bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bilirubin Oxidation End Products Directly Alter K+ Channels Important in the Regulation of Vascular Tone
Authors: Hou Shangwei , Xu Rong , Clark Joseph F , Wurster William L , Heinemann Stefan H , Hoshi Toshinori
Published: April 2010

The exact etiology of delayed cerebral vasospasm following cerebral hemorrhage is not clear, but a family of compounds termed ‘bilirubin oxidation end products (BOXes)’ derived from heme has been implicated. As proper regulation of vascular smooth muscle tone involves large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-dependent Slo1 K+ (BK, maxiK, KCa1.1) channels, we examined whether BOXes altered functional properties of the channel. Electrophysiological measurements of Slo1 channels heterologously expressed in a human cell line and of native mouse BK channels in isolated cerebral myocytes showed that BOXes markedly diminished open probability. Biophysically, BOXes specifically stabilized the conformations of the channel with its ion conduction gate closed. The results of chemical amino-acid modifications and molecular mutagenesis together suggest that two specific lysine residues in the structural element linking the transmembrane ion-permeation domain to the carboxyl cytosolic domain of the Slo1 channel are critical in determining the sensitivity of the channel to BOXes. Inhibition of Slo1 BK channels by BOXes may contribute to the development of delayed cerebral vasospasm following brain hemorrhage.
Artificial Neural Network Prediction of Ischemic Tissue Fate in Acute Stroke Imaging
Authors: Huang Shiliang , Shen Qiang , Duong Timothy Q
Published: April 2010

Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of acute stroke provides predictive value that can be used to guide stroke therapy. A flexible artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm was developed and applied to predict ischemic tissue fate on three stroke groups: 30-, 60-minute, and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and spin–spin relaxation time constant (T2) were acquired during the acute phase up to 3 hours and again at 24 hours followed by histology. Infarct was predicted on a pixel-by-pixel basis using only acute (30-minute) stroke data. In addition, neighboring pixel information and infarction incidence were also incorporated into the ANN model to improve prediction accuracy. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to quantify prediction accuracy. The major findings were the following: (1) CBF alone poorly predicted the final infarct across three experimental groups; (2) ADC alone adequately predicted the infarct; (3) CBF+ADC improved the prediction accuracy; (4) inclusion of neighboring pixel information and infarction incidence further improved the prediction accuracy; and (5) prediction was more accurate for permanent occlusion, followed by 60- and 30-minute occlusion. The ANN predictive model could thus provide a flexible and objective framework for clinicians to evaluate stroke treatment options on an individual patient basis.
Production of thymosin α1 via non‐enzymatic acetylation of the recombinant precursor
Authors: Esipov Roman S. , Stepanenko Vasily N. , Beyrakhova Ksenia A. , Muravjeva Tatjana I. , Miroshnikov Anatoly I.
Published: April 2010

Human thymosin α1 is an effective immune system enhancer for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases. Therefore the development of new methods for its synthesis is an urgent problem. In the present work, we propose an efficient scalable scheme for the production of recombinant thymosin α1. We used an expression system based on the pET32b+ plasmid and Escherichia coli strain ER2566 to obtain a fusion protein consisting of thymosin α1 and thioredoxin separated by a TEV (tobacco etch virus) protease cleavage site. The fusion protein was overexpressed in soluble form and purified by ion‐exchange chromatography. After proteolytic cleavage of the fusion protein with TEV protease, recombinant desacetylthymosin α1 was isolated by ultrafiltration. Acetic anhydride was used for selective N‐terminal acetylation of the obtained peptide (yield=62%). The resultant thymosin α1 was purified by RP‐HPLC (reversed‐phase HPLC). The distinctive feature of this technology is that it is a combination of different approaches: the biotechnological production of recombinant fusion protein, its enzymatic cleavage, and chemical acetylation of desacetylthymosin α1. Each stage of the process was optimized to increase the yield of the target peptide, which averaged 29 mg/litre of bacterial culture. The proposed method is simple and cost‐effective and is suitable for large‐scale production of recombinant thymosin α1.
Visualizing protein interactions involved in the formation of the 42S RNP storage particle of Xenopus oocytes
Authors: Schneider Hannah , Dabauvalle Marie‐Christine , Wilken Norbert , Scheer Ulrich
Published: April 2010

Background information. During early phases of Xenopus oogenesis, 5S rRNA and tRNAs are stored in the cytoplasm of young oocytes in the form of a common RNA—protein complex termed the 42S particle. These storage particles comprise two kinds of proteins with different RNA binding specificities. The tRNA‐binding protein 42Sp50 belongs to the EF1A (eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A) family of translation elongation factors, while 42Sp43 is a diverged form of the transcription factor TFIIIA (transcription factor IIIA) and binds 5S rRNA. Little is known about the mode of protein—protein interactions that stabilize the 42S particle.

Results. We have determined the intracellular localization of the protein components of the 42S particle by expressing fluorescent protein‐tagged fusions in transparent previtellogenic oocytes. 42Sp50 and its isoforms (EF1A‐S and EF1A‐O) were excluded from the nuclei and distributed uniformly throughout the cytoplasm with no enrichment in the Balbiani bodies, as described earlier by immunocytochemistry. In contrast, 42Sp43 accumulated in the amplified nucleoli. However, when both proteins were simultaneously expressed, 42Sp43 was no longer present in the nucleoli but was retained, together with 42Sp50, in the cytoplasm, the most likely site of 42S particle assembly. In contrast, the somatic‐type EF1A isoforms were unable to redirect 42Sp43 from the nucleolar to the cytoplasmic compartment. We also tested for in vivo interactions using transiently transfected mammalian cells (COS‐7 cell line). In this heterologous cell system 42Sp43 remained bound to the nucleoli but, on co‐expression, induced the redistribution of 42Sp50 from the cytoplasm to the nucleoli.

Conclusions. The microscopic approach described allows visualization of protein—protein interactions involved in the assembly of 42S storage particles. In particular, the transfection assay using COS‐7 cells provides a rapid screening test that should facilitate identification of critical residues and structural determinants that enable the proteins of the 42S storage particle to interact with each other and to establish distinct higher‐order RNP (ribonucleoprotein) complexes.
Selenium compounds are substrates for glutaredoxins: a novel pathway for selenium metabolism and a potential mechanism for selenium-mediated cytotoxicity
Authors: Wallenberg Marita , Olm Eric , Hebert Christina , Björnstedt Mikael , Fernandes Aristi P.
Published: April 2010

The Grx (glutaredoxin) proteins are oxidoreductases with a central function in maintaining the redox balance within the cell. In the present study, we have explored the reactions between selenium compounds and the glutaredoxin system. Selenite, GS-Se-SG (selenodiglutathione) and selenocystine were all shown to be substrates of human Grx1, implying a novel role for the glutaredoxins in selenium metabolism. During the past few years, selenium has further evolved as a potential therapeutic agent in cancer treatment, and a leading mechanism of cytotoxicity is the generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species). Both selenite and GS-Se-SG were reduced by Grx1 and Grx2 in a non-stoichiometric manner due to redox cycling with oxygen, which in turn generated ROS. The role of Grx in selenium toxicity was therefore explored. Cells were treated with the selenium compounds in combination with transient overexpression of, or small interfering RNA against, Grx1. The results demonstrated an increased viability of the cells during silencing of Grx1, indicating that Grx1 is contributing to selenium toxicity. This is in contrast with TrxR (thioredoxin reductase), which previously was shown to protect cells from selenium cytotoxicity, verifying a diverse role between Grx and TrxR in selenium-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, selenium treatment led to a marked increase in protein glutathionylation and cysteinylation that potentially can influence the activity and function of several proteins within the cell.
Oligomeric assembly and interactions within the human RuvB-like RuvBL1 and RuvBL2 complexes
Authors: Niewiarowski Andrew , Bradley Alison S. , Gor Jayesh , McKay Adam R. , Perkins Stephen J. , Tsaneva Irina R.
Published: April 2010

The two closely related eukaryotic AAA+ proteins (ATPases associated with various cellular activities), RuvBL1 (RuvB-like 1) and RuvBL2, are essential components of large multi-protein complexes involved in diverse cellular processes. Although the molecular mechanisms of RuvBL1 and RuvBL2 function remain unknown, oligomerization is likely to be important for their function together or individually, and different oligomeric forms might underpin different functions. Several experimental approaches were used to investigate the molecular architecture of the RuvBL1–RuvBL2 complex and the role of the ATPase-insert domain (domain II) for its assembly and stability. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed that RuvBL1 and RuvBL2 were mainly monomeric and each monomer co-existed with small proportions of dimers, trimers and hexamers. Adenine nucleotides induced hexamerization of RuvBL2, but not RuvBL1. In contrast, the RuvBL1–RuvBL2 complexes contained single- and double-hexamers together with smaller forms. The role of domain II in complex assembly was examined by size-exclusion chromatography using deletion mutants of RuvBL1 and RuvBL2. Significantly, catalytically competent dodecameric RuvBL1–RuvBL2, complexes lacking domain II in one or both proteins could be assembled but the loss of domain II in RuvBL1 destabilized the dodecamer. The composition of the RuvBL1–RuvBL2 complex was analysed by MS. Several species of mixed RuvBL1/2 hexamers with different stoichiometries were seen in the spectra of the RuvBL1–RuvBL2 complex. A number of our results indicate that the architecture of the human RuvBL1–RuvBL2 complex does not fit the recent structural model of the yeast Rvb1–Rvb2 complex.
Extraction of lateral eigenmode properties in thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator from interferometric measurements
Authors: Kokkonen Kimmo , Pensala Tuomas , Meltaus Johanna , Kaivola Matti
Published: April 2010

A heterodyne laser interferometer is used to study acoustic wave fields excited in a 1.8 GHz AlN thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator. The electrical response of the resonator exhibits a strong thickness resonance onto which spurious modes, caused by lateral standing plate waves, are superposed. Optical interferometer measurements are used to extract dispersion curves of the laterally propagating waves responsible for the spurious responses. A discrete eigenmode spectrum due to the finite lateral dimensions of the resonator is observed. An equivalent circuit model for a multimode resonator is fitted to the mechanical resonator response extracted along a single curve in the dispersion diagram, and is used to determine properties, such as Q-values, of the individual lateral eigenmodes. Measured wave field images, extracted dispersion curves, and the eigenmode spectrum with the model fitting results are presented.
Asymmetry in the planar Hall resistance of Fe films grown on vicinal GaAs substrates
Authors: Yoo Taehee , Khym S. , Lee Hakjoon , Chung Sunjae , Lee Sanghoon , Liu X. , Furdyna J. K.
Published: April 2010

We have investigated the Hall effects of the ferromagnetic Fe films grown on standard (001) and on vicinal (i.e., slightly tilted toward the [11¯0] direction) GaAs substrates at room temperature. While the symmetric hysteresis in the planar Hall resistance (PHR) is obtained from Fe film grown nominal (001) substrate, a significant asymmetry appeared in the Fe films grown on vicinal GaAs substrates. The asymmetry in the hysteresis of the PHR observed in the Fe film grown on vicinal surface originates from the switching of magnetization M between two easy axes while it is confined to the (001) crystal plane rather than to the film plane, thus involves both the planar Hall effect (PHE) and the anomalous Hall effect (AHE). The contribution of the AHE systematically increases as the tilted angle of the substrate increases. The asymmetric hysteresis of the PHR in the Fe films grown on the tilted substrate provides four distinct resistance states, which can be used for quaternary memory devices.
Development of bubble microstructure in ErT2 films during aging
Authors: Bond Gillian M. , Browning James F. , Snow Clark S.
Published: April 2010

Helium bubbles form in metal tritide films as tritium decays into H3e, influencing mechanical properties and long-term film stability. The bubble nucleation and growth mechanisms comprise an active research area, but there has been only one previous systematic experimental study of helium bubble growth in metal tritides, on zirconium tritides. There have been no such studies on tritides such as ErT2 that form platelike bubbles and lack a secondary bubble population on a network of line dislocations, and yet such a study is needed to inform the modeling of helium bubble microstructure development in a broader range of metal tritides. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the growth and evolution of helium bubbles in ErT2 films over a four-year period. The results have been used to test the present models of helium bubble nucleation and growth in metal tritides, particularly those forming platelike bubbles. The results support the models of Trinkaus and Cowgill. The observations of nonuniform bubble thicknesses and the pattern of grain-boundary bubble formation, however, indicate that these models could be strengthened by closer attention to details of interfacial energy. It is strongly recommended that efforts be made (either experimentally or by calculation) to determine anisotropy of tritide/helium interfacial energy, both for clean, stoichiometric interfaces, and also allowing for such factors as nonstoichiometry and segregation.
An ultrastable platform for the study of single-atom chains
Authors: Smith D. T. , Pratt J. R. , Tavazza F. , Levine L. E. , Chaka A. M.
Published: April 2010

We describe a surface probe instrument capable of sustaining single atomic bond junctions in the electronic quantum conduction regime for tens of minutes, and present results for Au junctions that can be “locked” stably in n=1 and n=2 quantum conduction states with electrical conductivity nG0 (G0=2e2/h) and switched in a controlled way. The instrument measures and controls the gap formed between a probe and a flat surface with better than 5 pm long-term stability in a high-vacuum chamber at 4 K using a high-sensitivity fiber-optic interferometer that forms a Fabry–Perot cavity immediately adjacent and parallel to the probe. We also report the experimental observation of stable noninteger conduction states, along with preliminary density functional theory-based calculations of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional Au “bridges” that produce comparable noninteger conduction states. Finally, we report the observation of novel stochastic processes related to nonballistic electron transport through strained single atomic bond junctions. The instrument permits detailed study of electron transport in 1D systems, and the long-term picometer stability of the junction holds great promise for application to single-molecule spectroscopy.
Mechanical bistability in liquid crystal elastomer-wire composite actuators
Authors: Huang Y. Y. , Biggins J. , Ji Y. , Terentjev E. M.
Published: April 2010

We investigate a design of a composite combining a spontaneously actuating liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with heating wires embedded directly into the rubbery matrix. We focus on the bistable configuration of wires at a critical angle to actuation direction, which theoretically provides a second energy minimum for wires deforming within an incompressible matrix. Experiments confirm the practicality of the theory when wires are embedded in a soft matrix. For a LCE-wire composite, the critical angle depends on the intrinsic actuation amplitude of its component LCE layers. It is further demonstrated for a side-chain LCE, an actuation stroke of ∼35% contraction was possible with a double-layer stacking design, while a triple-layer design showed a contracting stroke of ∼25%. Finally, we examine the dynamics of actuation and estimate the performance limit of a generic heat-stimulated LCE composite actuator in terms of its power efficiency and response time.
Microstrip superconducting quantum interference device amplifier: Conditional stability
Authors: Kinion D. , Clarke John
Published: April 2010

The scattering parameters of an amplifier based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device are directly measured at 4.2 K as functions of the bias current and applied magnetic flux. These parameters are used to determine the stability of the amplifier with arbitrary source and output load impedances. It was found that the amplifier is conditionally stable, and that the stability is improved by decreasing the gain or adding negative feedback. With suitable bias selection, the amplifier is shown to be sufficiently stable to allow operation with a resonant source impedance.
Time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy of laser-produced air plasma
Authors: Camacho J. J. , Díaz L. , Santos M. , Juan L. J. , Poyato J. M. L.
Published: April 2010

Time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to analyze a mesh-initiated air breakdown plasma induced by a transverse excitation atmospheric CO2 pulsed laser (λ=10.591 μm, 64 ns (full width at half maximum), 70–160 J/cm2). Emission from excited N, O, C, H, and Ar; ionic fragment N+, O+, N2+, O2+, C+, and molecular band systems of N2+(B Σ2u+−X Σ2g+; D Π2g−A Π2u), N2(C Π3u−B Π3g), and OH(A Σ2+−X Π2) is observed. Plasma characteristics are examined in detail on the emission lines of N+, O+, and C by time-resolved OES technique. The results show a faster decay of continuum and ionic spectral species than of neutral atomic and molecular ones. The velocity and kinetic energy distributions for the different species were obtained from time-of-flight measurements. Excitation temperature and electron density in the laser-induced plasma were estimated from the analysis of spectral data at various times from the laser pulse incidence. Temporal evolution of electron density has been used for the estimation of the three-body recombination rate constant.
Defect states of ZnO nanoparticles: Discrimination by time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy
Authors: Han Noh Soo , Shim Hyeong Seop , Seo Joo Hee , Kim Sun Young , Park Seung Min , Song Jae Kyu
Published: April 2010

ZnO nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes were prepared by changing coordinating ligands. Hexagonal cones presented UV and green (∼500 nm) emissions, which originated from excitons and defects, respectively. Oxygen vacancies were found to be major defects in the hexagonal cones. Blue emission at ∼440 nm was observed for hexagonal plates, and analyses of time-resolved photoluminescence spectra showed that two transitions were responsible for this blue emission, because transitions from Zni to the valence band (430 nm) and from Zni to VZn (480 nm) were distinguished by emission wavelengths and lifetimes. The visible emissions from defects were related to the roles of coordinating ligands.
Low temperature noncollinear behavior in ultrathin Fe/Al multilayer structures
Authors: Brajpuriya R.
Published: April 2010

We report the low temperature noncollinear magnetic behavior of electron beam evaporated ultrathin Fe/Al multilayer (ML) structures. Investigations have been carried out with ML samples with Fe-layer thicknesses in a range of 10–40 Å and Al-layer thickness of 10 Å. The structural studies show that heavy atomic interdiffusion between Fe and Al layers occurs at the interface, resulting MLs of different complicated structures according to different sublayer thicknesses Brajpuriya, et al.., [Eur. Phys. J. B 51, 131 (2006)]. The magnetic measurements show that these films are “re-entrant” systems and not ordinary ferromagnets as often assumed. The obtained results, interestingly, indicate a transition from ferromagnetic state to a low temperature disordered state where a collective frozen magnetic state with grain moments oriented randomly occurs. We interpret the observed low temperature noncollinear magnetic behavior to be due to random freezing of grain moments.
Liquid crystal phase and waterlike anomalies in a core-softened shoulder-dumbbells system
Authors: Barros de Oliveira Alan , Neves Eduardo B. , Gavazzoni Cristina , Paukowski Juliana Z. , Netz Paulo A. , Barbosa Marcia C.
Published: April 2010

Using molecular dynamics we investigate the thermodynamics, dynamics, and structure of 250 diatomic molecules interacting by a core-softened potential. This system exhibits thermodynamic, dynamic, and structural anomalies: a maximum in density-temperature plane at constant pressure and maximum and minimum points in the diffusivity and translational order parameter against density at constant temperature. Starting with very dense systems and decreasing density the mobility at low temperatures first increases, reaches a maximum, then decreases, reaches a minimum and finally increases. In the pressure-temperature phase diagram the line of maximum translational order parameter is located outside the line of diffusivity extrema that is enclosing the temperature of maximum density line. We compare our results with the monomeric system showing that the anisotropy due to the dumbbell leads to a much larger solid phase and to the appearance of a liquid crystal phase.
Direct microscopic correlation of crystal orientation and luminescence in spontaneously formed nonpolar and semipolar GaN growth domains
Authors: Bastek B. , August O. , Hempel T. , Christen J. , Wieneke M. , Bläsing J. , Dadgar A. , Krost A. , Wendt U.
Published: April 2010

We present a direct microscopic correlation between local optical properties, characterized by spectrally resolved cathodoluminescence microscopy and the microscopic crystallographic orientation determined by electron backscatter diffraction at identical sample positions of nonpolar and semipolar GaN growth domains simultaneously formed during metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on the same r-plane sapphire substrate. The luminescence from all nonpolar, (112̱0) grown crystallites is dominated by the basal plane stacking fault luminescence, while all crystallites having semipolar (112̱6) orientation show a luminescence characterized by pure excitonic emission, i.e., without any contribution of stacking faults, and with an order of magnitude enhanced quantum efficiency.
Molecular dynamics simulations of ion transport through carbon nanotubes. I. Influence of geometry, ion specificity, and many-body interactions
Authors: Beu Titus A.
Published: April 2010

Extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the flow of aqueous NaCl and NaI solutions through carbon nanotubes are presented, evidencing the dependence of diverse transport features on the solute specificity, the nanotube geometry, and the various atomic models employed, including polarizability. The simulated properties are in agreement with published results, indicating that ion translocation sets in only for nanotubes with chiralities higher than (7,7), and extend the explanation of the mechanisms governing ion transport to larger chiralities. The interpretation of the various dynamic quantities is developed in close connection with the structural details of the solution and the energy barriers the solute components have to overcome. Also, the role and relevance of water and ion polarizabilities are discussed in detail.
Alpha channeling in rotating plasma with stationary waves
Authors: Fetterman Abraham J. , Fisch Nathaniel J.
Published: April 2010

An extension of the alpha channeling effect to supersonically rotating mirrors shows that the rotation itself can be driven using alpha particle energy. Alpha channeling uses radiofrequency waves to remove alpha particles collisionlessly at low energy. It is shown that stationary magnetic fields with high nθ can be used for this purpose, and simulations indicate that a large fraction of the alpha energy can be converted to rotation energy.
Order-disorder phase transition and dissociation of hydrogen sulfide under high pressure: Ab initio molecular dynamics study
Authors: Wang Liancheng , Tian Fubo , Feng Wanxiang , Chen Changbo , He Zhi , Ma Yanming , Cui Tian , Liu Bingbing , Zou Guangtian
Published: April 2010

The structural and dynamical properties of phase IV and V of hydrogen sulfide were investigated by means of extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Starting from an experimental proposal for the structure of phase IV, an Ibca symmetry with a stable hydrogen bonding network is found at 15 GPa and 100 K. Molecular dynamics simulations at increasing temperature and at the pressure of 15 GPa suggest that phase IV will transform to a proton disordered structure at 15 GPa and 350 K. The newfound structure has a hexagonal lattice of P63/mmc symmetry, which is believed to be the remaining crystalline structure of phase V. The high mobility of protons in phase V is believed to be the key point to the dissociation and decomposition of hydrogen sulfide.
Expectation values in two-component relativistic theories
Authors: Seino Junji , Uesugi Wataru , Hada Masahiko
Published: April 2010

We examined numerically the equivalence between the expectation values calculated by the four-component wave function and those calculated by the two-component wave functions generated by the infinite-order Douglas–Kroll (IODK) transformation. We showed the expectation values ⟨r−1⟩ and ⟨δ(r−R)⟩ in several closed-shell atoms using the so-called picture-changed 2×2 operators at some levels of approximation. The effect of the two-electron Coulomb term was also discussed. The numerical results indicated that the accuracy of ⟨r−1⟩ mainly depends on the level of the wave functions, while that of ⟨δ(r−R)⟩ is affected by the accuracy of both the wave functions and the picture-changed operators. As expected, the picture-changed operators and the IODK wave functions generate essentially equivalent expectation values in comparison with those calculated by the four-component Dirac-type method.
High Voltage-Cylinder Sector Analyzer 300/15: A cylindrical sector analyzer for electron kinetic energies up to 15 keV
Authors: Rubio-Zuazo J. , Escher M. , Merkel M. , Castro G. R.
Published: April 2010

We have developed an energy analyzer, High Voltage-Cylinder Sector Analyzer 300/15, for electron kinetic energies up to 15 keV. It is especially suited for hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, but also for ultraviolet and soft x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy), Auger electron spectroscopy, and reflection high energy electron spectroscopy. The analyzer is based on a cylinder sector with 90° deflection, 300 mm slit-to-slit distance, and a four-element pre-retarding lens system with 50 mm sample-to-lens distance. The result is a very compact design of the analyzer that is easily integrated into a multipurpose experiment with different techniques. A low noise/low drift electronics is capable of continuous energy scans from 0 to 15 keV using nonlinear lens curves. The first analyzer is allocated at the Spanish CRG SpLine beamline at the ESRF at an end station where simultaneous surface x-ray diffraction is possible. The analyzer is operated routinely since 2006 up to 15 keV electron kinetic energy, expanding the achievable electron kinetic energy range compared to other commercial analyzers. In this work we present a detailed description of the developed electron analyzer. The analyzer capabilities, in terms of energy resolution and transmission, are shown by using an electron gun, an ultraviolet-discharge lamp, and hard x-ray synchrotron radiation as excitation sources.
Electrical transport in small bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes: Intertube interaction and effects of tube deformation
Authors: Kim Taekyung , Kim Gunn , Choi Woon Ih , Kwon Young-Kyun , Zuo Jian-Min
Published: April 2010

We report a combined electronic transport and structural characterization study of small carbon nanotube bundles in field-effect transistors (FETs). The atomic structures of the bundles are determined by electron diffraction using an observation window built in the FET. The electrical transport of single-walled nanotube bundles depends on the structure of individual tubes, deformation due to intertube interaction, and the orientation with respect to the electric field. Ab initio simulations show that tube deformation in the bundle induces a band gap opening in a metallic tube. These results show the importance of intertube interaction in electrical transport of bundled carbon nanotubes.
Fairness and Ethicality in Their Place: The Regional Dynamics of Fair Trade and Ethical Sourcing Agendas in the Plantation Districts of South India
Authors: Neilsno Jeff , Pritchard Bill
Published: April 2010

In this paper we argue for a ‘horizontal’ approach to the analysis of fair and ethical trade, one which asks questions about the wider eddies they create within regional production contexts. This approach runs counter to much of the existing literature on the topic, which typically examines initiatives ‘vertically’, in terms of how they affect the lives of participating producers and communities. Applying this method to critique fair and ethical trade in the tea and coffee plantation districts of South India, we find that, at present, initiatives fail to intersect with the most pressing problems of poverty and development within this regional production system. Somewhat ironically, these schemes seem to be having their greatest positive effects within industry segments that are not the most needful of support, and tend to have very limited engagement with those industry participants in direst straits (notably, smallholders and workers on abandoned estates). Consideration of these issues highlights how the uneven penetration of fair and ethical trade is contributing to transformations in the institutional formations and systems of governance. Producers oriented to servicing affluent Western markets are increasingly enmeshed within fair and ethical trade agendas and interact with dense ensembles of suprastate and civil society regulation (involving international nongovernmental organisations and audit firms). Yet, more marginalised producers remain regulated by traditional institutional mechanisms embedded within the nation-state (government departments, trade unions, etc). These assessments point to the limitations and challenges facing fair and ethical trade as a strategic intervention for addressing the social, economic, and environmental injustices of global agriculture.
The UK Border Security Continuum: Virtual Biopolitics and the Simulation of the Sovereign Ban
Authors: Vaughan-Williams Nick
Published: April 2010

This paper analyses the emergence of the UK's new border security doctrine. It argues that the vision of the UK border being put forward is not one that corresponds to conventional understandings of what and where borders are in contemporary political life. Rather, the UK border is increasingly projected overseas and across UK territory, ever more invisible, electronic, and mobile through the use of sophisticated identity management technologies and is based on principles of preemption. In search of critical resources appropriate to the analysis of these practices, I draw on the work of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, and Jean Baudrillard and argue that the UK case is symptomatic of broader attempts to simulate the effect of security in the West.
Architecture, Symbolism, and Function: The Nazi Party's ‘Forum of the Movement’
Authors: Hagen Joshua
Published: April 2010

As the birthplace of the Nazi Party, Munich assumed a prominent role in Hitler's plans to build a new Germany. The first major project of this Nazi building program aimed to redesign Munich's Königsplatz Square as a new ‘Forum of the Movement’. Contemporary writers and later scholars have generally seen the project as a successful and effective example of Hitler's ideas concerning urban design. Yet, informed by recent theoretical and methodological developments in geography, a critical analysis of contemporary sources and greater awareness of the square's new spatiality and functionality suggest that the project suffered from several deficiencies that limited its effectiveness both as a symbolic representation of Hitler's architectural aspirations and as a practical venue for party events. Indeed, the difficulties of co-opting this established public space likely played a pivotal role in shifting the focus of Hitler's monumental building program to new locations away from traditional urban centers and historical buildings.
National identity and the Other: imagining the EU from the Czech Lands
Authors: Esparza Daniel
Published: April 2010

National identity is constructed through successive identifications with significant Others. This article discusses the phenomenon of change and continuity in Czech identity. It is focused here on the identification towards the EU, which has become the most significant Other of today in two ways: (a) (change) contributing to overcoming the identity crisis provoked by the drastic changes that occurred between 1989 and 1993 (change of regime, disappearance of the USSR and the break-up of Czechoslovakia), and therefore the subsequent drastic changes in relations with past significant Others: communism, the USSR, and the Slovaks; and (b) (continuity) reaffirming one of the fundamental elements during the national revival in the nineteenth century, democracy, upon which the various identifications towards the EU have been aligned. According to the differing interpretations of what democracy means, and three other criteria of the “levels of Othering,” the EU has been “imagined,” on the one hand, as an entity where Czechs can flourish in their identity and ensure their freedom and democratic values (positive Other), and, on the other, as an “oppressor” entity which portrays democratic deficit, restricts freedom, and threatens Czech national identity (negative Other).
Estonia caught between East and West: EU conditionality, Russia's activism and minority integration
Authors: Schulze Jennie L.
Published: April 2010

This article takes a subjective approach to studying norm compliance in order to determine how EU conditionality and Russia's activism have affected elite attitudes toward minority policies, majority–minority relations, and language use in Estonian society in the post-accession period. The results of a Q method study and semi-structured interviews with integration elites in spring 2008 reveal four distinct viewpoints. The study casts doubt upon the success of EU conditionality in Estonia by demonstrating that European minority rights norms remain contested and have not been internalized by a substantial portion of elites. In addition, the study points to an important role for Russia's activism in the development of a more inclusive society. Russia's activism actually works against minority integration by reinforcing pre-existing domestic norms that are not compatible with European minority rights standards and by aggravating tensions over history and language, which frustrate integration efforts. This article ultimately contributes to studies on the effects of international pressure on minority integration by pointing to the need for greater attention to the ways in which multiple actors at both the international and domestic levels structure the influence of EU conditionality.
How nationalism evolves: explaining the establishment of new varieties of nationalism within the national movements of Quebec and Catalonia (1976–2005)
Authors: Lluch Jaime
Published: April 2010

The national movements of sub-state national societies are divided into two or three competing political orientations (independentists, autonomists, and federalists), which vary over time. This article compares the process that led to the founding of the ADQ (autonomism) in Quebec, with the process that culminated in the transformation and de facto re-founding of ERC (independentism) in Catalonia during the period 1976–2005. Using the cases of two nationalist parties in two different national movements that have successfully established new political orientations, I analyze the political origins of this form of temporal variation. My outcome variable is the “tipping point” at which these nationalist political parties get established. This “tipping point” was reached through a temporal sequence that evolved in four phases. In each of these phases, a key variable was involved: the existence of a preexistent ideology, the occurrence of a central state constitutional moment, an impulse from the sphere of sociological nationalism, and the consolidation of a new leadership nucleus.
Securitized identities and less secure western multi-ethnic states: a critical geopolitics of the East–West discourse – Turkey and beyond
Authors: Shah Tabish
Published: April 2010

This article explores the implications of monolithic notions of “East” and “West” for security within ethno-religiously diverse nation-states. It builds on literature within critical geopolitics by recognizing not only that homogeneous notions of the “West” and its “Others” were formed for the purpose of legitimizing ideological and physical contestations of geographical space, and that they continue to operate, but also that this has made nation-states substantially less secure at the intra-state level. Travel accounts by Western European and American travellers to Turkey from 1989 onwards are used as data to explore this. The content of these accounts mirrors the wider East–West discourse; considered together with Turkey's popularly described position “at the crossroads” of Europe and Asia, the texts lend themselves to salient discussion of identity, culture, and difference between the hegemonic “West” and its “Others.” The post-1989 decolonized, post-Cold War period enables us to work within a contemporary context in which the opening of geographical space has occurred, and allows us to test whether “Western” identity in its hegemonic form of Western Europe and the US has evolved to accommodate this new context.
The religious factor in the reification of “neo-ethnic” identities in Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Biard Aurélie
Published: April 2010

This paper studies how religions, Islam in particular, play a part in the attempted reifications of “neo-ethnic” identities in Kyrgyzstan, a Turkic-speaking republic with a nomadic tradition and a Muslim majority (Hanafî Sunni Islam). In a context characterized by brutal transformations (decline in living standards, widening social inequalities, etc.) and by an increasingly failing central state whose autocratic rule appears ineffective, Islam intervenes as a paradoxical resource that is subjected to contrary uses. The traditional social link between collective identity and Islam is in fact reinvested ideologically within the framework of the new state construction. As a result a key question is what function the re-emergence of religion on the Kyrgyz political scene fulfils, especially considering broad disenchantment with politics. Islam is first re-emphasized as a national element by the authorities and, in the process, it becomes the subject of a drive towards territorialization that aims at erasing any transnational and/or pan-Islamist dimension from this universalist religion. Yet Islam and ethnicity are reinvested again in a new mode, the mode of subjectivization of religious belief, which gives rise, outside state control, to overlapping and often contradicting Islamic identities.
Supporting adolescents who have a sibling with a life‐threatening illness: An exploratory study
Authors: Burton Marcia
Published: April 2010

Aims: This research explores issues encountered by adolescents who have a sibling with a life‐threatening illness, and those who work therapeutically with them. Method: Eight semi‐structured, face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with participants who work therapeutically with this client group. Attention was given to the empathic quality of interviews. The interview sample included six females and two males, encompassing a wide demographic area within England and Wales. Five were counsellors and three had other professional trainings. Findings: Data was analysed using grounded theory. Results showed that the provision of family as well as individual therapeutic support for young people would ease stress for families and professionals alike, and that peer support was considered important. Implications for practice: The results of this research suggest that organisations working with families experiencing a life‐threatening illness would benefit from attending to the quality of support offered to their staff, as well as the families they work with.
Do elections lead to reform? Assessing the institutional limits of representative bodies in Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Ghanim Mohammed
Published: April 2010

Over the past decade, the states of the Arabian peninsula have taken strides to liberalize their political systems. They have convened elections for different types of representative bodies and have liberalized their economies more than ever before. Some countries have even systematized these elections over time. While the political science literature views elections as a significant step towards political liberalization, it remains unclear whether or not elections in authoritarian settings actually lead to more meaningful reforms. This paper considers the institutional set-up and limits that are placed on representative bodies in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, and how these inhibit manifestation of additional reforms.
Framing Arab socio-political space: state governmentality, governance and non-institutional protestation
Authors: Hanafi Sari
Published: April 2010

This article proposes a framework for understanding the reconfiguration of sociopolitical space in the Arab world in the last 15 years through the interplay between states’, civil societies’ and contestation movements’ actors which correspond respectively to state governmentality, governance and non-institutional protestation. A special focus will be on the emergence of the figure of the expert who will compete with the elected elite. This reconfiguration has occurred in a context of transformation of nation-state sovereignty and citizenship and the emergence of new elites which cohabit and compete with the old ones. Citizenship has taken different forms including the emerging form of flexible citizenship and non-citizenship in the Arab world.
Layla al-Jihni’s fiction: conceits and deceits
Authors: Altorki Soraya
Published: April 2010

Layla al-Jihni is one of several Saudi women novelists whose work has risen to prominence since the 1990s. She writes in a surrealistic, stream-of-consciousness style that features interior monologues and psychological introspection. Her work is published abroad, but on the basis of interviews I conducted with Saudi women, it is accessible in-country. Although al-Jihni is not an activist, and her works do not directly engage matters of policy, her reasons for writing are more than aesthetic and transcend the ‘art for art’s sake’ ethic. Discourse is a source of power and influence, and al-Jihni’s fiction contributes to this discourse in ways calculated to broaden the scope of choice for women in Saudi Arabian society.
Movements of political Islam: a study in socio-cultural dynamics
Authors: Al-Naqeeb Khaldoun Hasan
Published: April 2010

The present study is part of a larger project to chart the socio-cultural dynamics of the South Western Asian region (1918–2007). It is organized around three basic tenets: (1) that the South West Asian region has been (and still is) in longenduring cultural confrontation with the West; (2) that the confrontation with the West is not to reject the ‘modernity’ of the West, but to suggest an alternative to it; and (3) the confrontation with the West, in the contemporary context, is a function of Western imperialist penetration of the region, and its hegemonic practices. The focus of the study will be on the ‘resurgence’ of movements of political Islam, of which Western social science has, so far, failed to understand its causes. The proposition is to analyse the movements of political Islam as New Social Movements in the process of transition into mainstream political parties, dominating the political life of the whole region. It will further be contended that the disillusionment with the West in the region undermines liberal nationalist movements and feeds into the radicalization of social forces, as resistance movements.
The American intelligence breakdown in Iraq and the failure of the strategies of conflict ‘transformation’
Authors: Azem Ahmad Jamil
Published: April 2010

This paper shows how the American planning for the war in Iraq of 2003 lacked the use of major academic and scientific disciplines. Some basic theories and principles in the field of nationalism and ethnicity studies as well as the field of Middle Eastern studies were supposed to guide the planning for the post-war era in a better way. The goals of the war were originally very ambitious and included ‘conflict transformation’ which implies facilitating changes in the social and political structure of Iraq and the Middle East, but it has now changed to the more modest goal of ‘conflict management’ which focuses on containing violence.
Building a state under occupation: the Palestinians and the living legacy of Oslo
Authors: Zomlot Husam Said
Published: April 2010

The Palestine National Movement has been engaged in ‘state-building’ in the absence of a state since 1969: in exile (1969–1993) and under Israel’s occupation since 1994. Whereas the pre-Oslo ‘state in exile’ was a voluntary act that served several crucial functions including reinforcing Palestinian identity and entity, the post-Oslo state-building has been an obligatory exercise dictated by the terms of the Oslo interim agreements. This paper examines the framework of the post-Oslo state-building and highlights the inherent tensions between the function of the Palestinian Authority as a depository of the anticipated state and the tasks of ending occupation and nation-building. It scrutinizes the international financial role (the post-Oslo international aid program) and argues for a reassessment of international involvement.