bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative biological and enzymatic studies on some host-adapted populations of melon and cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Owusu E. O. , Kim C. -S. , HorilKe M. , Hirano C.
Published: March 2009

The biology of some host-adapted populations of A. gossypii and the comigration band mobilities of aphid enzyme extracts were studied in 1992 in Kochi, Japan. Results indicated that biologically there are no significant differences between eggplant, cucumber and watermelon aphid populations with regards to longevity and the number of offspring produced per female aphid. However, in all populations, adult survival declined significantly within 5 days of introduction onto a new host from the original. No genetic differences were observed between populations since they scored equally at seven different enzyme loci: malic enzyme (ME), glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI), isocitrate dehydrogenase (1DH), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and naphthylacetate linked esterase (EST). Also, protein bands, as revealed by SDS-PAGE, as well as carboxylesterase banding patterns, showed no differences between populations. These results indicate that the various host-adapted populations of A. gossypii infesting a wide range of solanaceous and curcubitaceous crops can be treated as single species devoid of genetic variability. The slight differences in biology and behaviour found between the various hostadapted populations can be attributed to physiological variations, differences in host nutrient composition, and possibly to some unknown co-existing biotic factors.
The nutritive value of wheat and oat silages ensiled on three cutting dates
Authors: Garnsworthy P. C. , Stokes D. T.
Published: March 2009

The production of biomass and its partitioning into stem, leaf, ear and dead material were monitored weekly in crops of wheat and oats from 16 May 1990, which corresponded approximately to ear emergence in the wheat, until ensilage on 29 June, 7 July and 19 July 1990 using the Ag-Bag system. An enzyme/inoculant additive was used on both crops on each ensilage date, although a portion of oats was ensiled without additive on the first two cutting dates, giving a total of eight silages. Changes in rumen degradability of dry matter were assessed for both crops throughout the monitoring period using the synthetic fibre bag technique. The digestibilities of gross energy, modified acid detergent fibre, organic matter and crude protein were determined in vivo using sheep.

Over the total period of monitoring, the daily rates of increase in dry matter (DM) yield were 15·1 (± 1·6) and 16·5 (±1·9) g DM/m2 for wheat and oats respectively. From 29 June to 19 July the rates of increase were 11·3 (± 3·1) and 23·1 (±6·0) g DM/m2. The increase in weight of the ears accounted for almost all of this increase and, by the end of the monitoring period, the ears contributed approximately half of the dry matter of each crop. In both crops the portion of dead material was small until 19 July, when there was a rapid increase in the amount of dead stem. The DM content of both crops remained < 30% up to day 33 (18 June) but increased from c. 33% to c. 52% between days 53 and 65 (8–20 July). Rumen degradability of both crops decreased rapidly from c. 66% on 16 May until 16 June, when it was c. 56% for wheat and 55% for oats; it remained constant at these values thereafter.

For silages made on the three successive ensilage dates, there was an increase in DM and starch contents but decreases in digestible energy, digestible fibre and digestible crude protein contents. Digestible organic matter was similar for the first two ensilage dates but lower in silage made on the third date.

The use of an additive with the oat crop resulted in decreases in the digestible energy, digestible organic matter and digestible crude protein contents of the silages compared with untreated oats.

Maximum yield of DM from wheat (18·6 t/ha) was obtained with the third cutting date, but optimum yield of energy (170 GJ/ha) and digestible crude protein (746 kg/ha) were found at the second cutting date. For oats, maximum yield of DM (17·3 t/ha) was again found with the third cut and maximum yield of energy (159 GJ/ha, untreated; 140 GJ/ha with additive) with the second cut. Digestible crude protein yield was greatest with the second cut of oats when no additive was used (708 kg/ha) but with additive it was greatest with the first cut (661 kg/ha).

It was concluded that, under these conditions, the optimum date for ensilage of wheat or oats was 7 July and that the use of the additive was detrimental to the quality of the oat silage.
Studies on germination of Adansonia digitata seeds
Authors: Esenowo G. J.
Published: March 2009

Dormancy in seeds of Adansonia digitata (L.) can be attributed partly to the testa and partly to the pulp. Several methods, such as wet heat treatment, total or partial seed decoating and scarification of seeds with concentrated acids, herbicides, fungicides and growth regulators, were tested in 1988 and 1989 to break dormancy. The most effective was scarification with HNO3 or H2SO4, which gave 86 and 98% germination, respectively, while total decoating, partial decoating, wet heat treatment and ethrel gave 85, 80, 75 and 70%, respectively. Seeds treated with herbicides and fungicides did not germinate. Inhibition of germination caused by the pulp was overcome by thorough washing of seeds and soaking in water for 3 days.
Studies on reproduction in prolific ewes
Authors: Dingwall W. S. , Robinson J. J. , Aitken R. P. , Fraser C.
Published: March 2009

In Expt 1, 34 individually-penned Finn Dorset ewes of mean live weight 68 kg were synchronized in oestrus and mated to Suffolk rams. From mating until day 28 of pregnancy each received daily 15 MJ of metabolizable energy (ME) and 225 g crude protein (CP). From day 28 to slaughter on days 34, 41, 48 or 55 half of the ewes continued on this feeding regime and half had their daily intake reduced abruptly to 7·5 MJ of ME and 112 g CP. The mean number of ovulations per ewe was 4·03 (range 2–8) and the mean number of viable foetuses at time of slaughter 3·35 (range 2–6). The combined loss of ova (fertilization failure and early embryonic death) was 14·6% and detectable foetal deaths 2·2%. Level of feeding had no significant effect on these measures or on foetal growth. Foetal growth from 34 to 55 days was described by the equation

In w = 0·962–18·613 e-0·0272t–0·00091t(f–3),

where w = foetal weight (kg), t = age (days) and f = litter size. Within-litter variability measured as the S.D. of In w (kg) was 0–081 for twins, 0·108 for triplets and 0·106 for quadruplets and higher multiples.

In a second experiment Suffolk × Finn Dorset embryos were transplanted at the rate of two per uterine horn into 15 recipient Finn Dorset ewes. Embryo survival was 72% and foetal weights at 60 days varied from 67 to 146% of the mean value of 66 g. Withinlitter variation in foetal size was only about 70% of that expected for foetuses developing from the variable distribution in their initial positioning that occurs naturally. The correlation between foetal weight and placental weight at day 60 was 0·72 (P < 0001) indicating that the association between foetal weight and placental weight in prolific ewes is not confined to late pregnancy.

The results of both experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that the greater within-litter variability in birth weight in large litters is controlled by events in early pregnancy.
Effects of plant density and tillage on growth and grain yield of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) under dryland conditions in a semi-arid area in Ethiopia
Authors: Adjei-Twum D. C.
Published: March 2009

Effects of plant density ranging from 44444 to 133333 plants/ha and tillage practices (planting in flat beds (control), in the furrows of open ridges, on the top of open ridges, in the furrows of tie-ridges and on the top of tie-ridges) on growth and grain yield of sorghum were investigated at Kobo, a typical semi-arid area in Ethiopia, during 1980, 1981 and 1982 cropping seasons. Plant growth was limited in the flat beds because they were likely to be deficient in soil moisture and sometimes in the tie-ridging treatments, due to waterlogging. However, planting on the top of tie-ridges produced 1·6, 0·4 and 1·8 t/ha more yield than in the flat beds, the method commonly practised by the Kobo farmers, during 1980, 1981 and 1982 respectively. In all seasons, the effect of plant density did not show marked differences. The plants rather adjusted their reproductive growth and development to the seasonal rainfall and presumably to the available soil moisture at the grain-filling periods. It was concluded that the highest plant density did not reach the optimum for the area. Planting sorghum on the top of tie-ridges is recommended.
Effect of methods of stand establishment on grain yield of rice under intermediate deep water conditions (15–50 cm)
Authors: Reddy M. D. , Panda M. M.
Published: March 2009

In intermediate deepwater conditions (15–50 cm), direct seeding was superior to transplanting in 20 cm of water. Varieties with greater plant height performed better under transplanted conditions. Nitrogen fertilizer application at 40 kg/ha increased the grain yield under both direct-seeded and transplanted conditions. Though yield of the transplanted crop was less than that of the direct-seeded crop, the decrease was less in the crop given nitrogen fertilizer.
Tropical jute with coated and uncoated urea
Authors: Sarkar Apurba , Mitra P. C. , Roy A. R. , Biswas G. C.
Published: March 2009

Jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) is grown in the tropics. It is next only to cotton in importance as a fibre crop. Adequate supplies of plant nutrients, especially N, are essential for its vegetative growth. Response to applied N varies from region to region. In a light-textured soil with low cation exchange capacity (CEC), part of the applied N is generally lost mostly under rainfall (Engelsted & Russel, 1975) and the rest is manifested in the form of residual effect (McEwen, 1970). Such losses can be reduced by using slow-release N fertilizers or by coating the urea granules by paraffin wax, resin, gum, lac, or with a nitrification inhibitor (Prasad, Raj ale & Lakhdive, 1971). There is little information on the use of these products on jute. Mondal, Dohary & Pal (1977) reported that coated urea is better than uncoated ones. The current programme was designed to give a better picture.
Induction of stem nodules in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.)
Authors: Sharma P. K. , Garg F. C. , Lakshminarayana K.
Published: March 2009

Legumes like Aschynomene, Neptunia and Sesbania possess nodules on their stems in addition to those on the roots (Barrios & Gonzelez, 1971; Dreyfus & Dommergues, 1981) and have the ability to grow under water. The most distinctive characteristic of all stem nodulating legumes in the presence of predetermined nodulation sites on the stem, the formation of which is independent of Rhizobiwm infection (Arora, 1954; Subba Rao, Tilak & Singh, 1980).
Recent developments in the design of field experiments. IV. Lattice squares with split plots
Authors: Kempthorne O.
Published: March 2009

The testing of a large number of varieties or treatments can generally be most conveniently made by the use of the quasi-factorial designs devised by Yates. The value of such designs is enhanced by the possibility of introducing further treatments on parts of the plots. The present paper describes a lattice square trial testing 25 organic treatments (actually 22 different treatments with a control represented three times) in which all combinations of nitrogen, phosphate and potash were also tested by splitting the plots and confounding the three-factor interaction with whole plots, the total number of split-plots being 300. Both the design and analysis are comparatively simple and straight-forward, and will serve as an example of the use of split-plot confounding in most types of quasi-factorial designs.
Effect of rumen degradation on intestinal digestion of nitrogen of 15N-labelled rapeseed meal and straw measured by the mobile-bag method in cows
Authors: Vanhatalo A. , Varvikko T.
Published: March 2009

Rape (Brassica campestris) was labelled, during cultivation, with 15N and then prepared into rapeseed meal (RSM) and rapeseed straw (RSS). Three non-lactating cows, equipped with ruminal and Tshaped duodenal cannulae, were used to incubate both feeds in the rumen for various periods of time in mobile bags contained within larger mesh bags. Some of the mobile bags were then inserted into the duodenum and collected from the faeces. The effects of rumen incubation time and contamination by non-feed N during the rumen incubation and subsequent intestinal digestion on the intestinal feed N digestion values so obtained were assessed. The intestinal digestion of intact RSM nitrogen was also measured in vivo by dosing directly into the duodenum and measured as the net loss of excess 15N not recovered in the faeces.

With RSM, microbial contamination did not affect the disappearance values of feed N from mobile bags in the rumen, the difference in the disappearance between 15N and total N (NT) being negligible. However, the decrease in the disappearance from the mobile bags in the intestine with increasing rumen incubation time tended to be smaller with 15N than with NT, resulting in significantly increasing differences between 15N and NT with increasing rumen incubation time. The average in vivo net loss within the intestine of 15N of labelled RSM was much lower (50·0%) than the 15N disappearance from the mobile bags (80·9%).

With RSS, the disappearance values of 15N and NT from the mobile bags in the rumen were different. The disappearance of 15N was always higher than that of NT, and it also increased significantly more with increasing incubation time. The disappearance of 15N from the mobile bags within the intestine decreased with increasing rumen incubation time, but that of NT remained rather constant.

It is concluded that the intestinal N digestion of a feed may vary significantly depending on the degree of preceding rumen degradation. Therefore, constant intestinal digestion coefficients may not be applied in the modern protein evaluation systems. With protein-rich feeds, such as RSM, the influence of non-feed N is small and does not interfere with the estimation of intestinal N digestibility by the mobile-bag method. With fibrous feeds with low N, such as RSS, intestinal N digestion values are seriously confounded by non-feed N. The present study with RSM did not confirm the correspondence between the value obtained by the mobile-bag method and that in vivo.
Lipid production rates and the pathogenesis of fatty liver in fasted cows
Authors: Reid I. M. , Collins R. A. , Baird G. D. , Roberts C. J. , Symonds H. W.
Published: March 2009

Lipid production across the liver was measured in catheterized dairy cows in vivo in the fed state and during 6 days of fasting. Production rates were calculated from the lipid concentrations in arterial, portal and hepatic-venous plasma and from the rates of plasma flow in the portal vein and the hepatic veins.

There was a consistent net hepatic output of triacylglycerol and a net hepatic uptake of free fatty acids in the fed state.

In the fasted state there was a significant change to a net hepatic uptake of triacylglycerol and an increased hepatic uptake of free fatty acids. Both factors are likely to result in an accumulation of triacylglycerol in the liver.
The impact of differences in nitrogen content, nitrogen utilization and loss from laminae on competition between four grass species in an old pasture
Authors: Tallowin J. R. B. , Brookman S. K. E.
Published: March 2009

The concentration of nitrogen (N) within the emerging, youngest fully expanded and the youngest dead leaf laminae were examined in the grassesLolium perenne, Agrostis stolonifera, Holcus lanatusandPoa trivialisin Devon, UK, in 1986 and 1987. Lamina growth, appearance interval and lamina utilization were also examined in each species. Marked tillers were measuredin situover 14–21 day periods in a continuously grazed permanent pasture under steady state management on plots receiving either zero (ON) or 400 kg nitrogen (400N) fertilizer/ha per annum. The concentration of N tended to be greatest in the distal half and least in the basal part of each lamina in each species. Total mass showed an opposite trend due in part to the shape of the lamina. Less than 40 % of the lamina N was lost through grazing either in the ON or 400N plots in the four species, except once inH. lanatuswhen more was lost. In absolute terms, becauseL. perenneandH. lanatusmaintained larger and longer laminae than eitherA. stoloniferaorP. trivialis, they lost more N through grazing. The four grass species recycled N from the senescing lamina with the same apparent efficiency; this meant that differences in lamina N concentration and carbon: nitrogen ratios were present in the dead laminae of the four species.L. perenneachieved the highest tissue growth rate per unit of N in the lamina in the ON plot, not only in comparison with the three other grasses but also compared with the 400N plot. This high N-use efficiency inL. perennewas not translated into an ability to either expand or maintain its population in the ON plot.L. perennehad a lower leaf appearance rate than the other species in both the 400N and ON plots, but this inherent characteristic of the species was particularly pronounced in the ON plot. A slower leaf appearance rate would limit the potential tillering capacity ofL. perennecompared with the other species. A reduced tillering capacity, exacerbated by N deficiency, was probably the principal factor limiting the ability ofL. perenneto exploit available niches in the ON pasture.
Directed by desire: An exploration based on the structures of the desire for God
Authors: Bom Klaas
Published: March 2009

The concept of ‘desire’ offers an interesting bridge between cultural phenomena of contemporary society and the theological tradition. The exploration of some key elements of this tradition concerning desire supports the launching of a ‘theology of desire’. Although the natural desire for God, as discussed in the so-called ‘théologie nouvelle’, provides very valuable material for this exploration, ‘desire’ is conceived here in a somewhat broader sense. Three levels of desire are distinguished. The ‘lover's desire’ refers to the conscious affirmation of the presence of God's love. The second level, called the ‘seeker's desire’, concerns a more general desire for happiness. Third, the desire for God as an ontological term refers to the relationship between God and humankind. The desire for God, revealed by Jesus Christ, demonstrates the ultimate capacity of our human nature. Thus christology, and especially the creed of Chalcedon, offers the key to systematic anthropology. Finally, the daily reality of the desire for God is discussed with the help of Gregory of Nyssa's concept of asceticism. The integrating power of the Holy Spirit makes the channelling of our desires possible, so that the desire for God forms a part of daily life. Three challenges to encourage continuation on the way toward a theology of desire form the conclusion. The reconsidering of an ontological approach in theology, the priority to christology in systematic anthropology and the ethical and missionary possibilities of the desire for God are invitations for theologians to further explore the theology of desire.
Commentry: Crucible of Nationhood
Authors: Kováč Dušan
Published: March 2009

It is Difficult to find fault with Peter Bugge's study, which is based on a very solid knowledge of the most important literature and sources. For many centuries, the citizens of Bratislava (Pressburg/Pozsony) had lived their own lives, which were only minimally touched by ethnic or national conflicts. Their mentality was best reflected by an anecdote published in the Pressburger Zeitung in 1919, shortly before Czechoslovakia's first census:

Two “Pressburger” met in the street.

“What nationality will you declare on the census? Are you a German?” the first one asks.

“I am not a German,” answers the second.

“Will you declare yourself a Magyar?”

“No, I am not a Magyar.”

“Then you must be a Slovak.”

“No, I am not a Slovak.”

“And what nationality are you actually?”

“I am a Pressburgeaner.”
The Nefarious Former Authorities: Name Change in Trieste, 1918–22
Authors: Hametz Maura E.
Published: March 2009

To Liberate Me from the detestable yoke of foreignness,… I implore you to change my surname,” Umberto Terchig begged Italian authorities in Venezia Giulia, Italy's new northeastern border territory incorporated in the wake of the Habsburg collapse. In Venezia Giulia, comprised of several of the provinces of the former Austrian Adriatic littoral, some 1,000 individuals in the population of approximately 350,000 requested surname changes over the period from the end of World War I in 1918 to the Fascist takeover in 1922. Most petitioners hailed from Trieste and the city's immediate surroundings. Their level of education and relative sophistication varied. Nonetheless, these individuals shared a particular “nationality consciousness” that led them to choose name change as a means to establish national belonging in Italy. Former Habsburg subjects, like Umberto Terchig, living throughout the successor states sought to rearticulate ethnic and national identities to reflect personal affinities and ambitions consistent with institutional arrangements and associations in emerging state frameworks.
Commentary: Between Invention and Imagination—Nationalism, National Identity, Trieste, and the International Context
Authors: Brogi Alessandro
Published: March 2009

This is a story of a missed opportunity. Italian national identity emerged in the modern era on a feeble institutional basis. However, the completion of the country's unity with World War I offered the Italian Liberal state and its administrative elites a great chance. Italy's leaders and officials made the most conspicuous attempt to assert their function as genuine public servants of the general interest—the most effective way to corroborate a sense of national community from the top—by mastering the fervent irredentism in the Venezia Giulia with a mixture of encouragement and moderation. And yet, after four years, this enlightened conduct had to yield to the fanatic and counterproductive nationalism of the far right. Maura Hametz provides a perceptive explanation of this missed opportunity by focusing on the interplay between national choices and local politics in Trieste. Even better, Hametz's essay narrates the story at the microlevel with frequent reference to the international context, thus using a rare combination of ethnocultural and diplomatic history approaches. Few studies of national identity dare encroach on traditional diplomatic history territory. But when dealing with the border disputes among Austria's successor states, it becomes crucial to fit the anthropological and sociological aspects of microhistory into the general history of Europe's balance of power.
On the formality and strong Lefschetz property of symplectic manifolds – Erratum
Authors: Hwang Taek Kyu , Kim Jin Hong
Published: March 2009

Professor Vicente Muñoz kindly informed us that there is an inaccuracy in Lemma 3.5 of [1]. The correct statement of Lemma 3.5 is now that the fundamental group π1(X′) of the manifold X′ is Z, since the monodromy coming from φ8 does not imply that g4 = g4−1. Therefore, what we have actually constructed in Section 3 of [1] is a closed non-formal 8-dimensional symplectic manifold with π1 = Z whose triple Massey product is non-zero, so that the simply-connectedness in Theorem 1.1 should be dropped. As far as we know, the existence of a simply connected closed non-formal 8-dimensional symplectic manifold whose triple Massey product is non-zero still remains an open question. All other main results, especially Theorem 1.2 and Corollary 1.3, in [1] are not affected by this mistake. Furthermore, the stability of the non-formality under a finite covering as in Subsection 3.3 holds in general. We want to thank Professor Muñoz for his careful reading.
Human rights litigation and the ‘war on terror’
Authors: Duffy Helen
Published: March 2009

The ‘war on terror’ has led to grave human rights violations and, in response, to a growing volume of human rights litigation. This article provides an overview of litigation that has unfolded in recent years in relation to issues such as arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, extraordinary rendition, extraterritorial application of human rights norms and the creeping reach of the ‘terrorism’ label. These cases provide a prism through which are displayed key characteristics of the war on terror as it affects human rights, and enables us to begin to ask questions regarding the role of the courts and the impact of human rights litigation in this area.
Literacy Practices and Heritage Language Maintenance
Authors: Joo Hyungmi
Published: March 2009

The number of students who speak a language other than English at home has significantly increased in various Anglophone (i.e., English-dominant) countries in recent decades. As the student populations in these countries’ schools have become more linguistically and culturally diverse, concerns about language minority students’ language and literacy development have also increased. Researchers have documented the literacy practices of various linguistic and cultural groups at home and/or in the community. This paper portrays the literacy practices of Korean-American students, in particular the population of immigrant adolescents. Drawing upon case studies of four Korean immigrant students, the study described in this paper reveals that these middle school students enjoyed reading and writing for pleasure at home in Korean as well as in English (the main language of their formal schooling), although there existed differences among them in terms of the degree to which they used the languages and the activities they engaged in. Their literacy practices were necessarily accompanied by ethnic and cultural identity formation.
How do consonant feature values affect the processing of a CVCV structure?
Authors: Bedoin Nathalie , dos Santos Christophe
Published: March 2009

This paper discusses one experiment on the French language which shows that distinctive phonological feature similarity between consonants influences the processing of a C1VC2V pseudo-word during a high demanding reading task. When participants were asked to recall one of the two consonants, they made more errors in recalling the voicing of C2 (but not C1) when C1 and C2 disagreed in voicing than when they agreed, a pattern which is reminiscent of progressive harmony. A similar trend was found for manner similarity. This study confirms that sub-phonemic information about voicing is extracted rapidly in reading and can cause early phonetic priming. The elaboration of lateral inhibitory relations between phoneme detectors during reading acquisition can serve to counter errors from this early phonetic priming.1
On the nature of medial temporal lobe contributions to the constructive simulation of future events
Authors: Schacter Daniel L. , Addis Donna Rose
Published: March 2009

A rapidly growing number of studies indicate that imagining or simulating possible future events depends on much of the same neural machinery as does remembering past events. One especially striking finding is that the medial temporal lobe (MTL), which has long been linked to memory function, appears to be similarly engaged during future event simulation. This paper focuses on the role of two MTL regions—the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex—in thinking about the future and building mental simulations.
Culture and the processes of virtual teaming for training
Authors: Ahanchian M.R. , McCormick J.
Published: March 2009

Virtual teamwork is a growing mode of operation within organizations through the increasing sophistication and accessibility of computer‐mediated communication. The purpose of this paper was to develop a new conceptual framework and propositions to assist understanding of a new training phenomenon. The approach used was the integration of related, but distinct, literatures and development of arguments for the important role of cultural factors in virtual training teaming. We argue that delivery of training through teamwork in virtual spaces is potentially effective, and individualist and collectivist orientations of team members are likely to be critical for the effectiveness, or otherwise, of such programs.
Measuring the importance of competition in plant communities
Authors: Freckleton Robert P. , Watkinson Andrew R. , Rees Mark
Published: March 2009

Plant ecologists have developed numerous ways to measure competition and to rank the effects of competition relative to other factors. According to one line of logic, there is an important distinction between competitive intensity (broadly, the absolute, proximate effects on individuals) and the importance of competition (loosely, the relative effects on ecological or evolutionary processes).

It has been argued recently that there is a great deal of confusion in the literature regarding these concepts. We agree and suggest that this arose because of loose logic in the initial formulation, and that this has been perpetuated and exacerbated in recent critiques.

Using a simple example, we argue that recent analyses have generated new problems because of a failure to measure importance in terms of individual fitness (defined in an evolutionary sense) or per capita rates of population change. Only when calculated in this way can importance be measured relative to all other processes in the life cycle.

It is not possible to directly measure the importance of competition from short‐term experiments that last less than one generation, using data from artificial conditions, or using data from glasshouse experiments.

Too often researchers use the term ‘importance’ without stating clearly what this is measured with respect to. We highlight, for example, that importance could be measured for population growth rate, community composition or community invasibility and that the appropriate measure would differ in each case.

Synthesis. We ask whether a single index of importance is really useful in plant ecology. The concept focuses on index‐based measures of competition using experimental data, narrowly concentrating on comparing two theories of plant competition. In the rest of the ecological world, researchers are using model‐based analyses of field data and increasingly sophisticated fitting techniques to dissect out the various processes determining the dynamics of single and interacting populations and making a great deal of progress. It is obviously very useful to disentangle the effects of competition at different stages in the life cycle and to determine how these vary along environmental gradients. However, the measure of competition and the measure of importance should be tailored to the question being addressed.
Allosteric regulation of the primase (DnaG) activity by the clamp‐loader (τ) in vitro
Authors: Chintakayala Kiran , Machón Cristina , Haroniti Anna , Larson Marilyn A. , Hinrichs Steven H. , Griep Mark A. , Soultanas Panos
Published: March 2009

During DNA replication the helicase (DnaB) recruits the primase (DnaG) in the replisome to initiate the polymerization of new DNA strands. DnaB is attached to the τ subunit of the clamp‐loader that loads the β clamp and interconnects the core polymerases on the leading and lagging strands. The τ–DnaB−DnaG ternary complex is at the heart of the replisome and its function is likely to be modulated by a complex network of allosteric interactions. Using a stable ternary complex comprising the primase and helicase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus and the τ subunit of the clamp‐loader from Bacillus subtilis we show that changes in the DnaB–τ interaction can stimulate allosterically primer synthesis by DnaG in vitro. The A550V τ mutant stimulates the primase activity more efficiently than the native protein. Truncation of the last 18 C‐terminal residues of τ elicits a DnaG‐stimulatory effect in vitro that appears to be suppressed in the native τ protein. Thus changes in the τ–DnaB interaction allosterically affect primer synthesis. Although these C‐terminal residues of τ are not involved directly in the interaction with DnaB, they may act as a functional gateway for regulation of primer synthesis by τ‐interacting components of the replisome through the τ–DnaB−DnaG pathway.
Mutations in the gene 5 DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7 suppress the dominant lethal phenotype of gene 2.5 ssDNA binding protein lacking the C‐terminal phenylalanine
Authors: Marintcheva Boriana , Qimron Udi , Yu Yao , Tabor Stanley , Richardson Charles C.
Published: March 2009

Gene 2.5 of bacteriophage T7 encodes a ssDNA binding protein (gp2.5) essential for DNA replication. The C‐terminal phenylalanine of gp2.5 is critical for function and mutations in that position are dominant lethal. In order to identify gp2.5 interactions we designed a screen for suppressors of gp2.5 lacking the C‐terminal phenylalanine. Screening for suppressors of dominant lethal mutations of essential genes is challenging as the phenotype prevents propagation. We select for phage encoding a dominant lethal version of gene 2.5, whose viability is recovered via second‐site suppressor mutation(s). Functional gp2.5 is expressed in trans for propagation of the unviable phage and allows suppression to occur via natural selection. The isolated intragenic suppressors support the critical role of the C‐terminal phenylalanine. Extragenic suppressor mutations occur in several genes encoding enzymes of DNA metabolism. We have focused on the suppressor mutations in gene 5 encoding the T7 DNA polymerase (gp5) as the gp5/gp2.5 interaction is well documented. The suppressor mutations in gene 5 are necessary and sufficient to suppress the lethal phenotype of gp2.5 lacking the C‐terminal phenylalanine. The affected residues map in proximity to aromatic residues and to residues in contact with DNA in the crystal structure of T7 DNA polymerase‐thioredoxin.
The psychological burden of patients with beta thalassemia major in Syria
Authors: Gharaibeh Huda , Amarneh Basil H. , Zamzam Suzan Z.
Published: March 2009

Background:  The objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial burden of thalassemia on children with β‐thalassemia major in Damascus, Syria.

Methods:  The sample consisted of thalassemic patients aged 6–18 years old, admitted to the thalassemia center in Damascus, accompanied by their parents. The parents answered a structured questionnaire (developed by Ratip & Modell) on behalf of their children.

Results:  The psychosocial burden affected many aspects of life such as education, time off school, sporting capabilities, difference from friends/siblings, social interactions, family adjustment, anxiety, isolation, and stigmatization. Results indicated a significant association between socio‐demographic characteristics such as age, gender, school grade, current schooling, work, family income, and the occurrence of complications with the psychosocial burden variables including education, time off school, sporting capabilities, difference from friends, social interactions and stigmatization.

Conclusions:  The findings suggest the need for psychological support as well as medical help for thalassemic families. Health professionals need to assess the psychological status of children with thalassemia and that of their families in order to minimize these burdens; thus, nurses must provide psychosocial support for children with thalassemia and encourage other family members to assist in providing support for the affected children.

Implication:  The current study triggered the need for new policies and new roles for the community health nurse and social workers as well as the need for counseling and educational programs for children with thalassemia.
Managing “healthy” late preterm infants
Authors: Ishiguro Akio , Namai Yoshiyuki , Ito Yoichi M.
Published: March 2009

Background:  Late preterm infants are often managed in nursery rooms despite the risks associated with prematurity. The objective of this study was to determine the risks facing late preterm infants admitted to nursery rooms and to establish a management strategy.

Methods:  A total of 210 late preterm infants and 2648 mature infants were assessed. Infants born at 35 and 36 weeks' gestation weighing ≥2000 grams admitted to a nursery room and not requiring medical intervention at birth were of particular interest. The admission rates to the neonatal intensive care unit were evaluated according to the chart review.

Results:  Infants born at 35 and 36 weeks' gestation weighing ≥2000 grams had significantly higher admission rates than term infants at birth (Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test, P < 0.001; common risk ratio, 4.27; 95% confidence interval, 2.41–7.55) and after birth (P < 0.001; common risk ratio, 3.57; 95% confidence interval, 2.40–5.33). More than 80% of admissions from the nursery room to the neonatal intensive care unit after birth were due to apnea or hypoglycemia in neonates born at 35 and 36 weeks' gestation. The admission rates due to apnea increased with decreasing gestational age. The admission rates due to hypoglycemia with no cause other than prematurity accounted for 24.3% of admissions for those born at 35 weeks' gestation and 14.1% of admissions for those born at 36 weeks' gestation; hypoglycemia due to other causes accounted for fewer admissions.

Conclusion:  The management strategy for late preterm infants should be individualized, based on apnea and hypoglycemia. The respiratory state of late preterm infants should be monitored for at least 2 days, and they should be screened for hypoglycemia on postnatal day 0.
Who owns the peace? Aid, reconstruction, and peacebuilding in Afghanistan
Authors: Goodhand Jonathan , Sedra Mark
Published: March 2009

It is unclear how international donors' stated commitment to ownership and partnership ‘translates’ in fragile state or ‘post‐conflict’ settings. The very notion of ownership is violently contested in Afghanistan and donors have to negotiate with, and choose between, multiple state and non‐state interlocutors. The developmentalist principles outlined in the 2005 Paris Declaration may carry little meaning in such contexts and their application can have paradoxical effects that impede the emergence of broad‐based ownership. The limitations of, and alternatives to, developmentalist approaches in fragile states, are explored here with reference to donor policies and practices in Afghanistan, focusing on the period following the 2001 Bonn Agreement. This paper examines how aid policies and programmes have become part of a complex bargaining game involving international actors, domestic elites, and societal groups. It argues that international donors' failure to appreciate or engage sensitively and strategically with these bargaining processes, when combined with contradictory intervention objectives, has contributed to the steady unravelling of a fragile war‐to‐peace transition in Afghanistan.
ENDOGENIZING CONSUMPTION IN THE INPUT‐OUTPUT MODEL: THEORY AND APPLICATION
Authors: Itoh Hidekazu , Doi Masayuki
Published: March 2009

Since the basic model of input‐output analysis does not take into consideration the income effect on consumption expenditure, we constructed a model which endogenizes consumption and breaks down integrated production inducement into Leontief and Keynesian effects in a generalized context and in two solution approaches. Using short‐term marginal consumption propensities, we estimated that Keynesian effects make up about 14% of the integrated inducement effects for Japan. The public services sector, which is not influential in the basic model, becomes very influential in consideration of Keynesian effects. Manufacturing and service sector products are the main targets of the expanded consumption. The impact of a change in exogenous final demand can be easily simulated by applying the suggested apparent input coefficient matrix to the integrated inverse matrix.
How did uncommon disorders become ‘rare diseases’? History of a boundary object
Authors: Huyard Caroline
Published: March 2009

The category of ‘rare diseases’ has been in growing use in the fields of public health and patient advocacy for the past 15 years in Europe. In this socio‐historical inquiry, I argue that this category, which appeared initially as a by‐product of the orphan drug issue in the United States of America is a boundary object. As such, it has different specific local uses: a meaningless category for physicians, it relates to the patients’ experience of illness, whereas the pharmaceutical industry first considered it as being synonymous with small markets and then with innovation. Public bodies contributed to framing a common and blurred use, based on a statistical definition whose purpose was to foster co‐operation between the four groups involved in the issue. In the definition process of the category of rare diseases, the key actors were the patients and public bodies, not medical professionals or the pharmaceutical industry.
Treating Words as Data with Error: Uncertainty in Text Statements of Policy Positions
Authors: Benoit Kenneth , Laver Michael , Mikhaylov Slava
Published: March 2009

Political text offers extraordinary potential as a source of information about the policy positions of political actors. Despite recent advances in computational text analysis, human interpretative coding of text remains an important source of text‐based data, ultimately required to validate more automatic techniques. The profession's main source of cross‐national, time‐series data on party policy positions comes from the human interpretative coding of party manifestos by the Comparative Manifesto Project (CMP). Despite widespread use of these data, the uncertainty associated with each point estimate has never been available, undermining the value of the dataset as a scientific resource. We propose a remedy. First, we characterize processes by which CMP data are generated. These include inherently stochastic processes of text authorship, as well as of the parsing and coding of observed text by humans. Second, we simulate these error‐generating processes by bootstrapping analyses of coded quasi‐sentences. This allows us to estimate precise levels of nonsystematic error for every category and scale reported by the CMP for its entire set of 3,000‐plus manifestos. Using our estimates of these errors, we show how to correct biased inferences, in recent prominently published work, derived from statistical analyses of error‐contaminated CMP data.
The Identity Division of Labor in Native Alaska
Authors: FRINK LISA
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT There is often an implicit assumption that womens' technologies and associated tasks in subsistence‐based groups are expedient and simple. For instance, in Native Alaska, the butchering of fish has been illustrated as arduous but uncomplicated work. On the contrary, closer examinations, as well as discussions with the people who are still learning and practicing subsistence tasks, indicate that this perspective is inaccurate. Instead, these taken‐for‐granted technologies and techniques require a lifetime of training and practice, and not all people achieve master status. Drawing from data from contemporary herring processing and the related tools of the trade, I explore the division of labor in the context of expertise and apprenticeship. [Keywords: apprenticeship, expertise, gender, age, Alaska]
Impact of Absenteeism on Assembly Line Quality and Throughput
Authors: Blumenfeld Dennis E. , Inman Robert R.
Published: March 2009

Assembly lines function best when every worker is present. When a worker is absent, management must scramble to quickly find a replacement. Usually, the replacement will not be as proficient as the absent worker. This can reduce quality and throughput. We present two assembly line work‐systems models (one for lines with Andon and one for lines without Andon) that show one mechanism whereby absenteeism could impact quality and throughput. We exercise these models to provide insights into absenteeism's impact on quality and throughput. While the paper is written in the concrete terms of automotive assembly, the concepts and results apply to manual assembly lines in general.
Modeling and Analysis of an Active Reconfigurable Fixturing Device Using a Bed of Pins Lowered on a Moving Platen
Authors: Walczyk Daniel , Munro Chris
Published: March 2009

A reconfigurable fixturing device (RFD) is a computer-controlled reconfigurable bed-of-pins used for holding a compliant workpiece during manufacturing operations. A new RFD design, based on controlled clamping of loose pins descending on a position-controlled platen, is much simpler in design and is estimated to be significantly less expensive to make than commercially available machines. A RFD prototype with a 5×5 matrix of pins that can be individually clamped using custom-designed solenoids was prototyped to demonstrate the technology. A solenoid, which is considered the best method for clamping RFD pins, has not been used before in either commercial devices or prototypes discussed in the literature. Design models that predict stopping time and distance of pins clamped with a solenoid have also been developed along with a single pin experimental setup instrumented with linear encoders for model validation. The RFD prototype successfully demonstrated controlled clamping of the matrix of pins in either manual or computer-controlled mode. Another useful result was the validation of models for estimating solenoid force as a function of position, time for the solenoid plunger to impact the pin once energized, and distance the vertically descending pin drops before and immediately after impact by the plunger. Experimental data show that the models can accurately predict pin positioning performance with a solenoid as long as friction within the device is included. Since this RFD concept has been fully demonstrated by the prototype device, the next step in development will be a commercial machine. As such, the models for pin positioning can be used to predict shape accuracy of a particular RFD design and solenoid combination.
The justificatory power of moral experience
Authors: van Thiel G J M W , van Delden J J M
Published: March 2009

A recurrent issue in the vast amount of literature on reasoning models in ethics is the role and nature of moral intuitions. In this paper, we start from the view that people who work and live in a certain moral practice usually possess specific moral wisdom. If we manage to incorporate their moral intuitions in ethical reasoning, we can arrive at judgements and (modest) theories that grasp a moral experience that generally cannot be found outside the practice.

Reflective equilibrium (RE) provides a framework for balancing moral intuitions, ethical principles and general theories. Nevertheless, persisting problems associated with the use of intuitions need to be addressed. One is the objection that moral intuitions lack the credibility necessary to guide moral reasoning. Ethicists have tried to solve this problem by formulating criteria to separate the “bad” intuitions from the “good” ones at the beginning of the reasoning process. We call this thecredible input-justified outcome strategy. An example is the appeal to the common morality by Beauchamp and Childress. We think this approach is unsuccessful. As an alternative, we outline thegood reasoning-justified outcome strategy. It connects to a variant of RE in which intuitions from different sources are incorporated. We argue that the elements of RE have different levels of justificatory power at the start of reasoning. In our strategy, each element can gain or lose justificatory power when it is tested in a reasoning process that meets several criteria.