bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Commerce, Power and Justice: Montesquieu on International Politics
Authors: Rosow Stephen J.
Published: August 2009

In this essay Montesquieu's reflections on international politics are interpreted as a more-or-less coherent whole rooted in his understanding of the structural changes in European history from antiquity to the eighteenth century. Montesquieu's study of history led him to recognize a new context for European politics—a regular system of relations among independent states dependent upon the development of commerce. The expansion of commerce engendered a mutual dependence among European states which opened new possibilities for international politics. A cosmopolitan vision of mutuality, embodied in principles of international law and justice, could replace the power politics of drives for universal monarchy. Furthermore, commerce implied the possibility of a revival of republics, although based not on the political virtue of classical republics (unattainable by modern Europeans in Montesquieu's view), but on the formal justice of fairness and contract.
The Dialogic Community: Education, Leadership, and Partcipation in James Madison's Thought
Authors: Carter Bradley Kent , Kobylka Joseph F.
Published: August 2009

Some interpretations of James Madison tend to treat him as an enemy of “community,” or as indifferent to that concept. These interpretations also tend to base their argument on selected readings from theFederalist Papers. This approach is mistaken because it relies on a part of the Madisonian corpus to define the whole of the Virginian's thought. This mistake leads to a distortion of Madison's treatment of community. Close scrutiny of Madison's life, letters, and essays reveals a theorist-politician committed to building and nurturing community in the new United States, a community linked across time and miles by shared values, common institutions, and ongoing public dialogue.
Thomas Aquinas and the Politics of Moses
Authors: Kries Douglas
Published: August 2009

In an oft-neglected section of the Summa Theologiae, Thomas Aquinas undertakes a detailed, point-by-point comparison of the political regime prescribed by the Mosaic law with the teachings of the then recently translated Politics of Aristotle, thereby comparing the perspectives of faith and philosophy on political issues such as rulers, property, citizenship, and families. Because it organizes political affairs in light of the divine, Thomas concludes that the polity of the Old Testament is in fact the answer to the question concerning the best regime. Despite Christianity's view of the Mosaic law as abrogated, Thomas attempts to salvage the political wisdom of the Old Testament by arguing that the Mosaic regime can still serve as a guide for Christian political thinkers.
Marxist History and Sacred History
Authors: Danielou Jean
Published: August 2009

For Marxism history is the process by which man transforms himself by transforming the economic conditions of his existence through work. The expression of this process on the social level is the class struggle through which the rising class, corresponding to the economic infrastructure of the future, tends to substitute itself for the exploiting class which is the expression of the outworn infrastructure. To exist is to engage in this conflict and thus participate in the movement of history. Now very often Christians, in order to oppose Marxism, remain on the Marxist plane. They are satisfied to set up one social doctrine against the other. We propose to show in this article that while it is true that there is a Christian social doctrine, and one superior to that of Marxism, the true superiority of Christianity does not lie in this. Its superiority consists, on the contrary, in the fact that it has not only a social doctrine but very different dimensions as well and is thereby capable of giving an integral interpretation of human existence while Marxism only touches the surface of it.
The Meaning and Function of Economic Policy Today
Authors: Drucker Peter F.
Published: August 2009

Most people today mean not one but two things, when they speak of “Economic Policy”. Sometimes they mean the attainment of economic ends by means of political techniques: the “economic” concept of economic policy. Or again they mean the attainment of noneconomic, political ends by means of economic techniques: the “political” concept of economic policy. The first concept is the one the professional economist would be likely to use; and it is the only one current in economic theory. The other, the “political” concept, is that of practical politics today. It is not only war economics—whether of the Democracies or of the Nazis—that is based on a “political” economic policy but also many plans for the future such as, for instance, the Beveridge Report. For the “security” to which this and similar plans aspire, is not an economic concept but a political and social one; and it is “economic security” only because its realization is sought through economic means.
The Complexity of the Race Question
Authors: LaFarge John
Published: August 2009

Analysis of current phrases as they apply to social problems yields unexpected results. In the modern scene language is carefully gauged to convey impressions and assumptions quite as well as obvious meanings. We are all aware of this phenomenon in the political world, in the domain of campaign oratory, and in the field of organized propaganda. But certain areas have not been so much explored, and the question of race relations, a field that from the Catholic side has been largely neglected, happens to be particularly well-stocked with just this type of expression.
The Politics of Bacon's History of Henry the Seventh
Authors: Weinberger Jerry
Published: August 2009

This article presents an interpretation of Francis Bacon's History of Henry the Seventh. Recently Bacon's History has been described in terms of its role in transmitting paradigms of republican thought to Harrington, whose “classical republicanism” so importantly influenced later English and American political thought. Thus Bacon, who was of course not himself a republican, is now described as having contributed to the classical republican doctrine of civic virtue. I argue that the History in no way fits such republican paradigms, or that it can only insofar as Bacon's essential teaching in that work is misunderstood. Rather than unwittingly pointing to some conception of civic virtue, Bacon's History self-consciously describes modern politics as grounded on the inescapable necessity of material acquisition. I argue that Bacon's politics are modern because they look to the conquest of nature and are critical of all specific political attachments, including republicanism.
Althusser and the Overdetermined Self
Authors: Smith Steven B.
Published: August 2009

In this paper Althusser's concept of overdetermination is examined from two distinct but related perspectives. The first is the more empirical aspect. Althusser uses this concept to explain the relation between the Marxist “base” and “superstructure.” While Althusser has made a novel and perhaps even profound contribution to Marxist theory, his explanation stumbles on an unresolved tension between the twin principles of the determination “in the last instance” by the base and the “relative autonomy” of the superstructure. The second aspect is the more philosophical. If the concept of overdetermination is correct, it can only be so because the self has been dissolved into a set of social relationships in which there is no room for such traditional human attributes as free action, purposiveness and responsibility. The result renders meaningless the search for any permanent core of the self which is thought to define our common humanity. It is this second theme which makes Althusser one of the most powerful postmodern critics of the Western humanistic tradition.
Social Structures and Structural Ethics
Authors: Depré Louis , William O'Neill S. J.
Published: August 2009

Modern principles of morality are inadequate for solving the structural problems faced by contemporary societies. Early in the modern epoch the normative, social concept of nature that had supported Greek, Roman, and medieval ethical theories, became transformed into a purely empirical, private one. Thus for Hobbes, Locke, and most eighteenth-century political theorists, the “state of nature” referred to the opposite of a social state, ruled by lawful custom, it had meant before. The idea of “natural right” which gradually emerged as a substitute principle was denned in individualist terms. With the notion of “general will” Rousseau attempted to establish a more genuinely social basis for the State.
Parliamentary Politics and the Development of the Green Party in West Germany
Authors: Frankland E. Gene
Published: August 2009

This study deals with the experiences of the Greens (Die Griinen) during the 1980's as a “new” party in West German state and federal parliaments and specifically with the Green parliamentary groups' relationships with the movement-party. The founders of the Greens sought to organize as a decentralized, participatory democracy. Accordingly, they developed rules to hinder the emergence of a professionalized leadership and to restrict the autonomy of parliamentary groups. Utilizing a comparative approach, the author investigates the extent to which the Greens have become “parliamentarized” by the normalizing forces of the established system at state and federal levels. This study relates the Greens' developmental experiences to the “classic” observations of Duverger, Michels, and others about modern party development. Finally, it reviews the recent perspectives of various intraparty groups about the future of the Greens.
I CAPITOLI: Machiavelli's New Theogony
Authors: Patapan Haig
Published: August 2009

The article considers Machiavelli'sterza rimapoems on Ingratitude, Ambition, Fortune and Occasion, generally calledI Capitoli, in the context of Renaissance hermeticism, cabbala, erotic magic, and astrology. It argues that these poems, taken together and read as a whole, reveal Machiavelli's playful yet subversive cosmology that ousts the old gods by instituting a new theogony. At the same time,I Capitoli, addressed and dedicated to his friends, discloses Machiavelli's own ambitions and desires, delineating the subtle link between Niccolò the poet and Niccolò the prophet and benefactor.
Leo Strauss: Between Athens and Jerusalem
Authors: Smith Steven B.
Published: August 2009

Harold Bloom, the Yale literary critic, once described Leo Strauss as “political philosopher and Hebraic sage.” This always seemed to me unusually prescient. For Strauss is most frequently understood as an interpreter and critic of a number of thinkers, both ancient and modern, who belong to the history of political philosophy. But far less often is he regarded as a contributor to Jewish thought. It is neither as a historian nor as a philosopher but as a Jew that I want to consider him here.

At first blush this approach to Strauss seems relatively unproblematical. Even a superficial perusal of his major works shows that Jewish themes were a continual preoccupation of his from the earliest times onwards.
Blasphemy and Leo Strauss's Machiavelli
Authors: Germino Dante
Published: August 2009

In 1966, I published a review article hailing Leo Strauss's Thoughts on Machiavelli as an instant classic. I also expressed some reservations or “second thoughts” about its conclusions. In the intervening years my appreciation for the profundity and originality of Strauss's interpretation has only increased, but many of my doubts have also remained. Here I wish to restate both my admiration and reservations with particular attention to parts of Strauss's chapter on Machiavelli published in the 1972 edition of his History of Political Philosophy, co-edited with Joseph Cropsey.

Let me at the outset state the obvious: Strauss's interpretation of Machiavelli is well — indeed overwhelmingly — supported by textual evidence, given Strauss's manner of reading between the lines. No interpreter, therefore, is entitled to dismiss it out of hand, even if he or she disagrees with Strauss's methodology, in whole or in part. In this respect, Claude Lefort has provided a model for scholars whose philosophical orientation differs widely from that of Strauss. Strauss has given us a truly fresh look at the great Florentine.
“The Crisis in Church-State Relationships in the U.S.A.” A Recently Discovered Text by John Courtney Murray
Authors: Komonchak Joseph A.
Published: August 2009

In October 1950, John Courtney Murray, S.J., wrote for the use of Msgr. Giovanni Battista Montini of the Vatican Secretariat of State a memorandum: “The crisis in Church-State Relationships in the U.S.A.” An attempt by Murray to encourage a development of Catholic teaching on church and state and religious freedom that would enable American Catholics to give support in principle to the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution, the memorandum was submitted to some American churchmen and to the Vatican's Holy Office. The dossier here published for the first time includes the texts of Murray's memorandum and of responses to it written by Samule Cardinal Stritch and Fr. Francis J. Cornell, C.SS.R. The introduction to these texts sets the memorandum in context and explains the Holy Office's actions against Murray.
The Changing Church in Mexico and Its Challenge to the State
Authors: Pomerleau Claude
Published: August 2009

Since the nineteenth century, Mexican history has encompassed many social conflicts that range from local rebellions to full-scale revolutions. Church-state relations have been closely related to, and affected by, these conflicts. The struggle between church and state led to the War of the Reform (1858) and to the Cristero Rebellion (1926). Both of these armed conflicts were resolved through an improvised and cumulative process that eventually did as much to obscure the causes of conflict as to remedy them. After independence, the liberals initiated the first phase of conflict, a conflict eventually extended into the twentieth century by various advocates of a strong, secular state. The conflict began as a resistance to the efforts to reform the church and to give the state a neutral orientation and subsequently escalated into a divisive cultural war. Conservative politicians and religious leaders took up the liberal challenge with a doctrine justifying a specific political order at almost any price, thereby involving the church and the state in a mutually destructive and increasingly bitter struggle.
America's View of George Orwell
Authors: Rossi John P.
Published: August 2009

It is now almost a third of a century since George Orwell's publication of Animal Farm made him famous in the United States. Outside of certain radical and literary circles Orwell was virtually unknown in America before 1946. He had written an occasional piece for journals like the New Republic, Dwight Macdonald's idiosyncratic Politics, plus a series of “London Letters” for Philip Rahv's radical magazine, Partisan Review. In the early 1930's Harper's had published some of his earlier works, novels like A Clergyman's Daughter and Burmese Days, and non-fiction pieces like Down and Out in Paris and London. They were largely ignored, unread, and unreviewed.
Modern Conservatism: The Problem of Definition
Authors: Allen David V.
Published: August 2009

In the more than fifty years since the publication of Carl Mannheim's classic essay “Conservative Thought,” a sizable body of literature has come into being concerning the nature of modern European and American conservatism. In this article I propose to review and assess some of the more significant pieces of this literature, to indicate my own views on the nature of conservative thought, and to map out some areas I think students of conserivatism might want to explore further. Such a study of the problem of defining conservatism is, I believe, a worthwhile enterprise, not only because of the intrinsic historical importance of modern conservatism, but also because of the light which our understanding of conservative thought may shed on the development of political theory as a whole during the last two centuries.
Recall errors in a weekly survey of diarrhoea in Guatemala: determining the optimal length of recall
Authors: ZAFAR S. N. , LUBY S. P. , MENDOZA C.
Published: August 2009

We measured the recall error, optimal recall length and factors associated with diarrhoea in a weekly survey. Data was taken from a year-long randomized controlled trial in which characteristics of diarrhoeal episodes were recorded weekly. We labelled the recall period as days 1–6; day 1 being the day before the visit. Recall error was the percentage difference between the number of episodes reported to begin on a particular day and the mean for days 1 and 2. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine associations. Recall error was 37% on day 3 and 51% on day 5. The error was less in younger children (by 10%), severe episodes (by 29%) and when blood was present in the stool (by 18%). Diarrhoea was underreported when the recall period extended beyond 2 days. Surveys that use longer recall periods risk underestimating diarrhoea incidence and selectively capturing more severe episodes.
Estimating the extent of spatial association ofMycobacterium bovisinfection in badgers in Ireland
Authors: KELLY G. E. , McGRATH G. E. , MORE S. J.
Published: August 2009

Mycobacterium bovisinfects the wildlife species badgersMeles meleswho are linked with the spread of the associated disease tuberculosis (TB) in cattle. Control of livestock infections depends in part on the spatial and social structure of the wildlife host. Here we describe spatial association ofM. bovisinfection in a badger population using data from the first year of the Four Area Project in Ireland. Using second-order intensity functions, we show there is strong evidence of clustering of TB cases in each the four areas, i.e. a global tendency for infected cases to occur near other infected cases. Using estimated intensity functions, we identify locations where particular strains of TB cluster. Generalized linear geostatistical models are used to assess the practical range at which spatial correlation occurs and is found to exceed 6 in all areas. The study is of relevance concerning the scale of localized badger culling in the control of the disease in cattle.
A hypothesis for the 2007 dengue outbreak in Singapore
Authors: MASSAD E. , COUTINHO F. A. B. , MA S. , BURATTINI M. N.
Published: August 2009

A previous mathematical model explaining dengue in Singapore predicted a reasonable outbreak of about 6500 cases for 2006 and a very mild outbreak with about 2000 cases for 2007. However, only 3051 cases were reported in 2006 while more than 7800 were reported in the first 44 weeks of 2007. We hypothesized that the combination of haze with other local sources of particulate matter had a significant impact on mosquito life expectancy, significantly increasing their mortality rate. To test the hypothesis a mathematical model based on the reproduction number of dengue fever and aimed at comparing the impact of several possible alternative control strategies was proposed. This model also aimed at contributing to the understanding of the causes of dengue resurgence in Singapore in the last decade. The model's simulation demonstrated that an increase in mosquito mortality in 2006 and either a reduction in mortality or an increase in the carrying capacity of mosquitoes in 2007 explained the patterned observed in Singapore. Based on the model's simulation we concluded that the fewer than expected number of dengue cases in Singapore in 2006 was caused by an increase in mosquito mortality due to the disproportionate haze affecting the country that year and that particularly favourable environmental conditions in 2007 propitiated mosquitoes with a lower mortality rate, which explains the greater than expected number of dengue cases in 2007. Whether our hypothesis is plausible or not should be debated further.
Politische Fertigkeiten und Arbeitsstile: Eine Feldstudie
Authors: Blickle Gerhard , Gläser Daniel
Published: August 2009

Politische Fertigkeiten von Personen in Organisationen ( Ferris, Treadway et al., 2005 ) sind mit einem an Kontaktaufbau, -pflege und -nutzung orientierten (externalen) Arbeitsstil verbunden, während das Persönlichkeitsmerkmal der Gewissenhaftigkeit mit einem (internalen) Arbeitsstil verbunden ist, der durch Sorgfalt, Umsicht und kontinuierliches Verbesserungsstreben gekennzeichnet ist. In der vorliegenden Studie, an der sich 102 Mitarbeiter-Vorgesetzten-Dyaden beteiligten, wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen den beiden Arbeitsstilen in Bezug auf die Beurteilung des Arbeitsengagements durch Vorgesetzte sowie auf das Bruttojahreseinkommen der jeweiligen Mitarbeiter untersucht. Es zeigte sich wie erwartet, dass die beiden Arbeitsstile sowohl in Bezug auf das durch Vorgesetzte beurteilte Arbeitsengagement als auch in Bezug auf das Bruttojahreseinkommen bedeutsam miteinander interagierten. Jeder der beiden Arbeitsstile führte dann zur positiven Beurteilung des Arbeitsengagements, wenn der jeweils andere Arbeitsstil gering ausgeprägt war. Das Bruttoeinkommen war dagegen wie erwartet dann am höchsten, wenn beide Arbeitsstile stark ausgeprägt waren. Es werden Implikationen, Stärken und Grenzen der Studie sowie zukünftige Forschungsfragen diskutiert.
Broad Motives in Short Scales
Authors: Schönbrodt Felix D. , Unkelbach Sven R. , Spinath Frank M.
Published: August 2009

We introduce a new questionnaire that measures interindividual differences in five motivational systems (security, arousal, power, prestige, and achievement) with six items per scale. As a theoretical base for our work we referred to the Zurich model of social motivation, which describes and models these motivational systems in a system-theoretic way. The questionnaire is formulated in German and called Motive Profile Following the Zurich Model (MPZM). Data indicate that the questionnaire shows good psychometric properties with Cronbach’s α > 0.73 and an excellent factorial structure (n = 1,243). To assess convergent and discriminant validity, the MPZM was compared with the Personality Research Form (PRF-D), the Multimotive Grid (MMG) and the NEO-FFI in a multitrait-multimethod analysis and a scale-level factor analysis (n = 190). The MPZM showed convergent validity to content-matched scales of the PRF (r = 0.55), no differentiated relationship to the MMG, and few correlations to the NEO-FFI. First indications of external validity were studied through biographical data. MPZM was able to predict them with adjusted multiple Rs of up to r = 0.40 and outperformed both the NEO-FFI and MMG in predictive power and incremental validity.
Progress Toward Construct Validation of the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ)
Authors: Sheard Michael , Golby Jim , van Wersch Anna
Published: August 2009

This study examines the construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessment of mental toughness: the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Two independent studies supported a three-factor (Confidence, Constancy, and Control) 14-item model for the SMTQ. With a sample of 633 athletes (427 males, 206 females; M age = 21.5 years; SD = 5.48), drawn from 25 sport classifications, and competing at international, national, county and provincial, or club and regional standards, the first study utilized item development and exploratory factor analytic techniques to establish the psychometric properties of the SMTQ. Study 2 employed confirmatory factor analytic techniques with an independent sample of 509 sports performers (351 males, 158 females; M age = 20.2 years; SD = 3.35), competing at the aforementioned standards, and representative of 26 sports. Confirmatory analysis using structural equation modeling confirmed the overall structure. A single factor underlying mental toughness (Gmt) was identified with higher-order exploratory factor analysis using the Schmid-Leiman procedure. Collectively, satisfying absolute and incremental fit-index benchmarks, the inventory was shown to possess satisfactory psychometric properties, with adequate reliability, divergent validity, and discriminative power. The results revealed promising features of the SMTQ, lending preliminary support to the instrument’s factorial validity and reliability. Further construct validation of the SMTQ is recommended, including its use as an index for evaluating the effect of intervention programs.
Nature of deformation of sandy bed forms
Authors: McElroy Brandon , Mohrig David
Published: August 2009

We explore a stochastic component of topographic evolution of sandy river beds and its relationship to bed material flux. The behavior of trains of mobile bed forms can be decomposed into two independent constituents, translation and deformation. Translation is the mean downstream migration of the bed at velocity that defines the Lagrangian reference frame of the bed. Deformation is the sum of all changes to the bed's topographic profile measured from within the bed's moving reference frame. The occurrence of deformation leads to exponential decorrelation of bed topography that is in dynamic equilibrium with flow conditions. For the field and laboratory data sets used, correlation decays to 0.5 by the time the bed translates 40% and 360% of the mean bed form length, respectively. Proportions of bed material flux responsible for translation and deformation can be straightforwardly calculated. Translation flux is measured using the traditional bed form‐bed load equation. Deformation flux is determined by excess topographic change scaled by the ratio of horizontal sediment velocity to fall velocity. Deformation represents the sediment exchanged between bed load and suspended load. Because deformation is a stochastic process with zero mean, the apparent rate of deformation decreases as a function of time interval between bed surveys. For the field case, deformation accounts for 40% of bed material flux while it is only 1% of the flux in the laboratory.
A novel application of wet oxidation to retrieve carbonates from large organic‐rich samples for ocean‐climate research
Authors: Fallet Ulrike , Boer Wim , van Assen Chris , Greaves Mervyn , Brummer Geert‐Jan A.
Published: August 2009

For ocean‐climate research, carbonates are extracted from large organic‐rich bulk sediments for specific geochemical analyses. This is conventionally achieved by time‐consuming dry oxidation or nonoxidative preprocessing. To significantly shorten sample preparation time we designed and evaluated a rapid technique that uses sequential wet oxidization of bulk samples in a hot alkaline 18% H2O2 solution. We successfully tested this wet oxidation technique on multiple bulk aliquots from two sediment trap samples and a core top sediment that were also processed by dry oxidation and without oxidation. From all aliquots four calcitic foraminifera species and an aragonitic juvenile bivalve from the 250–315 μm fraction were analyzed for size‐normalized weight (SNW), δ18O, δ13C, Mg/Ca, and Sr/Ca. In addition, these proxies were determined on powdered bulk aliquots from the 150–250 μm fraction processed by wet oxidation, dry oxidation, and without oxidation. At an initial pH of 8 and temperature of 70°C the alkaline H2O2 solution appeared to be most stable and reactive. Carbonate dissolution did not occur as no reduction was observed in SNW of the four foraminifera species G. ruber, G. trilobus, N. dutertrei, G. bulloides, and the aragonitic bivalve shells. For sediment traps the δ18O and δ13C between the three cleaning methods only deviated between 0.05 and 0.3‰ compared to 0.1 and 0.6‰ in sediments, with equally small variation in Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios (0.1–0.4 mmol/mol). Lowest Ba/Ca ratios show that wet oxidation successfully removed organic matter along with residual salts. No significant systematic differences between samples or methods were found, but a residual scatter remained, particularly in the nonoxidized sediment because of intraspecies and intrashell inhomogeneity. Given proper preprocessing all three techniques performed well, with the proposed wet oxidation method emerging as a fast technique for extracting carbonate shells from wet, gram‐sized bulk samples. Within 3 h wet oxidation produced clean, dry residues of unaltered calcareous shells from batches of four wet bulk samples without time‐consuming intermediate steps. For Mg/Ca thermometry on time series sediment trap samples, wet oxidation results approached those obtained using the Barker et al. (2003) protocol with improved sample recovery. Consequently, the proposed wet oxidation offers a rapid alternative to conventional extraction techniques for carbonate geochemistry.
C/NOFS observations of intermediate and transitional scale‐size equatorial spread F irregularities
Authors: Rodrigues F. S. , Kelley M. C. , Roddy P. A. , Hunton D. E. , Pfaff R. F. , de La Beaujardière O. , Bust G. S.
Published: August 2009

We present initial results of the analysis of high sampling rate (512 Hz) measurements made by the Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP) instrument and the Vector Electric Field Instrument (VEFI) onboard the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. This letter focuses on the analysis of irregularities with scale‐sizes in the intermediate (0.1–10 km) and transitional (10–100 m) domains observed when the satellite was flying through a large equatorial spread F (ESF) depletion on the night of October 9–10, 2008 over South America. The results presented in this letter suggest the operation of a diffusive subrange in the density power spectra and the possibility of an inertial plasma regime being observed at relatively low altitudes as a result of the long‐lasting solar minimum conditions.
Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESat records: 1958–2008
Authors: Kwok R. , Rothrock D. A.
Published: August 2009

The decline of sea ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean from ICESat (2003–2008) is placed in the context of estimates from 42 years of submarine records (1958–2000) described by Rothrock et al. (1999, 2008). While the earlier 1999 work provides a longer historical record of the regional changes, the latter offers a more refined analysis, over a sizable portion of the Arctic Ocean supported by a much stronger and richer data set. Within the data release area (DRA) of declassified submarine sonar measurements (covering ∼38% of the Arctic Ocean), the overall mean winter thickness of 3.64 m in 1980 can be compared to a 1.89 m mean during the last winter of the ICESat record—an astonishing decrease of 1.75 m in thickness. Between 1975 and 2000, the steepest rate of decrease is −0.08 m/yr in 1990 compared to a slightly higher winter/summer rate of −0.10/−0.20 m/yr in the five‐year ICESat record (2003–2008). Prior to 1997, ice extent in the DRA was >90% during the summer minimum. This can be contrasted to the gradual decrease in the early 2000s followed by an abrupt drop to <55% during the record setting minimum in 2007. This combined analysis shows a long‐term trend of sea ice thinning over submarine and ICESat records that span five decades.
Broad plasma decreases in the equatorial ionosphere
Authors: Huang Cheryl Y. , Marcos Frank A. , Roddy Patrick A. , Hairston Marc R. , Coley W. Robin , Roth Christopher , Bruinsma Sean , Hunton Donald E.
Published: August 2009

During June 2008 broad plasma density decreases (BPDs) were detected repeatedly by the Planar Langmuir Probe (PLP) on board the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. These density minima, not to be confused with Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs), occurred within 15° of the equator, consisted of reductions in plasma density up to an order of magnitude and extended across several degrees in azimuth along the orbit. Analysis revealed that the BPDs occurred nearly daily from May through July 2008 on C/NOFS, and that the widest BPDs were observed in the vicinity of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Similar BPDs simultaneous with the C/NOFS measurements were observed by instruments on the CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites. An examination of plasma densities observed by the DMSP satellites over several years revealed that these phenomena were a frequent occurrence during (1) the period around June solstices; during (2) solar minimum years; (3) in the vicinity of the SAA. Neutral densities were examined during periods when BPDs were detected, and at times there are simultaneous neutral depletions. One possible explanation is a decrease in temperature of both ions and neutrals in the equatorial region at these times, consistent with downwelling in the ionosphere and thermosphere. Measurements of plasma temperatures on DMSP support this hypothesis.
Bow shock and magnetopause contributions to the cross‐tail current from global MHD simulations
Authors: Tang B. B. , Guo X. C. , Wang C. , Hu Y. Q. , Kan J. R.
Published: August 2009

We performed a series of global MHD simulations to study the closure of the cross‐tail current in the magnetotail under different solar wind conditions. The cross‐tail current closes totally within the magnetopause, forming the classical θ structure when IMF is set to be zero. The situation changes for southward IMF cases: part of the cross‐tail current passes through the magnetosheath and closes across the bow shock, forming an overlapped θ structure of the cross‐tail current, when viewed from the Sun. Quantitative analysis shows that a larger strength of the southward IMF BZ results in a higher percentage of current closed through the bow shock. Nearly a constant quantity of the cross‐tail current comes from the bow shock despite variations in the solar wind speed. An increase in the ionospheric Pedersen conductance leads to an increase in the bow shock contribution but a decrease in the magnetopause contribution to the cross‐tail current; therefore, the net cross‐tail current is almost independent of the ionospheric conductance. Cross‐tail current that closes across the bow shock rather than the magnetopause can be classified as the magnetic reconnection current, providing energy supply for dissipation needed at the magnetic reconnection region in the magnetotail.
Methamphetamine Disrupts Blood–Brain Barrier Function by Induction of Oxidative Stress in Brain Endothelial Cells
Authors: Ramirez Servio H , Potula Raghava , Fan Shongshan , Eidem Tess , Papugani Anil , Reichenbach Nancy , Dykstra Holly , Weksler Babette B , Romero Ignacio A , Couraud Pierre O , Persidsky Yuri
Published: August 2009

Methamphetamine (METH), a potent stimulant with strong euphoric properties, has a high abuse liability and long-lasting neurotoxic effects. Recent studies in animal models have indicated that METH can induce impairment of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), thus suggesting that some of the neurotoxic effects resulting from METH abuse could be the outcome of barrier disruption. In this study, we provide evidence that METH alters BBB function through direct effects on endothelial cells and explore possible underlying mechanisms leading to endothelial injury. We report that METH increases BBB permeability in vivo, and exposure of primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVEC) to METH diminishes the tightness of BMVEC monolayers in a dose- and time-dependent manner by decreasing the expression of cell membrane-associated tight junction (TJ) proteins. These changes were accompanied by the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species, increased monocyte migration across METH-treated endothelial monolayers, and activation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) in BMVEC. Antioxidant treatment attenuated or completely reversed all tested aspects of METH-induced BBB dysfunction. Our data suggest that BBB injury is caused by METH-mediated oxidative stress, which activates MLCK and negatively affects the TJ complex. These observations provide a basis for antioxidant protection against brain endothelial injury caused by METH exposure.
A Rapid and Transient Peripheral Inflammatory Response Precedes Brain Inflammation after Experimental Stroke
Authors: Chapman Katie Z , Dale Verity Q , Dénes Ádám , Bennett Gavin , Rothwell Nancy J , Allan Stuart M , McColl Barry W
Published: August 2009

Increasing evidence suggests that peripheral inflammatory responses to stroke and other brain injuries have an important role in determining neurological outcome. The mediators of this response and the temporal relationships between peripheral and central inflammatory alterations are poorly understood. In this study, we show that experimental stroke in mice induces a peripheral inflammatory response that peaks 4 h after stroke, and precedes the peak in brain inflammation 24 h after stroke. This peripheral response is dominated by the induction of the chemokine CXCL-1 and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 and could serve as an accessible target for therapy and as a source of biomarkers predictive of prognosis.
Multivalent ligands of CD22 for targeting of B cells
Authors: Paulson James
Published: August 2009

Multivalent ligands of CD22 for active targeting of B cells. Mary O’Reilly, Wei Hsu Chen, Gladys Completo, Ying Zeng, Satoshi Futakawa and Cory Rillahan and James C. Paulson, Departments of Chemical Physiology and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037The siglecs comprise 13 members of the immunoglobulin superfamily that recognize sialic acid containing glycans, and are differentially expressed on leukocytes and glial cells. The natural ligands of siglecs typically occur on the same cell (in cis) and/or on adjacent cells (in trans). Cis ligands mask the binding of multivalent synthetic sialoside ligands and are thought to regulate the activity of siglecs as modulators of cell signaling. However, synthetic ligands of sufficient avidity can compete with cis ligands, demonstrating a dynamic equilibrium of cis and trans ligand probes. We have explored the relationship between valency, affinity and geometry for achieving avidity sufficient to compete with cis ligands of CD22 (Siglec-2) in situ. A notable achievement is a hetero-bifunctional ligand approach to create multivalent ligands using antibodies as a protein scaffold. The ligand is comprised of a CD22 ligand, 9-biphenylcarboxyl-NeuAcα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAc (BPCNeuAc), coupled to an antigen, 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylacetic acid (NP) (BPCNeuAc-NP). The BPCNeuAc-NP ligand is able to efficiently assemble complexes of anti-NP antibodies with CD22 on both asialo- and native B cells. Surprisingly, assembly of the tertiary complex occurs with anti-NP IgM (n=10), IgA (n=4) and IgG (n=2). The results suggest that spacing of ligands using an antibody optimizes the contribution of geometry to achieve high avidity with low valency. Other multivalent configurations also show promise for targeting B cells. In particular, liposomes bearing BPCNeuAc ligands bind avidly to B cells and are endocytosed. Thus, BPCNeuAc-lipososomes may prove effective in delivery of therapeutic agents to B cells (Supported by NIH grants GM60938, AI50143 ).
The C-terminal domain of Mnk1a plays a dual role in tightly regulating its activity
Authors: Goto Susan , Yao Zhong , Proud Christopher G.
Published: August 2009

The human family of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signal-integrating kinases (Mnks) comprises four related proteins derived from two genes by alternative splicing. The MNK1 gene gives rise to two proteins, Mnk1a and Mnk1b, which possess distinct C-termini and properties. Despite lacking the C-terminal MAPK-binding site, Mnk1b shows higher basal activity than Mnk1a. In contrast, the activity of Mnk1a is tightly regulated by signalling through ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) and p38 MAPK. We show that the short C-terminus of Mnk1b confers on it a ‘default’ behaviour of substantial, but unregulated, activity. In contrast, the longer C-terminus of Mnk1a represses the basal activity and T (activation)-loop phosphorylation of this isoenzyme while allowing both properties to be stimulated by upstream MAPK signalling. Two features of the C-terminus of Mnk1a appear to account for this behaviour: the known MAPK-binding site and a region (predicted to be α-helical) which occludes access to the catalytic domain and the T-loop. The activation of Mnk1a results in a marked conformational change leading to a more ‘open’ structure. We also identified a conserved phenylalanine residue in an Mnk-specific insert as playing a key role in governing the ease with which Mnk1a can be phosphorylated. These studies help to identify the features that give rise to the diverse properties of human Mnk isoforms.
Oxidative modifications of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase play a key role in its multiple cellular functions
Authors: Hwang Na Rae , Yim Seung-Hee , Kim Young Mee , Jeong Jaeho , Song Eun Joo , Lee Yoonji , Lee Jin Hee , Choi Sun , Lee Kong-Joo
Published: August 2009

Knowledge of the cellular targets of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and their regulation is an essential prerequisite for understanding ROS-mediated signalling. GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) is known as a major target protein in oxidative stresses and becomes thiolated in its active site. However, the molecular and functional changes of oxidized GAPDH, the inactive form, have not yet been characterized. To examine the modifications of GAPDH under oxidative stress, we separated the oxidation products by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified them using nanoLC-ESI-q-TOF MS/MS (nano column liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem MS). Intracellular GAPDH subjected to oxidative stress separated into multiple acidic spots on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and were identified as cysteine disulfide and cysteic acids on Cys152 in the active site. We identified the interacting proteins of oxidized inactive GAPDH as p54nrb (54 kDa nuclear RNA-binding protein) and PSF (polypyrimidine tract-binding protein-associated splicing factor), both of which are known to exist as heterodimers and bind to RNA and DNA. Interaction between oxidized GAPDH and p54nrb was abolished upon expression of the GAPDH active site mutant C152S. The C-terminal of p54nrb binds to GAPDH in the cytosol in a manner dependent on the dose of hydrogen peroxide. The GAPDH–p54nrb complex enhances the intrinsic topoisomerase I activation by p54nrb–PSF binding. These results suggest that GAPDH exerts other functions beyond glycolysis, and that oxidatively modified GAPDH regulates its cellular functions by changing its interacting proteins, i.e. the RNA splicing by interacting with the p54nrb–PSF complex.
Systematic coarse graining from structure using internal states: Application to phospholipid/cholesterol bilayer
Authors: Murtola Teemu , Karttunen Mikko , Vattulainen Ilpo
Published: August 2009

We present a two-dimensional coarse-grained (CG) model for a lipid membrane composed of phospholipids and cholesterol. The effective CG interactions are determined using radial distribution functions (RDFs) from atom-scale molecular dynamics simulations using the inverse Monte Carlo (IMC) technique, based on our earlier work [T. Murtola et al., J. Chem. Phys. 121, 9156 (2004); J. Chem. Phys. 126, 075101 (2007)]. Here, the original model is improved by including an internal discrete degree of freedom for the phospholipid tails to describe chain ordering. We also discuss the problem of RDF inversion in the presence of internal states, in general, and present a modified IMC method for their inclusion. The new model agrees with the original models on large-scale structural features such as density fluctuations in pure dipalmitoylphosphocholine and cholesterol domain formation at intermediate concentrations and also indicates that ordered and disordered domains form at all cholesterol concentrations, even if the global density remains uniform. The inclusion of ordering also improves transferability of the interactions between different concentrations, but does not eliminate transferability problems completely. We also present a general discussion of problems related to RDF inversion.
Crystallization and grain growth behavior of CoFeB and MgO layers in multilayer magnetic tunnel junctions
Authors: Mukherjee Sankha S. , Bai Feiming , MacMahon David , Lee Chih-Ling , Gupta Surendra K. , Kurinec Santosh K.
Published: August 2009

The relationship between crystallization, grain growth behavior, and the diffusion of B out of CoFeB has been investigated in annealed film stacks of sputtered CoFeB∣MgO using a combination of two dimensional x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy (PEELS). The analysis shows grain growth in MgO layers. It shows crystallization at approximately 350°C, and subsequent grain growth in CoFeB layers with annealing. The orientations of the grains of MgO and CoFe are definitively shown to be (002) in the out-of-plane direction. The MgO lattice is seen to have an in-plane tensile stress, while CoFe lattice is shown to have an in-plane compressive stress. CoFe grains are observed to be smaller than MgO grains, rather than being of equal size as previously understood. The physical process of B diffusion into MgO has also been investigated using PEELS and is determined that the diffusion of B through MgO is mediated through vacancies and defect states by the formation of BOx complexes.
Photoassociation spectroscopy of the B Π1 state of LiCs
Authors: Grochola A. , Pashov A. , Deiglmayr J. , Repp M. , Tiemann E. , Wester R. , Weidemüller M.
Published: August 2009

We present an accurate potential energy curve of the B Π1 state in the LiCs molecule for which vibrational levels between v′=0 and v′=35 (bound by 11.4 GHz) were measured by photoassociation spectroscopy in an ultracold ensemble of L7i and C133s atoms. By the combination of conventional spectroscopic data of the B-X system and the new photoassociation measurements a very precise value of the dissociation energy of the ground state X Σ1+ of LiCs was determined to be D0=5783.495(5) cm−1.
Magnetic coupling at interface of ultrathin Co film and antiferromagnetic Cr2O3(0001) film
Authors: Shiratsuchi Yu , Nakatani Toshihiro , Kawahara Shin-ichi , Nakatani Ryoichi
Published: August 2009

The magnetic coupling at the interface of Co and Cr has been investigated using ultrathin Co film on Cr2O3(0001) film, which is expected to be a promising system to show the magnetoelectronic effect. We mainly examined the temperature dependence of magnetization, the exchange bias at different field directions relative to the Cr spin direction, and the temperature dependence of exchange bias. The temperature dependence of magnetization under 50 Oe indicates the collinear coupling of Co spin and Cr spin at the interface. Furthermore, the exchange bias effect is observed in the coupled direction of Co and Cr, namely, parallel to the Cr spin direction. However, the changes in the magnetic behavior with changing field directions and Co thicknesses imply the existence of biquadratic coupling of Co spin and Cr spin, as well. In agreement with the numerical calculation under the coexistence of collinear and biquadratic couplings, the exchange bias field decreases nonmonotonically with increasing temperature.