bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flight speed, foraging efficiency, and daily energy budget of the Barn Swallow,Hirundo rustica
Authors: Cueva Horacio de la , Blake Robert W.
Published: April 2008

Aerodynamic power equations predict optimal speeds at which birds ought to fly if they are to maximize time spent in the air on a given energy store (minimum power speed, Vmp), distance covered using a given amount of fuel (maximum range speed, Vmr), and rate of delivering food to the chicks in the nest (Vnest), or maximize the daily energy balance (VDBAL). With the aerodynamic model employed, these speeds are 5.3, 7.0, 7.9, and 8.9 m∙s−1, respectively, for the Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica. A comparison of the predicted flight speed with both the mean and median flight speeds (8 m∙s−1in both cases; n = 821) recorded with Doppler radar indicates that Barn Swallows fly at speeds not significantly different from Vnest. The true sample size was unknown, and realistic sample sizes are drawn with bootstrap procedures and compared with those given by the number of measurements (821); no significant differences were found. To test the model, energy requirements for growth, prey density, and time spent foraging were varied independently in a sensitivity analysis. Large but realistic changes in these three variables do not contradict the model and predict speeds within the range measured in the field.
Variation in maternal attendance patterns and pup behaviour in a declining population of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)
Authors: Hood Wendy R. , Ono Kathryn A.
Published: April 2008

Maternal attendance patterns of lactating female Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and the activity budgets of pups on Año Nuevo Island, California, were compared between the 1973 and 1992 breeding seasons to investigate temporal changes in behaviour that may be associated with population decline. Females were absent from the breeding area longer in 1992, which may reflect increased foraging effort. Pups also spent significantly less time sucking and more time swimming in 1992. Suckling time is correlated with milk intake in some otariid species, thus the decreased amount of time 1992 pups spent sucking could reflect a reduction in the total volume of milk produced by females. Pups in 1992 are likely to have spent more time swimming than pups in 1973 because high tide covered a greater proportion of the study site in 1992 than in 1973. An increase in time females spent at sea and a decrease in time pups spent sucking are consistent with behavioural changes associated with reduced prey availability.
Wolverines and their prey in southern Norway
Authors: Landa A. , Strand O. , Swenson J. E. , Skogland T.
Published: April 2008

Wolverines (Gulo gulo) recolonized the Snøhetta plateau in southern Norway in 1976–1979 after an absence of over 50 years. This is presently the southernmost part of the wolverine's distribution and the only area where it coexists with wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in western Europe. Other, larger predators in the Scandinavian ecosystem, the wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx), and brown bear (Ursus arctos), have been absent from the area since the beginning of this century. We monitored wolverine numbers, reproduction, and diet during the denning period and studied the effects of abundance of different prey species on wolverine reproduction. Although there were differences in productivity among maternity dens, the main factor influencing the number of wolverine cubs surviving was the abundance of small rodents (p = 0.0002). Although small rodents constituted the main factor explaining variation in cub numbers, the basic prey during the denning period was reindeer. Hares (Lepus timidus) accounted for a significant but stable part of the diet during the denning period. The wolverine was an important predator on sheep (Ovis aries), but we found no evidence that sheep are an essential part of its diet.
The aerobic submersion limit of Baikal seals,Phoca sibirica
Authors: Ponganis Paul J. , Kooyman Gerald L. , Baranov Eugene A. , Thorson Philip H. , Stewart Brent S.
Published: April 2008

An aerobic dive limit (ADL), the diving duration beyond which postdive lactate concentration increases above the resting level, has been estimated theoretically for many species. Such calculations have been based on an oxygen store/diving metabolic rate (MR) equation. Until now, an ADL has been determined empirically from measurements of blood lactate concentration only in the Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii. We measured post-submergence plasma lactate concentrations during spontaneous voluntary submersions of three captive adult Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica). Two-phase regression analysis revealed a transition in the lactate concentration – submersion duration relationship after the animal had been diving for 15 min. Data collected in prior studies on oxygen stores and submersion metabolic rates of Baikal seals yielded a calculated aerobic limit of 16 min. As in Weddell seals, the empirically determined aerobic limit was very similar to the theoretical limit. Furthermore, most diving durations recorded during recent studies of free-ranging Baikal seals are under this limit. These data support the concept of an ADL and its estimation by means of an oxygen store/diving MR calculation.
Effect of supplemental cover on survival of snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits in patchy habitat
Authors: Cox Eric W. , Garrott Robert A. , Cary John R.
Published: April 2008

We examined mortality patterns of sympatric snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on sites with and without brush piles to evaluate the protective role of cover in the fragmented habitat typical at the range limits of both species. Treatment sites received ≥2 oak brush piles per hectare in August and September 1994. Leporids used a minimum of 56% of created brush piles, but we failed to detect a difference in survivorship between animals occupying treatment and control sites, suggesting that brush piles may not have served as effective refugia to leporids of either species. Coyotes (Canis latrans) killed leporids in understory cover similar in mean density to that of study sites, whereas raptor kills occurred in areas with sparser understory than the average for the study sites or at coyote kills. We concluded that other methods of habitat alteration may be more effective means of increasing numbers of snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits.
Search-phase echolocation calls of the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) and long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus)
Authors: Parsons Stuart
Published: April 2008

This paper describes the search-phase echolocation calls of lesser short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata) and long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus). Calls were recorded from all three subspecies of short-tailed bat and seven populations of long-tailed bat, three in Northland, two in the central North Island, and two in the lower South Island. The calls were recorded in the field and digitised, then three spectral components and one temporal component of the calls were measured. Calls of the lesser short-tailed bat could be loosely classified into subspecies by means of multivariate discriminant function analysis. Similarly, long-tailed bat calls showed regional variation, and discriminant function analysis was able to fit calls to regional groups with a high rate of success. The significance of the results presented is discussed in terms of the conservation of New Zealand bats and the unique ecology of the lesser short-tailed bat.
Fighting success in relation to body mass and drumming activity in the male wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata
Authors: Kotiaho Janne , Alatalo Rauno V. , Mappes Johanna , Parri Silja
Published: April 2008

In the wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata, males court females by drumming dry leaves with their abdomen. Females prefer to mate with the most actively drumming males, and courtship drumming activity is also positively correlated with male viability. However, body mass of the males seems to have only a minor, if any, effect on female choice or male viability. There is also no correlation between male body mass and courtship drumming activity. We studied the effect of body mass and courtship drumming activity on the outcome of agonistic encounters between male H. rubrofasciata. For this purpose, males and females were randomly placed in a plastic arena, where male courtship drumming activity and agonistic encounters were recorded. Large differences in body mass and drumming activity between two rivals seemed to independently increase the probability of the larger or more active males winning. We conclude that while courtship drumming activity affects the fighting success of the males, and body mass more so, male–male interactions may not be of major importance in sexual selection of H. rubrofasciata.
The critical thermal maximum: data to support the onset of spasms as the definitive end point
Authors: Lutterschmidt William I. , Hutchison Victor H.
Published: April 2008

We provide data to support the onset of spasms (OS) as the definitive end point for determining thermal tolerance with the critical thermal maximum (CTMax). We measured the CTMax of 610 animals in three vertebrate classes, Actinopterygii, Amphibia, and Reptilia. All showed a significantly lower mean loss of righting response (LRR) than OS. Statistical evaluation of the variability associated with the end points LRR and OS also showed that OS is a more precise measure of thermal tolerance. OS is a more meaningful end point than LRR because it more closely fits the original definition of the critical thermal maximum (R.B. Cowles and C.M. Bogert. 1944. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 83: 261–296) and occurs at temperatures required for physiological responses, such as heat-hardening and perhaps the production of some heat-shock proteins. The adoption of OS as a standard end point would allow valid comparisons of data from different studies and among taxa, an important consideration for comparative phylogenetic analyses. However, we suggest that LRR should also be measured for comparisons with data from earlier studies.
Premier cas d'adelphophagie étudié chez les néréides (Annélides, Polychètes): signification écologique de ce comportement développé par le Nereis diversicolor (O.F. Müller)
Authors: Marty Régis , Brenot Stéphane , Retière Christian , Desrosiers Gaston
Published: April 2008

Nereis diversicolor (O.F. Müller) is one of the rare nereid species to reproduce when atokous, with the female incubating its offspring for several weeks inside its gallery. During the incubation, postlarvae commonly become adelphophagous as they reach the three-setigerous-segment stage; the absence of oocytes in our rearings during the second week caused a near 50% decrease in the number of individuals, a pause of more than 14 days in their development, and an increase in the variability of growth patterns between individuals. Results are discussed in terms of the possible effects of this deficiency on the morphophysiology of young worms and in terms of the ecological consequences of the adelphophagous behaviour on the reproductive and incubating behaviours of the female.
High levels of inbreeding in captive Ammotragus lervia (Bovidae, Artiodactyla): effects on phenotypic variables
Authors: Cassinello Jorge
Published: April 2008

Variables that may affect birth mass and adult body mass/length in captive Saharan arruis (aoudads), Ammotragus lervia, were analyzed. Whenever enough data were available, the following variables were considered: age, sex, type of parturition (singleton versus twins), birth mass, nursing status (single versus effective twinning), maternal age, and individual inbreeding coefficient. Previous considerations and strong sexual dimorphism made it advisable to perform separate analyses for males and females. As expected, there was a positive relationship between age and growth. As adults, singleton females were larger than females that had a littermate; also, females raised by older mothers were heavier at sexual maturity. Birth mass, maternal age, and individual inbreeding coefficient had no effect on adult phenotype. At birth there already appeared to be significant sexual dimorphism, and singletons were heavier than twins. High inbreeding coefficients yielded lighter calves. Finally, birth mass increased with maternal age but was not affected by season of birth.
Effect of recovery parameters on critical swimming speed of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Peake S. , McKinley R. S. , Barth C.
Published: April 2008

Critical swimming speed (Ucrit) is commonly measured to evaluate the influence of particular parameters on the swimming ability and physiological status of fish. Prior to experiments, fish are often forced to swim at low speed for a period of time to allow them to recover from handling stress. In the past, recovery times and speeds have varied from study to study but their possible effects on Ucrithave not been thoroughly examined. Therefore, hatchery-reared juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were forced to swim at a velocity of 26.5 cm/s for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 h or at a velocity of 0, 17.0, 21.8, 26.5, 36.0, or 45.5 cm/s for 0.5 h prior to being subjected to the Ucritprotocol (5-min intervals and 2.5 cm/s increments were used). Fish were tested at 6 and 18 °C. Mean Ucritvalues were independent of recovery time and speed at both temperatures, suggesting that the recovery phase of the protocol may not be required and that inconsistencies in Ucritvalues among studies are probably not attributable to differences in recovery parameters used.
Quantifying conspicuousness and sexual dimorphism of the plumage in birds: a new approach
Authors: Repentigny Yves de , Ouellet Henri , McNeil Raymond
Published: April 2008

In studies of sexual selection in birds, it is necessary to quantify the conspicuousness and sexual dimorphism of the plumage. We present a method, based on the Munsell colour system, that is easier to use than spectroradiometric techniques. It is based on measurable and repeatable data, although it is dependent on human vision. It provides indices of sexual dimorphism and incorporates aspects of close-range and long-distance conspicuousness. Ten species of Emberezidae were chosen to illustrate the procedure, and it was tested using naive observers. It consists of dividing the body of a bird into regions and matching the colour of each region to chips in a colour guide. The following indices based on the parameters of the Munsell system were selected: value (V), chroma (C), and Munsell power (V∙C), which measure conspicuousness independently of the background; Wv, Wc, and Wv∙c, which measure the contrast between the colours in the plumage; Bv, Bc, and Bv∙c, which measure the contrast between the bird and its background; and Dv, Dc, and Dv∙c, which are the indices of sexual dimorphism of the plumage. There was a high degree of agreement among the naive observers, and the scores obtained using field guides did not differ significantly from those recorded on museum specimens. One of the dimorphism indices (Dv∙c) was found to give more information than the others. However, our results indicate that conspicuousness and dimorphism indices should not be used individually because they are interdependent, and that they should be used in conjunction with multivariate analyses. Also, the proposed method incorporates long-distance conspicuousness into the results.
Parasite communities in two sympatric morphs of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), in northern Norway
Authors: Knudsen R. , Kristoffersen R. , Amundsen P.-A.
Published: April 2008

In this study from Fjellfrøsvatn, an oligotrophic lake in northern Norway, the parasite communities in two sympatric Arctic charr populations were compared. The dwarf morph, which inhabits the profundal zone, exhibited the lowest parasite diversity, seven species, and 72% of these charr harboured only one or two parasite species. In contrast, 10 parasite species were encountered in the larger normal charr, and between 5 and 8 species were present in 73% of these fish, which also utilised a broader food and habitat niche. Proteocephalus sp. was by far the most abundant species in the dwarf charr, probably because this morph fed intensively upon the benthic copepod Acanthocyclops gigas. On the other hand, parasites that are transmitted with littoral benthic prey (i.e., Phyllodistomum umblae, Cyathocephalus truncatus, Cystidicola farionis, and Crepidostomum spp.) were almost absent in the dwarf charr, though they were common in the normal morph. Also, Diphyllobothrium spp. were more prevalent in the normal charr, and this was attributed to their feeding upon limnetic copepods in the pelagic zone. The only recorded parasite with a direct life cycle, the copepod Salmincola edwardsii, had relatively similar abundances in the two morphs. The considerable differences in parasite community structure and abundance between the two charr populations were closely related to differences in the width and composition of the habitat and food niches between the morphs.
The nest range of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu): parental care after swim-up
Authors: Scott R. J. , Noakes D. L. G. , Ridgway M. S.
Published: April 2008

Male smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) remain in association with their broods for an extended period of time after swim-up. The diurnal pattern of brood dispersion after swim-up consists of expansion during the day and contraction in the evening. We measured the areas occupied by both the broods and parental males after swim-up to determine if males adjust their parental surveillance to the dispersion of the brood. Male nest range, as determined from sonic tracking procedures, was found to be significantly related to the dispersion of the brood and not to the developmental stage (larval versus juvenile) of the offspring. This relationship indicates that parental vigilance after swim-up continues to be non-depreciable in the same manner as parental defense prior to swim-up.
Taxonomy of Kudoa species (Myxosporea), using a small-subunit ribosomal DNA sequence
Authors: Hervio D. M. L. , Khattra J. , Devlin R. H. , Kent M. L. , Sakanari J. , Yokoyama H.
Published: April 2008

Myxosporeans in the genus Kudoa infect the flesh of many marine fishes and often cause unsightly lesions and softening of the flesh texture. We are particularly interested in K. thyrsites because it is associated with soft flesh in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo solar), an important commercial species in Canada. Sequences of the small-subunit (SSU) rDNA (about 1600 base pairs) were obtained from K. miniauriculata, K. amanuensis, and K. poniformis. We aligned these sequences with one obtained from coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and designed "Kudoa general" primers (KUD1f and KUD2r). These primers, in combination with other general primers, were then used to obtain the SSU rDNA sequence of K. thyrsites from two host species, Atlantic salmon and tubesnout (Aulorhynchus flavidus), from British Columbia, Canada. Sequence comparisons of these isolates indicated that Kudoa species cluster by geographic location rather than by morphology of spores. The three species from the eastern Pacific were approximately 97% identical, whereas K. amamiensis (from Japan) was about 91% identical with these species. Sequence comparisons of K. thyrsites from Atlantic salmon and tubesnout revealed a difference of only 0.07% between these isolates. Comparison of SSU rDNA sequences from the four Kudoa species and Henneguya salminicolo analyzed in this study with those from other available myxosporean genera (Myxidium and Myxoholus) showed that taxonomic divisions at the order and suborder levels were consistent with classical views of the taxonomy of the Myxosporea. Using specific regions of the SSU rDNA, we also developed a sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction test for detection of K. thyrsites.
GENERATING SEAMS AND WRINKLES FOR VIRTUAL CLOTHING
Authors: BACIU GEORGE , MA LIANG , HU JINLIAN
Published: April 2008

The generation of overall wrinkles on garment surfaces can be achieved by either introducing accurate cloth models with full collision response or by providing geometric wrinkle functions. Small wrinkles such as rippled appearance along seam lines have not been fully studied. Boundaries between different panels are often excluded from most garment draping simulations resulting in unrealistic appearance. This paper describes a new method to model realistic wrinkles on clothes via seams. The proposed seam model of tension pucker is simple and is easy to incorporate into a mass spring model with improvements over wrinkled appearance. We present a method that automatically constructs a seam surface along an arbitrary path on the surface of an irregular mesh. As an extension of modeling of seam pucker, we also apply the seam model to 3D garments.
A WAVELET APPROACH FOR CLASSIFICATION OF MICROARRAY DATA
Authors: PRABAKARAN S. , SAHU R. , VERMA S.
Published: April 2008

Microarray technologies facilitate the generation of vast amount of bio-signal or genomic signal data. The major challenge in processing these signals is the extraction of the global characteristics of the data due to their huge dimension and the complex relationship among various genes. Statistical methods are used in broad spectrum in this domain. But, various limitations like extensive preprocessing, noise sensitiveness, requirement of critical input parameters and prior knowledge about the microarray dataset emphasise the need for better exploratory techniques. Transform oriented signal processing techniques are successful in many data processing techniques like image and video processing. But, the use of wavelets in analyzing the microarray bio-signals is not sufficiently probed. The aim of this paper is to propose a wavelet power spectrum based technique for dimensionality reduction through gene selection and classification problem of gene microarray data. The proposed method was administered on such datasets and the results are encouraging. The present method is robust to noise since no preprocessing has been applied. Also, it does not require any critical input parameters or any prior knowledge about the data which is required in many existing methods.
ENTANGLEMENT DYNAMICS MODULATED BY COUPLING STRENGTH IN CAVITY QED
Authors: MAN ZHONG-XIAO , FANG SU , XIA YUN-JIE
Published: May 2008

We study the dynamics of entanglement for a four-qubit system in cavity QED. Two initially entangled atoms A and B are coupled respectively with spatially separate cavities a and b with coupling strengths gA and gB. We show that when gA ≠ gB, the entanglement will oscillate in the period of entanglement sudden death (ESD) for gA = gB, and the oscillation times are related to the ratios between gA and gB. Also, we show that the coupling strengths have the same effects on the entanglement evolution and energy transfer.
A REAL TIME FACE CLASSIFICATION AND COUNTING SYSTEM
Authors: WU XINYU , OU YONGSHENG , QIAN HUIHUAN , XU YANGSHENG
Published: April 2008

This paper introduces a face detection, classification and counting system that is robust and works in real-time. It tracks multiple people, which is useful for face counting. The classification problem is defined as differentiating and then classifying the front of a face into Asian or non-Asian categories. The first step, is principal component analysis (PCA) for feature generation and independent component analysis (ICA) for feature extraction. Then, we employ support vector machine (SVM) for the training process and combine different SVM classifiers to create new classifiers, which improves the classification rate. Based on this, we can count the number of Asians and non-Asians. Experiments show that our system achieves a classification rate of 82.5% based on a database containing 750 face images from FERET.
Timing-driven octilinear Steiner tree construction based on Steiner-point reassignment and path reconstruction
Authors: Yan Jin-Tai
Published: April 2008

It is well known that the problem of constructing a timing-driven rectilinear Steiner tree for any signal net is important in performance-driven designs and has been extensively studied. Until now, many efficient approaches have been proposed for the construction of a timing-driven rectilinear Steiner tree. As technology process advances, +45° and −45° diagonal segments can be permitted in an octilinear routing model. To our knowledge, no approach is proposed to construct a timing-driven octilinear Steiner tree for any signal net. In this paper, given a rectilinear Steiner tree for any signal net, we propose an efficient transformation-based approach to construct a timing-driven octilinear Steiner tree based on the computation of the octilinear distance and the concept of Steiner-point reassignment and path reconstruction in an octilinear routing model. The experimental results show that our proposed transformation-based approach can use reasonable CPU time to construct a TOST, and a 10%--18% improvement in timing delay and a 5%--14% improvement in total wire length in the original RSTs are obtained in the construction of TOSTs for the tested signal nets.
Formal methods for the analysis and synthesis of nanometer-scale cellular arrays
Authors: Carmona Josep , Cortadella Jordi , Takada Yousuke , Peper Ferdinand
Published: April 2008

Nanometer-scale structures suitable for computing have been investigated by several research groups in recent years. A common feature of these structures is their dynamic evolution through cascaded local interactions embedded on a discrete grid. Finding configurations capable of conducting computations is a task that often requires tedious experiments in laboratories. Formal methods—though used extensively for the specification and verification of software and hardware computing systems—are virtually unexplored with respect to computational structures at atomic scales. This paper presents a systematic approach toward the application of formal methods in this context, using techniques like abstraction, model-checking, and symbolic representations of states to explore and discover computational structures. The proposed techniques are applied to a system of CO molecules on a grid of Copper atoms, resulting in the design of a complete library of combinational logic gates based on this molecular system. The techniques are also applied on (more general) systems of cellular automata that employ an asynchronous mode of timing. The use of formal methods may narrow the gap between Physical Chemistry and Computer Science, allowing the description of interactions of nanometer scale systems on a level of abstraction suitable to devise computing devices.
Performance evaluation comes to life
Authors: Gilmore Stephen , Hillston Jane
Published: April 2008

In this paper we present an introduction to the use of quantitative methods in modelling and analysis of biological systems. We begin with a survey of the methods presently in widespread use in computational biology. We then continue to consider how the modelling techniques and tools which have been used successfully in performance evaluation studies of hardware and software systems are now being applied to model functions and processes in living systems.
Using probabilistic model checking in systems biology
Authors: Kwiatkowska Marta , Norman Gethin , Parker David
Published: April 2008

Probabilistic model checking is a formal verification framework for systems which exhibit stochastic behaviour. It has been successfully applied to a wide range of domains, including security and communication protocols, distributed algorithms and power management. In this paper we demonstrate its applicability to the analysis of biological pathways and show how it can yield a better understanding of the dynamics of these systems. Through a case study of the MAP (Mitogen-Activated Protein) Kinase cascade, we explain how biological pathways can be modelled in the probabilistic model checker PRISM and how this enables the analysis of a rich selection of quantitative properties.
Modelling and simulation of biological processes in BlenX
Authors: Dematté Lorenzo , Priami Corrado , Romanel Alessandro
Published: April 2008

We introduce a scalable framework built upon the BlenX language and inspired by the Beta-binders process calculus to model, simulate and analyse biological systems. We show the features of the Beta Workbench framework on a running example based on the mitogen-activated kinase pathway. We also discuss an incremental modelling process that allows us to scale up from pathway to network modelling and analysis. We finally provide a comparison with related approaches and some hints for future extensions of the framework.
Calendar
Authors: Stanik John
Published: April 2008

MySQL Conference
Subepicardial phase 0 block and discontinuous transmural conduction underlie right precordial ST-segment elevation by a SCN5A loss-of-function mutation
Authors: Bébarová Markéta , O'Hara Tom , Geelen Jan L. M. C. , Jongbloed Roselie J. , Timmermans Carl , Arens Yvonne H. , Rodriguez Luz-Maria , Rudy Yoram , Volders Paul G. A.
Published: May 2008

Two mechanisms are generally proposed to explain right precordial ST-segment elevation in Brugada syndrome: 1) right ventricular (RV) subepicardial action potential shortening and/or loss of dome causing transmural dispersion of repolarization; and 2) RV conduction delay. Here we report novel mechanistic insights into ST-segment elevation associated with a Na+ current ( INa) loss-of-function mutation from studies in a Dutch kindred with the COOH-terminal SCN5A variant p.Phe2004Leu. The proband, a man, experienced syncope at age 22 yr and had coved-type ST-segment elevations in ECG leads V1 and V2 and negative T waves in V2. Peak and persistent mutant INa were significantly decreased. INa closed-state inactivation was increased, slow inactivation accelerated, and recovery from inactivation delayed. Computer-simulated INa-dependent excitation was decremental from endo- to epicardium at cycle length 1,000 ms, not at cycle length 300 ms. Propagation was discontinuous across the midmyocardial to epicardial transition region, exhibiting a long local delay due to phase 0 block. Beyond this region, axial excitatory current was provided by phase 2 (dome) of the M-cell action potentials and depended on L-type Ca2+ current (“phase 2 conduction”). These results explain right precordial ST-segment elevation on the basis of RV transmural gradients of membrane potentials during early repolarization caused by discontinuous conduction. The late slow-upstroke action potentials at the subepicardium produce T-wave inversion in the computed ECG waveform, in line with the clinical ECG.
Unrestrained acoustic plethysmograph for measuring specific airway resistance in mice
Authors: Reynolds Jeffrey S. , Johnson Victor J. , Frazer David G.
Published: May 2008

An acoustic whole body plethysmograph was developed to estimate specific airway resistance (sRaw) in unrestrained mice. The plethysmograph uses acoustic principles to measure the thoracic breathing pattern and simultaneously measures the airflow entering and/or leaving the plethysmograph. Similarly to traditional methods utilizing a double-chamber plethysmograph, these measurements were combined to estimate sRaw. To evaluate the new system, we placed six conscious A/J mice individually in a whole body plethysmograph (Buxco System) for a 2-min exposure to aerosolized methacholine chloride dissolved in saline (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/ml), which is known to increase sRaw in mice. Three minutes after exposure, the mice were transferred to the acoustic plethysmograph for 2 min for data collection. The mean baseline value of sRaw was 0.93 ± 0.10 cmH2O·s. A dose-dependent increase in sRaw was shown, with an approximate tripling of sRaw at the highest dose. These results demonstrate the ability of the system to estimate sRaw based on plethysmograph airflow and acoustic amplitude.
Right-to-Left Shunt in CADASIL Patients
Authors: Zicari Enza , Tassi Rossana , Stromillo Maria L. , Pellegrini Michele , Bianchi Silvia , Cevenini Gabriele , Gistri Massimo , De Stefano Nicola , Federico Antonio , Dotti Maria T.
Published: May 2008

Background and Purpose—

A high prevalence of right-to-left shunt (RLS) was described in a family of patients with CADASIL, a rare cerebral arteriopathy attributable to Notch3 gene mutations. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of RLS in patients with CADASIL and possible relation to clinical phenotype and cerebral MRI lesion load.

Methods—

Twenty-three CADASIL patients underwent Transcranial Doppler with gaseous contrast to asses RLS. Correlations between RLS, clinical features, and MRI lesion volume (LV) were determined.

Results—

Large RLS was diagnosed in 47% of patients. No significant clinical or MRI differences were found between patients with and without RLS.

Conclusion—

We found a high prevalence of RLS in our group of CADASIL patients. This may not be a coincidence, but can be rather related to the role of the Notch receptor family in the development of cardiovascular system.
State Responsibility for Climate Change Damages
Authors: Voigt Christina
Published: April 2008

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlined in its Fourth Assessment Report (2007) various consequences of continuing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The effects include the loss of land and property, health and ecological damages, threats to human security and potential human casualties. The question which this article seeks to address is whether and how international law is equipped to deal with complex global challenges such as climate change. Special focus is given to the law on state responsibility and its capacity to deal with damages that are caused by a changing climate. In this context, the following legal issues will be examined: Can states be held responsible under international law for current or future climate change damages? Is there an obligation under public international law to prevent and to compensate for such damages? Especially the determination of a primary obligation to prevent harm, acting with due diligence, the question of causality and the determination of legal consequences are considered. As the examples given by the IPCC show, there will be an increasing need to address the issue of compensation for climate damages. Justice, fairness and international, national and human security require international law to adjust and live up to these challenges.
Human Rights Indicators for Assessing State Compliance with International Human Rights
Authors: de Beco Gauthier
Published: April 2008

This article discusses human rights indicators for assessing state compliance with international human rights. It analyses the use of human rights indicators before treaty bodies, how human rights aspects are to be integrated into these indicators and what conceptual framework must be developed for their establishment. The article also examines the different kinds of data required for human rights indicators, the way in which indicators relating to both civil and political and economic, social and cultural rights could be developed as well as the types of human rights indicators that could be used. The article concludes with how to make human rights indicators a useful instrument for monitoring state compliance with international human rights.
The Role of Persistent Objection in International Humanitarian Law
Authors: Guldahl Camilla
Published: April 2008

The publication of the ICRC Customary International Humanitarian Law encouraged a debate on the role of the doctrine of persistent objection in international humanitarian law. After setting out the background and meaning of this doctrine, this article will use the examples of belligerent reprisals against civilians and the protection of the environment in light of the use of nuclear weapons to show that although persistent objection is relied upon in international humanitarian law, the dictates of the principles of humanity and public conscience mean that it is less accepted and respected than in other areas of international law. This despite the fact that there are no express limitations on the application of this doctrine to international humanitarian law.
International Law, US Foreign Policy and Post-9/11 Islamic Fundamentalism: The Legal Status of the 'War on Terror'
Authors: Rehman Javaid , Ghosh Saptarshi
Published: April 2008

The days immediately after 11 September 2001 saw considerable tension, anger and anxiety. These politically charged days witnessed significant activity within the United Nations and various agencies of international law. The world community rightly condemned the 9/11 attacks as cowardly actions and an unforgivable crime against humanity. The entire global public opinion expressed sympathy for the victims of 9/11 and empathised with the people of the United States. The show of human solidarity as well as the Resolutions within the United Nations were the responses from the international community and international law to the terrorist attacks on the United States. It becomes, therefore, quite ironic that the enormity of the 9/11 human tragedy was used by the United States government to undermine the established norms, practices, principles and framework of international law. Over the past six years, the United States foreign policy has continued to violate international law and brutalise human dignity. This paper critically examines the systematic violation of international norms under the banner of 'war on terror'. It takes the view that the 'war on terror' has had exactly the effect which it proclaimed to prevent-namely the growth of radicalisation, terrorism and Islamic extremism.
The UN Human Rights Obligations and Immunity: An Oxymoron Casting a Shadow on the Transitional Administrations in Kosovo and East Timor
Authors: Werzer Julia
Published: April 2008

On the basis of the transitional administrations in Kosovo and East Timor, this article analyzes the compatibility of the UN human rights obligations with the wide scope of immunity enjoyed by the organization and its officials. By focusing on the right to a fair trial (and especially the right of access to a court), the author submits that the almost absolute lack of judicial mechanisms to review acts of UN transitional administrations violates the local population's human rights. Although institutions such as an Ombudsperson or a Human Rights Advisory Panel (in Kosovo) have been established, they do not constitute means of protection that are reasonable alternatives to independent and impartial courts. As a corollary, the international responsibility of the United Nations is entailed.
Elements of Nordic Practice 2005–2006: Finland
Authors: Rainne Juha
Published: April 2008

This report includes selected parts of Finnish state practice in the field of international law in 2005 and 2006. The activities during this period were dominated by Finland's Presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of 2006. The report comprises state practice related, inter alia, to humanitarian law, international tribunals, international sanctions, measures to combat terrorism and the work of the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly. Special attention is paid to the activities that took place in the field of international law during the Finnish EU Presidency.
Artifacts and Original Intent: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on the Design Stance
Authors: Barrett H. Clark , Laurence Stephen , Margolis Eric
Published: April 2008

How do people decide what category an artifact belongs to? Previous studies have suggested that adults and, to some degree, children, categorize artifacts in accordance with the design stance, a categorization system which privileges the designer's original intent in making categorization judgments. However, these studies have all been conducted in Western, technologically advanced societies, where artifacts are mass produced. In this study, we examined intuitions about artifact categorization among the Shuar, a hunter-horticulturalist society in the Amazon region of Ecuador. We used a forced-choice method similar to previous studies, but unlike these studies, our scenarios involved artifacts that would be familiar to the Shuar. We also incorporated a community condition to examine the possible effect of community consensus on how artifacts are categorized. The same scenarios were presented to university student participants in the UK. Across populations and conditions, participants tended to categorize artifacts in terms of a creator's intent as opposed to a differing current use. This lends support to the view that the design stance may be a universal feature of human cognition. However, we conclude with some thoughts on the limitations of the present method for studying artifact concepts.
When Minds Migrate: Conceptualizing Spirit Possession
Authors: Cohen Emma , Barrett Justin
Published: April 2008

To investigate possible cognitive factors influencing the cross-cultural incidence of spirit possession concepts and to develop a more refined understanding of the precise contours of 'intuitive mind-body dualism' (Bloom, 2004), two studies were conducted that explored adults' intuitions about the relationship between minds and bodies. Specifically, the studies explored how participants reason about the effects of a hypothetical mind-migration across a range of behaviours. Both studies used hypothetical mind-transfer scenarios in which the mind of one person ("Beth") is transferred into the body of another person ("Ann"). Participants were asked to reason about the new post-transfer person's behaviours and aptitudes. In Study 1, participants (n=25) were provided with a scale on which they indicated their answers; in Study 2, participants (n=26) responded to open-ended questions. In both studies, the majority of participants reasoned that while the post-transfer person's performance on physical tasks (e.g., sprinting) would be similar to the host (i.e., Ann) performance on mental tasks (e.g., story-telling) would be similar to the person whose mind has been transferred (i.e., Beth). Further, participants tended to assume a complete displacement of minds, such that the post-transfer person's performance on mental task items was reasoned to be identical to incoming person's performance normally. The relevance of these findings for explaining the variable incidence and spread of different possession concepts is discussed.
Some Cognitive Origins of Cultural Order
Authors: Malley Brian , Knight Nicola
Published: April 2008

The nature of cultural organization remains an open anthropological question. Although we eschew any simplistic global reductionism, here we argue that three organizational features of culture, its systematicity; the recurrence of distinctions across semantic, conceptual and practical boundaries; and the 'bleeding' of properties between associated concepts, may find their origin in fundamental operating principles of the human mind: respectively, the cognitive principle of relevance, the decompositionality of cognitive processing and the network structure of semantic memory. The reframing of some features of culture in cognitive terms may open up some ethnographic observations, so far resistant to anthropological explanation, to new avenues for theory and relevant data from other disciplines.
Recurrence of Bear Restoration Symbolism: Minusinsk Basin Evenki and Basin-Plateau Ute
Authors: McNeil Lynda
Published: April 2008

By combining ethnographic and evolutionary psychological approaches, this paper compares adaptive strategies of two groups of hunter-gatherers colonizing marginal environments, one in Southern Siberia (Minusinsk Basin) and the other in North America (Great Basin and Colorado Plateau). The biological and cultural survival of Southern Siberian (Evenki) and Basin-Plateau (Numic) hunter-gatherers depended upon developing a complex of social and symbolic strategies, including ritual, oral narratives and rock art. These symbolic representations, which emerged in response to reproductive and somatic demands, appear to have been preserved and transmitted inter-generationally, and to have recurred cross-culturally above chance.
Dualism Revisited: Body vs. Mind vs. Soul
Authors: Richert Rebekah , Harris Paul
Published: April 2008

A large, diverse sample of adults was interviewed about their conception of the ontological and functional properties of the mind as compared to the soul. The existence of the mind was generally tied to the human lifecycle of conception, birth, growth and death, and was primarily associated with cognitive as opposed to spiritual functions. In contrast, the existence of the soul was less systematically tied to the lifecycle and frequently associated with spiritual as opposed to cognitive functions. Participants were also asked about three ethical issues: stem cell research, life support for patients in a persistent vegetative state and cloning. As expected, participants' beliefs about the ontology and function of the soul were linked to their judgments about these ethical issues whereas their beliefs about the mind were unrelated. Overall, the findings show that many adults do not espouse a simple body-mind dualism, and any tendency toward such dualism is unlikely to explain their beliefs in an afterlife. Instead, afterlife beliefs appear to be associated with the idea of an immaterial essence, potentially dissociable from the biology of life and death.
Policing Sex: Explaining Demons in the Cognitive Economies of Religion
Authors: Braxton Donald
Published: April 2008

This article offers a cognitive theory of religious postulations of demonic beings in religious systems. I suggest a significant tension between a biological inheritance of moderate sexual promiscuity and the culturally imposed ideal of exclusive monogamy generates the salience of libidinous supernatural agents to human minds. I review sexual selection theory as applied to humans, the sexual proclivities of demonic cultural constructs, and survey the literature on demonic beings in religious systems. I offer statistical evidence of groupings of demon beliefs around the chief tension points suggested by sexual selection theory. I end with suggestions for further empirical testing of the theory.
Vocal Emotion Recognition Across Disparate Cultures
Authors: Bryant Gregory , Barrett H. Clark
Published: April 2008

There exists substantial cultural variation in how emotions are expressed, but there is also considerable evidence for universal properties in facial and vocal affective expressions. This is the first empirical effort examining the perception of vocal emotional expressions across cultures with little common exposure to sources of emotion stimuli, such as mass media. Shuar hunter-horticulturalists from Amazonian Ecuador were able to reliably identify happy, angry, fearful and sad vocalizations produced by American native English speakers by matching emotional spoken utterances to emotional expressions portrayed in pictured faces. The Shuar performed similarly to English speakers who heard the same utterances in a content-filtered condition. These data support the hypothesis that vocal emotional expressions of basic affective categories manifest themselves in similar ways across quite disparate cultures.
Why Santa Claus is Not a God
Authors: Barrett Justin
Published: April 2008

Through the lenses of cognitive science of religion, successful god concepts must possess a number of features. God concepts must be (1) counterintuitive, (2) an intentional agent, (3) possessing strategic information, (4) able to act in the human world in detectable ways and (5) capable of motivating behaviors that reinforce belief. That Santa Claus appears to be only inconsistently represented as having all five requisite features Santa has failed to develop a community of true believers and cult. Nevertheless, Santa concepts approximate a successful god concept more closely than other widespread cultural characters such as Mickey Mouse and the Tooth Fairy, in part explaining Santa's relative cultural prominence.