bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unattended Facial Expressions Asymmetrically Bias the Concurrent Processing of Nonemotional Information
Authors: Maxwell Jeffrey S. , Shackman Alexander J. , Davidson Richard J.
Published: September 2005

Planned and reflexive behaviors often occur in the presence of emotional stimuli and within the context of an individual's acute emotional state. Therefore, determining the manner in which emotion and attention interact is an important step toward understanding how we function in the real world. Participants in the current investigation viewed centrally displayed, task-irrelevant, face distractors (angry, neutral, happy) while performing a lateralized go/no-go continuous performance task. Lateralized go targets and no-go lures that did not spatially overlap with the faces were employed to differentially probe processing in the left (LH) and right (RH) cerebral hemispheres. There was a significant interaction between expression and hemisphere, with an overall pattern such that angry distractors were associated with relatively more RH inhibitory errors than neutral or happy distractors and happy distractors with relatively more LH inhibitory errors than angry or neutral distractors. Simple effects analyses confirmed that angry faces differentially interfered with RH relative to LH inhibition and with inhibition in the RH relative to happy faces. A significant three-way interaction further revealed that state anxiety moderated relations between emotional expression and hemisphere. Under conditions of low cognitive load, more intense anxiety was associated with relatively greater RH than LH impairment in the presence of both happy and threatening distractors. By contrast, under high load, only angry dis-tractors produced greater RH than LH interference as a function of anxiety.
Ocean Model Diagnosis of Interannual Coevolving SST Variability in the South Indian and South Atlantic Oceans
Authors: Hermes J. C. , Reason C. J. C.
Published: September 2005

A global ocean model (ORCA2) forced with 50 yr of NCEP–NCAR reanalysis winds and heat fluxes has been used to investigate the evolution and forcing of interannual dipolelike sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the South Indian and South Atlantic Oceans. Although such patterns may also exist at times in only one of these basins and not the other, only events where there are coherent signals in both basins during the austral summer have been chosen for study in this paper. A positive (negative) event occurs when there is a significant warm (cool) SST anomaly evident in the southwest of both the South Indian and South Atlantic Oceans and a cool (warm) anomaly in the eastern subtropics.

The large-scale forcing of these events appears to consist of a coherent modulation of the wavenumber-3 or -4 pattern in the Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation such that the semipermanent subtropical anticyclone in each basin is shifted from its summer mean position and its strength is modulated. A relationship to the Antarctic Oscillation is also apparent, and seems to strengthen after the mid-1970s. The modulated subtropical anticyclones lead to changes in the tropical easterlies and midlatitude westerlies in the South Atlantic and South Indian Oceans that result in anomalies in latent heat fluxes, upwelling, and Ekman heat transports, all of which contribute to the SST variability. In addition, there are significant modulations to the strong Rossby wave signals in the South Indian Ocean. The results of this study confirm the ability of the ORCA2 model to represent these dipole patterns and indicate connections between large-scale modulations of the Southern Hemisphere midlatitude atmospheric circulation and coevolving SST variability in the South Atlantic and South Indian Oceans.
Land Surface Model Development for the GISS GCM: Effects of Improved Canopy Physiology on Simulated Climate
Authors: Friend Andrew D. , Kiang Nancy Y.
Published: September 2005

A new physiology-based model of canopy stomatal conductance and photosynthesis is described and included in the latest version of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) GCM, ModelE1. The submodel includes responses to atmospheric humidity and CO2 concentration, responses missing from previous GISS GCM land surface schemes. Measurements of moisture, energy, and CO2 fluxes over four vegetation types are used to test and calibrate the submodel. Photosynthetic leaf N is calibrated for each vegetation type from the flux measurements.

The new submodel results in surface cooling over many regions previously too warm. Some warm biases of over 2°C are cooled by more than 0.5°C, including over central Eurasia, South America, the western United States, and Australia. In addition, some regions that were previously too cool are warmed, such as northern Eurasia and the Tibetan Plateau. A number of precipitation biases are also reduced, particularly over South America (by up to 1 mm day−1) and the oceanic ITCZs (by over ±1 mm day−1); coastal west Africa becomes significantly wetter. Cloud cover increases over many land areas previously too clear.

Higher absolute canopy conductances, and positive feedbacks with atmospheric humidity, are largely responsible for the simulated vegetation influence on the atmosphere. High-latitude climate changes through remote effects of increased tropical latent heating, resulting directly from improved characterization of tropical forest canopy conductance. Realistic representation of the stomatal control on land evaporation is critical for accurate simulation of atmospheric dynamics in the GISS GCM.
Influences of ENSO-Induced Indo–Western Pacific SST Anomalies on Extratropical Atmospheric Variability during the Boreal Summer
Authors: Lau Ngar-Cheung , Leetmaa Ants , Nath Mary Jo , Wang Hai-Lan
Published: September 2005

The causes for the observed occurrence of anomalous zonally symmetric upper-level pressure ridges in the midlatitude belts of both hemispheres during the year after warm El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events have been investigated. Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Indo–western Pacific (IWP) sector were simulated by allowing an oceanic mixed layer model for that region to interact with local atmospheric changes forced remotely by observed ENSO episodes in the eastern/central tropical Pacific. The spatiotemporal evolution of these SST conditions through a composite ENSO cycle was then inserted as lower boundary conditions within the IWP domain in an ensemble of atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) integrations. This experimental setup is seen to reproduce zonally symmetric geopotential height anomalies with maximum amplitudes being attained over the extratropics in the boreal summer after the peak phase of ENSO. The model evidence hence supports the notion that these global-scale atmospheric changes are primarily responses to SST perturbations in IWP, which are in turn linked to ENSO variability in the equatorial Pacific by the “atmospheric bridge” mechanism.

Experimentation with a stationary wave model indicates that the Eastern Hemisphere portion of the aforementioned atmospheric signals are attributable to forcing by tropical heat sources and sinks associated with precipitation anomalies in the IWP region, which are closely related to the underlying SST changes. Diagnosis of the output from the GCM integrations reveals that these circulation changes due to diabatic heating are accompanied by alterations of the propagation path and intensity of the high-frequency eddies at locations farther downstream. The geopotential tendencies associated with the latter disturbances bear some resemblance to the anomalous height pattern in the Western Hemisphere. Such local eddy–mean flow feedbacks hence contribute to the zonal symmetry of the atmospheric response pattern to forcing in the IWP region. Analysis of zonally averaged circulation statistics indicates that the mean meridional circulation induced by divergence of anomalous transient eddy momentum fluxes in ENSO events could also generate zonally symmetric perturbations in midlatitudes.

The model-simulated precipitation and surface temperature anomalies in the North American sector in response to SST changes in IWP suggest an increased frequency of droughts and heat waves in that region during the summer season after warm ENSO events.
On the Stochastic Forcing of Modes of Interannual Southern Ocean Sea Surface Temperature Variability
Authors: Aiken Christopher M. , England Matthew H.
Published: September 2005

A simple linearized transport model of anomalous Southern Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) is studied to determine whether it can sustain anomalies of realistic amplitudes under a physically based stochastic forcing. As noted in previous studies, eigenmodes of this system with zonal wavenumbers 2 and 3 share key propagation characteristics with the SST anomalies associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW). The system is solved on a grid that follows the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and is forced by a stochastic heat flux. The forcing is white in space and time and represents the advection of the mean SST gradient by high-frequency variations in the cross-ACC velocity, due to mesoscale eddy variability. The magnitude of the stochastic forcing is determined from a global eddy-permitting ocean model. Anomalous ocean surface velocity variability (8 cm s−1) coupled to a mean cross-ACC SST gradient of 0.8°C (°latitude)−1 sustains anomalous interannual SST variability at low wavenumbers and amplitudes of the order of 1°C, consistent with those associated with the ACW. In the long-term mean, variance is broadly spread among low wavenumbers, in contrast to the dominance of one or two zonal wavenumbers in the ACW observations. It is found, however, that the model produces single dominant wavenumbers over individual periods of decades, suggesting that the apparent unimodal nature of the ACW may be an artifact of the short observational record used to infer it. Alternatively, it is shown that a nonisotropic forcing may also result in a stronger preference for particular zonal wavenumbers. It is shown that if the atmosphere at mid to high southern latitudes has an equivalent barotropic response to heating, then the resulting sea level pressure anomalies reproduce the phase relationship of the observed ACW. These results are consistent with the notion that a simple stochastically forced advection of SST anomalies can explain SST variability associated with the ACW to leading order.
Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Intensity and ENSO
Authors: Camargo Suzana J. , Sobel Adam H.
Published: September 2005

The influence of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on tropical cyclone intensity in the western North Pacific basin is examined. Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), constructed from the best-track dataset for the region for the period 1950–2002, and other related variables are analyzed. ACE is positively correlated with ENSO indices. This and other statistics of the interannually varying tropical cyclone distribution are used to show that there is a tendency in El Niño years toward tropical cyclones that are both more intense and longer-lived than in La Niña years. ACE leads ENSO indices: during the peak season (northern summer and fall), ACE is correlated approximately as strongly with ENSO indices up to six months later (northern winter), as well as simultaneously. It appears that not all of this lead–lag relationship is easily explained by the autocorrelation of the ENSO indices, though much of it is. Interannual variations in the annual mean lifetime, intensity, and number of tropical cyclones all contribute to the ENSO signal in ACE, though the lifetime effect appears to be the most important of the three.
MJO in the NCAR CAM2 with the Tiedtke Convective Scheme*
Authors: Liu Ping , Wang Bin , Sperber Kenneth R. , Li Tim , Meehl Gerald A.
Published: September 2005

The boreal winter Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) remains very weak and irregular in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model version 2 (CAM2) as in its direct predecessor, the Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3). The standard version of CAM2 uses the deep convective scheme of Zhang and McFarlane, as in CCM3, with the closure dependent on convective available potential energy (CAPE). Here, sensitivity tests using several versions of the Tiedtke convective scheme are conducted. Typically, the Tiedtke convection scheme gives an improved mean state, intraseasonal variability, space–time power spectra, and eastward propagation compared to the standard version of the model. Coherent eastward propagation of MJO-related precipitation is also much improved, particularly over the Indian–western Pacific Oceans. A composite life cycle of the model MJO indicates that over the Indian Ocean wind-induced surface heat exchange (WISHE) functions, while over the western/central Pacific Ocean aspects of frictional moisture convergence are evident in the maintenance and eastward propagation of the oscillation.
Trends in Global Cloud Cover in Two Decades of HIRS Observations
Authors: Wylie Donald , Jackson Darren L. , Menzel W. Paul , Bates John J.
Published: September 2005

The frequency of cloud detection and the frequency with which these clouds are found in the upper troposphere have been extracted from NOAA High Resolution Infrared Radiometer Sounder (HIRS) polar-orbiting satellite data from 1979 to 2001. The HIRS/2 sensor was flown on nine satellites from the Television Infrared Observation Satellite-Next Generation (TIROS-N) through NOAA-14, forming a 22-yr record. Carbon dioxide slicing was used to infer cloud amount and height. Trends in cloud cover and high-cloud frequency were found to be small in these data. High clouds show a small but statistically significant increase in the Tropics and the Northern Hemisphere. The HIRS analysis contrasts with the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), which shows a decrease in both total cloud cover and high clouds during most of this period.
Associations between the Global Energy Cycle and Regional Rainfall in South Africa and Southwest Australia
Authors: Tennant Warren J. , Reason Chris J. C.
Published: September 2005

Large-scale atmospheric processes in the Southern Hemisphere are examined on both seasonal and daily time scales in order to seek associations between these and regional rainfall variability in the summer rainfall areas of South Africa and the winter rainfall regions of South Africa and Western Australia. The basis of the analysis is atmospheric energetics of the vertical mean and shear flow. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) are then used to find archetypical states of the daily flow and to assess how the frequency characteristics of these states change between wet and dry years.

The results show clear associations between the frequency of circulation archetypes on a hemispheric scale and regional rainfall for both summer and winter rainfall areas. Substantial changes in archetype frequencies between wet and dry years are found with as much as a doubling or halving of the number of days in which certain archetypes occur within a season. The physical reasons for observed teleconnections are shown by way of the atmospheric energy cycle, providing a deeper understanding of climate variability that may benefit extended-range prediction.
Tropical Atlantic Influence on European Heat Waves
Authors: Cassou Christophe , Terray Laurent , Phillips Adam S.
Published: September 2005

Diagnostics combining atmospheric reanalysis and station-based temperature data for 1950–2003 indicate that European heat waves can be associated with the occurrence of two specific summertime atmospheric circulation regimes. Evidence is presented that during the record warm summer of 2003, the excitation of these two regimes was significantly favored by the anomalous tropical Atlantic heating related to wetter-than-average conditions in both the Caribbean basin and the Sahel. Given the persistence of tropical Atlantic climate anomalies, their seasonality, and their associated predictability, the suggested tropical–extratropical Atlantic connection is encouraging for the prospects of long-range forecasting of extreme weather in Europe.
A Portrait of Sir Lewis Namier as a Young Socialist
Authors: Ng Amy
Published: September 2005

Sir Lewis Namier is known for his much-professed conservatism and his ardent admiration for the English aristocracy and élite society. This article calls attention to the little-known fact that Namier was a socialist with revolutionary enthusiasms in his earlier years. A detailed study of Namier’s memos and reports, written for the Foreign Office and Cabinet during the first world war in his capacity as Polish expert, uncovers Namier’s socialist commitment, Marxist assumptions on the nature of nationality conflict in Central and Eastern Europe, and enthusiasm for the Bolshevik revolution. Namier’s socialist beliefs can be traced to his upbringing in Galicia, the Austrian part of what was formerly Poland. Like the Austro-Marxists, Namier believed that the nationality conflicts in Central and Eastern Europe were in reality class conflicts. His support for national self-determination during the first world war was based on the assumption that national autonomy or independence would lead to a fairer social order. Namier discovered, however, that the nationality conflict in Central and Eastern Europe raged more fiercely than ever in the new post-war order. He was especially disillusioned to discover rampant nationalism and antisemitism even in the ranks of socialists. Despite his disenchantment with socialism, however, socialist assumptions continued to inform his politics and history throughout his life.
Historical Models — Contemporary Identities: The Sección Femenina of the Spanish Falange and its Redefinition of the Term ‘Femininity’
Authors: Ofer Inbal
Published: September 2005

The Spanish Falange was established in Madrid in November 1933 in an attempt to offer new solutions to the severe social and political problems which assailed Spanish society throughout the years of the Second Republic (1931-36) and to the perceived inability of the conservative Right effectively to face the growing threat to Spain’s religious and territorial unity. The Sección Femenina of the Falange (SF), which was founded in June 1934, existed for 43 years, reaching at its height a membership of over 680,000. Yet despite its impressive size and diverse activities, it received little attention from historians prior to the 1990s, partly due to a prevailing tendency of Spanish historiography to view women in right-wing entities as having little autonomy or independent authority. This article demonstrates that by using its relative organizational autonomy the SF was able to construct a new ‘discourse on femininity’ and to offer its members an identity which would take into account their self-perceptions as both women and Falangists in Francoist society. ‘Naturalizing’ and appropriating some so-called virile attributes such as heroism, forcefulness and intelligence served to establish a meaningful place for both the SF and its members on the public stage of Franco’s ‘New Spain’.
A Note on Mosley, the ‘Jewish War’ and Conscientious Objection
Authors: Griffiths Richard
Published: September 2005

Of the many myths which Sir Oswald Mosley later fostered about his activities before and during the second world war, none is more widespread than the belief that he ‘urged his members to fight once war was declared’. Two key quotations from his own publications were used by him, and by later apologists, for this purpose: one, from September 1939, to prove his patriotic credentials at the outbreak of war, and another, from May 1940, to prove that, at that stage, he was calling his followers to arms in face of the threat in France and the Low Countries. Close examination of both these quotations shows that, by a process of truncation, distortion and (in the latter case) misdating, a completely different message has been produced from the one to be found in the originals. Moreover, an examination of his movement’s actual activities and of its advice to young men who were about to be called up, show a determination not to ‘offer to fight in the quarrel of Jewish finance’, but to impede the war effort in various ways, above all by British Union members registering as conscientious objectors. The cause for such ‘political’ conscientious objection was to be clearly indicated to the authorities, not as an objection to war, but as an objection to this war against Nazi Germany. A great many young British Union members did register in this way and the examination of one such case shows how closely it followed the instructions from the leaders of the movement. Finally, Mosley’s insistence that, despite his opposition to the war, he would call on his followers to fight ‘if the life of Britain were threatened’, is shown to have been a hollow promise; throughout the period of the German invasion of the Low Countries and France he still failed to produce any call to arms (in fact, his much-quoted May statement did the opposite). Such a call was only finally produced on 1 July, the day before his appearance before the Advisory Committee, on the advice of his solicitors and at a time when his rereading of his original statements, and his consequent rewriting of history, was already taking place.
What the Angels Saw: Red Cross and Protecting Power Visits to Anglo-American POWs, 1939-45
Authors: Vourkoutiotis Vasilis
Published: September 2005

Despite the plethora of material written on the history of prisoners of war in the second world war, surprisingly few works analytically assess Germany’s overall treatment of British and American POWs. The handful of dissertations written on the subject have examined tightly-focused aspects within this field, while most published works have tended to examine the issue from the perspective of the prisoners themselves. While these are valid and valuable approaches, they leave a significant gap in the historiography: how precisely was German policy towards British and American POWs ultimately put into practice? This article distils every report by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Protecting Power delegates on their visits to most of the British or American POWs in German-run transit camps (dulags), regular camps for non-commissioned soldiers (stalags), and camps for commissioned officers (oflags), which could be found in the national archives of Great Britain, the USA and Canada. The findings of the inspectors were analysed to determine how well the OKW tended to treat the prisoners in terms of material conditions in the camps as well as in terms of harassment and serious violations of the Geneva Convention. Ultimately, it was determined by these two neutral sources that material conditions of life were ‘satisfactory’ for most of the war years and that instances of mistreatment by the German armed forces were rare, once a prisoner of war had been accepted as such by Germany.
The Plan to Capture the British Labour Party and its Paradoxical Results, 1947-91
Authors: Callaghan John
Published: September 2005

The Communist Party of Great Britain consistently supported a trade union strategy after the second world war designed to eliminate the Labour Party. Yet by the 1990s leading members of the Party claimed that the organization’s last major contribution to British politics, before it dissolved itself in 1991, was to help rescue Labour from the left-wing ghetto into which it had been consigned during the 1980s. This article explains communist strategy in the postwar decades and the paradoxical outcomes to which it led.
‘Don’t Trust Anyone Older Than 30?’ Voices of Conflict and Consensus between Generations in 1960s West Germany
Authors: Siegfried Detlef
Published: September 2005

The dynamic of change in the long 1960s was pushed forward significantly by the young. The assumption that this happened mainly in conflict with the older generations is not based on fact. In reality, older people reacted to new patterns of behaviour in a measured way and adapted to them relatively quickly. In particular, there is not much evidence for intra-family conflict between the generations. On the other hand, an increasing number of youth subcultures appeared, which distanced themselves from the political and cultural mainstream. Within society as a whole, there was considerable conflict, since there were many cultural, but only a few political, opportunities for young people.
Neural monoaminergic mediation of the effect of St. John’s wort extract on prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response in rats
Authors: Khalifa Amani E.
Published: September 2005

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle response is a valuable paradigm for sensorimotor gating processes by which an organism filters sensory information. Disruption of PPI is evident in schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease among other neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by sensorimotor gating deficit. In such disorders, increased brain monoamines’ transmission was suggested to underlie PPI disruption. The effect of St. John’s wort extract on PPI of startle response is yet to be investigated despite research findings indicating augmented levels of brain monoaminergic function after acute administration of the extract. In this study, the effect of acute oral administration of St. John’s wort extract (62.5, 125, 250 and 500mg/kg) was tested on PPI of an acoustic startle response in rats. A disruption of PPI resulted after the administration of the highest dose of the extract and therefore its effect on dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission was investigated in a number of rat brain areas involved in mediation of PPI response. Results demonstrated that 500mg/kg of the extract augmented dopaminergic transmission in the thalamus together with elevating noradrenergic transmission in both brainstem and hippocampus. In addition, increased serotonin levels in brainstem, thalamus, cortex and hippocampus were evident after administration of the same dose of the extract. It was therefore concluded that St. John’s wort extract (500mg/kg) reduced PPI response possibly through enhancing monoaminergic transmission in brainstem, thalamus, cortex and/or hippocampus. Clinical investigations are therefore needed to determine whether St. John’s wort extract may affect sensorimotor gating in both schizophrenia and Huntington’s disease.
Comparison of incidence rates of cerebrovascular accidents and transient ischaemic attacks in observational cohort studies of patients prescribed risperidone, quetiapine or olanzapine in general practice in England including patients with dementia
Authors: Layton Deborah , Harris Scott , Wilton Lynda V. , Shakir Saad A. W.
Published: September 2005

Following changes in the safety information on the use of risperidone and olanzapine in elderly patients with dementia, data from prescription-event monitoring (PEM) studies of risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine were examined. The aim was to compare incidence rates for events reported as cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) during the first 180 days of treatment in patients prescribed atypical antipsychotics for dementia or other indications, because of the possible association between dementia and stroke in users of atypical antipsychotics. A retrospective analysis of data from the three observational studies was conducted using Poisson regression modelling and survival analysis. Within the risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine cohorts, 23 (0.30%), 6 (0.35%) and 10 (0.11%) patients respectively, were reported to have had a CVA/TIA event. Age, sex and indication (dementia or other) were identified as important confounding variables; age being the most important. The crude rate ratios (RRs) for CVA/TIA for risperidone or quetiapine vs. olanzapine indicated an approximate threefold relative difference in rate during the first six months but after adjustment for age, sex and indication, the RRs were non-significant (1.2 (95% CI 0.5,3.0) and 2.1 (95% CI 0.6,7.7), respectively). For risperidone vs. quetiapine, crude and adjusted RRs were not significantly different. Of the three drugs, the time to event was shortest for risperidone and also shortest for risperidone or quetiapine users where the indication was dementia. The age and sex adjusted RR of CVA/TIA in patients prescribed risperidone for dementia vs. other indications was 6.7 (95% CI 2.4,18.9). The adjusted RRs for quetiapine, according to indication, could not be calculated due to missing information on age and sex. There were no cases of CVA/TIA with dementia for olanzapine, thus the RRs and time to event curves according to indication could not be examined. This study revealed no significant difference in the adjusted RR of CVA/TIA events in the first 180 days of treatment in patients prescribed risperidone or quetiapine when compared with olanzapine. However, dementia appears to be an important risk factor. These results should be considered alongside other pharmacoepidemiological studies on this topic.
Response of Laminated FRP Composites under Multiple Impact Loading
Authors: Chakraborty Debabrata , Kumar Munesh
Published: September 2005

This paper deals with the finite element analysis of the low-velocity impact of multiple masses on laminated FRP composites. Eight-noded, layered solid elements have been developed for the finite element modeling of FRP laminates. The Newmark-b method along with the Hertzian contact law has been used for transient dynamic finite element analysis [2] and implemented for the impact of multiple masses at different times. An appropriate delamination criterion has been used to assess the location and extent of delamination due to multiple impacts. The present method is quite general in the sense that it can incorporate any number of impactors of different masses striking with different velocities, at different points of time and at arbitrary locations on the top surface of the laminated plates. It has been observed that the contact force magnitude as well as delamination at the interface are greatly influenced by the time interval between successive multiple impacts.
Early social communicative behaviours of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder during interaction with their mothers
Authors: Warreyn Petra , Roeyers Herbert , de Groote Isabel
Published: September 2005

The present study examined spontaneous symbolic play, declarative joint attention, social referencing and imitation of symbolic play in 3- to 6-year-old children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n= 20) during interaction with their mothers. Compared to a control group ( n= 20) matched on age and IQ, the children with ASD initiated less joint attention with their mothers when confronted with a pleasant event and they showed a tendency to play less symbolically and more non-functionally. Contrary to expectations, children with ASD showed no social referencing or imitation deficits. Interestingly, two clusters of intercorrelating behaviours were found in the ASD group: one suggesting symbolic or metarepresentational abilities, the other comprising interpersonal behaviours. The findings support the hypothesis that early social communicative abilities may follow a different developmental pathway in ASD, and stress the importance of a contextual factor, namely the presence of the mother.
Coping strategies in mothers and fathers of preschool and school-age children with autism
Authors: Hastings Richard P. , Kovshoff Hanna , Brown Tony , Ward Nicholas J. , Espinosa Francesca Degli , Remington Bob
Published: September 2005

Despite the theoretical and demonstrated empirical significance of parental coping strategies for the wellbeing of families of children with disabilities, relatively little research has focused explicitly on coping in mothers and fathers of children with autism. In the present study, 89 parents of preschool children and 46 parents of school-age children completed a measure of the strategies they used to cope with the stresses of raising their child with autism. Factor analysis revealed four reliable coping dimensions: active avoidance coping, problem-focused coping, positive coping, and religious/denial coping. Further data analysis suggested gender differences on the first two of these dimensions but no reliable evidence that parental coping varied with the age of the child with autism. Associations were also found between coping strategies and parental stress and mental health. Practical implications are considered including reducing reliance on avoidance coping and increasing the use of positive coping strategies.
Unconditional welfare benefits and the principle of reciprocity
Authors: Segall Shlomi
Published: September 2005

Stuart White and others claim that providing welfare benefits to citizens who do not, and are not willing to, work breaches the principle of reciprocity. This, they argue, justifies placing a minimum work requirement on welfare recipients. This article seeks to rebut their claim. It begins by rejecting the attempt to ground the work requirement on a civic obligation to work. The article then explores the principle of reciprocity, and argues that the practice of reciprocity depends on the particular conception of distributive justice adopted. An examination of different interpretations of egalitarian justice and their corresponding patterns of reciprocity demonstrates that unconditional welfare benefits are compatible with, and sometimes even warranted by, the principle of reciprocity. Thus, imposing a work requirement on welfare recipients is by no means a mandate of reciprocity.
Review essay: The Economy of Esteem
Authors: Cowen Tyler
Published: September 2005

Geoffrey Brennan and Philip Pettit have produced a major work on the economics of esteem, entitled The Economy of Esteem.1 They show that much of social order depends on our desire to have our fellow man think well of us. This review also considers some extensions of their basic arguments and the conditions under which those arguments hold.
Photosensitivity and acute liver injury in myeloproliferative disorder secondary to late-onset protoporphyria caused by deletion of a ferrochelatase gene in hematopoietic cells
Authors: Goodwin Richard G. , Kell W. Jonathan , Laidler Peter , Long C. Colin , Whatley Sharon D. , McKinley Mark , Badminton Michael N. , Burnett Alan K. , Williams Geraint T. , Elder George H.
Published: September 2005

Late-onset erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare complication of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) but has not been described in association with a myeloproliferative disorder (MPD). EPP is normally an inherited disorder characterized by photosensitivity that starts in early childhood and results from overproduction of protoporphyrin secondary to ferrochelatase (FECH) deficiency. Severe liver disease occurs in 1% to 2% of patients. Here we report that severe photosensitivity and cholestatic liver disease in a patient with a myeloproliferative disorder was caused by excess protoporphyrin production from a clone of hematopoietic cells in which one FECH allele had been deleted. Our observations suggest that the usual explanation for the association of late-onset EPP with MPD and MDS is acquired somatic mutation of one FECH allele in bone marrow and show for the first time that the consequent overproduction of protoporphyrin may be severe enough to cause acute liver damage.
Synergy among receptors on resting NK cells for the activation of natural cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion
Authors: Bryceson Yenan T. , March Michael E. , Ljunggren Hans-Gustaf , Long Eric O.
Published: September 2005

Freshly isolated, resting natural killer (NK) cells are generally less lytic against target cells than in vitro interleukin 2 (IL-2)-activated NK cells. To investigate the basis for this difference, the contribution of several receptors to activation of human NK cells was examined. Target-cell lysis by IL-2-activated NK cells in a redirected, antibody-dependent cytotoxicity assay was triggered by a number of receptors. In contrast, cytotoxicity by resting NK cells was induced only by CD16, and not by NKp46, NKG2D, 2B4 (CD244), DNAM-1 (CD226), or CD2. Calcium flux in resting NK cells was induced with antibodies to CD16 and, to a weaker extent, antibodies to NKp46 and 2B4. Although NKp46 did not enhance CD16-mediated calcium flux, it synergized with all other receptors. 2B4 synergized with 3 other receptors, NKG2D and DNAM-1 each synergized with 2 other receptors, and CD2 synergized with NKp46 only. Resting NK cells were induced to secrete tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon γ (IFN-γ), and to kill target cells by engagement of specific, pair-wise combinations of receptors. Therefore, natural cytotoxicity by resting NK cells is induced only by mutual costimulation of nonactivating receptors. These results reveal distinct and specific patterns of synergy among receptors on resting NK cells.
Dysfunctional T regulatory cells in multiple myeloma
Authors: Prabhala Rao H. , Neri Paola , Bae Jooeun E. , Tassone Pierfrancesco , Shammas Masood A. , Allam Charles K. , Daley John F. , Chauhan Dharminder , Blanchard Elizabeth , Thatte Hemant S. , Anderson Kenneth C. , Munshi Nikhil C.
Published: September 2005

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the production of monoclonal immunoglobulin and is associated with suppressed uninvolved immunoglobulins and dysfunctional T-cell responses. The biologic basis of this dysfunction remains ill defined. Because T regulatory (Treg) cells play an important role in suppressing normal immune responses, we evaluated the potential role of Treg cells in immune dysfunction in MM. We observed a significant increase in CD4+CD25+ T cells in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and in patients with MM compared with healthy donors (25% and 26%, respectively, vs 14%); however, Treg cells as measured by FOXP3 expression are significantly decreased in patients with MGUS and MM compared with healthy donors. Moreover, even when they are added in higher proportions, Treg cells in patients with MM and MGUS are unable to suppress anti-CD3–mediated T-cell proliferation. This decreased number and function of Treg cells in MGUS and in MM may account, at least in part, for the nonspecific increase in CD4+CD25+ T cells, thereby contributing to dysfunctional T-cell responses.
The pathophysiological function of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in lung-related diseases
Authors: Huang Tom Hsun-Wei , Razmovski-Naumovski Valentina , Kota Bhavani Prasad , Lin Diana Shu-Hsuan , Roufogalis Basil D
Published: September 2005

Research into respiratory diseases has reached a critical stage and the introduction of novel therapies is essential in combating these debilitating conditions. With the discovery of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and its involvement in inflammatory responses of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, attention has turned to lung diseases and whether knowledge of this receptor can be applied to therapy of the human airways. In this article, we explore the prospect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ as a marker and treatment focal point of lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, lung cancer and cystic fibrosis. It is anticipated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ ligands will provide not only useful mechanistic pathway information but also a possible new wave of therapies for sufferers of chronic respiratory diseases.
Analysis of Escherichia coli nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase mutants in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Stancek Martin , Schnell Robert , Rydén-Aulin Monica
Published: September 2005

Background

Adenylation of nicotinate mononucleotide to nicotinate adenine dinucleotide is the penultimate step in NAD+ synthesis. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase is encoded by the nadD gene. We have earlier made an initial characterization in vivo of two mutant enzymes, NadD72 and NadD74. Strains with either mutation have decreased intracellular levels of NAD+, especially for one of the alleles, nadD72.

Results

In this study these two mutant proteins have been further characterized together with ten new mutant variants. Of the, in total, twelve mutations four are in a conserved motif in the C-terminus and eight are in the active site. We have tested the activity of the enzymes in vitro and their effect on the growth phenotype in vivo. There is a very good correlation between the two data sets.

Conclusion

The mutations in the C-terminus did not reveal any function for the conserved motif. On the other hand, our data has lead us to assign amino acid residues His-19, Arg-46 and Asp-109 to the active site. We have also shown that the nadD gene is essential for growth in E. coli.
Systematic survey reveals general applicability of "guilt-by-association" within gene coexpression networks
Authors: Wolfe Cecily J , Kohane Isaac S , Butte Atul J
Published: September 2005

Background

Biological processes are carried out by coordinated modules of interacting molecules. As clustering methods demonstrate that genes with similar expression display increased likelihood of being associated with a common functional module, networks of coexpressed genes provide one framework for assigning gene function. This has informed the guilt-by-association (GBA) heuristic, widely invoked in functional genomics. Yet although the idea of GBA is accepted, the breadth of GBA applicability is uncertain.

Results

We developed methods to systematically explore the breadth of GBA across a large and varied corpus of expression data to answer the following question: To what extent is the GBA heuristic broadly applicable to the transcriptome and conversely how broadly is GBA captured by a priori knowledge represented in the Gene Ontology (GO)? Our study provides an investigation of the functional organization of five coexpression networks using data from three mammalian organisms. Our method calculates a probabilistic score between each gene and each Gene Ontology category that reflects coexpression enrichment of a GO module. For each GO category we use Receiver Operating Curves to assess whether these probabilistic scores reflect GBA. This methodology applied to five different coexpression networks demonstrates that the signature of guilt-by-association is ubiquitous and reproducible and that the GBA heuristic is broadly applicable across the population of nine hundred Gene Ontology categories. We also demonstrate the existence of highly reproducible patterns of coexpression between some pairs of GO categories.

Conclusion

We conclude that GBA has universal value and that transcriptional control may be more modular than previously realized. Our analyses also suggest that methodologies combining coexpression measurements across multiple genes in a biologically-defined module can aid in characterizing gene function or in characterizing whether pairs of functions operate together.
Rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA) in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Wang Shr-Jie , Lengeler Christian , Smith Thomas A , Vounatsou Penelope , Cissé Guéladio , Diallo Diadie A , Akogbeto Martin , Mtasiwa Deo , Teklehaimanot Awash , Tanner Marcel
Published: September 2005

Background

The rapid urban malaria appraisal (RUMA) methodology aims to provide a cost-effective tool to conduct rapid assessments of the malaria situation in urban sub-Saharan Africa and to improve the understanding of urban malaria epidemiology.

Methods

This work was done in Yopougon municipality (Abidjan), Cotonou, Dar es Salaam and Ouagadougou. The study design consists of six components: 1) a literature review, 2) the collection of available health statistics, 3) a risk mapping, 4) school parasitaemia surveys, 5) health facility-based surveys and 6) a brief description of the health care system. These formed the basis of a multi-country evaluation of RUMA's feasibility, consistency and usefulness.

Results

A substantial amount of literature (including unpublished theses and statistics) was found at each site, providing a good overview of the malaria situation. School and health facility-based surveys provided an overview of local endemicity and the overall malaria burden in different city areas. This helped to identify important problems for in-depth assessment, especially the extent to which malaria is over-diagnosed in health facilities. Mapping health facilities and breeding sites allowed the visualization of the complex interplay between population characteristics, health services and malaria risk. However, the latter task was very time-consuming and required special expertise. RUMA is inexpensive, costing around 8,500–13,000 USD for a six to ten-week period.

Conclusion

RUMA was successfully implemented in four urban areas with different endemicity and proved to be a cost-effective first approach to study the features of urban malaria and provide an evidence basis for planning control measures.
Cactus pear: a natural product in cancer chemoprevention
Authors: Zou Da-ming , Brewer Molly , Garcia Francisco , Feugang Jean M , Wang Jian , Zang Roungyu , Liu Huaguang , Zou Changping
Published: September 2005

Background

Cancer chemoprevention is a new approach in cancer prevention, in which chemical agents are used to prevent cancer in normal and/or high-risk populations. Although chemoprevention has shown promise in some epithelial cancers, currently available preventive agents are limited and the agents are costly, generally with side effects. Natural products, such as grape seed, green tea, and certain herbs have demonstrated anti-cancer effects. To find a natural product that can be used in chemoprevention of cancer, we tested Arizona cactus fruit solution, the aqueous extracts of cactus pear, for its anti-cancer effects in cultured cells and in an animal model.

Method

Aqueous extracts of cactus pear were used to treat immortalized ovarian and cervical epithelial cells, as well as ovarian, cervical, and bladder cancer cells. Aqueous extracts of cactus pear were used at six concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 or 25%) to treat cells for 1, 3, or 5 days. Growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle changes were analyzed in the cultured cells; the suppression of tumor growth in nude mice was evaluated and compared with the effect of a synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphernyl) retinamide (4-HPR), which is currently used as a chemoprevention agent. Immunohistochemistry staining of tissue samples from animal tumors was performed to examine the gene expression.

Results

Cells exposed to cactus pear extracts had a significant increase in apoptosis and growth inhibition in both immortalized epithelial cells and cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. It also affected cell cycle of cancer cells by increasing G1 and decreasing G2 and S phases. Both 4-HPR and cactus pear extracts significantly suppressed tumor growth in nude mice, increased annexin IV expression, and decreased VEGF expression.

Conclusion

Arizona cactus pear extracts effectively inhibited cell growth in several different immortalized and cancer cell cultures, suppressed tumor growth in nude mice, and modulated expression of tumor-related genes. These effects were comparable with those caused by a synthetic retinoid currently used in chemoprevention trials. The mechanism of the anti-cancer effects of cactus pear extracts needs to be further studied.