bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Excavation of a Late Neolithic Enclosure at Marden, Wiltshire
Authors: Wainwright G. J. , Evans J. G. , Longworth I. H.
Published: November 2011

Excavations in 1969 within a 35-acre enclosure at Marden on the north bank of the River Avon in the Vale of Pewsey confirmed its association with the Grooved Ware ceramic style and its superficial resemblances to the Durrington Walls enclosure ten miles downstream. A survey of the enclosure produced an unusual plan bounded by a bank with an internal ditch and on the south side by the River Avon itself, whilst the position of the Hatfield Barrow was established by geophysical means. Within the north-entrance causeway a small circular timber structure was recorded in a comparable position to the much larger building at Durrington Walls.
‘Cylinders’ in Campanian Art
Authors: Ling Roger
Published: November 2011

Cylindrical objects lying on their sides appear in a number of paintings and stucco reliefs in Roman Italy, and can be divided into three groups: those which serve as seats for actors in figure-scenes, those which appear amid groups of inanimate objects, and those which are provided with attachments resembling the handles of garden-rollers. (A full catalogue of known examples is given, not only in paintings and stuccoes, but also in other media.) Previous writers have tended to seek an all-embracing explanation, however fantastic, for these cylinders; but it is better to consider the groups separately. The first group are probably discarded column-drums, and the other two are probably rollers employed for preparing palaestra-surfaces (though, in origin, they too may be column-drums). The roller, unlike the simple column-drum, seems to have enjoyed only a temporary vogue as an artistic motif, and to have been confined to minor decorative work in the cities of Campania.
La Tène Burials between Burton Fleming and Rudston, North Humberside
Authors: Stead I. M.
Published: November 2011

In the first modern excavation of an Arras Culture cemetery 189 burials have been excavated so far and most had been at the centre of barrows with square-plan ditches. Two distinctive burial rites produced mutually exclusive ranges of grave-goods. There are at least 800 square barrows in the immediate vicinity arranged in large cemeteries, in smaller groups, and as isolated examples, and aerial photography has revealed a wealth of settlements as well.
St. Peter's Church, Barton-upon-Humber: Excavation and Structural Study, 1978–81
Authors: Rodwell Warwick , Rodwell Kirsty
Published: November 2011

Four seasons of excavation and structural study in St. Peter's Church have revealed a complex sequence, beginning with domestic occupation of the Pagan Saxon period, followed by a Middle Saxon settlement enclosure with adjacent cemetery of Christian character. In the later tenth century a three-celled turriform church was built in the cemetery, after the exhumation of graves covering its intended site. Related features in the cemetery include the foundation of a large free-standing cross, a group of wells and an oven, probably for baking bread, all grouped to the east of the chancel. Some of the pre-Conquest graves yielded evidence of probable barkwood coffins built with clenches and roves, while some twenty further graves contained rectangular timber coffins in varying states of preservation. Several were in near-perfect condition and have yielded exceptionally good evidence for techniques and tools employed by Anglo-Saxon carpenters.

The extant Saxon and medieval fabric of the church has been recorded in considerable detail, providing an insight into building and scaffolding methods, particularly of the tenth century. Excavation has revealed the complex development of the medieval church and its internal layout; and 1,326 graves, spanning a millennium, have been investigated.
The Medieval Cane Sugar Industry in Cyprus: Results of Recent Excavation
Authors: von Wartburg Marie-Louise
Published: November 2011

The results of the first systematic excavation of a cane sugar factory attached to the Lusignan Manor of Covocle (Kouklia), combined with a comparative study of similar installations in the western part of the island, demonstrate the importance of the cane sugar industry in the economy of late medieval Cyprus. Of interest in a wider historical context is the new evidence recovered for contemporary technology and mechanical devices. At the same time, a first comprehensive analysis of the characteristic industrial pottery from the site contributes to a better understanding of the process and the organization of cane sugar production.
Dales Ware: a distinctive Romano-British Cooking-pot
Authors: Gillam John P.
Published: November 2011

The type of cooking-pot considered here is common in northern England, is precisely datable, appears to have been fashionable only for a short period, and has an unmistakable profile. It is thus especially valuable as an index of chronology.

Though there are exceptions, most examples of the type are made in the same kind of fabric. This fabric is hard and coarse, with a smooth but unpolished surface; it is grey, black, or brown in colour. The body of the clay is charged with small fragments of white shell; these have often been dissolved by acids in the soil, leaving the surface pitted with shallow cavities, in the same way that pieces of mineral calcite are dissolved out of similar wares. The fabric thus belongs to the same family of calcite-gritted wares as Knapton ware and as the Huntcliff type of cooking-pot, without being identical with them. Wares of this character, differing from each other markedly in form, but only slightly in fabric, are found in early Iron Age, Roman, and Dark Age horizons, and are widely distributed; they were especially common in the Roman period in what is now Yorkshire, and in the north-east midlands. They did not appear in large numbers on Hadrian's Wall before the fourth century.
The so-called ‘Bellarmine’ Mask on Imported Rhenish Stoneware
Authors: Holmes M. R.
Published: November 2011

Just over a century ago Mr. William Chaffers read to the British Archaeological Association a paper in which he gave the name of Bellarmines to those mottled stoneware vessels, with bearded masks as their principal decoration, which were imported in large quantities from the Rhineland to be the regular tavern-crockery of Tudor and Stuart London. This paper, published by the Association in volume v of its Journal, appears to be the source of the popular belief, which almost everybody quotes and nobody checks, that the mask and jug were intended to satirize the features and rotundity of Cardinal Bellarmine, perhaps the greatest theologian of his time and certainly, to the hard-drinking Protestants of England, north Germany, and the Low Countries, the most redoubtable champion of the Church of Rome. Chaffers himself does not go so far as to claim detailed resemblance of face and figure, but says ‘if we can in any way rely upon the portraits of him thus handed down to posterity, he must indeed have been exceedingly hard featured’. On the other hand, he does specifically claim to be justified in ‘christening anew’ this type of vessel with the cardinal's name, and popular acceptance has done the rest.
Twelfth-Century Pottery from Exeter
Authors: Dunning G. C. , Fox Aileen
Published: November 2011

Excavations on the bombed sites in the centre of Exeter were carried out in 1945–7 on behalf of the Committee for War-damaged Exeter: their main objective was to gain an understanding of the history and plan of the city in Roman times, but the remains of later periods were also to be investigated as opportunities arose in the course of the work. An important group of early medieval pottery was found in 1946, and it is considered to deserve publication apart from the main report on the excavations.
The fourteenth-century heraldic glass in the eastern Lady Chapel of Bristol Cathedral
Authors: Sabin Arthur
Published: November 2011

All existing accounts of these windows are based on the notes by Mr. C. Winston printed in 1853 with the other communications made to the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland at Bristol in 1851. Most compilers have extracted their material from Leversage and Taylor's Illustrated History of Bristol Cathedral, the pertinent parts of which, including the colour-plates and heraldic descriptions, were composed by Mr. Leversage between 1851 and 1854 on the basis of Mr. Winston's paper.
The Power of Persuasion: Issue Framing and Advocacy in Argentina
Authors: RISLEY AMY
Published: November 2011

This article examines the collective action frames that civil societal actors in Argentina have used while engaging in advocacy. It argues that by devising effective framing strategies, members of civil society organisations increase their chances of participating in the agenda-setting, formulation and adoption phases of policy-making. The relationship between framing and participation is supported by a comparative analysis of two cases of advocacy: the campaign for a freedom of information law and the struggle for child protection legislation. The evidence suggests that civil societal actors often rely on the strength of their ideas and their persuasive power to achieve political relevance, which is analytically distinct from political outcomes.
Old wine in new bottles: vitamin D in the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis
Authors: Martineau Adrian R.
Published: November 2011

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of mortality, responsible for 1·68 million deaths worldwide in 2009. The global prevalence of latentMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection is estimated to be 32%, and this carries a 5–20% lifetime risk of reactivation disease. The emergence of drug-resistant organisms necessitates the development of new agents to enhance the response to antimicrobial therapy for active TB. Vitamin D was used to treat TB in the pre-antibiotic era, and its active metabolite, 1,25-dihydoxyvitamin D, has long been known to enhance the immune response to mycobacteriain vitro. Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with active TB, and several clinical trials have evaluated the role of adjunctive vitamin D supplementation in its treatment. Results of these studies are conflicting, reflecting variation between studies in baseline vitamin D status of participants, dosing regimens and outcome measures. Vitamin D deficiency is also recognised to be highly prevalent among people with latentM. tuberculosisinfection in both high- and low-burden settings, and there is a wealth of observational epidemiological evidence linking vitamin D deficiency with increased risk of reactivation disease. Randomised controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of active TB have yet to be performed, however. The conduct of such trials is a research priority, given the safety and low cost of vitamin D supplementation, and the potentially huge public health consequences of positive results.
Linear spectral mixture modelling of arctic vegetation using ground spectroradiometry
Authors: Mikheeva Anna , Novichikhin Anton , Tutubalina Olga
Published: November 2011

An experimental linear mixture modelling using ground spectroradiometric measurements in the Kola Peninsula, Russia has been carried out to create a basis for mapping vegetation and non-vegetation components in the tundra-taiga ecotone using satellite imagery. We concentrated on the ground level experiment with the goal to use it further for the classification of multispectral satellite imagery through spectral unmixing. This experiment was performed on the most detailed level of remote sensing research which is free from atmospheric effects and easy to understand. We have measured typical ecotone components, including Cetraria nivalis, Betula tortuosa, Empetrum nigrum, Betula nana, Picea abies and rocks (nepheline syenite). The result of the experiment shows that the spectral mixture is indeed formed linearly but different components have different influence. Typical spectral thresholds for each component were found which are significant for vegetation mapping. Spectral unmixing of ground level data was performed and accuracy was estimated. The results add new information on typical spectral thresholds which can potentially be applied for multispectral satellite imagery when upscaling from high resolution to coarser resolution.
Human-modified landscapes: patterns of fine-scale woody vegetation structure in communal savannah rangelands
Authors: FISHER J. T. , WITKOWSKI E.T.F. , ERASMUS B.F.N. , VAN AARDT J. , ASNER G. P. , WESSELS K. J. , MATHIEU R.
Published: November 2011

Despite electrification, over 90% of rural households in certain areas of South Africa continue to depend on fuelwood, and this affects woody vegetation structure, with associated cascading effects on biodiversity within adjacent lands. To promote sustainable use, the interactions between anthropogenic and environmental factors affecting vegetation structure in savannahs need to be understood. Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data collected over 4758 ha were used to examine woody vegetation structure in five communal rangelands around 12 settlements in Bushbuckridge, a municipality in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve (South Africa). The importance of underlying abiotic factors was evaluated by measuring size class distributions across catenas and using canonical correspondence analysis. Landscape position was significant in determining structure, indicating the importance of underlying biophysical factors. Differences in structure were settlement-specific, related to mean annual precipitation at one site, and human population density and intensity of use at the other four sites. Size class distributions of woody vegetation revealed human disturbance gradients around settlements. Intensity of use affected the amplitude, not the shape, of the size class distribution, suggesting the same height classes were being harvested across settlements, but amount harvested varied between settlements. Highly used rangelands result in a disappearance of disturbance gradients, leading to homogeneous patches of low woody cover around settlements with limited rehabilitation options. Reductions in disturbance gradients can serve as early warning indicators of woodland degradation, a useful tool in planning for conservation and sustainable development.
Improved hepatitis C treatment response in younger patients: findings from the UK HCV National Register cohort study
Authors: HARRIS H. E. , COSTELLA A. , AMIRTHALINGAM G. , ALEXANDER G. , RAMSAY M. E. B. , ANDREWS N. ,   the UK HCV National Register Collaborators
Published: November 2011

In a cohort of 272 treatment-naive individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection acquired on a known date who were enrolled in the UK HCV National Register, a progressive improvement in response to treatment was found with the evolution of antiviral therapies from 20% (25/122) for interferon monotherapy to 63% (55/88) for pegylated interferon+ribavirin therapy. Multivariable analysis results showed increasing age to be associated with poorer response to therapy [odds ratio (OR) 0·84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·72–0·99,P=0·03] whereas time since infection was not associated with response (OR 0·93, 95% CI 0·44–1·98,P=0·85). Other factors significantly associated with a positive response were non-type 1 genotype (P<0·0001) and combination therapies (P<0·0001). During the first two decades of chronic HCV infection, treatment at a younger age was found to be more influential in achieving a sustained viral response than treating earlier in the course of infection.
The Turán Number ofF3,3
Authors: KEEVASH PETER , MUBAYI DHRUV
Published: November 2011

LetF3,3be the 3-graph on 6 vertices, labelledabcxyz, and 10 edges, one of which isabc, and the other 9 of which are all triples that contain 1 vertex fromabcand 2 vertices fromxyz. We show that for alln≥ 6, the maximum number of edges in anF3,3-free 3-graph onnvertices is$\binom{n}{3} - \binom{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}{3} - \binom{\lceil n/2 \rceil}{3}$. This sharpens results of Zhou [9] and of the second author and Rödl [7].
An Inventory of Tibetan Sound Laws
Authors: HILL NATHAN W.
Published: November 2011

Scholars of Indo-European historical linguistics have long found it convenient to refer to well known sound changes by the name of the researcher who first noticed the correspondences the sound change accounts for. Because of the proven utility of such named sound laws in Indo-European linguistics, the explicit listing and naming of sound laws in the Tibeto-Burman family could be expected to bring similar benefits.
Can native Japanese listeners learn to differentiate /r–l/ on the basis of F3 onset frequency?
Authors: INGVALSON ERIN M. , HOLT LORI L. , McCLELLAND JAMES L.
Published: November 2011

Many attempts have been made to teach native Japanese listeners to perceptually differentiate English /r–l/ (e.g.rock–lock). Though improvement is evident, in no case is final performance native English-like. We focused our training on the third formant onset frequency, shown to be the most reliable indicator of /r–l/ category membership. We first presented listeners with instances of synthetic /r–l/ stimuli varying only in F3 onset frequency, in a forced-choice identification training task with feedback. Evidence of learning was limited. The second experiment utilized an adaptive paradigm beginning with non-speech stimuli consisting only of /r/ and /l/ F3 frequency trajectories progressing to synthetic speech instances of /ra–la/; half of the trainees received feedback. Improvement was shown by some listeners, suggesting some enhancement of /r–l/ identification is possible following training with only F3 onset frequency. However, only a subset of these listeners showed signs of generalization of the training effect beyond the trained synthetic context.
Inhibitory control predicts language switching performance in trilingual speech production
Authors: LINCK JARED A. , SCHWIETER JOHN W. , SUNDERMAN GRETCHEN
Published: November 2011

This study investigated the role of domain-general inhibitory control in trilingual speech production. Taking an individual differences approach, we examined the relationship between performance on a non-linguistic measure of inhibitory control (the Simon task) and a multilingual language switching task for a group of fifty-six native English (L1) speakers learning French (L2) and Spanish (L3). Better inhibitory control was related to reduced switch costs, but only when switching into or out of the more dominant L1, where inhibitory control has been theorized to be most important (Green, 1998). The results provide evidence of a direct link between inhibitory control abilities and language switching capabilities, and suggest constraints on the conditions under which a domain-general inhibitory control mechanism supports language switching.
Helping consumers make a more conscious nutritional choice: acceptability of nutrition information at a cafeteria
Authors: Turconi Giovanna , Bazzano Rosella , Roggi Carla , Cena Hellas
Published: November 2011

Objective

A few studies link out-of-home eating to higher energy consumption, overweight and obesity in both adults and children. The present study was undertaken to investigate the nutritional value of meals available in a university cafeteria, in order to develop a target nutritional tool to help consumers make a more conscious nutritional choice.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

In a university cafeteria in Pavia, northern Italy, the recipes and ingredients of each meal served during the whole year were obtained from the cooks. Energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre contents were computed for each meal standardized portion. Thirteen pyramid figures, subdivided into three coloured levels, were used to depict the energy and nutrient content of each meal.

Subjects

Four hundred randomly selected customers were interviewed on the cafeteria nutritional proposal.

Results

Foods available in the cafeteria consisted of 216 items and were distributed in the pyramids according to their energy content: the lowest ones at the bottom (green level) and the highest ones at the top (red level), passing through an orange level in the middle. Energy values ranged from 460 kJ (110 kcal) for a portion of dressed vegetables to 5021 kJ (1200 kcal) for a pizza. The depicted pyramids were displayed in the cafeteria, so that customers could choose their meal according to its nutritional value. The meals’ nutritional content information was perceived very helpful for customers’ nutritional choices.

Conclusions

Availability of nutrition information in the cafeteria was well accepted by the customers who could plan their meals according to a more balanced diet.
The role of anthropometric and nutritional factors on breast cancer risk in African-American women
Authors: Chandran Urmila , Hirshfield Kim M , Bandera Elisa V
Published: November 2011

Objective

While the role of nutrition, physical activity and body size on breast cancer risk has been extensively investigated, most of these studies were conducted in Caucasian populations. However, there are well-known differences in tumour biology and the prevalence of these factors between African-American and Caucasian women. The objective of the present paper was to conduct a review of the role of dietary factors, anthropometry and physical activity on breast cancer risk in African-American women.

Design

Twenty-six research articles that presented risk estimates on these factors in African-American women and five articles involving non-US black women were included in the current review.

Setting

Racial disparities in the impact of anthropometric and nutritional factors on breast cancer risk.

Subjects

African-American and non-US black women.

Results

Based on the few studies that presented findings in African-American women, an inverse association with physical activity was found for pre- and postmenopausal African-American women, while the association for anthropometric and other dietary factors, such as alcohol, was unclear. Studies assessing the effect by molecular subtypes in African-American women were too few and based on sample sizes too small to provide definitive conclusions.

Conclusions

The effect of certain nutrition and lifestyle factors on breast cancer in African-American women is not starkly distinct from those observed in white women. However, there is an enormous need for further research on this minority group to obtain more confirmatory findings.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide in migraine: intersection of peripheral inflammation and central modulation
Authors: Raddant Ann C. , Russo Andrew F.
Published: November 2011

Over the past two decades, a convergence of basic and clinical evidence has established the neuropeptide calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) as a key player in migraine. Although CGRP is a recognised neuromodulator of nociception, its mechanism of action in migraine remains elusive. In this review, we present evidence that led us to propose that CGRP is well poised to enhance neurotransmission in migraine by both peripheral and central mechanisms. In the periphery, it is thought that local release of CGRP from the nerve endings of meningeal nociceptors following their initial activation by cortical spreading depression is critical for the induction of vasodilation, plasma protein extravasation, neurogenic inflammation and the consequential sensitisation of meningeal nociceptors. Mechanistically, we propose that CGRP release can give rise to a positive-feedback loop involved in localised increased synthesis and release of CGRP from neurons and a CGRP-like peptide called procalcitonin from trigeminal ganglion glia. Within the brain, the wide distribution of CGRP and CGRP receptors provides numerous possible targets for CGRP to act as a neuromodulator.
Skryabin's Revolving Harmonies, Lacanian Desire, and RiemannianFunktionstheorie
Authors: SMITH KENNETH M.
Published: November 2011

That Skryabin's harmonic language is rooted in dominant functionality is commonly acknowledged. However, the flow of his tensile dominant-based sonorities has not been adequately explored. This article seeks to correlate his harmonic processes with his erotically charged philosophy. It sketches ways in which our understanding of Skryabin's harmonic ‘flow’ can be reinforced by analytical thinking in both psychoanalysis and music theory, bringing Jacques Lacan's semiotic model of the circuit of human desire into dialogue with Hugo Riemann'sFunktionstheorie. Two of Skryabin's harmonic proclivities direct the chosen analytical approach: 1) sequential chains of fifths and 2) transposition by multiples of the minor third. The interchange of these two characteristics is explored, with Riemann's categories of chordal function (T,S, andD) grafted onto a model of tonal pitch space derived (via Fred Lerdahl) from Gottfried Weber. The way in which Skryabin ‘rotates’ tonal functions sequentially (i.e.,T→S→D→T) in a potentially infinite cycle of fifths, rerouted occasionally through minor-third transposition, is correlated with Lacanian drive theory. The article's concluding analysis of Skryabin's late octatonic Sonata no. 6, Op. 62, takes this ‘rotation’ of tonal function to a deeper structural level. The labelling system ofFunktionstheorie, which is stretched at this point, is reconceptualized through Lacan's extension of his theory of desire into semiotics.
Bach and Cigarettes: Imagining the Everyday in Jarmusch'sInt. Trailer. Night
Authors: CENCIARELLI CARLO
Published: November 2011

In Jim Jarmusch'sInt. Trailer. Night(2002) a young American actress, alone in her trailer for a ten-minute break, lights up a cigarette and puts on a CD of theGoldberg Variations. In this short, almost plotless experimental film Bach sounds outside the frameworks that typically motivate the diegetic presence of so-called ‘classical music’ in cinema, detached from the places and signifiers of high art and from high-level meanings and pointed occurrences. This unusual representation of listening opens up two complementary lines of enquiry: first, into the way in which Jarmusch draws on Bach to invent a reality that is strange and irreducible, marked by unexpected cultural affiliations and by an elusive affective realm; second, into the way in which, by thus channelling Bach into his poetics of the everyday, the director reinvents the music's own identity, putting forward a de-essentialized image of its cultural placement and aesthetic status.
Relationship between sprite streamer behavior and lightning‐driven electric fields
Authors: Li Jingbo , Cummer Steven
Published: November 2011

The lightning‐driven electric fields not only initiate sprite streamers at high altitudes but also control their propagation to lower altitudes until termination. Thus, the relationship between sprite streamer behavior and their causative lightning‐driven ambient electric field can reveal the internal microphysics during sprite development. In this work, we combined the measurements of broadband electromagnetic radiation from sprite‐producing lightning, high‐speed video of sprite optical emissions acquired at 5,000–10,000 frames per second, and numerical simulations to infer the background lightning‐driven electric fields during the full extent of downward streamer propagation. For four sprites analyzed, all with positive polarity downward streamers, the observed streamers all terminate at locations where the ambient electric field is approximately 0.05 Ek, independent of the altitude where this field is reached. For two sprites with significant horizontal extent, the points of streamer termination closely follow the spatial contour of the E = 0.05 Ek surface, further confirming the consistency of this termination background field for positive sprite streamers. The positive streamers also begin their significant deceleration where the background field drops below 0.12–0.24 Ek. These measured termination field (Eter) and deceleration field (Edec) are consistent with previous laboratory experiments of positive streamer stopping field and critical field to sustain stable propagation. These results connect sprite streamer behavior with the lightning‐driven background electric fields and can be a step to further constrain the existing model of streamer propagation in the mesosphere.
Analysis of the winter and semiannual ionospheric anomalies in 1999–2009 based on GPS global International GNSS Service maps
Authors: Meza A. , Natali M. P. , Fernández Laura I.
Published: November 2011

Our work is focused on the analysis of seasonal and semiannual ionospheric anomalies using vertical total electron content (VTEC) measurements obtained by the International GNSS Service (IGS). For this study we use principal component analysis (PCA) and wavelet transform (WT) because both numerical tools allow us to isolate principal components of the VTEC variability as much spatially as temporally. The IGS VTEC maps are reorganized, and from each daily global data set, two maps were constructed: one at 12:00 LT and the other at 22:00 LT. From these two series of VTEC maps covering the period 1999–2009 for each local time, we found that the semiannual anomaly is globally recorded at noon, especially at mid and low geomagnetic latitudes, and its amplitude has a close relationship with the solar activity, and at night this anomaly is recorded during high solar activity and the larger values are located in the South American region. The values of VTEC at the March equinox exceed that of the September equinox, especially during high solar activity; the winter anomaly is recorded at noon near the geomagnetic poles region, and the effect is more important during high solar activity. At night this anomaly is present during the ascending and descending phases and minimum of the solar cycle. Thus, the night winter anomaly effect is clearly evidenced from our results.
Structure and seismogenic properties of the Mentawai segment of the Sumatra subduction zone revealed by local earthquake traveltime tomography
Authors: Collings R. , Lange D. , Rietbrock A. , Tilmann F. , Natawidjaja D. , Suwargadi B. , Miller M. , Saul J.
Published: November 2011

On 12 September 2007, an Mw8.4 earthquake occurred within the southern section of the Mentawai segment of the Sumatra subduction zone, where the subduction thrust had previously ruptured in 1833 and 1797. Traveltime data obtained from a temporary local seismic network, deployed between December 2007 and October 2008 to record the aftershocks of the 2007 event, was used to determine two‐dimensional (2‐D) and three‐dimensional (3‐D) velocity models of the Mentawai segment. The seismicity distribution reveals significant activity along the subduction interface and within two clusters in the overriding plate either side of the forearc basin. The downgoing slab is clearly distinguished by a dipping region of highVp (8.0 km/s), which can be a traced to ∼50 km depth, with an increased Vp/Vs ratio (1.75 to 1.90) beneath the islands and the western side of the forearc basin, suggesting hydrated oceanic crust. Above the slab, a shallow continental Moho of less than 30 km depth can be inferred, suggesting that the intersection of the continental mantle with the subducting slab is much shallower than the downdip limit of the seismogenic zone despite localized serpentinization being present at the toe of the mantle wedge. The outer arc islands are characterized by low Vp (4.5–5.8 km/s) and high Vp/Vs (greater than 2.0), suggesting that they consist of fluid saturated sediments. The very low rigidity of the outer forearc contributed to the slow rupture of the Mw 7.7 Mentawai tsunami earthquake on 25 October 2010.
The inversion of deep‐sea magnetic anomalies using Akaike's Bayesian information criterion
Authors: Honsho Chie , Ura Tamaki , Tamaki Kensaku
Published: November 2011

We present a magnetic inversion method in the space domain using Akaike's Bayesian information criterion (ABIC). The horizontal variation of magnetization intensity is represented by a linear combination of bicubic B spline functions, and the problem is set to determine the expansion coefficients. A prior constraint on the roughness of the magnetization variation is incorporated in order to suppress the numerical instability. The ABIC give us the optimal weight of the prior constraint relative to the requirement of fitting the observed data, which is statistically determined from the quality and quantity of the data based on the entropy maximization principle. We applied this method to actual deep‐sea magnetic data collected by using an autonomous underwater vehicle and successfully obtained a magnetization distribution that adequately accounts for the observation. The solution does not suffer from the inevitable smoothing due to high‐cut filtering or an error caused by reducing the data onto a flat surface as sometimes happens in current inversion methods. Our method is especially useful in handling data collected along a surface of extreme topography over a relatively small area.
On the sensitivity of infrasonic traveltimes in the equatorial region to the atmospheric tides
Authors: Assink J. D. , Waxler R. , Drob D.
Published: November 2011

In comparison to the lower atmosphere where comprehensive global atmospheric specifications are commonplace, the ability to perform routine global measurements of the properties of the atmosphere above the stratopause continues to be an active area of scientific research. In this paper, we revisit the use of infrasound as a remote sensing technique for horizontal winds in the upper atmosphere. To use infrasound to monitor the winds in the upper atmosphere, a sufficiently strong and persistent infrasound source is required. In addition, because of the highly attenuating nature of the thermosphere, the signals used must have low enough frequency content to survive. In this paper, impulsive signals from the Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador are used. This volcano has gone through periods of intense activity during which impulsive signals of dominant periods between 3 and 5 s are emitted. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, stratospheric, mesospheric, and thermospheric arrivals are observed. It is found that the traveltimes of the thermospheric arrivals exhibit a coherent variability with periods equal to those of the tidal harmonics. As such, these observations suggest a means of passive atmospheric remote sensing that can be utilized in conjunction with other techniques to routinely measure the state of the upper atmosphere.
Rapid transpacific transport in autumn observed by the A‐train satellites
Authors: Hsu N. Christina , Li Can , Krotkov Nickolay A. , Liang Qing , Yang Kai , Tsay Si‐Chee
Published: November 2011

Transpacific transport of dust and pollutants is well documented for spring but less so for other seasons. Here we investigate rapid transpacific transport in autumn utilizing the A‐train satellites. In three episodes studied as examples, SO2 plumes over East Asia were detected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument aboard the Aura satellite and found to reach North America in 5–6 days. They were likely derived from anthropogenic sources, given that identical transport patterns of CO, a tracer for incomplete combustion, were simultaneously observed by the Aqua satellite. Trajectory analysis and meteorological data were employed to explore the meteorological circumstances surrounding these events: like many of their counterparts in spring, all three plumes were lifted to the free troposphere in warm conveyor belts associated with midlatitude wave cyclones, and their migration to the downwind region was regulated by the meteorology over the east Pacific. These cases provide further evidence that a fraction of SO2 could escape wet scavenging and be transported at much greater efficiency than could NOx (NO + NO2). An analysis of the SO2 and CO data from September to November during 2005–2008 found 16 SO2 long‐range transport episodes, out of 62 Asian outflow events. While the counts are sensitive to the choice of criteria, they suggest that the long‐range transport of Asian sulfur species occurs quite frequently and could exert strong impacts on large downstream areas. This study also highlights the importance of transpacific transport in autumn, which has thus far been rarely studied and deserves more attention from the community.
Lunar impact basins: Stratigraphy, sequence and ages from superposed impact crater populations measured from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) data
Authors: Fassett C. I. , Head J. W. , Kadish S. J. , Mazarico E. , Neumann G. A. , Smith D. E. , Zuber M. T.
Published: November 2011

Impact basin formation is a fundamental process in the evolution of the Moon and records the history of impactors in the early solar system. In order to assess the stratigraphy, sequence, and ages of impact basins and the impactor population as a function of time, we have used topography from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to measure the superposed impact crater size‐frequency distributions for 30 lunar basins (D ≥ 300 km). These data generally support the widely used Wilhelms sequence of lunar basins, although we find significantly higher densities of superposed craters on many lunar basins than derived by Wilhelms (50% higher densities). Our data also provide new insight into the timing of the transition between distinct crater populations characteristic of ancient and young lunar terrains. The transition from a lunar impact flux dominated by Population 1 to Population 2 occurred before the mid‐Nectarian. This is before the end of the period of rapid cratering, and potentially before the end of the hypothesized Late Heavy Bombardment. LOLA‐derived crater densities also suggest that many Pre‐Nectarian basins, such as South Pole‐Aitken, have been cratered to saturation equilibrium. Finally, both crater counts and stratigraphic observations based on LOLA data are applicable to specific basin stratigraphic problems of interest; for example, using these data, we suggest that Serenitatis is older than Nectaris, and Humboldtianum is younger than Crisium. Sample return missions to specific basins can anchor these measurements to a Pre‐Imbrian absolute chronology.
Spatiotemporal analysis of black spruce forest soils and implications for the fate of C
Authors: Harden Jennifer W. , Manies Kristen L. , O'Donnell Jonathan , Johnson Kristofer , Frolking Steve , Fan Zhaosheng
Published: November 2011

Post‐fire storage of carbon (C) in organic‐soil horizons was measured in one Canadian and three Alaskan chronosequences in black spruce forests, together spanning stand ages of nearly 200 yrs. We used a simple mass balance model to derive estimates of inputs, losses, and accumulation rates of C on timescales of years to centuries. The model performed well for the surface and total organic soil layers and presented questions for resolving the dynamics of deeper organic soils. C accumulation in all study areas is on the order of 20–40 gC/m2/yr for stand ages up to ∼200 yrs. Much larger fluxes, both positive and negative, are detected using incremental changes in soil C stocks and by other studies using eddy covariance methods for CO2. This difference suggests that over the course of stand replacement, about 80% of all net primary production (NPP) is returned to the atmosphere within a fire cycle, while about 20% of NPP enters the organic soil layers and becomes available for stabilization or loss via decomposition, leaching, or combustion. Shifts toward more frequent and more severe burning and degradation of deep organic horizons would likely result in an acceleration of the carbon cycle, with greater CO2 emissions from these systems overall.
Assessing local planning to control groundwater depletion: California as a microcosm of global issues
Authors: Nelson Rebecca L.
Published: November 2011

Groundwater pumping has caused excessive groundwater depletion around the world, yet regulating pumping remains a profound challenge. California uses more groundwater than any other U.S. state, and serves as a microcosm of the adverse effects of pumping felt worldwide—land subsidence, impaired water quality, and damaged ecosystems, all against the looming threat of climate change. The state largely entrusts the control of depletion to the local level. This study uses internationally accepted water resources planning theories systematically to investigate three key aspects of controlling groundwater depletion in California, with an emphasis on local‐level action: (a) making decisions and engaging stakeholders; (b) monitoring groundwater; and (c) using mandatory, fee‐based and voluntary approaches to control groundwater depletion (e.g., pumping restrictions, pumping fees, and education about water conservation, respectively). The methodology used is the social science‐derived technique of content analysis, which involves using a coding scheme to record these three elements in local rules and plans, and State legislation, then analyzing patterns and trends. The study finds that Californian local groundwater managers rarely use, or plan to use, mandatory and fee‐based measures to control groundwater depletion. Most use only voluntary approaches or infrastructure to attempt to reduce depletion, regardless of whether they have more severe groundwater problems, or problems which are more likely to have irreversible adverse effects. The study suggests legal reforms to the local groundwater planning system, drawing upon its empirical findings. Considering the content of these recommendations may also benefit other jurisdictions that use a local groundwater management planning paradigm.
A Two-Compartment Mathematical Model of Neuroglial Metabolism Using [1-11C] Acetate
Authors: Lanz Bernard , Uffmann Kai , T Wyss Matthias , Weber Bruno , Buck Alfred , Gruetter Rolf
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop a two-compartment metabolic model of brain metabolism to assess oxidative metabolism from [1-11C] acetate radiotracer experiments, using an approach previously applied in 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and compared with an one-tissue compartment model previously used in brain [1-11C] acetate studies. Compared with 13C MRS studies, 11C radiotracer measurements provide a single uptake curve representing the sum of all labeled metabolites, without chemical differentiation, but with higher temporal resolution. The reliability of the adjusted metabolic fluxes was analyzed with Monte-Carlo simulations using synthetic 11C uptake curves, based on a typical arterial input function and previously published values of the neuroglial fluxes Vtcag, Vx, Vnt, and Vtcan measured in dynamic 13C MRS experiments. Assuming Vxg=10 × Vtcag and Vxn= Vtcan, it was possible to assess the composite glial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle flux Vgtg ( Vgtg= Vxg × Vtcag/( Vxg+ Vtcag)) and the neurotransmission flux Vnt from 11C tissue-activity curves obtained within 30 minutes in the rat cortex with a beta-probe after a bolus infusion of [1-11C] acetate ( n=9), resulting in Vgtg=0.136±0.042 and Vnt=0.170±0.103 μmol/g per minute (mean±s.d. of the group), in good agreement with 13C MRS measurements.
Cyclic strain induces dual-mode endothelial-mesenchymal transformation of the cardiac valve
Authors: Balachandran Kartik , Alford Patrick W. , Wylie-Sears Jill , Goss Josue A. , Grosberg Anna , Bischoff Joyce , Aikawa Elena , Levine Robert A. , Parker Kevin Kit
Published: November 2011

Endothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) is a critical event for the embryonic morphogenesis of cardiac valves. Inducers of EMT during valvulogenesis include VEGF, TGF-β1, and wnt/β-catenin (where wnt refers to the wingless-type mammary tumor virus integration site family of proteins), that are regulated in a spatiotemporal manner. EMT has also been observed in diseased, strain-overloaded valve leaflets, suggesting a regulatory role for mechanical strain. Although the preponderance of studies have focused on the role of soluble mitogens, we asked if the valve tissue microenvironment contributed to EMT. To recapitulate these microenvironments in a controlled, in vitro environment, we engineered 2D valve endothelium from sheep valve endothelial cells, using microcontact printing to mimic the regions of isotropy and anisotropy of the leaflet, and applied cyclic mechanical strain in an attempt to induce EMT. We measured EMT in response to both low (10%) and high strain (20%), where low-strain EMT occurred via increased TGF-β1 signaling and high strain via increased wnt/β-catenin signaling, suggesting dual strain-dependent routes to distinguish EMT in healthy versus diseased valve tissue. The effect was also directionally dependent, where cyclic strain applied orthogonal to axis of the engineered valve endothelium alignment resulted in severe disruption of cell microarchitecture and greater EMT. Once transformed, these tissues exhibited increased contractility in the presence of endothelin-1 and larger basal mechanical tone in a unique assay developed to measure the contractile tone of the engineered valve tissues. This finding is important, because it implies that the functional properties of the valve are sensitive to EMT. Our results suggest that cyclic mechanical strain regulates EMT in a strain magnitude and directionally dependent manner.
Synthesis of three advanced biofuels from ionic liquid-pretreated switchgrass using engineered
Escherichia coli
Authors: Bokinsky Gregory , Peralta-Yahya Pamela P. , George Anthe , Holmes Bradley M. , Steen Eric J. , Dietrich Jeffrey , Soon Lee Taek , Tullman-Ercek Danielle , Voigt Christopher A. , Simmons Blake A. , Keasling Jay D.
Published: November 2011

One approach to reducing the costs of advanced biofuel production from cellulosic biomass is to engineer a single microorganism to both digest plant biomass and produce hydrocarbons that have the properties of petrochemical fuels. Such an organism would require pathways for hydrocarbon production and the capacity to secrete sufficient enzymes to efficiently hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose. To demonstrate how one might engineer and coordinate all of the necessary components for a biomass-degrading, hydrocarbon-producing microorganism, we engineered a microorganism naïve to both processes,
Escherichia coli
, to grow using both the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of several types of plant biomass pretreated with ionic liquids. Our engineered strains express cellulase, xylanase, beta-glucosidase, and xylobiosidase enzymes under control of native
E. coli
promoters selected to optimize growth on model cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates. Furthermore, our strains grow using either the cellulose or hemicellulose components of ionic liquid-pretreated biomass or on both components when combined as a coculture. Both cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic strains were further engineered with three biofuel synthesis pathways to demonstrate the production of fuel substitutes or precursors suitable for gasoline, diesel, and jet engines directly from ionic liquid-treated switchgrass without externally supplied hydrolase enzymes. This demonstration represents a major advance toward realizing a consolidated bioprocess. With improvements in both biofuel synthesis pathways and biomass digestion capabilities, our approach could provide an economical route to production of advanced biofuels.