bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fine root dynamics along an elevational gradient in tropical Amazonian and Andean forests
Authors: Girardin C. A. J. , Aragão L. E. O. C. , Malhi Y. , Huaraca Huasco W. , Metcalfe D. B. , Durand L. , Mamani M. , Silva‐Espejo J. E. , Whittaker R. J.
Published: December 2012

The key role of tropical forest belowground carbon stocks and fluxes is well recognised as one of the main components of the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle. This study presents the first detailed investigation of spatial and temporal patterns of fine root stocks and fluxes in tropical forests along an elevational gradient, ranging from the Peruvian Andes (3020 m) to lowland Amazonia (194 m), with mean annual temperatures of 11.8°C to 26.4 °C and annual rainfall values of 1900 to 1560 mm yr‐1, respectively. Specifically, we analyse abiotic parameters controlling fine root dynamics, fine root growth characteristics, and seasonality of net primary productivity along the elevation gradient. Root and soil carbon stocks were measured by means of soil cores, and fine root productivity was recorded using rhizotron chambers and ingrowth cores. We find that mean annual fine root below ground net primary productivity in the montane forests (0–30 cm depth) ranged between 4.27±0.56 Mg C ha‐1 yr‐1 (1855 m) and 1.72±0.87 Mg C ha‐1 yr‐1 (3020 m). These values include a correction for finest roots (<0.6 mm diameter), which we suspect are under sampled, resulting in an underestimation of fine roots by up to 31% in current ingrowth core counting methods. We investigate the spatial and seasonal variation of fine root dynamics using soil depth profiles and an analysis of seasonal amplitude along the elevation gradient. We report a stronger seasonality of NPPFineRoot within the cloud immersion zone, most likely synchronised to seasonality of solar radiation. Finally, we provide the first insights into root growth characteristics along a tropical elevation transect: fine root area and fine root length increase significantly in the montane cloud forest. These insights into belowground carbon dynamics of tropical lowland and montane forests have significant implications for our understanding of the global tropical forest carbon cycle.
Cascadia fore arc seismic survey: Open‐access data available
Authors: Holbrook W. Steven , Kent Graham , Keranen Katie , Johnson H. Paul , Trehu Anne , Tobin Harold , Caplan‐Auerbach Jackie , Beeson Jeff
Published: December 2012

The Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ), where the Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates subduct obliquely beneath North America at a rate of about 35 millimeters per year, poses major geological hazards to population centers of the northwestern United States. Despite the importance of the subducting slab in these hazards, the plate boundary is poorly mapped and understood, especially offshore.
Journal of Geophysical Research authors receive award
Authors: Major Barbara
Published: December 2012

The authors of a paper published in AGU's Journal of Geophysical Research‐Atmospheres have been selected by the executive council of the World Meteorological Organization as winners of the biennial Professor Dr. Vilho Väisälä Award for an Outstanding Research Paper. The 2010 paper, “Optimized fractional cloudiness determination from five ground‐based remote sensing techniques” (R. Boers et al., J. Geophys. Res., 115, D24116, doi:10.1029/2010JD014661), was coauthored by H. K. Baltink, R. Boers, M. J. de Haij, M. Savenije, L. H. van Ulft, and W. M. F. Wauben of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (De Bilt, Netherlands) and by C. N. Long of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy (Richland, Wash.). The award consists of a diploma and medal and an award of $10,000 shared by the winners.
Comparing secondary organic aerosol formation in two U.S. cities
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: December 2012

Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) form from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere, and the composition and abundance of SOAs determine their effects on air quality, human health, and the planetary radiation budget. To investigate how the production of SOAs varies with location, Zhang et al. conducted a parallel set of experiments in Los Angeles, Calif., and Atlanta, Ga. Both cities see a large amount of volatile organic compounds thrown into the air because of anthropogenic emissions, largely stemming from vehicles. Atlanta, unlike Los Angeles, also sees a large amount of biogenic emissions from vegetation in the region.
A probabilistic method of predicting landslides
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: December 2012

Heavy rainfall events can lead to devastating landslides, but predicting when rainfall will cause a landslide is challenging. Most current landslide prediction methods consider past rainfall events that resulted in landslides, and then use that as input to provide a deterministic rainfall threshold for a landslide to occur. These methods simply predict either a landslide or no landslide for given rainfall conditions. In a new study, Berti et al. developed a probabilistic approach that returns a probability, from 0 to 1, of a landslide occurring for a given rainfall amount. They tested their approach on historical rainfall and landslide data from the Emilia‐Romagna Region of Italy.
The 2010 ash emissions at the summit craters of Mt Etna: Relationship with seismo‐acoustic signals
Authors: Andronico D. , Lo Castro M. D. , Sciotto M. , Spina L.
Published: December 2012

Mt Etna volcano (Italy) typically generates lava fountains and Strombolian eruptions from the summit craters, producing significant emissions of tephra which may cause moderate to high impact both in the atmosphere and on the ground. However, we have also witnessed a number of minor ash emissions that, although far less powerful, may pose considerable volcanic hazards. In this paper, we deal with three ash emissions occurring in 2010 (8 April at Southeast Crater, 25 August at Bocca Nuova, and 14–15 November at Northeast Crater), correlating their volcanological features with the associated seismo‐acoustic signals. We provide details regarding the chronology, eruption column, dispersal of the deposit, and texture (grain size, componentry and morphology) of the emitted ash. Each eruptive episode has also been characterized by means of seismo‐acoustic analyses evaluating the volcanic acoustic‐seismic ratio (VASR). Furthermore, the source of volcanic tremor recorded from March to December 2010 was localized. The joint volcanological and seismo‐acoustic analyses allowed distinguishing two main kinds of ash emissions: types a (8 April and 25 August) and b (14–15 November). Regarding the former, the accumulation of gas below a dense cap rock obstructing the conduit vent, giving rise, with the uncorking, to impulsive explosivity, was hypothesized. The latter type instead is characterized by a longer‐lasting and less explosivity, likely due to the existence of open conduit conditions. Therefore, type b ash emissions are less hazardous than type a. This simple model, regarding minor explosive activity, may constitute a starting point to assess the volcanic risk from unexpected explosions.
Exploring parameterization for turbulent entrainment‐mixing processes in clouds
Authors: Lu Chunsong , Liu Yangang , Niu Shengjie , Krueger Steven , Wagner Timothy
Published: December 2012

Different turbulent entrainment‐mixing processes (e.g., homogeneous and inhomogeneous) occur in clouds; accurate representation of these processes is critical for improving cloud‐related parameterizations in large‐scale models, but poorly understood and quantified. Using in situ aircraft observations over the U. S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site during the March 2000 Cloud Intensive Observation Period and numerical simulations with the Explicit Mixing Parcel Model (EMPM), here we explore the potential of using degree of homogeneous mixing as a measure to quantify these different mechanisms and examine various microphysical measures of homogeneous mixing degree and their relationships to entrainment‐mixing dynamics as measured by transition scale numbers. Three different microphysical measures for the homogeneous mixing degree are newly defined and each is coupled with one of two different transition scale numbers. Both observations and simulations show that all the combinations have positive correlated relationships; simulations further show that the tightest relationship is between the measure of homogeneous mixing degree considering adiabatic number concentration and the transition scale number accounting for mixing fraction of dry air. A parameterization of the entrainment‐mixing processes is advanced according to the relationships of homogeneous mixing degree measures to transition scale numbers.
Metabolic activity of subterranean microbial communities in deep granitic groundwater supplemented with methane and H2
Authors: Pedersen Karsten
Published: December 2012

It was previously concluded that opposing gradients of sulphate and methane, observations of 16S ribosomal DNA sequences displaying great similarity to those of anaerobic methane-oxidizing Archaea and a peak in sulphide concentration in groundwater from a depth of 250–350 m in Olkiluoto, Finland, indicated proper conditions for methane oxidation with sulphate. In the present research, pressure-resistant, gas-tight circulating systems were constructed to enable the investigation of attached and unattached anaerobic microbial populations from a depth of 327 m in Olkiluoto under in situ pressure (2.4 MPa), diversity, dissolved gas and chemistry conditions. Three parallel flow cell cabinets were configured to allow observation of the influence on microbial metabolic activity of 11 mm methane, 11 mm methane plus 10 mm H2 or 2.1 mm O2 plus 7.9 mm N2 (that is, air). The concentrations of these gases and of organic acids and carbon, sulphur chemistry, pH and Eh, ATP, numbers of cultivable micro-organisms, and total numbers of cells and bacteriophages were subsequently recorded under batch conditions for 105 days. The system containing H2 and methane displayed microbial reduction of 0.7 mm sulphate to sulphide, whereas the system containing only methane resulted in 0.2 mm reduced sulphate. The system containing added air became inhibited and displayed no signs of microbial activity. Added H2 and methane induced increasing numbers of lysogenic bacteriophages per cell. It appears likely that a microbial anaerobic methane-oxidizing process coupled to acetate formation and sulphate reduction may be ongoing in aquifers at a depth of 250–350 m in Olkiluoto.
Slowing down the speed of terahertz guiding modes of a metal air-gap waveguide by using a coupled plasmonic cavity
Authors: Lee Sun-Goo , Su Lee Eui , Jeon Tae-In , Kee Chul-Sik
Published: December 2012

We present numerical and experimental demonstration of slowing down the speed of terahertz guiding modes of a metal air-gap waveguide by using a one-dimensional coupled plasmonic cavity. The speed of terahertz guiding modes gets slower as a distance between metal plates of the waveguide decreases because the coupling strength between cavities gets weaker as the distance decreases. The coupled plasmonic cavities in a metal air-gap waveguide could be useful in enhancing the interaction between the guiding modes and matters and manipulating terahertz waves in a time domain.
Nanosecond-range multi-pulses synchronization based on magnetic switch and saturable pulse transformer
Authors: Liu Jinliang , Fan Xuliang , Zhang Yu
Published: December 2012

Magnetic switch has been widely used in the field of pulsed power system for its advantages of solid state, high repetition rate, and long lifetime. In this paper, the synchronization of ns-range multi-pulses based on magnetic switch is studied and two kinds of technical methods are proposed. One of which is based on magnetic switches on a communal magnetic core. It was proved that the synchronization accuracy of 3 pulses is about 2 ns. Another proposed method is ns-range multi-pulse synchronization based on saturable pulse transformer and the experimental result showed that the synchronization accuracy of 2 pulses could achieve 2.5 ns. In contrast to other multi-pulse synchronization methods controlled by high-voltage pulse trigger or laser trigger, the synchronization based on magnetic switch and saturable pulse transformer has the advantages of high synchronization accuracy, long lifetime, and exemption from external trigger signals.
A “2-omega” technique for measuring anisotropy of thermal conductivity
Authors: Ramu Ashok T. , Bowers John E.
Published: December 2012

A popular method of measuring the thermal conductivity of thin films and substrates, the “3-omega” method, is modified to yield a new technique for measuring the anisotropy in thermal transport in bulk materials. The validity of the proposed technique is established by measuring the thermal conductivity of strontium titanate, which is expected to be isotropic because of its cubic unit cell. The technique is then applied to rutile TiO2. The analysis of experimental results on (100) and (001) TiO2 reveals that the anisotropy is a function of the crystalline quality, as quantified by the effective thermal conductivity obtained through conventional “3-omega” measurements. The advantages of the proposed technique are similar to those of the standard “3-omega” method, namely the simplicity of sample preparation and measurement, and negligible errors due to radiation because of the small volume of material being heated. For anisotropy determination, the proposed technique has the additional advantage that a single sample is sufficient to determine both components of the thermal conductivity, namely the values in and perpendicular to the plane of cleavage. This is significant for materials in which there is a large variation in the crystalline quality from sample to sample. For such materials, it is unreliable to use two different samples, one for measuring the thermal conductivity in each direction. Experimental data are analyzed using a 3D Fourier-series based method developed in this work. The proposed method determines each component of the thermal conductivity with an estimated accuracy of about 10%.
Density functional theory embedding for correlated wavefunctions: Improved methods for open-shell systems and transition metal complexes
Authors: Goodpaster Jason D. , Barnes Taylor A. , Manby Frederick R. , Miller Thomas F.
Published: December 2012

Density functional theory (DFT) embedding provides a formally exact framework for interfacing correlated wave-function theory (WFT) methods with lower-level descriptions of electronic structure. Here, we report techniques to improve the accuracy and stability of WFT-in-DFT embedding calculations. In particular, we develop spin-dependent embedding potentials in both restricted and unrestricted orbital formulations to enable WFT-in-DFT embedding for open-shell systems, and develop an orbital-occupation-freezing technique to improve the convergence of optimized effective potential calculations that arise in the evaluation of the embedding potential. The new techniques are demonstrated in applications to the van-der-Waals-bound ethylene-propylene dimer and to the hexa-aquairon(II) transition-metal cation. Calculation of the dissociation curve for the ethylene-propylene dimer reveals that WFT-in-DFT embedding reproduces full CCSD(T) energies to within 0.1 kcal/mol at all distances, eliminating errors in the dispersion interactions due to conventional exchange-correlation (XC) functionals while simultaneously avoiding errors due to subsystem partitioning across covalent bonds. Application of WFT-in-DFT embedding to the calculation of the low-spin/high-spin splitting energy in the hexaaquairon(II) cation reveals that the majority of the dependence on the DFT XC functional can be eliminated by treating only the single transition-metal atom at the WFT level; furthermore, these calculations demonstrate the substantial effects of open-shell contributions to the embedding potential, and they suggest that restricted open-shell WFT-in-DFT embedding provides better accuracy than unrestricted open-shell WFT-in-DFT embedding due to the removal of spin contamination.
Cylindrical glass nanocapillaries patterned via coarse lithography (>1 μm) for biomicrofluidic applications
Authors: Liu Yifan , Yobas Levent
Published: December 2012

We demonstrate a new method of fabricating in-plane cylindrical glass nanocapillaries (<100 nm) that does not require advanced patterning techniques but the standard coarse photolithography (>1 μm). These nanocapillaries are self-enclosed optically transparent and highly regular over large areas. Our method involves structuring μm-scale rectangular trenches in silicon, sealing the trenches into enclosed triangular channels by depositing phosphosilicate glass, and then transforming the channels into cylindrical capillaries through shape transformation by the reflow of annealed glass layer. Extended anneal has the structures shrunk into nanocapillaries preserving their cylindrical shape. Nanocapillaries ∼50 nm in diameter and effective stretching of digested λ-phage DNA in them are demonstrated.
Current distribution and transition width in superconducting transition-edge sensors
Authors: Swetz D. S. , Bennett D. A. , Irwin K. D. , Schmidt D. R. , Ullom J. N.
Published: December 2012

Present models of the superconducting-to-normal transition in transition-edge sensors (TESs) do not describe the current distribution within a biased TES. This distribution is complicated by normal-metal features that are integral to TES design. We present a model with one free parameter that describes the evolution of the current distribution with bias. To probe the current distribution experimentally, we fabricated TES devices with different current return geometries. Devices where the current return geometry mirrors current flow within the device have sharper transitions, thus allowing for a direct test of the current-flow model. Measurements from these devices show that current meanders through a TES low in the resistive transition but flows across the normal-metal features by 40% of the normal-state resistance. Comparison of transition sharpness between device designs reveals that self-induced magnetic fields play an important role in determining the width of the superconducting transition.
An overview of dryland legume research in New Zealand
Authors: Moot D. J.
Published: December 2012

With limited funds, and the relatively low importance of dryland pastures in New Zealand, research has been targeted at the species most likely to induce transformational change on-farm. Lucerne research into biophysical influences on plant growth and development has added flexibility to spring grazing management. Coupled with additional agronomic research and extension, farmers now have the confidence to use lucerne as a direct feed source for sheep, beef and deer. Research on Caucasian clover seedling development identified the long duration to secondary leaf production as the physiological basis for slow clover establishment in mixed swards. Despite agronomic strategies to overcome this, its use is now limited by commercial constraints. A 10-year ‘MaxClover’ grazing experiment at Lincoln University demonstrated the superiority of subterranean clover with cocksfoot over perennial ryegrass and white clover for pasture persistence, quality and animal performance. Pastures with high legume content had higher water-use efficiency and produced greater animal and pasture production. Balansa and gland clovers both show a strong influence of photoperiod on time of flowering, which suggests they may be suitable for oversowing into areas of winter wet and summer dry hill and high country. Further research into their ecological niche and ability to regenerate each autumn is required. For all legumes, the role of inoculation requires further research with recent results suggesting indigenous, rather than commercially introduced, bacterial populations are dominant in root nodules. Uptake of dryland pasture species for on-farm use has only been successful when research, extension and agribusiness interests have been aligned.
Factors affecting the potential contributions of N2 fixation by legumes in Australian pasture systems
Authors: Peoples M. B. , Brockwell J. , Hunt J. R. , Swan A. D. , Watson L. , Hayes R. C. , Li G. D. , Hackney B. , Nuttall J. G. , Davies S. L. , Fillery I. R. P.
Published: December 2012

The amounts of foliage nitrogen (N) fixed by various annual and perennial legumes growing in Australian pastures range from <10 to >250 kg N/ha.year. Differences in N2 fixation result from variations in the proportion of the legume-N derived from atmospheric N2 (%Ndfa) and/or the amount of legume-N accumulated during growth. On-farm surveys of %Ndfa achieved by legumes growing in farmers’ paddocks in Australia indicated that N2 fixation contributed >65% of the legume’s N requirements in three-quarters of the annual legumes examined, but this decreased to two-thirds of lucerne (Medicago sativa; also known as alfalfa), and half of white clover (Trifolium repens) samples. Factors such as low numbers or the poor effectiveness of rhizobial strains in the soil, water stress, high soil concentrations of N, and nutrient disorders contribute to poor nodulation and %Ndfa values <65%, but there is also evidence that the observed %Ndfa can be dependent on the legume species present, and whether the legume is grown in a pure stand or in a mixed sward. The accumulation of legume-N relates primarily to the legume content and net productivity of the pasture. For many legume species, ~20 kg of shoot-N is fixed on average for every tonne of herbage dry matter produced. Legume productivity can be influenced by (i) sowing and establishment techniques and other strategies that enhance the legume content in pasture swards; (ii) the amelioration of soil constraints; (iii) the use of new legume species (and host–rhizobial strain combinations) that are more tolerant of hostile soil environments than subterranean clover (T. subterraneum) or annual medics (Medicago spp); and (iv) the inclusion of perennials such as lucerne to offset the year-to-year variability in productivity and N2 fixation that is a common occurrence with annual legumes.
Spatial and temporal variation in soil Mn2+ concentrations and the impact of manganese toxicity on lucerne and subterranean clover seedlings
Authors: Hayes R. C. , Conyers M. K. , Li G. D. , Poile G. J. , Price A. , McVittie B. J. , Gardner M. J. , Sandral G. A. , McCormick J. I.
Published: December 2012

Spatial and temporal variation in soil Mn2+ was observed over a 12-month period at two field sites near Gerogery and Binalong in southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Three pot experiments were then conducted to emulate the range of soil Mn2+ concentrations observed in the field and to determine the effect of different concentrations on lucerne and subterranean clover seedling growth, as well as to determine the effect of heating a soil on pH and Mn2+ concentrations. Concentrations of soil Mn2+ in the surface 0.20 m varied at a given sampling date by up to 288% (2.5–9.7 µg/mL) and 183% (8.7–24.6 µg/mL) across the Gerogery and Binalong field sites, respectively. At both sites, the concentration of soil Mn2+ in a given plot also varied by up to 175% between sampling times. There was little consistency between sites for seasonal fluctuations of soil Mn2+, although in both instances, peaks occurred during months in which newly sown lucerne plants might be emerging in southern NSW. Pot experiments revealed that high concentrations of soil Mn2+ reduced lucerne seedling survival by 35%, and on seedlings that did survive, reduced shoot growth by 19% and taproot length by 39%. Elevated concentrations of soil Mn2+ also reduced subterranean clover seedling survival by up to 55% and taproot length by 25%, although there were few effects on subterranean clover in treatments other than those imposing the highest soil Mn2+ concentrations. The third pot experiment demonstrated that elevated soil temperatures led to increased soil pH and increased soil Mn2+ concentrations, attributable to a decrease in biological oxidation of soil Mn2+. This was in contrast to the commonly anticipated response of a decline in soil Mn2+concentrations as soil pH increased.
Breeding of an early-flowering and drought-tolerant Lotus corniculatus L. variety for the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia
Authors: Real D. , Sandral G. A. , Rebuffo M. , Hughes S. J. , Kelman W. M. , Mieres J. M. , Dods K. , Crossa J.
Published: December 2012

In the high-rainfall zone of Australia (HRZ, >600 mm), most pasture systems are dominated by perennial grasses with low levels of inter-dispersed legume. Numerous authors have shown that a legume content of 20–50% is required to maximise livestock production. Consequently, the legume content of these systems needs to be increased if livestock production is to be improved. Perennial legume options such as lucerne (Medicago sativa) and white clover (Trifolium repens) are limited in their application in this zone due to the sensitivity of lucerne to acid soils (pH(CaCl2) <4.8) and waterlogging and the inability of white clover to survive most of the annual summer droughts. To address this problem, a breeding program was undertaken to develop varieties of Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil) suitable for the HRZ of southern Australia. In the first cycle, 365 populations were screened in nurseries to select the best 62 plants from the best populations at Yalanbee and Medina in Western Australia. These selections were then grown as half-sib families in spaced-plant nurseries at Waroona and Yalanbee; in the second cycle, 61 individuals, selected from the the two sites, were hand-crossed to produce 3160 plants from 202 pair-crosses. These were gown in a spaced-plant nursery at the University of Western Australia Field Station in Shenton Park. In the third cycle, three polycross populations (YF, T, and F) were produced from selections within the 3160 second-cycle plants, and two additional plants which survived for 4 years on a non-wetting sand at Yalanbee, including a significant drought year in 2006. These varieties are expected to extend the adaptation of L. corniculatus to drier areas and/or lower latitudes.
The Soviet myth of the Great Fatherland War and the limits of inclusionary politics under Brezhnev: The case of Chalmaevist literature
Authors: Brunstedt Jonathan
Published: December 2012

Influential scholarship on the Brezhnev era has described the instrumental official support for Russian nationalist themes and pre-socialist imagery in public discourse as a deliberate “politics of inclusion,” designed to co-opt certain nationalist intellectuals and the sympathies of the state's core of ethnic Russians for the purpose of popular mobilization. How this policy related to and interacted with the ubiquitous official commemoration and mythologization of the Great Fatherland War during this period, however, has remained unexplored. Based on a number of the most important Russophilic publications in the censored press - the writings of the so-called “Chalmaevists” - this article contends that despite unambiguously russocentric, single-stream readings of history in general, when it came to the war in particular, nationalist intellectuals tended to muffle their russocentrism through opaque language or an avoidance of the war's larger significance, or conformed to the war's official (supra-ethnic, socialist) reading. It was only in samizdat that the essentially Russian, primordial nature of victory in 1945 could be fully articulated. The present study thus probes the limits of the concept of inclusionary politics and underscores the party leadership's apparent commitment to maintaining the war myth's predominantly supranational, socialist significance as a means of fostering all-Soviet, rather than Russian national, solidarity.
Forty years of Finnish pre‐school education: the development of curricula between 1972 and 2000
Authors: Turunen Tuija A. , Määttä Kaarina , Uusiautti Satu
Published: December 2012

Since 2001 in Finland, all six year olds have had the right to free pre‐school education, and almost all pre‐school‐aged children take advantage of this opportunity. The purpose of this article is to dissect the development of Finnish pre‐school education curricula within the societal context and within the changes in trends of curriculum planning between 1972 and 2000. The study analysed five curricula texts through qualitative content analysis by paying attention to the functions of pre‐school education and the positioning of children and educators. The development of pre‐school education consisted of four phases: (1) the era of pre‐school education trials; (2) the era of heterogeneous pre‐school education arrangements; (3) the era of changes in curriculum policies; and (4) the era of pre‐school education establishment. The results indicated that the changes in pre‐school education curricula related to the changes in Finnish society and in basic education.
Researching the competence‐based curriculum: preface to a case study of four urban secondary schools
Authors: Downey Christopher , Byrne Jenny , Souza Ana
Published: December 2012

This introductory article accompanies three further articles forming a case study research project undertaken to describe the experience of four urban secondary schools implementing a competence‐based curriculum for students in their first year of secondary education. The nature of such competence‐based curricula is discussed in the context of secondary schools before providing an outline of the context of each of the case study schools. A democratic and emancipatory view of education provides the rationale for the development of transferable competencies, and this is considered with respect to the challenges of engaging in a cross‐disciplinary approach to the curriculum. These challenges are viewed through the lens of Bernstein%s concepts of strong and weak framing and horizontal and vertical discourses. Each of the accompanying articles takes up a different aspect of education, focusing on curriculum planning, teaching and learning, and leadership and management respectively. Further challenges with regard to changes in the English curriculum are briefly reflected upon. Finally an outline of the case study methodology which was employed in the study is provided.
Can Reduced Provision of Manufactured Feed Improve Fish Production Efficiency in Ponds?
Authors: Filbrun Jesse E , Culver David A
Published: December 2012

Fish culturists strive to efficiently transfer energy from manufactured feed to the fish crop while minimizing adverse impacts on the environment and water quality. In this study, we sought to improve production of age-1 Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus by testing the effects of full (3% of body weight [BW]/d) and reduced (1% BW/d) feeding rates on fish diets, growth, and survival; lower-trophic-level dynamics; and water quality in earthen ponds. Fish survival was similar between feeding treatments, although length, weight, and yield at harvest were lower for 1% BW/d ponds. Using stable N and C isotopes, we found that the percent contribution of natural prey to Channel Catfish tissue growth was higher for 1% BW/d ponds (median = 74%) than for 3% BW/d ponds (55%). In both feeding treatments, small fish (those with initial BWs < 15 g) had variable diets that included both natural prey and feed, whereas all of the larger fish (>15 g) depended mainly on feed for growth. Reducing the feeding rate decreased neither plankton abundances nor nutrient concentrations in ponds, but it did increase dissolved oxygen levels. We recommend that managers carefully consider the ecological role of feed in ponds and the usage of feed by fish to implement context-dependent sustainable feeding methods. For example, implementing the reduced feeding rate of 1% BW/d may increase the efficiency of producing Channel Catfish at sufficient sizes for stocking into natural waters without reducing survival in the hatchery.
John Heuser: Capture the moment
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: December 2012

Heuser uses quick-freeze, deep-etch electron microscopy to explore cellular ultrastructure.
Variant repeats are interspersed throughout the telomeres and recruit nuclear receptors in ALT cells
Authors: Conomos Dimitri , Stutz Michael D. , Hills Mark , Neumann Axel A. , Bryan Tracy M. , Reddel Roger R. , Pickett Hilda A.
Published: December 2012

Telomeres in cells that use the recombination-mediated alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway elicit a DNA damage response that is partly independent of telomere length. We therefore investigated whether ALT telomeres contain structural abnormalities that contribute to ALT activity. Here we used next generation sequencing to analyze the DNA content of ALT telomeres. We discovered that variant repeats were interspersed throughout the telomeres of ALT cells. We found that the C-type (TCAGGG) variant repeat predominated and created a high-affinity binding site for the nuclear receptors COUP-TF2 and TR4. Nuclear receptors were directly recruited to telomeres and ALT-associated characteristics were induced after incorporation of the C-type variant repeat by a mutant telomerase. We propose that the presence of variant repeats throughout ALT telomeres results from recombination-mediated telomere replication and spreading of variant repeats from the proximal regions of the telomeres and that the consequent binding of nuclear receptors alters the architecture of telomeres to facilitate further recombination.
Michelangelo’sSlavesand the Gift of Liberty*
Authors: Ruvoldt Maria
Published: December 2012

Sometime between 1544 and 1550, Michelangelo gave two sculptures, theRebellious Slaveand theDying Slave, to Roberto Strozzi, a fellow Florentine resident in Rome. Although the gift ostensibly signified gratitude for Strozzi’s hospitality during the artist’s convalescence from a grave illness, it had strong political undertones. Shortly after receiving this extraordinary present, Strozzi, most likely with Michelangelo’s consent, gave the sculptures away, presenting them to the King of France as part of an effort to persuade him to intervene on behalf of the Florentine Republic in its final struggle against Medici rule. Michelangelo’s loyalties, both personal and political, were simultaneously revealed and concealed in this act of calculated generosity. This article situates the gift within the context of Michelangelo’s habits of gift-giving, his networks of kinship, and the complicated politics of the 1530s and ’40s.
Fast-ion energy loss during TAE avalanches in the National Spherical Torus Experiment
Authors: Fredrickson E.D. , Crocker N.A. , Darrow D.S. , Gorelenkov N.N. , Kramer G.J. , Kubota S. , Podesta M. , White R.B. , Bortolon A. , Gerhardt S.P. , Bell R.E. , Diallo A. , LeBlanc B. , Levinton F.M. , Yuh H.
Published: December 2012

Strong toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) avalanches on NSTX, the National Spherical Torus Experiment (Ono et al 2000 Nucl. Fusion

40 557) are typically correlated with drops in the neutron rate in the range 5–15%. In previous studies of avalanches in L-mode plasmas, these neutron drops were found to be consistent with modelled losses of fast ions. Here we expand the study to TAE avalanches in NSTX H-mode plasmas with improved analysis techniques. At the measured TAE mode amplitudes, simulations with the ORBIT code predict that fast ion losses are negligible. However, the simulations predict that the TAE scatter the fast ions in energy, resulting in a small (≈5–6%) drop in fast ion β. The net decrease in energy of the fast ions is sufficient to account for about 50% of the drop in neutron rate, redistribution for ≈40%, and fast ion losses account for only ≈10%. This loss of energy from the fast ion population is comparable to the estimated energy lost by damping from the Alfvén wave during the burst. The previously studied TAE avalanches in L-mode are re-evaluated using an improved calculation of the potential fluctuations in the ORBIT code near the separatrix.
Use of Lateral Access in the Treatment of the Revision Spine Patient
Authors: Bederman Samuel S. , Le Vu H. , Pahlavan Sohrab , Kiester Douglas P. , Bhatia Nitin N. , Deviren Vedat
Published: December 2012

With the rate of spinal surgery increasing, we have seen a concomitant increase in the number of revision cases. It is, therefore, important to have a systematic approach to the management of these complicated patients with unique problems. A thorough understanding of the different pathologies affecting revision spine patients is critical to an effective treatment recommendation. Lateral access is a useful management approach since it can avoid the complications of operating through previous approaches. Furthermore, it possesses certain advantages for treatment in specific circumstances outlined in this paper. Long-term studies are needed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the lateral approach compared to the anterior and posterior approaches in the treatment of revision spine patients.
Effects of Aflatoxin on Liver and Protective Effectiveness of Esterified Glucomannan in Merino Rams
Authors: Colakoglu Fatma , Donmez Hasan Hüseyin
Published: December 2012

The effects of total aflatoxin (AF) given orally on liver in Merino rams were studied. In addition, this study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of an esterified glucomannan (EG) for protection against aflatoxicosis. One-year-old 32 Merino rams were divided into four equal groups. The control group (C) was fed with the commercial feed. The AF group was fed with commercial feed plus 250 μg/day of total AF. The EG group was fed with commercial feed plus 2 g/day of EG. The AF + EG group was fed with commercial feed plus 250 μg/day of total AF and 2 g/day of EG. After feeding period, tissue samples were taken from the liver in order to perform histological analyses. Vacuolar degeneration with small and large droplets and hydropic degeneration in hepatocytes were observed in the AF group. The ceroid pigmentation was observed in macrophages in groups or one by one. It was observed that the fat rate in hepatocytes was 2.6% in the C group, 35.5% in the AF group, 2.9% in the EG group, and 9.6% in the AF + EG group. In conclusion, the adverse effects caused by aflatoxicosis on the liver could be ameliorated by adding EG to the ration.
Predation drives interpopulation differences in parental care expression
Authors: Huang Wen‐San , Lin Si‐Min , Dubey Sylvain , Pike David A.
Published: December 2012

Expressing parental care after oviposition or parturition is usually an obligate (evolved) trait within a species, despite evolutionary theory predicting that widespread species should vary in whether or not they express parental care according to local selection pressures. The lizard Eutropis longicaudata expresses maternal care only in a single population throughout its large geographical range, but why this pattern occurs is unknown.

We used reciprocal translocation and predator exclusion experiments to test whether this intraspecific variation is a fixed trait within populations and whether predator abundance explains this perplexing pattern.

Wild‐caught female lizards that were reciprocally translocated consistently guarded or abandoned eggs in line with their population of origin. By contrast, most lizards raised in a common garden environment and subsequently released as adults adopted the maternal care strategy of the recipient population, even when the parents originated from a population lacking maternal care.

Egg predation represents a significant fitness cost in the populations where females display egg‐guarding behaviour, but guarding eggs outweighs this potential cost by increasing hatching success.

These results imply that predators can be a driving force in the expression of parental care in instances where it is normally absent and that local selection pressure is sufficient to cause behavioural divergence in whether or not parental care is expressed.
Low effect‐site concentration of propofol target‐controlled infusion reduces the risk of hypotension during endoscopy in a Taiwanese population
Authors: Hsu Wen‐Hung , Wang Sophie SW , Shih Hsiang‐Yao , Wu Meng‐Chieh , Chen Yi‐Yu , Kuo Fu‐Chen , Yang Hui‐Ying , Chiu Shun‐Li , Chu Koung‐Shing , Cheng Kuang‐I , Wu Deng‐Chyang , Lu I‐Cheng
Published: December 2012

Objective

Target‐controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol is an effective way of delivering propofol during endoscopy. However, the ideal effect‐site concentration (Ce) of propofol has not yet been defined in an Asian population. This study aimed to determine the ideal Ce of propofol in painless gastrointestinal endoscopy in a Taiwanese population.

Methods

A total of 121 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic endoscopy were recruited for this study. The endoscopic procedure was carried out within 1 h. TCI of propofol was utilized during the procedure. All patients received the same regimen to induce conscious sedation, including a bolus of midazolam (0.04 mg/kg) and fentanyl (0.5 μg/kg). The Ce of propofol was calculated using the Schneider model. Patients were randomly assigned to either the low Ce group (1.5–2.5 μg/mL) or high Ce group (3.0–4.0 μg/mL). Their cardiovascular and respiratory events were monitored during the procedure and the patients' post‐procedure satisfaction was evaluated.

Results

The mean requirement for propofol was 232.02 mg in the low Ce group and 329.56 mg in the high Ce group, respectively (P < 0.0001). No unexpected event was observed in either group. However, more episodes of hypotension were observed in the high Ce group (P = 0.026). The post‐procedure satisfaction rate between the two groups was comparable.

Conclusion

A low Ce of propofol TCI (1.5–2.5 μg/mL) achieved adequate anesthesia, reduced the risk of hypotension, and attained a high satisfaction rate in a Taiwanese population undergoing diagnostic painless endoscopy.
Analysis of photo‐id data allowing for missed matches and individuals identified from opposite sides
Authors: Hiby Lex , Paterson William D. , Redman Paula , Watkins John , Twiss Sean D. , Pomeroy Patrick
Published: December 2012

In many species, photo‐identification could be used as an alternative to artificial marking to provide data on demographic parameters. However, unless the population is very small or fragmented, software may be required to pre‐screen and reject most image pairs as potential matches.

Depending on the species and method used to obtain images, currently available software may falsely reject some matches. We estimate the false rejection rate (FRR) of the ExtractCompare (EC) program when used to pre‐screen images of female grey seals. Filtering images manually to reduce the FRR involves subjective assessment of image quality, reduces the amount of data available and may bias the results in favour of relatively well‐marked individuals.

The data may contain individuals identified only from the left side or the right side, as well as individuals identified from both sides.

Missed matches resulting from false rejections by pre‐screening software and/or inclusion of individuals identified only from opposite sides cause some individuals to generate multiple encounter histories.

We describe an open population model for data of this type which, given a measured risk of missing a match between a randomly selected pair of images of the same individual, provides maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of initial population size, survival/emigration and immigration/recruitment by calculating the expected frequency of any encounter history that could be generated.

As a case study for the method, we used EC to pre‐screen photographs of female grey seals on a breeding colony and generate encounter histories over five successive seasons. Allowing for the measured FRR, we calculated ML estimates for comparison with estimates from previous studies.

We also used the model with encounter histories simulated using the same FRR to give the same mixture of left side, right side and both sides histories and derived ML estimates for comparison with the values used to drive the simulation.

With FRR set at up to 33%, the method gave estimates of the abundance and survival parameters used in the simulation model that were biased by at most 4·7% up and 3% down, respectively. The results of the grey seal case study were consistent with previous estimates of apparent survival and trends in abundance.
Creating Educational Leaders: Experiences with Two Education Fellowships in Emergency Medicine
Authors: Yarris Lalena M. , Coates Wendy C.
Published: December 2012

Academic physicians aiming to build careers on the scholarship of teaching require specific career development opportunities designed to provide the skills necessary for successful advancement and promotion as clinician‐educators and scholars. Completing this training prior to embarking on an academic career may facilitate a smooth transition to a faculty position and establish mentoring networks and research collaboratives. This article describes two pilot medical education fellowships that have been successfully implemented in separate and unique departments of emergency medicine (EM). By comparing and contrasting the curricula and incorporating the experiences of graduating 10 EM education fellows over the past decade, the authors propose a fellowship structure that may be adapted to meet the needs of medical educators in a broad variety of fields and disciplines.
Outcomes of revision laparoscopic gastric banding: a retrospective study
Authors: Ee Eric , Nottle Peter D.
Published: December 2012

Background

Obesity is a health problem approaching pandemic proportions. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the bariatric procedure of choice in Australia for effective surgical treatment of severe obesity. Complications of LAGB lead to a high proportion of patients requiring revision surgery. However, literature regarding outcomes and failure rates of revision bariatric surgery is scarce, such that the choice of procedure at reoperation remains controversial. This paper aims to present outcomes of revision laparoscopic gastric banding.

Methods

One hundred eighty‐three consecutive revision LAGB procedures were performed in 163 patients between March 1998 and July 2009. Patients were followed up for a median period of 36 months. Weight change in terms of body mass index (BMI) and percentage excess weight loss (%EWL), morbidity and patient tolerance were examined.

Results

The average reduction in BMI from the primary LAGB procedure was 8.45 kg/m2, equivalent to a %EWL of 50.55. BMI of patients who underwent revision LAGB appears to remain stable, with mean change of +0.25 kg/m2 (%EWL 45.76, P = 0.5) at 3 years and −1.59 (%EWL 51.52, P = 0.12) at 5 years. The overall complication rate of revision LAGB was 13.7%, most commonly recurrent gastric pouch dilatation.

Conclusions

Revision LAGB is reasonably well tolerated by most patients. Preliminary outcome data indicate that revision gastric banding does not result in further weight loss in patients who have lost weight from primary banding, but does maintain the weight loss achieved.
Follow‐up of the tension‐free vaginal tape operation in everyday practice
Authors: Glavind Karin , Bjørk Jonna
Published: December 2012

A retrospective study was performed on clinical follow‐up after tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) operations for urinary stress incontinence in our department. Uncomplicated cases of TVT were followed with a telephone interview performed by a specialized nurse three months postoperatively and complex cases with a clinical examination after three months. During one year, 85/117 (73%) were followed by telephone interview and 32/117 (27%) clinically. Of those with a scheduled telephone interview, 73 (86%) were satisfied and without complications, while 12 had a clinical consultation either before or after the interview. Two patients with a scheduled telephone interview developed voiding dysfunction and contacted the operating department. Selecting uncomplicated cases for telephone interview after TVT operation is feasible for the majority of cases.