bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population ecology and conservation of endangered megafauna: the case of European bison in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland
Authors: Mysterud A. , Bartoń K. A. , Jędrzejewska B. , Krasiński Z. A. , Niedziałkowska M. , Kamler J. F. , Yoccoz N. G. , Stenseth N. C.
Published: November 2006

The European bison Bison bonasus is an example of nearly extinct ‘charismatic megafauna’. The Białowieża Primeval Forest in Poland is among the few places where they still live in the wild. The management of this free‐living herd has to reconcile to the conservation needs of a species and the economic and environmental objectives of their habitat: protected as well as commercial woodlands of Białowieża. Here we present a detailed account of the population development and analyse variation in vital rates based on monitoring that started in 1952 and continued until 2002. The population was allowed to grow freely until 1970, when removal started with the aim to stabilize population size. We found that recruitment rate, but not mortality, was density dependent, suggesting that the population density was not very high relative to resource levels. Winters with much snow and cold temperature had a strong negative effect on survival. May temperature of the previous year positively affected recruitment rates. Masting (oak seed) also positively affected recruitment rates, which provides a rare account of masting affecting the performance of a large ruminant. Sex ratio of offspring was even and was not strongly affected by density or climate. We use an age‐structured matrix model to show how this knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting vital rates may help managerial decisions by providing explicit links between given environmental conditions and the population growth rates.
The polybasic sequence in the C2B domain of rabphilin is required for the vesicle docking step in PC12 cells
Authors: Tsuboi Takashi , Kanno Eiko , Fukuda Mitsunori
Published: November 2006

Rabphilin is generally thought to be involved in the regulation of secretory vesicle exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells, and it has recently been hypothesized that the C2B domain of rabphilin promotes the docking of dense‐core vesicles to the plasma membrane through simultaneous interaction with a vesicle protein, Rab3A/27A, and a plasma membrane protein, SNAP‐25 (synaptosome‐associated protein of 25 kDa). However, the physiological significance of the rabphilin–SNAP‐25 interaction in the vesicle‐docking step has never been elucidated. In this study we demonstrated by a mutation analysis that the polybasic sequence (587 KKAKHKTQIKKK 598) in the C2B domain of rabphilin is required for SNAP‐25 binding, and that the Asp residues in the Ca2+‐binding loop 3 (D628 and D630) of the C2B domain are not required. We also investigated the effect of Lys→Gln (KQ) mutations in the polybasic sequence of the C2B domain on vesicle dynamics by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in individual PC12 cells. A rabphilin(KQ) mutant that completely lacks SNAP‐25‐binding activity significantly decreased the number of plasma‐membrane‐docked vesicles and strongly inhibited high‐KCl‐induced dense‐core vesicle exocytosis. These results indicate that the polybasic sequence in the C2B domain functions as an effector domain for SNAP‐25 and controls the number of ‘releasable’ vesicles docked to the plasma membrane.
Dual role of CaMKII‐dependent SAP97 phosphorylation in mediating trafficking and insertion of NMDA receptor subunit NR2A
Authors: Mauceri D. , Gardoni F. , Marcello E. , Di Luca M.
Published: November 2006

Synapse Associated Protein 97 (SAP97), a member of membrane‐associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) protein family, has been involved in the correct targeting and clustering of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) at postsynaptic sites. Calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylates SAP97 on two major sites in vivo; one located in the N‐terminal domain (Ser39) and the other in the first postsynaptic density disc large ZO1 (PDZ) domain (Ser232). CaMKII‐mediated phosphorylation of SAP97‐Ser39 is necessary and sufficient to drive SAP97 to the postsynaptic compartment in cultured hippocampal neurons. CaMKII‐dependent phosphorylation of Ser232 disrupts SAP97 interaction with NR2A subunit, thereby regulating synaptic targeting of this NMDA receptor subunit. Here we show by means of phospho‐specific antibodies that SAP97‐Ser39 phosphorylation represents the driving force to release SAP97/NR2A complex from the endoplasmic reticulum. Ser39 phosphorylation does not interfere with SAP97 capability to bind NR2A. On the contrary, SAP97‐Ser232 phosphorylation occurs within the postsynaptic compartment and is responsible for both the disruption of NR2A/SAP97 complex and, consequently, for NR2A insertion in the postsynaptic membrane. Thus, CaMKII‐dependent phosphorylation of SAP97 in different time frames and locations within the neurons controls both NR2A trafficking and insertion.
The effect of queuing representations on modeling transit signal priority systems in mixed mode operation
Authors: Lin Wei‐Hua
Published: November 2006

This paper examines quantitatively the effect of modeling assumptions on transit signal priority (TSP) control in mixed mode operation. The primary sources of delays to buses at intersections are queues formed at intersections (queuing delay) and traffic signals (signal delay). We show that models based on point queues and models based on spatial queues would lead to different control strategies and yield different results for the benefit to buses in terms of delay reduction. Situations in which the spatial content of queues is crucial to modeling TSP systems are identified in the paper. We conclude that given that models with the spatial queue representation are more realistic in capturing the queuing dynamics at intersections they should be incorporated in the decision‐making process for initiating priority calls in a TSP system.
A multicriteria approach for corporate decisions in sustainable planning policy
Authors: Henn Annette , Patz Renate
Published: November 2006

Under the current conditions of urban and regional renewal, it is a challenge and opportunity to find such decisions in planning policy supporting sustainable development. Redevelopment of former open‐cast mines and shrinking processes in cities are typical examples. Decision making in such a planning context considers complex tasks and involves preferential selection among different, usually competing alternatives. They result from demands of different spatial functions and the necessity to conserve the natural environment and landscape. The modeling of a planning process requires an adequate definition of the problem, identification of the main decision criteria and possible courses of action. Following environmental and institutional economic theory we use the idea of involving stakeholders. Determining and understanding the demands of stakeholders may lead to a successful management of environmental, social, human, and economic tasks. We propose a multicriteria approach to formulate a planning problem as a multiobjective optimization problem.
A financial resource allocation model for regional water systems
Authors: Rogers Jeffrey W. , Louis Garrick E.
Published: November 2006

The public water supply sector is facing significant external pressures for change from decreasing water resource availability, stricter water quality regulations, decreasing federal subsidies, increasing public scrutiny, decreasing financial health, and increasing infrastructure replacement costs. These forces necessitate greater accountability by community water systems (CWS) to their stakeholders.

This paper presents a method for comparative efficiency analysis to improve the accountability of CWS to their stakeholders while maintaining the level of service. The method is achieved through three objectives, namely: (1) to construct standard efficiency metric parameters based on the techniques of data envelopment analysis; (2) to incorporate these uniform efficiency metric parameters into a transparent decision support system (DSS) based on the standard linear programming resource allocation problem; and (3) to utilize the DSS to determine the efficient allocation of limited budgetary resources among CWS operating as a regional water system (RWS).

The paper is a significant departure, in three ways, from the current planning and management approach, which treats CWS as independent entities. First, it provides an open and transparent method for planning and management of CWS; second, it provides a uniform and consistent method for evaluating relative efficiencies across the CWS. Third, the DSS facilitates comparative efficiency analysis across the RWS, and guides financial allocation decisions among CWS operating as a RWS.
An overview of the Portuguese wind power sector
Authors: Ferreira Paula , Araújo Madalena , O'Kelly M. E. J.
Published: November 2006

The present situation of electricity production from renewable energy sources (RES) in Portugal is analyzed, giving particular attention to the wind power sector due to its increasing importance. The evolution of the electricity system is presented along with the strategies for the sector, and future prospects for the RES. Although the interest of private companies in the wind sector is high, the administrative and grid barriers represent major obstacles to wind power development. The problem of wind intermittency and uncertainty is also discussed. The improvement of interconnection capacity and the increase of power reserve are identified as key requirements for ensuring the security of supply. A clear understanding of all these aspects is fundamental for integrated, multidimensional wind power planning.
Towards establishing the use of holons as an enquiry method
Authors: Bell Gary , Warwick Jon
Published: November 2006

This paper argues the need for utilizing holons as an enquiry method to identify problems associated with messy situations. We demonstrate the use of holons through an investigation of a department within a UK university. Similar work was conducted by the university higher management using its quality management and enhancement procedures. We employ the case study research method to assess the explanatory capability of both approaches and conclude that there is evidence to support the use of holons for enquiry purposes and that the holons provide a structure for both soft and hard systems modeling.
The influence of the business cycle on bankruptcy probability
Authors: Hol Suzan
Published: November 2006

Two fields of research on default prediction are combined on a unique dataset covering all limited liability firms in Norway. This is done by empirically testing a bankruptcy prediction function where unlisted firms are evaluated on the basis of both their financial statement analysis and movements in the business cycle. This combination is found to improve the default prediction compared with financial statements alone. The GDP gap, a production index and the money supply M1 in combination with some financial health indicators for individual firms are found to be significant predictors on default for Norwegian firms during both recovery and expansion in the 1990s.
Human Impacts on Drainages of the Mesa Central, Mexico, and Its Genetic Effects on an Endangered Fish, Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis
Authors: DOMÍNGUEZ‐DOMÍNGUEZ OMAR , BOTO LUIS , ALDA FERNANDO , PÉREZ‐PONCE DE LEÓN GERARDO , DOADRIO IGNACIO
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  The Mesa Central of Mexico is of special conservation interest due to its high richness of freshwater fish species, of which the goodeines are one of the most representative groups. Through an integrated approach, we determined conservation priorities for goodeine populations. We based our recommendations on the genetic diversity (variation in five microsatellite DNA loci) in 10 populations of Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis and on an analysis of ecological (e.g., presence of exotic species), social (e.g., political situation), and environmental (e.g., pollution) information for 52 historical occurrence points for species in the genus Zoogoneticus. Patterns of genetic erosion and genetic diversity indices were closely associated with human impact. Recent bottleneck events were most evident in the populations from remnants of the lakes drained at the beginning of the twentieth century. We identified seven operational conservation units (OCUs), all of which should be conserved because they contain unique portions of the total variation of the species. Special attention needs to be given to increase genetic variability, recover population sizes, and reestablish contact among populations within OCUs. It is imperative to create an integrative and effective approach for the recovery and conservation of the freshwater fish diversity of Central Mexico that is based on social and natural sciences.
Breeding Distributions of North American Bird Species Moving North as a Result of Climate Change
Authors: HITCH ALAN T. , LEBERG PAUL L.
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Geographic changes in species distributions toward traditionally cooler climes is one hypothesized indicator of recent global climate change. We examined distribution data on 56 bird species. If global warming is affecting species distributions across the temperate northern hemisphere, these data should show the same northward range expansions of birds that have been reported for Great Britain. Because a northward shift of distributions might be due to multidirectional range expansions for multiple species, we also examined the possibility that birds with northern distributions may be expanding their ranges southward. There was no southward expansion of birds with a northern distribution, indicating that there is no evidence of overall range expansion of insectivorous and granivorous birds in North America. As predicted, the northern limit of birds with a southern distribution showed a significant shift northward (2.35 km/year). This northward shift is similar to that observed in previous work conducted in Great Britain: the widespread nature of this shift in species distributions over two distinct geographical regions and its coincidence with a period of global warming suggests a connection with global climate change.
Influence of a Large Herbivore Reintroduction on Plant Invasions and Community Composition in a California Grassland
Authors: JOHNSON BRENT E. , CUSHMAN J. HALL
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Despite many successful reintroductions of large mammalian herbivores throughout the world, remarkably little attention has focused on how these actions affect native and exotic vegetation at reintroduction sites. One such herbivore is tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), which was on the brink of extinction in the mid 1800s, but now has numerous stable populations due to intensive reintroduction efforts. Here, we summarize results from a 5‐year exclosure experiment that explored the effects of tule elk on a coastal grassland in northern California. Elk significantly altered the species composition of this community; the response of annual species (dominated heavily by exotic taxa) was dramatically different from perennial species. Elk herbivory increased the abundance and aboveground biomass of native and exotic annuals, whereas it either had no effect on or caused significant decreases in perennials. Elk also decreased the cover of native shrubs, suggesting that these herbivores play an important role in maintaining open grasslands. In addition, elk significantly reduced the abundance and biomass of a highly invasive exotic grass, Holcus lanatus,which is a major problem in mesic perennial grasslands. Our results demonstrate that the successful reintroduction of a charismatic and long‐extirpated mammal had extremely complex effects on the plant community, giving rise to both desirable and undesirable outcomes from a management perspective. We suspect that these kinds of opposing effects are not unique to tule elk and that land managers will frequently encounter them when dealing with reintroduced mammals.
Efficacy of Eletriptan in Migraine‐Related Functional Impairment: Functional and Work Productivity Outcomes
Authors: Silberstein Stephen D. , Cady Roger K. , Sheftell Fred D. , Almas Mary , Parsons Bruce , Albert Kenneth S.
Published: November 2006

Objective.—To provide a multidimensional assessment of the extent of functional impairment during an acute migraine attack, and of the improvement in functioning in response to treatment, using 4 concurrently administered scales: the 7‐item work productivity questionnaire (PQ‐7), the functional assessment in migraine (FAIM) activities and participation (FAIM‐A&P) subscale, the FAIM‐impact of migraine on mental functioning (FAIM‐IMMF) subscale, and the traditional 4‐point global functional impairment scale (FIS).

Methods.—Outpatients with an International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnosis of migraine were randomized to double‐blind treatment of a single attack with either oral eletriptan 20 mg (n = 192) once‐daily, eletriptan 40 mg (N = 213) once‐daily, or placebo (n = 208). Patients were encouraged to take study medication as soon as they were sure they were experiencing a typical migraine headache, after the aura phase (if present) had ended. Patients with moderate‐to‐severe functional impairment were identified on each of the 4 disability scales, and 2‐hour functional response was compared between treatments.

Results.—At baseline, the PQ‐7 and FAIM‐IMMF items that assessed ability to perform tasks requiring concentration, sustained work or attention, and ability to think quickly or spontaneously, were especially sensitive to the effects of mild headache pain, with 27% to 48% of patients (n = 92‐112) reporting moderate‐to‐severe impairment. Only 11.3% of patients (n = 112) reported this level of impairment due to mild pain on the FIS. Functional response at 2 hours was significantly higher on eletriptan 40 mg versus placebo on the FAIM‐A&P (63% vs 36%; n = 218; P < .0001); on the PQ‐7 (56% vs 34%; n = 116; P= .0052); and on the FAIM‐IMMF (50% vs 34%; n = 215; P= .017). These rates were all lower than the functional response rates on the FIS for eletriptan 40 mg (75%) and eletriptan 20 mg (70%) versus placebo (45%; P < .001).

Conclusions.—In this exploratory analysis, use of multidimensional scales was found to provide a sensitive measure of headache‐related functional impairment, especially for detecting clinically meaningful cognitive effects, and for detecting drug versus placebo differences.
Decision Sciences Research in China: A Critical Review and Research Agenda—Foundations and Overview*
Authors: Zhao Xiande , Flynn Barbara B. , Roth Aleda V.
Published: November 2006

This article focuses on decision sciences research in China, providing an overview of current research and developing a foundation for future China‐based research. China provides a unique research opportunity for decision sciences researchers, owing to its recent history, rapid economic development, and strong national culture. We examine recent economic reforms and their impact on the development of research questions in the decision sciences, as well as discuss characteristics of the diverse regions in China and their potential as sites for various types of research. We provide a brief overview of recent China‐based research on decision sciences issues relating to national culture, supply chain management, quality management, production planning and control, operations strategy, and new product development and discuss some of the unique methodological challenges inherent in China‐based research. We conclude by looking forward to emerging research opportunities in China.
Where To Go From Here? Thoughts on Future Directions for Research on Individual‐Level Technology Adoption with a Focus on Decision Making*
Authors: Venkatesh Viswanath
Published: November 2006

This article recognizes the maturity of individual‐level technology‐adoption research and suggests three broad future research directions. They are: (i) business process change and process standards, (ii) supply‐chain technologies, and (iii) services. Each of these areas is identified based on the topics likely of interest to the readers of the Decision Sciences by closely examining Decision Sciences' editorial mission and the recent research published in it. Within each of these three different broad topic areas, a few different specific directions are identified. The directions outlined here are not meant to be exhaustive but rather potential directions that can result in a theoretical contribution to individual‐level technology‐adoption research and the specific topic area.
Multiproduct, Multicriteria Model for Supplier Selection with Product Life‐Cycle Considerations
Authors: Narasimhan Ram , Talluri Srinivas , Mahapatra Santosh K.
Published: November 2006

In industrial purchasing contexts firms often procure a set of products from the same suppliers to benefit from economies of scale and scope. These products are often at different stages of their respective product life cycles (PLCs). Firms consider multiple criteria in purchasing such products, and the relative importance of these criteria varies depending on the PLC stage of a given product. Therefore, a firm should select suppliers and choose sourcing arrangements such that product requirements across multiple criteria are satisfied over time. The extant models in sourcing literature for evaluating and selecting suppliers for a portfolio of products have not considered this important and practical issue faced by firms. This article proposes a mathematical model that effectively addresses this issue and contributes to the sourcing literature by demonstrating an approach for optimally selecting suppliers and supplier bids given the relative importance of multiple criteria across multiple products over their PLC. The application of the model on a hypothetical data set illustrates the strategic and tactical significance of such considerations.
Bringing IT Back: An Analysis of the Decision to Backsource or Switch Vendors
Authors: Whitten Dwayne , Leidner Dorothy
Published: November 2006

Whereas the decision to outsource information systems (IS) has been an important focus in IS research and practice, the decision to switch vendors or to backsource has received little attention. Evidence suggests that in practice, however, the decision to backsource or to switch vendors is becoming increasingly common as firms vie for ways to continue to cut information technology (IT) costs and improve IT service levels. This research specifically examines the factors associated with the decision to backsource or to switch vendors. Based on a sample of 160 IT managers involved with application development, we compare and contrast the perceptions of those who switched vendors, backsourced, or continued in an outsourcing relationship for application development. Our findings suggest that product quality, service quality, relationship quality, and switching costs are related to the decision to backsource application outsourcing. However, service and product quality did not influence the decision to switch vendors. Rather, firms that made the decision to switch vendors reported high levels of service and product quality but low levels of relationship quality and switching costs.
Obesity As a Risk Factor for Sustained Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias in MADIT II Patients
Authors: PIETRASIK GRZEGORZ , GOLDENBERG ILAN , McNITT SCOTT , MOSS ARTHUR J. , ZAREBA WOJCIECH
Published: November 2006

Background: Obesity, as defined by body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, has been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, data on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden death by BMI in patients after myocardial infarction with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Methods: The risk of appropriate defibrillator therapy for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) by BMI status was analyzed in 476 nondiabetic patients with left ventricular dysfunction who received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial‐II (MADIT II).

Results: Mean BMI was 27 ± 5 kg/m2. Obese patients comprised 25% of the study population. After 2 years of follow‐up, the cumulative rates of appropriate ICD therapy for VT/VF were 39% in obese and 24% in nonobese patients, respectively (P = 0.014). In multivariate analysis, there was a significant 64% increase in the risk for appropriate ICD therapy among obese patients as compared with nonobese patients, which was attributed mainly to an 86% increase in the risk of appropriate ICD shocks (P = 0.006). Consistent with these results, the risk of the combined endpoint of appropriate VT/VF therapy or sudden cardiac death (SCD) was also significantly increased among obese patients (Hazard Ratio 1.59; P = 0.01).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in nondiabetic patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction, a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 is an independent risk factor for ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
Warfarin Therapy Initiated before Is More Beneficial Than after Transesophageal Echocardiography Detected Left Atrial Thrombus
Authors: Shen Xuedong , Li Huagui , Nair Chandra K. , Holmberg Mark J. , Lakkireddy Dhanunjay , Cloutier David , Rovang Karen , Hee Tom , Mooss Aryan N. , Mohiuddin Syed M.
Published: November 2006

Objective: Warfarin anticoagulation significantly reduces the risk of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there are many patients with AF who begin anticoagulation only after left atrial thrombus (LAT) is detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The impact of anticoagulation in these patients has not been clearly described. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) among AF patients who began warfarin before LAT was detected by TEE compared to those who began warfarin only after TEE demonstrated LAT and those did not receive warfarin at any point. Method: Of the 90 consecutive AF patients with LAT (male 48, female 42, age 71.5 ± 10.1 years), 49 began warfarin more than 3 weeks before TEE (Group I); 29 began warfarin after TEE (Group II); and 12 did not receive warfarin at all (Group III). Results: The incidence of CVA in Group I (14%, 7/49, prior CVA 5, new CVA after TEE 2) was significantly lower than Group II (45%, 13/29, prior CVA 10, new CVA after TEE 3, P = 0.006) and III (42%, 5/12, prior CVA 3, new CVA after TEE 2, P = 0.047). Patients with persistent LAT had significantly higher incidence (64% vs 23%, P = 0.024) of CVA and lower CVA free survival than those with resolved LAT. Conclusion: The incidence of CVA among AF patients, who began warfarin before LAT detection, is significantly lower than those who began warfarin after LAT detection as well as those who did not receive warfarin at all.
The Effect of Successful Electrical Cardioversion on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: A Tissue Doppler Study
Authors: Melek Mehmet , Birdane Alparslan , Goktekin Omer , Ata Necmi , Celik Atac , Kilit Celal , Gorenek Bulent , Cavusoglu Yuksel , Timuralp Bilgin
Published: November 2006

Background: Changes in mitral inflow and pulmonary venous flow after electrical cardioversion (ECV) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) were showed in many former studies. In our study we investigated the effects of ECV on diastolic parameters by using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with persistent AF. Methods: Forty‐one (24 women) consecutive patients underwent successful elective ECV for nonvalvular persistent AF, and maintained sinus rhythm for 1 month were enrolled to the study. Transthoracic echocardiography was applied to all patients before, 24 hours after and 1 month after ECV. Mitral annular TDI parameters were also measured with mitral inflow, pulmonary venous flow, and other standard echocardiographic measurements. Results: No differences in peak myocardial early velocity (Em), deceleration time of Em, and myocardial isovolumic relaxation time measured from mitral lateral annulus before, 24 hours after, and one month after ECV were found. Peak myocardial late velocity measured 24 hours after ECV increased significantly at the end of 1 month. Conclusion: There were not any changes in LV diastolic function except restoration of atrial mechanical contraction following ECV in patients with persistent AF.
Microstructural Evidence of Reconstituted Limestone Blocks in the Great Pyramids of Egypt
Authors: Barsoum M. W. , Ganguly A. , Hug G.
Published: November 2006

How the Great Pyramids of Giza were built has remained an enduring mystery. In the mid‐1980s, Davidovits proposed that the pyramids were castin situusing granular limestone aggregate and an alkali alumino‐silicate‐based binder. Hard evidence for this idea, however, remained elusive. Using primarily scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we compared a number of pyramid limestone samples with six different limestone samples from their vicinity. The pyramid samples contained microconstituents (μc's) with appreciable amounts of Si in combination with elements, such as Ca and Mg, in ratios that do not exist in any of the potential limestone sources. The intimate proximity of the μc's suggests that at some time these elements had been together in a solution. Furthermore, between the natural limestone aggregates, the μc's with chemistries reminiscent of calcite and dolomite—not known to hydrate in nature—were hydrated. The ubiquity of Si and the presence of submicron silica‐based spheres in some of the micrographs strongly suggest that the solution was basic. Transmission electron microscope confirmed that some of these Si‐containing μc's were either amorphous or nanocrystalline, which is consistent with a relatively rapid precipitation reaction. The sophistication and endurance of this ancient concrete technology is simply astounding.
THE FEMINIZATION OF TEACHING AND THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING: THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?
Authors: Griffiths Morwenna
Published: November 2006

Abstract In this essay, Morwenna Griffiths considers the effect of feminization on the practices of education. She outlines a feminist theory of practice that draws critically on theories of embodiment, diversity, and structures of power to show that any practice is properly seen as fluid, leaky, and viscous. Examining different and competing understandings of “feminization”— referring either to the numbers of women in teaching or to a culture associated with women — Griffith argues that concerns about increasing number of women teachers are misplaced. She complicates the cultural question, observing that masculine practices have a hegemonic form while feminized practices have developed in resistance to these, and she ultimately argues that hegemonic masculinity, not feminization, is the problem because it drives out diversity. Griffiths concludes that the leaky, viscous practices of teaching would benefit from the increased diversity and decreased social stratification feminization brings to the profession.
RULES, TECHNIQUE, AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE: A WITTGENSTEINIAN EXPLORATION OF VOCATIONAL LEARNING
Authors: Winch Christopher
Published: November 2006

Abstract In this essay, Christopher Winch explores the relevance of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s account of rule‐following to vocational education with particular reference to the often‐made claim that any account of an activity in terms of rule‐following implies rigidity and inflexibility. He argues that most rule‐following is only successful when it involves a degree of flexibility. For instance, most technical work that involves rule‐following requires flexibility and situational awareness for success. Technical education that fails to take account of the need to apply rules in a way that accounts for a wide variety of situations is likely to be unsuccessful. Winch offers an account of professional judgment based on Stephen Toulmin’s theory of argumentation and discusses progression from novice to expert in terms of Toulmin’s analysis. He also considers the relation between vocational education and other practices in the context of the wider civic implications of occupational practice.
“WE ARE ONE BIG, HAPPY FAMILY”: BEYOND NEGOTIATION AND COMPULSORY HAPPINESS
Authors: Vanobbergen Bruno , Vandenbroeck Michel , Roose Rudi , Bouverne‐De Bie Maria
Published: November 2006

Abstract Much recent scholarship on changing educational practices in Western families focuses on the idea that negotiation has become the dominant approach to family household management. In this essay, Bruno Vanobbergen, Michel Vandenbroeck, Rudi Roose, and Maria Bouverne‐De Bie examine the idea of the negotiation model functioning as a directive. To illustrate this process, they demonstrate how the contemporary vocabulary about parental education affects the construction of parental beliefs and the concepts that define research. The authors first present a genealogy of negotiation by looking at constructions of childhood and parenthood, as well as the educational practices that shape, and are in turn shaped by, these constructions. They then turn their attention to the concept of the autonomous self and its implications for family relations and family household practices.
EDUCATION AS INITIATION INTO PRACTICES
Authors: Smeyers Paul , Burbules Nicholas C.
Published: November 2006

Abstract In this essay, Paul Smeyers and Nicholas Burbules reexamine the concept of “practice” and propose a new way of conceiving it that does justice to the idea that education is in some sense an initiation into practices without endorsing either the conservative and reproductive conception of what initiation entails or the radically social constructionist idea that all practices are arbitrary and groundless. First, drawing from the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Charles Taylor, Smeyers and Burbules outline how the centrality of the concept of “practice” should be understood. Second, they indicate how the concept has come under pressure to the extent that one may doubt whether there are any “practices” left in contemporary society. Third, they differentiate between different kinds of practices in terms of how they are learned and how they are enacted, and suggest the central role that narrativization plays in these processes. They conclude that a theoretical focus on initiation into practices need not lead either to conservative or to relativistic conclusions.
DEVELOPMENTAL LIBERALISM
Authors: Curren Randall
Published: November 2006

Abstract In this essay, Randall Curren identifies a type of liberalism that incorporates empirical claims about the development of agency and rationality, and responds to the criticism that liberalism rests on an incoherent conception of autonomous agency. He argues that moral agents did indeed “become ghosts” somewhere en route from Aristotle to Kant, but not for the reasons supposed, nor with the consequences for liberalism alleged by its critics. Curren concludes that an Aristotelian form of developmental liberalism, resting on a conception of rational agency as embodied, incremental, and developmentally contingent on social and circumstantial factors, can survive the familiar critiques of the “liberal self” and enable the liberal tradition to further expand the range of educational matters it can fruitfully address.
PUSHING THE LIMITS OF LIBERALISM: QUEERNESS, CHILDREN, AND THE FUTURE
Authors: Mayo Cris
Published: November 2006

Abstract In this essay, Cris Mayo describes a tension between recognizing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (lgbt) people by law and giving (or denying) them certain legal rights on the basis of identity, on the one hand, and enabling queer people, not always fully recognizable as inhabiting particular identity categories, to live their potentials, on the other. Laws and rights regulate particular kinds of people, and while lgbt people have pursued civil rights energetically for the last sixty years or so, their queerness continues to complicate their attempts to gain legitimacy. Beyond civil rights claims, queer liberationist claims push the limits of the understanding of identity, sexual practices, and political life, because they prompt us to consider not just abstract possibilities and freedoms but the freedoms and possibilities of people barely recognizable. Mayo shows how these queer claims are often hard to frame in terms of liberal theory and actual law.
Organic Globules in the Tagish Lake Meteorite: Remnants of the Protosolar Disk
Authors: Nakamura-Messenger Keiko , Messenger Scott , Keller Lindsay P. , Clemett Simon J. , Zolensky Michael E.
Published: November 2006

Coordinated transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite shows that they have elevated ratios of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 (1.2 to 2 times terrestrial) and of deuterium to hydrogen (2.5 to 9 times terrestrial). These isotopic anomalies are indicative of mass fractionation during chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures (10 to 20 kelvin), characteristic of cold molecular clouds and the outer protosolar disk. The globules probably originated as organic ice coatings on preexisting grains that were photochemically processed into refractory organic matter. The globules resemble cometary carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON) particles, suggesting that such grains were important constituents of the solar system starting materials.
Macroscopic Hierarchical Surface Patterning of Porphyrin Trimers via Self-Assembly and Dewetting
Authors: van Hameren Richard , Schön Peter , van Buul Arend M. , Hoogboom Johan , Lazarenko Sergiy V. , Gerritsen Jan W. , Engelkamp Hans , Christianen Peter C. M. , Heus Hans A. , Maan Jan C. , Rasing Theo , Speller Sylvia , Rowan Alan E. , Elemans Johannes A. A. W. , Nolte Roeland J. M.
Published: November 2006

The use of bottom-up approaches to construct patterned surfaces for technological applications is appealing, but to date is applicable to only relatively small areas (∼10 square micrometers). We constructed highly periodic patterns at macroscopic length scales, in the range of square millimeters, by combining self-assembly of disk-like porphyrin dyes with physical dewetting phenomena. The patterns consisted of equidistant 5-nanometer-wide lines spaced 0.5 to 1 micrometers apart, forming single porphyrin stacks containing millions of molecules, and were formed spontaneously upon drop-casting a solution of the molecules onto a mica surface. On glass, thicker lines are formed, which can be used to align liquid crystals in large domains of square millimeter size.
Male Fertility and Sex Ratio at Birth in Red Deer
Authors: Gomendio Montserrat , Malo Aurelio F. , Soler Ana J. , Fernández-Santos Maria R. , Esteso Milagros C. , García Andrés J. , Roldan Eduardo R. S. , Garde Julian
Published: November 2006

Efforts to test sex ratio theory have focused mostly on females. However, when males possess traits that could enhance the reproductive success of sons, males would also benefit from the manipulation of the offspring sex ratio. We tested the prediction that more-fertile red deer males produce more sons. Our findings reveal that male fertility is positively related to the proportion of male offspring. We also show that there is a positive correlation between the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa (a main determinant of male fertility) and the proportion of male offspring. Thus, males may contribute significantly to biases in sex ratio at birth among mammals, creating the potential for conflicts of interest between males and females.
Brassinosteroid Signaling: A Paradigm for Steroid Hormone Signaling from the Cell Surface
Authors: Belkhadir Youssef , Chory Joanne
Published: November 2006

Plants use the coordinated action of several small-molecule hormones to grow and develop optimally in response to a changing environment. Among these hormones are the brassinosteroids (BRs), the polyhydroxylated steroid hormones of plants. BRs bind a small family of leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases at the cell surface, thereby initiating an intracellular signal transduction cascade that results in the altered expression of hundreds of genes.
Notch, a Universal Arbiter of Cell Fate Decisions
Authors: Ehebauer Matthias , Hayward Penelope , Arias Alfonso Martinez
Published: November 2006

Members of the Notch family of receptors act as membrane-tethered transcription factors that are tightly associated with binary cell fate decisions. Notch signaling acts as a molecular gate that allows cells to adopt or forfeit a particular fate. Interaction of Notch with ligands triggers a sequence of proteolytic cleavages that release the intracellular domain to the nucleus; this mechanism is a target of therapies for leukemias associated with Notch activation. Although the molecular mechanism of Notch activation is well characterized, further analysis in an appropriate cellular context will provide new insight into Notch signaling.
Solid-State Qubits with Current-Controlled Coupling
Authors: Hime T. , Reichardt P. A. , Plourde B. L. T. , Robertson T. L. , Wu C.-E. , Ustinov A. V. , Clarke John
Published: November 2006

The ability to switch the coupling between quantum bits (qubits) on and off is essential for implementing many quantum-computing algorithms. We demonstrated such control with two flux qubits coupled together through their mutual inductances and through the dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that reads out their magnetic flux states. A bias current applied to the SQUID in the zero-voltage state induced a change in the dynamic inductance, reducing the coupling energy controllably to zero and reversing its sign.
A Subaltern View of Eusociality
Authors: Gadagkar Raghavendra
Published: November 2006

The Other Insect Societies
.
By James T. Costa
. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2006. 811 pp. $59.95, £38.95, €55.30. ISBN 0-674-02163-0.

The author reviews the social behavior and ecology of insects that fall outside the eusocial taxa (ants, wasps, bees, and termites).
Hoping to Establish Common Ground for Saving Biodiversity
Authors: Bouma-Prediger Steven
Published: November 2006

The Creation
. An Appeal to Save Life on Earth.
By Edward O. Wilson
. Norton, New York, 2006. 185 pp. $21.95, C$27.50. ISBN 0-393-06217-1.

Constructing the book as a letter to an imagined Southern Baptist preacher, the author seeks to ally religion and science in an ethic of "honorable" self-restraint toward the natural world.
Delightful Digital Diversions
Authors: Sugden Andrew M. , Russell Hugh A. , Sugden Rowan M. A.
Published: November 2006

Game On
.
curated by Conrad Bodman and Lucian King for the Barbican Art Gallery
. Science Museum, London, through 25 February 2007.
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/gameon/

Featuring more than 120 playable games, the exhibit samples technologies from the PDP-1 of the 1960s to current consoles and explores the diversity and culture of computer games.
Evaluation of an Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay for Strongyloidiasis as a Tool for Diagnosis and Follow-Up
Authors: Boscolo Marina , Gobbo Maria , Mantovani William , Degani Monica , Anselmi Mariella , Monteiro Geraldo Badona , Marocco Stefania , Angheben Andrea , Mistretta Manuela , Santacatterina Maria , Tais Stefano , Bisoffi Zeno
Published: November 2006

The diagnostic accuracy of an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for
Strongyloides stercoralis
at different serum antibody titers was evaluated. To assess diagnostic sensitivity, sera from 156 patients with known strongyloidiasis were collected. Negative control sera were obtained from a composite group of 427 subjects (blood donors and hospitalized patients). With an area under the receiver-operating characteristic plot of 0.98, the IFAT showed a high level of diagnostic accuracy for strongyloidiasis. An antibody titer of ≥1:20, with 97% sensitivity and 98% specificity, was identified as the diagnostic threshold with the best overall performance. Cross-reactions were evaluated with 41 additional samples from patients with other known helminth infections, and the IFAT detected low-titer positivity in only one subject with filariasis. A positive IFAT result at an antibody dilution of ≥1:80 was virtually 100% specific, with 71% sensitivity. To test the usefulness of the IFAT as a monitoring tool, the changes in specific-antibody titers after treatment in a group of 155 patients were evaluated. Seroreversion or a decrease in antibody titer of twofold or more was observed in 60% of the patients. Response to treatment was directly correlated to the initial antibody titer, and a baseline titer of ≥1:80 was identified as the best predictor of response. In conclusion, a positive IFAT result at an antibody dilution of ≥1:20 is the optimal cutoff for screening. A titer of ≥1:80, with virtually no false-positive result, is a reliable cutoff for a serological assessment of treatment efficacy and for inclusion in clinical trials.
Expression of Antibodies Directed to
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
Glycosphingolipids during the Course of Paracoccidioidomycosis Treatment
Authors: Bertini Silvio , Colombo Arnaldo L. , Takahashi Helio K. , Straus Anita H.
Published: November 2006

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a granulomatous disease caused by the dimorphic fungus
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
. The immunoglobulin classes and isotypes of antibodies directed to acidic glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and glucosylceramide of
P. brasiliensis
were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of sera from 31 PCM patients. The reactivities of 38 serum samples were analyzed by considering the stage of treatment: before antifungal treatment (
n
= 10), during 1 to 4 months of treatment (T1-4;
n
= 9), during 5 to 12 months of treatment (T5-12;
n
= 9), and posttreatment (PT;
n
= 10). Sera from healthy subjects (
n
= 12) were used as controls. Only the GSL Pb-1 antigen, which presents the carbohydrate structure Gal
f
β1-6(Manα1-3)Manβ1, was reactive with the PCM patient sera. The PCM patient sera did not react with Pb-2, which lacks the Gal
f
residue and which is considered the biosynthetic precursor of Pb-1, indicating that the Gal
f
residue is essential for antibody reactivity. The Pb-1 glycolipid from nontreated patients elicited a primary immune response with immunoglobulin M (IgM) production and subsequent switching to IgG1 production. The IgG1 titer increased after the start of antifungal treatment (T1-4 group), and general decreases in the anti-Pb-1 antibody titers were observed after 5 months of treatment (T5-12 and PT groups). The Pb-1 antigen, an acidic GSL with terminal Gal
f
residue, has potential application as an elicitor of the host immune response in patients with PCM.