bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women, Politics and Islamism in Northern Pakistan
Authors: MARSDEN MAGNUS
Published: October 2007

This paper explores the responses of women living in a small town in the Chitral region of northern Pakistan to the Islamizing policies of the Muttahida Majlis-e Amal, a coalition of Islamist parties elected to provincial government in the North West Frontier Province in October 2002. Its focus is on women in the region who vocally and publicly criticize Chitral's politically activemadrasa-educated ‘men of piety’. Documenting the ways in which these women and the region's ‘men of piety’ debate with one another on matters concerning personal morality, comportment and self-presentation illuminates dimensions of small-town Muslim life that are rarely considered important in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. In particular, by exploring these complex and multi-dimensional debates, I seek to emphasize the inherently unfinished nature of Chitralis’ responses to ongoing Islamizing processes, a growing and pervasive sense of disenchantment amongst many of the region's Muslims with the authenticity of public expressions of personal piety, and, in this context, the continuing emergence of new ways of being Muslim, modes of self-presentation and categories of Islamic public opinion forming figures.
Kissing cousins but not identical twins: The denominator neglect and base-rate respect models
Authors: Brainerd C. J.
Published: October 2007

Barbey & Sloman's (B&S's) base-rate respect model is anticipated by Reyna's denominator neglect model. There are parallels at three levels: (a) explanations are grounded in a general cognitive theory (rather than in domain-specific ideas); (b) problem structure is treated as a key source of reasoning errors; and most importantly, (c) nested set relations are seen as the cause of base-rate neglect.
Why frequencies are natural
Authors: Butterworth Brian
Published: October 2007

Research in mathematical cognition has shown that rates, and other interpretations of x/y, are hard to learn and understand. On the other hand, there is extensive evidence that the brain is endowed with a specialized mechanism for representing and manipulating the numerosities of sets – that is, frequencies. Hence, base-rates are neglected precisely because they are rates, whereas frequencies are indeed natural.
How to elicit sound probabilistic reasoning: Beyond word problems
Authors: Girotto Vittorio , Gonzalez Michel
Published: October 2007

Barbey & Sloman (B&S) conclude that natural frequency theorists have raised a fundamental question: What are the conditions that compel individuals to reason extensionally? We argue that word problems asking for a numerical judgment used by these theorists cannot answer this question. We present evidence that nonverbal tasks can elicit correct intuitions of posterior probability even in preschoolers.
One wrong does not justify another: Accepting dual processes by fallacy of false alternatives
Authors: Keren Gideon , van Rooij Iris , Schul Yaacov
Published: October 2007

Barbey & Sloman (B&S) advocate a dual-process (two-system) approach by comparing it with an alternative perspective (ecological rationality), claiming that the latter is unwarranted. Rejecting this alternative approach cannot serve as sufficient evidence for the viability of the former.
The underinformative formulation of conditional probability
Authors: Macchi Laura , Bagassi Maria
Published: October 2007

The formulation of the conditional probability in classical tasks does not guarantee the effective transmission of the independence of the hit rate from the base rate. In these kinds of tasks, data are all available, but subjects are able to understand them in the specific meanings proper to a specialized language only if these are adequately transmitted. From this perspective, the partitive formulation should not be considered a facilitation, but rather, a way of effectively transmitting the conditional probability.

Consider the following two phrases:

1

The death-rate among men is twice that for women.

2

In the deaths registered last month there were twice as many men as women.

Are these two different ways of saying the same or are these different events? In fact, they are different events. (Lindley 1985, p. 44)
Nested sets theory, full stop: Explaining performance on Bayesian inference tasks without dual-systems assumptions
Authors: Mandel David R.
Published: October 2007

Consistent with Barbey & Sloman (B&S), it is proposed that performance on Bayesian inference tasks is well explained by nested sets theory (NST). However, contrary to those authors' view, it is proposed that NST does better by dispelling with dual-systems assumptions. This article examines why, and sketches out a series of NST's core principles, which were not previously defined.
Implications of real-world distributions and the conversation game for studies of human probability judgments
Authors: Thomas John C.
Published: October 2007

Subjects in experiments use real-life strategies that differ significantly from those assumed by experimenters. First, true randomness is rare in both natural and constructed environments. Second, communication follows conventions which depend on the game-theoretic aspects of situations. Third, in the common rhetorical stance of storytelling, people do not tell about the representative but about unusual, exceptional, and rare cases.
The continuum of “looking forward,” and paradoxical requirements from memory
Authors: Bar Moshe
Published: October 2007

The claim that nonhuman animals lack foresight is common and intuitive. I propose an alternative whereby foresight is a gradual continuum in that it is present in animals to the extent that it is needed. A second aspect of this commentary points out that the requirements that the memory that mediates foresight be both specific yet flexible seem contradictory.
Prospection and the brain
Authors: Buckner Randy L.
Published: October 2007

Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) propose that the capacity to flexibly forsee the future was a critical step in human evolution and is accomplished by a set of component processes that can be likened to a theater production. Understanding the brain-bases of these functions may help to clarify the hypothesized component processes, inform us of how and when they are used adaptively, and also provide empirical ways of exploring to what degree these abilities exist and are implemented similarly (or differently) across species.
Emotional aspects of mental time travel
Authors: D'Argembeau Arnaud , Van der Linden Martial
Published: October 2007

We consider three possible reasons why humans might accord a privileged status to emotional information when mentally traveling backward or forward in time. First, mental simulation of emotional situations helps one to make adaptive decisions. Second, it can serve an emotion regulation function. Third, it helps people to construct and maintain a positive view of the self.
Storing events to retell them
Authors: Dessalles Jean-Louis
Published: October 2007

Episodic memory is certainly a unique endowment, but its primary purpose is something other than to provide raw material for creative synthesis of future scenarios. Remembered episodes are exactly those that are worth telling. The function of episodic memory, in my view, is to accumulate stories that are relevant to recount in conversation.
The meaning of “time” in episodic memory and mental time travel
Authors: Friedman William J.
Published: October 2007

The role of time in episodic memory and mental time travel is considered in light of findings on humans' temporal memory and anticipation. Time is not integral or uniform in memory for the past or anticipation of the future. The commonalities of episodic memory and anticipation require further study.
Prospection or projection: Neurobiological basis of stimulus-independent mental traveling
Authors: Okuda Jiro
Published: October 2007

The number of studies concerning the neurobiology of human prospection is now rapidly exploding. Recent works suggest that prospection can be better understood in a broader context of self-projection into other times, places, or agents that can share the same cerebral basis involving medial aspects of prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Mental time travel may be extended more generally to “mental traveling,” accomplished by stimulus-independent mental processes typical of human thought.
What are the evolutionary causes of mental time travel?
Authors: Osvath Mathias , Gärdenfors Peter
Published: October 2007

We are not entirely satisfied with the evolutionary explanation provided by Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) for why only humans should be capable of advanced mental time travel. General social factors do not suffice, given that other primates are also highly social. We discuss the evolutionary mechanisms that have generated mental time travel typical to humans, focusing on ecological factors.
On the constructive episodic simulation of past and future events
Authors: Schacter Daniel L. , Addis Donna Rose
Published: October 2007

We consider the relation between past and future events from the perspective of the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis, which holds that episodic simulation of future events requires a memory system that allows the flexible recombination of details from past events into novel scenarios. We discuss recent neuroimaging and behavioral evidence that support this hypothesis in relation to the theater production metaphor.
Conventional and genetic measures of seed dispersal for Dipteryx panamensis (Fabaceae) in continuous and fragmented Costa Rican rain forest
Authors: Hanson Thor , Brunsfeld Steven , Finegan Bryan , Waits Lisette
Published: October 2007

The effects of habitat fragmentation on seed dispersal can strongly influence the evolutionary potential of tropical forest plant communities. Few studies have combined traditional methods and molecular tools for the analysis of dispersal in fragmented landscapes. Here seed dispersal distances were documented for the tree Dipteryx panamensis in continuous forest and two forest fragments in Costa Rica, Central America. Distance matrices were calculated between adult trees (n = 283) and the locations of seeds (n = 3016) encountered along 100 × 4-m transects (n = 77). There was no significant difference in the density of seeds dispersed > 25 m from the nearest adult (n = 253) among sites. There was a strong correlation between the locations of dispersed seeds and the locations of overstorey palms favoured as bat feeding roosts in continuous forest and both fragments. Exact dispersal distances were determined for a subset of seeds (n = 14) from which maternal endocarp DNA could be extracted and matched to maternal trees using microsatellite analysis. Dispersal within fragments and from pasture trees into adjacent fragments was documented, at a maximum distance of 853 m. Results show no evidence of a fragmentation effect on D. panamensis seed dispersal in this landscape and strongly suggest bat-mediated dispersal at all sites.
Large-vertebrate assemblages of primary and secondary forests in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Parry Luke , Barlow Jos , Peres Carlos A.
Published: October 2007

Secondary forests account for 40% of all tropical forests yet little is known regarding their suitability as habitat for diurnal large mammals and game birds. This is especially so for second-growth that develops on large areas of degraded land. We address this by investigating assemblages of large-bodied birds and mammals in extensive patches of secondary forest in the Jarí region of the north-eastern Brazilian Amazon, comparing species richness and abundance against that of adjacent undisturbed primary forests. We conducted 184 km of line-transect censuses over a period of 3 mo, and found that although primary and secondary forests held a similar abundance of large vertebrates, the species composition was very different. Secondary forests supported a high abundance of ungulate browsers (0.85 vs 0.44 indiv. per 10 km) and smaller-bodied primates (15.6 vs 4.6 indiv. per 10 km) compared with primary forests. However, large prehensile-tailed primates were absent (black spider monkey Ateles paniscus) or at very low abundance (Guyanan red howler monkey Alouatta macconelli) in secondary forest. The abundance of large frugivorous/granivorous birds was also low in secondary forests compared with primary forests (22.6 vs 37.1 individuals per 10 km, respectively). Faunal assemblages appear to reflect food resource availability. Concurrent vegetation surveys indicated that secondary forests had high levels of terrestrial and understorey browse. Fruit production was largely restricted to pioneer trees such as Bellucia and Inga spp. Although these regenerating forests were an important habitat for large mammals and birds, they were limited in terms of faunal richness, particularly dispersers of large-seeded plants.
The impact of bird's nest ferns on stemflow nutrient concentration in a primary rain forest, Sabah, Malaysia
Authors: Turner Edgar C. , Snaddon Jake L. , Johnson Henry R. , Foster William A.
Published: October 2007

Bird's nest ferns (Asplenium nidus complex) (Yatabe & Murakami 2003) are common epiphytes of the Old World tropics and house a high abundance of arthropods (Ellwood & Foster 2004). Through interception and retention of leaf litter (Paoletti et al. 1991, Piggott 1996, Richardson 1999), epiphytes interrupt litterfall dynamics (Clark et al. 1998, Nadkarni & Matelson 1991) and delay the return of nutrients to the forest floor (Nadkarni 1984). Precipitation percolating through the canopy as throughfall is enriched as nutrients are leached from plant surfaces (Levia & Frost 2006). Water flowing down the trunk of trees as stemflow is further enriched from prolonged contact and accumulated nutrient deposits on the trunk (Levia & Frost 2003, Liu et al. 2002). Epiphytes can alter stemflow nutrient concentrations by slowing water percolation and by nutrient uptake and release (Awasthi et al. 1995, Strigel et al. 1994).
On the ubiquity of certain total type structures
Authors: LONGLEY JOHN
Published: October 2007

It is an empirical observation arising from the study of higher type computability that a wide range of approaches to defining a class of (hereditarily) total functionals over$\nat$leads in practice to a relatively small handful of distinct type structures. Among these are the type structure C of Kleene–Kreiselcontinuous functionals, its effective substructure Ceffand the type structure HEO of thehereditarily effective operations. However, the proofs of the relevant equivalences are often non-trivial, and it is not immediately clear why these particular type structures should arise so ubiquitously.

In this paper we present some new results that go some way towards explaining this phenomenon. Our results show that a large class ofextensional collapseconstructions always give rise to C, Ceffor HEO (as appropriate). We obtain versions of our results for both the ‘standard’ and ‘modified’ extensional collapse constructions. The proofs make essential use of a technique due to Normann.

Many new results, as well as some previously known ones, can be obtained as instances of our theorems, but more importantly, the proofs apply uniformly to a whole family of constructions, and provide strong evidence that the three type structures under consideration are highly canonical mathematical objects.
Glutamine and hypotaurine improves intracellular oxidative status andin vitrodevelopment of porcine preimplantation embryos
Authors: Suzuki C. , Yoshioka K. , Sakatani M. , Takahashi M.
Published: October 2007

We previously developed anin vitro-production system for porcine embryos and reported that the addition of glutamine (Gln) and hypotaurine (HT) duringin vitroculture improved embryo development. This study examined the effects of Gln and HT onin vitrodevelopment, intracellular oxidative status and DNA damage of porcine preimplantation embryos. Porcine zygotes produced byin vitromaturation (IVM) andin vitrofertilization (IVF) were cultured until day 2 (day 0 = day of IVF) in porcine zygote medium (PZM) including 2 mM Gln and 5 mM HT, namely PZM-5. On day 2, the cleaved embryos were selected and cultured for 24 h in PZM-5 to which one of the following substances was added: (1) none (control); (2) Gln; (3) HT; or (4) Gln + HT. After 24 h of culture in each medium, the embryos were then returned to PZM-5 and cultured until day 5. Day-5 blastocyst yield was significantly higher in the Gln and Gln + HT groups (p< 0.05) than in the control and HT groups. In addition, Gln + HT significantly increased the total number of cells in blastocysts (p< 0.05) compared with the control. Although the number of cells and the intracellular GSH levels in day-3 cleaved embryos did not differ among treatments, addition of Gln, HT or Gln + HT significantly (p< 0.05) reduced the intracellular H2O2content and the extent of DNA damage compared with the control. These results indicate that the presence of Gln and HT in PZM-5 from day 2 to day 3 promotes the development of porcine embryos by improvement of intracellular oxidative status.
Development and viability of bovine preimplantation embryos after the in vitro infection with bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1): immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies
Authors: Makarevich A.V. , Pivko J. , Kubovicova E. , Chrenek P. , Slezaková M. , Louda F.
Published: October 2007

The aim of our study was to examine whether: (1) the exposure of bovine embryos to the BHV-1 virus in vitro can compromise their further development and alter the ultrastructural morphology of cellular organelles; (2) whether the zona pellucida (ZP) can be a barrier protecting embryos against infection; and (3) whether washing with trypsin after viral exposure can prevent virus penetration inside the embryo and subsequent virus-induced damages. The embryos were recovered from superovulated Holstein-Friesian donor cows on day 6 of the estrous cycle. Only compact morulas or early blastocysts were selected for experiments with virus incubation. We used the embryos either with intact ZP (either with or without trypsin washing) or embryos in which the ZP barrier was avoided by using the microinjection of a BHV-1 suspension under the ZP. ZP-intact embryos (n = 153) were exposed to BHV-1 at 106.16 TCID50/ml for 60 min, then washed in trypsin according to IETS guidelines and postincubated in synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF) medium for 48 h. Some of the embryos (n = 36) were microinjected with 20 pl of BHV-1 suspension under the ZP, the embryos were washed in SOF medium and cultured for 48 h. Embryo development was evaluated by morphological inspection, the presence of viral particles was determined both immunocytochemically, using fluorescent anti-IBR–FITC conjugate and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on the basis of the ultrastructure of the cellular organelles.

It was found that BHV-1 exposure impairs embryo development to higher preimplantation stages independent of the presence of the ZP or the trypsin treatment step, as most of the embryos were arrested at the morula stage when compared with the control. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed the presence of BHV-1 particles in about 75% of embryos that were passed through the trypsin treatment and in all the BHV-1-microinjected embryos. Ultrastructural analysis, using TEM, revealed the presence of virus-like particles inside the BHV-1-exposed embryos, where the trypsin washing step was omitted. Conversely, in trypsin-treated BHV-1-exposed embryos, TEM detected only the envelope-free virus-like particles adhered to pores of the ZP. The embryos that were microinjected with BHV-1 suspension showed the presence of BHV-1 particles, as well as ultrastructural alterations in cell organelles. Taken together these findings may suggest that BHV-1 infection compromises preimplantation development of bovine embryos in vitro and therefore the ZP may not be enough on its own to prevent virus-induced damage, unless it is not accompanied with trypsin washing.
Gene expression in thein vitro-produced preimplantation bovine embryos
Authors: Badr H. , Bongioni G. , Abdoon A.S.S. , Kandil O. , Puglisi R.
Published: October 2007

Recent studies have demonstrated the relevance of a gene expression profile as a clinically important key feature determining embryo quality during thein vitropreimplantation period. Although the oocyte origin can play a crucial role in blastocyst yield, the postfertilization culture period has a profound effect in determining the blastocyst quality with particular regard to the relative abundance of many developmentally and clinically important candidate genes. During the preimplantation period, the embryo undergoes several morphogenetic developmental events including oocyte maturation, minor and major forms of embryonic genome activation and transition of transcription from maternal to embryonic control. The effect of an altered gene expression pattern on thein vitro-produced bovine embryos, particularly when cultured under suboptimal conditions, was reflected by the occurrence of clinically important phenomena like apoptosis and the large offspring syndrome. This review attempts to focus on the morphogenetic embryo development and gene expression profile in thein vitro-produced bovine embryos, with special emphasis on the different parameters that may alter gene expression pattern during the critical period ofin vitroculture. The effect of thein vitrosystem, as reflected by some clinically important phenomena like apoptosis, is also discussed.
Human round spermatids from azoospermic men exhibit oocyte-activation and Ca2+oscillation-inducing activities
Authors: Yazawa H. , Yanagida K. , Sato A.
Published: October 2007

During mammalian fertilization, intracellular Ca2+oscillations are important for both oocyte activation and embryonic development. As the ability of round spermatids (ROS) to induce Ca2+oscillations and oocyte activation is different between species, we examined Ca2+oscillation- and oocyte activation-inducing abilities of human ROS originating from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Human ROS from 11 non-obstructive azoospermic patients were collected during their TESE–ICSI cycles. Following injection into mature unfertilized mouse oocytes, we examined the oocyte-activating and Ca2+oscillation-inducing activities of ROS by using Ca2+imaging and confocal laser scanning microscopy (mouse test). In these 11 cases, clinical TESE–ICSI using mature testicular spermatozoa was successful, with the exception of one case in which only one sperm-injected oocyte was not fertilized. The mean fertilization rate was 70.1% (40–100%); the mean cleavage rate was 97.9% (46/47). Two pregnancies were established from 10 transfer cycles (PR; 20%). When the ROS from these patients were injected into mouse oocytes, the ROS from all patients induced at least some intracellular Ca2+oscillations (25–100%). In all patients, 40 out of 82 oocytes injected with ROS exhibited normal oscillation patterns of [Ca2+]i.

Human spermatogenetic cells acquired oocyte-activating and Ca2+oscillation-inducing abilities at the round spermatid stage, an earlier stage than found for rodent cells. These data indicate that human ROS might be useful for clinical treatments of non-obstructive azoospermic patients exhibiting mature spermatozoa in biopsied specimens.
Partial formation of sperm dimorphism from spermatocytes of the cottoid fish, Hemilepidotus gilberti in cell culture
Authors: Hayakawa Y. , Takayama-Watanabe E. , Watanabe A. , Kobayashi M. , Munehara H. , Onitake K.
Published: October 2007

Polymorphism of sperm is considered to be significant for the reproductive strategy in some animal species. The phenomenon is thought to occur in the species-specific stage of spermatogenesis, but how the identical germ cells are differentiated towards polymorphic sperm remains unknown. We here performed a germ cell culture in the cottoid fish, Hemilepidotus gilberti, whose sperm exhibit dimorphism with fertilizable eusperm and unfertilizable parasperm. In the culture, germ cells, which were obtained with an identical morphology, a spherical shape of 5–7 µm in diameter, differentiated into smaller spherical cells with a single nucleus, a moving flagellum and localized mitochondria. In addition, large retroflex-shaped cells with two elongated nuclei were also observed in the cell culture. Germ cells that had each morphological feature were histologically also observed in some cysts of the spermatogenetic testis, suggesting that the former type of cell corresponded to developing eusperm and the latter corresponded to developing parasperm. When BrdU was incorporated into germ cells in the culture, it was detected in both cells with eusperm-like and those with parasperm-like morphologies. These findings suggest that DNA-duplicating spermatocytes are potent to autonomously progress a part of spermatogenesis to form dimorphic sperm.
Discriminating robust and non‐robust atmospheric circulation responses to global warming
Authors: Sigmond Michael , Kushner Paul J. , Scinocca John F.
Published: October 2007

The robustness of the atmospheric circulation response to global warming in a set of atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) is investigated. The global‐warmed climate is forced by a global pattern of warmed ocean surface temperatures that is extracted from a multi‐model ensemble of coupled ocean‐atmosphere climate model greenhouse warming simulations. The robustness of the warming response is evaluated by a hierarchical set of comparisons. The warming response is compared first between two independently developed AGCMs, then as a function of horizontal resolution in one model, and finally as a function of a single tuning parameter, related to orographic gravity wave drag. Across these levels of comparison, the tropical and subtropical response is generally robust in zonal wind and temperature, but the extratropical response is non‐robust. On regional scales, almost every aspect of the response is non‐robust, even to the variation of a single tuning parameter. Some evidence is presented that the non‐robustness of the simulated response to global warming might be predicted from the (non global‐warmed) control simulation.
Dissolution vugs in fractured carbonates: A complication? Or perhaps a key for simplifying reservoir characterization
Authors: Kurtzman Daniel , Jennings James W. , Lucia F. Jerry
Published: October 2007

Carbonate aquifers and carbonate oil reservoirs contain significant volumes of fresh‐water storage and hydrocarbon reserves globally, yet their characterization is extremely complicated. Flow simulations were preformed through a permeability field, including matrix, fracture, and fault permeability distributed in a pattern that mimics observations on an exposure of the Cretaceous Edwards Group in Texas. Matches between location and size of vugs on the outcrop and location of areas having high fluxes on the outcrop slice of the simulation grid suggest that vugs observations can help in characterization of matrix‐bed permeability and fracture connectivity. Outcrop surveys of vugs revealed a significant correlation between the relative vug area of a bed and its permeability (R2 = 0.99, P < 1E‐5). Vug dimensions and whether the vug is intersected by a fracture were found to be good predictors for distinguishing connected from isolated vugs. These findings open new possibilities for improving reservoir characterization using remotely sensed lidar/photo images.
Regional patterns of earthquake‐triggered landslides and their relation to ground motion
Authors: Meunier Patrick , Hovius Niels , Haines A. John
Published: October 2007

We have documented patterns of landsliding associated with large earthquakes on three thrust faults: the Northridge earthquake in California, Chi‐Chi earthquake in Taiwan, and two earthquakes on the Ramu‐Markham fault bounding the Finisterre Mountains of Papua New Guinea. In each case, landslide densities are shown to be greatest in the area of strongest ground acceleration and to decay with distance from the epicenter. In California and Taiwan, the density of co‐seismic landslides is linearly and highly correlated with both the vertical and horizontal components of measured peak ground acceleration. Based on this observation, we derive an expression for the spatial variation of landslide density analogous with regional seismic attenuation laws. In its general form, this expression applies to our three examples, and we determine best fit values for individual cases. Our findings open a window on the construction of shake maps from geomorphic observations for earthquakes in non‐instrumented regions.
Modulation of northern hemisphere wintertime stationary planetary wave activity: East Asian climate relationships by the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation
Authors: Chen Wen , Li Tim
Published: October 2007

The modulation of the relationship between the tropospheric stationary planetary wave activity and the East Asian winter climate by the tropical quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) wind in the stratosphere is investigated. In the QBO easterly phase, a significant warming appears in northeastern Asia in the presence of high wave activities. This corresponds to a weakened East Asian trough at 500‐hPa, which determines the extent to which cold waves penetrate into East Asia. However, in the QBO westerly phase, both the surface warming and the weakening of the East Asian trough become insignificant in response to high wave activities. The possible mechanism for this QBO modulation on the tropospheric wave activities may be attributed to the indirect influence of the QBO induced polar and extratropical stratospheric circulation changes. Under the QBO easterly phase conditions, the tropospheric wave activity flux divergence in the higher‐latitude region is enhanced due to enhanced upward Eliassen‐Palm (EP) flux into the stratosphere, while the wave flux convergence in the subtropical troposphere is increased due to the decrease in the equatorward flux. This leads to an enhanced wave activity difference and thus the associated East Asian climate anomalies become larger and robust. An opposite effect (i.e., reduced wave activity difference) appears in the QBO westerly phase. Further analyses reveal that the QBO significantly modulates both the zonal wave number 1 and 2 in the sea level pressure field but not for wave number 3. The combination of wave number 1 and 2 patterns leads to the strongest surface temperature anomalies in northern Asia.
Fibroblasts as novel therapeutic targets in chronic inflammation
Authors: Flavell S J , Hou T Z , Lax S , Filer A D , Salmon M , Buckley C D
Published: October 2007

A characteristic feature of many chronic inflammatory diseases is their persistence and predilection for certain sites. The molecular basis for such tissue tropism and failure of the inflammatory response to resolve has until relative recently remained obscure. Recent studies have strongly implicated fibroblasts as cells which contribute to disease persistence and which help define anatomical location. Therefore fibroblasts make an attractive therapeutic target as they help orchestrate the inflammatory infiltrate. Current anti‐inflammatory therapies target immune cells in an attempt to inhibit the production of pro‐inflammatory mediators. However an equally important target is the active induction of pro‐resolution programmes responsible for the resolution of inflammation. Fibroblasts are likely to be an important source of these anti‐inflammatory mediators. Therapeutic manipulation of fibroblasts and their biologically active products is an emerging concept in treating cancer and is likely to provide a novel method to achieve improved control of chronic inflammatory disease.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S241–S246; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707487; published online 29 October 2007
Evidence against C‐type natriuretic peptide as an arterial ‘EDHF’
Authors: Garland C J , Dora K A
Published: October 2007

C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is found in and released from vascular endothelial cells. Recently, a novel role has been suggested for this peptide, that of an endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor or EDHF. Implicit in this proposal is a widespread role for CNP as a key mediator of vascular dilatation. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, Leuranguer et al. compare the profile of membrane potential changes evoked with this putative EDHF or with endogenous EDHF (activated with ACh) in small carotid arteries. Marked differences between the two profiles lead them to discount a possible role for CNP as an EDHF.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 4–5; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707520; published online 29 October 2007
The peripheral cannabinoid receptor knockout mice: an update
Authors: Buckley N E
Published: October 2007

This review gives an overview of the CB2receptor (CB2R) knockout (CB2R−/−) mice phenotype and the work that has been carried out using this mutant mouse. Using the CB2R−/−mice, investigators have discovered the involvement of CB2R on immune cell function and development, infection, embryonic development, bone loss, liver disorders, pain, autoimmune inflammation, allergic dermatitis, atherosclerosis, apoptosis and chemotaxis. Using the CB2R−/−mice, investigators have also found that this receptor is not involved in cannabinoid‐induced hypotension. In addition, the CB2R−/−mice have been used to determine specific tissue CB2R expression. The specificity of synthetic cannabinoid agonists, antagonists and anti‐CB2R antibodies has been screened using tissues from CB2R−/−mice. Thus, the use of this mouse model has greatly helped reveal the diverse events involving the CB2R, and has aided in drug and antibody screening.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2008)153, 309–318; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707527; published online 29 October 2007
The hydrogen sulphide‐releasing derivative of diclofenac protects against ischaemia–reperfusion injury in the isolated rabbit heart
Authors: Rossoni G , Sparatore A , Tazzari V , Manfredi B , Soldato P Del , Berti F
Published: October 2007

Background and purpose:

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is an endogenous gaseous mediator active in the multilevel regulation of pathophysiological functions in mammalian cardiovascular tissues.

Experimental approach:

This study investigated the pharmacological activity of a new H2S‐releasing derivative of diclofenac, S‐diclofenac (2‐[(2,6‐dichlorophenyl)amino]benzeneacetic acid 4‐(3H‐1,2‐dithiole‐3‐thione‐5‐yl)‐phenyl ester) in the isolated rabbit heart submitted to low‐flow ischaemia‐reperfusion damage.

Key results:

S‐diclofenac (3, 10 and 30 μM), despite inhibiting prostacyclin generation by cardiac tissues, achieved dose‐dependent normalization of coronary perfusion pressure, reducing left ventricular contracture during ischaemia and improving left ventricular developed pressure and ±dP/dtmaxat reperfusion. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities in heart perfusates were significantly reduced during reperfusion. These effects were accompanied by substantial release of reduced glutathione (GSH), indicating that the H2S moiety may have up‐regulated cysteine transport. The anti‐ischaemic activities of S‐diclofenac and the H2S‐donor sodium hydro sulphide (NaHS) were partially prevented by the KATPchannel antagonist glibenclamide, suggesting a mechanism similar to H2S‐induced cardioprotection in metabolic ischaemic preconditioning. Perfusion with the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG‐monomethyl‐L‐arginine worsened the myocardial ischaemia‐reperfusion damage, but this was dose‐dependently prevented by S‐diclofenac and NaHS, suggesting that the released H2S may have overcome NO deficiency.

Conclusion and implications:

These data show that S‐diclofenac had marked anti‐ischaemic activity in ischaemic‐reperfused rabbit hearts despite inhibition of prostaglandin generation. Increased GSH formation leading to activation of KATPchannels may have contributed to this beneficial effect. The pharmacological profile of S‐diclofenac and its anti‐inflammatory activity, with diminished gastrointestinal side effects, offer therapeutic applications in cardiovascular disease.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2008)153, 100–109; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707540; published online 29 October 2007
Compartmentalization of endocannabinoids into lipid rafts in a dorsal root ganglion cell line
Authors: Rimmerman N , Hughes H V , Bradshaw H B , Pazos M X , Mackie K , Prieto A L , Walker J M
Published: October 2007

Background and purpose:

N‐arachidonoyl ethanolamine (AEA) and 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (2‐AG) are endogenous cannabinoids binding to the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 to modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in primary afferent neurons. To investigate the compartmentalization of the machinery for AEA and 2‐AG signalling, we studied their partitioning into lipid raft fractions isolated from a dorsal root ganglion X neuroblastoma cell line (F‐11).

Experimental approach:

F‐11 cells were homogenized and fractionated using a detergent‐free OptiPrep density gradient. All lipids were partially purified from methanolic extracts of the fractions on solid phase cartridges and quantified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Protein distribution was determined by Western blotting.

Key results:

Under basal conditions, the endogenous cannabinoid AEA was present in both lipid raft and specific non‐lipid raft fractions as was one of its biosynthetic enzymes, NAPE‐PLD. The 2‐AG precursor 1‐stearoyl‐2‐arachidonoyl‐sn‐glycerol (DAG), diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGLα), which cleaves DAG to form 2‐AG, and 2‐AG were all co‐localized with lipid raft markers. CB1 receptors, previously reported to partition into lipid raft fractions, were not detected in F‐11 membranes, but CB2 receptors were detected at high levels and partitioned into non‐lipid raft fractions.

Conclusions and implications:

The biochemical machinery for the production of 2‐AG via the putative diacylglycerol pathway is localized within lipid rafts, suggesting that 2‐AG synthesis via DAG occurs within these microdomains. The observed co‐localization of AEA, 2‐AG, and their synthetic enzymes with the reported localization of CB1 raises the possibility of intrinsic‐autocrine signalling within lipid raft domains and/or retrograde‐paracrine signalling.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 380–389; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707561; published online 29 October 2007
Enhancement by lithium of cAMP-induced CRE/CREB-directed gene transcription conferred by TORC on the CREB basic leucine zipper domain
Authors: Böer Ulrike , Eglins Julia , Krause Doris , Schnell Susanne , Schöfl Christof , Knepel Willhart
Published: October 2007

The molecular mechanism of the action of lithium salts in the treatment of bipolar disorder is not well understood. As their therapeutic action requires chronic treatment, adaptive neuronal processes are suggested to be involved. The molecular basis of this are changes in gene expression regulated by transcription factors such as CREB (cAMP-response-element-binding protein). CREB contains a transactivation domain, in which Ser119 is phosphorylated upon activation, and a bZip (basic leucine zipper domain). The bZip is involved in CREB dimerization and DNA-binding, but also contributes to CREB transactivation by recruiting the coactivator TORC (transducer of regulated CREB). In the present study, the effect of lithium on CRE (cAMP response element)/CREB-directed gene transcription was investigated. Electrically excitable cells were transfected with CRE/CREB-driven luciferase reporter genes. LiCl (6 mM or higher) induced an up to 4.7-fold increase in 8-bromo-cAMP-stimulated CRE/CREB-directed transcription. This increase was not due to enhanced Ser119 phosphorylation or DNA-binding of CREB. Also, the known targets inositol monophosphatase and GSK3β (glycogen-synthase-kinase 3β) were not involved as specific GSK3β inhibitors and inositol replenishment did not mimic and abolish respectively the effect of lithium. However, lithium no longer enhanced CREB activity when the CREB-bZip was deleted or the TORC-binding site inside the CREB-bZip was specifically mutated (CREB-R300A). Otherwise, TORC overexpression conferred lithium responsiveness on CREB-bZip or the CRE-containing truncated rat somatostatin promoter. This indicates that lithium enhances cAMP-induced CRE/CREB-directed transcription, conferred by TORC on the CREB-bZip. We thus support the hypothesis that lithium salts modulate CRE/CREB-dependent gene transcription and suggest the CREB coactivator TORC as a new molecular target of lithium.
β
suppression of Alfvén cascade modes in the National Spherical Torus Experiment
Authors: Fredrickson E. D. , Crocker N. A. , Gorelenkov N. N. , Heidbrink W. W. , Kubota S. , Levinton F. M. , Yuh H. , Menard J. E. , Bell R. E.
Published: October 2007

Alfvén cascade modes have been found in low density, low β plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)]. An extension of the theory of cascade modes which includes the coupling to geodesic acoustic modes [Breizman et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 112506 (2005)] is shown to imply their absence for typical spherical tokamak ratios of electron thermal to magnetic energy, β. A scan in electron β confirmed a threshold for suppression of cascade modes in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Troubleshooting time-dependent density-functional theory for photochemical applications: Oxirane
Authors: Cordova Felipe , Doriol L. Joubert , Ipatov Andrei , Casida Mark E. , Filippi Claudia , Vela Alberto
Published: October 2007

The development of analytic-gradient methodology for excited states within conventional time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) would seem to offer a relatively inexpensive alternative to better established quantum-chemical approaches for the modeling of photochemical reactions. However, even though TDDFT is formally exact, practical calculations involve the use of approximate functional, in particular the TDDFT adiabatic approximation, the use of which in photochemical applications must be further validated. Here, we investigate the prototypical case of the symmetric CC ring opening of oxirane. We demonstrate by direct comparison with the results of high-quality quantum Monte Carlo calculations that, far from being an approximation on TDDFT, the Tamm-Dancoff approximation is a practical necessity for avoiding triplet instabilities and singlet near instabilities, thus helping maintain energetically reasonable excited-state potential energy surfaces during bond breaking. Other difficulties one would encounter in modeling oxirane photodynamics are pointed out.
Effect of cholesterol on diffusion in surfactant bilayers
Authors: Pieper Thorsten , Markova Svetlana , Kinjo Masataka , Suter Dieter
Published: October 2007

Biological membranes consist of lipid bilayers with liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases. It is believed that cholesterol controls the size of the microdomains in the liquid-ordered phase and thereby affects the mobility as well as the permeability of the membrane. We study this process in a model system consisting of the nonionic surfactant C12E5 and water in the lamellar phase. We measure the diffusion of fluorescent probe molecules (rhodamine B) by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. For different surfactant to water ratios, we measure how the molecular mobility varies with the amount of cholesterol added. We find that a reduction of the diffusion coefficient is already detectable at a molar ratio of 8mol% cholesterol.
High-time-resolution pump-probe system with broadband detection for the study of time-domain vibrational dynamics
Authors: Polli Dario , Lüer Larry , Cerullo Giulio
Published: October 2007

We present an ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy system in the visible combining high-sensitivity broadband detection with extreme temporal resolution. The instrument is based on an ultrabroadband sub-10fs optical parametric amplifier coupled to an optical multichannel analyzer with fast electronics, enabling single-shot detection at 1kHz repetition rate. For a given pump-probe delay τ, we achieve a differential transmission (ΔT∕T) sensitivity of the order of 10−4 over the λpr=490–720nm probe wavelength range by averaging over 1000 shots, allowing the acquisition of complete two-dimensional ΔT∕T (λpr,τ) maps within a few minute measurement time. We present application examples highlighting the capability of this instrument to observe ultrafast dynamical processes, follow impulsively excited vibrational motions with frequency as high as 3000cm−1 (11fs period), and determine the probe wavelength dependence of amplitude and phase of the oscillations.
Computational analysis of drop-on-demand drop formation
Authors: Xu Qi , Basaran Osman A.
Published: October 2007

Motivated by the desire to improve the theoretical understanding of drop-on-demand (DOD) ink-jet printing, a computational analysis is carried out to simulate the formation of liquid drops of incompressible Newtonian fluids from a simple capillary tube by imposing a transient flow rate upstream of the nozzle exit. Since the flow in a typical ink-jet nozzle is toward the nozzle outlet during part of the time and away from the nozzle outlet at other times, an inflow rate is adopted here that captures the essential physics and is given in dimensionless form by Q=(πWe∕2)sinΩt, where We is the Weber number (inertial/surface tension force), Ω is the frequency, and t is time. The dynamics are studied as functions of We, Ω, and the Ohnesorge number Oh (viscous/surface tension force). For a common ink forming from a nozzle of 10μm radius, Oh=0.1. For this typical case, a phase or operability diagram in (We,Ω)-space is developed that shows that three regimes of operation are possible. In the first regime, where We is low, breakup does not occur, and drops remain pendant from the nozzle and undergo time periodic oscillations. Thus, the simulations show that fluid inertia, and hence We, must be large enough if a DOD drop is to form, in accord with intuition. A sufficiently large We causes both drop elongation and onset of drop necking, but flow reversal is also necessary for the complete evacuation of the neck and capillary pinching. In the other two regimes, at a given Ω, We is large enough to cause drop breakup. In the first of these two regimes, where Wec1<WeWec2, not only are DOD drops formed, but they do so with positive velocities.
Vapor-phase deposition of regioregular and oriented poly(3-hexylthiophene) structures and novel nanostructured composites of interpenetrating poly(3-hexylthiophene) and polyaniline exhibiting full-color wavelength (400–1000nm) photoluminescence
Authors: Biswas A. , Bayer I. S. , Karulkar P. C. , Tripathi A. , Avasthi D. K.
Published: October 2007

A promising solvent-free technique of electron-beam-assisted vapor-phase codeposition method is presented which allows uniform blending of different conjugated and nonconjugated polymers at the nanoscale. The technique allows direct incorporation of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer with different structural orientations into conventional and semiconducting polymers without fractionation or degradation of P3HT while maintaining the nanoscale morphology of deposited organic films. The results of fabricated novel nanostructured organic composites (∼100–200nm) comprising regioregular and oriented P3HT and different conjugated and nonconjugated polymers including selective assembly of P3HT nanonodules into a copolymer template are presented. We show a typical example of blending of P3HT and polyaniline (PANI) that formed a unique nanoscale morphology comprising interpenetrating networks of different shapes and sizes of nanospherulites (∼100nm) of P3HT in PANI. The so fabricated nanocomposites (∼200nm) exhibited remarkable broadband photoluminescence features covering the entire blue, green, and red wavelength regions between 400 and 1000nm. Such organic nanocomposites might be useful for flexible full-color screen flat panel displays and organic white-light solid-state lighting applications.