bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Independence of Sexual and Anti‐Predator Perceptual Functions in an Acoustic Moth: Implications for the Receiver Bias Mechanism in Signal Evolution
Authors: Greenfield Michael D. , Hohendorf Hannah
Published: October 2009

The receiver bias model for the evolution of mating signals proposes that selection favors male displays that happen to stimulate a general, ancestral perception in females such that receptivity and successful courtship increase. If these male signals do arise, however, the female perception will operate in two contexts, the original, typically non‐sexual, one and courtship. We may then ask whether these two functions represent the same or distinct traits, which may be under separate neural and genetic control. We studied this question inAchroia grisella, a pyralid moth species in which males attract females, with an ultrasonic mating song. Hearing in pyralid moths is widespread and originated in an anti‐predator context – the perception and avoidance of echolocating bats – and it is inferred that the male song found inA. grisella, and in several other pyralid species, arose subsequently via a receiver bias mechanism: Females perceiving male‐produced ultrasound and responding with anti‐predator behavior normally exhibited in the presence of bat echolocations may have inadvertently increased the likelihood of successful courtship. We measured hearing responses in both sexual and anti‐predator contexts in inbred lines developed from anA. grisellapopulation. Significant inter‐line variance was observed for sensitivity thresholds for female response to male song and for both female and male responses to synthetic bat echolocation signals. Female responses to male song and to synthetic echolocations differed markedly in sensitivity, and the median sexual and anti‐predator responses in the various lines were not correlated. However, a higher level of similarity occurs between the female and male anti‐predator responses. Thus, genetic variance for sexual and anti‐predator responses appears to exist, and the two responses may represent independent traits. These results imply that when male signals originate via a receiver bias mechanism, female perception does not necessarily remain fixed in its ancestral state but has the potential for continued modification.
Study of influence of notch root radius on fracture behaviour of extra deep drawn steel sheets
Authors: CHAUDHARI V. V. , KULKARNI D. M. , PRAKASH R.
Published: October 2009

Fracture tests are carried out on extra deep drawn steel CT specimens containing notches with different values of notch root radius (ρ= 0.07–0.75 mm). Experimental findings clearly show a critical notch root radius (ρc) below which the fracture toughness remains independent of ρ and above which it varies linearly with ρ. The 3D finite element analysis shows that the location of maximum stress level causing crack initiation is in the vicinity of notch tip. The maximum stress level is independent of ρ; however, its location is shifted away from notch tip along unbroken ligament length with increase in ρ.
A general framework for neutral models of community dynamics
Authors: Allouche Omri , Kadmon Ronen
Published: October 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1287–1297

Neutral models of community dynamics are a powerful tool for ecological research, but their applications are currently limited to unrealistically simple types of dynamics and ignore much of the complexity that characterize natural ecosystems. Here, we present a new analytical framework for neutral models that unifies existing models of neutral communities and extends the applicability of existing models to a much wider spectrum of ecological phenomena. The new framework extends the concept of neutrality to fitness equivalence and in spite of its simplicity explains a wide spectrum of empirical patterns of species diversity including positive, negative and unimodal productivity–diversity relationships; gradual and highly delayed declines in species diversity with habitat loss; and positive and negative responses of species diversity to habitat heterogeneity. Surprisingly, the abundance distribution in all of these cases is given by the dispersal limited multinomial (DLM), the abundance distribution in Hubbell's zero‐sum model, showing DLM's robustness and demonstrating that it cannot be used to infer the underlying community dynamics. These results support the hypothesis that ecological communities are regulated by a limited set of fundamental mechanisms much simpler than could be expected from their immense complexity.
Coupled predator–prey oscillations in a chaotic food web
Authors: Benincà Elisa , Jöhnk Klaus D. , Heerkloss Reinhard , Huisman Jef
Published: October 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1367–1378

Coupling of several predator–prey oscillations can generate intriguing patterns of synchronization and chaos. Theory predicts that prey species will fluctuate in phase if predator–prey cycles are coupled through generalist predators, whereas they will fluctuate in anti‐phase if predator–prey cycles are coupled through competition between prey species. Here, we investigate predator–prey oscillations in a long‐term experiment with a marine plankton community. Wavelet analysis of the species fluctuations reveals two predator–prey cycles that fluctuate largely in anti‐phase. The phase angles point at strong competition between the phytoplankton species, but relatively little prey overlap among the zooplankton species. This food web architecture is consistent with the size structure of the plankton community, and generates highly dynamic food webs. Continued alternations in species dominance enable coexistence of the prey species through a non‐equilibrium ‘killing‐the‐winner’ mechanism, as the system shifts back and forth between the two predator–prey cycles in a chaotic fashion.
Wipe‐Off: An Intuitive Interface for Exploring Ultra‐Large Multi‐Spectral Data Sets for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics
Authors: Ponto K. , Seracini M. , Kuester F.
Published: October 2009

A visual analytics technique for the intuitive, hands‐on analysis of massive, multi‐dimensional and multi‐variate data is presented. This multi‐touch‐based technique introduces a set of metaphors such as wiping, scratching, sandblasting, squeezing and drilling, which allow for rapid analysis of global and local characteristics in the data set, accounting for factors such as gesture size, pressure and speed. A case study is provided for the analysis of multi‐spectral image data of cultural artefacts. By aligning multi‐spectral layers in a stack, users can apply different multi‐touch metaphors to investigate features across different wavelengths. With this technique, flexibly definable regions can be interrogated concurrently without affecting surrounding data.
The manifestation of viewpoint aspect in Inuktitut*
Authors: Clarke Sarah
Published: October 2009

Abstract. This article refutes the claim (Swift and Bohnemeyer 2004) that viewpoint aspect in Inuktitut is determined wholly by telicity. We claim that, in fact, Inuktitut lacks default viewpoint aspect altogether. This article followsCowper (2005)andKyriakaki (2006)in assuming that viewpoint aspect can be encoded with the morphosyntactic features Interval (imperfective aspect) and Moment (perfective aspect), which are possible dependents of the feature Event. We show that, while English has two past tense constructions, one of which is infelicitous with states because it spells out Interval, the dependent feature of Event, Inuktitut has only one. There is no tense construction in Inuktitut that is felicitous only with events, indicating that there is none that spells out a dependent of the feature Event. Other tests for perfectivity and imperfectivity prove inconclusive in Inuktitut; there is no evidence of a feature Interval or Moment. Thus, we conclude that no such feature exists. Therefore, all Inuktitut clauses are neither perfective nor imperfective, but simply unmarked with respect to viewpoint aspect. We further show that the locus of all aspectual variation in Inuktitut is little v, and that this variation relates to lexical aspect only, not viewpoint aspect.
THE NEW DIVIDED CITY: CHANGING PATTERNS IN EUROPEAN CITIES
Authors: VAN KEMPEN RONALD , MURIE ALAN
Published: October 2009

Over the last 20 years there has been a vigorous discussion of evidence related to new and more intense social and spatial divisions within European cities. These contributions have identified social and spatial polarisation associated with globalisation, deindustrialisation and the increasing income inequalities arising from these. However, various ‘moderating’ factors were identified to explain why different outcomes were emerging in European cities than in their American counterparts. In this context much of the literature has focused on types of national welfare state and as these arrangements have come under pressure across Europe it may be expected that differences from the USA may decline. However there are other literatures that, rather than emphasising the importance of national welfare states, refer to the stronger interventionist traditions of European governments and the distinctive characteristics of European cities. Differences in these dimensions within Europe – including those related to urban planning and decommodified housing – do not correlate with typologies of national welfare states and suggest continuing divergence within Europe and between Europe and the USA. Working within this framework, this introduction to a special issue argues that although European welfare states have weakened, other factors continue to sustain differences between European and American cities. When looking at newly emerging spatial patterns, the major economic and political changes experienced in countries in Central and Eastern Europe are important in explaining why these countries often show causes and effects that differ from their counterparts in Western Europe.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF HISTORICAL NEIGHBOURHOODS IN BUDAPEST
Authors: KOVÁCS ZOLTÁN
Published: October 2009

This paper examines the situation of inner‐city neighbourhoods in Budapest with particular reference to the post‐socialist transformation. After 1990 the political and economic transformation of the country generated far reaching changes in socio‐economic patterns within Budapest. Due to privatisation of housing, the liberalisation of the property market, and the growing presence of global capital, the inner‐city neighbourhoods have been rapidly changing their facades as well as their social milieux. Increasing concentration of corporate capital, a general decline of residential function, as well as the striking social polarisation of neighbourhoods have been the most important outcomes. This paper provides empirical evidence about socio‐spatial differentiation and the changing patterns of residential segregation in the inner‐city of Budapest. It is argued that social differentiation and polarisation of these neighbourhoods was not started by the transformation but existed before the collapse of communism. Extreme forms of segregation, including ghettoisation, are the outcome of neoliberal political and economic conditions and the weakness of the welfare state. The post‐1990 trajectory of some of these neighbourhoods and the dual character of the inner‐city strongly resembles patterns in US cities.
FROM PRIORITY‐LED TO MARKET‐LED SUBURBANISATION IN A POST‐COMMUNIST METROPOLIS
Authors: LEETMAA KADRI , TAMMARU TIIT , ANNISTE KRISTI
Published: October 2009

Recently, Sjöberg and Gentile generalised the priority mechanisms that shaped the settlement systems and individual cities in countries that were formerly centrally planned. The paper adds the metropolitan level to those macro and microlevel approaches, and links the priority approach to a more general theory of the urban life cycle (Van den Berg and colleagues) in order to understand the processes of population change in this group of countries. The empirical content of the paper comes from the Tallinn metropolitan area (TMA), Estonia. We demonstrate through our analysis how the key metropolitan actors (families, companies, and the public sector) guided metropolitan residential change in the course of the late‐Soviet (1980s), transition (1990s), and post‐transition (present) decades. First, the priorities of the communist regime shaped the spatial structure of the TMA and the residential changes that have occurred in the post‐communist period have been affected by the Soviet‐era suburban housing stock and areas available for new developments around the city. Second, the passive attitude of the public authorities after 1991 increased the role of business actors in metropolitan dynamics. We exemplify how the changing balance of metropolitan actors interplays with inherited metropolitan space and shapes the residential choices set for families in the TMA.
CROATIAN CITIES UNDER TRANSFORMATION: NEW TENDENCIES IN HOUSING AND SEGREGATION
Authors: SPEVEC DUBRAVKA , BOGADI SANJA KLEMPIĆ
Published: October 2009

This paper analyses changes and new tendencies related to housing and segregation patterns in Croatian cities following the process of transition from a centrally planned to a market economy. Housing in Croatia has experienced large changes since the beginning of the 1990s, including a massive privatisation process of public housing, rising costs of housing and an increasing diversification of housing types. New developments and changes in housing policy have to a large extent influenced the development of residential differentiation in larger Croatian cities.
SEGREGATION AND HOUSING OF MINORITY ETHNIC GROUPS IN WESTERN EUROPEAN CITIES
Authors: MUSTERD SAKO , VAN KEMPEN RONALD
Published: October 2009

Segregation of minority ethnic groups is a returning issue in public and political debates in many parts of the world. This paper focuses on Western European cities and presents information on levels and dynamics of segregation. While acknowledging the measurement problems, we feel comfortable in saying that overall segregation levels do not appear to increase. However, big differences exist, not just between immigrant groups in one city, but also between similar groups in different cities and countries. ‘Integration’ processes of those who settled a long time ago may be counterbalanced by new and difficult to predict immigration. Likely, individual preference, availability of resources, the role of the state, globalisation and economic restructuring as well as discrimination simultaneously impact on segregation.
NEIGHBOUR RELATIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS – A DECADE OF EVIDENCE
Authors: MOLLENHORST GERALD , VÖLKER BEATE , SCHUTJENS VERONIQUE
Published: October 2009

In the current sociological and geographical literature, contrasting views exist on the role of the neighbourhood and neighbourhood relationships in the life of its residents in current societies. Some scholars believe that in our globalising world, local communities and the neighbourhood in general lost their significance, while others argue that the role of community and neighbourhood contacts is still important. These divergent opinions are mainly due to the absence of comparative empirical studies, which require longitudinal data on neighbourhood contacts. Based on unique and rich panel data on the role of neighbours in the personal networks of inhabitants of 161 Dutch neighbourhoods, we analyse whether neighbourhood contacts and their implications have changed over a 10 year period. We find that neighbourhood relationships have become more important in informal personal networks. This implies paying a visit and helping each other out with odd jobs, but at the same time contact frequency and trust declined in neighbour relationships. For elderly, highly educated residents, home‐owners, non‐movers and people with initially small local networks, the size of neighbour networks increased substantially, suggesting that at least for these groups, the ‘community saved’ perspective holds.
RISK INDIFFERENCE PRICING IN JUMP DIFFUSION MARKETS
Authors: Øksendal Bernt , Sulem Agnès
Published: October 2009

We study the risk indifference pricing principle in incomplete markets: The (seller's) risk indifference price  is the initial payment that makes the risk involved for the seller of a contract equal to the risk involved if the contract is not sold, with no initial payment. We use stochastic control theory and PDE methods to find a formula for  and similarly for . In particular, we prove that

image

 where plow and pup are the lower and upper hedging prices, respectively.
‘You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows’: public sector reform and its impact upon climatology scientists in the UK
Authors: Danford Andy , Durbin Sue , Richardson Mike
Published: October 2009

This paper provides case study analysis of the workplace experiences of British scientists working in the field of climatology. In the context of the restructuring of work organisation brought about by the interplay between the commercialisation of science and state modernisation policies, the paper provides evidence of a deterioration in scientists' quality of working life.
Providing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills of tomorrow
Authors: Wynarczyk Pooran
Published: October 2009

This paper investigates the impact of the F1 (Formula One) in Schools Challenge on the supply of future skilled workforce in the North East England. The findings, based on a survey of five schools (finalists), demonstrate the profound impact of this initiative on male and female school students' future education and career plans.
International migration, knowledge diffusion and innovation capacities in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Kale Dinar
Published: October 2009

Evidence suggests that a ‘reverse brain drain’ of engineers and scientists trained in the USA or Europe can accelerate technological upgrading in knowledge‐based firms in emerging countries. This study, through case studies of four innovative Indian pharmaceutical firms, considers Human Resource Management strategies adopted by firms in a developing country to attract and retain their scientific workforce.
Could you just sign this for me John? Doctors, charters and occupational identity in early medieval northern and central Italy
Authors: Pilsworth Clare
Published: October 2009

Despite intensive study of the texts and manuscripts that have been attributed to the medical ‘schola’ in late antique Ravenna, there has been no systematic investigation of the evidence for doctors active north of Rome c.500–900 AD. This article examines how other medical practitioners fade into the background in the early medieval source material, whereas, thanks largely to surviving charters, elite practitioners – the medici– remain visible. The careers of three contrasting doctors – a learned medicus in Ravenna, a royal Lombard doctor, and the cleric Iohannes of Lucca – are analysed. I argue that the very process of signing charters could strengthen their occupational identity.
Exercise of royal power in early medieval Europe: the case of Otto the Great 936–73
Authors: Bachrach David
Published: October 2009

Current scholarly orthodoxy holds that the German kingdom under the Ottonians (c.919–1024) did not possess an administration, much less an administrative system that relied heavily upon the ‘written word’. It is the contention of this essay that the exercise of royal power under Otto the Great (936–73) relied intrinsically on a substantial royal administrative system that made very considerable use of documents, particularly for the storage of crucial information about royal resources. The focus of this study is on Otto I's use of this written information to exercise royal power in the context of confiscating and requisitioning property from both laymen and ecclesiastical institutions.
The Great Illusion: Tort Law and Exposure to Danger of Physical Harm
Authors: Voyiakis Emmanuel
Published: October 2009

In the aftermath of Gregg v Scott and Johnston v NEI, it is commonly thought that claims for exposure to danger of physical harm are not independently compensatable in English law. I argue that this assumption is doubly mistaken. On the one hand, claimants exposed to danger of physical harm have a compelling argument of principle for the recovery of any significant increase in the cost of their options for dealing with the carelessly heightened danger to their physical health. On the other hand, that argument of principle is not blocked by Gregg, or other cases in the line of precedent consolidated in that decision. Properly construed, the rejection of the plaintiff's claims in Gregg and Johnston is consistent with a right of recovery for significant costs following from careless exposure to danger of physical harm.
How to Make a Terrorist Out of Nothing
Authors: Hodgson Jacqueline , Tadros Victor
Published: October 2009

Rv G concerns the controversial offence of collecting or recording information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. We comment on a number of deficiencies in that judgment and investigate the proper approach that ought to be taken to that offence under the Human Rights Act 1998.
Hopes, Expectations and Revocable Promises in Proprietary Estoppel
Authors: Piška Nick
Published: October 2009

This note dicusses the House of Lords' decisions in Cobbe v Yeoman's Row Management Ltd (Cobbe) and Thorner v Major (Thorner) regarding the nature and scope of proprietary estoppel. It considers the historical development of the modern law of proprietary estoppel, the circumstances in which equity will render a promise irrevocable, and the role of context in the ascription of responsibility.
English Further Education through American Eyes
Authors: Dougherty Kevin J.
Published: October 2009

This article examines various commonalities and divergences between the English further education system and its nearest US equivalent, the community college system. In terms of commonalities, the article discusses the reliance on sub‐university institutions to provide access to higher education, persistent dilemmas attendant to that reliance and conflicts over efforts to make non‐university post‐secondary institutions become more specialised in their missions. With regard to divergences, this article examines differences between the two types of institution in the strength of transfer arrangements, the ability to award the baccalaureate degree, the competitive environment and the balance between national and sub‐national governance.
The Significance of Australian Vocational Education Institutions in Opening Access to Higher Education
Authors: Moodie Gavin , Wheelahan Leesa
Published: October 2009

Vocational education provides an educational but not a social ladder of opportunity to Australian higher education. The five dual‐sector universities with significant enrolments in both vocational and higher education admit about twice the proportion of students transferring from vocational education as other universities. However, since the students in the upper levels of vocational education have a socio‐economic composition similar to higher education students, vocational education does not provide a social ladder of opportunity by increasing access by students from a low socio‐economic status background. Nevertheless, the article argues for the extension of dual‐sector universities and other measures to articulate vocational and higher education and that more needs to be done to improve the representativeness of the upper levels of vocational education.
Urban governance: towards the emergence of a new policy instrument?
Authors: Jouve Bernard
Published: October 2009

Over the past 20 years in the academic world and the political sphere urban governance has come to represent both a new framework of analysis for urban policies and a tool for government used by a variety of international organisations, states and urban institutions. The term refers to two major observations: on the one hand, modern states are being transformed – and the role played by urban policies in this transformation can be vital. On the other, one must not overestimate the capacity of democratically elected institutions alone to regulate the economic and social problems they face. It is therefore necessary to consider more fully the role of civil society stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of urban policies. This article aims to show how the success of urban governance can be explained by the convergence of three processes from different social, institutional and political spheres: one from the social sciences, which analyses the transformations of the welfare state; one from the great international organisations in charge of development policies in the big cities in the South and one from the urban institutions of developed countries, particularly western Europe. What follows, then, is a concise report, with regard to the nature and exercise of urban power, on the implementation of what seems at first glance to be a new instrument for public action, which has replaced the mode of urban government based on monopolistic planning by various administrative bodies (international, national and local) and the local political elite.
Culture from a different, Islamic perspective
Authors: Dhaouadi Mahmoud
Published: October 2009

This essay proposes a new perspective for understanding and studying the concept and the phenomenon of culture. This perspective is rather different from those of contemporary Western anthropology and sociology, and uses the term “cultural symbols” rather than “culture”. Cultural symbols are defined as follows: language, thought, religion, knowledge/science, myths, and cultural values and norms. Language in particular, may be regarded as the “Mother of all cultural symbols”. The article emphasizes the transcendental dimensions of cultural symbols, which have neither weight nor volume in the material sense of the terms. This view is compatible with the interpretation of the Koran's vision of cultural symbols as a Divine Spirit. This gives credence to the study of culture through the Islamic perspective.
Improving the evidence base for international comparative research
Authors: Mochmann Ekkehard
Published: October 2009

Industrial societies today produce abundant data fed by the statistical system, social research, market research and administrative data. This is increasingly complemented by processing data produced from sources like commercial transactions. Looking at societies in an international comparative perspective, however, we find many incoherent patterns or even white spots on the globe. Nevertheless, we can observe encouraging progress over past decades. The pioneers of the data movement worked towards an international network of data infrastructures that were conceived as building blocks in a system of social observation. Gaps in the statistical data base had to be filled by sample surveys from social research. This resulted in a network of social science data services to preserve and process the data collected to make them available for secondary analysis, and systematic efforts to continuously collect data comparative by design and to make them available as a public good to the scientific community at large. Increasingly we can observe a rapprochement that has been taking place between social policy and social research since the turn of the millennium. Facing the challenges of globalisation we cannot however, overlook the fact that in spite of all progress, social science data have been collected predominantly with a national perspective, are not well integrated and – even if they are technically and legally accessible – do not easily lend themselves to comparison between nations or periods of time. International data programmes may well profit from the methodological standardisation and harmonisation of measurements as well as from technical progress towards the easier access to and interoperability of data bases. These processes will profit much, if growing efforts to agree on data policies and funding perspectives for international and transcontinental cooperation succeed.
The Global Financial Crisis: Causes and Cures*
Authors: CARMASSI JACOPO , GROS DANIEL , MICOSSI STEFANO
Published: October 2009

The massive financial instability of 2007–08 was, in the main, the result of lax monetary policy. Regulation compounded this error by allowing and encouraging excessive leverage and maturity transformation by banks. Innovation did contribute to reckless credit expansion and investments, but without lax money and excessive leverage, reckless bets on asset price increases would not have been possible. Therefore, a repeat of this instability could be avoided by correcting these two policy faults. There is no need for intrusive rules constraining non‐bank intermediaries and financial innovation. The main message is: keep it simple.
UK Economic Policy and the Global Financial Crisis: Paradigm Lost?*
Authors: HODSON DERMOT , MABBETT DEBORAH
Published: October 2009

The global financial crisis of 2007–08 produced a sudden change in the economic policy of the United Kingdom (UK). Prior to the crisis, the government preached the gospel of price stability, fiscal prudence and light‐touch financial regulation. In the wake of the crisis, the government countenanced unconventional monetary policies, a surge in public‐sector borrowing and the need for a rethink of financial supervision. This article seeks to understand the significance of these changes using Peter Hall's theory of policy paradigms. Its central argument is that, contrary to appearances, the UK has not yet experienced a fundamental reordering of the instruments, institutions and aims of economic policy. Third‐order change cannot be ruled out as the crisis unfolds but the economic ideas underpinning UK economic policy have, for better or worse, demonstrated remarkable resilience thus far.
The ‘British Plan’ as a Pace‐Setter: The Europeanization of Banking Rescue Plans in the EU?*
Authors: QUAGLIA LUCIA
Published: October 2009

This article examines to what extent the British banking rescue plan announced in late 2008 set the pace for the adoption of similar banking rescue plans across the European Union. This case study can be seen a ‘horizontal’ type of Europeanization, whereby a (perceived successful) policy template adopted in one country is subsequently implicitly endorsed (hence, ‘uploaded’) at the EU level and then adopted (hence, ‘downloaded’) in other countries, albeit with considerable national variations. The two main caveats are that the British plan was not particularly innovative – it provided a functional solution to the problem at hand – and the adoption of similar measures across Europe was politically feasible because this did not envisage any substantial EU‐level intervention as it proposed parallel national solutions to a common problem.
Regulation and Supervision of Financial Intermediaries in the EU: The Aftermath of the Financial Crisis*
Authors: BEGG IAIN
Published: October 2009

The financial crisis has reopened debate on the architecture of financial regulation and prudential supervision in the EU, calling into question the home country control principle that has prevailed since the mid‐1980s. This article discusses how the growth of cross‐border financial intermediation can best be regulated to limit the ensuing risks of financial contagion. It argues that a supranational supervisory system is now needed for some intermediaries, but that proximity to market actors at national level remains important. This points to a quasi‐federal system as the way forward, but in constructing such a system account has to be taken of the diversity of Member State structures and preferences. The article concludes that even if a much more extensive EU‐level competence is theoretically the optimal way forward, political considerations make it unlikely, suggesting that the crisis has broader implications for European integration.
Precipitation of fracture fillings and cements in the Buntsandstein (NW Germany)
Authors: NOLLET S. , KOERNER T. , KRAMM U. , HILGERS C.
Published: October 2009

The relationship between fracturing and fracture filling in opening‐mode fractures in the Triassic Buntsandstein in the Lower Saxony Basin (LSB; NW Germany) has been studied by an integration of petrographic and structural analysis of core samples, strontium isotope analysis and microthermometry on fluid inclusions. This revealed the relationship between the timing of the fracturing and the precipitation of different mineral phases in the fractures by constraining the precipitation conditions and considering the possible fluid transport mechanisms. The core was studied from four different boreholes, located in different structural settings across the LSB. In the core samples from the four boreholes, fractures filled with calcite, quartz and anhydrite were found, in addition to pore‐filling calcite cementation. In boreholes 2 and 3, calcite‐filled fractures have a fibrous microstructure whereas in borehole 1, fractures are filled with elongate‐blocky calcite crystals. Anhydrite‐filled fractures have, in all samples, a blocky to elongate‐blocky microstructure. Fractures that are filled with quartz are observed in borehole 2 only where the quartz crystals are ‘stretched’ with an elongated habit. Fluid inclusion microthermometry of fracturing‐filling quartz crystals showed that quartz precipitation took place at temperatures of at least 140°C, from a fluid with NaCl–CaCl2–H2O composition. Melting phases are meta‐stable and suggest growth from high salinity formation water. Strontium isotopes, measured in leached host rock, indicate that, in boreholes 2 and 3, the fluid which precipitated the calcite cements and calcite‐filled fractures is most likely locally derived whereas in borehole 1, the 87Sr/86Sr ratios from the pore‐filling cements and in the elongate‐blocky calcite‐filled fracture can only be explained by mixing with externally derived fluids. The elongate‐blocky anhydrite‐filled fractures, present in boreholes 1, 3 and 4, precipitated from a mixture of locally derived pore fluids and a significant quantity of fluid with a lower, less radiogenic, 87Sr/86Sr ratio. Taking into account the structural evolution of the basin and accompanying salt tectonics, it is likely that the underlying Zechstein is a source for the less radiogenic fluids. Based on the samples in the LSB, it is probable that fibrous fracture fillings in sedimentary rocks most likely developed from locally derived pore fluids whereas elongate‐blocky fracture fillings with smooth walls developed from externally derived pore fluids.
Storage stability of traditional Tunisian butter oil produced from spontaneous fermentation of cow’s milk
Authors: OLFA BALI , AYADI MOHAMED ALI , ATTIA HAMADI
Published: October 2009

Physicochemical characteristics of traditional Tunisian butter (TTB) and thermal stability of the butter oil were studied. Thermal stability of samples was estimated by using the accelerated shelf life testing method. Effect of heating on some quality characteristics of traditional Tunisian butter oil (TTBO) was investigated and compared at different temperatures (60°C, 100°C and 130°C). Induction period of sample heated at 60°C was important compared to that at 100°C and 130°C. This result may indicate the sensitivity of TTBO to elevated temperature. Absorption at 232 and 270 nm, acidity and PV increased rapidly after reaching the oxidation induction time. The temperature had a significant effect on the formation of oxidation products in traditional butter oil (TTBO). Fatty acid composition of TTBO was also changed after heating. This may explain the observed modification on some quality characteristics of TTBO such as viscosity, hardness, cohesiveness and colour. As a consequence, heat treatment produced alterations in the oxidative status of the butter oil that could affect the shelf life.
Service users’ experiences of obtaining and giving information about disorders of sex development
Authors: Liao L‐M , Green H , Creighton SM , Crouch NS , Conway GS
Published: October 2009

Please cite this paper as: Liao L, Green H, Creighton S, Crouch N, Conway G. Service users’ experiences of obtaining and giving information about disorders of sex development. BJOG 2010;117:193–199.

Objective  To quantify participants’ experiences of obtaining and giving information about disorders of sex development (DSD).

Design  Cross‐sectional survey study that asked people about their current and past experiences relating to DSD disclosure.

Setting  A large tertiary referral centre for DSD management in the UK.

Population  One hundred of 126 people with a confirmed diagnosis of DSD who were invited to participate in the study formed the usable sample.

Methods  All people who attended clinic for follow‐up during the study period and members of a patient support group whose annual meeting fell within the study period were asked to complete the Middlesex Communication Survey.

Main outcome measures  The Middlesex Communication Survey.

Results  Younger participants were more likely to report having been appropriately informed about their diagnosis than older people. Nearly half of the former had been fully informed about their diagnosis by age 15 years, compared with 0% of the older age group. In terms of information sharing, mothers were most likely to be the person with whom the participant had shared (almost/all) DSD information (74%), followed by current partners (71%). Information relating to genital surgery, presence of testes and clitoral anomalies were the least likely aspects to have been unambiguously shared with even the most informed person.

Conclusions  Our results suggest that difficulties in obtaining DSD information from care providers were common, and that communication has improved for younger participants. The study also confirmed that many people with DSD continue to struggle with confiding, even in those closest to them, about aspects of their diagnosis. Care protocol needs to centralise psychological adaptation, which should also be a primary focus for future research.
Murine cathepsin D deficiency is associated with dysmyelination/myelin disruption and accumulation of cholesteryl esters in the brain
Authors: Mutka Aino‐Liisa , Haapanen Aleksi , Käkelä Reijo , Lindfors Maria , Wright Ann K. , Inkinen Teija , Hermansson Martin , Rokka Anne , Corthals Garry , Jauhiainen Matti , Gillingwater Thomas H. , Ikonen Elina , Tyynelä Jaana
Published: October 2009

J. Neurochem. (2010) 112, 193–203.

Cathepsin D (CTSD) deficiencies are fatal neurological diseases that in human infants and in sheep are characterized by extreme loss of neurons and myelin. To date, similar morphological evidence for myelin disruption in CTSD knockout mice has not been reported. Here, we show that CTSD deficiency leads to pronounced myelin changes in the murine brain: myelin‐related proteolipid protein and myelin basic protein were both markedly reduced at postnatal day 24, and the amount of lipids characteristically high in myelin (e.g. plasmalogen‐derived alkenyl chains and glycosphingolipid‐derived 20‐ and 24‐carbon acyl chains) were significantly lowered compared with controls. These changes were accompanied by ultrastructural alterations of myelin, including significant thinning of myelin sheaths. Furthermore, in CTSD knockout brains there was a pronounced accumulation of cholesteryl esters and abnormal levels of proteins related to cholesterol transport, with an increased content of apolipoprotein E and a reduced content of ATP‐binding cassette transporter A1. These results provide evidence for dysmyelination and altered trafficking of cholesterol in brains of CTSD knockout mice, and warrant further studies on the role of lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of CTSD deficiencies.
Blood levels of kynurenines, interleukin‐23 and soluble human leucocyte antigen‐G at different stages of Huntington’s disease
Authors: Forrest Caroline M. , Mackay Gillian M. , Stoy Nicholas , Spiden Sarah L. , Taylor Rohan , Stone Trevor W. , Darlington L. Gail
Published: October 2009

J. Neurochem.(2010)112, 112–122.

There is substantial evidence that abnormal concentrations of oxidised tryptophan metabolites, produced via the kynurenine pathway, contribute to progressive neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease. We have now examined the blood levels of these metabolites in patients at different stages of Huntington’s disease, assessed both in terms of clinical disease severity and numbers of CAG repeats. Close relatives of the patients were included in the study as well as unrelated healthy controls. Levels of lipid peroxidation products, the pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)‐23 and the soluble human leucocyte antigen‐G (sHLA‐G) were also measured. There were lower levels of tryptophan and a higher kynurenine : tryptophan ratio, indicating activation of indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase, in the most severely affected group of patients, with increased levels of IL‐23 and sHLA‐G. Marked correlations were noted between IL‐23 and the patient severity group, anthranilic acid levels and the number of CAG repeats, and between anthranilic acid and IL‐23, supporting our previous evidence of a relationship between anthranilic acid and inflammatory status. Tryptophan was negatively correlated with symptom severity and number of CAG repeats, and positively correlated with sHLA‐G. The results support the proposal that tryptophan metabolism along the kynurenine pathway in Huntington’s disease is related to the degree of genetic abnormality, to clinical disease severity and to aspects of immunopathogenesis.
Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1: a new hope to counteract neurodegeneration?
Authors: Correia Sónia C. , Moreira Paula I.
Published: October 2009

J. Neurochem. (2010) 112, 1–12.

Neurodegenerative diseases, generally characterized by a progressive deterioration in the structure and function of the brain, represent one of the world’s major unsolved health problems. Therefore, it is urgent to discover therapeutic targets for the design of effective strategies for the treatment of these diseases. Recent findings demonstrated that the induction of the hypoxia signaling pathway with the concomitant stabilization and transcriptional activation of the transcription factor hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1) could mediate neuroprotective events. It has been shown that HIF‐1 triggers the expression of genes involved in oxygen transport, glycolytic metabolism, angiogenesis, cell survival, apoptosis, and others processes that can interfere with cell survival. Here, we discuss the current knowledge pertaining to the regulation of HIF signaling pathway. The potential neuroprotective role of HIF‐1 induction in cerebral ischemic stroke and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases will be also discussed. The elucidation of the mechanisms involved in HIF‐1‐mediated neuroprotection could be important for the development of effective therapies to mitigate or prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Task‐based language teaching: sorting out the misunderstandings
Authors: Ellis Rod
Published: October 2009

This paper begins by offering a definition of ‘task’ and by emphasizing that there is no single ‘task‐based teaching’ approach. It then evaluates a number of criticisms of TBT, drawing on recent critiques by Widdowson, Seedhouse, Sheen, and Swan. It is argued that many of these criticisms stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of what a ‘task’ is, and of the theoretical rationales that inform task‐based teaching. These criticisms also reflect a failure to acknowledge that multiple versions of task‐based teaching exist. In particular, it is argued that task‐based teaching need not be seen as an alternative to more traditional, form‐focused approaches but can be used alongside them. The paper concludes with an examination of a number of genuine problems with implementing task‐based teaching, as reflected in evaluation studies.
Chacun à son gout? Task‐based L2 pedagogy from the teacher's point of view
Authors: Andon Nick , Eckerth Johannes
Published: October 2009

In this paper, task‐based language teaching (TBLT) and its relationship to task‐based learning is investigated by drawing on teachers' pedagogic principles and practices as they relate to adopting, adapting, or rejecting TBLT in their classrooms. In particular, the paper seeks to discover the relevance of TBLT‐related research and teacher education literature for experienced L2 teachers, the ways in which these published accounts are reflected in teachers' pedagogic principles, and how such principles and practices are combined with approaches other than TBLT. Four experienced UK‐based ESL teachers were interviewed and observed in their classrooms a number of times. Based on case studies of these teachers, four TBLT‐related pedagogical principles in their teaching are identified and discussed in the light of the interview and observational data.
Task‐based language learning research: expecting too much or too little?
Authors: Foster Pauline
Published: October 2009

There are many assumptions about task‐based language learning (TBLL) for which empirical support would be illuminating. Some of these are researchable and others are not, and it is important to distinguish between the two. Robust investigations into learning are not easy to design and should not necessarily be regarded as the pathfinder for language pedagogy, though critics sometimes may represent research into TBLL as claiming this role. This paper argues for a greater understanding of the scope of educational research, and a greater role for it in shaping best practice in classrooms.

Er zijn veel veronderstellingen over taakgericht taal leren (tgtl) waarvoor empirische onderbouwing verhelderend zou zijn. Sommige van deze veronderstellingen vallen wel te onderzoeken maar andere niet – dit verschil is belangrijk. Het is niet makkelijk om degelijk onderzoek naar ‘leren’ te ontwerpen. Daarom moeten we dit niet zien als de enige juiste manier van onderzoek doen naar taalonderwijs, ook al doen critici soms als of onderzoek naar tgtl deze rol wil vervullen. Dit artikel pleit voor een beter begrip van het bereik van onderzoek naar onderwijs en wil bovendien dit soort onderzoek een grotere rol toekennen bij de ontwikkeling van ‘best practices’ voor de onderwijspraktijk.
A holistic approach to task‐based interaction
Authors: Seedhouse Paul , Almutairi Saad
Published: October 2009

This paper proposes that interaction generated by tasks has previously been very difficult to analyse because of its highly indexical nature. Task‐related actions and non‐verbal communication could not be related easily to talk. A technological solution to this problem is presented, using a combination of task‐tracking hardware and software, video recording and transcription. This enables a holistic approach, i.e. one in which all elements of behaviour can be integrated in analysis. Micro‐analyses of multimodal data are undertaken, which provide revealing insights into the processes of task‐based learning. A framework for describing and analysing task‐based interaction from a holistic perspective is outlined.
The political economy of childcare in OECD countries: Explaining cross‐national variation in spending and coverage rates
Authors: BONOLI GIULIANO , REBER FRANK
Published: October 2009

If childcare policy has become topical in most OECD countries over the last ten years or so, actual developments display huge cross‐national variations. Countries like Sweden and Denmark spend around 2 per cent of GDP on this service, and provide affordable childcare places to most children below school age. At the other extreme, in Southern Europe, only around 10 per cent of this age group has access to formal daycare. Against this background, this article aims to account for cross‐national variations in childcare services. It distinguishes two dependent variables: the coverage rate and the proportion of GDP spent subsidising childcare services. Using a mix of cross‐sectional and pooled times‐series methods, it tests a series of hypotheses concerning the determinants of the development of this policy. Its main conclusion for the coverage rate is that key factors are public spending and wage dispersion (both positive). For spending, key factors are the proportion of women in parliaments (positive) and spending on age‐related policies (negative).