bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crater effects on H and D emission from laser induced low-pressure helium plasma
Authors: Pardede Marincan , Lie Tjung Jie , Kurniawan Koo Hendrik , Niki Hideaki , Fukumoto Kenichi , Maruyama Tadashi , Kagawa Kiichiro , Tjia May On
Published: September 2009

An experimental study has been performed on the effects of crater depth on the hydrogen and deuterium emission intensities measured from laser plasmas generated in low-pressure helium ambient gas from zircaloy-4 samples doped with different H and D impurity concentrations as well as a standard brass sample for comparison. The results show that aside from emission of the host atom, the emission intensities of other ablated atoms of significantly smaller masses as well as that of the He atom generally exhibit relatively rapid initial decline with increasing crater depth. This trend was found to have its origin in the decreasing laser power density arriving at the crater bottom and thereby weakened the shock wave generated in the crater. As the crater deepened, the declining trend of the intensity appeared to level off as a result of compensation of the decreasing laser power density by the enhanced plasma confinement at increasing crater depth. Meanwhile, the result also reveals the significant contribution of the He-assisted excitation process to the doped hydrogen and deuterium emission intensities, leading to similar crater-depth dependent variation patterns in contrast to that associated with the surface water, with growing dominance of this common feature at the later stage of the plasma expansion. Therefore, a carefully chosen set of gate delay and gate width which are properly adapted to the crater-depth dependent behavior of the emission intensity may produce the desired intrinsic emission data for quantitative depth profiling of H impurity trapped inside the zircaloy wall.
Implantation-assisted Co-doped CdS thin films: Structural, optical, and vibrational properties
Authors: Chandramohan S. , Kanjilal A. , Sarangi S. N. , Majumder S. , Sathyamoorthy R. , Som T.
Published: September 2009

This paper reports on structural, optical, vibrational, and morphological properties of cobalt-doped CdS thin films, prepared by 90 keV Co+ implantation at room temperature. In this work, we have used cobalt concentration in the range of 0.34–10.8 at. %. Cobalt doping does not lead to the formation of any secondary phase, either in the form of metallic clusters or impurity complexes. However, with increasing cobalt concentration a decrease in the optical band gap, from 2.39 to 2.26 eV, is observed. This reduction is addressed on the basis of band tailing due to the creation of localized energy states in association with Urbach energy calculations. In addition, implantation gives rise to grain growth and increase in the surface roughness. Size and shape fluctuations of individual CdS grains, at higher fluences, give rise to inhomogeneity in strain. The results are discussed in the light of ion-matter interaction in the keV regime.
Evolution and imaging of nanoparticles observed in laser ablated carbon plume
Authors: Yadav Dheerendra , Gupta Varun , Thareja Raj K.
Published: September 2009

We report evidence of nanoparticles formation in laser ablated carbon plasma created by irradiating a graphite target with nanosecond neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser. The temporal evolution and spatial distribution of C2 molecules in the plasma is studied using optical emission spectroscopy, dynamic imaging and laser induced fluorescence techniques. The laser induced fluorescence spectrum and imaging of C2 fluorescence corresponding to transition d Π3g-a Π3u (0, 1) (λ=563.5 nm) is investigated by probing the expanding plume using a dye laser. The temporal evolution of ground state number density of C2 shows density varying from 2.6×1020/m3 to 1.2×1022/m3 on varying delay between the ablating and probe pulse from 200 to 600 ns. A peculiar bifurcation of carbon plume into two parts at ∼270 ns after the formation of plasma is attributed to recombination of carbon species and formation of nanoparticles. This study may help in quantitatively understanding of formation of carbon molecular species and the nanoparticles produced in laser ablated carbon plume.
Numerical study of the influence of an antireflection coating on the operating properties of vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers
Authors: Kühn Eckhard , Thränhardt Angela , Bückers Christina , Koch Stephan W. , Hader J. , Moloney J. V.
Published: September 2009

The influence of an antireflection coating on the input-output power characteristics and the switch-on dynamics of a vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser is investigated numerically with an effective rate-equation simulation based on microscopic many-body calculations for the optical gain/absorption and carrier losses. The simulations show a significantly higher threshold and a slower switch-on dynamics for the antireflection coated devices. These differences are caused by a reduction in the mode amplitude at the position of the active medium due to a less pronounced subcavity.
Angular dependence of dynamic magnetic properties and magnetization orientation distribution of thin films
Authors: Hung Le Thanh , Phuoc Nguyen N. , Ong C. K.
Published: September 2009

The angular dependence of dynamic magnetic properties of FeTaN thin films fabricated by rf sputtering deposition technique onto various substrates was investigated in conjunction with static magnetic characteristics. Thin films grown onto rigid and thick substrates show a well-defined uniaxial anisotropy and strongly distinct permeability spectra measured at various orientations while those samples grown onto flexible and thin substrates exhibit a less well-defined uniaxial anisotropy and much less different permeability spectra. The resultant variation of the magnetization orientation distributions obtained by retrieving the magnetization values from the permeability curves for different substrates can be interpreted in terms of the magnetic anisotropy dispersion due to stress.
Large scan area high-speed atomic force microscopy using a resonant scanner
Authors: Zhao B. , Howard-Knight J. P. , Humphris A. D. L. , Kailas L. , Ratcliffe E. C. , Foster S. J. , Hobbs J. K.
Published: September 2009

A large scan area high-speed scan stage for atomic force microscopy using the resonant oscillation of a quartz bar has been constructed. The sample scanner can be used for high-speed imaging in both air and liquid environments. The well-defined time-position response of the scan stage due to the use of resonance allows highly linearized images to be obtained with a scan size up to 37.5 μm in 0.7 s. The scanner is demonstrated for imaging highly topographic silicon test samples and a semicrystalline polymer undergoing crystallization in air, while images of a polymer and a living bacteria, S. aureus, are obtained in liquid.
Measurement of the spectral directivity of optoacoustic and ultrasonic transducers with a laser ultrasonic source
Authors: Conjusteau André , Ermilov Sergey A. , Su Richard , Brecht Hans-Peter , Fronheiser Matthew P. , Oraevsky Alexander A.
Published: September 2009

Comprehensive characterization of wideband ultrasonic transducers and specifically optoacoustic detectors is achieved through the analysis of their frequency response as a function of the incident angle. The tests are performed under well-defined, repeatable operating conditions. Backillumination of a blackened, acoustically matched planar surface with a short laser pulse creates an acoustic impulse which is used as a wideband ultrasonic source. Upon illumination with a short laser pulse, the bandwidth of our source shows a −6 dB point of 12 MHz and a low-frequency roll-off around 300 kHz. Using proprietary software, we examine thoroughly the planarity of the emitted wave front within a specified amplitude cutoff and phase incoherence. Analysis of the angular dependence of the frequency response yields invaluable directivity information about the detector under study: a necessary component toward accurate optoacoustic image reconstruction and quantitative tomography. The laser ultrasonic source we developed is the main feature of our directivity measurement setup. Due to its simplicity, it can easily be adapted to various calibration devices. This paper focuses on the development and characterization of the flatness and the bandwidth of our wideband ultrasonic source.
Eigenmode analysis of scalar transport in distributive mixing
Authors: Singh Mrityunjay K. , Speetjens Michel F. M. , Anderson Patrick D.
Published: September 2009

In this study, we explore the spectral properties of the distribution matrices of the mapping method and its relation to the distributive mixing of passive scalars. The spectral (or eigenvector-eigenvalue) decomposition of these matrices constitutes discrete approximations to the eigenmodes of the continuous advection operator in periodic flows. The eigenvalue spectrum always lies within the unit circle and due to mass conservation, always accommodates an eigenvalue equal to one with trivial (uniform) eigenvector. The asymptotic state of a fully chaotic mixing flow is dominated by the eigenmode corresponding with the eigenvalue closest to the unit circle (“dominant eigenmode”). This eigenvalue determines the decay rate; its eigenvector determines the asymptotic mixing pattern. The closer this eigenvalue value is to the origin, the faster is the homogenization by the chaotic mixing. Hence, its magnitude can be used as a quantitative mixing measure for comparison of different mixing protocols. In nonchaotic cases, the presence of islands results in eigenvalues on the unit circle and associated eigenvectors demarcating the location of these islands. Eigenvalues on the unit circle thus are qualitative indicators of inefficient mixing; the properties of its eigenvectors enable isolation of the nonmixing zones. Thus important fundamental aspects of mixing processes can be inferred from the eigenmode analysis of the mapping matrix. This is elaborated in the present paper and demonstrated by way of two different prototypical mixing flows: the time-periodic sine flow and the spatially periodic partitioned-pipe mixer.
Non-Poisson statistics of settling spheres
Authors: Bergougnoux Laurence , Guazzelli Élisabeth
Published: September 2009

Direct tracking of the particle positions in a sedimenting suspension indicates that the particles are not simply randomly distributed. The initial mixing of the suspension leads to a microstructure which consists of regions devoid of particles surrounded by regions where particles have an excess of close neighbors and which is maintained during sedimentation.
Role of the deep-lying electronic states of MoO3 in the enhancement of hole-injection in organic thin films
Authors: Kröger M. , Hamwi S. , Meyer J. , Riedl T. , Kowalsky W. , Kahn A.
Published: September 2009

The electronic structures of vacuum-deposited molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and of a typical MoO3/hole transport material (HTM) interface are determined via ultraviolet and inverse photoelectron spectroscopy. Electron affinity and ionization energy of MoO3 are found to be 6.7 and 9.68 eV, more than 4 eV larger than generally assumed, leading to a revised interpretation of the role of MoO3 in hole injection in organic devices. The MoO3 films are strongly n-type. The electronic structure of the oxide/HTM interface shows that hole injection proceeds via electron extraction from the HTM highest occupied molecular orbital through the low-lying conduction band of MoO3.
Barnett effect in thin magnetic films and nanostructures
Authors: Bretzel Stefan , Bauer Gerrit E. W. , Tserkovnyak Yaroslav , Brataas Arne
Published: September 2009

The Barnett effect refers to the magnetization induced by rotation of a demagnetized ferromagnet. We describe the location and stability of stationary states in rotating nanostructures using the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. The conditions for an experimental observation of the Barnett effect in different materials and sample geometries are discussed.
Organic-based sensor for chemical detection in aqueous solution
Authors: Caboni A. , Orgiu E. , Scavetta E. , Barbaro M. , Bonfiglio A.
Published: September 2009

We present a flexible, pentacene-based field-effect device, for the detection of chemical species in aqueous solution. The sensor consists in a double-gate transistor, where the detection is achieved by exploiting the charge sensing capabilities of the floating-gate terminal. To provide the pH-sensitivity, the floating gate is functionalized with thioamine groups as such groups protonize proportionally to the concentration of H3O+ ions in solution. With respect to the existing organic-based devices for pH monitoring, our sensor does not require a counterelectrode and the organic semiconductor is not affected by the contact with the monitored solution.
Transient growth in a two-fluid channel flow under normal electric field
Authors: Li Fang , Yin Xie-Yuan , Yin Xie-Zhen
Published: September 2009

A linear model of a layered channel flow of two perfectly dielectric viscous fluids in the presence of uniform normal electric field is built. The effect of the normal electric field on transient growth of small disturbances is studied at two values of Weber number. The numerical result shows that the electric field enhances the transient growth for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional disturbance cases. The contours of optimal energy growth are represented in the wave number plane. When the electric field is small, the optimal disturbance that corresponds to the peak value of optimal growth is two dimensional. It is governed by the lift-up mechanism and is little influenced by the electric field. However, when the electrical Euler number exceeds a critical value, the optimal disturbance is three dimensional with streamwise uniform wave number and is partially dominated by the electric field, and moreover, the spanwise wave number has a linear relationship with the electrical Euler number. The comparison of exponential growth and transient growth is performed. It is shown that exponential growth becomes profound and even predominant over transient growth when the electric field is sufficiently strong. In addition, the mechanism of transient growth is discussed and it is found that the existence of material interface may cause transient growth in the absence of shear in basic flow.
Organic field-effect transistors fabricated with N,N′-substituted dialkyl-1,3,8,10-tetramethylquinacridone compounds
Authors: Xu Zong-Xiang , Xiang Hai-Feng , Roy V. A. L. , Chui Stephen Sin-Yin , Wang Yue , Lai P. T. , Che Chi-Ming
Published: September 2009

A series of robust and inexpensive p-type organic semiconductors 1,3,8,10-tetramethyl quinacridone compounds was prepared. These quinacridone compounds bearing N,N′-disubstituted long N-alkyl chains self-organize into highly oriented crystalline films, leading to high performance organic thin film transistors with the best field-effect mobility, on/off ratio, and threshold voltage being 1.6×10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, 1×104, and −17 V, respectively. The effects of methyl substituent and N-alkyl chain length of the quinacridone compounds together with the molecular packing on the field-effect mobility are discussed.
Epitaxial growth and characterization of Eu0.5Sr0.5CoO3 thin films by off-axis sputtering
Authors: Kwon Daeyoung , Wu Youngsu , Kim Bongju , Kim Bog G. , Hwang Harold Y.
Published: September 2009

We report the epitaxial growth and physical properties of Eu0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (ESCO) thin films deposited on (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) and (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by off-axis rf sputtering. The magnetic properties of a grown film are governed by the crystallinity of the thin film and strain effects due to the substrate. The temperature-dependent resistivity of an optimized ESCO thin film on a LAO substrate shows a characteristic sudden decrease near the ferromagnetic transition temperature, indicating metallic double-exchange-like behavior, while the resistivity of ESCO on a STO substrate displays insulatinglike behavior because of substrate strain. These results suggest that optimized ESCO film on LAO is ideal as a bottom electrode for strained dielectric and ferroelectric heterostructures.
Superhalogen properties of CuFn clusters
Authors: Wang Q. , Sun Q. , Jena P.
Published: September 2009

A first-principles calculation based on gradient corrected density functional theory reveals unusual properties of a Cu atom interacting with F. Up to six F atoms are bound to a single Cu atom with electron affinities steadily rising as successive F atoms are attached, reaching a peak value of 7.2 eV in CuF5. The large energy gaps between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, both in neutral and anionic form, provide further evidence of their stability. These unusual properties brought about by involvement of inner shell 3d-electrons not only allow CuFn to belong to the class of superhalogens but also show that its valence can exceed the nominal value of 1 and 2.
Short-term climate variability and the commercial barramundi (Lates calcarifer) fishery of north-east Queensland, Australia
Authors: Balston Jacqueline
Published: September 2009

The sustainable productivity of estuarine fisheries worldwide is threatened by over-fishing, habitat destruction and water impoundment. In some cases, the natural variability of freshwater inputs has been shown to affect catch when low flows reduce nutrient input and inundated nursery habitats. Historically, the annual commercial catch of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) in Queensland has been highly variable for reasons not fully understood. In conjunction with a life-cycle model, statistical analyses of climate variables and barramundi catch data from the Princess Charlotte Bay area identified several significant relationships. Warm sea surface temperatures, high rainfall, increased freshwater flow and low evaporation (all measures of an extensive and productive nursery habitat) were significantly correlated with barramundi catch 2 years later and suggest that young barramundi survival is enhanced under these conditions. Catchability was significantly increased with high freshwater flow and rainfall events in the year of catch. A forward stepwise ridge regression model that included a measure of rainfall and evaporation 2 years before catch explained 62% of the variance in catch adjusted for effort. It is recommended that the impact of climate variability be considered in the management of wild barramundi stocks and possibly other species not yet examined.
Human origins: Out of Africa
Authors: Tattersall Ian
Published: September 2009

Our species,
Homo sapiens
, is highly autapomorphic (uniquely derived) among hominids in the structure of its skull and postcranial skeleton. It is also sharply distinguished from other organisms by its unique symbolic mode of cognition. The fossil and archaeological records combine to show fairly clearly that our physical and cognitive attributes both first appeared in Africa, but at different times. Essentially modern bony conformation was established in that continent by the 200–150 Ka range (a dating in good agreement with dates for the origin of
H. sapiens
derived from modern molecular diversity). The event concerned was apparently short-term because it is essentially unanticipated in the fossil record. In contrast, the first convincing stirrings of symbolic behavior are not currently detectable until (possibly well) after 100 Ka. The radical reorganization of gene expression that underwrote the distinctive physical appearance of
H. sapiens
was probably also responsible for the neural substrate that permits symbolic cognition. This exaptively acquired potential lay unexploited until it was “discovered” via a cultural stimulus, plausibly the invention of language. Modern humans appear to have definitively exited Africa to populate the rest of the globe only after both their physical and cognitive peculiarities had been acquired within that continent.
TSLP production by epithelial cells exposed to immunodeficiency virus triggers DC-mediated mucosal infection of CD4
+
T cells
Authors: Fontenot Danielle , He Hong , Hanabuchi Shino , Nehete Pramod N. , Zhang Minying , Chang Mikyoung , Nehete Bharti , Wang Yui-Hsi , Wang Yi-Hong , Ma Zhong-min , Lee Hai-Chon , Ziegler Steven F. , Courtney Amy N. , Miller Christopher J. , Sun Shao-Cong , Liu Yong-Jun , Sastry K. Jagannadha
Published: September 2009

Mucosal dendritic cells have been implicated in the capture, storage, and transmission of HIV to CD4
+
T cells as well as in the promotion of HIV replication in activated CD4
+
T cells during the cognate T-cell and DC interaction. We report that HIV induces human genital mucosal epithelial cells to produce thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) via activation of the NFκB signaling pathway. The TSLP secreted by HIV exposed epithelial cells activated DC, which promoted proliferation and HIV-1 replication of co-cultured autologous CD4
+
T cells. In rhesus macaques, we observed dramatic increases in TSLP expression concurrent with an increase in viral replication in the vaginal tissues within the first 2 weeks after vaginal SIV exposure. These data suggest that HIV-mediated TSLP production by mucosal epithelial cells is a critical trigger for DC-mediated amplification of HIV-infection in activated CD4
+
T cells. The cross talk between mucosal epithelial cells and DC, mediated by HIV-induced TSLP, may be an important mechanism for the high rate of HIV infection in women through the vaginal mucosa.
A murine DC-SIGN homologue contributes to early host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Tanne Antoine , Ma Bo , Boudou Frédéric , Tailleux Ludovic , Botella Hélène , Badell Edgar , Levillain Florence , Taylor Maureen E. , Drickamer Kurt , Nigou Jérome , Dobos Karen M. , Puzo Germain , Vestweber Dietmar , Wild Martin K. , Marcinko Marie , Sobieszczuk Peter , Stewart Lauren , Lebus Daniel , Gicquel Brigitte , Neyrolles Olivier
Published: September 2009

The C-type lectin dendritic cell−specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) mediates the innate immune recognition of microbial carbohydrates. We investigated the function of this molecule in the host response to pathogens in vivo, by generating mouse lines lacking the DC-SIGN homologues SIGNR1, SIGNR3, and SIGNR5. Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis was impaired only in SIGNR3-deficient animals. SIGNR3 was expressed in lung phagocytes during infection, and interacted with M. tuberculosis bacilli and mycobacterial surface glycoconjugates to induce secretion of critical host defense inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF). SIGNR3 signaling was dependent on an intracellular tyrosine-based motif and the tyrosine kinase Syk. Thus, the mouse DC-SIGN homologue SIGNR3 makes a unique contribution to protection of the host against a pulmonary bacterial pathogen.
Regulation of pathogenesis and immunity in helminth infections
Authors: Maizels Rick M. , Pearce Edward J. , Artis David , Yazdanbakhsh Maria , Wynn Thomas A.
Published: September 2009

Helminths are multicellular eukaryotic parasites that infect over one quarter of the world’s population. Through coevolution with the human immune system, these organisms have learned to exploit immunoregulatory pathways, resulting in asymptomatic tolerance of infections in many individuals. When infections and the resulting immune responses become dysregulated, however, acute and chronic pathologies often develop. A recent international meeting focused on how these parasites modulate host immunity and how control of parasitic and immunopathological disease might be achieved.
Practising what we preach: working together to further scientific collaboration
Authors: CSORA Camelia , VAN DER HEYDEN Michiel , KERSTEN Fabian
Published: September 2009

The recent shift in Internet usage – from content being simply consumed by users, to content that users create, interact with, and share – has challenged traditional publishing values and processes. This has, in turn, brought opportunities to explore and experiment with new technologies in the publishing industry. Elsevier's social bookmarking and collaboration tool for researchers, 2collab, was launched in November 2007 to address this shift. This article reviews how 2collab was built in close partnership with researchers, and how traditional processes had to be adapted to facilitate this. It outlines the current use of social applications among scientists and shows that nearly 50% of researchers anticipate that social tools like 2collab will have at least some impact on all areas of their research in the next five years.
Patient—Doctor Interactions: Emotional Cues and Discussing Prognosis
Authors: Thistlethwaite Jill
Published: September 2009

The patient—doctor consultation in general practice is often an emotional interaction — for both the patient and the GP. The exchange of life stories and experiences may be joyful or sad, distressing or precipitate anger. Patients may not express their emotions in words. Depending on their personalities, reaction to distressing news and their ideas and expectations, they may say things that are dissonant from how they are feeling. The GP with good communication skills may be able to elicit the patient's feelings through a combination of intuition based on experience, previous knowledge of the patient and the patient's body language including non-verbal cues. Then the GP must acknowledge and respond appropriately to them. Non-effective communication may worsen psychological distress and delay adjustment to the disease or condition.
The History of the Philosophy of Biology
Authors: Hull David L.
Published: September 2009

There are two problems in the history of science, the first being the use of anachronistic terminology and the other one is the need to simplify. Aristotle derived his basic philosophy of science from his broad knowledge of the living world. Later on, the problem was that all of the philosophies of biology in the early nineteenth century required natural kinds and Darwin set out a scientific theory, but this theory threatened two of the most fundamental principles in philosophy. The philosophy of the late nineteenth century assimilated Darwin's theory. Biologists contributed to the content of debates in the philosophy of biology. The species problem continues to tax philosophers and biologists alike. Finally, in the twenty-first century, new discoveries are leading to new developments.
Beyond Theoretical Reduction and Layer‐Cake Antireduction: How DNA Retooled Genetics and Transformed Biological Practice
Authors: Waters C. Kenneth
Published: September 2009

Watson and Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA transformed biology by providing a basis for explaining a wide variety of phenomena. Philosophical discussion concerning this discovery can be organized around two opposing views: theoretical reductionism and layer-cake antireductionism. The view about genetics that emerges from “theoretical reductionism” is of a two-tiered science: an upper tier of theoretical principles associated with the classical theory of genetics and a lower tier of theoretical principles about molecular processes involving DNA. The view about genetics that emerges from antireductionist view is also of a two-tiered science: an upper tier of theoretical principles aimed at explaining transmission phenomena and a lower tier of theoretical principles aimed at explaining phenomena of replication and expression of the genetic material.
Philosophy of Neuroscience
Authors: Gold Ian , Roskies Adina L.
Published: September 2009

This article indicates problems that can be addressed in the philosophy of neuroscience. The first issue is to understand the shape or nature of the science as a whole. Neuroscience is a data-rich discipline. It is a science that consists of an abundance of facts, but no theories. Another problem relates to how to analyze core concepts, principles, methods, and fundamental questions unique to that science. Neuroscientists follow the principle of functional localization which states that brain functions are localized to particular anatomical sites. The study about how the brain supports consciousness is a new development. The article also illuminates traditional philosophical questions with attention to explain empirical results. A broad range of topics has been addressed in neurophilosophy, including many aspects of perception; representation; the emotions; and the nature of pain. Neuroscience has proved to be relevant to the philosophy of psychology.
Teleological Theories of Mental Content
Authors: Neander Karen
Published: September 2009

This article is about the philosophical problem of intentionality. Neo-Darwinian selection theory can be used to solve the problem. The norms that apply to mental representation can be reduced to functional norms. The theories that are based on this idea are known as teleological theories of mental content. The philosophical problem of intentionality is related to but different from the psychological one. Ordinary functionalism is presented as endorsing two main theses: mental states and they are individuated by their “functional roles.” Teleofunctionalism endorses both analogous and homologous psychological categories. The reason that teleofunctionalism holds as a theory of mental content is that content is normative. A second motivation for teleosemantics is the nature of cognitive neuroscience as it forms a bridge between the natural sciences and the so-called interpretive fields of inquiry. The aim of the teleosemantic theories sketched above is to explain how content is determined in terms of nonmental phenomena.
Plato's Metaphysics
Authors: Harte Verity
Published: September 2009

This article focuses on the idea of metaphysics as described by Plato. Plato's writings are not themselves shaped in reflection of modern subdivisions of philosophical areas and the form in which they are shaped—the often heavily and self-consciously crafted dialogue form—does not naturally invite separate identification and treatment of the writings' often tightly interwoven philosophical threads. It discusses a certain feature of Plato's ontology: his commitment, at least in certain works, to the existence of a special class of entities, once known in English as “ideas,” these days more commonly referred to as “forms.” The article further discusses ideas such as the Theory of Forms and it asks whether it has developed over a period of time. The language of forms, where do they occur and how are they categorized are also elaborated in the article.
Plato's Philosophy of Language
Authors: Crivelli Paolo
Published: September 2009

Ideas in and problems of the philosophy of language surface frequently in Plato's dialogues. This forms the basis of the present article. Some passages briefly formulate, or presuppose, views about names, signification, truth, or falsehood; others are extended discussions of important themes of the philosophy of language. Basic predicative expressions are an integral part of Plato's philosophy of language. The article further emphasizes on the importance of forms as missing standards. Plato does say that perceptible particulars derive their names from the forms they partake of.
Introduction
Authors: Greco John
Published: September 2009

This introductory article explains the coverage of this book, which is about scepticism. It discusses some varieties of skepticism and provides commentaries on the way scepticism has been approached in different philosophical periods. This volume examines some historically important responses to skepticism such as pragmatism, the commonsense view, and idealism. It also discusses contemporary epistemologists' creation of new strategies for responding to skepticism, often based on recent developments in other fields such as metaphysics, the philosophy of language and the philosophy of mind.
Skepticism about the External World
Authors: Greco John
Published: September 2009

This article examines the notion of skepticism about the external world. It attempts to provide an understanding of what the skeptic means by the external world when he denies knowledge of the external world. It considers several popular but misguided replies to skepticism about the external world and reconstructs several lines of skeptical argument. It discusses the so-called semantic contextualism as a more promising approach to external-world skepticism and argues that even if contextualism is correct about the semantics of “knows” and related language, it fails to give us the sort of explanation we want in a satisfying response to skepticism.
Skepticism about A Priori Justification: Self‐Evidence, Defeasibility, and Cogito Propositions
Authors: Audi Robert
Published: September 2009

This article focuses on the cogito propositions and those propositions whose classification as a priori is disputed. It explains that a priori justification is commonly taken to be a kind of justification is based on reason rather than on experience and evaluates the skeptical view that no genuinely substantive proposition is a priori and that reason has far less power to reveal truth than has been supposed by a great many philosophers. It also discusses the domain of the a priori, empiricist skepticism about the a priori, and the case for a priori existential knowledge.
Contemporary Responses to Agrippa's Trilemma
Authors: Klein Peter D.
Published: September 2009

This article discusses contemporary response to the epistemic regress problem or Agrippa's trilemma. The epistemic regress problem is considered the most crucial in the entire theory of knowledge and it is a major concern for many contemporary epistemologists. However, only two of the three alternative solutions have been developed in any detail, foundationalism and coherentism. Infinitism was not seriously considered as a solution because of the finite-mind objection. This article also provides a brief evaluation of foundationalism, emergent coherentism, and infinitism.
Virtues in Epistemology
Authors: Greco John
Published: September 2009

This article reviews some recent history of epistemology, focusing on ways in which the intellectual virtues have been invoked to solve specific epistemological problems. It gives a sense of the contemporary landscape that has emerged, and clarifies some of the disagreements among those who invoke the virtues in epistemology. Furthermore, it explores some epistemological problems in greater detail. It also defends a particular approach in virtue epistemology by displaying its power in addressing these problems. It pursues the idea that a minimalist, reliabilist notion of the intellectual virtues is useful for constructing an account of knowledge. It sets out to support this on the ground that this approach to intellectual virtue can adequately address three major problems in the theory of knowledge: Humean skepticism, the Gettier problem, and the problem of showing that knowledge is more valuable than mere true belief.
The Neurophilosophy of Subjectivity
Authors: Mandik Pete
Published: September 2009

This article argues that claims of the subjectivity of consciousness are very strong empirical claims about the structure, acquisition, and content of concepts. It describes various neurophilosophical accounts of concepts and consciousness and builds a case against the subjectivity of consciousness. It contends that subjectivity eliminativism is superior over subjectivity reductionism and evaluates the proposal that one can only have the concept of what it is like to have certain experiences if one has had those experiences.
Logical Consequence, Proof Theory, and Model Theory
Authors: Shapiro Stewart
Published: September 2009

This article's main concern is the notion of model-theoretic consequence. What does it have to do with correct reasoning? The article takes on deductive consequence only by way of contrast. Do these two notions answer to different intuitive notions of consequence? Is one of them primary, and the other secondary? Or perhaps they are autonomous and independent. Maybe there are two distinct notions of correct reasoning, valid thought, and/or inference. For what it is worth, treatments of mathematical logic usually presuppose that the model-theoretic notion is the primary one. For example, one says that a deductive system is sound or complete (or not) for the semantics—not the other way around. If a deductive system is not sound for a given semantics, then that alone disqualifies the deductive system. It is because the deductive system allows us to deduce a falsehood from truths in some interpretation of the language.
Waiting for the “Big Beam”
Authors: Grünschloß Andreas
Published: September 2009

For the most part, UFO religions were not taken seriously until after the Heavens Gate suicides in early 1997. Since that time, more and more scholarly attention has been given to UFO religions as well as to the religious motifs found in the more general ufological subculture. This article discusses the historical emergence of this strain of spirituality out of modern esotericism, the millenarian aspect of ufological spirituality, the quest for a both a new science and a religious technology in UFO religions, and the religious significance of the “ancient astronaut” hypothesis which informs groups such as the Raelian movement.
The Global Spread of Constitutional Review
Authors: Ginsburg Tom
Published: September 2009

Constitutional review, the power of courts to strike down incompatible legislation and administrative action, is an innovation of the American constitutional order that has become a norm of democratic constitution writing. Some political systems, such as the United States', have developed vigorous constitutional review, even without an explicit textual mandate. Judicial review originates as an expression of Anglo-American natural law tradition in an age of positive legislation. We can characterize the traditional theories for the spread of constitutional review as institutional–functional or ideational in character. Of course, the various theories are hardly mutually exclusive. In some cases, they clearly reinforce one another, such as the iconic German case that involved both federalism and rights rationales. This article traces the spread of constitutional review and evaluates the various political explanations for its establishment, development, and spread, focusing on the mutually reinforcing roles of ideas and institutions. It also examines why some constitutional courts fail and others succeed.
Natural Law
Authors: George Robert P.
Published: September 2009

Theories of natural law propose to identify fundamental aspects of human well-being and fulfillment (“basic human goods”), and norms of conduct entailed by their integral directiveness or prescriptivity (“moral norms”). Propositions picking out basic aspects of human flourishing are directive (prescriptive) in our thinking about what to do or refrain from doing (our practical reason)—they are, or provide more than, merely instrumental reasons for action and restraint. When these foundational principles of practical reflection are taken together they entail norms that may exclude some options and require others in situations of morally significant choosing. According to St Thomas Aquinas, practical reasoning is reasoning about what is worth doing and what ought to be done. This article discusses natural law and practical reasoning, morality, virtue, political morality and positive law, natural law and legal interpretation, legal injustice, and the link between natural law and religion.
Criminal Justice and the Police
Authors: Skogan Wesley G.
Published: September 2009

Police departments are among the most political of institutions in American cities. Unlike many nations, policing in the United States is extremely decentralized. This article focuses on three aspects of criminal justice: policing, criminal sentencing, and the politics of prisons. It reviews the findings of many empirical studies, and cites examples of research that outlines issues in the field and describes key concepts and approaches. The article also refers to some of the methodological and data issues involved in the research. It necessarily excludes areas of research, including studies of media coverage of crime and justice, and also gives a short shrift to the politics of drug policies, and the causes and consequences of growing race and class disparities in who gets arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned. The role of courts and judges in sentencing and legislation on crimes are also discussed.
Absenteeism or Presenteeism? Attendance Dynamics and Employee Well‐Being
Authors: Johns Gary
Published: September 2009

The purpose of this article is to examine the relationships between absenteeism and presenteeism and employee well-being. Absenteeism is the failure to report for work as scheduled. Presenteeism is showing up to work when one is ill and the decrement in productivity that follows from this practice. On a continuum, presenteeism stands between full work engagement and absenteeism. This article considers how attendance dynamics are affected by employee well-being. It also considers how attendance dynamics might affect well-being, a less researched subject. It takes a broad stance on what constitutes well-being, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional well-being and assuming that a positively evaluated work experience is conducive to employee well-being. It does not assume that the mere occurrence of either behavior somehow “speaks for itself” as an indicator of well-being.
Environmental “Vitamins”, Personal Judgments, Work Values, and Happiness
Authors: Warr Peter
Published: September 2009

Happiness and unhappiness are major drivers of organizational life, central to the establishment and achievement of goals. They are also significantly linked to several forms of behavior. Correlations between job satisfaction and job performance average about +0.20, with stronger associations in managerial and professional jobs. Significant associations are consistently found in respect of organizational citizenship behaviors—helping colleagues, being friendly, suggesting improvements, volunteering for additional tasks, and so on. This article sets out an overall framework that incorporates both environment-centered and person-centered perspectives. It views environmental influences on worker's happiness or unhappiness in terms of twelve primary job features. It proposes to associate these, and several subcategories, with worker reactions in a non-linear fashion, and develops an analogy with the impact of vitamins on physical health.
Work Hours, Work Intensity, and Work Addiction
Authors: Burke Ronald J. , Fiksenbaum Lisa
Published: September 2009

This article reviews the literature on the antecedents and consequences of working hours, work intensity, and work addiction particularly among managers and professionals. The dependent variables associated with these include health-related illnesses, injuries, sleep patterns, fatigue, heart rate, and hormone level changes, as well as several work/non-work life balance issues. Motives for working long hours such as joy in work, avoiding job insecurity or negative sanctions from a superior, and employer demands, are addressed in detail, and a multitude of moderators shown to have affected the work hours and well-being relationship are reviewed. These include reasons for working long hours, work schedule autonomy, monetary gain, and choice in working long hours. This article suggests a need for more research to understand better the effects of work hours, work intensity, and workaholism, as well as providing a number of implications and organizational and societal suggestions for addressing work-hour concerns.
The State and International Relations
Authors: Lake David A.
Published: September 2009

The state is central to the study of international relations and will remain so into the foreseeable future. State policy is the most common object of analysis. States decide to go to war. They erect trade barriers. They choose whether and at what level to establish environmental standards. States enter international agreements, or not, and choose whether to abide by their provisions, or not. International relations as a discipline is chiefly concerned with what states do on the world stage and, in turn, how their actions affect other states. This article first reviews the rationales behind state-centric theories of international relations. The second section examines criticisms and probes the limits of state-centric theories. The third section identifies three promising areas of research within state-centric theory: state structure, unit heterogeneity, and international hierarchy.
The Ethics of Neoliberal Institutionalism
Authors: Richardson James L.
Published: September 2009

Contemporary liberal institutional theory, originating in an enhanced awareness of interdependence in the 1970s, broke with earlier liberal thought in accepting some of the central assumptions of realist theory and defining itself solely in empirical terms. To the extent that normative presuppositions or implications may nonetheless be discerned, they remain implicit. This article focuses on the most prominent theoretical school, usually termed ‘neoliberal institutionalism’, which narrowed down liberalism's traditional normative commitments no less than its empirical assumptions. This article also takes note of certain alternative formulations of institutionalist theory and of the broadening scope of institutional theorizing in the present decade, and its re-emphasis on the normative. The normative writings of Robert Keohane, the central figure in the neoliberal school, demand special attention: while in some respects quite distinctive, they may reasonably be taken as representative of a widely shared American liberal outlook. It is argued that the values endorsed by these variants of liberal institutionalism are limited by their shared perspective: that of the predominant power of the day with its distinctive political culture.
The Ethics of the New Liberalism
Authors: Simpson Gerry
Published: September 2009

This article considers three key new liberal texts in order to untangle some of the key propositions of new liberalism. These are Andrew Moravcsik's Taking Preferences Seriously (1997), Anne-Marie Slaughter's A New World Order (2004), and the recent Princeton Project's Forging a World of Liberty under Law (Ikenberry and Slaughter 2006). The first text represents new liberalism's methodological blueprint; it is a persuasive, widely read, and considered piece of theorizing that seeks to position new liberalism alongside the great ‘isms’ of international relations theory. The second text seeks to describe a world already transformed by the norms and institutions produced by liberal law and politics. This represents a move from the sometimes dry theorizing of Moravcsik to a more popular normativism. The third text marks the first explicit effort to present new liberal theory as government policy. Forging a World of Liberty self-consciously mimics the style and intentions of the George W. Bush administration's two National Security Strategies (e.g., White House 2006). This prospectus for US foreign policy combines the feel-good normativity of new world order with a hard-headed pragmatism about violence and war; it as an approximation of what new liberal foreign relations might look like.