bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Print culture, crime and transportation in the criminal Atlantic
Authors: MORGAN GWENDA , RUSHTON PETER
Published: April 2007

Stories of transported criminals were exchanged in the print culture of the eighteenth-century British Atlantic, creating images of the incorrigibility of transported criminals and of the failures of transportation, with many either re-offending in America or returning to do so in England. This discourse also framed images that each side of the Atlantic had of the other. The British learnt that the plantations were a place of slavery, the Americans that the British viewed them as a ‘race of convicts’. This process, involving many layers of discourse in the criminal Atlantic, formed one of the earliest examples of international debates on crime and national identity.
Newspaper reporting and attitudes to crime and justice in late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century London
Authors: KING PETER
Published: April 2007

As other sources of printed information about crime, such as the Ordinary's Accounts of the lives of executed criminals, lost their audience in the final third of the eighteenth century, newspapers came increasingly to dominate printed discussions of crime. However, no substantial study of the overall nature of newspaper reporting on crime and criminal justice issues has yet been undertaken. By focusing on the London press from the 1780s to the early years of the nineteenth century, this study aims to address a range of questions about the structure of crime and justice reporting, about the selectivity of law and order news and about the types of narratives and discursive structures that can be found at different periods. In particular it highlights the ways in which the multi-vocal, sporadic, brief and sometimes chaotic styles of crime reporting in newspapers created a kaleidoscope of different and often contradictory messages about such issues as the prevalence of violent crime, the effectiveness of policing and penal institutions and the quality of justice meted out by the courts. The printed word had a much less integrative role in relation to law and order issues than historians have sometimes suggested.
Introduction: Newspaper reporting of crime and justice
Authors: FOYSTER ELIZABETH
Published: April 2007

One of the most intriguing and challenging problems facing historians of crime and the law is determining what were popular perceptions of criminal behaviour and criminal justice. Each of the articles in this special issue tackles this question by examining the content of British and colonial newspapers that were printed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The choice of this period is significant both for the history of the press, and for that of criminal justice. It was during the eighteenth century that the newspaper became the dominant form of print culture, with readers enjoying an increasing choice of papers that were printed both in London and in the provinces. As literacy rates improved, and because newspaper stories could be read aloud, the audience for newspapers continued to expand. At the same time, the British state attempted new ways of administering criminal justice. The multiplication of the number of offences that carried the death penalty meant that the criminal code gained notoriety as the ‘Bloody Code’, while the Transportation Act of 1718, covering England and Wales, authorized the deportation of English and Welsh criminals to the American colonies. By the end of the eighteenth century London magistrates were experimenting with new methods of urban policing, as fears mounted about how the growing population could be both controlled and protected from crime. Newspapers reported, reflected upon and sometimes debated each of these developments, yet remarkably, it is not until now that historians of crime have analysed in any detail what the content of these newspapers can reveal about contemporary attitudes towards crime and justice.
Discourses of criminality in the eighteenth-century press: the presentation of crime in The Kentish Post, 1717–1768
Authors: SNELL ESTHER
Published: April 2007

In the eighteenth century the newspaper became the most important source for the printed dissemination of criminological stories and information. In bringing together thousands of narratives about crime and justice it far outstripped any other printed source of the period. As the primary literary means of accessing stories and information about crime, it is likely that newspapers influenced their readers' perceptions of and attitudes towards crime and the justice system. This article offers a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the crime content of one provincial newspaper, The Kentish Post, or Canterbury Newsletter. The study reveals the newspaper to have been constructed to a template, which privileged crime as one of its most important subjects. However, the editorial imperatives of compiling a regular text with an unprecedented number of stories resulted in a discourse of the nature, causes and consequences of crime very different to that expounded in the pamphlet literature, which had been the mainstay of printed discourses about crime before the arrival of newspapers and with which historians are more familiar.
The Personalization of Modern Politics
Authors: CAPRARA GIAN VITTORIO
Published: April 2007

The individual characteristics of leaders and voters have assumed great importance in modern political discourse. Pervasive media influence points to leaders' personality as an anchor around which political information is organized in drawing in and/or deterring the electorate's preferences. Voters' traits, values and perceptions of politicians are no less important than traditional socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, age, educational level, occupation and income in explaining political preferences. Recent findings suggest that politics is becoming personalized, as political choices increasingly depend on voters' personality. More specifically, voters' distinctive pattern of habits, attitudes and values, serve as a compass that grants coherence to their own preferences and that helps them make sense of politicians' behaviour.
Old Books and E-Books
Authors: DARNTON ROBERT
Published: April 2007

The crisis in academic publishing has reached a point where young scholars in many fields of the humanities may no longer be able to communicate their research in the time-honoured manner – that is, in the form of a traditional codex printed by a university press. Sooner or later, most monographs will probably have to be published on the Internet. What form will they take? Atentative answer to that question is provided by a sketch for an electronic book about publishing and the book trade in 18th-century France.
Homer in Modern Europe
Authors: DEN BOER PIM
Published: April 2007

Homer is considered the father of poetry in European culture, but the written Greek text of the Iliad and the Odyssey was for ages not available in modern Europe, and knowledge of Greek was almost completely lost. Homer entered European classrooms during the 19th century. The popularity of the Iliad and the Odyssey coincided with the creation of modern educational systems in European empires and nation-states. At the end of the 19th century Homer was considered perfect reading material for the formation of the future elite of the British Empire. In the course of the 20th century teachers and pedagogues became increasingly accustomed to perceive Homer and his society as totally different from our times. All reading of Homer is contemporary reading.
The Names of the Months in Europe: Agricultural and Meteorological influences
Authors: POIRIER JEAN-PAUL
Published: April 2007

The ancient Anglo-Saxon and Germanic month names related to agricultural activities and meteorology have left traces in names still used in Germany, Holland and Denmark in the 19th century. Nowadays, in a number of East European languages (Croatian, Czech, Ukrainian, Polish, Byelorussian, Lithuanian, Finnish) the names of the months still refer to seasonal agricultural labours or meteorological conditions.
Understanding Actions and the Intentions of Others: The Basic Neural Mechanism
Authors: RIZZOLATTI GIACOMO , DESTRO MADDALENA FABBRI
Published: April 2007

In this study, we first briefly review the basic properties of a particular set of neurons that discharge both when the individuals execute a specific action and when they observe another individual doing a similar action. These neurons are called mirror neurons. We then show that mirror neurons mediate our capacity to understand actions done by others. In the second part of the study we discuss the role of the mirror mechanism in intention understanding. We conclude with a review of recent data suggesting that a deficit in the mirror neuron mechanism may underlie some aspects of autism.
Dietary intake and a food-frequency instrument to evaluate a nutrition intervention for the Apache in Arizona
Authors: Sharma Sangita , Cao Xia , Gittelsohn Joel , Anliker Jean , Ethelbah Becky , Caballero Benjamin
Published: April 2007

Objective

To demonstrate how dietary data collected from 24-hour dietary recalls were incorporated into the development of a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) for the Apache in Arizona.

Design

A cross-sectional study was first conducted using 24-hour dietary recalls to identify foods for inclusion on a QFFQ that would be used to evaluate a nutrition intervention.

Setting

The White Mountain and San Carlos Apache reservations in East-central Arizona.

Subjects

The 24-hour dietary recalls were collected from a random sample of 53 adults (34 women and 19 men).

Results

A QFFQ was developed that included all foods reported by two or more respondents, plus traditional and seasonal foods. Portion size was assessed using familiar household units and culturally appropriate food models. The final instrument contains 155 foods. Frequency of consumption is assessed using eight categories ranking from ‘never or less than once a month’ to ‘2 or more times a day’. Nutrient intakes and the five major food sources of energy, fat and sugar are presented.

Conclusion

The QFFQ developed is complete and up-to-date for assessing usual food and nutrient intake for the Apache in Arizona. The instrument will be used to evaluate a food store-based nutrition intervention to reduce risk of chronic diseases.
Stone age or plastic age?
Authors: Miller Daniel
Published: April 2007

Ingold starts his critique with a claim to find recent writing and talking about material culture essentially obscure and orientated to fashion. If one reads Ingold's own writing you will find plenty of references to philosophical figures such as Heidegger and to phenomenology. I find such writing often incomprehensible and obscure, and much of its contemporary use pretentious. I would hope a reader would find that my own recent books, on the cell phone (Horst and Miller 2006), materiality (Miller 2005) and the sari (Banerjee and Miller 2003), are written in just as straightforward a style as those of Ingold, which I much admire, both eschewing unnecessary jargon. Clearly we happen to find very different theories more or less congenial and comprehensible. But I do not think the implication of his opening remarks is a fair one, and I would hope that readers would judge this for themselves.
Writing texts, reading materials. A response to my critics
Authors: Ingold Tim
Published: April 2007

I would like to thank all four of my interlocutors for taking the trouble to comment on my text, and for the clarity and cogency of their contributions. They have forced me to think long and hard, and indeed to question my own conclusions. For me at least, and I hope also for readers of Archaeological dialogues, this has been a debate worth having, and it has been going on as much in my own mind as between myself and my critics.
Archaeology and democracy. An interview with Mark P. Leone
Authors: Dalglish Chris
Published: April 2007

What follows is an account of an interview with Mark P. Leone, Professor in the University of Maryland's Department of Anthropology and Director of the Archaeology in Annapolis project. Leone will be well known to many for his work in historical archaeology, for his use of critical theory in archaeology and for the Archaeology in Annapolis project where these interests come together. In the interview Leone explores the development of his approach, from his early work within the New Archaeology, through his growing interest in Marxist approaches to past and present, to his concerns today. This approach combines a commitment to social responsibility with a belief in scientific method. We discuss the ways in which critical archaeology has worked in practice in Annapolis over the past 25 or more years and how it has disrupted dominant modes of discussion and placed new ones more firmly on the agenda. In concluding, Leone offers some of his thoughts on archaeology and the creation of democratic discourse.
Human rights obligations of non-state actors in conflict situations
Authors: Clapham Andrew
Published: April 2007

The threat to human rights posed by non-state actors is of increasing concern. The author addresses the international obligations of belligerents, national liberation movements and insurgent entities, looks at the growing demands that such armed groups respect human rights norms and considers some of the options for holding private military companies accountable with regard to human rights abuses. The argument developed throughout this article is that all sorts of non-state actors are increasingly expected to comply with principles of international human rights law.
Private military companies: their status under international humanitarian law and its impact on their regulation
Authors: Cameron Lindsey
Published: April 2007

States are increasingly hiring private military companies to act in zones where armed conflicts are occurring. The predominant feeling in the international community is that it would be best to regulate such companies. Cognizant of much confusion as to the status of the employees of private military companies under international humanitarian law, this article explains the laws on mercenaries, combatants and civilians and explores how private military companies' employees may fall into any of those categories. It demonstrates that the concept of mercenarism is unhelpful for regulating these companies and that it is unlikely that many of the employees of these companies can be considered to have combatant status. The article considers possible consequences of private military companies' employees having the status of civilians under international humanitarian law and their potential impact on regulating these companies effectively.
Corporate actors: the legal status of mercenaries in armed conflict
Authors: Fallah Katherine
Published: April 2007

Corporate actors are taking on an increasingly significant role in the prosecution of modern warfare. Traditionally, an analysis of the law applicable to corporate actors in armed conflict commences with inquiry into the law as it applies to mercenaries. As such, the rise of the private military industry invites a reconsideration of the conventional approach to mercenaries under international law. This article critically surveys the conventional law as it applies to mercenaries, and considers the extent to which corporate actors might meet the legal definitions of a “mercenary”. It demonstrates that even mercenaries receive protection under international humanitarian law.
Business goes to war: private military/security companies and international humanitarian law
Authors: Gillard Emanuela-Chiara
Published: April 2007

Recent years have witnessed an increase in the number of private military and security companies (PMCs/PSCs) operating in situations of armed conflict, as well as a change in the nature of their activities, which are now increasingly close to the heart of military operations and which often put them in close proximity to persons protected by international humanitarian law. It is often asserted that there is a vacuum in the law when it comes to their operations. In situations of armed conflict, however, there is a body of law that regulates both the activities of the staff of PMCs/PSCs and the responsibilities of the states that hire them. Moreover, other states also have a role to play in promoting respect for international humanitarian law by such companies. This article examines the key legal issues raised by PMCs/PSCs operating in situations of armed conflict, including the status of the staff of these companies and their responsibilities under international humanitarian law; the responsibilities of the states that hire them; and those of the states in whose territory PMCs/PSCs are incorporated or operate.
Continuum mathematical modeling of slip weakening in geological systems
Authors: Borja Ronaldo I. , Foster Craig D.
Published: April 2007

We describe a framework for mathematical modeling of slip weakening in an initially intact rock mass due to shear strain localization along any arbitrary slip plane. The modeling technique considered is based on continuum mechanics and may be cast directly into a standard nonlinear finite element algorithm for the analysis of prefailure and postfailure responses of geological systems in a boundary value problem. The prefailure behavior is represented by a continuum constitutive model; the postfailure behavior is characterized by frictional yielding on a slip surface with state‐ and velocity‐dependent coefficient of friction. In the context of finite element analysis, slip planes are represented by an embedded strong discontinuity introduced into an initially intact finite element to signal the beginning of postfailure behavior. This paper focuses on the narrow time interval of slip weakening, from the moment the strong discontinuity has been embedded into a finite element until the relative slip has grown to a large enough value for the coefficient of friction to reach steady state. To this end, we formulate a linear slip weakening constitutive law in which the weakening component decays to zero at the same time that the frictional component increases to its value at residual state.
General analytical treatment of the flow field relevant to the interpretation of passive fluxmeter measurements
Authors: Klammler Harald , Hatfield Kirk , Annable Michael D. , Agyei Eugene , Parker Beth L. , Cherry John A. , Rao P. S. C.
Published: April 2007

Relevant flow dynamics for the interpretation of passive fluxmeter (PFM) measurements are investigated by determining the properties of the flow field inside the PFM and its relationship to the undisturbed ambient fluxes in the aquifer. The flow domain is treated in two dimensions and consists of a system of concentric annular filter zones of different radii and hydraulic conductivities. Flow inside the PFM is shown to be uniform regardless of well configuration. Analytical expressions quantifying flow convergence are derived for an increasing number of rings, validated against numerical modeling and used to perform a sensitivity analysis. One of the derived convergence relationships is embedded in an inverse model to estimate aquifer and well screen conductivities and ambient groundwater and methyl‐tertiary‐butyl‐ether (MTBE) fluxes in the Borden Aquifer under controlled flow conditions. Results compare well to independent estimates when the method of quantifying convergence is consistent with field conditions.
Early calibration problems detected in TOMS Earth‐Probe aerosol signal
Authors: Kiss P. , Jánosi I. M. , Torres O.
Published: April 2007

TOMS (version 8) ozone and aerosol data are analyzed in order to extract characteristic temporal patterns on a near global scale. A clear annual cycle of the global average for the ozone is apparent in the measured intervals (Nimbus‐7: 1978–1993, Earth‐Probe: 1996–2005), however a similar initial periodicity disappears for the aerosol index in the Earth‐Probe records. A detailed spectral analysis revealed significant asymmetries in the Nimbus‐7 aerosol signal for the two hemispheres, which is not present in Earth‐Probe data. The available record from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (one and a half years) shows a return to the seasonal variability seen by Nimbus‐7 in both hemispheres. This suggests that calibration difficulties of the Earth‐Probe instrument started earlier than mid 2000, when it became apparent from many indications.
Evidence that floodwaters filled and overflowed Capri Chasma, Mars
Authors: Coleman Neil M. , Dinwiddie Cynthia L. , Baker Victor R.
Published: April 2007

Erosional features on a plateau in the Valles Marineris provide evidence that a lake filled Capri Chasma until it overflowed its eastern rim, carving two large spillover channels. The floodwaters surged into the adjacent lowlands of ancestral Ganges Chasma and eastern Eos Chasma. The channel floor elevation and depth of incision at Daga Vallis reveal that a 1200‐m‐deep lake water column was drained by the flooding. The width, depth, and steep energy slope (∼0.02) of Daga Vallis and the existence of several cataracts, including a 500‐m‐high dry falls, demonstrate the power of the floodwaters. We estimate a possible peak discharge rate of 1–6 × 108m3·s−1. The catastrophic flows may have been triggered by the collapse of topographic barriers in eastern Coprates Chasma, providing a gateway for lake waters in the central Valles Marineris to pour eastward toward Capri Chasma and the lowlands beyond. These may have been among the earliest flows in Simud‐Tiu Valles, contributing discharge to a possible sea in the northern plains of Mars.
DEMETER satellite observations of lightning‐induced electron precipitation
Authors: Inan U. S. , Piddyachiy D. , Peter W. B. , Sauvaud J. A. , Parrot M.
Published: April 2007

DEMETER spacecraft detects short bursts of lightning‐induced electron precipitation (LEP) simultaneously with newly‐injected upgoing whistlers, and sometimes also with once‐reflected (from conjugate hemisphere) whistlers. For the first time causative lightning discharges are definitively geo‐located for some LEP bursts aboard a satellite. The LEP bursts occur within <1 s of the causative lightning and consist of 100–300 keV electrons. First in‐situ observations of large regions of enhanced background precipitation are presented. The regions are apparently produced and maintained by high rate of lightning within a localized thunderstorm.
Field observations on spatial variability of surface hoar at the basin scale
Authors: Feick Sebastian , Kronholm Kalle , Schweizer Jürg
Published: April 2007

Surface hoar deposited on the snow surface represents, once buried by subsequent snowfall, one of the principal weak layers on which dry snow slab avalanches release. To predict instabilities caused by a buried surface hoar layer, its spatial extent needs to be known. Avalanche forecasting relies, among other things, on meteorological data from automatic stations. In principle, surface hoar formation can be predicted from these data. In order to study the spatial variation in surface hoar formation and destruction, daily observations were made during one winter at 23 locations of different aspect, slope inclination, and wind exposure within an area of about 3 km2. Four automatic weather stations were located within the study area: one on level terrain and three across a ridge. Despite the good instrumentation the correlation between surface hoar growth and calculated sublimation rate was poor. Distinct spatial patterns of surface hoar growth were found. Surface hoar crystals were frequently larger at the ridge site than in the surroundings of the automatic weather station on level terrain. The variation in surface hoar formation was mainly due to different prevailing wind regimes during the formation periods. The surroundings of the automatic weather station on level terrain were under the influence of local katabatic winds that dried up the air so that growth conditions were locally less favorable. Our observations suggest that predicting surface hoar formation for complex alpine terrain on the basis of data from an automatic weather station, the standard procedure in avalanche forecasting, seems nearly impossible unless at least the local wind regime is known at high resolution (≤10 m). For both surface hoar formation and surface hoar destruction observations suggest wind conditions to be most crucial for spatial variation.
Update to “Modeling water erosion due to overland flow using physical principles: 1. Sheet flow”
Authors: Sander G. C. , Zheng T. , Rose C. W.
Published: April 2007

We provide corrections to several key formula by Hairsine and Rose (1992) for steady state flow driven sediment transport and at the same time generalize their solution for the case of entrainment limiting flow when the mass of sediment in each size class is arbitrary.
Cerebrovascular Effects of Hemodialysis in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Prohovnik Isak , Post James , Uribarri Jaime , Lee Hedok , Sandu Oana , Langhoff Erik
Published: April 2007

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis are known to suffer cognitive deficits and stroke of unknown etiology. It has been suspected that the treatment itself may contribute to the syndrome by unknown mechanisms, which we investigated in this study. End-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis ( n = 19) or peritoneal dialysis (PD, n = 5) were compared with 14 healthy controls. Subjects participated in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of cerebral atrophy, cerebral blood flow (CBF) arterial spin labeled-MRI (ASL-MRI), quantitative Doppler blood flow through the internal carotid artery, and cerebral oxymetry. The Doppler and oxymetry procedures were also performed at the beginning and end of a single hemodialysis session. End-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis showed significant cerebral atrophy, associated with longer hemodialysis duration and cognitive deficits, including focal bilateral lesions in the caudate nucleus and midbrain. Cerebral oxygenation was extremely low before dialysis (rSO2 41 ± 13, compared with 70 ± 2 in controls, P < 0.02) and improved only slightly after dialysis. Carotid blood flow was also very low at the start of dialysis (115 ± 28mL/sec, versus 193 ± 56 in controls, P < 0.005) but normalized at the end of the session (181 mL/sec). The PD patients showed intermediate values, between the hemodialysis and controls. Notably, duration of hemodialysis treatment predicted global gray-matter volume ( r = −0.74), change of blood flow during dialysis ( r = −0.65), and baseline rSO2 ( r = −0.65). The findings suggest that ESRD patients on hemodialysis suffer low CBF during the interdialytic cycle. Coupled with low cerebral oxygenation levels and atherosclerosis, this may contribute significantly to the etiology of the observed cerebral atrophy, cognitive deficits, and high stroke prevalence.
Reduced HO-1 Protein Expression is Associated with More Severe Neurodegeneration after Transient Ischemia Induced by Cortical Compression in Diabetic Goto—Kakizaki Rats
Authors: Moreira Tiago JTP , Cebere Aleta , Cebers Gvido , Östenson Claes-Göran , Efendic Suad , Liljequist Sture
Published: April 2007

Pronounced hyperglycemia provoked by extradural compression (EC) of the sensorimotor cortex was recently described in the non-insulin dependent Goto—Kakizaki (GK) diabetic rat. Compared with control Wistar rats, GK rats exhibited more extensive brain damage after cortical ischemia at 48 h of reperfusion ( Moreira et al, 2007 ). We hypothesized that the enhanced brain injury in GK rats could be caused by differential regulation of the heme degrading enzyme heme oxygenase (HO)-1, known to interact with the expression of other target genes implicated in antioxidant defense, inflammation and neurodegeneration, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1, −2, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). At 48 h after ischemia, relative mRNA expression of such target genes was compared between ipsilateral (compressed) and contralateral (uncompressed) hemispheres of GK rats, along with baseline comparison of sham, uncompressed GK and Wistar rats. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect cellular and regional localization of HO-1 at this time point. Baseline expression of HO-1, iNOS, and TNFα mRNA was increased in the cortex of sham GK rats. GK rats showed pronounced hyperglycemia during EC and transient attenuation of regional cerebral blood flow recovery. At 48 h after reperfusion, HO-1 mRNA expression was 7- to 8-fold higher in the ischemic cortex of both strains, being the most upregulated gene under study. Heme oxygenase-1 protein expression was significantly reduced in diabetic rats and was found in perilesional astrocytes and rare microglial cells, in both strains.
Androgenic/Estrogenic Balance in the Male Rat Cerebral Circulation: Metabolic Enzymes and Sex Steroid Receptors
Authors: Gonzales Rayna J , Ansar Saema , Duckles Sue P , Krause Diana N
Published: April 2007

Tissues from males can be regulated by a balance of androgenic and estrogenic effects because of local metabolism of testosterone and expression of relevant steroid hormone receptors. As a critical first step to understanding sex hormone influences in the cerebral circulation of males, we investigated the presence of enzymes that metabolize testosterone to active products and their respective receptors. We found that cerebral blood vessels from male rats express 5α-reductase type 2 and aromatase, enzymes responsible for conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 17β-estradiol, respectively. Protein levels of these enzymes, however, were not modulated by long-term in vivo hormone treatment. We also showed the presence of receptors for both androgens (AR) and estrogens (ER) from male cerebral vessels. Western blot analysis showed bands corresponding to the full-length AR (110 kDa) and ERα (66 kDa). Long-term in vivo treatment of orchiectomized rats with testosterone or DHT, but not estrogen, increased AR levels in cerebral vessels. In contrast, ERα protein levels were increased after in vivo treatment with estrogen but not testosterone. Fluorescent immunostaining revealed ERα, AR, and 5α-reductase type 2 in both the endothelial and smooth muscle layers of cerebral arteries, whereas aromatase staining was solely localized to the endothelium. Thus, cerebral vessels from males are target tissues for both androgens and estrogen. Furthermore, local metabolism of testosterone might balance opposing androgenic and estrogenic influences on cerebrovascular as well as brain function in males.
TNF Alpha and Fas Mediate Tissue Damage and Functional Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice
Authors: Berrrrpohl Daniela , You Zerong , Lo Eng H , Kim Hyung-Hwan , Whalen Michael J
Published: April 2007

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and Fas are induced after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, their functional roles are incompletely understood. Using controlled cortical impact (CCI) and mice deficient in TNFα, Fas, or both (TNFα/Fas—/—), we hypothesized that TNFα and Fas receptor mediate secondary TBI in a redundant manner. Compared with wild type (WT), TNFα/Fas—/— mice had improved motor performance from 1 to 4 days ( P < 0.05), improved spatial memory acquisition at 8 to 14 days ( P < 0.05), and decreased brain lesion size at 2 and 6 weeks after CCI ( P < 0.05). Protection in TNFα/Fas—/— mice from histopathological and motor deficits was reversed by reconstitution with recombinant TNFα before CCI, and TNFα—/— mice administered anti-Fas ligand antibodies had improved spatial memory acquisition versus similarly treated WT mice ( P < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha/Fas—/— mice had decreased the numbers of cortical cells with plasmalemma damage at 6h ( P < 0.05 versus WT), and reduced matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity in injured brain at 48 and 72 h after CCI. In immature mice subjected to CCI, genetic inhibition of TNFα and Fas conferred beneficial effects on histopathology and spatial memory acquisition in adulthood (both P < 0.05 versus WT), suggesting that the beneficial effects of TNFα/Fas inhibition may be permanent. The data suggest that redundant signaling pathways initiated by TNFα and Fas play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of TBI, and that biochemical mechanisms downstream of TNFα/Fas may be novel therapeutic targets to limit neurological sequelae in children and adults with severe TBI.
Evaluation of Reference Regions for (R)-[11C]PK11195 Studies in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Kropholler Marc A , Boellaard Ronald , van Berckel Bart NM , Schuitemaker Alie , Kloet Reina W , Lubberink Mark J , Jonker Cees , Scheltens Philip , Lammertsma Adriaan A
Published: April 2007

Inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be assessed using ( R)-[11C]PK11195 and positron emission tomography. Data can be analyzed using the simplified reference tissue model, provided a suitable reference region is available. This study evaluates various reference regions for analyzing ( R)-[11C]PK11195 scans in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and probable AD. Healthy subjects ( n = 10, 30 ± 10 years and n = 10, 70 ± 6 years) and patients with MCI ( n = 10, 74 ± 6 years) and probable AD ( n = 9, 71 ± 6 years) were included. Subjects underwent a dynamic three-dimensional ( R)-[11C]PK11195 scan including arterial sampling. Gray matter, white matter, total cerebellum and cerebrum, and cluster analysis were evaluated as reference regions. Both plasma input binding potentials of these reference regions ( BPPLASMA) and corresponding reference region input binding potentials of a target region ( BPSRTM) were evaluated. Simulations were performed to assess cluster analysis performance at 5% to 15% coefficient of variation noise levels. Reasonable correlations for BPPLASMA ( R2 = 0.52 to 0.94) and BPSRTM ( R2 = 0.59 to 0.76) were observed between results using anatomic regions and cluster analysis. For cerebellum white matter, cerebrum white matter, and total cerebrum a considerable number of unrealistic BPSRTM values were observed. Cluster analysis did not extract a valid reference region in 10% of the scans. Simulations showed that potentially cluster analysis suffers from negative bias in BPPLASMA. Most anatomic regions outperformed cluster analysis in terms of absence of both scan rejection and bias. Total cerebellum is the optimal reference region in this patient category.
An alternative method for gas temperature determination in nitrogen plasmas: Fits of the bands of the first positive system (B Π3g→A Σ3u+)
Authors: Biloiu Costel , Sun Xuan , Harvey Zane , Scime Earl
Published: April 2007

A method of gas temperature determination in nitrogen or nitrogen doped discharges is presented. The method employs fits of numerically generated spectra of the 0-0, 1-0, and 2-0 bands of the first positive system (B Π3g→A Σ3u+) of nitrogen to experimental measurements. Excellent agreement between gas temperature values inferred by using this method and by using the 3-0 band peak ratio method [M. Simek and S. De Benedictis, Plasma Chem. Plasma Proc. 15, 451 (1995)] is demonstrated for a helicon plasma. The spectral model is available for use by the plasma spectroscopy community. The model, along with user instructions, can be downloaded from Electronic Physics Auxiliary Publication Service of American Institute of Physics. The model includes the line positions, Hönl-London factors, and provides rapid determination of gas temperature if one or more of the aforementioned emission rovibrational band spectra are available.
Structure and magnetic properties of highly ordered Co2NiGa alloys
Authors: Dai Xuefang , Liu Guodong , Li Yangxian , Qu Jingping , Li Jia , Chen Jinglan , Wu Guangheng
Published: April 2007

The Co2NiGa alloy with a fcc structure was synthesized by different methods, arc-melting and mechanical alloying. In contrast with the solid solution state in melted Co2NiGa, an intermetallic structure, highly ordered atomic arrangement has been verified in ball-milled sample by x-ray diffraction examination and Rietveld analysis. This ordered structure increases the saturation magnetization about 40% higher than that of solid solution sample. A highly ordered Co2NiGa intermetallic compound model was established for carrying out first-principles calculation. The obtained electronic structure and the molecular moment are quite consistent with the experimental results. The characterization of the samples prepared in different alloying processes is also reported.
Role of orbital degeneracy in itinerant ferromagnetism
Authors: Dua Piyush , Singh Ishwar
Published: April 2007

In this work we have considered a doubly degenerate extended Hubbard model to study the magnetic (and optical) properties of itinerant ferromagnets such as Fe, Co, Ni, and their compounds. Using Green’s function equation of motion technique, we have studied ground state phase diagram as a function of band filling n. Our results for magnetization M as a function of n reproduce the observed behavior of Fe1−xCoxS2, Co1−xNixS2. We have studied magnetic susceptibility, magnetoresistance, spectral weight, and effective mass as a function of temperature. We have found that in the presence of magnetic field, the effective mass for up-spin electrons decreases and their spectral weight increases at all temperatures. The reduction of the effective mass of up-spin electrons, on applying magnetic field, has been observed in EuB6.
Magnetic properties of Tb0.28Dy0.57Ho0.15Fe2−xMnx(x=0,0.05,0.1,0.15,0.2)
Authors: Jammalamadaka S. Narayana , Markandeyulu G. , Balasubramaniam Krishnan
Published: April 2007

The pseudobinary Laves phase R1R2Fe2 magnetostrictive compounds have one degree of freedom by which the largest anisotropy constant K1 is minimized to obtain the best performing material. However, by including a third rare earth element, additional degree of freedom is obtained, which allows a better way to choose a material for application. In the present study, Ho has been chosen as it exhibits positive magnetostriction, similar to Tb and Dy. Substitution of Mn for Fe leads to the realization of improved magnetostriction values and reduction in the anisotropy. In the present paper magnetic properties of Tb0.28Dy0.57Ho0.15Fe2−xMnx(x=0,0.05,0.1,0.15,0.2) are presented. The compounds have formed in single phase with cubic Laves phase structure. The lattice parameter is found to increase from 7.327to7.347Å with increasing the Mn concentration to 0.2. The Fe∕Mn–Fe∕Mn distance is less than 2.66Å, the critical distance below which the Fe and Mn moments could be antiferromagnetically ordered, leading to a decrease in the Curie temperature from 592to537K. At 80K, saturation magnetization is found to increase from 120emu∕g (x=0) to 125emu∕g (x=0.1) and then to decrease to 105emu∕g (x=0.2). The magnetostriction increases from 1000×10−6 (x=0) to 1050×10−6 (x=0.1) with Mn and decreases to 775×10−6 with further increment of Mn (x=0.2). Spontaneous magnetostriction is found by the splitting of the (440) peak.
A simple process for ferrite film preparation from one solution without using hazardous oxidizing agent
Authors: Subramani A. K. , Matsushita N. , Watanabe T. , Tada M. , Abe M. , Yoshimura M.
Published: April 2007

A process for ferrite film preparation using an aqueous solution was developed and named as “one solution spray technique” (OSST). Highly crystallized spinel ferrite films can be prepared by spraying only one solution at a very low temperature of 90°C without any postannealing. In contrast to the conventional spray technique (CST), two solutions (reaction solution and an oxidizing solution containing pH buffer) were independently sprayed. In OSST, reaction solution containing a mixture of FeCl2, CH3COOK, and urea was used. The Fe3O4 films prepared by OSST exhibited a real permeability of μ′=35 and a very high resonance frequency of fr=1.25GHz, which was superior to that for films prepared by CST (fr=850MHz). The μ″×f spectra, which are proportional to the noise suppression effect of the films, proved that the films prepared by this technique have suitable properties to be used as conducted noise suppressors in the gigahertz range.
Computation of free energy profiles with parallel adaptive dynamics
Authors: Lelièvre Tony , Rousset Mathias , Stoltz Gabriel
Published: April 2007

We propose a formulation of an adaptive computation of free energy differences, in the adaptive biasing force or nonequilibrium metadynamics spirit, using conditional distributions of samples of configurations which evolve in time. This allows us to present a truly unifying framework for these methods, and to prove convergence results for certain classes of algorithms. From a numerical viewpoint, a parallel implementation of these methods is very natural, the replicas interacting through the reconstructed free energy. We demonstrate how to improve this parallel implementation by resorting to some selection mechanism on the replicas. This is illustrated by computations on a model system of conformational changes.
Theory of ultrafast heterogeneous electron transfer: Contributions of direct charge transfer excitations to the absorbance
Authors: Wang Luxia , Willig Frank , May Volkhard
Published: April 2007

Absorption spectra related to heterogeneous electron transfer are analyzed with the focus on direct charge transfer transition from the surface attached molecule into the semiconductor band states. The computations are based on a model of reduced dimensionality with a single intramolecular vibrational coordinate but a complete account for the continuum of conduction band states. The applicability of this model to perylene on TiO2 has been demonstrated in a series of earlier papers. Here, based on a time-dependent formulation, the absorbance is calculated with the inclusion of charge transfer excitations. A broad parameter set inspired by the perylene TiO2 systems is considered. In particular, the description generalizes the Fano effect to heterogeneous electron transfer reactions. Preliminary simulations of measured spectra are presented for perylene-catechol attached to TiO2.
Master equation approach to folding kinetics of lattice polymers based on conformation networks
Authors: Luo Yu-Pin , Huang Ming-Chang , Wu Jinn-Wen , Liaw Tsong-Ming , Lin Simon C.
Published: April 2007

Based on the master equation with the inherent structure of conformation network, the authors investigate some important issues in the folding kinetics of lattice polymers. First, the topologies of conformation networks are discussed. Moreover, a new scheme of implementing Metropolis algorithm, which fulfills the condition of detailed balance, is proposed. Then, upon incorporating this new scheme into the geometric structure of conformation network the authors provide a theorem which can be used to place an upper bound on relaxation time. To effectively identify the kinetic traps of folding, the authors also introduce a new quantity, which is employed from the continuous time Monte Carlo method, called rigidity factor. Throughout the discussions, the authors analyze the results for different move sets to demonstrate the methods and to study the features of the kinetics of folding.
Monte Carlo simulation of n-alkane adsorption isotherms in carbon slit pores
Authors: Severson Benjamin L. , Snurr Randall Q.
Published: April 2007

The single component adsorption of alkanes in carbon slit pores was studied using configurational-biased grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. Wide ranges of temperature, pressure, alkane chain length, and slit height were studied to evaluate their effects on adsorption. Adsorption isotherms and density and orientation profiles were calculated. The behavior of long alkanes at high temperatures was found to be similar to short alkanes at lower temperatures. This suggests that the isotherms may be related through the Polanyi potential theory.
Preferential interaction between DNA and small ions in mixed-size counterion systems: Monte Carlo simulation and density functional study
Authors: Wang Ke , Yu Yang-Xin , Gao Guang-Hua , Luo Guang-Sheng
Published: April 2007

Competitive binding between counterions around DNA molecule is characterized using the preferential interaction coefficient of individual ion in single and mixed electrolyte solutions. The canonical Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation, and density functional theory (DFT) proposed in our previous work [Wang, Yu, Gao, and Luo, J. Chem. Phys. 123, 234904 (2005)] are utilized to calculate the preferential interaction coefficients. The MC simulations and theoretical results show that for single electrolyte around DNA, the preferential interaction coefficient of electrolyte decreases as the cation size is increased, indicating that the larger cation has less accumulation ability in the vicinity of DNA. For the mixed electrolyte solution, it is found that cation diameter has a significant effect on the competitive ability while anion diameter has a negligible effect. It proves that the preferential interaction coefficients of all ions decrease as the total ionic concentration is increased. The DFT generally has better performance than the PB equation does when compared to the MC simulation data. The DFT behaves quite well for the real ionic solutions such as the KCl–NaCl–H2O, NaCl–CaCl2–H2O, and CaCl2–MgCl2–H2O systems.
Effect of the properties of an intracavity heat spreader on second harmonic generation in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser
Authors: Kim Jun-Youn , Yoo Jaeryung , Cho Soohaeng , Kim Ki-Sung , Kim Gi Bum , Lee Junho , Lee Sang-Moon , Kim Taek , Park Yongjo
Published: April 2007

We investigate the effect of the properties of an intracavity diamond heat spreader on the lasing performance of vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers. We compared two intracavity diamonds with different average birefringences. When a polarization selective element is inserted into the cavity, the infrared output powers are reduced by 13% and 7%, respectively, for the samples with higher and lower average birefringences. The pump-power limited maximum green output powers were changed from 3to5.2W by rotating the samples with lower average birefringence. In order to explain the variation in green output power, the additional round-trip loss caused by diamond birefringence was analyzed theoretically and experimentally. We found that the loss can be reduced when axes of the birefringence are aligned to the axes of the polarization selective element.
Dissociative double photoionization of N2 using synchrotron radiation: Appearance energy of the N2+ dication
Authors: Franceschi Pietro , Ascenzi Daniela , Tosi Paolo , Thissen Roland , Žabka Ján , Roithová Jana , Ricketts Claire L. , De Simone Monica , Coreno Marcello
Published: April 2007

Photoionization cross sections for the production of the doubly charged ion N2+ from N2 have been measured by means of synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range from 50to110eV. The appearance energy for N2+ has been determined as 55.2±0.2eV, i.e., about 1.3eV higher than the spectroscopic dissociation limit leading to the charge asymmetric dissociation channel N2+(P2)+N(S4) at 53.9eV. The onset of a second threshold at 59.9±0.2eV is detected and the energy dependence of photoion intensities near the threshold regions is interpreted in terms of the Wannier theory. The production of the N2+ dication is discussed in terms of direct and indirect mechanisms for dissociative charge asymmetric photoionization and by comparison with the potential energy curves of the intermediate N22+ dication. Experimental evidences for the opening of the Coulomb explosion channel N2++N+ at high photon energies are provided by measuring the kinetic energy release spectra of N2+ fragments at selected photon energies.