bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting stability of alpha-helical, orthogonal-bundle proteins on surfaces
Authors: Wei Shuai , Knotts Thomas A.
Published: September 2010

The interaction of proteins with surfaces is a key phenomenon in many applications, but current understanding of the biophysics involved is lacking. At present, rational design of such emerging technologies is difficult as no methods or theories exist that correctly predict how surfaces influence protein behavior. Using molecular simulation and a coarse-grain model, this study illustrates for the first time that stability of proteins on surfaces can be correlated with tertiary structural elements for alpha-helical, orthogonal-bundle proteins. Results show that several factors contribute to stability on surfaces including the nature of the loop region where the tether is placed and the ability of the protein to freely rotate on the surface. A thermodynamic analysis demonstrates that surfaces stabilize proteins entropically and that any destabilization is an enthalpic effect. Moreover, the entropic effects are concentrated on the unfolded state of the protein while the ethalpic effects are focused on the folded state.
The stress-induced anisotropy in the (110) plane of the magnetostrictive TbDyFe [110] oriented crystal
Authors: Wang Zhibin , Liu Jinghua , Jiang Chengbao , Xu Huibin
Published: September 2010

The magnetostriction curve of [110]-oriented Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.9 crystal is measured under different compressive prestress. It is observed that the saturation magnetostriction keeps on increasing with the increase in compressive prestress from 0 to 75 MPa. The distribution of the free energy within the (110) plane normal to the stress axis is calculated to clarify the enhancement of saturation magnetostriction under large compressive prestress. It is found that with the increase in the prestress, the lowest energy positions deviate from the initial four ⟨111⟩ easy axes in the (110) plane, approaching the [11¯0] and [1¯10] orientations. The stress-induced anisotropy results in the change in initial domain configuration and further the enhancement of saturation magnetostriction, which well explains the experimental results.
Polarization effects in thallium bromide x-ray detectors
Authors: Kozorezov A. , Gostilo V. , Owens A. , Quarati F. , Shorohov M. , Webb M. A. , Wigmore J. K.
Published: September 2010

We present the results of a detailed experimental study of polarization effects in thallium bromide planar x-ray detectors. Measurements were carried out in the range 10–100 keV by scanning a highly focused x-ray beam, 50 μm in diameter, from a synchrotron source across the detector. Above a certain radiation threshold the detector response showed a systematic degradation of its spectroscopic characteristics, peak channel position, peak height, and energy resolution. Using a pump-and-probe technique, we studied the dynamics of spectral degradation, the spatial extent and relaxation of the polarized region, and the dependence of the detector response on bias voltage and temperature. For comparison, we modeled polarization effects induced by the charging of traps by both electrons and holes using a model based on recent theoretical work of Bale and Szeles. We calculated the charge collection efficiency and spectral line shapes as functions of exposure time, beam position, count rate, and photon energy, and obtained credible agreement with experimental results.
Note: Unshielded bilateral magnetoencephalography system using two-dimensional gradiometers
Authors: Seki Yusuke , Kandori Akihiko , Ogata Kuniomi , Miyashita Tsuyoshi , Kumagai Yukio , Ohnuma Mitsuru , Konaka Kuni , Naritomi Hiroaki
Published: September 2010

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) noninvasively measures neuronal activity with high temporal resolution. The aim of this study was to develop a new type of MEG system that can measure bilateral MEG waveforms without a magnetically shielded room, which is an obstacle to reducing both the cost and size of an MEG system. An unshielded bilateral MEG system was developed using four two-dimensional (2D) gradiometers and two symmetric cryostats. The 2D gradiometer, which is based on a low-Tc superconducting quantum interference device and wire-wound pickup coil detects a magnetic-field gradient in two orthogonal directions, or ∂/∂x(∂2Bz/∂z2), and reduces environmental magnetic-field noise by more than 50 dB. The cryostats can be symmetrically positioned in three directions: vertical, horizontal, and rotational. This makes it possible to detect bilateral neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex simultaneously. Bilateral auditory-evoked fields (AEF) of 18 elderly subjects were measured in an unshielded hospital environment using the MEG system. As a result, both the ipsilateral and the contralateral AEF component N100m, which is the magnetic counterpart of electric N100 in electroencephalography and appears about 100 ms after the onset of an auditory stimulus, were successfully detected for all the subjects. Moreover, the ipsilateral P50m and the contralateral P50m were also detected for 12 (67%) and 16 (89%) subjects, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the unshielded bilateral MEG system can detect MEG waveforms, which are associated with brain dysfunction such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Down syndrome.
Communication: Tracing phase boundaries via molecular simulation: An alternative to the Gibbs–Duhem integration method
Authors: Orkoulas G.
Published: September 2010

Precise simulation of phase transitions is crucial for colloid/protein crystallization for which fluid-fluid demixing may be metastable against solidification. In the Gibbs–Duhem integration method, the two coexisting phases are simulated separately, usually at constant-pressure, and the phase boundary is established iteratively via numerical integration of the Clapeyron equation. In this work, it is shown that the phase boundary can also be reproduced in a way that avoids integration of Clapeyron equations. The two phases are simulated independently via tempering techniques and the simulation data are analyzed according to histogram reweighting. The main output of this analysis is the density of states which is used to calculate the free energies of both phases and to determine phase coexistence. This procedure is used to obtain the phase diagram of a square-well model with interaction range 1.15σ, where σ is the particle diameter. The phase boundaries can be estimated with the minimum number of simulations. In particular, very few simulations are required for the solid phase since its properties vary little with temperature.
Hydrogen permeation pathways for the hydrogenation reaction of aluminum
Authors: Saitoh H. , Machida A. , Katayama Y. , Aoki K.
Published: September 2010

The hydrogenation of aluminum is inhibited by the slow diffusion of hydrogen in its hydride AlH3, which covers the surface of aluminum in the initial stages of the reaction. Thus, permeation pathways for hydrogen are introduced by either mixing aluminum powder with boron nitride powder or alloying aluminum with gallium at 10 at. % Ga. The aluminum in the composite or alloy is reacted with hydrogen at high pressure and temperature. In both cases, the hydrogenation reaction yields are significantly enhanced, confirming that boron nitride and the liquid phase produced by partial melting of the alloy work efficiently as hydrogen permeation pathways.
The calculation of multidimensional semiclassical wave functions in the forbidden region using real valued coordinates
Authors: Herman Michael F.
Published: September 2010

A method that uses only real valued coordinates is presented for integrating the many dimensional semiclassical wave function into the forbidden region. The procedure first determines a surface of caustic points by running the set of trajectories that define the wave function in the allowed region. In the forbidden region, the momentum and the action integral are both complex functions of position, and their imaginary parts vanish on the caustic surface. The direction of the imaginary part of the momentum pI can be chosen to the perpendicular to the caustic surface at all points on that surface. Equations are derived for integrating the values of the real and imaginary parts of the momentum along the curves that follow the direction of pI. The equations for the change in the action integral and the prefactor for the semiclassical wave function along these curves are also obtained, allowing for the determination of the semiclassical wave function in the forbidden region. Calculations are performed for a two dimensional problem, and the semiclassical wave function is found to be is excellent agreement with the results of exact quantum calculations.
Frequency dependence of organic magnetoresistance
Authors: Wagemans W. , Janssen P. , van der Heijden E. H. M. , Kemerink M. , Koopmans B.
Published: September 2010

To identify the microscopic mechanisms of organic magnetoresistance (OMAR), the dependency on the frequency of the applied magnetic field is explored, which consists of a dc and ac component. The measured magnetoconductance decreases when the frequency is increased. The decrease is stronger for lower voltages, which is shown to be linked to the presence of a negative capacitance, as measured with admittance spectroscopy. The negative capacitance disappears when the frequency becomes comparable to the inverse transit time of the minority carriers. These results are in agreement with recent interpretations that magnetic field effects on minority carrier mobility dominate OMAR.
Wear:Where? The Convergent Geographies of Architecture and Fashion
Authors: Crewe Louise
Published: September 2010

Fabric, materiality, tissue, construction, sculpture, silhouette, model. The convergent vocabularies and practices of both fashion and architectural design are argued to offer important insights into the relational geographies of the contemporary city. The temporalities, techniques, rhythms, and spaces of fashion and architecture might be intuitively imagined as starkly different—the first fast, pliable, delicate, and embodied; the second slow, solid, rigid, permanent. However, I suggest that both practices are centrally engaged in the creation of urban environments that question our notions of time, space, form, fit, interactivity, and mobility. Focusing on a number of fashion projects, including Chanel, Prada, Lucy Orta, and Comme des Garçons, the paper explores the ways in which the architecture of fashion is centrally concerned with questions of colour, sensory experience, transience, display, and erasure. New fashion spaces offer transformative possibilities for the ways in which we inhabit and understand the built urban form. They reveal the limits and possibilities of materiality and open up a physical and metaphorical space through which to revision the politics of consumption. Boldly, perhaps, I suggest that this exercise in disciplinary boundary crossing has the potential to transform the way in which we envision accommodation, habitation, interaction, space, and the city, creating and sustaining our wider social landscape and revealing new desires and possibilities for progressive and socially inclusive urban design, polity, and policy. In short, to unite in a mutual desire to design a world that is a better place in which to live.
Spatial Variation in Job Accessibility and Gender: An Intraregional Analysis using Hedonic House-Price Estimation
Authors: Osland Liv
Published: September 2010

Using data on single-family detached houses from a Norwegian region, in this paper I study the existence of gender differences in estimated labour-market accessibility between locations. Different specifications of a gravity-based job-accessibility measure are included in hedonic house-price models. I test for significant gender-related differences in the distance-deterrence parameters found in the labour-market accessibility indicator. The estimated distance-deterrence parameters are lower for women than for men. This difference is, however, not significant, given the data. The main gender-related differences relate to the spatial variation in job accessibility as measured here. The supply of relevant jobs is significantly higher for women in the administrative centres of municipalities in the area, and significantly higher for men outside these administrative centres. The attractive forces of the centres could be relevant as an explanation of differentiated gender-related commuting patterns.
Exclusivity of Private Governance Structures in Agrofood Networks: Bayer and the Food Retailing and Processing Sector in India
Authors: Trebbin Anika , Franz Martin
Published: September 2010

Since the 1980s power distribution in agrofood networks has changed in many countries in Africa, Latin-America, South Asia, and the postsocialist countries in Europe and Asia. In the course of economic liberalization, retail and wholesale trade as well as the food processing and agroscience sector were opened up to foreign investment. Within the frame of such liberalization many states gradually refrained from directly governing this sector and reregulated the trade in a way that gave private companies the possibility to implement new power structures. We analyze the so-called ‘Food Chain Partnership’ (FCP) program implemented by the transnational company Bayer in India as an example for private governance in agrofood networks. Bayer is advancing and coordinating relations between the food processing and retailing industry and farmers. We explore whether such private activity can substitute for the activities of state institutions in governing agrofood networks. As the case study will show, the FCP model is highly selective in terms of farmers, who can participate (criteria include minimum farm size, irrigation facility, literacy, agricultural practices, and mobile phones), the crops that are covered, and the information passed on to the farmers. This limits the potential of market-driven instruments like the FCP to replace the traditional trade system as they concentrate only on those regions and products which are promising most profit to the companies. The global production network approach builds the analytical framework of this paper.
Decisions concerning Communication Modes and the Influence of Travel Time: A Situational Approach
Authors: Tillema Taede , Dijst Martin , Schwanen Tim
Published: September 2010

In this paper we examine the tradeoff between face-to-face (F2F) communication and a telephone call in the situation where people consider discussing something important but not urgent with a good friend located at a distance. In so doing we extend previous studies of communication behaviour in two ways. We develop and employ a situational approach to communication mode choice inspired by time geography and attitude theory, and we devote particular attention to the socio-psychological mechanisms driving communication mode decisions. As a consequence, we can analyse the effects of travel time in the physical world on communication choices via and in combination with those of a person's attitudes, perceptions, desires, and past behaviours. Our data collected from Dutch single-earner and dual-earner households suggest that travel time mediates the effects of goal desire, past behaviour, and perceived time pressure. When the travel time increases, respondents with a strong desire to discuss something important but not urgent trade a preference for F2F contact for a telephone conversation. Those who have frequently used the telephone in a similar situation before have a lower intention to conduct an F2F conversation but only when the travel time is short. Finally, we see that time-pressured respondents are more inclined to use the telephone when the travel time is longer, presumably because F2F communication involves more time in that situation.
By Foot, Bus or Car: Children's School Travel and School Choice Policy
Authors: Wilson Elizabeth J , Marshall Julian , Wilson Ryan , Krizek Kevin J
Published: September 2010

Many school districts in the United States allow parents to choose which school their child attends ('school choice’ or ‘magnet schools’) while other school districts require students to attend their nearest (‘neighborhood’) school. Such policies influence children's transportation. We survey elementary-school parents in St. Paul and Roseville, Minnesota, to discover how children travel to school and underlying factors influencing parent's choice of their child's travel mode. From this information we develop a statistical model of travel mode choice. We find that children's commute mode and parental attitudes towards school selection differ by school type (magnet versus neighborhood), income, and race. Relative to neighborhood schools, magnet schools draw from broader geographic regions, have lower rates of walking, bicycling, and commuting by automobile, and higher busing rates. Parent attitudes towards transportation also differ by race and school type. For example, parents of nonwhite and magnet school students placed greater-than-average importance on bus service and quality. This paper highlights the potentially unintended influence of school district policy on school commute mode.
The cell biology of vision
Authors: Sung Ching-Hwa , Chuang Jen-Zen
Published: September 2010

Humans possess the remarkable ability to perceive color, shape, and motion, and to differentiate between light intensities varied by over nine orders of magnitude. Phototransduction—the process in which absorbed photons are converted into electrical responses—is the first stage of visual processing, and occurs in the outer segment, the light-sensing organelle of the photoreceptor cell. Studies of genes linked to human inherited blindness have been crucial to understanding the biogenesis of the outer segment and membrane-trafficking of photoreceptors.
Quantitative image analysis identifies pVHL as a key regulator of microtubule dynamic instability
Authors: Thoma Claudio R. , Matov Alexandre , Gutbrodt Katrin L. , Hoerner Christian R. , Smole Zlatko , Krek Wilhelm , Danuser Gaudenz
Published: September 2010

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene mutations predispose carriers to kidney cancer. The protein pVHL has been shown to interact with microtubules (MTs), which is critical to cilia maintenance and mitotic spindle orientation. However, the function for pVHL in the regulation of MT dynamics is unknown. We tracked MT growth via the plus end marker EB3 (end-binding protein 3)-GFP and inferred additional parameters of MT dynamics indirectly by spatiotemporal grouping of growth tracks from live cell imaging. Our data establish pVHL as a near-optimal MT-stabilizing protein: it attenuates tubulin turnover, both during MT growth and shrinkage, inhibits catastrophe, and enhances rescue frequencies. These functions are mediated, in part, by inhibition of tubulin guanosine triphosphatase activity in vitro and at MT plus ends and along the MT lattice in vivo. Mutants connected to the VHL cancer syndrome are differentially compromised in these activities. Thus, single cell–level analysis of pVHL MT regulatory function allows new predictions for genotype to phenotype associations that deviate from the coarser clinically defined mutant classifications.
Elm1 kinase activates the spindle position checkpoint kinase Kin4
Authors: Caydasi Ayse Koca , Kurtulmus Bahtiyar , Orrico Maria I.L. , Hofmann Astrid , Ibrahim Bashar , Pereira Gislene
Published: September 2010

Budding yeast asymmetric cell division relies upon the precise coordination of spindle orientation and cell cycle progression. The spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) is a surveillance mechanism that prevents cells with misoriented spindles from exiting mitosis. The cortical kinase Kin4 acts near the top of this network. How Kin4 kinase activity is regulated and maintained in respect to spindle positional cues remains to be established. Here, we show that the bud neck–associated kinase Elm1 participates in Kin4 activation and SPOC signaling by phosphorylating a conserved residue within the activation loop of Kin4. Blocking Elm1 function abolishes Kin4 kinase activity in vivo and eliminates the SPOC response to spindle misalignment. These findings establish a novel function for Elm1 in the coordination of spindle positioning with cell cycle progression via its control of Kin4.
Bone matrix to growth factors: location, location, location
Authors: Rifkin Daniel B. , Todorovic Vesna
Published: September 2010

The demonstration that fibrillin-1 mutations perturb transforming growth factor (TGF)–β bioavailability/signaling in Marfan syndrome (MFS) changed the view of the extracellular matrix as a passive structural support to a dynamic modulator of cell behavior. In this issue, Nistala et al. (2010. J. Cell Biol. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201003089) advance this concept by demonstrating how fibrillin-1 and -2 regulate TGF-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) action during osteoblast maturation.
Variability and Relationships Among Mixolab, Mixograph, and Baking Parameters Based on Multienvironment Spring Wheat Trials
Authors: Caffe‐Treml Melanie , Glover Karl D. , Krishnan Padmanaban G. , Hareland Gary A.
Published: September 2010

Because of the large number of cultivars that require examination in the development of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, breeding programs use predictive methods to test end use quality. The Mixograph is a widely used predictive test with which end use quality of many genotypes can be assessed in a short time. By comparison, the Mixolab is a relatively new device with additional capability that might be used for the same purpose. Our objective was to document variability of, and relationships among, 20 parameters obtained from Mixolab, Mixograph, and bake tests. Tests were performed on flour from 18 genotypes grown in 20 environments. Both genotype and environment had significant effects on quality parameter values. Several Mixograph and Mixolab parameters were highly significantly correlated, particularly when genotype mean values over environments were considered. Correlations between loaf volume and Mixolab parameters within environments were inconsistent and suggest that average genotype values over environments will be most useful. For example, the correlation between Mixolab stability and loaf volume (r = 0.25, P < 0.001) was much higher when genotype averages (r = 0.70, P < 0.001) were considered. Our results show that selection for Mixolab stability and water absorption should help delineate and improve the selection of genotypes with greater loaf volume.
Sulfur, Protein Size Distribution, and Free Amino Acids in Flour Mill Streams and Their Relationship to Dough Rheology and Breadmaking Traits
Authors: Liu Ya , Ohm Jae‐Bom , Hareland Gary , Wiersma Jochum , Kaiser Daniel
Published: September 2010

The aim of this study was to analyze sulfur content, protein size distribution, and free amino acids in flour mill streams (FMS) and their associations to dough rheology and breadmaking traits. Break FMS had higher nitrogen and sulfur quantities than reduction FMS. The third break FMS had the highest nitrogen and sulfur contents among FMS but low bread loaf volume partly due to high ash content. Sulfur quantity had greater or equivalent correlations with dough rheology and breadmaking properties compared with nitrogen quantity when the effect of percent ash content was removed statistically. FMS also showed significant quantitative variation in HMW polymeric proteins of the SDS‐unextractable fraction that had greater association with sulfur content and dough rheology and breadmaking traits than other protein fractions. Asparagine, which is a major amino acid in flour, was found at higher levels in the third break and third reduction FMS. Ratio of nitrogen to sulfur was significantly correlated with asparagine concentration (r = 0.73, α = 0.01). This study indicates that information on sulfur, protein size distribution, and free amino acid is potentially useful in research for more precise blending of FMS in commercial flour mills to meet customer specifications for high quality flour.
Influence of Inoculation Date on the Colonization of Xylella fastidiosa and the Persistence of Almond Leaf Scorch Disease Among Almond Cultivars
Authors: Cao Tiesen , Connell Joseph H. , Wilhelm Margot , Kirkpatrick Bruce C.
Published: September 2010

Field grown 2-year-old almond trees (Prunus dulcis cvs. Butte, Carmel, Mission, Ne Plus Ultra, Padre, Peerless, Price, Solano, Sonora, and Thompson) were mechanically inoculated with Xylella fastidiosa in the growing seasons of 2002 and 2003 to study the effect of inoculation date on the movement and colonization of X. fastidiosa and the overwintering persistence of almond leaf scorch disease (ALS) in these cultivars. X. fastidiosa was inoculated into the base of current-season growing shoots in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. Almond trees inoculated in spring months developed more ALS-symptomatic leaves and more extensive within-plant spread of X. fastidiosa by the end of the current growing season compared with trees inoculated in July, August, September, and October. Trees inoculated in June developed the most severe ALS symptoms during the season in which they were inoculated. Trees inoculated in June and July 2002 had significantly higher disease ratings in 2003 than inoculations made in August and October 2002. Based on disease ratings observed in 2003, 1 year after inoculation, Sonora and Solano were the most ALS susceptible, Mission and Price intermediate, and Carmel, Padre, Ne Plus Ultra, Butte, Peerless, and Thompson were the least susceptible cultivars for allowing X. fastidiosa to overwinter and cause disease the following year. Assessment of all trees in August 2004 indicated that trees inoculated in June and July 2002 had a significantly higher amount of ALS-infected branches than trees inoculated in other months. Butte, Carmel, Padre, and Thompson cultivars had no symptomatic branches, while X. fastidiosa infections persisted or colonized new branches in Sonora, Solano, Peerless, Price, Mission, and Ne Plus Ultra. Based on the 2004 assessment, Sonora was the most susceptible cultivar. Surveys of a diseased orchard in Chico, CA showed large differences in ALS incidence in four almond cultivars. Nonpareil and Peerless had significantly greater incidence of disease than Butte and Carmel over the 2 years surveyed. These data suggest that cultivar susceptibility and the time of X. fastidiosa infection are important factors in determining the persistence of ALS in almond trees.
Analysis of Xylem Fluid Components in Almond Cultivars Differing in Resistance to Almond Leaf Scorch Disease
Authors: Wilhelm Margot , Brodbeck Brent V. , Andersen Peter C. , Kasun George W. , Kirkpatrick Bruce C.
Published: September 2010

Almond leaf scorch (ALS) is caused by the pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and poses a threat to the California almond industry. Almond cultivars are differentially resistant or susceptible to ALS. X. fastidiosa can infect but does not overwinter in resistant cultivars in sufficient numbers to cause symptoms or be detected by polymerase chain reaction. To better understand the biochemical or morphological factors mediating resistance, we extracted and analyzed almond xylem fluid from four almond cultivars differing in ALS susceptibility, including Butte and Carmel cultivars that are field resistant and Peerless and Sonora that are ALS susceptible. Xylem fluid was collected over winter months in 2007 to 2009, as well as July 2008 and April 2009, and analyzed for the following: pH, osmolarity, concentrations of sugars, calcium, magnesium, organic acids, and total phenolics. For most of these analyses, we found no clear differences in xylem fluid from resistant and susceptible almond cultivars. However, during the winter months, resistant cultivars tended to have higher concentrations of total phenolic compounds compared with susceptible cultivars (P = 0.05). In February 2009, Carmel had the highest total phenolic concentration measured, 233 μg/ml of gallic acid equivalents. The lowest phenolic concentrations occurred in April 2009. The cross-sectional areas of xylem vessels in Butte (resistant) and Peerless (susceptible) trees were not significantly different between cultivars.
Antifungal Activity and Possible Mode of Action of Borate Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Mango
Authors: Shi Xue-Qun , Li Bo-Qiang , Qin Guo-Zheng , Tian Shi-Ping
Published: September 2010

The effect of potassium tetraborate on germination of conidia of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and postharvest rot of mango were studied. An application of K2B4O7 to mango trees at flowering increased fruit set and decreased the incidence of anthracnose on harvested fruit. The effects of borate on the germination, nuclear division, endocytosis, and ultrastructure of conidia of C. gloeosporioides were studied using light, confocal, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that borate inhibited germination and germ tube elongation, delayed nuclear division, and impaired endocytosis of C. gloeosporioides conidia. Ultrastructural abnormalities also occurred in conidia treated with borate, and these included an increase in numbers of vacuoles, cytoplasmic disintegration, mitochondria degradation, and plasmolysis. These results suggest that borate can serve as a potential alternative to synthetic fungicides for the control of the postharvest disease of mango fruit caused by C. gloeosporioides.
Exogenous Applications of Abscisic Acid Increase Curing of Pierce's Disease-Affected Grapevines Growing in Pots
Authors: Meyer Melody M. , Kirkpatrick Bruce C.
Published: September 2010

Foliar and drench applications of the plant growth regulator abscisic acid (ABA) were applied to 1-year-old potted Vitis vinifera ‘Pinot Noir’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ vines infected with Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterial pathogen that causes Pierce's disease (PD). A naturally occurring ABA and a synthetic ABA were applied, and both materials showed some effectiveness at increasing curing rates of PD-affected grapevines. Pinot Noir grapevines treated with the drench ABA treatments had significantly greater disease curing effects than the unsprayed control plants. It has been shown that plant phenolics have antimicrobial properties, and we found a positive correlation between effective ABA treatments and the total phenolic compound content of xylem sap extracted from Pinot Noir vines.
Meta-Analysis to Determine the Effects of Plant Disease Management Measures: Review and Case Studies on Soybean and Apple
Authors: Ngugi Henry K. , Esker Paul D. , Scherm Harald
Published: September 2010

The continuing exponential increase in scientific knowledge, the growing availability of large databases containing raw or partially annotated information, and the increased need to document impacts of large-scale research and funding programs provide a great incentive for integrating and adding value to previously published (or unpublished) research through quantitative synthesis. Meta-analysis has become the standard for quantitative evidence synthesis in many disciplines, offering a broadly accepted and statistically powerful framework for estimating the magnitude, consistency, and homogeneity of the effect of interest across studies. Here, we review previous and current uses of meta-analysis in plant pathology with a focus on applications in epidemiology and disease management. About a dozen formal meta-analyses have been published in the plant pathological literature in the past decade, and several more are currently in progress. Three broad research questions have been addressed, the most common being the comparative efficacy of chemical treatments for managing disease and reducing yield loss across environments. The second most common application has been the quantification of relationships between disease intensity and yield, or between different measures of disease, across studies. Lastly, meta-analysis has been applied to assess factors affecting pathogen–biocontrol agent interactions or the effectiveness of biological control of plant disease or weeds. In recent years, fixed-effects meta-analysis has been largely replaced by random- (or mixed-) effects analysis owing to the statistical benefits associated with the latter and the wider availability of computer software to conduct these analyses. Another recent trend has been the more common use of multivariate meta-analysis or meta-regression to analyze the impacts of study-level independent variables (moderator variables) on the response of interest. The application of meta-analysis to practical problems in epidemiology and disease management is illustrated with case studies from our work on Phakopsora pachyrhizi on soybean and Erwinia amylovora on apple. We show that although meta-analyses are often used to corroborate and validate general conclusions drawn from more traditional, qualitative reviews, they can also reveal new patterns and interpretations not obvious from individual studies.
Tribological design constraints of marine renewable energy systems
Authors: Wood Robert J. K. , Bahaj AbuBakr S. , Turnock Stephen R. , Wang Ling , Evans Martin
Published: September 2010

Against the backdrop of increasing energy demands, the threat of climate change and dwindling fuel reserves, finding reliable, diverse, sustainable/renewable, affordable energy resources has become a priority for many countries. Marine energy conversion systems are at the forefront of providing such a resource. Most marine renewable energy conversion systems require tribological components to convert wind or tidal streams to rotational motion for generating electricity while wave machines typically use oscillating hinge or piston within cylinder geometries to promote reciprocating linear motion. This paper looks at the tribology of three green marine energy systems, offshore wind, tidal and wave machines. Areas covered include lubrication and contamination, bearing and gearbox issues, biofouling, cavitation erosion, tribocorrosion, condition monitoring as well as design trends and loading conditions associated with tribological components. Current research thrusts are highlighted along with areas needing research as well as addressing present-day issues related to the tribology of offshore energy conversion technologies.
Designing biomimetic antifouling surfaces
Authors: Salta Maria , Wharton Julian A. , Stoodley Paul , Dennington Simon P. , Goodes Liam R. , Werwinski Stéphane , Mart Ugar , Wood Robert J. K. , Stokes Keith R.
Published: September 2010

Marine biofouling is the accumulation of biological material on underwater surfaces, which has plagued both commercial and naval fleets. Biomimetic approaches may well provide new insights into designing and developing alternative, non-toxic, surface-active antifouling (AF) technologies. In the marine environment, all submerged surfaces are affected by the attachment of fouling organisms, such as bacteria, diatoms, algae and invertebrates, causing increased hydrodynamic drag, resulting in increased fuel consumption, and decreased speed and operational range. There are also additional expenses of dry-docking, together with increased fuel costs and corrosion, which are all important economic factors that demand the prevention of biofouling. Past solutions to AF have generally used toxic paints or coatings that have had a detrimental effect on marine life worldwide. The prohibited use of these antifoulants has led to the search for biologically inspired AF strategies. This review will explore the natural and biomimetic AF surface strategies for marine systems.
Phylogeny of earlyAustralopithecus: new fossil evidence from the Woranso-Mille (central Afar, Ethiopia)
Authors: Haile-Selassie Yohannes
Published: September 2010

The earliest evidence ofAustralopithecusgoes back toca4.2 Ma with the first recorded appearance ofAustralopithecus ‘anamensis’at Kanapoi, Kenya.Australopithecus afarensisis well documented between 3.6 and 3.0 Ma mainly from deposits at Laetoli (Tanzania) and Hadar (Ethiopia). The phylogenetic relationship of these two ‘species’ is hypothesized as ancestor–descendant. However, the lack of fossil evidence from the time between 3.6 and 3.9 Ma has been one of its weakest points. Recent fieldwork in the Woranso-Mille study area in the Afar region of Ethiopia has yielded fossil hominids dated between 3.6 and 3.8 Ma. These new fossils play a significant role in testing the proposed relationship betweenAu. anamensisandAu. afarensis. The Woranso-Mille hominids (3.6–3.8 Ma) show a mosaic of primitive, predominantlyAu. anamensis-like, and some derived (Au. afarensis-like) dentognathic features. Furthermore, they show that, as currently known, there are no discrete and functionally significant anatomical differences betweenAu. anamensisandAu. afarensis. Based on the currently available evidence, it appears that there is no compelling evidence to falsify the hypothesis of ‘chronospecies pair’ or ancestor–descendant relationship betweenAu. anamensisandAu. afarensis. Most importantly, however, the temporally and morphologically intermediate Woranso-Mille hominids indicate that the species namesAu. afarensisandAu. anamensisdo not refer to two real species, but rather to earlier and later representatives of a single phyletically evolving lineage. However, if retaining these two names is necessary for communication purposes, the Woranso-Mille hominids are best referred to asAu. anamensisbased on new dentognathic evidence.
An enlarged postcranial sample confirms
Australopithecus afarensis
dimorphism was similar to modern humans
Authors: Reno Philip L. , McCollum Melanie A. , Meindl Richard S. , Lovejoy C. Owen
Published: September 2010

In a previous study, we introduced the template method as a means of enlarging the
Australopithecus afarensis
postcranial sample to more accurately estimate its skeletal dimorphism. Results indicated dimorphism to be largely comparable to that of
Homo sapiens
. Some have since argued that our results were biased by artificial homogeneity in our
Au. afarensis
sample. Here we report the results from inclusion of 12 additional, newly reported, specimens. The results are consistent with those of our original study and with the hypothesis that early hominid demographic success derived from a reproductive strategy involving male provisioning of pair-bonded females.
More reliable estimates of divergence times inPanusing complete mtDNA sequences and accounting for population structure
Authors: Stone Anne C. , Battistuzzi Fabia U. , Kubatko Laura S. , Perry George H. , Trudeau Evan , Lin Hsiuman , Kumar Sudhir
Published: September 2010

Here, we report the sequencing and analysis of eight complete mitochondrial genomes of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) from each of the three established subspecies (P. t. troglodytes,P. t. schweinfurthiiandP. t. verus) and the proposed fourth subspecies (P. t. ellioti). Our population genetic analyses are consistent with neutral patterns of evolution that have been shaped by demography. The high levels of mtDNA diversity in western chimpanzees are unlike those seen at nuclear loci, which may reflect a demographic history of greater female to male effective population sizes possibly owing to the characteristics of the founding population. By using relaxed-clock methods, we have inferred a timetree of chimpanzee species and subspecies. The absolute divergence times vary based on the methods and calibration used, but relative divergence times show extensive uniformity. Overall, mtDNA produces consistently older times than those known from nuclear markers, a discrepancy that is reduced significantly by explicitly accounting for chimpanzee population structures in time estimation. Assuming the human–chimpanzee split to be between 7 and 5 Ma, chimpanzee time estimates are 2.1–1.5, 1.1–0.76 and 0.25–0.18 Ma for the chimpanzee/bonobo, western/(eastern + central) and eastern/central chimpanzee divergences, respectively.
Making Sense of Inquiry Sensemaking
Authors: Brown Andrew D.
Published: September 2010

This paper presents a discourse analysis of a report of a tribunal of inquiry in order to further our understanding of inquiry team sensemaking. The subject of the paper is the report of the Allitt Inquiry into attacks on children on Ward 4 at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital in the UK. Premised on an understanding of the report as an exercise in sensemaking, and sensemaking as a narrative process, the paper illustrates how authorial strategies centred on issues of normalization, observation and absolution are employed to create a rhetorical and verisimilitudinous artefact. This, it is argued, is accomplished as part of a more general strategy of depoliticizing the disaster event, legitimating social institutions (especially those connected with the medical profession), ameliorating anxieties by elaborating fantasies of omnipotence and control, and thenceforth acting as a sensitizing narrative archetype.
The Dynamics of Delayering: Changing Management Structures in Three Countries*
Authors: Littler Craig R. , Wiesner Retha , Dunford Richard
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe 1990s witnessed significant changes in organizational design philosophy. Unique to the 1990s were prescriptions for restructuring involving delayering (the planned vertical compression of managerial levels of hierarchy) (Keuning and Opheij, 1994;Peters, 1992). What did this mean in practice? The current understanding of delayering can be encapsulated in a ‘delayering thesis’. However, outside of the USA and UK there has been limited study and measurement of the extent and effects of delayering. This paper delineates trends in delayering based on surveys of 2964 organizations across three countries and assesses the effects in terms of management structures, workloads, productivity, and the notion of ‘survivor syndrome’. The extent of a subsequent phase of ‘relayering’ is examined. It concludes that delayering has been widespread as an organizational strategy; that there are few signs of a delayering‐relayering cycle, but the effects in relation to managers was a collapse of commitment in Australia and South Africa. However, there were significant differences in New Zealand. A downsizing/delayering model is discussed.
Organizational Transformation in Transition Economies: Resource‐based and Organizational Learning Perspectives
Authors: Uhlenbruck Klaus , Meyer Klaus E. , Hitt Michael A.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe capitalist and socialist societies of the twentieth century assigned firms different roles within their economic systems. Enterprises transforming from socialist to market economies thus face fundamental organizational restructuring. Many former state‐owned firms in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe have failed at this task. These firms have pursued primarily defensive downsizing, rather than strategic restructuring, as a result of both internal and external constraints on restructuring strategies.

Building on the organizational learning and resource‐based theories, we analyse strategies available to management in privatized, former state‐owned enterprises in transition economies to restructure their organization. Both internal forces promoting or inhibiting the restructuring process, and external constraints arising in the transition context are examined. A model and testable propositions are developed that explain post‐privatization performance. Implications of our research point to the ways in which firms should manage and develop their resource base to transform to competitive enterprises.
Internal Market Failure: A Framework for Diagnosing Firm Inefficiency*
Authors: Vining Aidan R.
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT The theory of market and government failure can be used to diagnose inefficiency within firms and to identify strategies to deal with these problems. Internal market failures (IMFs) – internal public good problems, internal negative and positive externalities, internal information asymmetries, internal monopolies, the presence of uncertainty – create inefficiencies within firms just as they do in normal markets. As well, self‐interested behaviour by executives and internal interest groups (rent‐seeking) are analogous to government, or governance, failures (IGFs). Associated with many of these internal market failure problems are generic solutions that can usefully inform executives in their efforts to improve efficiency within the firm. Internal governance failures, in contrast, normally require action by shareholders and boards of directors.
Post‐Acquisition Restructuring as Evolutionary Process*
Authors: Meyer Klaus E. , Lieb‐Dóczy Enese
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe transformation and integration of acquired businesses is subject to tensions between implementing radical change to match the strategy and corporate culture of the acquirer, and promoting what is valuable in resources and cultural attributes in the acquired organization. Analysts’ disagreement arises from different conceptualizations of the nature of resources. We present an evolutionary perspective that demonstrates not only the merits of competitive selection, but of local adaptation of transferred resources and of stimulating the development of local ones.

Evidence from 18 original case studies in Hungary and East Germany shows that a defensive focus on short‐term efficiency, i.e. downsizing, may fail to realize the long‐term potential of the organization. Acquirers supporting an evolutionary development of their new subsidiary by providing autonomy and complementary resources might well have to tolerate some slack in the short run, but may realize more of the potential contributions of the acquired assets in the long run.
The Organization of Marketing: A Study of Decentralized, Devolved and Dispersed Marketing Activity*
Authors: Harris Lloyd C. , Ogbonna Emmanuel
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTDespite a priority research grading by the Marketing Science Institute, the issue of marketing organization is bewilderingly under explored. Whilst advances have been made in conceptualizing marketing organization in networks of large trans‐national corporations, recent research has highlighted the paucity of empirical work into the intra‐firm dispersion of marketing activities. This study is designed to examine just this issue. The aim is to develop data‐grounded insights into the organization and dispersion of marketing activities. A case study finds an unusual form of marketing organization. This form of marketing organization is characterized by the decentralization, devolution and dispersion of community‐oriented marketing management activities driven by empowered operational‐level part‐time‐marketers who either adopt a traditional mix‐management approach or more rarely a relational approach. These findings lead to a range of interesting implications for theorists and practitioners.
Literacy in the modern world
Authors: Hall Geoff
Published: September 2010

Books reviewed in this article:

Clark, R. and Ivanic, R. The Politics of Writing

Hasan, Ruqaiya and Williams, Geoff (eds.). Literacy in Society (Applied Linguistics and Language Study)

Johns, Ann M. Text, Role, and Context: Developing Academic Literacies (Cambridge Applied Linguistics)

Lankshear, Colin with Gee, James Paul; Knobel, Michele and Searle, Chris. Changing Literacies

Andre´e, Tabouret‐Keller; Le Page, Robert B.; Gardner‐Chloros, Penelope and Varro, Gabrielle (eds.). Vernacular Literacy: A Re‐evaluation (Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics)