bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embedding the attribute information into a dithered image
Authors: Tanaka Kiyoshi , Nakamura Yasuhiro , Members Kineo Matsui
Published: July 2007

Attribute information is indispensable data in the collection and storage of a large amount of image information. If these data are stored together with the image, handling of the materials would become simpler and more reliable. This paper proposes a method to embed the attribute information into a dither image by using the difference of the threshold values of the dither matrix when a multilevel image is binarized. This method can embed the attribute information of about 2 kbytes (equivalent to about 25 percent of the data for the image) into a dithered image of 256 × 256 pixels. The embedded information can be displayed or printed separately at any time. This method can restore the dither image almost perfectly by using the property of the ordered dither method.
An efficient compensation‐path finding algorithm for a large‐scale processor array
Authors: Ozawa Takao
Published: July 2007

This paper presents an algorithm for constructing a systolic array from a large‐scale rectangular grid array of processing elements (PEs), some of which may be faulty. Very recently, Kung et al. reduced this construction problem to finding compensation paths (CPs) which are extended from faulty PEs to spare PEs placed on the periphery of the rectangular array, and which satisfy the following conditions. Each of the CPs: (1) must be a horizontal or vertical straight line; (2) must not go through any other faulty PE; (3) must not cross any other CP; and (4) for each of the CPs there exists no other CP running in parallel and in the opposite direction with distance 1.

The algorithm of this paper solves the foregoing CP finding problem efficiently by taking advantage of certain properties of the grid array. Suppose that the array is placed on thex‐yplane. First, the algorithm sorts the faulty PEs with respect to theirxandycoordinates and constructs four queues for faulty PEs. Then it attempts repeatedly to find CPs for the four PEs at the exits of the four queues. At this step it uses a novel branch‐and‐bound method considering the relative positions of the four faulty PEs on thex‐yplane. The time complexity of the algorithm isO(n3) in the worst cases, wherenis the number of faulty PEs. However, it can be shown that such cases rarely happen, and in almost all cases it solves the problem inO(n2) time. The space complexity isO(n).
Acceleration of timing verification method based on time petri nets
Authors: Yoneda Tomohiro , Tohma Yoshihiro , Kondo Yutaka
Published: July 2007

A verification method based on time Petri nets automatically proves the correctness of quantitative timing properties for hard real‐time systems. However, the previously proposed method sometimes takes a very long time or requires considerable memory space to complete verifications. This is because the method generates the whole state space of time Petri nets.

This paper proposes an efficient verification method based on the single‐place zero‐reachability problem of time Petri nets, but it may be restricted by given time Petri nets. The single‐place zero‐reachability problem can be solved only by checking whether or not some prescribed transitions can finally fire. This does not require extracting the whole state space of time Petri nets.

The method proposed herein: (1) reduces the verification problem to the single‐place zero‐reachability problem of time Petri nets; and (2) generates reduced state space sufficient to check the possibility of the firings of all enabled transitions. This paper also contains an example of verifying a simple LAN protocol and compares the performance of both the proposed method and the previous method.
Self‐organizing neural networks and various euclidean traveling salesman problems
Authors: Matsuyama Yasuo
Published: July 2007

By using competitive learning, which causes just one or a group of a small number of neurons to respond to a given input, self‐organization of entire neural networks can be achieved. When this self‐organization process is applied to various kinds of travelling salesman problems in a Euclidean space, a good approximation or the true solution is obtained. We use a sequential update which looks at the position vector of each city one at a time as the training method for a neural network arranged as a closed loop. In this case, we use symmetrical connections between neurons. The number of neurons required is approximately linear in the number of cities. In the first experiment, we carried out a quantitative comparison with the simulated annealing method using 500 sets of 30 cities and demonstrated this method's superiority. Next, we obtained a good approximation on a set of 532 U.S. cities and demonstrate its superiority with respect to the increase in the number of cities in actual (realistic) data. Further, for a generalized constrained multiple‐salesman problem, we explain this method's compactness and efficiency and give an experimental example. The computation can be adequately performed by a common workstation with a serial processor.
Determination of 3‐D structure using lines viewed by a moving camera
Authors: Shigang Li , Tsuji Saburo , Imai Masakazu
Published: July 2007

This paper describes a method to determine the three‐dimensional (3‐D) structure of a room environment using lines viewed by a moving camera, assuming that the speed of the camera movement can be measured. The rotational components of the camera are estimated from the movement of the vanishing point formed by horizontal lines in a recorded image. Inclined lines in the image are eliminated from it using the difference in the properties of motions of the inclined lines and the horizontal lines in the image. The locus of the movement of the camera and the 3‐D structure of the environment are determined based on the obtained rotational components of the camera. The accuracy of this method is improved by applying the Kalman filters to the large amount of data involved when the camera rotation and the 3‐D positions of objects in the environment are calculated.
Delayed instruction execution on a long instruction word (LIW) computer
Authors: Kato Komei , Arita Takaya , Sowa Masahiro
Published: July 2007

This paper considers the long instruction word (LIW) computer and proposes the concept of the delayed execution for each field instruction composing LIW. The introduction of this concept makes it possible to adjust the execution timing in a flexible way for the field instructions in the execution of LIW. The speed is improved by the overlapped execution of the instances in the loop or the call of subroutines. It is also possible to eliminate the unused instruction field.

This paper presents the basic structure for the LIW computer with such a delayed instruction‐execution scheme. It is seen as a result of simulation that the speed of the LIW computer can be improved by 8 to 58 percent and the number of instruction words can be reduced by introducing the proposed delayed instruction‐execution scheme.
Stability of two-phase vertical flow in homogeneous porous media
Authors: Riaz Amir , Tchelepi Hamdi
Published: July 2007

Immiscible two-phase flow in porous media, which results from the downward injection of a heavier fluid or upward injection of a lighter fluid, is characterized by two shocks, one at each end of a rarefaction wave. The specific details of the saturation profile, such as the shock speeds and the shock saturations, are determined by the fractional flow function for given values of the mobility ratio and the gravity number. We employ a normal mode, matched asymptotic expansion analysis to obtain analytical expressions governing the stability behavior of such flows. Instability occurs at both ends of the one-dimensional base saturation profile with unique characteristics such that the maximum growth rate decreases both when the mobility ratio is increased at the front end and decreased at the back end. This unusual behavior is explained in terms of vorticity eigenfunctions related to nonmonotonic mobility profiles. Analysis of stability behavior as a function of fractional flow profile shows that although the fundamental mechanisms are qualitatively similar, they are associated with different parameter values in view of particular mobility profiles. Growth rates and wavenumbers predicted by the linear stability analysis are observed at the onset of the nonlinear displacement process, which is followed by the fully developed nonlinear flow with large-scale unstable structures.
Study of phonon modes in germanium nanowires
Authors: Wang Xi , Shakouri Ali , Yu Bin , Sun Xuhui , Meyyappan Meyya
Published: July 2007

The observation of pure phonon confinement effect in germanium nanowires is limited due to the illumination sensitivity of Raman spectra. In this paper we measured Raman spectra for different size germanium nanowires with different excitation laser powers and wavelengths. By eliminating the local heating effect, the phonon confinement effect for small size nanowires was clearly identified. We have also fitted the Raman feature changes to estimate the size distribution of nanowires.
Noise analysis and noise reduction methods in kilohertz pump-probe experiments
Authors: Anderson Kevin E. H. , Sewall Samuel L. , Cooney Ryan R. , Kambhampati Patanjali
Published: July 2007

We analyze sources of noise in kilohertz frequency pump/probe experiments and present a method for reducing experimental noise by identifying and filtering noisy shots. The power spectrum of instrumental noise shows high frequency, small amplitude modulations which cannot be averaged out. A histogram analysis shows that low frequency, large amplitude signals pose a serious obstacle to signal averaging for improved signal to noise. In kilohertz frequency pump/probe experiments, this low frequency noise typically arises from laser scatter due to bubbles, dust, and defects. We quantify the effectiveness in analyzing and rejecting these large amplitude signals which can produce a hindrance to the effectiveness of signal averaging.
Social psychology in India: Social roots and development
Authors: Pandey Janak , Singh Purnima
Published: July 2007

Although applied practical knowledge of social behaviours can be traced to the rich Indian intellectual traditions in philosophy, religious texts, social‐political treatises and reform movements from the ancient period, the scientific social psychology in India began in the 1920s mostly as a borrowed discipline from the West. This article reviews briefly the historical background of psychology as a scientific discipline from the founding of the first university departments at Calcutta in 1916, Mysore in 1924, and Patna in 1946. Soon after independence in 1947, the discipline slowly but widely expanded in universities and in research, technology, and management institutes throughout the country. Some early classical studies on rumour, group influences, and prejudice not only appeared in the international literature, but also influenced theoretical developments in the West. One widely cited example is Leon Festinger's use of Indian rumour transmission research in the development of cognitive dissonance theory. Later research has been influenced by the social and cultural milieu as well as national priorities. Dominant thematic areas of research have been identified. These include: attitude, prejudice, and intergroup relations; social motives and development; social influence processes; poverty, deprivation, and social justice; environment and behaviour; health beliefs and behaviour; and social values and development. Over the years social psychology in India has witnessed serious debates regarding the nature of the discipline and research methodology. These debates have centred on issues related to relevance, indigenization, and cultural appropriateness of the discipline. Such discussions are aimed at giving social psychology a distinctive look and making it more “social”. Some of these concerns are shared by social psychologists in other countries. Social psychology is and will be a prolific discipline in India as it fits with the democratic sociopolitical context that promotes and facilitates the agenda for social research. Some challenges and concerns that would make social psychology more socially and culturally relevant are discussed.
Shi'ite Leadership: In the Shadow of Conflicting Ideologies
Authors: Menashri David
Published: July 2007

The revolution in Iran stands out as a striking exception to other Middle Eastern coups of the twentieth century. While the latter have mostly been of a military-putsch type, in Iran, an apparently stable regime was toppled by a civilian, predominantly clerical, leadership capable of calling forth mass participation on a vast scale, neutralizing the army, and forcing the shah into exile. This religious leadership was strong and resourceful enough to weld its components together and to overcome ideological barriers that elsewhere, and in other circumstances, would have precluded joint action. But in Iran—where political cooperation among divergent groups has been a recurrent feature for the past hundred years—the clergy, the National Front, other middle-of-the-road liberals, and the left were able to make common cause. Reviewing the period from 1890 to the mid-1960s, Nikki Keddie writes: “Although it is a truism that politics makes strange bedfellows…the alliance between much of the religious leadership of Iran and the most advanced Westernized political activists is virtually without parallel either in the Islamic or the non-Islamic world.”
‘Abd Allah Ibn al-Muqaffa’ and the ‘Abbasid Revolution
Authors: Arjomand Said Amir
Published: July 2007

The life and works of ‘Abd Allah b. al-Muqaffa', probably the Abdala the Saracen with whose mention the Christian humanist Pico della Mirandola opens his greatOration on the Dignity of Man(1486), have received some attention in modern scholarship. His life and work, however, have not been systematically studied in the context of the revolution of his time—namely, the ‘Abbasid revolution. This paper will try to show that Ibn al-Muqaffa's impressive intellectual output appears in a new light when it is properly put in this context, and is seen from the perspective of the breakdown of the Umayyad state and the ensuing process of revolution.
Grassroots Groups, Milošević or Dissident Intellectuals? A Controversy over the Origins and Dynamics of the Mobilisation of Kosovo Serbs in the 1980s
Authors: Vladisavljević Nebojša
Published: July 2007

The mobilisation of Kosovo Serbs, barely noticeable from the capital initially but highly visible at the centre political stage between 1986 and 1988, played an important part in the political struggles of the late socialist Yugoslavia. The prevailing view in the literature is that Kosovo Serbs were little more then passive recipients of the attitudes and actions of high officials and dissident intellectuals. The elite thesis says that Belgrade-based dissident intellectuals initiated and guided the mobilisation of Kosovo Serbs, aiming to undermine the party's approach to Yugoslavia's national question and to initiate reassessment of the official policy on Kosovo and Serb–Albanian relations. According to the thesis, Milošević then took over and orchestrated the action of various groups of Kosovo Serbs in order to make the case for the removal of Kosovo's autonomy. The intellectuals and Milošević have generally supported this interpretation, claiming their role in the events leading to the constitutional change to the disadvantage of Kosovo Albanians in 1989–1990.
Employers' Responses to Demographic Changes in Rural Labour Markets: The Case of Dumfries and Galloway
Authors: Hollywood Emma , Mcquaid Ronald W.
Published: July 2007

Employers in many rural areas are facing the problem of a declining workforce due to demographic changes in the population. These demographic changes are a result of a combination of population ageing, the in-migration of mainly retired people, out-migration and low fertility rates. This paper examines how employers are adjusting to demographic changes in Dumfries and Galloway, a rural local authority in south west Scotland. The area has one of the highest proportions of older people in the UK, and as such provides a useful insight into employers' responses to population ageing. Fifty locally based employers were questioned concerning the labour market impact of population ageing and their responses to this situation. The paper argues that in order to ensure the medium-term economic viability of the local economy, employers will need a set of strategies both to attract workers to the area and to increase the participation and retention of older workers resident in the area.
Using Census and survey commuting statistics in local labour market analysis
Authors: Green Anne E.
Published: July 2007

Outline

This paper describes the context for an interest in travel-to-work patterns by those concerned with labour market analysis and local economic development. The scope, coverage and content of Census of Population and local survey data on travel-to-work patterns are reviewed, and their strengths and weaknesses compared. Examples of the types of information which can be extracted from various sources are used to illustrate similarities and variations in travel-to-work patterns by population subgroup, and analyses on travel-to-work times and the geographical extent of job search areas derived from local labour force surveys are presented.
Trading Places
Authors: Hardill Irene
Published: July 2007

This paper reports on some of the findings of a recent study on the employment impact of moving to a rural area. A case study approach is used to elucidate the choices/constraints/compromises encountered by women in in-migrant households to rural and semi-rural parts of the East Midlands, Great Britain. Rural labour markets are quantitatively and qualitatively different from urban labour markets and, while some of the surveyed in-migrant women managed to find jobs following their move, they often experienced downward occupational mobility; others withdrew from the labour market. A number of policy recommendations are also made to improve labour market access.
The development of the third sector economy in Bristol
Authors: Cooper Marion
Published: July 2007

“Economic growth, in Europe at least, does not create sufficient employment. The ‘lean’ modes of management which prevail in industry, in commerce and now in government, have reduced the employment intensity of economic growth The economy is, and is likely to remain ‘lean’ ... as a consequence of this, the nation should face up to the realities of a continuing employment demand-deficit in the economy, to the effect which this has on the communities in which joblessness is concentrated, and to the need to foster new employment intensive forms of economic activity.” (Regeneration through work — creating jobs in the social economy. CLES 1996)
Noyola's Institutional Approach to Inflation
Authors: Danby Colin
Published: July 2007

Juan Noyola is widely credited as an originator of the Latin American “structuralist” theory of inflation. His key contribution is a 1956 article comparing inflation in Mexico and Chile. However there is disagreement about the nature of this contribution, or even what “structuralist” means in this context. I argue that Noyola's innovation was grounding money and credit in a highlyinstitutionalpolitical economy of class conflict. This grounding endogenized not only money, but also policymaking and the State.
The Valuation of Coins in Medieval Jewish Jurisprudence
Authors: Schiffman Daniel A.
Published: July 2007

The corpus of Jewish legal writings contains many discussions of economic issues and ideas. Yet, aside from a small group of scholars, historians of economics have tended to ignore the texts of Jewish law. As Ephraim Kleiman (1997) points out, the sheer size and inaccessibility of the Jewish law corpus presents a major barrier. Economic ideas are scattered across a vast amount of material. The canonical text of Jewish law is the Talmud, which spans 2,700 folio pages and two million words. Hundreds of commentaries have been written on the Talmud (or parts of it). There are three major codes of Jewish Law (based on the Talmud and selected commentaries), plus commentaries on the codes and lesser known codes (based on the major codes). About one millionresponsa(questions and answers in Jewish law) are known to exist; these are collected in hundreds of books. Today, new commentaries andresponsaappear each year, in addition to multiple rabbinic journals. In order to understand these materials, the scholar must be well versed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and the reading of the Talmud.
Drugs and the Media
Authors: Bell Philip
Published: July 2007

Abstract: “Drugs” are extremely newsworthy: each year they are the subject of literally thousands of items produced by the Australian media. Most of these items are repetitious, stereotypical and narrowly focused on crime, deviance and rectification. Illegal drug consumption by individuals and the efforts of medical and social welfare professionals to eradicate the “problem” so defined are the twin foci of the press and television. Legal substances (including tobacco and alcohol) are interpreted much more ambiguously, and are relatively infrequently the subject of journalistic analysis.

The media systematically ignore the historical, economic and industrial aspects of drug production and consumption.

“Drugs”, although habitually construed as the cause of “human” and “social” problems (and hence as necessitating administrative attention), seem strangely divorced from real political economic determinations. They serve as inexhaustabled pretexts for the proliferation of television current affairs items and newspaper features which seldom resist the image of the confessing, suffering victim. “Hard” news is preoccupied with reiterating the ritual drama of drug seizures and exposes of “organised” crime. Both the press and television educate their audiences to a resigned, alienated passivity.
The Drug and Alcohol Curriculum at Flinders School of Medicine
Authors: Pols R.G. , Southgate D.
Published: July 2007

Abstract: The development and current organisation of alcohol and drug education at the Flinders University School of Medicine is described. As well as didactic and clinical teaching within the various disciplines, such as pharmacology, two electives are offered on alcohol‐related problems. One of these, “Alcohol and its effects”, has been offered since the inception of the School and is taken by 40% of students. It is acknowledged that the elective nature of these courses is something of a weakness and that more attention should be paid to misuse of prescribed and illegal drugs. There is also a need for a core training programme at postgraduate level.
Data Evaluation Procedure for High-resolution Neutron Diffraction Methods
Authors: Strunz Pavel , Lukáš Petr , Neov Dimitar
Published: July 2007

An evaluation procedure for high-resolution powder neutron diffraction data was developed for determination of microstructural parameters, such as a lattice strain, microstrain, crystallite size and/or distribution of the interplanar spacing from single diffraction lines. The standard analytical reciprocalspace models are used to treat the microstrain and crystallite size contribution to the profile broadening whereas the contribution of interplanar spacing distribution is described by the real space (generally asymmetric) function. The smearing by instrumental curve is included. The PC program created on the basis of this procedure is running in a largely automated regime and can be successfully used for fitting of large sets of spectra, e.g. recorded during in situ mechanical tests.
Thermal Microstresses Determined Using Diffraction and Self-consistent Model
Authors: Baczmanski A. , Skrzypek S.J. , Wierzbanowski K. , Lipinski P.
Published: July 2007

In this work the residual stress field in surface layer of titanium sample is determined using the X-ray diffraction method based on grazing incident angle geometry. The surface of the sample was thermally treated by laser beam causing a high level of macro and microstresses. The experimental results were analysed with help of the self-consistent model and a new method for estimation of the first and second order stresses was proposed.
Neutron Diffraction Measurement of Residual Stress in a Centrifugal Bowl of Duplex Steel
Authors: Albertini Gianni , Peng Ru Lin , Manescu Adrian , Ponzetti Araldo
Published: July 2007

As part of an integral study on operation and safety of centrifuges for food processing and agricultural applications, neutron diffraction measurement was carried out on a bowl (rotor of a centrifuge) to investigate residual stresses due to manufacturing. The bowl was made of duplex stainless steel containing 50 vol% austenite and 50 vol% ferrite. The results reveal high tensile stresses in the austenite phase and high compressive stresses in the ferrite phase. In addition, significant macroscopic stresses were observed in the hoop direction, which decreased with increasing distance from the upper surface of the bowl. The observed residual stresses were attributed to different processes employed during manufacturing.
Elastic Strain Study in Quartzites Using Neutron Diffraction
Authors: Guezou J.C. , Ceretti M. , Baudin T. , Mathon M.H. , Penelle R.
Published: July 2007

The residual elastic strains determination by neutron diffraction has been performed on quartzite samples from a former texture study. The measured complete residual strain tensor has been considered as representative of the “natural” finite plastic deformation. Such tensors fitted to plastic tensors have been introduced in texture modelings. The results demonstrate the potential of complete and meaningful strain tensor determinations in rocks.
Residual Stress Evaluation in Railway Wheel/axle
Authors: Labbé E. , Poisson N. , Prioul C. , Lodini A.
Published: July 2007

The railway industry is interested in studying the stress field at the interface between a railway wheel and its press fitted axle. The neutron diffraction technique provides a powerful tool for stress field investigations deep within the material. But the distance of neutron penetration is too high. For neutron diffraction strain measurements, a new method is proposed, involving drilling access holes to minimise the neutron path length within the material. The first step consists of determining the high-concentrated stress zone and of determining the influence of the drilling parameters on the stress. The second step is to perform neutron diffraction strain measurements. These measurements gave some elastic micro-strain values at the wheel/axle interface whose are of the same order of the values obtained by numerical simulation. Values are in good agreement with each other with a gap of 80 µε, which is near to the neutron diffraction technique sensitivity.
The Neutron Velocity Selector at the Focusing Small Angle Scattering Instrument in Jülich
Authors: Dohmen L. , Thelen J. , Alefeld B.
Published: July 2007

A new type of a neutron velocity selector (nvs) is described, aiming at low costs and very low γ-ray production. The first point was realized by using commercially available components, the second point was solved by using a new alloy containing Li6 as absorbing material for the rotor. The nvs was granted a letters patent of the FRG with the number 19904562.
Numerical methods for calculation of low-energy neutron scattering cross sections
Authors: Morishima Nobuhiro
Published: July 2007

Various numerical methods are presented for calculating neutron scattering cross sections, both differential and total, in a macro-isotropic system for which a scattering law depends only on the magnitude of momentum transfer. First, a method for the finite Fourier transform of an intermediate scattering function is described so as to yield a differential cross section with a reasonable degree of accuracy over a wide range of incident neutron energies, i.e. from ultracold (∼0.1 μeV) to epithermal (∼10 eV). Then, the method is applied to the calculation of a total scattering cross section for all incident energies mentioned above. Finally practical methods for generating cross section libraries such as a scattering-law map and a set of multigroup constants (energy-averaged cross sections) are described. Every method is illustrated with physical models for free gas, simple diffusion and molecular liquid. Relevant processing conditions are all specified, since they will be useful for further cross section calculation.
The phase space transformer instrument
Authors: Henggeler W. , Boehm M. , Allenspach P. , Furrer A.
Published: July 2007

We performed a feasibility study for a phase space transformer (PST) instrument to be implemented at a cold neutron guide at SINQ (PSI, Switzerland). The study is based on both analytical calculations and Monte-Carlo simulations with particular accent on the energy resolution and intensity. We show that the PST instrument is able to deliver thermal neutrons by up-scattering, with fluxes comparable to the today’s best thermal time-of-flight spectrometers, but with considerably better energy resolution.
Low-energy neutron vibrational spectra of high pressure phases of ice
Authors: Kolesnikov A.I. , Li J.C. , Colognesi D.
Published: July 2007

An extra intensity was observed in inelastic neutron scattering spectra at low energy transfers for vapour-deposited amorphous ice and high-density amorphous (hda) ice compared to their crystalline analogues, hexagonal ice-Ih and high-pressure phase ice-VI, respectively. These low-energy excitations (LEE) in the deposited amorphous ice can be mainly described as a Boson peak. The origin of the LEE for the hda ice is not clear; it can be either due to the Boson peak or can originate from a softening of sound waves.
Incoherent inelastic neutron scattering at small angles: studying phase transitions to orientationally disordered HCl
Authors: Colognesi D.
Published: July 2007

Phase transitions in simple H-bonded systems to structures characterized by a high degree of orientational disorder, like HCl-I and II, have not yet been studied in detail through neutron spectroscopy, given the complicated interplay between elastic, quasi-elastic and phonon scattering. Some attempts have been accomplished using coherent neutron scattering on deuterated single-crystals, providing interesting but incomplete results. On the contrary, in the present study we will show how incoherent inelastic neutron scattering at small angles (namely in the kinematic regime attained by BRISP) can offer important and unique information on these phase transitions, being able to disentangle the various scattering contributions through the spanning of the accessible momentum transfer range. Simulated examples obtained via molecular dynamics concerning HCl-I will be reported and commented.
Neutron Brillouin scattering in simple liquids and the description of their collective dynamics
Authors: Bafile U. , Barocchi F. , Demmel F. , Formisano F. , Guarini E. , Sampoli M. , Venturi G.
Published: July 2007

A comparison of models traditionally used to describe the dynamic structure factor S(Q,ω) obtained from earlier and more recent inelastic scattering studies is briefly presented. The case of monatomic systems, mostly addressed so far, is extended to the more complex case of molecular liquids. As a significant test case, the results of a recent neutron experiment on liquid methane is discussed. The relevance of neutron investigations on molecular fluids, though at the cost of some extra complication, is confirmed by the available results.
The Joy of Acceptance Diagrams
Authors: Copley John R.D.
Published: July 2007

An acceptance diagram is a convenient and instructive way to represent spatial/angular neutron distributions within a neutron scattering instrument. In complicated systems, ray-tracing is used to calculate acceptance diagrams whereas in simple systems an analytical approach is appropriate. In the latter case, the action of a device such as a collimator or reflecting guide corresponds to one or more rather simple operations on the entrance acceptance diagram. Acceptance diagrams can also be used to investigate the behavior of devices such as focusing monochromators and velocity selectors.
A New Flat-Cone Diffractometer at Studsvik Neutron Research Laboratory for Investigations of Crystalline Macromolecules
Authors: Sjölin Lennart , Andersen Leif , Lönn Benny , Grönros Martin
Published: July 2007

The relatively recent development of position-sensitive detectors for neutrons and X-rays has led to the possibility of large improvements in the efficiency of data collection with single-crystal diffractometers. Instruments using position-sensitive detectors do not have the mechanical complexity usually associated with multi-counter diffractometers. The construction of position-sensitive detectors is a well established art and these detectors are commercially available for both X-rays and neutrons. The design of a single-crystal diffractometer using a linear position-sensitive detector in flat-cone geometry is described and results from measurement .of a complete neutron data set from a crystalline macromolecule are reported. Practical details of the construction of the diffractometer, of the collection and statistical handling of the data and of data rates are discussed.
Synthesis of 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydrothiazole) benzene
Authors: Atwood D.A. , Delcamp J. , Zaman M.K.
Published: July 2007

A new compound, 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydrothiazole) benzene was synthesized by refluxing benzene-1,3-diamidoethanethiol (BDETH2) in toluene in the presence of trimethylaluminum. The compound was characterized by IR, NMR, Mass spectroscopy, Elemental Analysis, and X-ray crystallography.
Lymphatic Biology and the Microcirculation: Past, Present and Future
Authors: ZAWIEJA DAVID
Published: July 2007

Because of the role that lymphatics have in fluid and macromolecular exchange, lymphatic function has been tightly tied to the study of the microcirculation for decades. Despite this, our understanding of many basic tenets of lymphatic function is far behind that of the blood vascular system. This is in part due to the difficulty inherent in working in small, thin‐walled, clear lymphatic vessels and the relative lack of lymphatic specific molecular/cellular markers. The application of cellular and molecular tools to the field of lymphatic biology has recently produced some significant developments in lymphatic endothelial cell biology. These have propelled our understanding of lymphangiogenesis and related fields forward. Whereas the use of some of these techniques in lymphatic muscle biology has somewhat lagged behind those in the endothelium, recent developments in lymphatic muscle contractile and electrical physiology have also led to advances in our understanding of lymphatic transport function, particularly in the regulation of the intrinsic lymph pump. However, much work remains to be done. This paper reviews significant developments in lymphatic biology and discusses areas where further development of lymphatic biology via classical, cellular, and molecular approaches is needed to significantly advance our understanding of lymphatic physiology.
Focal Adhesion Kinase in Neutrophil‐Induced Microvascular Hyperpermeability
Authors: GUO MINGZHANG , Wu Mack H. , Granger Harris J. , Yuan Sarah Y.
Published: July 2007

Objective: Recent experimental evidence indicates an essential role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in mediating endothelial adhesion, contraction, and migration under physical stress and chemical stimulation. However, the functional impact of FAK on microvascular barrier property during inflammation has not been revealed. The aim of this study was to explore the potential contribution of FAK to neutrophil‐dependent microvascular hyperpermeability.

Methods: The apparent permeability coefficient of albumin was measured in intact, isolated porcine coronary venules during stimulation by C5a‐activated neutrophils. In parallel, the transendothelial flux of albumin was quantified in cultured venular endothelial cell monolayers exposed to C5a‐activated neutrophils. Western blotting and immunocytochemistry were performed to assess FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and distribution in endothelial cells, respectively. To specify the signaling effect of FAK on neutrophil‐elicited endothelial hyperpermeability, FAK‐related nonkinase (FRNK) was expressed, purified, and directly transfected into the endothelium of venules, and the permeability response to neutrophils was measured during inhibition of FAK.

Results: C5a‐activated neutrophils induced a time‐ and concentration‐dependent increase in venular permeability. Transfection of venules with FRNK did not alter the basal barrier function but greatly attenuated neutrophil‐induced hyperpermeability in a dose‐related manner. A similar permeability response to neutrophils was observed in venular endothelial cell monolayers, which was diminished after FRNK transfection. In addition, Western blot analysis showed that activated neutrophils caused a concentration‐dependent increase in FAK tyrosine phosphorylation with a time course correlating with that of venular hyperpermeability. Transfection of FRNK blocked neutrophil‐evoked FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a significant morphological change of FAK from a punctuated, dot‐like pattern under normal conditions to an elongated, dash‐like staining that aligned with the longitudinal axis of cells upon neutrophil stimulation.

Conclusion: The results suggest that focal adhesion kinase significantly contributes to the endothelial hyperpermeability response to neutrophil activation. Phosphorylation of FAK may play an important signaling role in the regulation of microvascular barrier function during inflammation.
Microvascular Thrombosis Models in Venules and Arterioles In Vivo
Authors: RUMBAUT ROLANDO E. , SLAFF DICK W. , BURNS ALAN R.
Published: July 2007

Platelets are intimately involved in hemostasis and thrombosis. Under physiological conditions, circulating platelets do not interact with microvascular walls. However, in response to microvascular injury, platelet adhesion and subsequent thrombus formation may be observed in venules and arterioles in vivo. Numerous intravital video microscopy techniques have been described to induce and monitor the formation of microvascular thrombi. The mechanisms of microvascular injury vary widely among different models. Some models induce platelet activation with minimal effects on endothelium, others induce endothelial inflammation or injury, while other models lead to thrombus formation associated with endothelial denudation. The molecular mechanisms mediating platelet–vessel wall adhesive interactions differ among various models. In some instances, differences in responses between venules and arterioles are described that cannot be explained solely by hemodynamic factors. Several models for induction of microvascular thrombosis in vivo are outlined in this review, with a focus on the mechanisms of injury and thrombus formation, as well as on differences in responses between venules and arterioles. Recognizing these characteristics should help investigators select an appropriate model for studying microvascular thrombosis in vivo.
A Theoretical Model for the Myogenic Response Based on the Length–Tension Characteristics of Vascular Smooth Muscle
Authors: CARLSON BRIAN E. , SECOMB TIMOTHY W.
Published: July 2007

Objective: A theoretical model is developed to describe the myogenic response of resistance vessels to changes in intravascular pressure, based on a consideration of the active and passive length–tension characteristics of vascular smooth muscle (VSM). The dependence of model parameters on vessel diameter is examined.

Methods: The vessel wall is represented mechanically as a nonlinear passive component in parallel with an active contractile component. The level of VSM tone is assumed to have a sigmoidal dependence on circumferential wall tension or stress. Model parameters are optimized for each of 18 independent experimental data sets previously obtained using pressure or wire myograph systems.

Results: Close fits between model predictions and experimental data are found in each case. An alternative formulation in which VSM tone depends on circumferential wall stress is found also to be consistent with available data. Significant trends in model parameters as a function of diameter are found.

Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis that circumferential tension or stress in the wall provides the signal for myogenic responses. The model provides a basis for simulating steady‐state myogenic responses in vascular networks containing a range of vessel diameters.
The Role of Retailing in Urban Regeneration
Authors: Dixon Timothy J.
Published: July 2007

Recent ‘best practice’ research and guidance has emphasised the important role that can be played by retail-led urban regeneration projects, particularly in ‘under-served markets’ in the UK. This builds on ideas first formulated in the USA by Michael Porter through his close relationship with the Initiative for the Competitive Inner City (ICIC). This paper critically examines the role of retailing in urban regeneration nationally and locally in the UK, focusing on in-town shopping centres located in inner city areas of the UK. The paper is based on case study research in these centres, and was completed during 2003 for The Office of Science and Technology. The paper examines how employment impact in retail-led regeneration is commonly measured, and calls for more research to determine the real impact of retail in deprived communities using other, relevant measures.
Marketing Town Centres: Retailing and Town Centre Management
Authors: Warnaby Gary , Bennison David , Davies Barry J.
Published: July 2007

The role of town centre management (TCM) schemes in the UK has expanded to incorporate a more overt and explicit focus on marketing and promotion. This paper considers the marketing/promotional activities of TCM schemes in the UK. TCM schemes operate at the interface of the public and private sectors. The implications of this are discussed, including the need for a consensual approach by a wide range of urban stakeholders, and the actual activities undertaken, influenced by the funding imperative under which such schemes operate (which impacts on the feasibility of certain activities and the efforts made to evaluate them). Comparisons are drawn between specific place marketing practice by TCM schemes and wider place marketing strategies.
Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin: Genes, Proteins and Evolution
Authors: Burmester Thorsten , Haberkamp Mark , Mitz Stephanie , Roesner Anja , Schmidt Marc , Ebner Bettina , Gerlach Frank , Fuchs Christine , Hankeln Thomas
Published: July 2007

Hemoglobin and myoglobin are oxygen transport and storage proteins of most vertebrates. Neuroglobin (Ngb) and cytoglobin (Cygb) ‐ two recent additions to the vertebrate globin superfamily ‐ have still disputed functions. Combining the data from all available resources, we investigate the evolution of these novel globins. Both Ngb and Cygb show little sequence variation in vertebrate evolution, suggesting conserved structures and functions, and an important role in the animal's metabolism. Exon‐intron patterns remained unchanged in Ngb and Cygb, with the exception of the addition of a 3' exon to Cygb early in mammalian evolution. In phylogenetic analyses, Ngb forms a common branch with globin X, another recently identified globin with undefined function in lower vertebrates, and with some invertebrate nerve globins. This shows an early divergence of this branch in animal evolution. Cygb is related to myoglobin, and associated with an eye‐specific globin from birds. The pattern of globin evolution shows that proteins with clear respiratory roles evolved independently from intracellular globins with uncertain functions. This result suggests either multiple independent functional changes or a yet undefined respiratory role of tissue globins like Ngb and Cygb.
IUBMB Life, 56: 703‐707, 2004
Erythrocyte glutathione determination in the diagnosis of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Bozzi Argante , Parisi Marina , Strom Roberto
Published: July 2007

The levels of reduced glutathione in severe glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red blood cells, were found, when assayed immediately after blood withdrawing, almost equal to those of normal human erythrocytes. On the contrary, if the blood samples were stored at 4°C for 4 days (or more) either as whole blood or as washed erythrocytes with or without glucose, the glutathione concentration of the enzyme‐deficient cells decreased to half the initial value. After a mild t‐butylhydroperoxide (t‐BHP) treatment, only glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red cells exhibited a drastic decrease of glutathione, the normal ones being almost unaffected. If t‐BHP‐treated erythrocytes were incubated in the presence of glucose or of oxidized glutathione, a full recovery of the inital glutathione concentration was detected only in normal samples. Glucose could not be replaced by any other sugar. When the oxidative stress was induced by addition of methylene blue (MB), the behaviour was similar but less marked, it was however impossible, in this case, to restore the normal glutathione levels, through a subsequent incubation of the MB‐treated erythrocytes with oxidized glutathione. This discrepancy can be explained by the finding that a marked inhibition of glutathione reductase was observed in MB‐treated erythrocytes, while t‐BHP exposure had no direct effect on this enzyme.
Cell surface and serum protein phosphorylation by U‐937 cell ectoprotein kinases
Authors: Geberhiwot Tarekegn , Skoglund Göran
Published: July 2007

Incubation of intact U‐937 cells with 0.1 μM [γ‐32P]ATP for 10 min resulted in Mg2+‐independent radiolabelling of about 40 cell surface proteins, some of which became more intensely labelled when cells were differentiated. Presence of 2 % newborn calf serum revealed major labelling of three serum proteins with molecular weights of 170, 85 and 61 kDa. Out of several tested purified human serum proteins, complement factor ls (Cls) exhibited specific labelling of the 28 kDa subunit. This capacity of monocytic cell ectokinases to phosphorylate cell surface and serum proteins may have significance for the regulation of interactions between these cells and their environment. In addition, phosphorylation of components of the complement system suggest a possible new means of regulating the immune response through the action of extracellular kinases.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the human ovary: Presence in the follicular fluids and production by granulosa cells
Authors: Wada Shin‐ichiro , Fujimoto Sei‐ichiro , Mizue Yuka , Nishihira Jun
Published: July 2007

Cytokines play an important role in ovarian function. We unexpectedly found high expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) mRNA in human ovarian tissues. Hence, we examined the presence of MIF in the follicular fluid because the follicular microenvironment is important for oocyte fecundity. The follicular fluids were collected from ovaries of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. A higher amount of MIF was identified in the follicular fluid, 80.3 ± 4.6 ng/ml (mean ± SE), in which the concentration was significantly decreased as the size of the follicles increased. To detect MIF mRNA expression in the granulosa cells, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction was carried out and this showed an amplified transcript specific for MIF. Furthermore, the presence of MIF protein in the granulosa cells was confirmed by Western blot analysis. These results suggest the possibility that MIF mediates various immunological events in the process of oocyte development.