bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sequence requirements for Nα‐terminal acetylation of yeast proteins by NatA
Authors: Perrot Michel , Massoni Aurélie , Boucherie Hélian
Published: July 2008

NatA is the major N‐terminal acetyltransferase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we took advantage of our recent data on N‐terminal acetylation of proteins of the yeast protein map to update the list of proteins with known NatA‐dependent acetylation status. Furthermore, using the information available on the acetylation status of 100 novel proteins, we re‐examined the rules for acetylation by NatA. The results refine our previous knowledge on NatA substrate specificity depending on the N‐terminal and penultimate residues. In particular, we found that the acetylation frequencies of Ser‐, Thr‐ and Ala‐, the three residues most often acetylated by NatA, are higher than previously reported. In addition, comparison of the N‐terminal region of acetylated and non‐acetylated proteins revealed differences in amino acid composition that extend over the 25 first amino acid residues: acetylated proteins are characterized by a higher frequency of glutamate and glutamine and a lower frequency of lysine, arginine and histidine. We suggest that the particularities in amino acid composition of the N‐terminal region of acetylated proteins facilitate its interaction with the Nat1p subunit of NatA and its guidance to the catalytic subunit Ard1p. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of heterochromatin in suppressing subtelomeric recombination in fission yeast
Authors: Bisht Kamlesh Kumar , Arora Sumit , Ahmed Shakil , Singh Jagmohan
Published: July 2008

Telomere length is regulated by a complex interplay of several factors, including telomerase, telomere‐binding proteins, DNA replication machinery and recombination. In yeast, DNA polymerase α is required for de novo synthesis of telomeres from broken ends of DNA, and it also suppresses the elongation of normal telomeric repeats. Heterochromatin proteins Clr1–Clr4 and Swi6 and DNA polα organize heterochromatin structure at mating type, centromere, rDNA and telomere regions that are refractory to transcription and recombination in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here, we have addressed the role of heterochromatin structure in regulating the integrity and organization of telomeric regions. Here, we show that subtelomeric duplication and rearrangements occur in polα and heterochromatin mutants and find that some of the putative duplication events are dependent on the Rad50 pathway. Thus, our study shows a role of heterochromatin in maintaining the integrity of the subtelomeric regions by suppressing their recombination in Sz. pombe. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Group similarity transformation of a non‐Newtonian laminar flow past a vertical plate
Authors: Kassem M.M.
Published: July 2008

The heat and mass transfer of a non‐Newtonian fluid past a continuous moving vertical sheet subjected to constant heat flux is analyzed using the group similarity transformation method. The nonlinear coupled partial differential equation governing the flow and the boundary conditions are transformed to a system of ordinary differential equations with appropriate boundary conditions. Two cases for the external flow are analytically obtained during the transformation process. One is new; uw = x/t, while the other corresponds to Falkner–Skan case. For both cases the ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using the shooting method. The effect of Prandtl and Reynolds numbers as well as the fluid flow index n on the velocity and temperature of the boundary‐layer, is investigated. A comparison with previous numerical work is then presented.
Singular limit of FitzHugh‐Nagumo equations on a sphere
Authors: Lou B. , Zhou L.
Published: July 2008

We study FitzHugh‐Nagumo equations in heterogeneous media on a sphere. When the coefficient of the reaction term is much larger than the diffusion coefficient, a sharp interface appears. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, we formally show that the motion of such an interface depends on its geodesic curvature.
On crack problem with overlapping domain
Authors: Khludnev A.M.
Published: July 2008

Overlapping domain problem describing an equilibrium state for two elastic bodies with a crack is analyzed. Nonlinear boundary conditions are considered providing a mutual non‐penetration between the crack faces. We prove a solution existence for the problem with suitable boundary conditions imposed at a glue set. The main interest of the paper is the derivative of the energy functional with respect to the crack length. Assuming the rigidity of the second body is increasing to infinity a convergence in the formula for the derivative of energy functionals is established.
Activity budgets and the relationship between feeding and stereotypic behaviors in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in a Zoo
Authors: Rees Paul A.
Published: July 2008

Activity budgets were studied in eight Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at Chester Zoo (UK) for 35 days, between January and November 1999. Recordings were made between 10:00 and 16:00 hr (with most behavior frequencies calculated between 10:00 and 14:00 hr). The elephants exhibited variation in activity depending on their age, sex, the time of day and the time of year. Only the five adult cows exhibited stereotypic behavior, with frequencies ranging from 3.9 to 29.4% of all observations. These elephants exhibited individual, diurnal and seasonal variation in stereotypic behavior. This has implications for studies that use short sampling periods and may make comparisons of data collected at different times of the day or year invalid. The six adult elephants spent 27.4–41.4% of the time feeding (between 10:00 and 14:00 hr), 22.9–42.0% standing still, 6.1–19.2% walking and 3.9–9.6% dusting.

The hypothesis that the frequency of stereotypic behavior in adult cow elephants was negatively correlated with the frequency of feeding behavior was tested and was found to be true. Stereotypic behavior increased in frequency toward the end of the day—while waiting to return to the elephant house for food—and elephants spent more time stereotyping during the winter months than during the summer months. Elephants were inactive (i.e. exhibited behaviors other than locomotion) for between 70.1 and 93.9% of the time. Creating more opportunities for elephants to exhibit foraging behavior and the introduction of greater unpredictability into management regimes, especially feeding times, may reduce the frequency of stereotypic behavior and increase general activity levels. Zoo Biol 28:79–97, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Erratum to On the morphological instability of silicon/silicon dioxide nanowires
Authors: Kolb F. M. , Hofmeister H. , Zacharias M. , Gösele U.
Published: July 2008

A typing error unfortunately lead to a wrong expression on page 1406 in the paragraph between equations (1) and (2).
Neurological findings in Hunter disease: Pathology and possible therapeutic effects reviewed
Authors: Al Sawaf S. , Mayatepek E. , Hoffmann B.
Published: July 2008

Hunter disease (mucopolysaccharidosis type II, MPS II) is an X‐linked lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of iduronate‐2‐sulfatase. Accumulation of chondroitin sulfate B and heparan sulfate in various tissues is the biochemical consequence of MPS II. Children with Hunter disease are normal at birth, and symptoms occur between 2 and 10 years of age. Typical symptoms include coarse facies with enlarged tongue and prominent forehead as well as a short, stocky built stature with short neck. The cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems may be affected, and oral, dermatological and psychiatric as well as neurological complications are described. Life expectancy is markedly reduced and may be limited to 12 years for severely affected patients. The most common causes of death are airway obstruction and cardiac failure. The most severe symptoms may result from neurological symptoms or complications including hydrocephalus, spinal cord compression, cervical myelopathy, optic nerve compression, and hearing impairment. Patients may also develop carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep apnoea, seizures or mental retardation. This review describes characteristic neurological manifestations in MPS II and its underlying pathophysiology. In addition, an appraisal is given whether or not enzyme replacement therapy may be able to improve in particular the neurological symptoms of Hunter disease.
Independence of restrictive filling pattern and LV ejection fraction with mortality in heart failure: An individual patient meta‐analysis
Authors:   Meta‐analysis Research Group in Echocardiography (MeRGE) Heart Failure Collaborators
Published: July 2008

Background:

The Doppler echocardiographic restrictive mitral filling pattern (RFP) is an important prognostic indicator in patients with heart failure (HF), but the interaction between RFP, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and filling pattern remains uncertain.

Aims:

To determine whether the RFP is predictive of mortality independently of LVEF in patients with HF.

Methods:

Online databases were searched to identify studies assessing the relationship between prognosis and LV filling pattern in patients with HF. Individual patient data from 18 studies (3540 patients) were extracted and collated at the MeRGE Coordinating Centre (The University of Auckland).

Results:

Overall, RFP was associated with higher all‐cause mortality than the non‐restrictive filling pattern: hazard ratio 2.42 (95% CI 2.06, 2.83). In multivariable analysis the RFP, LVEF, NYHA class and age were independent predictors of mortality. The prevalence of the RFP was inversely related to LVEF but remained a predictor of mortality even in those patients with preserved LVEF.

Conclusions:

The restrictive mitral filling pattern is a powerful predictor of mortality, independent of LVEF and age, in patients with HF. Doppler‐derived LV filling patterns are an accessible marker from echocardiography that can readily be incorporated in risk stratification of all patients with HF.
Type D personality and depressive symptoms are independent predictors of impaired health status in chronic heart failure☆
Authors: Schiffer Angélique A. , Pedersen Susanne S. , Widdershoven Jos W. , Denollet Johan
Published: July 2008

Objective:

To examine whether Type D personality exerts a stable, independent effect on health status in CHF over time, adjusted for depressive symptoms.

Subjects:

CHF outpatients (n=166; 75% men; mean age 66 years) completed the Type D Scale and Beck Depression Inventory (baseline) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire and Short‐Form Health Survey (baseline and 12 months).

Results:

There was a general improvement in disease‐specific physical (p=.029) and mental (p<.001) health over time, but Type D patients scored significantly lower on both outcomes (p≤.001). The interaction effects Type D × time were not significant, indicating stability of the personality effect. Type D patients also scored significantly lower on all generic physical (p values between .001 and .04) and mental (all p values <.001) health status subdomains; these effects were also stable over time. Type D was an independent predictor of disease‐specific mental health (p<.001), social functioning (p=.04), role emotional functioning (p<.001), bodily pain (p=.05), and general health (p=.04), adjusted for depressive symptoms, baseline health status and clinical characteristics. Depressive symptom was an independent predictor of role physical functioning and bodily pain.

Conclusions:

Type D personality and depressive symptoms were independent predictors of impaired health status in CHF.
Phosphorylation of U24 from Human Herpes Virus type 6 (HHV‐6) and its potential role in mimicking myelin basic protein (MBP) in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Tait Andrew R. , Straus Suzana K.
Published: July 2008

MINT‐6613181:

MAPK (uniprotkb:P28482) phosphorylates (MI:0217) MBP (uniprotkb:P02687) by protein kinase assay (MI:0424)

MINT‐6613171, MINT‐6613190:

MAPK (uniprotkb:P28482) phosphorylates (MI:0217) U24 (uniprotkb:Q69559) by protein kinase assay (MI:0424)
Serum starvation induces H2AX phosphorylation to regulate apoptosis via p38 MAPK pathway
Authors: Lu Chengrong , Shi Ying , Wang Zhe , Song Zhihong , Zhu Meicai , Cai Qing , Chen Tao
Published: July 2008

Phosphorylation of H2AX is believed to be associated with the repair of damaged DNA. Recent findings suggest a novel function of H2AX in cellular apoptosis. Specifically, it was shown that ultraviolet A‐activated JNK phosphorylates H2AX to regulate apoptosis. Here we show that serum starvation induces H2AX phosphorylation and apoptosis independent of the JNK pathway. Serum starvation induced p38 phosphorylation, whereas it did not affect the phosphorylation of ERK or JNK. Inhibition of p38 reduced H2AX phosphorylation and apoptosis. Furthermore, p38 was found to phosphorylate H2AX directly in vitro and was colocalized with H2AX in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that H2AX phosphorylation is required for serum starvation‐induced apoptosis. Taken together, these data elucidate a novel signaling pathway (p38/H2AX) to regulate apoptosis.
Dehydroascorbate and glucose are taken up into Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures by two distinct mechanisms
Authors: Horemans N. , Szarka A. , De Bock M. , Raeymaekers T. , Potters G. , Levine M. , Banhégyi G. , Guisez Y.
Published: July 2008

The possible involvement of glucose (Glc) carriers in the uptake of vitamin C in plant cells is still a matter of debate. For the first time, it was shown here that plant cells exclusively take up the oxidised dehydroascorbate (DHA) form. DHA uptake is not affected by 6‐bromo‐6‐deoxy‐ascorbate, an ascorbate (ASC) analogue, specifically demonstrating ASC uptake in animal cells. There is no competition between Glc and DHA uptake. Moreover, DHA and Glc carriers respond in the opposite manner to different inhibitors (cytochalasin B, phloretin and genistein). In conclusion, the plant plasma membrane DHA carrier is distinct from the plant Glc transporters.
Prion infection of mice transgenic for human APPSwe: increased accumulation of cortical formic acid extractable Aβ(1–42) and rapid scrapie disease development
Authors: Baier Michael , Apelt Jenny , Riemer Constanze , Gültner Sandra , Schwarz Anja , Bamme Theresa , Burwinkel Michael , Schliebs Reinhard
Published: July 2008

Neuropathological, epidemiological and experimental data indicate a potential interrelationship between Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases. Proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β‐secretase was recently suggested to be controlled by prion protein expression. Here, we characterized the prion infection of Tg2576 mice, which overexpress the human APPSwe protein. Prion infection of Tg2576‐mice led to an early death of the animals, which was preceded by a relatively short symptomatic stage. However, disease‐associated gliosis and deposition of misfolded prion protein PrPSc were identical in infected Tg2576‐mice and non‐transgenic littermate controls. To analyze the effect of prion infection on APP processing and generation of β‐amyloid we determined cortical levels of SDS‐ and formic acid (FA)‐extractable forms of β‐amyloid (1–40) and (1–42) by ELISA. Formic acid‐extractable Aβ (1–42) levels were 10‐fold higher in infected versus uninfected Tg2576 mice whereas other forms of Aβ were essentially unaffected by the prion infection. Hence, the experimental model demonstrates that a prion infection of the CNS promotes selectively formation of FA‐extractable Aβ(1–42) in Tg2576 mice.
Effects of ethanol on the development of genetically determined epilepsies in rats
Authors: Russo Emilio , Citraro Rita , De Fazio Salvatore , Torcasio Giovanni , De Sarro Giovambattista , Di Paola Eugenio Donato
Published: July 2008

In the present study, we provide evidences for a differential effect of perinatal alcohol exposure with a direct correlation to the genetic background on the development of seizures. Ethanol (EtOH) is a widely used psychoactive substance that exerts its action by affecting multiple targets in the central nervous system. EtOH is known to interact with almost all identified neurotransmitters although its effects on excitatory and inhibitory amino acid neurotransmissions are considered to be particularly important in the mediation of its behavioural effects. Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a wide variety of offspring's abnormalities which lead to the so called foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is also related to a higher susceptibility to convulsions. In our study, a rat strain of convulsive epilepsy, the GEPRs rats, displayed an increase of seizure susceptibility after foetal exposure to this teratogenic drug, while a non‐convulsive rat strain of absence epilepsy, the WAG/Rij rat, did not fully develop its characteristic features. However, when all groups of rat where tested for pentyletetrazole‐induced convulsion, animals perinatally treated with ethanol were less responsive in comparison to their respective controls. These results are in agreement with previous reports showing how the genetic background can directly influence the teratogenic effects of alcohol, and this can be strictly related to the variability in the observation of offspring anomalies in humans which has lead to a 5‐category classification system for individuals exposed to alcohol in uterus.
Dynamic Cellular Adhesion Mediated by Copolymeric Nanofilm Substrates
Authors: Shin Eric , Chen Mark , Daram Shiva , Samuel Siby , Gupta Suraj , Robinson Erik , Pierstorff Erik , Ho Dean
Published: July 2008

Amphiphilic block copolymers are finding increased potential in biological and medical research due to their innate alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks/segments that can be used to package therapeutics, or coat a broad array of biological interfaces. Some studies are already directed toward using these copolymers' ability to form micelles or vesicles to develop novel methods of drug delivery to prevent inflammation or pro-cancer activity. Our study, however, aims to investigate the more fundamental cell—block copolymer interaction for use in protective nanofilms to prevent biofouling of non-tissue-based implantable devices. Block copolymers could potentially fill the demand for biologically inert, highly functionalizable biomaterials desirable for this type of application. Two such polymers used in our study include polymethyloxazoline—polydimethylsiloxane—polymethyloxazoline (PMOXA—PDMS—PMOXA) triblock copolymer and polyethylene oxide-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PEO—PMMA) diblock copolymer. Each block copolymer possesses hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks that enable it to mimic the cell lipid membrane. So far we have shown that triblock copolymer is capable of inhibiting the accumulation of murine macrophages onto glass substrates. Preliminary evidence has suggested that the triblock copolymer has anti-adsorptive and noninflammatory capabilities during short incubation periods (7 days) in vitro. While the diblock copolymer displays minimal anti-adsorptive activities, nanofilms comprising a mixture of the two copolymers were able to significantly reduce macrophage accumulation onto glass substrates. The disparate behavior of macrophages on the different materials may be due to specific inherent properties such as preference for hydrophobic versus hydrophilic surfaces and/or rough versus smooth nanotextures. Furthermore, the specific endgroups of the two polymers may exhibit varying capacities to resisting non-specific protein adsorption. Continued investigation outlining the physical and chemical properties desirable for an anti-adsorptive nanofilm coating will serve as a basis to design durable implant—tissue interfaces that can react to various external stimuli.
Discrete analog of the projective equivalence and integrable billiard tables
Authors: POPOV G. , TOPALOV P.
Published: July 2008

A class of discrete dynamical systems called projectively (or geodesically) equivalent Lagrangian systems is defined. We prove that these systems admit families of integrals. In the case of geodesically equivalent billiard tables, these integrals are pairwise commuting. We describe a family of geodesically equivalent billiard tables on surfaces of constant curvature. This is a special case of the so-called ‘Liouville billiard tables’.
X-ray Diffraction: A Practical Approach
Authors: Dorset D.L.
Published: July 2008

X-ray Diffraction: A Practical Approach, C. Suryanarayana and
M. Grant Norton, 1998. Plenum Press, New York and London. xiii + 273
pages. (hardback, $49.50, U.S. and Canada; $59.40, elsewhere).

It is the aim of this text to teach undergraduates majoring in
materials science the use of powder X-ray diffraction for materials
characterization. Since it does not treat X-ray diffraction and
crystallography in a general way, it would have been better if it were
given a more specific title, such as X-Ray Powder Diffraction for
Metallurgical Characterization. A Primer and Workbook. As a laboratory
course with work pages to be filled out by the student, it might have been
spiral-bound to facilitate such use.
The Life and Achievements of Raymond Castaing
Authors: Heinrich Kurt F.J.
Published: July 2008

The father of instrumental microanalysis, Raymond Castaing, died on
April 10, 1998. With him, we lost one of the outstanding figures in modern
materials characterization. He was creative and innovative in physical
research, in invention of instruments, in teaching, and in science
management. At a time when science tends toward an inexorable division
into smaller and more specialized provinces, an investigator of truly
wide-ranging interests and capabilities, in the best traditions of
renaissance curiosity, has left us.
Microscopy & Microanalysis '99; Aug. 1-5, 1999, Portland,
Oregon
Authors: Jerome Jay , McKernan Stuart
Published: July 2008

Joint meeting of the Microscopy Society of America (57th) and the
Microbeam Analysis Society (33rd).
Analytical Microscopy in the Real Semiconductor Processing
World
Authors: Anderson Ron
Published: July 2008

In the microelectronic semiconductor world we are bombarded with
reports of how the drive toward faster, denser, lower power-consuming and
more reliable semiconductor products will accelerate with time. This paper
discusses the instrumental evolution from visible light microscopy to
scanning electron microscopy and on to transmission electron microscopy
and scanned probe microscopy. The increased demands placed on specimen
preparation of precise locations in a semiconductor chip for microscopy
are discussed. Analytical microscopy has to be timely in order to be a
viable adjunct to semiconductor manufacturing. The factors governing
analysis of turn-around time are explained and an optimum strategy is
suggested for effective utilization of finite laboratory resources. The
new instrumentation available to the microscopist is introduced along with
an overview of the exciting new analyses that will be available in the
immediate future.
Study of the Dependence of E2 Energies on Sample Chemistry
Authors: Joy David C. , Joy Carolyn S.
Published: July 2008

Specimens that charge under electron beam irradiation in the scanning
electron microscope (SEM) can be stabilized by choosing the beam energy to
be such a value that the sum of the secondary and backscatter electron
yields is unity, as this establishes a dynamic charge balance. We show
here that for pure elements, the energies El and E2, for which charge
balance occurs, are related directly to the atomic number of the material.
Although generally there is no comparable relation for compounds, we also
show that for polymers, the E2 energy is related both to the ratio of the
number of valence electrons to molecular weight and to the
electro-negativity of the monomer units that form the polymer.
Correlative Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, Light
Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and X-ray Microanalysis for
Qualitative and Quantitative Detection of Colloidal Gold Spheres in
Biological Specimens
Authors: Hillyer Julián F. , Albrecht Ralph M.
Published: July 2008

Colloidal gold, conjugated to ligands or antibodies, is routinely used
as a label for the detection of cell structures by light (LM) and electron
microscopy (EM). To date, several methods to count the number of colloidal
gold labels have been employed with limited success. Instrumental neutron
activation analysis (INAA), a physical method for the analysis of the
elemental composition of materials, can be used to provide a quantitative
index of gold accumulation in bulk specimens. Given that gold is not
naturally found in biological specimens in any substantial amount and that
colloidal gold and ligand conjugates can be prepared to yield uniform bead
sizes, the amount of label can be calculated in bulk biological samples by
INAA. Here we describe the use of INAA, LM, transmission EM, and X-ray
microanalysis (EDX) in a model to determine both distribution
(localization) and amount of colloidal gold at the organ, tissue,
cellular, and ultrastructural levels in whole animal systems following
administration. In addition, the sensitivity for gold in biological
specimens by INAA is compared with that of inductively coupled plasma-mass
spectrometry (ICP-MS). The correlative use of INAA, LM, TEM, and EDX can
be useful, for example, in the quantitative and qualitative tracking of
various labeled molecular species following administration in vivo.
Nanomanipulation Experiments Exploring Frictional and Mechanical
Properties of Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Falvo M.R. , Clary G. , Helser A. , Paulson S. , Taylor R.M. , Chi V. , Brooks F.P. , Washburn S. , Superfine R.
Published: July 2008

In many cases in experimental science, the instrument interface
becomes a limiting factor in the efficacy of carrying out unusual
experiments or prevents the complete understanding of the acquired data.
We have developed an advanced interface for scanning probe microscopy
(SPM) that allows intuitive rendering of data sets and natural instrument
control, all in real time. The interface, called the nanoManipulator,
combines a high-performance graphics engine for real-time data rendering
with a haptic interface that places the human operator directly into the
feedback loop that controls surface manipulations. Using a hand-held
stylus, the operator moves the stylus laterally, directing the movement of
the SPM tip across the sample. The haptic interface enables the user to
“feel” the surface by forcing the stylus to move up and down
in response to the surface topography. In this way the user understands
the immediate location of the tip on the sample and can quickly and
precisely maneuver nanometer-scale objects. We have applied this interface
to studies of the mechanical properties of nanotubes and to
substrate-nanotube interactions. The mechanical properties of carbon
nanotubes have been demonstrated to be extraordinary. They have an elastic
modulus rivaling that of the stiffest material known, diamond, while
maintaining a remarkable resistance to fracture. We have used atomic-force
microscopy (AFM) to manipulate the nanotubes through a series of
configuration that reveal buckling behavior and high-strain resilience.
Nanotubes also serve as test objects for nanometer-scale contact
mechanics. We have found that nanotubes will roll under certain
conditions. This has been determined through changes in the images and
through the acquisition of lateral force during manipulation. The lateral
force data show periodic stick-slip behavior with a periodicity matching
the perimeter of the nanotube.
Colonial officers and gentlemen: the British Empire and the globalization of ‘tradition’
Authors: Misra Maria
Published: July 2008

This article asks why simplistic accounts of the British Empire as a modernizing force have been so popular in recent years. It contends that, aside from the obvious ideological appeal of these views to some, academic literature has found it difficult to offer a powerful rebuttal. This article argues that in order to do so we need to think more comparatively about the British Empire as a system, and to restore attention to imperial agency. However, this is not best achieved through a traditional study of high politics, but by bringing cultural historical approaches to the study of Britain’s lower imperial cadre. The second half of the article offers a preliminary analysis of the attitudes of local colonial officers. It argues that, contrary to the arguments of neo-imperialist popular historians, this group was hostile to modernization, and in many cases was determined to maintain or restore what they regarded as a traditional order.
Serfs, slaves, or wage earners? The legal status of labour in Russia from a comparative perspective, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century
Authors: Stanziani Alessandro
Published: July 2008

Comparative analyses of labour in Russia and the West often assume a dividing line between free and forced labour that is universally applicable. The first aim of this article is to show that, in Russia, the historical and institutional definition of serfdom poses a problem. I will therefore explore Russian legislation, and how it was applied, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. Contrary to generally accepted arguments, serfdom as such was never clearly introduced institutionally in Russia. I will also discuss the presence of slaves in Russia, and the association between certain forms of servitude (especially for debt) and slavery. The presence of chattel slaves in the empire was related to territorial expansion, and to commercial relations with the Caucasus and the Ottoman Empire. Russian forms of bondage are compared to those in other situations, such as indentured service in the West, debt servitude in India, and Islamic slavery. My conclusion is that, not only in Russia but also around the globe, the prevailing forms of labour were not those familiar to us today, which were not introduced until the early twentieth century. Russia constituted an extreme case in a world in which severe constraints were imposed everywhere on labour and its movement, and the legal status of the wage earner and the peasant was lower than that of the master.
In the Russians’ steppes: the introduction of Russian wheat on the Great Plains of the United States of America
Authors: Moon David
Published: July 2008

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, wheat varieties from the Russian steppes were introduced on the Great Plains of the USA, a region with a similar environment. The introduction was partly a by-product of the migration of German farmers from the steppes to the Great Plains in the 1870s. The US Department of Agriculture, eager to promote American wheat production in a competitive world market for grain in which Russia was in the lead, sought out wheat varieties on the steppes that were suitable for the Great Plains. Russian wheat varieties became mainstays on the Great Plains for the next few decades, while Russian agriculture declined under Soviet power. On the basis of research on both sides of the Atlantic, this article sheds light on an important aspect of the global exchange of peoples and crops that has shaped the agricultural and economic history of societies around the world since the invention of agriculture.
Commoners in the process of Islamization: reassessing their role in the light of evidence from southeastern Tanzania
Authors: Becker Felicitas
Published: July 2008

Many societies became Muslim gradually, without conquest by Muslim rulers. Explanations of this process typically focus on Muslim traders, proselytizing ‘holy men’, and the conversion of ruling elites, as the limited sources suggest. Yet it cannot be assumed that Islamization always made sense for elites as a power-enhancing stratagem, or that rulers or holy men were willing or able to shape the religious allegiances of commoners. In fact, studies of contemporary Islamic societies demonstrate the relative autonomy of commoners’ religious observance, and the tendency of elites towards accommodation. Evidence from a recently Islamized region in East Africa shows that, rather than following elite converts, ordinary villagers initiated rural Islamization. They learned from coastal Muslim ritual rather than scripture, and evoked Islam to challenge social hierarchies and assert a more egalitarian social ethos. The possibility of similar processes also exists in other sites of gradual Islamization.
Factor Structure of the Greek Version of the Emotional Contagion Scale and its Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Cultural Groups
Authors: Lundqvist Lars-Olov , Kevrekidis Pantelis
Published: July 2008

Theories regarding susceptibility to emotional contagion, which address the ease of catching the emotions expressed by others, have recently received growing interest in the field of social psychology and health. Despite the theoretical and empirical importance, reliable and valid instruments to assess emotional contagion in men and women from cultures outside the English-speaking world are not well developed. The present study examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Greek adaptation of the Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS), and is a first attempt to test its measurement invariance across gender and culture groups (Greece and Sweden). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of competing models supports a five-factor model that includes the five basic emotions of anger, fear, sadness, happiness, and love. Using multiple-group CFA and a sequence of nested tests, configural invariance and partial metric and partial scalar invariance across gender and culture groups of the five-factor model were demonstrated. The results show that meaningful comparisons of ECS can be made across men and women from different cultures and support the hypothesis that susceptibility to emotional contagion operates at a differential emotions level.
University Dropout
Authors: Voelkle Manuel C. , Sander Nicolas
Published: July 2008

University dropout is a politically and economically important factor. While a number of studies address this issue cross-sectionally by analyzing different cohorts, or retrospectively via questionnaires, few of them are truly longitudinal and focus on the individual as the unit of interest. In contrast to these studies, an individual differences perspective is adopted in the present paper. For this purpose, a hands-on introduction to a recently proposed structural equation (SEM) approach to discrete-time survival analysis is provided ( Muthén & Masyn, 2005 ). In a next step, a prospective study with N = 1096 students, observed across four semesters, is introduced. As expected, average university grade proved to be an important predictor of future dropout, while high-school grade-point average (GPA) yielded no incremental predictive validity but was completely mediated by university grade. Accounting for unobserved heterogeneity, three latent classes could be identified with differential predictor-criterion relations, suggesting the need to pay closer attention to the composition of the student population.
Tall and Good-Looking?
Authors: Geldart Sybil
Published: July 2008

While there has been much emphasis on the objective properties of beautiful faces, some theories of physical attractiveness implicate norm-based coding of faces and experience-dependent preferences (e.g., Langlois & Roggman, 1990 ; Rhodes, Jeffery, Watson, Clifford, & Nakayama, 2003 ). This study further explored experiential influences by correlating a persons standing height with his/her ideal vertical location of the internal features in computerized faces. Taller raters created faces with larger ratios of forehead height to chin height–resulting in a larger forehead and a smaller chin, presumably caused by their biased exposure to faces from above eye level. Faces produced by shorter raters had a smaller forehead and a larger chin. The moderate correlation was maintained after controlling for age and gender (i.e., semipartial r = .41; N = 39), and rater height alone explained 24% of the variance in preferred location of the internal facial features. These results point to individual differences in perceptions of attractiveness, accounted for to some degree by the facial proportions encountered in everyday interactions.
A Trait Conceptualization of Reward-Reactivity
Authors: Cooper Andrew J. , Smillie Luke D. , Jackson Chris J.
Published: July 2008

The Appetitive Motivation Scale (AMS; Jackson & Smillie, 2004 ) represents a recent attempt to conceptualize individual differences in the functioning of Grays (1981 ) Behavioral Activation/Approach System (BAS). In this paper we subject the AMS to psychometric scrutiny via factor analysis, item response theory (IRT) analysis, and concurrent construct validation. In Study 1 (N = 1,366 university students, 53% male), results from factor analysis (FA) and IRT led to the removal of several problematic items from the scale. The revised AMS was shown to have improved unidimensional structure and item properties. In Study 2 (N = 122 university students, 20% male), correlational data and factor analysis indicated that the revised AMS was: (1) highly related to the original scale along with various BAS-related measures, and (2) more strongly related to a reward-reactivity factor than an impulsivity factor, relative to other putative BAS measures. We conclude that the improved AMS is a promising tool for future research.
Evaluating effect of ballast mineral on deep‐ocean nutrient concentration by using an ocean general circulation model
Authors: Oka Akira , Kato Seiya , Hasumi Hiroyasu
Published: July 2008

The ballast parameterization separates sinking organic flux into two parts: the flux associated with ballast minerals and the flux independent of minerals. The ballast parameterization begins to be incorporated into global ocean biogeochemical models. However, parameters used in this parameterization such as those of calcium carbonate flux are not constrained enough and it has been difficult to evaluate quantitatively how much the ballast‐induced flux affects nutrient concentration in deep ocean. In this study, we obtain optimized parameters of calcium carbonate flux by conducting 64 sensitivity simulations using export production estimated from satellite observation and an ocean circulation field simulated by a state‐of‐the‐art ocean general circulation model. By comparing simulations with and without the ballast‐induced flux with the optimized parameters, 6% of nutrient of the deep Pacific is estimated to be transported by the ballast‐induced flux. Because this accounts for 30% of effects of the total biological pump, it indicates that the ability of the biological pump to carry nutrients to deep ocean significantly depends on the ballast‐induced flux. Results of additional sensitivity simulations suggest that choice of model parameters associated with calcium carbonate flux strongly affects its estimation. Although the implementation of the ballast parameterization has potential ability to improve simulation of nutrient concentration, it is possible only when the model parameters of calcium carbonate flux are set appropriately.
Inherent length‐scales of periodic solar wind number density structures
Authors: Viall N. M. , Kepko L. , Spence H. E.
Published: July 2008

We present an analysis of the radial length‐scales of periodic solar wind number density structures. We converted 11 years (1995–2005) of solar wind number density data into radial length series segments and Fourier analyzed them to identify all spectral peaks with radial wavelengths between 72 (116) and 900 (900) Mm for slow (fast) wind intervals. Our window length for the spectral analysis was 9072 Mm, approximately equivalent to 7 (4) h of data for the slow (fast) solar wind. We required that spectral peaks pass both an amplitude test and a harmonic F‐test at the 95% confidence level simultaneously. From the occurrence distributions of these spectral peaks for slow and fast wind, we find that periodic number density structures occur more often at certain radial length‐scales than at others, and are consistently observed within each speed range over most of the 11‐year interval. For the slow wind, those length‐scales are L ∼ 73, 120, 136, and 180 Mm. For the fast wind, those length‐scales are L ∼ 187, 270 and 400 Mm. The results argue for the existence of inherent radial length‐scales in the solar wind number density.
Ionospheric annual asymmetry observed by the COSMIC radio occultation measurements and simulated by the TIEGCM
Authors: Zeng Zhen , Burns Alan , Wang Wenbin , Lei Jiuhou , Solomon Stan , Syndergaard Stig , Qian Liying , Kuo Ying‐Hwa
Published: July 2008

Average F2‐layer electron densities at December solstice are higher than those at June solstice. This phenomenon, which is often called the F2‐layer annual asymmetry, has been observed for several decades, but its causes are still not fully understood. This study investigates global variations of this annual asymmetry observed from one year of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) ionospheric radio occultation (IRO) measurements. The IRO observations show that there is a strong NmF2 annual asymmetry that has significant longitudinal and local time variations. A strong peak of the asymmetry occurs at about noon and another one at midnight, both located at around 25° geomagnetic latitude. Numerical simulations using the Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Electrodynamics Global Circulation Model (TIEGCM) are in very good agreement with these observations. The modeled NmF2 annual asymmetry has a similar magnitude, and similar semidiurnal and longitudinal variations as those in the observations. TIEGCM simulations show that changes in solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation between the December and June solstices and the displacement of the geomagnetic axis from the geographic axis are the two primary processes that cause the annual asymmetry and its associated longitudinal and local time variations. The tides propagating from lower altitudes also contribute to this asymmetry, but to a smaller extent.
Ground deformation induced by geothermal processes: A model for La Fossa Crater (Vulcano Island, Italy)
Authors: Gambino Salvatore , Guglielmino Francesco
Published: July 2008

Since the last eruption in 1888–1890, volcanic activity at Vulcano Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy) has been limited to fumarolic degassing, concentrated near the active cone of “La Fossa” crater in the northern sector of the island. During the period 1990–1996, EDM and leveling data indicate a deflation and contraction focused on the La Fossa Cone. We jointly inverted these data sets using for volume change both a spherical Mogi (1958) source and an ellipsoid as defined by Davis (1986). The best fitting source for the 1990–1996 deflation is a shallow subvertical prolate ellipsoid positioned roughly under the crater. Our model is consistent with increased activity in a shallow hydrothermal system, supported by observations of water evaporation testified by the increase of steam emission and temperature at crater fumaroles. The fluid loss from a shallow geothermal reservoir is the most likely cause of the subsidence recorded at La Fossa Cone during the same period. This clear linkage between the deformation signals and hydrothermal activity, has important implications in the hazard assessment and monitoring of the Vulcano activity.
Simulating brittle fault growth from linkage of preexisting structures
Authors: Lunn Rebecca J. , Willson Jonathan P. , Shipton Zoe K. , Moir Heather
Published: July 2008

Many researchers have proposed conceptual models of fault development that are based on the linkage of preexisting structures such as isolated faults, joints or veins. To date, such models largely use theoretical mechanics to explain the detailed damage zone geometries observed in linkage structures. In this paper, we present the first numerical simulations of the temporal and spatial development of geometrically complex fault linkage structures using the finite element model for fault damage zone evolution, MOPEDZ. Simulations show spatial and temporal fault zone evolution for a range of preexisting joint (or fault) geometries and stress conditions. Simulations show that linkage geometries are governed by three key factors: the stress ratio; the original joint geometry, such as contractional or dilational configurations; and the orientation of the principal stress. Simulated linkage structures display close correspondence to field observations of fault zone geometry, with all secondary and tertiary damage features being reproduced. The research also demonstrates that given information on the regional stress conditions, numerical modeling can be used to predict fault zone geometries, and hence, identify the most (and least) likely structures for promoting fluid flow.
Assessment of uncertainty in the ocean reflectance determined by three satellite ocean color sensors (MERIS, SeaWiFS and MODIS‐A) at an offshore site in the Mediterranean Sea (BOUSSOLE project)
Authors: Antoine David , d'Ortenzio Fabrizio , Hooker Stanford B. , Bécu Guislain , Gentili Bernard , Tailliez Dominique , Scott Alec J.
Published: July 2008

The match‐up of satellite‐derived reflectances with in situ observations is crucial to evaluate their quality and temporal stability. To contribute to this effort, a project has been set up to collect a data set of in situ radiometric and bio‐optical quantities, in support to satellite ocean color calibration and validation. The project has been named “BOUSSOLE”, and one of its key elements is a deep‐sea optics mooring collecting data on a near‐continuous basis since September 2003. This buoy is deployed in the deep clear waters of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, and is visited on a monthly basis for servicing and acquisition of complementary data. The characteristics of the work area establish the site as a satisfactory location for validating satellite ocean color observations. A description of the data processing protocols is provided, followed by an analysis of the uncertainty of the buoy radiometry measurements. The results of a match‐up analysis of the marine reflectances, diffuse attenuation coefficients, and chlorophyll concentrations for three major missions, i.e., MERIS, SeaWiFS, and MODIS‐A, are then analyzed. They show poor performances for the bluest band (412 nm) of the three sensors, and performances within requirements at 443 and 490 nm for SeaWiFS and MODIS‐A. These results suggest that a vicarious calibration should be introduced for the MERIS sensor. This analysis also demonstrates that a major effort is still required to improve atmospheric correction procedures whatever the mission.