bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing
Authors: Woodside Arch G. , Sood Suresh , Miller Kenneth E.
Published: January 2008

Storytelling is pervasive through life. Much information is stored, indexed, and retrieved in the form of stories. Although lectures tend to put people to sleep, stories move them to action. People relate to each other in terms of stories—and products and brands often play both central and peripheral roles in their stories. To aid storytelling research in consumer psychology, this article develops a narrative theory that describes how consumers use brands as props or anthropomorphic actors in stories they report about themselves and others. Such drama enactments enable these storytellers to experience powerful myths that reflect psychological archetypes. The article includes findings from case study research that probes propositions of the theory. Implications for consumer psychology and marketing practice follow the discussion of the findings. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Classical conditioning and celebrity endorsers: An examination of belongingness and resistance to extinction
Authors: Till Brian D. , Stanley Sarah M. , Priluck Randi
Published: January 2008

Three studies attempt to better explain how celebrities are used effectively as conditioned stimuli in the associative learning process. Study 1 establishes that direct affect transfer can occur using celebrities via conditioning. Study 2 suggests that celebrity conditioning will be more effective when there is an appropriate fit (belongingness) between the celebrity and the product endorsed—also known as the match‐up hypothesis. Finally, Study 3 examines whether attitudes toward brands paired with celebrities are resistant to efforts to extinguish them using extinction procedures. The findings suggest that conditioning with celebrities yields brand attitudes that are robust and enduring. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On super connectivity of Cartesian product graphs
Authors: Lü Min , Wu Chao , Chen Guo‐Liang , Lv Cheng
Published: January 2008

The super connectivity κ1 of a connected graph G is the minimum number of vertices whose deletion results in a disconnected graph without isolated vertices; this is a more refined index than the connectivity parameter κ. This article provides bounds for the super connectivity κ1 of the Cartesian product of two connected graphs, and thus generalizes the main result of Shieh on the super connectedness of the Cartesian product of two regular graphs with maximum connectivity. Particularly, we determine that κ1(Km × Kn) = min{m + 2n − 4, 2m + n − 4} for m + n ≥ 6 and state sufficient conditions to guarantee κ1(K2 × G) = 2κ(G). As a consequence, we immediately obtain the super connectivity of the n‐cube for n ≥ 3. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2008
Evaluating the alignment among curriculum, instruction, and assessments: Implications and applications for research and practice
Authors: Roach Andrew T. , Niebling Bradley C. , Kurz Alexander
Published: January 2008

Alignment has been defined as the extent to which curricular expectations and assessments are in agreement and work together to provide guidance for educators' efforts to facilitate students' progress toward desire academic outcomes. The Council of Chief State School Officers has identified three preferred models as frameworks for evaluating alignment: Webb's alignment model, the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum model, and the Achieve model. Each model consists of a series of indices that summarize or describe the general match or coherence between state standards, large‐scale assessments, and, in some cases, classroom instruction. This article provides an overview of these frameworks for evaluating alignment and their applications in educational practice and the research literature. After providing an introduction to the use of alignment to evaluate large‐scale accountability systems, the article presents potential extensions of alignment for use with vulnerable populations (e.g., students with disabilities, preschoolers), individual students, and classroom teachers. These proposed applications can provide information for facilitating efforts to improve teachers' classroom instruction and students' educational achievement. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The relative contributions of the Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll cognitive abilities in explaining writing achievement during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Floyd Randy G. , McGrew Kevin S. , Evans Jeffrey J.
Published: January 2008

This study examined the relative contributions of measures of Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities in explaining writing achievement. Drawing from samples that covered the age range of 7 to 18 years, simultaneous multiple regression was used to regress scores from the Woodcock‐Johnson III (WJ III; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) that represent CHC broad and narrow abilities onto the WJ III Basic Writing Skills and Written Expression cluster scores. At most age levels, Comprehension‐Knowledge demonstrated moderate to strong effects on both writing clusters, Processing Speed demonstrated moderate effects on Basic Writing Skills and moderate to strong effects on Written Expression, and Short‐Term Memory demonstrated moderate effects. At the youngest age levels, Long‐Term Retrieval demonstrated moderate to strong effects on Basic Writing Skills and moderate effects on Written Expression. Auditory Processing, and Phonemic Awareness demonstrated moderate effects on only Written Expression at the youngest age levels and at some of the oldest age levels. Fluid Reasoning demonstrated moderate effects on both writing clusters only during some of the oldest age levels. Visual‐Spatial Thinking primarily demonstrated negligible effects. The results provide insights into the cognitive abilities most important for understanding the writing skills of children during the school‐age years. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
2‐Chloroadenosine modulates PAR‐1 and IL‐23 expression and enhances docetaxel effects on PC3 cells
Authors: Minelli Alba , Bellezza Ilaria , Tucci Arianna , Conte Carmela , Bracarda Sergio , Culig Zoran
Published: January 2008

BACKGROUND

Docetaxel‐based chemotherapy is the only treatment that demonstrated an overall survival benefit in men with hormone refractory prostate cancer. 2‐CADO inhibits the growth of PC3 cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through a mechanism that involves cellular uptake.

METHODS

Androgen‐independent and ‐sensitive (PC3 and LNCaP) prostate cancer cells and non‐neoplastic HECV cells were used in the study. Proliferation and cell cycle progression were analyzed in the presence of 2‐CADO and Docetaxel. Invasive potential was assessed by soft agar assay and metastatic ability by adhesion assay. IL‐23 and PAR‐1 expression were determined by real time PCR.

RESULTS

2‐CADO pre‐treatment followed by Docetaxel at subclinical dosage reduced the viability of either PC3 or LNCaP while it did not enhance Docetaxel‐induced cytotoxicity in adherent non‐neoplastic HECV. The drugs reduced the invasive potential of PC3 cells by inducing apoptosis and blocking cell cycle progression in the S‐phase. Down‐regulation of PAR‐1 gene expression resulted in a slightly lower metastatic potential, whereas up‐regulation of IL‐23 induced the activation of the immune system.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment of PC3 cells with 2‐CADO decreased the effective concentration of Docetaxel, lowered the metastatic potential, and induced the production of cytokines known to stimulate the immune response against cancer. The treatment was effective for prostate cancer cells independently on their androgen sensitiveness. Prostate 68: 360–372, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural consequences of phosphorylation of two serine residues in the cytoplasmic domain of HIV‐1 VpU
Authors: Wittlich Marc , Koenig Bernd W. , Willbold Dieter
Published: January 2008

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) protein U (VpU) is an accessory protein responsible for enhancement of viral particle release and down regulation of the T‐lymphocyte coreceptor CD4. Direct binding between the cytoplasmic domains of CD4 and VpU as well as phosphorylation of serines 53 and 57 in the cytoplasmic domain of VpU plays a central role in CD4 downregulation. We investigated structural consequences of phosphorylation of the two serines using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A uniformly 15N and 13C stable isotope‐labeled 45‐residue peptide comprising the cytoplasmic domain of VpU (VpUcyt) was recombinantly produced in E .coli. The peptide forms two helices (commonly referred to as helix 2 and 3) in the presence of membrane mimicking dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles, which flank a flexible region containing the two phosphorylation sites. Phosphorylation does not cause any drastic structural changes in the secondary structure of VpUcyt. However, an N‐terminal elongation of helix 3 and a slightly reduced helicity at the C‐terminus of helix 2 are observed upon phosphorylation based on characteristic changes of 13Cα and 13Cβ chemical shifts. Phosphorylation also reduces the local mobility of the protein backbone in the loop region containing the phosphorylation sites according to heteronuclear 1H15N nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) data. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of temperature treatment and carbon addition on the surface morphology and the surface energy of molybdenum layers on carbon substrates
Authors: Vollnhofer W. , Eisenmenger‐Sittner C. , Hell J. , Kiniger M. , Schwarz B. , Steiner H. , Tomastik C.
Published: January 2008

Molybdenum layers act as wetting and adhesion promotors for copper coatings to carbon substrates. A crucial step to initiate the adhesion promotion by Mo is a temperature treatment. Hundred nanometer thick Mo layers were deposited by magnetron sputtering on plane substrates of vitreous carbon (Sigradur G) and subjected to heat treatments of up to 8 min duration at 400 and 800 °C under high vacuum conditions (10−3 Pa). Changes in the surface morphology of the coating were recorded by atomic‐force microscopy (AFM). The AFM measurements have shown significant recrystallization of the coatings. Grains with diameters of approximately 100 nm develop in the first stages of heat treatment. The grain diameter remains roughly constant with ongoing heat‐treatment time. Surface‐energy measurements that were performed with the sessile drop method have shown that temperature treatment at 800 °C significantly increases the surface energy of the Mo coating. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) shows that heat treatment at 800 °C alters the chemical composition of the coating from pure Mo to a Mo‐carbide while no carbide is formed at 400 °C. It is concluded that the carbide formation plays a significant role in the changes of the surface parameters of the Mo coating. This hypothesis is supported by comparing coatings produced by cosputtering Mo and C with the heat‐treated coatings using the methods presented above. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CD43 – One molecule, many tales to recount
Authors: Pedraza‐Alva Gustavo , Rosenstein Yvonne
Published: January 2008

Immune cells functions are regulated through the orchestrated intervention of immune receptors that recognize non‐self peptides or pathogen associated molecular patterns and of molecules that modulate the signals these receptors generate. These molecules, known as accessory or co‐receptor molecules, sense the environment, setting the threshold for cell activation, as well as instructing the cells to ensure self‐tolerance and homeostasis. CD43 is an abundant cell surface protein, expressed on nearly all lineages of hematopoietic cells. Multiple, and sometimes opposite functions, have been attributed to CD43: adhesion and anti‐adhesion, locomotion, cellular activation, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Here we will summarize recent developments in our understanding of the role this molecule plays in different cell types. In particular, we will illustrate the role of CD43 as a T cell accessory molecule, capable of generating intracellular signals, independently of or in coordination with the TCR, actively modulating T cell response. In addition, we review new functions for this molecule, in non‐immune cells.
Fc receptor and integrin signaling in phagocytes
Authors: Rosales Carlos
Published: January 2008

Specific receptors for antibodies, named Fc receptors, and for extracellular matrix proteins, named integrins, contribute to phagocyte activation. Because phagocyte activation is the mechanism whereby most of the potential pathogens are ultimately destroyed, there is a lot of interest to elucidate the biochemical signals that Fc receptors and integrins induce to activate phagocyte functions. This review describes the main signal transduction pathways that are initiated by Fc receptors and integrins in phagocytic leukocytes, with emphasis on the activation of phagocytosis and gene expression. New findings on the common signaling pathways used by Fc receptors and integrins are also discussed.
A Qualitative Study of the Activities and Outcomes of Domestic Violence Coordinating Councils
Authors: Allen Nicole E. , Watt Kelly A. , Hess Jacob Z.
Published: January 2008

Efforts to promote systems change frequently involve the creation of councils, coalitions, and other collaborative settings. However, research, to date, reports limited empirical evidence that they achieve desired outcomes (Roussos and Fawcett, Annu Rev Public Health 21:369–402, 2000). The precise nature of this evidence base has received less attention. In particular, formal investigations into council effectiveness (a) rarely highlight the specific nature of collaborative efforts; (b) emphasize fairly distal markers as the “gold standard” for effectiveness; (c) focus largely on formative “outcomes” (e.g., action plan quality); and (d) utilize primarily quantitative research approaches. The current study extends previous research by employing a qualitative approach to investigate the particular activities and proximal outcomes of 41 domestic violence coordinating councils. Study findings suggest that councils engage in six primary activities: discussing issues, sharing information, identifying weaknesses in the system's response, providing training for key stakeholders, engaging in public/community education, and lobbying key stakeholders who are not council members. Three proximal outcomes were consistently identified in council efforts: the promotion of knowledge, relationships, and institutionalized change. Attending more directly to proximal outcomes and concrete activities in our research has important implications for conceptualizing and researching the effectiveness of councils and collaborative settings.
Democratic India: Poor, Plural, Multi-Religious yet Tolerant
Authors: Banerjee Dipankar
Published: January 2008

India is a highly multi-ethnic society that has been challenged by various conflicts throughout its history and more recently by Pakistan. Nevertheless, India offers evidence for and explains how we as a society and as individuals can draw upon our religious beliefs not only as a source of conflict, but also as a means of coping with diversity and living together in peace.
Romania: A Model for Religious and Ethnic Tolerance
Authors: Basescu Traian
Published: January 2008

In a short span of time, Romania has transformed itself from a communist country into a fully integrated member of the European Union. The author emphasises the uniqueness of the ‘Romanian model’ and discusses the fundamental factors behind its success, most importantly how the church has contributed to the consolidation of a democratic society. The author also shows why the common values shared by European countries are still relevant in the face of the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Europe in dialogue with Islamic states
Authors: Mauro Mario
Published: January 2008

The author underlines how dialogue between cultures and religions can be crucial to avoiding conflicts. Mutual understanding is necessary for peaceful coexistence, which is threatened by fundamentalism and relativism. This essay explains how the emotional impact of clashes between cultures can be mitigated through the promotion of tolerance, respect and love.
The first institution of democracy. Tocqueville on religion: What faith adds to reason
Authors: Novak Michael
Published: January 2008

Tocqueville is considered one of the most important thinkers and intellectuals for our times, best known for his works Democracy in America (1835) and The Old Regime and the Revolution (1856). This essay seeks to give a short synopsis of Tocque-ville's most important conclusions and to shed light on his understanding of the importance of religion in a modern democracy.
Muslim Politicians in a Secular World and Values-based Politics
Authors: Arayedh Mansoor Al
Published: January 2008

The author examines the foundation of our societies, and reflects upon why it is important that religious values are preserved. He pays particular attention to the current secularisation-sentiments in our time, and why the process cannot merely be seen as modernisation, but also as a challenge to the current moral and faith-oriented norms. Both Muslim and Christian leaders must recognise the need to address the challenges of secularisation together through dialogue and cooperation.
The tension between secularism and democracy in Turkey: Early origins, current legacy
Authors: Aydin Ertan
Published: January 2008

The author presents an in-depth examination of Turkey's development. This essay briefly covers the history of secularism in Turkey, the secular revolution of the early 1920s and today's multi-party system. The Turkish model has both strengths and weaknesses: while the system succeeds in setting limits on authoritarian regimes, it has failed to implement a full liberal democracy.
Forging a European Soul: Pastoral Perspectives
Authors: van Luyn Adrianus H.
Published: January 2008

The EU project could not have become a reality without the foundation of Christian values such as human dignity, respect and solidarity. The Bishop emphasises the importance of ongoing belief in those values, and urges their continuation through the completion of the integration process within European borders. A policy to promote the common good must be pursued globally in order to come one step closer to a ‘civilisation of love’.
Human Rights and Equality between Men and Women: Lessons Offered by Christianity
Authors: Záborská Anna
Published: January 2008

The article explores how religion and religious beliefs can guide policymaking and how religious beliefs are crucial to central policy areas like bioethics and social justice. The author analyses why religious beliefs and a deep-rooted faith in human rights and gender equality are the foundation of any democratic institution, including the European Parliament.
A Christian Europe? Europe and Christianity: Rules of Commitment
Authors: Weiler Joseph H. H.
Published: January 2008

The author demonstrates how European integration policy can gain by a proper understanding of the doctrine of Redemptoris Missio. The Catholic teachings expressed in this encyclical are concerned with tolerance, respect and inclusion, concepts inextricably connected with freedom. The author invites us to reflect on both a political and an individual level.
Formation of membrane‐bound inclusions and their associations with cytoplasmic channels in early prophase male meiocytes of Althaea rosea (L.) Cavan
Authors: Luo Xin Juan , Liu Xu Hao , Wang Chong Ying , Wang Xin Yu
Published: January 2008

To characterize the cytoplasmic structure reorganization during plant meiosis, the male meiocytes of Althaea rosea (L.) Cavan were examined under the combination of light and electron microscopy. Light microscopic observation of the toluidine blue‐stained thick resin sections of young anthers revealed that the meiocytes of sporogenous cell stage were extremely voluminous and variable in shape and division plane. The cell walls (CWs) between some meiocytes were discontinuous at one or several site(s). These discontinuous portions varied between 0.2 and 3.0 μm in length. In addition, it was found that some meiocytes were able to produce protuberances that extended into another meiocyte. When transversally sectioned, the protuberance extending to another cell looked like a small cell lying in another cell. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that there were many long flat ER cisternae that were actively wrapping around a portion of cytoplasm in the male meiocytes at the sporogenous cell stage. During pre‐meiosis interphase and early prophase I, a number of huge (0.5–1.0 μm diameter) spherical membrane‐bound inclusions (MBIs) lined by single or double layer(s) of membrane were formed, each membrane actually representing one tightly appressed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cisterna. The MBIs contained many granular, lamellar and fibrillar structures, and even small MBIs. Moreover, it was found that the MBIs could associate with the cytoplasmic channels (CCs) on CWs to release their contents into the cytoplasm of the opposite cell or directly extend from one cell to another through the CC. Taking all the data together, it is suggested that association of the MBIs and other organelles with CCs possibly functions in eliminating the non‐identity of cytoplasm of the male meiocytes caused probably by the random asymmetric division observed at sporogenous cell phase, so as to ensure production of a large number of identical functional male gametes required for successful fertilization.
Another approach to estimating the reliability of glycaemic index
Authors: Williams Sheila M. , Venn Bernard J. , Perry Tracy , Brown Rachel , Wallace Alison , Mann Jim I. , Green Tim J.
Published: January 2008

The usefulness of the glycaemic index (GI) of a food for practical advice for individuals with diabetes or the general population depends on its reliability, as estimated by intra-class coefficient (ICC), a measure having values between 0 and 1, with values closer to 1 indicating better reliability. We aimed to estimate the ICC of the postprandial blood glucose response to glucose and white bread, instant mashed potato and chickpeas using the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and the GI of these foods. The iAUC values were determined in twenty healthy individuals on three and four occasions for white bread and glucose, respectively, and for potato and chickpeas on a single occasion. The ICC of the iAUC for white bread and glucose were 0·50 (95 % CI 0·27, 0·73) and 0·49 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·75), respectively. The mean GI of white bread was 81 (95 % CI 74, 90) with a reliability of 0·27 indicating substantial within-person variability. The GI of mashed potato and chickpeas were 87 (95 % CI 76, 101) and 28 (95 % CI 22, 37) respectively with ICC of 0·02 and 0·40.The ICC of the iAUC were moderate and those of the GI fair or poor, indicating the heterogeneous nature of individuals' responses. The unpredictability of individual responses even if they are the result of day-to-day variation places limitations on the clinical usefulness of GI. If the very different GI of potato and chickpeas are estimates of an individual's every-day response to different foods, then the GI of foods may provide an indication of the GI of a long-term diet.
The traditions of fideism
Authors: CARROLL THOMAS D.
Published: January 2008

Philosophers and theologians acknowledge that ‘fideism’ is difficult to define but rarely agree on what the best characterization of the term is. In this article, I investigate the history of use of ‘fideism’ to explore why its meaning has been so contested and thus why it has not always been helpful for resolving philosophical problems. I trace the use of the term from its origins in French theology to its current uses in philosophy and theology, concluding that ‘fideism’ is helpful in resolving philosophical problems only when philosophers scrupulously acknowledge the tradition of use that informs their understanding of the word.
Beyond the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund: Support
for Any Future American Terror Casualties
Authors: Lascher Edward L. , Martin Ellen E.
Published: January 2008

If a future terrorist attack results in casualties on American soil,
what, if any, government compensation should be provided to victims?
Despite the enormous attention given to the September 11, 2001,
attacks and the near universal sympathy for their casualties, there
is no apparent consensual answer to the above question among
politicians, academics, or within society at large. While tens of
billions of dollars in public funds have been allocated to
preventing another attack, and tens of thousands of personnel hours
have been devoted to simulations aimed at helping victims in the
immediate aftermath, relatively little attention has been given to
what support might (or might not) be justified to provide for longer
term needs. Victim compensation remains off the radar screen for
even the vast majority of people whose daily lives are significantly
consumed by contemplating terrorism. The authors would like to thank Michael Powers, Bruce Wolk, two
anonymous referees for PS, participants in the
PPA/Economics brownbag seminar, and Lascher's PPA 210 students
for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.
The Use of a Middle East Crisis Simulation in an International Relations Course
Authors: Raymond Chad , Sorensen Kerstin
Published: January 2008

In November 2006, undergraduate students in a Model United Nations Club (MUN) conducted an exercise intended to simulate a series of crises in the Middle East. In the exercise, a total of 66 undergraduate students role-played cabinet-level officials in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and were required to make foreign policy decisions based on knowledge acquired in the classroom and on information delivered as the exercise unfolded.
American State Building in the Post-9/11 and Iraq
Era
Authors: Saldin Robert P.
Published: January 2008

The United States is currently in the midst of a war in Iraq and a
broader “war on terror.” What will be the long-term consequences of
these conflicts on the American state?
Foraminiferal Mg/Ca increase in the Caribbean during the Pliocene: Western Atlantic Warm Pool formation, salinity influence, or diagenetic overprint?
Authors: Groeneveld Jeroen , Nürnberg Dirk , Tiedemann Ralf , Reichart Gert‐Jan , Steph Silke , Reuning Lars , Crudeli Daniela , Mason Paul
Published: January 2008

We constructed a high‐resolution Mg/Ca record on the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer in order to explore the change in sea surface temperature (SST) due to the shoaling of the Isthmus of Panama as well as the impact of secondary factors like diagenesis and large salinity fluctuations. The study covers the latest Miocene and the early Pliocene (5.6–3.9 Ma) and was combined with δ18O to isolate changes in sea surface salinity (SSS). Before 4.5 Ma, SSTMg/Ca and SSS show moderate fluctuations, indicating a free exchange of surface ocean water masses between the Pacific and the Atlantic. The increase in δ18O after 4.5 Ma represents increasing salinities in the Caribbean due to the progressive closure of the Panamanian Gateway. The increase in Mg/Ca toward values of maximum 7 mmol/mol suggests that secondary influences have played a significant role. Evidence of crystalline overgrowths on the foraminiferal tests in correlation with aragonite, Sr/Ca, and productivity cyclicities indicates a diagenetic overprint on the foraminiferal tests. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry analyses, however, do not show significantly increased Mg/Ca ratios in the crystalline overgrowths, and neither do calculations based on pore water data conclusively result in significantly elevated Mg/Ca ratios in the crystalline overgrowths. Alternatively, the elevated Mg/Ca ratios might have been caused by salinity as the δ18O record of Site 1000 has been interpreted to represent large fluctuations in SSS, and cultivating experiments have shown an increase in Mg/Ca with increasing salinity. We conclude that the Mg/Ca record <4.5 Ma can only reliably be considered for paleoceanographical purposes when the minimum values, not showing any evidence of secondary influences, are used, resulting in a warming of central Caribbean surface water masses after 4.5 Ma of ∼2°C.
Biogeochemical characterization of carbon sources in the Strickland and Fly rivers, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Alin Simone R. , Aalto Rolf , Goni Miguel A. , Richey Jeffrey E. , Dietrich William E.
Published: January 2008

The highstanding islands of Oceania are recognized as a source of significant particulate organic carbon delivered to nearshore marine environments. The existing data on carbon export in Oceania are largely derived from small mountainous watersheds (<10,000 km2) with little or no sediment storage capacity and located in subtropical to temperate regions. The Fly‐Strickland fluvial dispersal system is the largest in tropical Oceania and has high sediment yields, aged organic matter in its suspended‐sediment load, and lowland sediment storage capacity. The Fly River system also has very high soil organic carbon content and conditions favorable to perennially high production, oxidation, and discharge within the watershed. We used stable and radiogenic isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C, and δ15N), lignin phenols, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to examine the organic and inorganic composition of particulate and dissolved carbon at several lowland sites in the Fly and Strickland rivers and on the Strickland River floodplain. Isotopic, elemental, and biomarker results suggest that organic carbon in the Strickland River was more degraded than in the Fly River, with a greater input of ancient organics from upland sources, and that aquatic production constituted a larger source in the Fly River. Radiocarbon results indicate that all carbon fractions were older in the Strickland than in the Fly and that Strickland floodplain sediments were also depleted in radiocarbon. Collectively, these results suggest that rivers of New Guinea export a comparable amount of particulate organic carbon to the Amazon, with a significant contribution from radiocarbon‐depleted sources.
Abrupt changes of temperature and water chemistry in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene Black Sea
Authors: Bahr André , Lamy Frank , Arz Helge W. , Major Candace , Kwiecien Olga , Wefer Gerold
Published: January 2008

New Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and published stable oxygen isotope and 87Sr/86Sr data obtained on ostracods from gravity cores located on the northwestern Black Sea slope were used to infer changes in the Black Sea hydrology and water chemistry for the period between 30 to 8 ka B.P. (calibrated radiocarbon years). The period prior to 16.5 ka B.P. was characterized by stable conditions in all records until a distinct drop in δ18O values combined with a sharp increase in 87Sr/86Sr occurred between 16.5 and 14.8 ka B.P. This event is attributed to an increased runoff from the northern drainage area of the Black Sea between Heinrich Event 1 and the onset of the Bølling warm period. While the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca records remained rather unaffected by this inflow; they show an abrupt rise with the onset of the Bølling/Allerød warm period. This rise was caused by calcite precipitation in the surface water, which led to a sudden increase of the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of the Black Sea water. The stable oxygen isotopes also start to increase around 15 ka B.P., although in a more gradual manner, due to isotopically enriched meteoric precipitation. While Sr/Ca remains constant during the following interval of the Younger Dryas cold period, a decrease in the Mg/Ca ratio implies that the intermediate water masses of the Black Sea temporarily cooled by 1–2°C during the Younger Dryas. The 87Sr/86Sr values drop after the cessation of the water inflow at 15 ka B.P. to a lower level until the Younger Dryas, where they reach values similar to those observed during the Last Glacial Maximum. This might point to a potential outflow to the Mediterranean Sea via the Sea of Marmara during this period. The inflow of Mediterranean water started around 9.3 ka B.P., which is clearly detectable in the abruptly increasing Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr values. The accompanying increase in the δ18O record is less pronounced and would fit to an inflow lasting ∼100 a.
Scaling in global ocean chlorophyll fluctuations
Authors: Zhan Haigang
Published: January 2008

Nine years of weekly Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor (SeaWiFS) data from 1998 to 2006 are used to investigate the temporal correlations in chlorophyll fluctuations by means of detrended fluctuation analysis. Chlorophyll fluctuations are found to exhibit scaling behavior on time scales from several weeks to more than two years over the global ocean between 50°S and 50°N. The scaling exponent varies in a wide range from 0.51 to 1.26, with an average value of 0.83. Long range correlated fluctuations occur over large parts of the ocean, while uncorrelated random fluctuations tend to concentrate in the western margins of the Pacific and Atlantic. The global distribution of the scaling exponent is similar to that of the ratio of interannual to total variability. A greater percentage of interannual to total variability is generally associated with a larger scaling exponent and hence stronger long range correlation.
Decadal phase change in large‐scale sea level and winds in the Indo‐Pacific region at the end of the 20th century
Authors: Lee Tong , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: January 2008

Satellite observations of sea surface height (SSH) and wind stress for the period of 1993–2006 reveal a near‐coherent large‐scale decadal variability in much of the Indo‐Pacific region with a phase change at the turn of the 20th century. Trade wind variations in the tropical Pacific and South Indian Ocean are anti‐correlated with each other as are SSH differences across these two basins, implying anti‐correlated variation of the subtropical cells in the two oceans. Decadal changes in large‐scale SSH in the extra‐tropics are mostly associated with well‐defined patterns of wind stress curl indicating a near‐coherent decadal variation in the strength of subtropical and subpolar gyres. Together, these variations reflect a linkage in the circulation of the Pacific and Indian Oceans via atmospheric and oceanic bridges. The phase change in the tropical Pacific tends to occur earlier than elsewhere, suggesting a potential role of the tropical Pacific in regulating decadal variability of the entire region.
Nickel isotopic anomalies in troilite from iron meteorites
Authors: Cook David L. , Clayton Robert N. , Wadhwa Meenakshi , Janney Philip E. , Davis Andrew M.
Published: January 2008

We measured nickel isotopes, via multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC‐ICPMS), in troilite (FeS) from ten iron meteorites from both non‐magmatic (IAB) and magmatic (IIAB, IIIAB, IVA) groups. These are the first reported measurements of 64Ni (the least abundant Ni isotope) in meteoritic sulfides. No excesses of 60Ni from the decay of the short‐lived radionuclide 60Fe (t1/2 = 1.49 My) were found in any of the samples. Resolvable deficits in 60Ni were observed in five samples. These deficits are inconsistent with the effects from 60Fe decay, given the Fe/Ni ratios in these troilites. Also, variations were found in 61Ni and 64Ni in several samples. The variations in Ni isotopic compositions of these samples may be due to the preservation of a component within the troilite that is characterized by the nucleosynthetic signature expected for Ni produced either by a type II supernova or by an AGB star.
Haboob dust storms of the southern Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Miller Steven D. , Kuciauskas Arunas P. , Liu Ming , Ji Qiang , Reid Jeffrey S. , Breed Daniel W. , Walker Annette L. , Mandoos Abdulla Al
Published: January 2008

The Arabic word “haboob,” meaning “strong wind,” describes a weather phenomenon characterized by immense walls of blowing sand and dust. Common to many parts of the Middle East, northern Africa, and the southwestern United States, haboobs are spawned by strong mesoscale downdrafts, making their prediction by coarse‐grid numerical models difficult in comparison to dust forced by synoptic‐scale dynamics. The United Arab Emirates Unified Aerosol Experiment (UAE2), an extensive field program conducted over the southeastern Arabian Peninsula during the summer of 2004, provided a unique opportunity to observe the haboob activity common to this region by way of a large assortment of satellite, radar, lidar, and meteorological station network observations. Here, we present results based on the UAE2 data set which add insight to the formation processes, multiscale structure, and transient behavior of haboobs as well as their potential importance to the regional aerosol burden. Satellite imagery and surface radar data assisted in the interpretation of highly dynamic storm evolution and outflow interactions. An idealized model of haboob dust production, parameterized by the strength and duration of the downburst, suggested that haboobs could be responsible for a nonnegligible component of the regional‐scale total dust production (up to 30% over a 1000 × 1000 km domain).
Potential future changes of the terrestrial ecosystem based on climate projections by eight general circulation models
Authors: Alo Clement Aga , Wang Guiling
Published: January 2008

A number of previous modeling studies have assessed the implications of projected CO2‐induced climate change for future terrestrial ecosystems. However, although current understanding of possible long‐term response of vegetation to elevated CO2 and CO2‐induced climate change in some geographical areas (e.g., the high‐latitude regions) has been strengthened by dint of accumulating evidence from these past studies, it is still weak in others. This study examines the responses of global potential natural vegetation distribution, net primary production (NPP), and fire emissions to future changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Land Model's dynamic global vegetation model. The model is run to vegetative equilibrium (i.e., with respect to leaf area index (LAI) and vegetation coverage) driven with preindustrial climate and future climate near 2100, respectively, simulated by eight general circulation models (GCMs). The simulated potential vegetation under the preindustrial control mean climate (CO2 concentration held at 275 ppm) is compared with that under the SRESA1B 2100 mean climate (CO2 concentration stabilizes at 720 ppm beyond 2100). Simulated vegetation response ranges from mild changes of the fractional coverage of different plant functional types to the rather dramatic changes of dominant plant functional types. Although such response differs significantly across different GCM climate projections, a quite consistent spatial pattern emerges, characterized by a considerable poleward spread or shift of temperate and boreal forests in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes, and a substantial degradation of vegetation type in the tropics (e.g., increase of drought deciduous trees coverage at the expense of evergreen trees) especially in portions of West and southern Africa and South America. Despite the widespread degradation of vegetation type in the tropics, NPP, and growing season LAI are predicted to increase under most GCM scenarios over most of the globe. Carbon fluxes to the atmosphere due to fire generally increase too across the globe. Such responses of NPP and fire occurrence result from the synergistic effects of CO2 concentration changes, climate changes, and vegetation changes. In the HadCM‐driven simulation, however, extreme responses are shown in some regions: Deciduous forest is replaced by grasses in large areas in the middle latitudes, and substantial areas in northern South America and southern Africa predominantly covered by evergreen forest are replaced with grasses while NPP and fire emissions reduce drastically (by more than 100%). A future paper will examine how the biosphere response documented here influences the impact of climate change on surface hydrological conditions.
Compton Observatory Data Deepen the Mystery of the Gamma-Ray Bursters
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: January 2008

To monitor Soviet compliance with the nuclear test ban treaty of 1963, the US deployed the Vela series of military satellites, instrumented to detect sudden bursts of gammas. The surveillance satellites did indeed find dozens of gamma bursts, but by 1967 it was clear that these were not instances of Soviet cheating. They were coming from all directions of the sky above. The Vela satellites had inadvertently discovered a new class of celestial phenomena. Not until 1973 did the military allow this new discovery to be made public.
HERA, the First Electron-Proton Collider, Will Soon be Doing Physics
Authors: Schwarzschild Bertram
Published: January 2008

If all goes well, the Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator that makes its circular way for 6.3 kilometers under the streets and parks of Hamburg will be ready to do physics within the next two or three months. HERA is a unique high-energy storage-ring collider. All the other high-energy colliders, built or pending, make particles collide with others of the same species, or their antiparticles. And the particle energies in the two colliding beams are generally the same.
Yohkoh Returns X-Ray Images of the Sun
Authors: Zeman Ellen J.
Published: January 2008

The Yohkoh satellite, launched in August 1991 by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan, has been returning high-energy solar data and images since early last fall. Designed to succeed earlier US and Japanese missions aimed at studying solar flares, Yohkoh (which means “Sunbeam” in Japanese) carries four instruments dedicated to monitoring the Sun's high-energy radiation: A soft-x-ray (0.25-4 keV) telescope, by mapping the emission from the hot coronal plasma, records the morphology of the magnetic fields that confine and control this plasma; a hard-x-ray (15–100 keV) telescope records bremsstrahlung emission from high-energy electrons accelerated during a flare; and bent-crystal Bragg and wide-band spectrometers, which cover the spectral range from soft x rays to gamma rays, provide diagnostic data to aid in the analysis of the x-ray images.
Twelve-Year Trail of Clues Leads to Impact Crater From the K–T Boundary
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

The search started with a hypothesis that was literally out of this world: Could a massive comet or asteroid, perhaps 10 km in diameter, have struck the Earth about 65 million years ago, changing the climate so drastically that the dinosaurs and other creatures could no longer survive? That question was raised in 1980 by Luis Alvarez, his son Walter, Frank Asaro and Helen Michel of the University of California, Berkeley. Their evidence at the time was scanty: only an anomalous concentration of iridium at the geological stratum corresponding to the era when the giant reptiles became extinct and supposedly delivered by the extraterrestrial projectile. (See the article by Luis Alvarez in PHYSICS TODAY, July 1987, page 24.) But the suggestion triggered a massive hunt, and geological sleuths soon gathered much substantiating evidence. The telltale crater, however, remained elusive.
A Surprise from the Predictable Comet Halley
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

A sudden eruption on Comet Halley enveloped it in a cloud of dust that is 300 times brighter and about 20 000 times larger than its nucleus. (The width of the photograph above corresponds to 71 arcseconds, or about 700 000 kilometers at the distance of Halley.) Previously the comet had behaved as expected, reappearing in our solar system right on schedule. At that time, our visitor had also generated a cloud of dust, but such a phenomenon was expected when the comet was close to the Sun: The solar energy sublimated the water ice on this “dirty snowball,” and the outward-moving water vapor carried the dirt particles off the surface. But as the comet gradually receded from the Sun, its surface temperature fell back and the dust cloud virtually disappeared. Then, on 12 February, as Comet Halley was between Saturn and Uranus, some two billion km from the Sun, comet trackers Olivier Hainaut and Alain Smette of the European Southern Observatory in Chile found the comet to be greatly enlarged, as shown in the above photo. Three days later, another Halley watcher, Karen Meech (University of Hawaii) independently saw the vast cloud of dust. Smette subsequently made spectral measurements and determined that the comet's light was consistent with sunlight reflecting from dirt particles. Richard West of ESO reports that through 17 March the comet was still extremely active, with the shape of the cloud changing from night to night. This behavior just deepens the mystery, West feels.
Neutrons Cannot Encircle Lines of Electric Charge Unphased
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

Glasses were raised at a conference at the University of South Carolina in December to toast the 30-year-old prediction that gave reality to the magnetic vector potential. According to that prediction, made by Yakir Aharonov (University of South Carolina and the University of Tel Aviv) and David Bohm (Birkbeck College of London University), an electron will experience a phase shift as it encircles an infinitely long solenoid, even though there is no magnetic field—only a vector potential—in the region where it travels. Almost all those who originally doubted this conclusion have long since been persuaded by several elegant experimental confirmations.
Climate Modelers Struggle to Understand Global Warming
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

In the sweltering summer of 1988 the public heard claims that global warming from the greenhouse effect had definitely begun. In the chilly winter of 1989/90 they are hearing skeptics question whether it will ever arrive. Just as temperatures fluctuate about an average value, the mean opinion on global warming falls somewhere between these extremes.
Do Oxide Superconductors Behave as Fermi Liquids?
Authors: Levi Barbara Goss
Published: January 2008

When a photon knocks an electron out of a material, the freed electron reveals some secrets about the electronic environment it left behind. Such clues are sought by theorists puzzling over the mechanisms for high-temperature superconductivity, but high-resolution data have only become available in the past year. The behavior they reveal resembles the familiar patterns of conventional superconductors in the normal states—but with subtle and complex deviations that are now the focus of intense theoretical attention. The data have confirmed earlier measurements of a superconducting gap and provided direct evidence for a Fermi edge in momentum space.
The Paradox of Perestroika: Ethnic Turmoil and Anti-Semitism
Authors: Goodwin Irwin
Published: January 2008

A specter is haunting Soviet society. The specter is the economic, cultural and political turmoil that a writer in the government newspaper Izvestiia likens to “a fever … that weakens perestroika … and deafens the leadership to the voices that cry out in alarm to prevent disorder and anarchy.” As democracy and diversity sweep through much of Eastern Europe, the Soviet behemoth is mired in ethnic upheavals and nationalist upsurges. Such is the nature of the troubles in this era of glasnost that extremist groups with names like Fidelity, Renewal, Fatherland and Memory, all xenophobic and ostensibly devoting themselves to the preservation of historic buildings, churches and monuments, combating drunkenness or reviving Russian folksinging, are waging a rearguard action, deploring Western-style freedoms and advocating anti-Semitism. The actions of these groups cause Soviet Jews to think about a modern exodus.