bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Function of human cytomegalovirus UL97 kinase in viral infection and its inhibition by maribavir
Authors: Prichard Mark N.
Published: May 2009

The serine/threonine kinase expressed by human cytomegalovirus from gene UL97 phosphorylates the antiviral drug ganciclovir, but its biological function is the phosphorylation of its natural viral and cellular protein substrates which affect viral replication at many levels. The UL97 kinase null phenotype is therefore complex, as is the mechanism of action of maribavir, a highly specific inhibitor of its enzymatic activity. Studies that utilise the drug corroborate results from genetic approaches and together have elucidated many functions of the UL97 kinase that are critical for viral replication. The kinase phosphorylates eukaryotic elongation factor 1delta, the carboxyl terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II, the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor and lamins A and C. Each of these is also phosphorylated and regulated by cdc2/cyclin‐dependent kinase 1, suggesting that the viral kinase may perform a similar function. These and other activities of the UL97 kinase appear to stimulate the cell cycle to support viral DNA synthesis, enhance the expression of viral genes, promote virion morphogenesis and facilitate the egress of mature capsids from the nucleus. In the absence of UL97 kinase activity, viral DNA synthesis is inefficient and structural proteins are sequestered in nuclear aggresomes, reducing the efficiency of virion morphogenesis. Mature capsids that do form fail to egress the nucleus as the nuclear lamina are not dispersed by the kinase. The critical functions performed by the UL97 kinase illustrate its importance in viral replication and confirm that the kinase is a target for the development of antiviral therapies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fault localization based on information flow coverage
Authors: Masri Wes
Published: May 2009

Failures triggered by hard to debug defects usually involve complex interactions between many program elements. This paper hypothesizes that information flows present a good model for such interactions and presents a new fault localization technique based on information flow coverage. Using a test suite, the technique ranks the statements in a program in terms of their likelihood of being faulty by comparing the information flows induced by the failing runs with the ones induced by the passing runs. The ranking of the statements associated with a given flow is primarily determined by contrasting the percentage of failing runs to the percentage of passing runs that induced it. Generally, a higher percentage of failing runs implies a higher rank. To show its potential, the technique was applied to several open‐source Java programs and was compared, with respect to its fault localization effectiveness, with three other coverage techniques that use similar style metrics that are defined for statements, branches, and def–use pairs, respectively. The results revealed that information flow, branch, and def–use coverage performed consistently better than statement coverage. In addition, in a considerable number of cases information flow coverage performed better than branch and def–use coverage. Specifically, it was always safer but not always more precise. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of sulfur dioxide on expression of proto‐oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes from rats
Authors: Bai Juli , Meng Ziqiang
Published: May 2009

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a ubiquitous air pollutant that is present in low concentrations in the urban air, and in higher concentrations in the working environment. In the present study, male Wistar rats were housed in exposure chambers and treated with 14.00 ± 1.01, 28.00 ± 1.77 and 56.00 ± 3.44 mg m−3SO2for 6 h/day for 7 days, while control group was exposed to filtered air in the same condition. The mRNA and protein levels of proto‐oncogenes (c‐fos, c‐jun, c‐myc, and Ki‐ras) and tumor suppressor genes (p53, Rb, and p16) were analyzed in lungs using a real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (real‐time RT‐PCR) assay and Western blot analysis. The results showed that mRNA and protein levels of c‐fos, c‐jun, c‐myc, Ki‐ras, and p53 in lungs were increased in a dose‐dependent manner, while mRNA and protein levels of Rb and p16 were decreased in lungs of rats after SO2inhalation. These results lead to a conclusion that SO2exposure could activate expressions of proto‐oncogenes and suppress expressions of tumor suppressor genes, which might relate to the molecular mechanism of cocarcinogenic properties and potential carcinogenic effects of SO2. According to previous studies, the results also indicated that promoter genes of apoptosis and tumor suppressor genes could produce apoptotic signals to antagonize the growth signals that arise from oncogenes. Understanding its molecular controls will benefit development of treatments for many diseases. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 2010.
Neutral Pentacoordinate Silicon(IV) Complexes with SiClO2NC, SiClON2C, SiO3NC, or SiO2N2C Skeletons
Authors: Theis Bastian , Metz Stefan , Back Franziska , Burschka Christian , Tacke Reinhold
Published: May 2009

The neutral pentacoordinate silicon(IV) complexes 3 (SiClO2NC skeleton), 4 (SiO3NC), 5 (SiO2N2C), and 6 (SiClON2C) were synthesized. Compounds 3–6 contain a tridentate dianionic O,N,O (3–5) or O,N,N ligand (6), a phenyl ligand, and a (pseudo‐)halogeno (3, 5, 6) or trifluoromethanesulfonato ligand (4). Compounds 3–6 were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and solid‐state and solution NMR spectroscopy. According to these studies, the coordination number of the silicon atom in the solid complexes 3–6 is retained in solution.
Metal–Metal Distances at the Limit: Cr–Cr 1.73 Å – the Importance of the Ligand and its Fine Tuning
Authors: Noor Awal , Glatz Germund , Müller Robert , Kaupp Martin , Demeshko Serhiy , Kempe Rhett
Published: May 2009

The synthesis and structure of a homobimetallic chromium complex is reported. The ligand used to stabilise the quintuply bonded metals is a sterically fine‐tuned guanidinate. A chromium–chromium bond length of 1.7293(12) Å was observed. It is the shortest metal–metal distance reported for a stable compound yet.
On conservation and balance laws in stress space
Authors: Lazar M. , Kirchner H.O.K.
Published: May 2009

We study conservation and balance laws of linear three‐dimensional elasticity in terms of stress function tensors of first and second order. Such conservation and balance laws are sometimes called dual ones. The dual Eshelby stress tensor, angular momentum tensor and scaling flux of elasticity in stress space are derived within the framework of Noether's theorem on variational principles. Certain conservation and balance (or broken conservation) laws of translational, rotational, and dilatational symmetries including inhomogeneities, elastic anisotropy, dislocations, and incompatibilities are found. The conserved and non‐conserved dual J, L, and M integrals are derived and discussed. Also we give the conservation and balance laws corresponding to the gauge symmetries and the addition of solutions. From the addition of solutions we derive reciprocity theorems for the stress functions of first and second order. Explicit formulae for the configurational forces, moments, and work terms in terms of stress function tensors are formulated.
Nanoencapsulation of β‐Cypermethrin by Complex Coacervation in a Microemulsion
Authors: Zhu Yinyan , An Xueqin , Li Shuping , Yu Shuqin
Published: May 2009

A new method of preparation of nanocapsules (NC) in a microemulsion (ME) is introduced in this paper. An oil‐in‐water (O/W) ME was used as the template to prepare NC with diameters below 100 nm by complex coacervation of acacia and gelatin. The effects of ME composition, polymer concentration, and the conditions of complex coacervation on the properties of the NC were investigated. Increasing the polymer content of gelatin and acacia in ME led to an increase of the size of the NC. The zeta potential of the NC is between −18 and −28 mV. The entrapment efficiency of β‐cypermethrin in NC manufacture is above 60%.
Conservation laws on complex networks
Authors: Garavello Mauro , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: May 2009

This paper considers a system described by a conservation law on a general network and deals with solutions to Cauchy problems. The main application is to vehicular traffic, for which we refer to the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) model. Assuming to have bounds on the conserved quantity, we are able to prove existence of solutions to Cauchy problems for every initial datum in

L_{\mathrm{loc}}^{1}

. Moreover Lipschitz continuous dependence of the solution with respect to initial data is discussed.
Quinacrine protects neuronal cells against heat‐induced injury
Authors: Gao Jun‐Tao , Liu Shu‐Hong , Yan You‐E. , Wu Yan , Wu Hai‐Tao , Xing Cheng , Ge Xue‐Ming , Wang Hui , Zhao Yong‐Qi , Fan Ming
Published: May 2009

The effects of quinacrine (QA) on heat‐induced neuronal injury have been explored, with the intention of understanding the mechanisms of QA protection. Primary cultivated striatum neurons from newborn rats were treated with QA 1 h before heat treatment at 43 °C which lasted for another 1 h, and necrosis and apoptosis were detected by Annexin‐V‐FITC and propidium iodide (PI) double staining. Neuronal apoptosis was determined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) techniques. Cell membrane fluidity, activity of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and the level of arachidonic acid (AA) were also examined. Membrane surface ultrastructure of striatum neurons was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results showed that heat treatment induced great striatum neurons death, with many dying neurons undergoing necrosis rather than apoptosis. QA alone had little effect on the survival of striatum neurons, while QA pretreatment before heat treatment decreased necrosis. Heat treatment also resulted in decreased membrane fluidity and increased cPLA2 activity as well as arachidonic acid level; these effects were reversed by QA pretreatment. QA pretreatment also significantly prevented damage to the membrane surface ultrastructure of heat‐treated neurons. These results suggest that QA protects striatum neurons against heat‐induced neuronal necrosis, and also demonstrate that inhibition of cPLA2 activity and stabilization of membranes may contribute to protective effect of quinacrine.
Mesenchymal stem cells showed the highest potential for the regeneration of injured liver tissue compared with other subpopulations of the bone marrow
Authors: Cho Kyung‐Ah , Ju Sun‐Young , Cho Su Jin , Jung Yun‐Jae , Woo So‐Youn , Seoh Ju‐Young , Han Ho‐Seong , Ryu Kyung‐Ha
Published: May 2009

We have previously reported that bone marrow cells (BMCs) participate in the regeneration after liver injury. However, it is not established that this is the result of differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or the combination of both. We investigated the contribution of each cell fraction to the regenerative process. First, we confirmed that transplanted stem cells migrate directly to injured liver tissue without dispersing to other organs. Next, we divided green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing BMCs into three populations as mononuclear cells, MSCs and HSCs. We then compared the engraftment capacity after transplantation of each fraction of cells into liver‐injured mice. Of these, the MSCs transplanted group showed the highest GFP fluorescence intensities in liver tissue by flow cytometry analysis and confocal microscopic observation. Furthermore, MSCs showed differentiation potential into hepatocytes when co‐cultured with injured liver cells, which suggests that MSCs showed highest potential for the regeneration of injured liver tissue compared with those of the other two cell refractions.
BimL directly neutralizes Bcl‐xL to promote Bax activation during UV‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Wang Xianwang , Xing Da , Liu Lei , Chen Wei R.
Published: May 2009

MINT‐7034114: BIML (uniprotkb:O43521) and BAX (uniprotkb:Q07812) physically interact (MI:0218) by fluorescent resonance energy transfer (MI:0055)
Transcriptomic and proteomic approach to studying SNX‐2112‐induced K562 cells apoptosis and anti‐leukemia activity in K562‐NOD/SCID mice
Authors: Jin Lin , Xiao Chuan-Le , Lu Chun-Hua , Xia Min , Xing Guo-Wen , Xiong Sheng , Liu Qiu-Ying , Liu Hui , Li Yi-Cheng , Ge Feng , Wang Qing-Duan , He Qing-Yu , Wang Yi-Fei
Published: May 2009

MINT‐
7033976
: BAD (uniprotkb:Q92934) physically interacts (MI:0218) with Bcl2‐Xl (uniprotkb:Q07817) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
SSO1450 – A CAS1 protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 with high affinity for RNA and DNA
Authors: Han Dong , Lehmann Kathleen , Krauss Gerhard
Published: May 2009

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated protein genes (cas genes) are ubiquitous in archaea and eubacteria. It has been suggested that CRISPR and CAS proteins act as an immune system preventing the invasion of foreign genomic elements at the DNA level. The protein SSO1450 from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso) P2 belongs to the CAS1 cluster which is one of the core protein clusters most frequently associated with CRISPR sequences. In this study we show that SSO1450 is a high‐affinity nucleic acid binding protein. It binds DNA, RNA and DNA–RNA hybrid apparently sequence non‐specific in a multi‐site binding mode. Furthermore, SSO1450 promotes the hybridization of complementary nucleic acid strands.
Pentatricopeptide repeat domain protein 3 associates with the mitochondrial small ribosomal subunit and regulates translation
Authors: Davies Stefan M.K. , Rackham Oliver , Shearwood Anne-Marie J. , Hamilton Kristina L. , Narsai Reena , Whelan James , Filipovska Aleksandra
Published: May 2009

MINT‐7033995: PTCD3 (uniprotkb:Q96EY7) associates (MI:0914) with MRPS15 (uniprotkb:P82914) by tandem affinity purification (MI:0676)
Interactions with LC3 and polyubiquitin chains link nbr1 to autophagic protein turnover
Authors: Waters Sarah , Marchbank Katie , Solomon Ellen , Whitehouse Caroline , Gautel Mathias
Published: May 2009

MINT‐7034220: NBR1 (uniprotkb:Q14596) physically interacts (MI:0218) with ube2o (uniprotkb:Q6ZPJ3) by two hybrid (MI:0018)
Mitochondria‐targeted (2‐hydroxyamino‐vinyl)‐triphenyl‐phosphonium releases NO and protects mouse embryonic cells against irradiation‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Belikova Natalia A. , Jiang Jianfei , Stoyanovsky Detcho A. , Glumac Ashley , Bayir Hülya , Greenberger Joel S. , Kagan Valerian E.
Published: May 2009

Generation of reactive oxygen species by damaged respiratory chain followed by the formation of cytochrome c (cyt c)–cardiolipin (CL) complex with peroxidase activity are early events in apoptosis. By quenching the peroxidase activity of cyt c–CL complexes in mitochondria, nitric oxide can exert anti‐apoptotic effects. Therefore, mitochondria‐targeted pro‐drugs capable of gradual nitric oxide radical (NO) release are promising radioprotectants. Here we demonstrate that (2‐hydroxyamino‐vinyl)‐triphenyl‐phosphonium effectively accumulates in mitochondria, releases NO upon mitochondrial peroxidase reaction, protects mouse embryonic cells from irradiation‐induced apoptosis and increases their clonogenic survival after irradiation. We conclude that mitochondria‐targeted peroxidase‐activatable NO‐donors represent a new interesting class of radioprotectors.
TTLL10 can perform tubulin glycylation when co‐expressed with TTLL8
Authors: Ikegami Koji , Setou Mitsutoshi
Published: May 2009

Tubulin can undergo unusual post‐translational modifications, glycylation and glutamylation. We previously failed to find glycylase (glycine ligase) for tubulin while identifying TTLL10 as a polyglycylase for nucleosome assembly protein 1. We here examine whether TTLL10 performs tubulin glycylation. We used a polyclonal antibody (R‐polygly) raised against a poly(glycine) chain, which does not recognize monoglycylated protein. R‐polygly strongly reacted with mouse tracheal cilia and axonemal tubulins. R‐polygly detected many proteins in cell lysates co‐expressing TTLL10 with TTLL8. Two‐dimensional electrophoresis revealed that the R‐polygly‐reactive proteins included α‐ and β‐tubulin. R‐polygly labeling signals overlapped with microtubules. These results indicate that TTLL10 can strongly glycylate tubulin in a TTLL8‐dependent manner. Furthermore, these two TTLL proteins can glycylate unidentified 170‐, 110‐, 75‐, 40‐, 35‐, and 30‐kDa acidic proteins.
Decision making under uncertainty and mood induction: further evidence for liberal acceptance in schizophrenia
Authors: Moritz S. , Veckenstedt R. , Randjbar S. , Hottenrott B. , Woodward T. S. , Eckstaedt F. V. v. , Schmidt C. , Jelinek L. , Lincoln T. M.
Published: May 2009

Background

Cognitive biases, especially jumping to conclusions (JTC), are ascribed a vital role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. This study set out to explore motivational factors for JTC using a newly developed paradigm.

Method

Twenty-seven schizophrenia patients and 32 healthy controls were shown 15 classical paintings, divided into three blocks. Four alternative titles (one correct and three lure titles) had to be appraised according to plausibility (0–10). Optionally, participants could decide for one option and reject one or more alternatives. In random order across blocks, anxiety-evoking music, happy music or no music was played in the background.

Results

Patients with schizophrenia, particularly those with delusions, made more decisions than healthy subjects. In line with the liberal acceptance (LA) account of schizophrenia, the decision threshold was significantly lowered in patients relative to controls. Patients were also more prone than healthy controls to making a decision when the distance between the first and second best alternative was close. Furthermore, implausible alternatives were judged as significantly more plausible by patients. Anxiety-evoking music resulted in more decisions in currently deluded patients relative to non-deluded patients and healthy controls.

Conclusions

The results confirm predictions derived from the LA account and assert that schizophrenia patients decide hastily under conditions of continued uncertainty. The fact that mood induction did not exert an overall effect could be due to the explicit nature of the manipulation, which might have evoked strategies to counteract their influence.
Oral History, Memory and Written Tradition: An Introduction
Authors: Thane Patricia M.
Published: May 2009

When, in the 1970s, historians of the recent past began seriously to explore the uses of oral history they were, as Alistair Thomson points out in this volume, much criticised for uncritical reliance upon the frailties of human memory. Not all such criticism was misplaced, but, as Thomson describes, the past quarter-century of scepticism and experience has immensely refined the ways in which the method is used and its outcomes interpreted. Yet many historians continue to value documentary over oral sources to a surprising degree, given the extent to which documents throughout history have been derived from oral sources, or were written versions of unspoken memories. If there are serious methodological problems confronting interpretations of the recent past which depend upon memory, such problems arise at least equally for other time periods. The value of the essays which follow, and of the conference at which they were read, is in the focus on the common methodological problems posed to historians and anthropologists of very different time periods and cultures by memory and its oral and written expression: issues of what people do and do not remember, of why and how memory is used to interpret past and present.
Reported changes in health-related behaviours in Chinese urban residents in response to an influenza pandemic
Authors: YUAN J. , ZHANG L. , XU W. , SHEN J. , ZHANG P. , MA H.
Published: May 2009

Strategies to lessen the impact of pandemic influenza include behavioural modifications of the general public regarding medical care, personal hygiene and protection, and social distancing. We conducted a telephone survey of Beijing residents to evaluate potential behavioural changes in the general public in the event of an influenza pandemic occurring. We used a two-stage Mitofsky–Waksberg telephone survey of Beijing residents aged ⩾15 years. The sample was weighted to reflect the 2000 census. We asked the respondents about their current healthcare-seeking behaviours for influenza-like illness (ILI), protective measures (personal hygiene, social distancing), and compliance with health authorities. We then asked what they would do during a hypothetical pandemic. We interviewed 256 Beijing participants in our study (response rate 56%). The percent of participants consulting a doctor for ILI rose from the current 41% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35–47] to 74% (95% CI 68–79) during a pandemic. Fifty-five percent (95% CI 48–62) of the participants would seek care from a more specialized hospital during a pandemic than currently. More than 90% of the participants reported already practising hand-washing or covering their coughs or sneezes during a non-pandemic period; this percentage changed little under a pandemic scenario. Compared to the current social distancing practices, more people would avoid crowded places (77% vs. 92%, P<0·01), use a mask outside the home (10% vs. 58%, P<0·01), and take time off from work or school (17% vs. 38%, P<0·01) during a pandemic. Moreover, 26% of the participants (95% CI 21–32) would stockpile food or water, and 55% (95% CI 49–61) would stockpile medicines. Some of the behavioural changes reported by Beijing participants might help to alleviate the damage caused by a potential pandemic. However, increased use of medical care at referral hospitals will further strain the healthcare system during a pandemic.
Estimation of incidence of tuberculosis infection in health-care workers using repeated interferon-γ assays
Authors: YOSHIYAMA T. , HARADA N. , HIGUCHI K. , NAKAJIMA Y. , OGATA H.
Published: May 2009

The aim was to estimate the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in health-care workers (HCWs) in Japan. We repeated cross-sectional surveys of HCWs with QuantiFERON®-TB Gold (QFT-G) in 2003, 2005 and 2007 at a hospital with tuberculosis (TB) wards, and 311 HCWs who underwent QFT-G testing two or three times were included in the study. Five HCWs (1·8%) converted from negative to positive. Incidence of new TB infection was estimated to be 0·6/100 person-years by the CDC's definition. Thirteen positive persons (41%) reverted from positive to negative. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified a significant association between QFT-G conversion and working in TB wards. The IFN-γ levels of all but two subjects with reverting or converting QFT-G results were close to the test's cut-off. The incidence of Mtb infection in HCWs at our hospital was higher than that estimated for the general population in Japan. Criteria for defining QFT-G conversion and reversion need further investigation considering the high proportion of reversion, as the incidence of infection would have changed if we had applied other definitions.
Some Philosophical and Historical Considerations Relevant to William Stern’s Contributions to Developmental Psychology
Authors: Lamiell James T.
Published: May 2009

During the first third of the 20th century, William Stern (1871–1938) was a prominent contributor to the literature of developmental psychology. Many of his most important contributions, some of which were made in collaboration with his wife Clara Stern, were based on diary observations of the three Stern children; observations that the Sterns accumulated over 18 years. Even as these contributions were materializing, William Stern was formulating and articulating an overarching system of thought, a Weltanschauung or worldview, that he called “critical personalism.” This brief article highlights certain aspects of that system of thought that were of particular relevance to Stern’s contributions to developmental psychology. The article also contrasts the pre-World War II reception of Stern’s ideas among developmental psychologists and differential psychologists, and, within developmental psychology, the reception of those ideas before as compared with after World War II.
Becoming a Science
Authors: Guski-Leinwand Susanne
Published: May 2009

The scientific approach of “Völkerpsychologie” (roughly translated in English as “ethnic psychology”) as founded by Lazarus and Steinthal, and later by Wilhelm Wundt, was criticized early on by conservative protagonists in Germany, such as Houston Stewart Chamberlain and others. This article looks into how their criticism influenced and changed Völkerpsychologie in its two facets: Völkerpsychologie as a theoretical approach and as an “applied approach.” Furthermore, the consequences of this double concept and the change to Völkerpsychologie regarding its role and the meaning for political objectives are discussed. In contrast to Wundt’s theoretical Völkerpsychologie, which is based on the thesis that peoples’ development originally started with similar behaviors, the so-called applied or “differentielle Völkerpsychologie” implied that people are different, that they are devaluated, selected, and eventually separated as races from one another. Changing psychology by adding a more biological dimension and approach led to differentielle Völkerpsychologie becoming an instrument for political goals. The concluding section of this article focuses on the question of to what extent this change of Völkerpsychologie might have prepared the foundation for totalitarian structures.
Taboo Religion?
Authors: v. Belzen Jacob A.
Published: May 2009

Taking the history of the psychology of religion as a case, two theses are presented: (1) Psychology has always been determined by a multitude of contextual factors, among them seemingly trivial ones such as “market” and “fashion,” and (2) research on its history readily turns into critical reflection on contemporary psychology. Psychology of religion is discussed as a subdiscipline of psychology at large, and it is pointed out that it is both a field of application of psychology in general and a part of theoretical psychology. To explain the lack of institutionalization of this subdiscipline in Germany, a comparison is made with the neighboring country of the Netherlands (where institutionalization has been remarkable). It is claimed that work on the history of psychology is necessary for the development of psychology itself and that if it is to make an impact within psychology it should not be left to professional historians without training in psychology.
What’s Next?
Authors: Herrmann Theo
Published: May 2009

One cannot predict the future of the sciences or that of psychology. The question “What’s next?” gives reason to think about which principles to which psychology has developed. In analyzing the historical development of psychology, one should differentiate between basic psychological research, psychological technology, and the structure of institutions. Historical changes of psychology occur slowly and continuously. These continuous changes are obviously a foil for short-term changes that we can refer to as discontinuities. The complex pattern of continuities and discontinuities is based on very different conditions. External and internal causes of the changes in the history of psychology are discussed.
Dependence of the high‐latitude thermospheric densities on the interplanetary magnetic field
Authors: Kwak Y.‐S. , Richmond A. D. , Deng Y. , Forbes J. M. , Kim K.‐H.
Published: May 2009

The systematic analysis of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By and Bz influences on observed thermospheric density is presented. For this purpose, the high‐latitude southern summer thermospheric total mass density near 400 km altitude, derived from the high‐accuracy accelerometer on board the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) spacecraft, is statistically analyzed in magnetic coordinates. The difference density distributions, which are obtained by subtracting values for zero IMF from those for nonzero IMF, vary strongly with respect to the direction of the IMF: Difference densities for negative By show significant enhancements in the early morning hours and hours around dawn but show reduced values in the dusk sector. For positive By the difference densities are opposite in sign to those for negative By. Density differences for negative Bz show significant increases in the cusp region and premidnight sector but a small decrease in the dawn sector. The difference densities at high latitudes tend to be weakest when Bz is positive. We suggest that the high‐latitude thermospheric density variations for different IMF conditions, especially in the dawn and dusk sectors, can be strongly determined by thermospheric winds, which are associated with the ionospheric convection and vary strongly with respect to the IMF direction. We also suggest that density variations, especially in auroral and cusp regions, are also influenced by the local heating associated with ionospheric currents, which vary with IMF conditions.
Signals from the Campi Flegrei hydrothermal system: Role of a “magmatic” source of fluids
Authors: Todesco Micol
Published: May 2009

This is a parametric study that was carried out to investigate the signals generated by a hydrothermal system fed by a pulsating source of magmatic fluids. This study focuses on the effects that selected properties of the source have on the evolution of hydrothermal activity at Campi Flegrei, Italy. Numerical simulations are carried out to describe a multiphase and multicomponent hydrothermal system. Each simulation describes a short unrest phase, followed by a prolonged quiet period. During the unrest, specific properties of the fluid source (flow rate, fluid composition, source size, and unrest duration) are modified with respect to selected baseline values. The evolution of the system is tracked by looking at two parameters that can be monitored in active volcanic areas: the composition of fumarolic gases and gravity changes. The results describe the temporal evolution of these two observables and allow comparisons of the effects of different source properties. All of the simulated unrest events cause measurable changes in gas composition and gravity. For the geometry and system properties considered, these changes always last beyond the end of the unrest period, and can often persist for decades. Fluid flow rate is the source property that mostly affects the observable evolution. Gravity is more sensitive to source properties than gas composition, and it undergoes the largest and quickest changes. The results also highlight the major role that rock properties and initial conditions have in the evolution of these observable signals.
Evolution of porosity and diffusivity associated with chemical weathering of a basalt clast
Authors: Navarre‐Sitchler Alexis , Steefel Carl I. , Yang Li , Tomutsa Liviu , Brantley Susan L.
Published: May 2009

Weathering of rocks as a result of exposure to water and the atmosphere can cause significant changes in their chemistry and porosity. In low‐porosity rocks, such as basalts, changes in porosity, resulting from chemical weathering, are likely to modify the rock's effective diffusivity and permeability, affecting the rate of solute transport and thus potentially the rate of overall weathering to the extent that transport is the rate limiting step. Changes in total porosity as a result of mineral dissolution and precipitation have typically been used to calculate effective diffusion coefficients through Archie's law for reactive transport simulations of chemical weathering, but this approach fails to account for unconnected porosity that does not contribute to transport. In this study, we combine synchrotron X‐ray microcomputed tomography (μCT) and laboratory and numerical diffusion experiments to examine changes in both total and effective porosity and effective diffusion coefficients across a weathering interface in a weathered basalt clast from Costa Rica. The μCT data indicate that below a critical value of ∼9%, the porosity is largely unconnected in the basalt clast. The μCT data were further used to construct a numerical pore network model to determine upscaled, effective diffusivities as a function of total porosity (ranging from 3 to 30%) for comparison with diffusivities determined in laboratory tracer experiments. By using effective porosity as the scaling parameter and accounting for critical porosity, a model is developed that accurately predicts continuum‐scale effective diffusivities across the weathering interface of the basalt clast.
Radiative effects of upper tropospheric clouds observed by Aura MLS and CloudSat
Authors: Su Hui , Jiang Jonathan H. , Stephens Graeme L. , Vane Deborah G. , Livesey Nathaniel J.
Published: May 2009

The radiative effects of upper tropospheric (UT) clouds observed by CloudSat and Aura MLS during June‐July‐August 2008 are examined and contrasted. We find that the UT cloud occurrence frequency observed by MLS is more than CloudSat by 4–10% in the tropical average and by 40∼60% near the tropopause in the deep convective regions. The clouds detected by MLS but missed by CloudSat (denoted as TCC) typically have visible optical thickness less than 0.2. TCC produce a tropical‐mean net warming of 3.5 W/m2 at the top‐of‐atmosphere and net cooling of 1.2 W/m2 at the surface. They induce a net radiative heating in the UT. Their heating rate at 200 hPa is ∼0.35 K/day in the tropical‐mean and ∼0.8 K/day over South Asia, which is about 3–4 times the clear‐sky radiative heating rate. Hence, they are potentially important in affecting the mass transport rates from the troposphere to the stratosphere.
Talk, think, read (if absolutely necessary): The impact of social, personal, and documentary knowledge on task performance
Authors: Trinh Kim‐Chi Wakefield , Mitchell Will
Published: May 2009

Abstract The organizational memory literature has compared social sources to documentary archives as potential sources of knowledge that decision makers can use when they seek information needed to carry out business activities, but has not considered how an individual's personal stock of relevant knowledge will shape the benefits of such organizational sources of knowledge. This study considers how social interaction, access to documents, and personal knowledge directly and jointly contribute to individual task performance. A multi‐stage laboratory experiment finds that task performance increases most when decision makers can talk with colleagues and then from drawing on their own personal knowledge, while books offer benefits only if people lack colleagues and/or personal knowledge. In turn, social interaction and personal knowledge become more important as tasks became more complex. When available in combination, meanwhile, multiple knowledge sources generate only diminishing marginal returns.
Alternative research strategies in the knowledge movement: From macro bias to micro‐foundations and multi‐level explanation
Authors: Foss Nicolai
Published: May 2009

Abstract The emergence over the last two decades or so of ‘knowledge’ as an important part of the explanatory structure of management research is an intellectual breakthrough that is comparable in terms of its transforming impact to the behavioral revolution of the 1960s. A veritable ‘knowledge movement’ has emerged that spans several fields in management. I take stock on alternative research strategies with that movement, distinguishing between ‘capabilities first,’ ‘networks first’ and ‘individuals first’ strategies. Reasons are given why more research attention needs to be allocated to the latter strategy if the knowledge movement is to continue making progress. However, the aim should ultimately be to reach towards multi‐level research that combines aggregate constructs with top‐down processes and bottom‐up processes.
Financial patenting in Europe
Authors: Hall Bronwyn H. , Thoma Grid , Torrisi Salvatore
Published: May 2009

Abstract We take a first look at financial patents at the European Patent Office (EPO). As is the case at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the number of financial patents in Europe has increased significantly in parallel with significant changes in payment and financial systems. Scholars have argued that financial patents, like other business methods patents, have low value and are owned for strategic reasons rather than for protecting real inventions. We find that established firms in non‐financial sectors with diversified patent portfolios own a large share of financial patents at the EPO. However, new specialized technology providers in the financial area also hold a number of such patents. Decisions on the financial patent applications take longer and they are more likely to be refused by the patent office, suggesting greater uncertainty over validity than for other patents. They are also more likely to be opposed, which is consistent with the fact that their other economic value indicators are higher.
Central and Eastern Europe and EU Accession 2004: Views of the Impact on Tourism
Authors: Hughes Howard L. , Allen Danielle
Published: May 2009

The European Union (EU) was joined by several new members in 2004. Eight of these were Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries that had, at one time, had communist governments and centralised economies. This paper describes a study of tourist board officials' views on the tourism outcomes of the accession and the factors influencing those outcomes. The officials represented the eight CEE countries, and, through individual interviews, their opinions were sought in order to obtain an ‘informed’ view of post-2004. Predictions for tourism had been optimistic, and these interviewees confirmed that the outcomes had been generally favourable. In particular, they considered that there had been an increased tourism inflow (especially from the United Kingdom) and a shift in the tourism profile towards tourists with wider interests and whose destinations within the countries were more spatially dispersed. Although publicity just before, and at the time of, accession had contributed to this, the most significant influence was believed to have been participation in the EU internal air transport market. The accession of 2004 was, in many respects, less a step-change in economies and in tourism patterns than the culmination of adjustment processes that had been ongoing since the late 1980s. Nonetheless, it was marked by an uplift, the long-term effects of which have yet to be determined.
Pollination biology of Syngonanthus elegans (Eriocaulaceae - Poales)
Authors: Oriani Aline , Sano Paulo T. , Scatena Vera L.
Published: May 2009

Studies on the pollination biology of Eriocaulaceae are scarce although particularly interesting because of its inclusion in the Poales, a predominantly wind-pollinated order. The pollination biology of Syngonanthus elegans (Bong.) Ruhland was studied during two annual flowering periods to test the hypothesis that insect pollination was its primary pollination system. A field study was carried out, including observations of the morphology and biology of the flowers, insect visits and pollinator behaviour. We also evaluated seed set, seed germination and seedling development for different pollination modes. Although seeds were produced by self-pollination, pollination by small insects contributed most effectively to the reproductive success of S. elegans, resulting in the greatest seed set, with the highest germination percentage and optimum seedling vigour. The floral resources used by flower visitors were pollen and nectar that was produced by staminate and pistillate flowers. Self-pollination played a minor role and its consequence was inbreeding depression.
Variation in seed longevity among different populations, species and genera found in collections from wild Australian plants
Authors: Kochanek Jitka , Steadman Kathryn J. , Probert Robin J. , Adkins Steve W.
Published: May 2009

Natural variation in longevity among populations of the same species, and between species and genera was investigated to inform seed-collection strategies. Seed longevity for 30 wild Australian populations was measured with a controlled ageing test. The populations were represented by eight species from three genera, namely Minuria (Asteraceae), Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) and Plantago (Plantaginaceae), each collected from up to eight different locations. Seed-survival curves were fitted by using the equation v = Ki + p/σ, which allowed comparison of the initial population viability (Ki), the population distribution of seed life spans (σ), and mean seed longevity (P50, calculated as Ki × σ). At a genus level, the average P50 indicated that M. integerrima (DC) Benth. is the longest-lived, Wahlenbergia is intermediate and Plantago is the shortest-lived. However, there was also variation in P50 values among populations of most species. Some species had the same σ value for all populations, e.g. all eight populations of W. communis Carolin had the same σ value, with the differences in Ki causing the variation in P50. This consistency in σ existed even though seedlots were collected from diverse locations, with mean annual rainfall ranging from 180 to 840 mm. In comparison, for the six seedlots of W. gracilis (G.Forst.) A.DC., a large difference in σ as well as Ki led to the variability in P50, with some indication of a possible correlation between annual rainfall and P50 or σ in some species. A relationship between variation in σ and the breeding system is proposed for Wahlenbergia. The data show that it can be risky to expect accurate prediction of seed longevity for a wild species on the basis of survival data from a single collection.
What lies beneath? The pattern and abundance of the subterranean tuber bank of the invasive liana cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae).
Authors: Osunkoya Olusegun O. , Pyle Karina , Scharaschkin Tanya , Dhileepan Kunjithapatham
Published: May 2009

Cat’s claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati (L.) Gentry (Bignoniaceae) is a major environmental weed of riparian areas, rainforest communities and remnant natural vegetation in coastal Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. In densely infested areas, it smothers standing vegetation, including large trees, and causes canopy collapse. Quantitative data on the ecology of this invasive vine are generally lacking. The present study examines the underground tuber traits of M. unguis-cati and explores their links with aboveground parameters at five infested sites spanning both riparian and inland vegetation. Tubers were abundant in terms of density (~1000 per m2), although small in size and low in level of interconnectivity. M. unguis-cati also exhibits multiple stems per plant. Of all traits screened, the link between stand (stem density) and tuber density was the most significant and yielded a promising bivariate relationship for the purposes of estimation, prediction and management of what lies beneath the soil surface of a given M. unguis-cati infestation site. The study also suggests that new recruitment is primarily from seeds, not from vegetative propagation as previously thought. The results highlight the need for future biological-control efforts to focus on introducing specialist seed- and pod-feeding insects to reduce seed-output.
A rodent model for the study of invariant visual object recognition
Authors: Zoccolan Davide , Oertelt Nadja , DiCarlo James J. , Cox David D.
Published: May 2009

The human visual system is able to recognize objects despite tremendous variation in their appearance on the retina resulting from variation in view, size, lighting, etc. This ability—known as “invariant” object recognition—is central to visual perception, yet its computational underpinnings are poorly understood. Traditionally, nonhuman primates have been the animal model-of-choice for investigating the neuronal substrates of invariant recognition, because their visual systems closely mirror our own. Meanwhile, simpler and more accessible animal models such as rodents have been largely overlooked as possible models of higher-level visual functions, because their brains are often assumed to lack advanced visual processing machinery. As a result, little is known about rodents' ability to process complex visual stimuli in the face of real-world image variation. In the present work, we show that rats possess more advanced visual abilities than previously appreciated. Specifically, we trained pigmented rats to perform a visual task that required them to recognize objects despite substantial variation in their appearance, due to changes in size, view, and lighting. Critically, rats were able to spontaneously generalize to previously unseen transformations of learned objects. These results provide the first systematic evidence for invariant object recognition in rats and argue for an increased focus on rodents as models for studying high-level visual processing.
Role of dimerization and substrate exclusion in the regulation of bone morphogenetic protein-1 and mammalian tolloid
Authors: Berry Richard , Jowitt Thomas A. , Ferrand Johanna , Roessle Manfred , Grossmann J. Günter , Canty-Laird Elizabeth G. , Kammerer Richard A. , Kadler Karl E. , Baldock Clair
Published: May 2009

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-1/tolloid metalloproteinases are evolutionarily conserved enzymes that are fundamental to dorsal–ventral patterning and tissue morphogenesis. The lack of knowledge regarding how these proteinases recognize and cleave their substrates represents a major hurdle to understanding tissue assembly and embryonic patterning. Although BMP-1 and mammalian tolloid (mTLD) are splice variants, it is puzzling why BMP-1, which lacks 3 of the 7 noncatalytic domains present in all other family members, is the most effective proteinase. Using a combination of single-particle electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and other biophysical measurements in solution, we show that mTLD, but not BMP-1, forms a calcium-ion-dependent dimer under physiological conditions. Using a domain deletion approach, we provide evidence that EGF2, which is absent in BMP-1, is critical to the formation of the dimer. Based on a combination of structural and functional data, we propose that mTLD activity is regulated by a substrate exclusion mechanism. These results provide a mechanistic insight into how alternative splicing of the
Bmp1
gene produces 2 proteinases with differing biological activities and have broad implications for regulation of BMP-1/mTLD and related proteinases during BMP signaling and tissue assembly.