bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Junction properties of nitrogen‐doped ZnO thin films
Authors: Lu J. G. , Fujita S. , Kawaharamura T. , Nishinaka H. , Kamada Y.
Published: May 2008

ZnO‐based p‐n homojunctions, comprised of N‐doped p‐type ZnO and Al‐doped n‐type ZnO layers, were fabricated on n‐Si substrates by atmospheric pressure mist chemical vapor deposition. In/Au metals were deposited on the top of the p‐ZnO layer and on the bottom of the n‐Si substrate to form Ohmic contacts. The n‐Si substrate could serve as a good electrode. The current‐voltage measurements at room temperature showed apparent rectifying behavior for the ZnO p‐n homojunction, with a turn‐on voltage of about 3.8 V under forward bias and a hard breakdown under reverse bias. The time‐dependent instability after fabrication was attributed to the degradation of p‐type conducting of the ZnO:N layer. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Size control of Fe nanoparticles for carbon nanotube growth using carbonyl iron vapour
Authors: Ohara K. , Neo Y. , Mimura H. , Inoue Y. , Ishida A.
Published: May 2008

To control the size and density of catalyst nanoparticles, we performed gas‐phase catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Fe nanoparticles were formed at a substrate temperature from 300 to 700 °C. From AFM measurements, we found that Fe nanoparticle size decreased from 36.8 nm to 7.6 nm with increasing the substrate temperature. Following the formation of nanoparticles, CNTs were successively grown by thermal CVD at 800 °C. The density of CNTs was changed depending on Fe nanoparticle density. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Theoretical analysis of light emission from a coupled system of a photonic nanocavity and a quantum dot
Authors: Yamaguchi M. , Asano T. , Fujita M. , Noda S.
Published: May 2008

This report quantum mechanically analyses a system composed of a two‐level system, a single mode cavity, and free space photon modes, which are coupled to each other. The analytical solution in the intermediate regime between the strong and weak coupling regimes is successfully obtained. It is found that the emission rate reaches its maximum when the cavity photon lifetime τcav satisfy 1/τcav = 4|g |, where 2|g | is the vacuum Rabi frequency. Also, Fano resonance is shown to occur under certain conditions. These results can be useful for high‐speed single photon sources and for fundamental understanding of the interaction between a quantum dot and a cavity mode. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
MBE‐VLS growth of GaAs nanowires on (111)Si substrate
Authors: Paek J. H. , Nishiwaki T. , Yamaguchi M. , Sawaki N.
Published: May 2008

The growth of a GaAs nanowire was attempted on a (111)Si substrate by molecular beam epitaxy adopting the vapour‐liquid‐solid method with Au colloids as the catalysts. The shape of the nanowire was of a hexagonal column of about 3 μm long. The growth rate of the wire was extremely high as compared to the previous reports. The diameter near the bottom of the wire was not equal to but larger than that measured at the top of the wire, which is attributed to the diffusion of the Ga precursors on the wire wall. It was found that the shape as well as size of the wire was sensitive to the growth conditions, and a long and thin nanowire was achieved at high V/III ratios. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ferromagnetic rutile CoxTi1–xO2–δ heteroepitaxy on wurtzite GaN and ZnO
Authors: Hirose Yasushi , Hitosugi Taro , Kasai Junpei , Furubayashi Yutaka , Nakajima Kiyomi , Chikyow Toyohiro , Konuma Seiji , Shimada Toshihiro , Hasegawa Tetsuya
Published: May 2008

Rutile CoxTi1–xO2–δ (100) films were heteroepitaxially grown on GaN (0001) and ZnO (0001) by pulsed laser deposition. Magneto‐optical Kerr effect measurements indicated that the CoxTi1–xO2–δ films grown at appropriate oxygen partial pressure show room‐temperature ferromagnetism both on GaN (0001) and ZnO (0001) substrate. XRD and cross‐sectional TEM measurements confirmed solid solution of Co in rutile TiO2 matrix without any precipitates and secondary phases. High‐resolution TEM observation of the CoxTi1–xO2–δ/GaN interface revealed atomically smooth interface without intermixing, which promises the application of CoxTi1–xO2–δ in opto‐spintronics devices as a spin injector. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural and optical properties of InN/GaN nanodots grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Chang Wen‐Hao , Lee Lin , Chen Ching‐Yu , Tsai Wen‐Che , Lin Hsuan , Chou Wu‐Ching , Lee Ming‐Chih , Chen Wei‐Kuo
Published: May 2008

InN nanodots grown on GaN by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using conventional growth mode as well as flow‐rate modulation epitaxy (FME) at various growth temperatures (550–730 °C) were investigated. We found that different precursor injection schemes together with the effect of growth temperatures greatly influenced the surface morphology of InN dots and their photoluminescence (PL) properties. The best growth efficiency of InN was achieved by FME at around 650 °C. The residual carrier concentration and PL efficiency was also be improved when a high growth temperature was used. Our results indicated that InN nanodots can be grown at a temperature even higher than 700 °C while maintain their optical quality. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ground state and vertical excitation energies of the diazene isomers with the coupled cluster method
Authors: Szopa Katarzyna , Musiał Monika , Kucharski Stanisław A.
Published: May 2008

State‐of‐the‐art coupled cluster methods were used to study ground and excited states of the diazene isomers. Three coupled cluster variants were applied in the ground state calculations: CCSD, CCSDT, and CCSDT(Qf) for basis sets up to aug‐cc‐pV5Z. The ground state equilibrium geometry was found using combination of the analytical and numerical gradients. The computed values compare very well with experimental data if the latter are available. The vertical excitation energies were obtained with the EOM‐CCSD and EOM‐CCSDT approaches for the same set of basis sets. The importance of the connected triple excitations in the accurate evaluation of the excitation energy is discussed. Out of the four lowest lying excited states studied for each isomer at least one belongs to the category for which an inclusion of triple excitations is crucial for its adequate description. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Structure and properties of disiloxane: An ab initio and post‐Hartree–Fock study
Authors: Al Derzi Afaf R. , Gregušová Adriana , Runge Keith , Bartlett Rodney J.
Published: May 2008

As a prototype of the SiOSi bonding region for silica modeling, especially the highly flexible SiOSi angle deformation, we studied the structure of disiloxane (H3SiOSiH3), with ab initio calculations on the SCF, MBPT (2), CCSD, and CCSD(T) levels of theory. The convergence of the results is studied for a series of basis sets of increasing quality. Large basis sets including f functions are necessary to obtain reliable results for the structure and the barrier to linearization of the molecule. The following structure and energy parameters are the results of CCSD(T)‐fc/cc‐pVTZ calculations: SiO distance is 1.645Å, the SiOSi angle 145.3°, and the barrier to linearization 0.48 kcal/mol. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Coupled‐cluster corrected MR‐CISD method with noniterative evaluation of connected triples
Authors: Meissner Leszek
Published: May 2008

The single‐reference coupled‐cluster (CC) analysis of the multi‐reference configuration interaction singles and doubles (MR‐CISD) wave function shows how the MR‐CISD results can be used to mimic more effective exponential cluster expansion. The CC corrections have been constructed relying on this analysis and used to improve the accuracy of the MR‐CISD energy and reduce the inextensivity error of the MR‐CISD method. Disconnected contributions that approximate those components which are not present in the MR‐CISD wave function generate the correction terms. Although the linear CI expansion is usually improved through the inclusion of disconnected contributions the coupled‐cluster methodology introduces a variety of corrections that, contrary to the CI case, account for higher excitation rank connected components. In this article, we present a combination of both approaches and illustrate its performance on some numerical examples. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Response of sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) riverine roosting habitat to changes in stage and sandbar morphology
Authors: Kinzel Paul J. , Nelson Jonathan M. , Heckman Ashley K.
Published: May 2008

Over the past century, flow regulation and vegetation encroachment have reduced active channel widths along the central Platte River, Nebraska. During the last two decades, an annual program of in‐channel vegetation management has been implemented to stabilize or expand active channel widths. Vegetation management practices are intended to enhance riverine habitats which include nocturnal roosting habitat for sandhill cranes. Evaluating the success of other management treatments such as streamflow modification requires an understanding of how flow shapes the sandbars in the river and how sandbar morphology interacts with flow to create crane habitat. These linkages were investigated along a 1‐km managed river reach by comparing the spatial pattern of riverine roosts and emergent sandbars identified with aerial infrared imagery to variables computed with a two‐dimensional hydraulic model. Nocturnal observations made multiple years showed that the area and patterns of riverine roosts and emergent sandbars and the densities of cranes within roosts changed with stage. Despite sandbar vegetation management, low flows were concentrated into incised channels rather than spread out over broad sandbars. The flow model was used to compute hydraulic variables for identical streamflows through two sandbar morphologies; one following a period of relatively high flow and the other following the low‐flow period. Compared with the simulation using the morphology from the antecedent high flow, the simulation using the morphology from the antecedent low flow produced a smaller quantity of available wetted area. These remote‐sensing observations and hydraulic simulations illustrate the importance of considering flow history when designing streamflows to manage in‐channel habitat for cranes. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chandelier cartridges in the prefrontal cortex are reduced in isolation reared rats
Authors: Bloomfield Claire , French Sarah J. , Jones Declan N.C. , Reavill Charlie , Southam Eric , Cilia Jackie , Totterdell Susan
Published: May 2008

Chandelier neurons are a subset of parvalbumin containing cortical interneurons characterised by their preferential targeting of the axon initial segments of pyramidal neurons. They have been the focus of recent interest after evidence that the arrays of boutons are reduced in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic patients, post mortem. Since one chandelier neuron may innervate the axon initial segments of several hundred pyramidal neurons, it is hypothesized that their special connectivity might facilitate synchronisation of cortical outputs and play a key role in working memory. Disruption in their function is therefore thought to play a potentially important role in cortically associated symptoms of schizophrenia. Using the isolation rearing animal model of schizophrenia, we examined immunolabelling for GABA‐transporter 1, a marker of chandelier cartridges. We show that the numbers of arrays of chandelier axons are reduced by 36% in the ventral prelimbic cortex of isolation‐reared rats, compared with their socially‐housed litter mates. This mimics findings in the PFC of schizophrenic patients where GAT‐1‐positive cartridges are reduced by 40% and is the first study to demonstrate changes in chandelier cartridges in an animal model of schizophrenia. Synapse 62:628–631, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Postnatal binge‐like alcohol exposure reduces spine density without affecting dendritic morphology in rat mPFC
Authors: Whitcher Lee T. , Klintsova Anna Y.
Published: May 2008

Among the deficits associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), cognitive impairments are the most debilitating and permanent. These impairments, including deficits in goal‐directed behavior, attention, temporal planning, and other executive functions, could result from damage to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), an area that has not been studied sufficiently in the context of FAS. Neuronal connectivity in this area, as measured by distribution of dendritic spines and the complexity of dendritic tree structure, can be influenced by exogenous variables other than alcohol, and the neuronal connectivity in other brain regions can be affected by alcohol exposure. The goal of this study was to determine whether binge‐like alcohol exposure on postnatal days (PD) 4–9 affects dendritic spine density and other dendritic tree parameters in mPFC that could possibly underlie functional damage. Rats were intubated with alcohol [5.25 g/kg/day; alcohol exposed (AE)], sham intubated (SI), or remained with the mother (SC, suckle control) on PD 4–9. Animals were sacrificed between PD 26 and PD 30 and brains were processed for Golgi‐Cox staining. Apical dendrite complexity and spine density were evaluated for layer III neurons in the mPFC using NeuroLucida software (MicroBrightField, Inc.). Spine density was significantly decreased in AE animals relative to SI and SC controls, but no differences in dendritic complexity were found across experimental groups. Our findings demonstrate that neonatal alcohol exposure has a persistent effect on the spine density in mPFC that can explain functional deficits in this cortical area. Synapse 62:566–573, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Depression, comorbidities and the TNF-α system
Authors: Himmerich H. , Fulda S. , Linseisen J. , Seiler H. , Wolfram G. , Himmerich S. , Gedrich K. , Kloiber S. , Lucae S. , Ising M. , Uhr M. , Holsboer F. , Pollmächer T.
Published: May 2008

Depression has frequently been reported to be associated with other physical diseases and changes in the cytokine system. We aimed to investigate associations between a medical history of depression, its comorbidities and cytokine plasma levels in the Bavarian Nutrition Survey II (BVS II) study sample and in patients suffering from an acute depressive episode.

The BVS II is a representative study of the Bavarian population aged 13–80 years. The disease history of its 1050 participants was assessed through face-to-face interviews. A sub-sample of 568 subjects and 62 additional acutely depressed inpatients of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry participated in anthropometric measurements and blood sampling. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and soluble TNF receptor (sTNF-R) p55 and sTNF-R p75 plasma levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

A history of depression was associated with a higher incidence of high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, dyslipoproteinemia, osteoporosis, allergic skin rash, atopic eczema and thyroid disease.

Within the BVS II sample, participants with a history of depression differed from subjects who had never had depression with regard to sTNF-R p55 and sTNF-R p75 levels even when controlling for age, BMI and smoking status. Acutely depressed inpatients showed even higher levels of sTNF-R p55 and sTNF-R p75 than subjects in the normal population. TNF-α levels were also significantly elevated in acutely depressed patients.

These results confirm earlier studies regarding the comorbidities of depression and support the hypothesis that activation of the TNF-α system may contribute to the development of a depressive disorder.
Tyrosine promotes oxidative stress in cerebral cortex of young rats
Authors: Sgaravatti Ângela M. , Vargas Bethânia A. , Zandoná Bernardo R. , Deckmann Kátia B. , Rockenbach Francieli J. , Moraes Tarsila B. , Monserrat José M. , Sgarbi Mirian B. , Pederzolli Carolina D. , Wyse Angela T.S. , Wannmacher Clóvis M.D. , Wajner Moacir , Dutra‐Filho Carlos Severo
Published: May 2008

Tyrosine accumulates in inborn errors of tyrosine catabolism, especially in tyrosinemia type II, where tyrosine levels are highly elevated in tissues and physiological fluids of affected patients. In tyrosinemia type II, high levels of tyrosine are correlated with eyes, skin and central nervous system disturbances. Considering that the mechanisms of brain damage in these disorders are poorly known, in the present study, we investigated whether oxidative stress is elicited by l‐tyrosine in cerebral cortex homogenates of 14‐day‐old Wistar rats. The in vitro effect of 0.1–4.0 mM l‐tyrosine was studied on the following oxidative stress parameters: total radical‐trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), total antioxidant reactivity (TAR), ascorbic acid content, reduced glutathione (GSH) content, spontaneous chemiluminescence, thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBA‐RS), thiol‐disulfide redox state (SH/SS ratio), protein carbonyl content, formation of DNA‐protein cross‐links, and the activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). TRAP, TAR, ascorbic acid content, SH/SS ratio and CAT activity were significantly diminished, while formation of DNA‐protein cross‐link was significantly enhanced by l‐tyrosine in vitro. In contrast, l‐tyrosine did not affect the other parameters of oxidative stress evaluated. These results indicate that l‐tyrosine decreases enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidant defenses, changes the redox state and stimulates DNA damage in cerebral cortex of young rats in vitro. This suggests that oxidative stress may represent a pathophysiological mechanism in tyrosinemic patients, in which this amino acid accumulates.
Physical distribution service performance and Internet retailer margins: The drop‐shipping context
Authors: Rabinovich Elliot , Rungtusanatham Manus , Laseter Timothy M.
Published: May 2008

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between Internet retailer margins and retailer promises regarding product distribution service. We focus particularly on Internet retailing in a drop‐ship context, because this model provides a purer separation of these activities and the related costs and constitutes a critical context for the empirical examination of the relationship between retailer margins and promises. Drawing upon retailer and consumer perspectives, we articulate and justify a set of propositions regarding the relationships among different Internet retailer margins and promised product distribution service performance. We examine a sample comprising over 2000 retail transactions with customers and find partial empirical support for the set of propositions. Specifically, the results show that product margins and the margins on shipping and handling are inversely proportional. We also find a direct relationship between promised product distribution service performance and shipping and handling margins even after key product characteristics known to influence the cost side of the margin equation are controlled for. These results confirm an intuitively logical view of the relationships among pricing and promised product distribution service performance. The study also offers insights for practitioners regarding the opportunity to enhance performance in this domain and demonstrates the benefit and power of employing objective measures drawn from the vast array of information captured via online transactions.
Innovations, challenges and future prospects of oncoproteomics
Authors: Jain Kewal K.
Published: May 2008

Oncoproteomics is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and management of cancer as well as in the development of personalized treatment of cancer. Innovative proteomic technologies relevant to cancer are described briefly, which are helping in the understanding of mechanism of drug resistance in cancer and will provide some leads to improve the management. Most important of these are nanoproteomics, i.e. application of nanobiotechnology to proteomics is playing an important role in nanooncology. Examples of some cancers will be given to point out the challenges and future prospects of oncoproteomics including those involving translation of technologies from the bench to the bedside.
Empirical performance of multifactor term structure models for pricing and hedging Eurodollar futures options
Authors: Kuo I‐Doun , Lin Yueh‐Neng
Published: May 2008

This article compares two one‐factor, two two‐factor, two three‐factor models in the HJM class and Black's [Black, F. (1976). The pricing of commodity contracts. Journal of Financial Economics, 3, 167–179.] implied volatility function in terms of their pricing and hedging performance for Eurodollar futures options across strikes and maturities from 1 Jan 2000 to 31 Dec 2002. We find that three‐factor models perform the best for 1‐day and 1‐week prediction, as well as for 5‐day and 20‐day hedging. The moneyness bias and the maturity bias appear for all models, but the three‐factor models produce lower bias. Three‐factor models also outperform other models in hedging, in particular for away‐from‐the‐money and long‐dated options. Making Black's volatility a square root or exponential function performs similar to one‐factor HJM models in pricing, but not in hedging. Correctly specified and calibrated multifactor models are thus important and cannot be replaced by one‐factor models in pricing or hedging interest rate contingent claims.
Trans-10,cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid does not increase body fat loss induced by energy restriction
Authors: Lasa Arrate , Churruca Itziar , Simón Edurne , Fernández-Quintela Alfredo , Rodríguez Victor Manuel , Portillo María Puy
Published: May 2008

Very little evidence exists concerning the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on body fat reduction induced by energy restriction. Moreover, although an effect oftrans-10,cis-12-CLA on lipolysis has been suggested, it has not been consistently shown. The aims of the present study were to determine whethertrans-10,cis-12-CLA increases the reduction of body fat induced by energy restriction, and to analyse its effect on lipolysis and adipose tissue lipase expression (hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose tissue TAG lipase (ATGL)). Male Syrian Golden hamsters were fed a high-fat diet during 7 weeks in order to make them fatter. Then they were submitted to a mild energy restriction (25 %) without or with supplementation of 0·5 %trans-10,cis-12-CLA for 3 weeks. Basal glycerol release and lipolysis stimulated by several drugs acting at different levels of the lipolytic cascade were measured in epididymal adipose tissue. The expression of HSL and ATGL was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. No differences were found in adipose tissues size between the experimental groups. Medium adipocyte size and total number of adipocytes were similar in both experimental groups. Animals fed the CLA-enriched diet showed similar lipolytic rates as well as HSL and ATGL expressions to the controls. In conclusion,trans-10,cis-12-CLA does not promote adipose tissue lipid mobilisation nor does it heighten body fat reduction induced by energy restriction. Consequently, this CLA isomer does not seem to be a useful tool to be included in body weight-loss strategies followed in obesity treatment.
Total plasma carotenoids and mortality in the elderly: results of the Epidemiology of Vascular Ageing (EVA) study
Authors: Akbaraly Tasnime N. , Favier Alain , Berr Claudine
Published: May 2008

Carotenoids are pigments found in fruits and vegetables. While high intakes of fruits and vegetables have been found to be associated with lower mortality, our objective is to investigate if total plasma carotenoids, via their antioxidant properties, are associated with mortality risk in a free-living elderly population. The ‘Epidemiology of Vascular Ageing’ (EVA) study (n1389; 59–71 years) is a 9-year longitudinal study with six waves of follow-up. The association between baseline total plasma carotenoids and mortality was determined by Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Low total plasma carotenoid level was significantly associated with all-cause mortality in men but not in women. After controlling for potential confounding factors, mortality risk increased significantly in men (P = 0·03) with plasma carotenoids in the lowest quintile compared with men with plasma carotenoids in the highest (relative risk 2·94 (95 % CI 1·21, 7·17)). A significant association between mortality by cancer and low plasma carotenoid level variable was also found in men (unit = 1 μmol/l; relative risk 1·72 (95 % CI 1·02, 2·86);P = 0·01). Associations between total plasma carotenoids and mortality risk remained statistically significant after taking into account: (1) plasma Se level, which previously was found associated with mortality in this population and (2) thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances level considered as an indicator of oxidative stress. By showing, prospectively, in a general healthy elderly population, that total plasma carotenoid levels were independently associated with mortality risk in men, the present study suggests that total plasma carotenoid levels could be a health indicator in elderly populations.
Localization of carbohydrate determinants common toBiomphalaria glabrataas well as to sporocysts and miracidia ofSchistosoma mansoni
Authors: LEHR T. , BEUERLEIN K. , DOENHOFF M. J. , GREVELDING C. G. , GEYER R.
Published: May 2008

The presence of antigenic carbohydrate epitopes shared byBiomphalaria glabrataas well as by the sporocysts and miracidia representing snail-pathogenic larval stages ofSchistosoma mansoniwas assayed by immunohistochemical staining of paraformaldehyde-fixed tissues. To this end, both polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised against soluble egg antigens (SEA) ofS. mansoniand monoclonal antibodies recognizing the carbohydrate epitopes LDN [GalNAc(β1-4)GlcNAc(β1-)], F-LDN [Fuc(α1-3)GalNAc(β1-4)GlcNAc(β1-)], LDN-F [GalNAc(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-3)]GlcNAc(β1-)], LDN-DF [GalNAc(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-2)Fuc(α1-3)]GlcNAc(β1-)] and Lewis X [Gal(β1-4)[Fuc(α1-3)]GlcNAc(β1-)] were used. Intriguingly, anti-SEA serum as well as anti-F-LDN antibodies displayed significant binding in the foot region, anterior tissue and the hepatopancreas of uninfected snails, whereas the Lewis X epitope was only weakly detectable in the latter tissue. In contrast, increased binding of antibodies recognizing LDN, LDN-F and LDN-DF was observed in infected snail tissue, in particular in regions involved in sporocystogenesis, in addition to an enhanced binding of anti-SEA serum and antibodies reacting with F-LDN. A pronounced expression of most of these carbohydrate antigens was also observed at the surface of miracidia. Hence, the detection of shared carbohydrate determinants in uninfected snail tissue, sporocysts and miracidia may support the hypothesis of carbohydrate-based molecular mimicry as a survival strategy ofS. mansoni.
Phonological memory and children's second language grammar learning
Authors: FRENCH LEIF M. , O'BRIEN IRENA
Published: May 2008

This study examined the role of phonological memory in second language (L2) grammar learning in a group of native French-speaking children undergoing a 5-month intensive English program. Phonological memory (as referenced by Arabic [ANWR] and English [ENWR] nonword repetition tasks), L2 vocabulary (receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge), and L2 grammar (knowledge of morphosyntactic structures) were assessed during the first (Time 1) and last (Time 2) month of the program. After controlling for initial grammar ability, phonological memory significantly predicted grammar development (27.9% of variance explained) in addition to the contribution made by vocabulary knowledge (9.5% of variance explained). Although phonological memory ability as measured by ENWR increased between Time 1 and Time 2, ANWR did not improve. The findings show that phonological memory plays an important role in L2 grammar development that is unmediated by lexical knowledge. They also provide evidence that phonological memory improves with language development, but that basic phonological memory capacity (as measured by ANWR in this study) remains unchanged over time.
Why do low-income women not use food stamps? Findings from the California Women’s Health Survey
Authors: Kaiser Lucia
Published: May 2008

Objective

To determine factors associated with Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation in a potentially eligible California population.

Design

The California Women’s Health Survey is an on-going annual telephone survey that collects data about health-related attitudes and behaviours from a randomly selected sample of women. Statistical procedures includedχ2and logistic regression.

Setting

California, USA, from 2002 to 2004.

Subjects

A total of 527 FSP female participants and 1405 potentially eligible non-participant females, aged 18 years and older.

Results

The following characteristics remained independently and positively related to FSP participation: single mother with children; unemployed; on welfare; on WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children); and US-born. Women under 25 years and those over 54 years were less likely to participate than women aged 25–54 years. Hispanic/Latino ethnicity was also negatively related to participation. Over 42 % of potentially eligible non-participants cited ‘don’t need them’ as the reason for not applying for FSP, but 34·9 % either do not think they are eligible or do not know how to apply. Potentially eligible non-participants who cite ‘don’t need them’ as a reason for not applying are less likely to be food insecure, to have inadequate income and to use alternative emergency aid, compared to women citing all other reasons. The highest level of need is among those who cite worry about citizenship or stigma as reasons for not applying.

Conclusion

Strategies to increase participation in FSP should incorporate messages that change the public’s perception of the programme, in addition to simplifying the application process, raising awareness of eligibility criteria and improving customer service.
The predictive value of different socio-economic indicators for overweight in nine European countries
Authors: Roskam Albert-Jan R , Kunst Anton E
Published: May 2008

Objectives

To assess which socio-economic indicator best predicts overweight in the European Union: educational attainment, occupational class or household income.

Setting

The prevalence of overweight is strongly related to socio-economic position. The relative importance of different socio-economic dimensions is uncertain, and might vary between countries.

Design and subjects

Cross-sectional self-report data of the European Community Household Panel were obtained from nine countries (n 52 855; age 25–64 years). Uni- and multivariate regression analyses were employed to predict overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) in relationship to socio-economic indicators. Occupational class was measured using the new European Socioeconomic Classification.

Results

Large socio-economic differences in overweight were observed in all countries, especially for women. For both sexes, a low educational attainment was the strongest predictor of overweight. After controlling for education, overweight was negatively related to household income in women, but positively in men. Similar patterns were found for occupational class. For women, but not for men, educational inequalities in overweight were generally greater in Southern European countries. A similar pattern of inequalities in overweight was observed for all ages between 25 and 64 years.

Conclusions

Across Europe, overweight was more strongly and more consistently related to educational attainment than to occupational class or household income. People with lower educational attainment should be a specific target group for programmes and policies that aim to prevent overweight.
Mars before the Space Age
Authors: Jones Barrie W.
Published: May 2008

Mars has surely been scrutinised since the dawn of humankind. Its appearance every couple of years like a drop of blood in the sky led to warlike attributes in the ancient world. In the 16th century Tycho Brahe made accurate observations of the position of Mars that enabled Johannes Kepler to obtain his first two laws of planetary motion. These in turn were explained by Newton's laws of motion and gravity. In the 17th century the first telescope observations were made, but Mars is small and very little surface detail could be discerned.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries telescopes improved, revealing many dark areas on the red tinted surface. During the close opposition of 1877 sufficient detail could be seen that enabled Giovanni Schiaparelli to announce that he could see about 40 canali on Mars. This led to the saga of the canals of Mars, finally laid to rest in 1971 when Mariner 9 made observations from Martian orbit showing that the canali/canals do not exist.

Belief that there was life on Mars was widespread in the 19th century. However, the majority of astronomers never believed in Martian intelligence. Least controversial was the view that the dark areas were some form of plant life. This view persisted until Mariner 4 flew past Mars in 1965 and discovered a far thinner atmosphere than previously thought. This was a low point, with impact craters dominating the images. It was Mariner 9 that revealed much more promising landscapes, including volcanic features, and others indicating that water had flowed across the surface, particularly when Mars was young. Thus, the contemporary era of Mars exploration began.

Our picture of Mars today is not only much more complete than that before Mariner 4, in several ways it is quite different. The belief, however, that there might be life on Mars persists – subsurface life cannot be ruled out and, failing that, there might be ancient fossils on Mars.
Iris Marion Young: Legacies for Feminist Theory
Authors: Mansbridge Jane
Published: May 2008

Iris Marion Young was a fighter for justice and against oppression. A strong commitment, a commitment there as long as any of us had known her, fueled her writing and her activism. Her feminism was part of that commitment to justice. Her attention and sensitivity to the oppression of others was informed by an acute eye to the ways she herself—and all women—have to face the threats of economic exploitation, social marginalization, powerlessness, cultural hegemony, and systematic violence.
The Pragmatics of Iris Marion Young's Feminist Historical Materialism
Authors: Hawkesworth Mary
Published: May 2008

How do we make sense of the contradictory claims embedded in these two views articulated by the same scholar over a 15-year interval? Is the mature feminist philosopher writing in the leading journal of feminist scholarship in 1994 repudiating the neophyte socialist feminist who published in Socialist Review? Are we glimpsing a familiar feminist trajectory from Marxism to socialist feminism to poststructuralism? Do these two claims represent a discursive shift in how one writes feminist theory or a change in philosophical views?
Reflections on Iris Marion Young's Justice and the Politics of Difference
Authors: Ackelsberg Martha , Shanley Mary Lyndon
Published: May 2008

In this brief contribution, we highlight some of the ways Iris Marion Young's Justice and the Politics of Difference has served as both a touchstone and a challenge to feminist political theorists struggling to deal with the complexities of “equality” and community. We look briefly at three seemingly different cases, showing how Young's critique of impartiality in this book helps to illuminate what is wrong with the recent Supreme Court decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools vs. Seattle School District No. 1 et al. It also helps us clarify our thinking about how to remedy unequal access to reproductive technologies and shows how the recognition of group difference is an important counterweight to a false universality.
Phenomenology and Structure: The Binocular Vision of Iris Marion Young
Authors: Kruks Sonia
Published: May 2008

In 1990, the same year Iris Marion Young published Justice and the Politics of Difference, she also published a volume of essays called Throwing Like a Girl and Other Essays in Feminist Philosophy and Social Theory. The title essay in this volume, along with several others in the same volume, explores a range of women's embodied and sentient experiences, using a style of phenomenology explicitly indebted to the work of Simone de Beauvoir and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.
House, Home and Homeland
Authors: Pateman Carole
Published: May 2008

I would like to begin with an observation about Iris Marion Young's legacy. She has set us very high standards. Her approach to justice was far from the Rawlsian notion that the way to proceed is to consider what principles we would agree to if we were in some ideal, hypothetical situation. She was concerned with the here and now: What does justice ask of us in a very unequal, unjust, and hardly democratic world? She insisted that justice has exacting requirements. She questioned “the common intuition that the moral claims of justice ought not to be too demanding on individuals” (2004, 383). As members of the privileged rich part of the world's population, we have a responsibility to do all that we can to further justice, but she also argued that the oppressed too should do whatever they could. She wanted us to get out of our academic offices, at least sometimes, into the real world—and, unusually, she did so. She practised what she preached.
Women Rule: Shattering the Executive Glass Ceiling
Authors: Jalalzai Farida
Published: May 2008

“When we inaugurate a President of the United States we give a man the powers of our highest office.”

Richard Neustadt, preface to the first edition of Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents, 1960

Using qualitative and quantitative techniques, this article compares nearly all cases of women presidents and prime ministers in power between 1960 through 2007. In a comparative gender analysis, I focus on the impact of institutional and structural factors on the ways in which women acquire their positions and on the type of executive authority exercised. Women are more likely to enter office when their powers are relatively few and constrained. The political systems in which they lead generally feature fragmented executive power arrangements, including a dual executive structure. Women also enter in politically unstable contexts and in countries lacking political institutionalization, frequently as members of privileged groups. Findings indicate that comparative politics research needs to explore the gendered connections between executive positions and authority, power, and independence.
Continuous Change, Episodes, and Critical Periods: A Framework for Understanding Women's Political Representation over Time
Authors: Hughes Melanie M. , Paxton Pamela
Published: May 2008

In recent decades, scholars have documented remarkable changes in women's political representation around the world. At present, however, researchers are ill-equipped to explain these changes in women's representation in politics. In this article, we introduce a broad theoretical framework for reorienting existing explanations of women's formal political representation to account for change over time. We conceptualize stasis and growth in women's political representation as the balance between forces of resistance and forces for change. We also classify forces by timing, distinguishing among those that are continuous, are episodic, and have originated from critical periods. Using data on women in national legislatures from 1945 to 2003, we find that longitudinal forces combine to produce four common trajectories of women's political representation across time. We also discuss how various approaches, including event history analysis, latent growth curve models, and the focused ethnographic revisit, are well suited for modeling the different types of forces that combine to produce these trajectories. Overall, we argue that implementing a longitudinal framework for understanding women's political representation has the power both to alter the way we think about established findings and to suggest new theories for empirical evaluation.
A new sectarian threat in the Middle East?
Authors: Hiltermann Joost
Published: May 2008

A Shiite resurgence in Iraq has generated a region-wide Sunni backlash, raising fears of an emerging sectarian rift that is colouring and aggravating local conflicts. After discussing the schism's origins, manifestations and implications, the author concludes that the primary battle in the region is not between Sunnis and Shiites but between the United States and Iran. A US–Iranian rapprochement would do much to reduce sectarian tensions, while the most effective long-term response to sectarianism itself will likely come from systemic restraints that exist in the form of countervailing loyalties that prevent any single allegiance, such as religious adherence, from becoming paramount.
Occupation in Iraq since 2003 and the powers of the UN Security Council
Authors: Kolb Robert
Published: May 2008

This article provides a summary analysis of the topical question of how far the Security Council may derogate from occupation law. The answer is that the Council may not derogate from those provisions of IHL that are of a specifically humanitarian nature (humanitarian ordre public), that derogations from international law or IHL are in any case not to be presumed and that the Council has not derogated in any way from occupation law in the case of the occupation of Iraq since 2003.
The media and Iraq: a blood bath for and gross dehumanization of Iraqis
Authors: Kuttab Daoud
Published: May 2008

The war in Iraq has been accompanied by the highest ever number of casualties among members of the Iraqi and foreign press. While the end of the Saddam Hussein regime has reopened the way for vibrant media activity, the absence of security for members of the media has had a high human cost. The US-led war on Iraq, which was aimed at liberating its people from authoritarian rule, has not seen any serious attempt by the Western or even Arab media to focus on the human side of Iraq. Iraqi civilian death tolls are treated as nothing more than statistics.
Humanitarian implications of the wars in Iraq
Authors: Ahmed Al Samaraie Nasir
Published: May 2008

The current situation in Iraq could be described as a “war on civilians”, for it mainly affects the livelihood and well-being of the civilian population, while serious security problems prevent the Iraqi people from leading a normal life. Going beyond the direct victims of the conflict, this article deals with the daily problems faced by Iraqi society, namely the lack of security in terms of housing, education and health care, as well as protection for the more vulnerable such as women and children. The forcible eviction of many Iraqis is, however, the main problem threatening the basic cohesion of Iraqi society.
Iraq's refugees: ignored and unwanted
Authors: Harper Andrew
Published: May 2008

The article provides a brief overview of the scale and characteristics of Iraq's refugee population as well as their protection and assistance needs in asylum countries. It also reviews their relative impact on neighbouring states and the sustainability of recent returns.
International humanitarian law and its implementation in Iraq
Authors: Al Hassani Zouhair
Published: May 2008

Despite the fact that four years have elapsed since the end of the major combat operations on 9 April 2003 and that the occupation formally ended on 30 June 2004, completion of the requirements for national sovereignty in accordance with the various resolutions of the UN Security Council has not been achieved. The author explains the different rules which were and are applicable to the situation in Iraq and presents the current humanitarian problems from the perspective of international humanitarian law.
A comparison of Neutral Atom Detector Unit neutral atom image inversion with a comprehensive ring current model
Authors: Tang C. L. , Lu L. , McKenna‐Lawlor S. , Barabash S. , Liu Z. X. , Fok M.‐C. , Li Z. Y.
Published: May 2008

We present energetic neutral atom (ENA) images in the energy range 45 to 50 keV for H and 92 to 138 keV for O measured by the Neutral Atom Detector Unit (NUADU) onboard Double Star TC‐2 during a geomagnetic storm on 8 May 2005. We compare the ion fluxes deduced from inversion of the NUADU image with those calculated using the Comprehensive Ring Current Model (CRCM). This comparison shows that the two approaches are consistent when used to derive the configuration of the corresponding global ion distribution and the peak ion fluxes. The deduced peak ion flux is located in the premidnight sector at 1540 UT, while the deduced ion peak flux is located in the midnight sector at 1610 UT. There are strong ion fluxes in the region between L = 2 and L = 4 which form a closed loop configuration. The ion peak flux is about 2.2 × 106/cm2/sr/keV/s. The deduced ion distribution agrees well with the NUADU measurement. The agreement between the inverted ion distributions and the CRCM results give us confidence in applying our ENA imaging and modeling techniques to the study of the evolution of the inner magnetosphere plasma distribution and the global dynamics of the ring current during magnetic storms.
Interplanetary conditions causing intense geomagnetic storms (Dst ≤ −100 nT) during solar cycle 23 (1996–2006)
Authors: Echer E. , Gonzalez W. D. , Tsurutani B. T. , Gonzalez A. L. C.
Published: May 2008

The interplanetary causes of intense geomagnetic storms and their solar dependence occurring during solar cycle 23 (1996–2006) are identified. During this solar cycle, all intense (Dst ≤ −100 nT) geomagnetic storms are found to occur when the interplanetary magnetic field was southwardly directed (in GSM coordinates) for long durations of time. This implies that the most likely cause of the geomagnetic storms was magnetic reconnection between the southward IMF and magnetopause fields. Out of 90 storm events, none of them occurred during purely northward IMF, purely intense IMFByfields or during purely high speed streams. We have found that the most important interplanetary structures leading to intense southwardBz(and intense magnetic storms) are magnetic clouds which drove fast shocks (sMC) causing 24% of the storms, sheath fields (Sh) also causing 24% of the storms, combined sheath and MC fields (Sh+MC) causing 16% of the storms, and corotating interaction regions (CIRs), causing 13% of the storms. These four interplanetary structures are responsible for three quarters of the intense magnetic storms studied. The other interplanetary structures causing geomagnetic storms were: magnetic clouds that did not drive a shock (nsMC), non magnetic clouds ICMEs, complex structures resulting from the interaction of ICMEs, and structures resulting from the interaction of shocks, heliospheric current sheets and high speed stream Alfvén waves. During the rising phase of the solar cycle, sMC and sheaths are the dominant structure driving intense storms. At solar maximum, sheath fields, followed by Sh+MCs and then by sMC were responsible for most of the storms. During the declining phase, sMC, Sh and CIR fields are the main interplanetary structures leading to intense storms. We have also observed that around 70% of the storms follow the interplanetary criteria ofEy≥ 5 mV/m for at least 3 h. Around 90% of the storms used in the study followed a less stringent set of criteria:Ey≥ 3 mV/m for at least 3 h. Finally, we obtain the approximate rate of intense magnetic storms per solar cycle phases: minimum/rising phase 3 storms.year−1, maximum phase 8.5 storms.year−1, and declining/minimum phases 6.5 storms.year−1.