bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of PAF antagonists on renal vascular escape and tachyphylaxis in perfused rabbit kidney
Authors: Ferreira M. G. , Braquet P. , Fonteles M. C.
Published: February 2007

Renal vascular escape is a physiological phenomenon of adaptation that occurs in vascular smooth muscle. It has been described in many preparations subjected to electrical stimulation or treated with vasoactive agents, such as noreprinephrine, angiotensin and vasopressin. We have recently demonstrated that a naturally occurring ginkgolide (BN 52021), which is a PAF antagonist, was able to block norepinephrine‐induced escape in perfused rabbit kidney. In the present work other PAF antagonists, such as the ginkgolides BN 52022 and BN 52024, and the synthetic compounds 48740 RP and WEB 2086, were tested. Their effects on renal vascular escape, perfusion pressure and tachyphylaxis were evaluated. They all were shown to block the escape. Among the ginkgolides, BN 52024 is generally recognized as one of the weaker PAF antagonists. However, in spite of this, BN 52024 was able to significantly and simultaneously block renal vascular escape and tachyphylaxis in perfused rabbit kidney infused with norepinephrine.
Differential effect of a PAF antagonist CV‐3988 on active and passive anaphylactic shock in various mouse strains
Authors: Arimura Akinori , Harada Minoru
Published: February 2007

To define the role of platelet‐activating factor (PAF) in anaphylactic shock in the mouse, the suppressive effect of CV‐3988, a PAF antagonist, on active and passive anaphylactic shock was studied. Various mouse strains treated or not treated withBordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) were used. We found that the effect of CV‐3988 on anaphylactic shock in the mice that were actively sensitized with bovine serum albumin plusB. pertussis differed markedly according to mouse strain. CV‐3988 suppressed the anaphylactic shock in C3H/He and CBA/JN mice at a low dose of 3 mg/kg, whereas antagonists to other mediators such as histamine, serotonin, thromboxane A2 and leukotrienes did not show a suppressive effect. This suggests that PAF plays a major role in anaphylactic shock in these strains. On the other hand, CV‐3988 did not suppress active anaphylactic shock in cataract Shionogi (CTS), NOD and DS strains even at a high dose of 30 mg/kg, which could be interpreted to suggest that PAF is not active in these strains. However, this possibility was ruled out based on the similar results obtained in passive anaphylactic shock and PAF‐induced shock in these mice. Passive anaphylactic shock in CTS mice mediated by IgG1 antibody was markedly suppressed by CV‐3988 but not at all by antagonists to other mediators. Furthermore, the suppressive action of CV‐3988 against passive anaphylactic shock, and PAF‐induced shock was greatly attenuated when the mice were pretreated withB. pertussis. From these results, the conclusion can be drawn that PAF is the main mediator of active and passive anaphylactic shock in the mouse in general, even though the effect of CV‐3988 differs depending on the mouse strain and on whether or notB. pertussis treatment is used.
The effect of tallow‐based detergents on anaerobic digestion
Authors: Maurer E. W. , Cordon T. C. , Weil J. K. , NuɁez‐Ponzoa M. V. , Ault W. C. , Stirton A. J.
Published: February 2007

Eight anionic detergents from three general classes (alcohol sulfates,a‐sulfo fatty acid esters and alkylbenzenesulfonates were tested for biodegradability under anaerobic conditions of sludge digestion. The alcohol sulfates were found to be readily and completely degraded. Thea‐sulfo fatty acid esters did not degrade but had no adverse effect on bacteriological digestion while the alkylbenzenesulfonates used for control purposes did not degrade and disrupted the normal digestion process.

Preliminary lysimeter studies showed that sodium isopropyla‐sulfostearate is completely degraded, linear alkylbenzenesulfonate 83%, and ABS 35%.
Plasticizing properties of esters of monohydric alcohols and tall oil fatty acids
Authors: Bauer S. T. , Hastings Randall
Published: February 2007

Tall oil fatty acid esters prepared as intermediates in an epoxy ester plasticizer program were similarly evaluated as low‐temp plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride resins. Performance characteristics as primary and secondary plasticizers in polyvinyl sheeting and extruded tapes were determined on esters from methyl to heptadecyl tallate.

Results indicate that these materials impart low‐temp properties which would make them of value as low‐cost plasticizers in extruded and molded products where light and heat stability are not primary factors.
A study of the influence of storing wood on the yield and quality of tall oil
Authors: Cowart Walter , Tate D. C. , Churchill John
Published: February 2007

In 12 weeks of storage time pine roundwood lost approximately 11% in tall oil yield, while for the same length of time purchased slabwood chips (pine) lost 64%. Most of the loss in yield occurred within six weeks. The purchased chips lost more tall oil yield in one week than the roundwood in 12 weeks.

The loss in yield from the roundwood was due entirely to the loss in yield of fatty acids. The loss in yield in the purchased slabwood chips was due predominantly to the loss in yield in fatty acids; however, there was, in addition, a small loss in resin acids, and a very small loss in unsaponifiables.

As for tall oil quality, by the end of 12 weeks of storage the acid number of tall oil from both roundwood and purchased chips had dropped below 160.

In correlating the yield of tall oil from the wood extractions with the yield of tall oil from the black liquor from digester cooks, it appears that on the average about 80% to 88% of the extracted tall oil can be found in the black liquor.
Determination of polar lipids: Quantitative column and thin‐layer chromatography
Authors: Rouser George , Kritchevsky Gene , Galli Claudio , Heller Dorothy
Published: February 2007

The structures of the polar lipid classes of plants and animals are presented, their nomenclature discussed, and suggestions are presented for clarification of nomenclature. The three general types of quantitative chromatographic procedures (column chromatography, thin‐layer chromatography, and combinations of column and thin‐layer chromatography) available for polar lipids are reviewed and a new quantitative two‐dimensional thin‐layer chromatographic procedure is presented. Useful quantitative procedures employing columns of cellulose, silicic acid, silicic acid mixed with silicate, magnesium silicate, and ion exchange celluloses are presented. New findings with diethylaminoethyl cellulose columns are described. New quantitative procedures employing silicic acid, magnesium silicate, or diethylaminoethyl cellulose column chromatography with quantitative thin‐layer chromatography are described.
Oil fixation in cottonseed meals
Authors: Szutowicz Walter
Published: February 2007

A fraction of the lipid material in cottonseed is fixed in the meal during processing in an oil mill and cannot be extracted with petroleum ether. This relatively unknown and unrecognized 舠fixed oil舡 fraction may vary in quantity in different meals. A procedure is described for the quantitative estimation of the fatty acids from this fraction in previously extracted cottonseed meal.
Cultural practices for lesquerella production
Authors: Roseberg Richard J.
Published: February 2007

WhileLesquerella fendleri has good potential of becoming a domestic, water‐efficient source of hydroxy fatty acids in the United States, little research has been done outside of Arizona to determine its environmental response and cultural requirements. This study examined the effects of planting date, irrigation rate and fertilizer on growth and yield in Oregon, and it also evaluated tolerance to existing herbicides as a first step in developing cost‐effective weed control programs. An October planting failed, while a March planting generally out‐yielded a May planting. Seed yield was maximized at irrigation plus precipitation in the range of 959 to 1111 mm. Fertilizer response was indefinite, although response to phosphorus sometimes occurred. Herbicides with excellent potential include trifluralin and benefin pre‐plant incorporated, and fluazifop post‐emergent. Potential herbicides also include pendimethalin preemergent, and oxyfluorfen, dicamba and clopyralid postemergent. In addition to further studies on herbicide, irrigation, fertilizer and planting date effects, studies to optimize other cultural practices (e.g., row width, plant density, seed source, varietal development) that increase oil yield and quality while reducing input cost are required if lesquerella production is to occur in Oregon.
Prepress solvent extraction of cuphea seed
Authors: Carlson Kenneth D. , Kleiman Robert , Pavlik Robert P.
Published: February 2007

Simulation of commercial processing of Cuphea seed to obtain needed quantities of oil and meal was accomplished with pilot facilities. Cuphea seed was conditioned in a single‐deck cooker. Cooked seed was pressed with a mechanical screw with two‐speed shaft, variable‐speed drives and a four‐section cage with cored sleeves. A feed rate of 22 kg seed/h and a feed screw‐to‐main shaft ratio of 2:1 gave good press cake with 8.1% residual oil. Press cake was extracted in a batch‐type modular extraction pilot plant. Miscella stages were sequentially pumped through the beds, followed by hexane rinses. Spent cake was desolventized and toasted, and full miscellas were stripped to recover the crude oil. The finished Cuphea meal had only 0.30–0.55% residual oil. Thus, conditioned Cuphea seed was easily pressed without prior flaking to acceptable cakes, and conditions simulating commercial solvent extraction efficiently removed residual cake oil.
Improved high‐performance liquid chromatography of vitamin E vitamers on normal‐phase columns
Authors: Shin Tai‐Sun , Godber J. Samuel
Published: February 2007

A method is described for improving column stability and reproducibility for analysis of vitamin E vitamers on normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography columns with isooctane/ethyl acetate/acetic acid/2,2‐dimethoxypropane (98.5:0.9:0.85:0.1) mobile phase. Acetic acid in the mobile phase reduced retention times of vitamin E vitamer and increased column stability. A small concentration of 2,2‐dimethoxypropane, which reacts with water to form acetone and methanol, reduced the need for column regeneration and stabilized retention times.
Spiritual Assessment in Genetic Counseling
Authors: Reis Linda M. , Baumiller Robert , Scrivener William , Yager Geoffrey , Warren Nancy Steinberg
Published: February 2007

One hundred and twenty seven full members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors participated in this study exploring current spiritual assessment practices of genetic counselors and reactions to a spiritual assessment tool. While 60% of genetic counselors reported they had performed a spiritual assessment within the past year, fewer than 8.7% of these counselors assessed spirituality in more than half of their sessions. Counselors reporting high perceived relevance of spiritual assessment performed an assessment more frequently than those reporting a low perceived relevance. Barriers to spiritual assessment included lack of time, insufficient skills, and uncertainty regarding the role of spiritual assessment within genetic counseling. Almost two‐thirds of counselors expressed that having a spiritual assessment tool would increase their ability to elicit relevant information. These data suggest a need for increased training regarding the methods for and relevance of spiritual assessment in genetic counseling. Recommendations for future directions of research are explored.
Model simulation of soil carbon dynamics with stand development in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantations
Authors: Shuto Katsuyuki , Nakane Kaneyuki
Published: January 2007

Soil carbon cycling in Japanese cedar plantations after clear‐cutting over time was calculated with and without consideration of plantation management (pruning and thinning) using a mathematical model. The model employed a daily time step and used daily air temperature and observed precipitation near the plantations. The results of these calculations of above‐ground biomass, carbon flow and accumulation were compared with the field observations reported by Shutou and Nakane (Ecol Res 19:233–244, 2004) observed in the Hiroshima prefecture. For example, the carbon accumulation and total soil respiration rate calculated with the inclusion of plantation management for a 60‐year‐old stand were 104 and 4.8 t C ha−1year−1, compared with a field observation of 110 and 4.5 t C ha−1year−1, respectively. The results calculated for carbon flow and accumulation were not significantly different from the field observations, assessed using one‐way analysis of variance (P > 0.05), and the mean relative errors were very small (e.g., the maximum was 0.05). Consequently, it is suggested that the dynamics of carbon cycling following clear‐cutting of a Japanese cedar plantation can be simulated realistically using these calculations with and without consideration of plantation management. Moreover, it is possible that the calculation without consideration of plantation management can yield the change of carbon cycling over time, even if the history of forest management in the plantations is unknown. It is expected that this study will contribute to the development of a more versatile model.
Effects of different components of diversity on productivity in artificial plant communities
Authors: Jiang Xiao Lei , Zhang Wei Guo , Wang Gang
Published: January 2007

In an experiment on artificial plant communities, the effects of three components of plant diversity—plant species diversity, plant functional group diversity and plant functional diversity—on community productivity and soil water content were compared. We found that simple regression analysis showed a positive diversity effect on ecosystem processes (productivity and soil water content). However, when three components of diversity were included in the multiple regression analyses, the results showed that functional group diversity and functional diversity had more important effects on productivity and resource use efficiency. These results suggested that, compared with species number, functional differences among species and the range of functional traits carried by plants are the basis of biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. These diversity effects of increasing functional group diversity or functional diversity were likely because species differing greatly in size, life form, phenology and capacity to capture and use resources efficiently in diverse communities realize complementary resource use in temporal, spatial, and biological ways.
Soil and vegetation nutrient response to bison carcasses in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland
Authors: Melis Claudia , Selva Nuria , Teurlings Ivonne , Skarpe Christina , Linnell John D. C. , Andersen Reidar
Published: January 2007

Ungulate carcasses can have important effects on the surrounding soil and vegetation. The impact of six carcasses of European bison (Bison bonasus) was investigated for the first time in a natural temperate forest (Białowieża, Poland) by measuring soil and plant nutrient concentrations along a gradient extending from the centre of each carcass. Calcium concentration and pH were found to be higher at the centre of the carcass, decreasing towards the periphery. This effect lasted up to 7 years after the death of the animal. The concentration of most nutrients in the soil and plants varied irregularly, suggesting an effect of the carcass at its centre but the absence of a clear pattern of variation along the gradient. Concentrations of NO3− in the soil differed only at the 1‐year old carcass, suggesting a fast turnover of nitrate in temperate forests. Our results show that the effects of large herbivore carcasses on soil and plant nutrient concentrations are not easily detectable in a temperate forest as in more homogeneous habitats, such as tundra and prairie. This may be due to the high activity of scavengers and nutrient recycling in the study area, but it may also be a consequence of a more complex and patchy interaction between nutrient availability and other limiting factors in temperate forests.
Stochastic dynamics in exotic and native blowflies: an analysis combining laboratory experiments and a two‐patch metapopulation model
Authors: Serra Hiraldo , da Silva Izabel Cristina Rodrigues , Mancera Paulo Fernando de Arruda , Faria Lucas Del Bianco , Von Zuben Cláudio José , Von Zuben Fernando José , dos Reis Sérgio Furtado , Godoy Wesley Augusto Conde
Published: January 2007

In this study we explored the stochastic population dynamics of three exotic blowfly species,Chrysomya albiceps,Chrysomya megacephalaandChrysomya putoria, and two native species,Cochliomyia macellariaandLucilia eximia, by combining a density‐dependent growth model with a two‐patch metapopulation model. Stochastic fecundity, survival and migration were investigated by permitting random variations between predetermined demographic boundary values based on experimental data.Lucilia eximiaandChrysomya albicepswere the species most susceptible to the risk of local extinction.Cochliomyia macellaria,C. megacephalaandC. putoriaexhibited lower risks of extinction when compared to the other species. The simultaneous analysis of stochastic fecundity and survival revealed an increase in the extinction risk for all species. When stochastic fecundity, survival and migration were simulated together, the coupled populations were synchronized in the five species. These results are discussed, emphasizing biological invasion and interspecific interaction dynamics.
Morphological and ecological shifts in a land snail caused by the impact of an introduced predator
Authors: Chiba Satoshi
Published: January 2007

Introduced predators have become major threats to native animal species in oceanic islands. A number of studies have shown that alien predators have caused serious extinctions of island endemics. However, little attention has been paid to the evolutionary impacts of alien predators on native species. The present study shows that predation by black rats, Rattus rattus, has resulted in ecological and morphological changes in the land snail Mandarina anijimana from the island of Anijima in the Ogasawara archipelago. The frequency of empty predated shells has increased over the past 17–19 years in southern areas of the island. The shells of these snails were found to be significantly higher, smaller and darker in the survey in 2006 than in the survey in 1987–1989 performed in central and southern parts of Anijima, where predation by Rattus was serious. M. anijimana were formerly restricted to shallow broad‐leaved litter, whereas they are currently found in deep palm litter, where predation pressure from Rattus may be lower. This suggests that increased predation pressure by Rattus has changed the habitat use of M. anijimana. The close association between shell morphology and habitat use of Mandarina species suggests that the habitat shift induced by the predation of Rattus has caused these changes in the shell morphology of M. anijimana over a period of 17–19 years.
Colony growth in Myrmica rubra with supplementation of myrmecochorous seeds
Authors: Fokuhl Gerriet , Heinze Jürgen , Poschlod Peter
Published: January 2007

Myrmecochory is an important ant–plant relationship, which presumably has benefits for the reproductive success of ant colonies through the nutritional value of elaiosomes. In a feeding experiment, we provided elaiosomes of Scilla bifolia and Corydalis cava to colonies of Myrmica rubra. Seeds were transported by ant workers to their nests and the elaiosomes were removed afterwards. After 3 months, elaiosome‐supplemented colonies contained significantly more worker pupae than control colonies, whereas the number of new female sexuals was reduced. This result is discussed as a possible long‐term benefit for M. rubra colonies through myrmecochory by colony growth.
Carbon isotope dynamics during leaf litter decomposition with reference to lignin fractions
Authors: Osono Takashi , Takeda Hiroshi , Azuma Jun‐ichi
Published: January 2007

We studied the dynamics of the stable C isotope ratio (δ13C) of Swida controversa and Fagus crenata leaf litter during decomposition for 35 months with reference to the relative enrichment of the residue by lignin fraction‐derived C. The study was carried out on upper and lower parts of a forest slope in a cool temperate forest in Japan. The enrichment of lignin fraction‐C was associated with a decrease in the δ13C of S. controversa residue. The decrease in δ13C was greater at the lower than the upper site for S. controversa. In contrast, the relative increase in lignin fractions in F. crenata residue was not associated with the changes of δ13C. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, which revealed the relative decrease in alkyl‐C and O‐alkyl‐C and the relative increase in aromatic‐C and carbonyl‐C, provided further evidence for the contribution of the selective preservation of lignin of plant origin to the increase in the lignin fraction.
Searching for potential microRNA-binding site mutations amongst known disease-associated 3′ UTR variants
Authors: Chuzhanova Nadia , Cooper David N. , Férec Claude , Chen Jian-Min
Published: January 2007

The 3′ untranslated regions (3′ UTRs) of human protein-coding genes play a pivotal role in the regulation of mRNA 3′ end formation, stability/degradation, nuclear export, subcellular localisation and translation, and hence are particularly rich in cis-acting regulatory elements. One recent addition to the already large repertoire of known cis-acting regulatory elements are the microRNA (miRNA) target sites that are present in the 3′ UTRs of many human genes. miRNAs post-transcriptionally down-regulate gene expression by binding to complementary sequences on their cognate target mRNAs, thereby inducing either mRNA degradation or translational repression. To date, only one disease-associated 3′ UTR variant (in the SLITRK1 gene) has been reported to occur within a bona fide miRNA binding site. By means of sequence complementarity, we have performed the first systematic search for potential miRNA-target site mutations within a set of 79 known disease-associated 3′ UTR variants. Since no variants were found that either disrupted or created binding sites for known human miRNAs, we surmise that miRNA-target site mutations are not likely to represent a frequent cause of human genetic disease.
Evaluation of Water‐Holding Capacity for Wheat–Soy Flour Blends
Authors: Traynham T. L. , Myers Deland J. , Carriquiry A. L. , Johnson L. A.
Published: January 2007

The water‐holding capacities (WHC) of wheat flour when partially replaced with defatted soybean flour (DSF) or low‐fat soybean flour (LSF) were evaluated. Wheat flour was replaced at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12% levels with DSF or LSF based on sample weight and/or soybean flour protein content. WHC (g water/g flour) was quantified after centrifuging hydrated samples at 1592×g (3,000 rpm) and/or 4,424×g (5,000 rpm) for 30 min. Results showed that at both centrifuge speeds, all wheat–soybean flour blends had WHC greater than wheat flour with the exception of 2% blends based on weight. Wheat–soybean flour blends had lower WHC at 5,000 rpm than at 3,000 rpm. In general, the WHC increased as the proportion of soybean flour increased. Differences in WHC were greatest between the samples containing 2 and 12% soybean flour. WHC values among the 6, 8 and 10% samples were not significantly different for both wheat–DSF and wheat–LSF blends. Blends containing LSF were observed to have comparable WHC to wheat–DSF blends.
Can NNP be used for welfare comparisons?
Authors: ASHEIM GEIR B.
Published: January 2007

This paper contains a critical assessment of the claim that NNP can be used for welfare comparisons. The analysis assumes that national accounts are comprehensive (in particular ‘greened’ by taking into account environmental amenities and natural resource depletion), but does not assume optimal resource allocation. The general conclusion is that greater NNP corresponds to welfare enhancement only if net investment flows are revalued. Real utility-NNP and real measurable NNP made comparable across time by means of a consumer price index allow for such revaluation, and thus indicate welfare improvement.
Corruption, the resource curse and genuine saving
Authors: DIETZ SIMON , NEUMAYER ERIC , DE SOYSA INDRA
Published: January 2007

Genuine saving is a measure of net investment in produced, natural and human capital. It is a necessary condition for weak sustainable development that genuine saving not be persistently negative. However, according to data provided by the World Bank, resource-rich countries are systematically failing to meet this condition. Alongside the well-known resource curse on economic growth, resource abundance might have a negative effect on genuine saving. In fact, the two are closely related, as future consumption growth is limited by insufficient genuine saving now. In this paper, we apply the most convincing conclusion from the literature on economic growth – that it is institutional failure that depresses growth – to data on genuine saving. We regress gross and genuine saving on three indicators of institutional quality in interaction with an indicator of resource abundance. The indicators of institutional quality are corruption, bureaucratic quality and the rule of law. We find that reducing corruption has a positive impact on genuine saving in interaction with resource abundance. That is, the negative effect of resource abundance on genuine saving is reduced as corruption is reduced.
Natural resource use conflict: gold mining in tropical rainforest in Ghana
Authors: AKPALU WISDOM , PARKS PETER J.
Published: January 2007

Gold is frequently mined in rainforests that can provide either gold or forest benefits, but not both. This conflict in resource use occurs in Ghana, a developing country in the tropics where the capital needed for mining is obtained from foreign direct investment (FDI). We use a dynamic model to show that an ad valorem severance tax on gross revenue can be used to internalize environmental opportunity costs. The optimal tax must equal the ratio of marginal benefits from forest use to marginal benefits from gold extraction. Furthermore, the tax should increase (decrease) when adjusted net return on all other assets in the economy is higher (lower) than the growth in the price of gold. Empirical results suggest that the 3 per cent tax rate currently used in Ghana is too low to fully represent the external cost of extraction (i.e., lost forest benefits).
Environmental taxation in a dualistic economy
Authors: RAPANOS VASSILIS T.
Published: January 2007

In the framework of the Harris–Todaro model we introduce a production–production externality and assume that the activity in the urban sector negatively affects (pollutes) the rural sector. As a means of reducing pollution a tax is imposed on the production of the polluting sector and the distributional and employment effects, as well as the national income aspects of such a tax, are explored. We take two versions of the Harris–Todaro model, the short run, where only labour is mobile between the rural and the urban sector, and the longer run, where all factors of production are intersectorally mobile. Our findings indicate that taxation will reduce pollution, may favour employment in the rural sector, and under certain conditions will also reduce unemployment, particularly in the longer run. National income will be generally enhanced if the share of the agricultural output in national income is higher than the share of manufactures.
The effect of environmental regulations: a restricted cost function for Korean manufacturing industries
Authors: LEE MYUNGHUN
Published: January 2007

Environmental conservation requires society to consider the trade-off between allocating resources to productive activities and pollution control activities. Therefore, it is informative to measure the effect of environmental regulations on firms' productivity. This paper attempts to estimate the impact of environmental regulations on Korean manufacturing industries. Despite being key inputs in the manufacturing process, raw materials have often been excluded from the cost function due to the lack of price data. A restricted cost function is used to improve the reliability of parameter estimates. Empirical results indicate that environmental regulations caused a 12 percent decline in the average annual rate of productivity growth over the period 1982–93.
Optimization model for integrated municipal solid waste management in Mumbai, India
Authors: RATHI SARIKA
Published: January 2007

Mumbai, the largest metropolitan city in India, generated 6,256 tons of waste per day in 2001. It is the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to provide Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management services; however, the MCGM is not able to handle the increasing quantity of waste. As a result, waste litters all over the place giving rise to health and environmental problems. Hence, there is a need to involve private sector and community participation in waste management. In this paper, a linear programming model is developed to integrate different options and stakeholders involved in MSW management in Mumbai. Various economic and environmental costs associated with MSW management are taken into consideration while developing the model.
Open access in a spatially delineated artisanal fishery: the case of Minahasa, Indonesia
Authors: LIESE CHRISTOPHER , SMITH MARTIN D. , KRAMER RANDALL A.
Published: January 2007

The effects of economic development on the exploitation of renewable resources are investigated in settings where property rights are ill defined or not enforced. This paper explores potential conservation implications from labor and product market developments, such as enhanced transportation infrastructure. A model is developed that predicts individual fish catch per unit effort based on characteristics of individual fishermen and the development status of their villages. The econometric model is estimated using data from a cross-sectional household survey of artisanal coral reef fishermen in Minahasa, Indonesia, taking account of fishermen heterogeneity. Variation across different villages and across fishermen within the villages is used to explore the effects of development. Strong evidence is found for the countervailing forces of product and labor market effects on the exploitation of a coral reef fishery.
Overfishing in the Gulf of Thailand: policy challenges and bioeconomic analysis
Authors: AHMED MAHFUZUDDIN , BOONCHUWONGSE PONGPAT , DECHBOON WARAPORN , SQUIRES DALE
Published: January 2007

This paper estimates maximum sustainable yield and maximum economic yield from Schaefer and Fox surplus production bioeconomic models to find evidence of biological and economic overfishing, and their consequences in Gulf of Thailand demersal fisheries. The paper examines alternative policy instruments to reduce overfishing. The discussion emphasizes strengthening fishery management for implementing limited access, and a combination of co-management, and decentralization of fisheries management. The use of license fees that serves as a double dividend tax to reduce fishing effort and fund monitoring and enforcement has been proposed as one of the possible economic instruments.
The “Heavenly Stone” (Kök Tash) of Samarqand: A Rebels' Narrative Transformed
Authors: Sela Ron
Published: January 2007

Travellers to the fabled city of Samarqand will not miss the opportunity to visit the tomb of Tīmūr (Tamerlane), the famous conqueror of much of Central Eurasia in the fourteenth century. In the courtyard of the Gur-i Amir, Tīmūr's mausoleum, stands a stone of greyish marble, approximately ten feet long, four feet wide and two and a half feet high, decorated with arabesques. A relic of a glorious past, this stone, known as the Kök Tash, is reputed to have served as the great coronation stone for Central Asian rulers ever since it was used as Tīmūr's throne.
From Clan Manners to Ethical Obligation and Righteousness: A New Interpretation of the Term yi
Authors: Jia Jinhua , Pang-Fei Kwok
Published: January 2007

Yi, a term denoting one of the primary concepts of Confucian ethics, has proven to be one of the most difficult terms to interpret and translate. It has been rendered as ‘righteousness’, ‘rightness’, ‘right conduct’, ‘propriety’, ‘justice’, ‘morality’, ‘duty’, ‘sense of duty’, ‘obligation’, and so forth. The aim of this article is to open new avenues to discuss the original and extended meanings of yi by the means of paleographic, archaeological, and socio-cultural studies.
Ibn Kammūna at Aleppo
Authors: Langermann Y. Tzvi
Published: January 2007

Sa‘d b. Mansūr Ibn Kammūna, a Jewish polymath whose writings are now receiving a good deal of scholarly attention, worked in Baghdad under the aegis of the Mongol rulers and their courtiers. Born early in the thirteenth century, so it seems, he was forced to flee the capital after rioters protested against his book which compared the three revealed monotheistic faiths; he died in the 1280s. His oeuvre includes a treatise on ophthalmology, no longer extant; quotations from it are however available in the writing of another ophthalmologist, Sadaqa ibn Ibrāhīm al-Shādhilī. From these we learn that Ibn Kammūna practiced medicine in Aleppo (Halab).
The Vicissitudes of a Medieval Japanese Warrior
Authors: Oxenboell Morton
Published: January 2007

In standard accounts of medieval Japanese society, enormous stress is put on the conflicts between local landholders (zaichi ryōshu) and absentee proprietors. Fuelled by the debate on feudalism that divided scholars up until the early 1990s, these conflicts have widely been recognised as proof of the diminishing powers of the central elite in, or near, Kyoto and of the increasing absorption of power by warriors in both the countryside and in the administration of the military government, the bakufu. The conflicts were, in other words, seen in the structural context of a system of huge landed estates (shōen) owned by court nobles or large religious institutions, which were gradually replaced by much smaller proprietary units controlled personally by individual warrior families.
Darmentleerung, Sauberkeitsentwicklung bei Kindern und ihre Störungen (Obstipation und Enkopresis)
Authors: Claßen Martin
Published: February 2007

Zusammenfassung. Verstopfung und Stuhlinkontinenz bei Kindern stellen für die Betroffenen und deren Familien eine schwere Belastung dar. In den meisten Fällen liegen funktionelle Störungen ohne organische Erkrankungen zugrunde. Trotzdem muss bei jedem Kind eine zielgerichtete somatische Diagnostik erfolgen. Rein psychische Ursachen für Obstipation und Inkontinenz sind eher selten. Nach Eingrenzen der Diagnose kann durch verschiedene Therapieansätze eine Besserung der Symptomatik erfolgen. Neben medikamentösen und diätetischen Maßnahmen stehen verhaltenstherapeutische Ansätze im Vordergrund. Der vorliegende Text gibt einen Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse zu Kontinenzentwicklung, Physiologie und Pathophysiologie der Darmentleerung sowie Diagnostik und Behandlung von Obstipation und Enkopresis aus pädiatrisch-gastroenterologischer Sicht.
DepressivitÃ¤t, Bewegungsangst-Kognitionen und kÃ¶rperliche AktivitÃ¤t bei Patienten mit RÃ¼ckenschmerz
Authors: Leonhardt Corinna , Keller Stefan , Becker Annette , Luckmann Judith , Baum Erika , Donner-Banzhoff Norbert , Pfingsten Michael , Hildebrandt Jan , Chenot Jean FranÃ§ois , Kochen Michael M. , Basler Heinz Dieter
Published: February 2007

Zusammenfassung. Ziel der Arbeit war die Untersuchung der Rolle von Depression und Bewegungsangst-Kognitionen (“fear-avoidance beliefs”) für die Bereitschaft zur Aufnahme und zur Beibehaltung körperlicher Aktivität bei Patienten mit Rückenschmerz. In die Sekundäranalyse einer randomisierten, kontrollierten Interventionsstudie gingen Daten von N = 1378 Patienten mit vorwiegend akuten Rückenschmerzen ein (58 % weiblich, mittleres Alter 49 Jahre). Personen mit hoher Depressivität und gleichzeitig starken “fear-avoidance beliefs” zeigten den niedrigsten Aktivitätsumsatz zur Baseline (kcal/Woche). Bedeutsamster Prädiktor für den Aktivitätsumsatz nach sechs bzw. 12 Monaten war neben der Baseline-Aktivität eine hohe Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung zur Baseline; Rückfälle in Inaktivität wurden v.a. durch geringe Selbstwirksamkeit und geringe wahrgenommene Vorteile von Bewegung vorhergesagt. Weder Depressivität noch Bewegungsangst erwiesen sich als bedeutsame Prädiktoren für körperliche Aktivität bzw. Rückfall in Inaktivität nach sechs bzw. 12 Monaten. Vergleichsweise stabile Konstrukte wie Depressivität oder Bewegungsangst-Kognitionen sind offenbar wenig geeignet, die Bereitschaft zur Aktivität oder tatsächliche Aktivität vorherzusagen. Es wird angeregt, verstärkt die Bedeutung von kognitiven und affektiven Aspekten situativer Entscheidungsprozesse für die Ausübung körperlicher Aktivität zu thematisieren.
Emotionale Prozesse im Bereich der Planung und Realisierung von Gesundheitshandlungen
Authors: Kleinert Jens , Golenia Marion , Lobinger Babett
Published: February 2007

Zusammenfassung. In den letzten Jahren wurde in der Motivationspsychologie wiederholt eine mangelnde Einbindung emotionaler Prozesse beklagt. Dies gilt insbesondere auch für Erklärungsmodelle von Gesundheitsverhalten. Das vorliegende Positionspapier spezifiziert diesen Mangel und zeigt Wege zur stärkeren Einbindung emotionaler Prozesse in Modelle und Untersuchungen zum Gesundheitsverhalten auf. Die Betrachtung gängiger Modellvorstellungen zur Erklärung von Gesundheitsaktivität zeigt, dass Emotionen hier lediglich im Rahmen der Intentionsbildung berücksichtigt werden. Modelle und Theorien der allgemeinen Motivationspsychologie zeigen darüber hinaus erstens Zusammenhänge von emotionalen Prozessen zur Fokussierung und Aktivierung einer bereits gebildeten Gesundheitsintention. Zweitens wird der Einfluss von Emotionen auf die Auswahl und Bewertung einer Situation hinsichtlich ihrer Eignung für die Umsetzbarkeit und Effektivität der Gesundheitshandlung diskutiert. Drittens werden Emotionen als Bestandteile volitionaler Abläufe und den hiermit verbundenen spezifischen und unspezifischen Aktivierungsfunktionen berücksichtigt. Es wird abschließend ein Strukturmodell vorgelegt, welches der Einordnung unterschiedlicher emotionaler Funktionen im Rahmen der Regulation von Gesundheitshandlungen dient. Emotionen werden hierin nicht nur als förderliche, sondern auch als hinderliche Komponenten von Gesundheitsverhalten dargestellt. Abschließende Schlussfolgerungen empfehlen für weitere Untersuchungen unter anderem experimentelle und longitudinale Studiendesigns zur Weiterentwicklung der beschriebenen Modellvorstellungen.
Evaluation of ECMWF cloud type simulations at the ARM Southern Great Plains site using a new cloud type climatology
Authors: Tselioudis George , Kollias Pavlos
Published: February 2007

A new method to derive a cloud type climatology is applied to cloud observations over the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site and to ECMWF model forecasts, in order to compare model and radar derived cloud type statistics and identify the major deficiencies in model cloud vertical distribution. The results indicate that cirrus and to a lesser extent middle level clouds are the major cloud types missing in the model simulations and that they are missing mostly as parts of multi‐type rather than single‐type structures. Boundary layer clouds are simulated at approximately the right amounts in the annual mean statistics, but this result comes from the model simulating too little boundary layer cloud in the winter and too much in the summer. Overall, the model forecasts miss about 11% of the total cloud amount, and most of the missing cloud occurs at time periods when multiple cloud types are present in the observations.
Coastal katabatic winds imaged by SAR
Authors: Li Xiaofeng , Zheng Weizhong , Pichel William G. , Zou Cheng‐Zhi , Clemente‐Colón Pablo
Published: February 2007

Sea surface imprints of coastal katabatic winds are observed on a RADARSAT‐1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) standard mode image off the U.S. west coast taken on January 21, 2003. The katabatic wind pattern is shown in the SAR image as a striking finger‐like bright‐dark region that mirrors the coastal mountain topography. We simulate the low‐level atmospheric circulation using the numerical weather model MM5 with a triply nested‐grid technique. The model simulation reproduces the finger‐like katabatic wind pattern at the SAR imaging time. Katabatic wind is strongest in the morning when the surface temperature gradient between ocean and land reaches a maximum. The sea surface wind simulated by the MM5 model and that derived from the calibrated SAR normalized radar cross section are in good agreement. The katabatic wind variation along the coastline is between 5–8 ms−1, and the longest wind finger stretches over 20 km offshore.
TC‐1 observations of flux pileup and dipolarization‐associated expansion in the near‐Earth magnetotail during substorms
Authors: Zhang H. , Pu Z. Y. , Cao X. , Fu S. Y. , Liu Z. X. , Ma Z. W. , Dunlop M. W. , Baumjohann W. , Xiao C. J. , Hong M. H. , Cao J. B. , Zong Q. G. , Wang X. G. , Carr C. , Rème H. A. , Dandouras I. , Fazakerley A. , Frey H. U. , Escoubet C. P.
Published: February 2007

Fifty‐three substorms measured by Double Star/TC‐1 in the near‐Earth magnetotail from July to October, 2004 are studied. The main features of these events are: (a) Magnetic flux pileup characterized by continuous enhancement of Bz is observed, which starts almost simultaneously with aurora breakup within 1–3 minutes, indicating that substorm onset is in close relation to flux pileup. (b) Sudden plasma sheet expansion with sharp increases in ion temperature and density is seen in all events, which occurs typically ∼11 minutes after the beginning of pileup. The plasma sheet expansion is shown to be in close relation with the primary substorm dipolarization and, hence, can be referred to as ‘dipolarization‐associated expansion’. (c) Evidence indicates that the substorm current wedge first forms earthward of TC‐1 position and, hence, inward of the flow braking region, and then propagates tailward with an expansion in the Z‐direction. Possible implications of these observations are briefly discussed.
Effects of wave rollers and bottom stress on wave setup
Authors: Apotsos Alex , Raubenheimer Britt , Elgar Steve , Guza R. T. , Smith Jerry A.
Published: February 2007

Setup, the increase in the mean water level associated with breaking waves, observed between the shoreline and about 6‐m water depth on an ocean beach is predicted well by a model that includes the effects of wave rollers and the bottom stress owing to the mean flow. Over the 90‐day observational period, the measured and modeled setups are correlated (squared correlation above 0.59) and agree within about 30%. Although rollers may affect setup significantly on beaches with large‐amplitude (several meters high) sandbars and may be important in predicting the details of the cross‐shore profile of setup, for the data discussed here, rollers have only a small effect on the amount of setup. Conversely, bottom stress (calculated using eddy viscosity and undertow formulations based on the surface dissipation, and assuming that the eddy viscosity is uniform throughout the water column) significantly affects setup predictions. Neglecting bottom stress results in underprediction of the observed setup in all water depths, with maximum underprediction near the shoreline where the observed setup is largest.
Compartmental model of nitrate retention in streams
Authors: Faulkner B. R. , Campana M. E.
Published: February 2007

A compartmental modeling approach is presented to route nitrate retention along a cascade of stream reach sections. A process transfer function is used for transient storage equations with first‐order reaction terms to represent nitrate uptake in the free stream and denitrification in the storage regions. In the context of a short‐term nitrate injection we define nitrate assimilative capacity as 1 − , where the attenuation factor, , is the fraction of injected nitrate mass that is flushed past the outlet of stream. Net exchange with groundwater is modeled by allowing free stream discharge to vary from one reach section to the next. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to compare results of the compartmental model with the OTIS numerical model. Out of 350 Monte Carlo simulations of a stream consisting of five reach sections the highest relative percent difference was 15%, most being well below 10%, as determined using moment analysis on breakthrough curves. Moment analysis on published experimental breakthrough curves showed assimilative capacities did not differ from those determined with the compartmental model by more than about 0.035 and were well within the uncertainty due to possible errors in measured stream metrics and net exchange with groundwater. The results show that the compartmental modeling approach, commonly used in analysis of groundwater data, can also be useful in evaluating nitrate retention in streams.
Picosecond blue-light-induced infrared absorption in single-domain and periodically poled ferroelectrics
Authors: Hirohashi J. , Pasiskevicius V. , Wang S. , Laurell F.
Published: February 2007

Picosecond blue-light-induced infrared absorption is investigated in bulk and periodically poled ferroelectrics known to have high photorefractive resistance (KTiOPO4, MgO-doped congruent LiNbO3, MgO-doped stoichiometric LiNbO3, MgO-doped stoichiometric LiTaO3, and KNbO3). KNbO3 and MgO-doped congruent and stoichiometric LiNbO3 show the lowest susceptibility to induced absorption. Periodic poling slightly increases the susceptibility to the induced absorption in all materials but most noticeably in KTiOPO4, MgO-doped stoichiometric LiTaO3, and KNbO3. Different dynamics of induced absorption are investigated. Relatively high thresholds for induced absorption were observed in MgO-doped stoichiometric LiTaO3 and KNbO3. By increasing the peak power intensity of blue light, the induced absorption for LiNbO3, KTiOPO4, and KNbO3 are saturated, while in MgO-doped stoichiometric LiTaO3, the induced absorption increases almost linearly with the blue peak intensity. The low susceptibility to induced absorption observed in KNbO3 corroborates well with the earlier proposed existence of very shallow traps close to the valence band.
Auto-Bäcklund transformation and new exact solutions of the generalized variable-coefficients two-dimensional Korteweg–de Vries model
Authors: Li Ye-Zhou , Liu Jian-Guo
Published: February 2007

Describing plasma physics, cluster physics, and geophysical fluid dynamics, a generalized variable-coefficient two-dimensional Korteweg–de Vries (GVCKdV) model is hereby under investigation. In this paper, an extended-variable-coefficient homogeneous balance method with symbolic computation is used to obtain an auto-Bäcklund transformation, some rational solutions, and new soliton-type solutions for the GVCKdV model. The solutions of the well-known cylindrical Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation can be recovered as special cases of the results obtained here.