bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seed rain of fleshy-fruited species in tropical pastures in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico
Authors: Martínez-Garza Cristina , González-Montagut Reneé
Published: August 2008

In abandoned pastures where the seed bank of forest species has been depleted
and a seedling bank does not exist, dispersal events are the only source of forest seeds for natural regeneration (Gómez-Pompa & Vázquez-Yanes 1981). Lack of dispersal has been reported as an important limitation for rain-forest regeneration in pastures (Hardwick et al. 1997 in Thailand; Holl 1999 in Costa Rica; Nepstad et al. 1990 in Brazil) or colonization of fallow land (Kollmann 1995). A high percentage of tropical plant species have fleshy fruits that are dispersed by birds and flying and terrestrial mammals (Howe & Smallwood 1982, Snow 1981). In this study we report the spatial distribution of fleshy-fruited species dispersed to tropical pastures at different distances from the vegetation border in 12 tropical pastures as a measure of the instant regenerative potential of these sites.
Habitat differentiation among tree species with small-scale variation of humus depth and topography in a tropical heath forest of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Miyamoto Kazuki , Suzuki Eizi , Kohyama Takashi , Seino Tatsuyuki , Mirmanto Edi , Simbolon Herwint
Published: August 2008

Small-scale spatial association of the distribution for 55 abundant tree species with two environmental factors (humus depth and surface microtopography) was examined in two 1-ha plots of a heath (kerangas) forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. More than 80% of the 55 species showed a significant habitat preference in humus depth and/or relative elevation in at least one plot. In particular, ten species occurring in both plots showed a consistent significant preference for humus depth or relative elevation in the two plots. Using randomization tests, however, only five species significantly associated with humus depth and no species with relative elevation. These results suggest that edaphic and topographic factors, especially humus depth, contribute to determining local spatial distribution and floristic composition of abundant tree species in the forest.
Seedling performance of four sympatric Entandrophragma species (Meliaceae) under simulated fertility and moisture regimes of a Central African rain forest
Authors: Hall Jefferson S. , Ashton P. Mark. S. , Berlyn Graeme P.
Published: August 2008

Relative densities of mahogany species vary across tropical Africa and correspond with changes in soil fertility and moisture status. Seedling growth of four co-occurring African mahoganies (Entandrophragma spp.) was studied in relation to soil nutrient and moisture status in a shade-house experiment. On naturally occurring forest soils, E. cylindricum and E. utile exhibited increased relative growth rate (RGR) and decreased root mass ratio (RMR) with an increase in soil fertility while E. angolense and E. candollei did not. Changes in leaf morphology with fertility did not correspond to changes in species performance. On moist, fertile soils, E. angolense outperformed congeners but E. candollei performed equally well on moist infertile soils. Entandrophragma cylindricum performed as well as E. angolense and E. candollei on two of three soil moisture stress treatments but E. utile consistently performed poorly. Comparative seedling performance fitted well with limited available data on the distribution of Entandrophragma spp. in relation to soil fertility and moisture gradients and suggests that within-forest microsite heterogeneity may help explain the distribution of Entandrophragma species within the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic.
Species richness in an insectivorous bat assemblage from Malaysia
Authors: Kingston Tigga , Francis Charles M. , Akbar Zubaid , Kunz Thomas H.
Published: August 2008

Estimates of insectivorous bat diversity in the Palaeotropics have largely been hampered by the lack of long-term studies employing appropriate capture techniques. Using a variety of trapping methods, 45 insectivorous bat species were captured in approximately 3 km2 of primary dipterocarp rain forest in Malaysia over 8 y. The cumulative site list for Kuala Lompat Research Station, Krau Wildlife Reserve, now stands at 51 insectivorous species. Although this is likely still not a complete list, it is already one of the most species-rich in the world. We attribute much of our success in recording this diversity to the extensive use of harp traps. Of the 45 species, 38 were captured in an intensive harp-trapping programme (> 1030 harp-trap nights) of the forest interior (22 species exclusively so). Insectivorous bats of the forest interior are thus a key component of Old World bat diversity, particularly in South-East Asia, and are dominated by taxa capable of detecting and capturing prey in cluttered environments (Hipposideridae, Rhinolophidae, Kerivoulinae and Murininae).
Dispersal of euglossine bees between fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Tonhasca Jr. Athayde , Albuquerque Gilberto S. , Blackmer Jacquelyn L.
Published: August 2008

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world's ‘hot spots’ for conservation because of its high level of endemism and number of endangered species (Myers et al. 2000). After centuries of deforestation, most of the remaining Atlantic Forest is scattered as small fragments on private land (Fonseca 1985, Jorge & Garcia 1997). Pollination could be impaired in these fragments because isolation often negatively influences the dispersal of insects, the most important pollinating agents in the tropics.
Periodic maps on R7 without fixed points
Authors: HAYNES RICHARD , KWASIK SLAWOMIR , MAST JERREL , SCHULTZ REINHARD
Published: August 2008

In this paper we prove that R7 admits smooth periodic maps with no fixed points
for every period that is not a prime power. Results of P. A. Smith show that such
examples do not exist in any lower dimensions.
On the restriction of cuspidal representations to
unipotent elements
Authors: PRASAD DIPENDRA , SANAT NILABH
Published: August 2008

Let G be a connected split reductive group defined over a finite field [ ]q, and
G([ ]q) the group of [ ]q-rational points of G. For each maximal torus T of G defined
over [ ]q and a complex linear character θ of T([ ]q), let RGT(θ) be the generalized
representation of G([ ]q) defined in [DL]. It can be seen that the conjugacy classes in
the Weyl group W of G are in one-to-one correspondence with the conjugacy classes
of maximal tori defined over [ ]q in G ([C1, 3·3·3]). Let c be the Coxeter conjugacy class
of W, and let Tc be the corresponding maximal torus. Then by [DL] we know that
πθ = (−1)nRGTc(θ) (where n is the semisimple rank of G and θ is a character in ‘general
position’) is an irreducible cuspidal representation of G([ ]q). The results of this paper
generalize the pattern about the dimensions of cuspidal representations of GL(n, [ ]q)
as an alternating sum of the dimensions of certain irreducible representations of
GL(n, [ ]q) appearing in the space of functions on the flag variety of GL(n, [ ]q) as
shown in the table below.
Authorship, Metatheatre, and Antitheatre in the Restoration
Authors: Dharwadker Aparna
Published: August 2008

Restoration theatre theory, polemic, and practice are closely concerned with questions of value, although they have received little attention in recent criticism that considers the formation of the English canon up to and during the eighteenth century. The main issue addressed concerns the legitimacy of dramatic form, which dominates the metatheatre of 1668–75, but also appears unexpectedly in the political drama (especially the comedy) of the early 1660s and the antitheatrical rhetoric of the 1690s. In all these instances, the complexity, integrity, and completeness of drama-in-performance are seen to determine the value of plays as well as playwriting. While the attack on heroic drama in metatheatrical plays such as Shadwell's The Sullen Lovers (1668) and Buckingham's The Rehearsal (1671) is directed by authors of one persuasion against another, Thomas Duffett's burlesque attack on the theatre of spectacle in the 1670s paradoxically is reinforced by the self-criticism of his targets. Moreover, Jeremy Collier's antitheatrical offensive in the late 1690s shows an atypical concern with specific dramatic content, especially in comedy, suggesting that both metatheatre and antitheatre in the Restoration focus their oppositional energies on the particulars of genre.
The Dutch Theatre System: A World of Independents
Authors: van Maanen Hans
Published: August 2008

Although the Dutch theatre system appears balanced and functioning, contemporary forms of the theatrical imagination extend to only a very small part of the Dutch population. In the long term, this can threaten the role of theatre in maintaining and developing the creative power of the community. Moreover, a lack of cohesion among several elements of the system causes its limited functioning. An analysis of production, distribution and reception within the Dutch theatre system determines the main developments and problems.
A two-fluid model for tissue growth within a dynamic flow environment
Authors: O'DEA R. D. , WATERS S. L. , BYRNE H. M.
Published: August 2008

We study the growth of a tissue construct in a perfusion bioreactor, focussing on its response to the mechanical environment. The bioreactor system is modelled as a two-dimensional channel containing a tissue construct through which a flow of culture medium is driven. We employ a multiphase formulation of the type presented by G. Lemon, J. King, H. Byrne, O. Jensen and K. Shakesheff in their study (Multiphase modelling of tissue growth using the theory of mixtures.J. Math. Biol.52(2), 2006, 571–594) restricted to two interacting fluid phases, representing a cell population (and attendant extracellular matrix) and a culture medium, and employ the simplifying limit of large interphase viscous drag after S. Franks in her study (Mathematical Modelling of Tumour Growth and Stability. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Nottingham, UK, 2002) and S. Franks and J. King in their study (Interactions between a uniformly proliferating tumour and its surrounding: Uniform material properties.Math. Med. Biol.20, 2003, 47–89).

The novel aspects of this study are: (i) the investigation of the effect of an imposed flow on the growth of the tissue construct, and (ii) the inclusion of a mechanotransduction mechanism regulating the response of the cells to the local mechanical environment. Specifically, we consider the response of the cells to their local density and the culture medium pressure. As such, this study forms the first step towards a general multiphase formulation that incorporates the effect of mechanotransduction on the growth and morphology of a tissue construct.

The model is analysed using analytic and numerical techniques, the results of which illustrate the potential use of the model to predict the dominant regulatory stimuli in a cell population.
Approaches to university network-based language learning
Authors: BURNAGE GAVIN
Published: August 2008

This paper examines the provision of networked CALL services at the Faculty of
Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge. It argues that in such a context a
broad, inclusive approach to networking – one which avoids any over-strict commitment to a
single method or paradigm of network delivery, but makes the most of whatever is available – is
often the most appropriate. This eclectic approach helps preserve the best of what has been created
in the past while keeping up with everything technological advances offer, and respects
the wide-ranging and widely-differing views and approaches of Faculty teaching staff.
The aim of the MML Network Service is therefore to present a wide range of disparate resources in a
single, coherent framework. While welcoming the many advantages the use of the World Wide Web
brings, the article stresses that in a broad infrastructure both older programs which have proved their
worth and newer, highly-developed programs which have come after them need not be lost while the
functionality of the Web is still developing. It also lays out in general terms some technical
suggestions for those seeking ideas on the implementation of networking strategies in a Windows-based
local area or university-wide network, partly with a view to reinforcing the credentials for
CALL and humanities computing generally to be afforded high-quality computing infrastructure both in
the present and with whatever technological advances bring in the future.
Urinary and faecal incontinence: prevalence and health status
Authors: Crome Peter , Smith Allison E , Withnall Alexandra , Lyons Ronan A
Published: August 2008

Incontinence is a common and distressing condition of later life. Prevalence studies
have reported rates of urinary incontinence from about 3% to
60%, depending on how incontinence is defined and the type
of population studied. There is much less information about the prevalence of faecal
incontinence. However, some studies have found approximately 2%
of the general population and about 60% of the nursing home population
to be incontinent of faeces. Although some studies have examined the impact of urinary
incontinence on health status, the impact of faecal incontinence has not been investigated
previously. Quantification of the prevalence and specific impact on health of common
disorders such as incontinence will help commissioners and providers in the prioritization
of diagnostic and therapeutic services for this distressing condition. With this
in mind, we report the relevant results of the Tipping the Balance Survey, which
quantified the prevalence and impact on self-perceived health, anxiety and depression
of both faecal and urinary incontinence.
Rehabilitation and management of apraxia after stroke
Authors: van Heugten Caroline M
Published: August 2008

Introduction

A stroke patient puts on his shoes and then tries to put on his socks over his
shoes. Entering the kitchen, this patient puts milk in the teapot, places the sugar
bowl in the oven, and tries to drink from the milk jug. This patient is most probably
apractic. Apraxia is one of the four classical neuropsychological deficits –
such as agnosia, amnesia and aphasia – causing restrictions in the ability
to carry out purposeful and learned activities. One of the first definitions of apraxia
was given by Geschwind: ‘Disorders of the execution of learned
movements which cannot be accounted for by either weakness, inco-ordination, or sensory
loss, nor by incomprehension of, or inattention to commands.’
A forgotten Mass and its composer
Authors: MITCHELL ROBERT J.
Published: August 2008

The present essay explores the cantus firmus use, structure, style and origins of a three-voice Kyrie and
Gloria in Trent Codex 89, both of which use the Tenor of Conrad Paumann's lied Wiplich figur as their cantus firmus.
Both movements may have been part of a Mass cycle which now lacks its subsequent movements. Comparisons are
drawn between these movements and the similar Missa Wünschlichen schön in order to suggest that the two works
may be the work of the same anonymous composer. Further comparisons are also made with works in the Strahov
manuscript, Trent 89 and Trent 88, suggesting that at least some of the latter might also be the work of the same man.
Byzantine castrati
Authors: Moran Neil
Published: August 2008

The employment of castrati in the Byzantine Church can be traced back to the choirmaster Brison in the fourth century. Brison was called upon by John Chrysostom to organize the antiphonal hymn-singing in the patriarchal church. Since eunuchs were generally considered to be remnants of a pagan past, castrati are seldom mentioned in early Byzantine sources, but beginning in the tenth century references to eunuchs or castrati became more and more frequent. By the twelfth century all the professional singers in the Hagia Sophia were castrati. The repertory of the castrati is discussed and the question is raised whether the introduction of castrati to the Sistine Chapel was influenced by the employment of castrati in Italo-Greek cloisters.
Contribution of cumulus cells and serum to the maturation of oocyte cytoplasm as revealed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
Authors: Yamazaki Yukiko , Wakayama Teruhiko , Yanagimachi Ryuzo
Published: August 2008

The fertilisability and developmental capacity of mouse oocytes matured in vitro were examined by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). While more than 50% of cumulus-enclosed oocytes were fertilised by IVF after maturation in serum-supplemented medium, none were fertilised when the oocytes matured without serum. By ICSI, the majority (78-94%) of the oocytes were fertilised regardless of the presence or absence of serum in oocyte maturation media. Although the majority (88-92%) of cumulus-free germinal vesicle oocytes underwent nuclear maturation in both serum-free and serum-containing media, those matured in the presence of serum were more readily fertilised by ICSI (43%) than those matured without it (3-5%). The cumulus-free oocytes co-cultured with cumulus cells but without serum were fertilised at 36%, suggesting some secreted factor promotes the oocyte's cytoplasmic maturation. The oocytes fertilised by ICSI developed into normal-term fetuses regardless of the presence or absence of serum or cumulus cells in oocyte maturation medium. These results lead us to conclude that (a) the cytoplasm of the oocytes can mature in serum-free medium and (b) the presence of both the serum and the cumulus cells in the medium surrounding maturing oocytes is beneficial for the development of the fertilisation- and development-competence of oocyte cytoplasm.
Constraint programming viewed as rule-based programming
Authors: APT KRZYSZTOF R. , MONFROY ERIC
Published: August 2008

We study here a natural situation when constraint programming can be entirely reduced to
rule-based programming. To this end we explain first how one can compute on constraint
satisfaction problems using rules represented by simple first-order formulas. Then we consider
constraint satisfaction problems that are based on predefined, explicitly given constraints.
To solve them we first derive rules from these explicitly given constraints and limit the
computation process to a repeated application of these rules, combined with labeling. We
consider two types of rule here. The first type, that we call equality rules, leads to a new
notion of local consistency, called rule consistency that turns out to be weaker than arc
consistency for constraints of arbitrary arity (called hyper-arc consistency in Marriott &
Stuckey (1998)). For Boolean constraints rule consistency coincides with the closure under the
well-known propagation rules for Boolean constraints. The second type of rules, that we call
membership rules, yields a rule-based characterization of arc consistency. To show feasibility
of this rule-based approach to constraint programming, we show how both types of rules can
be automatically generated, as CHR rules of Frühwirth (1995). This yields an implementation
of this approach to programming by means of constraint logic programming. We illustrate
the usefulness of this approach to constraint programming by discussing various examples,
including Boolean constraints, two typical examples of many valued logics, constraints dealing
with Waltz's language for describing polyhedral scenes, and Allen's qualitative approach to
temporal logic.
On redundancy elimination tolerant scheduling rules
Authors: FERRUCCI FILOMENA , SESSA MARIA I. , PACINI GIULIANO
Published: August 2008

In Ferrucci, Pacini and Sessa (1995) an extended form of resolution, called Reduced SLD
resolution (RSLD), is introduced. In essence, an RSLD derivation is an SLD derivation
such that redundancy elimination from resolvents is performed after each rewriting step.
It is intuitive that redundancy elimination may have positive effects on derivation process.
However, undesiderable effects are also possible. In particular, as shown in this paper, program
termination as well as completeness of loop checking mechanisms via a given selection rule
may be lost. The study of such effects has led us to an analysis of selection rule basic
concepts, so that we have found convenient to move the attention from rules of atom
selection to rules of atom scheduling. A priority mechanism for atom scheduling is built,
where a priority is assigned to each atom in a resolvent, and primary importance is given
to the event of arrival of new atoms from the body of the applied clause at rewriting time.
This new computational model proves able to address the study of redundancy elimination
effects, giving at the same time interesting insights into general properties of selection rules.
As a matter of fact, a class of scheduling rules, namely the specialisation independent ones,
is defined in the paper by using not trivial semantic arguments. As a quite surprising result,
specialisation independent scheduling rules turn out to coincide with a class of rules which
have an immediate structural characterisation (named stack-queue rules). Then we prove
that such scheduling rules are tolerant to redundancy elimination, in the sense that neither
program termination nor completeness of equality loop check is lost passing from SLD to
RSLD.
The Costs of Widening Participation: Contradictions in New Labour's Student Funding Policies
Authors: Callender Claire
Published: August 2008

Increasing and widening participation have been at the heart of New Labour's higher education initiatives since they came to power. This article argues that their 1998 reforms of student financial support were inconsistent with their commitment to widening access and fairness in educational opportunities, and their desire for higher education to contribute to greater social cohesion. The article examines this policy contradiction. It explores how the 1998 reforms came about, and the effects of the reforms. It traces briefly the development of student funding policies under the Conservatives, and under New Labour. Next, is assesses New Labour's policies and policy objectives, drawing upon the findings of a major survey on students' income and expenditure. So, it explores some of the effects and consequences, both intended and unintended, of the 1998 reforms.
Migration and Poverty: The Case of the Slovak Roma
Authors: Castle-Kanerová Mítă
Published: August 2008

This article locates the issue of recent migration among Slovak Roma into the Czech Republic within the context of EU enlargement and the recent concerns over immigration control. The small-scale fieldwork undertaken among the Slovak Roma migrants in Czech detention centres revealed – not surprisingly – that the choice to seek asylum is closely associated with the loss of their economic status and employment in Slovakia. To become an asylum seeker in a neighbouring country is a way of looking for work whilst the family members are safe, free from harassment and unwanted hostilities back at home. The link between migration and poverty, however, should not be seen as a causal link for this category of asylum seekers, since increasing poverty among the Roma cannot be dissociated from political issues, such as institutional discrimination that has not been effectively addressed by the government itself.
Guide to Some Sources
Authors: Jordan Bill
Published: August 2008

The theme of social policy in Central Europe is not widely documented in the English-language journals, with the exceptions of the Journal of European Social Policy and International Social Security Review, although Global Social Policy and Social Quality can now be added to this ever-increasing list.
Social Security as a financial asset: gender-specific risks and returns
Authors: BAXTER MARIANNE
Published: August 2008

Social Security is a financial asset whose ‘purchase’ is compulsory for most working
individuals. This paper shows that the return on Social Security during the individual's working
lifetime is related to the rate of change of aggregate labor income. If an individual's labor
income is strongly related to aggregate labor income, then the Social Security asset is a
particularly unattractive asset. In this situation, the individual would benefit from a reformed
Social Security system that would permit investment of retirement funds in other financial
assets. This paper investigates how this aspect of Social Security risk varies across groups of
individuals who differ according to gender; education; race; and age. The main finding is that
there are important differences across groups in this component of Social Security risk, as
captured by the sensitivity of individual-level income growth to changes in the SSWI. This
element of risk is most important for women, especially women who are young-to-middle aged
and with more education. This analysis suggests that women would have more to gain,
compared with men, from a reformed Social Security system.
Slabs and shear wave reflectors in the midmantle
Authors: Courtier Anna M. , Revenaugh Justin
Published: August 2008

An extensive analysis of multiple ScS reverberation data sets sampling regions of active or recent subduction reveals evidence of midmantle reflections apparently stemming from fragments of subducted slabs or from the interaction between subducted slabs and the surrounding mantle. Transition zone reflectors are detected beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean and Melanesia with mean depths of ∼850 and 1100 km in the majority of source–receiver corridors crossing the study area. The observations are most spatially coherent beneath the Coral and Tasman Seas. Coincident observations of the two reflectors along most seismic corridors suggests (but does not mandate) the existence of two distinct reflectors rather than bimodal depth distribution of a single reflector or distributed scatterers. Beneath North America, reflectors at depths of ∼1380 and 1530 km are seen in the midcontinent region; further east, the reflections are shallower, with depths near 940 and 1130 km. Unlike the southwest Pacific, the reflectors are not paired in any of the individual source–receiver corridors. This and the depth variability of the observations indicate that the reflector (or reflectors) in the Americas is (are) fragmented from west to east (transecting source–receiver corridors). The impedance contrasts of these features rival that of the 660‐km discontinuity, suggesting that individual fragments of the reflecting surfaces must be relatively continuous and flat from north to south (along individual corridors) to maintain a strong apparent impedance contrast. The reflections in both study areas are unlikely to be the result of slabs interacting with a chemical boundary layer or small‐scale scatterers within the midmantle. More likely these reflectors result from a pressure–temperature‐dependent phase transition within or around subducting slabs.
Black carbon enrichment in atmospheric ice particle residuals observed in lower tropospheric mixed phase clouds
Authors: Cozic J. , Mertes S. , Verheggen B. , Cziczo D. J. , Gallavardin S. J. , Walter S. , Baltensperger U. , Weingartner E.
Published: August 2008

The enrichment of black carbon (BC) mass in residuals of small ice crystals was investigated during intensive experiments in winter 2004 and 2005 at the high alpine research station Jungfraujoch (3580 m asl, Switzerland). Two inlets were used to sample the bulk aerosol (residuals of cloud droplets and ice crystals and nonactivated aerosol particles) and the residual particles of small ice crystals (diameter 5–20 μm). An enrichment of the BC mass fraction in the ice particle residuals was observed by investigating the measured BC mass concentration as a fraction of the bulk (submicrometer) aerosol mass concentration sampled by the two inlets. On the average, the BC mass fraction was 5% for the bulk aerosol but 27% for the ice particle residuals. The observed enrichment of BC in ice particle residuals suggests that some BC‐containing particles may preferentially act as ice nuclei, with important implications for the indirect aerosol effect via glaciation of clouds if these particles represent a significant fraction of the number of ice crystals nucleated.
Magnetostrophic MRI in the Earth's outer core
Authors: Petitdemange Ludovic , Dormy Emmanuel , Balbus Steven A.
Published: August 2008

We show that a simple, modified version of the Magnetorotational Instability (MRI) can develop in the outer liquid core of the Earth, in the presence of a background shear. It requires either thermal wind, or a primary instability, such as convection, to drive a weak differential rotation within the core. The force balance in the Earth's core is very unlike classical astrophysical applications of the MRI (such as gaseous disks around stars). Here, the weak differential rotation in the Earth core yields an instability by its constructive interaction with the planet's much larger rotation rate. The resulting destabilising mechanism is just strong enough to counteract stabilizing resistive effects, and produce growth on geophysically interesting timescales. We give a simple physical explanation of the instability, and show that it relies on a force balance appropriate to the Earth's core, known as magnetostrophic balance.
Electromagnetic images of the deep structure of the Trans‐European Suture Zone beneath Polish Pomerania
Authors: Ernst Tomasz , Brasse Heinrich , Cerv Vaclav , Hoffmann Norbert , Jankowski Jerzy , Jozwiak Waldemar , Kreutzmann Anja , Neska Anne , Palshin Nikolay , Pedersen Laust Börsting , Smirnov Maxim , Sokolova Elena , Varentsov Ivan Mikhail
Published: August 2008

A large‐scale international electromagnetic experiment has been carried out in northwest Poland and northeast Germany. The main goal was to study the deep conductivity structure across the Trans‐European Suture Zone, which is the most prominent tectonic structure of Phanerozoic age in Europe. Electromagnetic measurements were carried out mainly along seismic profiles P2, LT‐7, and LT‐2 crossing the suture zone and running in the northeastern direction. Strike and dimensionality analyses indicate that a geo‐electrical strike of N60°W common to both profiles LT‐7 and P2 can be estimated. This strike direction was used to project and rotate all transfer functions and both profiles were subjected to 2D inversion using three different approaches. The results show the presence of highly conductive Cenozoic‐Mesozoic sedimentary cover reaching depths up to 3 km. A significant conductivity anomaly beneath the central part of the TESZ, called the Central Polish Anticlinorium, has been well resolved at mid‐crustal depths. The upper mantle of the Precambrian East European Craton is more resistive than, adjacent to the West, the younger Paleozoic Platform.
Fast and accurate estimation of solar irradiance on Martian slopes
Authors: Spiga Aymeric , Forget François
Published: August 2008

A general parameterization is proposed in this study to calculate, in a Mars‐like dusty atmosphere, the solar irradiance reaching an inclined surface, assuming the value in the horizontal case is known. Complete Monte‐Carlo radiative transfer calculations, using the Ockert‐Bell et al. (1997) dust optical properties, enable the validation of the method for Mars. The total shortwave flux reaching the surface is composed of three contributions: direct incoming flux, reflected flux by surrounding terrains, and scattered flux by the atmospheric dust. The main difficulty is the parameterization of the latter component. We show that the scattered flux reaching the slope can be expressed by a physically‐based simple formula involving one empirical coupling matrix and two vectors accounting for the scattering properties and the geometrical settings. The final result is a computationally efficient parameterization, with an accuracy in most cases better than 5 W.m−2. Such a fast and accurate method to calculate solar irradiance on Martian slopes (should they be topographical surfaces or solar panels) is of particular interest in a wide range of applications, such as remote‐sensing measurements, geological and meteorological models, and Mars exploration missions design.
Global distributions and occurrence rates of transient luminous events
Authors: Chen Alfred B. , Kuo Cheng‐Ling , Lee Yi‐Jen , Su Han‐Tzong , Hsu Rue‐Ron , Chern Jyh‐Long , Frey Harald U. , Mende Stephen B. , Takahashi Yukihiro , Fukunishi Hiroshi , Chang Yeou‐Shin , Liu Tie‐Yue , Lee Lou‐Chuang
Published: August 2008

We report the global transient luminous event (TLE) distributions and rates based on the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) experiment onboard the FORMOSAT‐2 satellite. ISUAL observations cover 45°S to 25°N latitude during the northern summer and 25°S to 45°N latitude during the northern winter. From July 2004 to June 2007, ISUAL recorded 5,434 elves, 633 sprites, 657 halos, and 13 gigantic jets. Surprisingly, elve is the dominant type of TLEs, while sprites/halos are a distant second. Elve occurrence rate jumps as the sea surface temperature exceeds 26 degrees Celsius, manifesting an ocean‐atmosphere‐ionosphere coupling. In the ISUAL survey, elves concentrate over the Caribbean Sea, South China Sea, east Indian Ocean, central Pacific Ocean, west Atlantic Ocean, and southwest Pacific Ocean; while sprites congregate over central Africa, Japan Sea, and west Atlantic Ocean. The ISUAL experiment observed global rates of 3.23, 0.50, 0.39, and 0.01 events per minute for elves, sprites, halos, and gigantic jets, respectively. Taking the instrumental detection sensitivity and the restricted survey area into account, the corrected global occurrence rates for sprites and elves likely are a factor of two and an order of magnitude higher, respectively. ISUAL observations also indicate that the relative frequency of high peak current lightning (>80 kA) is 10 times higher over the oceans than over the land. On the basis of the corrected ISUAL elve global occurrence rate, the total electron content at the lower ionosphere above elve hot zones was computed to be elevated by more than 5%.
Reevaluation of mid‐Pliocene North Atlantic sea surface temperatures
Authors: Robinson Marci M. , Dowsett Harry J. , Dwyer Gary S. , Lawrence Kira T.
Published: August 2008

Multiproxy temperature estimation requires careful attention to biological, chemical, physical, temporal, and calibration differences of each proxy and paleothermometry method. We evaluated mid‐Pliocene sea surface temperature (SST) estimates from multiple proxies at Deep Sea Drilling Project Holes 552A, 609B, 607, and 606, transecting the North Atlantic Drift. SST estimates derived from faunal assemblages, foraminifer Mg/Ca, and alkenone unsaturation indices showed strong agreement at Holes 552A, 607, and 606 once differences in calibration, depth, and seasonality were addressed. Abundant extinct species and/or an unrecognized productivity signal in the faunal assemblage at Hole 609B resulted in exaggerated faunal‐based SST estimates but did not affect alkenone‐derived or Mg/Ca–derived estimates. Multiproxy mid‐Pliocene North Atlantic SST estimates corroborate previous studies documenting high‐latitude mid‐Pliocene warmth and refine previous faunal‐based estimates affected by environmental factors other than temperature. Multiproxy investigations will aid SST estimation in high‐latitude areas sensitive to climate change and currently underrepresented in SST reconstructions.
Neogene exhumation history of the Mont Blanc massif, western Alps
Authors: Glotzbach C. , Reinecker J. , Danišík M. , Rahn M. , Frisch W. , Spiegel C.
Published: August 2008

The contribution of climate and tectonics to the Neogene exhumation history of the European Alps is studied in the Mont Blanc (MB) massif using low‐temperature thermochronology. Apatite fission track and (U‐Th‐[Sm])/He data suggest that the MB massif was exhumed episodically: Rapid exhumation (2.5 ± 0.5 km/Ma) before 6 Ma is followed by an episode of slow exhumation and a period of accelerated exhumation (>1 km/Ma) after ∼3 Ma. Comparing the exhumation rates of the MB massif with reported exhumation rates of all other external crystalline massifs (ECM) shows that the MB massif is the only ECM that experienced rapid exhumation before 6 Ma, which is possibly related to NW and minor SE directed thrusting of the MB massif. The data demonstrate that the Messinian base level drop (∼5.5 Ma) and the increase in atmospheric moisture caused by an intensification of the Atlantic Golf Stream (4.6 Ma) did not affect the exhumation of the external Alps. All ECM, except the Gotthard massif, show an increase in exhumation rates at ∼3 Ma. We interpret this as the result of normal faulting along orogen‐parallel faults and beginning Alpine glaciation. The relative impact of these processes on the exhumation of the ECM can vary spatially and temporally, mainly depending on differences in geology and geomorphology. In the case of the MB massif we propose that the acceleration in exhumation rates at ∼3 Ma is caused by rapid valley incision related to glaciation, and that the recent relief of the MB massif is thus a young feature.
Analysis of Genetic Interaction Maps Reveals Functional Pleiotropy
Authors: Pu Shuye , Ronen Karen , Vlasblom James , Greenblatt Jack , Wodak Shoshana
Published: August 2008

Epistatic or genetic interactions, representing the effects of mutations on the phenotypes caused by other mutations, can be very helpful for uncovering functional relationships between genes. Recently, the Epistasis Miniarray Profile (E-MAP) method has emerged as a powerful approach for identifying such interactions systematically. As part of this approach, hierarchical clustering is used to partition genes into groups on the basis of the similarity between their global interaction profiles. Here we present an original biclustering algorithm for identifying groups of functionally related genes from E-MAP data in a manner that allows individual genes to be assigned to more than one functional group. This enables investigation of the pleiotropic nature of gene function, a goal that cannot be achieved with hierarchical clustering. The performance of our algorithm is illustrated by applying it to two E-MAP datasets and an E-MAP-like in silico dataset for the yeast S. cerevisiae. In addition to identifying the majority of the functional modules reported in these studies, our algorithm uncovers many recently documented and novel multi-functional relationships between genes and gene groups.
Estimating the sex ratio of loggerhead turtle hatchlings at Mon Repos rookery (Australia) from nest temperatures
Authors: The Chu Cuong , Booth David T. , Limpus Colin J.
Published: August 2008

Sand temperatures and loggerhead turtle nest temperatures (Caretta caretta) at Mon Repos rookery (Australia) were monitored over the 2005–06 and 2006–07 nesting seasons and hatchling sex ratios of clutches were estimated using the Constant Temperature Equivalent method. Nest temperatures were positively correlated with the sand temperature and air temperature in both seasons. Both seasons produced a female-biased sex ratio, especially the 2005–06 season, when almost all hatchlings were predicted to be female. Hatch success rate was not affected by nest temperature and averaged 85%, but hot nests from 2005–06 had a reduced emergence success compared with other nests. Daily cyclic temperature fluctuations of 0.5–1.5°C were a feature of nests, with a tendency for greater daily amplitude in the 2005–06 season when the average daily temperature was hotter. These daily temperature fluctuations increased the constant temperature equivalent temperature by 0.1–0.5°C above mean nest temperature during the sex-determining period and resulted in an increased female bias in the estimated hatchling sex ratio.
Baseline blood biochemistry of Australian green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and effects of exposure to the toxic cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula
Authors: Arthur Karen E. , Limpus Colin J. , Whittier Joan M.
Published: August 2008

Quantifying health in wild marine turtles is challenging because reptiles have characteristically wide-ranging normal reference values for many indicators of health and because of the shortage of population-specific baseline data for wild animals. We measured blood biochemistry profiles (calcium, magnesium, sodium, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose) of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Moreton and Shoalwater Bays, Australia, and compared them in relation to capture site, age, sex and exposure to harmful algal blooms of the toxic cyanobacteria Lyngbya majuscula. Turtles were considered to be clinically healthy when no external injuries or lesions were observed and there was no evidence of disease or emaciation. Differences in blood profiles were detected between sites, but not between age groups or sexes. Turtles that were exposed to L. majuscula generally had lower plasma glucose concentrations and decreased LDH activity, which may represent a metabolic downregulation resulting from food limitation. This study provides the first blood biochemistry reference values for green turtles in Queensland, Australia, that can be used in future assessments of green turtles in these foraging habitats.
UCP2 is highly expressed in pancreatic α-cells and influences secretion and survival
Authors: Diao Jingyu , Allister Emma M. , Koshkin Vasilij , Lee Simon C. , Bhattacharjee Alpana , Tang Christine , Giacca Adria , Chan Catherine B. , Wheeler Michael B.
Published: August 2008

In pancreatic β-cells, uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) influences mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and insulin secretion. Here, we show that α-cells express significantly higher levels of UCP2 than do β-cells. Greater mitochondrial UCP2-related uncoupling was observed in α-cells compared with β-cells and was accompanied by a lower oxidative phosphorylation efficiency (ATP/O). Conversely, reducing UCP2 activity in α-cells was associated with higher mitochondrial membrane potential generated by glucose oxidation and with increased ATP synthesis, indicating more efficient metabolic coupling.
In vitro
, the suppression of UCP2 activity led to reduced glucagon secretion in response to low glucose; however,
in vivo
, fasting glucagon levels were normal in
UCP2
−/−
mice. In addition to its effects on secretion, UCP2 played a cytoprotective role in islets, with
UCP2
−/−
α-cells being more sensitive to specific death stimuli. In summary, we demonstrate a direct role for UCP2 in maintaining α-cell function at the level of glucose metabolism, glucagon secretion, and cytoprotection.
Moving to the Speed of Sound: Context Modulation of the Effect of Acoustic Properties of Speech
Authors: Shintel Hadas , Nusbaum Howard C.
Published: August 2008

Suprasegmental acoustic patterns in speech can convey meaningful information and affect listeners' interpretation in various ways, including through systematic analog mapping of message‐relevant information onto prosody. We examined whether the effect of analog acoustic variation is governed by the acoustic properties themselves. For example, fast speech may always prime the concept of speed or a faster response. Alternatively, the effect may be modulated by the context‐dependent interpretation of those properties; the effect of rate may depend on how listeners construe its meaning in the immediate linguistic or communicative context. In two experiments, participants read short scenarios that implied, or did not imply, urgency. Scenarios were followed by recorded instructions, spoken at varying rates. The results show that speech rate had an effect on listeners' response speed; however, this effect was modulated by discourse context. Speech rate affected response speed following contexts that emphasized speed, but not without such contextual information.
Do Humans Really Learn AnBn Artificial Grammars From Exemplars?
Authors: Hochmann Jean‐Rémy , Azadpour Mahan , Mehler Jacques
Published: August 2008

An important topic in the evolution of language is the kinds of grammars that can be computed by humans and other animals. Fitch and Hauser () approached this question by assessing the ability of different species to learn 2 grammars, (AB)n and An Bn. An Bn was taken to indicate a phrase structure grammar, eliciting a center‐embedded pattern. (AB)n indicates a grammar whose strings entail only local relations between the categories of constituents. F&H's data suggest that humans, but not tamarin monkeys, learn an An Bn grammar, whereas both learn a simpler (AB)n grammar (). In their experiments, the A constituents were syllables pronounced by a female voice, whereas the B constituents were syllables pronounced by a male voice. This study proposes that what characterizes the An Bn exemplars is the distributional regularities of the syllables pronounced by either a male or a female rather than the underlying, more abstract patterns. This article replicates F&H's data and reports new controls using either categories similar to those in F&H or less salient ones. This article shows that distributional regularities explain the data better than grammar learning. Indeed, when familiarized with An Bn exemplars, participants failed to discriminate A3 B2 and A2 B3 from An Bn items, missing the crucial feature that the number of As must equal the number of Bs. Therefore, contrary to F&H, this study concludes that no syntactic rules implementing embedded nonadjacent dependencies were learned in these experiments. The difference between human linguistic abilities and the putative precursors in monkeys deserves further exploration.
The Tractable Cognition Thesis
Authors: Van Rooij Iris
Published: August 2008

The recognition that human minds/brains are finite systems with limited resources for computation has led some researchers to advance the Tractable Cognition thesis: Human cognitive capacities are constrained by computational tractability. This thesis, if true, serves cognitive psychology by constraining the space of computational‐level theories of cognition. To utilize this constraint, a precise and workable definition of “computational tractability” is needed. Following computer science tradition, many cognitive scientists and psychologists define computational tractability as polynomial‐time computability, leading to the P‐Cognition thesis. This article explains how and why the P‐Cognition thesis may be overly restrictive, risking the exclusion of veridical computational‐level theories from scientific investigation. An argument is made to replace the P‐Cognition thesis by the FPT‐Cognition thesis as an alternative formalization of the Tractable Cognition thesis (here, FPT stands for fixed‐parameter tractable). Possible objections to the Tractable Cognition thesis, and its proposed formalization, are discussed, and existing misconceptions are clarified.
How Institutional Incentives and Constraints Affect the Progress of Science
1
Authors: Diamond Arthur M.
Published: August 2008

Scholars studying science policy have long wondered how the progress of science is affected by scientists' motives, and by the incentives and constraints that scientific institutions create. This paper aims to answer two objections to the soundness and applicability of the ‘economics of science’ that arise from such issues. I argue that the progress of science can occur even if scientists exhibit a wide range of motives; but that the pace of scientific progress will depend, in part, on the incentives and constraints provided by scientific institutions. I also discuss the implications of path dependence for the epistemological status of science.
Making Bronco Ropes
Authors: Lewis Darrell
Published: August 2008

In the 1890s and early 1900s H. Compton Trew developed the bronco method of handling cattle for branding and other treatment. His innovation led to new words in the Australian lexicon, alterations in harness and stockyard design, the construction of special ‘bronco panels’, and the adoption of twisted greenhide ropes which largely replaced the plaited ropes that had previously been used. Production of a first‐class bronco rope required considerable skill. Their manufacture became a source of pride amongst outback cattlemen and they developed many variations in the treatment of the raw material, the way it was prepared, and the techniques used.