bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF SCHEDULING EFFICIENCY IN TWO/THREE-MACHINE NO-WAIT FLOW SHOP PROBLEM USING SIMULATED ANNEALING AND GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: WANG TAI-YUE , YANG YIH-HWANG , LIN HERN-JIANG
Published: March 2006

This paper considers two/three-machine no-wait flow shop scheduling problems with makespan minimization. Inherited with the NP-hard problem nature, this scheduling problem is solved by using a Simulated Annealing (SA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) instead of mathematical programming. These two well-known search algorithms are often used to solve complex combinational optimization problems. In order to compare the performance of the two algorithms, we use solution quality (under the same computational time) and computation efficiency (under the same solution quality) as the measuring criteria. From the example problem, we found that SA is superior to GA in both solution quality and computation efficiency under identical terminating conditions. The performance of SA and GA decreased upon increasing the number of jobs. Our main contributions are to compare SA and GA under limited resources, which would be more consistent with the real world.
NON-INTERIOR CONTINUATION METHOD FOR COMPLEMENTARITY PROBLEMS IN ABSENCE OF STRICT COMPLEMENTARITY
Authors: SUN MIN , SHI ZHEN-JUN
Published: March 2006

In this paper, by using a modified smoothing function, we propose a new continuation method for complementarity problems with R0-function and P0-function in the absence of strict complementarity. At each iteration, the continuation method solves one linear system of equations and performs one line search. When the underlying mapping is both a P0-function and a R0-function and its Hessian is Lipschitz continuous, we prove the global convergence of the new method. The new method also has global Q-linear and local Q-quadratical convergence rates under the same conditions.
A NUMERICAL STUDY OF IMPROVED QUARK ACTIONS ON ANISOTROPIC LATTICES
Authors: SU SHIQUAN , LIU LIUMING , LI XIN , LIU CHUAN
Published: March 2006

Tadpole improved Wilson quark actions with clover terms on anisotropic lattices are studied numerically. Using asymmetric lattice volumes, the pseudoscalar meson dispersion relations are measured for eight lowest lattice momentum modes with quark mass values ranging from the strange to the charm quark with various values of the gauge coupling β and three different values of the bare speed of light parameter ν. These results can be utilized to extrapolate or interpolate to obtain the optimal value for the bare speed of light parameter ν opt (m) at a given gauge coupling for all bare quark mass values m. In particular, the optimal values of ν at the physical strange and charm quark mass are given for various gauge couplings. The lattice action with these optimized parameters can then be used to study physical properties of hadrons involving either light or heavy quarks.
FROM DEFECTS TO BOUNDARIES
Authors: BAJNOK Z. , GEORGE A.
Published: March 2006

In this paper we describe how relativistic field theories containing defects are equivalent to a class of boundary field theories. As a consequence previously derived results for boundaries can be directly applied to defects, these results include reduction formulas, the Coleman–Thun mechanism and Cutcosky rules. For integrable theories the defect crossing unitarity equation can be derived and defect operator found. For a generic purely transmitting impurity we use the boundary bootstrap method to obtain solutions of the defect Yang–Baxter equation. The groundstate energy on the strip with defects is also calculated.
EVIDENCE OF SELF-AFFINE PION MULTIPLICITY FLUCTUATION IN RELATIVISTIC AND ULTRARELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR COLLISIONS
Authors: GHOSH DIPAK , DEB ARGHA , GHOSH JAYITA , DUTTA (CHATTOPADHYAY) KEYA , SARKAR RINKU , DUTTA ISHITA , BISWAS SUBRATA , MANDAL PASUPATI , BHATTACHARYYA SWARNAPRATIM
Published: March 2006

This paper reports a detailed study on self-affine behavior of multiplicity fluctuation in the pionization process at relativistic and ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions. The study was performed over a wide range of energy from 2.1–200 AGeV. The data used are 16 O-AgBr interactions at 2.1 AGeV and 60 AGeV, 32 S-AgBr interactions at 200 AGeV, 24 Mg-AgBr , and 12 C-AgBr interactions at 4.5 AGeV. All these data show a clear evidence of self-affine pion production over the entire energy regime.
CLOSED BOSONIC STRING PARTITION FUNCTION IN TIME INDEPENDENT EXACT pp-WAVE BACKGROUND
Authors: HATZINIKITAS AGAPITOS , SMYRNAKIS IOANNIS
Published: March 2006

The modular invariance of the one-loop partition function of the closed bosonic string in four dimensions in the presence of certain homogeneous exact pp -wave backgrounds is studied. In the absence of an axion field, the partition function is found to be modular invariant and equal to the free field partition function. The partition function remains unchanged also in the presence of a fixed axion field. However, in this case, the covariant form of the action suggests summation over all possible twists generated by the axion field. This is shown to modify the partition function. In the light-cone gauge, the axion field generates twists only in the worldsheet σ-direction, so the resulting partition function is not modular invariant, hence wrong. To obtain the correct partition function one needs to sum over twists in the t-direction as well, as suggested by the covariant form of the action away from the light-cone gauge.
EQUILIBRIUM GEOMETRIES AND ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF SMALL SILICON MONOHYDRIDES CLUSTERS
Authors: YANG JUCAI , BAI XUE , LI CHUNPING , XU WENGUO , XIAO WENSHENG
Published: March 2006

The geometries and energies of small silicon monohydride clusters ( Si 2 H – Si 10 H ) have been systematically investigated by density functional theory (DFT) scheme with DZP++ basis sets. Several possible geometric arrangements and electronic states have been considered for each cluster. The results on Si 2 H – Si 4 H are in good accordance with previous ab initio calculation. The geometry of ground state of Si 2 H is found to be a bridged C2v structure, and Si 3 H to be a bridged C2v, while Si 4 H a non-bridged Cs symmetry with 2A′ state. The non-bridged geometries of ground state of Si 5 H – Si 10 H have been found to be corresponding to C2v(2B1), C2v(2B1), C5v(2A1), Cs(2A′′) (have two types), C1 (not symmetry), and Cs(2A′), respectively. The results on Si 5 H , Si 6 H , Si 8 H and Si 9 H are different from previous calculations. Compared silicon clusters ( Si n) with silicon monohydrides ( Si n H ) clusters, the addition of a single hydrogen atom cannot cause great changes in the ground state geometries of Si 2, Si 3, Si 4, Si 7, Si 9, and Si 10 clusters, while in the ground state geometries of Si 5, Si 6 and Si 8 clusters the change is great. The dissociation energies calculated indicates that Si 4 H , Si 7 H , and Si 10 H clusters are less stable than others.
AN INTEGRITY CHECKING MECHANISM OF MOBILE AGENTS UNDER A CLOSED ENVIRONMENT WITH TRUSTED HOSTS
Authors: JEONG DONGWON , KIM YOUNG-GAB , PARK SOO-HYUN
Published: March 2006

Mobile agent paradigm is recognized as a new environment for distributed computing and provides many merits such as mobility, security, self-decision, and so on. However, its security problems should be resolved to increase its application to a variety of real domains. Especially, we must guarantee integrity of transferred mobile agents. Although many mobile agent systems were developed, the integrity issue remains a critical one. In this paper, we propose an integrity checking mechanism to do the aforementioned issue. The proposed mechanism is independent of specific security frameworks and can be added and used easily for various mobile agent platforms.
Financial Structure, Corporate Finance and Growth of Taiwan's Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Liu Wan-Chun , Hsu Chen-Min
Published: March 2006

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of Taiwan's manufacturing firm growth, in particular, the effects of financial structure, corporate financing choices and Taiwanese outward FDI in China on firm growth in different industries besides other physical factors discussed in the literature. We construct an unbalanced dynamic panel data using 280 listed and OTC manufacturing firms over the period 1991–2002. The empirical method utilized is the generalized method of moments (GMM) proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991). Our results find that (1) the growth rates of firms are positively related to firm size, age, capital intensity, lagged R&D, export ratio, investment ratio, and profits; (2) high debt-to-equity ratio is associated with low corporation growth, while high return on total assets is associated with high corporation growth, which reflects that a firm with a relatively sound financial structure will facilitate their growth; (3) higher liquidity of stock market relative to the banking sector lead to higher growth of firms. However, larger size of stock market relative to the banking sector leads to lower the firm's growth, i.e., the smaller the indirect finance, the lower the firm growth; (4) firms engaged in FDI toward China might be hollowing-out; (5) individual firms that could be financed more from either bank or equity market will enjoy higher rates of growth compared to others in the same industries, but, those effects on traditional and basic industries are weaker; (6) high bank-financing ratio and internal financing are associated with higher firm growth, while firms using more bonds or equity financing tend to experience lower growth. However, the net positive effects of equity financing on traditional and basic firm growth are significantly greater.
Role of Epithelial Cells in Initiation and Propagation of Intestinal Inflammation. Eliminating the static: tight junction dynamics exposed
Authors: Shen Le , Turner Jerrold R.
Published: March 2006

Like all mucosal surfaces, the intestine forms a barrier that separates the external environment, i.e., the gut lumen, from the protected internal milieu. The intestinal barrier is formed by the epithelial cells that line the luminal surface. Plasma membranes of these cells prevent free passage of hydrophilic molecules across this barrier but do not seal the space between cells. This function is provided by the tight junction. Each cell is encircled at the apicolateral boundary by the tight junction, which seals the paracellular space. The tight junction does not form a completely impermeant seal, however, because that would prevent paracellular absorption of essential nutrients and ions; intestinal tight junctions are “leaky” and allow solutes to be transported paracellularly according to size and charge. Abundant data are available to demonstrate that barrier properties of tight junctions can be modulated in response to physiological, pharmacological, and pathophysiological stimuli, but the structural modifications responsible for these responses are poorly defined. Recent advances in understanding the role of tight junction dynamics in response to such stimuli are the focus of this review.
Mechanical stress-strain sensors embedded in cardiac cytoskeleton: Z disk, titin, and associated structures
Authors: Hoshijima Masahiko
Published: March 2006

Cardiac muscle is equipped with intricate intrinsic mechanisms to regulate adaptive remodeling. Recent and extensive experimental findings powered by novel strategies for screening protein-protein interactions, improved imaging technologies, and versatile transgenic mouse methodologies reveal that Z disks and titin filaments possess unexpectedly complicated sensory and modulatory mechanisms for signal reception and transduction. These mechanisms employ molecules such as muscle-enriched LIM domain proteins, PDZ-LIM domain proteins, myozenin gene family members, titin-associated ankyrin repeat family proteins, and muscle-specific ring finger proteins, which have been identified as potential molecular sensor components. Moreover, classic transmembrane signaling processes, including mitogen-activated kinase, protein kinase C, and calcium signaling, also involve novel interactions with the Z disk/titin network. This compartmentalization of signaling complexes permits alteration of receptor-dependent transcriptional regulation by direct sensing of intrinsic stress. Newly identified mechanical stress sensors are not limited to Z-disk region and to I-band and M-band regions of titin but are also embedded in muscle-specific membrane systems such as the costamere, intercalated disks, and caveolae-like microdomains. This review summarizes current knowledge of this rapidly developing area with focus on how the heart adjusts physiological remodeling process to meet with mechanical demands and how this process fails in cardiac pathologies.
Comments on “Hindbrain chemical mediators of reflex-induced inhibition of gastric tone produced by esophageal distension and intravenous nicotine”
Authors: Rogers Richard C. , Hermann Gerlinda E. , Travagli R. Alberto
Published: March 2006

The purpose of this study was to activate a vagovagal reflex by using esophageal distension and nicotine and test whether hindbrain nitric oxide and norepinephrine are involved in this reflex function. We used double-labeling immunocytochemical methods to determine whether esophageal distension (and nicotine) activates c-Fos expression in nitrergic and noradrenergic neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). We also studied c-Fos expression in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) neurons projecting to the periphery. Esophageal distension caused 19.7 ± 2.3% of the noradrenergic NTS neurons located 0.60 mm rostral to the calamus scriptorius (CS) to be activated but had little effect on c-Fos in DMV neurons. Intravenous administration of nicotine caused 19.7 ± 4.2% of the noradrenergic NTS neurons 0.90 mm rostral to CS to be activated and, as reported previously, had no effect on c-Fos expression in DMV neurons. To determine whether norepinephrine and nitric oxide were central mediators of esophageal distension-induced decrease in intragastric pressure (balloon recording), NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester microinjected into the NTS ( n = 5), but not into the DMV, blocked the vagovagal reflex. Conversely, α2-adrenergic blockers microinjected into the DMV ( n = 7), but not into the NTS, blocked the vagovagal reflex. These data, in combination with our earlier pharmacological microinjection data with nicotine, indicate that both esophageal distension and nicotine produce nitric oxide in the NTS, which then activates noradrenergic neurons that terminate on and inhibit DMV neurons.
Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Regression of Electrocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and the Prediction of Outcome During Antihypertensive Therapy
Authors: Okin Peter M. , Devereux Richard B. , Gerdts Eva , Snapinn Steven M. , Harris Katherine E. , Jern Sverker , Kjeldsen Sverre E. , Julius Stevo , Edelman Jonathan M. , Lindholm Lars H. , Dahlöf Björn
Published: March 2006

Background—

Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and with greater ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH); however, it is unclear whether diabetes attenuates regression of hypertensive LVH and whether regression of ECG LVH has similar prognostic value in diabetic and nondiabetic hypertensive individuals.

Methods and Results—

A total of 9193 hypertensive patients (1195 with diabetes) in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint (LIFE) Reduction in Hypertension Study were treated with losartan- or atenolol-based regimens and followed up with serial ECG and blood pressure determinations at baseline and 6 months and then yearly until death or study end. ECG LVH was defined with gender-adjusted Cornell voltage-duration product (CP) criteria >2440 mm · ms. After a mean follow-up of 4.8±0.9 years, patients with diabetes had less regression of CP LVH (−138±866 versus −204±854 mm · ms,
P
<0.001), remained more likely to have LVH by CP (56.0% versus 48.1%,
P
<0.001), and had higher rates of CV death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality and of the LIFE composite end point of CV death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, in-treatment regression or absence of ECG LVH by CP was associated with between 17% and 35% reductions in event rates in patients without diabetes but did not significantly predict outcome in patients with diabetes.

Conclusions—

Hypertensive patients with diabetes have less regression of CP LVH in response to antihypertensive therapy than patients without diabetes, and regression of ECG LVH is less useful as a surrogate marker of outcomes in hypertensive patients with diabetes. These findings may in part explain the higher CV morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients with diabetes, and the absence of a demonstrable improvement in prognosis in diabetic patients in response to regression of ECG LVH suggests a more complex interrelation between underlying LV structural and functional abnormalities and outcome in these patients.
Acute Myocardial Infarction in Pregnancy
Authors: James Andra H. , Jamison Margaret G. , Biswas Mimi S. , Brancazio Leo R. , Swamy Geeta K. , Myers Evan R.
Published: March 2006

Background—

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, mortality, and risk factors for pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction in the United States.

Methods and Results—

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2000 to 2002 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges. A total of 859 discharges included a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, for a rate of 6.2 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0 to 9.4) per 100 000 deliveries. Among these, there were 44 deaths, for a case fatality rate of 5.1%. The odds of acute myocardial infarction were 30-fold higher for women aged 40 years and older than for women <20 years of age. Single independent variables that were statistically and clinically significant, including age, race, and certain medical conditions and obstetric complications, were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model. Hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 21.7, 95% CI 6.8 to 69.1), thrombophilia (OR 25.6, 95% CI 9.2 to 71.2), diabetes mellitus (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.5 to 8.3), smoking (OR 8.4, 95% CI 5.4 to 12.9), transfusion (OR 5.1, 95% CI 2.0 to 12.7), postpartum infection (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 10.1), and age 30 years and older remained as significant risk factors for pregnancy-related acute myocardial infarction. Black race was eliminated as a risk factor in the multivariable analysis, which suggests that the increased incidence among black women is explained by an increased prevalence of other cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions—

Although acute myocardial infarction is a rare event in women of reproductive age, pregnancy increases the risk 3- to 4-fold. Certain medical conditions and complications of pregnancy increase the risk further and are potentially modifiable risk factors.
Fetal Aortic Valve Stenosis and the Evolution of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Mäkikallio Kaarin , McElhinney Doff B. , Levine Jami C. , Marx Gerald R. , Colan Steven D. , Marshall Audrey C. , Lock James E. , Marcus Edward N. , Tworetzky Wayne
Published: March 2006

Background—

Fetal aortic valvuloplasty may prevent progression of aortic stenosis (AS) to hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Predicting which fetuses with AS will develop HLHS is essential to optimize patient selection for fetal intervention. The aim of this study was to define echocardiographic features associated with progression of midgestation fetal AS to HLHS.

Methods and Results—

Fetal echocardiograms were reviewed from 43 fetuses diagnosed with AS and normal left ventricular (LV) length at ≤30 weeks’ gestation. Of 23 live-born patients with available follow-up data, 17 had HLHS and 6 had a biventricular circulation. At the time of diagnosis, LV length, mitral valve, aortic valve, and ascending aortic diameter Z-scores did not differ between fetuses that ultimately developed HLHS and those that maintained a biventricular circulation postnatally. However, all of the fetuses that progressed to HLHS had retrograde flow in the transverse aortic arch (TAA), 88% had left-to-right flow across the foramen ovale, 91% had monophasic mitral inflow, and 94% had significant LV dysfunction. In contrast, all 6 fetuses with a biventricular circulation postnatally had antegrade flow in the TAA, biphasic mitral inflow, and normal LV function. With advancing gestation, growth arrest of left heart structures became evident in fetuses developing HLHS.

Conclusions—

In midgestation fetuses with AS and normal LV length, reversed flow in the TAA and foramen ovale, monophasic mitral inflow, and LV dysfunction are predictive of progression to HLHS. These physiological features may help refine patient selection for fetal intervention to prevent the progression of AS to HLHS.
Contribution of Clinical Correlates and 13 C-Reactive Protein Gene Polymorphisms to Interindividual Variability in Serum C-Reactive Protein Level
Authors: Kathiresan Sekar , Larson Martin G. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Guo Chao-Yu , Gona Philimon , Keaney John F. , Wilson Peter W.F. , Newton-Cheh Christopher , Musone Stacy L. , Camargo Amy L. , Drake Jared A. , Levy Daniel , O’Donnell Christopher J. , Hirschhorn Joel N. , Benjamin Emelia J.
Published: March 2006

Background—

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level is a heritable complex trait that predicts incident cardiovascular disease. We investigated the clinical and genetic sources of interindividual variability in serum CRP.

Methods and Results—

We studied serum CRP in 3301 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants (mean age 61 years, 53% women). Twelve clinical covariates explained 26% of the variability in CRP level, with body mass index alone explaining 15% (
P
<0.0001) of the variance. To investigate the influence of genetic variation at the
CRP
gene on CRP levels, we first constructed a dense linkage disequilibrium map for common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the
CRP
locus (1 SNP every 850 bases, 26 kilobase [kb] genomic region). Thirteen
CRP
SNPs were genotyped in 1640 unrelated FHS participants with measured CRP levels. After adjustment for clinical covariates, 9 of 13 SNPs were associated with CRP level (
P
<0.05). To account for correlation among SNPs, we conducted forward stepwise selection among all 13 SNPs; a triallelic SNP (rs3091244) remained associated with CRP level (stepwise
P
<0.0001). The triallelic SNP (C→T→A; allele frequencies 62%, 31%, and 7%), located in the promoter sequence, explained 1.4% of total serum CRP variation; haplotypes harboring the minor T and A alleles of this SNP were associated with higher CRP level (haplotype
P
=0.0002 and 0.004).

Conclusions—

In our community-based sample, clinical variables explained 26% of the interindividual variation in CRP, whereas a common triallelic
CRP
SNP contributed modestly. Studies of larger samples are warranted to assess the association of genetic variation in
CRP
and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Epinephrine QT Stress Testing in the Evaluation of Congenital Long-QT Syndrome
Authors: Vyas Himeshkumar , Hejlik Joseph , Ackerman Michael J.
Published: March 2006

Background—

A paradoxical increase in the uncorrected QT interval during infusion of low-dose epinephrine appears pathognomonic for type 1 long-QT syndrome (LQT1). We sought to determine the diagnostic accuracy of this response among patients referred for clinical evaluation of congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS).

Methods and Results—

From 1999 to 2002, 147 genotyped patients (125 untreated and 22 undergoing β-blocker therapy) had an epinephrine QT stress test that involved a 25-minute infusion protocol (0.025 to 0.3 μg · kg
−1
· min
−1
). A 12-lead ECG was monitored continuously, and repolarization parameters were measured. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the paradoxical QT response (defined as a ≥30-ms increase in QT during infusion of ≤0.1 μg · kg
−1
· min
−1
epinephrine) was determined. The 125 untreated patients (44 genotype negative, 40 LQT1, 30 LQT2, and 11 LQT3) constituted the primary analysis. The median baseline corrected QT intervals (QTc) were 444 ms (gene negative), 456 ms (LQT1), 486 ms (LQT2), and 473 ms (LQT3). The median change in QT interval during low-dose epinephrine infusion was −23 ms in the gene-negative group, 78 ms in LQT1, −4 ms in LQT2, and −58 ms in LQT3. The paradoxical QT response was observed in 37 (92%) of 40 patients with LQT1 compared with 18% (gene-negative), 13% (LQT2), and 0% (LQT3;
P
<0.0001) of the remaining patients. Overall, the paradoxical QT response had a sensitivity of 92.5%, specificity of 86%, positive predictive value of 76%, and negative predictive value of 96% for LQT1 status. Secondary analysis of the subset undergoing β-blocker therapy indicated inferior diagnostic utility in this setting.

Conclusions—

The epinephrine QT stress test can unmask concealed type 1 LQTS with a high level of accuracy.
Dimethyl Lithospermate B, an Extract of Danshen, Suppresses Arrhythmogenesis Associated With the Brugada Syndrome
Authors: Fish Jeffrey M. , Welchons Daniel R. , Kim Young-Sup , Lee Suk-Ho , Ho Won-Kyung , Antzelevitch Charles
Published: March 2006

Background—

Dimethyl lithospermate B (dmLSB) is an extract of Danshen, a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, which slows inactivation of
I
Na
, leading to increased inward current during the early phases of the action potential (AP). We hypothesized that this action would be antiarrhythmic in the setting of Brugada syndrome.

Methods and Results—

The Brugada syndrome phenotype was created in canine arterially perfused right ventricular wedge preparations with the use of either terfenadine or verapamil to inhibit
I
Na
and
I
Ca
or pinacidil to activate
I
K-ATP
. AP recordings were simultaneously recorded from epicardial and endocardial sites together with an ECG. Terfenadine, verapamil, and pinacidil each induced all-or-none repolarization at some epicardial sites but not others, leading to ST-segment elevation as well as an increase in both epicardial and transmural dispersions of repolarization (EDR and TDR, respectively) from 12.9±9.6 to 107.0±54.8 ms and from 22.4±8.1 to 82.2±37.4 ms, respectively (
P
<0.05; n=9). Under these conditions, phase 2 reentry developed as the epicardial AP dome propagated from sites where it was maintained to sites at which it was lost, generating closely coupled extrasystoles and ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Addition of dmLSB (10 μmol/L) to the coronary perfusate restored the epicardial AP dome, reduced EDR and TDR to 12.4±18.1 and 24.4±26.7 ms, respectively (
P
<0.05; n=9), and abolished phase 2 reentry-induced extrasystoles and ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation in 9 of 9 preparations.

Conclusions—

Our data suggest that dmLSB is effective in eliminating the arrhythmogenic substrate responsible for the Brugada syndrome and that it deserves further study as a pharmacological adjunct to implanted cardioverter/defibrillator usage.
Competing Narratives of Racial Unity in Republican China
Authors: Leibold James
Published: March 2006

Following Prasenjit Duara's strategy for “de-constructing China,” this article traces the development of several competing narratives of national unity and origin during the formative Republican era (1911-49) of Chinese history. Faced with the difficult task of incorporating the heterogeneous peoples of the Qing empire into the new Chinese nation-state, Han Chinese intellectuals looked backward into their own history for scientific proof of this unitary national imaginary. The article focuses on the tension between, on the one hand, a racial formulation that placed the source of Chinese unity in the “common origin” ( tongyuan) of its people and, on the other hand, a more subjective formulation that located this unity in the gradual, evolutionary “melding” ( ronghe) of several distinct cultures and races into a new national consciousness. In the process, it highlights the role played by social scientific discourses—as institutionalized in the disciplines of history, archaeology, and ethnology—in the construction of national identity in twentieth-century China.
Civil Adjudication in China, Past and Present
Authors: Huang Philip C. C.
Published: March 2006

Qing and post-1949 Chinese courts adjudicated civil disputes far more than Confucian or Maoist representations or formalist-modernist expectations might lead us to expect. Qing law placed the moral ideals of societal mediation and no litigation in the foreground but then included many practical provisions that diverged from those to guide adjudication. Contemporary Chinese law, similarly, has emphasized the ideal of mediation, and in the reform era also imported formalist rights principles but included practical provisions that diverged from those. Case records from both periods show that the courts adjudicated readily. Such an approach to law, which may be termed “practical moralism,” is predicated on a persistent mode of legal reasoning that gives priority to fact situations and practical reality even while emphasizing moral ideals. It is predicated on an epistemological method that goes from fact to principle back to fact/practice, which may be contrasted sharply with the legal formalism of the Continental tradition of modern Western law.
Macho Minority
Authors: Hillman Ben , Henfry Lee-Anne
Published: March 2006

This article explores the role of masculinity in articulating ethnic Tibetan identity in China. Based on interviews with Tibetans and Han Chinese in a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in China's southwest and on an examination of recent Chinese publications, the study explores the dialogue between Tibetans’ own perceptions of their ethnic identity and public representations of that identity. While previous scholarship has highlighted the role that ethnic minorities play in constructing a Chinese national identity, the authors demonstrate that minorities, too, construct their ethnic identities in contradistinction to a majority Other. This process is integral to the production of a local knowledge and history that runs parallel to state-sponsored discourses of the nation and its composite nationalities.
Effects of OPC-14523, a combined sigma and 5-HT1a ligand, on pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1a receptors
Authors: Bermack Jordanna E. , Debonnel Guy
Published: March 2006

OPC-14523 (OPC) is a novel compound with high affinity for sigma and 5-HT1A receptors that shows ‘antidepressant-like’ effects in animal models of depression. We have previously demonstrated that OPC produces an increase in 5-HT neurotransmission and a decreased response of 5-HT neurons to the acute administration of paroxetine in the DRN, an effect that appears to be mediated by OPC’s 5-HT1A receptor affinity. The current study sets out to investigate more specifically the effects of OPC on 5-HT1A pre- and post-synaptic receptors, to assess whether it acts as an agonist or antagonist. Using an electrophysiological model of in vivo extracellular recordings in anaesthetized rats, the effects of OPC was assessed on pre-synaptic DRN 5-HT1A autoreceptors and post-synaptically on hippocampal 5-HT1A receptors of CA3 pyramidal neurons. OPC applied by microiontophoresis, produced a significant decrease in the firing activity of 5-HT neurons of the DRN and of quisqualate-activated CA3 pyramidal neurons of the dorsal hippocampus. The effects of OPC on 5-HT1A receptors were significantly reduced by the co-application of the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635. In addition, the effects of OPC were not blocked by the injection of the sigma antagonists NE-100 or haloperidol. Therefore, OPC is acting as an agonist on both pre- and post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors. The current findings combined with previous data on OPC suggest a pharmacological profile that warrants further investigation.
Allopregnanolone reduces immobility in the forced swimming test and increases the firing rate of lateral septal neurons through actions on the GABAA receptor in the rat
Authors: Rodrìguez-Landa Juan Francisco , Contreras Carlos M. , Bernal-Morales Blandina , Gutièrrez-Garcìa Ana G. , Saavedra Margarita
Published: March 2006

Since allopregnanolone reduces the total time of immobility in rats submitted to the forced swimming test, we decided to explore whether this neuroactive steroid shares other antidepressant-like actions, such as increasing the neuronal firing rate in the lateral septal nucleus (LSN). In order to discard the influence of the oestrous cycle on immobility and on the firing rate of LSN neurons, all Wistar rats used in the study underwent ovariectomy before treatments. A group of rats received different doses of allopregnanolone (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0mg/kg, i.p.) 1 hour before being forced to swim in order to identify the minimum effective dose diminishing immobility. None of the tested doses of allopregnanolone produced significant changes in motor activity in the open-field test. The minimum dose of allopregnanolone producing a significant reduction in the total time of immobility ( p<0.05) against the vehicle was 1.0mg/kg, while 2.0mg/kg and above also increased the latency to the first period of immobility ( p<0.05). The minimum effective dose of allopregnanolone reducing immobility in the forced swimming test (1.0mg/kg) significantly ( p <0.05) produced a higher (twofold) neuronal firing rate in LSN neurons, but did not produce any change in septofimbrial nucleus neurons, which fired at a rate similar to that of vehicle-treated rats. The pretreatment with the non-competitive GABAA receptor antagonist, picrotoxin (1.0mg/kg), blocked the aforementioned actions of allopregnanolone on both immobility and LSN firing rate. In conclusion, allopregnanolone produces an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test, associated with an increase in the LSN neuronal firing rate, seemingly mediated by the GABAA receptor.
Effects of rapid tryptophan depletion on salivary cortisol in older people recovered from depression, and the healthy elderly
Authors: Porter Richard J. , Gallagher Peter , O’Brien John T.
Published: March 2006

Reduced serotonin (5-HT) function and abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are thought to play a role in the aetiology of major depression. We sought to examine this issue in the elderly by assessing the effects of lowering brain 5-HT on salivary and plasma cortisol in elderly patients who had recovered from at least one episode of major depression and in a healthy, age matched comparison group. A double-blind, cross-over design involving administration of two nutritionally balanced amino acid mixtures (with or without tryptophan) was used. Salivary cortisol was measured at intervals before and after the drink.

There was no effect of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on salivary cortisol (ATD by time; F=0.97, df=7,210, p =0.454) but a significant interaction between group and time (F=3.91, df=7,210, p =0.010). Healthy subjects showed a marked increase in cortisol levels 2-3 hours into the procedure regardless of drink composition while recovered depressed subjects did not. In elderly patients who had recovered from depression there was no evidence of greater vulnerability of hypothalamic 5-HT pathways to 5-HT depletion. However, they demonstrated reduced reactivity of the HPA axis compared to healthy subjects.
Renewable Electricity Policy in Germany, 1974 to 2005
Authors: Lauber Volkmar , Mez Lutz
Published: March 2006

Of the large industrial countries, Germany is clearly leading with regard to new renewable energy sources, occupying first rank in terms of installed capacity for wind energy and second for photovoltaics. This is not because of an exceptional natural resource base but because of public policy in this area, despite the fact that this policy was conducted in a lukewarm fashion until 1998. In any case, it led to a remarkable expansion of this sector. The Red-Green coalition, in office from 1998 to 2005, developed the vision of achieving 50% and more of electricity generated from renewable energy sources by 2050, a goal that seems well accepted by the public but not by the established energy interests. There seems to be a good chance that the Conservative-Social Democratic coalition, which took office in November 2005, will continue this course.
Faster Growth of Road Transportation CO2 Emissions in Asia Pacific Economies: Exploring Differences in Trends of the Rapidly Developing and Developed Worlds
Authors: Marcotullio Peter J.
Published: March 2006

Researchers have identified how in some rapidly developing countries, road and aviation transportation CO2 emissions are rising faster (over time) when compared to the experiences of the USA at similar levels of economic development. While suggestive of how experiences of the rapidly developing Asia are different from those of the developed world these studies have used only one developed country for comparison, the USA, arguably a special case when it comes to transportation. To address this point this research compares the road transportation CO2 experiences of rapidly developing Asian economies (Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand) with the USA and six other developed economies (Australia, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom). The findings confirm previous results, to wit, Asian economies demonstrate faster annual growth of CO2 emissions in comparison to the experiences of the developed world.
Successful Integration and Maintenance of Screening for Domestic Violence in the Health Sector
Authors: Thurston Wilfreda E. , Eisener Amanda C.
Published: March 2006

Domestic violence (DV) screening and prevention interventions have been implemented in the health sector; however, few health care settings have successfully implemented protocols that have been fully integrated and sustained within the larger organization. Researchers have tended to focus on individual-level characteristics of health care providers to explain this. The authors argue that organizational, structural, social, and cultural factors, especially related to gender, also play roles in adoption and integration of these interventions. It is important for policy analysts and program evaluators to use this larger framework to ensure sustainable integration of DV screening programs within health care systems.
Imagining a Liberal Education
Authors: Storrs Debbie A. , Inderbitzin Michelle
Published: March 2006

Transformative pedagogy and a learning-centered paradigm are at the heart of a liberal education. In this article, the authors present a case study detailing a simulation they created in an interdisciplinary course in one university’s core curriculum. Although the simulation and the larger course appeared to have engaged the students, after years of socialization to be passive receptacles of information, they seemed to find it difficult to break out of the traditional classroom experience; indeed, they had difficulty even imagining alternative forms of learning. Such resistance suggests the need for more innovative and transformative learning experiences as central components of today’s liberal education. The sharing of ideas and practices to strengthen oppositional teaching cultures is suggested to mitigate the cost of engaging in transformative pedagogy.
Musings and Reflections on the Meaning, Context, and Process of Transformative Learning
Authors: Dirkx John M. , Mezirow Jack , Cranton Patricia
Published: March 2006

Jack Mezirow and John Dirkx engage in a dialogue in which they explore the similarities and differences between their views of transformative learning. Mezirow describes a rational process of learning that transforms an acquired frame of reference. Dirkx focuses on the nature of the self—a sense of identify and subjectivity—which he sees as soul work or inner work.
In Search of the Next Enlightenment?
Authors: O’Hara Maureen
Published: March 2006

We live in a period when foundational givens of thought are on the move and when the cosmology that has framed experience in Western societies is unraveling. This is creating a shift in the understanding of reality so fundamental that it undermines many of the bedrock assumptions on which Western consciousness is based. As much of the world shifts to a postindustrial information age, where rapid change and unfathomable complexity become the normal cultural contexts in which life is conducted, radical uncertainty generates high levels of anxiety and places a heavy psychological burden on people. If one is to be at home in this new world, the means of socialization—in particular in education—must adapt or better still, lead the way. This will require profound change in pedagogy, epistemology, content, delivery models, and organization. This article identifies the significant gaps in today’s educational landscape and how it is failing the future, enumerates the adaptive changes that will be required in higher education, and suggests some future strategies for education for a global society.
Belief in a just world as moderator of hostile attributional bias
Authors: Bègue Laurent , Muller Dominique
Published: March 2006

To determine the protective effect of ‘belief in a just world for self’ (BJW‐S) on hostile attributional bias, 379 adolescents aged 10–16 years, previously identified by teacher ratings as high or low troublemakers, were presented with a hypothetical frustrating situation where the intent of the frustrating agent appeared either benign, hostile, or ambiguous. The analysis indicated that the higher the BJW‐S, the lower participants reacted aggressively. This effect was qualified by ‘belief in a just world for others’ (BJW‐O), indicating that the negative relationship between BJW‐S and aggressive reaction was weaker as BJW‐O increased. An interaction between BJW‐S, troublemaking level, and the intent factor, indicated for high troublemakers in the ambiguous condition that an increase in BJW‐S decreased aggressive reaction, while this was not the case for low troublemakers, thus providing support for the hypothesized buffer effect of BJW‐S.
A social representation is not a quiet thing: Exploring the critical potential of social representations theory
Authors: Howarth Caroline
Published: March 2006

Following Moscovici (1972), this paper addresses the questions: What is the aim of research within a social representations perspective? Is it to support or to criticize the social order? Is it to consolidate or transform it? After a brief overview of social representations theory, I argue that while the theory appears to have the conceptual tools to begin this critical task, there are serious criticisms and points of underdevelopment that need addressing. In order for social representations theory to develop into a rigorously critical theory there are three controversial issues that require clarification. These are (a) the relationship between psychological processes and social practices, (b) the reification and legitimization of different knowledge systems, and (c) agency and resistance in the co‐construction of self‐identity. After discussing each issue in turn, with illustrations from research on racializing representations, I conclude the paper with a discussion of the role of representations in the ideological construction and contestation of reality.
Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: The BBC prison study
Authors: Reicher Stephen , Haslam S. Alexander
Published: March 2006

This paper presents findings from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) prison study – an experimental case study that examined the consequences of randomly dividing men into groups of prisoners and guards within a specially constructed institution over a period of 8 days. Unlike the prisoners, the guards failed to identify with their role. This made the guards reluctant to impose their authority and they were eventually overcome by the prisoners. Participants then established an egalitarian social system. When this proved unsustainable, moves to impose a tyrannical regime met with weakening resistance. Empirical and theoretical analysis addresses the conditions under which people identify with the groups to which they are assigned and the social, organizational, and clinical consequences of either doing so or failing to do so. On the basis of these findings, a new framework for understanding tyranny is outlined. This suggests that it is powerlessness and the failure of groups that makes tyranny psychologically acceptable.
Perceiving events as both inevitable and unforeseeable in hindsight: The Leipzig candidacy for the Olympics
Authors: Blank Hartmut , Nestler Steffen
Published: March 2006

We present a new conceptualization of hindsight bias in terms of three separate hindsight components (foreseeability impressions, perceptions of necessity and memory distortions) and report three kinds of supporting evidence from an internet study (N=101) of the unsuccessful application of the City of Leipzig to host the Olympic Games: (1) strongly diverging hindsight effects, (2) low intercorrelations between the components, and (3) dissociative effects of third variables on them. Specifically, experiencing the failure of the application as personally negative (due to a pro‐application attitude and previous commitment), led to perceiving it as inevitable but also as unforeseeable. This surprising result helps to resolve seeming contradictions between previous findings (Louie, 1999; Mark et al., 2003; Tykocinski, 2001) by relating the opposite hindsight effects to differences in the nature and functions (dissonance reduction vs. coping with disappointment) of the foreseeability and necessity components.
Debating the psychology of tyranny: Fundamental issues of theory, perspective and science
Authors: Haslam S. Alexander , Reicher Stephen
Published: March 2006

In our rejoinder, we concentrate on responding to Zimbardo's criticisms. These criticisms involve three broad strategies. The first is to turn broad discussion about the psychology of tyranny into narrow questions about the replication of prison conditions. The second is to confuse our scientific analysis with the television programmes of ‘The Experiment’. The third is to make unsupported and unwarranted attacks on our integrity. All three lines of attack are flawed and distract from the important theoretical challenge of understanding when people act to reproduce social inequalities and when they act to challenge them. This is the challenge that Turner identifies and engages with in his commentary.
On rethinking the psychology of tyranny: The BBC prison study
Authors: Zimbardo Philip G.
Published: March 2006

This commentary offers a critical evaluation of the scientific legitimacy of research generated by television programming interests. It challenges the validity of claims advanced by these researchers regarding the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) and highlights the biases, fallacies and distortions in this study conducted for BBC‐TV that attempted a partial replication of my earlier experiment.