bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Origin of the January–April 2004 increase in stratospheric NO2 observed in the northern polar latitudes
Authors: Renard Jean‐Baptiste , Blelly Pierre‐Louis , Bourgeois Quentin , Chartier Michel , Goutail Florence , Orsolini Y. J.
Published: June 2006

Large increase in stratospheric NO2 content has been observed during the 2003–2004 Arctic winter. The first one, in early November 2003 is well documented and is due to a strong solar protons event. A second event occurred on January 22, 2004, leading to a large amount of NO2 in the lower mesosphere. This second event can be analyzed using data from nighttime satellite measurements performed by the GOMOS and MIPAS instruments onboard Envisat, and by ground based column measurements performed by SAOZ. It seems that in‐situ production of NO2 is located at an altitude of around 60 km associated with the precipitation of electrons with energy of a few hundred keV. These electrons originated from the high latitudes magnetosphere, and are associated with a solar coronal mass ejection. Therefore, a particular nighttime chemistry in the lower mesosphere is proposed to explain the measurements.
The effect of structural porosity on the ablation of sea ice ridges
Authors: Amundrud Trisha L. , Melling Humfrey , Ingram R. Grant , Allen Susan E.
Published: June 2006

Observations reveal that the decrease in ice thickness through melting in summer is much more rapid for ridges than for surrounding level ice. A physical model that represents internal melting within ridge keels has been developed to explain this observed draft‐dependent ablation for first‐year pack ice in the Beaufort Sea. The porous structure of a ridge keel permits percolation of a substantial fraction of the oncoming oceanic flow, up to 20% for a feature with 30% porosity and 9‐m draft. The percolating flow delivers oceanic heat to a large surface area deep within the keel and increases melt rates relative to surrounding level ice by a factor of 5 when seawater temperatures are 0.18 degrees above freezing. Melt rates are sensitive to the internal geometry of ridges through keel porosity and block dimensions, characteristics that vary widely between ridge features. However, the average rate of melting as a function of draft, calculated for a realistic population of keels with average cross‐sectional shape and differing draft, has the same draft‐dependence as the observations. This concurrence suggests that the process of internal melting may be dominant in the ablation of ridged ice. In addition, internal melting during the summer may well hasten structural consolidation of surviving ridge keels through freezing during the following winter. It appears that the evolution of the thickest ice within the Arctic ice pack is dependent on the small‐scale structural characteristics of the ridged ice and its interaction with the upper layer of the ocean.
How switches and lags in biophysical regulators affect spatial‐temporal variation of soil respiration in an oak‐grass savanna
Authors: Baldocchi Dennis , Tang Jianwu , Xu Liukang
Published: June 2006

Complex behavior, associated with soil respiration of an oak‐grass savanna ecosystem in California, was quantified with continuous measurements of CO2 exchange at two scales (soil and canopy) and with three methods (overstory and understory eddy covariance systems, soil respiration chambers, and a below‐ground CO2 flux gradient system). To partition soil respiration into its autotrophic and heterotrophic components, we exploited spatial gradients in the landscape and seasonal variations in rainfall. During the dry summer, heterotrophic respiration was dominant in the senesced grassland area, whereas autotrophic respiration by roots and the feeding of microbes by root exudates was dominant under the trees. A temporal switch in soil respiration occurred in the spring. But the stimulation of root respiration lagged the timing of leaf‐out by the trees. Another temporal switch in soil respiration occurred at the start of autumn rains. This switch was induced by the rapid germination of grass seed and new grass growth. Isolated summer rain storms caused a pulse in soil respiration. Such rain events stimulated microbial respiration only; the rain was not sufficient to replenish soil moisture in the root zone or to germinate grass seed. Soil respiration lagged photosynthetic activity on hourly scales. The likely mechanism is the slow translocation of photosynthate to the roots and associated microbes. Another lag occurred on daily scales because of modulations in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance by the passage of dry and humid air masses.
Considerations for bistatic probing of clear‐air winds in the atmospheric boundary layer
Authors: Tulu Z. C. , Frasier S. J. , Janaswamy R. , McLaughlin D. J.
Published: June 2006

Bistatic radar measurement of clear‐air winds in the atmospheric boundary layer is considered. The context is three‐dimensional wind field measurement using dense networks of short‐range radars configured to operate in bistatic geometries. Such networks exploit a combination of Rayleigh scattering from insects and Bragg scattering from refractive index turbulence, the latter exhibiting enhanced scattering intensity in forward scatter geometries compared to the monostatic case. Bistatic radar fundamentals are reviewed, and beam‐limited scattering volumes are considered. Measurements with sufficient precision (<1 m s−1) are achievable with relatively low average powers (100 W) with reasonably short dwell times (1 s) for transmitters and receivers separated by as much as 15 km. For a fixed antenna aperture size, frequency dependence of sensitivity for the Bragg component of the composite scattered signal is weak (λ2/3), provided that the Bragg‐resonant wave number for the forward scattering geometry lies within the inertial subrange of refractive index turbulence. In contrast, the strong (λ4) frequency‐dependent Rayleigh insect echo dominates the scattered signal for short wavelengths (i.e., X band and higher frequencies) under many conditions except for small forward scatter angles. Owing to this dominance and to the tendency for refractive index turbulence and insects to occur together in the atmospheric boundary layer, reliance on the bistatic Bragg scattering mechanism is not warranted for short‐range, short‐wavelength radar networks.
Total electron content: Synthesis of past storm studies and needed future work
Authors: Mendillo Michael , Klobuchar John A.
Published: June 2006

Prior to the GPS era of global diagnostics for the ionosphere's total electron content (TEC), a remarkable degree of insight into TEC storm effects was achieved using low Earth orbit and geostationary satellite radio beacon observations. Long‐term studies at individual stations, networks of stations, and campaign‐mode case studies revealed the complex seasonal, local time, and latitude and longitude effects upon TEC during geomagnetic storms. Theory and simulations were used to successfully explain the roles of electrodynamical mechanisms, Joule heating, thermospheric dynamics, and neutral composition changes within the general context of solar wind–magnetosphere–plasmasphere–ionosphere/thermosphere coupling during storms. This paper gives a brief review of the status of past work, presents a new summary of TEC average patterns from pre‐GPS data sets, and suggests avenues of research needed to advance the GPS‐era yield from TEC storm studies.
A large slow slip event on the central Hikurangi subduction interface beneath the Manawatu region, North Island, New Zealand
Authors: Wallace Laura M. , Beavan John
Published: June 2006

We present continuous GPS observations of a surface deformation episode in the Manawatu region of the North Island, New Zealand, lasting 18 months from January 2004 to June 2005. We invert vertical and horizontal displacements of GPS sites during the event for slow slip on the Hikurangi subduction thrust. We find that up to 350 mm of slip occurred on the thrust in the transition zone between strong interseismic coupling and aseismic creep. If the entire slip in the Manawatu slow slip event had occurred instantaneously, it would have resulted in an Mw 7.0 earthquake. Given the large amount of slip, we expect that the recurrence interval for similar slow slip events may be ten years or more.
Mucin‐type O‐glycans in human colon and breast cancer: glycodynamics and functions
Authors: Brockhausen Inka
Published: June 2006

The glycoproteins of tumour cells are often abnormal, both in structure and in quantity. In particular, the mucin‐type O‐glycans have several cancer‐associated structures, including the T and Tn antigens, and certain Lewis antigens. These structural changes can alter the function of the cell, and its antigenic and adhesive properties, as well as its potential to invade and metastasize. Cancer‐associated mucin antigens can be exploited in diagnosis and prognosis, and in the development of cancer vaccines. The activities and Golgi localization of glycosyltransferases are the basis for the glycodynamics of cancer cells, and determine the ranges and amounts of specific O‐glycans produced. This review focuses on the glycosyltransferases of colon and breast cancer cells that determine the pathways of mucin‐type O‐glycosylation, and the proposed functional and pathological consequences of altered O‐glycans.
Mesoscopic description of solvent effects on polymer dynamics
Authors: Lee Song Hi , Kapral Raymond
Published: June 2006

Solvent effects on polymer dynamics and structure are investigated using a mesoscopic solvent model that accounts for hydrodynamic interactions among the polymer beads. The simulation method combines molecular dynamics of the polymer chain, interacting with the solvent molecules through intermolecular forces, with mesoscopic multiparticle collision dynamics for the solvent molecules. Changes in the intermolecular forces between the polymer beads and mesoscopic solvent molecules are used to vary the solvent conditions from those for good to poor solvents. Polymer collapse and expansion dynamics following changes in solvent conditions are studied for homopolymer and block copolymer solutions. The frictional properties of polymers are also investigated.
Amplification of molecular traffic control in catalytic grains with novel channel topology design
Authors: Brzank Andreas , Schütz Gunter M.
Published: June 2006

We investigate the conditions for reactivity enhancement of catalytic processes in porous solids by the use of molecular traffic control (MTC). With dynamic Monte-Carlo simulations and continuous-time master equation theory applied to the high concentration regime, we obtain a quantitative description of the MTC effect for a network of intersecting single-file channels in a wide range of grain parameters and for optimal external operating conditions. Implementing the concept of MTC in models with specially designed alternating bimodal channels, we find the efficiency ratio (compared with a topologically and structurally similar reference system without MTC) to be enhanced with increasing grain diameter, a property verified for the first time for a MTC system. Even for short intersection channels, MTC leads to a reactivity enhancement of up to approximately 65%. This suggests that MTC may significantly enhance the efficiency of a catalytic process for small as well as large porous particles with a suitably chosen binary channel topology.
Performance of an irreversible quantum Carnot engine with spin 1∕2
Authors: Wu Feng , Chen Lingen , Wu Shuang , Sun Fengrui , Wu Chih
Published: June 2006

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of quantum properties of the working medium on the performance of an irreversible Carnot cycle with spin 1∕2. The optimal relationship between the dimensionless power output P* versus the efficiency η for the irreversible quantum Carnot engine with heat leakage and other irreversible losses is derived. Especially, the performances of the engine at low temperature limit and at high temperature limit are discussed.
Eigenvalues of zero energy in the linearized NLS problem
Authors: Vougalter Vitali , Pelinovsky Dimitry
Published: June 2006

We study a pair of neutrally stable eigenvalues of zero energy in the linearized NLS equation. We prove that the pair of isolated eigenvalues, where each eigenvalue has geometric multiplicity one and algebraic multiplicity N, is associated with 2P negative eigenvalues of the energy operator, where P=N∕2 if N is even and P=(N−1)∕2 or P=(N+1)∕2 if N is odd. When the potential of the linearized NLS problem is perturbed due to parameter continuations, we compute the exact number of unstable eigenvalues that bifurcate from the neutrally stable eigenvalues of zero energy.
Room-temperature photoluminescence of ZnO∕MgO multiple quantum wells on Si (001) substrates
Authors: Sun C. W. , Xin P. , Liu Z. W. , Zhang Q. Y.
Published: June 2006

Wurtzite ZnO∕MgO superlattices were grown on Si (001) substrates at 750°C with a radio-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering method. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the superlattice to be a highly textured ZnO (001) layer and to be of high crystallinity and homogeneity in thickness. The periodic layer thickness was determined to be 1.85–17.72nm. Room-temperature photoluminescence was detected for all the samples and showed that the blueshift varied with the well width of the ZnO layer, being consistent with the expectation of quantum-size effect.
Interfacial effects on magnetostriction of CoFeB∕AlOx∕Co junction
Authors: Chen Yuan-Tsung , Jen S. U. , Yao Y. D. , Wu Jenn-Ming , Sun An-Cheng
Published: June 2006

Saturation magnetostriction (λs) of CoFeB∕AlOx∕Co magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) has been measured. There are three kinds of MTJs in this study, i.e., glass∕CoFeB(tA)∕AlOx(δto)∕Co(tB) with tA+tB=150Å; tA=100, 75, and 50Å; and δto=0–30Å. When plotting λs as a function of δto, the curve is concave up. We also investigated the compositional distribution of Fe, Al, and O across the tunneling part of the CoFeB(75Å)∕AlOx∕Co(75Å) junction. Based on these results, we propose a model to describe how the total λs is affected by the CoFeB∕AlOx and AlOx∕Co interfaces.
Colossal electroresistance effect at metal electrode/La1−xSr1+xMnO4 interfaces
Authors: Tokunaga Y. , Kaneko Y. , He J. P. , Arima T. , Sawa A. , Fujii T. , Kawasaki M. , Tokura Y.
Published: June 2006

We have studied the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and resistance switching at the interface between metal electrodes M (=Pt, Au, Ag, Al, Ti, and Mg) and atomically flat cleaved (001) surfaces of La1−xSr1+xMnO4 (x=0–1.0) single crystals by using a three-probe method. Hysteretic I-V characteristics, indicating the appearance of the resistance switching, were observed in the junctions for M=Mg, Al, and Ti, which have relatively shallow work functions. The resistance switching ratio depends on the hole doping x and the optimal doping level is around x=0.5, verifying that the resistance switching property can be controlled by the doping level.
Suppression of structural imperfection in strained Si by utilizing SiGe bulk substrate
Authors: Usami N. , Nose Y. , Fujiwara K. , Nakajima K.
Published: June 2006

We attempted to utilize homemade SiGe bulk crystal as a substrate for epitaxy of strain-controlled heterostructures. X-ray reciprocal space mapping clarified that the growth of a Si thin film on a SiGe bulk substrate leads to reduction in the orientation fluctuation compared with that on a SiGe virtual substrate. Furthermore, analysis of Raman spectra revealed a dramatic decrease of the strain fluctuation in the strained Si film on the SiGe bulk substrate. These results suggest that the SiGe bulk crystal can be utilized as a substrate for various strain-controlled heterostructures for fundamental studies as well as improvement of device performance.
Anomalous magnetic nanostructural evolution in annealed CuCo granular thin films
Authors: Kim Nam H. , Peck Jordan , Wang Jian-Qing
Published: June 2006

Studying annealed, magnetron sputtered, granular Cu80Co20 thin films revealed an anomalous magnetic particle size distribution in films annealed above 300°C. The measured magnetic susceptibility (χ-T) curves show a distinct double-peak structure, indicating the coexistence of two particle sizes. The emergence of a second peak around 250–300K was accompanied by an overall reduction in magnetization; this peak subsequently grew with annealing temperature coupled with magnetization recovery. These features, observed over a wide range of thicknesses (40–200nm), result from decomposition of Co nanoparticles around 300°C, followed by the growth of larger particles.
High resolution resonant photoluminescence excitation of CdSe∕ZnS nanocrystals at low temperatures
Authors: Labeau Olivier , Tamarat Philippe , Lounis Brahim
Published: June 2006

We present a new technique to perform high resolution resonant photoluminescence excitation of CdSe∕ZnS nanocrystals. The method takes advantage of the long photoluminescence decay times (∼1μs) observed in this system at liquid helium temperatures. Resonant photoluminescence excitation can be performed using a tunable pulsed excitation and a time-gated detection. Spectral hole burning investigations on an ensemble of CdSe∕ZnS nanocrystals lead to homogeneous linewidths of ∼100μeV for the band edge exciton state.
λ
∼
1.49
–
3.4
μ
m
intersubband absorptions in (CdS∕ZnSe)∕BeTe quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Li B. S. , Akimoto R. , Akita K. , Hasama T.
Published: June 2006

We demonstrate that intersubband transition (ISBT) can be tuned in a wide range (far to near infrared) in (CdS∕ZnSe)∕BeTe quantum wells (QWs). The strain in the structures shifts from compressive to tensile due to formation of Be–Se and Zn–S bonds at interfacial region, which significantly affects the ISBT performance. ISBTs of λ=1.52–3.4μm with narrow linewidths (67–92meV) are observed in QWs with the nominal well width of 3.75–14 molecular layers (MLs). ISBT at 1.49μm was also observed in QWs with 3.5 ML well width by means of photoinduced absorption measurement, indicating carrier compensation limits the shortest ISBT wavelength.
Cytokinin- and auxin-induced stomatal opening involves a decrease in levels of hydrogen peroxide in guard cells of Vicia faba
Authors: Song Xi-Gui , She Xiao-Ping , He Jun-Min , Huang Chen , Song Tu-sheng
Published: June 2006

Previous studies have shown that cytokinins and auxins can induce the opening of stomata. However, the mechanism of stomatal opening caused by cytokinins and auxins remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in guard cells and stomatal opening induced by cytokinins and auxins in Vicia faba. By means of stomatal bioassay and laser-scanning confocal microscopy, we provide evidence that cytokinins and auxins reduced the levels of H2O2 in guard cells and induced stomatal opening in darkness. Additionally, cytokinins not only reduced exogenous H2O2 levels in guard cells caused by exposure to light, but also abolished H2O2 that had been generated during a dark period, and promoted stomatal opening, as did ascorbic acid (ASA, an important reducing substrate for H2O2 removal). However, unlike cytokinins, auxins did not reduce exogenous H2O2, did not abolish H2O2 that had been generated in the dark, and therefore did not promote reopening of stoma induced to close in the dark. The above-mentioned effects of auxins were similar to that of diphenylene iodonium (DPI, an inhibitor of the H2O2-generating enzyme NADPH oxidase). Taken together our results indicate that cytokinins probably reduce the levels of H2O2 in guard cells by scavenging, whereas auxins limit H2O2 levels through restraining H2O2 generation, inducing stomatal opening in darkness.
Corrigendum to: Avian gut passage reduces seed exit costs in Sorbus aucuparia (Rosaceae) as measured by a diametral compression test
Authors: Paulsen Torbjørn R. , Lindtjørn Ommund , Gjerdet Nils Roar , Högstedt Göran
Published: June 2006

Reduced seed exit costs have been suggested to explain advanced seedling emergence and increased seedling growth in Sorbus aucuparia L. (Rosaceae; rowan) following Turdus spp. (Turdidae; thrush) gut passage. In the present study, seed coat tension strength of Turdus merula L. (Turdidae; blackbird) gut-passed and non-ingested control seeds were tested with a diametral compression test. Both maximum load (N) and work (mJ) required for opening the seeds were reduced in gut-passed seeds, although scanning electron microscopy showed no visible differences in seed coat surface structure between treatments. In addition, gut passage increased dry seed weight by 0.64�mg (22%), weight of hydrated seeds by 0.62�mg (16%) and width of hydrated seeds by 0.1�mm (9%). Absorption causing the seed coat to yield more easily to the germinating seedling is proposed as an explanation for the reduction in seed exit costs. For the emerging seedling, the time and force needed to open the seed coat was reduced, thus lowering dispersal and germination costs of S. aucuparia.
Induction and accumulation of polyphenol oxidase activities as implicated in development of resistance against pearl millet downy mildew disease
Authors: Raj S. Niranjan , Sarosh B. R. , Shetty H. S.
Published: June 2006

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was analysed in seedlings of resistant and susceptible pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br] cultivars with or without inoculation of the downy mildew pathogen Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet. Seedlings of resistant varieties had greater PPO activity than susceptible seedlings, and inoculated seedlings had significantly higher PPO levels than uninoculated seedlings. Temporal accumulation of PPO showed a maximum activity at 24 h post-inoculation in resistant seedlings, whereas in susceptible seedlings it peaked at 48 h. PPO activity was positively correlated with levels of downy mildew resistance in different pearl millet cultivars under field conditions. Native PAGE staining showed four isoforms of PPO, which were differentially induced in relation to the time of appearance and intensities in the uninoculated seedlings, whereas a fifth PPO isoform appeared after inoculation with S. graminicola. PPO activity was significantly higher in the shoot and leaves of pearl millet than in the root. Tissue printing analysis of the enzyme expression showed that the enzyme is predominantly expressed after pathogen inoculation and is localised in the epidermal and vascular regions. Temporal analysis of transcript accumulation showed that in resistant seedlings PPO mRNAs was expressed earlier and more abundantly than in susceptible seedlings. Our studies demonstrate, for the first time, that PPO is actively involved in plant defence and can be used as a marker of resistance to downy mildew infection in pearl millet.
A comment on the quantitative significance of aerobic methane release by plants
Authors: Kirschbaum Miko U. F. , Bruhn Dan , Etheridge David M. , Evans John R. , Farquhar Graham D. , Gifford Roger M. , Paul Keryn I. , Winters Anthony J.
Published: June 2006

A recent study by Keppler et al. (2006; Nature 439, 187–191) demonstrated CH4 emission from living and dead plant tissues under aerobic conditions. This work included some calculations to extrapolate the findings from the laboratory to the global scale and led various commentators to question the value of planting trees as a greenhouse mitigation option. The experimental work of Keppler et al. (2006) appears to be largely sound, although some concerns remain about the quantification of emission rates. However, whilst accepting their basic findings, we are critical of the method used for extrapolating results to a global scale. Using the same basic information, we present alternative calculations to estimate global aerobic plant CH4 emissions as 10–60 Mt CH4 year–1. This estimate is much smaller than the 62–236 Mt CH4 year–1 reported in the original study and can be more readily reconciled within the uncertainties in the established sources and sinks in the global CH4 budget. We also assessed their findings in terms of their possible relevance for planting trees as a greenhouse mitigation option. We conclude that consideration of aerobic CH4 emissions from plants would reduce the benefit of planting trees by between 0 and 4.4%. Hence, any offset from CH4 emission is small in comparison to the significant benefit from carbon sequestration. However, much critical information is still lacking about aerobic CH4 emission from plants. For example, we do not yet know the underlying mechanism for aerobic CH4 emission, how CH4 emissions change with light, temperature and the physiological state of leaves, whether emissions change over time under constant conditions, whether they are related to photosynthesis and how they relate to the chemical composition of biomass. Therefore, the present calculations must be seen as a preliminary attempt to assess the global significance from a basis of limited information and are likely to be revised as further information becomes available.
Examining fire behavior in mesquite - acacia shrublands
Authors: Streeks Tamara J. , Owens M. Keith , Whisenant Steve G.
Published: June 2006

The vegetation of South Texas has changed from mesquite savanna to mixed mesquite–acacia (Prosopis–Acacia) shrubland over the last 150 years. Fire reduction, due to lack of fine fuel and suppression of naturally occurring fires, is cited as one of the primary causes for this vegetation shift. Fire behavior, primarily rate of spread and fire intensity, is poorly understood in these communities, so fire prescriptions have not been developed. We evaluated two current fire behavior systems (BEHAVE and the CSIRO fire spread and fire danger calculator) and three models developed for shrublands to determine how well they predicted rate of spread and flame length during three summer fires within mesquite–acacia shrublands. We also used geostatistical analyses to examine the spatial pattern of net heat, flame temperature and fuel characteristics. The CSIRO forest model under-predicted the rate of fire spread by an average of 5.43 m min−1 and over-predicted flame lengths by 0.2 m while the BEHAVE brush model under-predicted rate of spread by an average of 6.57 m min−1 and flame lengths by an average of 0.33 m. The three shrubland models did not consistently predict the rate of spread in these plant communities. Net heat and flame temperature were related to the amount of 10-h fuel on the site, but were not related to the cover of grasses, forbs, shrubs, or apparent continuity of fine fuel. Fuel loads were typical of South Texas shrublands, in that they were uneven and spatially inconsistent, which resulted in an unpredictable fire pattern.
Comparison of burn severity assessments using Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio and ground data
Authors: Cocke Allison E. , Fulé Peter Z. , Crouse Joseph E.
Published: June 2006

Burn severity can be mapped using satellite data to detect changes in forest structure and moisture content caused by fires. The 2001 Leroux fire on the Coconino National Forest, Arizona, burned over 18 pre-existing permanent 0.1 ha plots. Plots were re-measured following the fire. Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery and the Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (ΔNBR) were used to map the fire into four severity levels immediately following the fire (July 2001) and 1 year after the fire (June 2002). Ninety-two Composite Burn Index (CBI) plots were compared to the fire severity maps. Pre- and post-fire plot measurements were also analysed according to their imagery classification. Ground measurements demonstrated differences in forest structure. Areas that were classified as severely burned on the imagery were predominantly Pinus ponderosa stands. Tree density and basal area, snag density and fine fuel accumulation were associated with severity levels. Tree mortality was not greatest in severely burned areas, indicating that the ΔNBR is comprehensive in rating burn severity by incorporating multiple forest strata. While the ΔNBR was less accurate at mapping perimeters, the method was reliable for mapping severely burned areas that may need immediate or long-term post-fire recovery.
Computed-tomography-guided direct percutaneous transhepatic embolization of a bleeding hepatic artery branch aneurysm
Authors: Souftas V. D. , Prassopoulos Panos
Published: June 2006

A case of successful direct percutaneous transhepatic coil embolization of a ruptured intrahepatic aneurysm under computed tomography (CT) guidance is presented. The patient had a history of multiple operations for liver echinococcosis and was transferred to the emergency department in a deteriorating clinical condition due to active hemorrhage. The aneurysm was treated with percutaneous transhepatic embolization under CT guidance. The procedure is not time-consuming and keeps the time interval between diagnosis and treatment to a minimum, thereby limiting subsequent blood loss.
New needle holder facilitates percutaneous fluoroscopy-guided sacroiliac puncture
Authors: Ugur F. , Gulcu N.
Published: June 2006

Purpose: To evaluate the success of a new guidance device for sacroiliac joint puncture.

Material and Methods: The device was first tested on a human anatomical model and thereafter on two groups of patients. In the first group ( n = 8), the traditional hand-guided method was used, and in the second group ( n = 10) the needle-holder device. The parameters evaluated in each group were “the number of attempts”, defined as the number of skin punctures, and “fluoroscopy-injection time”, defined as the time from the beginning of the fluoroscopy to the end of the correct insertion of the needle into the joint.

Results: Sacroiliac injection with the new device required significantly fewer attempts (2.1±2 versus 4.3±3) and shorter fluoroscopy injection times (8.9±3 min versus 15±5 min; P<0.05).

Conclusion: The new guidance device makes sacroiliac joint injection easier and prevents unnecessary exposure to radiation during the procedure.
Diffuse pneumocephalus associated with infratentorial and supratentorial hemorrhages as a complication of spinal surgery
Authors: Ozturk E. , Kantarci M. , Karaman K. , Cinar Basekim C. , Kizilkaya E.
Published: June 2006

A 23-year-old woman was transferred to our department with loss of consciousness 6 h after undergoing rod placement for thoracolumbar scoliosis. Both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed diffuse pneumocephalus and infra- and supratentorial hemorrhages. The pedicular screw tracts were analyzed with computed tomography and misplacement of a screw was noticed. It was thought that inadvertent dural injury had occurred at the time of insertion. The patient was re-operated and the dural tear was repaired. To our knowledge, this is the first description of these uncommon complications in one patient after spine surgery.
Popliteal vein aneurysm
Authors: Falkowski A. , Poncyljusz W. , Zawierucha D. , Kuczmik W.
Published: June 2006

The incidence of a popliteal vein aneurysm is extremely low. Two cases of this rare venous anomaly are described. The epidemiology, morphology, and diagnostic methods are discussed and the potentially dangerous complications and treatment methods are presented.
Magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor analysis of lymphomatoid granulomatosis of the brain
Authors: Kiryu S. , Okubo T. , Takeuchi K. , Inoue Y. , Endo T. , Odawara T. , Nakamura T. , Aoki S. , Ohtomo K.
Published: June 2006

We present the case of a 56-year-old man suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome associated with lymphomatoid granulomatosis. Magnetic resonance imaging performed because of convulsions revealed an ill-defined frontal mass showing hypointense on T1WI and slightly hypointense on T2WI with surrounding edema. An elevated uptake was found on Tl-201 single photo emission computed tomography consistent with a central nervous system lymphoma. However, the apparent diffusion coefficient ratio calculated from diffusion–tensor acquisitions was 1.53 and was higher than that of lymphomas in previous reports. Stereotactic brain biopsy was performed and lymphomatoid granulomatosis was confirmed.
Segmental dilatation of the ileum: a report of two cases
Authors: Lee J. E. , Lee S. W. , Hwang J. Y.
Published: June 2006

Segmental dilatation of the ileum is one of the uncommon causes of intestinal obstruction. Preoperative diagnosis of segmental dilatation of the ileum is difficult. We report two cases of this condition that were diagnosed preoperatively by contrast studies.
Diverging trends in the incidence and mortality of stroke during the period 1986—2002: A study from the Stroke register in Kaunas, Lithuania
Authors: Rastenyte Daiva , Sopagiene Diana , Virviciute Dalia , Jureniene Kristina
Published: June 2006

Aims: The aim of the present study was to explore the longitudinal stroke trends in the middle-aged Lithuanian population. Methods: All stroke events in the studied population were ascertained and validated according to the standardized criteria outlined by the WHO MONICA Project. The study included all patients aged 25 to 64 years who experienced a stroke between 1986 and 2002. Results: A flat trend was observed in both the incidence and the attack rates of stroke among men during the 17-year study period, while among women, the incidence of stroke increased by 1.7%/year, and the attack rates by 2.3%/year. The 28-day case fatality and mortality rates of stroke decreased significantly in both sexes. The decline in case fatality explained 100% of the decline in mortality. Among the types of stroke, cerebral infarction contributed most to the decline in the mortality in men. In women, the mortality from cerebral infarction and intracerebral haemorrhage declined similarly to that from all types of strokes. Conclusions: Findings from our study indicating no positive changes in the incidence of stroke but instead an increase among middle-aged women in Kaunas are disturbing. These results suggest a need for the intensification of appropriate strategies for stroke prevention by the public health officials in Lithuania.
Lymphocyte Chemotaxis Is Regulated by Histone Deacetylase 6, Independently of Its Deacetylase Activity
Authors: Cabrero J. Román , Serrador Juan M. , Barreiro Olga , Mittelbrunn María , Naranjo-Suárez Salvador , Martín-Cófreces Noa , Vicente-Manzanares Miguel , Mazitschek Ralph , Bradner James E. , Ávila Jesús , Valenzuela-Fernández Agustín , Sánchez-Madrid Francisco
Published: June 2006

In this work, the role of HDAC6, a type II histone deacetylase with tubulin deacetylase activity, in lymphocyte polarity, motility, and transmigration was explored. HDAC6 was localized at dynamic subcellular structures as leading lamellipodia and the uropod in migrating T-cells. However, HDAC6 activity did not appear to be involved in the polarity of migrating lymphocytes. Overexpression of HDAC6 in freshly isolated lymphocytes and T-cell lines increased the lymphocyte migration mediated by chemokines and their transendothelial migration under shear flow. Accordingly, the knockdown of HDAC6 expression in T-cells diminished their chemotactic capability. Additional experiments with HDAC6 inhibitors (trichostatin, tubacin), other structural related molecules (niltubacin, MAZ-1391), and HDAC6 dead mutants showed that the deacetylase activity of HDAC6 was not involved in the modulatory effect of this molecule on cell migration. Our results indicate that HDAC6 has an important role in the chemotaxis of T-lymphocytes, which is independent of its tubulin deacetylase activity.
t h r e e On the Way toward the Precritical Project
Authors: Schöneld Martin
Published: June 2006

This chapter explores the role that True Estimation of Living Forces (1747) played in Kant’s intellectual development. Section 1 describes Kant’s way of dealing with controversies and discusses his appropriation of Bilfinger’s heuristic strategy. Section 2 describes how quantities differ from physical objects for Kant, traces the Pietist roots of this view, and examines how this view of mathematics hamstrung Crusius and initially also Kant. Section 3 discusses the differences between Kantian dynamics and Newtonian mechanics, and details the reasons for Kant’s distance from Newton.
f o u r The Conversion to Newton
Authors: Schöneld Martin
Published: June 2006

This chapter explores Kant’s studies from 1754 to 1757, the application of his dynamic perspectives to fire, tides, the Earth’s rotation, climate, winds, and earthquakes. Section 1 surveys the background of Kant’s efforts in the 1750s, such as how his earthquake papers relate to the Lisbon tsunami (1755), and describes his co-discovery of sea wind patterns and his discovery of the monsoon dynamics. Section 2 examines Kant’s study of the fate of Earth’s rotation (1754) and its correct determination of the dynamic interplay among lunar period, tidal forces, oceanic friction, and the long-term slowdown of Earth’s rotation. Section 3 discusses Kant’s Master’s Thesis (1755), his chemical conjectures on fire, and his attempt to clarify the spatial energy field, the ether. Section 4 examines Kant’s qualitative approach to cosmological questions and his heuristic reliance on analogical reasoning.
f i v e The Universal Natural History The Purposiveness of Nature
Authors: Schöneld Martin
Published: June 2006

This chapter explores Kant’s second book, Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens (1755). Section 1 describes the context of the book and Kant’s critique of static and anthropocentric conceptions of nature by the Pietists, Physico-Theologians, Newton, and Wolff. Section 2 describes the goal of Kant’s teleology, its naturalized thrust toward well-ordered complexity or “relative perfection.” Section 3 examines the means of Kant”s teleology, the dynamic interplay of attractive and repulsive forces. Section 4 analyzes the application of teleology to cosmic phenomena such as the solar system, Wright’s earlier stipulation, Laplace’s later conjecture, and the eventual confirmation of Kant’s nebular hypothesis. Section 5 explores Kant’s arguments for life, humanity, and reason as products of cosmic evolution. Section 6 discusses Kant’s “static law” — that the mean planetary density determines the biospherical potential of reason — and its incongruity with the racism in Physical Geography (1756-60) and Beautiful and Sublime (1764). Section 7 describes Kant’s dynamic cosmology, explicates his “phoenix”-symbol, and discusses his various scientific aperçus.
e i g h t The Only Possible Argument The Culmination of the Precritical Project
Authors: Schöneld Martin
Published: June 2006

This chapter explores Kant’s third book, The Only Possible Argument in Support of a Demonstration of God’s Existence (1764). Section 1 surveys Kant’s development after his professorial thesis (1756): the West Winds essay (1757); Motion and Rest (1758) and its sequel Directions in Space (1768); the Optimism essay (1759), the project of a “Children’s Physics” (1759), and the False Subtlety treatise (1762). Section 2 explains the organization of Kant’s third book and how the two arguments for God’s existence derive from a joint demonstrative basis. Section 3 analyzes Kant’s conceptual proof for God’s existence and the rigor of its logical structure.
n i n e The Newtonian Program of thePrize Essay and Kant's Crisis The Struggle for Freedom
Authors: Schöneld Martin
Published: June 2006

This chapter explores the aftermath of Only Possible Argument and the Prize Essay (1764). Section 1 examines the curious preface of Kant’s third book, the exchange with Mendelssohn, and Kant’s growing metaphysical misgivings. Section 2 describes how Kant first arrives at the problem of the possibility of metaphysics and its initial analytic solution. Section 3 discusses Kant’s proposed methodology, its inspiration by Newton and Euler, and its relation to Spinoza’s geometric method and Tschirnhaus’s experimental method. Section 4 examines Kant’s conception of intuitive certainty of conceptual truth, the role of Crusius, and the exchange with Lambert.
A Family for the Twenty-first Century
Authors: Chancellor James D.
Published: June 2006

The Children of God (COG), now known as the Family, emerged out of the Jesus People Movement as a blend of traditional evangelical Christianity and the 1960s youth counterculture. COG quickly became the most controversial group on the religious landscape. It is historically important in the history of the anticult movement; the first anticult organization was FREECOG (Free the Children of God), and deprogramming developed in response to COG. This essay outlines the history of the movement and its major theological landmarks, with particular emphasis on the substantive changes in the Family since the death of the founding Prophet in 1994.
Family Development and Change in the Hare Krishna Movement
Authors: Rochford, Jr. E. Burke
Published: June 2006

This essay examines family development and change within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), more popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement. It focuses on the demise of communalism in ISKCON’s North American communities and the emergence of the nuclear family as the foundation of ISKCON’s socioreligious world. As ISKCON became a householders’ movement, collective forms of involvement gave way to growing privatization. At the same time, ISKCON parents challenged traditional sources of religious authority in favor of more democratic and bureaucratic structures. By the 1990s, ISKCON’s previous sectarian structure and lifestyle had become secularized in North America.
When Leaders Dissolve
Authors: Goldman Marion S.
Published: June 2006

This essay considers the history and philosophy of the Osho Rajneesh movement, beginning in India in the 1970s through to the current phase. This serves as a background for examining the ways in which the movement stabilized after Osho changed his name from Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, retreated into the background, and died in 1990. Over the past decade, especially after Osho Rajneesh’s death, the movement’s delicate rebalancing has facilitated worldwide retention and recruitment of about six to eight thousand committed followers (known as sannyasins) and fellow travelers, as well as a far larger group of circulating affiliates and clients, whose allegiances are to Osho and to different, complementary spiritual paths.
The Theosophical Society
Authors: Santucci James A.
Published: June 2006

This essay examines the history and development of the Theosophical Society and its offshoots. The Theosophical Society was founded in New York City in 1875 by sixteen individuals with shared interests in spiritualism and occultism. The objectives of the society were to “collect and diffuse a knowledge of the laws which govern the universe.” Theosophy, as understood in the Theosophical Society and in many of the societies that derived from it, should not be considered static in its definition and content, but understood as an organic body of teachings that has undergone reinterpretation and development over time. Nonetheless, most Theosophical organizations understand Theosophy through the teachings of Helena P. Blavatsky, who is regarded as the ultimate and, for some, an infallible source of Theosophical learning. Organizations that ultimately derive from the Theosophical Society include the Temple of the People founded by Dr. William H. Dower and Mrs. Francia LaDue, Alice Bailey’s Arcane School, Guy Ballard’s “I AM” Religious Activity, the Church Universal and Triumphant (formerly the Summit Lighthouse) founded by Mark Prophet, and the Aetherius Society founded by George King.
White Racist Religions in the United States
Authors: Gardell Mattias
Published: June 2006

This essay presents a historical overview and analysis of the development of racist religions in North America. White religious racism is not a unified creed, but a heterogeneous category that comprises many different congregations and philosophies, ranging from racist recasts of Christianity to a plethora of racist pagan, occult fascist, and Satanist constructs. The racist religions considered fall into three main categories: racist (particularly Identity) Christianity, religious national socialism, and racist paganism. Though paganism has been gaining ground among younger racists, the importance of Christianity to traditional American culture means that Identity is unlikely to be completely supplanted by racist paganism.
Introduction
Authors: Jackson Roger R.
Published: June 2006

This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the possible origins of the verses translated in this book: the three surviving Apabhramśa-language collections of rhyming couplets, dohākosa, literally “treasuries of dohā” attributed to three Buddhist tantric masters who probably lived in northern India sometime around 1000 CE: Saraha, Kānha, and Tilopa. Conflicting accounts about the lives and uncertainties about their relation to the written works are described. Known facts about these three Treasuries and the men who are believed to have composed them are also presented.
Kāṇha'sTreasury of Couplets
Authors: Jackson Roger R.
Published: June 2006

A translation of verses by Kānha is presented.
Historical Reflections on Classical Pyrrhonism and Neo‐Pyrrhonism
Authors: Striker Gisela
Published: June 2006

This essay argues that ancient Pyrrhonists did not decide to suspend judgment, but rather claimed to have found themselves unable to arrive at any judgment. By giving up the attempt, they also claimed to have unexpectedly reached tranquility, then followed the customs of ordinary life without ever claiming to have found the truth. This anti-rational attitude is not likely to be typical of ordinary people, nor would it seem desirable to modern defenders of ordinary practices like Fogelin.
Berkeley, Pyrrhonism, and the Theaetetus
Authors: Winkler Kenneth P.
Published: June 2006

This essay reinterprets Berkeley’s idealism as partially motivated by a need to overcome the Agrippan mode of relativity pressed by Pyrrhonists. It compares Berkeley’s solution to that of Protagoras as presented in Plato’s Theaetetus, and argues that Berkeley needed to depend on reason — intuition or demonstration — to avoid skepticism. In this interpretation, Berkeley is closer to the rationalist tradition than usually recognized.
“A Small Tincture of Pyrrhonism”
Authors: Garrett Don
Published: June 2006

This essay distinguishes varieties of skepticism along six dimensions. It argues that Hume is unmitigated in his rational support skepticism and in his prescriptive skepticism about certain “high and distant enquiries”, but mitigated in his general practising skepticism and in his general epistemic merit skepticism. Hume’s skepticism must be seen as mitigated in these ways in order to solve four central puzzles for Hume scholars.
The Agrippan Argument and Two Forms of Skepticism
Authors: Williams Michael
Published: June 2006

This essay argues that the Pyrrhonian regress argument presupposes a Prior Grounding conception of justification. This is contrasted with a Default and Challenge structure, which leads to a contextualist picture of justification. Contextualism is said to incorporate the best features of its traditionalist rivals — foundationalism and coherentism — and also to avoid skepticism. It is argued that we should not ask which conception is really true, but instead give up epistemological realism.
Introduction
Authors: Gheissari Ali , Nasr Vali
Published: June 2006

This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of Iran's experiences in state-building. It then discusses the prospects of democracy in Iran, Iranian history in the 20th century, and theories of state-building and democratization. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Revolution and War Fundamentalism, 1979–1989
Authors: Gheissari Ali , Nasr Vali
Published: June 2006

This chapter examines the unfolding of the 1979 revolution and its effects on the Iranian state, society, economy, and the context for state-building and democracy promotion. It focuses on the transformative effects of the revolution on conceptions of the state and also the nature of demands before it.