bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘There's no bad bush to throw away a bad child’: ‘tradition’-inspired reintegration in post-war Sierra Leone
Authors: Stovel Laura
Published: May 2008

Government and civil society leaders in African transitional states often use rituals and expressions inspired by tradition to facilitate the integration of ex-combatants and displaced people. In Sierra Leone, the expression ‘There's no bad bush to throw away a bad child’, conveys a vision of African society as inherently forgiving and inclusive, and of Africans as needing to be amongst their own people. This ideal was perfectly suited for the needs of an impoverished state seeking to ease the strain on cities, and relying on communities' organic capacities to absorb their own people. This research draws on interviews with diverse Sierra Leoneans to examine the assumptions behind this communitarian ideal. It argues that while ‘There is no bad bush … ’ promotes a form of reconciliation defined as peaceful coexistence, it lacks the elements of justice required for deep reconciliation to occur.
A new species of Cymbasoma (Copepoda: Monstrilloida) from Florida with a redescription of C. quadridens
Authors: Suárez-Morales Eduardo , Pilz Dora
Published: May 2008

Monstrilloid copepods from a series of zooplankton samples collected in the coastal area of Miami, Florida, were examined taxonomically. Several adult females were found to belong to an undescribed species of Cymbasoma within the C. rigidum species complex. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the body proportions, shape of head, cephalic ornamentation pattern, genital double somite with straight lateral margins, and structure of the fifth legs, which have a small, inner lobe arising from the distal 1/5 of segment. This species shows intraspecific variability in some characters (i.e. shape of head, cephalic and genital ornamentation patterns); hitherto, such variation has been reported only in another species of Cymbasoma. Our finding supports the idea of the nominal species C. rigidum comprising a taxonomic complex with several undescribed taxa. The other species recorded in the area was Cymbasoma quadridens Davis, 1947. This was first described from a single male specimen collected in 1947 in Biscayne Bay, Florida, and has not been recorded thereafter. The type specimen now being unusable, this species is redescribed herein based on another topotypic male specimen collected near the type locality. New data are added about the armature of its antennules and swimming legs, cuticular ornamentation, and structure of the genital complex.
The tanaid Hexapleomera robusta (Crustacea: Peracarida) from the Caribbean manatee, with comments on other crustacean epibionts
Authors: Morales-Vela Benjamín , Suárez-Morales Eduardo , Padilla-Saldívar Janneth , Heard Richard W.
Published: May 2008

The tanaidaceans are among the most conspicuous and ecologically relevant benthic microcrustaceans in the marine realm but there are only a few records of species of tanaids associated with other marine organisms. During a long-term survey on the biology and distribution of the Caribbean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus Linnaeus in Mexican waters, parasites and epibionts were collected from 47 individuals that were captured for tagging in two bay systems. Well-established epibiotic communities of the tanaidacean Hexapleomera robusta (Moore) were found on eight of these animals; this tanaid crustacean formed patches of tubes adhered to the skin surface. Patches were distributed in different parts of the body surface but mainly along the backbone depression, the caudal zone, and on the lateral margins; in some instances they were related to clusters of barnacles. Highly significant differences of infestation rates were revealed between Chetumal Bay and Ascensión Bay, the latter representing better conditions (high salinity and hydrodynamism) for tanaid invasion and settlement on the manatee. It is speculated that the tanaid is a commensal; no visible damage was found in the host and its presence was not related to skin lesions. The tanaid probably captures suspended particles as the manatee feeds. This is the first confirmed record of a symbiotic association involving a tanaid and the Caribbean manatee. The tanaid species recorded (H. robusta) and the harpacticoid copepod Balaenophilus manatorum (Ortíz, Lalana & Torres), have both been recorded also as epibionts of sea turtles. The tanaid has been known from sea turtles for some time, but the copepod was first recorded from a manatee and was subsequently found on sea turtles a few years later.
Predation uponMytilus galloprovincialis(Mollusca: Bivalvia: Mytilidae) by juvenileCarcinus maenas(Crustacea: Decapoda) using mandibular chipping
Authors: Morton Brian , Harper E.M.
Published: May 2008

Field observations of small (<20 mm) individuals ofMytulus galloprovincialisat Littlehampton (West Sussex) on the south-eastern coast of England showed that many collected as recently dead shells had a distinctive pattern of damage around the posterior valve margins. Laboratory experiments confirmed that smallCarcinus maenas (<22 mm carapace width) were capable of inflicting a similar style of damage. SmallC. maenasfed successfully on a range of mussel sizes (5–20 mm shell length), positively correlated with carapace width. All used the same technique to access the bivalve prey, that is, by marginal mandibular chipping in order to achieve sufficient damage to allow insertion of a chelal dactyl between the valves. Mandibular chipping has previously been reported upon from non-chelate decapods and juvenile lobsters. The chelae of juvenileC. maenasare small and have a lower mechanical advantage than has been reported upon for adult conspecifics which, in any case, are not highly adapted for durophagy. We suggest that because of the poor mechanical performance and small gape of the chelae juvenileC. maenasbehave as though they were achelate. As well as broadening our understanding of the repertoire of known feeding behaviours ofC. maenas, our study may also provide an insight into the evolution of durophagy within the Decapoda.
Distribution and seasonal cycles of decapod crustacean larvae in Continuous Plankton Records from the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Lindley J.A. , Batten S.D.
Published: May 2008

Decapoda taken in Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) samples from the Pacific in 1997 and 2000–2003 have been identified and measured. Some previously un-described larval stages were referred to species and characteristics of these are described. Distributions and seasonal occurrence of decapod taxa in the samples are described and discussed with particular emphasis on the dendrobranchiate shrimp Sergestes similis and the brachyurans Cancer spp. and Chionoecetes spp. There is a prolonged larval season at low levels of abundance off the Californian coast but in the more northern waters there is a shorter productive period but numbers of larvae per sample are high, particularly in June. Larvae of Chionoecetes and other Oregoninae were found only from May to July.
Large-scale fuel deposition patterns on northern Spanish shores following the ‘Prestige’ oil spill
Authors: Acuña José Luis , Puente Araceli , Anadón Ricardo , Fernández Consolación , Vera María Luisa , Ordás José Manuel Rico , Arrontes Julio , Juanes José
Published: May 2008

Following the accident of the oil tanker ‘Prestige’, we surveyed the large scale fuel deposition patterns on the Cantabrian shore (northern Spain) covering three regions (from west to east): (i) Asturias, west of Cape Peñas (24 segments surveyed); (ii) Asturias, east of Cape Peñas (33 segments surveyed); and (iii) Cantabria (also east of Cape Peñas, 256 segments surveyed). Fuel arrived to the Cantabrian Coast as a single oil wave which was more intense to the east than to the west of Cape Peñas. The mean percentage of coast length affected was 25, 41 and 15% in western Asturias, eastern Asturias and Cantabria, respectively. However, less than 10% of the substrate was covered by fuel in oiled patches, thus the impact was moderate. We conclude that these patterns are consistent with fuel transport by the Iberian Poleward Current, a hydrographic feature typical of this region during winter.
Redescription of Eunice sebastiani and recognition of E. riojai (Polychaeta: Eunicidae)
Authors: Carrera-Parra Luis F. , Rizzo Alexandra E. , Salazar-Vallejo Sergio I.
Published: May 2008

In a series of studies on eunicids, there were explicit or implicit indications that Eunice riojai described from the north-western Caribbean Sea, and Eunice sebastiani described from south-east Brazil, were synonyms. This was based upon a then recent monograph on the genus, and on the fact that some specimens were found in drifting wood which would explain the large geographical range. The study of some large specimens of E. sebastiani, collected at the type locality, shows that there are several relevant morphological differences between the two species and thus both species names must be regarded as distinct. In fact, E. sebastiani is unique in the genus because their maxillae V are bidentate. Furthermore, herein we re-describe these two species and re-evaluate some morphological features described in previous studies.
Differences in escape response of fish in protected and fished Mediterranean rocky reefs
Authors: Guidetti P. , Vierucci E. , Bussotti S.
Published: May 2008

In both protected and fished rocky reefs in the southern Adriatic Sea, the behaviour of the sea breams Diplodus sargus and D. vulgaris (both targeted by spear-fishing) in the presence of divers was found to be mostly negative (i.e. escape response). However, at protected reefs sea breams frequently swam into the closest shelters, whereas in fished reefs they mostly escaped in open water. This study suggests that spear-fishing may alter the escape response of fish from natural predators and that marine reserves may re-establish natural behaviour patterns.
Reproductive characteristics of the sand sole Pegusa lascaris (Soleidae), from the eastern-central Atlantic
Authors: Pajuelo José G. , Lorenzo José M.
Published: May 2008

The reproductive biology of 1318 sand sole, Pegusa lascaris, was investigated. This species is a gonochoristic species with no evidence of sexual dimorphism. The overall sex-ratio was 1 male to 0.92 females. Females predominate in the larger size intervals, with a significant difference in mean standard length and range between sexes. Size at first maturity for males and females is attained at 17.2 and 17.7 cm standard length, respectively. Vitellogenesis does not begin synchronously for all females, as a consequence the spawning season appears to be continuous. In each female spawning takes place in two batches which are spawned mainly in spring and autumn, indicating that fish are serial synchronous spawners.
Environmental habitat use and migration of Plecoglossidae and Osmeridae fish
Authors: Ohji Madoka , Kotake Aya , Arai Takaomi
Published: May 2008

The life histories of Plecoglossidae and Osmeridae fish collected from Japanese fresh, brackish, and seawaters were studied by examining the strontium (Sr) to calcium (Ca) ratios in their otoliths. The Sr:Ca ratios in the otoliths changed with the salinity of the habitat. The fish living in a freshwater environment showed consistently low Sr:Ca ratios throughout the otolith. The fish were identified as a standard freshwater type. In contrast, fish collected from the intertidal zone showed higher otolith Sr:Ca ratios than those in the standard freshwater type, and the ratios fluctuated along the growth phase. In the present study, in addition to the representative migration pattern reported previously, other migration patterns were found to show consistently high Sr:Ca ratios throughout the otolith in several Osmeridae fish. Those results indicate that these fish have a flexible migration strategy with a high degree of behavioural plasticity and an ability to utilize the full range of salinity throughout their life history.
Functional group/guild modelling of inter-specific pathogen interactions: A potential tool for predicting the consequences of co-infection
Authors: LELLO J. , HUSSELL T.
Published: May 2008

Although co-infection is the norm in most human and animal populations, clinicians currently have no practical tool to assist them in choosing the best treatment strategy for such patients. Given the vast range of potential pathogens which may co-infect the host, obtaining such a practical tool may seem an intractable problem. In ecology the joint concepts of functional groups and guilds have been used to conceptually simplify complex ecosystems, in order to understand how their component parts interact and may be manipulated. Here we propose a mechanism by which to apply these concepts to pathogen co-infection systems. Further, we describe how these groups could be incorporated into a mathematical modelling framework which, after validation, could be used as a clinical tool to predict the outcome of any particular combination of pathogens co-infecting a host.
Darwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds
Authors: Penn Derek C. , Holyoak Keith J. , Povinelli Daniel J.
Published: May 2008

Over the last quarter century, the dominant tendency in comparative cognitive psychology has been to emphasize the similarities between human and nonhuman minds and to downplay the differences as “one of degree and not of kind” (Darwin 1871). In the present target article, we argue that Darwin was mistaken: the profound biological continuity between human and nonhuman animals masks an equally profound discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds. To wit, there is a significant discontinuity in the degree to which human and nonhuman animals are able to approximate the higher-order, systematic, relational capabilities of a physical symbol system (PSS) (Newell 1980). We show that this symbolic-relational discontinuity pervades nearly every domain of cognition and runs much deeper than even the spectacular scaffolding provided by language or culture alone can explain. We propose a representational-level specification as to where human and nonhuman animals' abilities to approximate a PSS are similar and where they differ. We conclude by suggesting that recent symbolic-connectionist models of cognition shed new light on the mechanisms that underlie the gap between human and nonhuman minds.
Out of their heads: Turning relational reinterpretation inside out
Authors: Barrett Louise
Published: May 2008

Although Penn et al's incisive critique of comparative cognition is welcomed, their heavily computational and representational account of cognition commits them to a purely internalist view of cognitive processes. This perhaps blinds them to a distributed alternative that raises the possibility that the human cognitive revolution occurred outside the head, and not in it.
The role of motor-sensory feedback in the evolution of mind
Authors: Bridgeman Bruce
Published: May 2008

Seemingly small changes in brain organization can have revolutionary consequences for function. An example is evolution's application of the primate action-planning mechanism to the management of communicative sequences. When feedback from utterances reaches the brain again through a mechanism that evolved to monitor action sequences, it makes another pass through the brain, amplifying the human power of thinking.
The sun always rises: Scientists also need semantics
Authors: Burghardt Gordon M.
Published: May 2008

Penn et al. do not demonstrate Darwin made a mistake, because they largely ignore the semantics underlying the meanings of “degree” and “kind.” An analysis based on the work of Mortimer Adler shows such terminology conflates at least three different meanings of “kind,” only one of which challenges Darwin – and one which the authors almost certainly would reject.

We must also admit that there is a much wider interval in mental power between one of the lowest fishes, as a lamprey or lancelet, and one of the higher apes, than between an ape and man; yet this immense interval is filled with numberless gradations.;>

— Charles Darwin (1871, p. 35)

The distance between man and ape is greater than the distance between ape and ameba.;>

— William Gaylin (1990, p. 8)
The missing link: Dynamic, modifiable representations in working memory
Authors: Halford Graeme S. , Phillips Steven , Wilson William H.
Published: May 2008

We propose that the missing link from nonhuman to human cognition lies with our ability to form, modify, and re-form dynamic bindings between internal representations of world-states. This capacity goes beyond dynamic feature binding in perception and involves a new conception of working memory. We propose two tests for structured knowledge that might alleviate the impasse in empirical research in nonhuman animal cognition.
Ontogeny, phylogeny, and the relational reinterpretation hypothesis
Authors: Hallinan Elizabeth V. , Kuhlmeier Valerie A.
Published: May 2008

If our knowledge of human cognition were based solely on research with participants younger than the age of 2 years, there would be no basis for the relational reinterpretation hypothesis, and Darwin's continuity theory would be safe as houses. Because many of the shortcomings cited apply to human infants, we propose how a consideration of cognitive development would inform the relational reinterpretation hypothesis.
Taking symbols for granted? Is the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds the product of external symbol systems?
Authors: Lupyan Gary
Published: May 2008

The target article provides a convincing argument that nonhuman animals cannot process role-governed rules, relational schemas, and so on, in a human-like fashion. However, actual human performance is often more similar to that of nonhuman animals than Penn et al. admit. The kind of rule-governed performance the authors take for granted may rely to a substantial degree on language on external symbol systems such as those provided by language and culture.
An amicus for the defense: Relational reasoning magnifies the behavioral differences between humans and nonhumans
Authors: Markman Arthur B. , Stilwell C. Hunt
Published: May 2008

Relational representation abilities are a crucial cognitive difference between human and nonhuman animals. We argue that relational reasoning and representation supports the development of culture that increases in complexity. Thus, these abilities are a force that magnifies the apparent difference in cognitive abilities between humans and nonhumans.
Difficulties with “humaniqueness”
Authors: Pepperberg Irene M.
Published: May 2008

Explaining the transition from nonhuman to human behavior is a major scientific problem. Penn et al. argue for discontinuous evolution; they review many relevant papers but miss some that disagree with their stance. Given the shifting ground on which Penn et al.'s theories are based, and the likelihood of future studies providing additional information on continuities, a more open approach to continuity is warranted.
Language as a consequence and an enabler of the exercise of higher-order relational capabilities: Evidence from toddlers
Authors: Shatz Marilyn
Published: May 2008

Data on toddler language acquisition and use support the idea of a cognitive “supermodule” that can resolve contradictory claims about human-animal similarities. Examples of imagination, aesthetic evaluation, theory of mind (ToM), and language learning reveal higher-order, relational, abstract capabilities early on. Although language itself may be a consequence of exercising this supermodule, it enables further cognitive operations on indirect experience to go far beyond animal accomplishments.
Explaining human cognitive autapomorphies
Authors: Suddendorf Thomas
Published: May 2008

The real reason for the apparent discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds is that all closely related hominids have become extinct. Nonetheless, I agree with Penn et al. that comparative psychology should aim to establish what cognitive traits humans share with other animals and what traits they do not share, because this could make profound contributions to genetics and neuroscience. There is, however, no consensus yet, and Penn et al.'s conclusion that it all comes down to one trait is premature.
Languages of thought need to be distinguished from learning mechanisms, and nothing yet rules out multiple distinctively human learning systems
Authors: Tetzlaff Michael , Carruthers Peter
Published: May 2008

We distinguish the question whether only human minds are equipped with a language of thought (LoT) from the question whether human minds employ a single uniquely human learning mechanism. Thus separated, our answer to both questions is negative. Even very simple minds employ a LoT. And the comparative data reviewed by Penn et al. actually suggest that there are many distinctively human learning mechanisms.
Monkey see, monkey do: Learning relations through concrete examples
Authors: Tomlinson Marc T. , Love Bradley C.
Published: May 2008

Penn et al. argue that the complexity of relational learning is beyond animals. We discuss a model that demonstrates relational learning need not involve complex processes. Novel stimuli are compared to previous experiences stored in memory. As learning shifts attention from featural to relational cues, the comparison process becomes more analogical in nature, successfully accounting for performance across species and development.
On possible discontinuities between human and nonhuman minds
Authors: Wasserman Edward A.
Published: May 2008

The history of comparative psychology is replete with proclamations of human uniqueness. Locke and Morgan denied animals relational thought; Darwin opened the door to that possibility. Penn et al. may be too quick to dismiss the cognitive competences of animals. The developmental precursors to relational thought in humans are not yet known; providing animals those prerequisite experiences may promote more advanced relational thought.
Darwin's triumph: Explaining the uniqueness of the human mind without adeus ex machina
Authors: Penn Derek C. , Holyoak Keith J. , Povinelli Daniel J.
Published: May 2008

In our target article, we argued that there is a profound functional discontinuity between the cognitive abilities of modern humans and those of all other extant species. Unsurprisingly, our hypothesis elicited a wide range of responses from commentators. After responding to the commentaries, we conclude that our hypothesis lies closer to Darwin's views on the matter than to those of many of our contemporaries.
Transient signals per se do not disrupt the flash-lag effect
Authors: Howe Piers D. , Horowitz Todd S. , Wolfe Jeremy M.
Published: May 2008

Nijhawan's theory rests on the assumption that transient signals compete with predictive signals to generate the visual percept. We describe experiments that show that this assumption is incorrect. Our results are consistent with an alternative theory that proposes that vision is instead postdictive, in that the perception of an event is influenced by occurrences after the event.
What's in a name change? Visual prediction makes extrapolation real and functional
Authors: Khurana Beena
Published: May 2008

Nijhawan redraws our attention to the problem of accurately perceiving an ever-changing visual world via a sensory system that has finite and significant communication times. The quandary is compelling and stark, but the suggestion that the visual system can compensate for these transmission delays by extrapolating the present is not so unequivocal. However, in this current airing of contradictory issues, accounts, and findings, Nijhawan trades spatial extrapolation – a rather specific concept introduced earlier (in Nijhawan 1994) for visual prediction – a far more expansive notion that forces the issue of both the perceived reality and functional significance of compensation.
Neurophysiology of compensation for time delays: Visual prediction is off track
Authors: Purushothaman Gopathy , Bedell Harold E. , Öğmen Haluk , Patel Saumil S.
Published: May 2008

Speculation by Nijhawan that visual perceptual mechanisms compensate for neural delays has no basis in the physiological properties of neurons known to be involved in motion perception and visuomotor control. Behavioral and physiological evidence is consistent with delay compensation mediated primarily by motor systems.
Empirically testable models are needed for understanding visual prediction
Authors: Trautteur Giuseppe , Datteri Edoardo , Santoro Matteo
Published: May 2008

Nijhawan argues convincingly that predictive mechanisms are pervasive in the central nervous system (CNS). However, scientific understanding of visual prediction requires one to formulate empirically testable neurophysiological models. The author's suggestions in this direction are to be evaluated on the basis of more realistic experimental methodologies and more plausible assumptions on the hierarchical character of the human visual cortex.
Perception-action as reciprocal, continuous, and prospective
Authors: Wagman Jeffrey B.
Published: May 2008

From the perspective of ecological psychology, perception and action are not separate, linear, and mechanistic processes that refer to the immediate present. Rather, they are reciprocal and continuous and refer to the impending future. Therefore, from the perspective of ecological psychology, delays in perception and action are impossible, and delay compensation mechanisms are unnecessary.
Visuomotor extrapolation
Authors: Whitney David
Published: May 2008

Accurate perception of moving objects would be useful; accurate visually guided action is crucial. Visual motion across the scene influences perceived object location and the trajectory of reaching movements to objects. In this commentary, I propose that the visual system assigns the position of any object based on the predominant motion present in the scene, and that this is used to guide reaching movements to compensate for delays in visuomotor processing.
Predictive perceptions, predictive actions, and beyond
Authors: Nijhawan Romi
Published: May 2008

Challenges to visual prediction as an organizing concept come from three main sources: (1) from observations arising from the results of experiments employing unpredictable motion, (2) from the assertions that motor processes compensate for all neural delays, and (3) from multiple interpretations specific to the flash-lag effect. One clarification that has emerged is that visual prediction is a process that either complements or reflects non-visual (e.g., motor) prediction.
Kinematic analysis of partially decoupled fully-parallel manipulators of type 5-5 and 4-5
Authors: Vertechy Rocco , Parenti-Castelli Vincenzo
Published: May 2008

This paper presents two fully parallel manipulators of type 5-5 and 4-5 with special geometry that makes them partially decoupled. The direct kinematic analysis and the singularity study of these manipulators are addressed, which show that the motion of the manipulators can be easily controlled. Computational considerations are reported, which demonstrate that the algorithms proposed for the direct kinematic analysis are very efficient. Moreover, a comparison with other special geometries illustrates that the proposed manipulators are valuable solutions and represent a good compromise between an efficient controllability and a simple practical feasibility.
SEMIPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF NONSTATIONARY CENSORED PANEL DATA MODELS WITH TIME VARYING FACTOR LOADS
Authors: Chen Songnian , Khan Shakeeb
Published: May 2008

We propose an estimation procedure for a semiparametric panel data censored regression model in which the error terms may be subject to general forms of nonstationarity. Specifically, we allow for heteroskedasticity over time and a time varying factor load on the individual specific effect. Empirically, estimation of this model would be of interest to explore how returns to unobserved skills change over time—see, e.g., Chay (1995, manuscript, Princeton University) and Chay and Honoré (1998,Journal of Human Resources33, 4–38). We adopt a two-stage procedure based on nonparametric median regression, and the proposed estimator is shown to be$\sqrt{n}$-consistent and asymptotically normal. The estimation procedure is also useful in the group effect setting, where estimation of the factor load would be empirically relevant in the study of the intergenerational correlation in income, explored in Solon (1992,American Economic Review82, 393–408; 1999,Handbook of Labor Economics, vol. 3, 1761–1800) and Zimmerman (1992,American Economic Review82, 409–429).
WEIGHTED AVERAGE POWER SIMILAR TESTS FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THE GAUSSIAN LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL
Authors: Forchini Giovanni
Published: May 2008

Average exponentialFtests for structural change in a Gaussian linear regression model and modifications thereof maximize a weighted average power that incorporates specific weighting functions to make the resulting test statistics simple. Generalizations of these tests involve the numerical evaluation of (potentially) complicated integrals. In this paper, we suggest a uniform Laplace approximation to evaluate weighted average power test statistics for which a simple closed form does not exist. We also show that a modification of the avg-Ftest is optimal under a very large class of weighting functions and can be written as a ratio of quadratic forms so that both itsp-values and critical values are easy to calculate using numerical algorithms.
Taslim Olawale Elias (1914–1991): A Biographical Note
Authors: ADEBOWALE OLUFOLAKE ELIAS , ELIAS OLUSOJI
Published: May 2008

Taslim Olawale Elias's intellectual and juristic legacy remains unparalleled in many material respects. He left a remarkable body of work, as an African legal scholar in London in the years between the late 1940s and Nigerian independence, as a legal administrator while he served as Nigeria's first Attorney General and Minister for Justice, among his achievements as the dean of the new faculty of law at the University of Lagos, and as a national and international judge. Born on 11 November 1914 in Lagos, Nigeria, into a family of merchants, he began formal schooling at the age of 12, a fact that was greatly overshadowed by a prodigious academic performance and by the plethora of distinctions and accolades (including sixteen honorary degrees in four continents and a host of national and international honours) that he would acquire during his indefatigable study and practice of the law, and in his contributions to its evolution.
The International Criminal Court and Co-operation: Introductory Note
Authors: STAHN CARSTEN , NERLICH VOLKER
Published: May 2008

Co-operation has proved to be one of the greatest challenges in the first practice of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Court cannot fulfil its mandate effectively without co-operation from states, international organizations, and other actors. The Prosecutor requires co-operation and assistance at various stages of proceedings (preliminary examination, investigation, judicial proceedings) in order to conduct investigations and prosecutions. The Court depends on the co-operation of states to execute the warrants of arrest and proceed to trial. In the context of its first practice, the Court has operated in situations of ongoing conflict and/or environments where the security situation is volatile. The level and modalities of co-operation were influenced by the factual and political conditions on the ground and the institutional support of other entities (e.g. the United Nations).
The Next Step in History-Writing through Criminal Law: Exactly How Tailor-Made Is the Special Tribunal for Lebanon?
Authors: ELBERLING BJÖRN
Published: May 2008

This article proceeds from two basic assumptions: that international criminal courts are engaged in writing history, and that this may influence the legal framework in which they operate. Against this background, the article takes a closer look at the Statute of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in order to investigate allegations that the Tribunal has been tailor-made to further a certain view of recent Lebanese history.
The Constitutionalization of the International Legal Order
Authors: BREAU SUSAN C.
Published: May 2008

A continuing debate within international law research is whether there is an emerging international constitutional order. This journal devoted an issue to this discussion and there have been a number of books and articles written on the subject. Indeed, the philosopher Jürgen Habermas has recently joined the debate by writing an essay entitled (in the English translation) ‘Does the Constitutionalization of International Law Still Have a Chance?’ The essay reminds the reader of constitutionalism's original philosophical roots in Kantian cosmopolitanism. Habermas argues that the world dominated by nation-states ‘is indeed in transition towards the postnational constellation of a global society’. He contrasts this vision with the realist opinion that the taming of political power through law is only possible within a sovereign state and with a more recent view postulating a vision of a liberal world order under the banner of Pax Americana. In support of the Habermas position, it can be argued that as a result of the UN 60th Anniversary Summit's adoption of the international norm of ‘the responsibility to protect’, there is a trend towards constitutional values in our international system. As Anne Peters states, ‘[t]he most fundamental norms might represent global constitutional law.’
The steady-states of a multi-compartment, age–size distribution model of cell-growth
Authors: BEGG R. E. , WALL D. J. N. , WAKE G. C.
Published: May 2008

A model of cell-growth, describing the evolution of the age–size distribution of cells in different phases of cell-growth, is studied. The model is based on that used in several papers by Basse et al. and is composed of a system of partial differential equations, each describing the changes in the age–size distribution of cells in a specific phase of cell-growth. Here, the ‘age’ of a cell is considered to be the time spent in its current phase of cell-growth, while ‘size’ is considered to be the DNA content of the cell. The existence of steady age–size distributions (SASDs), where the age–size distributions retain the same shape but are scaled up or down as time increases, is investigated and it is shown that SASDs exist. A speculative discussion of the stability of these SASDs is also included, but their stability is not conclusively proved.
SSR and SNP diversity in a barley germplasm collection
Authors: Varshney Rajeev K. , Salem Khaled F. M. , Baum Michael , Roder Marion S. , Graner Andreas , Börner Andreas
Published: May 2008

Sets of microsatellites extracted from both a genomic library (gSSRs) and from expressed sequence tag sequence (eSSRs), and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were applied to assess the levels of genetic diversity in a sample of 70 barley accessions, originating from 28 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The eSSR assays detected a mean of 9.5 alleles per locus, and the gSSRs only 5.7 alleles per locus, but the polymorphism information content values for the two assay types were indistinguishable. Strong and statistically significant correlations were observed between the eSSR and gSSR (r = 0.86,P < 0.05), the eSSR and SNP (r = 0.74,P < 0.05) and the gSSR and SNP genotypes (r = 0.67,P < 0.05). Accessions originating from the Middle East and Asia had the highest levels of genetic diversity. Pairwise genetic similarity ranged from 0.16 to 0.87 (mean 0.43), indicating that the sample was genetically diverse. When clustered on the basis of genotype, Asian and African accessions tended to be grouped together, but those originating from the Middle East were not concentrated in any particular cluster.
Aphid feeding response and microsatellite-based genetic diversity among diploidBrachypodium distachyon(L.) Beauv accessions
Authors: Azhaguvel Perumal , Li Wanlong , Rudd Jackie C. , Gill Bikram S. , Michels G. J. , Weng Yiqun
Published: May 2008

False brome grass,Brachypodium distachyon(L.) Beauv, has been proposed as a new model species to bridge rice and temperate cereal crops for genomics research. However, much basic information for this species is still lacking. In this study, six diploidB. distachyon(2n = 2x = 10) accessions (Bd1-1, Bd2-3, Bd3-1, Bd18-1, Bd21 and BD29) were evaluated for their response to infestation by two cereal aphid pests of common wheat (Triticum aestivumL.): the greenbug,Schizaphis graminumRondani, and the Russian wheat aphid (RWA),Diuraphis noxiaMordvilko. Through database mining ofB. distachyonexpressed sequence tag (EST) and genomic DNA sequences, 160 EST- and 21 genomic microsatellite markers were developed and used to evaluate genetic diversity among theB. distachyonaccessions. All six accessions were resistant to RWA biotype RWA1 but showed distinct responses to feeding by greenbug biotypes C and E, as well as RWA2 RWAs. Although microsatellite-based genetic diversity among different accessions was generally low, Bd1-1 and BD29 were the most diverged from the other four lines. The genetic divergence was correlated with geographical distances between theBrachypodiumaccessions. Comparison of simple sequence repeat polymorphisms in three inbred lines (Bd2-3, Bd3-1 and Bd18-1) with their respective original parental lines revealed no effect of inbreeding on genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analysis suggested thatAegilops tauschii(Coss.) Schmal., the D genome donor of common wheat, was closer toB. distachyonthan to rice. The greenbug - B. distachyonsystem seems to be a model of choice for plant–aphid interaction studies in the grass genome.
Subdecadally resolved paleoceanography of the Peru margin during the last two millennia
Authors: Agnihotri Rajesh , Altabet Mark A. , Herbert Timothy D. , Tierney Jessica E.
Published: May 2008

Using multiproxy sediment core data from the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)‐sensitive Peru margin, subdecadally resolved (down to ∼0.6 year) surface productivity and subsurface denitrification are reconstructed for the last ∼2300 years. Scanning XRF generated major elemental data (Ti, Fe, Si) correlate well with discrete inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectometry (ICP‐AES) analyses and together with X‐radiography (core density) are used as productivity indices. As surface productivity in this marine region is strongly impacted by ENSO, higher (lower) periods of surface productivity are inferred to represent a persistent normal/La Niña (El Niño)‐like state. Surface productivity and subsurface denitrification appear to have remained intimately coupled during this period due to direct stimulation of requisite subsurface suboxia and/or hydrographic restructuring. The late Holocene Peru margin is characterized by persistent moderate productivity and subsurface denitrification punctuated at centennial scale by shorter‐duration periods of high production and intense denitrification. These centennial‐scale events are likely analogous to modern observations of decadal‐scale “regime shifts” but of higher amplitude and provide a background history for future natural changes to this system. Solar (irradiance) variability is suggested to have influenced Peru productivity as evidenced in numerous high‐resolution paleorecords from the northern hemisphere.
VHF radar echoes in the vicinity of tropopause during the passage of tropical cyclone: First observations from the Gadanki MST radar
Authors: Das S. S. , Patra A. K. , Narayana Rao D.
Published: May 2008

First observations on the characteristics of VHF radar echoes in the vicinity of tropopause (VOT) during depression or passage of tropical cyclone made using the Gadanki MST radar are presented. The most significant and new observation is that signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in zenith and off‐zenith beams are nearly equal in the VOT when a cyclone is located close to the radar site. During depression, however, a slight decrease in echo strength with zenith angle was found. Observations made during such disturbed conditions are in contrast to the usual aspect‐sensitive characteristics of the radar echoes. Spectral widths during disturbed atmospheric conditions in general are found to be much larger than that of normal condition. Further, spectral widths observed in the vertical beam during cyclone are considerably larger than that during normal condition. These features, however, have not been noticed at other height regions during such atmospheric conditions. All these observations clearly indicate preferential enhancement in turbulence activity in the VOT. These observations constitute the first experimental evidence of such a zenith angle dependence of VHF radar echo characteristics in the VOT during depression and cyclone. These results are presented and discussed in the light of present understanding of turbulence activity in the VOT.
Ice nucleation and overseeding of ice in volcanic clouds
Authors: Durant A. J. , Shaw R. A. , Rose W. I. , Mi Y. , Ernst G. G. J.
Published: May 2008

Water is the dominant component of volcanic gas emissions, and water phase transformations, including the formation of ice, can be significant in the dynamics of volcanic clouds. The effectiveness of volcanic ash particles as ice‐forming nuclei (IN) is poorly understood and the sparse data that exist for volcanic ash IN have been interpreted in the context of meteorological, rather than volcanic clouds. In this study, single‐particle freezing experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of ash particle composition and surface area on water drop freezing temperature. Measured freezing temperatures show only weak correlations with ash IN composition and surface area. Our measurements, together with a review of previous volcanic ash IN measurements, suggest that fine‐ash particles (equivalent diameters between approximately 1 and 1000 μm) from the majority of volcanoes will exhibit an onset of freezing between ∼250–260 K. In the context of explosive eruptions where super‐micron particles are plentiful, this result implies that volcanic clouds are IN‐rich relative to meteorological clouds, which typically are IN‐limited, and therefore should exhibit distinct microphysics. We can expect that such “overseeded” volcanic clouds will exhibit enhanced ice crystal concentrations and smaller average ice crystal size, relative to dynamically similar meteorological clouds, and that glaciation will tend to occur over a relatively narrow altitude range.
Seasonal variation in satellite‐derived effects of aerosols on clouds in the Arabian Sea
Authors: Jones Thomas A. , Christopher Sundar A.
Published: May 2008

Aerosols act as cloud condensation nuclei for cloud water droplets, with changes in aerosol concentrations having significant impacts on the corresponding cloud properties. An increase in aerosol concentration may lead to an increase in CCN, with an associated decrease in cloud droplet size for a given cloud liquid water content. Smaller droplet sizes may then lead to a reduction in precipitation efficiency and an increase in cloud lifetimes. However, these effects are highly dependent on the aerosol concentration, aerosol species, and the meteorological conditions. In the Arabian Sea (10–20°N, 62–72°E), prevailing aerosol type transitions from mostly small‐mode anthropogenic aerosols during the winter months to mostly coarse‐mode mineral dust and sea salt during the summer due to a change in prevailing wind speed and direction, is likely to impart substantial variability on any associated indirect effects. To examine this variability, we use one year (2004) of MODIS derived aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and cloud products over the Arabian Sea to quantify aerosol indirect effects. Results show that indirect effects in the Arabian Sea are a strong function of season, which is a result of the changing aerosol and moisture (humidity) concentrations during the course of the year. During the winter months (DJF), cloud‐droplet size and AOT were found to have a weak positive correlation (r = 0.12), opposite of the expected effect. The low atmospheric humidity coupled with wide‐spread subsidence and other dynamical factors may prevent these aerosols from being activated. During the summer months (JJA), AOT increases with the addition of mineral dust and sea salt aerosols and the correlation between AOT and cloud droplet size becomes negative (r = −0.22). The magnitude of the first indirect effect corresponds to an increase in low level wind speeds, increasing the concentration of hygroscopic sea salt into the atmosphere. For both periods, a positive correlation (r = 0.16, 0.32) was found between AOT and LWP indicating a reduction in precipitation efficiency.
Assessing the consistency of AVHRR and MODIS L1B reflectance for generating Fundamental Climate Data Records
Authors: Cao Changyong , Xiong Xiaoxiong , Wu Aisheng , Wu Xiangqian
Published: May 2008

Satellite detection of the global climate change signals as small as a few percent per decade in albedo critically depends on consistent and accurately calibrated Level 1B (L1B) data or Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs). Detecting small changes in signal over decades is a major challenge not only to the retrieval of geophysical parameters from satellite observations, but more importantly to the current state‐of‐the‐art calibration, since such small changes can easily be obscured by erroneous variations in the calibration, especially for instruments with no onboard calibration, such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Without dependable FCDRs, its derivative Thematic Climate Data Records (TCDRs) are bound to produce false trends with questionable scientific value. This has been increasingly recognized by more and more remote sensing scientists. In this study we analyzed the consistency of calibrated reflectance from the operational L1B data between AVHRR on NOAA‐16 and ‐17 and between NOAA‐16/AVHRR and Aqua/MODIS, based on Simultaneous Nadir Overpass (SNO) observation time series. Analyses suggest that the NOAA‐16 and ‐17/AVHRR operationally calibrated reflectance became consistent two years after the launch of NOAA‐17, although they still differ by 9% from the MODIS reflectance for the 0.63 μm band. This study also suggests that the SNO method has reached a high level of relative accuracy (∼1.5%) for estimating the consistency for both the 0.63 and 0.84 μm bands between AVHRRs, and a 0.9% relative accuracy between AVHRR and MODIS for the 0.63 μm band. It is believed that the methodology is applicable to all historical AVHRR data for improving the calibration consistency, and work is in progress generating FCDRs from the nearly 30 years of AVHRR data using the SNO and other complimentary methods. A more consistent historical AVHRR L1B data set will be produced for a variety of geophysical products including aerosol, vegetation, cloud, and surface albedo to support global climate change detection studies.