bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fingering a Murderer: A Successful Anthropological and Radiological Collaboration*
Authors: Brogdon B.G. , Sorg Marcella H. , Marden Kerriann
Published: December 2009

Abstract:  We illustrate an interdisciplinary approach to identify a victim in a case with complex taphonomic and procedural issues. Burning, fragmentation, species commingling, and examination by multiple experts required anthropological preparation and analysis combined with radiographic adaptations to image and match trabecular patterns in unusually small, burned specimens. A missing person was last seen in the company of a reclusive female on a remote rural property. A warranted search found several burn sites containing human and animal bones. Fragment preparation, analysis, and development of a biological profile by anthropologists enabled examination by the odontologist, molecular biologist, and radiologist, and justified use of antemortem radiographs from one potential victim. Visual and radiological comparison resulted in a positive (later confirmed) identification of the victim by radiological matches of three carpal phalanges. Although some dimensional changes are expected with burning, morphological details were preserved, aided by selection of relatively intact, small bones for comparison.
Ninhydrin Thiohemiketals: Basic Research Towards Improved Fingermark Detection Techniques Employing Nano‐Technology*
Authors: Almog Joseph , Glasner Hagai
Published: December 2009

Abstract:  In the first part of a comprehensive research project towards more efficient application of nano‐technology to fingerprint visualization, we investigated the possibility of more selective binding of gold nanoparticles (NP) to fingerprint material. We synthesized derivatives of ninhydrin and 1,2‐indanedione containing loosely bound thiol groups. In particular: thiohemiketals (THK) of ninhydrin, and thioketals of 1,2‐indanedione were prepared and tested as potential fingerprint reagents. By reacting ninhydrin with various thiols we were able to produce a series of novel THK, bearing the SR group always at C2. Ninhydrin THK reacted with amino acids to produce the expected Ruhemann’s purple, and they also developed latent fingermarks on paper in a similar manner to ninhydrin. Ketals and thioketals derived from 1,2‐indanedione reacted neither with amino acids nor with latent fingermarks. In the second part of the research, the thiols which are formed on the ridges as byproducts of the reaction with amino acids will be tested for their potential as stabilizers for gold NP that will become covalently bound to the fingerprint ridges.
THE PROGRESSIVE QUANDARY ABOUT SEIU: A TALE OF TWO LETTERS TO ANDY STERN
Authors: Early Steve
Published: December 2009

The terrain of “progressive labor” in the U.S. has shifted dramatically in recent years. The two million‐member Service Employees International Union—long associated with the remaking of labor as a force for social justice—has become embroiled in a series of controversies that have alienated past campus, community, and political allies. A union that once commanded almost automatic support in left‐liberal academic circles now finds many “friends of labor” arrayed against it, rhetorically at least, and in some cases, actively assisting organizational rivals such as UNITE HERE and the new National Union of Healthcare Workers. The following article examines the recent history of the labor‐intellectual alliance that emerged in the mid‐1990s, in response to changes in the national American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL‐CIO) leadership. It assesses the current state of relations between labor‐oriented academics and key unions associated with the Change To Win coalition that split from the AFL‐CIO in 2005.
Assessment of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera, Tephritidae) pupae killed by heat or cold as hosts for rearing Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)
Authors: Tormos J. , Beitia F. , Alonso M. , Asís J.D. , Gayubo S.F.
Published: December 2009

In this work, we study the suitability of using dead medfly Ceratitis capitata pupae, killed by heat‐ or cold‐shock, for the mass rearing of Spalangia cameroni, a pupal parasitoid of key pests. 100% mortality of medfly pupae could be accomplished with cold‐shock at –20°C for 60 min or with heat‐shock at 55°C for 30 min. Neither parasitism percentage nor sex ratio of the offspring differed significantly among heat‐shocked, cold‐shocked and untreated pupae. In addition, there was no significant difference in the percentage of parasitoids that aborted (♂♂ or ♀♀) among pupal treatments. Some of the pupae were covered with peat because the third larval instar of the medfly buries itself before pupation. However, the buried pupae were not parasitised at a greater or lesser rate than those not covered with peat. The percentage of parasitism was also unaffected by whether the pupae had been killed recently or had been stored at between 4°C and 6°C over 15 or 30 days. The use of dead hosts and later storage permitted the following: (a) the use of hosts over long periods of time; (b) a rapid increase in parasitoid numbers and (c) the availability of pupae killed at the most suitable postpupation times for the production of parasitoids. Furthermore, in biological control projects, the use of dead parasitised pupae in the field avoids the risk of enhancing the pest and allows an increase in parasitism in the field through the use of pupae treated with cold‐ or heat‐shock.
Model‐Free CUSUM Methods for Person Fit
Authors: Armstrong Ronald D. , Shi Min
Published: December 2009

This article demonstrates the use of a new class of model‐free cumulative sum (CUSUM) statistics to detect person fit given the responses to a linear test. The fundamental statistic being accumulated is the likelihood ratio of two probabilities. The detection performance of this CUSUM scheme is compared to other model‐free person‐fit statistics found in the literature as well as an adaptation of another CUSUM approach. The study used both simulated responses and real response data from a large‐scale standardized admission test.
Impact of Diagnosticity on the Adequacy of Models for Cognitive Diagnosis under a Linear Attribute Structure: A Simulation Study
Authors: De La Torre Jimmy , Karelitz Tzur M.
Published: December 2009

Compared to unidimensional item response models (IRMs), cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) based on latent classes represent examinees' knowledge and item requirements using discrete structures. This study systematically examines the viability of retrofitting CDMs to IRM‐based data with a linear attribute structure. The study utilizes a procedure to make the IRM and CDM frameworks comparable and investigates how estimation accuracy is affected by test diagnosticity and the match between the true and fitted models. The study shows that comparable results can be obtained when highly diagnostic IRM data are retrofitted with CDM, and vice versa, retrofitting CDMs to IRM‐based data in some conditions can result in considerable examinee misclassification, and model fit indices provide limited indication of the accuracy of item parameter estimation and attribute classification.
THE INVESTIGATION OF GENDER‐RELATED SENSITIVITY DIFFERENCES IN FOOD PERCEPTION
Authors: MICHON C. , O'SULLIVAN M.G. , DELAHUNTY C.M. , KERRY J.P.
Published: December 2009

This study investigated differences in food perception sensitivity between genders in a group of 274 subjects (187 females, 87 males). Sensitivity to taste, odor, texture, astringency and oral irritation were assessed using tests developed during the HealthSense project. The impact of gender on the different sensitivity types was determined using a Student t‐test. A significant gender effect was observed on the following sensitivity types: bitter identification ability (P = 0.04), bitter, sour and sweet intensity assessment (P = 0.001, P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), odor identification ability (P < 0.001), chewing ability (P = 0.02) and oral stereognosis (P = 0.02). Females obtained higher scores than males for all sensitivity types except for the chewing ability (P < 0.05 for both the ability to chew 10 and 20 strokes). No gender effect was observed for the ability to perceive astringency and oral irritation.
MICROSTRUCTURAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF LOW‐FAT STIRRED YOGHURTS MADE WITH SKIM MILK AND MULTIPLE EMULSIONS
Authors: LOBATO‐CALLEROS C. , RECILLAS‐MOTA M.T. , ESPINOSA‐SOLARES T. , ALVAREZ‐RAMIREZ J. , VERNON‐CARTER E.J.
Published: December 2009

This article focuses on the study of the dynamic rheological and structural properties developed in low‐fat stirred yoghurts made with skim milk and multiple emulsions stabilized with carboxymethylcellulose (SYCMC) or amidated low methoxy pectin (SYALMP), in comparison with a full milk‐fat stirred yoghurt control (SYMF). The SYALMP yoghurt exhibited greatest Tanδafter 14 days of storage than the SYMF and SYCMC yoghurts. The SYALMP yoghurt presented the highest lacunarity value and was characterized by a structure composed of highly clusterized casein aggregates. In contrast, the SYCMC and SYMF yoghurts displayed lower lacunarity values and structures characterized by smaller casein clusters. Lower Tanδvalues were associated with lower lacunarity values.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Limited work has been done on stirred and set‐style yoghurts, cheeses and, in general, dairy products, where milk‐fat globules are substituted by skim milk combined with multiple emulsions containing polyunsaturated vegetable oils. As a result of this, multicomponent gels formation occurs (made up by milk proteins, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, emulsifiers, hydrocolloids and many possible other ingredients), which give rise to completely different structural arrangements that may display comparable mechanical‐sensory properties with those exhibited by their full milk‐fat counterparts, paving the way for the development of new healthier foods sensory and texturally acceptable to consumers.
PROCESS PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION FOR TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF READY‐TO‐EAT EXTRUDED SNACK FOOD FROM MILLET AND LEGUME PIECES BLENDS
Authors: CHAKRABORTY SUBIR KUMAR , SINGH DAYA S. , KUMBHAR B.K. , SINGH DHEER
Published: December 2009

Five blends of millets and legume pieces (viz. 12, 16, 20, 24, 28% legume pieces) at varying moisture contents (12, 15, 18, 21, 24%, wet basis [w.b.]) were subjected to extrusion cooking in a single‐screw laboratory extruder Brabender DA47055. The extruder was operated at different die head temperatures (160–200C), barrel temperatures (100–140C) and screw speeds (100–140 rpm). Designed experiments were conducted based on central composite rotatable design to determine the optimum processing condition for extruded products. The processing parameters were optimized with the help of response surface methodology to obtain product with maximum crispness and with minimum hardness and cutting strength. The optimum processing conditions obtained were moisture content 24%, w.b.; blend ratio 18.7% legume pieces; die head temperature 171.2C; barrel temperature 140C; and screw speed 103.8 rpm. The corresponding textural properties of the extrudates in terms of crispness, hardness and cutting strength were 50, 48.2 N and 79.7 N, respectively.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This process allows the preparation of ready‐to‐eat snack foods made from millet and legume pieces. Millets are rich in fibers and legumes are rich in proteins and other vitamins. Thus, the product shall have high nutritive value. Limitations of soil and irrigation facility make millets a very popular crop among the farmers of Bundelkhand region of India; however, poor commercial market for millets yields less return. The legume milling process yields a sizeable amount of legume pieces. These legume pieces are listed as losses, generally disposed of cheaply, only to be used as animal feed or to act as raw material for manufacture of other products. Popularizing a millet‐ and legume pieces‐based snack food shall be beneficial for the farmers, as well as making good use of the legume milling by‐product.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AERATION AND RHEOLOGY OF BREADS
Authors: CHIN N.L. , TAN L.H. , YUSOF Y.A. , RAHMAN R.A.
Published: December 2009

The relationship between aeration and rheology of bread was investigated by varying ingredient and processing factors during bread proofing and baking processes. Dough and bread aeration were quantified using density measurements from the volumetric methods. Dough rheology was characterized by the rising rate and maximum proofed height under a constant force using a texture analyzer, while bread rheology was characterized using the bread firmness test. Increasing flour strength and yeast level decreased dough and bread density and bread firmness but increased the rising rate and maximum proofed height of dough significantly (P < 0.02). Proofing time had no effect on dough's rising rate, although it decreased dough and bread density (P < 0.01) and bread firmness (P < 0.002) and increased dough maximum proofed height (P < 0.02). Baking temperature did not show significant effect on bread density (P < 0.06) and had no effect on bread firmness. Dough and bread densities gave good correlations (R2 > 0.79) with its rheological properties.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The textural properties of bread in terms of firmness as affected by its aeration can be predicted from the correlation between aeration and rheological properties of bread. The linearly regressed response models of dough and bread aeration and rheological properties provide predictions of processing and baking behavior of breads.
Marketing Margins and Price Transmission in a Transition Country – The Case of the Hungarian Pork Market Les marges commerciales et la transmission des prix dans un pays en transition – le cas du marché de la viande de porc en Hongrie Handelsspannen und Preistransmission in einem Transformationsland – das Beispiel des ungarischen Schlachtschweinemarkts
Authors: Bakucs Lajos Zoltán , Fertő Imre
Published: December 2009

Marketing Margins and Price Transmission in a Transition Country – The Case of the Hungarian Pork Market

Research on marketing margins and price transmission in food marketing chains in transition economies is still limited. This article investigates the evolution of marketing margins in the Hungarian pork chain between 1992 and 2005, focusing on the relationships between producer and retail prices. This subject is important as the development of market institutions to facilitate the transmission of price information up and down the chain has been relatively slow. During the 1990s, moreover, there was considerable concentration in Hungarian meat processing and food retailing that may have fundamentally altered the competitive relationships between the various agents in the chain. Our estimations suggest a ‘structural break’ in the marketing margin after April 1996. In the period prior to this date the average margin had been HUF 156/kg but in the period after the break the average value was HUF 119.5/kg, a fall of 23 per cent. We identify possible explanatory factors driving this change. The more important factors were the increased stability introduced to the business environment, partly through policy reforms from the mid‐1990s, rising concentration in the pork processing industry, the rise of consumer‐oriented supermarkets and more efficient vertical co‐ordination in the pork chain.
From Limited to Active Engagement: Mexico's Emigration Policies from a Foreign Policy Perspective (2000–2006)
Authors: Délano Alexandra
Published: December 2009

Mexico's emigration policies – including the state's engagement with the diaspora, the discourse in relation to emigrants, the responses to U.S. migration policies and legislation, and the priority given to the issue in the national and bilateral agendas – have undergone a process of transformation since the late 1980s and particularly after 2000. From a history of generally limited engagement in terms of responding to U.S. policies and a traditional interpretation of consular protection activities, Mexico has gradually developed more active policies in relation to the diaspora and began a process of redefining its position on emigration. In addition to the processes of political change in Mexico and the growing impact of migrants’ transnational activities, changes in Mexico's emigration policies are also a result of transformations in foreign policy principles and strategies, mainly as a result of the evolution of U.S.-Mexico relations since the late 1980s and particularly since NAFTA. These findings demonstrate the significance of international factors – namely host state – sending state relations and foreign policy interests, discourse, and traditions – in the design and implementation of migration policies and the need to develop multi-level analyses to explain states’ objectives, interests, and capacities in the management of migration.
Locational Choices of the Legal and Illegal: The Case of Mexican Agricultural Workers in the U.S.
Authors: Pena Anita Alves
Published: December 2009

This paper examines relationships between legal and illegal farmworker migration from Mexico and state-level labor market, agricultural, demographic, and public policy variables. The study uses a nationally representative farmworker survey providing direct legal status data. Consistent with previous literature, results indicate that personal and community networks are primary determinants of locational choices. Conversely, border enforcement is negatively related to migration to certain areas. Results are strongest for California migrants and for those with previous migration experience. Potential welfare and education program values are uncorrelated with locations of recent Mexican agricultural workers.
Ion beam sharpening of diamond tools having small apex angle without facet and ripple formations
Authors: Nagase Takashi , Kato Hiroyuki , Pahlovy S. A. , Miyamoto Iwao , Nakamura Yuya
Published: December 2009

The sharpening of diamond tools with small apex angles by low energy (1.0 keV) ion beam faces great challenges because of facet formation at the cutting edge of the tools. Adding to the problem is the formation of ripple, also appearing at the cutting edge of the tools that occurs when the ion beam bombardment is done at some off-normal angle of incidence. In this work, the authors investigated the dependence of the facet angles on the ion beam energy. They also studied the phenomenon of ripple formation as influenced by ion dose, ion beam energy, and ion incidence angles. Based on the experimental results they then developed a method for sharpening the tool with 45° apex without facet formation. They also studied ripple formation using 1.0 keV Ar+ ion beam at a tilt angle β of 30°. The work also used simulations to predict the changes in the profile of diamond tools during ion beam machining at a fixed tilt angle β. They found that simulation results on the profile of the diamond knife matched quite well with the experimental results. They conclude that it is possible to make sharp diamond knife with an apex angle of 45° and that sharpening time can be predicted applying simulations.
A Call for Sharing: Adapting Pharmaceutical Research to New Realities
Authors: Munos Bernard H. , Chin William W.
Published: December 2009

In recent decades, a proprietary culture, which wrongly posits that all intellectual property must be restricted, has spread across the pharmaceutical industry and threatens to stall the engine that has yielded many valuable treatments.
How Some Monkeys Tolerate SIV
Authors: Kelner Katrina L.
Published: December 2009

Both susceptible and resistant monkey species respond immunologically to SIV infection, but only resistant ones can dampen the response to avoid disease.
Seizing the Moment
Authors: Khidr Lily
Published: December 2009

One source of absence epilepsy is an overactive inhibitory receptor.
Pathogenomics of the Virulence Plasmids ofEscherichia coli
Authors: Johnson Timothy J. , Nolan Lisa K.
Published: November 2009

Bacterial plasmids are self-replicating, extrachromosomal elements that are key agents of change in microbial populations. They promote the dissemination of a variety of traits, including virulence, enhanced fitness, resistance to antimicrobial agents, and metabolism of rare substances.Escherichia coli, perhaps the most studied of microorganisms, has been found to possess a variety of plasmid types. Included among these are plasmids associated with virulence. Several types ofE. colivirulence plasmids exist, including those essential for the virulence of enterotoxigenicE. coli, enteroinvasiveE. coli, enteropathogenicE. coli, enterohemorrhagicE. coli, enteroaggregativeE. coli, and extraintestinal pathogenicE. coli. Despite their diversity, these plasmids belong to a few plasmid backbones that present themselves in a conserved and syntenic manner. Thanks to some recent research, including sequence analysis of several representative plasmid genomes and molecular pathogenesis studies, the evolution of these virulence plasmids and the implications of their acquisition byE. coliare now better understood and appreciated. Here, work involving each of theE. colivirulence plasmid types is summarized, with the available plasmid genomic sequences for severalE. colipathotypes being compared in an effort to understand the evolution of these plasmid types and define their core and accessory components.
The Mcm Complex: Unwinding the Mechanism of a Replicative Helicase
Authors: Bochman Matthew L. , Schwacha Anthony
Published: November 2009

The Mcm2-7 complex serves as the eukaryotic replicative helicase, the molecular motor that both unwinds duplex DNA and powers fork progression during DNA replication. Consistent with its central role in this process, much prior work has illustrated that Mcm2-7 loading and activation are landmark events in the regulation of DNA replication. Unlike any other hexameric helicase, Mcm2-7 is composed of six unique and essential subunits. Although the unusual oligomeric nature of this complex has long hampered biochemical investigations, recent advances with both the eukaryotic as well as the simpler archaeal Mcm complexes provide mechanistic insight into their function. In contrast to better-studied homohexameric helicases, evidence suggests that the six Mcm2-7 complex ATPase active sites are functionally distinct and are likely specialized to accommodate the regulatory constraints of the eukaryotic process.
Biological Diversity of Prokaryotic Type IV Secretion Systems
Authors: Alvarez-Martinez Cristina E. , Christie Peter J.
Published: November 2009

Type IV secretion systems (T4SS) translocate DNA and protein substrates across prokaryotic cell envelopes generally by a mechanism requiring direct contact with a target cell. Three types of T4SS have been described: (i) conjugation systems, operationally defined as machines that translocate DNA substrates intercellularly by a contact-dependent process; (ii) effector translocator systems, functioning to deliver proteins or other macromolecules to eukaryotic target cells; and (iii) DNA release/uptake systems, which translocate DNA to or from the extracellular milieu. Studies of a few paradigmatic systems, notably the conjugation systems of plasmids F, R388, RP4, and pKM101 and theAgrobacterium tumefaciensVirB/VirD4 system, have supplied important insights into the structure, function, and mechanism of action of type IV secretion machines. Information on these systems is updated, with emphasis on recent exciting structural advances. An underappreciated feature of T4SS, most notably of the conjugation subfamily, is that they are widely distributed among many species of gram-negative and -positive bacteria, wall-less bacteria, and theArchaea. Conjugation-mediated lateral gene transfer has shaped the genomes of most if not all prokaryotes over evolutionary time and also contributed in the short term to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance and other virulence traits among medically important pathogens. How have these machines adapted to function across envelopes of distantly related microorganisms? A survey of T4SS functioning in phylogenetically diverse species highlights the biological complexity of these translocation systems and identifies common mechanistic themes as well as novel adaptations for specialized purposes relating to the modulation of the donor-target cell interaction.
Poxvirus Proteomics and Virus-Host Protein Interactions
Authors: Van Vliet Kim , Mohamed Mohamed R. , Zhang Leiliang , Villa Nancy Yaneth , Werden Steven J. , Liu Jia , McFadden Grant
Published: November 2009

Studies of the functional proteins encoded by the poxvirus genome provide information about the composition of the virus as well as individual virus-virus protein and virus-host protein interactions, which provides insight into viral pathogenesis and drug discovery. Widely used proteomic techniques to identify and characterize specific protein-protein interactions include yeast two-hybrid studies and coimmunoprecipitations. Recently, various mass spectrometry techniques have been employed to identify viral protein components of larger complexes. These methods, combined with structural studies, can provide new information about the putative functions of viral proteins as well as insights into virus-host interaction dynamics. For viral proteins of unknown function, identification of either viral or host binding partners provides clues about their putative function. In this review, we discuss poxvirus proteomics, including the use of proteomic methodologies to identify viral components and virus-host protein interactions. High-throughput global protein expression studies using protein chip technology as well as new methods for validating putative protein-protein interactions are also discussed.
Central Role of the Cell in Microbial Ecology
Authors: Zengler Karsten
Published: November 2009

Over the last few decades, advances in cultivation-independent methods have significantly contributed to our understanding of microbial diversity and community composition in the environment. At the same time, cultivation-dependent methods have thrived, and the growing number of organisms obtained thereby have allowed for detailed studies of their physiology and genetics. Still, most microorganisms are recalcitrant to cultivation. This review not only conveys current knowledge about different isolation and cultivation strategies but also discusses what implications can be drawn from pure culture work for studies in microbial ecology. Specifically, in the light of single-cell individuality and genome heterogeneity, it becomes important to evaluate population-wide measurements carefully. An overview of various approaches in microbial ecology is given, and the cell as a central unit for understanding processes on a community level is discussed.
Working toward the Future: Insights intoFrancisella tularensisPathogenesis and Vaccine Development
Authors: Pechous Roger D. , McCarthy Travis R. , Zahrt Thomas C.
Published: November 2009

Francisella tularensisis a facultative intracellular gram-negative pathogen and the etiological agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. Recent advances in the field ofFrancisellagenetics have led to a rapid increase in both the generation and subsequent characterization of mutant strains exhibiting altered growth and/or virulence characteristics within various model systems of infection. In this review, we summarize the major properties of severalFrancisellaspecies, includingF. tularensisandF. novicida, and provide an up-to-date synopsis of the genes necessary for pathogenesis by these organisms and the determinants that are currently being targeted for vaccine development.
Polarographic and voltammetric determination of 6-nitrobenzimidazole and mechanism of its electrochemical reduction
Authors: Deýlová Dana , Barek Jiří , Vyskočil Vlastimil
Published: November 2009

Optimal conditions were found for the determination of 6-nitrobenzimidazole by tast polarography (at 1 × 10–4–1 × 10–6 mol l–1), by differential pulse polarography at dropping mercury electrode (at 1 × 10–4–1 × 10–7 mol l–1), and by differential pulse voltammetry at hanging mercury drop electrode (at 1 × 10–4–1 × 10–8 mol l–1). Practical applicability of the developed methods was verified on the determination of 6-nitrobenzimidazole in drinking water (at 10–8 mol l–1). Coulometry at constant potential and cyclic voltammetry were used for elucidation of the mechanism of electrochemical reduction.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK-ASSISTED SHORT/LONG-RANGE CELL SIGNALINGS IN MAPK CASCADES
Authors: ZHANG YANBIN , CHEN KENIAN , WANG JUNWEI , CHEN AIMIN , ZHOU TIANSHOU
Published: December 2009

In this paper, we study potentials of positive feedback in spatial phosphoprotein signal propagation. For this, we consider a signaling pathway of four-tiered protein kinase cascades with each tier involving single (de)phosphorylation reactions only. In the case of a small cell, we propose a short positive feedback for short-range cell signaling, which can generate bistability to facilitate the phosphoprotein signal propagation from the plasma membrane to the periphery of cell nucleus. In contrast, in the case of a large cell for which the long-range signaling cannot be achieved by the short feedback, we propose a long positive feedback, and find that it can facilitate the propagation of phosphoprotein signal over a long distance. These results imply that positive-feedback mechanisms would be employed by living organisms for spatial information transfer and cellular decision-making processing.
ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF (2+1)-DIMENSIONAL BLACK HOLES WITH NONLINEAR ELECTRODYNAMICS
Authors: BALART LEONARDO
Published: December 2009

The energy distributions for a black hole solution resulting from coupling electrodynamics and gravity in (2+1) dimensions are obtained. This solution considers the correction for a (2+1) static charged black hole from the first contribution of the weak field limit of one-loop QED in (2+1) dimensions. The Einstein and Møller energy–momentum prescriptions are used to evaluate the energy distributions associated with the mentioned (2+1)-dimensional black hole and other (2+1) black hole solutions coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics. A relation that connects the coefficients of both prescriptions is established.
TRAPPING OF NONLINEAR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES BY TWO-FLUID SYSTEMS
Authors: GOGBERASHVILI MERAB , KHOMERIKI RAMAZ
Published: December 2009

We show that the coupled two-fluid gravitating system (e.g. stiff matter and "vacuum energy") could trap nonlinear gravitational waves (e.g. Einstein–Rosen waves). The gravitational wave amplitude varies harmonically in time transferring the energy coherently to the stiff matter wave, and then the process goes to the backward direction. This process mimics the behavior of trapped electromagnetic waves in two-level media. We have defined the limits for the frequency of this energy transfer oscillations.
GAPS IN THE RATIOS OF THE SPECTRA OF LAPLACIANS ON FRACTALS
Authors: HARE KATHRYN E. , ZHOU DENGLIN
Published: December 2009

In contrast to the classical situation, it is known that many Laplacian operators on fractals have gaps in their spectrum. This surprising fact means there can be no limit in the Weyl counting formula and it is a key ingredient in proving that the convergence of Fourier series on fractals can be better than in the classical setting. Recently, it was observed that the Laplacian on the Sierpinski gasket has the stronger property that there are intervals which contain no ratios of eigenvalues. In this paper we give general criteria for this phenomena and show that Laplacians on many interesting classes of fractals satisfy our criteria.
A FAST FRACTAL CODING IN APPLICATION OF IMAGE RETRIEVAL
Authors: WANG XING-YUAN , CHEN ZHI-FENG
Published: December 2009

Aiming at content-based image retrieval (CBIR) in fractal domain, this paper puts forward a fast fractal encoding method to extract image features, which is based on a novel non-searching and adaptive quadtree division. As a result, it enhances fractal coding speed sharply, only needs 0.0485 seconds on average for a 256 × 256 image and is approximately 70 times faster than algorithm in addition to good reconstructed image quality. Furthermore, this paper improves image matching algorithm, consequently enhancing the accuracy of query results. In addition, we present a method to further accelerate image retrieval based on the analysis to fractal codes distance and number. Experimental results show that our proposed method is performs highly in retrieval speed and feasible in retrieval accuracy.
QUATERNION M SET WITH NONE ZERO CRITICAL POINTS
Authors: SUN YUAN-YUAN , WANG XING-YUAN
Published: December 2009

The quaternion Mandelbrot sets (abbreviated as M sets) on the mapping f : z ← z2+ c with multiple critical points are constructed utilizing the cycle detecting method and the improved time escape algorithm. The topology structures and the fission evolutions of M sets are investigated, the boundaries and the centers of the stability regions are calculated, and the topology rules of the cycle orbits are discussed. The quaternion Julia sets with the parameter c selected from the M sets are constructed. It can be concluded that quaternion M sets have efficient information of the corresponding Julia sets. Experimental results demonstrate that the quaternion M sets with multiple critical points distinguish from that of zero critical point and the collection of the quaternion M sets with different critical points constitute the complete M sets on the mapping f : z ← z2+ c.
THE RHAETIC BEDS OF THE NORTH-EAST MIDLANDS
Authors: Kent P. E.
Published: December 2009

Rhaetic strata of the NE. Midlands are represented by the Westbury Beds (Black Shales) and Cotham Beds, with a possible thin representative of the Langport Beds. The Sully Beds are absent. The evidence does not support suggestions that the Rhaetic sea invaded England from the east, across south Lincolnshire.

In north Lincolnshire sandstone beds become important in the Black Shales, and are locally notable in the Upper Rhaetic also. From near Lincoln northwards reddish clays and shales are developed in the Upper Rhaetic, a partial reversion to Keuper conditions.

There is a marked increase in thickness in north-west Lincolnshire, moderate thinning in the area immediately south-east of Lincoln, and strong attenuation in the Grantham district.

Thickness changes in the Rhaetic are proportionately much greater than in the formations above and below. Regarded regionally, they correspond with major structures in the Carboniferous floor, and reflect movements related to the earliest known development of the Market Weighton uplift.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHERT BETWEEN THE MAIN AND CROW LIMESTONES IN NORTH YORKSHIRE
Authors: Wells A. J.
Published: December 2009

The Carboniferous Cherts of Swaledale and Wensleydale include two series, the Main Chert overlying the Main Limestone and the Richmond Chert Series overlying the Little Limestone. The stratigraphical relations of these are traced, and a minor but widespread unconformity is deduced between the Main and Little limestones. Rapid variations in lithological type ranging from pure limestone to pure chert within these series are thought to be largely due to local fluctuations in rates of deposition. Most of the cherts can be explained by simultaneous primary precipitation of calcium carbonate and silica, and a method by which this could have taken place is suggested. There is evidence of small-scale secondary silicification at most horizons in the chert series, and this is thought to have taken place penecontemporaneously with deposition. The structure of the “cauda-galli” markings on the parting surfaces of some of the cherts is demonstrated, but their primary origin remains unknown.
THE MARKET WEIGHTON STRUCTURE
Authors: Kent P. E.
Published: December 2009

Analysis of thickness variation and overlapping relationships of the Mesozoic rocks shows that the intra-Jurassic Market Weighton uplift of south Yorkshire was more in the nature of a broad non-subsiding rigid block than an anticline. It is thus analogous on a small scale to the London platform of the south of England. There is abundant evidence that the uplift was not a ridge permanently separating northern and southern Mesozoic basins, but that free connection existed across and past the area in Jurassic times.

Exploration of the pre-Triassic rocks of the area by seismic survey and by drilling is briefly described.
CHLAMYS (RADULOPECTEN) DREWTONENSIS
SP. NOV.
Authors: Neale J. W.
Published: December 2009

A new species of
Chlamys
from the Kellaways Rock of East Yorkshire is described and its relationships to other species within allied genera noted.
THE NAMURIAN OF THE NORTH-WEST QUARTER OF THE ASKRIGG BLOCK
Authors: Rowell A. J. , Scanlon J. E.
Published: December 2009

The beds considered range from the Main Limestone at the base of E
1
to the Shunner Fell Grit high in E
2
. The Arnsbergian age of the Shunner Fell Marine Beds is confirmed by the discovery of
Tylonautilus nodiferus
(Armstrong). Early mutations of this species have also been found from the Faraday House Marine Band and Mirk Fell Ironstones. A widespread minor unconformity at the base of the Mirk Fell Ganister increases southwards and cuts out the Stonesdale and Crow Limestones. The Yoredale Mirk Fell Ganister passes southwards into the Lower Howgate Edge Grit of Millstone Grit facies. The majority of the E
1
non-calcareous beds accumulated in a delta front or interdistributory trough, though bar-finger and marsh deposits can also be recognized.

Minor hinge lines existed along the northern and western margins of the Askrigg Block during E
1
times. The block is divided into two dissimilar parts by the Stockdale Vein trending WNW. The northern part is characterized by faults with a similar trend, parallel with the northern margin of the block, whilst the southern section has a more nearly north-south fault pattern, the individual faults being impersistent and with a small throw. In the west of the area the beds are gently folded along axes nearly parallel with the western margin of the block, but the folds are deflected to a more north-easterly direction near the northern edge.
THE BORROWDALE VOLCANIC SERIES BETWEEN WASTWATER AND DUDDON VALLEY, CUMBERLAND
Authors: Firman R. J.
Published: December 2009

The Borrowdale Volcanic Series of this area have been sub-divided into six groups. The lowest group overlies the Skiddaw Slates and consists of up to 5500 feet of predominantly massive andesites. These Lower Andesites thin south-westward. Together with a small patch of tuffs near Wastwater, they are considered to have originated from a volcanic centre north-east of the area. All other groups probably originated from vents in the south-west. They range from sub-aerial andesitic and rhyolitic agglomerates to fine, delicately bedded tuffs which are thought to have been deposited in tranquil water. Rhyolites and andesites occur at several horizons in both types of tuff and a group of massive andesites comes in at the top of the succession.

The pre-Bala movements tilted the area eastward and caused some gentle folding. During the Caledonian orogeny open folds trending north-east developed. Folding was most intense in the south-west and here the northern limb of the major syncline is vertical. Possibly the Eskdale Granite was involved in this folding. The rocks were later faulted and cleaved. Tear faults and normal faults affect both the granite and the volcanic rocks.
FOLDED PERMIAN GYPSUM OF RIPON PARKS, YORKSHIRE
Authors: Forbes Bryan G.
Published: December 2009

The Upper Permian Marl at Ripon Parks contains a disturbed series of reddish marls and gypsum overlying banded grey gypsum; folded or horizontal veins of fibrous gypsum are common, particularly in the red beds. The gypsum porphyroblasts of the grey and red gypsum rocks invariably contain relict anhydrite. The complex folding of the red beds is ascribed to the readiness with which gypsum flows under stress.

The following history is deduced: development of gypsum porphyroblasts and fibrous gypsum as overburden is removed from anhydritic rocks; folding along west to north-west axes; conversion of the remainder of the anhydrite to fine-grained gypsum; faulting along north-west to north lines.
STRATIGRAPHY OF THE BROADFORD BEDS OF SKYE, RAASAY AND APPLECROSS
Authors: Hallam A.
Published: December 2009

The Broadford Beds of the Skye area are exposed in several isolated patches which have been much disturbed by Tertiary faulting and intrusive activity. They can be divided into two main divisions. The Lower Broadford Beds range from the Angulata (and probably the upper Planorbis) Zone to the Bucklandi Zone and consist of rather poorly fossiliferous calcilutites, calcarenites, sandstones and subsidiary shales. The Upper Broadford Beds range from the lower Semicostatum to the lower Obtusum Zone and consist predominantly of silty and sandy shales and sandstones. They contain a rich fauna, including abundant ammonites.

Whereas the Lower Broadford Beds thin southwards to zero the Upper Broadford Beds thicken considerably in this direction, up to 340 feet in southern Strath. Most of the beds were laid down in shallow water which might have been brackish periodically during Angulata-Bucklandi Zone times. The sharp change from the Lower to the Upper Broadford Beds is probably the result of a pronounced and widespread sinking of the land, profoundly altering the local geography. No simple “Scottish landmass” can be envisaged.
SYNGENETIC AND DIAGENETIC MINERALIZATION IN YORKSHIRE
Authors: Dunham K. C.
Published: December 2009

The bedded iron ores, sulphide-bearing black shales and evaporites of Yorkshire are described. The presence of abundant decaying vegetable or animal matter is held to be fundamental to the formation of both the clayironstones of the Coal Measures and the sideritic chamosite-oolites of the Jurassic, to provide the required conditions of low pH, low pH and available CO
2
. Oxide, silicate-carbonate, carbonate and sulphide facies are recognized in the Cleveland ores and associated rocks, and the primary chamosite ooliths are held to have been formed in the region between the carbonate and oxide zones rather than near the sulphide facies. It is noted that Al and Si in solution are necessary, in addition to Fe++, for the formation of the silicate ores. Hypotheses, including that of Borchert, for the transportation and precipitation of the iron are considered, and an attempt is made to assess the role of diagenesis in this type of mineral concentration.

A consideration of the zonal distribution of minerals within the Permian evaporites leads to a suggestion that a straits or submerged bar lay to the north-west between the Zechstein Sea and the open ocean. The zones tended to migrate towards the margin of the basin as deposition proceeded. Boundaries between the various members of the evaporite sequences are considered to be markedly diachronous. Emphasis is laid upon the massive and complex effects of later, probably diagenetic, changes under the influence of migrant concentrated brines.
THE CARBONIFEROUS ROCKS OF COVERDALE AND ADJACENT VALLEYS IN THE YORKSHIRE PENNINES
Authors: Wilson A. A.
Published: December 2009

Beds of Yoredale facies are present in Coverdale, comprising eight cyclothems ranging from the Simonstone to the Crow Limestone. There is great local thickening of the Middle Limestone and Richmond Chert Series in lower Coverdale; the Five Yard Limestone is restricted to the southern ground. New correlations of the highest limestones in the Nidderdale inliers are proposed. It is thought that beds as high as the Underset Limestone are present at the head of the dale.
Sudeticeras ordinatum
of P
2
age is newly recorded from shales above the Five Yard Limestone. The highest four of the Yoredale cyclothems are cut out to the south by unconformity at the base of the Grassington Grit Group; this group becomes thinner northwards, and its sandstones pass into predominantly shaly measures.
FAUNAL MARKER HORIZONS IN THE MIDDLE COAL MEASURES OF THE NORTH WALES COALFIELD
Authors: Magraw D. , Calver M. A.
Published: December 2009

Marine and non-marine fossils have been found recently above certain coal seams of the Middle Coal Measures in opencast workings, and underground at neighbouring pits, in North Wales. Previous work on this subject has been confirmed in part, and enlarged upon by the discovery of three marine horizons new to the coalfield. The widespread marine band occurring about the middle of the
Anthraconaia modiolaris
Zone has been proved
in situ
for the first time, and its position in relation to well-known coals firmly established. Names are proposed for the marine bands, and correlation with other coalfields is made in well-authenticated instances and suggested in others. The marine and non-marine faunas are listed in the text.
STONE-COUNTS IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF THE MANCHESTER AREA
Authors: Simpson I. M.
Published: December 2009

Over 13,000 erratics and pebbles were collected from the Lower Boulder Clay, the Middle Sand, and the Upper Boulder Clay of the Manchester area and classified according to their lithology. The distribution of the various lithological types is described and the implications of this distribution with regard to the age and origin of the deposits are discussed.
THE MILLSTONE GRIT SERIES OF COLSTERDALE AND NEIGHBOURHOOD, YORKSHIRE
Authors: Wilson A. A.
Published: December 2009

Beds described lie between the Cockhill Marine Band and the Second Brimham Grit, comprising the Arnsbergian (E
2
), Sabdenian (H) and part of the Kinderscoutian (R
1
) stages of the Namurian. The Nidderdale Shales, with impersistent sandstones, are overlain by the Red Scar Grit, locally containing the Woogill Coal. The Scar House Beds show a preponderance of sandstone in a central belt running north-south. The discovery of
Homoceras beyrichianum
above the Lower Follifoot Grit identifies this sandstone, by comparison with the succession to the south, at Simonseat. Shelly fossils are recorded from the upper leaf of the Red Scar Grit and from three sandstones of Kinderscoutian age; the Cayton Gill Shell Bed is persistently fossiliferous, but the Agill and Libishaw Sandstones only locally.
Protaster
sp., an ophiuroid, is recorded from the Agill Sandstone.
TRINUCLEID TRILOBITES FROM THE HIGHER DUFTON SHALES OF THE CARADOC SERIES IN THE CROSS FELL INLIER
Authors: Dean W. T.
Published: December 2009

Five trinucleid trilobites, belonging to the genera
Onnia
and
Tretaspis,
are described and figured from the higher beds of the Dufton Shales. Three are given new specific or subspecific names; the fourth is compared with
Tretaspis ceriodes
(Angelin), and the fifth, referred to an Irish form of similar age, is held to be a probable synonym of
Tretaspis moeldenensis
Cave, described originally from South Wales.
SUB-SURFACE DATA ON THE NAMURIAN STRATA OF ALLENHEADS, SOUTH NORTHUMBERLAND
Authors: Dunham K. C. , Johnson G. A. L.
Published: December 2009

Four cored boreholes drilled in connection with prospecting operations at the Swinhope lead-zinc mine, East Allendale, have provided for the first time in this area, continuous sections of the strata from the Lower Felltop Limestone down to the Great Limestone for geological investigation. The proportion of marine strata is higher than has previously been supposed, and in addition to fossiliferous shale and sandstone includes several thin limestones. The section is compared with Carruthers’ classic Coalcleugh section, and with the sections recorded by the surveyors of the Beaumont mines at Allenheads. An account of the fauna is included.