bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Localization and Physical Property Experiments Conducted by Opportunity at Meridiani Planum
Authors: Arvidson R. E. , Anderson R. C. , Bartlett P. , Bell J. F. , Christensen P. R. , Chu P. , Davis K. , Ehlmann B. L. , Golombek M. P. , Gorevan S. , Guinness E. A. , Haldemann A. F. C. , Herkenhoff K. E. , Landis G. , Li R. , Lindemann R. , Ming D. W. , Myrick T. , Parker T. , Richter L. , Seelos F. P. , Soderblom L. A. , Squyres S. W. , Sullivan R. J. , Wilson J.
Published: December 2004

The location of the Opportunity landing site was determined to better than 10-m absolute accuracy from analyses of radio tracking data. We determined Rover locations during traverses with an error as small as several centimeters using engineering telemetry and overlapping images. Topographic profiles generated from rover data show that the plains are very smooth from meter- to centimeter-length scales, consistent with analyses of orbital observations. Solar cell output decreased because of the deposition of airborne dust on the panels. The lack of dust-covered surfaces on Meridiani Planum indicates that high velocity winds must remove this material on a continuing basis. The low mechanical strength of the evaporitic rocks as determined from grinding experiments, and the abundance of coarse-grained surface particles argue for differential erosion of Meridiani Planum.
In Situ Evidence for an Ancient Aqueous Environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars
Authors: Squyres S. W. , Grotzinger J. P. , Arvidson R. E. , Bell J. F. , Calvin W. , Christensen P. R. , Clark B. C. , Crisp J. A. , Farrand W. H. , Herkenhoff K. E. , Johnson J. R. , Klingelhöfer G. , Knoll A. H. , McLennan S. M. , McSween H. Y. , Morris R. V. , Rice J. W. , Rieder R. , Soderblom L. A.
Published: December 2004

Sedimentary rocks at Eagle crater in Meridiani Planum are composed of fine-grained siliciclastic materials derived from weathering of basaltic rocks, sulfate minerals (including magnesium sulfate and jarosite) that constitute several tens of percent of the rock by weight, and hematite. Cross-stratification observed in rock outcrops indicates eolian and aqueous transport. Diagenetic features include hematite-rich concretions and crystal-mold vugs. We interpret the rocks to be a mixture of chemical and siliciclastic sediments with a complex diagenetic history. The environmental conditions that they record include episodic inundation by shallow surface water, evaporation, and desiccation. The geologic record at Meridiani Planum suggests that conditions were suitable for biological activity for a period of time in martian history.
Jarosite and Hematite at Meridiani Planum from Opportunity's Mössbauer Spectrometer
Authors: Klingelhöfer G. , Morris R. V. , Bernhardt B. , Schröder C. , Rodionov D. S. , de Souza P. A. , Yen A. , Gellert R. , Evlanov E. N. , Zubkov B. , Foh J. , Bonnes U. , Kankeleit E. , Gütlich P. , Ming D. W. , Renz F. , Wdowiak T. , Squyres S. W. , Arvidson R. E.
Published: December 2004

Mössbauer spectra measured by the Opportunity rover revealed four mineralogical components in Meridiani Planum at Eagle crater: jarosite- and hematite-rich outcrop, hematite-rich soil, olivine-bearing basaltic soil, and a pyroxene-bearing basaltic rock (Bounce rock). Spherules, interpreted to be concretions, are hematite-rich and dispersed throughout the outcrop. Hematitic soils both within and outside Eagle crater are dominated by spherules and their fragments. Olivine-bearing basaltic soil is present throughout the region. Bounce rock is probably an impact erratic. Because jarosite is a hydroxide sulfate mineral, its presence at Meridiani Planum is mineralogical evidence for aqueous processes on Mars, probably under acid-sulfate conditions.
Mineralogy at Meridiani Planum from the Mini-TES Experiment on the Opportunity Rover
Authors: Christensen P. R. , Wyatt M. B. , Glotch T. D. , Rogers A. D. , Anwar S. , Arvidson R. E. , Bandfield J. L. , Blaney D. L. , Budney C. , Calvin W. M. , Fallacaro A. , Fergason R. L. , Gorelick N. , Graff T. G. , Hamilton V. E. , Hayes A. G. , Johnson J. R. , Knudson A. T. , McSween H. Y. , Mehall G. L. , Mehall L. K. , Moersch J. E. , Morris R. V. , Smith M. D. , Squyres S. W. , Ruff S. W. , Wolff M. J.
Published: December 2004

The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) on Opportunity investigated the mineral abundances and compositions of outcrops, rocks, and soils at Meridiani Planum. Coarse crystalline hematite and olivine-rich basaltic sands were observed as predicted from orbital TES spectroscopy. Outcrops of aqueous origin are composed of 15 to 35% by volume magnesium and calcium sulfates [a high-silica component modeled as a combination of glass, feldspar, and sheet silicates (â¼20 to 30%)], and hematite; only minor jarosite is identified in Mini-TES spectra. Mini-TES spectra show only a hematite signature in the millimeter-sized spherules. Basaltic materials have more plagioclase than pyroxene, contain olivine, and are similar in inferred mineral composition to basalt mapped from orbit. Bounce rock is dominated by clinopyroxene and is close in inferred mineral composition to the basaltic martian meteorites. Bright wind streak material matches global dust. Waterlain rocks covered by unaltered basaltic sands suggest a change from an aqueous environment to one dominated by physical weathering.
Pancam Multispectral Imaging Results from the Opportunity Rover at Meridiani Planum
Authors: Bell J. F. , Squyres S. W. , Arvidson R. E. , Arneson H. M. , Bass D. , Calvin W. , Farrand W. H. , Goetz W. , Golombek M. , Greeley R. , Grotzinger J. , Guinness E. , Hayes A. G. , Hubbard M. Y. H. , Herkenhoff K. E. , Johnson M. J. , Johnson J. R. , Joseph J. , Kinch K. M. , Lemmon M. T. , Li R. , Madsen M. B. , Maki J. N. , Malin M. , McCartney E. , McLennan S. , McSween H. Y. , Ming D. W. , Morris R. V. , Dobrea E. Z. Noe , Parker T. J. , Proton J. , Rice J. W. , Seelos F. , Soderblom J. M. , Soderblom L. A. , Sohl-Dickstein J. N. , Sullivan R. J. , Weitz C. M. , Wolff M. J.
Published: December 2004

Panoramic Camera (Pancam) images from Meridiani Planum reveal a low-albedo, generally flat, and relatively rock-free surface. Within and around impact craters and fractures, laminated outcrop rocks with higher albedo are observed. Fine-grained materials include dark sand, bright ferric ironârich dust, angular rock clasts, and millimeter-size spheroidal granules that are eroding out of the laminated rocks. Spectra of sand, clasts, and one dark plains rock are consistent with mafic silicates such as pyroxene and olivine. Spectra of both the spherules and the laminated outcrop materials indicate the presence of crystalline ferric oxides or oxyhydroxides. Atmospheric observations show a steady decline in dust opacity during the mission. Astronomical observations captured solar transits by Phobos and Deimos and time-lapse observations of sunsets.
Genes Involved in the Synthesis and Degradation of Matrix Polysaccharide in
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
and
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Biofilms
Authors: Kaplan Jeffrey B. , Velliyagounder Kabilan , Ragunath Chandran , Rohde Holger , Mack Dietrich , Knobloch Johannes K.-M. , Ramasubbu Narayanan
Published: December 2004

Biofilms are composed of bacterial cells embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. A major component of the
Escherichia coli
biofilm matrix is PGA, a linear polymer of
N
-acetyl-
d
-glucosamine residues in β(1,6) linkage. PGA mediates intercellular adhesion and attachment of cells to abiotic surfaces. In this report, we present genetic and biochemical evidence that PGA is also a major matrix component of biofilms produced by the human periodontopathogen
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
and the porcine respiratory pathogen
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
. We also show that PGA is a substrate for dispersin B, a biofilm-releasing glycosyl hydrolase produced by
A. actinomycetemcomitans
, and that an orthologous dispersin B enzyme is produced by
A. pleuropneumoniae
. We further show that
A. actinomycetemcomitans
PGA cross-reacts with antiserum raised against polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, a staphylococcal biofilm matrix polysaccharide that is genetically and structurally related to PGA. Our findings confirm that PGA functions as a biofilm matrix polysaccharide in phylogenetically diverse bacterial species and suggest that PGA may play a role in intercellular adhesion and cellular detachment and dispersal in
A. actinomycetemcomitans
and
A. pleuropneumoniae
biofilms.
Dynamics and Control of Biofilms of the Oligotrophic Bacterium
Caulobacter crescentus
Authors: Entcheva-Dimitrov Plamena , Spormann Alfred M.
Published: December 2004

Caulobacter crescentus
is an oligotrophic α-proteobacterium with a complex cell cycle involving sessile-stalked and piliated, flagellated swarmer cells. Because the natural lifestyle of
C. crescentus
intrinsically involves a surface-associated, sessile state, we investigated the dynamics and control of
C. crescentus
biofilms developing on glass surfaces in a hydrodynamic system. In contrast to biofilms of the well-studied
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Escherichia coli
, and
Vibrio cholerae
,
C. crescentus
CB15 cells form biphasic biofilms, consisting predominantly of a cell monolayer biofilm and a biofilm containing densely packed, mushroom-shaped structures. Based on comparisons between the
C. crescentus
strain CB15 wild type and its holdfast (
hfsA
; ΔCC0095), pili (Δ
pilA-cpaF
::Ω
aac3
), motility (
motA
), flagellum (
flgH
) mutants, and a double mutant lacking holdfast and flagellum (
hfsA
;
flgH
), a model for biofilm formation in
C. crescentus
is proposed. For both biofilm forms, the holdfast structure at the tip of a stalked cell is crucial for mediating the initial attachment. Swimming motility by means of the single polar flagellum enhances initial attachment and enables progeny swarmer cells to escape from the monolayer biofilm. The flagellum structure also contributes to maintaining the mushroom structure. Type IV pili enhance but are not absolutely required for the initial adhesion phase. However, pili are essential for forming and maintaining the well-defined three-dimensional mushroom-shaped biofilm. The involvement of pili in mushroom architecture is a novel function for type IV pili in
C. crescentus
. These unique biofilm features demonstrate a spatial diversification of the
C. crescentus
population into a sessile, “stem cell”-like subpopulation (monolayer biofilm), which generates progeny cells capable of exploring the aqueous, oligotrophic environment by swimming motility and a subpopulation accumulating in large mushroom structures.
Conserved Repeat Motifs and Glucan Binding by Glucansucrases of Oral Streptococci and
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
Authors: Shah Deepan S. H. , Joucla Gilles , Remaud-Simeon Magali , Russell Roy R. B.
Published: December 2004

Glucansucrases of oral streptococci and
Leuconostoc mesenteroides
have a common pattern of structural organization and characteristically contain a domain with a series of tandem amino acid repeats in which certain residues are highly conserved, particularly aromatic amino acids and glycine. In some glucosyltransferases (GTFs) the repeat region has been identified as a glucan binding domain (GBD). Such GBDs are also found in several glucan binding proteins (GBP) of oral streptococci that do not have glucansucrase activity. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of 20 glucansucrases and GBP showed the widespread conservation of the 33-residue A repeat first identified in GtfI of
Streptococcus downei
. Site-directed mutagenesis of individual highly conserved residues in recombinant GBD of GtfI demonstrated the importance of the first tryptophan and the tyrosine-phenylalanine pair in the binding of dextran, as well as the essential contribution of a basic residue (arginine or lysine). A microplate binding assay was developed to measure the binding affinity of recombinant GBDs. GBD of GtfI was shown to be capable of binding glucans with predominantly α-1,3 or α-1,6 links, as well as alternating α-1,3 and α-1,6 links (alternan). Western blot experiments using biotinylated dextran or alternan as probes demonstrated a difference between the binding of streptococcal GTF and GBP and that of
Leuconostoc
glucansucrases. Experimental data and bioinformatics analysis showed that the A repeat motif is distinct from the 20-residue CW motif, which also has conserved aromatic amino acids and glycine and which occurs in the choline-binding proteins of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and other organisms.
Bacillus subtilisOperon Encoding a Membrane Receptor for Bacteriophage SPP1
Authors: São-José Carlos , Baptista Catarina , Santos Mário A.
Published: December 2004

The results reported here have identifiedyueBas the essential gene involved in irreversible binding of bacteriophage SPP1 toBacillus subtilis. First, a deletion in an SPP1-resistant (pha-2) strain, covering most of theyueBgene, could be complemented by a xylose-inducible copy ofyueBinserted atamyE. Second, disruption ofyueBby insertion of a pMutin4 derivative resulted in a phage resistance phenotype regardless of the presence or absence of IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside). YueB homologues are widely distributed in gram-positive bacteria. The protein Pip, which also serves as a phage receptor inLactococcus lactis, belongs to the same family.yueBencodes a membrane protein of ∼120 kDa, detected in immunoblots together with smaller forms that may be processed products arising from cleavage of its long extracellular domain. Insertional inactivation ofyueBand the surrounding genes indicated thatyueBis part of an operon which includes at least the upstream genesyukE,yukD,yukC, andyukBA. Disruption of each of the genes in the operon allowed efficient irreversible adsorption, provided thatyueBexpression was retained. Under these conditions, however, smaller plaques were produced, a phenotype which was particularly noticeable inyukEmutant strains. Interestingly, such reduction in plaque size was not correlated with a decreased adsorption rate. Overall, these results provide the first demonstration of a membrane-bound protein acting as a phage receptor inB. subtilisand suggest an additional involvement of theyukEoperon in a step subsequent to irreversible adsorption.
Involvement of SirABC in Iron-Siderophore Import inStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Dale Suzanne E. , Sebulsky M. Tom , Heinrichs David E.
Published: December 2004

Staphylococcus aureusSirA was previously identified as a lipoprotein, and SirB and SirC are thought to encode the transmembrane domains of an ABC transporter. Sir proteins show similarity to iron-siderophore transporters in several bacteria. Here, we show that the iron-regulatedsirABCoperon is divergently transcribed from thesbnoperon that encodes enzymes involved in the synthesis of staphylobactin, a recently described siderophore produced byS. aureus. Mutation of eithersirAorsirBincreased the resistance of iron-starvedS. aureusto streptonigrin and resulted in compromised growth in iron-restricted, but not iron-rich, media. We also demonstrated thatsirAandsirBmutants are compromised in the ability to transport iron complexed to staphylobactin but are not compromised for uptake of other iron complexes, such as ferric hydroxamates, ferric enterobactin, or ferric citrate. SirA- and SirB-deficientS. aureus, however, retain the ability to produce staphylobactin. Moreover, we found that transcription from thesbnoperon was increased, relative to the wild type, in bothsirAandsirBknockout strains, likely in response to an increased level of iron starvation in these cells. These results provide evidence of a role for these proteins in iron import inS. aureusand for full fitness of the bacterium in iron-restricted environments and demonstrate a function forS. aureusgenes encoding proteins involved in the transport of an endogenously produced siderophore.
Gene
ytkD
of
Bacillus subtilis
Encodes an Atypical Nucleoside Triphosphatase Member of the Nudix Hydrolase Superfamily
Authors: Xu WenLian , Jones Candice R. , Dunn Christopher A. , Bessman Maurice J.
Published: December 2004

Gene
ytkD
of
Bacillus subtilis
, a member of the Nudix hydrolase superfamily, has been cloned and expressed in
Escherichia coli
. The purified protein has been characterized as a nucleoside triphosphatase active on all of the canonical ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. Whereas all other nucleoside triphosphatase members of the superfamily release inorganic pyrophosphate and the cognate nucleoside monophosphate, YtkD hydrolyses nucleoside triphosphates in a stepwise fashion through the diphosphate to the monophosphate, releasing two molecules of inorganic orthophosphate. Contrary to a previous report, our enzymological and genetic studies indicate that
ytkD
is not an orthologue of
E. coli mutT
.
Effect of Mild Acid on Gene Expression in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Weinrick Brian , Dunman Paul M. , McAleese Fionnuala , Murphy Ellen , Projan Steven J. , Fang Yuan , Novick Richard P.
Published: December 2004

During staphylococcal growth in glucose-supplemented medium, the pH of a culture starting near neutrality typically decreases by about 2 units due to the fermentation of glucose. Many species can comfortably tolerate the resulting mildly acidic conditions (pH, ∼5.5) by mounting a cellular response, which serves to defend the intracellular pH and, in principle, to modify gene expression for optimal performance in a mildly acidic infection site. In this report, we show that changes in staphylococcal gene expression formerly thought to represent a glucose effect are largely the result of declining pH. We examine the cellular response to mild acid by microarray analysis and define the affected gene set as the mild acid stimulon. Many of the genes encoding extracellular virulence factors are affected, as are genes involved in regulation of virulence factor gene expression, transport of sugars and peptides, intermediary metabolism, and pH homeostasis. Key results are verified by gene fusion and Northern blot hybridization analyses. The results point to, but do not define, possible regulatory pathways by which the organism senses and responds to a pH stimulus.
Terminal Oxidases Are Essential To Bypass the Requirement for ResD for Full Pho Induction in
Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Schau Matthew , Eldakak Amr , Hulett F. Marion
Published: December 2004

The
Bacillus subtilis
Pho signal transduction network, which regulates the cellular response to phosphate starvation, integrates the activity of three signal transduction systems to regulate the level of the Pho response. This signal transduction network includes a positive feedback loop between the PhoP/PhoR and ResD/ResE two-component systems. Within this network, ResD is responsible for 80% of the Pho response. To date, the role of ResD in the generation of the Pho response has not been understood. Expression of two terminal oxidases requires ResD function, and expression of at least one terminal oxidase is needed for the wild-type Pho response. Previously, our investigators have shown that strains bearing mutations in
resD
are impaired for growth and acquire secondary mutations which compensate for the loss of the
a
-type terminal oxidases by allowing production of cytochrome
bd
. We report here that the expression of cytochrome
bd
in a Δ
resDE
background is sufficient to compensate for the loss of ResD for full Pho induction. A
ctaA
mutant strain, deficient in the production of heme A, has the same Pho induction phenotype as a Δ
resDE
strain. This demonstrates that the production of
a
-type terminal oxidases is the basis for the role of ResD in Pho induction. Terminal oxidases affect the redox state of the quinone pool. Reduced quinones inhibit PhoR autophosphorylation in vitro, consistent with a requirement for terminal oxidases for full Pho induction in vivo.
Cold Adaptation in the Antarctic Archaeon
Methanococcoides burtonii
Involves Membrane Lipid Unsaturation
Authors: Nichols David S. , Miller Matthew R. , Davies Noel W. , Goodchild Amber , Raftery Mark , Cavicchioli Ricardo
Published: December 2004

Direct analysis of membrane lipids by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry was used to demonstrate the role of unsaturation in ether lipids in the adaptation of
Methanococcoides burtonii
to low temperature. A proteomics approach using two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis, and a pathway for lipid biosynthesis was reconstructed from the
M. burtonii
draft genome sequence. The major phospholipids were archaeol phosphatidylglycerol, archaeol phosphatidylinositol, hydroxyarchaeol phosphatidylglycerol, and hydroxyarchaeol phosphatidylinositol. All phospholipid classes contained a series of unsaturated analogues, with the degree of unsaturation dependent on phospholipid class. The proportion of unsaturated lipids from cells grown at 4°C was significantly higher than for cells grown at 23°C. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase, farnesyl diphosphate synthase, and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase were identified in the expressed proteome, and most genes involved in the mevalonate pathway and processes leading to the formation of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylglycerol were identified in the genome sequence. In addition,
M. burtonii
encodes CDP-inositol and CDP-glycerol transferases and a number of homologs of the plant geranylgeranyl reductase. It therefore appears that the unsaturation of lipids may be due to incomplete reduction of an archaeol precursor rather than to a desaturase mechanism. This study shows that cold adaptation in
M. burtonii
involves specific changes in membrane lipid unsaturation. It also demonstrates that global methods of analysis for lipids and proteomics linked to a draft genome sequence can be effectively combined to infer specific mechanisms of key biological processes.
The F-ATPase Operon Promoter of
Streptococcus mutans
Is Transcriptionally Regulated in Response to External pH
Authors: Kuhnert Wendi L. , Zheng Guolu , Faustoferri Roberta C. , Quivey Robert G.
Published: December 2004

Streptococcus mutans
F-ATPase, the major component of the acid-adaptive response of the organism, is transcriptionally upregulated at low pH. Fusions of the F-ATPase promoter to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase indicated that pH-dependent expression is still observed with a short promoter that contains a domain conserved between streptococcal ATPase operons.
Influence of
l
-Leucine and
l
-Alanine on Lrp Regulation of
foo
, Coding for F165
1
, a Pap Homologue
Authors: Berthiaume Frédéric , Crost Cécile , Labrie Vincent , Martin Christine , Newman Elaine B. , Harel Josée
Published: December 2004

The
foo
operon encodes F165
1
fimbriae that belong to the P-regulatory family and are synthesized by septicemic
Escherichia coli
. Using an Lrp-deficient host and the
lrp
gene cloned under the arabinose pBAD promoter, we demonstrated that
foo
was transcribed proportionally to the amount of Lrp synthesized.
l
-Leucine and
l
-alanine decreased drastically the steady-state transcription of
foo
and modified phase variation, independently of the presence of FooI. Specific mutations in the C-terminal region of Lrp reduced or abolished the repressive effect of these amino acids, indicating that they modulate F165
1
by affecting Lrp.
Effects of high-salt diet on CYP450-4A ω-hydroxylase expression and active tone in mesenteric resistance arteries
Authors: Wang Jingli , Roman Richard J. , Falck John R. , de la Cruz Lourdes , Lombard Julian H.
Published: December 2004

This study investigated the role of changes in the expression of the cytochrome P-450 4A (CYP450-4A) enzymes that produce 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) in modulating the responses of rat mesenteric resistance arteries to norepinephrine (NE) and reduced Po2 after short-term (3-day) changes in dietary salt intake. The CYP450-4A2, -4A3, and -4A8 isoforms were all detected by RT-PCR in arteries obtained from rats fed a high-salt (HS, 4% NaCl) diet, whereas only the CYP450-4A3 isoform was detected in vessels from rats fed a low-salt (LS, 0.4% NaCl) diet. Expression of the 51-kDa CYP450-4A protein was significantly increased by a HS diet. Inhibiting 20-HETE synthesis with 30 μM N-methylsulfonyl-12,12-dibromododec-11-enamide (DDMS) reduced the vasoconstrictor response to NE in arteries obtained from rats fed either a LS or HS diet, but NE sensitivity after DDMS treatment was significantly lower in vessels from rats on a HS diet. DDMS treatment also restored the vasodilator response to reduced Po2 that was impaired in arteries from rats on a HS diet. These findings suggest that 1) a HS diet increases the expression of CYP450-4A enzymes in the mesenteric vasculature, 2) 20-HETE contributes to the vasoconstrictor response to NE in mesenteric resistance arteries, 3) the contribution of 20-HETE to the vasoconstrictor response to NE is greater in rats fed a HS diet than in rats fed a LS diet, and 4) upregulation of the production of 20-HETE contributes to the impaired dilation of mesenteric resistance arteries in response to hypoxia in rats fed a HS diet.
Interhemispheric Coupling of Corticospinal Excitability Is Suppressed During Voluntary Muscle Activation
Authors: Pearce Sophie L. , Thompson Philip D. , Nordstrom Michael A.
Published: December 2004

Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) show a trial-to-trial variation in size at rest that is positively correlated for muscles of the same, and opposite, upper limbs. To investigate the mechanisms responsible for this we have examined the effect of voluntary activation on the correlated fluctuations of MEP size. In 8 subjects TMS was concurrently applied to the motor cortex of each hemisphere using 2 figure-8 coils. MEPs ( n = 50) were recorded from left and right first dorsal interosseous (FDI), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), and extensor digitorum communis. At rest, MEPs were significantly positively correlated for pairs of muscles of the same (75% of comparisons) and opposite limb (56% of comparisons). The correlation for within-limb muscle pairs was strongest for FDI and ADM. In contrast, between-limb MEP correlations showed no somatotopic organization. Voluntary activation reduced the strength of MEP correlations between limbs, even for muscle pairs that remained at rest while a remote upper limb muscle was active. In contrast, activation of a remote muscle did not affect the strength of MEP correlation for muscle pairs within the same limb that remained at rest. For within-limb comparisons, activation of one or both muscles of a pair reduced the strength of the MEP correlation, but to a lesser extent than for between-limb pairs. It is concluded that the process linking corticospinal excitability in the two hemispheres is suppressed during voluntary activation, and that different processes contribute to common fluctuations in MEP size for muscles within the same limb.
Law and Custom in the Popular Legal Culture of North Africa
Authors: Rosen Lawrence
Published: December 2004

Focusing on a series of instances from the Islamic courts of North Africa, the present article argues that custom does not stand apart from the sacred law but is seen by its adherents as itself Islamic and hence indissolubly linked to Islamic law. Local practice and universalizing principles of the sharīʿa thus merge in popular conceptualizations. Legal officials also share in the recognition of custom as part of the shariʾa, thus contributing to the overall legitimacy of the sharīʿa and to its capacity to respond to changing circumstances.
Barnabas 4.6b: the Exegetical Implications of a Textual Problem
Authors: Rhodes James
Published: December 2004

Among early Christian writings the Epistle of Barnabas is remarkable for the claim that Israel lost its covenant forever at Sinai because of its worship of the golden calf. What is less clear is whether Barnabas's interest in this event is driven primarily by polemical, paraenetic, or abstract theological concerns. Contributing to this uncertainty is a notorious text-critical problem at Barn. 4.6b where the author first raises the issue of Israel's debacle at Sinai. Although commentators have shown a pronounced preference for the reading preserved by the Latin version of Barnabas, this article concludes that the deference shown to the Latin reading is unwarranted. The author postulates a conservative emendation of the Greek text as superior to the Latin reading on both transcriptional and exegetical grounds.
War against the Family: Domestic Violence and Human Rights in Russia - A View from the Bashkortostan Republic
Authors: Zakirova Venera
Published: December 2004

Although the former Soviet totalitarian structures are being dismantled, new forms of political, economic and social organizations are not yet in place. In Communist Russia, the family as an ideological institution shaped official family policy. The contemporary transformation of Russian society has inevitably touched family life and women’s roles within it. This article presents an analysis of domestic violence in Russia, and makes recommendations for social action, legislation, social condemnation and the women’s movement.
Service design, culture and performance: Collusion and co-production in health care
Authors: Hyde Paula , Davies Huw T.O.
Published: December 2004

While there is emerging evidence to suggest that (organizational) culture can affect the performance and quality of health services, little attention has been directed at how these relationships might be mediated, facilitated or attenuated by aspects of service design (i.e. those arrangements that combine facilities, staff and service users in the co-production of care). Using two case studies set in mental health services, this article explores how both culture and performance may be viewed as emergent properties of service design configurations. Thus central to ideas of service re-design should be notions of service users as the co-producers (with staff) of both organizational culture and organizational performance, as well as a clearer understanding of how such co-production processes are modulated by specific design configurations.
Explaining the process of innovation: The dynamic reconciliation of action and structure
Authors: Hung Shih-Chang
Published: December 2004

Problems of action and structure underpin key issues in research on innovation processes. The question of entrepreneurial activity is an enduring one, from the risk-taking actor debate right through to recent discussions of strategic leadership and new venturing for wealth creation. But we can also detect deterministic tendencies in those arguments that find innovation activity defined by the sector’s institutionalized regime or paradigm. To this extent, concern for the reconciliation of action and structure has been particularly neglected. Drawing on insights from structuration theory, institutionalism and resource dependence, this article develops a new model that attempts to reconcile the action-structure dichotomy in the innovation process in industry. The article concludes by considering the implications of this model for issues of life cycle effects, technology strategy and systems of innovation.
Contested Masculine Spaces in Greek Orthodoxy
Authors: Sotiriu Eleni
Published: December 2004

The main controversies connected with the “issue of women” in contemporary Greek Orthodoxy concern their exclusion from the ministerial and sacramental orders of the church as well as from entering Mount Athos. There is a conspicuous absence of strong sentiments and reactions on the part of Greek women regarding this exclusion. Consequently, the main challenges to these exclusionary positions are coming not so much from within Greek society itself, but rather from outside, forcing Orthodox hierarchs and theologians as well as the state to respond. This article aims at exposing and analysing some of these responses showing how tradition and certain feminine images are used to project these controversial issues not as a “battle between the sexes”, but rather as one between Orthodoxy, Greekness and the West.
Bonding and Bridging Social Capital: Reflections from Belfast
Authors: Leonard Madeleine
Published: December 2004

The purpose of this article is to question whether the concept of social capital has anything original to offer for understanding why some communities have weaker networks compared to others. Drawing on an empirical example from Belfast, the article illustrates that the themes embedded in social capital have a long history. Moreover, rather than a benign phenomenon, social capital excludes as well as includes community members within its networks. While Putnam (2000) tries to deal with this negative effect through his distinction between ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ social capital, his analysis is flawed. Moving from bonding to bridging social capital is beset with contradictions. In order to set in motion the framework for bridging social capital to emerge, the conditions that led to the development of bonding social capital need to be undermined. However, removing the rationale for the existence of bonding social capital by no means ensures that the path is paved for the development of bridging social capital.The article examines some of the problematic aspects of this transition through an examination of community networks and relationships in one Catholic community in West Belfast. Here, the wider political conflict in Northern Ireland facilitated the development of bonding social capital, while the peace process provided opportunities for bridging social capital to strengthen and develop. The example indicates that the exclusion aspect of social capital persists in the transition from bonding to bridging social capital.
Family Support During the Transition Out of the Parental Home in Britain, Spain and Norway
Authors: Holdsworth Clare
Published: December 2004

This article explores how family support is negotiated for young people either living at home or in the process of leaving home in three European countries: Britain, Spain and Norway. Using qualitative data collected from parents and adult children, I examine what kinds of support are provided, how different strategies of giving and receiving support are adopted, and how young people and parents view the role of the state. Family support emerges as a key factor in facilitating leaving home transitions in all three countries, though the strategies for giving support vary. In particular, greater emphasis is placed on young people learning about responsibility in Britain and Norway, while Spanish families identify more closely with maintaining young people’s material well-being.
Neighbouring in Later Life: The Influence of Socio-Economic Resources, Gender and Household Composition on Neighbourly Relationships
Authors: Perren Kim , Arber Sara , Davidson Kate
Published: December 2004

Positive neighbourly relationships offer sociability and the opportunity to give and receive practical support. This mode of social interaction may be particularly important in later life, when people spend more time around the home andare increasingly likely to live alone. Building on a political economy perspective, this article uses the General Household Survey 2000 to explore three formsof neighbourly contact in later life: frequent conversations, doing favours and receiving favours. We find that socio-economic assets, such as home- and carownership, increase the likelihood both of having done a favour for a neighbour and of having received one. In later life, men are more likely than women to have frequent conversations with their neighbours; however, there is an interaction between gender and household composition in the exchange of favours. Among women, living alone increases the likelihood of providing and receiving favours; whereas among men, living alone decreases engagement in these forms of neighbourly social interaction.This gender difference may contribute to the elevated risk of social isolation among lone older men.
‘Mostly Roughs and Toughs’: Social Class, Race and Representation in Inner City Schooling
Authors: Reay Diane
Published: December 2004

Drawing on an ESRC funded project of children’s transitions to secondary schools in two London boroughs, this article works with spatial metaphors (Lefebvre, 1991; Shields, 1991) in order to interrogate dominant representations of inner city schools, but also to present the children’s own views and experiences of inner city schooling. It examines the processes through which certain secondary schools and certain groups of children come to be demonized in local and wider social imaginaries, exploring both the impact of damaging discourses of demonization and the connections between social and psychic realities in the increasing segregation and polarization of inner London secondary schools. Race and racism, as well as social class and gender, enter powerfully into representations of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ schools and the article examines the consequences of such representations for both middle- and working-class children and their families.The article concludes with a discussion of the wider issues of social justice raised by growing processes of demonization and polarization.
Postcards from the Edge: Local Communities, Global Programs and Boundary Objects
Authors: Sapsed Jonathan , Salter Ammon
Published: December 2004

This paper considers the limitations of project management tools as boundary objects within dispersed or global programs of teamwork. The concept of boundary object is receiving growing attention in the management literature. These artefacts are argued to provide a basis for negotiation and knowledge exchange between differentiated communities of practice. The paper assesses these claims theoretically and empirically in the context of global projects. Theoretically it draws on the literatures on boundary objects, dispersed work and project management tools and organization. The paper then analyses a case study of a global program in a major computing corporation. The program spanned numerous geographical sites across the US, Europe and Japan as well as several functional communities of practice including production, services, sales, IT and company registry. The method involved interviews with 33 program managers at six sites and analysis of program management devices such as integrated timelines, online status reporting tools and modular roadmaps. The paper argues that in dispersed programs where there is no opportunity for face-to-face interaction, and/or ambiguous lines of authority, project management tools will be ineffectual as boundary objects and prone to avoidance. Boundary objects are inherently limited precisely because of their marginal nature, the effects of which are exacerbated in diverse and dispersed programs.
Communities and drugs: Beyond the rhetoric of community action
Authors: McKeganey Neil , Neale Joanne , Parkin Stephen , Mills Carl
Published: December 2004

Involving communities in developing locally based initiatives to tackle the problem of illegal drugs is a cornerstone of the UK drug strategy. Whilst the notion of rebuilding communities is very much at the heart of New Labour polices, the notion of community itself has been criticized for assuming a commonality of interests on the part of what are often diverse and conflicting voices within communities. In this article we consider the potential for community based action of a kind envisaged within the UK drug strategy, within a community in Scotland that has a substantial local drug problem. On the basis of ethnographic research within this community we identified profoundly anti-drug user sentiments on the part of residents, coupled with concerns about anti-social behaviour on the part of young people and a sense of failure on the part of the police to maintain public safety. Drug users also articulated a sense of exclusion from the community in which they had grown up. In advance of developing locally based initiatives to tackle the drugs problem in the area it will be necessary to re-establish a sense of safety on the part of community members and to develop a greater degree of understanding and trust between the various factions within the community, including between those using illegal drugs and those not using illegal drugs. It is suggested that one way in which this could be facilitated is through a community based restorative justice process tied to concrete programmes of community development and possibly funded on the basis of seized assets from known drug dealers.
The new drugs interventions industry: What outcomes can drugs/criminal justice treatment programmes realistically deliver?
Authors: Parker Howard
Published: December 2004

The aspirational goal of significant crime reduction through delivering drugs treatment interventions at all points of the criminal justice system cannot be easily achieved. Mainstream drugs services do not yet have the capacity or competence to routinely deliver effective treatment outcomes. Moreover, local ad hoc inter-agency partnerships do not provide a robust delivery system for such an ambitious and complex national project. The government’s fast-track approach risks setting this developing industry up to under perform. A patient evidencebased approach is required, which recognizes that modernizing the whole drugs treatment sector will be more cost effective, in the long run, than over-reliance on ambitious criminal justice interventions.
Dimensions of forgiveness: The views of laypersons
Authors: Younger Jarred W. , Piferi Rachel L. , Jobe Rebecca L. , Lawler Kathleen A.
Published: December 2004

Many conceptualizations of forgiveness currently exist in the forgiveness literature. The present study adds another perspective to the forgiveness discussion by investigating lay definitions of forgiveness, as well as reasons for forgiveness and nonforgiveness. In Study 1, undergraduate students completed a questionnaire packet in which they provided three narratives of interpersonal offense: a time when they had been hurt and then forgave the offender, a time when they had been hurt and did not forgive, and a time when they had hurt someone else and were forgiven. Respondents were also asked questions about their conceptualization of forgiveness and the factors that influence their decisions to forgive or not forgive. In Study 2, community adults participated in interviews during which they described a time when they had been betrayed or hurt. Following their story, participants answered questions about their definitions of and motivations for forgiveness. A number of important themes in forgiveness definition and motivation are identified, and important similarities and differences between the under-graduate and community samples are discussed. In particular, it is noted that primary motivations for forgiveness appear to be largely self-focused, rather than altruistic.
People’s Watchdogs or Government Poodles?
Authors: Robertson John W.
Published: December 2004

From the First World War to the Iraq War in 2003, academics have analysed the performance of the media, especially the press, in fulfilling a watchdog role by offering an independent critique of government and military actions. The overrepresentation of government or military voices and the underrepresentation of other affected groups has been repeatedly asserted. National broadsheet newspapers represent a critical element in a nation’s public sphere, ideally fulfilling a ‘watchdog’ function on behalf of the citizenry, and so attract higher expectations of quality than tabloids or, arguably, television. This study, using a content analysis of Scotland’s two national broadsheets, The Herald and The Scotsman, reveals an over whelming emphasis on reporting military achievements or movements. By contrast, the massive damage to infrastructure, to public health and the environment and to civil order, resulting from massive high ordnance bombing and from the destruction of institutions of law and order, received very little attention. Furthermore, out of 2775 reports, only a very small number, given the scale of the fatalities and injuries, covered the daily toll of civilians and only a tiny handful featured the voices of Iraqis or other Arab/Islamic groups. Following theoretical pieces on Hermann and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model by Klaehn and by Corner, this article offers an empirically based context within which to consider the debate. In addition, the extent to which these results offer evidence of the accuracy or otherwise of Livingston and Eachus’s Indexing Hypothesis and Edward Said’s Orientalism is discussed.
Conflict, Gender, Ethnicity and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
Authors: Handrahan Lori
Published: December 2004

This article introduces the concept of ethnicity in relation to gendered security problems in conflict and post-conflict settings. Feminist research has established that men and women experience conflict and post-conflict situations differently owing to issues of identity and power. National and gendered identities and women’s disadvantageous location within global and local power structures combine to put women at risk, while simultaneously providing little room for them to voice their security problems. Theories on women as female boundary-makers show how ethnicity appears in part to be created, maintained and socialized through male control of gender identities, and how women’s fundamental human rights and dignity are often caught up in male power struggles. In post-conflict settings, gender construction appears to be further complicated by both nationalagendas of identity formation and re-formation, which often include an ethnic focus, and the presence of a competing ‘fraternity’ as aconsequence of the arrival of the international community.
Trust in a ‘Post-Socialist Region’
Authors: Nuissl Henning
Published: December 2004

As trust is essential for close mutual cooperation, trust between entrepreneurs running SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) has been increasingly acknowledged as an important factor in regional economic development. However, one of the main problems of post-socialist economies is that the increased need for entrepreneurial trust is thwarted by conditions discouraging the creation of trust. In order to investigate this problem, an empirical study was carried out among ICT entrepreneurs in eastern Germany to examine the main aspects of trust identified in the recent literature on SMEs and entrepreneurship. The findings revealed that although barriers impeding the emergence of inter-entrepreneurial trust do not necessarily exist in a lagging, transforming region such as eastern Germany, its development may prove more difficult than elsewhere. Problems can be attributed to ‘legacies of socialism’ in the knowledge patterns of ‘post-socialist entrepreneurs’ and, more importantly, their perception of a general lack of market power. However, actual problems of building entrepreneurial trust can usually be resolved by careful reflection on the part of those concerned.
Outward Processing, EU Enlargement and Regional Relocation in the European Textiles and Clothing Industry: Reflections on the European Commission’s Communication on ‘the Future of the Textiles and Clothing Sector in the Enlarged European Union’
Authors: Smith Adrian , Pickles John , Begg Robert , Roukova Poli , Buček Milan
Published: December 2004

The European clothing industry faces a number of important challenges which have been at the forefront of policy thinking across the European Union and beyond. This paper provides a set of reflections on the European Commission’s recent Communication on the future of the industry in Europe in the light of pressures of liberalization, globalization and EU enlargement. Based upon ongoing research on the restructuring of the Central and East European clothing sector, the paper highlights the limits of the outward-processing model of production that has dominated east-west interactions in this sector. It also examines the uneven role of upgrading and emerging design capacity in the industry, the role and limits of clothing-industry clusters in the new member states, and considers the role of ‘countermarkets’ in the pan-European clothing-contracting system.