bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE AGRONOMIC AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIC COFFEE PRODUCTION
Authors: VAN DER VOSSEN H. A. M.
Published: September 2005

Organic coffee is one of several types of speciality coffees selling at a premium over mainstream coffees because of distinct origin and flavour, environment-friendly production or socio-economic concerns for the smallholder coffee growers. The demand for organic coffee in Western Europe, North America and Japan exceeds the present supply, which is still small (<1% of annual world production). More than 85% of organic coffees come from Latin America and practically all is (washed) arabica coffee. The production of certified organic coffee follows the principles of organic farming developed in Europe and the United States out of concern for the perceived negative effects of conventional high-input agriculture on health and environment. It claims superior ecological sustainability in combination with sound economic viability. A rather complex and expensive system of certification has to be passed before such coffees can be sold as truly organic. Growers adhering to the strict rules of organic coffee production may to some extent share the concern of the health- and environment-conscious consumers, but they are motivated primarily by the economic benefits from the premium received for certified organic coffee. Nevertheless, there appears to be considerable injustice between the extreme preconditions demanded for ‘organics’ by the largely urban consumer of the industrialized world and the modest rewards received by the organic coffee growers for their strenuous efforts. From an agronomic point of view, there is also considerable ground for criticism on the principles of organic farming when applied to coffee. For instance, to sustain economically viable yield levels (1 t green coffee ha−1 year−1) large additional amounts of composted organic matter will have to come from external sources to meet nutrient requirements (especially N and K). Most smallholders will be unable to acquire such quantities and have to face declining yields. Organic farming does not necessarily reduce incidence of diseases and pests below economically harmful thresholds, while the humid conditions of heavily shaded coffee may actually stimulate the outbreak of others. These and other aspects peculiar to the preconditions of organic coffee production are addressed in this review. It is concluded that the concept of organic farming in its strict sense, when applied to coffee, is not sustainable and also not serving the interests of the producer and consumer as much as the proponents would like us to believe. On the other hand, agronomically and economically sustainable coffee production is feasible by applying best practices of crop production and post-harvest processing.
The fortune of a botanical curiosity – Triticale: past, present and future
Authors: OETTLER G.
Published: September 2005

Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack) is the intergeneric hybrid between the female parent wheat (Triticum ssp.) and the male parent rye (Secale ssp.). The early work identifying and then producing primary and secondary triticales is described. Early wheat–rye hybrids were characterized by reproductive disorders and the cytology and meiotic characteristics have received much attention. Chromosome constitution has been studied particularly in relation to R-D substitution. Triticale has always been bred as a self-pollinating crop, although outcrossing can occur, and current cultivars are all nearly homozygous and homogeneous lines. Hybrid breeding (using cytoplasmic male sterility) makes the optimum exploitation of heterosis possible and, with the aid of molecular markers, triticale germplasm is presently being investigated to establish genetically diverse heterotic groups.

The first released spring and winter cultivars were generally characterized by good disease resistance, but low grain yield, shrivelled grain, high protein content, excessive height, lodging and preharvest sprouting. Breeding effort has increased yield, reduced shrivelling and improved test weight but at the expense of protein content, which is now comparable to wheat and rye. Plant height and lodging are also now comparable to wheat and rye. Progress in reducing preharvest sprouting by genetic selection is proving difficult and slow. Triticale may be suitable for grain production and for dual purpose usage for forage and grain.

The role of biotechnology in triticale improvement is described. The future of the crop, especially in low-input systems, and as raw material for industrial uses is considered.
Relationship of grain yield with carbon isotope discrimination and ash content in lines derived from a bread wheat cultivar
Authors: TSIALTAS J. T. , TOKATLIDIS I. S. , TAMOUTSIDIS E. , XYNIAS I.
Published: September 2005

The objective was to explore, in lines derived from a bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, the association of grain yield with carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and ash content (Ash) determined in both flag leaf and kernel. Divergent selection within the cv. Nestos, based on individual plant yield under very low density (11547 plants/ha), produced 20 lines. Progeny evaluation was conducted in two sites of Northern Hellas (Greece) at both low (11547 plants/ha) and high (5000000 plants/ha) density. The results showed significant differences between lines for grain yield, Δ and Ash. However, only the conclusions on grain yield were similar in low and high density, perhaps because the selection criterion under low density was grain yield. This, combined with the lack of any strong relationship of grain yield with either Δ or Ash, failed to confirm the usefulness of these physiological traits as indirect selection criteria, when the within-cultivar variation for grain yield is exploited. The possible association of grain yield with Δ and Ash appeared to be influenced by various factors such as drought, level of grain yield and altitude. Results also showed that less plant-to-plant variability, as expressed by the coefficients of variation (CV) of single-plant yields, was associated with decreased drought response and higher yield stability. The less stressed lines were those that used water more conservatively till anthesis and maintained a high photosynthetic rate during grain filling.
Genetic analysis of physical grain quality characters in sorghum
Authors: AUDILAKSHMI S. , ARUNA C.
Published: September 2005

Sorghum is grown the world over for both human and animal consumption. Recently, the increase in grain production has slowed; simultaneously, its marketability has declined. Grain size is one of the most important determinants of grain yield and market price in India. One important factor responsible for the decline in consumption of sorghum in India is the inferior quality of rainy season produce. Consumers prefer post rainy season sorghums as the grains are bold, round and lustrous in appearance. Any improvement in the quality of rainy season sorghum grain would help it to fetch higher market prices.

In the present study, the genetics of important grain quality characteristics such as grain size, grain shape and lustre were studied using two crosses based on elite sorghum lines 463B and AKMS 14B, and a germplasm line, IS 17600, during 2001 at the National Research Centre for Sorghum, Hyderabad, India. Generation mean analysis and frequency distribution studies revealed that grain size is governed by dominant genes that are polygenic in nature. Predominance of dominance and epistatic interactions in both crosses indicates that selection for higher grain size would be more effective if the dominance and epistatic effects are first reduced by a few generations of selfing. Biparental mating is suggested for developing homozygous bold grain lines. Round grain shape is governed by a single dominant gene and grain lustre by two complementary recessive genes. The study suggested that developing a sorghum hybrid with bold, round grain is feasible provided either of the parents has bold and/or round grain. However, for the hybrid to be lustrous, both parents need to be lustrous and homozygous for the alleles conferring grain lustre at a common locus. With the possibility of development of sorghum hybrids with bold, round and lustrous grain, there is scope for improvement in consumer preference of rainy season sorghum grain.
Recursive density equivalents: an improved method for forecasting yield loss caused by mixed weed populations
Authors: HOLST N.
Published: September 2005

Simple models that can forecast yield loss from weed seedling density at crop emergence are useful tools for both research and practice. In 1985 Cousens presented the rectangular hyperbolic curve as a solution to this problem for the one-weed species case (Cousens 1985a). To address the multi-weed species case, the present theoretical paper investigates two published models and develops a third model, termed ‘recursive density equivalents’. The models were analysed and evaluated based on their biological rationale and using already published data. The earlier models were both found to rely on biologically unrealistic assumptions. The new model avoided additional assumptions, providing a neutral method of summarizing the Cousens curves for many species. Recursive density equivalents were found to be additive in a more intuitive fashion than the ‘density equivalents’ introduced earlier. An over-estimation bias was found to be inherent in the earlier density equivalents model, increasing with species richness. The new model corrected for this bias when checked against one year's field data but for another year, both models over-estimated markedly. All three models were found to be too simple to accommodate all possible modes of intra- and inter-specific competition, yet the new model is an improvement, as it agrees better with the biological principles of crop-weed competition.
Targets for milk fat research: nutrient, nuisance or nutraceutical?
Authors: DEWHURST R. J.
Published: September 2005

Demand for milk has waxed and waned over the last 100 years in response to changing perceptions of its health effects. Milk consumption was promoted for health benefits in the first half of the twentieth century, whilst milk fat has increasingly been regarded as something to avoid over the last 30 years. Emerging research is showing that milk fat provides a number of important components, almost uniquely, within a balanced human diet. Understanding of the role of animal diets in controlling milk fat content and milk fatty acid profiles has grown over this period. The multiple correlated changes associated with milk fat depression have led to a number of mechanistic theories which have not been resolved completely. The detailed mechanisms at the molecular level remain to be elucidated. Interestingly, the two research areas of milk fat content and milk fatty acid profiles have merged as it became clear that some of the intermediates of rumen biohydrogenation are involved in regulating milk fat content. The multivariate nature of milk fatty acid profiles means that future studies must make use of multivariate statistical techniques. These approaches will also be of great value in assessing the consequences of fatty acids for human health, where studies of the effects of single nutrients can be misleading. Issues about the sustainability of the marine harvests mean that attention needs to focus on alternative sources to meet the growing demand for n-3 fatty acids, notably from forages. Whilst attention has focused on milk fatty acids for their effects on human health, future work should also address effects on health and reproductive function of cows offered diets designed to alter milk fatty acid profiles.
The effect of age and diet on the reproductive performance of Sudan Nilotic ewes
Authors: ATTA M. , EL KHIDIR O. A.
Published: September 2005

Two flocks of 42 multiparous (M) and 27 primiparous (P) Nilotic ewes (Southern Sudan) were used in an experiment conducted at the Animal Production Research Centre, Khartoum N., Sudan, to study the effect of age and diet on reproductive performance. Each age group (M and P) was subdivided into two diet groups, fed either a sorghum (So) or a molasses (Mo)-based diet. The two diets were approximately isoenergetic (12·2 and 11·4 MJ ME/kg DM for So and Mo diets, respectively) and isonitrogenous (217 g CP/kg). These diets were formulated from sorghum and groundnut cake or molasses and urea as main sources of energy and protein, respectively. Each of the four diet groups of ewes was further divided into 6 subgroups (replicates) of similar body weights housed and fed together for two successive gestation periods. The results showed that the diet treatments had no significant effect on age and weights at first oestrous (210, 238 days and 22, 20 kg) and at first lambing (407, 418 days and 30, 28 kg) of the PSo and PMo groups, respectively. Age of the ewes and the diet treatments had no significant effects (P>0·05) on feed intake, conception weight, litter size, lamb birth weight, gestation period, postpartum anoestrous period, lambing interval, sex ratio of offspring as well as conception, fertility, abortion and lambing proportions. Primiparous ewes (P) had significantly (P<0·05) higher pre-weaning lamb mortality proportion, whereas the sorghum-based diet groups had higher (P<0·05) gestation body gain and lambing weights.

It was concluded that Nilotic ewes, compared with the other African sheep breeds reviewed, reach sexual maturity at an earlier age and are highly prolific due to their short postpartum anoestrous period. The results also highlight the importance of molasses and urea as efficient and good substitutes for sorghum grains and oil cakes, respectively, in the diets of ewes.
Erratum
Authors: Magzoub Mazin , Gräslund Astrid
Published: September 2005

Volume 37 Number 2 (May 2004), pp. 147–195

Cell-penetrating peptides: from inception to application

Due to a correction error at the Press stage the title of this paper was incorrectly published with the word ‘small’ included. The correct title is given above.

The publisher apologizes to the authors and readers for this error.
An outbreak of hepatitis A among children and adults in Denmark, August 2002 to February 2003
Authors: GERVELMEYER A. , NIELSEN M. SØBORG , FREY L. CHEMNITZ , SCKERL H. , DAMBERG E. , MØLBAK K.
Published: September 2005

From August 2002 to February 2003 25 cases of hepatitis A were notified from one town in Jutland. The first cases were children of three families who returned from an endemic country. The infection spread subsequently in the local community and within households. A case-control study among household index cases showed that hepatitis A was associated with contact to a case in an after-school group (OR 29·6) and with contact to a case household member in a school class or day-care centre group (OR 9·5). From a serosurvey it was estimated that for each notified patient approximately one additional infection has occurred in the households. The infection was imported by children of immigrants, born in Denmark, returning from a visit to friends and relatives in the high-incidence country of origin of their parents and was then propagated through contact between children in after-school groups, schools and their families. Immunoprophylaxis should be given to children prior to visits to friends and relatives in endemic countries and to case contacts.
Methane dynamics in hydrothermal plumes over a superfast spreading center: East Pacific Rise, 27.5°–32.3°S
Authors: Gharib J. J. , Sansone F. J. , Resing J. A. , Baker E. T. , Lupton J. E. , Massoth G. J.
Published: September 2005

Samples were collected from hydrothermal plumes along the East Pacific Rise (EPR) from 28° to 32°S during the Ridge Axis Plume and Neotectonic Unified Investigation (RAPANUI) cruise (5 March to 12 April 1998). Forty‐five vertical casts and tow‐yos were conducted: 3 off axis and 42 over the axes of two overlapping propagating ridges, the West and East ridges. These ridges are composed of several nontransform offset ridge segments. Spreading rates range from 149 mm/yr in the segment interiors to 0 mm/yr at the propagating rifts. These maximum spreading rates are considered the fastest on the mid‐ocean ridge system and affect the structure of the ridge. Segment‐averaged methane plume maxima ranged from 1.7 to 7.2 nM. Mean methane concentrations on the West Ridge were nearly double those of the East Ridge. Westwardly advecting hydrothermal methane persisted to our most distal station, nearly 480 km west of the East Pacific Rise. Background concentrations were less than 1 nM. The highest methane concentration measured was 50 nM in a buoyant plume. Methane did not covary with manganese or any other hydrothermal tracer in plumes over portions of a segment that exhibited recent magmatic activity, possibly as a result of the hydrothermal system's recovery from a phase separation event. In contrast, methane/manganese ratios on the other segments ranged from 0.077 to 0.091. Methane δ13C values in plume maxima ranged from −27 to −33‰ versus Peedee belemnite; background values were around −40‰. These data are compared with hydrothermal plume methane data from slower spreading ridges and illustrate similarities in hydrothermal processes and sources between these systems.
Pi2 pulsations in a small and strongly asymmetric plasmasphere
Authors: Kim K.‐H. , Lee D.‐H. , Denton R.‐E. , Takahashi K. , Goldstein J. , Moon Y.‐J. , Yumoto K. , Pyo Y. S. , Keiling A.
Published: September 2005

We study a Pi2 pulsation that occurred at ∼1520 UT on 29 August 2000. This Pi2 event was observed at ground stations from high (geomagnetic latitude ∼65°) to low latitudes (∼17°) near midnight with an identical waveform and oscillated with a frequency of ∼11 mHz. During the event, a global image of the plasmasphere was obtained from the IMAGE satellite, and the location of the plasmapause was clearly identified. The plasmasphere was small and strongly asymmetric in longitude. The plasmapause was located at L ∼ 2.4, 3.8, and 3.3 near the duskside, midnight, and the dawnside, respectively. Using a magnetospheric mass density model constructed from the IMAGE satellite data and ground‐based data, we examine whether the Pi2 pulsation observed inside the plasmasphere can be explained by a plasmaspheric cavity mode. We find that the frequency of 11 mHz is too low for a cavity mode in the plasmasphere. Thus the plasmaspheric cavity mode is not an appropriate model for our Pi2 event observed at midlatitudes and low latitudes. We discuss what determines its period and waveform inside such a small and asymmetric plasmasphere.
Molecular number flux detection using oxygen sensitive luminophore
Authors: Mori Hideo , Niimi Tomohide , Hirako Madoka , Uenishi Hiroyuki
Published: September 2005

Experimental analyses of thermofluid phenomena with a high Knudsen number, related to low-density gas flows or nanotechnologies, need the measurement techniques based on atoms or molecules, such as emission and absorption of photons. Because the principle of the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique is based on oxygen quenching of luminescence, the technique has the capability to be applied to high Knudsen number flows such as microflows and low-density gas flows. In this study, to inspect the feasibility of PSP for measurement of pressure on a solid surface in high Knudsen number flows, fundamental properties of three types of PSP [palladium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin, palladium octaethylporphyrin (PdOEP), and platinum tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin bound by poly[1–(trimethylsilyl)-1–propyne] (poly(TMSP))] are examined especially in the range of pressure below 130 Pa (about 1 Torr). As an application of PSP to high Knudsen number flows, we measure the pressure distribution on a jet-impinging solid surface using PdOEP∕poly(TMSP) with very high sensitivity. Moreover, the “pressure” distribution obtained by the PSP is compared with the distribution of the molecular number flux onto the solid surface to investigate the feasibility of number flux measurement by PSP.
The effects of the physical cluster formation on pair-correlation functions for an ionic fluid
Authors: Kaneko Tetsuo
Published: September 2005

A system of two integral equations, which is equivalent to the Ornstein-Zernike equation, results in two kinds of correlation functions which describe the apparent effects of the physical cluster formation on pair-correlation functions. Each pair-correlation function is equivalent to the sum of the two kinds of correlation functions, and the development of physical clusters, which are formed in an ionic fluid owing to the attractive Coulomb force between positive and negative charged particles, allows the dependence of the sum on the distance r between particular pair particles to develop the deviation from the behavior characterized as r−1. Then, their development makes the dependence of the sum on r have a tendency to approach the behavior characterized as r−3∕2, and the two kinds of correlation functions aid in describing fractal structures of nonuniform particle distributions in ionic fluids.
Spreading behavior of an impacting drop on a structured rough surface
Authors: Sivakumar D. , Katagiri K. , Sato T. , Nishiyama H.
Published: September 2005

The spreading of water drops impinging on structured rough surfaces is studied experimentally. The rough surfaces are specially prepared with a regular pattern of surface asperities. The arrangement of the square-shaped surface asperities creates channel-like grooves on the surface. A video microscope along with a controlled light exposure system is used to construct the image sequences of the spreading process. The images are digitally analyzed to measure the temporal variation of the spreading drop diameter 2R. Results are obtained for three rough surfaces with varying asperity heights in the range of 100–500μm and for different impact drop conditions with Weber number We in the range of 35–225. The results on the temporal variation of 2R show that, on the structured rough surfaces, the spreading occurs simultaneously both inside and above the texture pattern of the surfaces. For a given surface geometry, the volume of liquid flowing inside the grooves of the surface increases with increasing We. Consequently, the values of 2R measured inside the texture pattern are larger than those measured above the texture pattern, and their difference increases with increasing We. The arrangement of the surface asperities influences the spreading pattern of an impacting drop spreading axisymmetrically. For the texture geometry used in the present study, the spreading pattern resembles a regular rhombus shape for the impact of low We drops and becomes complex at high We. The spreading distances, measured both inside and above the texture pattern of the structured rough surfaces, are nearer to the measurements recorded on the smooth surface if the asperity height of the rough surface is smaller than the thickness of the spreading liquid lamella; however, the surface asperities influence the spreading pattern drastically and create a liquid splash.
Test-area simulation method for the direct determination of the interfacial tension of systems with continuous or discontinuous potentials
Authors: Gloor Guy J. , Jackson George , Blas Felipe J. , de Miguel Enrique
Published: September 2005

A novel test-area (TA) technique for the direct simulation of the interfacial tension of systems interacting through arbitrary intermolecular potentials is presented in this paper. The most commonly used method invokes the mechanical relation for the interfacial tension in terms of the tangential and normal components of the pressure tensor relative to the interface (the relation of Kirkwood and Buff [J. Chem. Phys. 17, 338 (1949)]). For particles interacting through discontinuous intermolecular potentials (e.g., hard-core fluids) this involves the determination of δ functions which are impractical to evaluate, particularly in the case of nonspherical molecules. By contrast we employ a thermodynamic route to determine the surface tension from a free-energy perturbation due to a test change in the surface area. There are important distinctions between our test-area approach and the computation of a free-energy difference of two (or more) systems with different interfacial areas (the method of Bennett [J. Comput. Phys. 22, 245 (1976)]), which can also be used to determine the surface tension. In order to demonstrate the adequacy of the method, the surface tension computed from test-area Monte Carlo (TAMC) simulations are compared with the data obtained with other techniques (e.g., mechanical and free-energy differences) for the vapor-liquid interface of Lennard-Jones and square-well fluids; the latter corresponds to a discontinuous potential which is difficult to treat with standard methods. Our thermodynamic test-area approach offers advantages over existing techniques of computational efficiency, ease of implementation, and generality. The TA method can easily be implemented within either Monte Carlo (TAMC) or molecular-dynamics (TAMD) algorithms for different types of interfaces (vapor-liquid, liquid-liquid, fluid-solid, etc.) of pure systems and mixtures consisting of complex polyatomic molecules.
Modeling of bias-field-dependent dielectric properties in ferroelectric thin films
Authors: Wong C. K. , Tsang C. H. , Shin F. G.
Published: September 2005

The bias-field-dependent dielectricity of ferroelectric thin films is studied by use of a multilayer model capable of modeling saturated and unsaturated hysteresis behavior under arbitrary fields. The simulated minor hysteresis loops at different bias fields are used to calculate the variation of dielectric permittivity with the bias field. The ε-E loops show asymmetric shifting along the field axis when the film is assumed to possess a secondary dielectric layer with trapped charge. Simulated D-E and ε-E loops are compared with the experimental data on barium zirconate titanate and lead zirconate titanate thin films. In general, the model predictions show reasonably good agreement with experiment. Effects of charge density and the ac measurement field amplitude on the measured permittivity, as well as the dielectric tunability have also been examined.
Enhancement of light-induced degradation under reverse bias in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon solar cells
Authors: Yue Guozhen , Yan Baojie , Yang Jeffrey , Guha Subhendu
Published: September 2005

The nature of light- and current-induced metastabilities under electrical bias in hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) solar cells has been found to be different from those in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based solar cells. First, a forward-bias current injection in the dark does not cause any degradation in nc-Si:H cell performance. The phenomenon is explained by the percolation transport through crystalline paths, where the excess carrier recombination does not cause degradation. Second, a reverse bias does not reduce, but enhances the light-induced degradation in the nc-Si:H cell performance. The enhancement increases with the magnitude of the applied reverse bias. By measuring the quantum efficiency losses and color (blue, wavelength=390nm and red, wavelength=670nm) fill factors, we suggest that the reverse-bias-enhanced defect generation mostly takes place in the grain-boundary regions. Light-soaking experiments using light with different spectra show that a reverse bias under white light causes more enhancement in the degradation than under blue light (wavelength shorter than 650nm). No degradation occurs under red light (wavelength longer than 665nm) in either open-circuit or reverse-bias condition. A “back-to-back” diode model is proposed to explain these phenomena in terms of the heterogeneity of the material structure.
The velocity field induced by a helical vortex tube
Authors: Fukumoto Y. , Okulov V. L.
Published: September 2005

The influence of finite-core thickness on the velocity field around a vortex tube is addressed. An asymptotic expansion of the Biot-Savart law is made to a higher order in a small parameter, the ratio of core radius to curvature radius, which consists of the velocity field due to lines of monopoles and dipoles arranged on the centerline of the tube. The former is associated with an infinitely thin core and is featured by the circulation alone. The distribution of vorticity in the core reflects on the strength of dipole. This result is applied to a helical vortex tube, and the induced velocity due to a helical filament of the dipoles is obtained in the form of the Kapteyn series, which augments Hardin’s [Phys. Fluids 25, 1949 (1982)] solution for the monopoles. Using a singularity-separation technique, a substantial part of the series is represented in a closed form for both the mono- and the dipoles. It is found from numerical calculation that the smaller the helix pitch is, the larger the relative influence of the dipoles is as the cylinder wound by the helix is approached.
High flux source of cold rubidium atoms
Authors: Slowe Christopher , Vernac Laurent , Hau Lene Vestergaard
Published: September 2005

We report on the production of a continuous, slow, and cold beam of Rb87 atoms with an extremely high flux of 3.2×1012atoms∕s, a transverse temperature of 3mK, and a longitudinal temperature of 90mK. We describe the apparatus created to generate the atom beam. Hot atoms are emitted from a rubidium candlestick atomic beam source and transversely cooled and collimated by a 20cm long atomic collimator section, boosting overall beam flux by a factor of 50. The Rb atomic beam is then decelerated and longitudinally cooled by a 1m long Zeeman slower.
Optical emission from nano-poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] arrays
Authors: Kong F. , Wu X. L. , Huang G. S. , Yang Y. M. , Yuan R. K. , Yang C. Z. , Chu Paul K. , Siu G. G.
Published: September 2005

Using an anodic alumina membrane with an ordered nanopore array as a template, we have fabricated a two-dimensional light-emitting nanopolymer array by embedding the luminescence polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) into the nanopores. It is revealed experimentally that the conformation of the MEH-PPV chains in the nanopores is in the form of a bunch of polymer chains. The number of the polymer chains in a bunch depends on the concentration of the polymer solution and the diameters of nanopores in the template. Investigation on the photoluminescence spectra of the nano-MEH-PPV array annealed under different temperatures shows that the nanopores can effectively hinder the relaxation of MEH-PPV, which leads to its high thermal stability.
Dendritic magnetic avalanches in carbon-free MgB2 thin films with and without a deposited Au layer
Authors: Choi Eun-Mi , Lee Hyun-Sook , Kim Hyun Jung , Kang Byeongwon , Lee Sung-Ik , Olsen A. A. F. , Shantsev D. V. , Johansen T. H.
Published: September 2005

From magneto optic images (MOI), the dendritic magnetic avalanche is known to appear dominantly for thin films of the newly discovered MgB2. To clarify the origin of this phenomenon, we studied in detail the MOI of carbon-free MgB2 thin films with and without a deposited gold layer. The MOI indicated that carbon contamination was not the main source of the avalanche. The MOI clearly showed that the deposition of metallic gold on top of a MgB2 thin film improved its thermal stability and suppressed the sudden appearance of the dendritic flux avalanche. This is consistent with the previous observation of flux noise in the magnetization.
Semiconductor nanowire laser and nanowire waveguide electro-optic modulators
Authors: Greytak Andrew B. , Barrelet Carl J. , Li Yat , Lieber Charles M.
Published: September 2005

Electric field modulation of visible and ultraviolet nanoscale lasers consisting of single CdS or GaN nanowires has been achieved using integrated, microfabricated electrodes. Modulation of laser emission intensity is achieved with no detectable change in the laser wavelength. The devices can also be operated below the lasing threshold to modulate the intensity of light propagating within the nanowire waveguide. Studies of the electric field dependence in devices of varied geometry indicate that modulation is due to an electroabsorption mechanism. These findings expand opportunities for multicolor, nanowire-based photonic devices and circuits.
Path Dependence and Financial Markets: The Economic Geography of the German Model, 1997–2003
Authors: Clark Gordon L , Wójcik Dariusz
Published: September 2005

The academic community seems divided into two camps: those who emphasise global finance and capital market integration and those who emphasise the economic geography of distinctively local regimes of accumulation. In the first instance, flows of capital and the corrosive forces of global economic competition are assumed to drive institutional convergence. In the second instance, the stability of relationships and inherited institutions presupposes the necessity of path dependence. There is hardly ever dialogue between these camps except for mutual disregard and antagonism. In this paper we seek a rapprochement between these two world-views. In doing so, we focus on recent developments in continental Europe and particularly in Germany. In contrast with Anglo-American expectations, we argue that the German model is hardly a model at all; it has a distinctive economic geography apparent in capital market structure and performance. We also argue, moreover, that the past is not the future: there is evidence of the adoption of financial practices and institutions consistent with the Anglo-American model and inconsistent with the inherited German model. Our goals are twofold. We demonstrate the significance of economic geography for understanding German capital market structure and we seek to explain how path dependence may unravel and the forces driving institutional convergence can emerge within the context of the past. In this respect, our goals are both empirical and theoretical and have implications for conceptualising the status and significance of economic geography.
The Port Geography of UK International Trade
Authors: Overman Henry G , Winters L Alan
Published: September 2005

This paper examines how the geography of UK international trade has changed since the United Kingdom's accession to the European Economic Community, using a newly constructed dataset that gives a detailed breakdown of the United Kingdom's imports and exports by both port of entry and exit and commodity. Our results suggest that between 1970 and 1992 overall imports and exports reorientated in favour of ports located nearer to the continent. The vast majority of individual commodities also saw a similar reorientation. Our results point to an important role for market access in determining the geography of UK trade.
Analytical Differences in the Economics of Geography: The Case of the Multinational Firm
Authors: McCann Philip , Mudambi Ram
Published: September 2005

In this paper we argue that the various discussions of the regional location behaviour of the multinational firm by the different fields of analysis which deal with these issues are all rather at a tangent to each other. Only economic geography and regional economics discuss firm-location behaviour at the subnational regional level, whereas international trade theory and traditional international business analysis focus only on firm locations at the level of a country. Where subnational regional locations have recently been discussed in international business analysis, this has been done primarily by incorporating the Porter ‘clusters' literature. However, by adopting a transactions-costs approach, we show that such a ‘clusters' concept is unable to distinguish between whether a multinational enterprise should or should not locate in a particular region. In addition, we use this approach to point to directions of research fruitful for reconciling these various different traditions of location analysis.
Confirming Statements about Pictures of Natural Scenes: Evidence of the Processing of Gist from Eye Movements
Authors: Underwood Geoffrey , Crundall David , Hodson Katherine
Published: September 2005

Combined displays of graphics and text, such as figure captions in newspapers and books, lead to distinctive inspection patterns, or scanpaths. Readers characteristically look very briefly at the picture, and then read the caption, and then look again at the picture. The initial inspection of the picture is the focus of interest in the present experiment, in which we attempted to modify the inspection by giving participants advance knowledge of the subject of a sentence (the cued object) that was to be verified or denied on the basis of whether it correctly described some aspect of the scene shown in the picture. Eye fixations were recorded while the viewers looked at the picture and the sentence in whatever sequence they chose. By allowing viewers to know the subject of the sentence in advance, we asked whether patterns of fixations on the sentence and on the second inspection of the picture would reflect prior knowledge of the focus of the sentence. Providing advance information did not influence eye movements while reading the sentence. It did, however, increase the number of fixations in the initial inspection of the picture, and it also reduced the number and duration of the fixations on the pictures overall. The results suggest that cueing participants to the object allowed increased coding in the initial inspection of the picture, though the benefit of such coding only becomes apparent when the picture is inspected for the second time.
How Configurations of Binocular Disparity Determine Whether Stereoscopic Slant or Stereoscopic Occlusion is Seen
Authors: Grove Philip M , Byrne Jessica M , Gillam Barbara J
Published: September 2005

A partially occluded contour and a slanted contour may generate identical binocular horizontal disparities. We investigated conditions promoting an occlusion resolution indicated by an illusory contour in depth along the aligned ends of horizontally disparate line sets. For a set of identical oblique lines with a constant width added to one eye's view, strength, depth, and stability of the illusory contour were poor, whereas for oblique lines of alternating orientations the illusory contours were strong, indicating a reliance on vertical size disparities rather than vertical positional disparities in generating perceived occlusion. For horizontal lines, occlusion was seen when the lines were of different lengths and absolute width disparity was invariant across the set. In all line configurations, when the additional length was on the wrong eye to be attributed to differential occlusion, lines appeared slanted consistent with their individual horizontal disparities. This rules out monocular illusory contours as the determining factor.
Cyanea capillata is not a cosmopolitan jellyfish: morphological and molecular evidence for C. annaskala and C. rosea (Scyphozoa:Semaeostomeae:Cyaneidae) in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Dawson Michael N.
Published: September 2005

The taxonomic status of the lion’s mane jellyfish, Cyanea, of south-eastern Australia has been unsettled since 1884 when medusae from Port Jackson were described as a new variety of C. annaskala von Lendenfeld rather than assigned to C. rosea Quoy & Gaimard described previously from the same location. Cyanea annaskala was later combined with C. mullerianthe Haacke then synonymised with C. capillata (Linnaeus), which is now considered a circumglobal species, before being resurrected as a subspecies, C. capillata annaskala, in 1986. Here I demonstrate that Cyanea in southern New South Wales and Cyanea in Tasmania and Victoria constitute two distinct morphological groups separated by >10% sequence difference in both cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and internal transcribed spacer 1. Moreover, these clades are molecularly distinct (>6%) from C. capillata collected in its North Sea type locality. Analyses of medusae from another type locality, Port Philip Bay, Victoria, demonstrate that Cyanea annaskala von Lendenfeld is a valid species. Cyanea rosea is tentatively resurrected for medusae from New South Wales, pending confirmation by analyses of medusae from the vicinity of Sydney. Assigning other south-eastern Australian Cyanea specimens from museum collections to species is difficult in the absence of molecular analyses because biogeographic and morphological inferences sometimes conflict. Integrative molecular and morphological analyses of medusae from type localities may offer the most robust approach to straightening out the often convoluted systematics of scyphomedusae.
Genistein, a natural product from soy, is a potent inhibitor of transthyretin amyloidosis
Authors: Green Nora S. , Foss Ted R. , Kelly Jeffery W.
Published: September 2005

The misfolding of transthyretin (TTR), including rate-limiting tetramer dissociation and partial monomer denaturation, is sufficient for TTR misassembly into amyloid and other abnormal quaternary structures associated with three amyloid diseases: senile systemic amyloidosis, familial amyloid polyneuropathy, and familial amyloid cardiomyopathy. Small molecules can bind to one or both of the unoccupied TTR thyroid hormone-binding sites, stabilizing the native tetramer more than the dissociative transition state, thereby raising the kinetic barrier for tetramer dissociation. Herein we demonstrate that genistein, the major isoflavone natural product in soy, works in this fashion and is an excellent inhibitor of transthyretin tetramer dissociation and amyloidogenesis, reducing acid-mediated fibril formation to <10% of that exhibited by TTR alone. Genistein also inhibits the amyloidogenesis of the most common familial amyloid polyneuropathy and familial amyloid cardiomyopathy mutations in TTR: V30M and V122I, respectively. Genistein additionally inhibits tetramer dissociation under physiological conditions thought to lead to slow amyloidogenesis in humans. Furthermore, this natural product exhibits highly selective binding to TTR in plasma over all of the other plasma proteins. Isothermal titration calorimetry shows that genistein binds to TTR with negative cooperativity (
K
d1
= 40 nM,
K
d2
= 1.4 μM). The benefits of using a nutraceutical such as genistein to treat orphan diseases such as the TTR amyloidoses include known oral bioavailability and safety data. It is conceivable that some patients could benefit from simply increasing their intake of soy products or supplements.
Growth-associated protein GAP-43 and L1 act synergistically to promote regenerative growth of Purkinje cell axons in vivo
Authors: Zhang Yi , Bo Xuenong , Schoepfer Ralf , Holtmaat Anthony J. D. G. , Verhaagen Joost , Emson Piers C. , Lieberman A. Robert , Anderson Patrick N.
Published: September 2005

Neuronal expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and the cell adhesion molecule L1 has been correlated with CNS axonal growth and regeneration, but it is not known whether expression of these molecules is necessary for axonal regeneration to occur. We have taken advantage of the fact that Purkinje cells do not express GAP-43 or L1 in adult mammals or regenerate axons into peripheral nerve grafts to test the importance of these molecules for axonal regeneration
in vivo
. Transgenic mice were generated in which Purkinje cells constitutively express L1 or both L1 and GAP-43 under the Purkinje cell-specific L7 promoter, and regeneration of Purkinje cell axons into peripheral nerve grafts implanted into the cerebellum was examined. Purkinje cells expressing GAP-43 or L1 showed minor enhancement of axonal sprouting. Purkinje cells expressing both GAP-43 and L1 showed more extensive axonal sprouting and axonal growth into the proximal portion of the graft. When a predegenerated nerve graft was implanted into double-transgenic mice, penetration of the graft by Purkinje cell axonal sprouts was strongly enhanced, and some axons grew along the entire intracerebral length of the graft (2.5-3.0 mm) and persisted for several months. The results demonstrate that GAP-43 and L1 coexpressed in Purkinje cells can act synergistically to switch these regeneration-incompetent CNS neurons into a regeneration-competent phenotype and show that coexpression of these molecules is a key regulator of the regenerative ability of intrinsic CNS neurons
in vivo
.
Autoantibodies against neuropeptides are associated with psychological traits in eating disorders
Authors: Fetissov Sergueï O. , Harro Jaanus , Jaanisk Maiken , Järv Anu , Podar Iris , Allik Jüri , Nilsson Ida , Sakthivel Priya , Lefvert Ann Kari , Hökfelt Tomas
Published: September 2005

Previously, we identified that a majority of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) as well as some control subjects display autoantibodies (autoAbs) reacting with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) or adrenocorticotropic hormone, melanocortin peptides involved in appetite control and the stress response. In this work, we studied the relevance of such autoAbs to AN and BN. In addition to previously identified neuropeptide autoAbs, the current study revealed the presence of autoAbs reacting with oxytocin (OT) or vasopressin (VP) in both patients and controls. Analysis of serum levels of identified autoAbs showed an increase of IgM autoAbs against α-MSH, OT, and VP as well as of IgG autoAbs against VP in AN patients when compared with BN patients and controls. Further, we investigated whether levels of these autoAbs correlated with psychological traits characteristic for eating disorders. We found significantly altered correlations between α-MSH autoAb levels and the total Eating Disorder Inventory-2 score, as well as most of its subscale dimensions in AN and BN patients vs. controls. Remarkably, these correlations were opposite in AN vs. BN patients. In contrast, levels of autoAbs reacting with adrenocorticotropic hormone, OT, or VP had only few altered correlations with the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 subscale dimensions in AN and BN patients. Thus, our data reveal that core psychobehavioral abnormalities characteristic for eating disorders correlate with the levels of autoAbs against α-MSH, suggesting that AN and BN may be associated with autoAb-mediated dysfunctions of primarily the melanocortin system.
Focus on Spacetime 100 Years Later
Authors: Price Richard , Pullin Jorge
Published: September 2005

Among the remarkable new ideas that Einstein introduced into physics in 1905 was the revision of our concept of space and time. His special theory of relativity quickly became incorporated into all of physics. This cannot be said of his later general relativity, the ultimate outgrowth of his original insight 100 years ago. In the general theory, curvature of Einsteinian spacetime was introduced to represent gravitation. For many years the general theory remained an intellectual and aesthetic triumph with little connection to the rest of physics. This has now all changed dramatically, and the broader physics community may not be aware of the extent of the change. The general theory is at the centre of new modes of astronomical observation; it is being tested in laboratories and on large scales; it is crucial to understanding some of the most exciting astrophysical discoveries; it presents a frustrating challenge to computational scientists; it is indispensable for constructing a new understanding of cosmology from our present quandary.

This celebratory Focus Issue in New Journal of Physics will attempt to give a glimpse of the current status of what Einstein wrought in 1905, as well as a historical perspective on how ideas about spacetime have evolved since then.

Focus on Spacetime 100 Years Later Contents

Gravity and the quantum
A Ashtekar

Black holes in astrophysics
R Narayan

A most useful manifestation of relativity: gravitional lenses
E E Falco

Spacetime in string theory
G T Horowitz

Gravitational wave detectors
P Aufmuth and K Danzmann

Hawking radiation and black hole thermodynamics
D N Page

The basics of gravitational wave theory
E E Flanagan and S A Hughes

Laboratory tests of gravity
J H Gundlach

Richard Price, University of Texas at Brownsville, USA
Jorge Pullin, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA