bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnicity and Sexuality
Authors: Nagel Joane
Published: July 2002

This paper explores the connections between ethnicity and sexuality. Racial, ethnic, and national boundaries are also sexual boundaries. The borderlands dividing racial, ethnic, and national identities and communities constitute ethnosexual frontiers, erotic intersections that are heavily patrolled, policed, and protected, yet regularly are penetrated by individuals forging sexual links with ethnic “others.” Normative heterosexuality is a central component of racial, ethnic, and nationalist ideologies; both adherence to and deviation from approved sexual identities and behaviors define and reinforce racial, ethnic, and nationalist regimes. To illustrate the ethnicity/sexuality nexus and to show the utility of revealing this intimate bond for understanding ethnic relations, I review constructionist models of ethnicity and sexuality in the social sciences and humanities, and I discuss ethnosexual boundary processes in several historical and contemporary settings: the sexual policing of nationalism, sexual aspects of US–American Indian relations, and the sexualization of the black-white color line.
Racial and Ethnic Variations in Gender-Related Attitudes
Authors: Kane Emily W.
Published: July 2002

Research on how gender-related attitudes vary across racial/ethnic groups has produced contradictory results, depending upon the type of attitudes addressed. In this chapter, I review the literature on racial and ethnic variations in three broadly defined types of gender attitudes: attitudes toward gender roles; beliefs about the origins and extent of gender inequality; and preferences for social action to reduce gender inequalities. I address three racial/ethnic groups in the United States: African Americans, whites, and Hispanic Americans. While research on attitudes toward gender roles has yielded mixed results, research addressing attitudes within the other two domains clearly indicates greater criticism of genderinequality among African Americans relative to whites; research on the various groups often combined under the label Hispanic is too limited to draw any clear conclusions. Along with addressing variations across these three types of gender-related attitudes, I also summarize several other patterns evident in the literature: convergence across groups over time; gender gaps in gender-related attitudes; and differential predictors of gender attitudes across racial/ethnic groups.
Religious Pluralism and Religious Participation
Authors: Chaves Mark , Gorski Philip S.
Published: July 2002

For more than a decade, sociologists of religion have been debating the answer to a basic question: What is the relationship between religious pluralism and religious vitality? The old wisdom was that the relationship was negative, that pluralism undermines vitality. This view has been challenged by advocates of a supply-side model of religious vitality. They argue that the relationship is positive—that pluralism increases vitality—and this empirical claim has become foundational to the larger project of applying economic theory to religion. We review the relevant evidence and reach a straightforward conclusion: The empirical evidence does not support the claim that religious pluralism is positively associated with religious participation in any general sense. We discuss this conclusion's theoretical implications, and we identify potentially productive directions for future research on religious pluralism, church-state relations, and religious competition.

It appears that North Americans are religious in spite of, not because of, religious pluralism. ( Olson 1998a :761).

[R]eligious practice is strongly and positively associated with pluralism. ( Finke & Stark 1998 :762)
Binding of Indeterminate Pronouns and Clause Structure in Japanese
Authors: Kishimoto Hideki
Published: July 2002

This article shows, on the basis of indeterminate pronoun binding, that tense-related elements are checked in the checking domain of T and that other elements are checked in the checking domain of the topmost light verb v. The data pertaining to indeterminate pronoun binding, coupled with the data on focus particles, reveal that in Japanese, checking configurations are established in LF. LF movement employed for Case checking is argued to involve the raising of a phrasal category, on the basis that it displays properties different from those of nonphrasal movement in LF. The newly attested data from Japanese lead to the conclusion that constituents can be reordered after “narrow” syntax and that strict locality is required for checking to take place, contrary to Chomsky's (2000, 2001) proposal.
An Algorithm for Anaphora Resolution in Spanish Texts
Authors: Palomar Manuel , Ferrández Antonio , Moreno Lidia , Martínez-Barco Patricio , Peral Jesús , Saiz-Noeda Maximiliano , Muñoz Rafael
Published: July 2002

This paper presents an algorithm for identifying noun phrase antecedents of third person personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and omitted pronouns (zero pronouns) in unrestricted Spanish texts. We define a list of constraints and preferences for different types of pronominal expressions, and we document in detail the importance of each kind of knowledge (lexical, morphological, syntactic, and statistical) in anaphora resolution for Spanish. The paper also provides a definition for syntactic conditions on Spanish NP-pronoun noncoreference using partial parsing. The algorithm has been evaluated on a corpus of 1,677 pronouns and achieved a success rate of 76.8%. We have also implemented four competitive algorithms and tested their performance in a blind evaluation on the same test corpus. This new approach could easily be extended to other languages such as English, Portuguese, Italian, or Japanese.
The Uncommon Denominator: A Proposal for Consistent Reporting of Pronoun Resolution Results
Authors: Byron Donna K.
Published: July 2002

Pronoun resolution studies compute performance inconsistently and describe results incompletely. We propose a new reporting standard that improves the exposition of individual results and the possibility for readers to compare techniques across studies. We also propose an informative new performance metric, the resolution rate, for use in addition to precision and recall.
III. Electrophysiological Studies of Face Processing in Williams Syndrome
Authors: Mills Debra L. , Alvarez Twyla D. , St. George Marie , Appelbaum Lawrence G. , Bellugi Ursula , Neville Helen
Published: July 2002

Williams Syndrome (WMS) is a genetically based disorder characterized by pronounced variability in performance across different domains of cognitive functioning. This study examined brain activity linked to face-processing abilities, which are typically spared in individuals with WMS. Subjects watched photographic pairs of upright or inverted faces and indicated if the second face matched or did not match the first face. Results from a previous study with normal adults showed dramatic differences in the timing and distribution of ERP effects linked to recognition of upright and inverted faces. In normal adults, upright faces elicited ERP differences to matched vs. mismatched faces at approximately 320 msec (N320) after the onset of the second stimulus. This “N320” effect was largest over anterior regions of the right hemisphere. In contrast, the mismatch/match effect for inverted faces consisted of a large positive component between 400 and 1000 msec (P500) that was largest over parietal regions and was symmetrical. In contrast to normal adults, WMS subjects showed an N320-mismatch effect for both upright and inverted faces. Additionally, the WMS subjects did not display the N320 right-hemisphere asymmetry observed in the normal adults. WMS subjects also displayed an abnormally small negativity at 100 msec (N100) and an abnormally large negativity at 200 msec (N200) to both upright and inverted faces. This ERP pattern was observed in all subjects with WMS but was not observed in the normal controls. These results may be linked to increased attention to faces in subjects with WMS and might be specific to the disorder. These results were consistent with our ERP studies of language processing in WMS, which suggested abnormal cerebral specialization for spared cognitive functions in individuals with WMS.
Analytical Model for the Effects of Learning on Spike Count Distributions
Authors: Settanni Gianni , Treves Alessandro
Published: July 2002

The spike count distribution observed when recording from a variety of neurons in many different conditions has a fairly stereotypical shape, with a single mode at zero or close to a low average count, and a long, quasi-exponential tail to high counts. Such a distribution has been suggested to be the direct result of three simple facts: the firing frequency of a typical cortical neuron is close to linear in the summed input current entering the soma, above a threshold; the input current varies on several timescales, both faster and slower than the window used to count spikes; and the input distribution at any timescale can be taken to be approximately normal. The third assumption is violated by associative learning, which generates correlations between the synaptic weight vector on the dendritic tree of a neuron, and the input activity vectors it is repeatedly subject to. We show analytically that for a simple feed-forward model, the normal distribution of the slow components of the input current becomes the sum of two quasi-normal terms. The term important below threshold shifts with learning, while the term important above threshold does not shift but grows in width. These deviations from the standard distribution may be observable in appropriate recording experiments.
Evaluating Auditory Performance Limits: I. One-Parameter Discrimination Using a Computational Model for the Auditory Nerve
Authors: Heinz Michael G. , Colburn H. Steven , Carney Laurel H.
Published: July 2002

A method for calculating psychophysical performance limits based on stochastic neural responses is introduced and compared to previous analytical methods for evaluating auditory discrimination of tone frequency and level. The method uses signal detection theory and a computational model for a population of auditory nerve (AN) fiber responses. The use of computational models allows predictions to be made over a wider parameter range and with more complete descriptions of AN responses than in analytical models. Performance based on AN discharge times (all-information) is compared to performance based only on discharge counts (rate-place). After the method is verified over the range of parameters for which previous analytical models are applicable, the parameter space is then extended. For example, a computational model of AN activity that extends to high frequencies is used to explore the common belief that rate-place information is responsible for frequency encoding at high frequencies due to the rolloff in AN phase locking above 2 kHz. This rolloff is thought to eliminate temporal information at high frequencies. Contrary to this belief, results of this analysis show that rate-place predictions for frequency discrimination are inconsistent with human performance in the dependence on frequency for high frequencies and that there is significant temporal information in the AN up to at least 10 kHz. In fact, the all-information predictions match the functional dependence of human performance on frequency, although optimal performance is much better than human performance. The use of computational AN models in this study provides new constraints on hypotheses of neural encoding of frequency in the auditory system; however, the method is limited to simple tasks with deterministic stimuli. A companion article in this issue (“Evaluating Auditory Performance Limits: II”) describes an extension of this approach to more complex tasks that include random variation of one parameter, for example, random-level variation, which is often used in psychophysics to test neural encoding hypotheses.
Dendritic Subunits Determined by Dendritic Morphology
Authors: Lindsay K. A. , Ogden J. M. , Rosenberg J. R.
Published: July 2002

A theoretical framework is presented in which arbitrarily branched dendritic structures with nonhomogeneous membrane properties and nonuniform geometry can be transformed into an equivalent unbranched structure (equivalent cable). Rall's equivalent cylinder is seen to be one part of the equivalent cable in the special case of dendrites satisfying the Rall criteria. The relation between the branched dendrite and its equivalent unbranched representation is uniquely defined by an invertible mapping that connects configurations of inputs on the branched structure with those on the unbranched structure, and conversely. This mapping provides a new definition of dendritic subunit and provides a mechanism for characterizing local and nonlocal signal processing within dendritic structures.
AudiOh!: Appropriation, Accident and Alteration
Authors: Schaefer Janek
Published: July 2002

The major theme of the author's work as a sound artist and musician has been the appropriation and alteration of sound and its existing reproduction systems. The three projects discussed here use familiar devices in ways that both usurp and extend their inherent characteristics and imperfections. As ideas, these projects all re-examine the use of the ready-made, be it with objects or with sounds. The author's piece entitled Recorded Delivery appropriated a sound-activated Dictaphone to trace the journey of a parcel through the post. His invention of the Tri-Phonic Turntable allowed him to manipulate and accidentally discover “new” sounds buried within any vinyl terrain. Lastly, for his Wow 7" project, he cut the music eccentrically onto the record surface to induce fluctuations in the sound playback and thus fundamentally alter its audible and visual nature.
Virtual Explorer: Interactive Virtual Environment for Education
Authors: Dean Kevin L. , Asay-Davis Xylar S. , Finn Evan M. , Foley Tim , Friesner Jeremy A. , Imai Yo , Naylor Bret J. , Wustner Sarah R. , Fisher Scott S. , Wilson Kent R.
Published: July 2002

The Virtual Explorer project of the Senses Bureau at the University of California, San Diego, focuses on creating immersive, highly interactive environments for education and scientific visualization which are designed to be educational—and exciting, playful, and enjoyable, as well. We have created an integrated model system on human immunology to demonstrate the application of virtual reality to education, and we've also developed a modular software framework to facilitate the further extension of the Virtual Explorer model to other fields. The system has been installed internationally in numerous science museums, and more than 7,000 individuals have participated in demonstrations. The complete source code—which runs on a variety of Silicon Graphics computers—is available on CD-ROM from the authors.
A Genetic Engineering Approach to Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Gero John S. , Kazakov Vladimir
Published: July 2002

We present an extension to the standard genetic algorithm (GA), which is based on concepts of genetic engineering. The motivation is to discover useful and harmful genetic materials and then execute an evolutionary process in such a way that the population becomes increasingly composed of useful genetic material and increasingly free of the harmful genetic material. Compared to the standard GA, it provides some computational advantages as well as a tool for automatic generation of hierarchical genetic representations specifically tailored to suit certain classes of problems.
Phototaxic Foraging of the Archaepaddler, a Hypothetical Deep-Sea Species
Authors: Bertin R. J. V. , Grind W. A. van de
Published: July 2002

An autonomous agent (animat, hypothetical animal), called the (archae) paddler, is simulated in sufficient detail to regard its simulated aquatic locomotion (paddling) as physically possible. The paddler is supposed to be a model of an animal that might exist, although it is perfectly possible to view it as a model of a robot that might be built. The agent is assumed to navigate in a simulated deep-sea environment, where it forages for autoluminescent prey. It uses a biologically inspired phototaxic foraging strategy, while paddling in a layer just above the bottom. The advantage of this living space is that the navigation problem—and hence our model—is essentially two-dimensional. Moreover, the deep-sea environment is physically simple (and hence easy to simulate): no significant currents, constant temperature, completely dark. A foraging performance metric is developed that circumvents the necessity to solve the traveling salesman problem. A parametric simulation study then quantifies the influence of habitat factors, such as the density of prey, and body geometry (e.g., placement, direction and directional selectivity of the eyes) on foraging success. Adequate performance proves to require a specific body geometry adapted to the habitat characteristics. In general, performance degrades gracefully for modest changes of the geometric and habitat parameters, indicating that we work in a stable region of “design space.” The parameters have to strike a compromise between, on the one hand, the ability to “fixate” an attractive target, and on the other hand, to “see” as many targets at the same time as possible. One important conclusion is that simple reflex-based navigation can be surprisingly efficient. Additionally, performance in a global task (foraging) depends strongly on local parameters such as visual direction tuning, position of the eyes and paddles, and so forth. Behavior and habitat “mold” the body, and the body geometry strongly influences performance. The resulting platform enables further testing of foraging strategies or vision and locomotion theories stemming either from biology or from robotics.
Design, Observation, Surprise! A Test of Emergence
Authors: Ronald Edmund M. A. , Sipper Moshe , Capcarrère Mathieu S.
Published: July 2002

The field of artificial life (Alife) is replete with documented instances of emergence, though debate still persists as to the meaning of this term. We contend that, in the absence of an acceptable definition, researchers in the field would be well served by adopting an emergence certification mark that would garner approval from the Alife community. Toward this end, we propose an emergence test, namely, criteria by which one can justify conferring the emergence label.
Industrial Ecology and Clean Development in East Asia
Authors: Rock Michael T. , Angel David P. , Feridhanusetyawan Tubagus
Published: July 2002

Rapid industry‐led growth in East Asia over the past three decades has resulted in deteriorating air and water quality, escalating energy use and attendant increases in greenhouse gas emissions, and other serious environmental concerns. Current efforts to strengthen environmental regulatory institutions are in many cases overridden by the scale effects of urban‐industrial growth. We examine policy approaches that support a shift toward an alternative trajectory of economic development that is less energy, materials, and pollution intensive. Given that a large proportion of the capital stock in the developing market economies of Asia has yet to be built, we argue that influencing the energy, materials, and pollution intensity of new industrial investment is both a critical opportunity and a policy imperative. Our research indicates a need for greater integration of environmental, industrial and technology policies within the region. Such policy integration should link reductions in energy, materials and pollution intensity to efforts to upgrade the technology and industrial capability of the developing market economies of East Asia.
Turtles and Trade: The WTO's Acceptance of Environmental Trade Restrictions
Authors: DeSombre Elizabeth R. , Barkin J. Samuel
Published: July 2002

The sea turtle has become an icon ofenvironmentalist opposition to the World Trade Organization. Two decisions by the WTO in 1998 against a United States law intended to force other countries to adopt more turtle-friendly rules attracted widespread attention. A third decision in 2001 which supported the US law, however, went almost entirely unnoticed. A closer examination ofthe three decisions suggests that the WTO willingly accepts the idea ofenvironmental restrictions to international trade applied unilaterally by countries. But it requires that the restrictions be fairly applied and nondiscriminatory, show signs of being effective, and be accompanied by efforts to deal with the environmental issue cooperatively. These are all requirements that environmentalists should find unobjectionable. As such, the cause of more effective international environmental management might better be served ifenvironmental activists and NGOs worked with the WTO rather than reacting automatically against it.
FILLING IN HISTORICAL GAPS: HOW DID JORAM REALLY DIE?, OR, THE INVENTION OF MILITARISM
Authors: Knauf Ernst Axel
Published: July 2002

Was there a chance, between 853 and 841 bce, to prevent the rise of Assyria to supreme power in the Near East, and thus the invention of imperialism as a political concept? Which imperfections in human behaviour in general, or which flaws in the characters of the protagonists specifically, must have been absent to ensure a more favourable course of events? No deuteronomism without Assyria: thus the present essay tries to forecast how the world of today would look if this way of thought had never arisen.
THE TRIUMPH OF THE LAMB: PSALM 23 AND TEXTUAL FITNESS
Authors: Pyper Hugh
Published: July 2002

Psalm 23 is a remarkable text in its longevity and its permeation of contemporary cultures and in the number of versions in which it circulates. This paper takes it as a pre-eminent example of a 'successful' text in the sense this term is used in neo-Darwinian studies. Richard Dawkins' concept of the meme is used to examine the features of the psalm which ensure both its propagation and its diversity. The polysemy of the metaphor of the lamb is central to this. The text survives, it is argued, because it is is read as offering different models of survival to a variety of reading communities.
A SYNTACTICAL AND CONTEXTUAL CONSIDERATION OF 'SH IN QOH. IX 9
Authors: Yeong Sik Pahk Johan
Published: July 2002

This article is concerned with the interpretative problems relating to 'sh and 'sr in ix 9. It begins by considering the various solutions of scholars up to the present, then considers the textual problems regarding the second accusative kl ymy hblk, conclusion of which persuades us to remain with the Masoretic text. The article deals not only with the formula constructed with 'sh, but also with the sociocultural context of Qohelet's teachings, rendering possibly a new understanding of the according to which 'sr ntn lk modifies 'sh. The paper arrives at the conclusion Qohelet intentionally did not use the definite article before 'sh because of the linguistic formula ntn 'sh l ("to give a woman as wife"), in which 'sh can only mean and not "any woman".
LEVITEN- UND ASYLSTÄDTE IN NUM. XXXV UND JOS. XX; XXI 1-42
Authors: Schmidt Ludwig
Published: July 2002

Für das Problem, ob Leviten- und Asylstädte Realität oder Theorie waren, ist die Analyse von Num. xxxv und Jos. xx l-xxi 42 von entscheidender Bedeutung. Diese Texte sind unterschiedlich voneinander abhängig. Der Verfasser von Num. xxxv 1-29* setzt in V. 9ff. den nachexilischen Grundbestand der Erzählung über Asylstädte in Jos. xx* voraus, die als Ausführungsbericht zu Dtn. xix 1ff. entstand. Ein Bearbeiter glich Jos. xx an Num. xxxv 9-15 an und verfaßte als Ausführungsbericht zu Num. xxxv 1ff.* den Grundbestand der Erzählung über Levitenstädte in Jos. xxi*. Er verteilte hier 48 Städte so auf die Leviten, daß die Aaroniden nicht weniger Städte als die anderen drei Gruppen erhielten. Die Zahl der Levitenstädte wurde in Num. xxxv 6f. nachgetragen. Da Num. xxxv und Jos. xx l-xxi 42 durchgehend erst aus nachexilischer Zeit stammen, gab es keine Leviten- und Asylstädte. Die Theorie der Asylstädte geht auf das deuteronomische Gesetz zurück, die Levitenstädte sind eine (spät)nachexilische Theorie.
AWAKENING TO OUR ROLE IN THE GREAT WORK
Authors: Kaza Stephanie
Published: July 2002

Thomas Berry breaks new ground in The Great Work, with a reassessment of "wild" as it applies to both humans and nature. He challenges traditional western dualisms, showing how creative or chaotic energy is in continuous relationship with the stabilizing force of discipline or form. In his view of modern globalization, all conflicts reduce to the central tension between environmentalist and developer, a clash of worldviews and resource uses. Berry urges a serious rethinking of what it means to be human in order to break the deep entrancement with industrial civilization.
Ritual Intuitions: Cognitive Contributions to Judgments of Ritual Efficacy
Authors: Barrett Justin , Lawson E. Thomas
Published: July 2002

Lawson and McCauley (1990) have argued that non-cultural regularities in how actions are conceptualized inform and constrain participants' understandings of religious rituals. This theory of ritual competence generates three predictions: 1) People with little or no knowledge of any given ritual system will have intuitions about the potential effectiveness of a ritual given minimal information about the structure of the ritual. 2) The representation of superhuman agency in the action structure will be considered the most important factor contributing to effectiveness. 3) Having an appropriate intentional agent initiate the action will be considered relatively more important than any specific action to be performed. These three predictions were tested in two experiments with 128 North American Protestant college students who rated the probability of various fictitious rituals to be effective in bringing about a specified consequence. Results support Lawson and McCauley's predictions and suggest that expectations regarding ordinary social actions apply to religious rituals.
CONTRAFREELOADING IN STARLINGS: TESTING THE INFORMATION HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Bean  , Mason G.J. , Bateson
Published: July 2002

Contrafreeloading (CFL) behaviour, in which animals forage persistently in patches that require effort to exploit when patches containing ad lib. food are easily available, seems to contradict the predictions of optimal foraging theory. However, it has been proposed that contrafreeloaders are in fact exploiting a hidden resource, namely information about patches that may be useful in future foraging attempts. We performed two experiments on starlings Sturnus vulgaris to test this hypothesis by determining the circumstances in which CFL occurs and assessing whether any useful information is acquired by animals performing the behaviour. In accordance with previous results we found that CFL is reduced when foragers are previously deprived of food and also when there are means of gathering information aside from sampling (namely when patches that require effort to exploit can be visually inspected). We also found that useful information is acquired by birds that perform CFL, in that when subsequently tested in extinction with the best patch removed they reliably chose the patch that had been the second best. These results are consistent with the information gain hypothesis. However, birds with low levels of CFL did not perform discernably worse in this test of patch knowledge and experimental reductions in CFL achieved through deprivation treatments did not produce apparent reductions in useful information possessed.
THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE IN MATING PREFERENCES OF THE UNISEXUAL AMAZON MOLLY
Authors: Korner Kay , Lutjens Ole , Parzefall Jakob , Schlupp Ingo
Published: July 2002

The all-female fish Poecilia formosa uses sperm of Poecilia latipinna or P. mexicana for its gynogenetic reproduction. Normally, P. formosa lives in sympatry with only one of these species. Near Tampico, Mexico, one population of P. formosa is living in sympatry with both sperm-donor species. In the present study, using animated videos as stimuli, we examined whether P. formosa from Tampico show a sexual preference for males of one of the two species. We raised P. formosa females with males of P. latipinna or P. mexicana only, and as a control with males of both species simultaneously. We found that previous experience affects mating preferences in P. formosa. Females tend to prefer males of the species they were raised with.
FAMILY CONFLICTS AND THE EVOLUTION OF NESTLING MOUTH COLOUR
Authors: Kilner R.M.
Published: July 2002

A variety of family conflicts can influence provisioning behaviour at the passerine nest. There can be sexual and parent-offspring conflict over the amount of food provided for young, and sibling conflict over how food is allocated among the brood. Whatever the type of conflict, its resolution may be determined by nestling begging displays, and its intensity will vary between species with variation in % EPY. Begging intensity is therefore predicted to vary with % EPY. One component of the begging display, that varies widely between species, is nestling mouth colour. Recent empirical work on canaries and great tits has shown that parents prefer to feed young with redder mouths, even if offspring naturally possess yellow gapes. I use comparative analyses to explain the diversity of nestling mouth colour between species in terms of the various family conflicts. In species where there are high rates of % EPY, and sibling and sexual conflicts are more intense, offspring that are reared in well-lit nests display redder mouths. Offspring reared in dark nests, however, show no such relationship and have yellower mouths generally. A comparison of Cuculinae species and host nestling mouth colour showed that cuckoo young have the redder mouths, which might be the result of more intense parent-offspring conflict. I suggest that nestling mouth colour reflects the intensity of family battles waged in the past, but only at nests where there is sufficient light for such visual displays to be perceived by parents. The diversity of nestling mouth colour can therefore be explained by both 'strategic' and 'tactical' influences on signal design. I conclude by discussing how variation in the choice of nest site within species might cause family differences in conflict resolution.
Host plant response of Eumusa and Australimusa bananas (Musa spp.) to migratory endoparasitic and root-knot nematodes
Authors: Xuyen Ngo Thi , Verlinden Raf , Stoffelen Ruth , De Waele Dirk , Swennen Rony
Published: July 2002

Twenty-five banana varieties of section Eumusa (AA-group) and seven of the section Australimusa (Fe'i-group) from Papua New Guinea were evaluated for resistance to Radopholus similis, Pratylenchus coffeae and Meloidogyne spp. The host plant responses were compared with the susceptible reference cvs Grande Naine and Cavendish 901. In vitro propagated plants were transferred to the glasshouse in loamy sand and inoculated with approximately 1000 migratory endoparasitic nematodes at 4 weeks after planting. Reproduction of R. similis and P.coffeae in the roots was determined at 8 or 10 weeks, respectively, after inoculation. Reproduction of Meloidogyne spp. was determined 8 weeks after inoculation with 3300 to 5000 eggs. No resistance to R. similis was found in the diploid varieties. The Fe'i variety Rimina and possibly Menei were resistant to R. similis. All varieties tested were susceptible to P.coffeae and Meloidogyne spp. Tests de résistance de bananiers Eumusa et Australimusa (Musa spp.) envers les nématodes endoparasites migrateurs et galligènes - Vingt-cinq variétés de bananier de la section Eumusa (groupe AA) et sept de la section Australimusa (group Fe'i) provenant de Papouasie-Nouvelle Guinée ont été testées pour leur résistance envers Radopholus similis, Pratylenchus coffeae et Meloidogyne spp. Les résponses de ces variétés ont été comparées à celles des cultivars sensibles de référence Grande Naine et Cavendish 901. Des vitroplants ont été mis en place en serre sur un sol argilo-sableux et inoculés 4 semaines après plantation avec environ 1000 R. similis ou P.coffeae dont la reproduction a été déterminée 8 et 10 semaines, respectivement, après inoculation. La reproduction de Meloidogyne spp. l'a été 8 semaines après inoculation avec 3300 à 5000 oeufs. Aucune résistance à R. similis n'a été observée chez les variétés diploïdes. Les variétés du groupe Fe'i Rimina et Menei se sont montrées résistantes à R. similis, avec un certain doute dans le cas de la dernière. Toutes les variétés testées sont sensibles à P.coffeae et Meloidogyne spp.
Illitization and silicification in Greater Alwyn: I. Assessing and synthesizing experimental data
Authors: Durand C. , Matthews J. C. , Le Gallo Y. , Brosse E. , Sommer F.
Published: July 2002

Silicification and illitization due to diagenesis result in the modification of porosity and permeability in many North Sea reservoirs, including Greater Alwyn. A good estimation of the mineral composition is required as input/output data for geochemical modelling modes intended to reproduce these effects. Using sedimentological studies to determine laterally equivalent facies, three facies were chosen. ‘Initial states’ for modelling were thus defined as the present-day composition of less-evolved laterally-equivalent facies, ‘final states’ as the present-day composition in the most evolved part of the basin. Precise actual mineral compositions were calculated using a reconciliation program, DATREC. Average compositions calculated for each facies in each field provided data useful in constraining input/output values used in modelling, and gave insights into depositional variation. Arithmetic tests assuming isochemical transformations, constraining the chemical compositions of ‘initial states’ to fit actual mineralogical compositions of ‘final states’, were run using this software. They show that, from an arithmetical point of view, if the assumption of equivalent facies holds, isochemical reactions can occur in some, but not in all facies, thereby demonstrating the importance of checking equivalence of facies and diagenesis hypotheses by quantitative calculations.
Retention of OH-Al complexes by dioctahedral smectites
Authors: Volzone C. , Garrido L. B.
Published: July 2002

Dioctahedral smectites (Cheto- and Wyoming-type montmorillonites and a beidellite) were treated with two hydrolysed OH-Al solutions (0.02 M in Al) containing different OH-Al complexes. The ratio of ∼3.25 mmol of Al per gram of smectite was used. The total Al and the presence of OH-Al species in solution before and after reaction with smectites were determined by the kinetics of Al-Ferron reaction colour development. The composition of the Al species retained by smectites was not the same as that present in the original solution added. The slow-reacting complexes present in the solution were preferentially adsorbed by dioctahedral smectites. Smectites prepared from slow-reacting polymer solutions showed changes in interlayer separation,b–dimension, order along thecaxis and spectroscopic properties, after storage at room temperature. The OH-Al Cheto-type montmorillonite prepared from both solutions showed more retention of Al, best stability at room temperature and after thermal treatment at 550°C than interlayered OH-Al Wyoming-type montmorillonite and OH-Al beidellite smectites.
Reduction of Fe(III) in a high-iron saponite. Pillaring of the reduced samples with Al13 oligomers
Authors: Vicente M. A. , Suarez M. , Bañares-Muñoz M. A. , Pozas J. M. M.
Published: July 2002

A high-iron content saponite, of the variety griffithite, was reduced using sodium dithionite and hydrazonium sulphate solutions. An important amount of Fe3+ was reduced during the treatments. When using sodium dithionite as reducing agent, the reduction was accompanied by the substitution of Ca2+ by Na+ as the exchangeable cation. When using hydrazonium sulphate, the reduction was accompanied by acid activation of the clay, the protons being released in the oxidation reaction of the hydrazonium cation. The charge balance in the clay layers is affected by the reduction processes. These structural changes do not significantly affect the pillaring ability of the clay, which is similar in the reduced solids and in the natural griffithite.
Influence of KBr conditioning on the infrared hydroxyl-stretching region of saponites
Authors: Pelletier M. , Michot L. J. , Barrès O. , Humbert B. , Petit S. , Robert J.-L.
Published: July 2002

In order to assess the influence of tetrahedral sheet charge on the hydroxyl-stretching vibration in clay minerals, a series of synthetic Na-saponites, with increasing layer charge, was studied by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. When recorded after KBr dilution either in transmission or diffuse reflectance, the IR spectra exhibit a component at ~3710 cm-1, the intensity of which increases linearly with increasing layer charge. When experiments are carried out without any dilution of the samples, this component is not observed, suggesting a Na+/K+ exchange upon mixing of the sample with KBr. The spectra obtained for K-saponite confirm this exchange. This shows that the dilution procedure can lead to serious misinterpretations of IR spectra in the OH-stretching region.
Sorption of heavy metals from industrial waste water by low-cost mineral silicates
Authors: Garcia Sanchez A. , Alvarez Ayuso E. , Jimenez de Blas O.
Published: July 2002

The adsorption by different silicate minerals of some heavy metals, present in industrial waste water, has been studied. These adsorbents (mainly clay minerals) are readily available, inexpensive materials and offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional treatment of wastes from the metal finishing industry. The results show that some mineral species are suitable for the purification of such residual waters down to the limits prescribed by current legislation concerning industrial wastes. The Langmuir model was found to describe such adsorption processes best. Sepiolite (Orera, Spain) has an adsorption capacity of 8.26 mg g-1 for Cd2+, the capacities depending on the metal adsorbed in the order: Cd2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+. This mineral shows the highest sorption capacity relative to the other minerals studied. Factors in the reaction medium such as pH and ionic strength influenced the adsorption process.
Determination of the Ti speciation in commercial kaolins by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Murad E. , Köster H. M.
Published: July 2002

Raman spectra of a selection of kaolins with widely varying TiO2 contents revealed the presence of anatase in 17 of 18 samples. A significant positive correlation was observed between the intensity of the main anatase Raman band at ~145 cm-1 and the total TiO2 contents of the kaolins as determined by chemical analysis. No TiO2 modification other than anatase was detected in any of the samples.

The determination of the anatase contents in kaolins by XRD becomes increasingly difficult as the concentration of this mineral decreases below ~0.5%. In contrast, anatase and brookite concentrations an order of magnitude lower can still be readily identified by Raman spectroscopy. The specificity and sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy for these TiO2 polymorphs, coupled with the simplicity and rapidity of measurement, therefore make this a viable technique for the routine study of these accessory minerals in kaolins.
Effects of burial on the clay assemblages in the Triassic Skagerrak Formation, Denmark
Authors: Weibel R.
Published: July 2002

Sandstones and mudstones of the Skagerrak Formation from the Danish Sub-basin have been studied to assess the origin of the clay minerals, their diagenesis and their transformation/ conversion temperatures (compared to modelled maximum burial temperatures). Detrital smectite and vermiculite occur only at shallow levels. Conversion of smectite into random S-I took place at >47°C and of random S-I into ordered I-S at >74°C. The omnipresent illite increases in amount with burial. The amount of authigenic kaolinite (kaolin) decreases with increasing temperature (>75°C), possibly due to the growth of chlorite. Random S-C is converted into ordered S-C between 70°C and 105°C and chlorite is most abundant at maximum burial temperatures (150°C). This investigation suggests that diagenesis of clay minerals begins at relatively low temperatures, and emphasizes the importance of the availability of necessary ions (K+, Mg2+, Fe2+) for the reactions, besides time and temperature, as controlling parameters.
Interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 levels in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlation with phenotypic characteristics and outcome
Authors: Fayad Luis , Keating Michael J. , Reuben James M. , O'Brien Susan , Lee Bang-Ning , Lerner Susan , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: July 2002

The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels and outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays from 159 and 151 CLL patients, respectively, and from healthy control subjects (n = 55 [IL-6]; n = 37 [IL-10]). Cytokine levels were correlated with clinical features and survival. Serum IL-6 levels were higher in CLL patients (median, 1.45 pg/mL; range, undetectable to 110 pg/mL) than in control subjects (median, undetectable; range, undetectable to 4.30 pg/mL) (P < .0001). Serum IL-10 levels were higher in CLL patients (median, 5.04 pg/mL; range, undetectable to 74 pg/mL) than in normal volunteers (median, undetectable; range, undetectable to 13.68 pg/mL) (P < .00001). Assays measuring both Epstein-Barr virus-derived and human IL-10 yielded higher values than assays measuring primarily human IL-10 (P < .05). Patients with elevation of serum IL-6 or IL-10 levels, or both, had worse median and 3-year survival (log rank P < .001) and unfavorable characteristics (prior treatment, elevated β2-microglobulin or lactate dehydrogenase, or Rai stage III or IV). Elevated IL-6 and IL-10 levels were independent prognostic factors for survival when analyzed individually or in combination (Cox regression analysis). However, if β2-microglobulin was incorporated into the analysis, it was selected as an independent prognostic feature, and IL-6/IL-10 were no longer selected. In patients with CLL, serum IL-6 and IL-10 (viral and human) levels are elevated and correlate with adverse disease features and short survival. In multivariate analysis, however, β2-microglobulin is the most important prognostic factor.
Mast cells/basophils in the peripheral blood of allergic individuals who are HIV-1 susceptible due to their surface expression of CD4 and the chemokine receptors CCR3, CCR5, and CXCR4
Authors: Li Yong , Li Lixin , Wadley Robert , Reddel Stephen W. , Qi Jian C. , Archis Con , Collins Andrew , Clark Elizabeth , Cooley Margaret , Kouts Steven , Naif Hassan M. , Alali Mohammed , Cunningham Anthony , Wong Guang W. , Stevens Richard L. , Krilis Steven A.
Published: July 2002

A population of metachromatic cells with mast cell (MC) and basophil features was identified recently in the peripheral blood of patients with several allergic disorders. This study now shows that these metachromatic cells express on their surface the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI), CD4, and the chemokine receptors CCR3, CCR5, and CXCR4, but not the T-cell surface protein CD3 and the monocyte/macrophage surface protein CD68. This population of MCs/basophils can be maintained ex vivo for at least 2 weeks, and a comparable population of cells can be generated in vitro from nongranulated hematopoietic CD3−/CD4+/CD117− progenitors. Both populations of MCs/basophils are susceptible to an M-tropic strain of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). Finally, many patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have HIV-1–infected MCs/basophils in their peripheral blood. Although it is well known that HIV-1 can infect CD4+ T cells and monocytes, this finding is the first example of a human MC or basophil shown to be susceptible to the retrovirus.
Detection of leukemic cells in the CD34+CD38− bone marrow progenitor population in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: George Aswathi A. , Franklin Janet , Kerkof Keith , Shah Ami J. , Price Mary , Tsark Eleanor , Bockstoce David , Yao Dapeng , Hart Nancy , Carcich Sherri , Parkman Robertson , Crooks Gay M. , Weinberg Kenneth
Published: July 2002

Successful autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) requires the ability to either selectively kill the leukemia cells or separate normal from leukemic HSC. Based on previous studies showing that more than 95% of childhood B-lineage ALL express CD38, this study evaluated whether normal CD34+CD38− progenitors from children with B-lineage ALL could be isolated by flow cytometry. CD34+ cells from bone marrow samples from 10 children with B-lineage ALL were isolated at day 28 of treatment, when clinical remission had been attained. The CD34+ progenitor cells were flow cytometrically sorted into CD34+CD38+and CD34+CD38− populations. The absolute numbers of CD34+CD38− cells that could be isolated ranged from 401 to 6245. The cells were then analyzed for the presence of clonotypic rearrangements of the T-cell receptor (TCR) Vδ2-Dδ3 locus. Only patients whose diagnostic marrow had an informative TCR Vδ2-Dδ3 rearrangement were included in this study. Detection thresholds were typically 10−4 to 10−5 leukemic cells in normal marrow. In 6 of 10 samples analyzed, the sorted CD34+CD38− cells had no detectable Vδ2-Dδ3 rearrangements. In 4 cases, the clonotypic leukemic Vδ2-Dδ3 rearrangement was detected in the CD34+CD38− population, indicating that the putative normal HSC population also contained leukemic cells. The data indicate that although most childhood ALL cells express CD34 and CD38, leukemic cells are also frequently present in the CD34+CD38− population. Therefore, strategies to isolate and transplant normal HSC from children with ALL will require a more stringent definition of the normal HSC than the CD34+CD38− phenotype.
Lineage switch induced by overexpression of Ets family transcription factor PU.1 in murine erythroleukemia cells
Authors: Yamada Toshiyuki , Abe Masaaki , Higashi Toshinori , Yamamoto Hitomi , Kihara-Negishi Fumiko , Sakurai Takuya , Shirai Toshikazu , Oikawa Tsuneyuki
Published: July 2002

PU.1 is an Ets family transcription factor essential for myelomonocyte and B-cell development. We previously showed that overexpression of PU.1 in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells inhibits growth and erythroid differentiation and induces apoptosis of the cells. In an effort to identify target genes of PU.1 concerning these phenomena by using a messenger RNA differential display strategy, we found that some myeloid-specific and lymphoid-specific genes, such as the osteopontin gene, are transcriptionally up-regulated in MEL cells after overexpression of PU.1. We then found that expression of several myelomonocyte-specific genes, including the CAAT-enhancer-binding protein-α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor genes, was induced in MEL cells after overexpression of PU.1. B-cell–specific genes were also examined, and expression of the CD19 gene was found to be induced. Expression of the myelomonocyte-specific proteins CD11b and F4/80 antigen but not the B-cell–specific proteins B220 and CD19 was also induced. After overexpression of PU.1, MEL cells became adherent and phagocytic and showed enhanced nitroblue tetrazolium reduction activity. Expression of myelomonocyte-specific and B-cell–specific genes was not induced when a mutant PU.1 with part of the activation domain deleted (a change found to inhibit erythroid differentiation of MEL cells) was expressed. These results indicate that PU.1 induces a lineage switch in MEL cells toward myelomonocytic cells and that its activation domain is essential for this effect. The results also suggest that the pathway of the lineage switch is distinct from that of inhibition of erythroid differentiation in MEL cells.