bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectral Analysis for Physical Applications
Authors: Percival Donald B. , Walden Andrew T.
Published: December 2009

This book is an up-to-date introduction to univariate spectral analysis at the graduate level, which reflects a new scientific awareness of spectral complexity, as well as the widespread use of spectral analysis on digital computers with considerable computational power. The text provides theoretical and computational guidance on the available techniques, emphasizing those that work in practice. Spectral analysis finds extensive application in the analysis of data arising in many of the physical sciences, ranging from electrical engineering and physics to geophysics and oceanography. A valuable feature of the text is that many examples are given showing the application of spectral analysis to real data sets. Special emphasis is placed on the multitaper technique, because of its practical success in handling spectra with intricate structure, and its power to handle data with or without spectral lines. The text contains a large number of exercises, together with an extensive bibliography.
Stability of Microstructure in Metallic Systems
Authors: Martin J. W. , Doherty R. D. , Cantor B.
Published: December 2009

The second edition of this textbook, popular amongst students and faculty alike, investigates the various causes of thermodynamic instability in metallic microstructures. Materials theoretically well designed for a particular application may prove inefficient or even useless unless stable under normal working conditions. The authors examine current experimental and theoretical understanding of the kinetics behind structural change in metals. The entire text has been updated in this new edition, and a completely new chapter on highly metastable alloys has been added. The degree to which kinetic stability of the material outweighs its thermodynamic instability is very important, and dictates the useful working life of the material. If the structure is initially produced to an optimum, such changes will degrade the properties of the material. This comprehensive and well-illustrated text, accompanied by ample references, will allow final year undergraduates, graduate students and research workers to investigate in detail the stability of microstructure in metallic systems.
Necessity, Volition, and Love
Authors: Frankfurt Harry G.
Published: December 2009

One of the most influential of contemporary philosophers, Harry Frankfurt has made major contributions to the philosophy of action, moral psychology, and the study of Descartes. This collection of essays complements an earlier collection published by Cambridge, The Importance of What We Care About. Some of the essays develop lines of thought found in the earlier volume. They deal in general with foundational metaphysical and epistemological issues concerning Descartes, moral philosophy, and philosophical anthropology. Some bear upon topics in political philosophy and religion.
Making a Necessity of Virtue
Authors: Sherman Nancy
Published: December 2009

This book is the first to offer a detailed analysis of Aristotelian and Kantian ethics together, in a way that remains faithful to the texts and responsive to debates in contemporary ethics. Recent moral philosophy has seen a revival of interest in the concept of virtue, and with it a reassessment of the role of virtue in the work of Aristotle and Kant. This book brings that re-assessment to a new level of sophistication. Nancy Sherman argues that Kant preserves a notion of virtue in his moral theory that bears recognisable traces of the Aristotelian and Stoic traditions, and that his complex anthropology of morals brings him into surprising alliance with Aristotle. She develops her argument through close readings of major texts by both Aristotle and Kant, illustrating points of congruence and contrast.
Ulysses Unbound
Authors: Elster Jon
Published: December 2009

Common sense suggests that it is always preferable to have more options than fewer, and better to have more knowledge than less. This provocative book argues that, very often, common sense fails. Sometimes it is simply the case that less is more; people may benefit from being constrained in their options or from being ignorant. The three long essays that constitute this book revise and expand the ideas developed in Jon Elster's classic study Ulysses and the Sirens. It is not simply a new edition of the earlier book, though; many of the issues merely touched on before are explored here in much more detail. Elster shows how seemingly disparate examples which limit freedom of action reveal similar patterns, so much so that he proposes a new field of study: constraint theory. The book is written in Elster's characteristically vivid style and will interest professionals and students in philosophy, political science, psychology, and economics.
The Morals of Modernity
Authors: Larmore Charles
Published: December 2009

The essays collected in this volume all explore the problem of the relation between moral philosophy and modernity. Charles Larmore addresses this problem by attempting to define the way distinctive forms of modern experience should orientate our moral thinking. Charles Larmore wonders whether the dominant forms of modern philosophy have not become blind to important dimensions of the moral life.
The book argues against recent attempts to return to the virtue-centered perspective of ancient Greek ethics. As well as exploring the differences between ancient and modern ethics, the author examines such topics as the roles of reason and history in our moral understanding, the inadequacy of philsophical naturalism, and the foundations of modern liberalism. There are also extended discussions of a number of leading contemporary philosophers: Rawls, Habermas, Williams and Rorty.
The Authority of Reason
Authors: Hampton Jean E.
Published: December 2009

This challenging and provocative book argues against much contemporary orthodoxy in philosophy and the social sciences by showing why objectivity in the domain of ethics is really no different from the objectivity of scientific knowledge. Many philosophers and social scientists have challenged the idea that we act for objectively authoritative reasons. Jean Hampton takes up the challenge by undermining two central assumptions of this contemporary orthodoxy: that one can understand instrumental reasons without appeal to objective authority, and that the adoption of the scientific world view requires no such appeal. In the course of the book Jean Hampton examines moral realism, the general nature of reason and norms, internalism and externalism, instrumental reasoning, and the expected utility model of practical reasoning. The book is sure to prove to be a seminal work in the theory of rationality that will be read by a broad swathe of philosophers and social scientists.
The Economics of Saving and Growth
Authors: Stiglitz Joseph
Published: December 2009

Saving rates display great variation across countries and over time. They are also closely related to growth performance. This 1999 volume provides an account of key variables, institutions and policies that determine saving. Drawing from a systematic exploration of the existing literature, the collection summarizes knowledge about cross-country saving trends, the relation between saving and growth, the impact of financial policies and institutions on saving, the effect of foreign resource inflows on saving, and the links between income distribution and aggregate saving. In addition, new research results are presented on the two latter areas. The work has a strong empirical motivation: to help address real-world issues on consumption and saving in both industrial and developing countries, in order to assist in the design of rational and effective macroeconomic policies.
Bovine colostrum supplementation attenuates the decrease of salivary lysozyme and enhances the recovery of neutrophil function after prolonged exercise
Authors: Davison Glen , Diment Bethany C.
Published: December 2009

Oral supplementation with bovine colostrum (COL) has been shown to enhance immunity in human subjects. However, there is limited research on the use of bovine COL supplementation to counter exercise-induced immunodepression, as a model of stress-induced immunodepression, and previous research has focused primarily on salivary IgA. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of bovine COL supplementation on exercise-induced changes in innate immunity (neutrophil function and salivary lysozyme) in addition to salivary IgA. Twenty healthy, active men cycled for 2 h at approximately 64 % maximal oxygen uptake after 4 weeks of daily bovine COL (n10) or placebo (PLA,n10) supplementation. Blood and saliva samples were obtained before and after supplementation, before and after exercise. Exercise induced significant increases in markers of physiological stress and stress to the immune system (circulating neutrophils, neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio, immature granulocytes, atypical lymphocytes and plasma cortisol), but there were no differences between the COL and PLA groups. Significant group × time interactions (two-way mixed model ANOVA) were observed for neutrophil function (stimulated degranulation) and salivary lysozyme concentration and release (P < 0·05). Significant exercise-induced decreases were observed in these parameters, and bovine COL supplementation either speeded the recovery (neutrophil function) or prevented the decrease (salivary lysozyme) in these measures of innate immunity. These results suggest that 4 weeks of bovine COL supplementation limits the immunodepressive effects induced by an acute prolonged physical stressor, such as exercise, which may confer some benefits to host defence.
“Nothing but Words”? Chronicling and Storytelling in Robert Coover's The Public Burning
Authors: SAVVAS THEOPHILUS
Published: December 2009

Robert Coover's 1977 novel The Public Burning is a dramatic re-presentation of the last three days of the lives of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Dubbed the “atomic spies” by the media, the Rosenbergs were accused of passing on the “secret” of the atomic bomb to the Russians. The sensational trial provoked widespread attention for its seeming encapsulation of the fault lines in American society opened up by anticommunism and the emergent Cold War. Found guilty, they were the first American nationals to be executed for espionage. This paper analyses the different narrative methods that Coover employs to re-present the past. In particular I focus on Coover's juxtaposition of a third-person, seemingly omniscient, narrator with the first-person narratological voice of then Vice President Richard Nixon. I suggest that we can best understand this not simply as providing objective and subjective versions of the event, as some critics have claimed, but rather as a distinction between history as chronicle (or what I call a synchronic method of history), and history as storytelling (or diachrony). Through this The Public Burning becomes not just a satirical critique of the specific political culture of the time, I contend, but, more fundamentally, a general exploration of the difficulties of reconstituting past events into knowledge. It is here, perhaps, where the novel's continuing relevance for today lies.
The Historiography of the Black Panther Party
Authors: STREET JOE
Published: December 2009

This article examines forty years of historical writing on the Black Panther Party (BPP), arguing that this historiography has now reached maturity. It evaluates key publications on the BPP, splitting the historiography into three periods. The first phase, the article asserts, was dominated by accounts written by participants and observers of the BPP in action. These offered insight into the personalities of the BPP leadership but included relatively little on other BPP members. They were supplemented by a collection of friendly academic studies, a number of which emphasized the role of the FBI in precipitating the BPP's decline. The article identifies the 1994 publication of Hugh Pearson's biographical study of Huey P. Newton as the beginning of a second phase. Pearson's work, which built on a collection of accounts written by observers and right-wing writers during the first phase, precipitated an outpouring of new studies that opposed its conclusions. These works overwhelmingly focussed on individual BPP chapters and the experiences of the BPP rank and file; they were generally friendly towards the party and often appraised the BPP's actions through the 1970s. A second wave of participant accounts also emerged in this period which offered a more personal interpretation of the BPP's decline. A third period emerged in the early 2000s that abandoned the obsession with Pearson's study and focussed instead on the BPP's contribution to African American and American culture beyond its political program and violent image. The article reveals the paradox at the heart of the local approach, one which recent studies addressed in their focus on the BPP's Oakland chapter and their return to a tight chronological approach that focussed on the BPP's peak years. It concludes by noting the remaining omissions in the BPP's historical record and anticipating further studies.
Detection of mastitis and its stage of progression by automatic milking systems using artificial neural networks
Authors: Sun Zhibin , Samarasinghe Sandhya , Jago Jenny
Published: December 2009

Two types of artificial neural networks, multilayer perceptron (MLP) and self-organizing feature map (SOM) were used to detect mastitis by automatic milking systems (AMS) using a new mastitis indicator that combined two previously reported indicators based on higher electrical conductivity (EC) and lower quarter yield (QY). Four MLPs with four combinations of inputs were developed to detect infected quarters. One input combination involved principal components (PC) adopted for addressing multi-collinearity in the data. The PC-based MLP model was superior to other non-PC-based models in terms of less complexity and higher predictive accuracy. The overall correct classification rate (CCR), sensitivity and specificity of this model were 90·74%, 86·90% and 91·36%, respectively. The SOM detected the stage of progression of mastitis in a quarter within the mastitis spectrum and revealed that quarters form three clusters: healthy, moderately ill and severely ill. The clusters were validated using k-means clustering, ANOVA and least significant difference. Clusters reflected the characteristics of healthy and subclinical and clinical mastitis, respectively. We conclude that the PC based model based on EC and QY can be used in AMS to detect mastitis with high accuracy and that the SOM model can be used to monitor the health status of the herd for early intervention and possible treatment.
Introduction
Authors: A. J. H.
Published: December 2009

John Milton is admitted to stand second only to Shakespeare in the roll of English Poets. Looking at the numerous testimonies (during his lifetime) to Shakespeare's existence, the number of his plays and poems, the many acquaintances whom his mere profession must necessarily have forced upon him, the friends whom his un -doubted genial nature must have secured, and the various business transactions in which he must have engaged before being able to accumulate the competence on which he retired to the country, it seems strange that six or seven signatures are all that remain of the actual writing of him who, in literature, is England's chief glory. But looking at these signatures, and considering the traditions about Shakespeare's youth, it may be doubted if he was ever a good penman: transcripts by other persons of his rough drafts would serve for the Play House and the Press, and his business transactions were most likely effected by scriveners; the circumstances under which he is traditionally reported to have first come t o London would perhaps prevent him from corresponding with his country friends; and not even a copy or print of any letter by him exists.
Discours of the Turkes
Authors: Sherley Thomas
Published: December 2009

The fame of Thomas Sherley, the eldest of the three sons of Sir Thomas Sherley of Wiston, Sussex, has been almost entirely overshadowed by that of his brothers Anthony and Robert.
Biogeography of soil archaea and bacteria along a steep precipitation gradient
Authors: Angel Roey , Soares M Ines M , Ungar Eugene D , Gillor Osnat
Published: December 2009

For centuries, biodiversity has spellbound biologists focusing mainly on macroorganism's diversity and almost neglecting the geographic mediated dynamics of microbial communities. We surveyed the diversity of soil bacteria and archaea along a steep precipitation gradient ranging from the Negev Desert in the south of Israel (<100 mm annual rain) to the Mediterranean forests in the north (>900 mm annual rain). Soil samples were retrieved from triplicate plots at five long-term ecological research stations, collected from two types of patches: plant interspaces and underneath the predominant perennial at each site. The molecular fingerprint of each soil sample was taken using terminal restriction length polymorphism of the 16S rRNA gene to evaluate the bacterial and archaeal community composition and diversity within and across sites. The difference in community compositions was not statistically significant within sites (P=0.33 and 0.77 for bacteria and archaea, respectively), but it differed profoundly by ecosystem type. These differences could largely be explained by the precipitation gradient combined with the vegetation cover: the archaeal and bacterial operational taxonomic units were unique to each climatic region, that is, arid, semiarid and Mediterranean (P=0.0001, for both domains), as well as patch type (P=0.009 and 0.02 for bacteria and archaea, respectively). Our results suggest that unlike macroorganisms that are more diverse in the Mediterranean ecosystems compared with the desert sites, archaeal and bacterial diversities are not constrained by precipitation. However, the community composition is unique to the climate and vegetation cover that delineates each ecosystem.
Effects of freeze–thaw cycles on anaerobic microbial processes in an Arctic intertidal mud flat
Authors: Sawicka Joanna E , Robador Alberto , Hubert Casey , Jørgensen Bo Barker , Brüchert Volker
Published: December 2009

Insight into the effects of repeated freezing and thawing on microbial processes in sediments and soils is important for understanding sediment carbon cycling at high latitudes acutely affected by global warming. Microbial responses to repeated freeze–thaw conditions were studied in three complementary experiments using arctic sediment collected from an intertidal flat that is exposed to seasonal freeze–thaw conditions (Ymerbukta, Svalbard, Arctic Ocean). The sediment was subjected to oscillating freeze–thaw incubations, either gradual, from −5 to 4 °C, or abrupt, from −20 to 10 °C. Concentrations of low-molecular weight carboxylic acids (volatile fatty acids) were measured and sulfate reduction was assessed by measuring 35S sulfate reduction rates (SRRs). Gradual freeze–thaw incubation decreased microbial activity in the frozen state to 0.25 % of initial levels at 4 °C, but activity resumed rapidly reaching >60 % of initial activity in the thawed state. Exposure of sediments to successive large temperature changes (−20 versus 10 °C) decreased SRR by 80% of the initial activity, suggesting that a fraction of the bacterial community recovered rapidly from extreme temperature fluctuations. This is supported by 16S rRNA gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles that revealed persistence of the dominant microbial taxa under repeated freeze–thaw cycles. The fast recovery of the SRRs suggests that carbon mineralization in thawing arctic sediment can resume without delay or substantial growth of microbial populations.
The Lipid Accumulation Product and All‐cause Mortality in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk: A PreCIS Database Study
Authors: Ioachimescu Adriana G. , Brennan Danielle M. , Hoar Brian M. , Hoogwerf Byron J.
Published: December 2009

The BMI is the most frequently used marker to evaluate obesity‐associated risks. An alternative continuous index of lipid over accumulation, the lipid accumulation product (LAP), has been proposed, which is computed from waist circumference (WC, cm) and fasting triglycerides (TGs) (mmol/l): (WC − 65) × TG (men) and (WC − 58) × TG (women). We evaluated LAP and BMI as predictors of mortality in a high‐risk cohort. Study population included 5,924 new consecutive patients seen between 1995 and 2006 at a preventive cardiology clinic. Fifty‐eight percent of patients were discordant for their LAP and BMI quartiles. Patients whose LAP quartile was greater than BMI quartile had higher mortality compared with those with LAP quartile was lower than BMI quartile (8.2 vs. 5.4% at 6 years, P = 0.007). After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) and high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C), (ln)LAP was independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.46, P < 0.001). BMI was not associated with increased mortality (HR = 1.06, P = 0.39). Adding LAP to a model including traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis increased its predictive value (C statistic 0.762 vs. 0.750, P = 0.048). Adding BMI to the same model did not change its predictive value (0.749 vs. 0.750, P = 0.29). Subgroup analyses showed that LAP predicted mortality in the nondiabetic patients (adjusted HR for (ln)LAP 1.64, P < 0.001), but did not reach significance in the diabetic patients (HR = 1.21, P = 0.11). In conclusion, LAP and not BMI predicted mortality in nondiabetic patients at high risk for cardiovascular diseases. LAP may become a useful tool in clinical practice to stratify the risk of unfavorable outcome associated with obesity.
Glucose Metabolism and Diet Predict Changes in Adiposity and Fat Distribution in Weight‐reduced Women
Authors: Gower Barbara A. , Hunter Gary R. , Chandler‐Laney Paula C. , Alvarez Jessica A. , Bush Nikki C.
Published: December 2009

Among obesity‐prone individuals, metabolic state may interact with diet in determining body composition. We tested the hypotheses that, among 103 weight‐reduced women over 1 year, (i) insulin sensitivity would be positively associated with change in %fat; (ii) this association would be modulated by dietary glycemic load (GL); and (iii) changes in fat distribution would be related to indexes of glucose metabolism. Insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, fasting and postchallenge insulin and glucose, and glucose tolerance were assessed during intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Changes in %fat and fat distribution were examined using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and computed tomography. Dietary GL was assessed on 67 women using food records. On average, women showed a +5.3 ± 3.0% change in %fat over 1 year, with the magnitude of this change being greater in relatively insulin sensitive women (+6.0 ± 0.4%, mean ± s.e.m.) than in relatively insulin resistant women (+4.4 ± 0.4 kg; P < 0.05). Women who were relatively insulin sensitive and who consumed a higher GL diet showed a +6.8 ± 0.7% change in %fat, which was greater than those who were less insulin sensitive, regardless of diet (P < 0.05), but did not differ from women who were relatively insulin sensitive and who consumed a lower GL diet (P = 0.105). Changes in intra‐abdominal and deep subcutaneous abdominal fat were inversely associated with the postchallenge decline in serum glucose. In conclusion, greater insulin sensitivity may predispose to adiposity among weight reduced women, an effect that may be ameliorated by a lower GL diet. The potential association between indexes of glucose disposal and changes in fat distribution warrants further study.
Metal templated design of protein interfaces
Authors: Salgado Eric N. , Ambroggio Xavier I. , Brodin Jeffrey D. , Lewis Richard A. , Kuhlman Brian , Tezcan F. Akif
Published: December 2009

Metal coordination is a key structural and functional component of a large fraction of proteins. Given this dual role we considered the possibility that metal coordination may have played a templating role in the early evolution of protein folds and complexes. We describe here a rational design approach, Metal Templated Interface Redesign (MeTIR), that mimics the time course of a hypothetical evolutionary pathway for the formation of stable protein assemblies through an initial metal coordination event. Using a folded monomeric protein, cytochromecb562, as a building block we show that its non-self-associating surface can be made self-associating through a minimal number of mutations that enable Zn coordination. The protein interfaces in the resulting Zn-directed,D2-symmetrical tetramer are subsequently redesigned, yielding unique protein architectures that self-assemble in the presence or absence of metals. Aside from its evolutionary implications, MeTIR provides a route to engineer de novo protein interfaces and metal coordination environments that can be tuned through the extensive noncovalent bonding interactions in these interfaces.
Posttranslational Modifications of Tubulin and the Polarized Transport of Kinesin-1 in Neurons
Authors: Hammond Jennetta W. , Huang Chun-Fang , Kaech Stefanie , Jacobson Catherine , Banker Gary , Verhey Kristen J.
Published: December 2009

Polarized transport by microtubule-based motors is critical for neuronal development and function. Selective translocation of the Kinesin-1 motor domain is the earliest known marker of axonal identity, occurring before morphological differentiation. Thus, Kinesin-1–mediated transport may contribute to axonal specification. We tested whether posttranslational modifications of tubulin influence the ability of Kinesin-1 motors to distinguish microtubule tracks during neuronal development. We detected no difference in microtubule stability between axons and minor neurites in polarized stage 3 hippocampal neurons. In contrast, microtubule modifications were enriched in a subset of neurites in unpolarized stage 2 cells and the developing axon in polarized stage 3 cells. This enrichment correlated with the selective accumulation of constitutively active Kinesin-1 motors. Increasing tubulin acetylation, without altering the levels of other tubulin modifications, did not alter the selectivity of Kinesin-1 accumulation in polarized cells. However, globally enhancing tubulin acetylation, detyrosination, and polyglutamylation by Taxol treatment or inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β decreased the selectivity of Kinesin-1 translocation and led to the formation of multiple axons. Although microtubule acetylation enhances the motility of Kinesin-1, the preferential translocation of Kinesin-1 on axonal microtubules in polarized neuronal cells is not determined by acetylation alone but is probably specified by a combination of tubulin modifications.
emPAI Calc—for the estimation of protein abundance from large-scale identification data by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Shinoda Kosaku , Tomita Masaru , Ishihama Yasushi
Published: December 2009

Summary: emPAI Calc is an open-source web application for the estimation of protein abundance. It uses the correlation between the number of identified peptides and protein abundance in mass spectrometry-based proteomic experiments. The program is the first implementation of our previously reported emPAI algorithm; it calculates the emPAI from the protein identification results obtained by database search engines such as Mascot.™

Availability:  http://empai.iab.keio.ac.jp/; http://empai.iab.keio.ac.jp/supplement.php Source codes are available under Mozilla Public License.

Contact:  y-ishi@ttck.keio.ac.jp

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Placing microalgae on the biofuels priority list: a review of the technological challenges
Authors: Greenwell H. C. , Laurens L. M. L. , Shields R. J. , Lovitt R. W. , Flynn K. J.
Published: December 2009

Microalgae provide various potential advantages for biofuel production when compared with ‘traditional’ crops. Specifically, large-scale microalgal culture need not compete for arable land, while in theory their productivity is greater. In consequence, there has been resurgence in interest and a proliferation of algae fuel projects. However, while on a theoretical basis, microalgae may produce between 10- and 100-fold more oil per acre, such capacities have not been validated on a commercial scale. We critically review current designs of algal culture facilities, including photobioreactors and open ponds, with regards to photosynthetic productivity and associated biomass and oil production and include an analysis of alternative approaches using models, balancing space needs, productivity and biomass concentrations, together with nutrient requirements. In the light of the current interest in synthetic genomics and genetic modifications, we also evaluate the options for potential metabolic engineering of the lipid biosynthesis pathways of microalgae. We conclude that although significant literature exists on microalgal growth and biochemistry, significantly more work needs to be undertaken to understand and potentially manipulate algal lipid metabolism. Furthermore, with regards to chemical upgrading of algal lipids and biomass, we describe alternative fuel synthesis routes, and discuss and evaluate the application of catalysts traditionally used for plant oils. Simulations that incorporate financial elements, along with fluid dynamics and algae growth models, are likely to be increasingly useful for predicting reactor design efficiency and life cycle analysis to determine the viability of the various options for large-scale culture. The greatest potential for cost reduction and increased yields most probably lies within closed or hybrid closed–open production systems.
Mode-mixity-dependent adhesive contact of a sphere on a plane surface
Authors: Waters Julie F. , Guduru Pradeep R.
Published: December 2009

Tangential loading in the presence of adhesion is highly relevant to biological locomotion, but mixed-mode contact of biological materials or similar soft elastomers remains to be well understood. To better capture the effects of dissipation in such contact problems owing to viscoelasticity or irreversible interfacial adhesive processes, a model is developed for the combined adhesive and tangential loading of a rigid sphere on a flat half-space which incorporates a phenomenological model of energy dissipation in the form of increased effective work of adhesion with increasing degree of mode mixity. To verify the model, contact experiments are performed on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) samples using a custom-built microtribometer. Measurements of contact area during mixed normal/tangential loading indicate that the strong dependence of the effective work of adhesion upon mode mixity can be captured effectively by the phenomenological model in the regime where the contact area stayed circular and the slip was negligible. Rate effects were seen to be described by a power-law dependence upon the crack front velocity, similar to observations of rate-dependent contact seen for pure normal loading.
Multivariate empirical mode decomposition
Authors: Rehman N. , Mandic D. P.
Published: December 2009

Despite empirical mode decomposition (EMD) becoming a de facto standard for time-frequency analysis of nonlinear and non-stationary signals, its multivariate extensions are only emerging; yet, they are a prerequisite for direct multichannel data analysis. An important step in this direction is the computation of the local mean, as the concept of local extrema is not well defined for multivariate signals. To this end, we propose to use real-valued projections along multiple directions on hyperspheres (
n
-spheres) in order to calculate the envelopes and the local mean of multivariate signals, leading to multivariate extension of EMD. To generate a suitable set of direction vectors, unit hyperspheres (
n
-spheres) are sampled based on both uniform angular sampling methods and quasi-Monte Carlo-based low-discrepancy sequences. The potential of the proposed algorithm to find common oscillatory modes within multivariate data is demonstrated by simulations performed on both hexavariate synthetic and real-world human motion signals.
Could light harvesting complexes exhibit non-classical effects at room temperature?
Authors: Wilde Mark M. , McCracken James M. , Mizel Ari
Published: December 2009

Mounting experimental and theoretical evidence suggest that coherent quantum effects play a role in the efficient transfer of an excitation from a chlorosome antenna to a reaction centre in the Fenna–Matthews–Olson protein complex. However, it is conceivable that a satisfying alternate interpretation of the results is possible in terms of a classical theory. To address this possibility, we consider a class of classical theories satisfying the minimal postulates of macrorealism and frame Leggett–Garg-type tests that could rule them out. Our numerical simulations indicate that even in the presence of decoherence, several tests could exhibit the required violations of the Leggett–Garg inequality. Remarkably, some violations persist even at room temperature for our decoherence model.
The dead do not lie: using skeletal remains for rapid assessment of historical small-mammal community baselines
Authors: Terry Rebecca C.
Published: December 2009

Conservation and restoration efforts are often hindered by a lack of historical baselines that pre-date intense anthropogenic environmental change. In this paper I document that natural accumulations of skeletal remains represent a potential source of high-quality data on the historical composition and structure of small-mammal communities. I do so by assessing the fidelity of modern, decadal and centennial-scale time-averaged samples of skeletal remains (concentrated by raptor predation) to the living small-mammal communities from which they are derived. To test the power of skeletal remains to reveal baseline shifts, I employ the design of a natural experiment, comparing two taphonomically similar Great Basin cave localities in areas where anthropogenic land-use practices have diverged within the last century. I find relative stasis at the undisturbed site, but document rapid restructuring of the small-mammal community at the site subjected to recent disturbance. I independently validate this result using historical trapping records to show that dead remains accurately capture both the magnitude and direction of this baseline shift. Surveys of skeletal remains therefore provide a simple, powerful and rapid alternative approach for gaining insight into the historical structure and dynamics of modern small-mammal communities.
Secondary and ectopic lymphoid tissue responses in rheumatoid arthritis: from inflammation to autoimmunity and tissue damage/remodeling
Authors: Manzo Antonio , Bombardieri Michele , Humby Frances , Pitzalis Costantino
Published: December 2009

Summary:  Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the synovium of diarthrodial joints. Despite the currently unknown etiology, overwhelming evidence indicates that both innate and adaptive immunity play a central role in disease pathogenesis. In this review, we consider recent evidence examining the mechanisms of lymphoid tissue reactivity in rheumatoid arthritis with a focus on the dynamics controlling secondary and ectopic lymphoid tissue response. We then examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the biopathology of these processes with specific emphasis on cell trafficking, contribution to autoimmunity, and joint damage‐repair. We finally provide a brief overview of the most recent studies addressing the clinical relevance of synovial lymphoid tissue analysis as a diagnostic and prognostic tool as well as its response to current biological therapies.
Vasohibin‐1 as a potential predictor of aggressive behavior of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
Authors: Tamaki Kentaro , Sasano Hironobu , Maruo Yohei , Takahashi Yayoi , Miyashita Minoru , Moriya Takuya , Sato Yasufumi , Hirakawa Hisashi , Tamaki Nobumitsu , Watanabe Mika , Ishida Takanori , Ohuchi Noriaki
Published: December 2009

Vasohibin‐1 is a recently identified negative feedback regulator of angiogenesis induced by VEGF‐A and bFGF. In this study, we first evaluated mRNA expression of vasohibin‐1 and CD31 in 39 Japanese female breast carcinoma specimens including 22 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 17 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) using a real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR (QRT‐PCR) with LightCycler system. In addition, we also immunolocalized vasohibin‐1 and CD31 and compared their immunoreactivity to nuclear grades and histological grades of 100 carcinoma cases (50 IDC and 50 DCIS). There were no statistically significant differences of CD31 mRNA expression and the number of CD31 positive vessels between DCIS and IDC (P = 0.250 and P = 0.191, respectively), whereas there was a statistically significant difference in vasohibin‐1 mRNA expression and the number of vasohibin‐1 positive vessels in DCIS and IDC (P = 0.022 and P ≤ 0.001, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between vasohibin‐1 mRNA level and Ki‐67 labeling index in DCIS (r2 = 0.293, P ≤ 0.001). In addition, vasohibin‐1 mRNA expression was correlated with high nuclear and histological grades in DCIS cases and a significant positive correlation was detected between the number of vasohibin‐1 positive vessels and Ki‐67 labeling index or nuclear grade or Van Nuys classification of carcinoma cells (P ≤ 0.001, respectively). These results all indicate the possible correlation between aggressive biological features in DCIS including increased tumor cell proliferation and the status of neovascularization determined by vasohibin‐1 immunoreactivity.

(Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1051–1058)
Idiosyncrasy and overdominance in the structure of natural communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: is there a role for stochastic processes?
Authors: Dumbrell Alex J. , Nelson Michaela , Helgason Thorunn , Dytham Calvin , Fitter Alastair H.
Published: December 2009

1. Most studies of species abundance patterns focus on conspicuous macroorganisms while microbial communities remain relatively understudied. This bias is a concern given the functional importance and high diversity of microbes.

2. We determine whether a common species abundance distribution (SAD) is observed in communities of a widespread group of soil microbes, the Glomeromycota or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Using molecular techniques, we intensively sampled the AM fungal community of a woodland–grassland ecotone in Yorkshire, UK. Observed species abundances were compared to theoretical models describing SADs. We also reanalysed 32 previously published data sets in a similar manner.

3. Species abundance distributions in all the AM fungal communities fitted both lognormal and broken‐stick models. However, these models consistently and significantly underpredicted the abundance of the most abundant AM fungal taxon. We found that AM fungal communities are typically dominated by a single taxon; representing on average 40% of total abundance within the community. Phylogenetic analysis of the most abundant taxa across data sets showed that the dominant AM fungal type in each community was different and not a widespread generalist.

4. We conclude that a common community structure is present in AM fungal communities from different habitats. The fit to log‐normal and broken‐stick models suggests the influence of niche differentiation structuring these communities. However, the consistently observed overdominance indicates that local adaptation and stochastic processes may also play important roles in structuring these communities, and we propose a mechanism to explain overdominance in AM fungal communities.

5. Synthesis. This paper applies ecological models derived from studies on larger organisms to microbial communities. Results from this study suggest that a common log‐normal SAD is likely to be observed across both microbial and macro taxa. However, due to the distinctive features of microbial biology, some noticeable differences, such as heavy overdominance, may lead to unique structures in microbial communities. This research not only highlights that, to a first approximation, microbial communities follow similar processes and have similar patterns to those of macroorganisms, but also the need for large‐scale microbial data sets, if we are to understand the patterns and processes regulating global biodiversity.
Therapeutic Approaches to Pregnancy Loss of Non‐infectious Cause During the Late Embryonic/Early Foetal Period in Dairy Cattle. A Review
Authors: Bech‐Sàbat G , García‐Ispierto I , Yániz J , López‐Gatius F
Published: December 2009

Contents

The problem of pregnancy loss during the late embryonic/early foetal period due to non‐infectious causes in dairy cattle is on the rise, especially in high milk producing cows. This review discusses recent therapeutic approaches designed to reduce the incidence of early foetal loss. These strategies are based on the fact that low plasma concentrations of progesterone are commonly related to foetal loss. Progesterone supplementation during the late embryonic/early foetal period has proven useful in curtailing losses, mainly in single pregnancies, whereas a more positive effect of treatment with GnRH than progesterone has been found in twin pregnancies. Therapeutics is not necessary in cows with an additional corpus luteum. In practical terms, suggestions include recording the number of embryos and corpora lutea on first pregnancy diagnosis and checking for normal pregnancy progression on day 60 post‐insemination.
Corporate Governance in China: a Step Forward
Authors: Cheung Yan‐Leung , Jiang Ping , Limpaphayom Piman , Lu Tong
Published: December 2009

Recently, the presumed benefits of corporate governance have become one of the most contentious issues especially for emerging markets in Asia where institutional settings are quite different from other parts of the world. Using an internationally accepted benchmark (OECD's Principles of Corporate Governance, OECD, 2004), this study evaluates the progress of corporate governance practice of Chinese listed companies. A corporate governance index (CGI) is constructed to measure the quality of corporate governance practices of the 100 largest listed firms in China during 2004‐2006. The results show that Chinese companies have been making progress in the corporate governance reform. The findings also show a positive relation between market valuation and overall corporate governance practices, as measured by the CGI, among these Chinese listed companies. Additional investigation reveals that the rights of shareholders are the main driver in the relationship.
One Standard Fits All? The Pros and Cons of Performance Standard Adjustments
Authors: Barnow Burt S. , Heinrich Carolyn J.
Published: December 2009

Despite the wide‐ranging use of performance measures within the public sector and the growing use of performance bonuses to recognize performance achievements, the use of formal performance standards adjustment procedures in public performance measurement systems is relatively rare. Burt S. Barnow of Johns Hopkins University and Carolyn J. Heinrich of the University of Wisconsin–Madison set forth the basic arguments in favor of and against the use of formal or informal procedures for adjusting performance expectations. They describe how performance standards adjustments processes are currently (or have been) in use, review the evidence of their effectiveness or problems encountered in their application, and explore the consequences of the inadequacy of performance standards adjustments. The authors offer recommendations for the improvement of public sector performance measurement systems and conclude why this area remains fruitful for future research experimentation.

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.

—Andrew S. Tannenbaum
Emotions in Management and the Management of Emotions: The Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Politics on Public Sector Employees
Authors: Vigoda‐Gadot Eran , Meisler Galit
Published: December 2009

Readers are invited to a rendezvous with the meaning of the heart and emotions in public administration. Despite the growing interest in recent years in emotional intelligence within the managerial literature, too little has been written about emotional intelligence within the public sector. This is surprising in light of New Public Management voices that stress flexibility, responsiveness, and a focus on the needs and demands of citizens. The functionality of the heart in a mind‐oriented bureaucracy is analyzed, and a model is suggested for exploring the relationship between emotional intelligence, organizational politics, and employees' performance in public agencies. This model is empirically tested in two Israeli municipalities. The results support a moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between organizational politics and emotional commitment, as well as between organizational politics and employees' absenteeism. Other direct mediating effects of political perceptions and skills are noted. Implications for theory development, future empirical studies, as well as practical recommendations are suggested.
Children and Chores: A Mixed‐Methods Study of Children's Household Work in Los Angeles Families
Authors: Klein Wendy , Graesch Anthony P. , Izquierdo Carolina
Published: December 2009

This ethnographic study investigates children's contributions to household work through the analysis of interview data and scan sampling data collected among 30 middle‐class dual‐earner families in Los Angeles, California. We discuss convergences and divergences between data collected with two independent methodologies: scan sampling and interviewing. Scan sampling data provide an overview of the frequency of children's participation in household work as well as the types of tasks they engaged in during data collection. Children's interview responses reflect their perceptions of their responsibilities, how they view family expectations regarding their participation in household work, and whether allowance is an effective motivator. Comparative analysis reveals that most children in our study spend surprisingly little time helping around the house and engage in fewer tasks than what they report in interviews. Within the context of children's minimal participation in household work, we find that allowance is not an effective motivator, but that children in families with access to paid domestic help tend to be less helpful than children in families without. We suggest that while most children are aware that their working parents need help, in some families, inconsistent and unclear expectations from parents negatively affect children's participation in household work.