bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Holographic and Speckle Interferometry
Authors: Jones Robert , Wykes Catherine
Published: August 2012

Holographic and speckle interferometry are optical techniques which use lasers to make non-contracting field view measurements at a sensitivity of the wavelength of light on optically rough (i.e. non-mirrored) surfaces. They may be used to measure static or dynamic displacements, the shape of objects, and refractive index variations of transparent media. As such, these techniques have been applied to the solution of a wide range of problems in strain and vibrational analysis, non-destructive testing (NDT), component inspection and design analysis and fluid flow visualisation. This book provides a self-contained, unified, theoretical analysis of the basic principles and associated opto-electronic techniques (for example Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry). In addition, a detailed discussion of experimental design and practical application to the solution of physical problems is presented. In this new edition, the authors have taken the opportunity to include a much more coherent description of more than twenty individual case studies that are representative of the main uses to which the techniques are put. The Bibliography has also been brought up to date.
Quantum Phase Transitions
Authors: Sachdev Subir
Published: August 2012

Quantum Phase Transitions is the first book to describe in detail the fundamental changes that can occur in the macroscopic nature of matter at zero temperature due to small variations in a given external parameter. The subject plays a central role in the study of the electrical and magnetic properties of numerous important solid state materials. The author begins by developing the theory of quantum phase transitions in the simplest possible class of non-disordered, interacting systems - the quantum Ising and rotor models. Particular attention is paid to their non-zero temperature dynamic and transport properties in the vicinity of the quantum critical point. Several other quantum phase transitions of increasing complexity are then discussed and clarified. Throughout, the author interweaves experimental results with presentation of theoretical models, and well over 500 references are included. The book will be of great interest to graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics.
Physics at Surfaces
Authors: Zangwill Andrew
Published: August 2012

Physics at Surfaces is a unique graduate-level introduction to the physics and chemical physics of solid surfaces, and atoms and molecules that interact with solid surfaces. A subject of keen scientific inquiry since the last century, surface physics emerged as an independent discipline only in the late 1960s as a result of the development of ultra-high vacuum technology and high speed digital computers. With these tools, reliable experimental measurements and theoretical calculations could at last be compared. Progress in the last decade has been truly striking. This volume provides a synthesis of the entire field of surface physics from the perspective of a modern condensed matter physicist with a healthy interest in chemical physics. The exposition intertwines experiment and theory whenever possible, although there is little detailed discussion of technique. This much-needed text will be invaluable to graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics, physical chemistry and materials science working in, or taking graduate courses in, surface science.
An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
Authors: Sterman George
Published: August 2012

This is a systematic presentation of quantum field theory from first principles, emphasizing both theoretical concepts and experimental applications. Starting from introductory quantum and classical mechanics, this book develops the quantum field theories that make up the 'Standard Model' of elementary processes. It derives the basic techniques and theorems that underly theory and experiment, including those that are the subject of theoretical development. Special attention is also given to the derivations of cross sections relevant to current high-energy experiments and to perturbative quantum chromodynamics, with examples drawn from electron-positron annihilation, deeply inelastic scattering and hadron-hadron scattering. The first half of the book introduces the basic ideas of field theory. The discussion of mathematical issues is everywhere pedagogical and self contained. Topics include the role of internal symmetry and relativistic invariance, the path integral, gauge theories and spontaneous symmetry breaking, and cross sections in the Standard Model and in the parton model. The material of this half is sufficient for an understanding of the Standard Model and its basic experimental consequences. The second half of the book deals with perturbative field theory beyond the lowest-order approximation. Exercises are included for each chapter, and several appendices complement the text.
Soil Chemistry and its Applications
Authors: Cresser Malcolm , Killham Ken , Edwards Tony
Published: August 2012

The central role of soil chemistry in the ecosystem and other disciplines is becoming increasingly important. For example the effects of the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and accelerated use of pesticides, on soil fertility has been a focus of much high-level debate. This text begins by defining the relationship between soil chemistry and other fields such as plant science and pollution science. A detailed description of the components of soils follows, including inorganic, mineral and organic matter. The book addresses cogent issues such as soil fertility and soil pollution. In a concluding chapter, a review of future analytic advances in the study of soil chemistry is given, emphasising the importance of the soil chemist in equitable and sustainable land use and agricultural policy. The book is an ideal starting point for the student undertaking undergraduate study in the environmental and soil sciences.
Permanent Magnet Materials and their Application
Authors: Campbell Peter
Published: August 2012

This book is a comprehensive design text for permanent magnets and their application. Permanent magnets are very important industrially, and are widely used in a variety of applications, including industrial drives, consumer products, computers and cars. In the early 1970s a new class of magnet - the rare earths - was discovered, the properties of which showed sustained improvement over the following two decades. New materials such as these have spawned many new markets for magnets, with significant performance gains in the devices for which they are used. Until now, however, there has been no text that unified all the relevant information on the wide range of modern permanent magnet materials. This book is a comprehensive review of the technology, intended for scientists and engineers involved in all stages of the manufacture, design and use of magnets.
Modeling Brain Function
Authors: Amit Daniel J.
Published: August 2012

One of the most exciting and potentially rewarding areas of scientific research is the study of the principles and mechanisms underlying brain function. It is also of great promise to future generations of computers. A growing group of researchers, adapting knowledge and techniques from a wide range of scientific disciplines, have made substantial progress understanding memory, the learning process, and self organization by studying the properties of models of neural networks - idealized systems containing very large numbers of connected neurons, whose interactions give rise to the special qualities of the brain. This book introduces and explains the techniques brought from physics to the study of neural networks and the insights they have stimulated. It is written at a level accessible to the wide range of researchers working on these problems - statistical physicists, biologists, computer scientists, computer technologists and cognitive psychologists. The author presents a coherent and clear nonmechanical presentation of all the basic ideas and results. More technical aspects are restricted, wherever possible, to special sections and appendices in each chapter. The book is suitable as a text for graduate courses in physics, electrical engineering, computer science and biology.
Methods of Algebraic Geometry
Authors: Hodge W. V. D. , Pedoe D.
Published: August 2012

This work provides a lucid and rigorous account of the foundations of modern algebraic geometry. The authors have confined themselves to fundamental concepts and geometrical methods, and do not give detailed developments of geometrical properties, but geometrical meaning has been emphasised throughout. This first volume is divided into two parts. The first is devoted to pure algebra; the basic notions, the theory of matrices over a non-commutative ground field and a study of algebraic equations. The second part is concerned with the definitions and basic properties of projective space in n dimensions. It concludes with a purely algebraic account of collineations and correlations. The other two volumes of Hodge and Pedoe's classic work are also available. Together, these books give an insight into algebraic geometry that is unique and unsurpassed.
Applicable Differential Geometry
Authors: Crampin M. , Pirani F. A. E.
Published: August 2012

This is an introduction to geometrical topics that are useful in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, including manifolds, metrics, connections, Lie groups, spinors and bundles, preparing readers for the study of modern treatments of mechanics, gauge fields theories, relativity and gravitation. The order of presentation corresponds to that used for the relevant material in theoretical physics: the geometry of affine spaces, which is appropriate to special relativity theory, as well as to Newtonian mechanics, is developed in the first half of the book, and the geometry of manifolds, which is needed for general relativity and gauge field theory, in the second half. Analysis is included not for its own sake, but only where it illuminates geometrical ideas. The style is informal and clear yet rigorous; each chapter ends with a summary of important concepts and results. In addition there are over 650 exercises, making this a book which is valuable as a text for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Vortex Dynamics
Authors: Saffman P. G.
Published: August 2012

The discovery of coherent structures in turbulence has fostered the hope that the study of vortices will lead to models and an understanding of turbulent flow, thereby solving or at least making less mysterious one of the great unsolved problems of classical physics. Vortex dynamics is a natural paradigm for the field of chaotic motion and modern dynamical system theory. The emphasis in this monograph is on the classical theory of inviscid incompressible fluids containing finite regions of vorticity. The effects of viscosity, compressibility, inhomogeneity and stratification are enormously important in many fields of application, from hypersonic flight to global environmental fluid mechanics. However, this volume focuses on those aspects of fluid motion which are primarily controlled by the vorticity and are such that the effects of the other fluid properties are secondary.
Modelling Biological Populations in Space and Time
Authors: Renshaw Eric
Published: August 2012

This volume develops a unifying approach to population studies, emphasising the interplay between modelling and experimentation. Throughout, mathematicians and biologists are provided with a framework within which population dynamics can be fully explored and understood. Aspects of population dynamics covered include birth-death and logistic processes, competition and predator-prey relationships, chaos, reaction time-delays, fluctuating environments, spatial systems, velocities of spread, epidemics, and spatial branching structures. Both deterministic and stochastic models are considered. Whilst the more theoretically orientated sections will appeal to mathematical biologists, the material is presented so that readers with little mathematical expertise can bypass these without losing the main flow of the text.
Masters of War
Authors: Buzzanco Robert
Published: August 2012

Throughout the last decade, defenders of the US role in Vietnam have argued that America's defeat was not the result of an illegitimate intervention or military shortcomings but rather a failure of will because national leaders, principally Lyndon B. Johnson, forced the troops to 'fight with one hand tied behind their backs.' In this volume, Robert Buzzanco disproves this theory by demonstrating that political leaders, not the military brass, pressed for war; that American policymakers always understood the problems and peril of war in Indochina; and that civil-military acrimony and the political desire to defer responsibility for Vietnam helped lead the United States into the war. For the first time, these crucial issues of military dissent, interservice rivalries, and civil-military relations and politics have been tied together to provide a cogent and comprehensive analysis of the US role in Vietnam.
Germany, Hitler, and World War II
Authors: Weinberg Gerhard L.
Published: August 2012

Reflecting on the greatest war in human history, one cannot help but think about the terrible conflict as a whole, its leaders, its peoples, and the puzzles still open about its conduct. Leaders on both sides realised that at stake from the very beginning was a complete restructuring of the world order. More than a conflict of imperial aggression, World War II was about who would live and command the globe's resources and which peoples would disappear entirely because they were believed to be inferior or undesirable by the victor. This collection of special studies in twentieth-century German and world history illuminates the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world. Bringing together essays now widely scattered and several never previously published in English, this volume examines the Holocaust, the connections between the European and Pacific theatres of war, as well as the effects, leaders, and research problems of World War II. By examining the effects of World War II, its leaders, its problems, and the Holocaust, this volume provides an illuminating study of the nature of the Nazi system and its impact on Germany and the world.
Concepts and Methods of 2D Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Hamm Peter , Zanni Martin
Published: August 2012

2D infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a cutting-edge technique, with applications in subjects as diverse as the energy sciences, biophysics and physical chemistry. This book introduces the essential concepts of 2D IR spectroscopy step-by-step to build an intuitive and in-depth understanding of the method. This unique book introduces the mathematical formalism in a simple manner, examines the design considerations for implementing the methods in the laboratory, and contains working computer code to simulate 2D IR spectra and exercises to illustrate involved concepts. Readers will learn how to accurately interpret 2D IR spectra, design their own spectrometer and invent their own pulse sequences. It is an excellent starting point for graduate students and researchers new to this exciting field. Computer codes and answers to the exercises can be downloaded from the authors' website, available at www.cambridge.org/9781107000056.
The Languages of Australia
Authors: Dixon R. M. W.
Published: August 2012

Described by Ken Hale as 'nothing less than a masterpiece' and by P. H. Matthews as 'absolutely clear, astonishingly complete, factually fascinating', The Languages of Australia (first published in 1980 and now reissued) was a landmark in Australian linguistics. This pioneering work of synthesis covered more than two hundred Aboriginal languages, and stimulated the next generation of scholarship in the field. The author's subsequent search for an overarching theoretical model to explain the unusual properties of Australian languages finally led him to adopt a 'punctuated equilibrium' model of language development. Dixon proposed this in The Rise and Fall of Languages (1997), which provided the framework for his major work Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development (2002). The Languages of Australia is still sought after, however, as a benchmark in the discipline and because its first four chapters provide a valuable non-technical introduction that does not appear in the 2002 volume.
The Climate Connection
Authors: Hetherington Renée , Reid Robert G. B.
Published: August 2012

Highlights the influence of saltatory evolution and rapid climate change on human evolution, migration and behavioural change. Growing concern over the potential impacts of climate change on our future is clearly evident. In order to better understand our present circumstances and deal effectively with future climate change, society needs to become more informed about the historical connection between climate and humans. The authors' combined research in the fields of climate change, evolutionary biology, Earth sciences and human migration and behaviour complement each other, and have facilitated an innovative and integrated approach to the human evolution-climate connection. The Climate Connection provides an in-depth text linking 135,000 years of climate change with human evolution and implications for our future, for those working and interested in the field and those embarking on upper-level courses on this topic.
p-adic Differential Equations
Authors: Kedlaya Kiran S.
Published: August 2012

Over the last 50 years the theory of p-adic differential equations has grown into an active area of research in its own right, and has important applications to number theory and to computer science. This book, the first comprehensive and unified introduction to the subject, improves and simplifies existing results as well as including original material. Based on a course given by the author at MIT, this modern treatment is accessible to graduate students and researchers. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter to help the reader review the material, and the author also provides detailed references to the literature to aid further study.
Greedy Approximation
Authors: Temlyakov Vladimir
Published: August 2012

This first book on greedy approximation gives a systematic presentation of the fundamental results. It also contains an introduction to two hot topics in numerical mathematics: learning theory and compressed sensing. Nonlinear approximation is becoming increasingly important, especially since two types are frequently employed in applications: adaptive methods are used in PDE solvers, while m-term approximation is used in image/signal/data processing, as well as in the design of neural networks. The fundamental question of nonlinear approximation is how to devise good constructive methods (algorithms) and recent results have established that greedy type algorithms may be the solution. The author has drawn on his own teaching experience to write a book ideally suited to graduate courses. The reader does not require a broad background to understand the material. Important open problems are included to give students and professionals alike ideas for further research.
Unsteady force generation and vortex dynamics of pitching and plunging aerofoils
Authors: Baik Yeon Sik , Bernal Luis P. , Granlund Kenneth , Ol Michael V.
Published: August 2012

Experimental studies of the flow topology, leading-edge vortex dynamics and unsteady force produced by pitching and plunging flat-plate aerofoils in forward flight at Reynolds numbers in the range 5000–20 000 are described. We consider the effects of varying frequency and plunge amplitude for the same effective angle-of-attack time history. The effective angle-of-attack history is a sinusoidal oscillation in the range$\ensuremath{-} 6$to$2{2}^{\ensuremath{\circ} } $with mean of${8}^{\ensuremath{\circ} } $and amplitude of$1{4}^{\ensuremath{\circ} } $. The reduced frequency is varied in the range 0.314–1.0 and the Strouhal number range is 0.10–0.48. Results show that for constant effective angle of attack, the flow evolution is independent of Strouhal number, and as the reduced frequency is increased the leading-edge vortex (LEV) separates later in phase during the downstroke. The LEV trajectory, circulation and area are reported. It is shown that the effective angle of attack and reduced frequency determine the flow evolution, and the Strouhal number is the main parameter determining the aerodynamic force acting on the aerofoil. At low Strouhal numbers, the lift coefficient is proportional to the effective angle of attack, indicating the validity of the quasi-steady approximation. Large values of force coefficients (${\ensuremath{\sim} }6$) are measured at high Strouhal number. The measurement results are compared with linear potential flow theory and found to be in reasonable agreement. During the downstroke, when the LEV is present, better agreement is found when the wake effect is ignored for both the lift and drag coefficients.
Prevalence and determinants of misreporting among European children in proxy-reported 24 h dietary recalls
Authors: Börnhorst C. , Huybrechts I. , Ahrens W. , Eiben G. , Michels N. , Pala V. , Molnár D. , Russo P. , Barba G. , Bel-Serrat S. , Moreno L. A. , Papoutsou S. , Veidebaum T. , Loit H.-M. , Lissner L. , Pigeot I.
Published: August 2012

Dietary assessment is strongly affected by misreporting (both under- and over-reporting), which results in measurement error. Knowledge about misreporting is essential to correctly interpret potentially biased associations between diet and health outcomes. In young children, dietary data mainly rely on proxy respondents but little is known about determinants of misreporting here. The present analysis was conducted within the framework of the multi-centre IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants) study and is based on 6101 children aged 2–9 years with 24 h dietary recall (24-HDR) and complete covariate information. Adapted Goldberg cut-offs were applied to classify the 24-HDR as ‘over-report’, ‘plausible report’ or ‘under-report’. Backward elimination in the course of multi-level logistic regression analyses was conducted to identify factors significantly related to under- and over-reporting. Next to characteristics of the children and parents, social factors and parental concerns/perceptions concerning their child's weight status were considered. Further selective misreporting was addressed, investigating food group intakes commonly perceived as more or less socially desirable. Proportions of under-, plausible and over-reports were 8·0, 88·6 and 3·4 %, respectively. The risk of under-reporting increased with age (OR 1·19, 95 % CI 1·05, 1·83), BMIz-score of the child (OR 1·23, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·37) and household size (OR 1·12, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·25), and was higher in low/medium income groups (OR 1·45, 95 % CI 1·13, 1·86). Over-reporting was negatively associated with BMIz-scores of the child (OR 0·78, 95 % CI 0·69, 0·88) and higher in girls (OR 1·70, 95 % CI 1·27, 2·28). Further social desirability and parental concerns/perceptions seemed to influence the reporting behaviour. Future studies should involve these determinants of misreporting when investigating diet–disease relationships in children to correct for the differential reporting bias.
A symposium and workshop report from the Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative: nutrition transition and the global burden of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Mattei Josiemer , Malik Vasanti , Wedick Nicole M. , Campos Hannia , Spiegelman Donna , Willett Walter , Hu Frank B.
Published: August 2012

The present report summarises the symposium ‘Nutrition Transition and the Global Burden of Type 2 Diabetes’ and a workshop on strategies for dietary interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes held by the Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative, Boston, MA, USA in November 2011. The objectives of this event were to bring attention to the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes in light of the ongoing nutrition transition worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and to highlight the present evidence on key dietary risk factors contributing to the global diabetes burden. The meeting put forward ideas for further research on this topic and discussed practical recommendations to design and implement culturally appropriate dietary interventions with a focus on improving carbohydrate quality to help alleviate this growing health problem.
Diet-induced obesity in ad libitum-fed mice: food texture overrides the effect of macronutrient composition
Authors: Desmarchelier Charles , Ludwig Tobias , Scheundel Ronny , Rink Nadine , Bader Bernhard L. , Klingenspor Martin , Daniel Hannelore
Published: August 2012

Diet-induced obesity in mice can be achieved through the use of diets with different macronutrient compositions and textures. We aimed at determining the contribution of macronutrient composition to obesity development and associated pathophysiological changes in mice. C57BL/6N mice were offered a control, a high-fat or a Western-style diet, either as pellet (H for hard) or with identical composition in powder form (S for soft), resulting in C-S, C-H, HF-H, HF-S, W-H and W-S groups, respectively. Body fat distribution, expression levels of selected target genes in adipose tissues, clinical chemistry and hormone concentration in the blood, as well as liver TAG content were measured. The most striking finding was that all mice fed the different powder diets developed obesity with similar weight gain, whereas among the mice fed the pellet diets, only those given the HF and W diets became obese. This allowed us to separate diet-specific effects from obesity-mediated effects. Irrespective of the food texture, the W diet induced a more severe hepatosteatosis and higher activities of serum transaminases compared with the two other diets. Adipose tissue gene expression analysis revealed that leptin and adiponectin levels were not affected by the dietary composition per se, whereas uncoupling protein 1 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 levels were decreased by both dietary composition and changes in body weight. In conclusion, diets differing in macronutrient composition elicit specific pathophysiological changes, independently of changes in body weight. A diet high in both fat and sugars seems to be more deleterious for the liver than a HF diet.
Modular History: Identity Maintenance before Uyghur Nationalism
Authors: Thum Rian
Published: August 2012

This paper investigates how a regional identity can be maintained in a nonmodern context, focusing on the case of southern Xinjiang in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The argument focuses on one aspect of this identity system, the popular historical tradition, arguing that its deployment through both manuscript technology and regional shrine pilgrimage contributed to the maintenance of Xinjiang's settled Turki identity group before the construction of the “Uyghur” identity. In the absence of a national history, separate histories of local heroes were linked together through custom anthology production and networked travel to shrines, yielding a modular historical tradition that accommodated local interests in regional narratives. Central to the operation of this system were community authorship in the manuscript tradition, the creation of a new genre for local history, and the publicly recorded circulation of pilgrims who heard performances of historical texts. This constellation of phenomena underpinned an alternative type of imagined community: a reasonably homogeneous, regional, writing-facilitated identity system flourishing in a nonmodern context.
Food Safety and Social Risk in Contemporary China
Authors: Yan Yunxiang
Published: August 2012

Food-safety problems constitute a new, urgent, and multifaceted challenge to Chinese people, society, and the state, involving a number of social, political, and ethical issues beyond those of food safety, nutrition, and health. In light of Ulrich Beck's theory of risk society, this article examines food-safety problems in contemporary Chinese society at the levels of food hygiene, unsafe food, and poisonous foods and argues that food-safety problems not only affect the lives of Chinese people in harmful ways but also pose a number of manufactured risks that are difficult to calculate and control. More importantly, food-safety problems in China have contributed to a rapid decline of social trust, thus posing a risk of distrust that has far-reaching social and political ramifications. In this sense, a risk society has already arrived in China but it comes with certain local characteristics and poses some new theoretical questions.
The relationship between BMI and metabolomic profiles: a focus on amino acids
Authors: Morris Ciara , O'Grada Colm , Ryan Miriam , Roche Helen M. , Gibney Michael J. , Gibney Eileen R. , Brennan Lorraine
Published: August 2012

The role of metabolomics in the field of nutrition is continuing to grow and it has the potential to assist in the understanding of metabolic regulation and explain how minor perturbations can have a multitude of biochemical endpoints. It is this development, which creates the potential to provide the knowledge necessary to facilitate a more targeted approach to nutrition. In recent years, there has been interest in applying metabolomics to examine alterations in the metabolic profile according to weight gain/obesity. Emerging from these studies is the strong evidence that alterations in the amino acid (AA) profiles are associated with obesity. Several other studies have also shown a relationship between branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), obesity and insulin resistance. The present review focuses on the proposed link between AA and in particular BCAA, obesity and insulin resistance. In conclusion, a wealth of information is accumulating to support the role of AA, and in particular of the BCAA, in obesity.
The use of cluster analysis to derive dietary patterns: methodological considerations, reproducibility, validity and the effect of energy mis-reporting
Authors: Devlin Una M. , McNulty Breige A. , Nugent Anne P. , Gibney Micheal J.
Published: August 2012

Over the last three decades, dietary pattern analysis has come to the forefront of nutritional epidemiology, where the combined effects of total diet on health can be examined. Two analytical approaches are commonly used:a priorianda posteriori. Cluster analysis is a commonly useda posterioriapproach, where dietary patterns are derived based on differences in mean dietary intake separating individuals into mutually exclusive, non-overlapping groups. This review examines the literature on dietary patterns derived by cluster analysis in adult population groups, focusing, in particular, on methodological considerations, reproducibility, validity and the effect of energy mis-reporting. There is a wealth of research suggesting that the human diet can be described in terms of a limited number of eating patterns in healthy population groups using cluster analysis, where studies have accounted for differences in sex, age, socio-economic status, geographical area and weight status. Furthermore, patterns have been used to explore relationships with health and chronic diseases and more recently with nutritional biomarkers, suggesting that these patterns are biologically meaningful. Overall, it is apparent that consistent trends emerge when using cluster analysis to derive dietary patterns; however, future studies should focus on the inconsistencies in methodology and the effect of energy mis-reporting.
Strong stochastic stability for non-uniformly expanding maps
Authors: ALVES JOSÉ F. , VILARINHO HELDER
Published: August 2012

We consider random perturbations of discrete-time dynamical systems. We give sufficient conditions for the stochastic stability of certain classes of maps, in a strong sense. This improves the main result in Alves and Araújo [Random perturbations of non-uniformly expanding maps.Astérisque 286(2003), 25–62], where the stochastic stability in the$\mathrm {weak}^*$topology was proved. Here, under slightly weaker assumptions on the random perturbations, we obtain a stronger version of stochastic stability: convergence of the density of the stationary measure to the density of the Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen (SRB) measure of the unperturbed system in the$L^1$-norm. As an application of our results, we obtain strong stochastic stability for two classes of non-uniformly expanding maps. The first one is an open class of local diffeomorphisms introduced in Alves, Bonatti and Viana [SRB measures for partially hyperbolic systems whose central direction is mostly expanding.Invent. Math. 140(2000), 351–398] and the second one is the class ofViana maps.
Handel’s fixed point theorem revisited
Authors: XAVIER JULIANA
Published: August 2012

Michael Handel proved in [A fixed-point theorem for planar homeomorphisms. Topology38 (1999), 235–264] the existence of a fixed point for an orientation-preserving homeomorphism of the open unit disk that can be extended to the closed disk, provided that it has points whose orbits form an oriented cycle of links at infinity. Later, Patrice Le Calvez gave a different proof of this theorem based only on Brouwer theory and plane topology arguments in [Une nouvelle preuve du théorème de point fixe de Handel. Geom. Topol.10(2006), 2299–2349]. These methods improved the result by proving the existence of a simple closed curve of index 1. We give a new, simpler proof of this improved version of the theorem and generalize it to non-oriented cycles of links at infinity.
Transience in dynamical systems
Authors: IOMMI GODOFREDO , TODD MIKE
Published: August 2012

We extend the theory of transience to general dynamical systems with no Markov structure assumed. This is linked to the theory of phase transitions. We also provide new examples to illustrate different kinds of transient behaviour.
Identity in the fourth age: perseverance, adaptation and maintaining dignity
Authors: LLOYD LIZ , CALNAN MICHAEL , CAMERON AILSA , SEYMOUR JANE , SMITH RANDALL
Published: August 2012

The fourth age remains a poorly understood phenomenon and there is a lack of understanding of the perceptions of those who might be considered to be living in it. This article draws on findings from a study of dignity in later life which examined the day-to-day experiences of participants who were in need of support and care because of failing health. It discusses their accounts of the changes to their sense of self and their identity that came about as a result of their ageing and health problems and looks also at the ways in which the support and care they received helped to shape their adjustment to those changes. The accounts given by participants reveal a great deal about the physical, mental and emotional effort entailed in maintaining a sense of self and highlight the essential role played by social relationships in the maintenance of identity. These findings are analysed by reference to emerging theories of the fourth age.
Characteristics of early vocabulary and grammar development in Slovenian-speaking infants and toddlers: a CDI-adaptation study*
Authors: MARJANOVIČ-UMEK LJUBICA , FEKONJA-PEKLAJ URŠKA , PODLESEK ANJA
Published: August 2012

A large body of research shows that vocabulary does not develop independently of grammar, representing a better predictor of the grammatical complexity of toddlers' utterances than age. This study examines for the first time the characteristics of vocabulary and grammar development in Slovenian-speaking infants and toddlers using the Slovenian adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). The sample included 512 Slovenian-speaking infants and toddlers aged 0 ; 8 to 2 ; 6. The findings suggest that between age 0 ; 8 and 2 ; 6 the development of vocabulary is best described using a quadratic function. The results also show that nouns predominate in the vocabularies of infants and toddlers of various ages; as they age and with the increasing size of their vocabularies, the share of interjections decreases and the share of verbs and adjectives increases. The size of vocabulary was also found to be related to the grammatical structure of toddlers' utterances.
The impact of substituting SFA in dairy products with MUFA or PUFA on CVD risk: evidence from human intervention studies
Authors: Livingstone Katherine M. , Lovegrove Julie A. , Givens D. Ian
Published: August 2012

With the substantial economic and social burden of CVD, the need to modify diet and lifestyle factors to reduce risk has become increasingly important. Milk and dairy products, being one of the main contributors to SFA intake in the UK, are a potential target for dietary SFA reduction. Supplementation of the dairy cow's diet with a source of MUFA or PUFA may have beneficial effects on consumers' CVD risk by partially replacing milk SFA, thus reducing entry of SFA into the food chain. A total of nine chronic human intervention studies have used dairy products, modified through bovine feeding, to establish their effect on CVD risk markers. Of these studies, the majority utilised modified butter as their primary test product and used changes in blood cholesterol concentrations as their main risk marker. Of the eight studies that measured blood cholesterol, four reported a significant reduction in total and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) following chronic consumption of modified milk and dairy products. Data from one study suggested that a significant reduction in LDL-C could be achieved in both the healthy and hypercholesterolaemic population. Thus, evidence from these studies suggests that consumption of milk and dairy products with modified fatty acid composition, compared with milk and dairy products of typical milk fat composition, may be beneficial to CVD risk in healthy and hypercholesterolaemic individuals. However, current evidence is insufficient and further work is needed to investigate the complex role of milk and cheese in CVD risk and explore the use of novel markers of CVD risk.
Long-term population trends of breeding Kentish PloversCharadrius alexandrinusin north-west Spain under the effects of a major oil spill
Authors: VIDAL MARÍA , DOMÍNGUEZ JESÚS
Published: August 2012

The Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusis the only wader that nests on the beaches of Galicia, north-west Spain. In November 2002, much of that habitat was heavily affected by thePrestigeoil spill, considered one of the largest spills ever experienced in Europe. We used a 23-year dataset (1988–2010) tracking the abundance and distribution of Kentish Plover breeding pairs along the Galician coast to evaluate population trends and identify the underlying effects of an oil spill. A TRIM linear trend model classified the population trend as a moderate increase; the main trend exhibited a decline in the population from 2002 to 2004 (the second reproductive period after the catastrophe), followed by a moderate increase to the present. The results showed that the variation in annual population trends can be explained by considering the characteristics and location of breeding beaches. In the most parsimonious model, three covariates were significant: the beach position: inner (located in the interior part of the estuaries), or outer (exposed to the open sea), the beach length, and the location of the stretch of coastline in relation to thePrestigewreck. The variation was obvious both with regard to population size and habitat use, with an increase in the number of birds and breeding locations and changes in distribution along the entire Galician Coast after 2004. The birds reacted to the catastrophe by avoiding the most affected areas and moving to new breeding beaches, suggesting that conservation plans must take into account the correct management of currently unoccupied beaches that could provide potential habitat for the species.
Precursory diffuse CO2 and H2S emission signatures of the 2011–2012 El Hierro submarine eruption, Canary Islands
Authors: Pérez Nemesio M. , Padilla Germán D. , Padrón Eleazar , Hernández Pedro A. , Melián Gladys V. , Barrancos José , Dionis Samara , Nolasco Dácil , Rodríguez Fátima , Calvo David , Hernández Íñigo
Published: August 2012

On October 12, 2011, a submarine eruption began 2 km off the coast of La Restinga, south of El Hierro Island. CO2 and H2S soil efflux were continuously measured during the period of volcanic unrest by using the accumulation chamber method at two different geochemical stations, HIE01 and HIE07. Recorded CO2 and H2S effluxes showed precursory signals that preceded the submarine eruption. Beginning in late August, the CO2 efflux time series started increasing at a relatively constant rate over one month, reaching a maximum of 19 gm−2d−1 one week before the onset of the submarine volcanic eruption. The H2S efflux time series at HIE07 showed a pulse in H2S emission just one day before the initiation of the submarine eruption, reaching peak values of 42 mg m−2 d−1, 10 times the average H2S efflux recorded during the observation period. Since CO2 and H2S effluxes are strongly influenced by external factors, we applied a multiple regression analysis to remove their contribution. A statistical analysis showed that the long‐term trend of the filtered data is well correlated with the seismic energy. We find that these geochemical stations are important monitoring sites for evaluating the volcanic activity of El Hierro and that they demonstrate the potential of applying continuous monitoring of soil CO2 and H2S efflux to improve and optimize the detection of early warning signals of future volcanic unrest episodes at El Hierro. Continuous diffuse degassing studies would likely prove useful for monitoring other volcanoes during unrest episodes.
Determining the axial direction of high‐shear flux transfer events: Implications for models of FTE structure
Authors: Fear R. C. , Milan S. E. , Oksavik K.
Published: August 2012

Flux transfer events are bursts of dayside reconnection, which give rise to local perturbations of the magnetic field that can be observed by spacecraft near the magnetopause. Although it is commonly accepted that flux transfer events are caused by reconnection, various models exist to explain their structure. A key difference between mechanisms is that when the magnetic shear across the magnetopause is close to 180°, some models will give rise to a structure whose axis is oriented north‐south, whereas others will result in a dawn‐dusk‐oriented structure. Several techniques for determining the axial direction of such structures have been suggested: minimum variance analysis on the magnetic field, minimization of the axial electric field, and Grad‐Shafranov reconstruction. We apply these techniques to a series of flux transfer events observed by Cluster at a high‐shear magnetopause crossing on 27 March 2007. Minimum variance analysis on the signatures caused by the draping of unreconnected magnetic flux around the flux transfer events consistently results in an axial direction that is dawn‐dusk oriented. However, the electric field technique, applied to flux transfer events that are penetrated by the spacecraft, results in a mixture of north‐south and dawn‐dusk axes. Testing these axial directions with Grad‐Shafranov reconstruction suggests that the axes of events which appear to be oriented dawn‐dusk might be more reliably determined than the axes of events which appear to be north‐south. Using the Grad‐Shafranov method alone to determine the axial direction of the penetrated events gives dawn‐dusk axial directions, consistent with the results of minimum variance analysis on the draping events. Overall, these observations are consistent with the formation of flux transfer events by processes involving relatively long reconnection lines (e.g., single or multiple X‐line reconnection) rather than elbow‐shaped flux tubes, as originally envisaged. Furthermore, examination of one particular flux transfer event that was observed by Cluster 1 but not by Cluster 2 (which was closer to the magnetopause) allows us to preclude the elbow‐shaped model for this event.
Climatic variations of the work done by the wind on the ocean's general circulation
Authors: Lauderdale J. M. , Naveira Garabato A. C. , Oliver K. I. C. , Thomas L. N.
Published: August 2012

The Southern Hemisphere westerlies exert an important influence on global climate, supplying nearly half of the mechanical energy for the deep overturning circulation. In a coarse‐resolution ocean model, northward‐shifted winds increase the work done on surface geostrophic flows due to enhanced velocities associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Alternatively, energy supply is diminished by southward‐shifted winds, primarily through reduced correspondence between wind stress and surface velocity in the Southern Ocean due to dynamical and topographic constraints on the ACC. When combined perturbations in latitude and magnitude of the westerlies are applied, these results are reconciled with estimates of recent trends in wind work and volume transport in the Southern Ocean from observations and coupled climate models. This indicates that the strength of the winds exerts a dominant effect that masks the opposing consequences of latitudinal migration. In particular, transport through Drake Passage shows a clear relationship with wind work and velocity when the winds move poleward leading to a reduction in all three quantities. However, under equatorward‐shifted winds, stronger polar easterlies adjacent to the Antarctic continent establishes a recirculation gyre leading to increased mechanical energy input and swifter currents but reduced transport. Significant (O(25%)) changes in the mechanical energy supply from the winds may be possible on climatic time scales, particularly associated with the spatial correlation between winds and the ACC that does not depend critically on unresolved eddy processes in this model, leading to a pathway for altering abyssal diapycnal mixing rates and stratification of the ocean interior.