bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spore dispersal of Endogonaceae by worms, ants, wasps, and birds
Authors: McIlveen W. D. , Cole Jr. H.
Published: September 2008

Soil in earthworm casts (Lumbricus terrestris L.), ant castings (Formicidae), robin nests (Turdus migratorius L.), barn swallow nests (Hirundo erythrogaster Bodd.), and mud dauber wasp nests (Trypoxyloninae, Sphecinae) was examined for spores of Endogonaceae. Air-dried samples of worm casts, robin nests, or swallow nests added to steamed soil resulted in development of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae in the roots of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. 'Amsoy 71'). The results obtained indicate that organisms which transport soil may also disperse spores of Endogonaceae. In view of the large quantities of soil turned over by earthworms annually, these organisms may play a direct role in the vertical distribution of Endogonaceae in soil profiles. In addition through transport of castings by water runoff earthworms may play an indirect role in lateral distribution.
Effect of salinity on photosynthesis and mannitol synthesis in the green flagellate Platymonas suecica
Authors: Hellebust Johan A.
Published: September 2008

Platymonas suecica, a brackish-water green flagellate belonging to the Prasinophyceae, grows almost at the same rate over a salinity range of 20–200% normal seawater, and at lower growth rates at salinities as high as 300% or as low as 10% seawater. Both cell size and carbon content increase significantly at salinities above 200% seawater, and there is a linear increase in intracellular mannitol concentration with increasing salinites from 50 to 300% seawater. This relationship between salinity and mannitol content indicates that mannitol is probably involved in osmoregulation in this alga. Photosynthesis is relatively little affected when cells adapted to low salinities are transferred to high salinities, while high-salinity-adapted cells suffer a temporary loss of much of their photosynthetic capacity when transferred to low salinities. It appears that this temporary loss of photosynthetic capacity in response to osmotic shock is due to a non-specific release of soluble cell constituents, including mannitol and amino acids, followed by regain of normal permeability properties and readjustment of cellular composition to the new osmotic environment.
The growth and development of the leaf in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). II. Leaf ontogeny
Authors: Coleman Warren K. , Greyson Richard I.
Published: September 2008

Ontogenetic studies of compound leaves which develop their lateral appendages in basipetal sequence are rare. The histogenesis of the compound leaf in Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Farthest North was followed with emphasis placed on the differentiation of the major and minor venation in true leaf number 3, using whole, cleared leaflets and transverse and paradermal microtome sections. The primary vein procambium develops acropetally and continuously into the base of the 50-μ(micron)-long leaf primordium and is observed at the tip of 200-μ-long leaves. Correlated with this event, marginal meristem activity in the apical region of the peg-like leaf primordium begins to form the lamina of the terminal leaflet. External phloem is also observed in the basal region of the primordium at this stage. Slightly later, isolated stem and leaf loci of xylem initiation are observed. Secondary vein procambium is observed initially in the terminal leaflet when the leaf is 250 to 400 μ long. The subterminal lateral leaflets appear as small bulges on the differentiating rachis during this stage. A previously undescribed marginal vein differentiates basipetally from the leaflet tips and interconnects with derivatives of the secondary and minor veins. Discrete ontogenetic stages were recognized in minor veins as they developed from the upper spongy mesophyll layer in continuity with previously differentiated veins. Vein-ending formation was a random process and appeared to depend upon the maturation stage of the surrounding veins. Histological evidence was uncovered to support the concept of ‘morphological fields’ in terms of a close interplay between planes of mesophyll cell division and subsequent minor vein development.
Perforation and lysis of spores of Cochliobolus sativus and Thielaviopsis basicola in natural soils
Authors: Old K. M. , Patrick Z. A.
Published: September 2008

Conidia of Cochliobolus sativus and chlamydospores of Thielaviopsis basicola were perforated and lysed when incubated in soil from several locations in Canada. Perforations, ranging in size from 0.2 to 5.0 microns (μ) in diameter, were caused by some member of the soil microbiota. Specific causal agents have not been identified. However, observations by electron microscopy of the surface microflora of spores suggest that holes up to0.5 μ diameter are probably the result of direct penetration of the spore wall by soil bacteria. Larger holes appear to be a result of microbial erosion within annular depressions in the spore surfaces. Perforating agents could be transferred from one fungus to the other.In some of the soils tested, 100% of the spores became perforated and underwent lysis. Pasteurization removed the perforating agent from the soils. A measure of perforating activity was retained in soil that had been fumigated with ‘Telone C’ (mixture containing 85% 1,3-dichloropropene and 15% chloropicrin) at the rate of 30 gal/acre.
METADATA RANKING AND PRUNING FOR FAILURE DETECTION IN GRIDS
Authors: ZEINALIPOUR-YAZTI DEMETRIOS , PAPADAKIS HARRIS , GEORGIOU CHRYSSIS , DIKAIAKOS MARIOS D.
Published: September 2008

The objective of Grid computing is to make processing power as accessible and easy to use as electricity and water. The last decade has seen an unprecedented growth in Grid infrastructures which nowadays enables large-scale deployment of applications in the scientific computation domain. One of the main challenges in realizing the full potential of Grids is making these systems dependable.

In this paper we present FailRank, a novel framework for integrating and ranking information sources that characterize failures in a grid system. After the failing sites have been ranked, these can be eliminated from the job scheduling resource pool yielding in that way a more predictable, dependable and adaptive infrastructure. We also present the tools we developed towards evaluating the FailRank framework. In particular, we present the FailBase Repository which is a 38GB corpus of state information that characterizes the EGEE Grid for one month in 2007. Such a corpus paves the way for the community to systematically uncover new, previously unknown patterns and rules between the multitudes of parameters that can contribute to failures in a Grid environment. Additionally, we present an experimental evaluation study of the FailRank system over 30 days which shows that our framework identifies failures in 93% of the cases and can achieve this by only fetching 65% of the available information sources. We believe that our work constitutes another important step towards realizing adaptive Grid computing systems.
OPTIMIZING DATA DISTRIBUTION IN DESKTOP GRID PLATFORMS
Authors: COSTA FERNANDO , SILVA LUIS , FEDAK GILLES , KELLEY IAN
Published: September 2008

Current infrastructures for Volunteer Computing follow a centralized architecture for data distribution, creating a potential bottleneck when tasks require large input files or the central server has limited bandwidth. In this paper we propose two new data models for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC): an approach based on the popular BitTorrent protocol; and a Content Delivery Network approach. While the latter remains on a theoretical level, we developed a prototype that adds BitTorrent functionality for task distribution and conducted medium-scale tests of the environment. Our preliminary results indicate that the BitTorrent client had a negligible influence on the BOINC client's computation time. The BOINC server showed an unexpectedly low bandwidth output when seeding the file, as well as spikes on CPU usage. This paper discusses the tests that were performed, how they were evaluated, as well as some improvements that could be made in future research on both approaches.
FLEXIBLE 3D OBJECT RECOGNITION FRAMEWORK USING 2D VIEWS VIA A SIMILARITY-BASED ASPECT-GRAPH APPROACH
Authors: HU JWU-SHENG , SU TZUNG-MIN
Published: September 2008

This work presents a flexible framework for recognizing 3D objects from 2D views. Similarity-based aspect-graph, which contains a set of aspects and prototypes for these aspects, is employed to represent the database of 3D objects. An incremental database construction method that maximizes the similarity of views in the same aspect and minimizes the similarity of prototypes is proposed as the core of the framework to build and update the aspect-graph using 2D views randomly sampled from a viewing sphere. The proposed framework is evaluated on various object recognition problems, including 3D object recognition, human posture recognition and scene recognition. Shape and color features are employed in different applications with the proposed framework and the top three matching rates show the efficiency of the proposed method.
USING INSTANCE CLONING TO IMPROVE NAIVE BAYES FOR RANKING
Authors: JIANG LIANGXIAO , WANG DIANHONG , ZHANG HARRY , CAI ZHIHUA , HUANG BO
Published: September 2008

Improving naive Bayes (simply NB)15,28 for classification has received significant attention. Related work can be broadly divided into two approaches: eager learning and lazy learning.1 Different from eager learning, the key idea for extending naive Bayes using lazy learning is to learn an improved naive Bayes for each test instance. In recent years, several lazy extensions of naive Bayes have been proposed. For example, LBR,30 SNNB,27 and LWNB.8 All these algorithms aim to improve naive Bayes' classification performance. Indeed, they achieve significant improvement in terms of classification, measured by accuracy. In many real-world data mining applications, however, an accurate ranking is more desirable than an accurate classification. Thus a natural question is whether they also achieve significant improvement in terms of ranking, measured by AUC (the area under the ROC curve).2,11,17 Responding to this question, we conduct experiments on the 36 UCI data sets18 selected by Weka12 to investigate their ranking performance and find that they do not significantly improve the ranking performance of naive Bayes. Aiming at scaling up naive Bayes' ranking performance, we present a novel lazy method ICNB (instance cloned naive Bayes) and develop three ICNB algorithms using different instance cloning strategies. We empirically compare them with naive Bayes. The experimental results show that our algorithms achieve significant improvement in terms of AUC. Our research provides a simple but effective method for the applications where an accurate ranking is desirable.
The approximability of MAX CSP with fixed-value constraints
Authors: Deineko Vladimir , Jonsson Peter , Klasson Mikael , Krokhin Andrei
Published: September 2008

In the maximum constraint satisfaction problem (MAX CSP), one is given a finite collection of (possibly weighted) constraints on overlapping sets of variables, and the goal is to assign values from a given finite domain to the variables so as to maximize the number (or the total weight, for the weighted case) of satisfied constraints. This problem is NP-hard in general, and, therefore, it is natural to study how restricting the allowed types of constraints affects the approximability of the problem. In this article, we show that any MAX CSP problem with a finite set of allowed constraint types, which includes all fixed-value constraints (i.e., constraints of the form
x
=
a
), is either solvable exactly in polynomial time or else is APX-complete, even if the number of occurrences of variables in instances is bounded. Moreover, we present a simple description of all polynomial-time solvable cases of our problem. This description relies on the well-known algebraic combinatorial property of supermodularity.
On a New Integral‐Type Operator from the Weighted Bergman Space tothe Bloch‐Type Space on the Unit Ball
Authors: Stević Stevo
Published: September 2008

We introduce an integral‐type operator, denoted by ,
on the space of holomorphic functions on the unit ball , which is an extension of the product of composition and
integral operators on the unit disk. The operator norm of
from the weighted Bergman space to the
Bloch‐type space or the little Bloch‐type
space is calculated. The compactness
of the operator is characterized in terms of inducing functions
g and φ. Upper and lower bounds for the essential norm
of the operator ,
when p > 1, are also given.
Cross‐Species Differential Plasma Protein Binding of MBX‐102/JNJ39659100: A Novel PPAR‐γAgonist
Authors: Clarke Holly J. , Gregoire Francine , Ma Fang , Martin Robert , Zhao Spring , Lavan Brian E.
Published: September 2008

Drug binding to plasma proteins restricts their free and active concentrations, thereby affecting their pharmacokinetic properties. Species differences in plasma protein levels complicate the understanding of interspecies pharmacodynamic and toxicological effects. MBX‐102 acid/JNJ39659100 is a novel PPAR‐γagonist in development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Studies were performed to evaluate plasma protein binding to MBX‐102 acid and evaluate species differences in free drug levels. Equilibrium dialysis studies demonstrated that MBX‐102 acid is highly bound (>98%) to human, rat and mouse albumin and that free MBX‐102 acid levels are higher in rodent than in human plasma. Interspecies differences in free drug levels were further studied using PPAR‐γtransactivation assays and a newly developed PPAR‐γcorepressor displacement (biochemical) assay. PPAR‐γtransactivation and corepressor displacement by MBX‐102 acid was higher in rat and mouse serum than human serum. These results confirm the relevance of interspecies differences in free MBX‐102 acid levels.
Novel Production Method for Plant Polyphenol from Livestock Excrement Using Subcritical Water Reaction
Authors: Yamamoto Mayu , Futamura Yasuhiro , Fujioka Kouki , Yamamoto Kenji
Published: September 2008

Plant polyphenol, including vanillin, is often used as the intermediate materials of the medicines and vanilla flavoring. In agriculture generally vanillin is produced from vanilla plant and in industry from lignin of disposed wood pulp. We have recently developed a method for the production of plant polyphenol with the excrement as a natural resource of lignin, of the herbivorous animals, by using the subcritical water. The method for using the subcritical water is superior to that of the supercritical water because in the latter complete decomposition occurs. We have successfully produced the vanillin, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and syringic acid in products. Our method is simpler and more efficient not only because it requires the shorter treatment time but also because it releases less amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
[Retracted] Rosiglitazone Suppresses the Growth and Invasiveness of SGC‐7901 Gastric Cancer Cells and Angiogenesis In Vitro via PPARγ Dependent and Independent Mechanisms
Authors: He Qing , Pang Ruiping , Song Xin , Chen Jie , Chen Huixin , Chen Baili , Hu Pinjin , Chen Minhu
Published: September 2008

Although thiazolidinediones (TZDs) were found to be ligands for peroxisome proliferators‐activated receptorγ (PPARγ), the mechanism by which TZDs exert their anticancer effect remains unclear. Furthermore, the effect of TZDs on metastatic and angiogenesis potential of cancer cells is unknown. Our results in this paper show that rosiglitazone inhibited SGC‐7901 gastric cancer cells growth, caused G1 cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner. The effects of rosiglitazone on SGC‐7901 cancer cells were completely reversed by treatment with PPARγ antagonist GW9662. Rosiglitazone inhibited SGC‐7901 cell migration, invasiveness, and the expression of MMP‐2 in dose‐dependent manner via PPARγ‐independent manner. Rosiglitazone reduced the VEGF induced angiogenesis of HUVEC in dose‐dependent manner through PPAR_‐dependent pathway. Moreover, rosiglitazone did not affect the expression of VEGF by SGC‐7901 cells. Our results demonstrated that by PPARγ ligand, rosiglitazone inhibited growth and invasiveness of SGC‐7901 gastric cancer cells and angiogenesis in vitro via PPARγ‐dependent or ‐independent pathway.
The Translational Research Working Group Developmental Pathway for Image-Based Assessment Modalities
Authors: Dorfman Gary S. , Sullivan Daniel C. , Schnall Mitchell D. , Matrisian Lynn M. ,   for the Translational Research Working Group
Published: September 2008

The Image-based assessment modality (IM) pathway refers to one of six Translational Research Working Group (TRWG) pathways that, together, describe the core domains of early translational cancer research. This pathway focuses on approaches that are based on the interaction of energy and living organisms to analyze tissue noninvasively so as to reveal properties relevant to the detection, diagnosis, or prognosis of cancer and precancer; or the response of the cancer to therapy. Examples include, but are not limited to, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, as well as contemporary contrast agents designed to probe specific molecular constituents of tumors. The IM pathway is presented as a general outline of the steps required for the effective development, optimization, testing, and validation of image-based modalities. The distinctive features of the IM pathway and issues encountered that represent obstacles to effective and efficient progress through the pathway are discussed. The IM pathway also forms a framework to identify opportunities to address current barriers and is expected to adapt and evolve as the field advances.
Translational Research Working Group Developmental Pathway for Biospecimen-Based Assessment Modalities
Authors: Srivastava Sudhir , Gray Joe W. , Reid Brian J. , Grad Oren , Greenwood Addison , Hawk Ernest T. ,   for the Translational Research Working Group
Published: September 2008

The Translational Research Working Group (TRWG) was created as a national initiative to evaluate the current status of National Cancer Institute's investment in translational research and envision its future. The TRWG conceptualized translational research as a set of six developmental processes or pathways focused on various clinical goals. One of those pathways describes the development of biospecimen-based assays that use biomarkers for the detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of cancer and the assessment of response to cancer treatment. The biospecimen-based assessment modality pathway was conceived not as comprehensive description of the corresponding real-world processes but rather as a tool designed to facilitate movement of a candidate assay through the translational process to the point where it can be handed off for definitive clinical testing. This paper introduces the pathway in the context of prior work and discusses key challenges associated with the biomarker development process in light of the pathway.
Infant-Directed Behavior of Rhesus Monkeys during Their First Pregnancy and Parturition
Authors: Gibber Judith R.
Published: September 2008

To determine whether pregnancy influences the response of rhesus monkeys towards infants, 11 females were observed during 15-min exposures to a 1- to 15-day-old infant at 1- to 2-week intervals throughout pregnancy. No evidence was found for increasing willingness to contact infants as pregnancy progressed. The parturition of 5 of these females was observed, which included 1 live breech birth. These primiparae all established ventral contact with their infants at birth, though most of them appeared to passively allow the infant to initiate contact while their own attention was directed at licking the birth fluids.
Play Vocalizations of Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)
Authors: Biben Maxeen , Symmes David
Published: September 2008

Vocalizations occurring during play bouts were studied in 2 pairs of young male squirrel monkeys. Two main call types, one having four variants, are described. Vocalization rate varied with the type of ongoing behavior and with play bout duration, an association considered to be indicative of motivation to play. Structural differences also varied with bout duration and longer bouts had longer and more complex calls. In addition to providing direct information about motivation, vocalizations may have a metacommunicative function in alerting adult group members (not play partners) to the presence of playful activity.
Zahnschmelzprismen von Mesopithecus pentelicus Wagner, 1839, im Vergleich mit rezenten Cercopitheciden (Primates: Cercopithecidae)
Authors: Dostal Alexander , Zapfe Helmuth
Published: September 2008

The dental enamel prisms of Cercopithecidae were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The main task of this study was to show the prism morphology representatives of different genera as well as their comparison with the fossil Mesopithecus pentelicus Wagner, 1839. The method used to show the enamel prisms was to etch the tooth surface with hydrochloric acid. In this way the outlines of the prisms were better contrasted for the descriptive morphology of the prisms than in etching with phosphoric acid. Two types were determined, in accord with the systematic division into subfamilies. In the subfamily Cercopithecinae elongated slender prisms were dominating, some with pointed, others with truncated tops. Most characteristic of this type were Macaca and Cercopithecus. An exception was Papio hamadryas which had broader, rounded prisms. In this way it differed largely from P. anubis whose prisms were short and mostly triangular. A very interesting fact was that very different patterns were found in P. anubis and P. hamadryas, although these two species are regarded as only one species by many authors. The second subfamily, the Colobinae, was characterized by broader prisms with a rounded shape, nearly as long as wide. Exceptions of the ‘Colobine type’ were at first Colobus with prisms little longer than wide and secondly Nasalis, with mostly parallel sides and truncated tops of the prisms. The prism outlines of Mesopithecus showed the greatest similarity to those of Presbytis which represents the characteristic ‘Colobine type’. This fact confirmed the actual systematic position of the fossil Mesopithecus within the subfamily Colobinae. In addition to previously known primitive features of Mesopithecus within the subfamily of Colobinae, we present here a further concrete, common feature with asiatic Colobines.
The Sublingua and Tongue of Tupaia (Scandentia, Mammalia): A Scanning Electron Microscope Study
Authors: Hofer Helmut O. , Castenholz Anton , Zöltzer Hellmuth
Published: September 2008

The surface morphology of the tongue and the sublingua in Tupαiα belαngeri was examined both under the dissection microscope and with the scanning electron microscope. Shape and structural differentiation of the sublingua and the anterior ventral part of the tongue are described. Special types of papillae were found on the lingual segment of the keel, along the serrated edges of the sublingua, and at the apex linguae. The findings are discussed with respect to the special conformation of the oral cavity of Tupαiα and in relation to the evolutionary and functional significance of the tongue and the sublingua in this species.
Archive Marxism and the Union Bureaucracy: Karl Kautsky on Samuel Gompers and the German Free Trade Unions
Authors: Gaido Daniel
Published: September 2008

This work is a companion piece to ‘The American Worker’, Karl Kautsky's reply to Werner Sombart's Why Is There No Socialism in the United States? (1906), first published in English in the November 2003 edition of this journal. In August 1909 Kautsky wrote an article on Samuel Gompers, the president of the American Federation of Labor, on the occasion of the latter's first European tour. The article was not only a criticism of Gompers's anti-socialist ‘pure-and-simple’ unionism but also part of an ongoing battle between the revolutionary wing of German Social Democracy and the German trade-union officials. In this critical English edition we provide the historical background to the document as well as an overview of the issues raised by Gompers' visit to Germany, such as the bureaucratisation and increasing conservatism of the union leadership in both Germany and the United States, the role of the General Commission of Free Trade Unions in the abandonment of Marxism by the German Social-Democratic Party and the socialists' attitude toward institutions promoting class collaboration like the National Civic Federation.
Exploring Secular Spiritual Capital: An Engagement in Religious and Secular Dialogue for a Common Future?
Authors: Baker Chris , Miles-Watson Jonathan
Published: September 2008

This article introduces the concept of secular spiritual capital (SSC) as a contribution to new theory and praxis, which the authors believe has potential to serve as an important tool in the increasingly sensitive yet robust task of public theology; namely mapping and negotiating increasingly complex and contested public spaces between religion and secularity. The article starts with the furore caused by a public lecture given by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury in which he argued for allowing aspects of Sharia law to function within the UK's secularized legal frameworks. The article then develops the concept of SSC by synthesizing existing ideas located within sociology, anthropology and practical theology. It refers to recent praxis in key public policy/civil society areas; such as planning, social care and community cohesion, which stress the importance of partnership and dialogue between religious and secular sectors for the sake of the common good. The article concludes that SSC helps create a ‘thicker’ public discourse based on virtues and ethics, as well as rights.
Ibn Hanbal and al-Muhāsibī: A Study of Early Conflicting Scholarly Methodologies
Authors: Picken Gavin
Published: September 2008

Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal's repudiation of al-Hārit b. Asad al-Muhāsibī has long been noted by a number of contemporary works and of these, the contributions of Smith, van Ess, Abū Ġudda, al-Quwatlī, Melchert and al-Barr have all been productive. Most of these works, however, provide no more than a general overview of this dispute and there is a consensus of sorts—as many classical works would also suggest—that the reason for Ibn Hanbal's rejection of al-Muhāsibī was based on the latter's utilisation of scholastic theology (kalām). Although this appraisal may well be true, the exact nature of Ibn Hanbal's denunciation of al-Muhāsibī is far from straightforward. Indeed, upon a thorough examination of classical Arabic sources a variety of other possibilities emerge. Therefore, it is the goal of this article to examine such works to reconstruct the nature of the debate surrounding the dispute between these two renowned personalities of Islam's formative period and discuss the possible reasons behind the conflict that existed between them, so as to shed further light upon the historical and intellectual development of the early Muslim, scholarly community as a whole.
The Appropriation of Tradition in Selected Works of Contemporary Arab Women Writers
Authors: Suyoufie Fadia
Published: September 2008

This study aims at discussing the appropriation of traditional material in selected works of contemporary Arab women writers. While such appropriation is conceived as a subversive strategy of self-empowerment, it also offers a venue of cultural self-critique and re-evaluation of the self. Reclaiming the lost tradition of telling stories, these writers assume the role of Shahrazād to contest male dominance. Whether they simply adopt this role, reinterpret, or undermine it, these writers have got much to say about reacting to tradition in general and to androcentric hegemony in particular.
Gendering the Iraq-Kuwait Conflict: Literary Representations of Kuwaiti Women's Resilience and Resistance
Authors: Tijani Olatunbosun Ishaq
Published: September 2008

This article examines the 1990-1991 Iraq-Kuwait war as a gendered conflict, and Kuwaiti women's varied reactions to the events of the war, as represented in Kuwaiti fiction. In a category of Kuwaiti war narratives—by both male and female writers—there are the stereotypical images and roles of women: they are portrayed as ‘weak’, ‘passive’ and ‘submissive’ mothers/wives/young girls, and as victims of sexual abuse and humiliations during the conflict. In another category, women's images and roles in the conflict are re-constructed. Relying on the information and insights derived from the fictional texts belonging to the second category, this article demonstrates that the Kuwaiti resistance movement was not solely male-dominated, but rather that Kuwaiti women also served as resistant activists.
Clinical Research with Children: The European Legal Framework and its Implementation in French and Italian Law
Authors: Altavilla Annagrazia
Published: September 2008

According to the International Convention of the Rights of the Child, an improvement of the protection of the rights of children in Europe should be accomplished by inserting the principle of best interests and evolving capacities in the legal framework related to paediatric clinical research. In this article, an overview is given of the European legal framework governing clinical research on minors in a comparative approach. The lack of coordination between different International and European ethical/legal statements and its impact on national legislations is evaluated by analyzing provisions that have been foreseen in Italy and in France as a result of the ratification/implementation process. A presentation of the perspectives of paediatric research in Europe is provided.
Reanalysis of 44 Yr of Climate in the French Alps (1958–2002): Methodology, Model Validation, Climatology, and Trends for Air Temperature and Precipitation
Authors: Durand Yves , Laternser Martin , Giraud Gérald , Etchevers Pierre , Lesaffre Bernard , Mérindol Laurent
Published: September 2008

Since the early 1990s, Météo-France has used an automatic system combining three numerical models to simulate meteorological parameters, snow cover stratification, and avalanche risk at various altitudes, aspects, and slopes for a number of mountainous regions in France. Given the lack of sufficient directly observed long-term snow data, this “SAFRAN”–Crocus–“MEPRA” (SCM) model chain, usually applied to operational avalanche forecasting, has been used to carry out and validate retrospective snow and weather climate analyses for the 1958–2002 period. The SAFRAN 2-m air temperature and precipitation climatology shows that the climate of the French Alps is temperate and is mainly determined by atmospheric westerly flow conditions. Vertical profiles of temperature and precipitation averaged over the whole period for altitudes up to 3000 m MSL show a relatively linear variation with altitude for different mountain areas with no constraint of that kind imposed by the analysis scheme itself. Over the observation period 1958–2002, the overall trend corresponds to an increase in the annual near-surface air temperature of about 1°C. However, variations are large at different altitudes and for different seasons and regions. This significantly positive trend is most obvious in the 1500–2000-m MSL altitude range, especially in the northwest regions, and exhibits a significant relationship with the North Atlantic Oscillation index over long periods. Precipitation data are diverse, making it hard to identify clear trends within the high year-to-year variability.
Stabilization of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer and the Muted Global Hydrological Cycle Response to Global Warming
Authors: Lu Jianhua , Cai Ming
Published: September 2008

Both the global precipitation and evaporation in global warming simulations increase at 1%–3% K−1, much smaller than the rate suggested from the Clausius–Clapeyron (C–C) relation (6%–6.5% K−1). However, the reduction of surface sensible heat flux over the global ocean (5.2% K−1) matches the difference between the fractional increase of evaporation and the C–C relation, implying that the fractional decrease of the Bowen ratio over the global ocean follows the C–C relation closely. The analysis suggests that the stabilization of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in response to global warming is the main factor responsible for the simultaneous reduction of the surface sensible flux and the muted increase in the surface latent heat. Because the stabilization of the ABL causes the same amount of fractional change in both the sensible and latent heat fluxes, the fractional decrease of the Bowen ratio closely follows the C–C relation. The ABL stabilization mechanism for the muted increase in the global hydrological cycle in response to global warming is physically consistent with two other proposed mechanisms, namely, the atmospheric energy constraint and the reduction of convective mass flux.
Dust Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval over a Desert Surface Using the SEVIRI Window Channels
Authors: De Paepe Bart , Dewitte Steven
Published: September 2008

The authors present a new algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD) over a desert using the window channels centered at 8.7, 10.8, and 12.0 μm of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) instrument on board the Meteosat Second Generation satellite. The presence of dust aerosols impacts the longwave outgoing radiation, allowing the aerosols over the desert surfaces to be detected in the thermal infrared (IR) wavelengths. To retrieve the aerosol properties over land, the surface contribution to the satellite radiance measured at the top of the atmosphere has to be taken into account. The surface radiation depends on the surface temperature, which is characterized by a strong diurnal variation over the desert, and the surface emissivity, which is assumed to be constant over a time span of 24 h. The surface emissivity is based on clear-sky observations that are corrected for atmospheric absorption and emission. The clear-sky image is a composite of pixels that is characterized by the highest brightness temperature (BT) of the SEVIRI channel at 10.8 μm, and by a negative BT difference between the channels at 8.7 and 10.8 μm. Because of the lower temperatures of clouds and aerosols compared to clear-sky conditions, the authors assume that the selected pixel values are obtained for a clear-sky day. A forward model is used to simulate the thermal IR radiation transfer in the dust layer. The apparent surface radiation for the three window channels in the presence of aerosols is calculated as a function of the surface emissivity and the surface temperature, the aerosol layer temperature, and the AOD for different aerosol loadings. From these simulations two emissivity ratios, which are stored in lookup tables (LUT), are calculated. The retrieval algorithm consists of processing the clear-sky image and computing the surface emissivity, processing the instantaneous image, and computing the apparent surface radiation for the three window channels. The two emissivity ratios are computed using the radiances at 8.7 and 10.8 μm and at 8.7 and 12.0 μm, respectively. The SEVIRI AOD is obtained by the inversion of these emissivity ratios using the corresponding LUT. The algorithm is applied to a minor dust event over the Sahara between 19 and 22 June 2007. For the validation the SEVIRI AOD is compared with the AOD from the Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) along the satellite track.
Consensus Forecasts of Modeled Wave Parameters
Authors: Durrant Tom H. , Woodcock Frank , Greenslade Diana J. M.
Published: September 2008

The use of numerical guidance has become integral to the process of modern weather forecasting. Using various techniques, postprocessing of numerical model output has been shown to mitigate some of the deficiencies of these models, producing more accurate forecasts. The operational consensus forecast scheme uses past performance to bias-correct and combine numerical forecasts to produce an improved forecast at locations where recent observations are available. This technique was applied to forecasts of significant wave height (Hs), peak period (Tp), and 10-m wind speed (U10) from 10 numerical wave models, at 14 buoy sites located around North America. Results show the best forecast is achieved with a weighted average of bias-corrected components for both Hs and Tp, while a weighted average of linear-corrected components gives the best results for U10. For 24-h forecasts, improvements of 36%, 47%, and 31%, in root-mean-square-error values over the mean raw model components are achieved, or 14%, 22%, and 18% over the best individual model. Similar gains in forecast skill are retained out to 5 days. By reducing the number of models used in the construction of consensus forecasts, it is found that little forecast skill is gained beyond five or six model components, with the independence of these components, as well as individual component’s quality, being important considerations. It is noted that for Hs it is possible to beat the best individual model with a composite forecast of the worst four.
Reciprocal influences between developmental transitions and parent–child relationships in young adulthood
Authors: Gowert Masche J.
Published: September 2008

Inconsistent findings exist on the effects of young adult–parent relationships on developmental status transitions into adulthood. Such transitions in turn predicted less conflicted and closer young adult–parent relationships. But systematic investigations of reciprocal effects between developmental transitions and young adult–parent relationships are lacking. A total of 477 participants initially aged 20–32 ( M = 23.9, SD = 1.5) were interviewed twice, once in 1993 and again in 1995/1996. Subsamples were drawn that had not yet undergone the transitions to work, leaving home, cohabitation with a romantic partner, marriage and parenthood at Time 1. It was assessed whether the levels of mutual trust, instrumentality of relationships, and critical discussions at Time 1 predicted developmental transitions by Time 2, and whether developmental transitions were followed by changes in the relationship measures. The more the participants trusted in their parents, the more likely they were to marry or to have children. Cohabitation was followed by decreased instrumentality. Higher discussion frequency predicted cohabitation and was a consequence of starting to work and leaving home. The results are discussed with regard to individuation theory of adolescent and young adult–parent relationship development.
Knowledge of illness during childhood: Making distinctions between cancer and colds
Authors: Bares Cristina B. , Gelman Susan A.
Published: September 2008

Research on children's knowledge of illnesses has largely concentrated on studying how children reason about common innocuous diseases. It is also important to uncover how children reason about more severe diseases, such as cancer, to be able to treat and communicate with children diagnosed with this disease. Several aspects of prevalent childhood cancers may challenge the intuitive theories that children hold about illness and can make cancer a difficult illness for children to understand. In the present study we assess knowledge of six dimensions (prognosis, internal, course, contamination, contagion, cause) of cancer and colds as a comparison illness. Healthy 5-, 7- and 10-year-olds, and adults were administered a yes/no and forced-choice questionnaire created to tap into six dimensions of two illnesses. Results indicate that 5-year-olds reason about cancer and colds in similar ways, but 7- and 10-year-olds begin to make a distinction between cancer and colds on some of the illness dimensions. Children in the youngest two age groups were found to think that cancer is just as contagious as colds but by age 10 children begin to think of cancer as a less contagious illness. Adults clearly differentiate between the two illnesses on almost all the dimensions.
Mothers' self-reported emotional expression in Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American families
Authors: Camras Linda , Kolmodin Karen , Yinghe Chen
Published: September 2008

This study compared Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American mothers' self-reported emotional expression within the family. Mothers of 3-year-old European American ( n = 40), Chinese American ( n = 39) and Mainland Chinese ( n = 36) children ( n = 20 girls per group) completed the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ), a measure that includes 40 items describing the expression of positive and negative emotion (20 items each). Respondents indicate how frequently they engage in each expressive practice. Mothers also completed a questionnaire regarding family ecology variables. European American mothers reported significantly more positive emotional expression than Mainland Chinese mothers, although no significant differences were found for expression of negative emotion. While family ecology differed across groups, these variables were not related to the emotional expression scores. No child-gender differences were obtained. Results of this study confirm the presence of cultural differences in mothers' emotional expressivity.
Analytic Reviews: Cardiogenic Shock with Preserved Systolic Function: A Reminder
Authors: Chatterjee Kanu , McGlothlin Dana , Michaels Andrew
Published: September 2008

Although cardiogenic shock, whether acute or chronic, most frequently results from depressed left ventricular systolic function, the same syndrome can occur in patients with preserved systolic function. The etiologies and the pathophysiology of the syndrome of cardiogenic shock with preserved ejection fraction are distinctly different from those with reduced ejection fraction. The therapeutic approaches are also different. The prognosis of the patients with acute subset of this syndrome is very favorable, provided prompt diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is provided. In this review, the important causes, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapies of patients with ``cardiogenic shock with preserved ejection fraction'' are discussed.
Thermal, Elastic, and Electrical Properties of Talc-Polypropylene Composite
Authors: Saq'an S. , Zihlif A.M. , Ragosta G.
Published: September 2008

Physical characterization including thermal, elastic, and electrical properties of talc-filled polypropylene composites is studied. The Young's modulus of composites measured through rebound tests was found to be temperature dependent. Resilience measured by impact tests increases with both temperature and talc concentration. The observed volume resistivity showed that the material possesses a small level of electrical conductivity which depends slightly on temperature. The activation energy for the thermally electrical conduction process was determined.
Getting into bed with charity
Authors: Franks Suzanne
Published: September 2008

Public response to disasters depends on news coverage, writes BBC producer turned academic Franks, but as budgets continue to shrink, is the media becoming too reliant on aid agencies? "Disasters - both natural and man-made - only exist when covered by the media. Plenty of terrible things happen that remain unreported. Most disasters are known about only by those directly affected. And the crises that do get media attention are not necessarily those that kill and otherwise harm the most victims. There is invariably a random element in how much, or if at all, something is reported, but this is even more so in faraway, difficult locations." As a result, she claims, aid agencies are having to employ questionable methods to obtain media attention. "Today many aid campaigns are substantial global operations and it is in the public interest that they are reported rigorously and impartially. If journalists and aid workers embrace each other too tightly, that's unlikely to happen."
Ethics in China's wild west
Authors: Barnett Robert
Published: September 2008

Exposing human rights abuse in "closed countries" is a vital journalistic role - but are local people who help being put at unacceptable risk? asks American academic Barnett. "The basic danger faced by informants in serious cases is clear," he writes. "Imprisonment. In a famous case in November of last year, for example, in Lithang, a Tibetan area of Sichuan, three Tibetan nomads - Adruk Lopo, Jamyang Kunkyen and Lothok - were sentenced to ten, nine and three years in jail respectively for trying to send photographs or information about a small protest to 'foreign organisations', probably news agencies or Tibetan language broadcasters in the U.S. And, "...there are still those [journalists] who will place local informants at significant risk in order to get interviews or access to closed areas. The dubious history of closed country journalism poses deep questions about journalistic methods"
Toward a Reflexive Positive Psychology
Authors: Sundararajan Louise
Published: September 2008

This paper claims that the missing value dimension in positive psychology's model of the good life is attributable to its focus on the unreflective first-order desires, as exemplified by hope theory, and its misguided claim of scientific neutrality that renders invisible the moral maps of human experiences. It is argued that the solution of the problem lies in self-reflexivity, which is an extra mental space needed for the drawing and redrawing of moral maps. Exposition of self-reflexivity shows how a self-to-self transaction adds a so far neglected intrapersonal dimension to cross-cultural analysis, and how moral maps are rendered visible and transformative in second-order desires, as exemplified by the Chinese Buddhist notions of savoring and `emptiness.'
The Bra and the Indian Woman's Notion of Sexuality
Authors: Sukumar Suchitra
Published: September 2008

This is an article about the Indian Woman and her notion of sexuality—studied through an analysis of her relationship with one of the most intimate spaces of her individual—her bra. If I were to say that she is a curious mix of the ‘individual’ and the ‘social’ I would be doing an injustice to her poetry. The Indian Woman is as much self-driven as she is driven by her need to conform to the larger interests of society, she is as much the rebellious teenager as her future mother-in-law, she is a hypocrite and a cynic, and probably more true to herself than most others.
The Interpersonal Communication Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategies and Challenges for Faith-Based Organizations
Authors: Muturi Nancy
Published: September 2008

This study examines the interpersonal communication approach to HIV/AIDS prevention within Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in Jamaica. Applying concepts from the social influence and social learning theories, the study examines communication strategies, challenges and concerns that religious leaders face in their communication efforts. Data gathered qualitatively through focus groups and in-depth interviews indicate that FBOs are social and cultural entities with potential to influence knowledge, attitude and behaviour for HIV/AIDS prevention. However, issues related to content, context, culture, the prevailing AIDS-related stigma alongside religious leaders’ personal characteristics hamper their communication initiatives. Capacity building of leaders as HIV/AIDS communicators and behaviour change facilitators and a collaborative effort between FBOs and health organizations would enhance their HIV/AIDS response.