality and ideology.
An Objective Aural-Relative in Middlemarch
Authors: Capuano Peter J
Published: November 2007

This essay contends that musical sound—formally described and ideologically inscribed in Schopenhauerian philosophy—offers an alternate mode of realism in a novel traditionally praised for its imagistic precision. It traces George Eliot’s construction of realism as well as her formulation of sympathy in Middlemarch to the decisions she made in 1853 as the co-editor of the Westminster Review. The essay avoids positing the replacement of the optical by the aural, but rather considers how Schopenhauer’s influence on George Eliot complicates the enduring realist connection between seeing and knowing.
Recent Studies in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Russett Margaret
Published: November 2007

An assessment of recent scholarly work treating the literature of the nineteenth century and some general observations on the state of the profession. A full bibliography and price list of the works received by SEL for consideration follow.
Manfred 's Mental Theater and the Construction of Knowledge
Authors: Bernhard Jackson Emily A
Published: November 2007

Byron’s Manfred marks a turning point in the evolution of its author’s epistemology. Through the drama’s construction, action, and dialogue, Byron frames knowledge as a series of choices and as a series of rejections. In so doing, he suggests that what is usually accepted as knowledge is in fact always fundamentally unsound and that actual knowledge is unattainable. Manfred is an inherently teasing text, one that mocks the possibility of truth by mocking its hero and itself. Through this teasing, Byron uses Manfred’s skepticism to demonstrate the liberating power of radical doubt.
Thomas De Quincey and the Language of Literature: Or, on the Necessity of Ignorance
Authors: McGrath Brian
Published: November 2007

While critics have often commented on the distinction between knowledge and power that emerges in Thomas De Quincey’s definition of literature, such comment has tended to read the definition in isolation from its context in “Letters to a Young Man Whose Education Has Been Neglected” (1823). De Quincey does not merely celebrate literature for the heightened emotional state that it supplies but also offers literature in response to the sheer number of books that wait to be read, which causes a form of madness. Literature’s function in “Letters” is to counter the madness for more knowledge that reading always possibly inspires.
The Problem of Immunity in The Last Man
Authors: Melville Peter
Published: November 2007

This essay challenges recent explanations of the uniquely robust immunology of Lionel Verney, narrator of Mary Shelley’s The Last Man. Most readers point to Lionel’s encounter with a dying black man as the source of his immunity to the plague that decimates the rest of humanity in the twilight of the twenty-first century. Because this explanation is inconsistent with the plague’s epidemiology, this paper seeks alternate reasons for Lionel’s resilience and reads Lionel’s encounter with the black man as a moment in which the novel’s models of universal compassion collapse in the face of abject suffering and racial alterity.
A comparison of efficiency of two photoinitiators for polymerization of light‐cure dental composite resins
Authors: Lizymol P. P. , Krishnan V. Kalliyana
Published: November 2007

The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of two photoinitiators, (−)camphorquinone (CQ) and 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐propanedione (PPD) on curing performance of light‐cure dental composite resins. Bisphenol A‐glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) monomer mixture was used as the resin matrix. The resin matrix was mixed with CQ and/or PPD along with 0.25% of 4‐(dimethyl amino) phenethyl alcohol (DMAPEA) catalyst. The effect of photoinitiator on curing performance was evaluated and compared in terms of properties such as depth of cure, diametral tensile strength (DTS), flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), vickers hardness number (VHN), water sorption (WS), and solubility of cured composite. Statistical evaluation using Analysis of Variance (single factor) showed that the photosensitization efficiency of CQ and PPD are comparable. However, their combination showed synergistic effect for properties such as DTS and solubility. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Factors which affect the stability of highly unsaturated fatty acids. I. Differences in the oxidation of conjugated and nonconjugated linoleic acid
Authors: Allen R. R. , Jackson A. , Kummerow F. A.
Published: November 2007

The autoxidation of Δ9, 12 and Δ10, 12 methyl linoleate or the acids of these methyl esters was carried out under various conditions and the changes in characteristics compared by the removal of small samples at selected intervals of time. The results indicated that during the initial stages of autoxidation of Δ9, 12 methyl linoleate at 30°C. all of the oxygen could be demonstrated as peroxide, oxygen. On the other hand, no peroxide oxygen was former until the Δ10, 12 methyl linoleate had been oxidized for more than 100 hours. Furthermore, it was suggested that oxygen at room temperature was as effective in rearranging the CH:CH CH2 CH:CH system as alkali hydroxide and high temperature.
Spectrophotometric and chromatographic investigations of the oil of sapium sebiferum
Authors: Huang Pao‐Tung , Holman Palph T. , Potts William M.
Published: November 2007

Absorption spectra of stillingia oil and its acids indicate the presence of a new fatty acid with a smooth absorption band having a maximum at 2600 Å and an inflection at 3100 Å. This light absorptive property appears to be associated with the optical activity and high refractive index. The light absorption and optical activity are reduced by heat in the absence of air.

The unknown constituent can be concentrated by chromatographic adsorption of the ethyl esters in alcohol solution on an alumina column.

Chromatography of stillingia oil indicates that it can be separated into fraction having widely different properties.
Fixed oils of Mexico. IV. Napahuite (Trichilia hirta L.)
Authors: Munguia Rodolfo Ruiz , Millares Ricardo , Gurley N. F. , Lloyd W. R.
Published: November 2007

The physical and chemical characteristics of the oil from the seed of the napahuite, tre (Trichilia hirta L.) have been determined.

The composition of the oil has been calculated.
Fixed oils of Mexico. V. Mamey (Calocarpum mammamosum L.)
Authors: Munguia Rodolfo Ruiz , Millares Ricardo , Gurley N. F. , Lloyd W. R.
Published: November 2007

The physical and chemical characteristics of the oil of the fruit of the mamey [Calocarpum mammosum (L.) Pierre] have been reported.

The composition of the oil has been calculated.
Tangerine seed oil
Authors: Swift Lyle James
Published: November 2007

Conclusions

Some physical and chemical properties of tangerine seed oil were determined. Evidence for the presence of linolenic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, and an unidentified hydroxy acid was obtained and the percentages of these acids were determined.
SuPr‐1‐mediated desumoylation regulates the repressor activity of ΔNp63α
Authors: Lee Hae-ock , Cho Mioh , Lee Jung-Hwa , Kim Hyo-Sil , Yun Yungdae , Lee Hyunsook
Published: November 2007

ΔNp63α is exclusively expressed in stem cells and progenitor cells of the stratified epithelia. It promotes cell proliferation by antagonizing p53 and related TAp63/TAp73. Here, we report that specific desumoylation by SUMO protease SuPr‐1 provides a fine‐tuning mechanism for ΔNp63α repressor activity. We found that disrupting the sumoylation site compromised ΔNp63α repressor activity profoundly against TAp63γ and TAp73β‐mediated transcription activation, but not to p53‐mediated transcription. We further found that SuPr‐1 specifically bound to sumoylated ΔNp63α and hydrolyzed SUMO. Consequently, SuPr‐1 expression reduced ΔNp63α repressor activity to TAp63γ and TAp73β, whereas p53‐mediated transactivation was unaffected. Collectively, these data suggest that SuPr‐1‐mediated ΔNp63α desumoylation elaborately regulates epithelial growth.
Spatio‐temporal variability of daily and weekly precipitation extremes in South America
Authors: Khan Shiraj , Kuhn Gabriel , Ganguly Auroop R. , Erickson David J. , Ostrouchov George
Published: November 2007

Spatial and temporal variability of precipitation extremes are investigated by utilizing daily observations available at 2.5° gridded fields in South America for the period 1940–2004. All 65 a of data from 1940–2004 are analyzed for spatial variability. The temporal variability is investigated at each spatial grid by utilizing 25‐a moving windows from 1965–2004 and visualized through plots of the slope of the regression line in addition to its quality measure (R2). The Poisson‐generalized Pareto (Poisson‐GP) model, which is a peaks over threshold (POT) approach, is applied to weekly precipitation maxima residuals based on the 95%‐quantile threshold, while daily data are utilized to analyze the number of consecutive daily extremes and daily extremes in a month based on the 99%‐quantile threshold. Using the Poisson‐GP model, we compute parameters of the GP distribution, return levels (RL) and a new measure called the precipitation extremes volatility index (PEVI). The PEVI measures the variability of extremes and is expressed as a ratio of return levels. From 1965–2004, the PEVI shows increasing trends in the Amazon basin except eastern parts, few parts of the Brazilian highlands, north‐west Venezuela including Caracas, north Argentina, Uruguay, Rio De Janeiro, São Paulo, Asuncion, and Cayenne. Catingas, few parts of the Brazilian highlands, São Paulo and Cayenne experience increasing number of consecutive 2‐ and 3‐days extremes from 1965–2004. The number of daily extremes, computed for each month, suggest that local extremes occur mostly from December to April with July to October being relatively quiet periods.
Dynamics of proteins: Light scattering study of dilute and dense colloidal suspensions of eye lens homogenates
Authors: Giannopoulou A. , Aletras A. J. , Pharmakakis N. , Papatheodorou G. N. , Yannopoulos S. N.
Published: November 2007

We report a dynamic light scattering study on protein suspensions of bovine lens homogenates at conditions (pH and ionic strength) similar to the physiological ones. Light scattering data were collected at two temperatures, 20 and 37°C, over a wide range of concentrations from the very dilute limit up to the dense regime approaching the physiological lens concentration. A comparison with experimental data from intact bovine lenses was advanced, revealing differences between dispersions and lenses at similar concentrations. In the dilute regime, two scattering entities were detected and identified with the long-time self-diffusion modes of α-crystallins and their aggregates, which naturally exist in lens nucleus. Upon increasing protein concentration, significant changes in time correlation function were observed starting at ∼75mgml−1, where a new mode originating from collective diffusive motions becomes visible. Self-diffusion coefficients are temperature insensitive, whereas the collective diffusion coefficient depends strongly on temperature revealing a reduction of the net repulsive interparticle forces with decreasing temperature. While there are no rigorous theoretical approaches on particle diffusion properties for multicomponent, nonideal hard sphere polydispersed systems, as the suspensions studied here, a discussion of the volume fraction dependence of the long-time self-diffusion coefficient in the context of existing theoretical approaches was undertaken. This study is purported to provide some insight into the complex light scattering pattern of intact lenses and the interactions between the constituent proteins that are responsible for lens transparency. This would lead to understand basic mechanisms of specific protein interactions that lead to lens opacification (cataract) under pathological conditions.
Structural characterization study of FeCo alloy nanoparticles in a highly porous aerogel silica matrix
Authors: Carta D. , Mountjoy G. , Gass M. , Navarra G. , Casula M. F. , Corrias A.
Published: November 2007

A series of FeCo–SiO2 nanocomposite aerogels having different FeCo loadings of 3, 5, and 8wt% were prepared using a novel urea-assisted sol-gel route. The size of the nanoparticles, which was estimated using Scherrer analysis of the main peak of the x-ray diffraction pattern, varies from 3to8nm. X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) techniques at both Fe and Co K edges were used to investigate the structure of the FeCo nanoparticles. EXAFS and XANES show that FeCo nanoparticles have the typical bcc structure. Evidence of oxidation was observed in low FeCo content aerogels. Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis suggests the formation of a passivation layer of predominantly iron oxide.
Quantum-well and localized state emissions in AlInGaN deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhang J. C. , Zhu Y. H. , Egawa T. , Sumiya S. , Miyoshi M. , Tanaka M.
Published: November 2007

Injection current and temperature dependence of electroluminescence (EL) is investigated in AlInGaN deep untraviolet light-emitting diodes. Two EL bands with different behaviors are observed. The high-energy band (P1) shows a monotonous redshift and an amazing increase of intensity with increasing current, however, a “U”-shaped shift and a saturation of intensity at high current are measured for the low-energy band (P2). Accordingly, P1 and P2 are attributed to emissions from quantum-well and localized states, respectively, with P1 dominant at high current and high temperature and P2 the main emission mechanism under low temperature and low current. Modeled data based on the theory of random population for localized states in quantum wells taking into account self-heating effect agree well with the experimental results.
Size control and midinfrared emission of epitaxial PbTe∕CdTe quantum dot precipitates grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Groiss H. , Kaufmann E. , Springholz G. , Schwarzl T. , Hesser G. , Schäffler F. , Heiss W. , Koike K. , Itakura T. , Hotei T. , Yano M. , Wojtowicz T.
Published: November 2007

Epitaxial quantum dots with symmetric and highly facetted shapes are fabricated by thermal annealing of two-dimensional (2D) PbTe epilayers embedded in a CdTe matrix. By varying the thickness of the initial 2D layers, the dot size can be effectively controlled between 5 and 25nm, and areal densities as high as 3×1011cm−2 can be achieved. The size control allows the tuning of the quantum dot luminescence over a wide spectral range between 2.2 and 3.7μm. As a result, ultrabroadband emission from a multilayered quantum dot stack is demonstrated, which is a precondition for the development of superluminescent diodes operating in the near infrared and midinfrared.
Extensive simple sequence repeat genotyping of potato landraces supports a major reevaluation of their gene pool structure and classification
Authors: Spooner David M. , Núñez Jorge , Trujillo Guillermo , del Rosario Herrera María , Guzmán Frank , Ghislain Marc
Published: November 2007

Contrasting taxonomic treatments of potato landraces have continued over the last century, with the recognition of anywhere from 1 to 21 distinct Linnean species, or of Cultivar Groups within the single species
Solanum tuberosum
. We provide one of the largest molecular marker studies of any crop landraces to date, to include an extensive study of 742 landraces of all cultivated species (or Cultivar Groups) and 8 closely related wild species progenitors, with 50 nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) (also known as microsatellite) primer pairs and a plastid DNA deletion marker that distinguishes most lowland Chilean from upland Andean landraces. Neighbor-joining results highlight a tendency to separate three groups: (
i
) putative diploids, (
ii
) putative tetraploids, and (
iii
) the hybrid cultivated species
S. ajanhuiri
(diploid),
S. juzepczukii
(triploid), and
S. curtilobum
(pentaploid). However, there are many exceptions to grouping by ploidy. Strong statistical support occurs only for
S. ajanhuiri
,
S. juzepczukii
, and
S. curtilobum
. In combination with recent morphological analyses and an examination of the identification history of these collections, we support the reclassification of the cultivated potatoes into four species: (
i
)
S. tuberosum
, with two Cultivar Groups (Andigenum Group of upland Andean genotypes containing diploids, triploids, and tetraploids, and the Chilotanum Group of lowland tetraploid Chilean landraces); (
ii
)
S. ajanhuiri
(diploid); (
iii
)
S. juzepczukii
(triploid); and (
iv
)
S. curtilobum
(pentaploid). For other classifications, consistent and stable identifications are impossible, and their classification as species is artificial and only maintains the confusion of users of the gene banks and literature.
The Power of the Positive: Revisiting Weak Coherence in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Happé Francesca G. E. , Booth Rhonda D. L.
Published: November 2007

This paper reexamines Frith's original concept of weak coherence, its historical origins, recent reformulations, and alternative accounts. We suggest that the key notion of reduced global integration of information, which Frith proposed to underlie the assets in local processing, has been neglected in recent accounts of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In fact, most paradigms used to test weak coherence conflate global and local processing, often placing them in direct trade-off, so that it is not possible to tell whether patterns of performance in ASD reflect reduced global processing, increased local processing, or both. We review the literature from typical development and ASD that may be pertinent to this distinction and examine some data from our own studies. Only once tasks are devised that measure separately the effects of reduced global processing and increased local processing will it be possible to test the on-line and developmental relations between these two aspects of “weak coherence”. Some preliminary ideas about these relationships are discussed, and suggestions are made for why disentangling two possibly independent dimensions of weak coherence may be timely and productive.
Autism, Hypersystemizing, and Truth
Authors: Baron-Cohen Simon
Published: November 2007

Evidence is reviewed suggesting that, in the general population, empathizing and systemizing show strong sex differences. The function of systemizing is to predict lawful events, including lawful change, or patterns in data. Also reviewed is the evidence that individuals on the autistic spectrum have degrees of empathizing difficulties alongside hypersystemizing. The hypersystemizing theory of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) proposes that people with ASC have an unusually strong drive to systemize. This can explain their preference for systems that change in highly lawful or predictable ways; why they become disabled when faced with systems characterized by less lawful change; and their “need for sameness” or “resistance to change”. If “truth” is defined as lawful patterns in data then, according to the hypersystemizing theory, people with ASC are strongly driven to discover the “truth”.
The Curious Incident of the Photo that was Accused of Being False: Issues of Domain Specificity in Development, Autism, and Brain Imaging
Authors: Perner Josef , Leekam Susan
Published: November 2007

We resume an exchange of ideas with Uta Frith that started before the turn of the century. The curious incident responsible for this exchange was the finding that children with autism fail tests of false belief, while they pass Zaitchik's (1990) photograph task (Leekam & Perner, 1991). This finding led to the conclusion that children with autism have a domain-specific impairment in Theory of Mind (mental representations), because the photograph task and the false-belief task are structurally equivalent except for the nonmental character of photographs. In this paper we argue that the false-belief task and the false-photograph task are not structurally equivalent and are not empirically associated. Instead a truly structurally equivalent task is the false-sign task. Performance on this task is strongly associated with the false-belief task. A version of this task, the misleading-signal task, also poses severe problems for children with autism (Bowler, Briskman, Gurvidi, & Fornells-Ambrojo, 2005). These new findings therefore challenge the earlier interpretation of a domain-specific difficulty in inferring mental states and suggest that children with autism also have difficulty understanding misleading nonmental objects. Brain imaging data using false-belief, “false”-photo, and false-sign scenarios provide further supporting evidence for our conclusions.
Frames of Reference in Social Cognition
Authors: de Vignemont Frédérique
Published: November 2007

How is mindreading affected by social context? It is often implicitly assumed that there is one single way to understand others, whatever the situation or the identity of the person. In contrast, I emphasize the duality of functions of mindreading depending on the context (social interaction and social observation), as well as the duality of social frames of reference (egocentric and allocentric). I argue in favour of a functional distinction between knowledge-oriented mindreading and interaction-oriented mindreading. They both aim at understanding other people's behaviour. But they do so using different strategies. However, to say that mindreading has two functions does not suffice to show that there are two kinds of mindreading. One and the same ability could accomplish different functions. Unfortunately, there has been almost no experimental data on a possible dissociation between two kinds of mindreading abilities. Nonetheless, I discuss a few results that point towards a dual ability.
Emulation and Mimicry for Social Interaction: A Theoretical Approach to Imitation in Autism
Authors: Hamilton Antonia F. de C.
Published: November 2007

The “broken-mirror” theory of autism argues that dysfunction of the “mirror neuron system” is a root cause of social disability in autism. The present paper aims to scrutinize this theory and, when it breaks down, to provide an alternative. Current evidence suggests that children with autism are able to understand and emulate goal-directed actions, but may have specific impairments in automatic mimicry of actions without goals. These data are not compatible with the broken-mirror theory, but can be accounted for by a new model called EP-M. The EP-M model segments the mirror neuron system into an indirect, parietal route for goal emulation and planning (EP) and a direct occipital-frontal route for mimicry (M). This fractionation is consistent with neuroimaging and behavioural studies of the mirror neuron system in typical children and adults. I suggest that top-down modulation of the direct M route may be dysfunctional in individuals with autism, leading to abnormal behaviours on mimicry tasks as well as other social disabilities.
Specific Disorders and Broader Phenotypes: The Case of Dyslexia
Authors: Snowling Margaret J.
Published: November 2007

Two studies investigating the cognitive phenotype of dyslexia are described. Study 1 compared three groups of English and Italian children on speed of processing tasks: (a) children with dyslexia, (b) generally delayed poor readers and (c) CA-controls. In tests of simple and choice reaction time and two visual scanning tasks, children with dyslexia performed like controls and significantly faster than generally delayed poor readers. A second prospective longitudinal investigation of children at family risk of dyslexia showed that problems of literacy development were less circumscribed, with affected children showing phonological deficits in the context of more general oral language difficulties. An important finding was that the risk of dyslexia was continuous in this sample; among at-risk children with normal literacy development, mild impairments of phonological skills were apparent early in development, and subtle difficulties with reading fluency and spelling emerged in early adolescence. A case series extended these findings to show that phonological deficits alone are insufficient to explain literacy difficulties, and it is children with multiple deficits (including language problems) that are more likely to succumb to reading failure.
Cognition to Genes via the Brain in the Study of Conduct Disorder
Authors: Viding Essi , Jones Alice P.
Published: November 2007

Although a single diagnostic label, conduct disorder, is currently applied to children exhibiting antisocial behaviour, multiple routes to the same behavioural phenomena exist. Morton and Frith's (1995) causal modelling has been fundamentally important in influencing models of cognitive/affective and associated neural differences between callous-unemotional (CU) and reactive/threat-based antisocial behaviour. Current behavioural genetic research is still catching up with the developmental cognitive neuroscience, and very few genetically informative studies differentiate between these two subtypes of antisocial behaviour. Our own work with preadolescent twins suggests that while the CU subtype is genetically vulnerable to antisocial behaviour, the non-CU subtype manifests a primarily environmental aetiology to their antisocial behaviour. Molecular genetic work to date has not differentiated between these two subtypes, and we highlight why it might be of interest to do so. Finally, we discuss how the novel approach of imaging genetics could be harnessed to study genes to cognition pathways for different subtypes of conduct disorder. Uta Frith's contributions to articulating research strategies for developmental disorders are important in conducting and interpreting this work.
GEAR: genomic enrichment analysis of regional DNA copy number changes
Authors: Kim Tae-Min , Jung Yu-Chae , Rhyu Mun-Gan , Jung Myeong Ho , Chung Yeun-Jun
Published: November 2007

Summary: We developed an algorithm named GEAR (genomic enrichment analysis of regional DNA copy number changes) for functional interpretation of genome-wide DNA copy number changes identified by array-based comparative genomic hybridization. GEAR selects two types of chromosomal alterations with potential biological relevance, i.e. recurrent and phenotype-specific alterations. Then it performs functional enrichment analysis using a priori selected functional gene sets to identify primary and clinical genomic signatures. The genomic signatures identified by GEAR represent functionally coordinated genomic changes, which can provide clues on the underlying molecular mechanisms related to the phenotypes of interest. GEAR can help the identification of key molecular functions that are activated or repressed in the tumor genomes leading to the improved understanding on the tumor biology.

Availability: GEAR software is available with online manual in the website, http://www.systemsbiology.co.kr/GEAR/.

Contact:  yejun@catholic.ac.kr
Fusion and combination in audio-visual integration
Authors: Omata Kei , Mogi Ken
Published: November 2007

Language is essentially multi-modal in its sensory origin, the daily conversation depending heavily on the audio-visual (AV) information. Although the perception of spoken language is primarily dominated by audition, the perception of facial expression, particularly that of the mouth, helps us comprehend speech. The McGurk effect is a striking phenomenon where the perceived phoneme is affected by the simultaneous observation of lip movement, and probably reflects the underlying AV integration process. The elucidation of the principles involved in this unique perceptual anomaly poses an interesting problem. Here we study the nature of the McGurk effect by means of neural networks (self-organizing maps, SOM) designed to extract patterns inherent in audio and visual stimuli. It is shown that a McGurk effect-like classification of incoming information occurs without any additional constraint or procedure added to the network, suggesting that the anomaly is a consequence of the AV integration process. Within this framework, an explanation is given for the asymmetric effect of AV pairs in causing the McGurk effect (fusion or combination) based on the ‘distance’ relationship between audio or visual information within the SOM. Our result reveals some generic features of the cognitive process of phoneme perception, and AV sensory integration in general.
Pattern and timing of diversification in
Yucca
(Agavaceae): specialized pollination does not escalate rates of diversification
Authors: Smith Christopher Irwin , Pellmyr Olle , Althoff David M , Balcázar-Lara Manuel , Leebens-Mack James , Segraves Kari A
Published: November 2007

The yucca–yucca moth interaction is one of the most well-known and remarkable obligate pollination mutualisms, and is an important study system for understanding coevolution. Previous research suggests that specialist pollinators can promote rapid diversification in plants, and theoretical work has predicted that obligate pollination mutualism promotes cospeciation between plants and their pollinators, resulting in contemporaneous, parallel diversification. However, a lack of information about the age of
Yucca
has impeded efforts to test these hypotheses. We used analyses of 4322 AFLP markers and cpDNA sequence data representing six non-protein-coding regions (trnT–trnL, trnL, trnL intron, trnL–trnF, rps16 and clpP intron 2) from all 34 species to recover a consensus organismal phylogeny, and used penalized likelihood to estimate divergence times and speciation rates in
Yucca
. The results indicate that the pollination mutualism did not accelerate diversification, as
Yucca
diversity (34 species) is not significantly greater than that of its non-moth-pollinated sister group,
Agave sensu latissimus
(240 species). The new phylogenetic estimates also corroborate the suggestion that the plant–moth pollination mutualism has at least two origins within the Agavaceae. Finally, age estimates show significant discord between the age of
Yucca
(
ca
6–10 Myr) and the current best estimates for the age of their pollinators (32–40 Myr).
Pupil use of a school intranet's library pages
Authors: Shenton Andrew K. , Johnson Andrew
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate pupil use of a newly‐created section of a school intranet established to promote greater interest in the organisation's library.

Design/methodology/approach

In October 2006, data collected over a two‐week period via Microsoft SharePoint, the software which supports the intranet, were examined in order to explore overall levels of use of the library pages, differences in interest between girls and boys, variations in use among youngsters in the particular year groups and the extent to which use changed over time.

Findings

Although an equal number of girls and boys visited the library pages, the former recorded more hits. Use was greatest among Year Eleven females but few youngsters of either gender or any age returned to the library section on a day subsequent to their initial visit. Interest fell away rapidly within days of the principal phase of data collection commencing.

Research limitations/implications

The data employed were limited to the usage figures provided by the SharePoint log. Future research should, if possible, address whether the new intranet section has led to greater use of the actual library.

Practical implications

To ensure that consultation of library pages is sustained over a prolonged period, much needs to be done to tie their content into wider school activities.

Originality/value

This is the first paper devoted to pupil use of a section of a school intranet specifically developed to publicise the organisation's library, and it will interest both academics studying young people's information behaviour and school librarians considering ways of promoting their libraries.
Disciplinary repositories in the social sciences
Authors: Xia Jingfeng
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the development of disciplinary repositories in the social sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

The concentration of this article is on a discussion of the operational styles of existing repositories.

Findings

The paper argues that appropriate operational styles of digital repositories will change the culture of information exchange in the social science disciplines. It finds that many successful repositories have employed the strategy of decentralization in their operations. This model can efficiently and effectively reach individual scholars in broad areas.

Originality/value

Most existing repositories in the social sciences have not gained ground in attracting scholars. They could learn from successful repositories to improve their own operational plans.
Representing evidence about interpersonal relationships of public people in the Semantic Web
Authors: García‐Barriocanal Elena , Sicilia Miguel‐Angel
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe an attempt to provide a model for the description of the major aspects of historical interpersonal relationships between celebrities, with a focus on modelling different kinds of evidence about them, from documented and contrasted data to mere rumours.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of analysis of cases and ontology engineering. A formal schema is provided for the model. The way information can be organized according to this is illustrated with examples about life facts and rumours regarding a popular Hollywood actress.

Findings

Some web systems that exploit the representation of personal relationships for purposes such as finding jobs or business opportunities have gained popularity recently. These systems enable users to take advantage of their personal information when combined with information provided by others who are willing to attain similar objectives. However, the importance of that kind of social information can also be applied to other fields in which the information is not directly provided by users, but comes from historical evidence or indirect sources. This is especially relevant to creating knowledge representations that attempt to reconstruct the social networks of celebrities or historical characters.

Originality/value

The model described in this paper can be used to gain insight regarding the historical course of their lives, and of their work relationships, as affected by personal ties. Further, the model could also be used to understand other culture‐bound issues or phenomena in the social sphere.
E‐Sri Lanka: bridging the digital divide
Authors: Gamage Premila , Halpin Edward F.
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The overall aim of this study is to examine the impact of e‐Sri Lanka's Telecentre Development Programme in bridging the digital divide.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey research method was used in the study to collect qualitative and quantitative data from actual and potential Telecentre users in relevant communities. The study was carried out through a survey. The primary sample comprised of 30 percent of the Telecentres. The secondary sample included users and potential users around the Telecentres. The total number of users and potential users was 338. The study was conducted from early January 2005 to the of end February 2006.

Findings

The survey data disclosed that still only a small percentage of the total population are aware of Telecentres and use the facilities offered by them. The crucial factor affecting usage is language. According to the majority of respondents, as they understand only native languages they have not benefited from services such as like the internet and e‐mail. The content or the information that can be offered through Telecentres plays a pivotal role in this regard. Out of the 70 percent of rural population, the majority are not familiar with the English language. Therefore, Sinhala‐ and Tamil‐speaking people are disadvantaged. The survey data confirms that all Telecentres are highly (100 per cent) dependent on subsidies provided by ICTA. Hence, the sustainability of Telecentres is questionable at present.

Research limitations/implications

The Telecentres situated in the North East region had to be excluded from the study due to the resumption of hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and a corresponding lack of access and security in the region. The North East Province contains 9.84 per cent of Telecentres set up under the project.

Practical implications

The findings of the study will help policy makers, decision makers and donors to properly address the key issues such as connectivity, accessibility, content and services, sustainability, skills development, partnerships with stakeholders and the needs of disadvantaged groups. Further, the problems and successes identified by the study will be useful for policy and decision makers to ensure the sustainability of the Telecentres and how the e‐Sri Lanka initiative and especially the 1,000 Telecentre project could be used to narrow the digital divide in Sri Lanka.

Originality/value

This will be the first in‐depth study on the Telecentres, which are one of the major components of the government's e‐Sri Lanka initiative. The findings and methods used to analyse the data will be relevant to future studies of community‐based ICT initiatives and the broader areas of information‐seeking, information‐seeking behaviour, and user needs.
Cataloguing and classification online: the experience of Redeemer's University Library
Authors: Adeleke A.A. , Olorunsola R.
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the use of ICT by cataloguers at a private university library in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A description of the procedures and processes undertaken is given.

Findings

The description of the processes involved in the use of ICT by cataloguers reveals the effectiveness and efficiency of online searches for the purpose of cataloguing and classification. A few were identified. The study shows the potential offered by the use of ICT, which libraries in developing nations – and indeed Nigeria – have not fully embraced. The paper reveals the low level of ICT literacy in libraries in Nigeria and concludes that this is a result of the deficiency in the practical training of librarians in the use of ICT in Nigerian library schools.

Practical implications

The conclusion is that there is an urgent need for librarians in developing nations to gain proficiency in the use of ICT as a tool in libraries.

Originality/value

The paper provides information on the level of ICT use for cataloguing and classification in a private university library in Nigeria. This experience shows the importance of why libraries in developing countries should address the desired level of ICT literacy among their librarians.
Determinants of client‐initiated and auditor‐initiated auditor changes
Authors: Calderon Thomas G. , Ofobike Emeka
Published: November 2007

Purpose

Prior studies include auditor‐initiated (AI) and client‐initiated (CI) auditor changes together and conduct research as though they were the same. This paper aims to hypothesize that AI and CI changes are driven by different interests and to examine factors that could explain and predict them.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the prior literature, the authors classified factors into AI and CI categories a priori, and then developed hypotheses that aligned with the classification. The data source is AuditAnalytics.

Findings

The univariate and multivariate analyses support the hypothesis that CI and AI separations are driven by different interests. The empirically determined prediction model (a classification and regression trees (CART)‐generated six‐step process), which performed better than other multivariate models, classifies AI and CI auditor separations with an accuracy rate of 68 percent.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that future research should incorporate the differences between AI and CI separations into their studies. One intriguing issue is the lack of importance of the variable audit fees to total fees in the CART model. Though statistically significant in some of the multivariate analyses, the variable is not important in the CART model. This issue merits further investigation as it could provide important insight into dependency issues that are presumed by current audit regulation.

Practical implications

The paper has important implications for practice. It offers insight into factors that drive CI and AI auditor separations. The CART model may serve as a decision aid for both auditors and regulators as they contemplate and evaluate auditor change decisions.

Originality/value

The paper provides original insight into AI and CI auditor changes when considered as distinct issues that are driven by different interests.
Going concern modifications, CPA firm size, and the Enron effect
Authors: Nogler George E.
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The bankruptcy of Enron and the subsequent demise of Arthur Andersen brought intense scrutiny to the accounting profession. That these events would have an effect on auditor going concern modification judgments and accounting regulation would not be surprising. This study aims to look at 1,204 publicly traded firms that filed bankruptcy in the period January 1, 1997 through December 31, 2005.

Design/methodology/approach

The observations are divided into pre‐Enron and post‐Enron periods. The paper finds the 18 largest bankruptcies represented 47 percent of the total assets entering bankruptcy in this period.

Findings

The going concern modification rate in the pre‐Enron period was 44.5 percent, in the post‐Enron period, 61.9 percent. Findings show auditors, in the presence of a consistent standard, nevertheless modify their decision making as a result of external events. This study further looks at the impact of outliers on this decision and on differences by firm size.

Research limitations/implications

By considering the entire population of publicly traded firms filing bankruptcy, overall implications and statistics are provided. This method does not allow the use of certain traditional modeling techniques.

Practical implications

The research shows auditors, despite a consistent standard, vary their going concern judgments based upon external events. The paper also suggests that “one size fits all” regulatory models may not be cost effective across the population of public firms.

Originality/value

The research provides a summary of the characteristics of the population of firms filing bankruptcy for an extended period across a changing reporting and regulatory environment.