bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of the Barley amo1 and wax Genes on Starch Structure and Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Matsuki Junko , Yasui Takeshi , Sasaki Tomoko , Fujita Masaya , Kitamura Yoshiaki
Published: June 2008

Starch structural mutants showing abnormal endosperm characteristics have been used for investigating the effects of the mutation on structure and physicochemical properties of starches. Inbred lines of barley cultivars ‘Shikoku Hadaka 97’ and ‘Glacier AC38’ were used to investigate the impact of amo1 and waxy genes on starch properties. The amo1 type starch had high apparent amylose content and low starch content. The amo1+waxy type starch contained very little amylose. The content of long chains of amylopectin as detected with high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) was decreased, and that of amylopectin chains with the degree of polymerization (DP) of 12‐36 was increased in amo1 and amo1+waxy type starches. The amo1 and amo1+waxy type starches exhibited high gelatinization temperatures and low gelatinization enthalpies.
Relationships Between Some Physicochemical Properties of Starches from Maize Cultivars Grown in East China
Authors: Dong Hai‐Zhou , Hou Han‐Xue , Liu Chuan‐Fu , Zhang Hui
Published: June 2008

Granule size, amylose content, degree of crystallinity, thermal, pasting, and gel textural properties of starches separated from thirty seven maize cultivars grown in East China were studied with a laser particle size analyzer, spectrophotometer, X‐ray diffractometer, differential scanning calorimeter, Rapid Visco Analyser, and texture analyzer. Various correlations between the physicochemical properties were observed. The correlation coefficient between To and Tp, between To and Tc, and between Tp and Tc were 0.967, 0.879, and 0.941 (p<0.01), respectively. Amylose content was correlated negatively with Tc (r=‐0.640, p<0.01). Pasting temperature was positively correlated to Tp (r=0.738, p<0.01). Significantly positive correlations were observed between amylose content and final viscosity, between amylose content and setback (r=0.665 and 0.735, respectively, p<0.01) and between peak viscosity and breakdown (r=0.893, p<0.01). Trough viscosity was positively correlated to final viscosity and setback (r=0.851 and 0.704, respectively, p<0.01). Significant correlations existed between final viscosity and setback, and hardness (r=0.972 and 0.615, respectively, p<0.01). There was a significant interrelationship between setback and hardness (r=0.655, p<0.01).
Metallic Plasma and its Hybrid Plasma
Authors: Yukimura Ken
Published: June 2008

Plasma‐ion processing enhances functionalities of a film, such as tribological properties and biocompatibility. Ceramic films prepared by reactive deposition and ion implantation are preferred rather than metallic film deposition by physical vapor deposition (PVD). Metallic plasma sources are indispensable for plasma‐ion processing. Cathodic arc plasma sources and magnetron sputtering discharge are typical metallic plasma sources for the processing. In addition to these sources, there have been newly developed plasma sources, in which plasmas have been generated both in a stationary and a pulsed mode. For a short duration of the generation, the plasma can be stably maintained. To prepare ceramic films, reactive gases such as nitrogen and oxygen should be activated to enhance reactions between the metallic and gaseous species. In this case, a hybrid plasma (HP) comprised of metallic and gaseous species is desirable. In order to make a large volume of HP in a simple way, gaseous plasma should be triggered by the metallic plasma. This article is a review of the electrical characteristics of the cathodic arc and its induced gaseous plasma. Copyright © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Magnetization Switching of Magnetic Submicron Structure Fabricated by Atomic Force Microscope
Authors: Ishii Noriyuki , Yokoyama Tatsuhiko , Shibata Hiroki , Yamada Tsutomu , Shirakashi Jun‐ichi , Takemura Yasushi
Published: June 2008

Magnetization switching of a CoFe submicron structure was studied. A patterned stripe‐shaped film consisting of CoFe/Cu/Co multilayer was prepared. By fabricating two oxide nanowires on the top CoFe layer by a nano‐oxidation technique using an atomic force microscope (AFM), a rectangular isolated region of CoFe was obtained. The magnetization of the CoFe rectangle was successfully switched by applying a pulsed current of 100 mA with 1‐ms duration through this stripe film. This switching was reproducible and observed with a threshold current of around 90 mA. Copyright © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Development and Application of Magneto‐Optical Microscope Using Polarization‐Modulation Technique
Authors: Sato Katsuaki , Ishibashi Takayuki
Published: June 2008

Magneto‐optical (MO) effect is commonly used not only for an observation of magnetic domain structures, but also for a research of electrical structures in magnetic materials. In addition, distribution of a magnetic flux diverging from a magnetized sample and/or distribution of a current in the sample can be visualized with the help of an MO‐indicator film placed on the sample. In order to obtain quantitative information of the flux distribution we have developed an MO microscope using a polarization‐modulation technique. Utilizing the MO microscope with a magnetic garnet film as an indicator we have obtained a quantitative image of current distribution in a superconducting film. Copyright © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Learning Model in Relaxation Algorithm Influenced by Self‐Organizing Maps for Image Restoration
Authors: Maeda Michiharu , Shigei Noritaka , Miyajima Hiromi
Published: June 2008

This paper presents a learning model in relaxation algorithm influenced by self‐organizing maps for reducing random‐valued impulse noise. Self‐organizing maps have been hitherto studied for the ordering process and the convergence phase of weight vectors. As a novel approach of self‐organizing maps, a learning model in relaxation algorithm for image restoration is proposed, which creates a map containing one unit for each pixel. Utilizing pixel values as input, image inference is conducted by self‐organizing maps. Then, an updating function with threshold according to the difference between input value and inferred value is introduced, so as not to respond to noisy input sensitively. Therefore the inference of an original image proceeds appropriately since any pixel is influenced by neighboring pixels corresponding to the neighboring setting. The characteristic of our approach includes the network constructing the same number of both inputs and weights for inferring the original image from a degraded image in sequential processing, unlike the distinct number in which self‐organizing maps have applied to conventional techniques for the ordering and the convergence of weight vectors. In the inference process, the effect of initial threshold and initial neighborhood on accuracy is examined. Experimental results are presented in order to show that our approach is effective in quality for image restoration. Copyright © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficient Bipedal Walking using Natural Dynamics and Delayed Stepping Reflex
Authors: Otoda Yuji
Published: June 2008

The most popular control method for bipedal walking robots is the zero moment point‐based (ZMP‐based) control method. In this method, the torso is accelerated and decelerated by the motors in every step. This is not energetically efficient because natural dynamics is not used. Natural dynamics involves the generation of motion using the mechanical features of the machine, i.e. without using motors (as far as possible). A well‐designed biped robot has its own natural dynamics that are suitable for efficient walking. Such natural dynamics is not considered in the zero‐moment point (ZMP)‐based control method. In the present paper, a biped robot called ‘Tetsuro’, which is designed considering natural dynamics, is presented, and an inverted pendulum based control method and delayed stepping reflex, which can generate efficient treadmill walking, are described. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Formation of Patterned Electrode in Ionic Polymer‐Metal Composite using Dry Film Photoresist
Authors: Kikuchi Kunitomo , Tsuchitani Shigeki , Miwa Masafumi , Asaka Kinji
Published: June 2008

This paper reports a new proposal on patterned electrode formation of Ionic Polymer‐Metal Composite (IPMC) using a photolithography technique with a dry film resist (DFR). By using a photomask with a pattern size of 50 µm, patterned electrodes are formed on a polyelectrolyte membrane, resulting in a size of 60 µm. The sheet resistance of the fabricated electrodes is lower than 30 Ω/□, which is almost in the same order of magnitude as that of electrodes formed by the conventional electroless plating without photolithography. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Corporate governance as a foundation for corporate social responsibility in transitioning economies: The Russian experience
Authors: McCarthy Daniel J. , Puffer Sheila M.
Published: June 2008

This article discusses the critical role of corporate governance in Russian business and management and its potential for promoting corporate social responsibility in that country. We describe the current state of these two phenomena and examine their linkages as they exist in Russia, and explain that this situation also applies in other transitioning economies. We conclude with implications for non‐Russians who would do business with Russian counterparts, and reasons why they should be aware of how these important issues can affect their dealings in those situations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Knowledge development in MNC subsidiaries: The influence of MNC internal and external knowledge and control mechanisms
Authors: Sumelius Jennie , Sarala Riikka
Published: June 2008

In this study, we examine the influence of control mechanisms and internal and external knowledge on multinational company (MNC) subsidiary knowledge development. Previous research stresses the importance of these factors for subsidiary behavior, but nonetheless they remain underexplored in the context of subsidiary knowledge development. The study is based on questionnaire data from 161 MNC subsidiaries in China and Finland. The results indicate that MNC internal and external knowledge, as well as decision‐making autonomy of MNC subsidiaries, positively influence knowledge development in MNC subsidiaries. Conversely, the importance of knowledge development as a performance evaluation criterion did not show any influence on MNC subsidiary knowledge development. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity of Sugar‐Based Gemini Cationic Amphiphiles
Authors: Negm Nabel A. , Mohamed Amouna S.
Published: June 2008

Two series of gemini cationic surfactants were synthesized based on glucose and fructose molecules. Their chemical structures were confirmed using micro‐elemental analysis, mass spectral fragmentation and FTIR spectroscopic analysis. The surface activities of these gemini amphiphiles were measured, including surface tension (γ), critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness (πcmc), efficiency (pC20), maximum surface excess (Γmax) and minimum surface area (Amin) at 25 °C. Adsorption and micellization free energies of these amphiphiles in their solutions showed a good tendency towards adsorption at the interfaces. The biological activity of the synthesized gemini amphiphiles showed good inhibition at concentrations of 1, 2.5 and 5 mg/mL. The synthesized amphiphiles showed antimicrobial activity on gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria and antifungal activity equal to or comparable to commercially available controls. The discussion rationalized the antimicrobial activities of these amphiphiles with the surface activity and the adsorption parameters. In addition, the effect of sugar nuclei was discussed based on the chemical structure of the bacterial and fungal cell membranes.
Efficacy and safety of morphine‐6‐glucuronide (M6G) for postoperative pain relief: A randomized, double‐blind study
Authors: Smith T.W. , Binning Alexander R. , Dahan Albert
Published: June 2008

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess analgesia and safety effects of a range of intravenous doses of M6G (10, 20 and 30mg/70kg), compared to placebo, in postoperative patients.

Methods: In a randomized, multicentre, double‐blind study, patients undergoing knee replacement surgery under spinal anaesthesia were administered one of three doses of M6G, or placebo, 150min after spinal nerve block. Morphine rescue medication was available via a PCA pump. The key index of analgesic activity was determined as the amount of morphine consumed by the patient over 12 and 24h after M6G administration. Time to first use of rescue medication, VAS and global pain assessment scales were also recorded. Safety was assessed by monitoring supine blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature and typical opioid side‐effects of PONV and sedation.

Results: A total of 170 patients were dosed with study medication. M6G induced a dose‐related reduction in morphine use over 24‐h that reached statistical significance compared to placebo at M6G 30mg/70kg. There was no clear relationship between M6G dose and time to first use of PCA morphine. Pain relief was similar in all groups. M6G showed small, but inconsistent effects on the cardiovascular system and on sedation and no effects were observed on respiration or PONV.

Conclusion: M6G induced long‐lasting dose‐related analgesic effects in postoperative patients with limited effects on cardiorespiratory systems or of opioid‐like side‐effects. M6G is an effective opioid for the treatment of moderate to severe postoperative pain.
The state of academic cancer surgery in the UK
Authors: Eckhouse S. , Sullivan R.
Published: June 2008

Despite media and public perception to the contrary cancer surgery is the most important modality for the control and cure of cancer. However, after years of underinvestment by research funders and increasing service delivery demands the academic cancer surgeon is an endangered species. In an effort to improve evidence‐based policymaking in this critical domain of cancer research the ECRM has conducted a semi‐quantitative assessment of the state of academic cancer surgery in the UK. We have found that the percentage of investment in cancer surgical technologies R&D is less than 1% and even when this is extended to other diseases then this figure is still less than 1%. A decline in the overall numbers of academic surgical staff is paralleled by our finding that over 50% of the academic cancer surgeons in this survey had insufficient time for research. With clinical trials and surgical technology development identified as key research domains the majority (60–80%) did not perceive any benefit for surgical research in these areas as a result of the creation of the UK National Cancer Research Institute. We also found high support for academic surgery from colleagues but medium–low support from many institutions. Key policy conclusions are: (1) greater hypothecated investment by research funders, particularly for the development of surgical technologies as well as clinical trials, and (2) the creation of cancer surgery centres of excellence which have sufficient staffing and institutional support to engendered a creative academic environment.
Decoupling of stalagmite-derived Asian summer monsoon records from North Atlantic temperature change during marine oxygen isotope stage 5d
Authors: Zhou Houyun , Zhao Jianxin , Zhang Pingzhong , Shen Chuan-Chou , Chi Baoquan , Feng Yuexing , Lin Yin , Guan Huazheng , You Chen-Feng
Published: June 2008

The Asian monsoon is an important component of the global climate system. Seasonal variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature associated with the Asian monsoon systems affect a vast expanse of tropical and subtropical Asia. Speleothem-derived summer monsoon variation in East Asia was previously found to be closely associated with millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region between 75 and 10 ka. New evidence recovered from East Asia, however, suggests that the teleconnection between summer monsoon in East Asia and temperature change in the North Atlantic region may have significantly reduced during 120 to ~ 110 ka, a period directly after the full last interglaciation and corresponding roughly to marine oxygen isotope stage 5d. This reduction may be due to the low ice volume in the North Hemisphere at that time, which makes the millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region less effective in influencing the Asian summer monsoon. This is important for investigating the mechanisms controlling the Asian summer monsoon and the paleoclimatic teleconnection between East Asia and the North Atlantic region, and for predicting monsoon-associated precipitation in East Asia under a global-warming trend.
The self-similar rise of a buoyant thermal in very viscous flow
Authors: WHITTAKER ROBERT J. , LISTER JOHN R.
Published: June 2008

An exact similarity solution is obtained for the rise of a buoyant thermal in Stokes flow, in which both the rise height and the diffusive growth scale like t1/2 as time t increases. The dimensionless problem depends on a single parameter Ra = B/(νκ) – a Rayleigh number – based on the (conserved) total buoyancy B of the thermal, and the kinematic viscosity ν and thermal diffusivity κ of the fluid. Numerical solutions are found for a range of Ra. For small Ra there are only slight deformations to a spherically symmetric Gaussian temperature distribution. For large Ra, the temperature distribution becomes elongated vertically, with a long wake containing most of the buoyancy left behind the head. Passive tracers, however, are advected into a toroidal structure in the head. A simple asymptotic model for the large-Ra behaviour is obtained using slender-body theory. The width of the thermal is found to increase like (κt)1/2, while the wake length and rise height both increase like (RalnRa)1/2(κt)1/2, consistent with the numerical results. Previous experiments suggest that there is a significant transient regime.
Streamline topology near non-simple degenerate critical points in two-dimensional flow with symmetry about an axis
Authors: DELİCEOĞLU A. , GÜRCAN F.
Published: June 2008

The local flow patterns and their bifurcations associated with non-simple degenerate critical points appearing away from boundaries are investigated under the symmetric condition about a straight line in two-dimensional incompressible flow. These flow patterns are determined via a bifurcation analysis of polynomial expansions of the streamfunction in the proximity of the degenerate critical points. The normal form transformation is used in order to construct a simple streamfunction family, which classifies all possible local streamline topologies for given order of degeneracy (degeneracies of order three and four are considered). The relation between local and global flow patterns is exemplified by a cavity flow.
Electron Density Profiles Derived From Ground-Based GPS Observations
Authors: Jin Shuanggen , Park J.U. , Wang J.L. , Choi B.K. , Park P.H.
Published: June 2008

Nowadays GPS is widely used to monitor the ionosphere. However, the current results from ground-based GPS observations only provide some information on the horizontal structure of the ionosphere, and are extremely restricted in mapping its vertical structure. In this paper, tomography reconstruction technique was used to image 3D ionospheric structure with ground-based GPS. The first result of the 3D images of the ionospheric electron density distribution in South Korea has been generated from the permanent Korean GPS Network (KGN) data. Compared with the profiles obtained by independent ionosondes at or near the GPS receiver stations, the electron density profiles obtained by the GPS tomographic construction method are in better agreement, showing the validity of the GPS ionospheric tomographic reconstruction. It has also indicated that GPS-based 3D ionospheric mapping has the potential to complement other expensive observing techniques in ionospheric mapping, such as ionosondes and radar.
A Unified Measure Of Collision Risk Derived From The Concept Of A Ship Domain
Authors: Szlapczynski Rafal
Published: June 2008

The paper introduces a new measure of collision risk derived from the concept of a ship domain. Its simplicity and the fact that it takes into account the courses of both ships, makes it a good alternative to the commonly used term of the distance at the closest point of approach (DCPA). The measure being presented is flexible enough to be applied in combination with any given ship domain. Derivations of all the necessary equations for the Fuji domain have been presented in detail. Additionally, the paper contains numerical algorithms that are capable of determining value of the measure for any other ship domain. Based on these algorithms a generic method for determination of the necessary course alteration is developed. Also, an example of an already known formula for risk assessment, that may benefit from the measure, is provided. All of the algorithms, formulas and their derivations in the text are presented explicitly, so that they could be directly applied in any collision avoidance or VTS system.
The Voyage of Synesius
Authors: Kahanov Yaacov
Published: June 2008

Synesius’ letter to his brother, describing his passage from Alexandria to Cyrene, is a fruitful source of information on seafaring at the turn of the 4th century CE. The present article is an experiment to discover maritime information, based on this source and geographic and climatic facts. The distance from Alexandria to Azarium, the final landfall, is 360 nautical miles, although the distance actually sailed was 400 miles. The sailing, generally against the prevailing wind, lasted seven days, of which two were spent on shore. A log and a chart of the complete passage are suggested. Concentrating on the maritime details reveals the skill of the professional skipper, Amarantus, experienced in navigating these waters.
Low Cost, High Accuracy Positioning In Urban Environments
Authors: Hide Chris , Moore Terry , Hill Chris , Park David
Published: June 2008

It is well known that GPS measurements are regularly obstructed in urban environments. Positioning accuracy in such environments is significantly degraded and in many areas, it is not possible to obtain a GPS position fix at all. There are currently two methods that can be used to improve availability in the urban environment. Firstly, GPS receivers can be augmented with dead reckoning sensors such as an INS. Alternatively, High Sensitivity GPS (HSGPS) receivers can be used which are able to acquire and track very weak signals. This paper assesses the performance obtained from a GPS and low cost INS integrated system and a HSGPS receiver in an urban environment in Nottingham, UK. The navigation systems are compared to a high accuracy integrated GPS/INS system which is used to provide a reference trajectory. It is demonstrated that the differential GPS and low cost INS system can provide horizontal positioning accuracy of better than 2·5 m RMS in real-time, and better than 1 m RMS in post-processing, whereas the non-differential HSGPS receiver provides a real-time performance of 5 m RMS. These results were obtained in an environment where, with conventional GPS receivers, a position solution is only available 48·4% of the time. Operational considerations such as initial alignment of the GPS and low cost INS are also discussed when comparing the two systems for urban positioning applications.
Evolutionary synthesis of kinematic mechanisms
Authors: Lipson Hod
Published: June 2008

This paper discusses the application of genetic programming to the synthesis of compound two-dimensional kinematic mechanisms, and benchmarks the results against one of the classical kinematic challenges of 19th century mechanical design. Considerations for selecting a representation for mechanism design are presented, and a number of human-competitive inventions are shown.
Automated synthesis of mechanical vibration absorbers using genetic programming
Authors: Hu Jianjun , Goodman Erik D. , Li Shaobo , Rosenberg Ronald
Published: June 2008

Conceptual innovation in mechanical engineering design has been extremely challenging compared to the wide applications of automated design systems in digital circuits. This paper presents an automated methodology for open-ended synthesis of mechanical vibration absorbers based on genetic programming and bond graphs. It is shown that our automated design system can automatically evolve passive vibration absorbers that have performance equal to or better than the standard passive vibration absorbers invented in 1911. A variety of other vibration absorbers with competitive performance are also evolved automatically using a desktop PC in less than 10 h.
Evolving blackbox quantum algorithms using genetic programming
Authors: Stadelhofer Ralf , Banzhaf Wolfgang , Suter Dieter
Published: June 2008

Although it is known that quantum computers can solve certain computational problems exponentially faster than classical computers, only a small number of quantum algorithms have been developed so far. Designing such algorithms is complicated by the rather nonintuitive character of quantum physics. In this paper we present a genetic programming system that uses some new techniques to develop and improve quantum algorithms. We have used this system to develop two formerly unknown quantum algorithms. We also address a potential deficiency of the quantum decision tree model used to prove lower bounds on the query complexity of the parity problem.
INTRODUCTION: COOKING CULTURE: SITUATING FOOD AND DRINK IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Authors: Daly Suzanne , Forman Ross G.
Published: June 2008

In perhaps her most famous comment, Isabella Beeton, the doyenne of Victorian cookery, proclaimed, “Dining is the privilege of civilization” (363). Dinner, she went on to explain, “is a matter of considerable importance; and a well-served table is a striking index of human ingenuity and resource” (363). That “much depends on dinner” has been widely recognized in a variety of contexts since Beeton made this pronouncement in her Book of Household Management in the mid-Victorian era. From Upton Sinclair's exposé of the meat industry in The Jungle (1906) to the more recent fascination with Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation (2001) and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (2006), food – and particularly its mismanagement – has become a positive obsession with the public at large. Anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and psychologists – from Claude Lévi-Strauss to Mary Douglas to Sidney Mintz to Sigmund Freud himself – have long engaged in commenting on what Beeton asserts in her chapter on “Dinner and Dining”: that distinctions in food preparation, eating habits, and modes of dining are a crucial axis around which cultures and groups consolidate themselves. Similarly, organizations like Stanford University's now defunct Food Research Institute have investigated food's centrality to “human ingenuity,” in this case through the study of agricultural practice and policy.
ALIMENTARY: ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE AND ISABELLA BEETON
Authors: Thomas Kate
Published: June 2008

In 1893, overwhelmed by readers'insatiability for Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle killed his detective off at the height of his popularity. Writing to a friend in 1896, Doyle described how literally sick he was of the figure he had created: “I have had such an overdose of him that I feel towards him as I do towardspâté de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day” (Chabon 17). Holmes's (first) literary demise was marked by his creator with a culinary simile, one which recalls that his literary debut was made under the name that, above all others, stood for the culinary in late nineteenth-century Britain: Isabella Beeton. The first Sherlock Holmes story, “A Study in Scarlet,” appeared in the 1887 edition ofBeeton's Christmas Annual. Three other editors had rejected the story before the BeetonAnnualaccepted it. This Doyle-Beeton publishing encounter was an instance of one publishing phenomenon recognizing another one and ushering it into the limelight. When Doyle's reflections on his huge publishing success turn to a gustatory memory of overindulgence in a purposefully overdeveloped organ, it raises the following question: what were the relationships between the mass market, the culinary, and the production and adjudication of judgment and refinement in the nineteenth century?
THE ECONOMICS OF “A BIT O' VICTUAL,” OR MALTHUS AND MOTHERS IN ADAM BEDE
Authors: Dalley Lana L.
Published: June 2008

Hetty Sorrel's economic self-interest is impossible to ignore, as is its sexual nature. George Eliot tells us that Hetty is “quite used to the thought that people liked to look at her” and is determined to exchange her physical charms for a life of luxuries (96; ch. 9). Hetty's attraction to the young, wealthy Arthur Donnithorne is unabashedly opportunistic. While Hetty is searching for Arthur, once she is aware of her “swift-advancing shame,” the narrator reveals the turn of her thoughts: “He would not marry her and make her a lady; and apart from that she could think of nothing he could give her towards which she looked with longing and ambition” (364; ch. 35, 372; ch. 36). And it is certainly not unusual for economic considerations to figure in the Victorian marriage plot; Mary Barton's attraction to Harry Carson is predicated on his ability to make her a lady; Rosamond Vincy marries Lydgate in the hopes that his relationship to the landed gentry will, quite literally, pay off. It is the lethal turn of Hetty's material self-interest – the murder of her illegitimate child – that makes her story exceptional. I suggest that Hetty's desire to “purchase” Arthur's social prestige and her ultimate rejection of maternal responsibility intersect with Malthusian economics. The central action of the story, infanticide, signifies one of the chief topics of Malthusian debate. T. R. Malthus and his followers suggested that economically imprudent marriages were akin to an unthinking infanticide because the newlyweds would likely be unable to feed the children that would arise from their conjugal relations; they also registered child-murder as one of the checks to population, classifying it as “one of the worst forms of vice and misery” (1803: 71; ch. 3). In this essay, I read food and the life-and-death economics of food in Adam Bede as a register for Malthusian concerns about sex, family, responsibility, and dependence. In the novel, these concerns are not only for fathers – which is Malthus's own emphasis – but also for mothers. Although published in 1859, the novel is set in 1799, a year after the first publication of Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population, and three decades before the Poor Law reform developed in response to Malthusian analysis. It is in this context that I propose reading Adam Bede alongside Malthus's Essay.
KITTENS AND KITCHENS: FOOD, GENDER, ANDTHE TALE OF SAMUEL WHISKERS
Authors: Evans Heather A.
Published: June 2008

With the publication ofThe Tale of Mr. Tod(1912), Beatrix Potter articulated her impatience with “goody goody books about nice people” (Linder 210) and declared her intention “to make a story about two disagreeable people” (Potter,Tale of Mr. Tod7). Yet although the subjects of the story, Tommy Brock and Mr. Tod, might be the most viciously disagreeable protagonists in Potter's children's stories, her readers were already acquainted with characters who challenged the boundaries of propriety, graciousness, and respectful deference to authority. Throughout her oeuvre, many such characters are not entirely punished for their trespasses, a pattern which often surprises modern readers who blithely assume that the daintily-illustrated books about woodland critters and barnyard creatures affirm conservative Edwardian conventions of behavior and standards of decorum.
Entwicklungspsychopathologie Sozialer Angststörungen
Authors: Helbig Sylvia , Petermann Franz
Published: June 2008

Die Soziale Phobie (oder Soziale Angststörung) stellt eine häufige psychische Störung dar, die insbesondere aufgrund ihres chronischen Verlaufs mit umfassenden Beeinträchtigungen einhergeht. Voraussetzung für die langfristig wirksame Behandlung oder Prävention der Störung ist ein umfassendes Verständnis bedingender und aufrecht erhaltender Faktoren. Mittlerweile liegen neben einer Reihe deskriptiver Störungsmodelle zur Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung eine Vielfalt empirischer Ergebnisse zu Risikofaktoren sozialer Ängste vor. Neben einem Überblick über Phänomenologie und Epidemiologie Sozialer Angststörungen liegt der Schwerpunkt der Arbeit auf der Diskussion möglicher Einflussfaktoren in einer Entwicklungspsychopathologie der Sozialen Phobie. Dabei werden internale Faktoren, wie Familiengenetik, Temperament, kognitive Stile und soziale Fertigkeiten, sowie externe Faktoren, wie Erziehungsverhalten der Eltern und Erfahrungen mit der sozialen Umwelt, berücksichtigt. Zur Integration dieser Befunde werden differenzierte Modelle zur Ausbildung und zu differenziellen Entwicklungsverläufen generalisierter und isolierter sozialer Ängste vorgeschlagen.
Mercury and halogen emissions from Masaya and Telica volcanoes, Nicaragua
Authors: Witt M. L. I. , Mather T. A. , Pyle D. M. , Aiuppa A. , Bagnato E. , Tsanev V. I.
Published: June 2008

We report measurements of Hg, SO2, and halogens (HCl, HBr, HI) in volcanic gases from Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, and gaseous SO2 and halogens from Telica volcano, Nicaragua. Mercury measurements were made with a Lumex 915+ portable mercury vapor analyzer and gold traps, while halogens, CO2 and S species were monitored with a portable multi gas sensor and filter packs. Lumex Hg concentrations in the plume were consistently above background and ranged up to 350 ng m−3. Hg/SO2 mass ratios measured with the real‐time instruments ranged from 1.1 × 10−7 to 3.5 × 10−5 (mean 2 × 10−5). Total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations measured by gold trap ranged from 100 to 225 ng m−3. Reactive gaseous mercury accounted for 1% of TGM, while particulate mercury was 5% of the TGM. Field measurements of Masaya's SO2 flux, combined with the Hg/SO2 ratio, indicate a Hg flux from Masaya of 7.2 Mg a−1. At Masaya's low temperature fumaroles, Hg/CO2 mass ratios were consistently around 2 × 10−8, lower than observed in the main vent (Hg/CO2 ∼ 10−7). Low‐temperature fumarole Hg fluxes from Masaya are insignificant (∼150 g a−1). Ratios of S, C and halogen species were also measured at Masaya and Telica volcanoes. CO2/SO2 ratios at Masaya ranged from 2.8 to 3.9, comparable to previously published values. At Masaya molar Br/SO2 was 3 × 10−4 and I/SO2 was 2 × 10−5, suggesting fluxes of 0.2–0.5 Mg HBr d−1 and 0.02–0.05 Mg HI d−1. At Telica the Br/SO2 ratio was also 3 × 10−4 and the I/SO2 ratio was 5.8 × 10−5, with corresponding fluxes of 0.2 Mg HBr d−1 and 0.06 Mg HI d−1. Gases at both volcanoes are enriched in I relative to Br and Cl, compared to gases from volcanoes elsewhere.
Limiting states of internal wave rays
Authors: Fan Ping , Singh V. P.
Published: June 2008

Existing models of baroclinic tides are based upon the “traditional approximation”, i.e., neglect of the horizontal component of the Earth’s rotation, leading to a well‐known conclusion that no freely propagating internal waves can exist beyond the critical latitude and the wave rays are symmetric to the vertical. However, recent studies have contended that the situation may change if both the vertical and horizontal components of the Earth’s rotation are taken into account. With the full account of the Coriolis force, characteristics of the internal wavefield generated by tidal flow over uneven topography are investigated. It is found that “nontraditional effects” profoundly change not only the dynamics of internal waves but also the rate at which the barotropic tidal energy is fed into the internal wavefield. Discarding the traditional approximation, internal waves are proved to be able to generate poleward of the critical latitude, rays of which are no longer symmetric and the limiting values of ray angles become greater or less than 90°, depending on the local latitude and the direction of ray. More importantly, in contrast to the predictions of models based upon the traditional approximation, a substantial conversion occurs in the situations when stratification is so weak that the buoyancy frequency is below the tidal one.
On the information content of the thermal infrared cooling rate profile from satellite instrument measurements
Authors: Feldman D. R. , Liou K. N. , Shia R. L. , Yung Y. L.
Published: June 2008

This work investigates how remote sensing of the quantities required to calculate clear‐sky cooling rate profiles propagates into cooling rate profile knowledge. The formulation of a cooling rate profile error budget is presented for clear‐sky scenes given temperature, water vapor, and ozone profile uncertainty. Using linear propagation of error analysis, an expression for the cooling rate profile covariance matrix is given. Some of the features of the cooling rate covariance matrix are discussed, and it is found that nonzero error correlations in the temperature, water vapor, and ozone retrieval profiles must be considered to produce an unbiased estimate of cooling rate profile variance and the covariance structure. To that end, the exclusion of the details of this error correlation leads to an underestimation of the cooling rate profile uncertainty. This work then examines the assumptions made in the course of deriving the expression for the cooling rate covariance matrix by using ERA‐40 Reanalysis data. It is established that the assumptions of linear error propagation and Gaussian statistics are generally tenable. Next, the information content of thermal infrared spectra with respect to clear‐sky cooling rate profiles is investigated. Several formerly‐ and currently‐operational spectrometers are compared with different spectral coverage, resolution, signal‐to‐noise ratio. Among these, IASI is found to have the ability to provide the greatest amount of information on the cooling rate profile. Also, it may be scientifically useful to develop far‐infrared missions in terms of cooling rate profile analysis.
Coupled chemistry climate model simulations of the solar cycle in ozone and temperature
Authors: Austin J. , Tourpali K. , Rozanov E. , Akiyoshi H. , Bekki S. , Bodeker G. , Brühl C. , Butchart N. , Chipperfield M. , Deushi M. , Fomichev V. I. , Giorgetta M. A. , Gray L. , Kodera K. , Lott F. , Manzini E. , Marsh D. , Matthes K. , Nagashima T. , Shibata K. , Stolarski R. S. , Struthers H. , Tian W.
Published: June 2008

The 11‐year solar cycles in ozone and temperature are examined using new simulations of coupled chemistry climate models. The results show a secondary maximum in stratospheric tropical ozone, in agreement with satellite observations and in contrast with most previously published simulations. The mean model response varies by up to about 2.5% in ozone and 0.8 K in temperature during a typical solar cycle, at the lower end of the observed ranges of peak responses. Neither the upper atmospheric effects of energetic particles nor the presence of the quasi biennial oscillation is necessary to simulate the lower stratospheric response in the observed low latitude ozone concentration. Comparisons are also made between model simulations and observed total column ozone. As in previous studies, the model simulations agree well with observations. For those models which cover the full temporal range 1960–2005, the ozone solar signal below 50 hPa changes substantially from the first two solar cycles to the last two solar cycles. Further investigation suggests that this difference is due to an aliasing between the sea surface temperatures and the solar cycle during the first part of the period. The relationship between these results and the overall structure in the tropical solar ozone response is discussed. Further understanding of solar processes requires improvement in the observations of the vertically varying and column integrated ozone.
Three Years of Ocean Data From a Bio‐optical Profiling Float
Authors: Boss Emmanuel , Perry Mary Jane , Swift Dana , Taylor Lisa , Brickley Peter , Zaneveld J. Ron V. , Riser Stephen
Published: June 2008

Ocean color, first measured from space 30 years ago, has provided a revolutionary synoptic view of near‐surface fields of phytoplankton pigments. Since 1979, a number of ocean color satellite missions have provided coverage of phytoplankton biomass and other biogeochemical variables on scales of days to years and of kilometers to ocean basin.

Because of the nature of visible light and its interaction with absorbing and scattering materials in the ocean and atmosphere, these measurements are biased toward near‐surface waters and are obscured by clouds. As a consequence, ocean color satellites miss significant fractions of phytoplankton biomass, marine primary productivity, and particle flux that occur at depths beyond their sensing range. They also miss phytoplankton blooms and other events that occur during periods of extended cloud cover.
China launches new weather satellite
Authors: Showstack Randy , Kumar Mohi
Published: June 2008

China launched its second weather forecasting satellite on 27 May. Called Fengyun 3, the new polar‐orbiting satellite will monitor Earth's atmosphere, climate, oceans, and polar caps and will help scientists predict and monitor extreme weather over China, according to the Chinese Meteorological Administration.
Global Dimming and Brightening: International Workshop of the Israel Science Foundation on Global Dimming and Brightening; Ein Gedi, Israel, 10–14 February 2008
Authors: Ohring George , Cohen Shabtai , Norris Joel , Robock Alan , Rudich Yinon , Wild Martin , Wiscombe Warren
Published: June 2008

Observations indicate that the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the Earth has varied significantly over decadal timescales during the past half century. A workshop of the Israel Science Foundation evaluated the observational evidence for global dimming and brightening (GDB), its possible causes, and its implications for the Earths climate, hydrology, agriculture, and land use. The workshop also identified gaps in our knowledge and made recommendations to fill these gaps.

Speakers at the workshop reviewed current understanding of GDB. Surface observations indicate that widespread global dimming (reduced solar radiation) at a rate of about 2–3 watts per square meter per decade occurred between the late 1950s and the late 1980s over midlatitude land surfaces of the Northern Hemisphere. These records also show a reversal of this trend over many land areas in the past two decades— brightening of the order of 2 watts per square meter per decade. Satellite estimates of solar radiation reaching the surface and aerosol trends, only available since the early 1980s, are generally consistent with these findings. Some analyses of the surface observations indicate that the rates of dimming and brightening are highest in major population centers and fall off significantly in areas with lower population densities.
Networking Research Infrastructures for Earthquake Seismology in Europe
Authors: Giardini Domenico , Van Eck Torild , Bossu Rémy , Wiemer Stefan
Published: June 2008

In the past decade, European countries have experienced a surge in funding, of the order of 100 million euro (€100 million), for new earthquake monitoring equipment and initiatives. Permanent and mobile seismograph and accelerometer networks on national, regional, and global levels are being modernized and are expanding at a significant pace. Currently, earthquakes in the European‐Mediterranean region are recorded by more than 2500 short‐period (SP) seismometers, 3000 accelerometers, and 800 broadband (BB) permanent seismic stations operated by more than 100 networks and observatories. An additional 400 BB and more than 1200 SP mobile stations are deployed by universities and research institutes in temporary experiments. This unprecedented and still‐expanding recording capacity in Europe and its immediate surroundings opens up new research opportunities as well as new data‐handling challenges. For example, maintaining optimum access to the data and integrating facilities with different types of data require a high level of networking and coordination.
Mexico‐U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Efforts: Workshop on Taxonomy of Harmful Algal Blooms; Veracruz, Mexico, 18–22 February 2008
Authors: Hu Chuanmin , Muller‐Karger Frank E.
Published: June 2008

A workshop on harmful algal bloom (HAB) taxonomy, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Health of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, was held at the Aquarium of Veracruz and focused on standardizing methods to detect HABs that affect coastal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This binational effort was established under the umbrella of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), initially formed in 2004 by the five U.S. Gulf states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) with participation from U.S. federal agencies and other stakeholders.

The workshop was aimed at developing a joint program in HAB monitoring and research between the United States and Mexico. This was the first joint gathering of its kind and took place as a result of a series of recent initiatives, including a 3‐year grant from the EPA to the University of South Florida to build “A Binational Gulf of Mexico HAB Risk Assessment and Communications Partnership” through efforts to assess, develop, and better integrate the existing human scientific and resource management infrastructure in the United States and Mexico. The workshop was the first step toward these goals.
Influence of Ascorbic Acid on the Thermic Effect of Feeding in Overweight and Obese Adult Humans
Authors: Newsom Sean A. , Paxton Roger J. , Rynn Grant M. , Bell Christopher
Published: June 2008

The thermic effect of feeding (TEF: increase in energy expenditure following acute energy intake) is an important physiological determinant of total daily energy expenditure and thus energy balance. Approximately 40% of TEF is believed to be mediated by sympathoadrenal activation and consequent β‐adrenergic receptor stimulation of metabolism. In sedentary adults, acute administration of ascorbic acid, a potent antioxidant, augments the thermogenic response to β‐adrenergic stimulation. We hypothesized that acute ascorbic acid administration augments TEF in sedentary overweight and obese adults. Energy expenditure was determined (ventilated hood technique) before and 4 h after consumption of a liquid‐mixed meal (caloric equivalent 40% of resting energy expenditure (REE)) in 11 sedentary, overweight/obese adults (5 men, 6 women; age: 24 ± 2 years; BMI: 28.5 ± 1.0 kg/m2 (mean ± s.e.)) on two separate, randomly ordered occasions: during continuous intravenous administration of saline (placebo control) and/or ascorbic acid (0.05 g/kg fat‐free mass). Acute ascorbic acid administration prevented the increase in plasma concentration of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein in the postprandial state (P = 0.04), but did not influence REE (1,668 ± 107 kcal/day vs.1,684 ± 84 kcal/day; P = 0.91) or the area under the TEF response curve (33.4 ± 2.4 kcal vs. 30.5 ± 3.6 kcal; P = 0.52) (control vs. ascorbic acid, respectively). Furthermore, acute ascorbic acid administration had no effect on respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, or arterial blood pressure in the pre‐ and postabsorptive states (all P > 0.64). These data imply that the attenuated TEF commonly observed with sedentary lifestyle and obesity is not modulated by ascorbic acid‐sensitive oxidative stress.