bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Paradox in Sliding Contact Problems With Friction
Authors: Adams G. G. , Barber J. R. , Ciavarella M. , Rice J. R.
Published: May 2005

In problems involving the relative sliding to two bodies, the frictional force is taken to oppose the direction of the local relative slip velocity. For a rigid flat punch sliding over a half-plane at any speed, it is shown that the velocities of the half-plane particles near the edges of the punch seem to grow without limit in the same direction as the punch motion. Thus the local relative slip velocity changes sign. This phenomenon leads to a paradox in friction, in the sense that the assumed direction of sliding used for Coulomb friction is opposite that of the resulting slip velocity in the region sufficiently close to each of the edges of the punch. This paradox is not restricted to the case of a rigid punch, as it is due to the deformations in the half-plane over which the pressure is moving. It would therefore occur for any punch shape and elastic constants (including an elastic wedge) for which the applied pressure, moving along the free surface of the half-plane, is singular. The paradox is resolved by using a finite strain analysis of the kinematics for the rigid punch problem and it is expected that finite strain theory would resolve the paradox for a more general contact problem.
A Note on the Limit Definition of Concentrated Loads
Authors: Chu H. J. , Wang M. Z.
Published: May 2005

Based on Sternberg and Eubanks' limit definition of concentrated loads, an improved definition is proposed. The polar-symmetry example is given to show that the new definition is more reasionable. Sternberg and Eubanks' attractive counter-example is reconsidered.
Consistent Formulations of the Interaction Integral Method for Fracture of Functionally Graded Materials
Authors: Kim Jeong-Ho , Paulino Glaucio H.
Published: May 2005

The interaction integral method provides a unified framework for evaluating fracture parameters (e.g., stress intensity factors and T stress) in functionally graded materials. The method is based on a conservation integral involving auxiliary fields. In fracture of nonhomogeneous materials, the use of auxiliary fields developed for homogeneous materials results in violation of one of the basic relations of mechanics, i.e., equilibrium, compatibility or constitutive, which naturally leads to three independent formulations: “nonequilibrium,” “incompatibility,” and “constant-constitutive-tensor.” Each formulation leads to a consistent form of the interaction integral in the sense that extra terms are added to compensate for the difference in response between homogeneous and nonhomogeneous materials. The extra terms play a key role in ensuring path independence of the interaction integral. This paper presents a critical comparison of the three consistent formulations and addresses their advantages and drawbacks. Such comparison is made both from a theoretical point of view and also by means of numerical examples. The numerical implementation is based on finite elements which account for the spatial gradation of material properties at the element level (graded elements).
A Method to Determine the Effect of Microscale Heterogeneities on Macroscopic Web Mechanics
Authors: Thigpen Lewis , Reardon Patrick T. , Leggoe Jeremy W. , Graham Alan L. , Fitzgerald Mark
Published: May 2005

The effect of a spatially heterogeneous density distribution on the development of defects during the transport of nonwoven webs through roller systems has been investigated numerically. A modeling approach has been developed by which the spatial heterogeneity in web mechanical properties can be characterized statistically and recreated for use in finite element simulations. The approach has been applied to model the transport of a carded nonwoven web, consisting of an agglomeration of polypropylene fibers bound together by a regular array of thermal bond points. The web was scanned optically to obtain a gray scale light distribution representing the local material density. Analysis of the local density distribution permitted the generation of “virtual webs” for use in heterogeneous finite element models, in which local mechanical properties were governed by local density. Virtual web response was investigated under two loading configurations; simple tensile testing, and web transport under tension through a three-roller system. The modeling approach provided results that were in good agreement with experimentally observed web mechanics, failure mechanisms, and processing instabilities. Spatial heterogeneity in material properties was found to strongly influence both general web behavior and the tendency for the web to incur manufacturing defects during transport through roller systems.
The
so
Locus Is Required for Vegetative Cell Fusion and Postfertilization Events in
Neurospora crassa
Authors: Fleißner André , Sarkar Sovan , Jacobson David J. , Roca M. Gabriela , Read Nick D. , Glass N. Louise
Published: May 2005

The process of cell fusion is a basic developmental feature found in most eukaryotic organisms. In filamentous fungi, cell fusion events play an important role during both vegetative growth and sexual reproduction. We employ the model organism
Neurospora crassa
to dissect the mechanisms of cell fusion and cell-cell communication involved in fusion processes. In this study, we characterized a mutant with a mutation in the gene
so
, which exhibits defects in cell fusion. The
so
mutant has a pleiotropic phenotype, including shortened aerial hyphae, an altered conidiation pattern, and female sterility. Using light microscopy and heterokaryon tests, the
so
mutant was shown to possess defects in germling and hyphal fusion. Although
so
produces conidial anastomosis tubes,
so
germlings did not home toward wild-type germlings nor were wild-type germlings attracted to
so
germlings. We employed a trichogyne attraction and fusion assay to determine whether the female sterility of the
so
mutant is caused by impaired communication or fusion failure between mating partners.
so
showed no defects in attraction or fusion between mating partners, indicating that
so
is specific for vegetative hyphal fusion and/or associated communication events. The
so
gene encodes a protein of unknown function, but which contains a WW domain; WW domains are predicted to be involved in protein-protein interactions. Database searches showed that
so
was conserved in the genomes of filamentous ascomycete fungi but was absent in ascomycete yeast and basidiomycete species.
Identification in the Ancient Protist
Giardia lamblia
of Two Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E Homologues with Distinctive Functions
Authors: Li Lei , Wang Ching C.
Published: May 2005

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binds to the m
7
GTP of capped mRNAs and is an essential component of the translational machinery that recruits the 40S small ribosomal subunit. We describe here the identification and characterization of two eIF4E homologues in an ancient protist,
Giardia lamblia
. Using m
7
GTP-Sepharose affinity column chromatography, a specific binding protein was isolated and identified as
Giardia
eIF4E2. The other homologue,
Giardia
eIF4E1, bound only to the m
2,2,7
GpppN structure. Although neither homologue can rescue the function of yeast eIF4E, a knockdown of eIF4E2 mRNA in
Giardia
by a virus-based antisense ribozyme decreased translation, which was shown to use m
7
GpppN-capped mRNA as a template. Thus, eIF4E2 is likely the cap-binding protein in a translation initiation complex. The same knockdown approach indicated that eIF4E1 is not required for translation in
Giardia
. Immunofluorescence assays showed wide distribution of both homologues in the cytoplasm. But eIF4E1 was also found concentrated and colocalized with the m
2,2,7
GpppN cap, 16S-like rRNA, and fibrillarin in the nucleolus-like structure in the nucleus. eIF4E1 depletion from
Giardia
did not affect mRNA splicing, but the protein was bound to
Giardia
small nuclear RNAs D and H known to have an m
2,2,7
GpppN cap, thus suggesting a novel function not yet observed among other eIF4Es in eukaryotes.
Class I Histone Deacetylase Thd1p Affects Nuclear Integrity in
Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Wiley Emily A. , Myers Tamara , Parker Kathryn , Braun Theodore , Yao Meng-Chao
Published: May 2005

Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) participate in the regulation of DNA-templated processes such as transcription and replication. Members of this class can act locally at specific sites, or they can act more globally, contributing to a baseline acetylation state, both of which actions may be important for genome maintenance and organization. We previously identified a macronuclear-specific class I HDAC in
Tetrahymena thermophila
called Thd1p, which is expressed early in the development of the macronucleus when it initially becomes transcriptionally active. To test the idea that Thd1p is important for global chromatin integrity in an active macronucleus,
Tetrahymena
cells reduced in expression of Thd1p were generated. We observed phenotypes that indicated loss of chromatin integrity in the mutant cells, including DNA fragmentation and extrusion of chromatin from the macronucleus, variable macronuclear size and shape, enlarged nucleoli, and reduced phosphorylation of histone H1 from bulk chromatin. Macronuclei in mutant cells also contained more DNA. This observation suggests a role for Thd1p in the control of nuclear DNA content, a previously undescribed role for class I HDACs. Together, these phenotypes implicate Thd1p in the maintenance of macronuclear integrity in multiple ways, probably through site-specific changes in histone acetylation since no change in the acetylation levels of bulk histones was detected in mutant cells.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEURAL MECHANISMS FOR MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: ARSENIO ARTUR M.
Published: May 2005

The goal of this work is to develop a humanoid robot's perceptual mechanisms through the use of learning aids. We describe methods to enable learning on a humanoid robot using learning aids such as books, drawing materials, boards, educational videos or other children toys. Visual properties of objects are learned and inserted into a recognition scheme, which is then applied to acquire new object representations — we propose learning through developmental stages. Inspired in infant development, we will also boost the robot's perceptual capabilities by having a human caregiver performing educational and play activities with the robot (such as drawing, painting or playing with a toy train on a railway). We describe original algorithms to extract meaningful percepts from such learning experiments. Experimental evaluation of the algorithms corroborates the theoretical framework.
VISUAL APPROACH TO SUPERVISED VARIABLE SELECTION BY SELF-ORGANIZING MAP
Authors: SIMILÄ TIMO , LAINE SAMPSA
Published: May 2005

Practical data analysis often encounters data sets with both relevant and useless variables. Supervised variable selection is the task of selecting the relevant variables based on some predefined criterion. We propose a robust method for this task. The user manually selects a set of target variables and trains a Self-Organizing Map with these data. This sets a criterion to variable selection and is an illustrative description of the user's problem, even for multivariate target data. The user also defines another set of variables that are potentially related to the problem. Our method returns a subset of these variables, which best corresponds to the description provided by the Self-Organizing Map and, thus, agrees with the user's understanding about the problem. The method is conceptually simple and, based on experiments, allows an accessible approach to supervised variable selection.
HYBRID NEURAL SYSTEMS FOR PATTERN RECOGNITION IN ARTIFICIAL NOSES
Authors: ZANCHETTIN CLEBER , LUDERMIR TERESA B.
Published: May 2005

This work examines the use of Hybrid Intelligent Systems in the pattern recognition system of an artificial nose. The connectionist approaches Multi-Layer Perceptron and Time Delay Neural Networks, and the hybrid approaches Feature-Weighted Detector and Evolving Neural Fuzzy Networks were investigated. A Wavelet Filter is evaluated as a preprocessing method for odor signals. The signals generated by an artificial nose were composed by an array of conducting polymer sensors and exposed to two different odor databases.
COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT AND NONCOMMUTATIVITY: A NEWTONIAN POINT OF VIEW
Authors: ROMERO JUAN M. , SANTIAGO J. A.
Published: May 2005

We study a Newtonian cosmological model in the context of a noncommutative space. It is shown that the trajectories of a test particle undergo modifications such that it no longer satisfies the cosmological principle. For the case of a positive cosmological constant, spiral trajectories are obtained and corrections to the Hubble constant appear. It is also shown that, in the limit of a strong noncommutative parameter, the model is closely related to a particle in a Gödel-type metric.
VACUUM POLARIZATION IN AN ANTI-DE SITTER SPACE AS AN ORIGIN FOR A COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT IN A BRANE WORLD
Authors: LI LI-XIN
Published: May 2005

We show that the vacuum polarization of quantum fields in an anti-de Sitter space can naturally give rise to a small but nonzero cosmological constant in a brane world living in it. To explain the extremely small ratio of mass density in the cosmological constant to the Planck mass density in our universe (≈10-123) as suggested by cosmological observations, all we need is a four-dimensional brane world (our universe) living in a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space with a curvature radius r0~10-3 cm and a fundamental Planck energy M P ~109 GeV , and a scalar field with a mass [Formula: see text]. Probing gravity down to a scale ~10-3 cm, which is attainable in the near future, will provide a test of the model.
UNPACKING “TRANSNATIONAL CITIZENSHIP”
Authors: Fox Jonathan
Published: May 2005

▪ Abstract  What “counts” as transnational citizenship? Like the related notions of global or transnational civil society, the term's appeal to internationalists is greater than its conceptual precision. However, a wide range of empirical trends do raise questions about the nation-state-based approach to the concept of citizenship. In an effort to avoid conceptual stretching, this essay assesses the degree to which the concept of transnational citizenship helps to address issues raised by “globalization from below.” Because many approaches to citizenship focus on the dynamics and texture of participation, this review incorporates recent findings in sociology, anthropology, and geography into the political science discussion. The essay is organized by propositions that bring together analysis of two distinct empirical literatures, on transnational civil society and on migrant civic and political participation. The review concludes by contrasting two cross-cutting sets of definitional choices. The discussion is framed by a recognition that definitions of citizenship vary along two main dimensions: in their emphasis on rights versus membership, and in high versus low intensity. Only a very bounded definition of transnational citizenship holds up under conceptual scrutiny, limited to what is also called dual or multiple citizenship for migrants.
PROSPECT THEORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Authors: Mercer Jonathan
Published: May 2005

▪ Abstract  Prospect theory is the most influential behavioral theory of choice in the social sciences. Its creators won a Nobel Prize in economics, and it is largely responsible for the booming field of behavioral economics. Although international relations theorists who study security have used prospect theory extensively, Americanists, comparativists, and political economists have shown little interest in it. The dominant explanation for political scientists' tepid response focuses on the theoretical problems with extending a theory devised in the lab to explain political decisions in the field. This essay focuses on these problems and reviews suggested solutions. It suggests that prospect theory's failure to ignite the imagination of more political scientists probably results from their aversion to behavioral assumptions and not from problems unique to prospect theory.
Acetylcholine causes endothelium-dependent contraction of mouse arteries
Authors: Zhou Yingbi , Varadharaj Saradhadevi , Zhao Xue , Parinandi Narasimham , Flavahan Nicholas A. , Zweier Jay L.
Published: May 2005

The goal of this study was to determine whether acetylcholine evokes endothelium-dependent contraction in mouse arteries and to define the mechanisms involved in regulating this response. Arterial rings isolated from wild-type (WT) and endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase knockout (eNOS−/−) mice were suspended for isometric tension recording. In abdominal aorta from WT mice contracted with phenylephrine, acetylcholine caused a relaxation that reversed at the concentration of 0.3–3 μM. After inhibition of NO synthase [with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), 1 mM], acetylcholine (0.1–10 μM) caused contraction under basal conditions or during constriction to phenylephrine, which was abolished by endothelial denudation. This contraction was inhibited by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (1 μM) or by a thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and/or prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist SQ-29548 (1 μM) and was associated with endothelium-dependent generation of the TxA2 metabolite TxB2. Also, SQ-29548 (1 μM) abolished the reversal in relaxation evoked by 0.3–3 μM acetylcholine and subsequently enhanced the relaxation to the agonist. The magnitude of the endothelium-dependent contraction to acetylcholine (0.1–10 μM) was similar in aortas from WT mice treated in vitro with l-NAME and from eNOS−/− mice. In addition, we found that acetylcholine (10 μM) also caused endothelium-dependent contraction in carotid and femoral arteries of eNOS−/− mice. These results suggest that acetylcholine initiates two competing responses in mouse arteries: endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated predominantly by NO and endothelium-dependent contraction mediated most likely by TxA2.
Pulmonary reexpansion causes xanthine oxidase-induced apoptosis in rat lung
Authors: Saito Satoshi , Ogawa Jun-ichi , Minamiya Yoshihiro
Published: May 2005

The pathogenesis of reexpansion pulmonary edema is not yet fully understood. We therefore studied its mechanism in a rat model in which the left lung was collapsed by bronchial occlusion for 1 h and then reexpanded and ventilated for an additional 3 h. We then evaluated the production of reactive oxygen species in the lungs using fluorescent imaging and cerium deposition electron microscopic techniques and the incidence of apoptosis using the TdT-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. We found that pulmonary reexpansion induced production of reactive oxygen species and then apoptosis, mainly in endothelial and alveolar type II epithelial cells. Endothelial cells and alveolar type I and II epithelial cells in the reexpanded lung were positive for TUNEL and cleaved caspase-3. DNA fragmentation was also observed in the reexpanded lung. In addition, wet-dry ratios obtained with reexpanded lungs were significantly higher than those obtained with control lungs, indicating increased fluid content. All of these effects were attenuated by pretreating rats with a specific xanthine oxidase inhibitor, sodium (−)-8-(3-methoxy-4-phenylsulfinylphenyl) pyrazolo[1,5-a]-1,3,5-triazine-4(1H)-one. It thus appears that pulmonary reexpansion activates xanthine oxidase in both endothelial and alveolar type II epithelial cells and that the reactive oxygen species produced by the enzyme induce apoptosis among the endothelial and alveolar type I and II epithelial cells that make up the pulmonary water-air barrier, leading to reexpansion pulmonary edema.
Mechanisms of oleoylethanolamide-induced changes in feeding behavior and motor activity
Authors: Proulx Karine , Cota Daniela , Castañeda Tamara R. , Tschöp Matthias H. , D'Alessio David A. , Tso Patrick , Woods Stephen C. , Seeley Randy J.
Published: May 2005

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA), a lipid synthesized in the intestine, reduces food intake and stimulates lipolysis through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α. OEA also activates transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) in vitro. Because the anorexigenic effect of OEA is associated with delayed feeding onset and reduced locomotion, we examined whether intraperitoneal administration of OEA results in nonspecific behavioral effects that contribute to the anorexia in rats. Moreover, we determined whether circulating levels of other gut hormones are modulated by OEA and whether CCK is involved in OEA-induced anorexia. Our results indicate that OEA reduces food intake without causing a conditioned taste aversion or reducing sodium appetite. It also failed to induce a conditioned place aversion. However, OEA induced changes in posture and reduced spontaneous activity in the open field. This likely underlies the reduced heat expenditure and sodium consumption observed after OEA injection, which disappeared within 1 h. The effects of OEA on motor activity were similar to those of the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin and were also observed with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α agonist Wy-14643. Plasma levels of ghrelin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, and apolipoprotein A-IV were not changed by OEA. Finally, antagonism of CCK-1 receptors did not affect OEA-induced anorexia. These results suggest that OEA suppresses feeding without causing visceral illness and that neither ghrelin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, apolipoprotein A-IV, nor CCK plays a critical role in this effect. Despite that OEA-induced anorexia is unlikely to be due to impaired motor activity, our data raise a cautionary note in how specific behavioral and metabolic effects of OEA should be interpreted.
The role of social workers in disasters
Authors: Yanay Uri , Benjamin Sharon
Published: May 2005

English

During city emergencies, Jerusalem municipality social workers are assigned to the disaster site, and with them hospitals, police services, the forensic institute and notification units form the Jerusalem Emergency Team (JET). Using formal and informal ties, social workers establish a professional, closely-knit helping network. Disasters happen everywhere. Social workers should be trained to deal with relief work and its traumatic outcomes.

French

Pendant les urgences en ville, des travailleurs sociaux municipaux a© Jérusalem - l'équipe de secours de Jérusalem (JET) - sont envoyés aux endroits sinistrés, aux hôpitaux, aux services de la police, aux départements médico-légal. En s'appuyant sur des liens formels et informels, les travailleurs sociaux établissent un réseau étroit d'aide professionnel. Les désastres se produisent partout. Les travailleurs sociaux devraient être formés pour travailler dans ce genre de situation.

Spanish

Durante las emergencias urbanas, los trabajadores sociales de la municipalidad de Jerusalem fueron asignados a los lugares de desastres, hospitales, servicios de policía, el instituto forense y las unidades de notificación, formando el Equipo de Emergencia de Jerusalem (JET). Utilizando vínculos formales e informales, los trabajadores sociales establecen una red profesional de ayuda. Los desastres ocurren en cualquier lugar. Los trabajadores sociales deben ser entrenados para tratar con el trabajo de socorro y sus resultados traumáticos.
Four models of international field placement
Authors: Pettys Gregory L. , Panos Patrick T. , Cox Shirley E. , Oosthuysen Kim
Published: May 2005

English

Twenty-one US social work programs with international placements were surveyed to assess: information about participating students; screening processes; student preparations; and supervision. Four models of international placements were identified: independent, neighbor, on-site and exchange. The information is provided to assist programs in developing international placements.

French

Vingt-et-un programmes de travail social américains offrant des stages internationaux ont été examinés pour avoir une idée des étudiants qui y participent, des procédures de sélection, des préparatifs pour les étudiants, et de la supervision. Quatre modèles des stages internationaux ont été identifiés: indépendant, voisinant, sur place et échange. Des informations sont fournies pour aider dans le développant des stages internationaux.

Spanish

Se encuestaron veintiún programas de trabajo social en Estados Unidos dotados con colocaciones internacionales para las prácticas de campo. Se evaluó: 1) la información acerca de los estudiantes participantes, 2) el proceso de selección, 3) la preparación de los estudiantes, y 4) la supervisión. Se identificaron cuatro modelos de colocación internacional: independiente, vecino, doméstico (on-site) y de intercambio. La información se dirige a asistir en el desarrollo de colocaciones de prácticas internacionales.
Aging of Rigid Polyurethane Foams: Thermal Conductivity of N2 and Cyclopentane Gas Mixtures
Authors: Marrucho Isabel M. , Santos Filipe , Oliveira Nelson S. , Dohrn Ralf
Published: May 2005

The thermal conductivity of three mixtures of nitrogen and cyclopentane is measured using a transient hot wire method, at temperatures between 315.14 and 395.89 K, and pressures up to 0.53 MPa. These mixtures are important in the evaluation of the evolution of the thermal insulation capacity of closed-cell polyurethane foams considering their aging during the respective applications’ total life time. The experimental thermal conductivity data are correlated with the Wassiljewa mixing rules as modified by Mason and Saxena, and predicted using extended corresponding states theory (ECST), with an average absolute deviation of 1.1 and 8.9%, respectively. The increase of the nitrogen fraction in cyclopentane-nitrogen mixtures leads to higher thermal conductivity values than has been predicted by ECST using only pure component thermal conductivity data for all measurements.
Democracy, Values and Modes of Representation
Authors: Goody Jack
Published: May 2005

The Whig notion of history assumes a constant progress in the practice and values of human life, tending towards the emergence of more ‘humanistic’ goals and achievements. Such a view seems implied in the present project, and it is not to be lightly dismissed. Living standards, technology and science have made a constant move forward, effectively accumulating knowledge. And it is commonly thought that a similar shift can be found in values. Elias for example writes of the emergence of the ‘Civilization Process’ at the time of the European Renaissance. However in respect of values any vectorial movement seems much more questionable.
New Contours of Public Space in Africa
Authors: Diaw Aminata
Published: May 2005

(1) When I say Africa, what do I mean by that word? There are several Africas with different trajectories, diverse histories and memories, experiences of the Political that are far from identical. Any discourse on Africa can be valid only if it assumes the idea of a deconstruction of Africa as a homogeneous reality. Africa is not a geographical space but rather a plurality of imaginaries, cultures and temporalities.
‘Human, Still Human!’
Authors: Bindé Jérôme
Published: May 2005

In his preface to Human, Too Human Nietzsche wrote: ‘My books have been labelled the school of suspicion … ‘ Predicted and desired by Nietzsche, the age of suspicion does seem to be one of the labels that best characterize the century that has just closed. And symptomatically it was used a few decades later in France to describe writers’ interrogations about the novel as a literary genre, its facilities and conventions, its easy determinisms, as well as the exorbitant power of the novelist-demiurge. Is it necessary to recall that the forerunner to the nouveau roman, written by Nathalie Sarraute in the 1930s, was in fact entitled L’Ère du soupçon? It is impossible to emphasize enough this close concordance between philosophical questioning and aesthetic interrogations, particularly in the notion of avant-garde, which is indispensable for thinking about intellectual and political renewal. It is true that the 20th century was the century of the universal declaration of human rights, but also the century of rejection of norms inherited from philosophical, literary, cultural, religious or scientific traditions, which came to be suspected of providing only off-the-peg elements for thought and action at a time when the world was changing and required new forms of thinking.
Postmodern Liberalism as a New Humanism
Authors: Szahaj Andrzej
Published: May 2005

The belief in Reason has had a great career in Europe. The most important factor was at the beginning, in the great Greek philosophers’ abhorrence of everything that was not controllable and that threatened a descent into inner and outer chaos. It could be bodily passions or subjection to the irrational will of the crowd. The instability and fragility of the world had to be cured by something that could resist the logic of permanent change because it always remained the same. This attitude, typical of ancient philosophy, resulted in love of Reason and Truth, in hope for absolute certainty and in belief in the possibility of uncovering the principle behind all things. To be sure, Greek dialectics was an art of finding truth in the process of debating, but nevertheless the main hero of European narrative became the lonely philosopher capable of seeing all things as they were in themselves, fundamentals, principles and ideas. Truth was not a thing of this world, that was the axiom of almost all Greek philosophy, and without it the good life and the good political community (polis) were not possible. Plato - the founding father of this way of thinking - became ‘the arbiter of elegance’ for the whole of European culture (the sophists - the only philosophers who saw things differently - were defeated by him all too easily). Ever since Plato's time we have thought like Plato and his later European heirs such as Descartes, Kant or Husserl.
Towards a Polycentric Humanism
Authors: Argullol Rafael
Published: May 2005

The possibility of a conception of the world that might question western anthropomorphism basically began to be entertained from the second half of the 20th century, though what we could call ‘the intellectual atmosphere of Romanticism’ had already hinted at a similar concept as a reaction to tendencies that were far too one-sided and one-dimensional. A critique of western anthropomorphism has thus been tenuously articulated since Romanticism in the first half of the 19 th century; however, I think the need to give this critique some substance and immediacy, a practical ethical relevance, was identified in the second half of the 20th century when it started to become obvious that certain grand utopian models developed in the West had created antibodies so dangerous they were jeopardizing life itself.
Thinking the Mediterranean Arena Today
Authors: Arkoun Mohammed
Published: May 2005

In the name of a historical realism that implies a philosophy of history yet to be validated, should we assume that any attempt to explore or reactivate the question of meaning, which is so alive in the Mediterranean arena, is doomed to capsize among spiritualist imaginings, idealistic speculation, nostalgic reminiscences? Or, despite the triumphant march of a globalization bereft of a humanistic project, can we identify, in the Mediterranean history of thought and culture, stances of reason, objectives from the mind, works of creative imagination, the words of civilizing prophets, saints, thinkers, artists, heroes that might fertilize, illuminate, inspire, provide some additional soul for the new struggles to emancipate the human condition, such as they are borne in urgently on all the citizens of a world that is chained to the same destiny?
Christian Ethics in the Classroom, Curriculum and Corridor
Authors: Astley Jeff
Published: May 2005

The article surveys some of the more potent aspects of the moral dimension of educational institutions, with particular reference to their hidden curriculum of moral formation, the place of passion in teaching, and the many elements that are required for a balanced and realistic moral education. It concludes with some comments on commodification and respect in education.
Improving the Damping Properties of Composites Using Ferroelectric Inclusions
Authors: Asmatulu R. , Claus R. O. , Mecham J. B. , Inman D. J.
Published: May 2005

This paper presents a recently developed composite constructed in an attempt to improve damping properties by using ferroelectric inclusions in a constrained medium. Several samples of this new composite have been made and tests of their damping properties are presented here. Damping properties of materials are of great interest in many applications. The focus here is on the development of composites with ferroelastic components to develop a new class of materials having improved temperature-dependent damping properties. Typical damping materials, such as viscoelastic materials, have damping values that decrease with increasing temperature. The work presented here considers a material system consisting of fine particles of vanadium dioxide (VO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) incorporated into matrix materials (tin and polymer adhesives) to produce composite materials with improved damping properties. A number of mechanical damping tests have been conducted on the prepared composites at a frequency range of 0-2000 Hz and over a broad temperature range using piezoceramic exciters and miniature accelerometers. The mechanical vibration test results show that VO2 and ZnO give significantly higher damping values at ≈68° C (155° F) and 29° C (85° F). For example, ≈15 and 12% damping is achieved at the first and second resonance frequencies, respectively. This significant improvement on the damping of the composite materials may be because of the ferroelasticity and/or viscoelasticity at those particular temperatures. It has also been observed that etching of substrate surfaces improves the adhesion between composite materials and surfaces for better damping results. These composites offer high damping at elevated temperatures and hence may provide useful solutions to applications requiring increased damping.
A Temperature-dependent Constitutive Model for Relaxor Ferroelectrics
Authors: Smith Ralph C. , Hom Craig L.
Published: May 2005

This paper addresses the development of a temperature-dependent constitutive model for relaxor ferroelectric materials. These compounds exhibit a diffuse transition region between the paraelectric and ferroelectric phases due to the chemical heterogeneity of the materials. At low temperatures, the materials exhibit significant dielectric hysteresis in the relation between the applied field E and the macroscopic polarization P, with the degree of hysteresis decreasing as the temperature increases to freezing temperature Tf. Above the freezing temperature, the relation is single-valued, but nonlinear.

These phenomena are modeled by assuming that the material is comprised of an aggregate of micropolar regions having a range of Curie temperatures. Thermodynamic principles are employed to obtain a micropolar model, which predicts the saturation polarization and distribution of regions as a function of temperature. A corresponding macroscopic model is then constructed to predict the dielectric behavior of the material above the freezing temperature. Hysteresis below the freezing point is incorporated through the quantification of energy required to bend and translate domain walls pinned at sites, including inclusions, point defects, and local fields, inherent to the material. The resulting ordinary differential equation (ODE) model quantifies the constitutive nonlinearities and hysteresis exhibited by the materials through a wide range of temperatures and input drive levels. The predictive capabilities of the model are illustrated through a comparison with PMN (lead magnesium niobate) and PMN-PT-BT (PT: lead titanate; BT: barium titanate) data collected at temperatures ranging from 133 to 313 K.
The relationship between burnout and job satisfaction among physical education teachers: a multivariate approach
Authors: Koustelios Athanasios , Tsigilis Nikolaos
Published: May 2005

The present study examined the multivariate relationship between job satisfaction and burnout, experienced by Greek physical education school-based teachers. The sample consisted of 175 physical education teachers, from primary and secondary education. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach and Jackson, 1986) and the Employee Satis faction Inventory (Koustelios and Bagiatis, 1997) used to assess burnout and job satis faction respectively. Canonical correlation analysis revealed a negative multivariate relationship between the two constructs ( rc =.61). Canonical loadings indicate that job satisfaction is primarily affected by ‘job itself’ followed by ‘supervision’ and ‘working conditions’, whereas burnout is affected by ‘personal accomplishment’ and ‘emotional exhaustion’. Intrinsic aspects of job satisfaction seemed to correlate stronger to burnout than the extrinsic.
The politics of anti-racism in Belgium
Authors: Detant Anja
Published: May 2005

In the present environment of advanced industrial society and post-war migration to Europe it is impossible to ignore the role of ideas about immigration, national identity and ‘race’ in shaping social and political relations. Although there is a public commitment in terms of official policies to the promotion of anti-racism and a multicultural society, racist movements and ideas are increasingly part of the public political debate. The question of what can be done to counter the influence of racist ideologies and extreme right-wing political parties is at the heart of contemporary concerns. Yet, there is considerable confusion of what is meant by anti-racism and the policies and practices associated with it in different national contexts. Moreover, there are a variety of theoretical approaches and political perspectives about what kind of arguments and mobilizations are necessary to curb the growth of racism. In Belgium, the anti-racist movement, Hand in Hand, has developed a diverse range of strategies to answer the issue of everyday racism and intolerance, to counter right-extremist ideas and to limit its political influence. In this article, the focus will be on the political rhetoric developed by the anti-racist movement in the 1990s, at the times of the national demonstrations against racism, triggered by the electoral score of the extreme right-wing party, Vlaams Blok, in 1991. The results of a qualitative analysis of the information campaigns and media coverage of the anti-racist demonstrations of 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2002 when 100,000 people marched in the streets of Brussels claiming equal rights and opposing racism and discrimination, should offer insights into how the racialization of social and political relations is shaped by both discourses on racism and anti-racism.
The Case Conference as Social Ritual
Authors: Joyce Patricia A.
Published: May 2005

This article reports a case study of social workers’ constructions of mothers of sexually abused children, which revealed that, although they no longer constructed mothers as collusive, these social workers persisted in pejorative constructions, which depended upon and interacted with multiple practice contexts. A case exemplifying a ‘good’ mother, who believed her child at disclosure, was chosen. Workers’ constructions occurred through the interaction of individual thoughts with the social process of agency case conferences, embodied in the written treatment summary. The full depiction of the mother occurred through: (1) the reading of the written summary; (2) the worker’s verbal ‘telling’ of the case’s story, and (3) the discussion that ultimately led to a treatment plan. The case conference was a social ritual, whose manifest and latent functions deeply influenced social workers’ constructions of the mothers.
Anthropology and Interdisciplinarity
Authors: Strathern Marilyn
Published: May 2005

Professor Marilyn Strathern in conversation with Professor Ludmilla Jordanova in the series Conversations at CRASSH (Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, at Cambridge University), an extensive two-year programme convened by Ludmilla Jordanova as CRASSH Director. Professor Strathern speaks on ‘Why anthropology matters’ at the 2005 Cambridge University International Summer School.
What Matters in English Literature?
Authors: Parker Fred
Published: May 2005

The article talks about how - and whether - ‘English’ can justify itself as an academic discipline, and about the pressures on it to do so. In the search for justification, is it the creative writer or the critic who provides the crucial element of value? Particular reference is made to the tradition of English at Cambridge, where the question of ‘what matters?’ has been asked with some intensity.
Art: What Matters?
Authors: Friend Nicholas
Published: May 2005

Is art merely an adjunct to the serious business of life? Is there a secret ingredient that makes some art more worthwhile than other art? Does art have something to offer that makes its pursuit or purchase worthwhile, or is it simply an outlet for spare capital? Does art really matter at all?
Confirmation of human protein interaction data by human expression data
Authors: Hahn Andreas , Rahnenführer Jörg , Talwar Priti , Lengauer Thomas
Published: May 2005

Background

With microarray technology the expression of thousands of genes can be measured simultaneously. It is well known that the expression levels of genes of interacting proteins are correlated significantly more strongly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae than those of proteins that are not interacting. The objective of this work is to investigate whether this observation extends to the human genome.

Results

We investigated the quantitative relationship between expression levels of genes encoding interacting proteins and genes encoding random protein pairs. Therefore we studied 1369 interacting human protein pairs and human gene expression levels of 155 arrays. We were able to establish a statistically significantly higher correlation between the expression levels of genes whose proteins interact compared to random protein pairs. Additionally we were able to provide evidence that genes encoding proteins belonging to the same GO-class show correlated expression levels.

Conclusion

This finding is concurrent with the naive hypothesis that the scales of production of interacting proteins are linked because an efficient interaction demands that involved proteins are available to some degree. The goal of further research in this field will be to understand the biological mechanisms behind this observation.
Characteristics and adaptability of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms used for the recovery of metals from minerals and their concentrates
Authors: Rawlings Douglas E
Published: May 2005

Microorganisms are used in large-scale heap or tank aeration processes for the commercial extraction of a variety of metals from their ores or concentrates. These include copper, cobalt, gold and, in the past, uranium. The metal solubilization processes are considered to be largely chemical with the microorganisms providing the chemicals and the space (exopolysaccharide layer) where the mineral dissolution reactions occur. Temperatures at which these processes are carried out can vary from ambient to 80°C and the types of organisms present depends to a large extent on the process temperature used. Irrespective of the operation temperature, biomining microbes have several characteristics in common. One shared characteristic is their ability to produce the ferric iron and sulfuric acid required to degrade the mineral and facilitate metal recovery. Other characteristics are their ability to grow autotrophically, their acid-tolerance and their inherent metal resistance or ability to acquire metal resistance. Although the microorganisms that drive the process have the above properties in common, biomining microbes usually occur in consortia in which cross-feeding may occur such that a combination of microbes including some with heterotrophic tendencies may contribute to the efficiency of the process. The remarkable adaptability of these organisms is assisted by several of the processes being continuous-flow systems that enable the continual selection of microorganisms that are more efficient at mineral degradation. Adaptability is also assisted by the processes being open and non-sterile thereby permitting new organisms to enter. This openness allows for the possibility of new genes that improve cell fitness to be selected from the horizontal gene pool. Characteristics that biomining microorganisms have in common and examples of their remarkable adaptability are described.
The continuing HIV vaccine saga: naked emperors alongside fairy godmothers
Authors: Smith Kendall A
Published: May 2005

The latest developments in the HIV vaccine field were aired at a Keystone Symposium recently. This Commentary summarizes some of the highlights from this meeting, and focuses on some of the developments that appeared particularly promising, as well as those that do not. Unfortunately, the "saga" continues.
Elevated expression of CD30 in adult T-cell leukemia cell lines: possible role in constitutive NF-κB activation
Authors: Higuchi Masaya , Matsuda Takehiro , Mori Naoki , Yamada Yasuaki , Horie Ryouichi , Watanabe Toshiki , Takahashi Masahiko , Oie Masayasu , Fujii Masahiro
Published: May 2005

Background

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with the development of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). HTLV-1 encoded Tax1 oncoprotein activates the transcription of genes involved in cell growth and anti-apoptosis through the NF-κB pathway, and is thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ATL. While Tax1 expression is usually lost or minimal in ATL cells, these cells still show high constitutive NF-κB activity, indicating that genetic or epigenetic changes in ATL cells induce activation independent of Tax1. The aim of this study was to identify the molecules responsible for the constitutive activation of NF-κB in ATL cells using a retroviral functional cloning strategy.

Results

Using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression and blasticidin-resistance as selection markers, several retroviral cDNA clones exhibiting constitutive NF-κB activity in Rat-1 cells, including full-length CD30, were obtained from an ATL cell line. Exogenous stable expression of CD30 in Rat-1 cells constitutively activated NF-κB. Elevated expression of CD30 was identified in all ATL lines examined, and primary ATL cells from a small number of patients (8 out of 66 cases).

Conclusion

Elevated CD30 expression is considered one of the causes of constitutive NF-κB activation in ATL cells, and may be involved in ATL development.