bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and structural properties of PbSe nanomaterial
Authors: Terra F. S. , Mahmoud G. M. , Nasr Mahmoud , Okr M. M. El
Published: May 2010

Lead selenide nanostrucured material was prepared by hydrothermal method. 50 mg of PEG and 2.4 g of NaOH were added to 50 ml of deionized water, then 1 mM each of NaSeO3 and PbAc were added to the solution. 10 ml of hydrazine hydrate was added to the solution and transferred into a Teflon‐lined autoclave. The reactants were heated for 9, 10 and 11 h. This process was repeated twice the prementioned concentration. X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray analyses were carried out for the prepared powdered material. The crystallite size was determined from the X‐ray diffraction and found to be in the nanometer size range. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction were carried out for PbSe films prepared from ultrasonically dispersed PbSe suspension. The interplanar spacings, d (A° ) were determined from the obtained electron diffraction. The most suitable preparation condition is 10 h heating time, and the previously reported reactants concentration, since in this condition were well formed nanocubes spread all over the TEM screen area were observed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development and validation of a test for environmental estrogens: Checking xeno‐estrogen activity by CXCL12 secretion in BREAST CANCER CELL LINES (CXCL‐test)
Authors: Habauzit D. , Boudot A. , Kerdivel G. , Flouriot G. , Pakdel F.
Published: May 2010

Several methods have been developed to evaluate and quantify the effects of Endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC). Nevertheless, most of these methods are time‐consuming or not enough sensitive to detect EDC at the environmental range. To link the biological effect of tested EDC to natural protein secretion, we have developed a new screening method based on the secretion of the cytokine CXCL12 (or SDF‐1, Stroma‐cell Derived Factor 1), which plays a capital role in cell survival and migration. We have demonstrated that CXCL12 secretion is regulated by estrogenic compounds in a dose‐dependent way in ER‐positive breast cancer cell lines (MCF‐7 and T47D). By combining cell culture and ELISA test, we used this up‐regulation of CXCL12 secretion to test several major environmental contaminants. Our results showed that 17β‐estradiol (from 10−11 M), 17α‐ethynylestradiol (from 10−12 M), genistein (from 10−8 M) and bisphenol A (from 10−6 M) dose‐regulate CXCL12 secretion in T47D. In contrast, antiestrogens, raloxifen and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen, had no effect on the CXCL12 secretion, but were able to inhibit E2 effect. Moreover, we used cell proliferation assays to evaluate the effect of these different compounds on the growth of T47D cells. We found strong correlation (P = 0.7) between proliferation and CXCL12 secretion. However CXCL12 secretion was as sensitive as cell proliferation assays but appeared more rapid. Thus, this bioassay named CXCL‐test (for Checking Xeno‐estrogen activity by CXCL12 secretion in breast cancer cell Lines) constitutes a fast and sensitive method for the detection of estrogenic compounds allowing in 14 h to achieve a detection limit of 10−11 M of E2 (2.7 ng/L). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Microula sikkimensis Seed Oil
Authors: Lina Shi , Fei Ren , Xudong Zhao , Yangong Du , Fa Han
Published: May 2010

The seed oil of Microula sikkimensis had been intensively studied due to its pharmacological actions. In the present study, seed oil of Microula sikkimensis was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Determinations of the extracts composition were performed by gas chromatography (GC). An orthogonal array design (OAD), OA9 (34), was employed for optimization of the supercritical fluid extraction of the compound with regard to the various parameters. Four factors, namely pressure (21.0–27.0 MPa), the dynamic extraction time, temperature, and CO2 flow rate of the supercritical fluid, were studied and optimized by a three‐level OAD. The effects of the parameters on the yield of seed oil were studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed that the pressure had a significant effect on the yield of seed oil (p < 0.05), while the other three factors, i.e., CO2 flow rate, dynamic extraction time and temperature, were not identified as significant factors under the selected conditions based on ANOVA. The results show that the best values for the extraction condition of seed oil was pressure 24.0 MPa, extraction time 3 h, temperature 45 °C and a CO2 flow rate 20 L/h in the 20‐L vessel.
Parenteral and enteral feeding in preterm piglets differently affects extracellular matrix proteins, enterocyte proliferation and apoptosis in the small intestine
Authors: Oste Marijke , De Vos Maartje , Van Haver Els , Van Brantegem Leen , Thymann Thomas , Sangild Per , Weyns Andre , Van Ginneken Chris
Published: May 2010

The preterm intestine is immature and responds differently to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and enteral nutrition, compared with the term intestine. We hypothesised that in preterms, diet composition and feeding route affect mucosal morphology, enterocyte mitosis and apoptosis, and the distribution of laminin-1, fibronectin and collagen IV (extracellular matrix proteins (ECMP)). Preterm piglets (93·5 % of gestation) were delivered via caesarean section and birth weight-matched allocated to one of the four experimental groups: the piglets were either euthanised immediately after delivery, after 3 d of TPN or after 2 d enteral feeding with colostrum or milk formula, following 3 d of TPN. We combined immunohistochemistry, image analysis and stereological measurements to describe the intestinal mucosal layer. No significant changes occurred after 3 d of TPN. Feeding colostrum or milk replacer for 2 d after TPN was associated with an increased crypt depth. Only enteral feeding with colostrum resulted in an increased villus height and mitotic index. Neither TPN nor enteral feeding changed the distribution pattern of ECMP or the occurrence of bifid crypts. The immature distribution pattern of ECMP in TPN-fed piglets, coupled with unchanged enterocyte mitosis and apoptosis indices, illustrates that feeding preterm pigs 3 d TPN does not lead to mucosal atrophy. Despite the invariable distribution of ECMP, colostrum was associated with crypt hyperplasia resulting in an increased villus height. These data illustrate that some mechanisms regulating cell turnover are immature in preterms and may in part explain the abnormal gut responses to TPN and enteral feeding in prematurely born pigs.
Asia's Declining Death Penalty
Authors: Johnson David T.
Published: May 2010

For most cultures and most of human history, the death penalty was taken for granted and directed at a wide range of offenders. In ancient Israel, death was prescribed for everything from murder and magic to blasphemy, bestiality, and cursing one's parents. In eighteenth-century Britain, more than 200 crimes were punishable by death, including theft, cutting down a tree, and robbing a rabbit warren. China of the late Qing dynasty had some 850 capital crimes, many reflecting the privileged position of male over female and senior over junior.
From Power to Value: Ranked Titles in an Egalitarian Society, Laos
Authors: Sprenger Guido
Published: May 2010

In the Southeast Asian highlands, different types of hierarchy appear as forms of social organization as well as devices for intersocietal communication. In the present case, ranked titles from centralized Tai Meuang hierarchies such as the Lao or the Lue in southern China have been adopted by Rmeet (Lamet) uplanders in northern Laos, where the main type of hierarchy is the decentralized superiority of wife-givers over wife-takers. In the process of adoption, title-giving was subordinated to wife-giving, and today the wife-givers are the ritual source of ranks. In the course of history, title-giving has thus been integrated into Rmeet forms of sociocosmic reproduction while, at the same time, titles have lost their initial function of communication between upland societies and lowland state formations.
Blood and milk immune and inflammatory profiles in periparturient dairy cows showing a different liver activity index
Authors: Trevisi Erminio , Zecconi Alfonso , Bertoni Giuseppe , Piccinini Renata
Published: May 2010

This paper reports the results of a study that aimed to assess whether liver functionality defined by liver activity index (LAI) is associated with inflammatory and immune parameters in blood and milk. LAI is an index including the average blood levels of albumin, lipoproteins and retinol-binding protein measured three times in the first month of lactation (at 5, 15 and 30 days in milk). The aim was to assess the relationship of this index with blood and udder immune and inflammatory status as a means of identifying as early as possible cows at risk of disease. The research was carried out using 10 multiparous Italian-Friesian dairy cows of average genetic merit. Cows were retrospectively ranked in three groups according the LAI level. Blood samplings were performed at different intervals before and after calving; quarter milk samples were taken only after calving with the same schedule as blood samples. Leucocytes, oxidative burst, blood lysozyme and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase) curves showed large overlapping among the three LAI group curves during the follow-up period. Four blood (complement, sialic acid, haptoglobin and reactive oxygen metabolites) and three milk (somatic cell count, lysozyme and NAGase) parameters showed larger and more consistent differences among LAI groups. Complement showed higher values and sialic acid showed lower values in high LAI group when compared with the other two LAI groups. Two other markers of inflammatory status (haptoglobin and reactive oxygen metabolites) showed the lowest values in high LAI cows. A consistent and significant reduction of milk NAGase and milk lysozyme in high LAI group was observed. The results suggest that cows with the highest liver functionality index have also the highest levels of some immune markers and the lowest levels for inflammatory markers at blood (already before calving) and mammary levels. Finally, cows with low LAI index, being more susceptible to metabolic and infectious diseases, should be carefully monitored to identify as early as possible the development of a disease.
Isolation of lactoperoxidase using different cation exchange resins by batch and column procedures
Authors: Fweja Leonard WT , Lewis Michael J , Grandison Alistair S
Published: May 2010

Lactoperoxidase (LP) was isolated from whey protein by cation-exchange using Carboxymethyl resin (CM-25C) and Sulphopropyl Toyopearl resin (SP-650C). Both batch and column procedures were employed and the adsorption capacities and extraction efficiencies were compared. The resin bed volume to whey volume ratios were 0·96:1·0 for CM-25C and ⩽0·64:1·0 for SP-650 indicating higher adsorption capacity of SP-650 compared with CM-25C. The effluent LP activity depended on both the enzyme activity in the whey and the amount of whey loaded on the column within the saturation limits of the resin. The percentage recovery was high below the saturation point and fell off rapidly with over-saturation. While effective recovery was achieved with column extraction procedures, the recovery was poor in batch procedures. The whey-resin contact time had little impact on the enzyme adsorption. SDS PAGE and HPLC analyses were also carried out, the purity was examined and the proteins characterised in terms of molecular weights. Reversed phase HPLC provided clear distinction of the LP and lactoferrin (LF) peaks. The enzyme purity was higher in column effluents compared with batch effluents, judged on the basis of the clarity of the gel bands and the resolved peaks in HPLC chromatograms.
Additive effects oftrans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid and propionic acid on milk fat content and composition in dairy cows
Authors: Maxin Gaëlle , Glasser Frédéric , Rulquin Henri
Published: May 2010

Diet is a relatively simple way to modify milk fat yield and composition in dairy cows as the end-products of digestion are precursors or inhibitors of milk fat synthesis. The individual effects of these end-products are well-known, but it is still not known whether these nutrients have an additive effect or an interaction effect on milk fat secretion. Thus our objective was to investigate the effects of two of these nutrients on milk fat secretion,trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and propionic acid (C3) supplied alone or together, under the same experimental conditions. Four Holstein dairy cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square design with 14-d periods. Treatments were control, CLA (duodenal infusion of 1·85 g/d oftrans-10,cis-12 CLA), C3 (ruminal infusion of 500 g/d of C3) and CLA+C3 (duodenal infusion of 1·85 g/d oftrans-10,cis-12 CLA plus ruminal infusion 500 g/d of C3). Infusions oftrans-10,cis-12 CLA reduced milk fat content and yield by 18% whereas C3 infusions had no significant effect on milk fat secretion.Trans-10,cis-12 CLA decreased the yields of all milk fatty acids (FA). This reduction was proportionally greater for FA synthesized de novo than for preformed long-chain FA. Infusions of C3 decreased the yields and percentages of 4:0 and 18:0 and increased the yields and percentages of all odd-chain FA. Interactions betweentrans-10,cis-12 CLA and C3 infusions on milk fat content, yield and FA composition were never significant. Overall, this study showed thattrans-10,cis-12 CLA has different and greater effects on milk fat secretion than C3. Moreover, under our experimental conditions, their effects on milk FA yields, which reflect their effects on mammary lipogenesis, were additive, whatever their individual effect.
Effective slip in pressure-driven flow past super-hydrophobic stripes
Authors: BELYAEV A. V. , VINOGRADOVA O. I.
Published: May 2010

A super-hydrophobic array of grooves containing trapped gas (stripes) has the potential to greatly reduce drag and enhance mixing phenomena in microfluidic devices. Recent work has focused on idealized cases of stick-perfect slip stripes. Here, we analyse the experimentally more relevant situation of a pressure-driven flow past striped slip-stick surfaces with arbitrary local slip at the gas sectors. We derive approximate formulas for maximal (longitudinal) and minimal (transverse) directional effective slip lengths that are in a good agreement with the exact numerical solution for any surface slip fraction. By representing eigenvalues of the slip length tensor, we obtain the effective slip for any orientation of stripes with respect to the mean flow. Our results imply that flow past stripes is controlled by the ratio of the local slip length to texture size. In the case of a large (compared to the texture period) slip at the gas areas, surface anisotropy leads to a tensorial effective slip, by attaining the values predicted earlier for a perfect local slip. Both effective slip lengths and anisotropy of the flow decrease when local slip becomes of the order of texture period. In the case of a small slip, we predict simple surface-averaged isotropic flows (independent of orientation).
Scaling of global properties of turbulence and skin friction in pipe and channel flows
Authors: YAKHOT VICTOR , BAILEY SEAN C. C. , SMITS ALEXANDER J.
Published: May 2010

Experimental data on the Reynolds number dependence of the area-averaged turbulent kinetic energy K and dissipation rate ℰ are presented. It is shown that while in the interval ReD > 105 the total kinetic energy scales with friction velocity (K/u*2 = const), a new scaling law K/〈U〉2 ∝ K/(u*2ReDθ) = const (θ ≈ 1/4) has been discovered in the interval ReD < 105. It is argued that this transition is responsible for the well-known change in the scaling behaviour of the friction factor observed in pipe and channels flows at ReD ≈ 105.
Waving plants and turbulent eddies
Authors: FINNIGAN J. J.
Published: May 2010

New large-eddy simulations of flow over a flexible plant canopy by Dupont et al. (J. Fluid Mech., 2010, this issue, vol. 652, pp. 5–44) have produced apparently paradoxical results. Work over the last three decades had suggested that turbulent eddies could ‘lock onto’ to the waving frequency of uniform cereal canopies. Their new simulations contradict this view, although a resolution may lie in the essentially three-dimensional nature of the instability process that generates the dominant eddies above plant canopies.
Power-sharing in comparative perspective: the dynamics of ‘unity government’ in Kenya and Zimbabwe
Authors: Cheeseman Nic , Tendi Blessing-Miles
Published: May 2010

This paper draws on the recent experience of Kenya and Zimbabwe to demonstrate how power-sharing has played out in Africa. Although the two cases share some superficial similarities, variation in the strength and disposition of key veto players generated radically different contexts that shaped the feasibility and impact of unity government. Explaining the number and attitude of veto players requires a comparative analysis of the evolution of civil–military and intra-elite relations. In Zimbabwe, the exclusionary use of violence and rhetoric, together with the militarisation of politics, created far greater barriers to genuine power-sharing, resulting inthe politics of continuity. These veto players were less significant in the Kenyan case, giving rise to a more cohesive outcome in the form ofthe politics of collusion. However, we find that neither mode of power-sharing creates the conditions for effective reform, which leads to a more general conclusion: unity government serves to postpone conflict, rather than to resolve it.
From food aid to food security: the case of the Safety Net policy in Ethiopia
Authors: Bishop Carly , Hilhorst Dorothea
Published: May 2010

Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) is an attempt to bring food security to 5 million people by providing them with social security to close the yearly hunger gap, coupled with development projects to lift them permanently out of poverty. The programme is an example of the new policy arrangements that aim to link relief to social security and development. This paper analyses the early implementation of the PSNP in two villages of the Amhara Region. The paper shows how the programme was in practice interpreted and used by local authorities to realise a related programme of voluntary resettlement, and how this locally changed the objective from helping the most vulnerable people, to reserving the benefits of the programme for the more affluent and economically potent households. It shows how local responses to food security policies were informed by institutional patterns, discourses about food insecurity and the articulation of policy with adjacent or past policy practices.
Fairy godfathers and magical elections: understanding the 2003 electoral crisis in Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors: Hoffmann Leena
Published: May 2010

On 10 July 2003, a civilian coup was attempted in Anambra state in South-east Nigeria. Barely two months after Chris Ngige was sworn in as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Anambra, a team of armed policemen disarmed his security detail and took him into custody. The governor's attempted ousting made public the breakdown of his relationship with his political godfather, Chief Chris Uba, and sparked a debate on godfather politics in Nigeria. Using the case of Anambra, this article investigates the complex network of personalised relationships that holders of state power maintain with their national and local clientelistic constituencies. It explores the political underpinnings of the crisis and its links to national-level power dynamics, particularly within the ruling party and the Obasanjo presidency.
Effects of two dopamine-modulating genes (DAT1 9/10 and COMT Val/Met) on n-back working memory performance in healthy volunteers
Authors: Blanchard M. M. , Chamberlain S. R. , Roiser J. , Robbins T. W. , Müller U.
Published: May 2010

Background

Impairments in working memory are present in many psychiatric illnesses such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. The dopamine transporter and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) are proteins involved in dopamine clearance and the dopamine system is implicated in the modulation of working memory (WM) processes and neurochemical models of psychiatric diseases. The effects of functional polymorphisms of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and the COMT gene were investigated using a visuospatial and numerical n-back working memory paradigm. Our n-back task was designed to reflect WM alone, and made no demands on higher executive functioning.

Method

A total of 291 healthy volunteers (aged 18–45 years) were genotyped and matched for age, sex, and Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and National Adult Reading Test (NART) scores. To assess individual gene effects on WM, factorial mixed model analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted with the between-subjects factor as genotype and difficulty level (0-, 1-, 2- and 3-back) entered as the within-subjects factor.

Results

The analysis revealed that the DAT1 or COMT genotype alone or in combination did not predict performance on the n-back task in our sample of healthy volunteers.

Conclusions

Behavioral effects of DAT1 and COMT polymorphisms on WM in healthy volunteers may be non-existent, or too subtle to identify without exceedingly large sample sizes. It is proposed that neuroimaging may provide more powerful means of elucidating the modulatory influences of these polymorphisms.
Neurocognitive prediction of illness knowledge after psychoeducation in schizophrenia: results from the Munich COGPIP study
Authors: Jahn T. , Pitschel-Walz G. , Gsottschneider A. , Froböse T. , Kraemer S. , Bäuml J.
Published: May 2010

Background

Many patients with schizophrenia exhibit neurocognitive impairments, namely, in attentional, mnestic and executive functions. While these deficits limit psychosocial rehabilitation, their effect on psychoeducation is unknown. Within the framework of the longitudinal Munich Cognitive Determinants of Psychoeducation and Information in Schizophrenic Psychoses (COGPIP) study, we examined: (a) whether illness knowledge after psychoeducation could be predicted more precisely from the neurocognitive than from the psychopathological status of the patients; (b) which neurocognitive domains are best predictors.

Method

A total of 116 in-patients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorders were randomized to a neurocognitive training or control condition (2 weeks) followed by a manualized psychoeducational group programme (4 weeks) and then observed over a 9-month follow-up. Repeated measurements included – among others – the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery from which normative T scores were used to calculate one global and five domain-specific neurocognitive composite scores. Illness knowledge was measured by a questionnaire (WFB-52) tailored to the psychoeducational programme.

Results

Multiple linear regression analyses showed that, apart from baseline illness knowledge, neurocognition significantly predicted knowledge outcome as well as knowledge gain (measured by reliable change indices) after psychoeducation. This was not true for psychopathology. Among the domain-specific neurocognitive composite scores, only memory acquisition was a significant predictor of knowledge outcome and gain.

Conclusions

Neurocognition, not psychopathology, is a significant predictor of illness knowledge after psychoeducation in schizophrenia. This finding should guide efforts to tailor psychoeducational interventions more closely to the patient's needs and resources.
From human motion capture to humanoid locomotion imitation Application to the robots HRP-2 and HOAP-3
Authors: Boutin Luc , Eon Antoine , Zeghloul Said , Lacouture Patrick
Published: May 2010

This paper presents a method to generate humanoid gaits from a human locomotion pattern recorded by a motion capture system. Thirty seven reflective markers were fixed on the human subject skin in order to get the subject whole body motion. To reproduce the human gait, especially the toes and heel contacts, the front and back edges of the robot's feet are used as support at the start and the end of the double support phase. The balance of the robot is respected using the zero moment point (ZMP) criterion and confirmed by the simulation software OPENHRP (General Robotics, Inc®). First, the feet trajectory as well as the ZMP reference trajectory are defined from the motion of the robot controlled as a marionette with the measured human joint angles. Then a specific inverse kinematic (IK) algorithm is proposed to find the humanoid robot's joint trajectories respecting the constraints of balance, floor contacts, and joint limits. The studied motion presented in this paper is a human walking trajectory containing a start, a movement in a straight line, a stop, and a quarter turn. The method was developed to be easily used for human-like robots of different sizes, masses, and structures and has been tested on the robot HRP-2 (AIST, Kawada Industries, Inc®) and on the small-sized humanoid robot HOAP-3 (Fujitsu Automation Ltd®).
Mean circulation and hydrography in the Ross Sea sector, Southern Ocean: representation in numerical models
Authors: Rickard Graham J. , Roberts Malcolm J. , Williams Michael J.M. , Dunn Alistair , Smith Murray H.
Published: May 2010

Three models were used to look at the Southern Ocean Ross Sea sector circulation and hydrography. Two were climate models of low (1°) to intermediate resolution (1/3°), and one was an operational high resolution (1/10°) ocean model. Despite model differences (including physics and forcing), mean and monthly variability aspects of off-shelf circulation are consistently represented, and could imply bathymetric constraints. Western and eastern cyclonic gyral systems separated by shallow bathymetry around 180°E redistributing water between the wider Southern Ocean and the Ross Sea are found. Some model seasonal gyral transports increase as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current transport decreases. Model flows at 900 m at the gyral eastern end compare favourably with float data. On-shelf model depth-averaged west–east flow is relatively consistent with that reconstructed from longline fishing records. These flows have components associated with isopycnal gradients in both light and dense waters. The climate models reproduce characteristic isopycnal layer inflections (‘V’s) associated with the observed Antarctic Slope Front and on-shelf deep water formation, and these models transport some 4 Sv of this bottom water northwards across the outer 1000 m shelf isobath. Overall flow complexity suggests care is needed to force regional Ross Sea models.
Free fatty acid receptor 2 and nutrient sensing: a proposed role for fibre, fermentable carbohydrates and short-chain fatty acids in appetite regulation
Authors: Sleeth Michelle L. , Thompson Emily L. , Ford Heather E. , Zac-Varghese Sagen E. K. , Frost Gary
Published: May 2010

The way in which the composition of the diet may affect appetite, food intake and body weight is now receiving considerable attention in a bid to halt the global year-on-year rise in obesity prevalence. Epidemiological evidence suggests that populations who follow a fibre-rich, traditional diet are likely to have a lower body weight and improved metabolic parameters than their Western-diet counterparts. The colonic effects of fibre, and more specifically the SCFA that the fermentation process produces, may play a role in maintaining energy homeostasis via their action on the G-coupled protein receptor free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFA2; formerly GPR43). In the present review, we summarise the evidence for and against the role of FFA2 in energy homeostasis circuits and the possible ways that these could be exploited therapeutically. We also propose that the decline in fibre content of the diet since the Industrial Revolution, particularly fermentable fractions, may have resulted in the FFA2-mediated circuits being under-utilised and hence play a role in the current obesity epidemic.
Seed survival for three decades under thick tephra
Authors: Tsuyuzaki Shiro
Published: May 2010

Seed longevity in situ is a prerequisite for understanding the life histories and community dynamics of species, although long-term longevity under thick tephra has not been documented because of a lack of opportunity and/or awareness. The seed bank for this study was estimated by both germination and flotation tests. Seeds of 17 species have survived with high density, having been buried under thick tephra for 30 years, since the 1977–1978 eruptions on Mount Usu, Hokkaido Island, northern Japan. The total seed density was >1000/m2. Rumex obtusifolius was the most common seed-bank species for 30 years, but decreased in density between 20 and 30 years. More seeds of Hypericum erectum occurred in deeper soil. The total seed density decreased gradually for 30 years, but H. erectum and Juncus effusus did not decline. Native seeds tended to be viable longer than exotic seeds. These results suggest that small, native seeds tend to survive longer with deep burial, while the more numerous weedy, exotic seeds located at the soil surface declined faster. The seed bank provides long-term monitoring of seed survival under natural conditions, and could be used to detect genetic changes.
Verbal Complex Phenomena in West Central German: Empirical Domain and Multi-Causal Account
Authors: Dubenion-Smith Shannon A.
Published: May 2010

This paper is a synchronic investigation of verbal complex phenomena in the West Central German dialects. The types of verbal complexes attested in 187 recordings of West Central German from the Zwirner Corpus are first classified and analyzed. AGoldVarbanalysis reveals that in subordinate clause two-verb complexes, the factor groups syntagm and verbal prefix type have statistically significant effects on word order, while in main clause two-verb complexes the factor groups syntagm, verbal prefix type, and a grammatical correlate to focus have statistically significant effects. Taking as a point of departure Lötscher 1978 and Sapp 2007, a multi-causal account of verbal complex pheno-mena involving grammatical, functional, and performance factors is developed, with a close examination of the role of language processing in verbal complex formation. Following Hawkins' (1994, 2004) notions of Early Immediate Constituents and Minimize Domains, it is argued that the type of verbal complex known as Verb Projection Raising can be linked in part to an advantage in language production. The paper concludes with a discussion of the speaker-hearer dichotomy as it relates to German clausal structure and the role of interfaces in the analysis of verbal complexes.*
Notes on Electron Gun Saturation and Stabilization…An Older Man's Lectures
Authors: Bigelow Wilbur C.
Published: May 2010

Steve Chapman's “An Old Man's Saga” in the May 2009 issue of Microscopy Today about the various methods he has used for determining when saturation is achieved in the common self-biased electron gun prompts me to share with Microscopy Today's readers my experience in lecturing to my students about the characteristics of this remarkable device.
Ultra-high Contrast Amplification in Bright-field Images
Authors: Piper Joerg
Published: May 2010

In this paper, a new way for visualization of unstained transparent specimens is described, which is based on bright-field imaging and promises an improved resolution and contrast. The final results can be compared with conventional phase contrast images, and the new method may lead to superior results in most specimens.
Looking Inside—Having a Cracking Time
Authors: Chapman Steve
Published: May 2010

If you wish to look inside an arbitrary piece of material and you own a light microscope (LM) or scanning electron microscope (SEM), there are probably three ways that you may accomplish your aim: (a) embed the material in epoxy, then grind and polish it flat; (b) embed the material and use a microtome to obtain cross sections; or (c) CRACK IT. In this short article, it is the last option that will be discussed. The last method is the simplest and quickest of the textbook sample preparation methods for SEM .
Net Notes
Authors: Phillips Thomas E.
Published: May 2010

Selected postings from the Microscopy Listserver from February 1, 2010 to April 1, 2010. Complete listings and subscription information can be obtained at http://http://www.microscopy.com. Postings may have been edited to conserve space or for clarity.
A rotation design to reduce weed density in organic farming
Authors: Anderson Randy L.
Published: May 2010

Weeds are a major obstacle to successful crop production in organic farming. Producers may be able to reduce inputs for weed management by designing rotations to disrupt population dynamics of weeds. Population-based management in conventional farming has reduced herbicide use by 50% because weed density declines in cropland across time. In this paper, we suggest a 9-year rotation comprised of perennial forages and annual crops that will disrupt weed population growth and reduce weed density in organic systems. Lower weed density will also improve effectiveness of weed control tactics used for an individual crop. The rotation includes 3-year intervals of no-till, which will improve both weed population management and soil health. Even though this rotation has not been field tested, it provides an example of designing rotations to disrupt population dynamics of weeds. Also, producers may gain additional benefits of higher crop yield and increased nitrogen supply with this rotation design.
Liberal International theory: Eurocentric but not always Imperialist?
Authors: Hall Martin , Hobson John M.
Published: May 2010

This article has two core objectives: first to challenge the conventional understanding of liberal international theory (which we do by focussing specifically on classical liberalism) and second, to develop much further postcolonialism’s conception of Eurocentrism. These twin objectives come together insofar as we argue that classical liberalism does not always stand for anti-imperialism/non-interventionism given that significant parts of it were Eurocentric and pro-imperialist. But we also argue that in those cases where liberals rejected imperialism they did so not out of a commitment to cultural pluralism, as we are conventionally told, but as a function of either a specific Eurocentric or a scientific racist stance. This, in turn, means that Eurocentrism can be reduced neither to scientific racism nor to imperialism. Thus while we draw on postcolonialism and its critique of liberalism as Eurocentric, we find its conception of Eurocentrism (and hence its vision of liberalism) to be overly reductive. Instead we differentiate four variants of ‘polymorphous Eurocentrism’ while revealing how two of these rejected imperialism and two supported it. And by revealing how classical liberalism was embedded within these variants of Eurocentrism so we recast the conventional interpretation. In doing so, we bring to light the ‘protean career of polymorphous liberalism’ as it crystallizes in either imperialist or anti-imperialist forms as a function of the different variants of Eurocentrism within which it is embedded. Finally, because two of these variants underpinmodernliberalism (as discussed in the Conclusions) so we challenge international relations scholars to rethink their conventional understanding of both classical- and modern-liberalism, as much as we challenge postcolonialists to rethink their conception of Eurocentrism.
Global democracy: in the beginning
Authors: Goodin Robert E.
Published: May 2010

Many who discuss global democracy think in terms of a Reform-Act model of democracy, with the ideal being ‘one person one vote for all affected by the decisions’ as in, for example, a second popularly apportioned chamber of United Nations. Politically, that is dismissed as wildly unrealistic. Remember, however, the Reform Acts came very late in process of democratization domestically. Among early steps that eventually led to full democratization of that sort domestically were: (a) limiting the arbitrary rule on the part of the sovereign; and (b) making the sovereign accountable to others (initially a limited set of others, which then expanded). Globally, there are moves afoot in both those directions. Crucially, once those pieces are in place, the circle of accountability basically only ever expands and virtually never contracts.
Plasma sheet changes caused by sudden enhancements of the solar wind pressure
Authors: Miyashita Y. , Keika K. , Liou K. , Machida S. , Kamide Y. , Miyoshi Y. , Matsumoto Y. , Shinohara I. , Saito Y. , Mukai T.
Published: May 2010

Using Geotail data, we have studied the response of the plasma sheet in the magnetotail to sudden enhancements of the solar wind pressure. We have selected three events in which there were no indications of substorm expansions around the corresponding sudden impulses (SIs) on the ground. It is shown that the ion number density and temperature, as well as the ion pressure, increase significantly due to the plasma sheet compression. The specific entropy does not significantly change, suggesting that the plasma sheet compression is nearly adiabatic. This plasma behavior is in contrast to the nonadiabatic substorm‐associated processes. Hence examining the correlation between the number density and the temperature, and especially the specific entropy is critical for distinguishing between substorm‐associated and SI‐associated changes of the plasma sheet. The northward magnetic field in the plasma sheet also increases, or at least does not decrease, associated with the compression, implying that the lateral magnetotail compression suppresses the triggering of magnetic reconnection and therefore substorm expansion onsets.
Deep water methane hydrates in the Arctic Ocean: Reassessing the significance of a shallow BSR on the Lomonosov Ridge
Authors: O'Regan Matthew , Moran Kathryn
Published: May 2010

Recently published multichannel seismic data from the Lomonosov Ridge image a reversed polarity bottom‐simulating reflector (BSR) tentatively attributed to the presence of deepwater marine hydrates and recognized throughout a survey area exceeding 100,000 km2. In addition to the importance of these findings for estimating Arctic hydrate reserves, if shown to correspond to the base of the hydrate stability zone, this seismic marker could provide a means for expanding spatial cover of heat flow data in deepwater settings of the Amerasian Basin, where little is known about the tectonic origin and nature of plate boundaries. As an initial test on the validity of this assumption, we develop a petrophysical model using sediments collected from circumpolar regions of the Lomonosov Ridge to derive an estimate of surface heat flow patterns from the BSR. The results show that the BSR inferred geothermal gradient and surface heat flow are exceedingly high when compared to published regional measurements. Although potential errors in the analysis may explain some of this discrepancy, the observation that the BSR remains at a constant subbottom depth despite large variations in water depths (>2400 m) and relative sedimentation rates provides additional evidence that it cannot mark the base of the hydrate stability zone. A further understanding of its origin requires a more detailed investigation of the existing seismic data and highlights the need for renewed collection of heat flow data from the Arctic Ocean.
An investigation of recent decadal‐scale storm events in the eastern Irish Sea
Authors: Brown Jennifer M. , Souza Alejandro J. , Wolf Judith
Published: May 2010

The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Modelling System coupled to the WAve Model (POLCOMS‐WAM) modeling system has been used to model combined tides, surges, waves, and wave‐current interaction in the Irish Sea on a 1.85 km grid. A method for data analysis is presented to determine what factors and interactions contribute to extreme conditions in a region of interest. An 11 year hindcast (1996–2006) has been performed to investigate the meteorological conditions that cause extreme surge and/or wave conditions in Liverpool Bay. A one‐way nested model approach was used. For waves, a 1° North Atlantic WAM model forces the boundary of the Irish Sea model, driven by ERA‐40 wind (∼1° resolution every 6 h). To capture the external surge generated outside of the Irish Sea, the (1/9° × 1/6°) Proudman Operational surge model extending to the continental shelf edge was run for tide and surge and was forced by Met Office mesoscale winds (∼12 km resolution every hour). The data implied that the largest surges at Liverpool are generally driven by winds from the south to the west while the largest waves are forced by winds from the west to the northwest. The worst storm conditions in Liverpool Bay result under southwesterly wind conditions that veer to the west. The large tidal range in the region acts to enhance the impact of the surge through tide‐surge interaction. Moreover, the highest water levels in Liverpool Bay are in response to southwesterly winds combined with high‐water spring tide. Even though no significant surge occurs at this time, the flood threat is at its greatest.
Comparison of high‐level clouds represented in a global cloud system–resolving model with CALIPSO/CloudSat and geostationary satellite observations
Authors: Inoue Toshiro , Satoh Masaki , Hagihara Yuichiro , Miura Hiroaki , Schmetz Johannes
Published: May 2010

Vertical and horizontal distributions of high‐level clouds (ice and snow) simulated in high‐resolution global cloud system–resolving simulations by the Nonhydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM) are compared with satellite observations. Ice and snow data in a 1 week experiment by the NICAM 3.5 km grid mesh global simulation initiated at 0000 UTC 25 December 2006 are used in this study. The vertical structure of ice and snow represented by NICAM was compared with Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) and CloudSat observations. High‐level clouds (cumulonimbus and cirrus type clouds) classified by the split window (11 and 12 μm) data on board geostationary meteorological satellites (GMSs) were used for comparison of the horizontal distributions of ice and snow in NICAM. The vertical distributions of ice and snow simulated by NICAM qualitatively agree well with those of cloud signals observed by CALIPSO and CloudSat. We computed corresponding cloud lidar backscatter coefficients and cloud radar reflectivity signals from ice and snow data of NICAM using Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) observational simulator packages. The contoured frequency by altitude diagram for the cloud lidar backscatter coefficients shows lower frequency at higher altitude of 8–14 km by NICAM than CALIOP observations. This suggests that the amount of ice is not well represented in NICAM. The simulated cloud radar reflectivity signals by NICAM indicated higher frequency at 8–10 km altitude than CloudSat observations, although there were some differences between over oceans and continents. This implies that the amount of snow is larger in NICAM simulations. The horizontal pattern of ice clouds (column‐integrated ice and snow of greater than 0.01 kg/m2) in NICAM shows good agreement with that of high‐level clouds identified by the split window analysis. During this 1 week simulation, 48–59% of ice clouds in NICAM matches with observed high‐level clouds. The cross correlation between the spatial distributions of simulated ice clouds and satellite‐observed high‐level clouds is 0.40–0.51, and the equitable threat score is 0.31–0.45. Furthermore, temporal variations of column‐integrated ice clouds in NICAM are compared with high‐level clouds classified by the split window at the decaying stage of deep convection over the tropics. The results indicate that the mean decaying speed of ice clouds of NICAM and high‐level clouds by satellite observations agrees well for this analysis area and period, although the variances are larger in NICAM. This implies that the fall speed of snow in this NICAM experiment is appropriate to depict the decay of anvil clouds by compensating for the excess of snow in NICAM simulations, when we assume that the decay of anvil clouds is largely controlled by the evaporation of ice and snow.
Water demand management research: A psychological perspective
Authors: Russell Sally , Fielding Kelly
Published: May 2010

The availability of fresh water for human consumption is a critical global issue and one that will be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Water demand management has an important role to play in reducing the vulnerability of freshwater supplies to climate change impacts. In this paper, we argue that the field of psychology and environmental psychology in particular can make a vital contribution in understanding further the drivers of residential water demand. A growing body of literature in environmental psychology has examined the determinants of water conservation behavior, and this research has many potential applications for water demand policy. In this paper we offer a review of current psychological research that examines the five broad causes of residential water conservation behaviors: attitudes, beliefs, habits or routines, personal capabilities, and contextual factors. We assess how psychologists have studied water conservation behavior to date, identify shortcomings, and indicate how this research can be used to further promote residential water conservation and to inform evidence‐based policy and practice.
Revisiting the determination of climate sensitivity from relationships between surface temperature and radiative fluxes
Authors: Chung Eui‐Seok , Soden Brian J. , Sohn Byung‐Ju
Published: May 2010

We analyze the radiative damping of climatological variations in surface temperature based on relationships between surface temperature and top‐of‐atmosphere radiative fluxes for both satellite observations and climate model simulations. The observed damping rates are generally consistent with positive radiative feedbacks over the tropical oceans, in agreement with climate model simulations. The model‐simulated radiative damping rates are shown to be much more robust when analyzed at global scales, rather than tropical‐means. Moreover, the model‐simulated values of global‐mean radiative damping rates deduced from interannual variability are shown to be modestly correlated to the climate sensitivity of the model in response to increasing CO2.