bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the distribution of the air pollution sensitive lichen species Usnea hirta
Authors: SHRESTHA Gajendra , PETERSEN Steven L. , ST. CLAIR Larry L.
Published: June 2012

Usnea hirta, an important member of the lichen family Parmeliaceae, has long been used as a bio-monitor of air pollution, particularly of sulphur dioxide in North America. Although U. hirta has a wide geographical distribution, it is important to be able to identify accurately the optimal habitat conditions for air pollution-sensitive species, thus making it possible to more effectively and efficiently establish air quality bio-monitoring stations. We modelled the distribution of U. hirta as a function of nine variables, five macroclimatic variables: average monthly precipitation, average monthly minimum temperature, average monthly maximum temperature, solar radiation, and integrated moisture index, and four topographic variables: elevation, slope, aspect, and land forms and uses for the White River National Forest, Colorado. The response variable was developed based on the presence or absence of U. hirta at each of 72 bio-monitoring baseline sites established in selected portions of four intermountain area states. Our model was developed using Non-Parametric Multiplicative Regression (NPMR) analysis, a modelling approach that analyzes environmental gradients, or predictor variables, against known locations for individuals of the model species. Finally, we evaluated our model on the basis of log β values and overall improvement over a naïve model and the Monte Carlo Permutation Test with 1000 randomized runs. The best model for U. hirta included four variables – solar radiation, average monthly precipitation, and average monthly minimum and maximum temperatures (log β=3·68). Among these four variables, average monthly maximum temperature was the most influential predictor (sensitivity=0·71) for the distribution of U. hirta. The occurrence rate for U. hirta, based on field validation, was 45·5%, 65·4%, and 70·4% for low, medium, and high probability areas, respectively. This study showed that our model was successful in predicting the distribution of U. hirta in the White River National Forest. Based on these results, the north-eastern and western portions of the forest appear to offer the most favourable conditions for the installation of future air quality bio-monitoring baseline sites.
Culture studies on the mycobiont ofCaloplaca erythrantha(Tuck.) Zahlbr. (Teloschistaceae): high production of major lichen secondary metabolites
Authors: FAZIO Alejandra T. , ADLER Mónica T. , BERTONI María D. , MAIER Marta S.
Published: June 2012

A strain of the lichen mycobiont ofCaloplaca erythrantha, isolated from ascospores, was cultured axenically on different solid media. Four of the media employed supported the development of colonies and production of the two major lichen secondary metabolites. These media were: BMYE (mannitol 2%, yeast extract 0·1%, in Bold's basal medium); MEYE (malt extract 2%, yeast extract 0·2%, in distilled water); Hamada's MY10 (malt extract 1%, yeast extract 0·4%, sucrose 10%, in distilled water); and the new BMRM (Bold mannitol rich medium, mannitol 5·3%, malt extract 1%, yeast extract 0·4% in Bold's mineral medium). Percentages refer to final medium volume. The fungal colonies developed well on the four media and produced emodin and 7-chloroemodin, the major secondary compounds of the lichen apothecia. Crystals deposited richly on the external surface of the hyphae, as observed with an optical microscope. The two anthraquinones were purified from the lichen thallus, apothecia and cultured mycelia, and identified by chromatographic (TLC, HPLC) and spectroscopic (NMR, MS) methods. The analysis of lichen apothecia revealed the presence of emodin (0·90% w/w) and 7-chloroemodin (0·56% w/w), whereas colonies cultured for five months generally produced higher percentages than the lichen: 1·72% emodin and 0·30% 7-chloroemodin on BMYE; 0·21% and 0·95% on MEYE; 7·82% and 7·48% on MY10; and 11·70% and 10·80% on BMRM. These results show that the production of both anthraquinones was promoted significantly in mycobiont cultures with high concentrations of the carbon sources sucrose or mannitol, with a higher effect being observed with the latter.
Choosing What Is Advantageous: The Relationship between Epideictic and Deliberative Syncrisis in Hebrews
Authors: Martin Michael W. , Whitlark Jason A.
Published: June 2012

This study examines deliberative syncrisis and its relationship to epideictic syncrisis in Hebrews, with a view to addressing the question of whether the rhetoric of Hebrews is ultimately epideictic or deliberative in its overall tenor and aim. Building on a previous study of epideictic syncrisis in Hebrews, the study argues that epideictic syncrisis is consistently in service in Hebrews to deliberative syncrisis, providing it with both the logical premise and the topical theme by which it advances the argument. This relationship is key, the study argues, both to Hebrews' structure and to its aim, which are decidedly deliberative in nature.
Le prologue du quatrième évangile, clé de voûte de la littérature johannique
Authors: Devillers Luc
Published: June 2012

Like its last verse (Jn 1.18), the Prologue of the Johannine Gospel has a double meaning: christological and soteriological. The christological one is mainly connected with John 1–20, the soteriological with John 21, and both are linked to 1 John. Indeed, while the Prologue interacts with the Gospel narrative and with the Epilogue (Jn 21), it works also as a ‘relecture’ (re-reading) of 1 John. It recapitulates the promise by Jesus to lead the believers ‘where he is’—i.e. ‘in(to) the bosom of the Father’ (Jn 1.18//Jn 12.26; 14.2–3, 6; 17.24)—as well as the assertion of the Letter regarding the children of God (Jn 1.12//1 Jn 3.1–2). In adding a Prologue and an Epilogue, the last redactor of Jn created a huge meta-historical arch evoking the whole Divine design, from the Alpha before the Creation (ἐν ἀρχῇ, Jn 1.1–2) to the Omega of the eschatological coming of the Risen One (ἕως ἔρχομαι, Jn 21.22, 23; cf. the παρουσία of 1 Jn 2.28). The Prologue is then the keystone and the reading key of the Johannine literature.
XIII.—A Comparative Study of the Cytoplasmic Components during the Oogenesis of Dog, Cat, and Rabbit
Authors: Zlotnik I.
Published: June 2012

The present paper gives an account of the behaviour of the Golgi material, mitochondria, and nucleolar extrusions during the oogenesis of dog, cat, and rabbit. So far as the writer is aware there is no previous detailed work on the cytoplasmic components of the female germ-cells of the animals investigated.

R. Vander Stricht (1911) dealt with the oogenesis of the cat; O. Vander Stricht (1923) has made a comparative study of oogenesis of mammals, including the dog and the cat; P. del Rio Hortega (1913) described the behaviour of the Golgi material, and H. von Winiwarter (1900) studied the nuclear changes during oogenesis of the rabbit; H. von Winiwarter and G. Sainmont (1909) dealt with nuclear metamorphosis during the oogenesis of the cat; finally J. Nihoul (1926), in his paper on the rabbit, described the Golgi material during oogenesis. All the papers quoted, apart from those which deal with the nuclear changes, are either incomplete surveys, or the methods used are insufficiently delicate to reveal changes shown by modern techniques.
V.—The Mode of Multiplication of the Rous No. I Sarcoma Virus
Authors: Carr J. G.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

Known amounts of the Rous No. 1 sarcoma virus were injected into the legs of chicks. The birds were killed, the legs extracted, and the virus content determined at intervals. Controls showed complete recovery of the virus by the methods used. After 16 hours the amount of virus was 1 per cent, or less of the injected amount, and this low level remained until about 70 hours, when an increased amount of virus suddenly appeared. This is taken to imply that, like the necrotising viruses, those of the fowl sarcoma multiply in the cell in a non-infective and probably disaggregated form. These times agree well with previous histological findings. The implications of such a method of reproduction are discussed.
V.—Investigations into the Distribution of Thiol Groups in the Skin Follicles of Mice and Sheep and the Entry of Labelled Sulphur Compounds
Authors: Ryder M. L.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

The distribution of thiol (sulphydryl) groups in the wool follicle has been studied with Bennett's reagent; the strongest reaction was found immediately proximal to the prekeratinization (keratogenous) region. Mice and lambs were injected with cystine labelled with sulphur-35 and radioactivity was detected in the follicles, autoradiographically within a few minutes. A peak of activity formed in the follicle during the first few hours after injection which suggested that there is a rapid turnover of cystine in the body. But a small amount of activity could still be detected in the follicle up to at least 3 weeks afterwards.

Sulphur seems to enter the follicle immediately above the bulb, and reaches the fibre first on the side at which it is keratinized last. This method indicated the relative proportion of sulphur in different regions of the follicle and suggested that the sulphur becomes concentrated on keratinization. No difference in sulphur content was found between primary and secondary follicles, the ortho- and paracortex, and apparently between cortex and medulla. When labelled sulphate was injected, activity appeared first in the outer sheath, and only later in the fibre.
V.—The Profundal Fauna of Loch Lomond, Scotland
Authors: Slack H. D.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

Loch Lomond is divisible into two natural regions, a northern, deep, steep-sided trough and a southern, relatively shallow expanse. These are separated by what is, in many respects, a transitional middle region. This topographical diversity has engendered widely different environments for the benthic fauna, especially for the profundal fauna.

A survey of selected sites in each region has shown a distribution of species in accordance with the individuality of these major divisions of the lake.

Chironomid midge larvae and the bivalve mollusc, Pisidium, each have dominant species in different regions. Of the former, Sergentia coracinus characterizes the northern and species of Tanytarsus the southern region; both being absent from the transitional region where Chironomidæ of any species are few in number.

Pisidium conventus predominates in the deep cold waters of the northern and middle regions and is replaced by other species, chiefly P. lilljeborgi, in the southern.

Regional differentiation of oligochaete worms appears to be less clearly defined but with Limnodrilus sp. avoiding the deep water and Stylodrilus heringianus favouring it.

Despite marked differences in proportions of the component species, tentative estimates of biomass of the profundal benthic animals show a tendency towards equality in all regions.
X.—The Natural History of Yellow Fever in Africa
Authors: Haddow A. J.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

The studies on the epidemiology of yellow fever which have been carried out in Africa in the period 1925–1966 are presented in narrative form.

The original isolation of the virus is described, leading on to the survey work which showed that the infection is widespread in tropical Africa and that monkeys are very important hosts—perhaps the definitive mammalian hosts—of the virus. The discoveries of a monkey-to-man cycle in which the classical vector mosquito,Aedes aegypti, is replaced byA. simpsoniand of a monkey-to-monkey cycle, in whichA. africanusis the vector, are described.

Recent epidemics are discussed, particularly that in Ethiopia, where there were about 200,000 cases, with 30,000 deaths, in the period 1960–62 and where the principal vector in the man-to-man cycle wasA. simpsoni.

Work on groups of animals other than monkeys is reviewed, with particular reference to studies on the lemuroid Primates of the genusGalago, which are believed to be natural hosts of the virus. It is concluded that there are still many unknown facets in the epidemiology.
XVI.—The Problem of Chromosome Re-arrangements in Somatic Cells ofDrosophila Melanogaster
Authors: Auerbach C.
Published: June 2012

The mechanism by which irradiation produces gross re-arrangements of chromosomes (inversions, translocations, deletions) is now generally believed to occur in two steps: (a) breakage of one or more chromosomes, yielding two or more points of breakage; and (b) reunion of broken ends in a novel combination. Thus the frequency with which a given treatment produces re-arrangements depends not only on the number of breaks produced, but on the circumstances under which reunion takes place. InDrosophilathe fertilized ovum seems to offer particularly favourable conditions for breaks produced in the mature spermatozoon to join up into new combinations. In immature germ-cells, on the other hand, re-arrangements are much less readily produced by irradiation (Muller, 1930; Shapiro and Neuhaus, 1933; Shapiro, 1937; Glass, 1939). Evidence for the occurrence of spontaneous or induced re-arrangements in somatic cells ofDrosophilais very scanty.
The Biochemical Effects of Ionizing Irradiation on Nuclear Function in Animal Cells
Authors: Ord Margery G. , Stocken L. A.
Published: June 2012

This discussion of the biochemical lesions produced in animal cells by ionizing radiation will to all intents and purposes be restricted to a consideration of the immediate response to doses of 1000 rads or less in two rat tissues only, namely the thymus gland and the regenerating liver. The experiments we have carried out with these two tissues have led us to the view that in these organs the ultimate damage to the cell stems from an initial upset of the nuclear thiol-disulphide equilibrium.
XVII.—A Study of the Cytoplasmic Inclusions during the Spermatogenesis of the Mouse
Authors: Gresson R. A. R.
Published: June 2012

In previous contributions the writer has described the structure and behaviour of the mitochondria and Golgi material of the egg of the mouse (Gresson, 1933, 1938 and 1940 b), and more recently has traced the cytoplasmic inclusions through the stages of maturation, fertilisation and the first cleavage division (Gresson, 1941). As the result of observations on the sperm middle-piece it is claimed that the mitochondria of the sheath are liberated into the ooplasm of the fertilised egg, and are shared out between the first two blastomeres; and further, that a Golgi element is present in the middle-piece, and that this breaks up and its products are distributed through the cytoplasm of the fertilised ovum (Gresson, 1940a, and 1941).
XVIII.—Studies on Reproduction in Wild-Type and Female-Sterile Mutants ofDrosophila melanogaster(Meig)
Authors: Beatty R. A. , Waddington C. H.
Published: June 2012

Drosophilamutants are usually defined by structural characteristics exhibited by the adult fly. In certain cases (homozygous lethal mutants and female-sterile mutants) the mutant may or may not be defined structurally, but does exhibit the physiological characteristic of death at some stage.

The females of homozygous lethals are sterile, for the F1; represented by the germinal cells, dies with the mother. The term female-sterile, however, is applied to the well-known cases in which the mother but not her F1achieve imaginal life.
XI.—The Condition of the Mantle Cavity in Two Pulmonate Snails living in Loch Lomond
Authors: Hunter W. Russell
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

A survey has been made of the condition of the mantle cavity in populations ofLymnœa (Radix) peregra (Müller)andPhysa fontinalis(L.) living in a range of depths and habitats in Loch Lomond. In many populations, including some in relatively shallow water, the mantle cavity remains water-filled throughout life. Where the cavity contains a gas-bubble, micro-gas-analysis (using a modification of Krogh's methods) has revealed that in some cases the gas composition is such that the bubble could be used as a physical gill, while in others such use is unlikely. Other observations on respiratory behaviour of the two species are reported, and growth-changes are noted in the surfaces available for cutaneous respiration. The study is discussed in relation to previous work on the respiration and ecology of freshwater pulmonate snails.
XV.—The Bottom Deposits of Loch Lomond
Authors: Slack H. D.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

The contrasting geological and topographical features of different regions of Loch Lomond and its watershed are reflected in the nature of the bottom deposits of the lake. This paper presents a survey of the lake bed with the object of determining the extent of its regional variety, and confirms the validity of regarding the lake as divisible into two primary regions. The two primary regions, “upper loch” and “lower loch”, are clearly distinct, but the case for the separation of part of the lower loch as a third, intermediate, region cannot be dismissed without further investigation. From a comparison of the bottom deposits, an attempt is made to show the advance in trophic state made by the lower loch over that of the upper.
XVI.—Electron Microscopic Studies of Spinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Hossack J. , Wyburn G. M.
Published: June 2012

Synopsis

Thin sections of the spinal ganglion of the rat were cut and examined with the electron microscope. Two main types of nerve cell are described. Type A with equal electron density of nucleus and cytoplasm. The cytoplasm contains large aggregates of Nissl's substance discretely scattered throughout the cell, mitochondria and osmophilic granules. Type B with a “light” nucleus and a “dark” cytoplasm. The cytoplasm is closely packed and homogeneous so that it is difficult to separate out the various cytoplasmic elements.

There is a well-marked nuclear membrane about 500 Å thick and characteristic strawberry nucleolus.

The capsular cells are closely applied to the nerve cell with no intervening boundaries. A system of cytoplasmic filaments—the “endoplasmic reticulum”—is present in the intercellular regions.

There are nerve fibres with lamellated myelin sheath, axolemma, Schwann cells and Schwann membrane.
A LOSS SYSTEM WITH SKILL-BASED SERVERS UNDER ASSIGN TO LONGEST IDLE SERVER POLICY
Authors: Adan Ivo , Weiss Gideon
Published: June 2012

We consider a memoryless loss system with servers ${\cal S}$ = {1, …, J}, and with customer types ${\cal C}$ = {1, …, I}. Servers are multi-type: server j works at rate μj, and can serve a subset of customer types C(j). An arriving customer will go to the longest idling server which can serve him, or be lost. We obtain a simple explicit steady-state distribution for this system, and calculate various performance measures of this system in steady state. We provide some illustrative examples. We compare this system with a similar system discussed recently by Adan, Hurkens, and Weiss [1]. We also show that this system is insensitive, the results hold also for general service time distributions.
A GENERALIZED MEMORYLESS PROPERTY
Authors: Kella Offer , Löpker Andreas
Published: June 2012

We consider a generalized memoryless property which relates to Cantor's second functional equation, study its properties and demonstrate various examples.
UNIFORM CONVERGENCE TO A LAW CONTAINING GAUSSIAN AND CAUCHY DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: Blanchet Jose H. , Pacheco-González Carlos G.
Published: June 2012

A source of light is placeddinches apart from the center of a detection bar of lengthL≥d. The source spins very rapidly, while shooting beams of light according to, say, a Poisson process with rate λ. The positions of the beams, relative to the center of the bar, are recorded for those beams that actually hit the bar. Which law best describes the time-average position of the beams that hit the bar given a fixed but long time horizont? The answer is given in this paper by means of a uniform weak convergence result inL, dast→ ∞. Our approximating law includes as particular cases the Cauchy and Gaussian distributions.
Geistand Communication in Kant's Theory of Aesthetic Ideas
Authors: DeBord Charles
Published: June 2012

In hisCritique of the Power of Judgement, Kant explicates the creation of works of fine art (schöne Kunst) in terms of aesthetic ideas. His analysis of aesthetic ideas claims that they are not concepts (Begriffe) and are therefore not definable or describable in determinate language. Nevertheless, Kant claims that aesthetic ideas are communicable via spirit (Geist), a special mental ability he associates with artistic genius. This paper argues that Kant's notion ofGeistis central to his analysis of fine art's expressive power. The notion ofGeistconstitutes a conceptual link between Kant's aesthetic theory and that of G. W. F. Hegel, for whose analysisGeistis the subject.
Sports Law: its History and Growth and the Development of Key Sources
Authors: Boyes Simon
Published: June 2012

In this article Simon Boyes traces the development of the discipline of sports law as represented and effected by the literature in the field. The article identifies different aspects of sports law and the various levels and locations within which it operates and identifies the leading academic and practitioner works associated with each. The article also considers the major developments in the field and the way in which they have shaped the sports law literature.
Athletics in Ancient Law
Authors: Ibbetson David
Published: June 2012

In this article David Ibbetson takes a perspective from the ancient world. A number of texts of Roman law are concerned with injuries arising in the course of athletics. They are particularly concerned with blameworthy killings, and constitute some of the most fundamental texts at the historical base of modern negligence liability. Behind them there may lie questions discussed by Greek orators, where they were fitted into a rather different framework from that of the Romans.
Drugs in Sport
Authors: Charlish Peter
Published: June 2012

In this article Peter Charlish addresses the controversial issue of the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport. He looks at the legal basis for regulation via the World Anti-Doping Code and the nature of a sports participant's relationship with their governing body and the anti-doping organisations. He explains in the context of proportionality, the measures designed to combat doping in sport; the importance to the Code of the central principle of strict liability. Also, he highlights the use of non-analytical positives as a further method of detection of doping violations, whilst taking consideration of the impact of these measures on the human rights of participants.
Gender Equity in Canadian Ice Hockey: the Legal Struggle
Authors: Eaton John
Published: June 2012

In this article, John Eaton details Canadians' passion for ice hockey and chronicles the legal struggles of Canadian women to partake in the sport on an equal basis to men. Readers interested in the law of ice hockey are referred to the authoritative work on the subject, John Barnes's The Law of Hockey (Markham: LexisNexis Canada Inc., 2010) and those who wish to read more of the story of women's ice hockey in Canada should consult Etue, Elizabeth & Williams, Megan K., On the Edge: Women Making Hockey History (Toronto: Second Story Press, 1996).
Between the crisis of democracy and world parliament: the development of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the 1920s
Authors: Albers Martin
Published: June 2012

The Great War created new challenges for the proponents of pre-1914 cosmopolitanism. This article explores this theme by studying the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international association of members of parliament active in the interwar period. The IPU is first taken as a case study to discuss the difficulty of clearly differentiating between national politicians and agents of international civil society during the years between the wars. The article then shows how pre-war liberal internationalists had to reorient after the First World War, and how socialists and nationalists brought new agendas to the realm of international cooperation at the non-governmental level. These new perspectives shaping the international system even led to far-reaching plans for a world parliament. However, the IPU's history also shows how domestic political polarization contributed to the failure of interwar internationalism.
The League of Nations: a retreat from international law?
Authors: Wertheim Stephen
Published: June 2012

During the First World War, civil society groups across the North Atlantic put forward an array of plans for recasting international society. The most prominent ones sought to build on the Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907 by developing international legal codes and, in a drastic innovation, obligating and militarily enforcing the judicial settlement of disputes. Their ideal was a world governed by law, which they opposed to politics. This idea was championed by the largest groups in the United States and France in favour of international organizations, and they had likeminded counterparts in Britain. The Anglo-American architects of the League of Nations, however, defined their vision against legalism. Their declaratory design sought to ensure that artificial machinery never stifled the growth of common consciousness. Paradoxically, the bold new experiment in international organization was forged from an anti-formalistic ethos – one that slowed the momentum of international law and portended the rise of global governance.
Rotary International's ‘acid test’: multi-ethnic associational life in 1930s Southeast Asia
Authors: Lewis Su Lin
Published: June 2012

The social history of colonial Southeast Asia has often been narrated through the lens of ‘plural societies’, where various ethnic groups rarely mixed. This article challenges that narrative by pointing to traditions of multi-ethnic interaction, particularly in port cities, dating back to an early modern age of commerce. Although colonialism introduced new racial hierarchies that reinforced stark ethnic divides, it also created arenas where these could be transgressed. In the interwar era, international organizations, such as Rotary clubs, provided a way of breaking the colour bar of colonial society and a venue for multi-ethnic representation in a shared associational space. They converged with existing notions of civic duty, while promoting a public intellectual culture in cities for both men and women, as well as a new sense of regionalism. In ethnically divided Malaya, Asian Rotarians questioned the importance of race and debated the possibilities of a multi-ethnic future for the nation. While such cosmopolitan ideals were more vulnerable in the post-colonial era of nation-states, the organizations of the interwar era left important legacies for civil society in the region.
French Wine and the U.S. Boycott of 2003: Does Politics Really Affect Commerce?
Authors: Ashenfelter Orley , Ciccarella Stephen , Shatz Howard J.
Published: June 2012

In early 2003, France actively tried to thwart the plans of the Bush administration to build international support for a war to depose Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein. In response, calls in the United States for a boycott of French products, wine in particular, rebounded through all forms of media. In the spring of 2003, French business people even reported that the boycott calls were hurting their U.S. sales. Using a dataset of sales of nearly 4,700 individual wine brands, we show that there actually was no boycott effect. Rather, sales of French wine dipped for two reasons. First, they experience a cyclical peak at holiday time, from November through early January, and the boycott was called during the February to May period. Second, sales of French wine have been in a secular decline in the United States. Sales in February through May 2003 merely stayed on trend. We contrast our results with other recent work that has found evidence of a boycott effect but that omits the holiday effect from several specifications. French wine producers may be having economic problems, but it is not because of their government's foreign policy. (JEL classification: D12, F14, L66, Q17)
Critical Exposure and Price-Quality Relationships for New World Wines in the U.S. Market
Authors: Roberts Peter W. , Reagans Ray
Published: June 2012

Notwithstanding the observed positive correlations between critics' quality ratings and wine prices, the range of these correlations is quite high. In light of this, researchers must consider the factors that either strengthen or weaken the association between quality ratings and prices. In this paper, we propose that the slope of the relationship between quality ratings and wine prices is moderated by the amount of attention that producers receive. Because attention increases with a producer's critical exposure (i.e., its history of critical coverage), price-quality relationships will be steeper for producers with more critical exposure. This prediction is confirmed in an analysis of New World wines selling into the U.S. market over the 1987 to 2001 period. While a wine's price is a positive function of its own quality rating, the strength of the price-quality relationship increases with a producer's critical exposure (JEL classifications: L11, L13, L15).
The Sideways Effect: A Test for Changes in the Demand for Merlot and Pinot Noir Wines
Authors: Cuellar Steven S. , Karnowsky Dan , Acosta Frederick
Published: June 2012

This paper examines the effect of the movie Sideways on US wine consumption. Specifically, we examine the affects of the movie on the consumption of Merlot, which is derided in the movie and the affect on Pinot Noir, which is praised. We examine the trends in consumption before and after the movie and perform statistical tests for structural changes in consumption. We also test for changes in consumption of each varietal by price point. (JEL Classification: C22)
When Does the Price Affect the Taste? Results from a Wine Experiment
Authors: Almenberg Johan , Dreber Anna
Published: June 2012

We designed an experiment that examines how knowledge about the price of a good, and the time at which the information is received, affects how the good is experienced. The good in question was wine, and the price was either high or low. Our results suggest that hosts offering wine to guests can safely reveal the price: much is gained if the wine is expensive, and little is lost if it is cheap. Disclosing a high price before tasting the wine produces considerably higher ratings, although only from women. Disclosing a low price, by contrast, does not result in lower ratings. Our finding supports the notion that price not only serves to clear markets, it also influences expectations that in turn shape a consumer's experience. In addition, our results suggest that men and women respond differently to attribute information concerning wine. (JEL Classification: C91, D03, D83, M31)
The Impact of Gurus: Parker Grades anden primeurWine Prices
Authors: Ali Héla Hadj , Lecocq Sébastien , Visser Michael
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of Robert Parker's oenological grades on Bordeaux wine prices. We study their impact on the so-calleden primeurwine prices, i.e., the prices determined by the château owners when the wines are still extremely young. The Parker grades are usually published in the spring of each year, before the wine prices are established. However, the wine grades attributed in 2003 have been published much later, in the autumn,afterthe determination of the prices. This unusual reversal is exploited to estimate a Parker effect. We find that, on average, the effect is equal to 2.80 euros per bottle of wine. We also estimate grade-specific effects, and use these estimates to predict what the prices would have been had Parker attended the spring tasting in 2003. (JEL Classification: C21, D89, L15).
Evaluation of Wine Judge Performance through Three Characteristics: Bias, Discrimination, and Variation
Authors: Cao Jing , Stokes Lynne
Published: June 2012

Judge performance is a critical component of a wine competition's success. A number of studies have shown that wine judges may differ considerably in their opinions. In this paper, we have conducted an in-depth examination of wine judge performance at a U.S. wine competition. Three characteristics of judge's performance are examined: bias, discrimination ability, and variation. Based on the analysis, we can identify the judges who had discrepant scoring patterns and can gain insight into which of the three characteristics cause particular judges to disagree. The evaluation of wine judge performance through these three characteristics may provide useful information for training them to have consistent performance and in assisting competition coordinators in judge selection. (JEL Classification: C1, D8, Q13)
Maternal protein restriction in pregnancy and/or lactation affects seminiferous tubule organization in male rat offspring
Authors: Rodríguez-González G. L. , Vigueras-Villaseñor R. M. , Millán S. , Moran N. , Trejo R. , Nathanielsz P. W. , Larrea F. , Zambrano E.
Published: June 2012

Maternal protein restriction (MPR) during pregnancy impaired the reproduction of male offspring. We investigated, during the first wave of spermatogenesis, whether MPR exerts deleterious effects on germ cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as androgen receptor (AR) protein expression, which was used as a marker for Sertoli cell (SC) maturation. At the beginning of pregnancy (day 0), dams were fed a control diet (C: 20% casein) or a restricted isocaloric diet (R: 10% casein). After birth, four groups were established: CC, RR, CR and RC (first letter diet during pregnancy and second during lactation). Male offspring were studied at postnatal days 14, 21 and 36. At birth, pup body weight was unchanged. Body weight and testis weight were reduced in RR and CR groups at all ages evaluated. MPR delayed the germinal epithelium development at all ages evaluated. On performing Western blot and immunohistochemistry, AR expression was found to be lower in the three restricted groups. The results suggest that MPR during pregnancy and/or lactation delays SC maturation and germ cell differentiation, and affects intratubular organization. These changes might be responsible for the lower fertility rate at older ages.
The thermal environment of Cascadia Basin
Authors: Johnson H. Paul , Hautala Susan L. , Bjorklund Tor A.
Published: June 2012

Located adjacent to the NE Pacific convergent boundary, Cascadia Basin has a global impact well beyond its small geographic size. Composed of young oceanic crust formed at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, igneous rocks underlying the basin are partially insulated from cooling of their initial heat of formation by a thick layer of pelagic and turbidite sediments derived from the adjacent North American margin. The igneous seafloor is eventually consumed at the Cascadia subduction zone, where interactions between the approaching oceanic crust and the North American continental margin are partially controlled by the thermal environment. Within Cascadia Basin, basement topographic relief varies dramatically, and sediments have a wide range of thickness and physical properties. This variation produces regional differences in heat flow and basement temperatures for seafloor even of similar age. Previous studies proposed a north‐south thermal gradient within Cascadia Basin, with high geothermal flux and crustal temperatures measured in the heavily sedimented northern portion near Vancouver Island and lower than average heat flux and basement temperatures predicted for the central and southern portions of the basin. If confirmed, this prediction has implications for processes associated with the Cascadia subduction zone, including the location of the “locked zone” of the megathrust fault. Although existing archival geophysical data in the central and southern basin are sparse, nonuniformly distributed, and derived from a wide range of historical sources, a substantial N‐S geothermal gradient appears to be confirmed by our present compilation of combined water column and heat flow measurements.
Ground deformations and volcanic processes as imaged by CGPS data at Mt. Etna (Italy) between 2003 and 2008
Authors: Bruno Valentina , Mattia Mario , Aloisi Marco , Palano Mimmo , Cannavò Flavio , Holt William E.
Published: June 2012

We analyze the kinematic and crustal deformations of Mt. Etna from 2003 to 2008 as imaged by the Mt. Etna continuous GPS (CGPS) network (Etn@net). Through a careful analysis of GPS time series, six coherent phases of crustal deformations have been identified, three inflation phases and three deflation phases, superimposed on a major inflation of the volcanic edifice since 2001. The inversions of GPS velocities have enabled: 1) a better understanding of the evolution of the volcanic sources acting beneath the volcano; 2) analysis of the strain rate patterns; and 3) a delineation of potential coupling between volcanic sources and the observed ground deformations. The modeling of the pressure sources has shown a separation between inflation and deflation sources. The deflation sources show an upward migration, from 5.5 toward 2.0 km (b.s.l.), while the inflation sources are located within 5.5 and 4.0 km (b.s.l.). Our results indicate that the kinematic and ground deformations of the mid‐upper eastern flank are driven by the interplay between the effect of the magmatic sources and a southeastward motion. Furthermore, clockwise rotations have been detected that prevailed over the eastern motion of the flank during the inflation phases preceding the 2004–2005 and 2006 eruptions. Finally, the accordance between the higher geodetic shear strain rates and the area with the highest seismic energy release shows that measured geodetic shear strain rates can provide useful information on the potential occurrence of seismic activity.
An intensification trend of South Pacific Mode Water subduction rates over the 20th century
Authors: Liu Chengyan , Wu Lixin
Published: June 2012

In this paper, the trend of the South Pacific Mode Water subduction rate is assessed based on recently developed ocean and atmosphere reanalysis products for the 20th century. It is found that the subduction volume of the mode water is intensified in the 20th century. The intensification of the mode water in the subtropical gyre of the South Pacific is primarily due to the strengthening of the vertical pumping velocity dominated by the enhanced wind stress curl over the past century. In contrast, the intensification of the South Pacific Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) is mainly caused by a deepening of the mixed layer depths and a strengthening of the advection in warm climate. As a result, the total subduction volume of the mode water over the South Pacific is increased in the 20th century.
Mapping ocean outfall plumes and their mixing using autonomous underwater vehicles
Authors: Rogowski Peter , Terrill Eric , Otero Mark , Hazard Lisa , Middleton William
Published: June 2012

This paper reports on developing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) survey methods for ocean outfall discharge plumes and new insights gained on plume mixing. Unique to the study is mapping the discharge mixing using colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) calibrated for effluent dilution. AUV mission planning methodologies for discharge plume sampling, plume characterization using onboard temperature, salinity and optical sensors, and comparison of observational data to model results are presented for the Point Loma Ocean Outfall offshore of San Diego, CA. The results are expected to be applicable to the general theme of mixing of submerged buoyant discharges. In the near‐field, the plume is found to mix to a height consistent with the predictions of buoyant jet engineering models. At the far‐field, the fine spatial scales of the plume resolved by the vehicle suggests that shear instabilities caused by internal waves can enhance plume mixing and elevate the discharge plume above the predicted equilibrium rise height. These results suggest that even under variable oceanic conditions, properly planned missions for AUVs equipped with an optical CDOM sensor in addition to traditional physical oceanographic sensors, can accurately map the mixing of ocean outfall plumes at resolutions not possible with traditional boat‐based techniques. Variations of oceanic conditions are found to influence the mixing and fate of the plume at time scales generally not considered in the design of these discharges.
Coupled fluid flow and sediment deformation in margin‐scale salt‐tectonic systems: 2. Layered sediment models and application to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Gradmann Sofie , Beaumont Christopher
Published: June 2012

In paper 1 we described a methodology to model coupled fluid flow and deformation in composite salt and siliciclastic tectonic systems and investigated their compaction and overpressuring behavior prior to and during continental margin‐scale gravitational spreading. Compaction‐driven Darcy fluid flow in clastic sediments is coupled through the effective pressure to their frictional‐plastic yield and mechanical deformation. Viscous flow of the underlying salt is independent of fluid pressure. Paper 1 presented prototype models that are limited to single uniform sediment lithologies, either sandstone‐type or shale‐type, that undergo mechanical and volumetric viscous compaction. In this paper we present models with layered sandstone‐type and shale‐type lithologies designed to better approximate the more complex stratigraphy of the Gulf of Mexico, our natural example. A first set of models demonstrates that layered lithologies can produce fluid pressure regimes similar to those observed in sedimentary basins. We then introduce an improved formulation of viscous compaction that includes a stronger dependence on porosity and depth (used as proxy for temperature), thereby more effectively self‐limiting viscous compaction. A second set of models with the improved viscous compaction formulation demonstrates that the onset of gravity spreading is mainly controlled by overpressuring in the landward end of the salt basin and that resulting shortening in the distal part is partly accommodated by horizontal compaction. Models with moderately high fluid pressure best reproduce conditions considered to have been necessary for large‐scale gravitational spreading in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, which led to the formation of the Perdido Fold Belt.
Mass conservative three‐dimensional water tracer distribution from Markov chain Monte Carlo inversion of time‐lapse ground‐penetrating radar data
Authors: Laloy Eric , Linde Niklas , Vrugt Jasper A.
Published: June 2012

Time‐lapse geophysical measurements are widely used to monitor the movement of water and solutes through the subsurface. Yet commonly used deterministic least squares inversions typically suffer from relatively poor mass recovery, spread overestimation, and limited ability to appropriately estimate nonlinear model uncertainty. We describe herein a novel inversion methodology designed to reconstruct the three‐dimensional distribution of a tracer anomaly from geophysical data and provide consistent uncertainty estimates using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. Posterior sampling is made tractable by using a lower‐dimensional model space related both to the Legendre moments of the plume and to predefined morphological constraints. Benchmark results using cross‐hole ground‐penetrating radar travel times measurements during two synthetic water tracer application experiments involving increasingly complex plume geometries show that the proposed method not only conserves mass but also provides better estimates of plume morphology and posterior model uncertainty than deterministic inversion results.
The “perfect storm”: From across the Atlantic to the hills of Genoa
Authors: Parodi A. , Boni G. , Ferraris L. , Siccardi F. , Pagliara P. , Trovatore E. , Foufoula‐Georgiou E. , Kranzlmueller D.
Published: June 2012

The city of Genoa, Italy, nestled between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennine Mountains, was rocked by severe flash foods on 4 November 2011. About 500 millimeters of rain—a third of the average annual rainfall—fell in 6 hours, killing six people and devastating the city center. A storm of this intensity is considered to be a multicentennial‐return‐period event. The torrential rainfall inflicted the worst disaster Genoa has experienced since October 1970, when a similar event killed 25 people. The peculiar fine‐scale properties of this event motivate a comprehensive research effort in the field of predictability of severe rainfall processes over areas of complex orography.
Stress perturbations and seismic response associated with the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku‐oki earthquake in and around the Tokai seismic gap, central Japan
Authors: Enescu B. , Aoi S. , Toda S. , Suzuki W. , Obara K. , Shiomi K. , Takeda T.
Published: June 2012

The M9.0 Tohoku‐oki event is the largest earthquake in Japan's modern history. Social concerns and scientific interests require an urgent evaluation of this event's impact on other megathrust zones nearby Japan. Here we investigate the stress transfer from the Tohoku‐oki event on the Tokai subduction zone, where an M8‐class megathrust earthquake has been long‐time anticipated. First we demonstrate that the clear increase of crustal seismicity around Izu Peninsula, near the Tokai gap, is the consequence of a Coulomb static stress increase due to the Tohoku‐oki earthquake, calculated using a variable slip model for the mainshock and regional focal mechanisms of events occurred before and after the M9.0 earthquake. The largest stress increase is of about 1.0 bar, as estimated on earthquake nodal planes of maximum stress change. The time‐decay characteristics of the activated seismicity favor the triggering by static stresses. Such validations of the Coulomb hypothesis support our stress perturbation assessment on the Tokai gap. To precisely calculate the stress changes on the Tokai source, we use the curved plate interface and plate‐motion inferred rake directions. The computed stress changes are predominantly positive but have relatively small values, of less than 0.1 bar. The large afterslip (Mw8.6) and the aftershocks following the Tohoku‐oki earthquake caused additional, but minor, stress increases. Our results imply that the stress‐state on the Tokai plane did not change significantly after the Tohoku‐oki event, however static stress driven seismic activation in neighboring areas can bring a secondary impact on the interplate seismicity.