bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Range Scan Registration Using Reduced Deformable Models
Authors: Chang W. , Zwicker M.
Published: March 2009

We present an unsupervised method for registering range scans of deforming, articulated shapes. The key idea is to model the motion of the underlying object using a reduced deformable model. We use a linear skinning model for its simplicity and represent the weight functions on a regular grid localized to the surface geometry. This decouples the deformation model from the surface representation and allows us to deal with the severe occlusion and missing data that is inherent in range scan data. We formulate the registration problem using an objective function that enforces close alignment of the 3D data and includes an intuitive notion of joints. This leads to an optimization problem that we solve using an efficient EM‐type algorithm. With our algorithm we obtain smooth deformations that accurately register pairs of range scans with significant motion and occlusion. The main advantages of our approach are that it does not require user specified markers, a template, nor manual segmentation of the surface geometry into rigid parts.
Interactive Geometric Simulation of 4D Cities
Authors: Weber Basil , Müller Pascal , Wonka Peter , Gross Markus
Published: March 2009

We present a simulation system that can simulate a three‐dimensional urban model over time. The main novelty of our approach is that we do not rely on land‐use simulation on a regular grid, but instead build a complete and inherently geometric simulation that includes exact parcel boundaries, streets of arbitrary orientation, street widths, 3D street geometry, building footprints, and 3D building envelopes. The second novelty is the fast simulation time and user interaction at interactive speed of about 1 second per time step.
Feature Preserving Point Set Surfaces based on Non‐Linear Kernel Regression
Authors: Öztireli A. C. , Guennebaud G. , Gross M.
Published: March 2009

Moving least squares (MLS) is a very attractive tool to design effective meshless surface representations. However, as long as approximations are performed in a least square sense, the resulting definitions remain sensitive to outliers, and smooth‐out small or sharp features. In this paper, we address these major issues, and present a novel point based surface definition combining the simplicity of implicit MLS surfaces [SOS04,Kol05] with the strength of robust statistics. To reach this new definition, we review MLS surfaces in terms of local kernel regression, opening the doors to a vast and well established literature from which we utilize robust kernel regression. Our novel representation can handle sparse sampling, generates a continuous surface better preserving fine details, and can naturally handle any kind of sharp features with controllable sharpness. Finally, it combines ease of implementation with performance competing with other non‐robust approaches.
Physically Guided Animation of Trees
Authors: Habel Ralf , Kusternig Alexander , Wimmer Michael
Published: March 2009

This paper presents a new method to animate the interaction of a tree with wind both realistically and in real time. The main idea is to combine statistical observations with physical properties in two major parts of tree animation. First, the interaction of a single branch with the forces applied to it is approximated by a novel efficient two step nonlinear deformation method, allowing arbitrary continuous deformations and circumventing the need to segment a branch to model its deformation behavior. Second, the interaction of wind with the dynamic system representing a tree is statistically modeled. By precomputing the response function of branches to turbulent wind in frequency space, the motion of a branch can be synthesized efficiently by sampling a 2D motion texture.

Using a hierarchical form of vertex displacement, both methods can be combined in a single vertex shader, fully leveraging the power of modern GPUs to realistically animate thousands of branches and ten thousands of leaves at practically no cost.
Structure from silhouettes: a new paradigm for fast sketch‐based design of trees
Authors: Wither J. , Boudon F. , Cani M.‐P. , Godin C.
Published: March 2009

Modeling natural elements such as trees in a plausible way, while offering simple and rapid user control, is a challenge. This paper presents a method based on a new structurefrom silhouettesparadigm. We claim that sketching the silhouettes of foliage at multiple scales is quicker and more intuitive for a user than having to sketch each branch of a tree. This choice allows us to incorporate botanical knowledge, enabling us to infer branches that connect in a plausible way to their parent branch and have a correct distribution in 3D. We illustrate these ideas by presenting a seamless sketch‐based interface, used for sketching foliage silhouettes from the scale of an entire tree to the scale of a leaf. Each sketch serves for inferring both the branches at that level and construction lines to serve as support for sub‐silhouette refinement. When the user finally zooms out, the style inferred for the branching systems he has refined (in terms of branch density, angle, length distribution and shape) is duplicated to the unspecified branching systems at the same level. Meanwhile, knowledge from botany is again used for extending the branch distribution to 3D, resulting in a full, plausible 3D tree that fits the user‐sketched contours. As our results show, this system can be of interest to both experts and novice users. While experts can fully specify all parts of a tree and over‐sketch specific branches if required, any user can design a basic 3D tree in one or two minutes, as easily as sketching it with paper and pen.
Implicit Contact Handling for Deformable Objects
Authors: Otaduy Miguel A. , Tamstorf Rasmus , Steinemann Denis , Gross Markus
Published: March 2009

We present an algorithm for robust and efficient contact handling of deformable objects. By being aware of the internal dynamics of the colliding objects, our algorithm provides smooth rolling and sliding, stable stacking, robust impact handling, and seamless coupling of heterogeneous objects, all in a unified manner. We achieve dynamicsawareness through a constrained dynamics formulation with implicit complementarity constraints, and we present two major contributions that enable an efficient solution of the constrained dynamics problem: a time stepping algorithm that robustly ensures non‐penetration and progressively refines the formulation of constrained dynamics, and a new solver for large mixed linear complementarity problems, based on iterative constraint anticipation. We show the application of our algorithm in challenging scenarios such as multi‐layered cloth moving at high velocities, or colliding deformable solids simulated with large time steps.
Importance Sampling Spherical Harmonics
Authors: Jarosz Wojciech , Carr Nathan A. , Jensen Henrik Wann
Published: March 2009

In this paper we present the first practical method for importance sampling functions represented as spherical harmonics (SH). Given a spherical probability density function (PDF) represented as a vector of SH coefficients, our method warps an input point set to match the target PDF using hierarchical sample warping. Our approach is efficient and produces high quality sample distributions. As a by‐product of the sampling procedure we produce a multi‐resolution representation of the density function as either a spherical mip‐map or Haar wavelet. By exploiting this implicit conversion we can extend the method to distribute samples according to the product of an SH function with a spherical mip‐map or Haar wavelet. This generalization has immediate applicability in rendering, e.g., importance sampling the product of a BRDF and an environment map where the lighting is stored as a single high‐resolution wavelet and the BRDF is represented in spherical harmonics. Since spherical harmonics can be efficiently rotated, this product can be computed on‐the‐fly even if the BRDF is stored in local‐space. Our sampling approach generates over 6 million samples per second while significantly reducing precomputation time and storage requirements compared to previous techniques.
LazyBrush: Flexible Painting Tool for Hand‐drawn Cartoons
Authors: Sýkora Daniel , Dingliana John , Collins Steven
Published: March 2009

In this paper we presentLazyBrush, a novel interactive tool for painting hand‐made cartoon drawings and animations. Its key advantage is simplicity and flexibility. As opposed to previous custom tailored approaches [SBv05,QWH06]LazyBrushdoes not rely on style specific features such as homogenous regions or pattern continuity yet still offers comparable or even less manual effort for a broad class of drawing styles. In addition to this, it is not sensitive to imprecise placement of color strokes which makes painting less tedious and brings significant time savings in the context cartoon animation.LazyBrushoriginally stems from requirements analysis carried out with professional ink‐and‐paint illustrators who established a list of useful features for an ideal painting tool. We incorporate this list into an optimization framework leading to a variant of Potts energy with several interesting theoretical properties. We show how to minimize it efficiently and demonstrate its usefulness in various practical scenarios including the ink‐and‐paint production pipeline.
Compressive Dual Photography
Authors: Sen Pradeep , Darabi Soheil
Published: March 2009

The accurate measurement of the light transport characteristics of a complex scene is an important goal in computer graphics and has applications in relighting and dual photography. However, since the light transport data sets are typically very large, much of the previous research has focused on adaptive algorithms that capture them efficiently. In this work, we propose a novel, non‐adaptive algorithm that takes advantage of the compressibility of the light transport signal in a transform domain to capture it with less acquisitions than with standard approaches. To do this, we leverage recent work in the area of compressed sensing, where a signal is reconstructed from a few samples assuming that it is sparse in a transform domain. We demonstrate our approach by performing dual photography and relighting by using a much smaller number of acquisitions than would normally be needed. Because our algorithm is not adaptive, it is also simpler to implement than many of the current approaches.
Image Appearance Exploration by Model‐Based Navigation
Authors: Shapira L. , Shamir A. , Cohen‐Or D.
Published: March 2009

Changing the appearance of an image can be a complex and non‐intuitive task. Many times the target image colors and look are only known vaguely and many trials are needed to reach the desired results. Moreover, the effect of a specific change on an image is difficult to envision, since one must take into account spatial image considerations along with the color constraints. Tools provided today by image processing applications can become highly technical and non‐intuitive including various gauges and knobs.

In this paper we introduce a method for changing image appearance by navigation, focusing on recoloring images. The user visually navigates a high dimensional space of possible color manipulations of an image. He can either explore in it for inspiration or refine his choices by navigating into sub regions of this space to a specific goal. This navigation is enabled by modeling the chroma channels of an image's colors using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). The Gaussians model both color and spatial image coordinates, and provide a high dimensional parameterization space of a rich variety of color manipulations. The user's actions are translated into transformations of the parameters of the model, which recolor the image. This approach provides both inspiration and intuitive navigation in the complex space of image color manipulations.
Spectral‐Based Group Formation Control
Authors: Takahashi Shigeo , Yoshida Kenichi , Kwon Taesoo , Lee Kang Hoon , Lee Jehee , Shin Sung Yong
Published: March 2009

Given a pair of keyframe formations for a group consisting of multiple individuals, we present a spectral‐based approach to smoothly transforming a source group formation into a target formation while respecting the clusters of the involved individuals. The proposed method provides an effective means for controlling the macroscopic spatiotemporal arrangement of individuals for applications such as expressive formations in mass performances and tactical formations in team sports. Our main idea is to formulate this problem as rotation interpolation of the eigenbases for the Laplacian matrices, each of which represents how the individuals are clustered in a given keyframe formation. A stream of time‐varying formations is controlled by editing the underlying adjacency relationships among individuals as well as their spatial positions at each keyframe, and interpolating the keyframe formations while producing plausible collective behaviors over a period of time. An interactive system of editing existing group behaviors in a hierarchical fashion has been implemented to provide flexible formation control of large crowds.
Animating Pictures of Fluid using Video Examples
Authors: Okabe Makoto , Anjyo Ken , Igarashi Takeo , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: March 2009

We propose a system that allows the user to design a continuous flow animation starting from a still fluid image. The basic idea is to apply the fluid motion extracted from a video example to the target image. The system first decomposes the video example into three components, an average image, a flow field and residuals. The user then specifies equivalent information over the target image. The user manually paints the rough flow field, and the system automatically refines it using the estimated gradients of the target image. The user semi‐automatically transfers the residuals onto the target image. The system then approximates the average image and synthesizes an animation on the target image by adding the transferred residuals and warping them according to the user‐specified flow field. Finally, the system adjusts the appearance of the resulting animation by applying histogram matching. We designed animations of various pictures, such as rivers, waterfalls, fires, and smoke.
Symmetry Detection Using Feature Lines
Authors: Bokeloh M. , Berner A. , Wand M. , Seidel H.‐P. , Schilling A.
Published: March 2009

In this paper, we describe a new algorithm for detecting structural redundancy in geometric data sets. Our algorithm computes rigid symmetries, i.e., subsets of a surface model that reoccur several times within the model differing only by translation, rotation or mirroring. Our algorithm is based on matching locally coherent constellations of feature lines on the object surfaces. In comparison to previous work, the new algorithm is able to detect a large number of symmetric parts without restrictions to regular patterns or nested hierarchies. In addition, working on relevant features only leads to a strong reduction in memory and processing costs such that very large data sets can be handled. We apply the algorithm to a number of real world 3D scanner data sets, demonstrating high recognition rates for general patterns of symmetry.
Learning good views through intelligent galleries
Authors: Vieira Thales , Bordignon Alex , Peixoto Adelailson , Tavares Geovan , Lopes Hélio , Velho Luiz , Lewiner Thomas
Published: March 2009

The definition of a good view of a 3D scene is highly subjective and strongly depends on both the scene content and the 3D application. Usually, camera placement is performed directly by the user, and that task may be laborious. Existing automatic virtual cameras guide the user by optimizing a single rule, e.g. maximizing the visible silhouette or the projected area. However, the use of a static pre‐defined rule may fail in respecting the user's subjective understanding of the scene. This work introduces intelligent design galleries, a learning approach for subjective problems such as the camera placement. The interaction of the user with a design gallery teaches a statistical learning machine. The trained machine can then imitate the user, either by pre‐selecting good views or by automatically placing the camera. The learning process relies on a Support Vector Machines for classifying views from a collection of descriptors, ranging from 2D image quality to 3D features visibility. Experiments of the automatic camera placement demonstrate that the proposed technique is efficient and handles scenes with occlusion and high depth complexities. This work also includes user validations of the intelligent gallery interface.
EDUCATION AND INCOME INEQUALITY IN THE REGIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION*
Authors: Rodríguez‐Pose Andrés , Tselios Vassilis
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThis paper provides an empirical study of the determinants of income inequality across regions of the EU. Using the European Community Household Panel dataset for 102 regions over the period 1995–2000, it analyses how microeconomic changes in human capital distribution affect income inequality for the population as a whole and for normally working people. The different static and dynamic panel data analyses conducted reveal that the relationship between income per capita and income inequality, as well as between a good human capital endowment and income inequality is positive. High levels of inequality in educational attainment are also associated with higher income inequality. The above results are robust to changes in the definition of income distribution and may be interpreted as a sign of the responsiveness of the EU labor market to differences in qualifications and skills. Other results indicate that population ageing, female participation in the labor force, urbanization, agriculture, and industry are negatively associated to income inequality, while unemployment and the presence of a strong financial sector positively affect inequality. Finally, income inequality is lower in social‐democratic welfare states, in Protestant areas, and in regions with Nordic family structures.
Estimating Life Expectancy in Health and Ill Health by Using a Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Van Den Hout Ardo , Jagger Carol , Matthews Fiona E.
Published: March 2009

Population studies with longitudinal follow-up and mortality information can be used to estimate transitions between healthy and unhealthy states before death. When health is defined with respect to cognitive ability during old age, the trajectory of performance is either static or downwards. The paper presents a hidden Markov model to describe the underlying categorized cognitive decline, where observed improvement of cognitive ability is modelled as misclassification. Maximum likelihood is used to estimate the transition intensities between the normal cognitive state, the cognitively impaired state and death. The methodology is extended to estimate total life expectancy and life expectancy with and without cognitive impairment. The paper presents estimates from the Medical Research Council cognitive function and ageing study that began in 1991 and where individuals have had up to eight interviews over the next 10 years. It is shown that the misclassification of the states is mainly caused by not detecting an impaired state. Individuals with more years of education have lower impaired life expectancies.
Parametric Non-Mixture Cure Models for Schedule Finding of Therapeutic Agents
Authors: Liu Changying A. , Braun Thomas M.
Published: March 2009

We propose a phase I clinical trial design that seeks to determine the cumulative safety of a series of administrations of a fixed dose of an investigational agent. In contrast with traditional phase I trials that are designed solely to find the maximum tolerated dose of the agent, our design instead identifies a maximum tolerated schedule that includes a maximum tolerated dose as well as a vector of recommended administration times. Our model is based on a non-mixture cure model that constrains the probability of dose limiting toxicity for all patients to increase monotonically with both dose and the number of administrations received. We assume a specific parametric hazard function for each administration and compute the total hazard of dose limiting toxicity for a schedule as a sum of individual administration hazards. Throughout a variety of settings motivated by an actual study in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients, we demonstrate that our approach has excellent operating characteristics and performs as well as the only other currently published design for schedule finding studies. We also present arguments for the preference of our non-mixture cure model over the existing model.
Seasonality with Trend and Cycle Interactions in Unobserved Components Models
Authors: Koopman Siem Jan , Lee Kai Ming
Published: March 2009

Unobserved components time series models decompose a time series into a trend, a season, a cycle, an irregular disturbance and possibly other components. These models have been successfully applied to many economic time series. The standard assumption of a linear model, which is often appropriate after a logarithmic transformation of the data, facilitates estimation, testing, forecasting and interpretation. However, in some settings the linear–additive framework may be too restrictive. We formulate a non-linear unobserved components time series model which allows interactions between the trend–cycle component and the seasonal component. The resulting model is cast into a non-linear state space form and estimated by the extended Kalman filter, adapted for models with diffuse initial conditions. We apply our model to UK travel data and US unemployment and production series, and show that it can capture increasing seasonal variation and cycle-dependent seasonal fluctuations.
Analysis of Data from Non-Orthogonal Multistratum Designs in Industrial Experiments
Authors: Gilmour Steven G. , Goos Peter
Published: March 2009

Split-plot and other multistratum structures are widely used in factorial and response surface experiments. Residual maximum likelihood (REML) and generalized least squares (GLS) estimation is seen as the state of the art method of data analysis for non-orthogonal designs. We analyse data from an experiment that was run to study the effects of five process factors on the drying rate for freeze-dried coffee and find that the main plot variance component is estimated to be 0. We show that this is a typical property of REML–GLS estimation in non-orthogonal split-plot designs with few main plots which is highly undesirable and can give misleading conclusions. Instead, we recommend a Bayesian analysis, using an informative prior distribution for the main plot variance component and implement this by using Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. Paradoxically, the Bayesian analysis is less dependent on prior assumptions than the REML–GLS analysis. Bayesian analyses of the coffee freeze-drying data give more realistic conclusions than REML–GLS analysis, providing support for our recommendation.
Fichte's Voluntarism
Authors: Ware Owen
Published: March 2009

Abstract: In recent work Stephen Darwall has attacked what he calls J. G. Fichte's ‘voluntarist’ thesis, the idea—on Darwall's reading—that I am bound by obligations of respect to another person by virtue of my choice to interact with him. Darwall argues that voluntary choice is incompatible with the normative force behind the concept of a person, which demands my respect non‐voluntarily. He in turn defends a ‘presuppositional’ thesis which claims that I am bound by obligations of respect simply by recognizing the other as a person. In this paper I argue Darwall has misidentified the voluntary element in Fichte's account (sections 4–5). This requires me first to explain what Fichte's voluntarism really consists in (sections 1–3), and I suggest an apparent ambiguity in Fichte's position is responsible for Darwall's misreading. Clarifying this ambiguity, however, exposes some limitations to Darwall's thesis, and I end by discussing what those limitations are and what we can learn from them (sections 6–8).
Incidence and predictors of post‐stroke aphasia: The Arcadia Stroke Registry
Authors: Kyrozis A. , Potagas C. , Ghika A. , Tsimpouris P. K. , Virvidaki E. S. , Vemmos K. N.
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose:  Aphasia is an important post‐stroke sequela. We estimated the prevalence and main determinants of post‐stroke aphasia in the prefecture of Arcadia, Greece.

Method:  Prospective population‐based study of Arcadia residents diagnosed with first ever stroke. within a 2 year period. Associations of aphasia with potential predictors were analysed by logistic regression in: (i) the entire cohort and (ii) the sub‐cohort of patients who were alive 28 days post‐stroke. Multivariate regression models were adjusted for left hemispheric stroke localization and modified Rankin Scale 28 days post‐stroke (MRS‐1mo).

Results:  Of 555 subjects, 126 (22.7%) suffered from aphasia. When only the 405 survivors were considered, 77 (19.0%) suffered from aphasia. In adjusted multivariate models of the entire cohort, factors conferring significantly higher risk for aphasia included female gender, diabetes mellitus (borderline significance) and heart disease. In adjusted multivariate models of survivors, only diabetes was associated with significantly higher risk for aphasia.

Conclusions:  Female gender, diabetes and heart disease were independent prospective predictors of aphasia. The study offers a quantitative estimate of the public health problem of post‐stroke aphasia in Greece and suggests that the role of diabetes in post‐stroke aphasia may be more important than previously appreciated.
Pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (Keppra®) in treatment of patients with trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Jorns T. P. , Johnston A. , Zakrzewska J. M.
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose: The objective of this study was to determine whether levetiracetam (LEV) is an effective drug for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Methods: Ten patients with TN were enrolled in a 10‐week, prospective, open‐label pilot study. The primary outcome measure was the visual analogue scale on daily pain diary and side effects. Serum levels of LEV were measured to assess correlation between drug levels and pain control.

Results: There was a significant tendency towards improvement in pain severity compared with baseline in four patients with higher doses of 4 000 mg/day. The four treatment responders had less pain compared with baseline (50–90% improvement) and three subjects continued the drug after study completion. All patients rated themselves on the global evaluation scale as much improved (n = 2), minimally improved (n = 3), no change (n = 1), minimally worse (n = 2), much worse (n = 1) and very much worse (n = 1). LEV was very well tolerated and there was no difference in side effects between the low and high doses of LEV evaluations.

Conclusion: Given its established safety profile, a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trial of LEV using enhancement enrolment design is needed to confirm these open‐labelled findings using a wide variety of outcome measures.
Incidence and lifetime risk of motor neuron disease in the United Kingdom: a population‐based study
Authors: Alonso A. , Logroscino G. , Jick S. S. , Hernán M. A.
Published: March 2009

Background and purpose:  To estimate the incidence and lifetime risk of motor neuron disease (MND) in a population‐based sample in the United Kingdom.

Methods:  We identified new cases of MND during the period 1990–2005 in the General Practice Research Database, which includes clinical information from more than 3 million Britons enrolled with selected general practitioners. Individuals with a first medical diagnosis of MND recorded in the database were considered incident cases of the disease. The positive predictive value of the computer‐based diagnosis was estimated through review of a sample of medical records from potential MND cases.

Results:  In the period 1990–2005, 830 new cases of MND were identified. Age‐standardized incidence of MND was 2.6 per 100 000 persons per year in women (95% CI: 2.3, 2.8) and 3.9 in men (95% CI: 3.6, 4.3). Incidence for both sexes peaked between 75 and 79 years. The rate of MND in men was 54% higher than in women (95% CI: 33%, 77%). The lifetime risk of MND, adjusting for competing causes of death, was 1 in 472 (2.1 per 1000) in women and 1 in 350 (2.9 per 1000) in men. No increase in MND incidence over time was apparent.

Conclusion:  In this population‐based database, we found that MND incidence is higher in men than women, peaking in both sexes between 75 and 79 years.
Bulbar and spinal muscular atrophy (Kennedy’s disease): a review
Authors: Finsterer J.
Published: March 2009

Bulbar and spinal muscular atrophy (BSMA) is an adult‐onset, X‐linked recessive trinucleotide, polyglutamine disorder, caused by expansion of a polymorphic CAG tandem‐repeat in exon 1 of the androgen‐receptor (AR) gene on chromosome Xq11‐12. Pathogenetically, mutated AR accumulates in nuclei and cytoplasm of motor neurons, resulting in their degeneration and loss. Phenotypically, patients present with amyotrophic, proximal or distal weakness and wasting of the facial, bulbar and limb muscles, occasionally sensory disturbances, and endocrinologic disturbances, such as androgen resistance, gynecomastia, elevated testosterone or progesterone, and reduced fertility. There may be mild hyper‐CK‐emia, abnormal motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, and neuropathic and myopathic alterations on muscle biopsy. The golden standard for diagnosing BSMA is genetic analysis, demonstrating a CAG‐repeat number >40. No causal therapy is available, but symptomatic therapy should be provided for tremor, endocrinologic abnormalities, sensory disturbances, or muscle cramps. The course is slowly progressive, the ability to walk lost only late in life, only few patients require ventilatory support, and life expectancy only slightly reduced.
The Grammar of Pneumatology in Barth and Rahner: A Reconsideration
Authors: ABLES TRAVIS
Published: March 2009

The trinitarian theologies of Barth and Rahner have tended to be read as failing to overcome a pneumatological deficiency that characterizes Western theology, despite the importance of their thought to proponents of the contemporary trinitarian ‘revival’. This article argues, however, that in fact their conceptualizations of the doctrine of the Trinity depend upon essential pneumatological themes: Barth's understanding of the Spirit as the subjective reality of revelation's effect, and Rahner's proposals concerning the gift of the Spirit in terms of uncreated grace and quasi‐formal causality. These insights have been largely overlooked or misconstrued, not least because both Barth and Rahner deploy their pneumatologies in the course of polemical debates with their nineteenth‐century predecessors. A fresh reading of these theologians yields a pneumatology that I characterize as a grammar of the construction of graced subjectivity.
The Descent into Hell as a Solution for the Problem of the Fate of Unevangelized Non‐Christians: Balthasar's Hell, the Limbo of the Fathers and Purgatory
Authors: D'COSTA GAVIN
Published: March 2009

I critically examine Edward Oakes' claim that Hans Urs von Balthasar's theology of the descent into hell provides the best answer regarding the possible salvation of the unevangelized non‐Christian. First, I contest Oakes' claim based on christological and trinitarian difficulties in Balthasar's descent theology. Second, I utilize the early Christian tradition's understanding of Christ's descent into the limbo of the just to address the problem of the salvation of the unevangelized. Third, I draw on Joseph DiNoia's use of purgatory to further elaborate upon the ‘descent’ tradition as a resource to address the question of the salvation of the unevangelized. My overall claim is that the descent into hell is indeed an important theological resource for addressing the question of the possible salvation for the unevangelized, but not in the way that Balthasar and Oakes construe it.
Rules, Social Ontology and Collective Identity
Authors: MARTINS NUNO
Published: March 2009

Mainstream game theory explains cooperation as the outcome of the interaction of agents who permanently pursue their individual goals. Amartya Sen argues instead that cooperation can only be understood by positing a type of rule‐following behaviour that can be (and often is) out of phase with the pursuit of individual goals, due to the existence of a collective identity. However, Sen does not clarify the ontological preconditions for the type of social behaviour he describes. I will argue that Sen's account of collective identity can be best interpreted in the light of John Searle's notion of collective intentionality, while Sen's explanation of rule‐following behavior and agency is best understood using the critical realist transformational model of social activity.
Trust, Staking, and Expectations
Authors: NICKEL PHILIP J.
Published: March 2009

Trust is a kind of risky reliance on another person. Social scientists have offered two basic accounts of trust: predictive expectation accounts and staking (betting) accounts. Predictive expectation accounts identify trust with a judgment that performance is likely. Staking accounts identify trust with a judgment that reliance on the person's performance is worthwhile. I argue (1) that these two views of trust are different, (2) that the staking account is preferable to the predictive expectation account on grounds of intuitive adequacy and coherence with plausible explanations of action; and (3) that there are counterexamples to both accounts. I then set forward an additional necessary condition on trust (added to the staking view), according to which trust implies a moral expectation. When A trusts B to do x, A ascribes to B an obligation to do x, and holds B to this obligation. This Moral Expectation view throws new light on some of the consequences of misplaced trust. I use the example of physicians’ defensive behavior/defensive medicine to illustrate this final point.
Digestive tract of the African giant rat, Cricetomys gambianus
Authors: Knight M. H. , Knight‐Eloff Anette K.
Published: March 2009

The study of gastrointestinal morphology, anatomy, passage rates and pH in the African giant rat, Cricetomys gambianus, were undertaken to elucidate the relationship between feeding habits and gut structure. The relatively slow transit times of digesta, suggested to be advantageous in digestion, probably resulted from a complex gastrointestinal tract. The prime function of the large papillated corpus and fornix ventriculi is thought to be starch digestion, while the caecum enhances the utilization of undigested food. Gut structure appears to be a result of a multitude of selective forces, not only dietary habits.
Prey of coastal black‐backed jackal Canis mesomelas (Mammalia: Canidae) in the Skeleton Coast Park, Namibia
Authors: Avery G. , Avery D. M. , Braine S. , Loutit R.
Published: March 2009

Remains of prey of black‐backed jackal Canis mesomelas from 13 jackal middens situated within 25 m of the beach, which provides the most regular source of food, and one 1.3 km inland in the Skeleton Coast Park, Namibia, were examined. Middens accumulate on small sand hummocks which provide shelter from prevailing harsh environmental conditions. Canis mesomelas is shown to rely on marine resources. A total of 30 taxa was recorded. Birds were the most common prey individuals represented in the combined samples (68%), followed by mammals (17%) and fish (15%). One invertebrate was recorded. At the inland site, which is located at a colony of whitebreasted cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo, this species alone formed 78% of the total individuals. Surveys were conducted to determine the extent to which C. mesomelas is unselective in scavenging beached seabird carcasses and the results were compared with data on roosting habits. There was good correlation between both these sets of data and the contents of the jackal middens, thereby indicating that C. mesomelas is unselective in its foraging/scavenging. The drop in the jackass penguin population was also evident when middens of different ages were compared. It was shown that the data from jackal middens provide an index of seabird mortality which reflects changes in the oceanic and climatic conditions which affect fish populations. Regular monitoring of jackal middens may provide an easily accessible source of information on long‐ and short‐term changes in fish stocks.
Estimates of forces exerted by the jaw muscles of some reptiles
Authors: Sinclair Alice G. , Alexander R. McN.
Published: March 2009

Masses and muscle fibre lengths have been determined for the jaw muscles of Chrysemys (Chelonia). Varanus (Lacertilia) and Caiman (Crocodilia). Hence the force that each muscle can exert has been estimated. The position and direction of the line of action of each force have also been determined. The results are used to calculate the magnitude and direction of the bite forces that each reptile could exert, at particular positions in its mouth, and the magnitude and direction of the reactions at the jaw articulation.
Fish cleaning behaviour of shrimp
Authors: Jonasson Mark
Published: March 2009

Cleaning behaviour of five species of shrimp from three families was studied at three different geographic locations in an effort to gain a quantitative understanding of cleaning behaviour, and to compare a broad cross‐section of cleaner shrimp species. Two shrimp from the genus Periclimenes, two from the genus Lysmata, and one from the genus Stenopus were used and 27 hours of recorded laboratory observations were made for each of the five shrimp species.

All shrimp species were inactive most of the observed time, and most spent less than 2% of the observed time cleaning fish hosts. Also, the shrimp spent more time cleaning the ventral rather than the dorsal surface of the fish because they were reluctant to board the fish. However, evenness in cleaning does not appear to be an indicator of overall excellence in cleaning because the two best cleaners (based on number and duration of cleaning bouts) were among the least even in their cleaning.

The fish cleaning behaviour of the shrimp appeared to be strictly stereotypic in form, but the stimulus‐response and the total amount of cleaning differed greatly among the five species. A Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI) was created in an attempt to incorporate significant aspects of the cleaning behaviour. According to this CEI, Lysmata grabhami was by far the most efficient (best) cleaner, CEI = 55–51, compared to the others; Stenopus hispidus, 33–78; Periclimenes pedersoni, 6–29; Periclimenes yucatunicus, 5–60; and Lysmata californien, 2–12.

The cleaners most widely distributed geographically have the highest CEI scores, while the most localized cleaners have the lowest CEIs. This relationship may allow the CEI score to be useful in determining a cleaner shrimp's potential geographical distribution, and may also serve as an indicator for the degree of phylogenetic relationship to other cleaner shrimps.
A natural hybrid newt, Triturus helveticus×T. vulgaris, from a pond in mid‐Wales
Authors: Griffiths R. A. , Roberts J. M. , Sims S.
Published: March 2009

The first unequivocal example of a natural Trilurus helvelicus×T. vulgaris hybrid is described. The specimen was a male and discriminant analysis of physical characters indicated that it was morphologically intermediate between the parent species. A karyotype confirmed that the hybrid bore a haploid set of chromosomes from T. helveticus and a haploid set from T. vulgaris. Examination of the sex chromosomes showed that it was the result of mating between a male T. helveticus and a female T. vulgaris. As numerous mature sperm bundles were observed in both testes, the hybrid was therefore potentially fertile.
The consequences of differences in litter size for the nursing cat and her kittens
Authors: Deag J. M. , Lawrence Candace E. , Manning A.
Published: March 2009

Seventy‐one litters of kittens (mean litter size 4.4) were studied from birth to eight weeks of age in order to measure kitten growth and maternal body condition. Few sex differences in growth occur; male and female kittens place a similar burden on their lactating mother. A mother's weight (non‐pregnant, non‐lactating) interacts with litter size to determine the fate of her growing kittens. A large litter places a burden on both the mother and on the kittens, whose growth is affected; small mothers with large litters are particularly at risk. An acceleration in kitten growth occurs at about 32 days as the kittens take more solid food. This change in growth rate is more marked in large litters. Kittens of light mothers and kittens in large litters are weaned at a lower weight, and kittens of light mothers are weaned earlier. Our results indicate that, under poor environmental conditions, large litters would be less successful than small litters; kitten growth and survival would be affected and providing milk for a large litter would have a detrimental effect on the mother's health. The cost of lactation appears to have been a major evolutionary factor in determining mean litter size.
Territorial and pair behaviour of the African false vampire bat, Cardioderma cor (Chiroptera: Megadermatidae), in coastal Kenya
Authors: McWilliam Andrew N.
Published: March 2009

Curdioderma hangs from habitual perches to wait for mainly terrestrial prey. Their broad wings provide the lift at low speeds necessary to capture such prey from the ground. Male‐female pairs were found in the long dry season, a period when reduced insect availability led to lower body weights and males used song to delineate their feeding territories. Males moved between perches more frequently during the first half‐hour of nightly singing. An enlargement of foraging area was associated with earlier singing, as well as an increase in song rate, movement between perches and pair contact‐vocalizations. Females are larger than males and the sex ratio favoured the latter. There was evidence of long‐term territories and breeding throughout the year. These results are discussed in relation to pair‐bonding and environmental seasonality.
The pattern of aortic arch branching in the Rhinocerotidae
Authors: Cave A. J. E.
Published: March 2009

The little‐known pattern of aortic arch branching in the Rhinocerotidae has been determined in 10 individual rhinoceroses representing four of the five extant rhinoceros species. Present observations augment recorded information concerning this pattern of branching in the Asian rhinoceros forms and permit its first‐time description in the African forms. They tentatively indicate the canonical pattern of aortic arch branching in certain rhinoceros species, and demonstrate the taxonomic insignificance of such branching.
Body condition changes of sand martins (Riparia riparia) during breeding, and a comparison with fledgling condition
Authors: Jones Gareth
Published: March 2009

The body condition of adult sand martins during the breeding season and a sample of fledglings was investigated by carcass analysis and by examination of live birds in the field. Fat scoring of live individuals was a reliable predictor of an individual's lipid content in most instances. Body mass changes during breeding were related to changes in the size of birds' lipid reserves, pectoral muscle mass, body water, and to development of the reproductive system. In both males and females, reserve lipid declined between the onset of breeding and nestling rearing. Pre‐breeding males had significantly greater pectoral muscle masses than did nestling rearing females. The potential significance of protein in pectoral muscles as an energy reserve during breeding was small compared with lipid reserves. By comparing potential energy reserves in body lipid and protein with daily energy expenditure, it was calculated that neither incubating nor nestling rearing adults could survive a day of normal activity without feeding. The selective premium on adults optimizing their use of time and energy for self‐maintenance behaviour during breeding is therefore likely to be great.
Post‐partum oestrus in the little free‐tailed bat, Tadarida (Chaerephon) pumila (Microchiroptera: Molossidae) at 24°S
Authors: Merwe M. Van der , Giddings S. R. , Rautenbach I. L.
Published: March 2009

Tadarida pumila exhibits post‐partum oestrus in the sub‐tropical latitudes of Southern Africa. Females nursing their first young of the season were either pregnant or had large Graafian follicles in their right ovaries. Further evidence that ovulation occurs soon after parturition was found in the ovaries, where follicles were developing alongside the corpora lutea of pregnancy. The latter indicates that oestrus occurs following parturition. Furthermore, as opposed to the first pregnancy of the season, the development of the endometrium was found to be less complete in the two subsequent pregnancies of that particular season. This is interpreted as being related to the very short interval between parturition and the following conception.
Nutrition, fertility and maternal investment in primates
Authors: Lee Phyllis C.
Published: March 2009

While the energetics of reproduction have been intensively investigated among women, studies of mother‐offspring relationships among non‐human primates have tended to neglect the effect of nutrition of the mother on lactational performance and on growth and survival of offspring. Typically fertility has been compared between populations under different nutritional regimes. In this paper, the relations between suckling frequencies, the time of weaning, the survivorship of offspring, the contraceptive effects of lactation and the quality of maternal diets are outlined. Energy transfer from mother to offspring in the form of milk is proposed as a measurable component of maternal investment, and the behavioural causes and consequences of lactational anoestrus are explored using data from free‐ranging vervet monkeys. It is suggested that nutrition of the mother is most important during the early phase of rapid infant growth, because at that time the energetic requirements of lactation are high; and that a mother's ability to assess her infant's demands and needs for nutrition for growth leads to alterations in suckling frequencies which result in variation in female fertility.