bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The doomsday argument
Authors: Bostrom Nick
Published: July 2009

Nick Bostrom presents an argument that our species will shortly disappear.
Whatever: making sense of John Carey
Authors: Sheppard D.J.
Published: July 2009

D.J. Sheppard reflects on Carey's controversial What Good are the Arts?
Towards a rationalist approach to ethics
Authors: Strimpel Dan
Published: July 2009

Dan Strimpel makes a plea for calm in ethical debate.
Creating a cultural niche for the a-social?; or, Speculation about how Cultural factors might defeat Altruism
Authors: Lovas Mark J.
Published: July 2009

Mark Lovas asks to what extent are we all morally blind — and morally wanton?

There are other sound reasons to destroy the Social Security system. It is based upon principles that are deeply offensive to the moral values of the political leadership … Social Security is based on the idea that it is a community responsibility to ensure that the disabled widow on the other side of town has food to eat, or that the child across the street should be able to go to a decent school. Such evil ideas have to be driven from the mind. … According to right thinking, it isn't my fault if the widow married the wrong person or if the child's parents made bad investment decisions, so why should I contribute a few cents to a public fund to take care of them?
Passing the time
Authors: Cave Peter
Published: July 2009

Peter Cave's new book, Can a Robot Be Human? 33 Perplexing Philosophy Puzzles, covers a wide range of perplexities and paradoxes. Here, Peter raises some timely puzzles.
On defending Socrates
Authors: Warren James
Published: July 2009

James Warren responds to Sandis's preceding article.
Should atheists be against religion?
Authors: Crane Tim
Published: July 2009

Tim Crane responds to the several recent attacks on religion made by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, et al.
What do they know?
Authors: Blamey Jonny
Published: July 2009

Can you know something that isn't true?
Futile definitions
Authors: Shand John
Published: July 2009

Settling definitions is often seen as a central tool for clarifying concepts, and answering ‘What is X?’ questions. Examples might be ‘What is knowledge?’, ‘What is a work of art?’ or ‘What is a dog?’. A common way of answering such questions is by formulating necessary and sufficient conditions for a thing to be of a certain sort. It is this form of real definition that is of concern here.
Thoughts about a solution to the mind-body problem
Authors: Zuboff Arnold
Published: July 2009

This challenging paper presents an ingenious argument a for functionalist theory of mind.
Thinking Tools: The Sherlock Holmes Fallacy
Authors: Law Stephen
Published: July 2009

Thinking Tools is a regular feature that introduces pointers on thinking clearly and rigorously.
Are “All-and-Some” Statements Falsifiable After All?: The Example of Utility Theory
Authors: Mongin Philippe
Published: July 2009

Popper's well-known demarcation criterion has often been understood to distinguish statements of empirical science according to their logical form. Implicit in this interpretation of Popper's philosophy is the belief that when the universe of discourse of the empirical scientist is infinite, empirical universal sentences are falsifiable but not verifiable, whereas the converse holds for existential sentences. A remarkable elaboration of this belief is to be found in Watkins's early work (1957, 1958) on the statements he calls “all-and-some,” such as: “For every metal there is a melting point.” All-and-some statements (hereafter AS) are both universally and existentially quantified in that order. Watkins argued that AS should be regarded as both nonfalsifiable and nonverifiable, for they partake in the logical fate of both universal and existential statements. This claim is subject to the proviso that the bound variables are “uncircumscribed” (in Watkins's words); i.e., that the universe of discourse is infinite.
Plausibility in Economics
Authors: Nooteboom Bart
Published: July 2009

According to the instrumentalism of Friedman (1970) and Machlup (1967) it is irrelevant whether the explanatory principles or “assumptions” of a theory satisfy any criterion of “plausibility,” “realism,” “credibility,” or “soundness.” In this view the main or only criterion for selecting theories is whether a theory yields empirically testable implications that turn out to be consistent with observations. All we should require or expect from a theory is that it is a useful instrument for the purpose of prediction. Considerations of the “efficiency” of a theory for the purpose of ordering our experiences are permitted (Friedman), but considerations of “plausibility” are not (Friedman and Machlup). “Explanatory assumptions” are not really explanatory in the sense that they claim to represent underlying causal processes in reality; they only serve to generate, by deduction, implications that are in accordance with as many observations as possible.
Genetic reticulation and interrelationships amongcitrullusspecies as revealed by joint analysis of shared AFLPs and species-specific SSR alleles
Authors: Nimmakayala Padmavathi , Tomason Yan R. , Jeong Jooha , Ponniah Sathish K. , Karunathilake Anoji , Levi Amnon , Perumal Ramasamy , Reddy Umesh K.
Published: July 2009

Thirty-one accessions ofCitrullusspp. belonging toCitrullus lanatusvar.lanatus,C. lanatusvar.citroidesandCitrullus colocynthiswere subjected to phylogenetic analysis using combined datasets of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Tree topologies inferred by neighbour-joining analysis have resolved the phylogenic relationships among the species with special reference to established taxonomic classification. In this study, we have clearly resolved species boundaries of various taxa ofcitroides,lanatusandcolocynthisinto three well-supported clusters. Clustering pattern of principal component analysis with the shared polymorphisms using the subsets of data between any two taxon combinations helped to elucidate the introgression and interrelationships among the species. We report two major groups ofC. lanatustaxa, one of which has undergone wide introgressions with the taxa ofC. lanatusvar.citroidesandC. colocynthis. In this paper, we identified 583 AFLP bands that are polymorphic within the var.lanatusofC. lanatus, which is the largest set ever reported. The species-specific diagnostic SSRs and polymorphic AFLPs that are informative within and between the taxa reported in this paper would be immensely useful for future studies of these economically important genera.
Holocene interdependences of changes in sea surface temperature, productivity, and fluvial inputs in the Iberian continental shelf (Tagus mud patch)
Authors: Rodrigues Teresa , Grimalt Joan O. , Abrantes Fátima G. , Flores Jose A. , Lebreiro Susana M.
Published: July 2009

Sea surface temperature (SST), marine productivity, and fluvial input have been reconstructed for the last 11.5 calendar (cal) ka B.P. using a high‐resolution study of C37 alkenones, coccolithophores, iron content, and higher plant n‐alkanes and n‐alkan‐1‐ols in sedimentary sequences from the inner shelf off the Tagus River Estuary in the Portuguese Margin. The SST record is marked by a continuous decrease from 19°C, at 10.5 and 7 ka, to 15°C at present. This trend is interrupted by a fall from 18°C during the Roman and Medieval Warm Periods to 16°C in the Little Ice Age. River input was very low in the early Holocene but increased in the last 3 cal ka B.P. in association with an intensification of agriculture and deforestation and possibly the onset of the North Atlantic Oscillation/Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation modes of variability. River influence must have reinforced the marine cooling trend relative to the lower amplitude in similar latitude sites of the eastern Atlantic. The total concentration of alkenones reflects river‐induced productivity, being low in the early Holocene but increasing as river input became more important. Rapid cooling, of 1–2°C occurring in 250 years, is observed at 11.1, 10.6, 8.2, 6.9, and 5.4 cal ka B.P. The estimated age of these events matches the ages of equivalent episodes common in the NE Atlantic–Mediterranean region. This synchronicity reveals a common widespread climate feature, which considering the twentieth century analog between colder SSTs and negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), is likely to reflect periods of strong negative NAO.
Testing ice microphysics parameterizations in the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model Version 3 using Tropical Warm Pool–International Cloud Experiment data
Authors: Wang Weiguo , Liu Xiaohong , Xie Shaocheng , Boyle Jim , McFarlane Sally A.
Published: July 2009

Cloud properties have been simulated with a new double‐moment microphysics scheme under the framework of the single‐column version of NCAR Community Atmospheric Model version 3 (CAM3). For comparison, the same simulation was made with the standard single‐moment microphysics scheme of CAM3. Results from both simulations compared favorably with observations during the Tropical Warm Pool–International Cloud Experiment by the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program in terms of the temporal variation and vertical distribution of cloud fraction and cloud condensate. Major differences between the two simulations are in the magnitude and distribution of ice water content within the mixed‐phase cloud during the monsoon period, though the total frozen water (snow plus ice) contents are similar. The ice mass content in the mixed‐phase cloud from the new scheme is larger than that from the standard scheme, and ice water content extends 2 km further downward, which is in better agreement with observations. The dependence of the frozen water mass fraction on temperature from the new scheme is also in better agreement with available observations. Outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) from the simulation with the new scheme is, in general, larger than that with the standard scheme, while the surface downward longwave radiation is similar. Sensitivity tests suggest that different treatments of the ice crystal effective radius contribute significantly to the difference in the calculations of TOA OLR, in addition to cloud water path. Numerical experiments show that cloud properties in the new scheme can respond reasonably to changes in the concentration of aerosols and emphasize the importance of correctly simulating aerosol effects in climate models for aerosol‐cloud interactions. Further evaluation, especially for ice cloud properties based on in situ data, is needed.
A satellite observation system simulation experiment for carbon monoxide in the lowermost troposphere
Authors: Edwards David P. , Arellano Avelino F. , Deeter Merritt N.
Published: July 2009

We demonstrate the feasibility of using observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) studies to help define quantitative trace gas measurement requirements for satellite missions and to evaluate the expected performance of proposed observing strategies. The 2007 U.S. National Research Council Decadal Survey calls for a geostationary (GEO) satellite mission for atmospheric composition and air quality applications (Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events Mission (GEO‐CAPE)). The requirement includes a multispectral (near‐infrared and thermal infrared) measurement of carbon monoxide (CO) at high spatiotemporal resolution with information on lowermost troposphere concentration. We present an OSSE to assess the improvement in surface CO characterization that would result from the addition of a GEO‐CAPE CO measurement to current low Earth orbit (LEO) thermal infrared‐only measurements. We construct instrument simulators for these two measurement scenarios and study the case of July 2004 when wildfires in Alaska and Canada led to significant CO pollution over the contiguous United States. Compared to a control experiment, an ensemble‐based data assimilation of simulated satellite observations in a global model leads to improvements in both the surface CO distributions and the time evolution of CO profiles at locations affected by wildfire plumes and by urban emissions. In all cases, an experiment with the GEO‐CAPE CO measurement scenario (overall model skill of 0.84) performed considerably better than the experiment with the current LEO/thermal infrared measurement (skill of 0.58) and the control (skill of 0.07). This demonstrates the advantages of increased sampling from GEO and enhanced measurement sensitivity to the lowermost troposphere with a multispectral retrieval.
Influence of the Southern Oscillation on tropospheric temperature
Authors: McLean J. D. , de Freitas C. R. , Carter R. M.
Published: July 2009

Time series for the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and global tropospheric temperature anomalies (GTTA) are compared for the 1958−2008 period. GTTA are represented by data from satellite microwave sensing units (MSU) for the period 1980–2008 and from radiosondes (RATPAC) for 1958–2008. After the removal from the data set of short periods of temperature perturbation that relate to near‐equator volcanic eruption, we use derivatives to document the presence of a 5‐ to 7‐month delayed close relationship between SOI and GTTA. Change in SOI accounts for 72% of the variance in GTTA for the 29‐year‐long MSU record and 68% of the variance in GTTA for the longer 50‐year RATPAC record. Because El Niño−Southern Oscillation is known to exercise a particularly strong influence in the tropics, we also compared the SOI with tropical temperature anomalies between 20°S and 20°N. The results showed that SOI accounted for 81% of the variance in tropospheric temperature anomalies in the tropics. Overall the results suggest that the Southern Oscillation exercises a consistently dominant influence on mean global temperature, with a maximum effect in the tropics, except for periods when equatorial volcanism causes ad hoc cooling. That mean global tropospheric temperature has for the last 50 years fallen and risen in close accord with the SOI of 5–7 months earlier shows the potential of natural forcing mechanisms to account for most of the temperature variation.
Ice wastage on the Kerguelen Islands (49°S, 69°E) between 1963 and 2006
Authors: Berthier Etienne , Le Bris Raymond , Mabileau Laure , Testut Laurent , Rémy Frédérique
Published: July 2009

We observed the wastage of ice masses on the Kerguelen Islands (Indian Ocean, 49°S, 69°E) using historical information and recent satellite data. Overall, the total ice‐covered area on the islands declined from 703 to 552 km2 between 1963 and 2001, a reduction of 21%. The area of Cook ice cap (the main ice body) decreased asymmetrically from 501 to 403 km2. West flowing glaciers lost 11% of their area, while east flowing glaciers lost 28%. After 1991, the retreat rate accelerated from 1.9 km2/a (1963–1991) to 3.8 km2/a (1991–2003). Between 1963 and 2000, the ice volume loss was 25–30 km3, equivalent to an area‐average ice‐thinning rate of 1.4–1.7 m/a. The glacial retreat took place in the climatic context of a relatively low level of precipitation (compared to the 1950s) and a ∼1°C warming that occurred between 1964 and 1982. The acceleration of the ice losses since at least the 1990s indicates that the state of the ice bodies on the Kerguelen Islands is still far from balanced. Together with other studies in Patagonia, South Georgia, and Heard Island, our analysis is consistent with a pattern of strong and accelerated wastage of ice masses influenced by the Southern Ocean.
Groundwater dynamics mediate low‐flow response to global warming in snow‐dominated alpine regions
Authors: Tague Christina , Grant Gordon E.
Published: July 2009

In mountain environments, spatial and temporal patterns of snow accumulation and melt are dominant controls on hydrologic responses to climate change. In this paper, we develop a simple conceptual model that links the timing of peak snowmelt with geologically mediated differences in rate of streamflow recession. This model demonstrates that within the western United States, spatial differences in subsurface drainage rates can exacerbate summer streamflow losses associated with diminishing snowpacks. Application of a process‐based hydrologic model to four watersheds in the Western Cordillera further reveals that contingent on timing of snowmelt, slower draining watersheds are likely to have more water in summer but paradoxically are subject to the greatest summer water losses under a 1.5°C warming scenario. A slow draining watershed located in the young volcanic arc of the High Cascades in Oregon shows 4 times the summer streamflow reduction when compared with faster draining watersheds with similar timing of peak snowmelt. On the other hand, watersheds where snowmelt occurs late in the season but have little groundwater influence show high relative sensitivities to snowpack changes due to warming, as shown by a high‐elevation granitic Sierran watershed. Our results highlight the importance of geological factors in interpreting hydrologic response to climate change and argue for a geoclimatic framework to guide the design of monitoring networks that will become the basis for assessing climate change impacts in mountain regions throughout the globe.
Dissection of trained neural network hydrologic models for knowledge extraction
Authors: Jain Ashu , Kumar Sumant
Published: July 2009

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are powerful tools for the modeling and forecasting of complex engineering systems and have been exploited by researchers to solve a variety of problems over the last couple of decades. In spite of their proven ability to provide superior model performance compared to traditional modeling approaches, they have not become popular among decision makers for operational use. It is probably because of their perceived black box nature that does not explain or consider the underlying physical processes involved. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at a systematic dissection of the massively parallel architectures of trained ANN hydrologic models to determine if they learn the underlying physical subprocesses during training. This has been achieved using simple qualitative and quantitative techniques. The data derived from three contrasting catchments at two different time scales were employed to develop ANN models and test the methodologies employed for knowledge extraction. The results obtained in this study indicate that the number of hidden neurons determined during training for a particular data set correspond to certain subprocesses of the overall physical process being modeled. It has been found that the time scale of the data employed has an effect on optimum ANN architecture and knowledge extracted.
Spatial distribution and frequency of precipitation during an extreme event: July 2006 mesoscale convective complexes and floods in southeastern Arizona
Authors: Griffiths Peter G. , Magirl Christopher S. , Webb Robert H. , Pytlak Erik , Troch Peter A. , Lyon Steve W.
Published: July 2009

An extreme, multiday rainfall event over southeastern Arizona during 27–31 July 2006 caused record flooding and a historically unprecedented number of slope failures and debris flows in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. An unusual synoptic weather pattern induced repeated nocturnal mesoscale convective systems over southeastern Arizona for five continuous days, generating multiday rainfall totals up to 360 mm. Analysis of point rainfall and weather radar data yielded storm totals for the southern Santa Catalina Mountains at 754 grid cells approximately 1 km × 1 km in size. Precipitation intensity for the 31 July storms was not unusual for typical monsoonal precipitation in this region (recurrence interval (RI) < 1 year), but multiday rainfall where slope failures occurred had RI > 50 years and individual grid cells had RI exceeding 1000 years. The 31 July storms caused the watersheds to be essentially saturated following 4 days of rainfall.
Hierarchical Bayesian modeling of multisite daily rainfall occurrence: Rainy season onset, peak, and end
Authors: Lima C. H. R. , Lall U.
Published: July 2009

A quantitative definition of and ability to predict the onset and duration of the dominant rainfall season in a region are important for agricultural and natural resources management. In this paper, a methodology based on an analysis of daily rainfall occurrence is proposed and applied to define the onset and end of the rainfall season in northeast Brazil. Multiple rainfall gauges are considered simultaneously, and a hierarchical Bayesian framework is used for parameter estimation. The proposed model can be used to identify the rainy season onset by finding the first day of year in which the estimated probability of rainfall is greater than a specified number, e.g., 0.5. The determination of the end of the rainy season follows a similar procedure. Thus, the rainfall season can be defined as a period during which rainfall is most likely to occur. Monotonic trends are identified for the maximum probability of daily rainfall across the region, suggesting evidence of climate change. However, only the southern stations in the region exhibit a trend in the corresponding date. An examination of the correlations of dates of maximum rainfall probability with leading climate indicators leads to a promising direction for 1–3 month ahead forecasts of onset, which will be very useful for effective planning. Particularly, El Niño events in December are found to be associated with delays in the oncoming rainy season onset over a large part of southern northeast Brazil. Negative anomalies in the tropical South Atlantic sea surface temperature between January and March can anticipate the rainy season onset in the northern region and along the eastern coast of northeast Brazil.
Environmental magnetism of Pleistocene sediments in the North Pacific and Ontong‐Java Plateau: Temporal variations of detrital and biogenic components
Authors: Yamazaki Toshitsugu
Published: July 2009

An environmental magnetic study was conducted to investigate temporal variations of the sources of magnetic minerals in the Pacific Ocean using sediment cores of Pleistocene age. The proportion of interacting (I) to noninteracting (N‐I) single‐domain components was estimated from first‐order reversal curve diagrams, and the proportion of middle‐ (M) to low‐ (L) coercivity components was determined from decomposition of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition curves. The I and M components are interpreted to be carried by terrigenous maghemite, while the N‐I and L components represent biogenic magnetite. An inverse correlation between the ratio of anhysteretic remanent magnetization susceptibility (χARM) to saturation IRM (SIRM) and the I/N‐I ratio was confirmed for sediments across wide expanses in the Pacific Ocean. This implies that χARM/SIRM can be used to estimate the relative abundances of biogenic and terrigenous components in sediments. In the North Pacific, the relative abundance of the I and M components increases in glacial periods. Variations of χARM/SIRM and S ratio (S−0.1T) resemble each other and decrease in the same time intervals. These variations reflect increases of terrigenous input in glacial periods as eolian dust. On the Ontong‐Java Plateau in the western equatorial Pacific, on the other hand, minima in χARM/SIRM and S−0.1T occur at glacial‐to‐interglacial transitions, and the relative abundance of the I and M components increases in these periods. Terrigenous material in this region is considered to be transported mainly from the New Guinea and Solomon Islands by the Equatorial Undercurrent. The higher proportion of the terrigenous component at glacial‐to‐interglacial transitions is coeval with carbonate preservation maxima reported from the Ontong‐Java Plateau, suggesting a linkage between the two.
Vertical motion in the upper ocean from glider and altimetry data
Authors: Ruiz Simón , Pascual Ananda , Garau Bartolomé , Pujol Isabelle , Tintoré Joaquín
Published: July 2009

This study represents a first attempt to combine new glider technology data with altimetry measurements to understand the upper ocean dynamics and vertical exchanges in areas with intense horizontal density gradients. In July 2008, just two weeks after Jason‐2 altimeter was launched, a glider mission took place along a satellite track in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean). The mission was designed to be almost simultaneous with the satellite passage. Dynamic height from glider reveals a sharp gradient (∼15 cm) and corresponds very well with the absolute dynamic topography from Jason‐1 & Jason‐2 tandem mission (r > 0.97, rms differences < 1.6 cm). We blend both data sets (glider and altimetry) to obtain a consistent and reliable 3D dynamic height field. Using quasi‐geostrophic dynamics, we diagnose large‐scale vertical motions (∼1 m day−1) which may provide a local mechanism for the subduction of the chlorophyll tongue observed by the glider.
Uncertainties in climate responses to past land cover change: First results from the LUCID intercomparison study
Authors: Pitman A. J. , de Noblet‐Ducoudré N. , Cruz F. T. , Davin E. L. , Bonan G. B. , Brovkin V. , Claussen M. , Delire C. , Ganzeveld L. , Gayler V. , van den Hurk B. J. J. M. , Lawrence P. J. , van der Molen M. K. , Müller C. , Reick C. H. , Seneviratne S. I. , Strengers B. J. , Voldoire A.
Published: July 2009

Seven climate models were used to explore the biogeophysical impacts of human‐induced land cover change (LCC) at regional and global scales. The imposed LCC led to statistically significant decreases in the northern hemisphere summer latent heat flux in three models, and increases in three models. Five models simulated statistically significant cooling in summer in near‐surface temperature over regions of LCC and one simulated warming. There were few significant changes in precipitation. Our results show no common remote impacts of LCC. The lack of consistency among the seven models was due to: 1) the implementation of LCC despite agreed maps of agricultural land, 2) the representation of crop phenology, 3) the parameterisation of albedo, and 4) the representation of evapotranspiration for different land cover types. This study highlights a dilemma: LCC is regionally significant, but it is not feasible to impose a common LCC across multiple models for the next IPCC assessment.
Simulation of EMIC wave excitation in a model magnetosphere including structured high‐density plumes
Authors: Chen Lunjin , Thorne Richard M. , Horne Richard B.
Published: July 2009

The HOTRAY code is used to evaluate the path integrated gain of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves as a function of frequency in two propagation bands above the O+ and He+ gyrofrequencies. Calculations are performed over a range of L shell (3 < L < 7) assuming a cold H+‐He+‐O+ plasma with an additional bi‐Maxwellian hot ring current proton distribution. The cold plasma model includes a plasmasphere and high‐density storm time plume region containing spatial density fluctuations. The strongest wave gain (>40 dB) is found near the plasmapause, within regions with density structure in the plume, and in the low‐density trough at L ≥ 6.5. As a self‐consistent test on whether EMIC waves play an important role in relativistic electron loss from the radiation belts, the minimum cyclotron resonant electron energy is evaluated as a function of wave frequency and L shell for those EMIC waves that exhibit significant gain. The lowest electron resonant energies (approximately a few MeV) are found in structured plumes. The sensitivities of both the wave gain and electron minimum resonant energy to variation in thermal ion compositions, the energetic proton properties, or plume density structure are also investigated.
A novel variant of ferredoxin-dependent sulfite reductase having preferred substrate specificity for nitrite in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae
Authors: Sekine Kohsuke , Sakakibara Yukiko , Hase Toshiharu , Sato Naoki
Published: July 2009

Plant NiR (nitrite reductase) and SiR (sulfite reductase) have common structural and functional features. Both enzymes are generally distinguished in terms of substrate specificity for nitrite and sulfite. The genome of Cyanidioschyzon merolae, a unicellular red alga living in acidic hot springs, encodes two SiR homologues, namely CmSiRA and CmSiRB (C. merolae sulfite reductases A and B), but no NiR homologue. The fact that most known SiRs have a low nitrite-reducing activity and that the CmSiRB gene is mapped between the genes for nitrate transporter and nitrate reductase implies that CmSiRB could have a potential to function as a nitrite-reducing enzyme. To verify this hypothesis, we produced a recombinant form of CmSiRB and characterized its enzymatic properties. The enzyme was found to have a significant nitrite-reducing activity, whereas its sulfite-reducing activity was extremely low. As the affinity of CmSiRB for sulfite was higher by 25-fold than that for nitrite, nitrite reduction by CmSiRB was competitively inhibited by sulfite. These results demonstrate that CmSiRB is a unique SiR having a decreased sulfite-reducing activity and an enhanced nitrite-reducing activity. The cellular level of CmSiRB was significantly increased when C. merolae was grown in a nitrate medium. The nitrate-grown C. merolae cells showed a high nitrite uptake from the growth medium, and this consumption was inhibited by sulfite. These combined results indicate that CmSiRB has a significant nitrite-reducing activity and plays a physiological role in nitrate assimilation.
Not all mitochondrial carrier proteins support permeability transition pore formation: no involvement of uncoupling protein 1
Authors: Crichton Paul G. , Parker Nadeene , Vidal-Puig Antonio J. , Brand Martin D.
Published: July 2009

The mPTP (mitochondrial permeability transition pore) is a non-specific channel that is formed in the mitochondrial inner membrane in response to several stimuli, including elevated levels of matrix calcium. The pore is proposed to be composed of the ANT (adenine nucleotide translocase), voltage-dependent anion channel and cyclophilin D. Knockout studies, however, have demonstrated that ANT is not essential for permeability transition, which has led to the proposal that other members of the mitochondrial carrier protein family may be able to play a similar function to ANT in pore formation. To investigate this possibility, we have studied the permeability transition properties of BAT (brown adipose tissue) mitochondria in which levels of the mitochondrial carrier protein, UCP1 (uncoupling protein 1), can exceed those of ANT. Using an improved spectroscopic assay, we have quantified mPTP formation in de-energized mitochondria from wild-type and Ucp1KO (Ucp1-knockout) mice and assessed the dependence of pore formation on UCP1. When correctly normalized for differences in mitochondrial morphology, we find that calcium-induced mPTP activity is the same in both types of mitochondria, with similar sensitivity to GDP (~50% inhibited), although the portion sensitive to cyclosporin A is higher in mitochondria lacking UCP1 (~80% inhibited, compared with ~60% in mitochondria containing UCP1). We conclude that UCP1 is not a component of the cyclosporin A-sensitive mPTP in BAT and that playing a role in mPTP formation is not a general characteristic of the mitochondrial carrier protein family but is, more likely, restricted to specific members including ANT.
Facilitating Functional Social-Communication Skills in Adolescents With Asperger’s Syndrome
Authors: Retherford Kristine S. , Sterling-Orth Angela J.
Published: July 2009

The demands of initiating and maintaining social relationships and securing and holding employment commensurate with their level of education can be a life-long struggle for many adolescents and young adults with Asperger’s syndrome (AS). The purpose of the project described in this article was to pilot a service delivery model for adolescents and young adults with AS and their families that would bridge various agencies to address social-communication skills and executive functions that predict success in life settings.
Social Thinking: A Training Paradigm for Professionals and Treatment Approach for Individuals With Social Learning/Social Pragmatic Challenges
Authors: Winner Michelle Garcia , Crooke Pamela J.
Published: July 2009

Teaching students with social learning/pragmatic challenges what neurotypical children learn intuitively is an act that blends art and science. This article will describe the development of social learning and social communication and the relationship to social skills. A training and treatment framework referred to as Social Thinking will be introduced. The training aspect of Social Thinking is referred to as the ILAUGH Model, an acronym representing how different aspects of the school and home day relate require our core social knowledge and then how we use this knowledge to produce our social skills as well as participate successfully in specific academic tasks. This article will also introduce one aspect of Social Thinking treatment called the Social Thinking Vocabulary which creates concrete ways to explore and teach abstract lessons related to our social skills production.
Bound exciton luminescence in shock compressed GaP:S and GaP:N
Authors: Grivickas P. , McCluskey M. D. , Gupta Y. M. , Zhang Y. , Geisz J. F.
Published: July 2009

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of bound excitons were measured in uniaxially strained GaP by performing shock-wave experiments at liquid nitrogen temperatures. GaP samples doped with sulfur or nitrogen were compressed up to 3 GPa when subjected to uniaxial strains along the [100] crystallographic orientation. PL lines from shallow sulfur donors redshifted upon compression, tracking the reduction in the indirect band gap. PL lines related to the isoelectronic NN1 pairs, in contrast, exhibited splitting and nonlinear blueshift. An empirical approach was used to model the NN1 behavior. It was shown that the splitting pattern is consistent with the previously proposed symmetry of NN1 defects and nonlinearities resulting from the reduction in the exciton binding energy. At high stresses, the NN1 lines disappeared due to the ionization of bound excitons.
Gas content of binary clathrate hydrates with promoters
Authors: Papadimitriou N. I. , Tsimpanogiannis I. N. , Stubos A. K.
Published: July 2009

We develop a methodology to calculate the gas storage capacity of binary hydrates stabilized by promoters. This model utilizes equilibrium experimental data of both hydrates (i.e., the hydrate of pure promoter and the binary hydrate of gas and promoter) in order to calculate the gas occupancy in the small cavities that are not occupied by the promoter. The new approach, although based on the traditional van der Waals–Platteeuw theory, has two significant advantages. The hypothetical state of an empty hydrate for the calculation of the chemical potential of water is replaced by the hydrate of the pure promoter whose properties can be determined through simple thermodynamic calculations. In addition, the computational difficulties related to the complete occupancy of the large cavities by the promoter are removed. The proposed methodology is applied to calculate the gas storage capacity of hydrates of two energy-carrier gases (methane and hydrogen) stabilized by tetrahydrofuran. Excellent agreement is observed between the proposed-model predictions and published experimental values for the gas content of hydrates.
Spectroscopic investigations and potential energy surfaces of the ground and excited electronic states of 1,3-benzodioxan
Authors: McCann Kathleen , Wagner Martin , Guerra Aaron , Coronado Paul , Villarreal J. R. , Choo Jaebum , Kim Sungwhan , Laane Jaan
Published: July 2009

The laser-induced fluorescence spectra (both fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence) of jet-cooled 1,3-benzodioxan along with its ultraviolet absorption spectra have been recorded and analyzed in order to determine the vibrational quantum levels in both the ground and S1(π,π∗) electronic excited states. A detailed energy map of the vibrational levels involving the six lowest frequency vibrations was established and utilized to better understand the structural and conformational differences between the ground and excited electronic states. The energies of more than a dozen vibrational excited states involving the out-of-plane ring twisting (ν47) and the out-of-plane ring bending (ν48) modes were determined for both S0 and S1 electronic states. Ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also carried out to complement the experimental work. The data allowed one-dimensional potential energy functions in terms of the ring-twisting coordinate to be calculated. These show the molecule to have a twisting angle of 33° and a barrier to planarity of 4300±500 cm−1 for the S0 ground state and an angle of 24° and a barrier of 1500±200 cm−1 for the S1(π,π∗) excited state.
Advanced discharge modes in an ac plasma display with an auxiliary electrode
Authors: Lee Sung-Min , Choi Chung Sock , Kim Seung Hun , Choi Kyung Cheol
Published: July 2009

The characteristics of advanced discharge modes were investigated through measurements of spatiotemporal infrared emission, discharge current, infrared intensity, and luminous efficacy in an ac plasma display panel with an auxiliary electrode located between scan and common electrodes. Pulse waveforms that included auxiliary pulses applied to the auxiliary electrode after every sustain pulse were used. The proposed advanced discharge modes are as follows: In mode 1, strong discharges are generated by the sustain pulses only, whereas strong discharges are generated by the sustain pulses and a weak discharge is generated by the auxiliary pulse applied after the scan pulse in mode 2. In mode 3-1, strong discharges are generated by the sustain pulses and weak discharges are generated by the auxiliary pulses applied after the scan and common pulses, while all sustain and auxiliary pulses generate discharges having similar intensities in mode 3-2. Mode 1 and mode 2 are efficient modes; the luminous efficacy was improved in mode 1 owing to more homogeneous discharge due to the auxiliary electrode and a priming effect due to the auxiliary pulse. The luminous efficacy was also improved in mode 2, because of decreased power consumption induced by a decrease in wall charges and sustained or increased luminance due to priming particles. Mode 3-1 and mode 3-2 are inefficient modes; the luminous efficacy was reduced in mode 3-1 as a result of a decrease in the luminance due to insufficiently generated priming particles. The luminous efficacy was also reduced in mode 3-2, because of short-coplanar-gap discharges of the sustain pulses. It was found that advanced discharge modes were changed successively from mode 1 to mode 3-2 when sustain or auxiliary pulses of higher voltage were applied. The maximum luminous efficacy can be obtained in mode 1 at a low sustain pulse voltage and in mode 2 at mid and high sustain pulse voltages.
Tuning of electrical charging effects for ferromagnetic Mn-doped ZnO nanocrystals embedded into a SiO2 layer fabricated by KrF excimer laser irradiation
Authors: Lee Sejoon , Kim Deuk Young , Won Kang Tae , Cho Hyung Koun
Published: July 2009

The ZnMnO nanocrystals were formed by the laser irradiation of the sputter-deposited ZnMnO ultrathin layer using a 248 nm KrF excimer laser, and the size and density of the nanocrystals were observed to be controllable by modulations of either the energy density or the frequency of the irradiated pulsed-laser beam. Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors fabricated using ZnMnO nanocrystals clearly showed the electrical charging effect, and it was observed that the memory window depends on the size and density of nanocrystals. For measurements of the spontaneous magnetization, ZnMnO nanocrystals showed to have room-temperature ferromagnetism with Mr of ∼1.5 emu/cm3 and Hc 167 Oe. By using ferromagnetism in ZnMnO nanocrystals, tuning of the memory window was demonstrated. Namely, it was clearly observed that the flat-band voltage shift of ∼1.25 V can be modulated to be ∼0.8 V by applying the magnetic field. This is attributed to the modulation of probabilities for tunneling events due to the increased magnetoelectrical repulsion between spin-polarized carriers in ZnMnO dilute magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals and unpolarized carriers in p-Si under the magnetic field. These results suggest that ZnMnO nanocrystals can be used for spin-functional memory devices.
Anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect in epitaxial films of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3
Authors: Naftalis N. , Bason Y. , Hoffman J. , Hong X. , Ahn C. H. , Klein L.
Published: July 2009

We measured the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and the planar Hall effect (PHE) in a [001] oriented epitaxial thin film of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) as a function of magnetic field, temperature, and current direction relative to the crystal axes. We find that both AMR and PHE in LCMO depend strongly on the current orientation relative to the crystal axes, and we demonstrate the applicability of AMR and PHE equations based on a fourth order magnetoresistance tensor consistent with the film symmetry.
Effects of boron and arsenic doping in β-FeSi2
Authors: Tan K. H. , Pey K. L. , Chi D. Z.
Published: July 2009

The effects of boron and arsenic doping in β-FeSi2 have been studied by theoretical simulations and electrical characterization. First-principles calculations revealed that B and As were energetically favorable to occupy the SiII and SiI sites, respectively. The impurity doping was found to induce structural relaxation via lattice distortion, with As doping causing elongation of the As­Si bonds and contraction of the As–Fe bonds while B doping resulting in both inward and outward relaxations of the neighboring Si and Fe host atoms. p-type and n-type conductivities were suggested for the B- and As-doped β-FeSi2, respectively, and confirmed experimentally by Hall effect measurements. B and As were shown to introduce shallow impurity levels in the forbidden gap of β-FeSi2 and therefore could be effective dopants for β-FeSi2. A carrier concentration in a tunable range of 1017 cm−3 and a mobility in the order of 100 cm2/V s were consistently obtained.
In situ investigation of oxygen precipitation in Czochralski-silicon by high energy x-ray diffraction
Authors: Grillenberger Hannes , Magerl Andreas
Published: July 2009

The change in the diffracted intensity of a silicon 400 Bragg peak is measured in situ while the sample is exposed to a thermal treatment up to 1150 °C. The experiments are set up in focusing Laue geometry with polychromatic and divergent x-rays generated by a high voltage tube. Changes in peak intensity and shape are only observed for Czochralski grown samples and not for the float zone grown reference group. Thus, they are attributed to oxygen related defects emerging at these temperatures.
Multiscale geometric analysis of turbulence by curvelets
Authors: Ma Jianwei , Hussaini M. Yousuff , Vasilyev Oleg V. , Le Dimet Francois-Xavier
Published: July 2009

In this paper, after a brief review of curvelets and their relation to classical wavelet transform, multiscale geometric analysis is systematically applied to turbulent flows in two and three dimensions. The analysis is based on the constrained minimization of a total variation functional representing the difference between the data and its representation in the curvelet space. Constrained multiscale minimization results in a minimum loss of the geometric flow features and the extraction of the coherent structures with their edges and geometry properly preserved, which is significant for turbulence modeling. The effectiveness of curvelet analysis compared to the wavelet transform is demonstrated for both two- and three-dimensional turbulent flows.
Laser action from a sugar-threaded polyrotaxane
Authors: Mróz Marta M. , Perissinotto Stefano , Virgili Tersilla , Gigli Giuseppe , Salerno Marco , Frampton Michael J. , Sforazzini Giuseppe , Anderson Harry L. , Lanzani Guglielmo
Published: July 2009

We present gain and lasing results from a polyrotaxane consisting of a conjugated polymer (polyfluorene-alt-biphenylene) threaded through sugar macrocycles (β-cyclodextrin). Encapsulation suppresses interchain charge separation, leading to lasing emission not observed in the unthreaded polymer, and enlargement of the stimulated emission in threaded polymer is observed. We demonstrate all-optical switching distributed feedback laser.
Comparative analysis of photovoltaic and thermoelectric panels for powering isolated homes
Authors: Juanicó L. E. , Rinalde G. F.
Published: July 2009

A comparative economic analysis between photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric (TE) generators used to provide lighting for isolated rural homes is presented. Although panel costs are similar in both cases, appreciable lower generation costs are obtained by TEs. The difference is due to greater availability of the thermal source. In addition, regarding present TE cost reductions, this comparison is much better for TEs. Due to high generation costs, high-efficiency appliances of leading technologies are strongly recommended in all cases.
Enhanced absorption in one-dimensional phononic crystals with interfacial acoustic waves
Authors: Lee B. J. , To A. C.
Published: July 2009

The present study demonstrates that interfacial acoustic waves can be excited at the interface between two phononic crystals. The interfacial acoustic wave between two phononic crystals is analogous to the surface electromagnetic wave between two photonic crystals. While past works on phononic crystals exploit the unique bandgap phenomenon in periodic structures, the present work employs the Bloch wave in the stop band to excite interfacial acoustic waves that propagate along the interface and decay into both media. As a result, the interfacial wave can be employed in an effective wave filter in which the incident acoustic wave energy is guided by the interfacial wave to the lateral direction; thus, its propagation in the normal direction is inhibited. The advantage of using two phononic crystals is to excite the interfacial wave even at normal incidence.
Parametrization of a reactive force field for aluminum hydride
Authors: Ojwang J. G. O. , van Santen Rutger A. , Kramer Gert Jan , van Duin Adri C. T. , Goddard William A.
Published: July 2009

A reactive force field, REAXFF, for aluminum hydride has been developed based on density functional theory (DFT) derived data. REAXFFAlH3 is used to study the dynamics governing hydrogen desorption in AlH3. During the abstraction process of surface molecular hydrogen charge transfer is found to be well described by REAXFFAlH3. Results on heat of desorption versus cluster size show that there is a strong dependence of the heat of desorption on the particle size, which implies that nanostructuring enhances desorption process. In the gas phase, it was observed that small alane clusters agglomerated into a bigger cluster. After agglomeration molecular hydrogen was desorbed from the structure. This thermodynamically driven spontaneous agglomeration followed by desorption of molecular hydrogen provides a mechanism on how mobile alane clusters can facilitate the mass transport of aluminum atoms during the thermal decomposition of NaAlH4.
Imaging fingerprint corrosion of fired brass shell casings
Authors: Bond J. W.
Published: July 2009

A newly developed method is presented for imaging fingerprint sweat corrosion of fired brass shell casings that reduces the degradation of the corroded fingerprint image. Degradation has been reduced by calculating a maximum angle of contact between the shell casing and a planar surface containing the imaging medium (graphite particles). Experiments have confirmed the predicted reduction in image degradation for contact angles less than the maximum. Details of the setup and operation of an instrument designed to improve fingerprint image quality are given and results shown for a 9 mm brass shell casing. Use of the instrument with other calibre ammunition is explained.