bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dead Tradition: Joseph Schacht And The Origins Of "Popular Practice"
Authors: Maghen Ze'Ev
Published: October 2003

The theories of Joseph Schacht regarding the provenance and development of Islamic jurisprudence have been as widely criticized as they have been deeply influential. Schacht's detractors have, for the most part, taken issue with his modern version of intiqād al-rijāl (criticism of hadīth transmitters), by means of which he claimed to turn the previously accepted chronology of early Islamic legal evolution - Allāh→Muhammad→Companions→Followers→fiqh —on its head. However, neither critics nor supporters of Schacht are wont to inquire into a more fundamental question: if prophetic exempla and scriptural dicta are, on Schacht's view, only secondary contributors to the formation of sharī a, what then is the ultimate source of the "living tradition" and "popular practice" to which he assigns the primary role in that enterprise? This essay attempts to elicit a straightforward answer to that question from Schacht's elusive writings on the subject, and then puts that answer to the test with the help of two of the rare instances in which Schacht commits himself on this score regarding specific legal issues.
Glyoxalase I of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum: evidence for subunit fusion
Authors: Iozef Rimma , Rahlfs Stefan , Chang Tammy , Schirmer Heiner , Becker Katja
Published: October 2003

Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum glyoxalase I (PfGlx I) was characterized as monomeric Zn2+‐containing enzyme of 44 kDa. The K
M value of the methylglyoxal–glutathione adduct is 77±15 μM, the k
cat value being 4000 min−1 at 25°C and pH 7.0. PfGlx I consists of two halves, each of which is homologous to the small 2‐domain glyoxalase I of man. Both parts of the pfglx I gene were overexpressed; the C‐terminal half of PfGlx I was found to be a stable protein and formed an enzymatically active dimer. These results support the hypothesis of domain‐swapping and subunit fusion as mechanisms in glyoxalase I evolution.
Collection and characterisation of bacterial membrane proteins
Authors: Saidijam Massoud , Psakis Georgios , Clough Joanne L , Meuller Johan , Suzuki Shun'ichi , Hoyle Christopher J , Palmer Sarah L , Morrison Scott M , Pos Martin K , Essenberg Richard C , Maiden Martin C.J , Abu-bakr Atif , Baumberg Simon G , Neyfakh Alex A , Griffith Jeffrey K , Stark Michael J , Ward Alison , O'Reilly John , Rutherford Nicholas G , Phillips-Jones Mary K , Henderson Peter J.F
Published: October 2003

A general strategy for the amplified expression inEscherichia coliof membrane transport and receptor proteins from other bacteria is described. As an illustration we report the cloning of the putative α‐ketoglutarate membrane transport gene from the genome ofHelicobacter pylori, overexpression of the protein tagged with RGS(His)6at the C‐terminus, and its purification in mg quantities. The retention of structural and functional integrity was verified by circular dichroism spectroscopy and reconstitution of transport activity. This strategy for overexpression and purification is extended to additional membrane proteins fromH. pyloriand from other bacteria.
Allosteric enzymes as biosensors for molecular diagnosis
Authors: Villaverde Antonio
Published: October 2003

Biosensors are hybrid analytical devices that amplify signals generated from the specific interaction between a receptor and the analyte, through a biochemical mechanism. Biosensors use tissues, whole cells, artificial membranes or cell components like proteins or nucleic acids as receptors, coupled to a physicochemical signal transducer. Allosteric enzymes exhibit a catalytic activity that is modulated by specific effectors, through binding to receptor sites that are distinct from the active site. Several enzymes, catalyzing easily measurable reactions, have been engineered to allosterically respond to specific ligands, being themselves the main constituent of new‐generation biosensors. The molecular basis, robustness and application of allosteric enzymatic biosensing are revised here.
Scales and structures of large lake eddies
Authors: Ralph Elise A.
Published: October 2003

Observations of currents and near‐surface temperatures from Lake Superior reveal a surprisingly rich field of eddies that extended throughout the water column and were present throughout the lake and during all seasons. Despite their ubiquity, the lake eddies have previously gone unreported in the literature. These observations of the eddy velocities and surface temperatures suggest that we have to revise our conceptual understanding of the vertical and horizontal transport mechanisms within large lakes to take into account persistent mesoscale turbulence.
Characterization of aerosol spatial distribution and optical properties over the Indian Ocean from airborne LIDAR and radiometry during INDOEX'99
Authors: Pelon J. , Flamant C. , Chazette P. , Leon J.‐F. , Tanre D. , Sicard M. , Satheesh S. K.
Published: October 2003

The three‐dimensional structure and the optical properties of the Indian pollution plume has been investigated from airborne LIDAR and radiometric measurements over the Indian Ocean during three consecutive days (7, 8, and 9 March 1999) of the INDOEX'99 intensive field phase. The vertical structure of the plume consisted of two layers: the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and the so‐called land plume aloft. The depth of the land plume was observed to depend on the history of the air masses; shallow plumes were associated with air masses coming from the Gulf of Bengal, while deeper plumes were associated with air masses coming from the Indian subcontinent. The larger aerosol optical depths (AODs) observed with Meteosat‐5 over the Arabian Sea were associated with the deeper land plume. A combination of airborne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) measurements and Sun photometer measurements at Kaashidhoo Observatory and in Male were used to determine the column‐equivalent backscatter‐to‐extinction ratio needed to retrieve aerosol extinction coefficient profiles and AOD from LIDAR measurements. Direct aerosol forcing was analyzed using a simple radiative model as well as LIDAR‐derived AOD and visible flux measurements. Average values of the vertically integrated single scattering albedo of about 0.85 ± 0.05 and 0.8 ± 0.1 were found to be associated with the shallower and the deeper part of the land plume, respectively.
Descent and mixing in the 1999–2000 northern polar vortex inferred from in situ tracer measurements
Authors: Ray Eric A. , Moore Fred L. , Elkins James W. , Hurst Dale F. , Romashkin Pavel A. , Dutton Geoffrey S. , Fahey David W.
Published: October 2003

In situ measurements from the Lightweight Airborne Chromatograph Experiment (LACE) and the Airborne Chromatograph for Atmospheric Trace Species (ACATS‐IV) taken during the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) are used to examine the descent and mixing in the 1999–2000 northern stratospheric polar vortex. LACE was flown twice on an in situ balloon platform, in November 1999 just after the vortex formed and in March 2000 near the end of the vortex lifetime. The aim of this paper is to use simple models of vortex transport to try to explain the changes seen in the long‐lived tracers measured by LACE between the two vortex flights. It is the high precision and long‐term accuracy of the observations that allow small differences in the data from a number of species obtained on different flights to be used to infer transport processes. Changes in tracer profiles as a function of height or potential temperature can be attributed, to first order, to descent in the vortex. A calculation which used six tracers shows that the total descent was a strong function of potential temperature, from 200 K in the middle stratosphere to 50 K in the lower stratosphere over the nearly 4‐month period between flights. Observed changes in long‐lived tracer‐tracer correlations require a mixing process to have occurred since descent alone cannot change the correlations. Two simple models of mixing are used to examine the tracer correlation changes. One model simulates entrainment of midlatitude air across the vortex edge with relatively efficient mixing within the vortex. A second model simulates the effect of differential descent and subsequent efficient mixing within a vortex that is entirely isolated from the midlatitudes. It is shown that the differential descent and mixing calculation produces results which are much more consistent among all the tracer correlations compared to the results from midlatitude entrainment. The unique sensitivity of SF6 as a tracer of mesospheric air makes it an outlier in both the descent and mixing calculations. The inclusion of a small fraction of air from the mesosphere is necessary to bring the SF6 mixing and descent calculations into agreement with the other tracers. The conclusions regarding descent and descent rates in the vortex are consistent with other modeling studies. The results indicate that mixing of midlatitude air into the winter vortex is not a significant contributor to the observed ozone changes in the 1999/2000 season.
A characterization of the warm 1999 Arctic winter by observations and modeling: NOy partitioning and dynamics
Authors: Stowasser M. , Oelhaf H. , Ruhnke R. , Wetzel G. , Friedl‐Vallon F. , Kleinert A. , Kouker W. , Lengel A. , Maucher G. , Nordmeyer H. , Reddmann Th. , Trieschmann O. , v. Clarmann T. , Fischer H. , Chipperfield M. P.
Published: October 2003

A characterization of the NOy partitioning in the warm Arctic winter 1998/1999 is given. Vertical profiles of nocturnal total reactive nitrogen (NOy = NO2 + HNO3 + ClONO2 + 2 N2O5 + HO2NO2) were retrieved from infrared limb emission spectra measured by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, Balloon‐borne version (MIPAS‐B) instrument inside a distortion of the winter Arctic vortex from Kiruna (Sweden, 68°N) on 27 January 1999. To estimate the dynamic effects, the mixing ratios of the tracers N2O and CH4 were derived to construct a correlation between these two long‐lived species and to estimate the effects of mixing on the N2O‐NOy relationship. The measured data are compared to calculations performed with the three‐dimensional chemistry transport models (CTMs) SLIMCAT and KASIMA. The results show that despite the warm winter 1998/1999 without significant occurrence of polar stratospheric clouds, the agreement between both the measurement and the models and among the models themselves is not satisfactory. It appears that in such a dynamically active winter, mixing processes on different scales which are hard to reproduce with coarsely resolved CTMs should be taken into account to explain the differences. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the chemistry which controls the NOy partitioning is not yet understood well under the studied geophysical situation. Furthermore, chlorine activation appears to be too crudely modeled when winter temperatures are marginal for polar stratospheric cloud formation.
Physical properties of maritime low clouds as retrieved by combined use of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager and Visible/Infrared Scanner 2. Climatology of warm clouds and rain
Authors: Masunaga Hirohiko , Nakajima Takashi Y. , Nakajima Teruyuki , Kachi Misako , Suzuki Kentaroh
Published: October 2003

In this paper, we investigate characteristics of low clouds and warm‐rain production in terms of droplet growth based on the effective droplet radii retrieved by a combined use of visible, infrared, and microwave satellite remote sensing. We propose to categorize low clouds into the following groups: (1) nondrizzling, nonraining clouds; (2) nonraining clouds with drizzling near the cloud top; (3) raining clouds; and (4) clouds with no clear interpretation in terms of the effective radii derived using two different schemes. This categorization is supported by examination of the correlation between static stability and the retrieved results in the three “precipitating regions” (the Middle Pacific, South Pacific Convergence Zone [SPCZ], and Intertropical Convergence Zone [ITCZ] cumulus regions) and in the four “nonprecipitating regions” (the Californian, Peruvian, Namibian, and eastern Asian stratus regions). The rain rate derived by Precipitation Radar (PR) provides global characteristics consistent with our results. Californian and Peruvian stratus clouds are found to frequently have the drizzle mode near the cloud top, whereas Namibian strati have fewer chances to drizzle. The drizzle mode almost completely disappears in the eastern Asian region in the winter. The cloud–aerosol interaction is a promising candidate for suppressing the drizzle mode formation in nonprecipitating clouds.
Analysis of aerosol interactions with numerical techniques for solving coagulation, nucleation, condensation, dissolution, and reversible chemistry among multiple size distributions
Authors: Jacobson Mark Z.
Published: October 2003

This paper describes new and modified numerical techniques for solving the size‐ and time‐dependent aerosol processes of nucleation, coagulation, condensation, dissolution, and reversible chemistry among multiple aerosol particle size distributions and the gas phase and over the entire relative humidity (RH) range. The techniques treat particle number, mole, and volume concentrations, solution and nonsolution densities, and refractive index consistently. Some findings include the following: (1) Coagulation internally mixes particles of different original composition over the entire size distribution. (2) Coagulation internally mixes a greater fraction of larger than smaller particles. (3) Coagulation internally mixes larger particles with more other distributions than it does smaller particles. (4) Coagulation among multiple distributions produces the same summed size distribution as coagulation of a single distribution when the sum of initial distributions is the same in both cases. (5) In a competition for vapor between homogeneous nucleation and condensation, the relative importance of condensation increases with an increasing number of background particles. (6) In the absence of a continuous source of new particles, coagulation, condensation, dissolution, hydration, and chemical reaction internally mix most particles within half a day under moderately polluted conditions. (7) Condensation increases the fractional coating of small more than large particles. (8) The real refractive index of a particle containing electrolytes is higher at low RHs than at high RHs. (9) The difference between total particle and solution real refractive indices increases with decreasing RH. (10) A solution real refractive index generally increases with decreasing particle size.
FIDO science payload simulating the Athena Payload
Authors: Haldemann Albert F. C. , Baumgartner Eric T. , Bearman Gregory H. , Blaney Diana L. , Brown David I. , Dolgin Benjamin P. , Dorsky Leonard I. , Huntsberger Terrance L. , Ksendzov Alexander , Mahoney J. Colin , McKelvey Mark J. , Pavri Betina E. , Post Gabriel A. , Tubbs Eldred F. , Arvidson Raymond E. , Snider Nathaniel O. , Squyres Steven W. , Gorevan Stephen , Klingelhöfer Göstar , Bernhardt Bodo , Gellert Ralf
Published: October 2003

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Field Integrated Development and Operations rover (FIDO) emulates and tests operational rover capabilities for advanced Mars rover missions, such as those originally planned for the Mars Surveyor 2001 Rover and currently planned for the Athena Payload on the Mars Exploration Rovers scheduled for launch in 2003. This paper describes FIDO's science instrument payload, which is fully integrated with rover hardware and software. Remote science teams visualize instrument suite data and generate FIDO commands using the Web Interface for Telescience. FIDO's instrument suite has been used in terrestrial laboratory and field tests to simulate Mars operations, to train Mars scientists, and to improve Mars rover mission science operations protocols. The payload includes a deck‐mounted, stowable mast that is deployed for acquisition of stereo imaging and spectral reflectance data. The mast head houses Pancam, Navcam (the navigation camera stereo pair), and the Infrared Point Spectrometer (IPS). Pancam is a three‐band, false‐color infrared (0.65, 0.74, 0.855 μm) stereo imaging system. The three wavelengths were chosen to yield information on the ferric nature of observed minerals. IPS acquires spectral radiance information over the wavelengths from 1.3 to 2.5 μm (spectral resolution ∼13 cm−1). A 4‐degree‐of‐freedom arm is included on the front of FIDO. The arm end effector is the mounting point for a Color Microscopic Imager and an 57Fe Mössbauer Spectrometer. FIDO also carries a MiniCorer, which is an Athena prototype rock drill that can acquire 0.5‐cm‐diameter by up to 1.7‐cm‐long cores.
Application of dynamic programming to the correlation of paleoclimate records
Authors: Lisiecki Lorraine E. , Lisiecki Philip A.
Published: October 2003

Signal matching is a powerful tool frequently used in paleoclimate research, but it is enormously time‐consuming when performed by hand. Previously proposed automatic correlation techniques require very good initial fits to find the correct alignment of two records. A new technique presented in this paper utilizes dynamic programming to find the globally optimal alignment of two records. Geological realism is instilled in the solution through the definition of penalty functions for undesirable behavior such as unlikely changes in accumulation rate. Examples with synthetic and real data demonstrate that the dynamic programming technique produces accurate, high‐resolution results with much less effort than hand tuning or preexisting automated correlation techniques.
North‐Atlantic surface winds examined as the source of winter warming in Europe
Authors: Otterman J. , Angell J. K. , Ardizzone J. , Atlas R. , Schubert S. , Starr D. , Wu M.‐L.
Published: October 2003

Trajectories traced backward from western Europe point to the warm southwestern North Atlantic as the source region of the warm maritime air brought into Europe by low‐level southwesterlies. Over the eastern North Atlantic, patterns of ocean‐surface winds in late winter changed during the second half of the 20th century, and the southwesterly direction became even more predominant. In January‐to‐March, the strength of southwesterlies in this region and in source region increased significantly in the years 1948–1995, and is likely to account for a large part of the observed warming in Europe during this period. For 1996–2001, however, this trend in southwesterlies appears broken, consistent with a downturn of the winter warming reported from central Europe after 1995. Monthly indexes of North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO, show a similar pattern, rising till 1995 and a downturn for the 1996–2002 winters and early spring, indicating that this climate oscillation is associated with the NAO.
Plane‐parallel biases computed from inhomogeneous Arctic clouds and sea ice
Authors: Rozwadowska Anna , Cahalan Robert F.
Published: October 2003

Monte Carlo simulations of the expected influence of nonuniformity in cloud structure and surface albedo on shortwave radiative fluxes in the Arctic atmosphere are presented. In particular, plane‐parallel biases in cloud albedo and transmittance are studied for nonabsorbing, low‐level, all‐liquid stratus clouds over sea ice. The “absolute bias” is defined as the difference between the cloud albedo or transmittance for the uniform or plane‐parallel case, and the albedo or transmittance for nonuniform conditions with the same mean cloud optical thickness and the same mean surface albedo, averaged over a given area (i.e., bias > 0 means plane‐parallel overestimates). Ranges of means and standard deviations of input parameters typical of Arctic conditions are determined from the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment Artic Cloud Experiment (FIRE/ACE)/Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) experiment, a cooperative effort of the Department of Energy, NASA, NSF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Office of Naval Research, and the Atmospheric Environment Service. We determine the sensitivity of the bias with respect to the following: domain averaged means and spatial variances of cloud optical thickness and surface albedo, shape of the surface reflectance function, presence of a scattering layer under the clouds, and solar zenith angle. The simulations show that the biases in Arctic conditions are generally lower than in subtropical stratocumulus. The magnitudes of the absolute biases are unlikely to exceed 0.02 for albedo and 0.05 for transmittance. The “relative bias” expresses the absolute bias as a percentage of the actual cloud albedo or transmittance. The magnitude of the relative bias in albedo is typically below 2% over the reflective Arctic surface, while the magnitude of the relative bias in transmittance can exceed 10%.
A simple model for relating concentrations and fluctuations of trace reactive species to their lifetimes in the atmosphere
Authors: Lenschow Donald H. , Gurarie David
Published: October 2003

By means of a simple analytical one‐dimensional (1‐D) model, we predict mean vertical structure and fluctuations in trace gas concentrations as a function of species lifetime in the atmosphere. The model assumes a well‐mixed planetary boundary layer (PBL) overlain by a free troposphere with constant diffusivity separated by a jump in species concentration. A jump in concentration is also assumed across the tropopause, and an exponential increase in diffusivity with height is assumed through the stratosphere. This three‐layer model is applied to species with surface sources that have lifetimes of the order of days to years and predicts that the standard deviations of the concentration fluctuations normalized by the mean concentration are approximately proportional to the lifetimes of the trace gases to a power between −1/2 and −1, depending on altitude and lifetime. Observations from several long‐range aircraft field deployments, which collected gas samples from within the PBL up to 12 km altitude, generally agree with this prediction. A relation of this type is useful for estimating lifetimes of trace gases in the atmosphere or, conversely, if the lifetimes are known, average entrainment rates in the measurement region. The model also predicts a relationship among the surface emission, mean concentration, and lifetime, so that given any two of these quantities the third can be estimated.
A fundamental limit on electric fields in air
Authors: Dwyer J. R.
Published: October 2003

By modifying the avalanche mode of runaway breakdown to include positive feedback from gamma‐rays and positrons, it is found that enormous bursts of energetic radiation can be produced in strong electric fields in air, with peak fluxes up to one billion times greater than from conventional models. These bursts generate so many runaway electrons that the electric field is very rapidly discharged, resulting in a fundamental upper limit on the electric field strength achievable in air. This limit has important implications for the electrification of thunderstorms and the production of lightning.
Fast and Frugal Models of Clinical Judgment in Novice and Expert Physicians
Authors: Kee Frank , Jenkins John , McIlwaine Seana , Patterson Chris , Harper Sloan , Shields Michael
Published: October 2003

Our objective was to study whether “compensatory” models provide better descriptions of clinical judgment than fast and frugal models, according to expertise and experience. Fifty practitioners appraised 60 vignettes describing a child with an exacerbation of asthma and rated their propensities to admit the child. Linear logistic (LL) models of their judgments were compared with a matching heuristic (MH) model that searched available cues in order of importance for a critical value indicating an admission decision. There was a small difference between the 2 models in the proportion of patients allocated correctly (admit or not-admit decisions), 91.2% and 87.8%, respectively. The proportion allocated correctly by the LL model was lower for consultants than juniors, whereas the MH model performed equally well for both. In this vignette study, neither model provided any better description of judgments made by consultants or by pediatricians compared to other grades and specialties.
Comparison of Directly Elicited Preferences to Preferences Derived from the SF-36 in Adults with Asthma
Authors: Lee Todd A. , Hollingworth William , Sullivan Sean D.
Published: October 2003

Introduction. Algorithms have been developed that estimate preferences from the Short Form 36 (SF-36). The objective of this study was to compare SF-36-derived preferences to directly elicited preferences. Methods. The authors used data from a clinical trial of adult asthmatics to derive preferences from the SF-36 and compare those to visual analog scale (VAS) values and the Asthma Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Results. The differences between VAS and derived preferences ranged from -0.066 to 0.024 at baseline and 0.006 to 0.107 at the end of follow-up. All measures improved from baseline (P < 0.001); however, derived preferences un- derestimated change (0.066 to 0.131) compared to the VAS (0.173) (P < 0.001), which could affect economic evaluations. Correlations between preferences and the AQLQ ranged from 0.56 to 0.70 at baseline (P < 0.001) and 0.53to 0.70 for changes from baseline (P < 0.001). Conclusions. The derivation methods produce valid and responsive measures of patient preference. However, derived preferences differ from one another and directly elicited VAS preferences.
Love Riddles, Couple Formation, and Local Identity in Eastern France
Authors: Hopkin David M.
Published: October 2003

The purpose of this article is to show how specific aspects of the popular culture of Lorraine (eastern France) can be linked to distinctive features of the region's historical demography after the Thirty Years' War. It examines two customs associated with courtship: the dâyage, an exchange of riddle-like verses between groups of men and women at winter wakes, and the dônage, mock banns of marriage called by young men on the first Sunday of Lent. Both will be shown to have encouraged particularly high levels of geographical endogamy and premarital fertility, while the metaphors of monetary exchange that ran through both the dâyage and the dônage into the marriage service itself encouraged social homogamy. These customs served as a language in which rural Lorrainers between the seventeenth and the twentieth century could analyze and discuss their demographic strategies. The article considers the role of local elites (political before the Revolution, literary after) in fostering these customs and turning them into a badge of Lorrainer identity.
A Fertile Mother Russia: Pronatalist Propaganda in Revolutionary Russia
Authors: Starks Tricia
Published: October 2003

The Soviet consultation with its attendant propaganda, visiting nurses, and vacation homes attempted to set science and the doctor as the ultimate authority in matters of child rearing in place of old authorities, deny the contention that motherhood was a natural ability of women, and take over the father's place in the home. Soviet health care policy bridged pre- and postrevolutionary thought, blurred the boundaries between public and private, and mirrored international natalist policies. However, the application of these policies conformed to Soviet concepts of citizens' duties and state imperatives.
Sexuality and Uxorilocal Marriage in Rural North China: Impacts of the One-Child-One-Family Policy on Gender and Kinship
Authors: Han Hua
Published: October 2003

In rural north China, a cultural taboo known as Bufafang prohibits a woman from having sexual intercourse inside her natal home. This article offers an interpretation of Bufafang in terms of its symbolic significance within Chinese kinship and marriage forms with particular reference to uxorilocal marriages. The article then examines the likely impact of the Chinese one-child-one-family policy on Bufafang and, in the wider cultural context, on kinship, marriage, and gender in China. This article is based on fieldwork in Baifu, a rural village in the northern outskirts of Beijing, from August 2000 to February 2001.
Interobjectivity and Culture
Authors: Moghaddam Fathali M.
Published: October 2003

The wide-ranging review by Coelho and Figueiredo (2003) serves as a useful point of departure for highlighting two major limitations of discussions on intersubjectivity: first, rifts between different specialized groups; second, reductionism. As an albeit modest step forward, I suggest, first, stronger links between groups of specialists exploring intersubjectivity. Second, responding to the reductionist nature of the concept of intersubjectivity, I introduce the concept of interobjectivity, the understandings that are shared within and between cultures about social reality. I propose that intersubjectivity arises out of interobjectivity, and that the concept of interobjectivity leads researchers to pay more attention to collective and inter-group processes. Groups have unequal levels of influence on shaping interobjectivity, with majority groups enjoying greatest influence.
Constitution of the Self: Intersubjectivity and Dialogicality
Authors: Marková Ivana
Published: October 2003

The polysemic nature of intersubjectivity stems not only from diverse pursuits and goals but also from different ontologies of intersubjectivity. More specifically, the four matrices described by Coelho and Figueiredo (2003) imply two ontologies: `I-Other(s)' and `I' versus `Other(s)'. These ontologies lead to different concepts of communication. In the former case, communication is based on the idea of attunement and fusion of the minds. In the latter case, communication seems to be either determined a priori as a moral principle or managed monologically. Despite essential differences between the two ontologies, they both aim at the reduction of diverse positions of the self and other(s). It is argued that intersubjectivity that aims at fusion with the other is too narrow to account for the constitution of subjectivity. Instead, dialogicality, that is, the capacity of the human mind to conceive, create and communicate about social realities in terms of the ` Alter` , must complement intersubjectivity in conceptualizations of subjectivity. Living in the world of others presupposes that co-authors not only attempt to reduce their differences in communication but also that they acknowledge one another as co-authors of their ideas; they dispute and fight about ideas; and they also confirm their participation in social realities.
Participant Perception of Others' Acts: Virtual Otherness in Infants and Adults
Authors: Bråten Stein
Published: October 2003

This commentary examines how the `matrices' of intersubjectivity distinguished by Coelho and Figueiredo (2003) may link to the levels of intersubjectivity identified in recent research on infant social cognition and communicative development, and follows up their point about `simultaneous' supplementary processes. Illustrations are offered of how a primary intersubjective mode of participant perception of actions in others is sometimes also bodily manifested in contexts of higher-order intersubjectivity, for example when spoon-feeding caregivers unwittingly open their mouth as the patient opens the mouth to take in the food, or when spectators open their mouth when watching a video of a newborn trying to imitate mouth-opening. Such virtual other participation, leaving a participatory emotional memory of having been a virtual co-author, simulating the other's movements, is seen to play a role in cultural learning and circular re-enactment of care and abuse, pertaining to intrapsychic and traumatic aspects of intersubjectivity. Finally, some impending needs in research on the nature, nurture and impairment of intersubjectivity are indicated.
On the Varieties of Intersubjective Experience
Authors: Kirschner Suzanne R.
Published: October 2003

Coelho and Figueiredo (2003) explore the relationship between a heterogeneous collection of theoretical approaches that they term `intersubjectivist'. The authors' aim is not to integrate or synthesize the different dimensions into a coherent framework, but rather to invoke one depiction of subject-other meeting points where another appears incomplete. It is argued in this commentary that the authors do not pay sufficient attention to the incompatibilities between the various projects that they include in their discussion. It is also argued that the metaphor of the autonomously constituted subject may serve important existential and ethical functions.
Structure–activity relationship for extracellular block of K+ channels by tetraalkylammonium ions
Authors: Luzhkov Victor B , Österberg Fredrik , Åqvist Johan
Published: October 2003

External tetraalkylammonium ion binding to potassium channels is studied using microscopic molecular modelling methods and the experimental structure of the KcsA channel. Relative binding free energies of the KcsA complexes with Me4N+, Et4N+, and n‐Pr4N+ are calculated with the molecular dynamics free energy perturbation approach together with automated ligand docking. The four‐fold symmetry of the entrance cavity formed by the Tyr82 residues is found to provide stronger binding for the D
2d than for the S
4 conformation of the ligands. In agreement with experiment the Et4N+ blocker shows several kcal/mol better binding than the other tetraalkylammonium ions.
TACE/ADAM‐17 maturation and activation of sheddase activity require proprotein convertase activity
Authors: Srour Nadim , Lebel Annie , McMahon Stephanie , Fournier Isabelle , Fugère Martin , Day Robert , Dubois Claire M
Published: October 2003

Proprotein convertases (PCs) have been proposed to play a role in tumor necrosis factor‐α converting enzyme (TACE) processing/activation. Using the furin‐deficient LoVo cells, as well as the furin‐proficient synoviocytes and HT1080 cells expressing the furin inhibitor α1‐PDX, we demonstrate that furin activity alone is not sufficient for effective maturation and activation of the TACE enzyme. Data from in vitro and in vivo cleavage assays indicate that PACE‐4, PC5/PC6, PC1 and PC2 can directly cleave the TACE protein and/or peptide. PC inhibition in macrophages reduced the release of soluble TNF‐α from transmembrane pro‐TNF‐α. We therefore conclude that furin, in addition to other candidate PCs, is involved in TACE maturation and activation.
The immunosuppressant FTY720 is phosphorylated by sphingosine kinase type 2
Authors: Paugh Steven W. , Payne Shawn G. , Barbour Suzanne E. , Milstien Sheldon , Spiegel Sarah
Published: October 2003

The potent immunosuppressive drug FTY720, a sphingosine analog, induces redistribution of lymphocytes from circulation to secondary lymphoid tissues. FTY720 is phosphorylated in vivo and functions as an agonist for four G‐protein‐coupled sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptors. The identity of the kinase that phosphorylates FTY720 is still not known. Here we report that although both sphingosine kinase type 1 (SphK1) and type 2 (SphK2) can phosphorylate FTY720 with low efficiency, SphK2 is much more effective than SphK1. FTY720 inhibited phosphorylation of sphingosine catalyzed by SphK2 to a greater extent than it inhibits SphK1. Thus, SphK2 may be the relevant enzyme that is responsible for in vivo phosphorylation of FTY720.
Subthreshold domain of bistable equilibria for a model of HIVepidemiology
Authors: Corbett B. D. , Moghadas S. M. , Gumel A. B.
Published: October 2003

A homogeneous‐mixing population model for HIV transmission, which
incorporates an anti‐HIV preventive vaccine, is studied
qualitatively. The local and global stability analysis of the
associated equilibria of the model reveals that the model can
have multiple stable equilibria simultaneously. The epidemiological consequence of this (bistability) phenomenon is that the disease may still persist in the community even when the classical requirement of the basic reproductive number of
infection (ℛ0) being less than unity is satisfied.
It is shown that under specific conditions, the community‐wide
eradication of HIV is feasible if ℛ0 < ℛ∗,
where ℛ∗ is some threshold quantity less than unity.
Furthermore, for the bistability case (which occurs when
ℛ∗ < ℛ0 < 1), it is shown that HIV
eradication is dependent on the initial sizes of the
subpopulations of the model.
Nationalism, Ethnic Pressures, and the Breakup of the Soviet Union
Authors: Tuminez Astrid S.
Published: October 2003

Nationalism and ethnic pressures contributed to the breakup of the Soviet Union, but they were not the primary cause. A qualified exception to this argument is Russian elite separatist nationalism, led by Boris Yeltsin, which had a direct impact on Soviet disintegration. This article provides an overview of Soviet policy vis-à-vis nationalities, discusses the surge of nationalism and ethnic pressures in the Soviet Union in 1988–1991, and shows how ethnic unrest and separatist movements weakened the Soviet state. It also emphasizes that the demise of the Soviet Union resulted mainly from three other key factors: 1) Mikhail Gorbachev's failure to establish a viable compact between center and periphery in the early years of his rule; 2) Gorbachev's general unwillingness to use decisive force to quell ethnic and nationalist challenges; and 3) the defection of a core group of Russian elites from the Soviet regime.
Western Policy and the Demise of the Soviet Union
Authors: Wallander Celeste A.
Published: October 2003

The role of Western governments in the disintegration of the Soviet Union was complex. The two most important factors that undermined the Soviet state were the deepening economic chaos under Mikhail Gorbachev and the rapid growth of internal political dissent. Western policies tended to magnify both of these factors. This is not to say, however, that Gorbachev's original decision to embark on an economic reform program was simply the result of pressure created by Western defense spending and military deployments. The Soviet economy was plagued by severe weaknesses, of which the misallocation of resources and excessive military expenditures were only a small part. Gorbachev's initial economic reforms were spurred by his awareness of the country's general economic problems. After the first round of reforms failed, he sensed that arms control and reductions in military spending would be helpful for the next stage. Even so, the belated cuts he made in military spending (beginning in 1990) were of relatively little consequence. The West's refusal to pour money into the Soviet system without evidence of structural reform in the last years of the Soviet regime, and Western pressure on Gorbachev not to crack down on political dissent and separatism, did hasten the Soviet collapse. These policies denied the Soviet system resources that might have prolonged its survival, and they helped to deter Gorbachev from using decisive force against elements that were splitting the Soviet Union apart.
The Collapse of East European Communism and the Repercussions within the Soviet Union (Part 1)
Authors: Kramer Mark
Published: October 2003

The largely peaceful collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 reflected the profound changes that Mikhail Gorbachev had carried out in Soviet foreign policy. Successful though the process was in Eastern Europe, it had destabilizing repercussions within the Soviet Union. The effects were both direct and indirect. The first part of this two-part article looks at Gorbachev's policy toward Eastern Europe, the collapse of Communism in the region, and the direct “spillover” from Eastern Europe into the Soviet Union. The second part of the article, to be published in the next issue of the journal, discusses the indirect spillover into the Soviet Union and the fierce debate that emerged within the Soviet political elite about the “loss” of the Eastern bloc—a debate that helped spur the leaders of the attempted hardline coup d'état in August 1991.
Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis for Decision Trees with Multiple Branches: Use of the Dirichlet Distribution in a Bayesian Framework
Authors: Briggs Andrew H. , Ades A. E. , Price Martin J.
Published: October 2003

In structuring decision models of medical interventions, it is commonly recommended that only 2 branches be used for each chance node to avoid logical inconsistencies that can arise during sensitivity analyses if the branching probabilities do not sum to 1. However, information may be naturally available in an unconditional form, and structuring a tree in conditional form may complicate rather than simplify the sensitivity analysis of the unconditional probabilities. Cur- rent guidance emphasizes using probabilistic sensitivity analysis, and a method is required to provide probabilistic probabilities over multiple branches that appropriately rep- resents uncertainty while satisfying the requirement that mutually exclusive event probabilities should sum to 1. The authors argue that the Dirichlet distribution, the multivariate equivalent of the beta distribution, is appropriate for this purpose and illustrate its use for generating a fully probabilistic transition matrix for a Markov model. Furthermore, they demonstrate that by adopting a Bayesian approach, the problem of observing zero counts for transitions of interest can be overcome.
Validation of a Decision Regret Scale
Authors: Brehaut Jamie C. , O'Connor Annette M. , Wood Timothy J. , Hack Thomas F. , Siminoff Laura , Gordon Elisa , Feldman-Stewart Deb
Published: October 2003

Background. As patients become more involved in health care decisions, there may be greater opportunity for decision regret. The authors could not find a validated, reliable tool for measuring regret after health care decisions. Methods. A5- item scale was administered to 4 patient groups making different health care decisions. Convergent validity was deter- mined by examining the scale's correlation with satisfaction measures, decisional conflict, and health outcome measures. Results. The scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's = 0.81 to 0.92). It correlated strongly with decision satisfaction (r = -0.40 to -0.60), decisional conflict (r = 0.31 to 0.52), and overall rated quality of life (r = -0.25 to - 0.27). Groups differing on feelings about a decision also differed on rated regret: F(2, 190) = 31.1, P < 0.001. Regret was greater among those who changed their decisions than those who did not, t(175) = 16.11, P < 0.001. Conclusions. The scale is a useful indicator of health care decision regret at a given point in time.
A New Model of Medical Decisions: Exploring the Limits of Shared Decision Making
Authors: Whitney Simon N.
Published: October 2003

This article proposes a model of medical decisions based on 2 fundamental characteristics of each decision—importance and certainty. Importance reflects a combination of objective and subjective factors; certainty is present if 1 intervention is superior and absent if 2 or more interventions are approximately equal. The proposed model uses these characteristics to predict who will have decisional priority for any given decision and shows how one class of decisions lends itself particularly well to shared decision making. Three other types of decisions are less well suited to a collaborative decision: 1) For major choices that have low certainty, patients should be encouraged to be the primary decision makers, with physician assistance as needed. 2) Most minor decisions that have high certainty are expected to be made by physicians. 3) Major decisions that have high certainty are likely to cause serious conflict when patients and physicians disagree.
Why do Primary Care Physicians in the United States and France Order Prostate-Specific Antigen Tests for Asymptomatic Patients?
Authors: Sorum Paul Clay , Shim Junseop , Chasseigne Gérard , Bonnin-Scaon Sylvie , Cogneau Joël , Mullet Etienne
Published: October 2003

Purpose. To understand why many primary care physicians in the United States and France order prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests routinely for their asymptomatic male patients despite “evidence-based” recommendations. Methods. Thirty-two U.S. general internists and family practitioners and 33 French generalists judged, for 32 hypothetical male patients seen for routine preventive care, the probability that the patients had asymptomatic prostate cancer and the likelihood that they would order PSA tests. They were also asked about beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge related to prostate cancer. Results. The significant predictors of ordering more PSA tests in the scenarios were physicians' higher ratings of regret if untested patients were found to have advanced cancer, their greater discomfort if they suspected that patients had illnesses but could not know for sure, and their perceptions of official recommendations as favoring routine testing. Implications. Nonrational factors can impede physicians' adoption of “evidence-based” recommendations.
Homogamy by Geographical Origin: Segregation in Nineteenth-Century Flemish Cities (Gent, Leuven, and Aalst)
Authors: van De Putte Bart
Published: October 2003

In this article, the author uses marriage partner selection as an indicator for the openness of a society1 to study the level of intermarriage between migrants and natives (homogamy by geographical origin) in three Flemish cities in the period a1800-1913. The main question is whether societal transformations such as modernization and class formation lead to a decreased level of homogamy by geographical origin and how this is related to the specific characteristics of the selected cities.
“The Iron Chancellors”: The Dynamics of the Domestic Economy in Ironstone-Mining Households, 1918-1964
Authors: Williamson Margaret
Published: October 2003

This article explores the relationship between the domestic economy and marital power. In particular, it considers how household income was distributed and organized and the effect this had on women's perception of their domestic power. Subsequently, it explores women's access to personal spending money and the limits of their control over important financial decisions. These issues are examined using data generated from 33 semi-structured interviews with both men and women who had lived in a household where the main breadwinner had been employed in the ironstone mines of East Cleveland in the years between 1918 and 1964. The article suggests that women's perceptions of power were, indeed, strengthened when they were in control of the household income. Nevertheless, men maintained a privileged position within the household whichever system was used to organize income. Their status as breadwinners legitimized inequalities of access to household money for personal use and their greater control over important financial decisions.
Patterns of Intersubjectivity in the Constitution of Subjectivity: Dimensions of Otherness
Authors: Coelho Nelson Ernesto , Figueiredo Luís Claudio
Published: October 2003

This article presents a new characterization of the concept and experience of intersubjectivity based on four matrices that we see as organizing and elucidating different dimensions of otherness. The four matrices are described through key references to their proponents in the fields of philosophy, psychology and psychoanalysis: (1) trans-subjective intersubjectivity (Scheler, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty); (2) traumatic intersubjectivity (Levinas); (3) interpersonal intersubjectivity (Mead); and (4) intrapsychic intersubjectivity (Freud, Klein, Fairbairn, Winnicott). These intersubjective dimensions are understood as indicating dimensions of otherness that never occupy the field of human experience in a pure, exclusive form. The four matrices proposed need to be seen as simultaneous elements in the different processes of the constitution and development of subjectivity.