bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tissue Oxygen Saturation during Colorectal Surgery Measured by Near‐infrared Spectroscopy: Pilot Study to Predict Anastomotic Complications
Authors: Hirano Yasumitsu , Omura Kenji , Tatsuzawa Yasuhiko , Shimizu Junzo , Kawaura Yukimitsu , Watanabe Go
Published: February 2006

Introduction

We investigated the relation between tissue oxygen saturation measured by near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and anastomotic complications associated with colorectal surgery.

Methods

A series of 20 patients with colorectal cancer underwent radical surgery with enteric anastomosis. Measurements of tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) were performed at both the proximal and distal portions of the anastomotic site; in cases of anterior resection, we measured StO2only in the proximal portion.

Results

Two anastomotic complications (one leakage, one stenosis) occurred in the 20 cases. The StO2in patients with anastomotic complications was 58.0%, and that in patients without complications was 71.0%. Altogether, 18 patients had StO2values > 66%, and none of them had anastomotic complications. In contrast, 2 patients had StO2values < 60%, and both had anastomotic complications.

Conclusions

The StO2of the anastomotic site can be safely and reliably measured by NIRS during colorectal surgery. Low StO2on both sides of the anastomosis may indicate an increased risk of anastomotic complications. Further study is needed to determine the cutoff value for StO2required to prevent serious complications.
The Efficacy of Intraoperative Corticosteroids in Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy after Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Wang Ling‐Feng , Lee Ka‐Wo , Kuo Wen‐Rei , Wu Che‐Wei , Lu Shang‐Pin , Chiang Feng‐Yu
Published: February 2006

Background

Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) is one of the most common complications after thyroidectomy. We aim to evaluate the role of intraoperative corticosteroids in preventing or treating postoperative RLNP.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a prospective study of 295 patients who underwent either total lobectomy or total thyroidectomy with or without using intraoperative corticosteroids. All cases were operated on by the same surgeon. Measurement of the RLNP rate was based on the number of nerves at risk. Data were analyzed for differences in postoperative temporary or permanent RLNP rate and recovery days.

Result

The rate of temporary/permanent RLNP was 5.7% (11 out of 194)/0.52% (1 out of 194) and 6.9% (12 out of 173)/0.58% (1 out of 173) according to groups with and without corticosteroids. This difference did not reach statistical significance. Among those 23 patients who recovered from RLNP, the mean time to recovery was significantly shorter for patients receiving intraoperative steroids (28.6 vs. 40.5 days, P = 0.045).

Conclusion

A single dose of intraoperative corticosteroids did not produce any benefit in terms of reducing the postoperative temporary/permanent RLNP rate, but it did shorten the recovery time for patients suffering from temporary RLNP.
Effect of Temporary Abdominal Closure on Colonic Anastomosis and Postoperative Adhesions in Experimental Secondary Peritonitis
Authors: Aydin Cagatay , Aytekin Faruk O. , Tekin Koray , Kabay Burhan , Yenisey Cigdem , Kocbil Goksel , Ozden Akin
Published: February 2006

Background

The effect of relaparotomies and temporary abdominal closure on colonic anastomoses and postoperative adhesions is under debate.

Methods

In the experiments reported here, colonic anastomosis was constructed 24 hours after cecal ligation and puncture in rats that were divided into three groups of eight animals each. The abdomen was closed primarily in groups I and II, and a Bogota bag was used for abdominal closure in group III. At 24 hours following anastomosis, relaparotomy was performed only in group II and III rats, and the abdomen was closed directly in group II; after removal of the Bogota bag in group III animals, the abdomen was closed directly. On the fifth day of anastomotic construction, bursting pressures and tissue hydroxyproline content of the anastomoses, along with peritoneal adhesions, were assessed and compared.

Results

Mean anastomotic bursting pressures and hydroxyproline contents did not differ among the groups. Median adhesion scores were significantly higher in group III than the other two groups.

Conclusions

Relaparotomy and the type of temporary closure have no negative effect on anastomotic healing in rats with peritonitis. Temporary abdominal closure with a Bogota bag caused a significantly high rate of adhesions.
Shredder colonization and decomposition of green and senescent leaves during summer in a headwater stream in northern Japan
Authors: Kochi Kaori , Yanai Seiji
Published: February 2006

We conducted a decomposition experiment using green and senescent maple and alder leaves in a coastal headwater stream in Hokkaido, northern Japan, during June and July 2000. We estimated whether shredder colonization on the leaves and leaf breakdown differed between green and senescent leaves during the experimental period. Late‐instar Lepidostoma complicatum (Trichoptera) and Sternomoera rhyaca (Amphipoda) were the predominant shredder taxa among the macroinvertebrates that colonized litterbags. There was no significant difference in shredder colonization between green and senescent leaves although we found a significant difference between maple and alder leaves. The colonization patterns of large individuals of L. complicatum and S. rhyaca differed from those of small individuals. All decomposition coefficients of green and senescent leaves were high. During the experiment, decomposition was significantly faster in maple than in alder leaves, although no significant difference was found between green and senescent leaves. However, the fragmented nitrogen portion was higher in green leaves than in senescent leaves during the experiment. Higher nitrogen release (2–2.5 times more) as particulate organic matter in green than in senescent leaves indicates that green leaves may be a potentially valuable food resource for other macroinvertebrate collector–gatherer species.
Real options and games: Competition, alliances and other applications of valuation and strategy
Authors: Smit Han T.J. , Trigeorgis Lenos
Published: February 2006

This paper illustrates the use of real options valuation and game theory principles to analyze prototypical investment opportunities involving important competitive/strategic decisions under uncertainty. It uses examples from innovation cases, alliances and acquisitions to discuss strategic and competitive aspects, relevant in a range of industries like consumer electronics and telecom. It particularly focuses on whether it is optimal to compete independently or coordinate/collaborate via strategic alliances.
Relationship between cellular and whey components in buffalo milk
Authors: Piccinini Renata , Miarelli Maria , Ferri Barbara , Tripaldi Carmela , Belotti Michela , Daprà Valentina , Orlandini Silvia , Zecconi Alfonso
Published: February 2006

High somatic cell count (SCC) affects milk quality and cheesemaking, resulting in a reduction in cheese yield and quality. In dairy cows, quarter milk samples with >200000 cells/ml are considered to have subclinical mastitis, while there is much uncertainty on the corresponding levels of SCC in buffalo milk. In this study 30 lactating water buffaloes were selected and SCC, differential somatic cell counts and several whey components were tested in quarter milk samples to assess the relationship between inflammation markers and milk quality. Overall 236 quarter milk samples were considered. To evaluate the relationship between cellular markers (SCC, polymorphonuclear leucocytes, PMN, and N-Acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, NAGase) and other milk components, three classes were defined (low, medium and high). Analysis of milk yield showed a significant reduction in the high class of each of the three markers chosen. Overall, the highest class was characterized by significant changes in milk composition and a lower milk quality. The presence of an inflammatory status of the udder was frequent after the first trimester of lactation and in buffaloes with two or more parturitions. This study showed that significant changes in milk components can be observed when SCC are >400000 cells/ml, PMN are >50% and NAGase is >100 units. These thresholds could be suggested as levels to define udder health status in buffalo cows.
The effect of pre-milking teat-brushing on milk processing time in an automated milking system
Authors: Jago Jenny G , Davis Kendra L , Copeman Peter J , Woolford Murray M
Published: February 2006

Cow throughput in an automatic milking system (AMS) is limited by system parameters such as the time required for pre-milking udder preparation and cup attachment, physiological responses of the cow (such as milk let-down and milking-out rate), milking machine features and cow behaviour. A single-factor cross-over design was used to investigate the effect of pre-milking teat brushing on milk processing time in an AMS operating in an extensive grazing farming system. Teat brushing consisted of two roller brushes tracking up each teat three times (total brushing time of up to 45 s/cow). Cows were allocated to one of two treatment groups with either no brushing (NB) or brushing (B) for a 4-week period before being changed to the other treatment. Teat brushing resulted in shorter average cups-on-time (B=506·1 s, NB=541·0 s, P=0·0001), longer average milk processing time (B=10·30 min, NB=9·76 min, P=0·001) and no difference in daily milk yield (B=14·67, NB=14·71 kg/cow, P=0·826). There was no difference between the two treatments in the success of cup attachment (B=3·76%, NB=5·10% unsuccessful milking attempts, P=0·285). The estimated time cost of pre-milking teat brushing was 53 min for every 100 milkings, equivalent to an additional 5–6 milkings for every 100 milkings by an AMS. The importance of these potential time savings is discussed in relation to automatic milking in farming systems that aim for a lower per cow milking frequency and high ratio of cows to AMS.
A single nucleotide polymorphism in the bovine β-casein promoter region across different bovine breeds
Authors: Keating Aileen F , Smith Terry J , Paul Ross R , Cairns Michael T
Published: February 2006

The bovine β-casein (CSN2) gene has been shown to span a region of 8·5 kb, containing nine exons and eight intervening introns (Bonsing et al. 1988; Martin et al. 2002). The exons range in size from 24 to 498 bp; the introns, however, are much larger and account for 85% of the gene. Twelve genetic variants in the coding sequence of the β-casein gene have been reported (Farrell et al. 2004). The A2 allele of the β-casein gene has been associated with a higher milk production (Lin et al. 1986; Bech & Kristiansen, 1990) while the B variant has been associated with an increase in protein content and better cheesemaking properties (Marziali & Ng-Hang-Kwai, 1986). The β-casein gene codes for a protein of 209 amino acids with varying regions at codons 67, 106 and 122. The A1 variant differs from A2 at position 67, where a histidine replaces a proline (Lien et al. 1992). The β-casein A2 variant has histidine and the A3 variant has glycine at position 106 (Lien et al. 1992); the β-casein A2 variant has serine at position 122 and the β-casein B variant has arginine at this codon (Stewart et al. 1987; Damiani et al. 1992).
Composition, coagulation properties and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese yield of Italian Brown and Italian Friesian herd milks
Authors: Malacarne Massimo , Summer Andrea , Fossa Enrico , Formaggioni Paolo , Franceschi Piero , Pecorari Mauro , Mariani Primo
Published: February 2006

The authors report the results of a study aimed at the comparison of the basic chemical composition, the main protein fractions distribution, rennet coagulation properties and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese yield of vat milk from Italian Brown and Italian Friesian herds. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese factories which manufacture milk separately from Italian Brown herds and Italian Friesian herds were used in the study. Thirteen cheesemaking trials were performed at 10 different commercial cheese factories. The study was carried out from March to October 2003. For each cheesemaking trial in each factory, approximately 1100 kg milk from Italian Brown cows and from Italian Friesian cows were processed in parallel. The animals involved in the study came from farms with comparable management practices, size, location, number of lactation and days in milking. Each vat contained milk obtained by combining milk collected during the evening milking (partially skimmed milk by natural creaming) and the following morning milking (full-cream milk), from at least 2 dairy herds. Milk from Italian Brown cows is characterised by a higher casein content (27·1 v. 23·7 g/kg; P[les ]0·0001) than Italian Friesian cows' milk. Curd firming time (k20) of Italian Brown cows' milk was markedly lower than that of Italian Friesian cows' milk (6·6 v. 10·0 min; P[les ]0·001). This implies a higher rate of aggregation of para-casein micelles for Italian Brown cows' milk. The coagulum of Italian Brown cows' milk had better rheological properties and lower losses of fat in the cheese whey. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese yield at 24 h was also higher for Italian Brown cows' milk, +0·99 kg cheese for every 100 kg vat milk.
Real-time PCR investigation of parasite ecology:in situdetermination of oyster parasitePerkinsus marinustransmission dynamics in lower Chesapeake Bay
Authors: AUDEMARD C. , RAGONE CALVO L. M. , PAYNTER K. T. , REECE K. S. , BURRESON E. M.
Published: February 2006

Perkinsus marinusis a severe pathogen of the oysterCrassostrea virginicaon the East Coast of the United States. Transmission dynamics of this parasite were investigatedin situfor 2 consecutive years (May through October) at 2 lower Chesapeake Bay sites. Compared to previous studies where seasonal infection patterns in oysters were measured, this study also provided parasite water column abundance data measured using real-time PCR. As previously observed, salinity and temperature modulated parasite transmission dynamics. Using regression analysis, parasite prevalence, oyster mortalities and parasite water column abundance were significantly positively related to salinity.Perkinsus marinusweighted prevalence in wild oysters and parasite water column abundance both were significantly related to temperature, but the responses lagged 1 month behind temperature. Parasite water column abundance was the highest during August (up to 1200 cells/l) and was significantly related toP. marinusweighted prevalence in wild oysters, and to wild oyster mortality suggesting that parasites are released in the environment via both moribund and live hosts (i.e. through feces). Incidence was not significantly related to parasite water column abundance, which seems to indicate the absence of a linear relationship or that infection acquisition is controlled by a more complex set of parameters.
A murine model for cerebral toxocariasis: characterization of host susceptibility and behaviour
Authors: HAMILTON C. M. , STAFFORD P. , PINELLI E. , HOLLAND C. V.
Published: February 2006

Toxocara canis, the parasitic roundworm of dogs, can infect a number of paratenic hosts, such as mice and humans, due to the widespread dissemination of its ova in the environment. In these paratenic hosts, larvae have been shown to exhibit a predilection for the central nervous system, resulting in an increasing number of parasites migrating to the brain as infection progresses. In an initial experiment, we investigated the differential brain involvement ofT. canisin 7 strains of inbred mice, and chose 2 strains, susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (NIH) to cerebral infection. In a second experiment, both strains were investigated in terms of course of migration, larval accumulation, and behavioural response toT. canisinfection. Results revealed that infected BALB/c mice took significantly longer to drink from a water source (following a period of deprivation), compared with control mice, indicating some degree of memory impairment. Cerebral larval recoveries from both strains of mice demonstrated variation between the two experiments, suggesting that larval burdens may not be a reliable indicator of susceptibility or resistance toT. canisinfection. The percentage of total recovered larvae in each organ may be a better representation of larval distribution. Our model system may provide insights into the impact of chronic geohelminth infection on cognitive development.
Introduction
Authors: Crago Martha , Goswami Usha
Published: February 2006

In this issue of Applied Psycholinguistics, we present a first annual Keynote Article. The article itself, in this case by Harald Clahsen and Claudia Felser, is followed by the Commentaries of several other researchers. The authors then reply to the Commentaries. It is our hope that this format will provide our readers with an in-depth discussion of central and topical issues in psycholinguistic research. We are grateful to Drs. Clahsen and Felser for writing the initial keynote article as well as to the group of researchers who provided their thoughtful and rigorous commentary.
Recognition of features of parts subjected to motion using ARTMAP incorporated in a flexible vibratory bowl feeder system
Authors: SIM S.K. , CHUA PATRICK S.K. , TAY M.L. , GAO YUN
Published: February 2006

The recognition and identification of parts are important processes in modern manufacturing systems. Although machine vision systems have played an important role in these tasks, there are still challenges in performing these tasks in which parts may be in motion and subjected to noise. Using a flexible vibratory bowl feeder system as a test bed to simulate motion of parts subjected to noise, scanned signatures of part features are acquired using fiber optic sensors and a data acquisition system. Because neural networks have been shown to exhibit good pattern recognition capability, ARTMAP, a neural network that learns patterns under supervision, was incorporated into the feeder system. The pattern recognition capability of the feeder system is dependent on a set of parameters that characterized ARTMAP, the sampling rate of the data acquisition system, and the mean speed of the vibrating parts. The parameters that characterized ARTMAP are the size of an input vector, the vigilance, threshold value of the nonlinear noise suppression function, and the learning rate. Through extensive training and testing of the ARTMAP within the feeder system, it was shown that high success rates of recognition of parts features in motion under noisy conditions can be obtained provided these parameters of ARTMAP are appropriately selected.
Modelling the transmission of airborne infections in enclosed spaces
Authors: NOAKES C. J. , BEGGS C. B. , SLEIGH P. A. , KERR K. G.
Published: February 2006

The Wells–Riley equation for modelling airborne infection in indoor environments is incorporated into an SEIR epidemic model with a short incubation period to simulate the transmission dynamics of airborne infectious diseases in ventilated rooms. The model enables the effect of environmental factors such as the ventilation rate and the room occupancy to be examined, and allows the long-term impact of infection control measures to be assessed. A theoretical parametric study is carried out to demonstrate how changes to both the physical environment and infection control procedures may potentially limit the spread of short-incubation-period airborne infections in indoor environments such as hospitals.
Citizen-Sovereigns: The Source of Contestability, the
Rule of Law, and the Conduct of Public
Entrepreneurship
Authors: Ostrom Vincent
Published: February 2006

It was my good fortune to have known John Gaus and to have attended a
lecture course and participated in a seminar that he offered in
1949. His Alabama lectures entitled Reflections on Public
Administration, published in 1947, included such titles
as “The Ecology of Government” and “Politics and Administration.”
His concluding chapter, written after the initial presentations, was
entitled “A Theory of the Process of Government.” Gaus was broadly
engaged in reflections about the place of public administration in
systems of governance and the constitution of order in human
societies. The author is
appreciative of detailed comments by Paul Aligica, Barbara
Allen, Krister Andersson, Robert Bish, Sheldon Gellar, Stephan
Kuhnert, Michael McGinnis, Elinor Ostrom, Andrew Revelle,
Filippo Sabetti, Amos Sawyer, Sujai Shivakumar, Mark
Sproule-Jones, and Lihua Yang.
Converting Threats into Opportunities
Authors: Ostrom Elinor
Published: February 2006

James Madison contributed much to political science and to the art and science of governing democratic regimes. A major contribution was his recognition of the multiple threats facing the newly established Confederation (see, e.g., Dougherty 2001). Madison was willing to invest heavily in converting these threats into new opportunities. In his “Preface to Debates in the Convention” ([1984] 1840, 19), Madison reflected on the causes for alarm. James Madison Award lecture presented at the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., September 1, 2005. The author is appreciative of support from the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the National Science Foundation and useful comments by Bill Blomquist, Eric Coleman, Sue Crawford, Joshua P. Hill, Marco Janssen, Robert Keohane, Mike McGinnis, Lesa B. Morrison, Amy Poteete, Mike Schoon, David Schwab, and Kenneth Shepsle on an initial draft of this paper. As always, I deeply appreciate Patty Lezotte's careful editing.
Editor's Note—Let them Eat Beignets: Inequality and
American Democracy
Authors: Hauck Robert J-P.
Published: February 2006

There was and continues to be nothing easy about being poor in the
Big Easy, or anywhere else in America for that matter. The callous
or incompetent handling of the evacuation of the poor from New
Orleans smacked of Marie Antoinette's concern for the hungry of
Paris, and underscored both the existence and consequence of income
inequality in America.
Inequality, American Democracy, and American Political
Science: The Need for Cumulative Research
Authors: Hacker Jacob S.
Published: February 2006

The members of the Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy
were not of one mind about any of the subjects they took up—and this
is one reason, among many, that it was the most vibrant and
stimulating professional collaboration I have had the privilege to
be part of. It would be presumptuous of me to speak for anyone but
myself in explaining and justifying the Task Force's work. And yet,
there does seem to me at least one note of common explanation
required up front. All the members of the Task Force, I am certain,
saw their work as only the beginning of a
discussion within the discipline—and, indeed, more broadly—about the
relationship between inequality and contemporary American
governance. Although we hoped to showcase and integrate the best
existing research and theory, our main goal was to spark new
questions, new research, new thinking, and new debates. And judging
from this forum, as well as from the recent scholarship showcased in
Larry Bartels's (2006) and Kay Schlozman's (2006) essays, we
have.
Drawing the Line on District Competition
Authors: McDonald Michael P.
Published: February 2006

In “Don't Blame Redistricting for Uncompetitive Elections” in this
issue of PS: Political Science and Politics,
Abramowitz, Alexander, and Gunning (2006) argue that redistricting
is not responsible for the decline in the number of competitive
districts, defined as a district with a near balance of
partisanship. Further, the authors claim that non-partisan
redistricting institutions are not correlated with the number of
competitive districts. The relationship between redistricting
institutions and competitive districts is of importance not only to
academics who study redistricting and elections, but also to policy
makers and reformers who advocate redistricting reform. If these
claims are true, then policymakers are expending much misguided
effort to enact redistricting reform to treat the greater problem of
the decline of electoral competition in recent U.S. congressional
elections.
Rethinking Redistricting: How Drawing Uncompetitive
Districts Eliminates Gerrymanders, Enhances Representation, and
Improves Attitudes toward Congress
Authors: Brunell Thomas L.
Published: February 2006

In every contested election there are inevitably winners and losers,
both among the candidates and among the voters. Some candidates will
take their seats as elected officials, and others will not. Some
voters will be happy with the outcome, others will not. Here I seek
to better understand the relationship between whether a voter casts
a ballot for the winning candidate in U.S. House elections and that
voter's evaluations of her representative. I build on a burgeoning
literature on the relationship between voters and their elected
governments to derive and test a theory about this connection. The
data will show that voters whose preferred candidate wins a seat in
the House of Representatives are systematically happier with their
representative than those voters whom did not vote for the winning
candidate. While this finding is not especially groundbreaking, the
implications for the way in which we draw congressional and state
legislative district lines are quite provocative. Specifically,
since district lines in the House are necessarily an artificial
construct, I argue that map makers ought to “pack” districts with as
many like-minded partisans as possible. Trying to draw “competitive
districts” effectively cracks ideologically congruent voters into
separate districts, which has the effect of increasing the absolute
number of voters who will be unhappy with the outcome and
dissatisfied with their representative. I discuss the benefits of
fundamentally rethinking the way in which we draw congressional and
state legislative districts, as well as address likely concerns that
might be raised about drawing districts this way. I would like to thank Jim Adams, Valerie Brunell,
Bruce Cain, Geoff Evans, Bill Koetzle, Bernie Grofman, Sam
Hirsch, Michael D. McDonald, Iain McLean, Sam Merrill, Glenn
Phelps, David Rueda, Alec Stone Sweet, Chris Wlezian, and the
Politics Group at Nuffield College for their comments.
Real-Time Polling Technology in a Public Opinion
Course
Authors: Kam Cindy D. , Sommer Barbara
Published: February 2006

Many instructors face challenges in engaging students in lecture
courses. In the fall of 2004, we incorporated innovative, real-time
polling technology into an upper-division political science course
on Public Opinion. The polling technology channeled students'
technological savvy in the service of several pedagogical goals. The
technology increased student engagement and reinforced the substance
of the course material. It also provided students with topically
relevant experiences in answering survey questions and allowed
students to feel more comfortable in expressing their opinions
during discussions. We thank Victoria
Cross, James Fowler, Ethan Scheiner, Walter Stone, and Elizabeth
Zechmeister for helpful suggestions. Funding for the technology
was generously provided by the Undergraduate Instructional
Improvement Program, supported by the vice provost–undergraduate
studies at the University of California, Davis.
The Meyerhoff Incident: Simulating Bioterrorism in a
National Security Class
Authors: Franke Volker
Published: February 2006

Saturday night, downtown Baltimore, Maryland. A sold-out concert
performance at the Joseph B. Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Unknowingly,
the 2,400 members of the audience become victims of a bioterrorist
attack when an aerosol of plague (Y. pestis) is
silently released. Over the course of the next 36 hours increasing
numbers of residents seek medical attention at area hospitals for
cough and fever. By mid-morning on Monday some 300 persons with
these symptoms have received medical care; 17 of which have died.
The State Health Department notifies the Center for Disease Control
(CDC) and by mid-afternoon plague is confirmed first by the state
laboratory and subsequently by the CDC's Washington, D.C. lab. I would like to thank Carrie Vivian for
her contributions to the development of this exercise and Dena
Owens and PS's anonymous reviewers for their
insightful comments and suggestions on this manuscript. In
addition, I would like to express my gratitude to the former
mayor of Westminster, Maryland, Kevin Dayhoff, and the emergency
responders for their contributions to and participation in this
exercise.
A Simulation of the Council of the European Union:
Assessment of the Impact on Student Learning
Authors: Galatas Steven E.
Published: February 2006

Role-playing games and simulations emerged as a classroom technique
to provide students an experiential or hands-on approach to
learning. Early use of simulations in the political science
classroom primarily focused on teaching American politics (Kaarbo
and Lantis 1997). However, the contemporary use of simulations now
extends into comparative politics (Shellman 2001) and international
relations (Jefferson 1999; Thomas 2002).
James W. Button
Authors: Wald Ken
Published: February 2006

“Did anybody ever have a superficial conversation with Jim Button?”
The pastor's question, posed to a crowded memorial service at the
United Church of Gainesville, elicited smiles and vigorous head
shaking. At the reception following the service, several graduate
students, junior faculty, and staff members volunteered that they
attended the service simply because Jim Button had repeatedly gone
out of his way to show them friendship and respect. Both the
question and the comments caught the essence of Jim Button. To
professional colleagues, he was a path-breaking scholar of minority
and urban politics, a pioneer in the academic study of gay rights,
school-based health clinics, and the political mobilization of
senior citizens. But Jim Button was loved and treasured because of
his deep passion for his students, family, colleagues, friends, and
for those Americans who had been treated unjustly by history and
politics.
Virginia May Currey
Authors: Carter Brad
Published: February 2006

Virginia May Currey, former Southern Methodist University political
science professor, charter member of the Women's Studies Program,
and political activist, died of pneumonia on September 22 at the age
of 78.
Report of the Editor of the American Political
Science Review, 2004–2005
Authors: Sigelman Lee
Published: February 2006

This completes my fourth year as editor of the APSR.
The main theme of last year's annual report was continuity from the
previous year in the flow, processing, and variety of the papers
that we received and the articles that we published. That theme
dominates this year's report as well, for only a glance at the
tabular data reported below will be needed to establish the
incremental character of the year-to-year changes that we
experienced in the number and diversity of the papers that we
received, the time it took to process them, and the outcomes of our
review process. Having said that, I hasten to add that this year we
have devoted extensive time and energy to an exciting new project,
which I will discuss at the end of this report.
Report of the Editor of Perspectives on
Politics, 2004–2005
Authors: Hochschild Jennifer L.
Published: February 2006

As of December 2005, Perspectives on Politics will
have published three complete volumes of four issues each. As former
editor of the journal (until June, 2005), I have published two
previous reports (see PS, January 2004, 143–149;
PS, January 2005, 141–144) this one covers the
period from August 1, 2004 through July 31, 2005.
Elites and Mandates in Post-Authoritarian Argentina and
Chile
Authors: Freer Jaime Baeza
Published: February 2006

The pacted nature of democratic transition seems to define the
divergent path taken by Chilean elites in comparison with their
Argentinean counterparts. However, using a Most Similar System
Design (MSSD), two new elements enhance opportunities for explaining
the different outcomes. First, the content of a mandate that has the
ability to co-opt people from outside the privileged class; and
second, the capacity of the elite to generate a process of political
systematization and economic monetarization that ensures stability
with no apparent democratic setbacks.
A line-shape function in terms of changes in both molecular structure and force constants: A Gaussian approximation
Authors: Umesaki Keisho , Kikuchi Hiroto
Published: February 2006

We propose a new expression of a line-shape function (LSF) including the effects of changes in both force constants and the molecular structure within the harmonic-oscillator approximation. This expression enables us to calculate the LSF using only the data on molecular structures, force constants, and electronic energies in the initial and final electronic states without solving the eigenvalue equation for the normal vibration of a molecule. To derive the LSF expression, we consider one-photon emission from a polyatomic molecule thermalized in an electronic excited state, and derive the intensity distribution function for one-photon emission using not Lax and Kubo and Toyozawa’s [J. Chem. Phys. 20, 1752 (1952); Prog. Theor. Phys. 13, 160 (1955)] generating function method but rather the density-matrix method. As a simple application, a Gaussian approximate LSF is applied to SO2. As a result, it is found that the effect of change in force constants between the initial and final electronic states cannot be ignored, nor can the effect of change in the molecular structure between these two states. The LSF expression obtained is applicable to studies of not only radiative transition but also of electron-transfer and energy-transfer processes where both changes in molecular structure and force constants between the initial and final electronic states cannot be disregarded.
Positive Lyapunov exponents for continuous quasiperiodic Schrödinger equations
Authors: Bjerklöv Kristian
Published: February 2006

We prove that the continuous one-dimensional Schrödinger equation with an analytic quasi-periodic potential has positive Lyapunov exponents in the bottom of the spectrum for large couplings.
Novel solvable variants of the goldfish many-body model
Authors: Bruschi M. , Calogero F.
Published: February 2006

A recent technique to identify solvable many-body problems in two-dimensional space yields, via a new twist, new many-body problems of “goldfish” type. Some of these models are isochronous, namely their generic solutions are completely periodic with a fixed period (independent of the initial data). The investigation of the behavior of some of these isochronous systems in the vicinity of their equilibrium configurations yields some amusing diophantine relations.
Instability of coherent states of a real scalar field
Authors: Koutvitsky Vladimir A. , Maslov Eugene M.
Published: February 2006

We investigate stability of both localized time-periodic coherent states (pulsons) and uniformly distributed coherent states (oscillating condensate) of a real scalar field satisfying the Klein-Gordon equation with a logarithmic nonlinearity. The linear analysis of time-dependent parts of perturbations leads to the Hill equation with a singular coefficient. To evaluate the characteristic exponent we extend the Lindemann-Stieltjes method, usually applied to the Mathieu and Lamé equations, to the case that the periodic coefficient in the general Hill equation is an unbounded function of time. As a result, we derive the formula for the characteristic exponent and calculate the stability-instability chart. Then we analyze the spatial structure of the perturbations. Using these results we show that the pulsons of any amplitudes, remaining well-localized objects, lose their coherence with time. This means that, strictly speaking, all pulsons of the model considered are unstable. Nevertheless, for the nodeless pulsons the rate of the coherence breaking in narrow ranges of amplitudes is found to be very small, so that such pulsons can be long-lived. Further, we use the obtained stability-instability chart to examine the Affleck-Dine-type condensate. We conclude the oscillating condensate can decay into an ensemble of the nodeless pulsons.
A unified electrostatic and cavitation model for first-principles molecular dynamics in solution
Authors: Scherlis Damián A. , Fattebert Jean-Luc , Gygi François , Cococcioni Matteo , Marzari Nicola
Published: February 2006

The electrostatic continuum solvent model developed by [Fattebert and Gygi J. Comput. Chem. 23, 662 (2002); Int. J. Quantum Chem. 93, 139 (2003)] is combined with a first-principles formulation of the cavitation energy based on a natural quantum-mechanical definition for the surface of a solute. Despite its simplicity, the cavitation contribution calculated by this approach is found to be in remarkable agreement with that obtained by more complex algorithms relying on a large set of parameters. Our model allows for very efficient Car-Parrinello simulations of finite or extended systems in solution and demonstrates a level of accuracy as good as that of established quantum-chemistry continuum solvent methods. We apply this approach to the study of tetracyanoethylene dimers in dichloromethane, providing valuable structural and dynamical insights on the dimerization phenomenon.
Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films by inducing permanent compressive stress
Authors: Lee Jae-Wung , Park Gun-Tae , Park Chee-Sung , Kim Hyoun-Ee
Published: February 2006

This study examined the effects of permanent residual compressive stress on the ferroelectric properties of PbZrxTi1−xO3 (PZT) films that was induced during cooling after annealing. PZT films were deposited on the tensile side of elastically bent silicon substrates by rf magnetron sputtering using a single oxide target. Compressive stress was induced on the film by removing the substrate from the holder immediately after annealing. The compressive stress effectively compensated for the inherent tensile stress that had developed during cooling. The ferroelectric properties were enhanced markedly by the induced stress; the remnant polarization and the saturation polarization increased by 35% and 24%, respectively, while the coercive field did not change much. Contrary to the ferroelectric properties, the dielectric properties decreased slightly by the stress.
Observation of large parity-change-induced dispersion in triangular-lattice photonic crystal waveguides using phase sensitive techniques
Authors: Huang Jiandong , Reinke Charles M. , Jafarpour Aliakbar , Momeni Babak , Soltani Mohammad , Adibi Ali
Published: February 2006

We experimentally studied W1 triangular-lattice photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs) fabricated on semiconductor-on-insulator substrates using phase-sensitive lock-in techniques. In addition to the improved signal-to-noise ratio for power transmission measurements, we observed two large group delay peaks at frequencies corresponding to the photonic mode gap and parity changes of Bloch modes inside the PCWs.
Multiple-frequency terahertz pulsed sensing of dielectric films
Authors: Cunningham J. , Wood C. , Davies A. G. , Tiang C. K. , Tosch P. , Evans D. A. , Linfield E. H. , Hunter I. C. , Missous M.
Published: February 2006

We report on a technique for the on-chip sensing of dielectric materials in the terahertz frequency range. We show that an array of band-stop filters, excited by integrated ultrafast photoconductive switches, can be used to sense dielectric loading at a number of distinct lithographically defined locations on a chip simultaneously, each location sensing a different terahertz frequency. This technique is expected to have a range of future applications in the field of on-chip terahertz systems, such as the analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid and other molecular films.
Second-harmonic generation to the green and yellow using picosecond fiber pump sources and periodically poled waveguides
Authors: Chestnut D. A. , Popov S. V. , Taylor J. R. , Roberts T. D.
Published: February 2006

Compact yellow (560nm) and green (532nm) picosecond pulse sources are demonstrated that utilize second-harmonic generation in periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate waveguides. Both systems employ ytterbium-doped fiber pump sources. In the yellow case, efficient single-pass Raman scattering in 25m of dispersion-compensating fiber was additionally used to generate the 1.12μm pump. Raman gain could similarly be used in compact configurations to generate other pump wavelengths for use in frequency upconversion schemes.
Anomalous diamagnetism of SmNiAl due to hydrogenation and field cooling
Authors: Wang Y. T. , Zhang H. , Shao H. Y. , Li X. G. , Zhang L. F. , Takahashi S.
Published: February 2006

The field-cooled (FC) and zero-field-cooled magnetizations of SmNiAl and its hydride were measured as a function of temperature. Hydrogenation and field-cooling cause a remarkable change in magnetic properties. SmNiAl exhibits a positive susceptibility, but an anomalous diamagnetic susceptibility is observed in the FC SmNiAl hydride below 32K and in H<1000Oe. The diamagnetism is associated with magnetic layer structures and hydrogen ions.
Transverse magnetic mode nonreciprocal propagation in an amplifying AlGaInAs∕InP optical waveguide isolator
Authors: Van Parys Wouter , Moeyersoon Bart , Van Thourhout Dries , Baets Roel , Vanwolleghem Mathias , Dagens Beatrice , Decobert Jean , Le Gouezigou Odile , Make Dalila , Vanheertum Reinier , Lagae Liesbet
Published: February 2006

The design, fabrication, and characterization of an amplifying transverse magnetic (TM)-mode optical waveguide isolator operating at a wavelength of 1300nm are presented. The magneto-optical Kerr effect induces nonreciprocal modal absorption in a semiconductor optical amplifier with a laterally magnetized ferromagnetic metal contact. Current injection in the active structure compensates for the loss in the forward propagation direction. Monolithic integration of this optical isolator configuration with active InP-based photonic devices is straightforward. The combination of AlGaInAs∕InP active material and the metal alloy Co50Fe50 results in greatly improved performance. 99dB∕cm TM mode isolation and significantly reduced insertion loss are demonstrated.
Reproducible interconnects assembled from gold nanorods
Authors: Ozturk Birol , Blackledge Charles , Flanders Bret N. , Grischkowsky Daniel R.
Published: February 2006

By using cleanroom-based lithographic procedures to produce identical electrode arrays, we have fabricated dielectrophoretic nanowires that vary in their conductance by ±10%. Transmission electron microscopy established the presence of interconnect segments composed of densely aggregated nanoparticles and of individual nanorods lying in the current-carrying path. The current-voltage profiles of these interconnects exhibited barriers to charge transport at temperatures less than ∼225K; furthermore, their conductances increased exponentially with temperature with an activation energy comparable to the nanorod charging energy. These results indicate that the Coulomb blockade associated with individual nanorods in the interconnects is the primary conductance-limiting feature.
When There are no Pagodas on Pagoda Street: Language, Mapping and Navigating Ambiguities in Colonial Singapore
Authors: Wong Yoke Sum
Published: February 2006

What does it mean to constitute the landscape in language? The author addresses the complications of navigating a colonial landscape such as 19th-century Singapore, and the complex web of mobilities emerging from multiple knowledges. Despite the existence of official streetnames, different racial groups possessed different names and references for the very same streets—even within the same language. How then can we ever know of a place if it is inscribed by the interplay of cultural and linguistic experiences that constitute specific worlds? Drawing from Wittgenstein and Derrida, the author attempts to engage with the linguistic assumptions governing mobility in the multilayered colonial space of Singapore in which the same street is always a different street—and experienced very differently.
The Impact of New Transport Technologies on Intraurban Mobility: A View from the Past
Authors: Pooley Colin , Turnbull Jean , Adams Mags
Published: February 2006

In this paper the authors reappraise the ways in which travellers in urban areas have interacted with new transport technologies and argue that mobility change over the past century or so may be less than is sometimes assumed. Attention is focused on changes in the journey to work over the 20th century, on the experience of new travel technologies by an adolescent female in the late 19th century, on perceptions of competing forms of urban transport in Manchester and Glasgow in the interwar period, and on changes in the everyday mobility of children aged 10–11 years since the 1940s. It is argued that, although the material experience of everyday transport has changed significantly over the past century with the advent of new transport technologies, these did not necessarily change the aspirations and decisions of people with regard to everyday mobility. Moreover, such changes did not always bring benefits to all travellers.
Metabolisms of Obecity: Flows of Fat through Bodies, Cities, and Sewers
Authors: Marvin Simon , Medd Will
Published: February 2006

Although strategies to tackle obesity have led to renewed debate about the relationship between the body and urban form the (im)mobilities of fat through bodies, cities, and infrastructure reveal a complex web of urban metabolisms. We argue that, to understand the mobilities of fat in a city context, metaphors of urban metabolism become important. The relationships between different flows are contingent and the mobilities of fat in bodies (as individuals), cities (as a collective site of action), and sewers (as infrastructure), we argue, highlight a multiplicity of urban metabolisms, each with different interconnectivities and forms of instability. In the paper we show how, in North America, in response to the rising numbers of ‘obese bodies’ there has been the mobilisation of the concept of ‘fat cities’, involving renewed debate about the relationship between bodies and the city, provoked largely by the innovative representations of Men's Fitness magazine. However, we shift focus to highlight the problems of fat in infrastructure, focusing specifically on the experience in US cities of sewer blockages that reveal quite different sets of processes within which fat is embedded. Strategies of intervention at the level of the body, the city collective, and the sewer involve prevention, removal, and acceptance, each revealing a multiplicity of metabolisms as well as the partial interconnections between them.
Unpacking Corporeal Mobilities: The Global Voyages of Labour and Leisure
Authors: Gogia Nupur
Published: February 2006

Concepts of mobility are rapidly moving across disciplines, as scholars grapple with the complexities of movement that characterise our world today. Although not a new phenomenon, the conditions of globalisation have facilitated the movement of a record number of people; individuals who are crossing international borders for work, leisure, safety, and security. Among these groups of people, tourists and labour migrants account for the largest groups traveling worldwide. Although abundant scholarly research is available on the transnational voyages of both groups, in this paper I seek to juxtapose a subset of these two types of movement—backpackers and seasonal workers—to investigate how these mobilities are determined, articulated, and shape various identities of the actors involved. Moreover, by referring to material, juridical, and spatial conditions that facilitate the mobility of these two groups, I will examine who is benefiting from these manifold movements and whether these mobilities represent new patterns of corporeal mobility and/or if they reify old relationships between the North and the South.