bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response to My Critics
Authors: Gillespie Michael A.
Published: November 2010

Martin Heidegger observed in his inaugural lecture at the University of Freiburg in 1929 that the profundity of all fundamental questions lies in the fact that they call into question not merely the subject of the inquiry but also both the questioner and the act of questioning itself. To put this another way, any comprehensive explanation must be able in principle to account for the one who is giving the explanation and for the explanation itself, and any account that cannot do this disproves itself in the very act of its narration. Thus, if any such account does not make clear the nature of the narrator and the narration, it is suspect on these grounds and readers may reasonably ask for an explanation. Since I did not discuss or try to justify the methodology or the nature of the narrative that I employ in my book, it is not surprising that all three of my critics either explicitly or implicitly raise this as a question. Kirstie McClure perhaps poses it in the most straightforward fashion by asking about the character of my narrative, suggesting quite plausibly that it might be read as an account of the adventures of the divine predicate. Less directly, Tim Fuller seems to make a similar claim with his characterization of my position as middle Hegelian. Since I argue that in modernity the divine, as Tim Fuller eloquently puts it, is “absorbed” by the individual, it is certainly reasonable to ask what kind of account I imagine I am giving. Or to put it a bit more maliciously than my three interlocutors do, one might reasonably ask who I think I am. It seems to me that this is not only a fair question, but also a very penetrating one, and one that I must try to answer. I imagined my own goals to accord more with Tom Merrill's characterization of my thought as an attempt to bring about an encounter with the fundamental questions that underlie the basic assumptions we make about ourselves and our world. But to give no more explanation than this would hardly be satisfying. Moreover, since I complain at the beginning and the end of the book that we moderns need to pay a great deal more attention to the example of Oedipus and not forget who we are and where we come from, it is incumbent on me to explain myself and what I think I am doing more fully. I will try to do this after first attempting to clarify my argument and responding to several other questions my critics raise.
THE LIBERAL CONSTITUTION AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Authors: Tesón Fernando R.
Published: November 2010

Scholars have debated the meaning of the foreign-relations clauses in the U.S. Constitution. This essay attempts to outline the foreign-relations clauses that an ideal constitution should have. A liberal constitution must enable the government to implement a morally defensible foreign policy. The first priority is the defense of liberty. The constitution must allow the government to effectively defend persons, territory, and liberal institutions themselves. The liberal government should also contribute to the advancement of global freedom, subject to a number of conditions, especially cost. The essay recommends improved methods to incorporate treaties and customary international law into the constitutional structure. Treaties should be approved by the whole legislature and should generally be self-executing. Customary law should be genuine, not fake, and consistent with liberal principles. Finally, based on economic theory and evidence, the essay recommends that liberal constitutions prohibit the government from erecting trade barriers. It concludes by tentatively proposing concrete constitutional language to implement these recommendations.
DO CONSTITUTIONS HAVE A POINT? REFLECTIONS ON “PARCHMENT BARRIERS” AND PREAMBLES
Authors: Levinson Sanford
Published: November 2010

Constitutions serve (at least) two central functions. One is to settle certain controversies by offering a definitive solution, such as adoption of a presidential or parliamentary system, a one-house or two-house legislature, or guaranteeing a certain term of years to judicial appointees. Not surprisingly, there is rarely litigation about such solutions, even if one finds them troublesome; instead, one can suggest amending the constitution or even replacing it. A second function is precisely to engender litigation by addressing certain issues—very often involving rights—that don't lend themselves to the kinds of definitive textual solutions similar to those involving structural features of a polity. If the first constitution can be described as a “constitution of settlement,” this second constitution is a “constitution of legal conversation” inasmuch as lawyers constantly dispute the meanings to be assigned such terms as “equal protection,” “human dignity,” and the like. But how does this apply to the preambles commonly, though not always, found in constitutions? Preambles often claim to evoke what binds together the society for whom the constitution is being drafted—religion, ethnicity, histories, languages, or commitments to norms, including universalistic ones. But to what extent are such claims of unity attempts by political elites to marginalize sectors of the society that do not in fact share the attributes in question? In any event, there is nothing “innocent” about constitutional preambles, and they are well worth taking seriously whether or not they are useful to lawyers engaged in litigation.
CAN WE DESIGN AN OPTIMAL CONSTITUTION? OF STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY AND RIGHTS CLARITY
Authors: Epstein Richard A.
Published: November 2010

The design of new constitutions is fraught with challenges on both issues of structural design and individual rights. As both a descriptive and normative matter it is exceedingly difficult to believe that one structural solution will fit all cases. The high variation in nation size, economic development, and ethnic division can easily tilt the balance for or against a Presidential or Parliamentary system, and even within these two broad classes the differences in constitutional structure are both large and hard to measure. The only confident claim is that some system of separation of powers coupled with checks and balances is needed. Deciding which system, however, is far harder. In contrast, that same level of doubt does not arise in connection with the correct specification of individual right. Strong systems of negative rights on matters of liberty, property, religion, and speech are preferable across a wide range of social organizations. On the other hand, any effort to create systems of positive entitlements will fail because of the negative effects that they have on wealth creation and the inability to define or limit the scope of the relevant entitlements.
Diagnostik und Therapie von Gedächtnisstörungen
Authors: Thöne-Otto Angelika , George Sabine , Hildebrandt Helmut , Reuther Paul , Schoof-Tams Karin , Sturm Walter , Wallesch Claus-Werner
Published: November 2010

Die wichtigsten Empfehlungen auf einen Blick

Diagnostik: Die Untersuchung von Gedächtnisstörungen erfordert mindestens ein Verfahren zur Erfassung der Gedächtnisspanne und des Arbeitsgedächtnisses sowie je ein Verfahren zur Untersuchung der unmittelbaren und verzögerten Reproduktion verbaler und figuraler Informationen. Darüber hinaus wird eine Untersuchung des Lernprozesses im Rahmen eines Lernparadigmas (z. B. Wortlisten-Lernen) empfohlen (A). Für die Untersuchung des für den Alltag so relevanten prospektiven Gedächtnisses sind vor allem die Verhaltensbeobachtung und die systematische Befragung z. B. mit Hilfe von Fragebögen von Bedeutung (B). Therapie: (1) Am Anfang der Therapie in der Frühphase steht häufig das Orientierungstraining. (2) Bei Patienten, bei denen die Diagnostik Hinweise auf eine erhaltene Konsolidierung gibt und bei denen der Rehabilitationsverlauf noch offen ist, wird empfohlen, internale Gedächtnisstrategien intensiv zu üben, um die Enkodierungsleistung zu verbessern (A). Für die Wirkung eines übenden Funktionstrainings, bei dem möglichst viele Informationen «auswendig gelernt» werden müssen, gibt es hingegen keine Evidenz. (3) Darüber hinaus ist die Behandlung der Gedächtnisstörung an den Alltagsanforderungen des Patienten zu orientieren und für spezifische gedächtnisrelevante Situationen sind Kompensationsstrategien zu erarbeiten (A). Ob die Patienten lediglich lernen können, auf externe Hilfen, die sie von Angehörigen oder Pflegepersonen erhalten, adäquat zu reagieren, oder ob sie diese selbstständig nutzen können, muss im Einzelfall im Therapieverlauf entschieden werden.
Lebenszielinterventionen in der Neurorehabilitation
Authors: Conrad Nico , Doering Bettina K. , Rief Winfried , Exner Cornelia
Published: November 2010

Erworbene Hirnschädigungen können neben akuten Beeinträchtigungen durch eine Fülle von langwierigen Krankheitsfolgen gekennzeichnet sein. Diese sind interindividuell sehr verschieden und stehen in einem engen Bezug zu klinischen Variablen, zum prämorbiden Status der Betroffenen und zur Unterstützung nach dem Schädigungseintritt. Einschränkungen in der Erreichbarkeit wichtiger Lebensziele stellen ein hochideographisches Abbild solcher Krankheitsfolgen dar. Zum anderen bieten sie sich aber auch als ein geeigneter Rahmen und zugleich auch als Erfolgsmaßstab einer individuell zugeschnittenen neuropsychologischen Rehabilitation an. Auf der Basis empirischer Befunde, die querschnittlich bei neurologischen Patienten erhoben wurden und zweier zentraler Modelle aus unterschiedlichen Forschungsrichtungen werden in dieser Arbeit Vorschläge für Lebenszielinterventionen gemacht. Diese sollen klassisch neuropsychologische Therapieansätze nicht ersetzen sondern individualisieren und so deren subjektive Sinnhaftigkeit und damit die Therapiemotivation erhöhen.
Transfer of Motor Learning in a Visuomotor Tracking Task for Healthy Old and Young Adults
Authors: Lutz Kai , Martin Mike , Jäncke Lutz
Published: November 2010

Using a continuous bimanual tracking task with three different movement speeds, we examined motor learning and transfer in older adults. Three groups of subjects within each age group learned only one particular trajectory during training of 40 trials, while the other two trajectories were not practiced during this period. Motor learning (measured as absolute and relative reduction in tracking error) was identified in all subjects. The most important finding was that motor learning was present even for the trajectories that were not practiced to almost the same degree as for practiced trajectories and motor skills for visuomotor tracking show the same amount of improvement and transfer in young and older adults.
Ready-Made and Self-Made Facilitation Effects of Arrays
Authors: Lange-Küttner Christiane
Published: November 2010

The study investigates the relationship between array priming and the self-generated conceptualization of arrays in spatial memory. Nursery and primary school age children and adults (N = 70) were tested with an object and place memory reaction-time/accuracy task, once first using a frame (containment and figurative thought) and (in another session) using a grid (explicit boundaries around places). They were also given the Common Region Test (CRT) with which drawing of object-place vs. object-region binding was tested. Object memory was better than place memory in 5-year-olds, but place memory had caught up in older children. Ten-year-olds showed already an accuracy comparable to young adults, and they also remembered places somewhat better and faster than object shapes. Experiencing the explicitly denoted places in the grid in the first session improved place memory in the second session with the frame, but not vice versa. Object-place binding in the CRT predicted better object than place memory, while object-region binding predicted place memory equal to or better than object memory. These binding strategies statistically eliminated the array priming effects of the grid, showing a trade-off between “self-made” spatial encoding strategy and priming with a “ready-made” spatial array structure.
Perceived Self-Efficacy and Risky Driving Behaviors
Authors: Morisset Nolwenn , Terrade Florence , Somat Alain
Published: November 2010

Les recherches dans le domaine de la santé, et notamment en matière de conduite automobile, attestent que le jugement subjectif du risque (comparatif et absolu) et l’auto-efficacité perçue sont impliqués dans les comportements à risque. Cette étude avait pour objectif d’étudier l’influence de l’auto-efficacité perçue sur le jugement subjectif du risque, évalué au moyen d’une mesure indirecte, et de tester le rôle médiateur de ce facteur entre l’auto-efficacité perçue et les comportements auto-déclarés. Les participants, 90 hommes, lisaient deux scénarii décrivant les deux comportements les plus impliqués dans l’accidentologie: la vitesse et l’alcool au volant. Les résultats ne montrent pas de lien significatif entre l’auto-efficacité perçue et le score de jugement comparatif mais une relation significative avec les deux évaluations absolues du risque (autrui et soi). De plus, le jugement absolu du risque pour soi médiatise partiellement la relation entre auto-efficacité perçue et comportements auto-déclarés relatifs aux deux risques routiers étudiés.
Short German Versions of Empathizing and Systemizing Self-Assessment Scales
Authors: Samson Andrea C. , Huber Odilo W.
Published: November 2010

Short German-language versions of empathizing and systemizing self-assessment scales have been developed based on the questionnaires by Baron-Cohen and colleagues (e.g., Baron-Cohen, Richler, Bisarya, Gurunathan, & Wheelwright, S., 2003 ; Baron-Cohen, 2004 ). According to the E-S theory, empathizing is characterized by the drive to cognize emotional and cognitive mental states in others and to react to these in an appropriate manner. In contrast, systemizing circumscribes the interest in systems, which includes analyzing, constructing, predicting, and controlling it. The present study pursued two goals: First, to provide a psychometrically tested measure of the constructs in German language; second, to provide a short form of the scale to reduce participants’ work load. Study 1 (N = 206) used factor analyses to select a subset of the 80 items used in the Baron-Cohen et al. Study 2 (N = 201) demonstrated the internal consistency and stability of the new empathizing and systemizing scales with 13 items each. Study 3 (N = 122) revealed high retest reliabilities.
Motorische Koordinationsdefizite im Kindesalter
Authors: Michel Eva , Kauer Marianne , Roebers Claudia M.
Published: November 2010

In vorliegender Studie wurden kognitive Basisfunktionen bei Kindern mit niedrigen motorisch-koordinativen Leistungen und mit Risiko für motorische Entwicklungsstörungen untersucht. Insgesamt 179 Kinder im Alter von 7 Jahren wurden mit einer motorischen Testbatterie (M-ABC-2) getestet; 34 wiesen unterdurchschnittliche koordinative Fähigkeiten auf, 8 wurden als Risikokinder identifiziert. Alle Kinder absolvierten kognitiv-exekutive Aufgaben zu Aufmerksamkeits- und Arbeitsgedächtnisfunktionen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass koordinativ unterdurchschnittliche Kinder in kognitiv-exekutiven Bereichen der Aufmerksamkeit zwar aufgabenübergreifend langsamer waren, die Leistungsgenauigkeit aber vergleichbar mit koordinativ unauffälligen Kindern ist. Dagegen zeigen Kinder mit Risiko für eine motorische Entwicklungsstörung qualitativ schlechtere Genauigkeitsleistungen. Die Arbeitsgedächtnisleistungen sind von den koordinativen Leistungen weitgehend unabhängig. Die Ergebnisse werden hinsichtlich möglicher Prozesse diskutiert, die kognitiven Problemen bei motorischen Entwicklungsstörungen zugrunde liegen können.
Lern- und Aufmerksamkeitsstörungen
Authors: Hasselhorn Marcus , Hartmann Ulrike
Published: November 2010

Der folgende Beitrag gibt eine Einführung in das Schwerpunktheft zum Thema „Lern- und Aufmerksamkeitsstörungen“. Zunächst wird der aktuelle Forschungsstand insbesondere im Hinblick auf die diagnostischen Kriterien und häufig auftretende Komorbiditäten dieser Störungsbilder skizziert. Anschließend wird ein Ausblick auf die Beiträge im Heft gegeben, die größtenteils im Rahmen des Frankfurter IDeA Zentrums entstanden sind. Zusammengenommen weisen diese Beiträge die Richtung in eine zunehmend differenzierte Betrachtung der neurobiologischen Grundlagen von Lern- und Aufmerksamkeitsstörungen, die mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit zu Verbesserungen in Diagnostik, Prävention und Behandlung führen wird.
Neurokognitive Korrelate der Dyslexie
Authors: Linkersdörfer Janosch
Published: November 2010

Die Überblicksarbeit widmet sich kognitiven und neuronalen Grundlagen der Dyslexie. Ausgehend von einer Darstellung der wichtigsten kognitiven und neurobiologischen Theorien der Entstehung von Dyslexie werden Ergebnisse zu spezifischen Störungen des neuronalen Lesenetzwerks bei Menschen mit Dyslexie aus Postmortem-Untersuchungen und strukturellen sowie funktionellen Bildgebungsstudien berichtet. Die Befunde legen nahe, dass Dyslexie ein multidimensionales Problem darstellt, das mit verschiedenen kognitiven, sensorischen und motorischen Defiziten und spezifischen Störungen auf neuronaler Ebene einhergeht. Zukünftige Forschung sollte sich daher verstärkt individuellen Profilen der Störung auf kognitiver wie neuronaler Ebene widmen.
Auditive Verarbeitungs- und Wahrnehmungsstörungen (AVWS) im Kindesalter
Authors: Kiese-Himmel Christiane
Published: November 2010

Auditive Verarbeitungs- und Wahrnehmungsstörungen (AVWS) sind umschriebene Funktionsdefizite in der auditiven Informationsverarbeitung und Wahrnehmung bei intaktem peripherem Gehör und mindestens durchschnittlicher Intelligenz. Häufig sind Lernstörungen, primäre bzw. sekundäre Spracherwerbsstörungen, supramodale Aufmerksamkeitsprobleme oder tiefgreifende Entwicklungsstörungen mit AVWS im Sinn von Komorbidität assoziiert. Deswegen erscheint Eltern, Lehrern oder Untersuchern das AVWS-Konzept zur Erklärung solcher Entwicklungs- und Lernauffälligkeiten plausibel. Da Sprachsignale zerebral anders als nicht sprachliche Signale ausgewertet werden, kann Sprachwahrnehmung allenfalls als ein Spezialfall der auditiven Verarbeitung und Wahrnehmung betrachtet werden. Kausale Beziehungen zwischen gestörten auditiven Funktionen und klinischen Störungsbildern wurden bislang nicht zuverlässig belegt. Es besteht ein Mangel an kontrollierten bzw. randomisierten Therapiestudien.
Kognitive Kontrolle und Selbstregulation bei Kindern mit ADHS
Authors: Gawrilow Caterina , Schmitt Kathrin , Rauch Wolfgang
Published: November 2010

Kinder mit ADHS sind unaufmerksam, impulsiv und hyperaktiv, was zu Lern- und Leistungsstörungen sowie zu Schwierigkeiten im Umgang mit Eltern, Lehrern und Gleichaltrigen führt. Aktuell wird ADHS im Zusammenhang mit Selbstregulationsdefiziten diskutiert. Demzufolge gehen die Probleme der von ADHS Betroffenen auf mangelnde Selbstregulationsfähigkeiten sowie defizitäre exekutive Funktionen und dabei vor allem auf mangelnde kognitive Kontrolle zurück. Folglich erscheinen Interventionen, die auf die Förderung der Selbstregulation abzielen (z. B. Wenn-Dann-Pläne) als vielversprechend für die Besserung einer ADHS-Symptomatik.
GyPSuM: A joint tomographic model of mantle density and seismic wave speeds
Authors: Simmons Nathan A. , Forte Alessandro M. , Boschi Lapo , Grand Stephen P.
Published: November 2010

GyPSuM is a 3‐D model of mantle shear wave (S) speeds, compressional wave (P) speeds, and density. The model is developed through simultaneous inversion of seismic body wave travel times (P and S) and geodynamic observations while using realistic mineral physics parameters linking wave speeds and density. Geodynamic observations include the global free air gravity field, divergence of the tectonic plates, dynamic topography of the free surface, and the flow‐induced excess ellipticity of the core‐mantle boundary. GyPSuM is built with the philosophy that heterogeneity that most closely resembles thermal variations is the simplest possible solution. Models of the density field from Earth's free oscillations have provided great insight into the density configuration of the mantle but are limited to very long wavelength solutions. Alternatively, scaling higher‐resolution seismic images to obtain density anomalies generates density fields that do not satisfy geodynamic observations. The current study provides a 3‐D density model for the mantle that directly satisfies geodynamic and seismic observations through a joint seismic‐geodynamic inversion process. Notable density field observations include high‐density piles at the base of superplume structures, supporting the general results of past normal mode studies. However, we find that these features are more localized and have lower amplitude than past studies would suggest. When we consider both fast and slow seismic anomalies in GyPSuM, we find that P and S wave speeds are strongly correlated throughout the mantle. However, we find a low correlation of fast S wave zones in the deep mantle (>1500 km depth) with the corresponding P wave anomalies, suggesting a systematic divergence from simplified thermal effects in ancient subducted slab anomalies. The cratonic lithosphere and D″ regions are shown to have strong compositional signatures. However, we argue that temperature variations are the primary cause of P wave speed, S wave speed, and density anomalies throughout most of the mantle.
Signature of the Mekong River plume in the western South China Sea revealed by radium isotopes
Authors: Chen Weifang , Liu Qian , Huh Chih‐An , Dai Minhan , Miao Yu‐Chun
Published: November 2010

We investigated the distribution of 223Ra, 228Ra, and 226Ra in the surface water of the western South China Sea (SCS) during summer based on a 30 day cruise conducted in August–September 2007. The activities of 223Ra varied from almost undetectable to 0.74 disintegrations per minute (dpm)/100 L, and those of 228Ra varied from 12.2 to 61.5 dpm/100 L. Their spatial distribution was characterized by a jet of high 228Ra (>48 dpm/100 L) and 223Ra (>0.4 dpm/100 L) extending eastward from the Vietnam coast along ∼11°N, curling up in the vicinity of 112°E and swirling counterclockwise to form a cyclonic eddy with lower 228Ra (21–25 dpm/100 L) and 223Ra (0.04–0.14 dpm/100 L) at its center. High 226Ra (10–14 dpm/100 L) appeared in the eastward jet and decreased to 6.0–8.5 dpm/100 L along the track of the jet described above. The observed distribution of Ra isotopes was consistent with the pattern of the Southeast Vietnam Offshore Current in the western SCS in summer. The higher radium activities were in all likelihood derived from the Mekong River. Using a simple two‐end‐member mixing model based on the 228Ra/226Ra activity ratio and salinity, we calculated that approximately 53% of the surface water in the western SCS was originated from the Mekong River diluted water. Note that this estimation should be regarded as an upper limit due to the lack of sampling at its immediate source, the Mekong estuary. The data revealed that more than 2 weeks were required for the transportation of freshened water from the Mekong River's mouth several hundred kilometers to the western SCS.
Ice core evidence for a 20th century decline of sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica
Authors: Abram Nerilie J. , Thomas Elizabeth R. , McConnell Joseph R. , Mulvaney Robert , Bracegirdle Thomas J. , Sime Louise C. , Aristarain Alberto J.
Published: November 2010

This study uses ice core methanesulphonic acid (MSA) records from the Antarctic Peninsula, where temperatures have been warming faster than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, to reconstruct the 20th century history of sea ice change in the adjacent Bellingshausen Sea. Using satellite‐derived sea ice and meteorological data, we show that ice core MSA records from this region are a reliable proxy for regional sea ice change, with years of increased winter sea ice extent recorded by increased ice core MSA concentrations. Our reconstruction suggests that the satellite‐observed sea ice decline in the Bellingshausen Sea during recent decades is part of a long‐term regional trend that has occurred throughout the 20th century. The long‐term perspective on sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea is consistent with evidence of 20th century warming on the Antarctic Peninsula and may reflect a progressive deepening of the Amundsen Sea Low due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and, more recently, stratospheric ozone depletion. As a first‐order estimate, our MSA‐based reconstruction suggests that sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea has retreated southward by ∼0.7° during the 20th century. Comparison with other 20th century sea ice observations, reconstructions, and model simulations provides a coherent picture of Antarctic sea ice decline during the 20th century, although with regional‐scale differences evident in the timing and magnitude of this sea ice decline. This longer‐term perspective contrasts with the small overall increase in Antarctic sea ice that is observed in post‐1979 satellite data.
The genetic relatedness of Porphyromonas gingivalis clinical and laboratory strains assessed by analysis of insertion sequence (IS) element distribution
Authors: Califano J. V. , Arimoto T. , Kitten T.
Published: November 2010

Objectives: Porphyromonas gingivalis is frequently found in periodontitis lesions. This organism contains a large number of insertion sequence (IS) elements. We sought to determine the distribution of seven IS elements from strain W83 among nine P. gingivalis laboratory strains and nine clinical isolates and to use these findings to determine strain relationships.

Methods: Southern blots of BamHI digested genomic DNA digests were probed with insertion sequence elements ISPg1–7.

Results: The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns revealed that five of the nine laboratory strains, including strain W83, were nearly identical for all seven IS elements. Two of nine clinical isolates were similar to the five laboratory strains. Two of the four remaining laboratory strains had similar or identical RFLP patterns. The remaining two laboratory strains had limited similarity to clinical strains. Four of the clinical isolates had identical RFLP patterns for all seven IS elements. The three remaining clinical isolates were unique in their RFLP patterns. Several strains lacked from one to four of the IS elements. Similar strain relationships were suggested regardless of the IS element examined.

Conclusions: Transposition and recombination between IS elements are not sufficiently pervasive to obscure strain relationships, though this does not preclude the possibility that such events play an important role in allowing P. gingivalis to adapt to new environments. Given the level of genetic diversity observed, it may be especially important to examine genetically diverse strains when drawing conclusions based on the W83 P. gingivalis genomic database.
Single‐cell quantification of IL‐2 response by effector and regulatory T cells reveals critical plasticity in immune response
Authors: Feinerman Ofer , Jentsch Garrit , Tkach Karen E , Coward Jesse W , Hathorn Matthew M , Sneddon Michael W , Emonet Thierry , Smith Kendall A , Altan‐Bonnet Grégoire
Published: November 2010

Understanding how the immune system decides between tolerance and activation by antigens requires addressing cytokine regulation as a highly dynamic process. We quantified the dynamics of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) signaling in a population of T cells during an immune response by combining in silico modeling and single‐cell measurements in vitro. We demonstrate that IL‐2 receptor expression levels vary widely among T cells creating a large variability in the ability of the individual cells to consume, produce and participate in IL‐2 signaling within the population. Our model reveals that at the population level, these heterogeneous cells are engaged in a tug‐of‐war for IL‐2 between regulatory (Treg) and effector (Teff) T cells, whereby access to IL‐2 can either increase the survival of Teff cells or the suppressive capacity of Treg cells. This tug‐of‐war is the mechanism enforcing, at the systems level, a core function of Treg cells, namely the specific suppression of survival signals for weakly activated Teff cells but not for strongly activated cells. Our integrated model yields quantitative, experimentally validated predictions for the manipulation of Treg suppression.
Lysogen stability is determined by the frequency of activity bursts from the fate‐determining gene
Authors: Zong Chenghang , So Lok‐hang , Sepúlveda Leonardo A , Skinner Samuel O , Golding Ido
Published: November 2010

The ability of living cells to maintain an inheritable memory of their gene‐expression state is key to cellular differentiation. Bacterial lysogeny serves as a simple paradigm for long‐term cellular memory. In this study, we address the following question: in the absence of external perturbation, how long will a cell stay in the lysogenic state before spontaneously switching away from that state? We show by direct measurement that lysogen stability exhibits a simple exponential dependence on the frequency of activity bursts from the fate‐determining gene, cI. We quantify these gene‐activity bursts using single‐molecule‐resolution mRNA measurements in individual cells, analyzed using a stochastic mathematical model of the gene‐network kinetics. The quantitative relation between stability and gene activity is independent of the fine details of gene regulation, suggesting that a quantitative prediction of cell‐state stability may also be possible in more complex systems.
Theoretical study on the gas and solution phase enthalpies, free energies, and equilibrium constants for the isomerization of [1.1]paracyclophane derivatives as potential molecular switches
Authors: Rayne Sierra , Forest Kaya
Published: November 2010

Theoretical studies were conducted on the predicted gas and solution phase thermodynamic properties for isomerization of various [1.1]paracyclophane derivatives to their corresponding transannular[4+4] adducts at representative levels of density functional and composite method theory. Calculations suggest the [1.1]paracyclophane to transannular[4+4] adduct isomerizations are not likely amenable to thermodynamic solvent tuning for the methylene, ether, and thioether bridged derivatives using a broad range of nonpolar and polar aprotic and polar protic implicit solvation models, but may be receptive towards solvent tuning for the amine bridged analogs. Varying the nature of the cyclophanic bridging atoms and the electron withdrawing/releasing character of photochemically/thermally stable substituents on the [pi]-systems is predicted to facilitate substantial variation of the isomerization equilibria to a much greater degree than changing the solvent environment.
Sisseton Wahpeton College Student Internship – Learning About Water Quality Assessment, Geospatial Technologies, Landuse Classification and Statistical Analysis
Authors: Barker Brendon , Eastman Destinee , Farmer, Jr. Steven
Published: November 2010

Three student interns from Sisseton Wahpeton College and their advisor Karla Witt worked with researchers from South Dakota State University to explore the hypothesis that satellite imagery could be used as a tool to evaluate water quality in lakes on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation. Interns constructed their own Secchi disks and used them to measure transparency in lakes and mark the locations with a global positioning system (GPS) on days when satellite imagery was available. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to relate field measurements to satellite images. The students also conducted monthly water quality sampling on Pickerel, Enemy Swim and Clear Lakes to determine current trophic state. Existing land use maps for Pickerel Lake were updated, ground truthed and compared to satellite imagery. Satellite imagery was then used to classify land use for portions of the Clear Lake watershed. The students also learned data analysis and presentation techniques by working with satellite imagery, water quality measurements, and climate and hydrologic data. The students contributed to the knowledge base that will eventually allow researchers to relate land use to water quality in lakes on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation.
Surprisingly rapid nitrogen cycling in tropical forest plantations on volcanically derived soils
Authors: Raich James , Russell Ann
Published: November 2010

Secondary forests and young forest plantations frequently have high rates of tree growth and NPP – higher even than mature forests in similar situations. The nutrients required to sustain this rapid growth are derived from the soil and by external inputs such as rainfall or, in the case of nitrogen, by biological N fixation. In our study of the effects of tree species within replicated experimental plantations in a moist, lowland tropical environment in Costa Rica, high rates of biomass accumulation and productivity were coupled with high rates of N accumulation and cycling. We applied extensive sampling through time within a mass-balance approach to address the question “Where does all the nitrogen come from?”Rates of N uptake by the vegetation in these plantations were extraordinarily high, even by tropical forest standards, reaching 412 kg N ha^-1^ yr^-1^. Rapid decay coupled to tight nitrogen cycling may have provided large amounts of available N for plant uptake, but do not explain the large quantities of N that accrued in the vegetation, up to 1075 kg N/ha over 16 years. Surface soil organic matter stocks in the plantations increased by as much as 320 kgC/ha in surface soils, but soil nitrogen varied differently. Soil N stocks to 1 m depth were depleted by an average of 2119 kg/ha relative to the mature forest. Thus, mineralization of soil organic nitrogen could have supplied the N that accrued in biomass over the 16-yr period, but this apparently occurred without concomitant net loss of soil C. The C:N ratios of soil organic matter (SOM)in the plantations indicated either replacement of SOM with more C-rich detritus or selective removal of N from existing SOM. Regardless, high productivity in these plantations apparently was supported in part by mining of soil nitrogen. Species varied, however. Depletion of soil N stocks was only 219 kg/ha under Vochysia guatemalensis, in which 1075 kgN/ha had accrued. Asymbiotic N fixation is the next most plausible mechanism for supplying plant-available N, and may be enhanced in stands with high availability of recently produced photosynthates.
NHC–Cobalt, Rhodium and Iridium Complexes in Catalysis
Authors: César Vincent , Gade Lutz H. , Bellemin-Laponnaz Stéphane
Published: November 2010

Since the mid 1990s, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have proved to be a versatile class of ancillary ligands in catalysis. The NHC chemistry of Group 9 metals (Co, Rh, Ir) is one of the most developed areas in this field and is the subject of the present Chapter. This section covers the most relevant catalytic applications, along with stoichiometric model reactions, except for catalytic oxidation and reduction reactions which are covered in Chapters 12 and 13 respectively.
NHC–Palladium Complexes in Catalysis
Authors: Normand Adrien T. , Cavell Kingsley J.
Published: November 2010

In the past 10 years, the field of NHC–Pd catalysis has grown at an impressive rate. Early studies largely focussed on catalyst design for a limited number of reactions (e.g. C–C coupling reactions). However, the opportunities unveiled by these early studies initiated many and varied research efforts, and a large number of research teams are involved in the field. As a consequence, the range of reactions catalysed by NHC–Pd complexes is now substantial: in addition to the traditional C–C coupling reactions, which still remains the most comprehensively investigated field, it encompasses such reactions as direct C–H arylation, telomerisation, hydrogenation and Buchwald-Hartwig amination (to name a few). A number of catalytic systems are now active enough that they can be considered for pilot or industrial scale production in the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industry. Yet limitations remain, in particular regarding catalyst deactivation/decomposition. In this chapter, these various aspects are critically examined, with an emphasis on catalyst design for each class of transformation.
NHC–Copper, Silver and Gold Complexes in Catalysis
Authors: Marion* Nicolas
Published: November 2010

The catalytic applications of Group 11 metals bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands are reviewed. An overview of the most important transformations –with further details where necessary– and a thorough referencing are provided, with a focus on the most recent developments.
The Modification of Onsets in a Markedness Relationship: Testing the Interlanguage Structural Conformity Hypothesis
Authors: Carlisle Robert S.
Published: November 2010

This chapter reports the findings of a study investigating the possible influence of typological universals on the structuring of a second language phonology. Specifically, the study examines the frequency of modification of 2‐member and 3‐member onsets, the latter being more marked than the former (Greenberg, 1978). Though some evidence exists that longer onsets are modified more frequently than are shorter onsets (Anderson, 1987), the current study controls for a possible confounding factor—whether or not the onsets abide by the Universal Canonical Syllable Structure (UCSS). The UCSS states in part that the nucleus is the most sonorant constituent in a syllable and that segments comprising an onset will rise continuously in sonority from the most peripheral member through the nucleus (Cairns & Feinstein, 1982; Clements, 1990; Hooper, 1976; Kiparsky, 1979; Selkirk, 1984; Vennemann, 1988). All 1‐member onsets, by definition, abide by the UCSS, as any consonant will be less sonorant than the vowel constituting the nucleus. However, the UCSS is not an absolute universal, as some languages, including English, have complex onsets that violate the UCSS. In fact, all 3‐member onsets in English violate it.

Previous research has demonstrated that onsets that violate the UCSS are more frequently modified than are those that do not, even when length is held constant (Carlisle, 1991b; Tropf, 1987). Consequently, any study that attempts to validly compare the frequency of modification of 2‐member and 3‐member onsets must examine only 2‐member onsets that violate the UCSS, given that all 3‐member onsets do. Such a control over the sonority relationships among the segments comprising the onsets guarantees that length is the actual variable being examined. The major contribution of this study is that it examines the production of onsets of different lengths while controlling for the sonority relationships among the segments in the onsets.
Molecular phylogeny of Calyptratae (Diptera: Brachycera): the evolution of 18S and 16S ribosomal rDNAs in higher dipterans and their use in phylogenetic inference
Authors: Nirmala X. , Hypša V. , Žurovec M.
Published: November 2010

Sequences for nearly complete 18S rRNA and partial 16S rRNA genes were determined for sixteen species representing twelve calyptrate families. Two unique insertions are present in expansion regions of the 18S rDNA in nycteribiids. Alignments containing other dipteran rRNA genes provided good resolution at higher taxonomic level: monophyly of Calyptratae is well supported. While both 16S and 18S rDNA matrices produce unstable topologies within Calyptratae when analysed separately, their combination results in a tree with several robust and well supported nodes. Of three superfamilies recognized in recent classifications, the Hippoboscoidea is well supported by 16S rDNA and by combined matrices. The representatives of Muscoidea, Musca sp. and Antipoda sp., display a tendency to cluster within Oestroidea. The comparison of secondary structures of two variable regions indicates that Sarcophagidae are related to Calliphoridae rather than to Tachinidae.
Queen–worker conflict over male production and the sex ratio in a facultatively polyandrous bumblebee,Bombus hypnorum: the consequences of nest usurpation
Authors: Paxton R. J. , Thorén P. A. , Estoup A. , Tengö J.
Published: November 2010

Evolutionary conflicts among social hymenopteran nestmates are theoretically likely to arise over the production of males and the sex ratio. Analysis of these conflicts has become an important focus of research into the role of kin selection in shaping social traits of hymenopteran colonies. We employ microsatellite analysis of nestmates of one social hymenopteran, the primitively eusocial and monogynous bumblebeeBombus hypnorum, to evaluate these conflicts. In our 14 study colonies,B. hypnorumqueens mated between one and six times (arithmetic mean 2.5). One male generally predominated, fathering most of the offspring, thus the effective number of matings was substantially lower (1–3.13; harmonic mean 1.26). In addition, microsatellite analysis allowed the detection of alien workers, those who could not have been the offspring of the queen, in approximately half the colonies. Alien workers within the same colony were probably sisters. Polyandry and alien workers resulted in high variation among colonies in their sociogenetic organization. Genetic data were consistent with the view that all males (n = 233 examined) were produced by a colony’s queen. Male parentage was therefore independent of the sociogenetic organization of the colony, suggesting that the queen, and not the workers, was in control of the laying of male‐destined eggs. The population‐wide sex ratio (fresh weight investment ratio) was weakly female biased. No evidence for colony‐level adaptive sex ratio biasing could be detected.
Twist deformation of rotationally invariant quantum mechanics
Authors: Chakraborty B. , Kuznetsova Z. , Toppan F.
Published: November 2010

Noncommutative quantum mechanics in 3D is investigated in the framework of an abelian Drinfeld twist which deforms a given Hopf algebra structure. Composite operators (of coordinates and momenta) entering the Hamiltonian have to be reinterpreted as primitive elements of a dynamical Lie algebra which could be either finite (for the harmonic oscillator) or infinite (in the general case). The deformed brackets of the deformed angular momenta close the so(3) algebra. On the other hand, undeformed rotationally invariant operators can become, under deformation, anomalous (the anomaly vanishes when the deformation parameter goes to zero). The deformed operators, Taylor-expanded in the deformation parameter, can be selected to minimize the anomaly. We present the deformations (and their anomalies) of undeformed rotationally invariant operators corresponding to the harmonic oscillator (quadratic potential), the anharmonic oscillator (quartic potential), and the Coulomb potential.
Trapping effect evaluation of gateless AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors using transmission-line-model method
Authors: Hu Cheng-Yu , Hashizume Tamotsu , Ohi Kota , Tajima Masafumi
Published: November 2010

An electric-field-dependent trapping effect was observed in our AlGaN/GaN transmission-line-model (TLM) structure. Therefore, we adopted a “gradual voltage stress” scheme to induce a similar trapping effect, that is, a similar sheet resistance variation (ΔRSH) for all intervals of our AlGaN/GaN TLM structure. By measuring the TLM structure under “gradual voltage stress” (stressed TLM measurement), we investigated the trapping effects in gateless AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors. 10 nm of Al2O3 passivation film substantially decreased the voltage-stress-induced ΔRSH, suggesting surface traps were involved. The feasibility and reproducibility of the stressed TLM measurement method was confirmed with repeated passivation.
Self-propelled nanodimer bound state pairs
Authors: Thakur Snigdha , Kapral Raymond
Published: November 2010

A pair of chemically powered self-propelled nanodimers can exist in a variety of bound and unbound states after undergoing a collision. In addition to independently moving unbound dimers, bound Brownian dimer pairs, whose center-of-mass exhibits diffusive motion, self-propelled moving dimer pairs with directed motion, and bound rotating dimer pairs, were observed. The bound pairs arise from a solvent depletion interaction, which depends on the nonequilibrium concentration field in the vicinity of dimers. The phase diagram reported in the paper shows regions in monomer interaction energy–diameter plane where these bound and unbound states are found. Particle-based simulations and analytical calculations are used to provide insight into the nature of interaction between dimers that gives rise to the observed bound states.
Investigation of structure and magnetoresistance in Co/ZnO films
Authors: Quan Zhi-Yong , Xu Xiao-Hong , Li Xiao-Li , Feng Q. , Gehring G. A.
Published: November 2010

Co/ZnO films were deposited on glass substrates by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The structure of the as-deposited films is studied by means of x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves. It is shown that the as-deposited samples consist of a mixture of regions of metallic Co and semiconducting ZnO. Large negative magnetoresistance of 26% and 11.9% are observed in the as-deposited Co/ZnO film with Co concentration of 50.7 at. % at 10 K and room temperature, respectively. Structural analysis, the temperature dependence of the conductivity and magnetoresistance reveal that the magnetoresistance is induced by spin-dependent tunneling between regions of conducting magnetic Co through the ZnO semiconducting barriers. The enhanced magnetoresistance in the low temperature regime may be related to the existence of higher-order tunneling processes between large Co regions mediated by small Co particles.
Crystallization of tungstenbronze-type Ba2NaNb5O15 in high-Nb2O5-content glass: An inelastic light scattering study
Authors: Takahashi Yoshihiro , Fujie Nobuhiro , Osada Minoru , Masai Hirokazu , Ihara Rie , Fujiwara Takumi
Published: November 2010

In situ observations of phonon Raman and Boson scattering were performed in high-Nb2O5-content barium–sodium aluminophosphate glass, which crystallizes tungstenbronze-type Ba2NaNb5O15 (BNN), during heating and subsequent cooling processes in order to examine the BNN crystallization dynamics and phase transitions. It is suggested that NbO6 clusters/cohesive regions are present and are subjected to stress by the surrounding aluminophosphate network prior to crystallization of the BNN phase. Furthermore, in the cooling period, a successive phase transition (4/mmm→4mm→mm2) of the BNN phase was observed in the glass-ceramics, implying the possibility of producing functional glass-ceramics with ferroelastic properties.
Barrier heights, polarization switching, and electrical fatigue in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics with different electrodes
Authors: Chen Feng , Schafranek Robert , Wachau André , Zhukov Sergey , Glaum Julia , Granzow Torsten , von Seggern Heinz , Klein Andreas
Published: November 2010

The influence of Pt, tin-doped In2O3, and RuO2 electrodes on the electrical fatigue of bulk ceramic Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) has been studied. Schottky barrier heights at the ferroelectric/electrode interfaces vary by more than one electronvolt for different electrode materials and do not depend on crystallographic orientation of the interface. Despite different barrier heights, hysteresis loops of polarization, strain, permittivity, and piezoelectric constant and the switching kinetics are identical for all electrodes. A 20% reduction in polarization after 106 bipolar cycles is observed for all the samples. In contrast to PZT thin films, the loss of remanent polarization with bipolar switching cycles does not significantly depend on the electrode material.