bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron transmission and phase time in semiconductor superlattices
Authors: Sprung D W.L. , Dijk W van , Veenstra C N , Martorell J
Published: June 2008

We discuss the time spent by an electron propagating through a finite periodic system such as a semiconductor superlattice. The relation between dwell-time and phase-time is outlined. The envelopes of phase-time at maximum and minimum transmission are derived, and it is shown that the peaks and valleys of phase-time are well described by parameters fitted at the extrema. For a many-period system this covers most of the allowed band.PACS Nos.: 03.65.Xp, 73.63.–b, 05.60.Cg
Cosmology without dark energy: Weyl curvature solutions
Authors: Hobill D , Guo W
Published: June 2008

To reconcile recent observations that the cosmological expansion has a positive acceleration with the standard Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker models of our Universe, as yet unseen sources of energy and (or) momentum are required for an explanation. This is due to the particular nature of spacetimes that assume homogeneity and isotropy where the curvature of the spacetime is linked to the energy-momentum content of the matter and fields in the spacetime. It is shown that more general cosmological models where Weyl (or vacuum) curvature is present can produce effects that might be responsible for the observed acceleration and other phenomena.PACS Nos.: 95.30.sf, 95.36.+x, 98.80.jk
Quantum and classical criticalities in the frustrated two-leg Heisenberg ladder
Authors: Azzouz M , Ramakko B
Published: June 2008

This paper is about the frustration-induced criticality in the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the two-leg ladder with exchange interactions along the chains, rungs, and diagonals, and also about the effect of thermal fluctuations on this criticality. The method used is the bond-mean-field theory, which is based on the Jordan–Wigner transformation in dimensions higher than one. In this paper, we will summarize the main results presented in a talk, and report on new results about the couplings and temperature dependences of the spin susceptibility.PACS Nos.: 75.10.Jm, 75.10.Dg, 75.50.Ee
Does the manifestly covariant equation ∂α Aα = 0 imply that Aα is a four-vector?
Authors: Huang Y -S
Published: June 2008

Does the form invariance of an equation ∂αAα = 0 imply that Aα is a four-vector? We present a simple example to answer this question, with a view to clarifying the misconception that still exists.PACS Nos.: 03.30.+p, 03.50.De, 03.50.–z
CONTINUOUS OPINIONS AND DISCRETE ACTIONS IN OPINION DYNAMICS PROBLEMS
Authors: MARTINS ANDRÉ C. R.
Published: June 2008

A model where agents show discrete behavior regarding their actions, but have continuous opinions that are updated by interacting with other agents is presented. This new updating rule is applied to both the voter and Sznajd models for interaction between neighbors, and its consequences are discussed. The appearance of extremists is naturally observed and it seems to be a characteristic of this model.
THE SZNAJD MODEL WITH TEAM WORK
Authors: LI HONG-JUN , LIN LU-ZI , SUN HE , HE MING-FENG
Published: June 2008

In 2000, Sznajd-weron and Sznajd introduced a model for the simulation of a closed democratic community with a two-party system, and it is found that a closed community has to evolve either to a dictatorship or a stalemate state. In this paper, we continued to study on this model. All the neighboring individuals holding the same opinion is defined as a team, which will influence its nearest neighbor's decision and realize the opinion evolution. After some time-steps, a steady state appeared and the stalemate state in original model is eliminated. Moreover, the demand of time-steps has decreased dramatically. In addition, we also analyzed the effect of the various dispersal degree of the initial opinion on the opinion converging at the probability of one steady state. Finally we analyzed the effect of noise on convergence and found that the ability of anti-noise was increased about 1000 times compared with Sznajd model.
SECURE DIRECT COMMUNICATION USING DETERMINISTIC BB84 PROTOCOL
Authors: HWANG TZONELIH , LI CHUAN-MING , LEE NARN-YIH
Published: June 2008

This paper presents a deterministic BB84 (dBB84) protocol that not only inherits the unconditional security of the original BB84 protocol but also enables the receiver to deterministically measure and decode all qubits sent by the sender. The proposed dBB84 protocol is then extended to be a deterministic secure quantum communication (DSQC) protocol wherein the sender can securely transmit secret messages to the receiver via quantum channels and the receiver can read out the secret messages only after receiving an additional classical bit for each qubit from the sender. In contrast to the existing single-photon-based secure communication protocols, which require the sender to either prepare two-qubit photon states or to establish two-way quantum channels with the receiver, the newly proposed protocol requires the sender to prepare single-qubit photon states for message transmissions and only set up one-way quantum channels to the receiver. Therefore, the proposed protocol is very suitable and feasible in practical applications.
ANOMALOUS RELAXATION OF THE PENNA MODEL
Authors: HADDAD D. N. , PENNA T. J. P.
Published: June 2008

We simulate the response of an age-structured population face to an abrupt increasing of fertility. Contrary to the exponential decay of original model, as reported by Coe and Mao, we have found that the relaxation to the equilibrium can be algebraic under certain conditions. We show results from computer simulation for a large range of parameters, although the fertility itself seems to be the most relevant factor.
URBAN SEGREGATION WITH CHEAP AND EXPENSIVE RESIDENCES
Authors: SUMOUR M. A. , El-ASTAL A. H. , RADWAN M. A. , SHABAT M. M.
Published: June 2008

In this paper we study urban segregation of two different communities A and B, rich and poor, distributed randomly on finite samples, to check cheap and expensive residences. For this purpose we avoid the complications of the Schelling model which are not necessary and instead we use the Ising model on 500 × 500 square lattices, which gives similar results, with random magnetic field at lower and higher temperatures (kBT/J = 2.0, 99.0) in finite times equal to 40, 400, 4000 and 40 000. This random-field Ising magnet is a suitable model, where each site of the square lattice carries a magnetic field ±h which is randomly up (expensive) or down (cheap). The resulting addition to the energy prefers up-spins on the expensive and down-spins on the cheap sites. Our simulations were carried out using a 50-line FORTRAN program. We present at a lower temperature (2.0) a time series of pictures, separating growing from non-growing domains. A small random field (h = ±0.1) allows for large domains, while a large random field (h = ±0.9) allows only small clusters. At higher temperature (99.0) we could not obtain growing domains.
STRUCTURAL TENDENCIES — EFFECTS OF ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION OF COMPLEX (CHAOTIC) SYSTEMS
Authors: GECOW ANDRZEJ
Published: June 2008

We describe systems using Kauffman and similar networks. They are directed functioning networks consisting of finite number of nodes with finite number of discrete states evaluated in synchronous mode of discrete time. In this paper we introduce the notion and phenomenon of "structural tendencies". Along the way we expand Kauffman networks, which were a synonym of Boolean networks, to more than two signal variants and we find a phenomenon during network growth which we interpret as "complexity threshold". For simulation we define a simplified algorithm which allows us to omit the problem of periodic attractors. We estimate that living and human designed systems are chaotic (in Kauffman sense) which can be named — complex. Such systems grow in adaptive evolution. These two simple assumptions lead to certain statistical effects, i.e., structural tendencies observed in classic biology but still not explained and not investigated on theoretical way. For example, terminal modifications or terminal predominance of additions where terminal means: near system outputs. We introduce more than two equally probable variants of signal, therefore our networks generally are not Boolean networks. They grow randomly by additions and removals of nodes imposed on Darwinian elimination. Fitness is defined on external outputs of system. During growth of the system we observe a phase transition to chaos (threshold of complexity) in damage spreading. Above this threshold we identify mechanisms of structural tendencies which we investigate in simulation for a few different networks types, including scale-free BA networks.
COMPARISON OF LOW FIELD ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN SiC AND GaN STRUCTURES FOR HIGH-POWER AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE DEVICE MODELING
Authors: ROKN-ABADI M. REZAEE , ARABSHAHI H. , BENAM M. R.
Published: June 2008

Temperature and doping dependencies of electron mobility in SiC and GaN structures have been calculated using an iteravive technique. The following scattering mechanisims, i.e. impurity, polar optical phonon, acoustic phonon, piezoelectric and electron–plasmon are included in the calculation. Ionized imurity scattering has been treated beyond the Born approximation using the phase-shift analysis. It is found that the electron mobility decreases monotonically as the temperature increases from 100 K to 600 K. The low temperature value of electron mobilty increases significantly with increasing doping concentration. The iterative results are in fair agreement with other recent calculations obtained using the relaxation-time approximation and experimental methods.
AN INTEGRABLE DECOMPOSITION OF THE SYMMETRIC MATRIX KdV EQUATION
Authors: ZHOU RUGUANG , QIN ZHENYUN
Published: June 2008

A technique for nonlinearization of the Lax pair for the scalar soliton equations in (1+1) dimensions is applied to the symmetric matrix KdV equation. As a result, a pair of finite-dimensional integrable Hamiltonian systems, which are of higher rank generalization of the classic Gaudin models, are obtained. The integrability of the systems are shown by the explicit Lax representations and r-matrix method.
HYPERBOLICITY AND INVARIANT MANIFOLDS FOR PLANAR NONAUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS ON FINITE TIME INTERVALS
Authors: DUC LUU HOANG , SIEGMUND STEFAN
Published: June 2008

The method of invariant manifolds was originally developed for hyperbolic rest points of autonomous equations. It was then extended from fixed points to arbitrary solutions and from autonomous equations to nonautonomous dynamical systems by either the Lyapunov–Perron approach or Hadamard's graph transformation.

We go one step further and study meaningful notions of hyperbolicity and stable and unstable manifolds for equations which are defined or known only for a finite time, together with matching notions of attraction and repulsion. As a consequence, hyperbolicity and invariant manifolds will describe the dynamics on the finite time interval.

We prove an analog of the Theorem of Linearized Asymptotic Stability on finite time intervals, generalize the Okubo–Weiss criterion from fluid dynamics and prove a theorem on the location of periodic orbits. Several examples are treated, including a double gyre flow and symmetric vortex merger.
A NEW MECHANISM FOR INTERMITTENCY IN RINGS OF CELLS
Authors: PARKER MARTYN , STEWART IAN
Published: June 2008

We discuss a general mechanism that induces periodic switching between different dynamic phenomena in rings of cells. Such intermittent behavior is normally modeled by asymptotically stable heteroclinic cycles. Our mechanism does not require a heteroclinic cycle in the ring of cells, instead a Van der Pol oscillator forces our system so that it periodically changes state.

We investigate this mechanism numerically in a number of different examples. These simulations demonstrate a variety of interesting forms of intermittency.
HORSESHOE IN RTD-BASED CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: CHEN FENG-JUAN , LI JI-BIN , CHEN FANG-YUE
Published: June 2008

In this paper, the dynamics of discrete-time RTD-based cellular neural networks is studied. By virtue of topological horseshoe theory, it can be shown that the dynamics of the map derived from the discretization of RTD-based cellular neural networks is semi-conjugate to the dynamics of three-shift map.
CHAOTIFICATION FOR A CLASS OF FIRST-ORDER PARTIAL DIFFERENCE EQUATIONS
Authors: LIANG WEI , SHI YUMING , ZHANG CHAO
Published: June 2008

This paper is concerned with chaotification for a class of first-order partial difference equations, in which the system size is finite or infinite. Nine new chaotification schemes for the class of first-order partial difference equations with general controllers, mod-operation, and sawtooth functions are established, respectively. All the controlled systems are proved to be chaotic in the sense of both Devaney and Li–Yorke. In addition, five new chaotification schemes for general discrete dynamical systems in finite-dimensional real spaces and l∞are established. Two illustrative examples are provided with computer simulations.
GLOBAL EXPONENTIAL STABILITY FOR A CLASS OF IMPULSIVE INTEGRO-DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
Authors: ZHOU QINGHUA
Published: June 2008

The convergent dynamical behaviors of a class of impulsive integro-differential equation are discussed. By establishing an integro-differential inequality with impulsive initial conditions and using the properties of M-cone and eigenspace of the spectral radius of non-negative matrices, some new sufficient conditions to guarantee the global exponential stability are obtained. The results extend and improve the earlier publications. An example is given to illustrate the theoretical results.
PARAMETER ESTIMATION FOR SYSTEMS WITH PEAK-TO-PEAK DYNAMICS
Authors: PICCARDI CARLO
Published: June 2008

A parameter estimation method for chaotic systems with low-dimensional chaos is proposed. Such systems display peak-to-peak dynamics, namely their chaotic dynamics can approximately (but accurately) be described by means of a 1-D map, which is directly derivable from a time series of the system output. The method essentially consists of searching for the best matching between the 1-D map generated with a parameter-dependent, a priori defined continuous-time model, and the 1-D map derived from the data. The application of the method to several examples proves that it is quite accurate and fairly insensitive to the measurement noise.
RIGOROUS VERIFICATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF TRANSVERSAL HOMOCLINIC ORBITS
Authors: PENG CHEN-CHANG
Published: June 2008

In this paper we present a computer-assisted technique that allows us to prove rigorously that a transversal homoclinic orbit of discrete dynamical systems with this method is simpler than previous works on this subject.
FURTHER REDUCTION OF NORMAL FORMS AND UNIQUE NORMAL FORMS OF SMOOTH MAPS
Authors: WANG DUO , ZHENG MIN , PENG JIANPING
Published: June 2008

Further reduction for classical normal forms of smooth maps is considered in this paper. Firstly, based on the idea of computation of simplest normal forms for vector fields [Yu & Yuan, 2003], we compute the transformed map of a given smooth map under a near identity formal transformation, and give a recursive formula for the homogeneous terms of the transformed map, which is a powerful tool for further reduction of classical normal forms of smooth maps. Secondly, by using the recursive formula, the idea of [Chen & Della Dora, 1999] for further reduction of normal forms for maps and the method introduced by Kokubu et al. [1996] for further reduction of normal forms of vector fields, we develop the concepts of Nth order normal forms and infinite order normal forms of smooth maps, and give some sufficient conditions for uniqueness of normal forms of smooth maps. As an application, we show the occurrence of the flip–Neimark–Sacker bifurcation in a financial model.
AN ALGEBRAIC APPROACH FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF CHUA'S SYSTEM
Authors: AGUILAR IBÁÑEZ CARLOS , SIRA-RAMÍREZ HEBERTT , JORGE SANCHEZ H.
Published: June 2008

An algebraic approach is proposed for the fast, accurate, identification of the unknown parameters in Chua's chaotic oscillator. The proposed algorithm uses the availability of two measurable output voltage signals and produces an exact formula for the unknown parameters, which may be realized in terms of iterated convolutions. We show that Chua's system parameters are linearly identifiable, with respect to the two proposed measurable outputs, thus allowing us to obtain a linear system for the unknown parameters from where these unknowns are readily obtained. Suitable algebraic operations on the output differential equations make the proposed algorithm independent of the unavailable initial conditions of the underlying nonlinear dynamical system and robust with respect to high frequency output measurement noises. Suitable algorithm reinitialization, or resetting of the integrations, allow for the efficient computation of piecewise constant varying parameters. Convincing computer simulations are presented and discussed.
SYNCHRONIZATION IN NETWORKS OF SLIGHTLY NONIDENTICAL ELEMENTS
Authors: HRAMOV ALEXANDER E. , KHRAMOVA ANASTASIYA E. , KORONOVSKII ALEXEY A. , BOCCALETTI STEFANO
Published: June 2008

We study synchronization processes in networks of slightly nonidentical chaotic systems, for which a complete invariant synchronization manifold does not rigorously exist. We show and quantify how a slightly dispersed distribution in parameters can be properly modeled by a noise term affecting the stability of the synchronous invariant solution emerging for identical systems when the parameter is set at the mean value of the original distribution.
CHAOS BETWEEN STOCHASTICITY AND PERIODICITY IN THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA GAME
Authors: GOSAK MARKO , MARHL MARKO , PERC MATJAŽ
Published: June 2008

We study the transition from stochasticity to determinism in the three-strategy pair-approximated prisoner's dilemma game. We show that the stochastic solution converges to the deterministic limit cycle attractor as the number of participating players increases. Importantly though, between the stochastic and periodic solutions, we reveal a broad range of population sizes for which the system exhibits deterministic behavior, yet fails to settle onto the limit cycle attractor. We show that these states are characterized by chaos via a rigorous treatment. Results are discussed in view of their sociological importance.
HILBERT'S 16TH PROBLEM FOR QUADRATIC SYSTEMS: NEW METHODS BASED ON A TRANSFORMATION TO THE LIENARD EQUATION
Authors: LEONOV G.
Published: June 2008

Fractionally-quadratic transformations which reduce any two-dimensional quadratic system to the special Lienard equation are introduced. Existence criteria of cycles are obtained.
Give me information, not technology
Authors: Ragowsky Arik , Licker Paul S. , Gefen David
Published: June 2008

Don't confuse technology with business solutions, focusing instead on what users value most---information.
Organic interaction technologies
Authors: Rekimoto Jun
Published: June 2008

Interaction with computers can make use of our whole physical and even emotional selves, as demonstrated by such emerging systems as HoloWall, SmartSkin, and PreSense.
Emerging display technologies for organic user interfaces
Authors: Co Elise , Pashenkov Nikita
Published: June 2008

The display as a rigid, rectangular matrix is giving way to more fluid notions: thin, flexible, tactile surfaces customized to form and space.
Organic user interfaces
Authors: Holman David , Vertegaal Roel
Published: June 2008

Displays on real-world objects allow more realistic user interfaces.
Designing kinetic interactions for organic user interfaces
Authors: Parkes Amanda , Poupyrev Ivan , Ishii Hiroshi
Published: June 2008

Considering the future of kinetic design in user interfaces.
A uniform approach to constraint-solving for lists, multisets, compact lists, and sets
Authors: Dovier Agostino , Piazza Carla , Rossi Gianfranco
Published: June 2008

Lists, multisets, and sets are well-known data structures whose usefulness is widely recognized in various areas of computer science. They have been analyzed from an axiomatic point of view with a parametric approach in Dovier et al. [1998], where the relevant unification algorithms have been developed. In this article, we extend these results considering more general constraints, namely, equality and membership constraints and their negative counterparts.
Program termination and well partial orderings
Authors: Blass Andreas , Gurevich Yuri
Published: June 2008

The following known observation is useful in establishing program termination: if a transitive relation
R
is covered by finitely many well-founded relations
U
1
,…,

U
n

then
R
is well-founded. A question arises how to bound the ordinal height |
R
| of the relation
R
in terms of the ordinals α

i

= |

U
i

|. We introduce the notion of the
stature
∥
P
∥ of a well partial ordering
P
and show that |
R
| ≤ ∥α
1
× … × α

n

∥ and that this bound is tight. The notion of stature is of considerable independent interest. We define ∥
P
∥ as the ordinal height of the forest of nonempty bad sequences of
P
, but it has many other natural and equivalent definitions. In particular, ∥
P
∥ is the supremum, and in fact the maximum, of the lengths of linearizations of
P
. And ∥α
1
× … × α

n

∥ is equal to the natural product α
1
⊗ … ⊗ α

n

.
Contextual modal type theory
Authors: Nanevski Aleksandar , Pfenning Frank , Pientka Brigitte
Published: June 2008

The intuitionistic modal logic of necessity is based on the judgmental notion of categorical truth. In this article we investigate the consequences of relativizing these concepts to explicitly specified contexts. We obtain contextual modal logic and its type-theoretic analogue. Contextual modal type theory provides an elegant, uniform foundation for understanding metavariables and explicit substitutions. We sketch some applications in functional programming and logical frameworks.
Image based modelling with VideoTrace
Authors: van den Hengel Anton , Dick Anthony
Published: June 2008

Image based modeling (IBM) combines aspects of computer vision, graphics and interface design. Practitioners in each field have approached IBM within the context of their own discipline, but recently systems have emerged that harness the strengths of each. In this article we discuss approaches to IBM, the development of our own system VideoTrace, and applications now and in the future.
A match made in Hollywood heaven
Authors: Swinstead Philip
Published: June 2008

I may have some friends and relatives that would argue with me about this, but I am fairly certain that my knack for spotting the early signs of seismic shifts in the software industry is just about the only thing I have ever been any good at. And although I don't claim, nor do I desire, to be in the same sort of public standing as the Bill Gates' of the world, I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the steering of some wonderful software enterprises over the years.
Genetic Basis of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections: Focus on Smooth Muscle Cell Contractile Dysfunction
Authors: Milewicz Dianna M. , Guo Dong-Chuan , Tran-Fadulu Van , Lafont Andrea L. , Papke Christina L. , Inamoto Sakiko , Kwartler Carrie S. , Pannu Hariyadarshi
Published: June 2008

Thoracic aortic aneurysms leading to type A dissections (TAAD) can be inherited in isolation or in association with genetic syndromes, such as Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome. When TAAD occurs in the absence of syndromic features, it is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with decreased penetrance and variable expression, the disease is referred to as familial TAAD. Familial TAAD exhibits significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity. The first genes identified to cause TAAD were FBN1, TGFBR2, and TGFBR1. The identification and characterization of these genes suggested that increased TGF-β signaling plays a role in pathogenesis. The recent discovery that mutations in the vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific β-myosin (MYH11) and α-actin (ACTA2) can also cause this disorder has focused attention on the importance of the maintenance of SMC contractile function in preserving aortic structure and preventing TAAD.
Genetic Predisposition to Breast Cancer: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Turnbull Clare , Rahman Nazneen
Published: June 2008

In recent years, our understanding of genetic predisposition to breast cancer has advanced significantly. Three classes of predisposition factors, categorized by their associated risks of breast cancer, are currently known. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are high-penetrance breast cancer predisposition genes identified by genome-wide linkage analysis and positional cloning. Mutational screening of genes functionally related to BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 has revealed four genes, CHEK2, ATM, BRIP1, and PALB2; mutations in these genes are rare and confer an intermediate risk of breast cancer. Association studies have further identified eight common variants associated with low-penetrance breast cancer predisposition. Despite these discoveries, most of the familial risk of breast cancer remains unexplained. In this review, we describe the known genetic predisposition factors, expound on the methods by which they were identified, and consider how further technological and intellectual advances may assist in identifying the remaining genetic factors underlying breast cancer susceptibility.
Peptide Release on the Ribosome: Mechanism and Implications for Translational Control
Authors: Youngman Elaine M. , McDonald Megan E. , Green Rachel
Published: June 2008

Peptide release, the reaction that hydrolyzes a completed protein from the peptidyl-tRNA upon completion of translation, is catalyzed in the active site of the large subunit of the ribosome and requires a class I release factor protein. The ribosome and release factor protein cooperate to accomplish two tasks: recognition of the stop codon and catalysis of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis. Although many fundamental questions remain, substantial progress has been made in the past several years. This review summarizes those advances and presents current models for the mechanisms of stop codon specificity and catalysis of peptide release. Finally, we discuss how these views fit into a larger emerging theme in the translation field: the importance of induced fit and conformational changes for progression through the translation cycle.
Lower growth hormone and higher cortisol are associated with greater visceral adiposity, intramyocellular lipids, and insulin resistance in overweight girls
Authors: Misra Madhusmita , Bredella Miriam A. , Tsai Patrika , Mendes Nara , Miller Karen K. , Klibanski Anne
Published: June 2008

Although body composition, insulin sensitivity, and lipids are markedly altered in overweight adolescents, hormonal associations with these parameters have not been well characterized. Growth hormone (GH) deficiency and hypercortisolemia predispose to abdominal adiposity and insulin resistance, and GH secretion is decreased in obese adults. We hypothesized that low-peak GH on the GH-releasing hormone (GHRH)-arginine stimulation test and high cortisol in overweight adolescents would be associated with higher regional fat, insulin resistance, and lipids. We examined the following parameters in 15 overweight and 15 bone age-matched control 12- to 18-yr-old girls: 1) body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and MR [visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue at L4–L5 and soleus intramyocellular lipid (1H-MR spectroscopy)], 2) peak GH on the GHRH-arginine stimulation test, 3) mean overnight GH and cortisol, 4) 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC), 5) fasting lipids, and 6) an oral glucose tolerance test. Stepwise regression was the major tool employed to determine relationships between measured parameters. Log peak GH on the GHRH-arginine test was lower ( P = 0.03) and log UFC was higher ( P = 0.02) in overweight girls. Log mean cortisol (overnight sampling) was associated positively with subcutaneous adipose tissue and, with body mass index standard deviation score, accounted for 92% of its variability, whereas log peak GH and body mass index standard deviation score accounted for 88% of visceral adipose tissue variability and log peak GH for 34% of the intramyocellular lipid variability. Log mean cortisol was independently associated with log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, LDL, and HDL and explained 49–59% of the variability. Our data indicate that lower peak GH and higher UFC in overweight girls are associated with visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and lipids.
Genetic influence on immune phenotype revealed strain-specific variations in peripheral blood lineages
Authors: Petkova Stefka B. , Yuan Rong , Tsaih Shirng-Wern , Schott William , Roopenian Derry C. , Paigen Beverly
Published: June 2008

Inbred mouse strains are routinely used as genetically defined animal models for studying a wide assortment of biological and pathological processes, including immune system function. However, no studies have presented large-scale data on the immune cell populations among the inbred strains in physiological conditions. Here we present a systematic, quantitative analysis of peripheral blood cell phenotypes of 30 mouse strains assessed by flow cytometry. This cohort of mice represents a wide range of genetic origins and includes most of the strains used in genetic, physiological, and immunological studies. We evaluated the relative percentages of peripheral blood leukocyte subtypes (lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes) and lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4+ T, CD8+ T, B220+ B, and natural killer cells) of mature (6-mo-old) mice. Our comprehensive study demonstrated: 1) marked differences in the relative proportions of blood cell populations among the strains at this age, 2) considerable variation of each immune trait with more than twofold difference between strains with the highest and the lowest trait values, and 3) haplotype analysis revealed a strong correlation between eosinophil percentage and a single region on chromosome 14 containing two candidate genes. The strain differences described here provide important information for researchers applying immunophenotyping of peripheral blood in immunological and genetic studies. The data from this study are available as part of the Mouse Phenome Database at http://www.jax.org/phenome .
Critical Role of Bone Marrow Apoptosis-Associated Speck-Like Protein, an Inflammasome Adaptor Molecule, in Neointimal Formation After Vascular Injury in Mice
Authors: Yajima Noriyuki , Takahashi Masafumi , Morimoto Hajime , Shiba Yuji , Takahashi Yasuko , Masumoto Junya , Ise Hirohiko , Sagara Junji , Nakayama Jun , Taniguchi Shun'ichiro , Ikeda Uichi
Published: June 2008

Background—

Inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and restenosis. Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) is an adaptor protein that regulates caspase-1–dependent IL-1β and IL-18 generation; however, the role of ASC in vascular injury remains undefined. Here, we investigated the contribution of ASC to neointimal formation after vascular injury in ASC-deficient (ASC
−/−
) mice.

Methods and Results—

Wire-mediated vascular injury was produced in the femoral artery of ASC
−/−
and wild-type mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that ASC was markedly expressed at the site of vascular injury. Neointimal formation was significantly attenuated in ASC
−/−
mice after injury. IL-1β and IL-18 were expressed in the neointimal lesion in wild-type mice but showed decreased expression in the lesion of ASC
−/−
mice. To investigate the contribution of bone marrow–derived cells, we developed bone marrow–transplanted mice and found that neointimal formation was significantly decreased in wild-type mice in which bone marrow was replaced with ASC
−/−
bone marrow cells. Furthermore, in vitro experiments showed that the proliferation activity of ASC
−/−
vascular smooth muscle cells was not impaired.

Conclusions—

These findings suggest that bone marrow–derived ASC is critical for neointimal formation after vascular injury and identify ASC as a novel therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and restenosis.
Flow-Induced Arterial Remodeling Relates to Endothelial Function in the Human Forearm
Authors: Vita Joseph A. , Holbrook Monika , Palmisano Joseph , Shenouda Sherene M. , Chung William B. , Hamburg Naomi M. , Eskenazi Benjamin R. , Joseph Lija , Shapira Oz M.
Published: June 2008

Background—

Chronic changes in blood flow stimulate arterial remodeling, which contributes to the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. Experimental studies suggest that remodeling represents a response to local changes in endothelial shear stress and is nitric oxide–dependent.

Methods and Results—

To investigate determinants of outward arterial remodeling in humans, we measured ulnar artery flow, diameter, and flow-mediated dilation before and after removal of the adjacent radial artery in 53 patients who were undergoing coronary bypass surgery (age 60±11 years; 13% female). Removal of the radial artery increased ulnar artery blood flow by 35% (
P
=0.009) and increased ulnar artery diameter by 9% (
P
<0.001) 4 to 8 weeks after surgery. At 1 week, ulnar artery shear stress was increased by 58% (
P
<0.001), but it was no longer different from baseline at longer-term follow-up. The contralateral ulnar artery was unaffected, which suggests that these findings were not attributable to the systemic effects of medications or the postoperative state. Extent of outward remodeling correlated with the increase in blood flow (
r
=0.50,
P
=0.001) and with flow-mediated dilation at baseline (
r
=0.50,
P
=0.001). Remodeling correlated inversely with baseline endothelial expression of P-selectin in the radial artery (
r
=−0.76,
P
=0.004, n=14).

Conclusions—

A sustained increase in blood flow in the ulnar artery induced outward arterial remodeling despite the presence of risk factors and coronary artery disease. The remodeling response was related to endothelial phenotype, as reflected by flow-mediated dilation and expression of P-selectin. These findings provide evidence that the endothelium plays an important role in the regulation of vascular structure in humans.
Islam's Popularity: The Case of Indonesia
Authors: Tamney Joseph B.
Published: June 2008

In the parts of the world where it is dominant, Islam is not seen as a peripheral, let alone dying, institution. In Indonesia, where my data is from, it is claimed that "Islam as a religion is in the ascendant." Many mosques are being built, religious radio programs have a large audience, and Islam is penetrating public schools and government (Awanohara, 1985). The power and popularity of the Muslim faith is ' difficult for Westerners to understand because of the intellectual dominance of the modernization-secularization thesis. According to this perspective, as countries become more modern, religion becomes less important. This simplistic view is, of course, being challenged even in the West, yet for most of this century it was the dominant framework for the scientific study of religion in the modern world. The popularity of Islam is not only fascinating in its own right, but also a challenge to the seculari- zation thesis. Is this perspective to be discarded? What ideas must enlarge, or replace, this orientation to explain the reality of Islam? These questions are the focus of this paper.
Memory as Malady and Therapy in Freud and Hegel
Authors: Farrell Krell David
Published: June 2008

The following paper, delivered as a lecture to the philosophy departments of a number of American universities in 1979, traces a parallel between Hegelian phenomenology and Freudian psychoanalysis. It stems from a project I have been working on for several years now entitled Erinnerungsversuch or "Essay in Remembrance. " In my studies of Freud and Hegel for that project I was struck by the importance of memory for their work, not only as a field of investigation but also as a method of the investigation itself. Remembering and forgetting are the crucial events for both psychoanalysis and phenomenology, crucial yet maddeningly intertwined, so that while memory seems eminently subject to malfunction and even illness it remains the sole source of insight and cure. I therefore determined to extend the parallel as far as it would go-perhaps even farther-and the present paper is the result. I am of course aware that Hegel was not a psychotherapist, Freud not a systematic philosopher, and realize that if essays like this one may be excused at all it is only because they eventually grow silent and allow irreconcilable differences to reassert themselves. Yet there is a sense in which Hegel's creative recapitulation of the history of philosophy, seeking as it does to liberate philosophical thought from a crippling self-ignorance, amounts to therapy of spirit; and there is a sense in which Freudian therapy must shatter traditional prejudices in our thoughts about what the psyche or spirit is, by letting psychological phenomena show themselves as they are. I have tried to make the parallel as concrete as possible, shunning Freud's metapsychology and turning instead to one of his earliest accounts of psychoanalytic praxis, eschewing sweeping remarks about Hegel's "system" and concentrating on just a few pages from the Phenomenology. Readers trained in philosophy will know that a few pages of Hegel are bound to contain labyrinths. I hope that my psychologist-readers will overlook the oversimplified presentation of Freud-which results partly from the lecture form-and will forgive my unwillingness to make Hegel's thought seem less demanding than it is. Finally, if I am right, the Freud-Hegel parallel with respect to memory tells us a good deal not only about this fascinating faculty but also about that singular creature who is so ardent to remember and so prone to forget.
The Birth of the Infant: a Developmental Perspective
Authors: Wertz Frederick J.
Published: June 2008

Psychological birth is not a single event but occurs again and again throughout one's life. A new psychological structure is bom in each developmental transformation of a person's existence. But what about "biological birth" or what we will call the bodily birth of the infant? Does this involve psychological development? It is not taken up in this way by developmental psychology, which usually begins with the newborn infant Some psychologists have even argued that when an infant leaves the mother's uterus, he is bom biologically but not yet psychologically. In the following paper we will take this view as problematic and address to it a description of the birth process based on the perceptive observations of Frederick Leboyer. Appropriating some of Kegan's notions regarding psychological development,' we will reflect upon the . phenomenon of being bom psychologically. In other words, we will investigate whether and in what sense being bom can be seen as a phenomenon involving psychological development.
The Symbiosis of Towns and Textiles: Urban Institutions and the Changing Fortunes of Cloth Manufacturing in the Low Countries and England, 1270-1570
Authors: Munro John
Published: June 2008

This paper, a contribution to the "proto-industrialization" debate, examines the relative advantages of urban and rural locations for cloth manufacturing in later-medieval England and the Low Countries. From the eleventh to the mid-fourteenth century, when the English cloth trade began its seemingly inexorable expansion, the Low Countries had enjoyed a virtual supremacy in international cloth markets, then chiefly located in the Mediterranean basin. The traditional view has attributed the ultimate English victory to the advantages of a rural location, using cheap labour and water-powered fulling. The proponents of this view further contend that in late thirteenth-century England a new rural industry had displaced a centuries-old "traditional" urban cloth industry through such superior cost advantages. To challenge that view, this paper puts forth the following propositions : (1) that England's traditional urban industry had declined, abruptly from the 1290s, chiefly because of steeply rising, war-induced, transaction costs in Mediterranean markets for its chief products: i.e., cheap and light fabrics, which they had sold as price takers; (2) that the Flemish/Brabantine cloth industries, having had a similar industrial-commercial orientation, suffered from the same industrial crisis; and more quickly responded by reorienting production, as price makers, to the very high-priced luxury woollens; (3) that rural locations were not always more advantageous, in lower labour and other costs; (4) that urban locations offered important benefits for luxury-cloth production : a more highly skilled, productive, better regulated labour force; urban and guild institutions to enforce necessary quality controls and promote international reputations for high quality; (5) that England's cloth industry, when it revived from the 1360s, followed suit in shifting to more luxury-oriented exports, while gaining its chief advantages from the fiscal burdens imposed on high-quality wool exports to its overseas competitors; (6) that English export-oriented cloth production also remained more urban than rural until the late fifteenth century (for many complex reasons explored in this paper).
Asian Despotism? Mughal Government as Seen From the Dutch East India Company Factory in Surat
Authors: Tracy James D.
Published: June 2008

In the current debate about early modern European perceptions of Asia, the rich documentation produced by the Dutch East India Company has been largely overlooked. The Surat factory, whose correspondence is extant from 1636, was in close connection with the centers of Mughal authority, and the factory here, unlike in some other Dutch outposts, was never allowed to be transformed into a fortified enclosure from which the "hatmen" could challenge the agents of the state with impunity. In published accounts of Asian government, including those written in Dutch, "despots" held sway over lands whose only law was the ruler's whim. But Company documents from Surat (and elsewhere in India) consistently depict local officials as manipulating for their own profit their control over European trade, often in flagrant disregard of trading privileges carefully negotiated with the Mughal court. The image of an all-powerful sovereign, though not altogether absent, is sometimes evoked as a way of explaining to Company superiors in Batavia (Djakarta) or Amsterdam why their servants in Surat could not do as they were bidden. But if Company men developed over time a credible local knowledge of Mughal government, they were no different from stay-at-home European Christians in their view of the Mughal realm's Muslim elites: in this age of continuing warfare between Christendom and Islamdom, a "faithless Moor" was always and everywhere the same.
The Work in Gold as Spiritual Journey in Camara Laye's the African Child
Authors: Azodo Ada Uzoamaka
Published: June 2008

Of all the different kinds of work my father performed, none fascinated me so much as his skill with gold. No other occupation was so noble, no other needed such a delicate touch; and moreover, this sort of work was always a kind of festival: it was a real festival that broke the monotony of ordinary working days (The African Child, p 22).
3. Missiology or Missiologies?
Authors: Soares-Prabhu George M.
Published: June 2008

No one can fail to be impressed by Professor Spindler's informed and judicious position paper on a new focus for the theology of mission. His survey of recent developments in biblical scholarship and missiological reflection is a model of perceptiveness and clarity, and the case he makes for a shift from 'mission' to 'witness' as the new focus for missiological reflection is persuasive. The paper is well-informed, clear, insightful and thought-provoking. There is little in what it says that I would quarrel with. It is with what it does not say that my questions begin. For Professor Spindler's paper, it seems to me, neglects two related elements which I believe to be important for the discussion of any biblical and missiological issue: (1) sociological context, and (2) hermeneutical method. I shall say a few words about each.
The Things of Heaven Shall Become the Things of Earth
Authors: Aagaard Anna Marie
Published: June 2008

The word of the Lord of Hosts came to me: These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: I have been jealous for Zion, fiercely jelous for her. Now, says the Lord, I have come back to Zion and I will dwell in Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts shall be called the Holy Montain. These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: Once again shall old men and old women sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each leaning on a stick because of their great age; and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls, playing in the streets. These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: Even if it may seem impossible to the survivors of this nation on that day, will it also seem impossible to me? This is the very words of the Lord of Hosts. These are the words of the Lord of Hosts: See I will rescue my people from the countries of the east and the west, and bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and justice. Zechariah 8,1-8 (NEB)
Forum PAPERs
Authors: Gort Gerald D
Published: June 2008

The purpose of this paper is to provide a birdseye view of the historical Christian attitudes to other religions. It is argued that with the exception of the first 250 years of its existence Christianity's attitude on this score has been predominantly negative, but that from around the turn of the present century a new, more congenial and generous Christian stance has been in the making. With respect to this latter period the examination is limited to developments on the Protestant side of Christianity. An attempt is made to identify some of the more important causal factors involved in the evolution of the newer attitude, whereby particular attention is given to developments in the thinking of the ecumenical movement during its earlier period from 1910-1963.
Fabrication of Photoluminescent S Doped Y2O3:Eu3 + Nanobelts
Authors: Fang Yueping , Su Li , Tao Pingfang , Zhou Xiaosong , Xu An-Wu
Published: June 2008

We have successfully fabricated the S doped Y(OH)3 nanobelts with 15–30 μm in length and 50–300 nm in width and S doped Y(OH)3:Eu3+ nanobelts with 4–15 μm in length and 80–500 nm in width (most between 100
and 200 nm) via a similar process for preparation of Y(OH)3 nanotubes. Photoluminescent (PL) nanobelts of S doped Y2O3:Eu3+ were obtained through dehydration of the S doped Y(OH)3:Eu3+ nanobelts at 450 °C in N2.
The PL properties of the S doped Y2O3:Eu3+ nanobelts have been studied and evidenced that we have successfully synthesized functional S doped Y2O3:Eu3+ nanobelts with interesting photoluminescence properties.
Introducing Porosity into Polyimide Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhao Gufan , Ishizaka Takayuki , Kasai Hitoshi , Nakanishi Hachiro , Oikawa Hidetoshi
Published: June 2008

Novel porous polyimides (PIs) having diameters of several hundred nanometers have been fabricated successfully from precursor poly(amic acid) (PAA) derivatives with poly(acrylic acid) (PAS) as the porogen, using a reprecipitation method and subsequent imidization. The superficial high
porosity with deep pores was introduced when using a more compatible combination of PAA and the porogen, i.e., PI (BPDA-PDA) and PAS rather than PI (10FEDA-4FMPD and PAS); the pore sizes ranged from 20 to 100 nm. The resulting porous PI nanoparticles had thermally stabilities (determined from
their 5% weight loss temperatures at 400 °C) similar to those of corresponding PI nanoparticles lacking porous structures. Microphase separation within the PAA nanoparticles after reprecipitation induced the porous surface structure, the properties of which were influenced by the molecular
weight of PAS and the chemical structure of PAA. These unique porous PI nanoparticles have great potential for application as low-k materials in next-generation technologies.