bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parents' experiences of introducing everyday object use to their children with autism
Authors: Williams Emma , Kendell-Scott Linda , Costall Alan
Published: November 2005

A semi-structured interview study, investigating the acquisition of everyday object use in children with autism and developmentally matched controls, is presented. Parents were asked to describe how their child currently used various everyday objects during mealtime and washing routines, the process by which this came about, and any problems encountered in attempting to introduce appropriate object use. Following transcription, the interviews were treated using a method combining phenomenological and content analysis. The statements generated were condensed, using progressive categorization, into three tables of summary statements. These represented the different sources of influence on the children's object use and the problems parents experienced in attempting to guide their child's actions. Relative to comparison groups, parents of children with autism reported that they experienced more problems and used more intensive teaching methods, and that their children were less actively involved. The findings are discussed in relation to the influence of other people in shaping object use and implications for intervention programmes.
An 8 year follow-up of a specialist supported employment service for high-ability adults with autism or Asperger syndrome
Authors: Howlin Patricia , Alcock Jennifer , Burkin Catherine
Published: November 2005

Few supported employment programmes have been specifically designed for people with autism, especially those who are more able. This study examines the outcome of a supported employment service (NAS Prospects) for adults with autism or Asperger syndrome (IQ 60+) over an 8 year period. Approximately 68 percent of clients found employment. Of the 192 jobs, the majority were permanent contracts and most involved administrative, technical or computing work. Assessment of current clients indicates that IQ, language skills and educational attainments are high. However, work has also been found for those of lower abilities. Individuals supported by Prospects show a rise in salaries, contribute more tax and claim fewer benefits. Satisfaction with the scheme is high among clients, employers and support workers. Although the programme continues to incur a financial deficit, this has decreased. Moreover, there are many non-financial benefits, which are difficult to quantify. The importance of specialist employment support of this kind is discussed.
Neonatal factors in infants with Autistic Disorder and typically developing infants
Authors: Sugie Yoko , Sugie Hideo , Fukuda Tokiko , Ito Masataka
Published: November 2005

The prenatal and neonatal factors of 225 children diagnosed with Autistic Disorder were compared with those of 1580 typically developing children. Each of the neonatal factors was compared between the Autistic Disorder and control groups, and between males and females. The results showed that males in the ‘Autistic Disorder’ group had a significantly longer gestational age and a heavier birth weight than the male controls. No significant differences in these factors were observed between females in the two groups. Both male and female children with Autistic Disorder showed a significantly higher incidence of neonatal complications than their respective controls. In the Autistic Disorder group, males had a heavier mean birth weight, and there were more post-term infants among females.
The managerial revolution revisited: the moderating impact of top managers’ social class position
Authors: Palmer Donald , Maher Michael
Published: November 2005

This article draws on early sociological critiques of the managerialist thesis to develop a new conceptualization of corporate ownership and control which is used here to inform an analysis of the propensity of large corporations to complete diversifying acquisitions in the 1960s. We categorize firms on the basis of the social class position of their top managers, focusing primarily on three types of firms, those run by: established capitalist owners, new capitalist owners and autonomous professional managers. We develop theoretical arguments that lead to two sets of predictions. First, we predict that firms run by new capitalist owners and autonomous professional managers exhibited a greater tendency than firms run by established capitalist owners to complete diversifying acquisitions in the 1960s. Second, we predict that the relationship between a firm’s financial, organizational and managerial capacities to pursue diversifying acquisitions, on the one hand, and the rate at which it completed such acquisitions, on the other, was stronger among firms run by new capitalist owners and autonomous professional managers than among firms run by other types of top managers. Finally, we conduct discrete-time event history analyses of the likelihood that firms completed diversifying acquisitions in the 1960s, which generate results that are largely consistent with our predications.
Partial Hydatidiform Mole: A Triploid Fetus
Authors: Lynn-Vandehey Amber
Published: November 2005

Molar gestations can lead to serious maternal complications. In addition, placental trophoblasts may generate an array of uterine and gestational complications such as trophoblastic tumors and choriocarcinomas related to molar gestations. Complications associated with partial and complete hydatidiform moles are evident both antenatally and postnatally. Sonography is an essential tool to aid in the diagnosis of molar gestations and postnatal trophoblastic disorders. Prenatal sonographic findings in a case of partial mole and a review of the pathophysiology of this anomaly are presented.
Common Carotid Artery Occlusion
Authors: Mónica A. Nassauer , Germano A. , Biscoito L. , Baptista M.
Published: November 2005

Common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion is an uncommon cause of stroke. Doppler ultrasound (DUS) has been reported as a sensitive diagnostic tool in this pathology. Two cases of CCA occlusion are presented as DUS. In one case, the authors found the rare occurrence of reversed flow in the internal carotid artery (ICA) nourishing the external carotid artery (ECA). In the other, both CCA and ICA were occluded, and the contralateral ICA had a significant stenosis. Both patients were submitted to angiography. The role of DUS and its limitations in the presence of CCA occlusion are described and discussed.
Breast Cancer With Isolated Internal Mammary Lymph Node Metastasis
Authors: Miner Leslie R. , Watts Meredith R.
Published: November 2005

Internal mammary (IM) lymph nodes can be seen on sonograms. It is important to recognize the sonographic features that make IM nodes worrisome for metastatic disease. Breast cancer, especially when located in the medial breast, can have IM node involvement without axillary lymphadenopathy. Prognosis, staging, and treatment will be altered based on lymph node involvement found with breast cancer. Breast sonography has been warranted following mammographically detectable densities and/or palpable abnormalities.
The Diagnosis of a Colovaginal Fistula With Intravaginal Sonography
Authors: Hass Deanne , Michael Kim
Published: November 2005

This case study involves a patient with diverticulitis presenting with a secondary complication of a colovaginal fistula. The most common cause of colovaginal fistulas is diverticulitis. Patients older than age 80 and those who have had a hysterectomy are at an increased risk of developing a colovaginal fistula. Common manifestations include feces and gas passing via the vagina and severe vaginitis. There are different imaging methods and modalities used to demonstrate and localize colovaginal fistulas. This study used intravaginal sonography as the primary diagnostic tool.
A Wet Route to Nanofiber-based Chitosan Sponges
Authors: Liu Yuyang , Chen Xianqiong , Chen Wei , Yang Kun , Xin John Haozhong
Published: November 2005

A simple wet route for the fabrication of nanostructured chitosan sponges has been developed on the base of a novel phase-separation technique, thus providing a new method for the preparation of chitosan nanomaterials.
Synthesis of Ru–Coordinating Helical Polymer and Its Utilization as a Catalyst for Asymmetric Hydrogen-transfer Reaction
Authors: Sanda Fumio , Araki Hitoshi , Masuda Toshio
Published: November 2005

An l-threonine-based helical poly(N-propargylamide)–Ru complex was synthesized, and used as a catalyst for hydrogen-transfer reaction of ketones. The enantiomeric excess (ee) values of the formed alcohols ranged from 12 to 36%. On the other hand, an Ru complex with a low-molecular-weight model ligand gave an alcohol with ee as low as 1.8%.
Suppressed Deactivation of Excited Porphyrin by Formation of Inclusion Complex with Cyclodextrin on Mesoporous TiO2 Film
Authors: Fujii Yusuke , Tsukahara Yasunori , Wada Yuji
Published: November 2005

HP-β-CD–porphyrin inclusion complexes were formed on TiO2 film by use of water-soluble porphyrin such as TCPP and TPPS, respectively. Quite intense fluorescence spectra of porphyrins were recovered by formation of the inclusion complex due to suppression of excitation energy hopping occurring between porphyrin molecules on TiO2.
X-ray and SEM Observations of Smectic A Phase and Dried Gel Fibers Formed in a Fine Capillary
Authors: Morita Yuki , Kawabe Kosuke , Zhang Fusheng , Okamoto Hiroaki , Takenaka Shunsuke , Kita Hidetoshi
Published: November 2005

Gel fibers of 2-oxochromen-6-yl 4-(S)-(2,6-dimethylheptyloxy) and 4-(S)-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)benzoates in cyclohexane were observed to grow along the surface of wall in a fine capillary. The structure of the oriented fibers was characterized by SEM and X-ray diffraction measurements, and the fiber structure was compared with the layer one in the smectic A phase.
Preparation and Characterization of Pd Nanoparticles by Sonochemical Reduction of [Pd(NH3)4]2+ in the Presence of 1-Propanol
Authors: Kijima Norihito , Takahashi Yasuhiko , Akimoto Junji , Tsunoda Tatsuo , Uchida Kunio , Yoshimura Yuji
Published: November 2005

Ultrafine Pd nanoparticles with an extremely narrow distribution were prepared by sonochemical reduction of [Pd(NH3)4]2+ in the presence of 1-propanol. The average diameter of the particles was approximately 5 nm. These nanoparticles were extremely stable in the colloidal state, even in the absence of stabilizers. After vacuum drying, the primary particles connected to each other and formed radially arranged nanostructures of about 30–50 nm.
Effect of Countercations on the Structural Isomerization of a Dianionic Diruthenium Complex with a Ligand-unsupported Ru–Ru Bond
Authors: Mochizuki Katsunori , Chang Ho-Chol , Kawamura Takashi , Kitagawa Susumu
Published: November 2005

Isomers of [Ru2III,III(3,5-DTBCat)4]2− (3,5-DTBCat2− = 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate) were successfully characterized. It is found that the isomerization from the kinetically stable cis,cis form to the thermodynamically stable trans,trans form is caused not only by heating but also by the cation exchange from Na+ to n-Bu4N+, revealing that the isomerization is regulated by the specific cation–anion interactions.
A Simple Large-scale Synthesis of Well-defined Silver Sulfide Semiconductor Nanoparticles with Adjustable Sizes
Authors: Wang Xiaobo , Liu Weimin , Hao Jingcheng , Fu Xingguo , Xu Binshi
Published: November 2005

A one-pot method characterized by thermolysis of a novel kind of single-source precursor was proposed to generate size-tunable monodisperse Ag2S(r) semiconductor nanoparticles in large scale.
Optimizing Cost-Effectiveness of Size at Release in Stock Enhancement Programs
Authors: Leber Kenneth M. , Cantrell Robert N. , Leung Ping Sun
Published: November 2005

In this paper, we consider how size at release (SAR)−dependent survival of stocked fish can influence the cost-effectiveness of stocking strategies. Production costs for various sizes of juvenile fish were related to performance based on capture rates in a subsistence fishery in Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Using production cost data from a small-scale research hatchery, we examined the costs required to rear striped mullet Mugil cephalus to various stocking sizes. A spreadsheet cost model for marine shrimp aquaculture was adapted to striped mullet intensive culture techniques in Hawaii. Costs were calculated for the maturation, hatchery, and nursery phases of striped mullet production based on spawning protocols that reflected conservation of wild-stock genetic diversity. We identified the costs required to rear fingerlings to each of five consecutive size intervals, ranging from 45 to 130 mm total length (TL). Size-dependent postrelease mortality had a significant impact on the cost-effectiveness of stocking strategies. A simple mathematical model was developed to determine the optimal (most cost-effective) SAR for a stock enhancement program that releases striped mullet into Kaneohe Bay. The production-related cost of an enhancement effect (dollars spent in the hatchery to achieve a hatchery fish contribution to the fishery) was least for fish that were 85–110 mm TL when stocked. These kinds of empirical data from pilot hatchery release studies should be factored into decisions about the sizes of fish released in stocking programs.
Guest Column: Roundtable on the Future of the Humanities in a Fragmented World
Authors: Morrison Toni , Spivak Gayatri Chakravorty , Te Awekotuku Ngahuia
Published: November 2005

As i thought about the subject of this panel, “the future of the humanities in a fragmented world,” the implications of each word proved elusive. What does “future” mean? What aspect of the humanities? When was the world not “fragmented”? Is that a bad or a good thing? And “world,” of course, could reference anything from planet to Disney (between the two of which there may turn out to be no distinction).
Representing the Slave Trader:Haleyand the Slave Ship; or, Spain'sUncle Tom's Cabin
Authors: Surwillo Lisa
Published: November 2005

Uncle Tom's Cabinwas one of the foremost texts of the American abolitionist movement, but its impact on politics was international. This article traces the reception of Stowe's novel in Spain, the last European empire with a slave economy, during the mid–nineteenth century. As an imperial power, Spain was the political and economic force behind the transatlantic slave trade; but as a nation of readers, it imported a narrative back across the Atlantic in order to fictionalize and contemplate the effects of its slave policies in the Caribbean. One such adaptation converted the novel into a play about a slave trader and recast Stowe's story of slavery in the Atlantic world in terms of Spain's role in the slave trade and in the imperial control of Cuba.
For Susan Sontag, 1933–2004
Authors: Sayres Sohnya
Published: November 2005

“Your corrections are biting, maternal, just. Your example is luminous.” These words float on the page in susan sontag's last novel, In America, near the end of the book (349). The reader isn't surprised by the indirection of the address, the fused “you” of the narrator's voice looped through the character's. Sontag has been present from the first pages, in which she finds herself traveling through time to nineteenth-century Poland, into a drawing room at a party. She moves about pleasantly dislocated, examining her statuesque characters caught in a tableau vivant as she is about to set them free. They will be freer than Sontag's four grandparents likely were when coming from Poland to America, yet this small group of fictional friends will be swept up in the centripetal power of a charismatic personality with exceptional talent, the historical actress Maryna Z. Now, as the novel is about to close, Maryna is poised to be the inspiring, compelling director of her own small repertory company in America. We have come to trust her completely. The praise for her efforts, those words about correction and example, comes from somewhere over the stage lights out of the depths of some metaphysical, darkened theater but also from inner admonishment and fair-minded assessment. This is how she must be, our Sontag-Maryna; this is what art requires, this is what is needed.
Regarding Susan Sontag
Authors: Miller Nancy K.
Published: November 2005

“Were i a writer, and dead.” that phrase from the preface to roland barthes's 1971 sade fourier loyola embodies a slightly perverse expression of posthumous longing from the critic who composed “The Death of the Author” a few years earlier. Barthes goes on to say how much he would like it if “through the efforts of some friendly and detached biographer,” his life were “to reduce itself to a few details,” to, since he loved neologisms, a handful of “biographemes” (9). These biographical details of taste and tone would somehow transport the writer into space, scatter, touch another body—that body too would be destined to dispersal. The result would be not a whole life but a life full of holes, the way Marcel Proust, Barthes thought, wrote his.
The Social and Political Position Of Woman in Ancient Egypt
Authors: Edwards Amelia Blandford
Published: November 2005

When James Russell Lowell, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wen-Dell Holmes, and two hundred other prominent American Literary and intellectual figures joined efforts to bring Amelia Edwards to the United States for a public lecture tour in 1889-90, they were acknowledging her importance as a writer and educator. The author of novels, short stories, popular histories, and works of travel literature, Edwards had established a second career as an advocate for the new science of Egyptology. As cofounder of and secretary for the Egypt Exploration Fund (EEF) in 1882, Edwards wrote extensively for the Morning Post and the Academy in England and Harper's in the United States. By 1887, she had established a strong working relationship with William Copley Winslow of the Boston Museum and received honorary degrees from Smith College and Columbia College for her literary and scholarly achievements. By the time of her tour, Edwards had succeeded in fostering a new understanding of a culture more ancient and exotic than those of Greece and Rome. Audiences for her lectures in both England and America were thus prepared for her to illuminate the Egyptian past, but listeners to this lecture on the social and political position of women in ancient Egypt may have been somewhat startled to find shadows from that past cast on their own present.
Influence of synchronization between adult emergence and host plant phenology on the population density of Pseudasphondylia neolitseae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) inducing leaf galls on Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae)
Authors: Yukawa Junichi , Akimoto Kazuhiko
Published: November 2005

Synchronization between the appearance of herbivorous insects and their host‐plant phenology is a critical event, especially for short‐lived insects such as gall midges. We studied a natural population of Pseudasphondylia neolitseae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) that induces leaf galls on Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) to evaluate the effect of synchronization on gall density in the subsequent generation. To do so, we combined quantitative data on host resources with time lag between emergence and host‐available seasons. The gamma distribution model was applied to the emergence curve of P. neolitseae and the normal distribution model to the daily changes in the number of host buds suitable for oviposition; the latter model was transformed into an “available‐resource curve” based on the mean number of host buds required for a single female to realize her eggs. By superimposing the emergence curve on the available‐resource curve and calculating overlapped area, the degree of synchronization was evaluated more accurately than previous studies, which had treated only the time lag. The number of females that synchronized with host buds affected gall density in the next generation.
The emergence of the trochaic foot in Hebrew hypocoristics
Authors: Bat-El Outi
Published: November 2005

The paper provides an optimality-theoretic analysis of the prosodic structure and stress patterns in templatic and non-templatic hypocoristics in Hebrew. It is designed to illustrate the emergence of the trochaic foot, whose role elsewhere in the language is rather limited. The trochaic foot has been shown to determine the structure of templatic hypocoristics in various languages; this is also true in Hebrew. In addition, it plays a major role in Hebrew non-templatic hypocoristics, which on the surface look like simple constructions of base+suffix. The trochaic foot does not delimit the number of syllables in non-templatic hypocoristics, but it plays an important role in the stress system, where the position of stress is also sensitive to the input stress and the type of suffix.
The effect of variation in atmospheric absorption on millimetric, terrestrial, telecommunications links
Authors: Paulson K. S.
Published: November 2005

When planning the link budget for millimeter and submillimeter wave telecommunications links, the attenuation by atmospheric gasses is taken into account. However, at millimetric frequencies above 50 GHz it may become necessary to account for the temporal variations in absorption when calculating fade margins. Attenuation due to atmospheric absorption varies with temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity, and the amplitude of variation can become significant compared to rain fade margins. This paper examines the variation in absorption between 10 and 1000 GHz derived from meteorological time series. This variation is compared to the attenuation time series experienced by two experimental, 5‐km links operating at 54.5 and 56.5 GHz in the southern United Kingdom. A method is developed to predict the average annual distribution of specific attenuation due to atmospheric absorption, based on easily obtainable meteorological parameters. A further method is developed to integrate this variation into existing models of annual fade distribution, and these results are compared to measured distributions.
Landscape‐scale modeling of carbon cycling under the impact of soil redistribution: The role of tillage erosion
Authors: Van Oost Kristof , Govers Gerard , Quine Timothy A. , Heckrath Goswin , Olesen Jorgen E. , De Gryze Steven , Merckx Roel
Published: November 2005

Despite its global significance, soil‐atmosphere carbon (C) exchange under the impact of soil redistribution remains an unquantified component of the global C budget. Here we use radionuclide and soil organic carbon (SOC) data for two agricultural fields in Europe to undertake a spatial analysis of sediment and SOC fate during erosion and deposition in agricultural uplands. C fluxes induced by soil redistribution are quantified by incorporating C dynamics in a spatially distributed model including both water‐ and tillage‐induced soil redistribution (SPEROS‐C). The SOC patterns predicted by SPEROS‐C are in good agreement with field observations and show that in upland areas, tillage erosion and deposition exerts a large influence on SOC redistribution and soil profile evolution at a timescale of a few decades. The formation of new SOC at eroding sites and the burial of eroded SOC below plough depth provide an important mechanism for C sequestration on sloping arable land in the order of 3–10 g C m−2 yr−1. Any attempt to manage agricultural land to maximize sequestration must fully account for erosion, burial and fate of eroded and buried SOC across the landscape and must also account for the correlation between tillage and erosion.
Mg/Ca ratios of two Globigerinoides ruber (white) morphotypes: Implications for reconstructing past tropical/subtropical surface water conditions
Authors: Steinke Stephan , Chiu Han‐Yi , Yu Pai‐Sen , Shen Chuan‐Chou , Löwemark Ludvig , Mii Horng‐Sheng , Chen Min‐Te
Published: November 2005

Tests of the planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber (white; d'Orbigny) have become a standard tool for reconstructing past oceanic environments. Paleoceanographers often utilize the Mg/Ca ratios of the foraminiferal tests for reconstructing low‐latitude ocean glacial‐interglacial changes in sea surface temperatures (SST). We report herein a comparison of Mg/Ca measurements on sample pairs (n = 20) of two G. ruber (white) morphotypes (G. ruber sensu stricto (s.s.) and G. ruber sensu lato (s.l.)) from surface and downcore samples of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. G. ruber s.s. refers to specimens with spherical chambers sitting symmetrically over previous sutures with a wide, high arched aperture, whereas G. ruber s.l. refers to a more compact test with a diminutive final chamber and small aperture. The G. ruber s.s. specimens generally show significantly higher Mg/Ca ratios compared to G. ruber s.l. Our results from the Mg/Ca ratio analysis suggest that G. ruber s.l. specimens precipitated their shells in slightly colder surface waters than G. ruber s.s. specimens. This conclusion is supported by the differences in δ18O and δ13C values between the two morphotypes. Although it is still unclear if these two morphotypes represent phenotypic variants or sibling species, our findings seem to support the hypothesis of depth and/or seasonal allopatry within a single morphospecies.
Physical basis of evolution laws for rate and state friction
Authors: Sleep Norman H.
Published: November 2005

The well‐known formalism of rate and state dependent friction represents the transition between starting friction and sliding friction. It expresses the instantaneous coefficient of friction in macroscopic quantities as μ = μ0 + a ln (V/V0) + b ln (ψ/ψnorm), where μ0 is the first‐order coefficient of friction, a and b are small (∼0.01) dimensionless constants, V is sliding velocity, V0 is a reference sliding velocity, and the inverse of the state variable 1/ψ represents damage. The normalizing state variable ψnorm ≡ (P/P0)α/b represents the effect of the normal traction P on stress concentrations, where P0 is a constant with dimensions of pressure and α ≫ b is another dimensionless constant. Evolution equations represent the combined effect of damage from sliding and healing on the state variable. The Ruina (1983) evolution equation implies that the state variable does not change (no healing) during holds when sliding is stopped. It arises from exponential creep within gouge when the concentrated stress at asperities scales with the macroscopic quantities. The parameter b − a being positive is a necessary condition for a spring‐slider system becoming unstable. Microscopically, this parameter represents the tendency of asperities accommodating shear creep to persist longer than asperities of compaction creep at high sliding velocities. In the Dieterich (1979) evolution law, healing occurs when the sample is at rest. It is a special case where creep that produces shear and creep that produces compaction occur at different microscopic locations at a subgrain scale. It also applies qualitatively for compaction at a shear traction well below that needed for frictional sliding. Chemically, it may apply when shear sliding occurs within weak microscopic regions of hydrated silica while compaction creep occurs within comparatively anhydrous grains.
Mapping iron in the lunar mare: An improved approach
Authors: Wilcox B. B. , Lucey P. G. , Gillis J. J.
Published: November 2005

Previous methods for mapping iron (Lucey et al., 1995, 1998, 2000a) give inconsistent results in terms of suppressing the effects of maturity, making it difficult to distinguish true units of contrasting iron from regions that simply show the residual effects of incomplete separation of maturity. These methods rely on an assumption that materials of similar iron content but varying maturity form radial trends on a plot of VIS reflectance versus NIR/VIS ratio. Recently, the assumption of radial behavior of maturity trends in mare regions has been called into question by Staid and Pieters (2000). They observed trends in the mare that appeared more parallel in nature. In this work we study nearly 10,000 craters in six mare regions and model the effects of maturity with radiative transfer theory to quantify and better understand the spectral behavior of maturity variations in the mare. We confirm that the maturity trends in mare regions are more parallel than radial, and we exploit this fact to develop a new algorithm for determination of iron content in mare regions. This new mare iron algorithm better compensates for maturity than previous methods, and uncertainties due to maturity variations are less than 0.5 wt% FeO. Absolute uncertainties are similar to previous algorithms (1.5 wt% FeO). Results from this work provide the ability to detect iron anomalies in the ejecta of craters and as a result more confidently map vertical stratigraphy in the lunar mare in terms of iron composition.
Processing X/K band radio occultation data in the presence of turbulence
Authors: Gorbunov M. E. , Kirchengast G.
Published: November 2005

Canonical transform (CT) and full‐spectrum inversion (FSI) methods can be used in processing radio occultation data to retrieve transmission profiles, which are necessary in addition to bending angle profiles for the retrieval of atmospheric humidity independent of temperature. Low Earth orbiter–low Earth orbiter cross‐link occultations with X/K band frequencies can provide transmission data along the wing of the 22 GHz water vapor absorption line. The computation of transmission assumes spherical symmetry of the atmospheric real and imaginary refractivity. This condition is broken in the presence of turbulence, which can result in significant errors in transmission. We suggest the computation of the differential transmission from the differential CT/FSI amplitude to correct for the effect of turbulence. The efficiency of the method is tested by quasi‐realistic numerical end‐to‐end simulations. We explicitly modeled turbulence as random refractivity fluctuation field based on power form of the fluctuation spectrum. The simulations demonstrate that the error in the retrieved transmission can be significant in a single frequency channel, while the differential transmission can be retrieved with high accuracy. The new method does not impose any significant restriction on the frequency difference between the channels and provides very good differential transmission sensitivity if spacings of a few gigahertz are chosen (e.g., 10 and 17 GHz or 17 and 20 GHz).
Characterization of the Mas‐related gene family: structural and functional conservation of human and rhesus MrgX receptors
Authors: Burstein Ethan S , Ott Thomas R , Feddock Michele , Ma Jian‐Nong , Fuhs Steve , Wong Steven , Schiffer Hans H , Brann Mark R , Nash Norman R
Published: November 2005

Recently, a large family of G‐protein‐coupled receptors called Mas‐related genes (Mrgs), which is selectively expressed in small‐diameter sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia, was described. A subgroup of human Mrg receptors (MrgX1–X4) is not found in rodents and this has hampered efforts to define the physiological roles of these receptors.

MrgX receptors were cloned from rhesus monkey and functionally characterized alongside their human orthologs. Most of the human and rhesus MrgX receptors displayed high constitutive activity in a cellular proliferation assay. Proliferative responses mediated by human or rhesus MrgX1, or rhesus MrgX2 were partially blocked by pertussis toxin (PTX). Proliferative responses mediated by rhesus MrgX3 and both human and rhesus MrgX4 were PTX insensitive. These results indicate that human and rhesus MrgX1 and MrgX2 receptors activate both Gq‐ and Gi‐regulated pathways, while MrgX3 and MrgX4 receptors primarily stimulate Gq‐regulated pathways.

Peptides known to activate human MrgX1 and MrgX2 receptors activated the corresponding rhesus receptors in cellular proliferation assays, Ca2+‐mobilization assays, and GTP‐γS‐binding assays. Cortistatin‐14 was selective for human and rhesus MrgX2 receptors over human and rhesus MrgX1 receptors. BAM22 and related peptides strongly activated human MrgX1 receptors, but weakly activated rhesus MrgX1, human MrgX2, and rhesus MrgX2 receptors.

These data suggest that the rhesus monkey may be a suitable animal model for exploring the physiological roles of the MrgX receptors.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 147, 73–82. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706448
Exact solutions for some fully developed laminar pipe flows undergoing arbitrary unsteadiness
Authors: Brereton G. J. , Jiang Y.
Published: November 2005

New representations of exact solutions are presented for time-unsteady, fully developed laminar pipe flows of constant-property Newtonian fluids. They extend the well-known steady Hagen-Poiseuille solutions to flows that are initially steady or stationary and subsequently undergo transients with arbitrary time unsteadiness. In these unsteady-flow solutions, each Hagen-Poiseuille result is reexpressed as the momentary steady-flow relation for one variable as a function of the other, together with an additive functional of the other’s time derivative. The functional expressions are convolution integrals over the entire history of the transient and represent the memory of the pipe-flow Navier-Stokes equations of earlier values of transient quantities.
A family of driving forces to suppress chaos in jerk equations: Laplace domain design
Authors: Femat Ricardo , Campos-Delgado Daniel U. , Martínez-López Francisco J.
Published: November 2005

A family of driving forces is discussed in the context of chaos suppression in the Laplace domain. This idea can be attained by increasing the order of the polynomial in the expressions of the driving force to account for the robustness and/or the performance of the closed loop. The motivation arises from the fact that chaotic systems can be controlled by increasing the order of the Laplace controllers even to track arbitrary orbits. However, a larger order in the driving forces can induce an undesirable frequency response, and the control efforts can result in either peaking or large energy accumulation. We overcame these problems by showing that considering the frequency response (interpreted by norms), the closed-loop execution can be improved by designing the feedback suppressor in the Laplace domain. In this manner, the stabilization of the chaotic behavior in jerk-like systems is achieved experimentally. Jerk systems are particularly sensitive to control performance (and robustness issues) because the acceleration time-derivative is involved in their models. Thus, jerky systems are especially helped by a robust control design.
The directional contact distance of two ellipsoids: Coarse-grained potentials for anisotropic interactions
Authors: Paramonov Leonid , Yaliraki Sophia N.
Published: November 2005

We obtain the distance of closest approach of the surfaces of two arbitrary ellipsoids valid at any orientation and separation measured along their intercenter vector. This directional distance is derived from the elliptic contact function. The geometric meaning behind this approach is clarified. An elliptic pair potential for modeling arbitrary mixtures of elliptic particles, whether hard or soft, is proposed based on this distance. Comparisons with Gay-Berne potentials are discussed. Analytic expressions for the forces and torques acting on the elliptic particles are given.
A programmable electronic circuit for modelling CO2 laser dynamics
Authors: Arecchi F. T. , Fortuna L. , Frasca M. , Meucci R. , Sciuto G.
Published: November 2005

We introduce a programmable electronic circuit implementing the rich dynamics of CO2 laser models. The design and the implementation of the circuit are accomplished by using a programmable analog device, which permits an experimental characterization of the laser dynamics. The experimental results shown in the paper demonstrate that the circuit exhibits homoclinic chaos typical of CO2 laser with feedback modulation of cavity losses. Moreover, experimental results showing that noise regularizes the dynamical time scales of the system are reported.
Existence of two-cluster threshold resonances and the N-body Efimov effect
Authors: Wang Xue Ping , Wang Yuefei
Published: November 2005

We prove the existence of two-cluster threshold resonances in N-body problems and study their perturbation by intercluster interactions. As application, we construct concrete examples based on Yukawa potentials for which the N-body Efimov effect happens with N⩾4.
Improved electroluminescent efficiency of organic light emitting devices by co-doping N, N′-Dimethyl-quinacridone and Coumarin6 in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum
Authors: Su W. M. , Li W. L. , Hong Z. R. , Li M. T. , Yu T. Z. , Chu B. , Li B. , Zhang Z. Q. , Hu Z. Z.
Published: November 2005

Electroluminescent (EL) efficiency of organic light emitting devices was improved by co-doping N, N′-dimethyl-quinacridone (DMQA) and Coumarin6 (C6) in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3). At 20mA∕cm2, superior EL efficiency of 9.33cd∕A was obtained from 1.6% co-doped (0.8% DMQA and 0.8% C6) device, much higher than those of single-doped devices based on 1.6% DMQA (∼5.0cd∕A) or 1.6% C6 (∼6.0cd∕A). EL efficiency of the single-doped devices with optimal dopant concentration, 0.8% in both cases, are merely 7.13cd∕A for DMQA and 6.43cd∕A for 0.8% C6, respectively. The significant improvement could be attributed to effective utilization of the host energy and depression of concentration quenching. The co-doping technique provides an effective way to overcome the notorious concentration quenching and hence to improve the EL efficiency.
Compositionally induced valence-band offset at the grain boundary of polycrystalline chalcopyrites creates a hole barrier
Authors: Persson Clas , Zunger Alex
Published: November 2005

First-principles calculations of model grain boundaries (GBs) in CuInSe2 and CaGaSe2 show that cation-terminated GBs have a valence-band offset with respect to the grain interior (GI). This offset repels holes from the GBs, thus depriving electrons there from recombination at the GB defects. Anion-terminated GBs have no such valence offset. CuGaSe2 has, in addition, a conduction-band offset at the GB/GI interface, attracting electrons to the GBs. These features explain how polycrystalline chalcopyrite solar cells could outperform their crystalline counterparts.
Suppression of convection using gradient magnetic fields during crystal growth of NiSO4∙6H2O
Authors: Poodt P. W. G. , Heijna M. C. R. , Tsukamoto K. , de Grip W. J. , Christianen P. C. M. , Maan J. C. , van Enckevort W. J. P. , Vlieg E.
Published: November 2005

A magnetic field was successfully used to suppress buoyancy driven convection during solution growth of a NiSO4∙6H2O crystal. The disappearance of the convection plume and the expansion of the depletion zones, typical for crystal growth in the absence of gravity, were observed with schlieren microscopy when the product of magnetic field and field gradient corresponds to the condition that for all relevant concentrations buoyancy is compensated by paramagnetic counterforces. We show both theoretically and experimentally, that levitation of the growth solution is not the correct condition to suppress convection.
Effects of surface metal layer on the thermal contact resistance of carbon nanotube arrays
Authors: Wu Y. , Liu C. H. , Huang H. , Fan S. S.
Published: November 2005

We present a type of thermal interface material by incorporating carbon nanotube arrays into polydimethylsiloxane. Particularly, we evaporated a 1-μm-thick aluminum layer on the top of the raw carbon nanotube array, which served as a heat current collector to decrease the thermal contact resistance. The thermal conductivity and thermal contact resistance of the materials were measured by the steady-state method. Comparing to the material without the heat current collector, the thermal contact resistance was remarkably reduced by about 50%.
Sensor for direct measurement of interaction forces in probe microscopy
Authors: Degertekin F. L. , Onaran A. G. , Balantekin M. , Lee W. , Hall N. A. , Quate C. F.
Published: November 2005

We introduce a sensor for direct measurement of tip-sample interaction forces in probe microscopy. The sensor uses a micromachined membrane structure built on a transparent substrate with an integrated diffraction grating for optical interferometric detection, and a built-in electrostatic actuator. To demonstrate our concept for this sensor, we measured the force curves between an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever tip and a micromachined aluminum sensor membrane built on a quartz substrate. We also measured transient interaction forces exerted on the sensor membrane during each cycle of the vibrating AFM cantilever. These agree well with the temporal response of the sensor to a short force pulse applied by our integrated electrostatic actuator. With the addition of an integrated tip, this structure may be used for scanning probe microscopy with a bandwidth limited by the membrane dynamics.
Multidrug resistance 1 gene polymorphisms are not associated with inflammatory bowel disease and response to therapy in Italian patients
Authors: PALMIERI O. , LATIANO A. , VALVANO R. , D'INCÀ R. , VECCHI M. , STURNIOLO G. C. , SAIBENI S. , BOSSA F. , LATIANO T. , DEVOTO M. , ANDRIULLI A. , ANNESE V.
Published: November 2005

Background : Host genetic factors may be important in determining not only disease susceptibility, but also disease behaviour and response to therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. Two polymorphisms (C3435T and G2677T/A) of the multidrug resistance 1 gene have been correlated with the altered P‐glycoprotein expression and function in humans, and associated with predisposition to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Aim : To investigate the contribution of these polymorphisms to disease susceptibility and response to medical therapy.

Methods : A total of 946 inflammatory bowel disease patients (478 Crohn's disease, 272 males, mean age 43 ± 14 years and 468 ulcerative colitis, 290 males, mean age 48 ± 15 years) and 450 healthy controls were genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphisms C3435T and G2677T/A. Patients were also classified on the basis of response to medical therapy (mesalazine, steroids, immunosuppressives and infliximab).

Results : Both single nucleotide polymorphisms were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and significant linkage disequilibrium. No significant difference in the allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies was found in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients compared with the controls. No correlation with clinical features was found, except for a reduced frequency of extra‐intestinal manifestations in Crohn's disease patients with the G2677T genotype (40%) compared with GG2677 and 2677TT genotypes (54% and 58%, respectively) (P = <0.02). No significant difference was also found after stratifying the patients on the basis of their response to medical therapy.

Conclusion : The investigated polymorphisms of the multidrug resistance 1 gene have no significant role in disease susceptibility and response to medical therapy in our Italian population of inflammatory bowel disease patients.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/haemolytic uraemic syndrome: a new index predicting response to plasma exchange
Authors: Wyllie B. F. , Garg A. X. , Macnab J. , Rock G. A. , Clark W. F. ,   Members of the Canadian Apheresis Group
Published: November 2005

Despite the favourable response of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/haemolytic uraemic syndrome (TTP/HUS) to plasma exchange, an early level of mortality persists. Non‐response has been associated with a low frequency of exchange. The Rose index of TTP/HUS severity, occasionally used to predict the response of TTP/HUS to plasma exchange, remains unsatisfactory. The purpose of this study was to develop a new index predicting response of TTP/HUS to plasma exchange and to compare it with the Rose index. Retrospective analysis of 171 cases of TTP/HUS from 39 apheresis units across Canada between 1980 and 2001 was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was used to derive a model predicting 6‐month mortality from presenting characteristics. The reduced model contained age >40 years, haemoglobin <9·0 g/dl and the presence of a fever at presentation. Gender, platelet count, creatinine and neurological signs were not part of the final model. This model predicted 13·4% of outcome variance. Predictive scores of 0, 2, 4 and 6 correlated with 6‐month mortality rates of 12·5%, 14·0%, 31·3% and 61·5% respectively in our source population. This simple model may help identify those patients who would benefit from higher treatment intensity.
Identification and expression analysis of putative mRNA‐like non‐coding RNA in Drosophila
Authors: Inagaki Sachi , Numata Koji , Kondo Takefumi , Tomita Masaru , Yasuda Kunio , Kanai Akio , Kageyama Yuji
Published: November 2005

One of the most surprising results to emerge from mammalian cDNA sequencing projects is that thousands of mRNA‐like non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are expressed and constitute at least 10% of poly(A)+ RNAs. In most cases, however, the functions of these RNA molecules remain unclear. To clarify the biological significance of mRNA‐like ncRNAs, we computationally screened 11 691 Drosophila melanogaster full‐length cDNAs. After eliminating presumable protein‐coding transcripts, 136 were identified as strong candidates for mRNA‐like ncRNAs. Although most of these putative ncRNAs are found throughout the Drosophila genus, predicted amino acid sequences are not conserved even in related species, suggesting that these transcripts are actually non‐coding RNAs. In situ hybridization analyses revealed that 35 of the transcripts are expressed during embryogenesis, of which 27 were detected only in specific tissues including the tracheal system, midgut primordial cells, visceral mesoderm, germ cells and the central and peripheral nervous system. These highly regulated expression patterns suggest that many mRNA‐like ncRNAs play important roles in multiple steps of organogenesis and cell differentiation in Drosophila. This is the first report that the majority of mRNA‐like ncRNAs in a model organism are expressed in specific tissues and cell types.
Bile acids stimulate biofilm formation in Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Hung Deborah T. , Zhu Jun , Sturtevant Derek , Mekalanos John J.
Published: November 2005

Vibrio cholerae is a Gram‐negative bacterium that causes the acute diarrhoeal disease cholera. After the bacterium is ingested, it passes through the digestive tract, encountering various environmental stresses including the acidic milieu of the stomach and the toxic effects of bile in the duodenum. While these stresses serve as part of a host defence system, V. cholerae has evolved resistance mechanisms that allow it to evade these defences and establish infection. We examined the expression profiles of V. cholerae in response to bile or bile acids and found an induction of biofilm genes. We found that V. cholerae shows significantly enhanced biofilm formation in response to bile acids, and that bacteria within the biofilm are more resistant to the toxicity of bile acids compared with planktonic cells. Bile acid induction of biofilms was found to be dependent on the vps genes (Vibriopolysaccharidesynthesis) and their transcriptional activator VpsR, but VpsT is not required. These results contribute to the developing picture of a complex relationship between V. cholerae and its environment within the host during infection.