bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NKCC1 Does Not Accumulate Chloride in Developing Retinal Neurons
Authors: Zhang Ling-Li , Delpire Eric , Vardi Noga
Published: May 2007

GABA excites immature neurons due to their relatively high intracellular chloride concentration. This initial high concentration is commonly attributed to the ubiquitous chloride cotransporter NKCC1, which uses a sodium gradient to accumulate chloride. Here we tested this hypothesis in immature retinal amacrine and ganglion cells. Western blotting detected NKCC1 at birth and its expression first increased, then decreased to the adult level. Immunocytochemistry confirmed this early expression of NKCC1 and localized it to all nuclear layers. In the ganglion cell layer, staining peaked at P4 and then decreased with age, becoming undetectable in adult. In comparison, KCC2, the chloride extruder, steadily increased with age localizing primarily to the synaptic layers. For functional tests, we used calcium imaging with fura-2 and chloride imaging with 6-methoxy- N-ethylquinolinium iodide. If NKCC1 accumulates chloride in ganglion and amacrine cells, deleting or blocking it should abolish the GABA-evoked calcium rise. However, at P0-5 GABA consistently evoked a calcium rise that was not abolished in the NKCC1-null retinas, nor by applying high concentrations of bumetanide (NKCC blocker) for long periods. Furthermore, intracellular chloride concentration in amacrine and ganglion cells of the NKCC1-null retinas was ∼30 mM, same as in wild type at this age. This concentration was not lowered by applying bumetanide or by decreasing extracellular sodium concentration. Costaining for NKCC1 and cellular markers suggested that at P3, NKCC1 is restricted to Müller cells. We conclude that NKCC1 does not serve to accumulate chloride in immature retinal neurons, but it may enable Müller cells to buffer extracellular chloride.
Dynamic Circuitry for Updating Spatial Representations. III. From Neurons to Behavior
Authors: Berman Rebecca A. , Heiser Laura M. , Dunn Catherine A. , Saunders Richard C. , Colby Carol L.
Published: May 2007

Each time the eyes move, the visual system must adjust internal representations to account for the accompanying shift in the retinal image. In the lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP), neurons update the spatial representations of salient stimuli when the eyes move. In previous experiments, we found that split-brain monkeys were impaired on double-step saccade sequences that required updating across visual hemifields, as compared to within hemifield. Here we describe a subsequent experiment to characterize the relationship between behavioral performance and neural activity in LIP in the split-brain monkey. We recorded from single LIP neurons while split-brain and intact monkeys performed two conditions of the double-step saccade task: one required across-hemifield updating and the other required within-hemifield updating. We found that, despite extensive experience with the task, the split-brain monkeys were significantly more accurate for within-hemifield than for across-hemifield sequences. In parallel, we found that population activity in LIP of the split-brain monkeys was significantly stronger for the within-hemifield than for the across-hemifield condition of the double-step task. In contrast, in the normal monkey, both the average behavioral performance and population activity showed no bias toward the within-hemifield condition. Finally, we found that the difference between within-hemifield and across-hemifield performance in the split-brain monkeys was reflected at the level of single-neuron activity in LIP. These findings indicate that remapping activity in area LIP is present in the split-brain monkey for the double-step task and covaries with spatial behavior on within-hemifield compared to across-hemifield sequences.
Brain MRI Segmentation with Multiphase Minimal Partitioning: A Comparative Study
Authors: Angelini Elsa D. , Song Ting , Mensh Brett D. , Laine Andrew F.
Published: May 2007

This paper presents the implementation and quantitative evaluation of a multiphase three‐dimensional deformable model in a level set framework for automated segmentation of brain MRIs. The segmentation algorithm performs an optimal partitioning of three‐dimensional data based on homogeneity measures that naturally evolves to the extraction of different tissue types in the brain. Random seed initialization was used to minimize the sensitivity of the method to initial conditions while avoiding the need for a priori information. This random initialization ensures robustness of the method with respect to the initialization and the minimization set up. Postprocessing corrections with morphological operators were applied to refine the details of the global segmentation method. A clinical study was performed on a database of 10 adult brain MRI volumes to compare the level set segmentation to three other methods: “idealized” intensity thresholding, fuzzy connectedness, and an expectation maximization classification using hidden Markov random fields. Quantitative evaluation of segmentation accuracy was performed with comparison to manual segmentation computing true positive and false positive volume fractions. A statistical comparison of the segmentation methods was performed through a Wilcoxon analysis of these error rates and results showed very high quality and stability of the multiphase three‐dimensional level set method.
Quantitative and O2 Enhanced MRI of the Pathologic Lung: Findings in Emphysema, Fibrosis, and Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Stadler Alfred , Stiebellehner Leopold , Jakob Peter M. , Arnold Johannes F. T. , Eisenhuber Edith , von Katzler Isabella , Bankier Alexander A.
Published: May 2007

Purpose: beyond the pure morphological visual representation, MR imaging offers the possibility to quantify parameters in the healthy, as well as, in pathologic lung parenchyma. Gas exchange is the primary function of the lung and the transport of oxygen plays a key role in pulmonary physiology and pathophysiology. The purpose of this review is to present a short overview of the relaxation mechanisms of the lung and the current technical concepts of T1 mapping and methods of oxygen enhanced MR imaging. Material and Methods: molecular oxygen has weak paramagnetic properties so that an increase in oxygen concentration results in shortening of the T1 relaxation time and thus to an increase of the signal intensity in T1 weighted images. A possible way to gain deeper insights into the relaxation mechanisms of the lung is the calculation of parameter Maps. T1 Maps based on a snapshot FLASH sequence obtained during the inhalation of various oxygen concentrations provide data for the creation of the so‐called oxygen transfer function (OTF), assigning a measurement for local oxygen transfer. T1 weighted single shot TSE sequences also permit expression of the signal changing effects associated with the inhalation of pure oxygen. Results: the average of the mean T1 values over the entire lung in inspiration amounts to 1199 +/− 117 milliseconds, the average of the mean T1 values in expiration was 1333 +/− 167 milliseconds. T1 Maps of patients with emphysema and lung fibrosis show fundamentally different behavior patterns. Oxygen enhanced MRT is able to demonstrate reduced diffusion capacity and diminished oxygen transport in patients with emphysema and cystic fibrosis. Discussion: results published in literature indicate that T1 mapping and oxygen enhanced MR imaging are promising new methods in functional imaging of the lung and when evaluated in conjunction with the pure morphological images can provide additional valuable information.
Fluorescence and Nonradiative Properties of Nd3+ in Novel Heavy Metal Contained Fluorophosphate Glass
Authors: Choi Ju H. , Margaryan Alfred , Margaryan Ashot , Shi Frank G. , Der Veer Wytze Van
Published: May 2007

We demonstrate new series of heavy metal containing fluorophosphate glass system. The fluorescence and nonradiative properties of Nd3+
ions are investigated as a function of Nd2O3 concentration. The variation of intensity parameters Ω2, Ω4, and Ω6 is determined from absorption spectra. The spontaneous probability (A) and branching ratio (β) are determined using intensity parameters. The emission cross sections for the 4F3/2→4I13/2 transition, which is calculated by Fuchtbabauer-Ladenburg method, decrease from 6.1×10−21 to 3.0×10−21(pm2) and those for the 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition decrease from 3.51×10−20 to 1.7×10−20 as Nd2O3 concentration increase up to 3 wt%. The nonradiative relaxation is analyzed in terms of multiphonon relaxation and concentration quenching due to energy transfer among Nd3+
ions. Finally, the above results obtained at 1 wt %Nd2O3
are compared with some of reported laser host glasses which indicated the potentials for broadband-amplifiers and high-power laser applications.
Thek-Zero-Divisor Hypergraph of a Commutative Ring
Authors: Eslahchi Ch. , Rahimi A. M.
Published: May 2007

The concept of the zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring has been studied by many authors, and thek-zero-divisor hypergraph of a commutative ring is a nice abstraction of this concept. Though some of the proofs in this paper are long and detailed, any reader familiar with zero-divisors will be able to read through the exposition and find many of the results quite interesting. LetRbe a commutative ring andkan integer strictly larger than2. Ak-uniform hypergraphHk(R)with the vertex setZ(R,k), the set of allk-zero-divisors inR, is associated toR, where eachk-subset ofZ(R,k)that satisfies thek-zero-divisor condition is an edge inHk(R). It is shown that ifRhas two prime idealsP1andP2with zero their only common point, thenHk(R)is a bipartite (2-colorable) hypergraph with partition setsP1−Z′andP2−Z′, whereZ′is the set of all zero divisors ofRwhich are notk-zero-divisors inR. IfRhas a nonzero nilpotent element, then a lower bound for the clique number ofH3(R)is found. Also, we have shown thatH3(R)is connected with diameter at most 4 wheneverx2≠0for all3-zero-divisorsxofR. Finally, it is shown that for any finite nonlocal ringR, the hypergraphH3(R)is complete if and only ifRis isomorphic toZ2×Z2×Z2.
Heat Conduction in Lenses
Authors: Aebischer Beat
Published: May 2007

We consider several heat conduction problems for glass lenses with different boundary conditions. The problems dealt with in Sections sec:1 to sec:3 are motivated by the problem of an airborne digital camera that is initially too cold and must be heated up to reach the required image quality. The problem is how to distribute the heat to the different lenses in the system in order to reach acceptable operating conditions as quickly as possible. The problem of Section sec:4 concerns a space borne laser altimeter for planetary exploration. Will a coating used to absorb unwanted parts of the solar spectrum lead to unacceptable heating? In this paper, we present analytic solutions for idealized cases that help in understanding the essence of the problems qualitatively and quantitatively, without having to resort to finite element computations. The use of dimensionless quantities greatly simplifies the picture by reducing the number of relevant parameters. The methods used are classical: elementary real analysis and special functions. However, the boundary conditions dictated by our applications are not usually considered in classical works on the heat equation, so that the analytic solutions given here seem to be new. We will also show how energy conservation leads to interesting sum formulae in connection with Bessel functions. The other side of the story, to determine the deterioration of image quality by given (inhomogeneous) temperature distributions in the optical system, is not dealt with here.
Strong Convergence Theorems of the CQ Method for Nonexpansive Semigroups
Authors: He Huimin , Chen Rudong
Published: May 2007

Motivated by T. Suzuki, we show strong convergence theorems of the CQ method for nonexpansive semigroups in Hilbert spaces by hybrid method in the mathematical programming. The results presented extend and improve the corresponding results of Kazuhide Nakajo and Wataru Takahashi (2003).
A Note on the Parabolic Differential and Difference Equations
Authors: Ashyralyev Allaberen , Sozen Yasar , Sobolevskii Pavel E.
Published: May 2007

The differential equationu'(t)+Au(t)=f(t)(−∞<t<∞)in a general Banach spaceEwith the strongly positive operatorAis ill-posed in the Banach spaceC(E)=C(ℝ,E)with norm‖ϕ‖C(E)=sup−∞<t<∞‖ϕ(t)‖E. In the present paper, the well-posedness of this equation in the Hölder spaceCα(E)=Cα(ℝ,E)with norm‖ϕ‖Cα(E)=sup−∞<t<∞‖ϕ(t)‖E+sup−∞<t<t+s<∞(‖ϕ(t+s)−ϕ(t)‖E/sα),0<α<1, is established. The almost coercivity inequality for solutions of the Rothe difference scheme inC(ℝτ,E)spaces is proved. The well-posedness of this difference scheme inCα(ℝτ,E)spaces is obtained.
Extending Hall's Theorem into List Colorings: A Partial History
Authors: Hoffman D. G. , Johnson P. D.
Published: May 2007

In 1988, A. J. W. Hilton and P. D. Johnson Jr. found a natural generalization of the condition in Philip Hall's celebrated theorem on systems of distinct representatives. This generalization was formed in the relatively new theory of list colorings of graphs. Here we give an account of a strand of development arising from this generalization, concentrating on extensions of Hall's theorem. New results are presented concerning list colorings of independence systems and colorings of graphs with nonnegative measurable functions on positive measure spaces.
Location-Aware Cross-Layer Design Using Overlay Watermarks
Authors: Wang Xianbin , Ho Paul , Wu Yiyan
Published: May 2007

A new orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system embedded with overlay watermarks for location-aware cross-layer design is proposed in this paper. One major advantage of the proposed system is the multiple functionalities the overlay watermark provides, which includes a cross-layer signaling interface, a transceiver identification for position-aware routing, as well as its basic role as a training sequence for channel estimation. Wireless terminals are typically battery powered and have limited wireless communication bandwidth. Therefore, efficient collaborative signal processing algorithms that consume less energy for computation and less bandwidth for communication are needed. Transceiver aware of its location can also improve the routing efficiency by selective flooding or selective forwarding data only in the desired direction, since in most cases the location of a wireless host is unknown. In the proposed OFDM system, location information of a mobile for efficient routing can be easily derived when a unique watermark is associated with each individual transceiver. In addition, cross-layer signaling and other interlayer interactive information can be exchanged with a new data pipe created by modulating the overlay watermarks. We also study the channel estimation and watermark removal techniques at the physical layer for the proposed overlay OFDM. Our channel estimator iteratively estimates the channel impulse response and the combined signal vector from the overlay OFDM signal. Cross-layer design that leads to low-power consumption and more efficient routing is investigated.
The Quasimetrization Problem in the (Bi)topological Spaces
Authors: Andrikopoulos Athanasios
Published: May 2007

It is our main purpose in this paper to approach the quasi-pseudometrization problem in (bi)topological spaces in a way which generalizes all the well-known results on the subject naturally, and which is close to a “Bing-Nagata-Smirnov style” characterization of quasi-pseudometrizability.
Network Delays and Link Capacities in Application-Specific Wormhole NoCs
Authors: Guz Zvika , Walter Isask'har , Bolotin Evgeny , Cidon Israel , Ginosar Ran , Kolodny Avinoam
Published: May 2007

Network-on-chip- (NoC-) based application-specific systems on chip, where information traffic is heterogeneous and delay requirements may largely vary, require individual capacity assignment for each link in the NoC. This is in contrast to the standard approach of on- and off-chip interconnection networks which employ uniform-capacity links. Therefore, the allocation of link capacities is an essential step in the automated design process of NoC-based systems. The algorithm should minimize the communication resource costs under Quality-of-Service timing constraints. This paper presents a novel analytical delay model for virtual channeled wormhole networks with nonuniform links and applies the analysis in devising an efficient capacity allocation algorithm which assigns link capacities such that packet delay requirements for each flow are satisfied.
Identity-Type Functions and Polynomials
Authors: Chaudhry M. Aslam , Qadir Asghar
Published: May 2007

For a noncommuting product of functions, similar to convolutions, an “identity-type function” leaving a specific function invariant is defined. It is evaluated for any choice of function on which it acts by solving a functional equation. A closed-form representation for the identity-type function of(1+t)−b(b>0)is obtained, which is a solution of a second-order linear differential equation with given boundary conditions. It yields orthogonal polynomials whose graphs are also given. The relevance for solution of boundary value problems by a series and convergence of the series are briefly discussed.
Online Reconfigurable Self-Timed Links for Fault Tolerant NoC
Authors: Lehtonen Teijo , Liljeberg Pasi , Plosila Juha
Published: May 2007

We propose link structures for NoC that have properties for tolerating efficiently transient, intermittent, and permanent errors. This is a necessary step to be taken in order to implement reliable systems in future nanoscale technologies. The protection against transient errors is realized using Hamming coding and interleaving for error detection and retransmission as the recovery method. We introduce two approaches for tackling the intermittent and permanent errors. In the first approach, spare wires are introduced together with reconfiguration circuitry. The other approach uses time redundancy, the transmission is split into two parts, where the data is doubled. In both structures the presence of permanent or intermittent errors is monitored by analyzing previous error syndromes. The links are based on self-timed signaling in which the handshake signals are protected using triple modular redundancy. We present the structures, operation, and designs for the different components
of the links. The fault tolerance properties are analyzed using a fault model containing temporary, intermittent, and permanent faults that occur both as bursts and as single faults. The results show a considerable enhancement in the fault tolerance at the cost of performance and area, and with only a slight increase in power consumption.
Stochastic Communication: A New Paradigm for Fault-Tolerant Networks-on-Chip
Authors: Bogdan Paul , Dumitraş Tudor , Marculescu Radu
Published: May 2007

As CMOS technology scales down into the deep-submicron (DSM) domain, the costs of design
and verification for Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) are rapidly increasing. Relaxing the requirement of 100% correctness
for devices and interconnects drastically reduces the costs of design but, at the same time, requires
SoCs to be designed with some degree of system-level fault-tolerance. Towards this end, this paper introduces a
novel communication paradigm for SoCs, called stochastic communication. This scheme separates communication
from computation by allowing the on-chip interconnect to be designed as a reusable IP and also provides a
built-in tolerance to DSM failures, without a significant performance penalty. By using this communication
scheme, a large percentage of data upsets, packet losses due to buffers overflow, and severe levels of synchronization
failures can be tolerated, while providing high levels of performance.
Avoiding Message-Dependent Deadlock in Network-Based Systems on Chip
Authors: Hansson Andreas , Goossens Kees , Rădulescu Andrei
Published: May 2007

Networks on chip (NoCs) are an essential component
of systems on chip (SoCs) and much research is devoted
to deadlock avoidance in NoCs. Prior work focuses on the router
network while protocol interactions between NoC and intellectual
property (IP) modules are not considered. These interactions
introduce message dependencies that affect deadlock properties
of the SoC as a whole. Even when NoC and IP dependency
graphs are cycle-free in isolation, put together they may still
create cycles. Traditionally, SoCs rely solely on request-response protocols.
However, emerging SoCs adopt higher-level protocols for cache
coherency, slave locking, and peer-to-peer streaming, thereby
increasing the complexity in the interaction between the NoC
and the IPs. In this paper, we analyze message-dependent deadlock, arising
due to protocol interactions between the NoC and the IP
modules. We compare the possible solutions and show that
deadlock avoidance, in the presence of higher-level protocols,
poses a serious challenge for many current NoC architectures.
We evaluate the solutions qualitatively, and for a number of
designs we quantify the area cost for the two most economical
solutions, strict ordering and end-to-end flow control. We show
that the latter, which avoids deadlock for all protocols, adds an
area and power cost of 4% and 6%, respectively, of a typical Æthereal NoC instance.
Choreography as Apparatus of Capture
Authors: Lepecki André
Published: May 2007

This second installment of TDR's continuing series on choreography and philosophy addresses dance and temporality. Paula Caspão describes the economy of movement and language as a stuttering, relational, affective field. Frédéric Pouillaude argues that contemporaneity links dance and scène, which in French means both an abstract place for an event and, more concretely, the stage. In a dialogue, Danielle Goldman and Deborah Hay follow up on Goldman's considerations of how improvisation offers “escape routes”—for and from dance, theory, and time.
Deborah Hay's O, O
Authors: Goldman Danielle
Published: May 2007

This second installment of TDR's continuing series on choreography and philosophy addresses dance and temporality. Paula Caspão describes the economy of movement and language as a stuttering, relational, affective field. Frédéric Pouillaude argues that contemporaneity links dance and scène, which in French means both an abstract place for an event and, more concretely, the stage. In a dialogue, Danielle Goldman and Deborah Hay follow up on Goldman's considerations of how improvisation offers “escape routes”—for and from dance, theory, and time.
Bohemianism, the Cultural Turn of the Avantgarde, and Forgetting the Roma
Authors: Sell Mike
Published: May 2007

In the mid-19th century, European nations consolidated their identities. Leaders de.ned who belonged to the nation and who did not—excluding both ethnic and ideological Others, such as the Roma (“Gypsies”) and nonconforming artists who were identified with the Roma and dubbed “Bohemians.” Understanding how “Bohemians” were dealt with illuminates not only the avantgarde but strategies used to police cultural activism for the last century and a half.
José Triana: An Interview by Ricard Salvat
Authors: Salvat Ricard , Pottlitzer Joanne
Published: May 2007

Cuban playwright José Triana chronicles not only his own personal story but also the development of Cuban theatre from the 1930s until 1980 when in self-imposed exile he left Cuba for Paris.
A Multiplatform-Merged (MPM) SST Analysis
Authors: Wang Wanqiu , Xie Pingping
Published: May 2007

Previous observational studies indicated that local sea surface temperatures (SSTs) near the west coast of the United States, in the Gulf of California, and in the Gulf of Mexico have strong impacts on the North American monsoon (NAM) system. Simulations of the NAM by numerical models are also found to be sensitive to the specification of SSTs. Accordingly, a reliable SST dataset is essential for improving the understanding, simulation, and prediction of the NAM system. In this study, a new fine-resolution SST analysis is constructed by merging in situ observations from ships and buoys with retrievals from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites (NOAA-16 and NOAA-17), Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR). Called the multiplatform-merged (MPM) SST analysis, this new product of 3-hourly SST is defined on a 0.25° × 0.25° latitude–longitude grid over the Western Hemisphere (30°S–60°N, 180°–30°W). The analysis for the period of 15 May–30 September 2004 shows that the MPM is capable of capturing small-scale disturbances such as those associated with the tropical instability waves. It also depicts local sharp gradients around Baja California and the Gulf Stream with reasonable accuracy compared with the existing analyses. Experiments have been conducted to examine the impacts of the addition of satellite observations on the quality of the MPM analysis. Results showed that inclusion of observations from more satellites progressively improves the quantitative accuracy, especially for diurnal amplitude of the analysis, indicating the importance of accommodating observations from multiple platforms in depicting critical details in an SST analysis with high temporal and spatial resolutions.
Intergenerational Transmission of Volunteering
Authors: Bekkers René
Published: May 2007

In this article, I investigate the strength of intergenerational transmission of volunteering for non-profit associations in The Netherlands. Data from the Family Survey of the Dutch Population 2000 reveal that there are significant relations between current volunteering and parental volunteering in the past. While the transmission of volunteering for religious and quasi-religious (`pillarized') associations is due largely to the transmission of religion and social status from parents to their children, parental volunteering for pillarized associations has increased the likelihood of children's volunteering for secular associations, even controlling for parental and children's religion, education, wealth and personality characteristics. Consistent with a value internalization explanation, this spillover effect was not due to the direct social pressure of parents.
The Importance of Different Forms of Social Capital for Health
Authors: Ferlander Sara
Published: May 2007

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the concept of social capital and to distinguish its different forms, focusing on their potential effects on health. According to many scholars, social capital comprises social networks, norms of reciprocity or social support and social trust. In this article the core element, the social network, has been further distinguished by the direction of ties and levels of formality, strength and diversity. In the past few years there has been increased interest in social capital in the health field and a great deal of research has suggested that social capital is generally positively related to health. However, little research has been conducted into how different forms of social capital or social networks influence health. What is the difference, for instance, between bonding and bridging social capital in terms of health outcomes? It is important to distinguish the different forms because they imply different resources, support and obligations. More research needs to be conducted into the different forms of social capital and their effects on health. A special focus should be placed on the health impacts of cross-cutting — or bridging and linking — forms of social capital.
The Rise of `New' Social Classes within the Service Class in The Netherlands
Authors: Güveli Ayse , Need Ariana , de Graaf Nan Dirk
Published: May 2007

The employment structure of The Netherlands and other advanced countries is evolving from industrial to postindustrial. Yet existing social class schemata, like the well-known Erikson, Goldthorpe and Portocarero (EGP) class schema, were constructed for an industrial employment structure. In this study, we adjust the EGP class schema to account for this transformation by using new class theories. We distinguish a `new' class of social and cultural specialists and an `old' class of technocrats with both a higher and a lower version in the service class. Our research question concerns the extent to which the adjusted EGP class schema is a better predictor of people's political orientation than the standard EGP class schema. We assume that the `new' classes differ in their political orientation from the `old' classes. We also assume that, during their formation, the `new' classes become increasingly effective in explaining differences in people's political orientation. Experts' knowledge is employed to classify the occupations. In addition, we use the data of 34,856 respondents gathered between 1970 and 2003 in The Netherlands. The adjusted EGP class schema explains people's political orientation substantially better than the standard EGP class schema; the `new' classes vote significantly more for leftist parties and differ substantially in their political orientation from the `old' classes. Furthermore, our results show that the political orientation of the low-grade social and cultural specialists has become more crystallized since 1970.
The Madness of King Jesus
Authors: Meggitt Justin J.
Published: May 2007

To argue that Jesus of Nazareth was put to death by the Roman authorities because they believed him to be a royal pretender of some kind, fails to explain satisfactorily why he was killed but his followers were not. A possible solution to this conundrum, which is supported by neglected contextual data, is that the Romans thought Jesus of Nazareth to be a deranged and deluded lunatic.
Special section: Lorenzo Simpson' s The Unfinished Project: Sensibilities in conflict
Authors: Gooding-Williams Robert
Published: May 2007

In the remarks that follow I concentrate on Lorenzo Simpson's two books, Technology, Time and the Conversations of Modernity (cited as TTC) and The Unfinished Project: Toward a Postmetaphysical Humanism (cited as UP). Common to both works — what unites them, I believe — is a philosophical orientation that has been deeply influenced by Gadamerian hermeneutics. I begin with a discussion of UP.
Japanese speakers' second language Chinese wh-questions: a lexical morphological feature deficit account
Authors: Yuan Boping
Published: May 2007

In this article, an empirical study of how Chinese wh-questions are mentally represented in Japanese speakers' grammars of Chinese as a second language (L2) is reported. Both Chinese and Japanese are generally considered wh-in-situ languages in which a wh-word is allowed to remain in its base-generated position, and both languages use question particles to mark questions. It is assumed that C0 in wh-questions is essentially ambiguous and unvalued and that unvalued C0 must be valued. In Chinese, the wh-particle ne values C0 with [+Q, +wh] features, which licenses the wh-word in situ. As a result, no wh-movement is necessary and Subjacency becomes irrelevant. Japanese also employs question particles, such as ka or no. However, they are `defective' in the sense that they can only value the ambiguous C0 as [+Q] and they are unable to specify the question as to whether it is [+yes/no] or [+wh]. To value C0 as a head with [+wh], a wh-operator in a wh -word inside the sentence has to raise overtly to C0. The results of an acceptability judgement task show that although the Japanese speakers respond in a broadly target-like way, the lexical morphological feature [+wh] of the particle ne in their L2 Chinese lexicons is permanently deficient, which leads to variability in their intuitions about Chinese wh-questions. A lexical morphological feature deficit account for the results is proposed, and it is suggested that the lexical morphology—syntax interface can be a source of variability in L2 acquisition.
Symptoms, Affects, and Self-Rated Health
Authors: Winter Laraine , Lawton M. Powell , Langston Christopher A. , Ruckdeschel Katy , Sando Robert
Published: May 2007

Objective: Self-rated health (SRH) is known to predict mortality and other health outcomes better than objective ratings, suggesting that patients have important knowledge that physicians do not. The study assessed whether SRH reflects changes in internal states, specifically symptoms and affects. Method: In an event-sampling study, 54 elders completed a SRH measure, positive and negative affect scale, a symptom checklist, and a pain scale every evening for 8 weeks. Using lagged (time series) hierarchical regression, the authors modeled associations of SRH with previous symptoms, moods, and changes in symptoms and mood. Results: The SRH was highest when symptoms had decreased from the previous day and lowest when symptoms had increased, suggesting that SRH reflects a sense of change. Symptoms and affects contributed independently to SRH. Self-rated health was more sensitive to positive than negative affect and also sensitive to changes of positive but not negative affect. Discussion: Patients may possess a subjective trajectory of health−an awareness of changes in symptoms and affect. This trajectory may constitute an important component of SRH and help to explain its ability to predict health outcomes.
An Interstitial Intimacy
Authors: McGonagle Joseph
Published: May 2007

This article examines the role of history, memory and gender in the work of British-based French Algerian artist Zineb Sedira, with particular reference to the politics of veiling in France and Algeria and hidden family histories of the Algerian War. Habitual boundaries drawn between public and private spheres in France have been questioned in the work of several French artists of ethnic minority origin. The work of Sedira engages directly with the interplay between public and private lives through her film, photography and video works. By examining both her and her parents' past, Sedira prioritizes the private side of public conflicts and controversies, and asserts its pivotal role in remembering the past.
Chagas Disease in Argentina: Reciprocal Construction of Social and Scientific Problems
Authors: Kreimer Pablo , Zabala Juan Pablo
Published: May 2007

This article intends to study the possibilities and limitations of scientific knowledge as a factor of social development in peripheral societies. We challenge the idea that the only promotion of scientific knowledge is a legitimate and adequate method to overcome the social problems that many people in Latin America are subjected to. Instead, we propose to investigate the relationships among the social actors involved in the production and circulation of scientific knowledge. We take the case of Chagas disease, a recurring theme in the public agenda since the 1950s, to show how the issue has emerged and has been taken in by public policies related to the production of scientific knowledge. We analyse the different viewpoints and conceptions about the disease, and how they moulded the different institutional initiatives of intervention into the problem. We assume that the practices associated with these mechanisms condition the type of knowledge produced and its possible uses.
Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Institutional Change: The Dynamics of Building Industry Alliances in Venezuela
Authors: Pirela Arnoldo
Published: May 2007

This article presents and analyses the final results of a four-year experience aimed at developing innovative capacities and competitiveness by creating alliances between the state-owned oil company (PDVSA), and national firms supplying goods and services to the Venezuelan oil and petrochemical industry. The article proposes a different approach from the standard analysis on firm behaviour, innovation competitiveness, and cooperative organisation and alliances that tend to disregard national environment, including national political developments and government ideological orientations. We make a case in favour of the analysis of the long-term macro-economic and macro-political trends and ideological orientations of a country, as well as how firms attempt to develop their competitiveness and the collaboration programmes supposedly taking place. We argue in favour of this approach in countries with high levels of political and economic instability, such as most underdeveloped nations. This is the case of several Latin American countries at present, especially of the Venezuelan oil-driven economy. A country now in a ‘u-turn’ economy, and maybe the only one since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union trying to impose a kind of planned economy and socialism.
Monitoring of Delamination Growth in CFRP Laminates using Chirped FBG Sensors
Authors: Takeda S. , Okabe Y. , Takeda N.
Published: May 2007

Chirped fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are applied to the monitoring of the propagation direction and the size of a delamination in CFRP cross-ply laminates, since it has been found previously that the reflection spectrum from chirped FBG sensors is expressed as a function of their positions along the grating. The reflection spectra are measured at various delamination lengths under a four-point bending test. Two chirped FBG sensors are embedded in two opposite directions in order to investigate the relationship between the deformation of the spectrum and the propagation direction of the delamination. The spectrum changes sensitively depending on both the size and the propagation direction of the delamination. For confirmation of the measured results, the spectra are simulated using FEA computed strain distributions of the chirped FBG sensors. In the simulation, a birefringence effect of the optical fiber on the spectrum is observed in the case of chirped FBG sensors. The relationship between the measured spectral change and the delamination growth is illustrated by the calculated spectra, the strain distributions, and the properties of the chirped FBG sensors. As a result, it is found that not only the delamination size, but also the propagation direction of the delamination can be evaluated by using chirped FBG sensors.
`Childhood': are reports of its death greatly exaggerated?
Authors: Darbyshire Philip
Published: May 2007

What is happening to our children's childhoods? Is childhood itself disappearing as children become increasingly `adultified' and commodified and as the lives and worlds of children's experiences seem to shrink in the name of protection and safety? Are contemporary concerns justified about children becoming less active and more comfortable playing Gameboys rather than games and exploring `Sim City' rather than their own real one? Or, are these simply adult `moral panics' about childhood based on little more than nostalgia for a mythical childhood suffused with innocence and happiness? This article explores some of the current concerns regarding the changing state of childhood and links these to some of our current child health and well-being concerns. It concludes by suggesting some small-scale `local' initiatives that parents and adults could support relatively easily, which would help to enrich childhood.
Children's attitudes and behavioural intentions towards a peer with symptoms of ADHD: does the addition of a diagnostic label make a difference?
Authors: Law G. Urquhart , Sinclair Scott , Fraser Nicole
Published: May 2007

This article explores the impact of diagnostic/psychiatric labelling on the attitudes and behavioural intentions of school-aged children towards a hypothetical peer presented with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A sample of 120 children aged 11—12 years read one of three vignettes describing the behaviour of a gender-neutral, same-age peer presenting with symptoms of ADHD. The participants completed self-report measures of attitudes and behavioural intentions after reading the respective vignettes. The majority of participants perceived the vignette character as being male and the attitude held towards him was predominately negative. Significant positive relationships were found between attitudes and children's willingness to engage in social, academic and physical activities. Diagnostic/psychiatric labelling had no additional influence upon attitudes or behavioural intentions. Children's negative attitude towards peers with symptoms of ADHD, given its association with friendship choice, is an important target for change in reducing stigma.
Gender differences and simililarities in the experience of parenting a child with a health problem: current state of knowledge
Authors: Pelchat Diane , Lefebvre Hélène , Levert Marie-Josée
Published: May 2007

The birth of a child is a transitional situation that triggers stress in the family and each person has to use adjustment strategies allowing them to reposition gradually in relation to themselves and other members of the family, and to make space for the new arrival. When the child has a health problem, the stress on the parents is correspondingly greater. Research shows that fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem experience this ordeal differently. This article reports on the current state of knowledge about the experience of fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem, and suggests new directions for research to provide a fuller understanding of their experience.
Do Membership Benefits Buy Regulatory Compliance?
Authors: Perkins Richard , Neumayer Eric
Published: May 2007

Underlying several theories of European integration is the idea that countries' willingness to sign up to supranational rules is dependent on the expectation and/or realization of various benefits. In this paper, we explore whether such benefits also affect member states' implementation of these rules. Using econometric techniques, we estimate the influence of several measures of membership benefits on the annual number of legal infringements received by 15 member states over the period from 1978 to 1999. Our results provide qualified support for the idea that benefits positively influence compliance. We find that greater intra-EU trade dependence and voting power in European institutions relative to population size are negatively associated with legal infringements. Yet, contrary to a priori expectations, net fiscal transfers are positively correlated with infringements.
Applying Ideal Point Estimation Methods to the Council of Ministers
Authors: Hagemann Sara
Published: May 2007

This research note addresses an increasingly popular topic in the EU literature, namely the measurement of policy preferences in the Council of Ministers. It aims to provide conclusions on three issues: (1) what data are in fact available from the Council, (2) how preferences are measured in other legislatures, and (3) whether these methods would be suitable for analyses of Council members' preference positions given the available data. Applying the popular scaling method NOMINATE and a Bayesian MCMC model to a data set consisting of all legislation adopted by the Council in 1999—2004, it is found that, although the two methods show similar voting patterns at the general level, the failure to report standard errors by NOMINATE in particular proves to be a severe problem when trying to identify individual governments' policy location. Conversely, the Bayesian approach provides a convincing method for analyses of Council decision records and is easily extended to include more advanced empirical information than merely the governments' decisions to support or oppose a proposal.
A 'strange multiplicity' of voices
Authors: Daehnke Jon D.
Published: May 2007

Cultural resource laws mandate the management and stewardship of archaeological sites located on federal property within the USA. Consultation with the appropriate stakeholders — usually local tribes — is an important component of this stewardship mandate. While the process of consultation is often routine, complexities arise when consultation concerns a site of contested heritage with multiple and interdependent stakeholding voices. Additionally, continuing manifestations of colonialism, such as the federal recognition process and stereotypical views of Native American authenticity, profoundly shape the stewardship landscape. The following article uses a site of heritage in the Pacific Northwest to explore the complex interplay between stewardship, stakeholders, and the continuing effects of colonial contact.
Cybertext Challenge
Authors: Koskimaa Raine
Published: May 2007

This article discusses the changing role of literature in the contemporary media landscape. Literary scholarship may well maintain its importance in the digitalizing world, but this requires it to engage in an open dialogue with cultural and media studies. It is important that more attention is paid to contemporary literature as well as to new media offering significant pedagogical possibilities, which should be better acknowledged. The article's main focus is on the emerging field of digital literature. Cybertextuality, especially, is fundamentally changing our notions of the integrity of a literary work, reading, writing and interpretation. I attempt to describe and put into context one sample case of cybertextuality, The Impermanence Agent by Noah Wardrip-Fruin et al. Finally, I discuss some of the practical problems faced by teachers who introduce digital literature in their classrooms.
Teaching Literature Gay-affirmatively
Authors: Sadownick Douglas G.
Published: May 2007

This article explores the possibility of a `homosexual hermeneutic' by which the great literary works of the western canon can be taught. This `interpretative methodology' is based in the author's own individuation process as gay. The author details his personal journey from engulfment in heteronormativity to the first crisis of his homosexual adolescence whereby he suffers a severe illness and learns, with the help of a teacher, to apprehend the homosexuality hidden in Virgil, Shakespeare, Milton, Spenser and so on. Psychological problems caused by co-dependency, homophobia and postmodernism eventually lead the author to embark on a gay-centered analysis wherein he learns how to descend into the inner world of internalized homophobia to encounter the `double' of the transformational psyche. This homosexual death-and-rebirth motif is discussed as ubiquitously present in literature, informing the individuation not just of gay-identified individuals but of all those who seek self-knowledge.
B-learning for Literary Studies in the European Space of Higher Education
Authors: López-Varela Asunción , Sanz Amelia
Published: May 2007

This report presents the work of LEETHi ( Spanish and European Literatures from Text to Hypertext ), a research group based at Universidad Complutense Madrid, whose projects have focused on the teaching of literature from an intercultural perspective while also helping students to develop competence in information literacy, following the impact of entrepreneurial activities on the academic research system. These projects address the potential role that the Social Sciences and Humanities (Education and Literature, in particular) can play with regard to the imminent development of a European knowledge-based society and its educational, ethical and social implications. Hypertextual models are employed by LEETHi to create new educational spaces that can generate novel learning processes and new forms of production of information and transmission of knowledge, according to European Convergence didactic patterns. The report focuses particularly on the practical outcomes of LEETHi's projects.