bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single zircon U–Pb ages and geochemistry of granitoid gneisses from SW Poland: evidence for an Avalonian affinity of the Brunian microcontinent
Authors: MAZUR STANISŁAW , KRÖNER ALFRED , SZCZEPAŃSKI JACEK , TURNIAK KRZYSZTOF , HANŽL PAVEL , MELICHAR ROSTISTLAV , RODIONOV NICKOLAY V. , PADERIN ILYA , SERGEEV SERGEY A.
Published: January 2010

Seven granitoid gneisses from the contact zone between the eastern margin of the Variscan belt and the Brunian microcontinent in SW Poland have been dated by ion-microprobe and207Pb/206Pb single zircon evaporation methods. The zircons define two age groups for the gneiss protoliths: (1) late Neoproterozoicc.576–560 Ma and (2) early Palaeozoicc.488–503 Ma granites. The granitoid gneisses belonging to the basement of the Brunian microcontinent contain abundant Mesoproterozoic to latest Palaeoproterozoic inherited material in the range of 1200–1750 Ma. The gneisses of the Variscan crustal domain lack Mesoproterozoic inherited zircon cores. Trace element geochemistry of Proterozoic gneisses reveals features resembling either volcanic arc or post-collisional granites. The studied rocks are geochemically similar to other Proterozoic orthogneisses derived from the basement of the Brunian microcontinent. Gneisses with early Palaeozoic protolith ages are geochemically comparable to granitoid gneisses widespread in the adjacent Sudetic part of the Bohemian Massif and are considered characteristic of peri-Gondwanan crust. Our data prove the dissimilarity between the Brunia plate and the westerly terranes of the Variscan belt. The occurrence of granitic gneisses with late Neoproterozoic protolith ages and widespread Mesoproterozoic inheritance in our dated samples support an East Avalonian affinity for the Brunian microcontinent. In contrast, the abundance of gneisses derived from an early Palaeozoic granitic protolith and devoid of Mesoproterozoic zircon cores supports the Armorican affinity of the Variscan domain bordering on the Brunia plate from the west. Structural evidence shows that the eastern segment of the Variscan belt is juxtaposed against the Brunian microcontinent along a N–S-trending tectonic contact, possibly equivalent to the Rheic suture.
Geochemical and palynological study of the Upper Famennian Dasberg event horizon from the Holy Cross Mountains (central Poland)
Authors: MARYNOWSKI LESZEK , FILIPIAK PAWEŁ , ZATOŃ MICHAŁ
Published: January 2010

Integrated palynological, organic and inorganic geochemical and petrographical methods have been used for deciphering the depositional redox conditions and character of organic matter of the Famennian Dasberg event horizon from the deep-shelf Kowala succession of the Holy Cross Mountains. The ages of the investigated samples have been established, using miospore data, as VF (Diducites versabilis–Grandispora famenensis) and LV (Retispora lepidophyta–Apiculiretusispora verrucosa) miospore Zones of the Middle/Upper Famennian. In the standard conodont zonation, this corresponds to the uppermost postera to lowermost praesulcata Zones. The presence of green sulphur bacteria biomarkers and dominance of small-sized framboids together with the presence of large framboids and low values of the U/Th ratio may indicate that during sedimentation of the lower Dasberg shale, intermittent anoxia occurred in the water column, or the anoxic conditions prevailed in the upper part of the water column, while the bottom waters were oxygenated, at least briefly. Deposition of the upper Dasberg shale was characterized by both bottom water and water column anoxia. The lack of acritarcha taxa from these intervals could have been due to anoxia in the photic zone. Moreover, organic content is high in those samples. There is no geochemical evidence for anoxia during sedimentation of the deposits sandwiched between the lower and upper Dasberg shales, or in the deposits which underlie and overlie both Dasberg shale horizons. The two discrete anoxic events are interpreted to be the result of major transgressions and the blooming of primary producers. Above the Dasberg shales, small fragments of charcoal and raised concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are detected. This supports the presence of wildfires during deposition of shales just above the boundary of VF/LV palynological zones. Temperatures calculated from the fusinite reflectance values suggest that the charcoal was formed in low-temperature ground and/or surface fires. The typical marine character of sedimentation combined with the high proportion of charcoals suggests that wildfires were large-scale, and that there was intensive transport of terrestrial material. The main causes of intensive wildfires were a significant rise of O2 in the atmosphere and important progress in the land plant diversity during Late Devonian times. Palynofacies studies suggest that the transgression corresponds to the part IIf of the Late Devonian sea-level curve.
Short and long waves over a muddy seabed
Authors: MEI CHIANG C. , KROTOV MIKHAEL , HUANG ZHENHUA , HUHE AODE
Published: January 2010

The available experimental results have shown that in time-periodic motion the rheology of fluid mud displays complex viscoelastic behaviour. Based on the measured rheology of fluid mud from two field sites, we study the interaction of water waves and fluid mud by a two-layered model in which the water above is assumed to be inviscid and the mud below is viscoelastic. As the fluid-mud layer in shallow seas is usually much thinner than the water layer above, the sharp contrast of scales enables an approximate analytical theory for the interaction between fluid mud and small-amplitude waves with a narrow frequency band. It is shown that at the leading order and within a short distance of a few wavelengths, wave pressure from above forces mud motion below. Over a much longer distance, waves are modified by the accumulative dissipation in mud. At the next order, infragravity waves owing to convective inertia (or radiation stresses) are affected indirectly by mud motion through the slow modulation of the short waves. Quantitative predictions are made for mud samples of several concentrations and from two different field sites.
Full-scale simulation study of stimulated electromagnetic emissions: The first ten milliseconds
Authors: ELIASSON BENGT , STENFLO LENNART
Published: January 2010

A full-scale numerical study is performed of the nonlinear interaction between a large-amplitude electromagnetic wave and the Earth's ionosphere, and of the stimulated electromagnetic emission emerging from the turbulent layer, during the first 10 milliseconds after switch-on of the radio transmitter. The frequency spectra are downshifted in frequency and appear to emerge from a region somewhat below the cutoff of the O mode, which is characterized by Langmuir wave turbulence and localized Langmuir envelopes trapped in ion density cavities. The spectral features of escaping O-mode waves are very similar to those observed in experiments. The frequency components of Z-mode waves, trapped in the region between the O- and Z-mode cutoffs show strongly asymmetric and downshifted spectra.
Dust in fusion devices: The state of theory and modeling
Authors: KRASHENINNIKOV S. I. , SMIRNOV R. D. , PIGAROV A. YU. , SOBOLEVA T. K. , MENDIS D. A.
Published: January 2010

Dust in fusion plasma is a quickly developing field. In this paper the current states of theory and modeling of dust in fusion plasma are discussed and their results compared with available experimental data.
Drift eigenmodes in plasmas with negative ions
Authors: SALEEM HAMID
Published: January 2010

The instabilities associated with drift waves can be suppressed (or even removed) by introducing negative ions into the usual electron ion plasma. The presence of negative ions causes a decrease in the amplitude of the perturbed electrostatic fields which are mainly produced by the difference of electron and ion masses. It is shown that the presence of negative ions is a stabilizing effect for drift eigenmode in a slab geometry and the frequency of this electrostatic mode is reduced. In a pure pair-ion plasma the convective cell mode can become unstable because of shear flow under certain conditions.
Solitary waves in a dusty adiabatic electronegative plasma
Authors: MAMUN A. A. , ASHRAFI K. S. , ANOWAR M. G. M.
Published: January 2010

The dust ion-acoustic solitary waves (SWs) in an unmagnetized dusty adiabatic electronegative plasma containing inertialess adiabatic electrons, inertial single charged adiabatic positive and negative ions, and stationary arbitrarily (positively and negatively) charged dust have been theoretically studied. The reductive perturbation method has been employed to derive the Korteweg-de Vries equation which admits an SW solution. The combined effects of the adiabaticity of plasma particles, inertia of positive or negative ions, and presence of positively or negatively charged dust, which are found to significantly modify the basic features of small but finite-amplitude dust-ion-acoustic SWs, are explicitly examined. The implications of our results in space and laboratory dusty electronegative plasmas are briefly discussed.
A model for predicting extragalactic jet lifetimes
Authors: SPICER D. S. , BINGHAM ROBERT , O'SULLIVAN S.
Published: January 2010

In this letter, we propose a model to explain the disintegration of extragalactic jets and to predict the associated timescale. The model assumes that a jet is current and charge neutral as well as collimated at its source; however, the forward electron current gradually decays producing a magnetic field transverse to the direction of jet propagation. This growing transverse magnetic field eventually causes the jet to disintegrate.
Transformative answers: One way to resist a question’s constraints
Authors: STIVERS TANYA , HAYASHI MAKOTO
Published: January 2010

A number of Conversation Analytic studies have documented that question recipients have a variety of ways to push against the constraints that questions impose on them. This article explores the concept of transformative answers – answers through which question recipients retroactively adjust the question posed to them. Two main sorts of adjustments are discussed: question term transformations and question agenda transformations. It is shown that the operations through which interactants implement term transformations are different from the operations through which they implement agenda transformations. Moreover, term-transforming answers resist only the question’s design, while agenda-transforming answers effectively resist both design and agenda, thus implying that agenda-transforming answers resist more strongly than design-transforming answers. The implications of these different sorts of transformations for alignment and affiliation are then explored.*
“Well, that’s why I asked the question sir”:Wellas a discourse marker in court
Authors: INNES BRONWEN
Published: January 2010

This article discusses the use ofwellas a discourse marker in some New Zealand courtrooms. Whilewellhas been discussed by many in the past, the data have been selected mainly from small, friendly encounters of various kinds, including sociolinguistic interviews. The study reported on here looks at a very different situation that necessarily involves a range of relationships and includes both cooperative and adversarial activities. It confirms that explanations ofwell’s use focusing on single strands such as social indicators (e.g. gender) or discourse coherence are simplistic, a more fruitful account being afforded through a multi-pronged functional approach. Finally, the article considers the application of politeness and relevance theory.*
Azimuthal source localization using interaural coherence in a robotic dog: modeling and application
Authors: Liu Rong , Wang Yongxuan
Published: January 2010

In nature, sounds from multiple sources, as well as reflections from the surfaces of the physical surroundings, arrive concurrently from different directions at the ears of a listener. Despite the fact that all of these waveforms sum at the eardrums, humans with normal hearing can effortlessly segregate interesting sounds from echoes and other sources of background noises. This paper presents a two-microphone technique for localization of sound sources to effectively guide robotic navigation. Its fundamental structure is adopted from a binaural signal-processing scheme employed in biological systems for the localization of sources using interaural time differences (ITDs). The two input signals are analyzed for coincidences along left/right-channel delay-line pairs. The coincidence time instants are presented as a function of the interaural coherence (IC). Specifically, we build a sphere head model for the selected robot and apply the mechanism of binaural cues selection observed in mammalian hearing system to mitigate the effects of sound echoes. The sound source is found by determining the azimuth at which the maximum of probability density function (PDF) of ITD cues occurs. This eliminates the localization artifacts found during tests. The experimental results of a systematic evaluation demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method.
Fetal Habituation
Authors: Hepper Peter G , Leader Leo R
Published: January 2010

One aim of obstetric practice is to ensure the wellbeing of the fetus. This is by no means an easy task and recent years have seen the development of a variety of tests, with varying degrees of success, to evaluate fetal health.

Fetal wellbeing may be assessed at a variety of levels: genetic/cellular, physical/structural or functional. Ideally the evaluation of fetal health should provide information about the functional outcome of any particular condition, especially the performance of the central nervous system. Current tests may not do this. Thus, whilst tests of the fetal chromosomal or genetic constitution may determine the presence of particular genetic/chromosomal conditions, they may not predict functional outcome especially the functioning of the cerebral cortices, the ultimate arbiter of excellence in man. For example, Down's syndrome may be accurately diagnosed by analysis of fetal cells to detect the presence of Trisomy 21 but this in itself provides little information on the subsequent functional performance of the individual. The development of tests of fetal heart function such as antenatal cardiotocography have provided a means of assessing cardiac function and, to a certain extent, the functioning of parts of the autonomic nervous system. However such tests can only indirectly assess cortical function.
Management and outcome of high-order multiple pregnancy
Authors: Lipitz Shlomo , Grisaru Dan , Rotstein Zeev , Achiron Reuwen
Published: January 2010

The incidence of pregnancies with three or more fetuses has markedly increased over the past two decades. The change has been attributed to the introduction and widespread use of new techniques for ovulation induction and placement of multiple embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF). These techniques have been a matter of concern, since triplet and higher multiple pregnancies have long been associated with an increased risk of maternal complications, and a high prevalence of perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the developing experience with multifetal pregnancy reduction offers a new option for the management of these pregnancies. There is therefore a need to evaluate the management and outcome of high-order multiple pregnancies.
Fetal membranes structure and prelabour rupture
Authors: Malak TM , Bell SC
Published: January 2010

In most pregnancies labour begins at term in the presence of intact fetal membranes. Without intervention the membranes usually spontaneously rupture near the end of the first stage of labour. In 10% of pregnancies that deliver at term the fetal membranes fail to maintain their structural integrity and this results in their “prelabour rupture”, defined as spontaneous rupture of membranes at least one hour before the onset of labour. In 95–98% of these cases at term, labour is precipitated within 48 hours. Although preterm birth, defined as birth prior to 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, occurs in only 7–8% of all pregnancies, 40–60% of these deliveries are preceded by prelabour rupture of the fetal membranes.
Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy
Authors: Overton TG , Rajasingam D , Bennett PR
Published: January 2010

Toxoplasmosis is one of the commonest protozoal infections in man. The causative organism, Toxoplasma gondi has been estimated to have infected in the region of 25–50% of the world's population with evidence of serological infection ranging from 2 to 90% depending on the geographical area. The infection is usually harmless and subclinical, the primary infection being rarely diagnosed. However, it can lead to life threatening disease in the immunocompromised patient and a primary infection in pregnancy can have severe sequelae in the fetus.
Non-specific currents at fertilisation in sea urchin oocytes
Authors: De Simone Maria Laura , Grumetto Lucia , Tosti Elisabetta , Wilding Martin , Dale Brian
Published: January 2010

Using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique to clamp sea urchin oocytes we show that the fertilising spermatozoon triggers an inward current of −521 ± 56.7 pA (n = 8) at activation. Simultaneously, the plasma membrane depolarises and the conductance increases from 23.4 ± 1.4 to 40.6 ± 1.2 nS (n = 8). The I/V curve for the peak activation current is linear and the current reverses between 0 and + 20 mV, suggesting a non-specific ion current. Since injection of inositol triphosphate induced an inward current of −1062 ± 314 pA (n = 4), and the current was inhibited by preloading oocytes with the calcium chelator BAPTA, the non-specific activation current in sea urchin appears to be calcium dependent.
Promotion of follicular antrum formation by pig oocytes in vitro
Authors: Shen Xiangju , Miyano Takashi , Kato Seishiro
Published: January 2010

Pig oocyte–cumulus–granulosa cell complexes (OCG complexes) from pig early antral follicles reorganise an antrum under the stimulation of FSH. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the oocytes in antrum formation. In the first experiment, oocyte–cumulus complexes were removed from pig OCG complexes, and the antrum formation of parietal granulosa cells themselves (PGs) was examined. Antrum formation by sham-operated OCG complexes (OC/G complexes), in which the connections between the oocyte–cumulus complexes and the parietal granulosa cells had been disrupted, was also examined. The complexes were cultured for 8 days in collagen gels in the presence of 10ng/ml FSH. Antra were formed in about 60% of the intact OCG complexes and the sham-operated OCG complexes, while only 20% of the PGs formed antra. In the second experiment, oocyte–cumulus complexes in the OCG complexes were replaced by denuded oocytes (O/G complexes) or Sephadex G-25 beads (B/G complexes) similar in diameter to the oocytes, and the two types of complexes were cultured under the same conditions. The O/G complexes formed antra to a similar extent as the OC/G complexes, whereas the B/G complexes scarcely formed any antra. The histological sections showed that the granulosa cells in the OC/G and O/G complexes were in intimate contact with each other and retained a shape similar to those in the ovarian follicles, while the granulosa cells in the PGs and B/G complexes became quite irregular in shape. These results suggest that pig oocytes promote contact between the granulosa cells to induce antrum formation in a physiological manner.
The polysulphate binding domain of human proacrosin/acrosin is involved in both the enzyme activation and spermatozoa-zona pellucida interaction
Authors: Moreno R. D. , Sepúlveda M. S. , de Ioannes A. , Barros C.
Published: January 2010

Mammalian acrosin is a protease present as a zymogen in the acrosome of a non-reacted mammalian sperm, andin vitrois able to carry out limited hydrolysis of homologous and heterologous zonae pellucidae. On the other hand, sulphated polymers and zona pellcida glycoproteins bind to acrosin on a domain different from the active site, named the polysulphate binding domain (PSBD). Thus it is believed that acrosome-reacted spermatozoa bind to glycan chains of the zona pellucida through PSBD participating as secondary binding receptor. The aim of the present work was to study the role of PSBD during both human gamete interaction and acrosin activation. In this work we present evidence that the anti-human acrosin monoclonal antibody C5F10 is directed to an epitope located on or near the PSBD on human proacrosin/acrosin. Moreover, we show that this antibody is able to inhibit both proacrosin activation induced by fucoidan and the sperm binding to the zona pellucida. Our results suggest that the same PSBD is involved in both sperm secondary binding, during zona pellucida penetration, and proacrosin activation.
The Ties That Bind? Networks, Public Administration, and Political Science
Authors: O'Toole Laurence J.
Published: January 2010

I thank the selection committee, and the association, for this honor. I'm humbled by the award and by the distinguished list of recipients who have preceded me.
Exploring Multi-Issue Activism
Authors: Andersen Ellen Ann , Jennings M. Kent
Published: January 2010

Multi-issue activists are sorely understudied, despite their acknowledged importance as bridges between social movements and issue domains. In this article we explore multi-issue activism, beginning with a large sample of AIDS activists and charting the degree and nature of overlapping issue involvement, the key role of “initiator” issues, and individual characteristics that promote multi-issue activism. We demonstrate that the great majority of these AIDS activists had sizable prior and ongoing participation histories in other issues, suggesting that movement across issue areas may be the norm rather than the exception. We also show that involvement in specific past issues served as gateways to later involvement in AIDS, that psychological engagement in politics prompted cross-issue activism even among these already activated individuals, and that unique personal characteristics (in this case gender and sexual orientation) led to more issue interconnectedness.
Nicole's Father is NOT German! The Immutability of Differences, and the Social Construction of their Moral and Political Salience
Authors: Monroe Kristen Renwick , McDermott Rose
Published: January 2010

Why are differences so political significant? Too often political science discussions of differences assume they are immutable. The attendant implication is that the political divisions attached to these variations—in religion, ethnicity, race, or any of the other dissimilarities that frequently enter political life—are considered rigid and inflexible. This commentary draws on recent work in moral and social psychology and evolutionary biology to suggest that the critical political factor surrounding differences is not their immutability but rather the moral and political salience we accord such differences. Simple experiments in social identity theory—and a conversation with an incensed 12-year old—demonstrate that the psychological process by which differences between people and groups become deemed ethically and politically relevant is totally socially constructed and hence can be restructured in a fashion that leads to more tolerant treatment of those judged different.
(Ending) Civil War in the Classroom: A Peacebuilding Simulation
Authors: Brynen Rex
Published: January 2010

There often exists a problematic gap between more theoretical works on war-to-peace transitions, and the practical challenges that peacebuilding operations face in the field. This article describes the use of classroom simulation to highlight the complexity of contemporary multilateral peace operations. It describes the content and mechanics of the simulation, the issues that can arise in its operation, and strategies for most effectively integrating such a simulation into overall course objectives.
Who Supports Health Reform?
Authors: Brady David W. , Kessler Daniel P.
Published: January 2010

In this article, we report results from a new study that surveyed a large, national sample of American adults about their willingness to pay for health reform. As in previous work, we find that self-identified Republicans, older Americans, and high-income Americans are less supportive of reform. However, these basic findings mask three important features of public opinion. First, income has a substantial effect on support for reform, even holding political affiliation constant. Indeed, income is the most important determinant of support for reform. Second, the negative effects of income on support for reform begin early in the income distribution, at annual family income levels of $25,000 to $50,000. Third, although older Americans have a less favorable view of reform than the young, much of their opposition is due to dislike of large policy changes than to reform per se.
Blogging in the Political Science Classroom
Authors: Lawrence Christopher N. , Dion Michelle L.
Published: January 2010

Weblogs (or blogs), as a form of communication on the Internet, have recently risen in prominence but may be poorly understood by both faculty and students. This article explains how blogs differ from other online communication tools and how political science faculty can make use of blogs in their classes. The focus is on using blogs as part of class assignments to reinforce important skills, including critical thinking, political engagement, and essay writing. We also discuss existing academic and professional blogs that may be models for student blogging in political science.
Data from the Dark Side: Notes on Archiving Political Conflict and Violence
Authors: Davenport Christian
Published: January 2010

I had interacted with professor Imari Obadele for quite some time at the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS). He is an elder scholar whom I knew had been politically active in the past but I was not aware of his specific affiliations or activities. At the time we first met, Obadele was only known to me as a political scientist at Prairie View. I had just begun my first job at the University of Houston a few years before. As there were not many elder black political scientists that I knew at the time, especially one interested in social movements and revolution, we immediately hit it off. It was not until a year or so after we first met and after I had published some research on the Black Panther Party (Davenport 1998a; Dahlerus and Davenport 1999; Davenport and Eads 2001), that we really started to interact.
Emerging Models of Collaboration in Political Science: Changes, Benefits, and Challenges
Authors: McDermott Rose , Hatemi Peter K.
Published: January 2010

In increasing numbers, political scientists are engaging in collaborative research. It is useful to consider the advantages of such efforts and to suggest strategies for finding optimal collaborators. In addition, there are issues and challenges that arise in the face of increased collaboration, particularly interdisciplinary collaboration across the life and social sciences. Inevitably, as the discipline has moved from a dominant solo-author model to a wider array of authorship possibilities, whether those teams encompass two-person partnerships, large research teams, or something in between, new administrative and cultural questions have already begun to surface as the discipline works to assimilate these changes. Consonant with previous efforts by the American Political Science Association (Biggs 2008; Chandra et al. 2006), we seek here to continue a broader disciplinary conversation surrounding the opportunities and challenges posed by more diverse patterns of teamwork. In so doing, we hope to help continue to encourage transparent, predictable, and openly collaborative intellectual partnerships wherein individuals receive the institutional credit and merit they deserve.
Theories of Power, Poverty, and Law: In Commemoration of the Contributions of Peter Bachrach
Authors: Levi Margaret
Published: January 2010

My subject is the way Peter Bachrach addressed the question of poverty. But given that I was his student and research assistant and that I am a political scientist largely because of him, it is impossible to resist a few words about the experience of being in his classrooms. Peter was an inspiring teacher of politics. The substantive content of his courses was legendary, and he possessed an extraordinary capacity to elicit participation from classes of pre-feminists at our well-bred women's college. I know this cost him. Peter had an extra shirt in his Bryn Mawr office so that he could change out of the one he had sweated through during the considerable exertions of getting us to talk, let alone think.
Theories of Power, Poverty, and Law: In Commemoration of the Contributions of Peter Bachrach
Authors: Mansbridge Jane
Published: January 2010

For the APSA panel commemorating Peter Bachrach, I was asked to speak to the “notions of inequality and inequity” in his work. For a while the topic stumped me. Then I realized why. Talking about inequality in Peter Bachrach's work, I decided, is much like talking about just distribution in Marx. It misses the point.
Theories of Power, Poverty, and Law: In Commemoration of the Contributions of Peter Bachrach
Authors: Lukes Steven
Published: January 2010

Peter Bachrach had a remarkable impact on those who encountered him in person and on generations of readers. Judith Baer vividly captures, among other things, his inspiring, emboldening influence on his students and the sheer fun it was to be with him. My recollections are of exciting, forward moving, intense, and probing arguments, in private and public settings, with an infectiously warm, buoyant, generous friend.
APSA Annual Meeting Returns to Washington, D.C., to Address “The Politics of Hard Times”
Authors: West Lauren G.
Published: January 2010

In 2010, the 106th annual meeting of the American Political Science Association will take place in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. There could not be a more appropriate location for the APSA annual meeting to convene, particularly in these economically challenging and uncertain times. On September 2, 2010, scholars from around the world will assemble to discuss research, present papers, and network with colleagues.
APSA Executive Director's Report, 2009
Authors: Brintnall Michael
Published: January 2010

The Executive Director's Report is an annual report on the state and activities of the association, and for 2009 it is hard not to reach outside the literal bounds of the association to reflect on the discipline, the academy, and the economy as a whole. Simply put, the American Political Science Association has weathered the financial storms of the past year well, though we know as well that reverberations from the economic downtown will continue for some time, with the potential for a sustained period of change.
Senate Subcommittee Probes Causes of Financial Crisis
Authors: Wack Kevin
Published: January 2010

The assignment before me was far more ambitious than any story I'd ever pitched to an editor. I wouldn't have dared to try, for fear of being laughed out of the newsroom. But I was now away from journalism, spending eight months as an APSA Congressional Fellow on Capitol Hill. I was told to think big.
Effect of dietary fatty acid intake on prospective weight change in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
Authors: Nimptsch Katharina , Berg-Beckhoff Gabriele , Linseisen Jakob
Published: January 2010

Objective

To evaluate the association between fatty acid (α-linolenic acid (ALA), EPA, DHA, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acids) intake and prospective weight change in the Heidelberg cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Design

Prospective cohort study with mean follow-up time of 6·5 years. In a total of 9182 men and 10867 women aged 35 to 64 years, from body weight measurement at recruitment and calibrated body weight during follow-up, weight change was expressed as mean annual weight change relative to baseline weight (%/year) and categorised into four groups (weight loss, <−2·5%/5 years; stable weight, between −2·5 and +2·5%/5 years; small weight gain, ≥2·5 to <7·5%/5 years; large weight gain, ≥7·5%/5 years). Energy-adjusted dietary fatty acid intake data were estimated from the FFQ completed at baseline. Multivariate linear regression models as well as multinomial logistic regression analyses (carbohydrate replacement models) were conducted.

Results

Stearic acid intake was linearly associated with weight gain (P < 0·01) in men and women. Linear associations also existed for ALA and arachidonic acid intake, significantly so in women. In multinomial models, women in the highest tertile of ALA and stearic acid intake showed increased OR (95 % CI) for small weight gain (1·16 (0·94, 1·88) and 1·24 (1·08, 1·43), respectively), and large weight gain (1·39 (1·03, 1·88) and 1·56 (1·27, 1·90), respectively), whereas OR were non-significantly increased in men. Dietary intake of ALA was inversely associated with large (0·80 (0·65, 0·99)) weight gain in women only.

Conclusions

These results suggest differential effects of single dietary fatty acids on prospective weight gain in adults.
Risk factors for childhood obesity in a Greek paediatric population
Authors: Papandreou Dimitrios , Malindretos Pavlos , Rousso Israel
Published: January 2010

Objective

Obesity in children is a serious public health issue in Greece. The purpose of the current study was to identify risk factors such as birth weight, breast-feeding, dietary patterns, family history of obesity and sedentary behaviours that are possibly associated with paediatric obesity.

Design

Two hundred and five overweight and obese children (OW/OB; group 1) aged 7–15 years from eight primary and secondary schools and a control group (group 2) of normal-weight children were matched for age and sex. Overweight and obesity were calculated based on the International Obesity Taskforce criteria. Lifestyle parameters as well as anthropometric data were collected in all children. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for obesity.

Results

Breast-feeding (≥3 months) and leisure-time physical activity proved to be protector factors against obesity (OR = 0·21, 95 % CI 0·11, 0·79, P < 0·001 and OR = 0·87, 95 % CI 0·85, 0·89, P < 0·001 respectively). On the other hand, family history of obesity (OR = 3·79, 95 % CI 2·61, 4·18, P < 0·001), sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (OR = 1·77, 95 % CI 1·03, 2·76, P < 0·001) and watching television (OR = 1·99, 95 % CI 1·54, 2·76, P = 0·04) were found to be positively associated with a higher obesity risk.

Conclusions

The current findings support the literature according to which duration of breast-feeding (<3 months), a family history of obesity, watching television, sedentary lifestyle and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are important risk factors for childhood obesity. More studies are needed to elucidate the relationship of paediatric obesity and possible predictor factors in order to avoid health consequences in these children later on in life.
Evaluating marketing channel options for small-scale fruit and vegetable producers
Authors: LeRoux M.N. , Schmit T.M. , Roth M. , Streeter D.H.
Published: January 2010

An analytical framework and ranking system is developed to summarize the primary factors affecting marketing channel performance and to prioritize those channels with the greatest opportunity for success. An application of the model is conducted using case-study evidence from four small-scale diversified vegetable crop producers in Central New York. The relative costs and benefits of alternative wholesale and direct marketing channels are investigated, including how the factors of risk, owner and paid labor, profits, lifestyle preferences and sales volume interact to impact optimal market channel selection. Given the highly perishable nature of the crops grown, along with the risks and potential sales volume of particular channels, a combination of different marketing channels is needed to maximize overall firm performance.
The ICRC's response to internal displacement: strengths, challenges and constraints
Authors: Kellenberger Jakob
Published: January 2010

The often highly complex and fluid nature of displacement on the ground makes coverage of IDPs' needs a difficult task, and a flexible response is required to fit different contexts. The ICRC's humanitarian response is guided by the vulnerability and the needs of all people affected by armed conflict and violence – including, of course, IDPs, whose vulnerability is often (but not automatically) exacerbated by their particular situation. The protection and assistance of IDPs therefore naturally lies at the heart of the ICRC's mandate and activities. In identifying and responding to needs, the ICRC looks at the whole context in which internal displacement occurs, as well as all the people affected. The aim is to promote self-reliance among vulnerable communities so as to avoid displacement, or to strengthen their capacity to host IDPs. Nevertheless, where needed, the ICRC also fills gaps by providing emergency aid in IDP camps, coordinating with other international organizations in order to optimize response.
Immigration controls and free movement in Europe
Authors: Bigo Didier
Published: January 2010

Effective control of cross-border activities is nearly impossible in market-economy regimes which, in order to remain viable, have to keep their borders open to goods, capital and services. This article exposes the tensions between a legal system predicated on openness and a groundswell of security-driven rhetoric justifying coercive and ostracizing practices against foreigners.
Location and source mechanism of sound signals at Gakkel ridge, Arctic Ocean: Submarine Strombolian activity in the 1999–2001 volcanic episode
Authors: Schlindwein Vera , Riedel Carsten
Published: January 2010

Gakkel ridge is the slowest spreading mid‐ocean ridge with full spreading rates <10 mm/yr. In 1999, a teleseismic earthquake swarm signaled the onset of an eruptive episode at 85°E. The Arctic Mid‐Ocean Ridge expedition in 2001 detected a hydrothermal event plume and explosive seismoacoustic signals. In 2007, the Arctic Gakkel Vents Expedition found direct evidence for recent submarine explosive activity on the seafloor at ∼4000 m. The newest data motivated a reassessment of the seismoacoustic events of 2001. We undertake 2‐D finite difference wavefield modeling to relocate the source of the signals and investigate the possible source mechanism; the explosion sounds likely result from submarine Strombolian eruptions with bursting gas bubbles rising from a magma reservoir along a major fault at the southern rift valley wall.
Can the stomatal response to higher atmospheric carbon dioxide explain the unusual temperatures during the 2002 Murray‐Darling Basin drought?
Authors: Cruz Faye T. , Pitman Andrew J. , Wang Ying‐Ping
Published: January 2010

In 2002, the Murray‐Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia experienced a severe drought, characterized by unusually high maximum surface air temperatures. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) affects radiative forcing, but it also directly affects vegetation by increasing its water use efficiency (WUE). The potential contribution made by the physiological response of vegetation to the anomalously warm conditions over the basin is assessed using a coupled atmosphere‐land surface model. CO2 concentrations near the leaf surface are increased from preindustrial to present day and near‐future levels, without changes to the radiative forcing. Results showed that the increased WUE due to higher CO2 levels led to changes in the maximum surface air temperature and latent heat flux over the basin. The mean increase in maximum surface temperature over the whole MDB in May–October 2002 was not statistically significant, but the warming and the decreases in the latent heat flux were statistically significant at a 95% confidence level over the forested regions. The impact of elevated CO2 on the changes in maximum surface temperature may be incorrectly estimated if the physiological response of vegetation is not taken into account in future climate projections for the MDB.
System crash
Authors: Ségalat Laurent
Published: January 2010

Laurent Ségalat draws worrying parallels between the causes of the recent crash of the global financial system and current developments in academic science.
Proton-regulated rectified ionic transport through solid-state conical nanopores modified with phosphate-bearing polymer brushes
Authors: Yameen Basit , Ali Mubarak , Neumann Reinhard , Ensinger Wolfgang , Knoll Wolfgang , Azzaroni Omar
Published: January 2010

We describe the use of polyprotic polymer brushes to construct robust signal-responsive chemical devices mimicking the transport properties of proton regulated biological channels.
Construction, figures of merit, and testing of a single-cell fluorescence excitation spectroscopy system
Authors: Hill Laura S. , Richardson Tammi L. , Profeta Luisa T. M. , Shaw Timothy J. , Hintz Christopher J. , Twining Benjamin S. , Lawrenz Evelyn , Myrick Michael L.
Published: January 2010

Characterization of phytoplankton community composition is critical to understanding the ecology and biogeochemistry of the oceans. One approach to taxonomic characterization takes advantage of differing pigmentation between algal taxa and thus differences in fluorescence excitation spectra. Analyses of bulk water samples, however, may be confounded by interference from chromophoric dissolved organic matter or suspended particulate matter. Here, we describe an instrument that uses a laser trap based on a Nikon TE2000-U microscope to position individual phytoplankton cells for confocal fluorescence excitation spectroscopy, thus avoiding interference from the surrounding medium. Quantitative measurements of optical power give data in the form of photons emitted per photon of exposure for an individual phytoplankton cell. Residence times for individual phytoplankton in the instrument can be as long as several minutes with no substantial change in their fluorescence excitation spectra. The laser trap was found to generate two-photon fluorescence from the organisms so a modification was made to release the trap momentarily during data acquisition. Typical signal levels for an individual cell are in the range of 106 photons/s of fluorescence using a monochromated 75 W Xe arc lamp excitation source with a 2% transmission neutral density filter.
Recovery of rectified signals from hot-wire/film anemometers due to flow reversal in oscillating flows
Authors: Yang Yingchen , Jones Douglas L. , Liu Chang
Published: January 2010

Hot-wire/film anemometers have been broadly used in experimental studies in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and ocean engineering. Yet, it is well known that hot-wire/film anemometers rectify the signal outputs due to the lack of sensitivity to flow direction. This main drawback, in turn, makes them less useful for diverse fluctuating flow measurements. To solve this issue, a rectification recovery method has been developed based on reconstruction of the Fourier series expansion in conjunction with signal-squaring approach. This signal recovery method was experimentally examined and proven to be successful for both conventional and microfabricated hot-wire/film anemometers. The method was further applied to dipole field measurements, with data from recovered signals perfectly matching the analytical model of the dipole field.
Note: A multifunction lens test system for imaging quality evaluation
Authors: Chen Chun-Jen , Wu Wen-Hong , Huang Kuo-Cheng
Published: January 2010

A novel multifunction lens imaging quality test system is established to overcome the practical problems in the conventional system. This system is compact, cost efficient, user friendly, and suitable for lens quality control in production line. The established system can evaluate the modulation transform function, imaging depth, image distortion, and light intensity distribution of the tested lens by auto-changing the tested patterns. This system consists of a tested lens, a charge coupled device (CCD) camera, a linear motorized stage, a system fixture, an observer liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, and a notebook for providing patterns. The LCD monitor displays a series of specified tested patterns sent from the notebook. Then each displayed pattern goes through the tested lens and images in the CCD camera. Consequently, the performance of the tested lens can be evaluated by analyzing the image of CCD camera with special designed software. The advantage of this system is that it can complete a whole test quickly without interruption part replacement because the tested patterns are statically displayed on LCD monitor and controlled by the notebook.
Single crystal diamond tips for scanning probe microscopy
Authors: Obraztsov Alexander N. , Kopylov Petr G. , Loginov Boris A. , Dolganov Mathew A. , Ismagilov Rinat R. , Savenko Natalia V.
Published: January 2010

Single crystal diamond tips with perfect pyramidal geometry were obtained by a combination of chemical vapor deposition and selective oxidation of polycrystalline films. The parameters of the deposition process were chosen to provide growth of a textured film consisting of micrometer sized diamond crystallites embedded into nanodiamond ballas-like material. The heating of the film in an air environment was used for selective oxidation of the nanodiamond component. The films obtained contain free standing pyramidal single crystal diamond tips oriented by their apexes to the substrate surface. The tips were used for the fabrication of atomic force microscopy probes and their evaluation in comparison to common silicon probes.
Space-time contours to treat intense field-dressed molecular states
Authors: Paul Amit K. , Adhikari Satrajit , Baer Michael
Published: January 2010

In this article we consider a molecular system exposed to an intense short-pulsed external field. It is a continuation of a previous publication [A. K. Paul, S. Adhikari, D. Mukhopadhyay et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 113, 7331 (2009)] in which a theory is presented that treats quantum effects due to nonclassical photon states (known also as Fock states). Since these states became recently a subject of intense experimental efforts we thought that they can be treated properly within the existing quantum formulation of dynamical processes. This was achieved by incorporating them in the Born–Oppenheimer (BO) treatment with time-dependent coefficients. The extension of the BO treatment to include the Fock states results in a formidable enhancement in numerical efforts expressed, in particular, in a significant increase in CPU time. In the present article we discuss an approach that yields an efficient and reliable approximation with only negligible losses in accuracy. The approximation is tested in detail for the dissociation process of H2+ as caused by a laser field.