bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
B‐genome derived resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans in near isogenic Brassica napus lines is independent of glucosinolate profile
Authors: Wretblad Sofia , Dixelius Christina
Published: January 2004

The role of the glucosinolate‐myrosinase system in resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans was studied by monitoring changes in glucosinolate profiles in leaf tissue surrounding the site of inoculation. Susceptible Brassica napus cv. Hanna, resistant B. nigra and near isogenic lines derived from interspecific hybrids between the two species were compared. Expression of myrosinase binding protein and presence of genetic markers were also assayed. No correlation between degree of resistance and amount of sinigrin or other aliphatic glucosinolates was found. However, in time course experiments the glucosinolate profile of the L. maculans inoculated plants differed significantly from the water‐inoculated control plants in the amount of 4‐methoxy‐glucobrassicin observed. Five to eight days post‐inoculation an increased level of 4‐methoxy glucobrassicin, ranging from 30% to 47% on average, was found in the inoculated plants, whilst controls varied between 7.6% and 9.2%. This increase was seen both in susceptible and resistant material. Other changes observed could mainly be assigned as effects of wounding. Although inoculation with L. maculans elicited changes in the leaf indolyl glucosinolate profiles, in the material studied, these changes could not be correlated to resistance against the fungus.
Proline accumulation in canola leaf discs subjected to osmotic stress is related to the loss of chlorophylls and to the decrease of mitochondrial activity
Authors: Gibon Yves , Sulpice Ronan , Larher François
Published: January 2004

Many stress studies use simplified experimental models like leaf discs, but the validity of such approaches remains a matter of debate, especially when attempts are made to obtain suitable biotests. We report here the analysis of the resistance of canola leaf discs to osmotic stress, as related to the accumulation of proline. For that purpose, the explanted tissues were incubated for 24 h under continuous light and at 28°C on polyethylene glycol solutions of external potentials (Πext) ranging from −0.1 to −8.0 MPa. Proline content, water deficit and chlorophyll content were quantified. The cell membrane stability, which is a structural component of viability, was assessed according to electrolyte leakage. Biomembrane oxidative damage was measured through the production of malondialdehyde and the mitochondrial activity was quantified by assessing the ability of the tissues to reduce 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Although the water deficit of the tissues reached high values (i.e. up to 70%), the cell membrane stability remained high. Furthermore, the oxidative damage to biomembranes was quite low, even in highly dehydrated tissues. In contrast, osmotic stress induced a significant decrease in the chlorophyll content and a strong accumulation of proline. These two processes each reached a maximum at a Πext of −3.0 MPa, although the tissues appeared to be viable at even lower Πext, suggesting they are not responsible for primary resistance. The mitochondrial activity was strongly decreased in the stressed leaf discs, although this activity was at least partially restored in tissues incubated for 24 h on a non‐stressing medium. It appears that the cell components of the osmotic stress resistance assessed observed in this study do not reflect the modes of resistance of an intact plant.
Drought‐induced in vivo synthesis of camptothecin in Camptothecaacuminata seedlings
Authors: Liu Zhijun
Published: January 2004

Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites may be affected by environmental stimuli. In the present work, the effect of drought on the levels of an indole alkaloid (camptothecin [CPT]) in Camptotheca acuminata seedlings was investigated. Three seed sources, one from its native habitat in China and two from earlier introductions to the United States, in Texas and South Carolina, were used to compare response patterns. Progressive drought stress significantly reduced biomass production in the 3 seed sources of C. acuminata. Stomatal conductance closely followed the drought cycles, indicating the stress levels experienced by the plants. Leaf CPT concentrations showed a strong increase in the initial drought cycle in all seed sources except Texas, but they deviated in the second drought cycle, in which the South Carolina source continued to increase, whereas the Chinese and Texas seed sources decreased. CPT was inducible by drought, but the sustainability of the drought effect on leaf CPT concentrations was low and varied among seed sources.
A causal role for ethylene and endo‐β‐1,4‐glucanase in the abscission of red‐raspberry (Rubus idaeus) drupelets
Authors: Iannetta P. P. M. , Wyman M. , Neelam A. , Jones C. , Taylor M. A. , Davies H. V. , Sexton R.
Published: January 2004

During raspberry (Rubus ideaus L. cv Glen Clova) fruit ripening, endo‐β‐1,4‐glucanase (EGase; EC 3.2.1.4) specific activity (per g fresh weight) increases approximately 15‐fold. Highest activity was associated with the surfaces of the receptacles where the weakening abscission zones are located. Immunoblotting using antibodies raised against a bean abscission‐EGase (ab.‐EGase) identified a single protein of Mr 52 kDa that was present only in ripe fruit and was most prominent in the receptacle. Using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), two 497‐bp partial putative EGase clones were obtained from ripe receptacle mRNA (termed RI‐EGL1 and 2) which share 53% amino acid identity. The more abundant RI‐EGL1 was used to obtain its full length clone from a ripe receptacle cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of RI‐EGL1 was similar to other ab.‐EGase sequences (ca 67%) and contained the conserved motifs present in all E2‐class EGases. Northern analysis revealed that RI‐EGL1 expression was limited to ripe‐fruit receptacles. Application of the ethylene antagonist 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) to green fruits indicated that endogenous ethylene accelerates raspberry abscission and increases both EGase activity and RI‐EGL1 expression.
Indole‐3‐butyric acid biosynthesis in maize is enhanced by cyclohexanedione herbicides
Authors: Ludwig‐Müller Jutta , Schubert Birgit , Rademacher Wilhelm , Hilgenberg Willy
Published: January 2004

It has recently been shown that indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) is formed in maize, via acetylation of indoleacetic acid, by a microsomal membrane fraction, ATP and acetyl‐CoA. A similarity of this reaction to the carboxylation of acetyl‐CoA is proposed and therefore the effects of herbicides specific for the inhibition of acetyl‐CoA carboxylase were tested on IBA synthesis. Aryloxyphenoxypropionates and cyclohexanediones inhibited the growth of the maize seedlings as predicted, whereas IBA biosynthesis was promoted after the application of cyclohexanediones. Herbicides with different targets, however, did not increase IBA synthesis. IBA synthetase was not influenced in sethoxydim‐tolerant maize seedlings as compared to susceptible plants. It was shown that IBA synthetase from dicotyledonous plants was not affected by sethoxydim application, whereas IBA synthesis in wheat was modulated in the same way as in maize.
Copper effect on the protein composition of photosystem II
Authors: Yruela Inmaculada , Alfonso Miguel , Barón Matilde , Picorel Rafael
Published: January 2004

We provide data from in vitro experiments on the polypeptide composition, photosynthetic electron transport and oxygen evolution activity of intact photosystem II (PSII) preparations under Cu(II) toxicity conditions. Low Cu(II) concentrations (Cu(II) per PSII reaction centre unit≤230) that caused around 50% inhibition of variable chlorophyll a fluorescence and oxygen evolution activity did not affect the polypeptide composition of PSII. However, the extrinsic proteins of 33, 24 and 17 kDa of the oxygen‐evolving complex of PSII were removed when samples were treated with 300 μM CuCl2 (Cu(II) per PSII reaction centre unit=1 400). The LHCII antenna complex and D1 protein of the reaction centre of PSII were not affected even at these Cu(II) concentrations. The results indicated that the initial inhibition of the PSII electron transport and oxygen‐evolving activity induced by the presence of toxic Cu(II) concentrations occurred before the damage of the oxygen‐evolving complex. Indeed, more than 50% inhibition could be achieved in conditions where its protein composition and integrity was apparently preserved.
Stomatal limitation of photosynthesis in winter production of greenhouse tomato plants
Authors: Ayari Olfa , Samson Guy , Dorais Martine , Boulanger Rénald , Gosselin André
Published: January 2004

In May, greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants near the end of their winter production cycle were shown to exhibit a diurnal photosynthetic decrease. In order to identify the physiological causes of this decline, we compared in May the photosynthetic characteristics of the fifth youngest leaves from tomato plants of different ages corresponding to a winter production (11‐month‐old plants) and to a spring production (5‐month‐old plants). Although the leaves were developed simultaneously under the same environmental conditions, only the ones from the winter production showed a diurnal decline of the in situ CO2 assimilation rate (ACO2). This was accompanied by a decline of internal CO2 and stomatal conductance and by large accumulations of hexoses. When stomatal closure was relieved under saturated CO2 concentration (5%) using a leaf‐disc electrode system, the fifth leaves of both tomato cultures had similar maximum quantum efficiency of O2 evolution (Φmax), light‐saturated rate of O2 evolution (Pmax) and quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (ΔF/F′m, qP and qN). We concluded that the diurnal decline of ACO2 observed in winter tomato production during May originates from a stomatal limitation that is not dependent on environmental conditions but rather related to the developmental stage of the plants.
Determination of crack‐tip stress intensity factors in complex geometries by the composition of constituent weight function solutions
Authors: BRENNAN F. P. , TEH L. S.
Published: January 2004

Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is the science frequently used to understand the stable and progressive fatigue crack growth that often occurs in engineering components under varying applied stress. The stress intensity factor (SIF) is its basis and describes the stress state at the crack tip. This can be used with the appropriate material properties to calculate the rate at which the crack will propagate in a linear elastic manner. Unfortunately, the SIF is difficult to compute or measure, particularly if the crack is situated in a complex three‐dimensional geometry or subjected to a non‐simple stress state. This is because the SIF is not only a function of the crack and component geometry but is also dependent on the applied stress field. In the last 20 years, the SIF weight function has gained prominence as a method for calculating and presenting SIFs independent of applied stress. This paper demonstrates that the real promise of the SIF weight Function lies in its use to rapidly generate SIF solutions for cracks in complex geometries by simple composition of geometric influences from reference constituent solutions.
The evolution of the stress–strain fields near a fatigue crack tip and plasticity‐induced crack closure revisited
Authors: ZHAO L. G. , TONG J. , BYRNE J.
Published: January 2004

The evolution of the stress–strain fields near a stationary crack tip under cyclic loading at selectedR‐ratios has been studied in a detailed elastic–plastic finite element analysis. The material behaviour was described by a full constitutive model of cyclic plasticity with both kinematic and isotropic hardening variables. Whilst the stress/strain range remains mostly constant during the cyclic loading and scales with the external load range, progressive accumulation of tensile strain occurs, particularly at highR‐ratios. These results may be of significance for the characterization of crack growth, particularly near the fatigue threshold. Elastic–plastic finite element simulations of advancing fatigue cracks were carried out under plane‐stress, plane‐strain and generalized plane‐strain conditions in a compact tension specimen. Physical contact of the crack flanks was observed in plane stress but not in the plane‐strain and generalized plane‐strain conditions. The lack of crack closure in plane strain was found to be independent of the material studied. Significant crack closure was observed under plane‐stress conditions, where a displacement method was used to obtain the actual stress intensity variation during a loading cycle in the presence of crack closure. The results reveal no direct correlation between the attenuation in the stress intensity factor range estimated by the conventional compliance method and that determined by the displacement method. This finding seems to cast some doubts on the validity of the current practice in crack‐closure measurement, and indeed on the role of plasticity‐induced crack closure in the reduction of the applied stress intensity factor range.
A new look at the effect of bandwidth and non‐normality on fatigue damage
Authors: YU L. , DAS P. K. , BARLTROP N. D. P.
Published: January 2004

A new attempt is made in this paper to quantify the effect of bandwidth and non‐normality in fatigue damage analysis. For the lack of actual stress history, a series of non‐Gaussian and homogeneous random processes are generated with fast Fourier transform (FFT) acceleration. A factor is defined on the basis of rain‐flow counting and Palmgren–Miner rule to correct the narrow band and normality assumption. It is revealed that the fatigue damage evaluated through the traditional method may be either conservative or rather unconservative. The upper and lower bounds of the correction factor are studied with respect to kurtosis and skewness of the generated random process and the slope of S–N curve.
Macroecology and the hierarchical expansion of evolutionary theory
Authors: Diniz‐Filho José Alexandre Felizola
Published: January 2004

The constraint envelope describing the relationship between geographical range size and body size has usually been explained by a minimum viable population size model, furnishing a strong argument for species selection if geographical range size turns out to be ‘heritable’. Recent papers have questioned this assumption of nonzero geographical range heritability at a phylogenetic level, meaning that the logic that constraint envelopes provide support for higher‐level selection fails. However, I believe that analysis of constraint envelopes can still furnish insights for the hierarchical expansion of evolutionary theory because the fitness furnished by variation in body size, which is frequently measured as a highly ‘heritable’ trait at the species level, can be partitioned into anagenetic and cladogenetic components. The constraint envelope furnishes an explicit mechanism for large‐body biased extinction rates influencing the distribution of body size. More importantly, it is possible to envisage a scenario in which anagenetic trends driving an increase in body size in higher latitudes within species (Bergmann's rule) are counteracted by available habitat area or continental edges constraining overall species distribution in these higher latitudes, increasing the probability of extinction. Under this combined model, faunas at higher latitudes and under habitat constraints may reach equilibrium points between these opposing hierarchical adaptive forces at smaller body size than faunas with less intense higher‐level constraints and will tend to be more right‐skewed.
Local‐regional relationships and the geographical distribution of species
Authors: Arita Héctor T. , Rodríguez Pilar
Published: January 2004

Aim  Local‐regional (LR) species diversity plots were conceived to assess the contribution of regional and local processes in shaping the patterns of biological diversity, but have been used also to explore the scaling of diversity in terms of its alpha, beta, and gamma components. Here we explore the idea that patterns in the geographical ranges of species over a continent can determine the shape of small region to large region (SRLR) plots, which are equivalent to LR plots when comparing the diversity of sites at two regional scales.

Location  To test that idea, we analysed the diversity patterns at two regional scales for the mammals of North America, defined as the mainland from Alaska and Canada to Panama.

Method  We developed a theoretical model relating average range size of species over a large‐scale region with its average regional point species diversity (RPD). Then, we generated a null model of expected SRLR plots based on theoretical predictions. Species diversities at two scales were modelled using linear and saturation functions for Type I and Type II SRLR relationships, respectively. We applied the models to the case of North American mammals by examining the regional diversity and the RPD for 21 large‐scale quadrats (with area equal to 160,000 km2), arranged along a latitudinal gradient.

Results  Our model showed that continental and large‐scale regional patterns of distribution of species can generate both types of SRLR relationship, and that these patterns can be reflected in LR plots without invoking any kind of local processes. We found that North American nonvolant mammals follow a Type I SRLR relationship, whereas bats follow a Type II pattern. This difference was linked to patterns in which species of the two mammalian groups distribute in geographical space.

Conclusion  Traditional LR plots and the new SRLR plots are useful tools in exploring the scaling of species diversity and in showing the relationship between distribution and diversity. Their usefulness in comparing the relative role of local and regional processes is, however, very limited.
Bergmann's rule does not apply to geometrid moths along an elevational gradient in an Andean montane rain forest
Authors: Brehm Gunnar , Fiedler Konrad
Published: January 2004

Aim Bergmann's rule generally predicts larger animal body sizes with colder climates. We tested whether Bergmann's rule at the interspecific level applies to moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) along an extended elevational gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes.

Location Moths were sampled at 22 sites in the province Zamora‐Chinchipe in southern Ecuador in forest habitats ranging from 1040 m to 2677 m above sea level.

Methods Wingspans of 2282 male geometrid moths representing 953 species were measured and analysed at the level of the family Geometridae, as well as for the subfamily Ennominae with the tribes Boarmiini and Ourapterygini, and the subfamily Larentiinae with the generaEois,EupitheciaandPsaliodes.

Results Bergmann's rule was not supported since the average wingspan of geometrid moths was negatively correlated with altitude (r = −0.59,P < 0.005). The relationship between body size and altitude in Geometridae appears to be spurious because species of the subfamily Larentiinae are significantly smaller than species of the subfamily Ennominae and simultaneously increase in their proportion along the gradient. A significant decrease of wingspan was also found in the ennomine tribe Ourapterygini, but no consistent body size patterns were found in the other six taxa studied. In most taxa, body size variation increases with altitude, suggesting that factors acting to constrain body size might be weaker at high elevations.

Main conclusions The results are in accordance with previous studies that could not detect consistent body size patterns in insects at the interspecific level along climatic gradients.
Acute salt marsh dieback in the Mississippi River deltaic plain: a drought‐induced phenomenon?
Authors: McKee Karen L. , Mendelssohn Irving A. , D. Materne Michael
Published: January 2004

Aims  Extensive dieback of salt marsh dominated by the perennial grass Spartina alterniflora occurred throughout the Mississippi River deltaic plain during 2000. More than 100,000 ha were affected, with 43,000 ha severely damaged. The aim of this work was to determine if sudden dieback could have been caused by a coincident drought and to assess the significance of this event with respect to long‐term changes in coastal vegetation.

Location  Multiple dieback sites and reference sites were established along 150 km of shoreline in coastal Louisiana, USA.

Methods  Aerial and ground surveys were conducted from June 2000 to September 2001 to assess soil conditions and plant mortality and recovery.

Results  Dieback areas ranged in size from ∼300 m2−5 km2 in area with 50–100% mortality of plant shoots and rhizomes in affected zones. Co‐occurring species such as Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) and Juncus roemerianus (needlegrass rush) were unaffected. Historical records indicate that precipitation, river discharge, and mean sea level were unusually low during the previous year. Although the cause of dieback is currently unknown, plant and soil characteristics were consistent with temporary soil desiccation that may have reduced water availability, increased soil salinity, and/or caused soil acidification (via pyrite oxidation) and increased uptake of toxic metals such as Fe or Al. Plant recovery 15 months after dieback was variable (0–58% live cover), but recovering plants were vigorous and indicated no long‐lasting effects of the dieback agent.

Main conclusions  These findings have relevance for global change models of coastal ecosystems that predict vegetation responses based primarily on long‐term increases in sea level and submergence of marshes. Our results suggest that large‐scale changes in coastal vegetation may occur over a relatively short time span through climatic extremes acting in concert with sea‐level fluctuations and pre‐existing soil conditions.
Areas of endemism for passerine birds in the Atlantic forest, South America
Authors: Cardoso da Silva José Maria , Cardoso de Sousa Marcelo , Castelletti Carlos H. M.
Published: January 2004

Aim To use the method of parsimony analysis of endemism to identify areas of endemism for passerine birds in the Atlantic Forest, South America, and to compare the locations of these areas with areas previously identified for birds as well as other taxa.

Location The Atlantic Forest, eastern South America.

Methods We analysed a matrix composed of the presence (1) or absence (0) of 140 endemic species in 24 quadrats of 1 × 1 degree distributed along the Atlantic Forest to find the most parsimonious area cladogram.

Results Fourteen most parsimonious cladograms were found and then summarized in a single consensus tree. Four areas of endemism were identified: Pernambuco, Central Bahia, Coastal Bahia, and Serra do Mar.

Main conclusions Avian areas of endemism in the Atlantic Forest have significant generality, as they are highly nonrandom and congruent with those of other groups of organisms. A first hypothesis about the historical relationships among the four areas of avian endemism in the Atlantic Forest is delineated. There is a basal dichotomy among areas of endemism in the Atlantic Forest, with Pernambuco forming a northern cluster and Coastal Bahia, Central Bahia and Serra do Mar comprising a southern cluster. Within the southern cluster, Central Bahia and Serra do Mar are more closely related to each other than to Coastal Bahia.
Economic Efficiency and Frontier Techniques
Authors: Murillo‐Zamorano Luis R.
Published: January 2004

Abstract.Most of the literature related to the measurement of economic efficiency has based its analysis either on parametric or on non‐parametric frontier methods. The choice of estimation method has been an issue of debate, with some researchers preferring the parametric and others the non‐parametric approach. The aim of this paper is to provide a critical and detailed review of both core frontier methods. In our opinion, no approach is strictly preferable to any other. Moreover, a careful consideration of their main advantages and disadvantages, of the data set utilized, and of the intrinsic characteristics of the framework under analysis will help us in the correct implementation of these techniques. Recent developments in frontier techniques and economic efficiency measurement such as Bayesian techniques, bootstrapping, duality theory and the analysis of sampling asymptotic properties are also considered in this paper.
Measurement Bias in the HICP: What do we know and What do we need to know?
Authors: Wynne Mark A. , Rodriguez‐Palenzuela Diego
Published: January 2004

Abstract. The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is the primary measure of inflation in the euro area, and plays a central role in the policy deliberations of the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB defines its Treaty mandate of price stability as ‘… a year‐on‐year increase in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the euro area of below 2%[…] to be maintained over the medium term.’ Among the rationales given for defining price stability as prevailing at some positive measured inflation rate is the possibility that the HICP as published incorporates measurement errors of one sort or another that may cause it to systematically overstate the true rate of inflation in the euro area. This paper reviews what currently is known about the scope of measurement error in the HICP. We conclude that given the vague conceptual framework of the HICP, the scant research on price measurement issues in the EU and the ongoing improvements in the HICP, there is very little scientific basis at this time for a point (or even an interval) estimate of a positive bias in the HICP.
Hedging Foreign Exchange Exposure: Risk Reduction from Transaction and Translation Hedging
Authors: Hagelin Niclas , Pramborg Bengt
Published: January 2004

Using a sample of Swedish firms we investigate the risk reducing effect of foreign exchange exposure hedging. Further, we investigate risk reduction from using different hedging instruments, and particular interest is directed towards the impact of transaction exposure hedges and translation exposure hedges respectively. We find that firms' foreign exchange exposure is increasing with the level of inherent exposure, measured as the difference between revenues and costs denominated in foreign currency, and that it is decreasing with firm size. We find a significant reduction in foreign exchange exposure from the use of financial hedges. The evidence suggests that the usage of foreign denominated debt as well as currency derivatives reduce firms' foreign exchange exposure. Further, we find that transaction exposure hedges significantly reduce exposure, and that translation exposure hedges also reduce exposure. A possible explanation for the latter is that translation exposure approximates the exposed value of future cash flows from operations in foreign subsidiaries (i.e. economic exposure). If so, by hedging translation exposure, economic exposure is reduced.
Variations in the Financial Reporting Environment and Earnings Forecasting
Authors: Hope Ole‐Kristian
Published: January 2004

This paper examines variations in the financial reporting environment internationally. In particular, I investigate the relation between variations in accounting‐related institutional factors (choice, accrual accounting and enforcement) and the accuracy of analysts' earnings forecasts. Controlling for firm‐ and country‐level factors, I document that the extent of choice among accounting methods is associated with lower forecast accuracy. This finding is consistent with analysts' performance suffering from the increased task complexity (and/or managers using flexibility for purposes other than to provide information). The degree of prescribed accrual accounting is positively correlated with forecast accuracy, consistent with both accruals providing useful information and with the smoothing function of accruals. Enforcement of accounting standards is positively related with forecast accuracy, suggesting that enforcement encourages managers to follow prescribed rules, which, in turn, reduces analysts' uncertainty. Finally, I examine whether the roles of accrual accounting and choice vary with the level of enforcement. Although univariate tests support these interaction hypotheses, multivariate tests do not.
The Valuation Differential between Class A and B Shares: Country Risk in the Chinese Stock Market
Authors: Zhang Yimin , Zhao Ronald
Published: January 2004

The Chinese stock market has been characterized by a strict segmentation between domestic and foreign investors, with listed companies issuing Class A shares to domestic, and Class B shares to foreign, investors, respectively. Entitled to the same rights and obligations, however, the two classes of shares are traded at significantly different prices. The valuation differential is attributable to the different sets of investment opportunities available to domestic versus foreign investors and their risk tolerance. Foreign investors would require a higher rate of return to adjust for the country‐specific risk related to the Chinese stock market. The country risk of China can be decomposed into political risk, exchange rate risk, interest rate risk and market risk. Empirical tests provide strong evidence to support the decomposition model, showing the political risk of China as an important component.
Fuzzy Targeting Indices and Orderings
Authors: Makdissi Paul , Wodon Quentin
Published: January 2004

The targeting efficiency and the coverage of social programs for the poor are typically analyzed by partitioning the total population in four mutually exclusive groups: the poor who benefit from a program or policy, the poor who do not benefit, the non‐poor who benefit, and the non‐poor who do not benefit. While useful, this partition into crisp sets may not capture the difficulty of identifying the poor. This paper presents a method that consists of using a membership function to identify to what extent households can be considered as poor or non‐poor. The method builds on fuzzy sets theory whereby the definition of the boundaries of a set, say the poor or the non‐poor, is fuzzy. We characterize the properties that membership functions should have, and we test for the robustness of targeting performance comparisons to the choice of the membership function.
A Model of Balance‐of‐Payments Crises due to External Shocks: Monetary vs. Fiscal Approaches
Authors: Kitano Shigeto
Published: January 2004

This paper develops a model for balance‐of‐payments (BOP) crises triggered by an external shock. Whether an external shock induces a BOP crisis depends crucially on the sequence of policy actions taken by the government's monetary and fiscal authorities. If the fiscal authority moves first and imposes an exogenous constraint on the monetary authority, an external shock can lead to a BOP crisis. However, if the monetary authority moves first and imposes an exogenous constraint on the fiscal authority, the same shock does not cause a BOP crisis.
On the Equivalence of Two Concepts of Returns to Scale
Authors: Bruno Giovanni S.F.
Published: January 2004

We examine the relationship between two widely used concepts of returns to scale at different levels of analysis. We show that while their weak global versions are equivalent, the strict global versions are not so. Versions at a given input vector are never equivalent, which invalidates a result by Ide and Takayama (1987).
Risk aversion and risk loving in the small: a decomposition of the multivariate risk premium
Authors: Ercolani Marco G.
Published: January 2004

This note proposes a decomposition of the familiar scalar multivariate risk premium into components which can be easily interpreted in the context of consumer theory. The premium under consideration is the standard one used to ascertain the impact of price and income risk on consumer welfare. This proposed premium decomposition allows for a more intuitive identification of the detrimental and beneficial effects that arise from income and price risk. As an illustrative example, this decomposition is used to ascertain the welfare effects arising from the price fluctuations experienced by UK households over the period 1963–97.
Risk Pooling in the Presence of Moral Hazard
Authors: Eisenhauer Joseph G.
Published: January 2004

The size of an insurance pool that minimizes average risk per policy is derived for cases in which moral hazard offsets the benefits of pooling.
Roughness Characterization through 3D Textured Image Analysis: Contribution to the Study of Road Wear Level
Authors: Khoudeir M. , Brochard J. , Legeay V. , Do M‐T.
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  Skid resistance, on which road safety depends, is closely related to the road surface texture and particularly to its microtexture. The microtexture is defined as surface irregularities whose height ranges from 0.001 mm to 0.5 mm and whose width is less than 0.5 mm (Alvarez and Mprel, 1994). The deterioration due to the road traffic, especially polishing effect, involves a change in the microtexture. So, we suggest a method to characterize, through image analysis, wear level or microroughness of road surfaces. We propose then, on one hand a photometric model for road surface, and, on the other hand, a geometrical model for road surface profile. These two models allow us to develop roughness criteria based on the study of the statistical properties of: the distribution of the gray levels in the image, the distribution of the absolute value of its gradient, the form of its autocorrelation function, and the distribution of its curvature map. Experiments have been done with images of laboratory‐made road specimens at different wear levels. The obtained results are similar to those obtained by a direct method using road profiles.
Accuracy of Light Detection and Ranging Derived Terrain Data for Highway Location
Authors: Veneziano David , Hallmark Shauna , Souleyrette Reginald
Published: January 2004

Abstract:  Surface terrain information is required to economically site new or relocate existing infrastructure facilities and make final design plans. Currently, ground surveying and photogrammetric mapping are the methods used by Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to acquire these data. Both the methods are time and resource intensive as they require significant data collection and reduction to provide the level of detail necessary for facility location. Additionally, conventional surveying entails data collection entirely in the field and may require personnel to be located on or near heavily traveled roadways. The research presented compares surface elevation data from Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) to that obtained from traditional photogrammetry and Global Positioning System (GPS) data collection for use in highway location and design. A pilot area previously mapped by the Iowa Department of Transportation was selected for evaluation. A comparison of the elevational accuracy and data quality of LIDAR with respect to two comparable collection methods is presented.
Whatever Happened to Integrated Transport?
Authors: Grayling Tony
Published: January 2004

This essay examines the record of the Labour government on transport since 1997. It argues that Labour's plans have been overtaken by events, notably the fuel tax protests and the Hatfield train crash, and that the government has lost sight of its ambitions for an integrated transport policy. Transport is not an end in itself but a means to the end of wider objectives such as social equity, environmental sustainability and quality of life. Measured in these terms, the government's ten‐year transport plan is modest in scale and regressive in impact, and lacks and effective demand management strategy. The government should return to the principles of integrated transport. This requires a reformation of the ten‐year plan around the objectives of accessibility, liveability and sustainability, and new measures on both the supply side and the demand side of transport.
Local Democracy Renewed?
Authors: Bonney Norman
Published: January 2004

New Labour's prescriptions for revitalising local democracy drew heavily upon academic analyses that emphasised the loss of power and legitimacy of local government, the need to reconnect local institutions of governance to the populace and to ensure that the dispersed powers of the successor institutions were coordinated locally through new procedures of community planning. The new arrangements have further weakened the power of elected local authorities and introduced a variety of agencies and partnerships which operate in a less public environment and which blur the channels of accountability that characterise representative democracy. Public participation initiatives often appear to be restricted exercises for limited executive led public involvement while more genuine and more independent local representative institutions such as parish and community councils have been sidelined.
Why New Labour Wants the Euro
Authors: Kettell Steven
Published: January 2004

This article argues that membership of the single European currency would provide New Labour with a means of enhancing its rules‐based and depoliticised approach to macroeconomic policy management. The move would enable the government to strengthen its anti‐inflationary credibility and to impose further competitive discipline on business and labour, while at the same time also enabling it to increase its governing autonomy by placing core areas of economic policy outside the sphere of democratic control. Despite these advantages, however, formidable obstacles, most notably a high level of public antipathy towards the project, mean that New Labour's euro‐vision is unlikely to be realised.
Remote Electronic Voting: Free, Fair and Secret?
Authors: Birch Sarah , Watt Bob
Published: January 2004

Most of the debate surrounding remote electronic voting has focused on technical issues such as security and feasibility. This article examines the equally important issue of whether voting outside the context of the supervised polling place meets the legal and normative standards required of democratic elections. Our conclusion is that if voting that takes place in an unsupervised context, it is virtually impossible to guarantee that it will be carried out in secret, and that lack of secrecy constitutes a serious violation of the principles of freeness and fairness that govern elections in democratic states. This argument also has implications for postal voting, which are discussed in brief.
Successive Cyclicity under (Anti‐)Local Considerations
Authors: Grohmann Kleanthes K.
Published: January 2004

Abstract. Locality effects are typically understood to ensue when a dependency between two positions is too long—that is, as an upper bound on the distance an element may move (standard locality). This article explores some consequences of asking whether the opposite effect exists also, in terms of the Anti‐Locality Hypothesis: movement must be local, but not too local. Anti‐locality is formulated through a tripartite split of clause structure into Prolific Domains, subdomains of the derivation relevant for the operation Spell‐Out. The focus of the investigation will be generalized successive‐cyclic movement: clause‐internal movement from thematic to A‐ to A′‐positions as well as movement across clause boundaries, thereby unifying the derivational steps involved in unrelated constructions. I argue that, within a clause, an element can only ever move to the next higher Prolific Domain (Intraclausal Movement Generalization), whereas movement across clauses targets a position within the next higher Prolific Domain of the same type (Interclausal Movement Generalization). These two generalizations are claimed to boil down to an interaction between standard locality and anti‐locality considerations. Consequently, we can observe a transparent symmetry in locality issues, which I take to be a desira ble result.
Neural Systems and Individual Differences
Authors: Posner Michael I.
Published: January 2004

Howard Garner's book Multiple Intelligences was important in psychology because it sought to relate a neuropsychological theory of common mental processes with a view of individual differences implicit in the term intelligences. New developments in imaging and genetics may make these connections more realistic.
Multiple Intelligences, Learning for Understanding, and Creative Assessment: Some Pieces to the Puzzle of Learning
Authors: Díaz-Lefebvre René
Published: January 2004

Too many of our brightest and most capable students are sometimes caught in a system that places too much emphasis on linguistic, word smart intelligence or mathematical, number smart intelligence. Students at all levels of academic readiness—from developmental to honors—are affected by the rigidity of this way of thinking. Focusing solely on these types of learning strategies has in some cases encouraged rote memory teaching strategies that may foster little or no connection to material, low motivation, and poor performance. Memorization-regurgitation is the name of the game for many students; not much value is placed on learning or remembering the material, let alone understanding it. The Multiple Intelligences/Learning for Understanding (MI/LfU) initiative at Glendale Community College is one approach to learning and creative assessment a dedicated group of faculty, administrators, and students have been involved in for the past 9 years. Incorporating MI theory across the curriculum, provided students with a variety of creative, imaginative learning options. Students became miniexperts and cofacilitators of learning as they gave “performances of understanding” of the academic content studied. Assessment for understanding was completed using a creative grading/diagnostic rubric. Reflective student and faculty evaluation provided invaluable insight into the learning and teaching process. Providing a forum for the exchange and dialogue of ideas, innovations, perceptions, and pedagogies is essential in the transformation of education and crucial in the dynamics and evolution of change.
Open to Interpretation: Multiple Intelligences Theory in Adult Literacy Education
Authors: Kallenbach Silja , Viens Julie
Published: January 2004

This paper discusses how adult literacy educators chose to apply multiple intelligences (MI) theory. The findings fall into two categories of teachers’ interpretation, MI-inspired instruction, and MI reflections. The resulting findings were that these Mi-inspired teaching approaches helped to reduce teacher directedness and increase student control and initiative; to increase the authenticity of the learning experiences; and to make learning meaningful or relevant to students. Having Mi-based learning choices made adult learners more confident about taking greater control of their own learning, and it pushed teachers to allow that to happen. Choice-based activities were instrumental in increasing the relevance and meaning of lessons and in reducing teacher directedness. Understanding the link between students’ perceptions of their abilities and their actual academic performance, AMI teachers set out to create opportunities for students to reflect about their strengths, weaknesses, and interests connecting them to the MI framework. Our data suggest that this, and other forms of MI reflections, prompted adult learners to see themselves as learners in a more positive light after identifying and reflecting on their own abilities. This was particularly the case when they were able to apply their abilities to successful learning strategies in the classroom.
Multiple Intelligences: From the Ivory Tower to the Dusty Classroom— but Why?
Authors: Kornhaber Mindy L.
Published: January 2004

This article draws on research conducted over a 10-year period in an attempt to answer three central questions about the widespread adoption of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (MI): Why do educators adopt MI? Once MI is adopted, does anything really change in practice? When educators claim MI is working, what is happening in practice ?
Multiple Intelligences, Educational Reform, and a Successful Career
Authors: Wu Wu-Tien
Published: January 2004

This article addresses the meaning and application of multiple intelligences theory in Taiwan in the light of educational reform. Specifically, a 4-year joint research project (1999–2003) titled “The Development of Multiple Talents (DMT),” sponsored by the National Science Council, R.O.C. (Taiwan), will be introduced. A 3-dimensional construct is proposed for the DMT: form of talents (10 forms, mainly based on Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences), function of talents (three functions, based on Sternberg's conception of successful intelligence), and developmental stage (four stages, from preschool to senior high). This article highlights some of the research findings.
Towards a geography of transnational spaces: Indian transnational communities in Australia
Authors: Voigt‐Graf Carmen
Published: January 2004

Abstract Few studies on migrant transnationalism have explicitly adopted a geographical perspective, despite the widespread use of spatial metaphors in the literature and the potential advantages that a geographical approach offers. In this article, the geography of the transnational spaces of Punjabis, Kannadigas and Indo‐Fijians is analysed. Punjabis have constructed complex transnational spaces that are virtually global in scale. Kannadigas are engaged in transnational activities linking their places of residence with south India. Indo‐Fijians have emerged as a regional transnational community stretching across the Pacific Ocean. On the basis of their experiences, a consistent terminology is suggested and a typology of different models of transnational spaces is developed. This typology provides a tool to compare different transnational communities beyond the Indian experience. It can be seen as a preliminary step in the direction of a more theoretical approach that links the geography of migrant transnational spaces with sociological debates on social space.
The transnational Zapatista solidarity network: an infrastructure analysis
Authors: Olesen Thomas
Published: January 2004

Abstract In this article I present a descriptive and qualitative analysis of the infrastructure of the global Zapatista solidarity network that has emerged since the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico in January 1994. Most studies dealing with this network have looked at it from the outside without specifying what it means to speak about a network with regard to global Zapatista solidarity. I address this lacuna by examining the network from the inside. The analysis focuses on how the infrastructure of the network serves as a computer‐mediated circuit for the circulation of information and identifies five levels of actors according to their roles as either information gatherers, information processors, information distributors or information recipients. I argue that the infrastructure of the networks is not only computer mediated but that it also has a significant physical dimension that stands in a reciprocal relationship with the computer‐mediated dimension.