bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EQUIVALENCE OF LABELED MARKOV CHAINS
Authors: DOYEN LAURENT , HENZINGER THOMAS A. , RASKIN JEAN-FRANÇOIS
Published: June 2008

We consider the equivalence problem for labeled Markov chains (LMCs), where each state is labeled with an observation. Two LMCs are equivalent if every finite sequence of observations has the same probability of occurrence in the two LMCs. We show that equivalence can be decided in polynomial time, using a reduction to the equivalence problem for probabilistic automata, which is known to be solvable in polynomial time. We provide an alternative algorithm to solve the equivalence problem, which is based on a new definition of bisimulation for probabilistic automata. We also extend the technique to decide the equivalence of weighted probabilistic automata.

Then, we consider the equivalence problem for labeled Markov decision processes (LMDPs), which asks given two LMDPs whether for every scheduler (i.e. way of resolving the nondeterministic decisions) for each of the processes, there exists a scheduler for the other process such that the resulting LMCs are equivalent. The decidability of this problem remains open. We show that the schedulers can be restricted to be observation-based, but may require infinite memory.
DETERMINISTIC BLOW-UPS OF MINIMAL NONDETERMINISTIC FINITE AUTOMATA OVER A FIXED ALPHABET
Authors: JIRÁSEK JOZEF , JIRÁSKOVÁ GALINA , SZABARI ALEXANDER
Published: June 2008

We show that for all integers n and α such that n ⩽ α ⩽ 2n, there exists a minimal nondeterministic finite automaton of n states with a four-letter input alphabet whose equivalent minimal deterministic finite automaton has exactly α states. It follows that in the case of a four-letter alphabet, there are no "magic numbers", i.e., the holes in the hierarchy. This improves a similar result obtained by Geffert for a growing alphabet of size n + 2.
TOWARDS A CPT INVARIANT QUANTUM FIELD THEORY ON ELLIPTIC DE SITTER SPACE
Authors: CHANG ZHE , LI XIN
Published: June 2008

Consequences of Schrödinger's antipodal identification on quantum field theory in de Sitter space are investigated. The elliptic ℤ2identification provides observers with complete information. We show that a suitable confinement on dimension of the elliptic de Sitter space guarantees the existence of globally defined spinors and orientable dS/ℤ2manifold. In Beltrami coordinates, we give exact solutions of scalar and spinor fields. The CPT invariance of quantum field theory on the elliptic de Sitter space is presented explicitly.
F(R) GRAVITY IN PURELY AFFINE FORMULATION
Authors: POPŁAWSKI NIKODEM J.
Published: June 2008

The purely affine, metric-affine and purely metric formulation of general relativity are dynamically equivalent and the relation between them is analogous to the Legendre relation between the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics. We show that one cannot construct a dynamically equivalent, purely affine Lagrangian from a metric-affine or metric F(R) Lagrangian, nonlinear in the curvature scalar. Thus the equivalence between the purely affine picture and the two other formulations does not hold for metric-affine and metric theories of gravity with a nonlinear dependence on the curvature, i.e. F(R) gravity does not have a purely affine formulation. We also show that this equivalence is restored if the metric tensor is conformally transformed from the Jordan to the Einstein frame, in which F(R) gravity turns into general relativity with a scalar field. This peculiar behavior of general relativity, among relativistic theories of gravitation, with respect to purely affine, metric-affine and purely metric variation could indicate the physicality of the Einstein frame. On the other hand, it could explain why this theory cannot interpolate among phenomenological behaviors at different scales.
HEAVY ION PHYSICS AT RHIC
Authors: TANNENBAUM M. J.
Published: June 2008

The status of the physics of heavy ion collisions is reviewed based on measurements over the past 6 years from the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The dense nuclear matter produced in Au + Au collisions with nucleon-nucleon c.m. energy [Formula: see text] at RHIC corresponds roughly to the density and temperature of the universe a few microseconds after the ‘big-bang’ and has been described as “a perfect liquid” of quarks and gluons, rather than the gas of free quarks and gluons, “the quark-gluon plasma” as originally envisaged. The measurements and arguments leading to this description will be presented.
MULTIFRACTAL STUDY OF SINGLY CHARGED PARTICLES PRODUCED IN 32S INDUCED Ag/Br INTERACTIONS AT CERN
Authors: SINGH GURMUKH , GHOSH MALAY KUMAR , MUKHOPADHYAY AMITABHA
Published: June 2008

In this contribution, we describe an investigation of the fractal nature of non-statistical fluctuations in the density distribution of singly charged secondary particles produced in 32 S - Ag / Br interactions in emulsion target at incident energy of 200A GeV. The experimental results have been compared with those obtained from an event sample simulated by the Lund Monte Carlo code FRITIOF. Besides obtaining the fractal dimensions and a smooth multifractal spectrum, show that the results can be used to determine universal parameters such as the Levy index, and the multifractal specific heat.
WHAT ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR UNIVERSE?
Authors: WALI KAMESHWAR C.
Published: June 2008

We are living in a Golden Age of Astronomy. Cosmological Parameters are found with an unprecedented accuracy comparable to high energy physics. Yet, the known form of matter forms only a small fraction of the total energy density of the universe. Also, a mysterious dark energy dominates the universe and causes acceleration in the rate of expansion. These findings raise new questions concerning the ultimate constitution of matter in the universe.
STIMULUS COMPETITION IN ATTENTION: A NEURAL MODEL OF VISUAL CORTEX AREA V4
Authors: HUGUES ETIENNE , JOSÉ JORGE V.
Published: June 2008

When a monkey is presented simultaneously two stimuli in the receptive field of a neuron in the visual cortex area V4, the neuron firing rate response is intermediate between the neuron response when both stimuli are presented alone. This phenomenon is called stimulus competition. To study its basic underlying neural mechanisms, we calculate the neuron firing rate response to different stimulus configurations. We find that stimulus competition can arise from the neuron's response properties alone, but only for a limited set of stimulus pair parameters. Furthermore, network properties may be important in modifying the inputs so that competition may occur for much wider sets of stimulus pairs.
Dissections, orientations, and trees with applications to optimal mesh encoding and random sampling
Authors: Fusy Éric , Schaeffer Gilles , Poulalhon Dominique
Published: June 2008

We present a bijection between some quadrangular dissections of an hexagon and unrooted binary trees with interesting consequences for enumeration, mesh compression, and graph sampling. Our bijection yields an efficient uniform random sampler for 3-connected planar graphs, which turns out to be determinant for the quadratic complexity of the current best-known uniform random sampler for labelled planar graphs. It also provides an encoding for the set
P
(
n
) of
n
-edge 3-connected planar graphs that matches the entropy bound 1/
n
log
2
|
P
(
n
)| = 2 +
o
(1) bits per edge (bpe). This solves a theoretical problem recently raised in mesh compression as these graphs abstract the combinatorial part of meshes with spherical topology. We also achieve the optimal parametric rate 1/
n
log
2
|
P
(
n
,
i
,
j
)| bpe for graphs of
P
(
n
) with
i
vertices and
j
faces, matching in particular the optimal rate for triangulations. Our encoding relies on a linear time algorithm to compute an orientation associated with the minimal Schnyder wood of a 3-connected planar map. This algorithm is of independent interest, and it is, for instance, a key ingredient in a recent straight line drawing algorithm for 3-connected planar graphs.
Reputation-based framework for high integrity sensor networks
Authors: Ganeriwal Saurabh , Balzano Laura K. , Srivastava Mani B.
Published: June 2008

Sensor network technology promises a vast increase in automatic data collection capabilities through efficient deployment of tiny sensing devices. The technology will allow users to measure phenomena of interest at unprecedented spatial and temporal densities. However, as with almost every data-driven technology, the many benefits come with a significant challenge in data reliability. If wireless sensor networks are really going to provide data for the scientific community, citizen-driven activism, or organizations which test that companies are upholding environmental laws, then an important question arises: How can a user trust the accuracy of information provided by the sensor network? Data integrity is vulnerable to both node and system failures. In data collection systems, faults are indicators that sensor nodes are not providing useful information. In data fusion systems the consequences are more dire; the final outcome is easily affected by corrupted sensor measurements, and the problems are no longer visibly obvious.

In this article, we investigate a generalized and unified approach for providing information about the data accuracy in sensor networks. Our approach is to allow the sensor nodes to develop a community of trust. We propose a framework where each sensor node maintains reputation metrics which both represent past behavior of other nodes and are used as an inherent aspect in predicting their future behavior. We employ a Bayesian formulation, specifically a beta reputation system, for the algorithm steps of reputation representation, updates, integration and trust evolution. This framework is available as a middleware service on motes and has been ported to two sensor network operating systems, TinyOS and SOS. We evaluate the efficacy of this framework using multiple contexts: (1) a lab-scale test bed of Mica2 motes, (2) Avrora simulations, and (3) real data sets collected from sensor network deployments in James Reserve.
Chinese word segmentation and statistical machine translation
Authors: Zhang Ruiqiang , Yasuda Keiji , Sumita Eiichiro
Published: June 2008

Chinese word segmentation (CWS) is a necessary step in Chinese-English statistical machine translation (SMT) and its performance has an impact on the results of SMT. However, there are many choices involved in creating a CWS system such as various specifications and CWS methods. The choices made will create a new CWS scheme, but whether it will produce a superior or inferior translation has remained unknown to date. This article examines the relationship between CWS and SMT. The effects of CWS on SMT were investigated using different specifications and CWS methods. Four specifications were selected for investigation: Beijing University (PKU), Hong Kong City University (CITYU), Microsoft Research (MSR), and Academia SINICA (AS). We created 16 CWS schemes under different settings to examine the relationship between CWS and SMT. Our experimental results showed that the MSR's specifications produced the lowest quality translations. In examining the effects of CWS methods, we tested dictionary-based and CRF-based approaches and found there was no significant difference between the two in the quality of the resulting translations. We also found the correlation between the CWS F-score and SMT BLEU score was very weak. We analyzed CWS errors and their effect on SMT by evaluating systems trained with and without these errors. This article also proposes two methods for combining advantages of different specifications: a simple concatenation of training data and a feature interpolation approach in which the same types of features of translation models from various CWS schemes are linearly interpolated. We found these approaches were very effective in improving the quality of translations.
Compiler and hardware support for reducing the synchronization of speculative threads
Authors: Zhai Antonia , Steffan J. Gregory , Colohan Christopher B. , Mowry Todd C.
Published: June 2008

Thread-level speculation (TLS) allows us to automatically parallelize general-purpose programs by supporting parallel execution of threads that might not actually be independent. In this article, we focus on one important limitation of program performance under TLS, which stalls as a result of synchronizing and forwarding scalar values between speculative threads that would otherwise cause frequent data dependences and, hence, failed speculation. Using SPECint benchmarks that have been automatically transformed by our compiler to exploit TLS, we present, evaluate in detail, and compare both compiler and hardware techniques for improving the communication of scalar values. We find that through our dataflow algorithms for three increasingly aggressive instruction scheduling techniques, the compiler can drastically reduce thecritical forwarding pathintroduced by the synchronization and forwarding of scalar values. We also show that hardware techniques for reducing synchronization can be complementary to compiler scheduling, but that the additional performance benefits are minimal and are generally not worth the cost.
Design of the Java HotSpot™ client compiler for Java 6
Authors: Kotzmann Thomas , Wimmer Christian , Mössenböck Hanspeter , Rodriguez Thomas , Russell Kenneth , Cox David
Published: June 2008

Version 6 of Sun Microsystems' Java HotSpot™ VM ships with a redesigned version of the client just-in-time compiler that includes several research results of the last years. The client compiler is at the heart of the VM configuration used by default for interactive desktop applications. For such applications, low startup and pause times are more important than peak performance. This paper outlines the new architecture of the client compiler and shows how it interacts with the VM. It presents the intermediate representation that now uses static single-assignment (SSA) form and the linear scan algorithm for global register allocation. Efficient support for exception handling and deoptimization fulfills the demands that are imposed by the dynamic features of the Java programming language. The evaluation shows that the new client compiler generates better code in less time. The popular SPECjvm98 benchmark suite is executed 45% faster, while the compilation speed is also up to 40% better. This indicates that a carefully selected set of global optimizations can also be integrated in just-in-time compilers that focus on compilation speed and not on peak performance. In addition, the paper presents the impact of several optimizations on execution and compilation speed. As the source code is freely available, the Java HotSpot™ VM and the client compiler are the ideal basis for experiments with new feedback-directed optimizations in a production-level Java just-in-time compiler. The paper outlines research projects that add fast algorithms for escape analysis, automatic object inlining, and array bounds check elimination.
Structure and Energetics of the Hydrogen-Bonded Backbone in Protein Folding
Authors: Bolen D. Wayne , Rose George D.
Published: June 2008

We seek to understand the link between protein thermodynamics and protein structure in molecular detail. A classical approach to this problem involves assessing changes in protein stability resulting from added cosolvents. Under any given conditions, protein molecules in aqueous buffer are in equilibrium between unfolded and folded states, U(nfolded) [Formula: see text] N(ative). Addition of organic osmolytes, small uncharged compounds found throughout nature, shift this equilibrium. Urea, a denaturing osmolyte, shifts the equilibrium toward U; trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a protecting osmolyte, shifts the equilibrium toward N. Using the Tanford Transfer Model, the thermodynamic response to many such osmolytes has been dissected into groupwise free energy contributions. It is found that the energetics involving backbone hydrogen bonding controls these shifts in protein stability almost entirely, with osmolyte cosolvents simply dialing between solvent-backbone versus backbone-backbone hydrogen bonds, as a function of solvent quality. This reciprocal relationship establishes the essential link between protein thermodynamics and the protein's hydrogen-bonded backbone structure.
Structural and Functional Relationships of the XPF/MUS81 Family of Proteins
Authors: Ciccia Alberto , McDonald Neil , West Stephen C.
Published: June 2008

Proteins belonging to the XPF/MUS81 family play important roles in the repair of DNA lesions caused by UV-light or DNA cross-linking agents. Most eukaryotes have four family members that assemble into two distinct heterodimeric complexes, XPF-ERCC1 and MUS81-EME1. Each complex contains one catalytic and one noncatalytic subunit and exhibits endonuclease activity with a variety of 3′-flap or fork DNA structures. The catalytic subunits share a characteristic core containing an excision repair cross complementation group 4 (ERCC4) nuclease domain and a tandem helix-hairpin-helix (HhH)2 domain. Diverged domains are present in the noncatalytic subunits and may be required for substrate targeting. Vertebrates possess two additional family members, FANCM and Fanconi anemia-associated protein 24 kDa (FAAP24), which possess inactive nuclease domains. Instead, FANCM contains a functional Superfamily 2 (SF2) helicase domain that is required for DNA translocation. Determining how these enzymes recognize specific DNA substrates and promote key repair reactions is an important challenge for the future.
Top Quark Properties and Interactions
Authors: Demina Regina , Thomson Evelyn J.
Published: June 2008

This review describes the properties and interactions of the top quark, to date the most massive fundamental particle discovered by experiment. We describe the measurements of the rate of pair production via the strong interaction and the techniques used to elucidate evidence for single production via the electroweak interaction. We also discuss investigations of the properties of the top quark, including potential beyond the standard model production and decay mechanisms. We pay particular attention to the explanation of the recent advances in the precision measurement of the top quark mass.
A Role for the PPARγ in Cancer Therapy
Authors: Campbell Moray J. , Carlberg Carsten , Koeffler H. Phillip
Published: June 2008

In 1997, the first published reports highlighted PPARγ
as a novel cancer therapeutic target regulating differentiation of cancer cells. A subsequent flurry of papers described these activities more widely and fuelled further enthusiasm for differentiation therapy, as the ligands for the PPARγ were seen as well tolerated and in several cases well‐established in other therapeutic contexts.
This initial enthusiasm and promise was somewhat tempered by contradictory findings in several murine cancer models and equivocal trial findings. As more understanding has emerged in recent years, a renaissance has occurred in targeting PPARγ within the context of either chemoprevention or chemotherapy.
This clarity has arisen in part through a clearer understanding of PPARγ biology, how the receptor interacts with other proteins and signaling events, and the mechanisms that modulate its transcriptional actions. Equally greater translational understanding of this target has arisen from a clearer understanding of in vivo murine cancer models. Clinical exploitation will most likely require precise and quantifiable description of PPARγ actions, and resolution of which targets are the most beneficial to target combined with an understanding of the mechanisms that limits its anticancer effectiveness.
Evaluation of Heat Removal from RBMK-1500 Core Using Control Rods Cooling Circuit
Authors: Kaliatka A. , Uspuras E. , Vaisnoras M.
Published: June 2008

The Ignalina nuclear power plant is a twin unit with two RBMK-1500, graphite moderated, boiling water, multichannel reactors. After the decision was made to decommission the Ignalina NPP, Unit 1 was shut down on December 31, 2004, and Unit 2 is to be operated until the end of 2009. Despite of this fact, severe accident management guidelines for RBMK-1500 reactor at Ignalina NPP are prepared. In case of beyond design basis accidents, it can occur that no water sources are available at the moment for heat removal from fuel channels. Specificity of RBMK reactor is such that the channels with control rods are cooled with water supplied by the system totally independent from the reactor cooling system. Therefore, the heat removal from RBMK-1500 reactor core using circuit for cooling of rods in control and protection system can be used as nonregular mean for reactor cooldown in case of BDBA. The heat from fuel channels, where heat is generated, through graphite bricks is transferred in radial direction to cooled CPS channels. This article presents the analysis of possibility to remove heat from reactor core in case of large LOCA by employing CPS channels cooling circuit. The analysis was performed for Ignalina NPP with RBMK-1500 reactor using RELAP5-3D and RELAP5 codes. Results of the analysis have shown that, in spite of high thermal inertia of graphite, this heat removal from CPS channels allows to slow down effectively the core heat-up process.
On Some Inequalities of Uncertainty Principles Type in Quantum Calculus
Authors: Fitouhi Ahmed , Bettaibi Néji , Bettaieb Rym H. , Binous Wafa
Published: June 2008

The aim of this paper is to generalize the q‐Heisenberg uncertainty principles
studied by Bettaibi et al. (2007), to state local uncertainty principles for the q‐Fourier‐cosine, the q‐Fourier‐sine,
and the q‐Bessel‐Fourier transforms, then to provide an inequality of Heisenberg‐Weyl‐type for the q‐Bessel‐Fourier transform.
Internal Clock Drift Estimation in Computer Clusters
Authors: Marouani Hicham , Dagenais Michel R.
Published: June 2008

Most computers have several high‐resolution timing sources, from the programmable interrupt timer to the cycle counter. Yet, even at a precision of one cycle in ten millions, clocks may drift significantly in a single second at a clock frequency of several GHz. When tracing the low‐level system events in computer clusters, such as packet sending or reception, each computer system records its own events using an internal
clock. In order to properly understand the global system behavior and performance, as reported by the events recorded on each computer, it is important to estimate precisely the clock differences and drift between the different computers in the system. This article studies the clock precision and stability of several computer systems, with different architectures. It also studies the typical network delay characteristics, since time synchronization algorithms rely on the exchange of network packets and are dependent on the symmetry of the delays. A very precise clock, based on the atomic time provided by the GPS satellite network, was used as a reference to measure clock drifts and network delays. The results obtained are of immediate use to all applications which depend on computer clocks or network time synchronization accuracy.
Heat Transport in Nanoscale Heterosystems: A Numerical and Analytical Study
Authors: Krenzer Boris , Hanisch Anja , Duvenbeck Andreas , Rethfeld Bärbel , Hoegen Michael Horn-von
Published: June 2008

The numerical integration of the heat diffusion equation applied to the Bi/Si‐heterosystem is presented for times larger than the characteristic time of electron‐phonon coupling. By comparing the numerical results to experimental data, it is shown that the thermal boundary resistance of the interface can be directly determined from the characteristic decay time of the observed surface cooling, and an elaborate simulation of the temporal surface temperature evolution can be omitted. Additionally, the numerical solution shows that the substrate temperature only negligibly varies with time and can be considered constant. In this case, an analytical solution can be found. A thorough examination of the analytical solution shows that the surface cooling behavior strongly depends on the initial temperature distribution which can be used to study energy transport properties at short delays after the excitation.
PPARγ in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Peri Alessandro , Cellai Ilaria , Benvenuti Susanna , Luciani Paola , Baglioni Silvana , Serio Mario
Published: June 2008

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial tumor in children and accounts for around 15% of all paediatric oncology deaths. The treatment of NB includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Unfortunately, most children with NB present with advanced disease, and more than 60% of patients with high‐risk features will have a poor prognosis despite intensive therapy. Agonists of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) have been shown to have pleiotropic effects, including antineoplastic effects. The studies that addressed the role and the possible mechanism(s) of action of PPARγ in NB cells are reviewed.
Cerebrovascular Support for Cognitive Processing in Hypertensive Patients Is Altered by Blood Pressure Treatment
Authors: Jennings J. Richard , Muldoon Matthew F. , Price Julie , Christie Israel C. , Meltzer Carolyn C.
Published: June 2008

Hypertension is associated with mild decrements in cognition. In addition, regional cerebral blood flow responses during memory processing are blunted in parietal and thalamic areas among untreated hypertensive adults, who, compared with normotensive subjects, manifest greater correlation in blood flow response across task-related brain regions. Here, we test whether pharmacological treatment of hypertension normalizes regional cerebral blood flow responses and whether it does so differentially according to drug class. Treatment with lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme blocker, known to enhance vasodilative responsivity, was compared with treatment with atenolol, a β-blocker. Untreated hypertensive volunteers (n=28) were randomly assigned and treated for 1 year. Whole brain and regional cerebral flow responses to memory processing and acutely administered acetazolamide, a vasodilator, were assessed pretreatment and posttreatment. Peripheral brachial artery dilation during reactive hyperemia was also measured. Quantitative blood flow measures showed no difference in the magnitude of regional cerebral blood flow responses pretreatment and posttreatment to either memory tasks or acetazolamide injection. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation increased with treatment. No differences between medications were observed. In brain regions active in memory processing, however, regional cerebral blood flow responses were more highly correlated after treatment. Specificity of cerebral blood flow to different regions appears to decline with treatment of hypertension. This greater correlation among active brain regions, which is present as well in untreated hypertensive relative to normotensive volunteers, may represent compensation in the face of less region-specific responsivity in individuals with hypertension.
Erythropoietin Increases Endothelial Biosynthesis of Tetrahydrobiopterin by Activation of Protein Kinase Bα/Akt1
Authors: d'Uscio Livius V. , Katusic Zvonimir S.
Published: June 2008

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH
4
) is an essential cofactor required for enzymatic activity of endothelial NO synthase. Recently, it has been shown that vascular protective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) are dependent on activation of endothelial NO synthase. Therefore, our objective was to characterize the effect of EPO on the biosynthesis of BH
4
in the vascular wall. Incubation of isolated C57BL/6J mouse aortas for 18 hours with recombinant human EPO (1 to 50 U/mL) caused a concentration-dependent increase in intracellular BH
4
levels and activity of GTP-cyclohydrolase I. Maximal biosynthesis of BH
4
was detected at therapeutic concentrations of 5 U/mL. Removal of the endothelium abolished EPO-induced biosynthesis of BH
4
demonstrating that the vascular endothelium is a major source of BH
4
. Treatment with a selective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin significantly reduced BH
4
biosynthesis stimulated by EPO. The stimulatory effect of EPO on vascular GTP-cyclohydrolase I activity, BH
4
production, and phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase was also detected in vivo in mice treated with recombinant human EPO. These effects of EPO were abolished in protein kinase Bα/Akt1-deficient mice. In addition, EPO significantly increased systolic blood pressure and the number of circulating platelets in Akt1-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate that EPO stimulates biosynthesis of BH
4
in vascular endothelium and that the increase in BH
4
levels is caused by de novo biosynthesis of BH
4
via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt1 pathway. This effect is most likely designed to provide optimal intracellular concentration of the cofactor necessary for EPO-induced elevation of endothelial NO synthase activity.
A New Religious Movement in Singapore: Syncretism and Variation in the Sathya Sai Baba Movement
Authors: Pereira Shane
Published: June 2008

This ethnographic study of the Sathya Sai Baba Movement in Singapore situates itself within the sociological study of New Religious Movements (NRMs). Studies on the expansion of “cults” and NRMs are well documented, but little has been done to explore how such movements proceed after the initial foothold has been established in the host country. Patterns of interaction with the highly plural socio-ethnic and religious elements that exist in multicultural nations, as in Singapore, and the attendant social implications have not been sufficiently addressed. The Sai Baba movement preaches and practises ethno-religious ecumenism and allow adherents to maintain the religious affiliations and practices of their parent or current religion. This paper explores the nature of the Sathya Sai Baba Movement's religious framework and its apparent success in pluralistic Singapore by studying the impact of syncretism and ritual variations on the identity of the movement.
State in a State: Administration and Governance in a Thailand–Burma Border Town
Authors: Lee Sang Kook
Published: June 2008

This study investigates governance in the district of Mae Sot, located at the Thailand-Burma border. Unlike other places in Thailand, the enormous presence of non-Thais, particularly unauthorised migrants, makes Mae Sot unique in matters of administration and governance. This study examines the interactions of the various governing systems that exist in Mae Sot, including those of the Burmese, even though the Burmese do not have a proper legal status in the Thai district. The study asks if modern states can be conceptualised in terms of an isomorphism with territory, sovereignty and citizenship.
A Brief History of Western Sufism
Authors: Küçük Hülya
Published: June 2008

Sufism's popularity in the West is an issue known by everybody who is interested in it. It is certain that because of its tolerance of other religions and cultures, Sufism was welcomed among the Europeans who, through a variety of means, had had contact with it. This article intends to present a descriptive and representative historical overview of Western Sufism. It is also a probe in passing to understand the reasons for Western people's interest in Sufism. The Western Shadhiliyya and the Chistiyya in the West will occupy much more space in this work than the rest of the Sufi movements in the West, because of their pioneering role as the first Sufi movements introduced to the West. They paved way for or formed the background to later Sufi movements and facilitated their popularity in the West via their publications and conferences.
Beyond 'Women vs. Children' or 'WomenandChildren': Engendering Childhood and Reformulating Motherhood
Authors: Burman Erica
Published: June 2008

The child rights movement has typically fallen foul of both feminists and antifeminists in its renderings of the relations between women and children. This article attempts to move the debate forward to consider the relations between women's rights and children's rights as neither adversarial, nor equivalent, but as allied – albeit as necessarily structured in tension and contest. It illuminates why and how such a situation has arisen, and identifies some key challenges for the adequate formulation of women's and children's interests and positionings. This conceptual analysis is given specific focus by taking two key arenas of intervention – child abduction and the support of children in shelters for battered women – as particular contexts in which conceptualisations and policies around women and around children often come into conflict. Using these examples, arising from involvement in practical action research projects, new directions for reconfiguring prevailing understandings emerge, in particular by highlighting how gender and culture/racialisation function to structure discourses of childhood. While resolution of these tensions may be neither possible nor desirable, the paper illustrates the value of being clear about what is at stake in these contests in order to identify specific strategies for action.
Beyond Thermal Interaction between Ocean and Atmosphere: On the Extratropical Climate Variability due to the Wind-Induced SST*
Authors: Lee Dong Eun , Liu Zhengyu , Liu Yun
Published: June 2008

Prescribing sea surface temperature (SST) for the atmospheric general circulation models (GCM) may not lead to underestimation of the coupled variability. In this study, a set of SST-driven atmospheric GCM experiments, starting from slightly different multiple initial conditions, is performed. The SST used here is prepared by a coupled GCM, which has the same atmospheric GCM component as the AGCM used in the experiment with the prescribed SST. The results indicate that prescribing SST leads to underestimation of the coupled air temperature variance only in subtropics. Meanwhile, in midlatitudes, prescribing SST may result in the overestimation of the coupled air temperature variance, where the major role of ocean–atmosphere contrast is to provide damping for SST.

The simple stochastically driven coupled model is revisited with an extension to the direct wind-driven forcing for SST. In addition to the previous setup relying exclusively on the stochastic perturbation for air temperature, the ocean temperature is also forced by the pure random wind. By this extended model, it is speculated that the coupled air temperature variance can be overestimated by prescribing SST, depending on the sensitivity of SST to the wind-driven heat flux. The midlatitude is the most probable place for the overestimation since the wind-driven ocean dynamics can enhance the wind-driven surface heat flux due to the dominant zonal wind anomaly.
Methods for Exploring Spatial and Temporal Variability of Extreme Events in Climate Data
Authors: Coelho C. A. S. , Ferro C. A. T. , Stephenson D. B. , Steinskog D. J.
Published: June 2008

This study presents various statistical methods for exploring and summarizing spatial extremal properties in large gridpoint datasets. Extremal properties are inferred from the subset of gridpoint values that exceed sufficiently high, time-varying thresholds. A simple approach is presented for how to choose the thresholds so as to avoid sampling biases from nonstationary differential trends within the annual cycle. The excesses are summarized by estimating parameters of a flexible generalized Pareto model that can account for spatial and temporal variation in the excess distributions. The effect of potentially explanatory factors (e.g., ENSO) on the distribution of extremes can be easily investigated using this model. Smooth spatially pooled estimates are obtained by fitting the model over neighboring grid points while accounting for possible spatial variation across these points. Extreme value theory methods are also presented for how to investigate the temporal clustering and spatial dependency (teleconnections) of extremes. The methods are illustrated using Northern Hemisphere monthly mean gridded temperatures for June–August (JJA) summers from 1870 to 2005.
Systematic Errors in Global Radiosonde Precipitable Water Data from Comparisons with Ground-Based GPS Measurements
Authors: Wang Junhong , Zhang Liangying
Published: June 2008

A global, 10-yr (February 1997–April 2006), 2-hourly dataset of atmospheric precipitable water (PW) was produced from ground-based global positioning system (GPS) measurements of zenith tropospheric delay (ZTD) at approximately 350 International Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Service (IGS) ground stations. A total of 130 pairs of radiosonde and GPS stations are found within a 50-km distance and 100-m elevation of each other. At these stations, 14 types of radiosondes are launched and the following 3 types of humidity sensors are used: capacitive polymer, carbon hygristor, and goldbeater’s skin. The PW comparison between radiosonde and GPS data reveals three types of systematic errors in the global radiosonde PW data: measurement biases of the 14 radiosonde types along with their characteristics, long-term temporal inhomogeneity, and diurnal sampling errors of once- and twice-daily radiosonde data. The capacitive polymer generally shows mean dry bias of −1.19 mm (−6.8%). However, the carbon hygristor and goldbeater’s skin hygrometers have mean moist biases of 1.01 mm (3.4%) and 0.76 mm (5.4%), respectively. The protective shield over the humidity sensor boom introduced in late 2000 reduces the PW dry bias from 6.1% and 2.6% in 2000 to 3.9% and −1.14% (wet bias) in 2001 for the Vaisala RS80A and RS80H, respectively. The dry bias in Vaisala radiosondes has larger magnitudes during the day than at night, especially for RS90 and RS92, with a day–night difference of 5%–7%. The time series of monthly mean PW differences between the radiosonde and GPS are able to detect significant changes associated with known radiosonde type changes. Such changes would have a significant impact on the long-term trend estimate. Diurnal sampling errors of twice-daily radiosonde data are generally within 2%, but can be as much as 10%–15% for the once-daily soundings. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the global GPS PW data are useful for identifying and quantifying several kinds of systematic errors in global radiosonde PW data. Several recommendations are made for future needs of global radiosonde and GPS networks and data.
Using the Radiative Kernel Technique to Calculate Climate Feedbacks in NCAR’s Community Atmospheric Model
Authors: Shell Karen M. , Kiehl Jeffrey T. , Shields Christine A.
Published: June 2008

Climate models differ in their responses to imposed forcings, such as increased greenhouse gas concentrations, due to different climate feedback strengths. Feedbacks in NCAR’s Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) are separated into two components: the change in climate components in response to an imposed forcing and the “radiative kernel,” the effect that climate changes have on the top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) radiative budget. This technique’s usefulness depends on the linearity of the feedback processes. For the case of CO2 doubling, the sum of the effects of water vapor, temperature, and surface albedo changes on the TOA clear-sky flux is similar to the clear-sky flux changes directly calculated by CAM. When monthly averages are used rather than values from every time step, the global-average TOA shortwave change is underestimated by a quarter, partially as a result of intramonth correlations of surface albedo with the radiative kernel. The TOA longwave flux changes do not depend on the averaging period. The longwave zonal averages are within 10% of the model-calculated values, while the global average differs by only 2%. Cloud radiative forcing (ΔCRF) is often used as a diagnostic of cloud feedback strength. The net effect of the water vapor, temperature, and surface albedo changes on ΔCRF is −1.6 W m−2, based on the kernel technique, while the total ΔCRF from CAM is −1.3 W m−2, indicating these components contribute significantly to ΔCRF and make it more negative. Assuming linearity of the ΔCRF contributions, these results indicate that the net cloud feedback in CAM is positive.
Aggregate Terminal Velocity/Temperature Relations
Authors: Brandes Edward A. , Ikeda Kyoko , Thompson Gregory , Schönhuber Michael
Published: June 2008

Terminal velocities of snow aggregates in storms along the Front Range in eastern Colorado are examined with a ground-based two-dimensional video disdrometer. Power-law relationships for particles having equivalent volume diameters of 0.5–20 mm are computed for the temperatures −1°, −5°, and −10°C. Fall speeds increase with temperature. Comparison with relationships found in the literature suggests that temperature-dependent relations may be surrogates for relations based on aggregate composition (e.g., plates, columns, or dendrites) and the degree of riming.
Social Participation Revisited
Authors: van Ingen Erik
Published: June 2008

In this analysis of formal and informal social participation in the Netherlands between 1975 and 2000, period, life-cycle and cohort effects are disentangled and the factors that could have driven these changes are examined. Use of diary data enables an assessment of four types of social participation: formal involvement in associations, maintenance of informal contacts within the home and outside the home, and distant social contacts. Our results indicate that several changes have been taking place. A large decrease (of approximately 3 hours per week between 1980 and 2000) is found in the time people spend on social activities within the home (consisting mainly of paying visits and receiving visitors). This trend is connected with increases in work and television watching. Other changes manifest themselves as cohort differences. While younger cohorts reflect considerably less activity in formal participation, they spend more time on informal social activities outside the home. Decreasing levels of religiosity play a role with respect to both trends.
Distributive Justice and CEO Compensation
Authors: Jasso Guillermina , Meyersson Milgrom Eva M.
Published: June 2008

This article develops a framework for studying individuals' ideas about what constitutes just compensation for chief executive officers (CEOs) and reports estimates of just CEO pay and the principles guiding ideas of justice. The sample consists of students pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Sweden and the United States. The framework, based on justice theory and making use of Rossi's factorial survey method, enables assessment of ideas of fairness in CEO compensation, including (1) the just CEO compensation, in the eyes of each observer; (2) the principles of microjustice — observers' ideas about `who should get what' based on characteristics of CEOs and their firms; and (3) principles of macrojustice — ideas about the just level and dispersion in compensation across all CEOs. Our estimates yield the following main results: First, there is broad agreement on the median just CEO compensation but substantial inter-individual variation in the principles of microjustice and the other principles of macrojustice. Second, there is remarkable similarity in the distributions of the principles of microjustice and macrojustice across the MBA groups. Other important results include a pervasive gender attentiveness among MBA students and tolerance for large variability in CEO pay.
Individual-Level Determinants of Social Capital in Europe
Authors: Kaasa Anneli , Parts Eve
Published: June 2008

This article investigates the effect that various individual-level determinants have on social capital, this in order to find out whether there are differences between transition and non-transition countries in Europe. The novelty lies in more comprehensive sets of both the determinants and the dimensions of social capital covered. Data from the World Values Survey of 31 European countries (including 16 transition countries) are analysed. Based on estimates of the measurement and structural model of all countries individually, the countries are clustered within three groups to facilitate comparison of transition and non-transition countries. In contrast to previous results, the findings of this study provide support for the argument that the sources of social capital are remarkably different between transition and non-transition countries. Moreover, the results indicate that subgroups have to be distinguished within both of these country groups.
Managerialism, the therapeutic habitus and the self in contemporary organizing
Authors: Costea Bogdan , Crump Norman , Amiridis Kostas
Published: June 2008

Over the last two decades, managerialism (Enteman, 1993) has become consolidated on multiple fronts. As a formula of governance, it has elaborated various vocabularies: the `audit society' (Power, 1997, 2007) has become entrenched in all types of organizations; surveillance methods (Lyon, 2001) have become increasingly dispersed and insidious; and — alongside —`new' concepts of subjectivity and the`self' are used to frame more intense regimes of self-discipline or what Tipton (1984) called `self-work'. These moves have been captured by Heelas (2002), Thrift (1997) and others in the term `soft capitalism'. In this article, we reflect upon this phenomenon by analysing some examples: `culture', `performativity', `knowledge' and `wellness'. Although they belong to a group often described as `fads' and `fashions' and dismissed as managerial `mumbo-jumbo', we suggest that their proliferation indicates a more stable cultural tendency of management discourses to capture subjectivity in its general agenda. We attempt to offer an historical-cultural interpretation from which this range of managerial concepts might be viewed. Our argument suggests that they have a certain cultural coherence that can be perhaps better glimpsed within a wider historical context. As a particular way in which managerialism frames its logic, analysing `soft capitalism' historically offers a reasonable basis for understanding the strength of its hard disciplinary edge as a regime of governance.
The changing governance of the NHS: Reform in a post-Keynesian health service
Authors: Greener Ian , Powell Martin
Published: June 2008

This article suggests that the central problems of examining governance change in the National Health Service (NHS) are located in the changing relations between the state and the professionals it relies upon for the delivery of health services on the one hand, and its positioning of the users of public services on the other. These relations are explored in depth in terms of the question as to whether market-based governance can be adequately implemented in the NHS, examining the implications of this analysis for welfare governance reform more generally.
Digital technology and governance in transition: The case of the British Library
Authors: Harris Martin
Published: June 2008

Comment on the organizational consequences of the new information and communications technologies (ICTs) is pervaded by the idea that `virtual' forms of production are synonymous with disaggregation and the `end' of bureaucracy. This article takes issue with this view, drawing on case study analysis of the British Library (BL) to show the ways in which bureaucratic modes of governance are shaping scholarly access to information resources. This research produces two main findings, each of which has a strong bearing on virtualization and the theme of `governance in transition'. First, radically decentralized `virtual' forms of service delivery are dependent on heavily`managed' forms of capacity-building and information aggregation. Second, the digitization initiatives explored in the case study are embedded in an inherently contested and contradictory context of institutional change. Current developments in the management and control of digital rights are consistent with the commodification of the public sphere. However, the evidence also suggests that scholarly access to information resources is being significantly influenced by the `information society' objectives of the BL and other institutional players within the network of UK research libraries.