bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Species diversity of marine sponges dwelling in coral reefs in Had Khanom—Mo Ko Thale Tai National Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand
Authors: Putchakarn Sumaitt
Published: December 2007

The species diversity and distribution of demosponges dwelling in the coral reefs, at Had Khanom—Mo Ko Thale Tai National Park on the southern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, was investigated, with field surveys undertaken at 12 sites in November 2006 using SCUBA diving and random observation. Forty-five species of demosponges from 10 orders, 24 families and 34 genera were recorded. The most abundant and common sponges in this area are: Oceanapia sagittaria; Neopetrosia sp. blue; Xestospongia testudinaria; and Haliclona (Gellius) cymaeformis. Most species are common representatives of the Indo-Pacific fauna found throughout the Gulf of Thailand.
A new species of Coelocarteria (Porifera: Demospongiae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Azzini Francesca , Calcinai Barbara , Pansini Maurizio
Published: December 2007

A new sponge species Coelocarteria agglomerans sp. nov. (Isodictyidae: Mycalina: Poecilosclerida) is described from the reef slopes of Bunaken National Marine Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The new species can be separated from the other two congeneric species: C. singaporensis and C. spatulosa by several characters concerning sponge surface, fistule shape, form and size of the spicules and habitat. In detail it differs from C. singaporensis in the presence of strongyles instead of oxeas as main megascleres and of spines in the shaft of palmate isochelae. It differs from C. spatulosa in the absence of characteristic fistules with spatula shaped hoods and in spicule size, because both categories of strongyles and palmate isochelae are remarkably larger in the latter.
Disease prevalence and population density over time in three common Caribbean coral reef sponge species
Authors: Wulff Janie L.
Published: December 2007

Reports of disease in sponges are increasing, but the paucity of data on disease prevalence over time makes it uncertain how much this trend reflects increased attention to sponges rather than increased sponge disease. Population and community influences on disease dynamics, and the consequences of disease at these levels, are also little known. Five censuses, over 14 y, of a small plot on a shallow coral reef at San Blas, Panama, provide data for the three most abundant species on population dynamics (number of individuals and total volume) and disease prevalence (number of individuals with active lesions). Although data for the three species, combined in broad categories (i.e. high vs low), support a general conclusion that disease prevalence was greater from 1994–1998 than from 1984–1988, the data do not demonstrate a steady increase over time, and disease prevalence for two of the species decreased in each of the final two censuses from a high in 1994. Fluctuations in population density (total volume) and disease prevalence were nearly synchronous within individual species, but asynchronous among the three species, suggesting that population density, measured as total sponge volume per unit area, may influence disease dynamics in these sponges.
Seasonal variation of morphological characters of Chondrilla aff. nucula (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the south-east coast of Brazil
Authors: Cavalcanti Fernanda F. , Zilberberg Carla , Klautau Michelle
Published: December 2007

Chondrilla nucula is a morphologically simple species defined by the presence of spherasters in its skeleton. For a long time C. nucula was considered a cosmopolitan species, however, in 1999, a molecular study demonstrated the existence of a species complex with at least four cryptic species, besides C. nucula. At that time, those four new species were not formally described because the morphological differences observed did not reflect species differences and were attributed to plasticity. Since then, researchers working on Chondrilla species suggested that the skeletal organization, the distribution of spherulous cells and the type of surface should be used to differentiate species. Individuals of Chondrilla aff. nucula from one population in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, were collected monthly and analysed in order to test the validity of those three characters to separate the species of Chondrilla. Moreover, to determine if the differences in spicule dimensions previously found were seasonal, we also quantified the diameter of the spherasters throughout the year. Our results demonstrate that all analysed characters are extremely variable and that spicule size can vary even at the same locality. The present study shows the importance of testing the variability of morphological characters before describing new species. Unfortunately, until valid taxonomic characters are found, the Atlantic Chondrilla species will have to remain undescribed.
Opium and the Company: Maritime Trade and Imperial Finances on Java, 1684–1796
Authors: SOUZA GEORGE BRYAN
Published: December 2007

While trade in opium was of limited financial significance in the eighteenth century to the larger accounts of the Dutch East India Company as a whole, this article shows its critical importance to the Company's comptoir accounts at Batavia. The article examines the VOC's commercial operations at Batavia in the eighteenth century and places opium trade and opium revenues within that larger context. It examines how the trade in Bengal opium through Batavia changed over time, based on a statistical analysis of the Company's accounts. These results show that opium dwarfed all other individual or groups of commodities that were available to the Company to sell profitably on Java and in the Indonesian Archipelago over the long eighteenth century.
Distribution, status and conservation of the bats of the Fiji Islands
Authors: Palmeirim Jorge M. , Champion Alan , Naikatini Alifereti , Niukula Jone , Tuiwawa Marika , Fisher Martin , Yabaki-Gounder Mere , Thorsteinsdóttir Sólveig , Qalovaki Stanley , Dunn Thomas
Published: December 2007

The poorly studied bat fauna of the Fiji Islands is of notable conservation importance because it includes one endemic species, several near endemics, and the best global populations of several threatened species. In addition, some of the species play a keystone role as pollinators and seed dispersers in valuable forest ecosystems. We visited 30 islands of the archipelago to survey bats and assess their conservation status and the potential threats to their continued existence. The VulnerableNotopteris macdonaldioccurs on the three main islands but may only have nurseries on one of them. The Critically Endangered, endemicMirimiri acrodontaappears to be restricted to a small montane area on a single island.Pteropus tonganusis consumed throughout rural Fiji but remains common and is not currently threatened by the harvest. The Near ThreatenedPteropus samoensisis locally common on the largest islands but threatened on some smaller islands. The EndangeredChaerephon bregullaeexists only on two islands and appears to concentrate in a single large colony to nurse young. The EndangeredEmballonura semicaudatahas declined dramatically in Fiji, as across most of its range, although a few substantial populations remain on some small islands. Factors threatening these species are variable but include small ranges, concentration in a reduced number of colonies, deforestation, over-harvesting, and introduced predators. We propose conservation measures and indicate a number of priority sites.
How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling
Authors: Simcharoen Saksit , Pattanavibool Anak , Karanth K. Ullas , Nichols James D. , Kumar N. Samba
Published: December 2007

We used capture-recapture analyses to estimate the density of a tiger Panthera tigris population in the tropical forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, from photographic capture histories of 15 distinct individuals. The closure test results (z = 0.39, P = 0.65) provided some evidence in support of the demographic closure assumption. Fit of eight plausible closed models to the data indicated more support for model Mh, which incorporates individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities. This model generated an average capture probability $\hat p$ = 0.42 and an abundance estimate of $\widehat{N}(\widehat{SE}[\widehat{N}])$ = 19 (9.65) tigers. The sampled area of $\widehat{A}(W)(\widehat{SE}[\widehat{A}(W)])$ = 477.2 (58.24) km2 yielded a density estimate of $\widehat{D}(\widehat{SE}[\widehat{D}])$ = 3.98 (0.51) tigers per 100 km2. Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary could therefore hold 113 tigers and the entire Western Forest Complex c. 720 tigers. Although based on field protocols that constrained us to use sub-optimal analyses, this estimated tiger density is comparable to tiger densities in Indian reserves that support moderate prey abundances. However, tiger densities in well-protected Indian reserves with high prey abundances are three times higher. If given adequate protection we believe that the Western Forest Complex of Thailand could potentially harbour >2,000 wild tigers, highlighting its importance for global tiger conservation. The monitoring approaches we recommend here would be useful for managing this tiger population.
Home range and habitat use of Reeves's Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii in the protected areas created from forest farms in the Dabie Mountains, central China
Authors: Xu Ji-Liang , Zhang Zheng-Wang , Zheng Guang-Mei , Zhang Xiao-Hui , Sun Quan-Hui , McGowan Philip
Published: December 2007

Many recently designated or expanded nature reserves in China were forest farms that ceased operations in the aftermath of the catastrophic Yangtze River floods of 1998. Although the vegetation in many of these areas has been altered significantly during forestry operations, there is now an opportunity to reduce, or even reverse, habitat loss for wildlife species that inhabit these forests. One such species is the globally threatened Reeves's Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii that is endemic to the forested mountains of central and south-west China. From April 2000 to August 2003, the habitat use by 14 male Reeves's Pheasants was studied by radio-tracking at Dongzhai National Nature Reserve in the Dabie Mountains, central China. Conifer-broadleaf mixed forest was used preferentially in all seasons at the study area scale, as were mature fir plantations and shrubby vegetation. Moreover, young fir plantations were used preferentially during the breeding season at the scale of the home range. Surveys recorded the pheasant in 13 other protected areas in the Dabie Mountains, and indicated that broadly similar habitat types were available in all of them. Furthermore, Reeves's Pheasant were found in habitats similar to those used preferentially at Dongzhai National Nature Reserve. It seems likely that a mosaic of habitats is crucial to meet the various requirements of male Reeves's Pheasants throughout the year and management should therefore concentrate on maintaining this mosaic. It is now important to identify the habitats that produce the most young pheasants so that nesting and brood-rearing habitats can be clearly identified. Further studies on the habitat mosaic would be useful, both at a local scale and also at a larger, landscape scale.
Books in the service of politics: Tokugawa Ieyasu as custodian of the books of Japan
Authors: KORNICKI P. F.
Published: December 2007

Since the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate underwent a form of apotheosis after his death, it is not surprising that a hagiographic tradition was quick to establish itself. This tradition attributed superhuman qualities to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), and its lingering influence is still to be seen. His admirers paid particular attention to his supposed bookishness, the object being to demonstrate that his sinological learning rendered him fit to rule according to the Chinese construction of the desired attributes of a ruler. For those who came later, this bookishness served in retrospect to mark him out from his successors, but for his contemporaries it detached questions of legitimacy and fitness to rule from his recent successes on the battlefield and it defined fitness to rule in accordance with the sinological leanings of the new samurai élite.
Ugly little angels: deliberately uneven construction quality in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence
Authors: Cohen Matthew A.
Published: December 2007

Upon entering the basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence one is immediately impressed by the nave arcades, those rhythmic, monumental assemblages of columns, entablature blocks and arches that in the first half of the fifteenth century established a benchmark of elegance and refinement for all subsequent architecture of the Renaissance [1]. Cool, orderly and restful yet, like springs coiled in compression, full of energy, the nave arcades are works of tremendous artistic power. By functioning so strongly as complete compositions, the nave arcades suppress the individuality of their component parts: viewed from ground level, the repeated bays all appear to be identical, even though when viewed up close the capitals and other carved details betray notably uneven levels of quality in both design and execution. This variation in quality constitutes a rich and largely untapped source of evidence pertaining to the construction history and original meaning of this pivotal work in the history of architecture.
Looking, inquiring, drawing: the implied urban realm
Authors: Dutoit Allison
Published: December 2007

‘I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.’

(Chinese proverb)
Quality: a perspective from construction history
Authors: Powell Christopher
Published: December 2007

An explanation (maybe even an apology) is called for when entering the crowded and noisy arena where quality is debated. Good sport is often had there, but decisions are few: instead most outcomes follow tiresomely circular rather than linear trajectories. My justification for adding to the overcrowded and unruly scene is simple. It is to give a view of quality in architecture which is not widely represented and which seems to be often overlooked. The view comes from the modern history of the UK construction industry, a wide perspective which extends beyond buildings as artifacts. The paper will borrow a definition of quality and, crucially, try to show how it is connected with the operation of the construction industry, and is growing.
Dealing with Stress in the Workplace
Authors: Otto Kathleen , Schmidt Sabine
Published: December 2007

Abstract. In an online questionnaire filled out by 217 employees of various organizations, we investigated the implication of belief in a just world (BJW) for work-related cognitions and behavior (e.g., emotional exhaustion), taking central work stressors (e.g., workload), as well as work stress-related resources (e.g., autonomy), into account. We argued that BJW might compensate for the negative effects of the aforementioned stressors on work-related cognitions and behavior. BJW serves adaptive psychological functions such as the following: (1) It helps the individual to interpret the events in his or her life in a meaningful way and, thus, to deal with unjust experiences. In light of this function, we hypothesized that employees with a strong BJW would experience more organizational commitment and report fewer turnover intentions, and that the influence of BJW in these areas exists over and above the influence of central stressors and work stress-related resources. A further adaptive function of BJW is that it (2) provides the individual with trust in his or her own efficacy, as well as in the social environment. Thus, we assumed that those high in BJW would estimate that they perform better in their job and show less sick presence. As a consequence of these two functions, (3) BJW fosters mental health. With respect to mental health, we expected high believers to report less emotional exhaustion and fewer symptoms of depersonalization. Results of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed our hypotheses. We argue, therefore, that BJW should be seen as a psychological resource compensating for stress in the workplace.
Three AGU position statements being updated
Authors: Holle Kate Von
Published: December 2007

As an AGU member, you have an opportunity to provide comments to panels preparing updates of three position statements for Council consideration in December 2007.

For a quarter of a century, AGU has developed and maintained position statements in order to bring scientific expertise to bear on significant policy issues. Members worldwide are encouraged to help inform the policy‐making process in their home locales with thoughtful presentation of scientific viewpoints. To help with this, any member may use an AGU policy statement in discussions with policy‐makers as an official statement of the Union. Other societies may use an AGU position statement as a basis for developing their own statements— some AGU positions have even been adopted by other societies. Many members in the United States have used the statements when they visit their representatives on Capitol Hill. Position statements are published on the Web where they can be viewed by policy‐makers, educators, and the interested public.
Indian oil company joins efforts to reduce methane emissions
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

The Oil and Natural Gas Corp, Ltd. (ONGC), headquartered in Dehradun, India, has joined seven U.S. and Canadian oil and natural gas companies as a partner in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA's Natural Gas STAR International Program aims to reduce methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector while delivering more gas to markets around the world. With this partnership, ONGC agrees to implement emissions reduction practices and to submit annual reports on progress achieved; EPA agrees to assist ONGC with training technicians in new cost‐effective technologies that will help achieve target emissions. The Natural Gas STAR International Program is administered under the Methane to Markets Partnership, a group of 20 countries and 600 companies across the globe that since 2004 has volunteered to cut methane emissions. More information on EPA's agreement with ONGC can be found at http://www.epa.gov/gasstar/index.htm; information about the Methane to Markets Partnership can be found at http://www.methanetomarkets.org.
Ocean observatories initiative moves forward
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

An academic partnership led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has been awarded a $97.7 million contract by the Joint Oceanographic Institutions to support the development, installation, and initial operation of the coastal and global components of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).

The three academic partners—WHOI, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and Oregon State University's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences—will help with the development of moored buoys, cabled nodes, and autonomous vehicles; this, in turn, will provide researchers with data and allow for the remote control of instruments and the construction of virtual observatories to meet scientific needs.
New aircraft will survey ice sheets to understand rapid change
Authors: Braaten David
Published: December 2007

Observations of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets from space, aircraft, and the surface have shown a rapid speedup in the loss of ice mass near the margins during the past decade. The reason for this speedup is unknown.

However, a new unmanned aerial vehicle, specifically designed to meet the demands of radar remote sensing and operation in polar regions, will help scientists understand rapid ice sheet acceleration and thinning, and predict the future contribution of the ice sheets to global sea level rise. Called Meridian, the vehicle's low cost and low fuel consumption will extend the range and duration of remote sensing surveys, and it will allow users to survey critical regions at very fine spatial resolution.
Reducing in‐flight turbulence
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

A new turbulence detection system designed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research could help to reduce accidents and injuries and reduce fuel costs. The system, which is being tested through October, uses the NEXRAD Turbulence Detection Algorithm to analyze data obtained from the U.S. National Weather Service's network of Next‐Generation Doppler (NEXRAD) radars. “Our goal is to use these radar measurements to create a three‐dimensional mosaic showing turbulence across the country that can help pilots avoid hazardous areas, or at least give them enough warning to turn on the ‘fasten seat belt’ sign,“ NCAR scientist John Williams noted.
a new record in 2007 for melting in Greenland
Authors: Tedesco Marco
Published: December 2007

The 2007 melting season set a new record for snowmelt over the Greenland ice sheet, according to analysis of spaceborne microwave brightness temperatures measured by the Special Sensor Microwave Imaging radiometer aboard the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellites Program.

As shown in Figure la, positive melting anomaly values, calculated as the difference between the number of melting days occurring in 2007 and the average number of melting days during the period 1988–2006, are concentrated on large inland areas in southern Greenland.
Web site addresses global drinking water crisis
Authors: Showstack Randy , Kumar Mohi
Published: December 2007

A new Web resource provides the public with peer‐reviewed scientific and technical information about the need for safe drinking water and strategies to enhance the safety and availability of water supplies around the world. Developed by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Global Health and Education Foundation, the “Safe Drinking Water is Essential” Web site (http://www.drinking‐water.org) presents data and case studies written for a lay audience and aims to provide international decision‐makers with tools to solve local water quality problems.

More than 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water. However, “many of the approaches and technologies needed to improve drinking water quality already exist,” said Ralph J. Cicerone, NAS president.
AGU's 50,000‐member‐strong Union
Authors: Blaufuss Karine S.
Published: December 2007

AGU membership reached 50,000 in September 2007. Membership has doubled since the early 1990s. Membership grew moderately through the late 1990s, reached 40,000 members in 2001, and grew at a rate of 5% or more for each of the past 3 years.

The size of AGU membership is not the only factor reinforcing the role of AGU as a leader in the increasingly interdisciplinary global endeavor that encompasses the Earth and space sciences. Diversity is another key factor. AGU members hail from 137 different countries. Members residing outside North America now represent more than 35% of the membership compared with 29% in 1995. There has also been a large increase in the number of women: 24% in 2007 compared with 13% in 1995. In addition, students now account for 20% of the membership.
Recovering a core from the San Andreas Fault
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

Geologists have extracted intact rock samples from 3.22 miles beneath the surface of the San Andreas Fault, which runs 1287 kilometers along the length of California, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced on 4 October.

“To an earthquake scientist, these cores are like the Apollo moon rocks. Scientists from around the world are anxious to get their hands on them in the hope that they can help solve the mystery of how this major, active plate boundary works,” said Steve Hickman, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., who is a co‐principal investigator of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) project. SAFOD is a major research component of the NSF‐funded EarthScope Program.
Ozone hole smaller than last year
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

The ozone hole over Antarctica has shrunk 30 percent as compared with last year's record size, according to measurements made by the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite. This year's ozone loss peaked at 27.7 million tons, compared with the 2006 record ozone loss of 40 million tons, ESA indicated on 3 October.
Accurately determining the risks of rising sea level
Authors: Marbaix Philippe , Nicholls Robert J.
Published: December 2007

With the highest density of people and the greatest concentration of economic activity located in the coastal regions, sea level rise is an important concern as the climate continues to warm. Subsequent flooding may potentially disrupt industries, populations, and livelihoods, particularly in the long term if the climate is not quickly stabilized [McGranahan et al., 2007; Tol et al., 2006]. To help policy makers understand these risks, amore accurate description of hazards posed by rising sea levels is needed at the global scale, even though the impacts in specific regions are better known.
Societal adaptation to decadal climate variability in the United States
Authors: Rosenberg Norman J. , Mehta Vikram M. , Olsen J. Rolf , Storch Hans Von , Varady Robert G. , Hayes Michael J. , Wilhite Donald
Published: December 2007

The search for evidence of decadal climatic variability (DCV) has a very long history. In the past decade, a research community has coalesced around a series of roughly biennial workshops that have emphasized description of past DCV events; their causes and their “teleconnections” responsible for droughts, floods, and warm and cold spells around the world; and recently, the predictability of DCV events. Researchers studying climate change put great emphasis on prospective impacts, but the DCV community has yet to do so. To begin rectifying this deficiency, a short but ambitious workshop was convened in Waikoloa, near Kona, Hawaii, from 26–28 April 2007. This workshop, sponsored by the Center for Research on the Changing Earth System (CRCES), NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brought together climatologists and sectoral specialists representing agriculture, water resources, economics, the insurance industry, and developing country interests.
AGU 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow
Authors: Von Holle Kate
Published: December 2007

Alex Apotsos has been selected as AGU's 2007–2008 Congressional Science Fellow. Apotsos, who completed his Ph.D. in applied ocean science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass., in May 2007, will be working in the office of U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D‐Mont.) on a variety of science, engineering, and technology issues.

His placement followed an in‐depth orientation and interview process. In September, Apotsos joined the ranks of more than 30 other congressional science fellows from other organizations for a 2‐week orientation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. After the orientation session, the fellows underwent a lengthy interview process to determine their placement with various congressional and committee offices.
Arctic report card
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

A “report card” that tracks multiple changes in the Arctic environment has found that while some indicators show signs of stabilization, other changes are dramatic. In 2007, the central Arctic region lost almost 40 percent of its summertime sea ice, relative to amounts of Arctic sea ice in the 1980s, according to the report card, organized by NOAA and issued on 17 October by an international team of scientists. The report also found that permafrost temperatures are stabilizing in North America and Eurasia but permafrost melt remains a key problem, and that changes in Arctic animal populations have been mixed over decades. “This annual update provides key information to decision makers and the scientific community on changes that are taking place in the Arctic now,” said Richard Spinrad, NOAA assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research. For more information, visit the Web site: http://www .arctic.noaa.gov/reportcard/.
Central American Subduction System
Authors: Hoernle Kaj , Plank Terry , Silver Eli , Alvarado Guillermo , Gonzales Victor , Protti Marino
Published: December 2007

The driving force for great earthquakes and the cycling of water and climate‐influencing volatiles (carbon dioxide, sulfur, halogens) across the convergent margin of Central America have been a focus of international efforts for over 8 years, as part of the MARGINS program of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 574) of the German Science Foundation, and the Central American science community. Over 120 scientists and students from 10 countries met in Costa Rica to synthesize this intense effort spanning from land to marine geological and geophysical studies.

A major topic of discussion at the meeting was the location of the seismogenic zone. The smectite to illite transformation is no longer a viable explanation for the onset of seismicity. Instead, laboratory measurements and theory point to fluid pressure and content as critical variables, and detailed seismic studies and mapping and sampling of fluid vent structures have led to a new hydrologic model for the erosional fore arc. Additionally, a change from high to low heat flow in the crust entering the Costa Rica trench coincides with a deepening in the onset of seismicity, suggesting that the shallow limit of earthquake generation is temperature‐related.
Europe's freshwater fish threatened
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

Two hundred of Europe's 522 freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction and 12 are already extinct, according to the Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes, published in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and released on 1 November 2007. IUCN notes that the main threats to fish species stem from development and population growth and include water withdrawals, large dams, and inappropriate fisheries management that has led to overfishing and the introduction of alien species. Authors Maurice Kottelat, former president of the European Ichthyological Society, and Jörg Freyhof, scientist from Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology, noted that fish conservation should be managed by agencies in charge of conservation, and not as a crop by agencies in charge of agriculture. William Darwall, senior program officer with IUCN's Species Program, said the species “are critical to the freshwater ecosystems upon which we do depend, such as for water purification and flood control.”
Soft volcanic sediments compound 2006 Java earthquake disaster
Authors: Walter Thomas R. , Lühr Birger , Sobiesiak Monika , Grosser Helmut , Wang Rongjiang , Parolai Stefano , Wetzel Hans‐Ulrich , Zschau Jochen , Milkereit Claus , Günther Erwin , Wassermann Jo , Behr Yannik , Anggraini Ade , Brotopuspito Kirbani Sri , Harjadi Prih
Published: December 2007

When the region south of Mount Merapi volcano in central Java, Indonesia, was struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake, the city of Yogyakarta and its suburbs were partly devastated. The event caused severe damage to the densely inhabited area, leaving about 6000 people dead, 50,000 injured, and between 500,000 and 1 million homeless. With over 155,000 houses totally destroyed and 200,000 damaged, more houses were affected in this earthquake area than in Aceh and Nias after the earthquake‐tsunami disasters of 26 December 2004 and 28 March 2005 combined [United Nations, 2006].
“Water drops” essays available for public radio
Authors: Black Peter E.
Published: December 2007

“Water Drops” are 90‐second essays on water science, hydrology, culture, history, organizations, law, and policy that have aired weekly on radio station WRVO‐FM in Oswego, N.Y., since January 2006. Created for the lay public with a basic understanding of Earth science, the 133 essays now are available on Public Radio Exchange (http://www.prx.org) for free use by public radio stations, according to terms set forth at the Exchange Web site that include citing appropriate credits. If aired weekly, there are enough essays for 2.5 years of radio programming.

The essays were created and recorded by Peter E. Black, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Water and Related Land Resources, Emeritus, at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) at the State University of New York in Syracuse, and Christopher P. Baycura, a producer at ESF. Mark Lavonier of WRVO composed original music.
Fine‐resolution climate projections enhance regional climate change impact studies
Authors: Maurer Edwin P. , Brekke Levi , Pruitt Tom , Duffy Philip B.
Published: December 2007

A new data set enhances the abilities of researchers and decision‐makers to assess possible future climates, explore societal impacts, and approach policy responses from a risk‐based perspective. The data set, which consists of a library of 112 fine‐resolution climate projections, based on 16 climate models and three greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, is now publicly available. Monthly climate projections from 1950 to 2099 were downscaled to a spatial resolution of ⅛° (about 140 square kilometers per grid cell) covering the conterminous United States and portions of Canada and Mexico.

For the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, climate modeling groups produced hundreds of simulations of past and future climates. The colocation of these simulations in a single archive (at the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), established to facilitate assessment of general circulation models, or GCMs) and the conversion of all results to a common data format have made probabilistic, multi‐model projections and impact assessments practical. A remaining issue is that the spatial scale of climate model output is typically too coarse for regional impact studies. Multiple downscaling approaches exist for deriving regional climate from coarse‐resolution model output; these approaches are typically applied on an ad hoc basis to a particular region.
Advancing the Integration of Marine Ecosystem Dynamics and Biogeochemistry: Second Annual Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Summer Workshop; Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 23–26 July 2007
Authors: Benway Heather M. , Doney Scott C.
Published: December 2007

The Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) program, a scientific community‐driven coordinating body designed to promote U.S. research and international cooperation, focuses on the ocean's role as a component of the global Earth system, bringing together research in geochemistry, ocean physics, and ecology to advance our understanding of ocean biogeochemistry. The second annual OCB summer science workshop, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, took place at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, convening 155 participants.

Plenary sessions focused on three broad interdisciplinary themes: (1) interplay between biotic structure and biogeochemical cycles, (2) changing ocean biogeochemistry, and (3) terrestrial/coastal ocean cross‐boundary fluxes.
Scientist water equivalent measured with cosmic rays at 2006 AGU Fall Meeting
Authors: Desilets Darin , Zreda Marek , Ferré Ty
Published: December 2007

Cosmic rays continually bombard Earth, generating fast neutrons in the ground and atmosphere as a by‐product of nuclear disintegrations. The presence of this easily measurable “background” radiation suggests the possibility of a novel and harmless method for measuring water content in soil and the water equivalent depth of snow, two critical variables controlling surface processes.

A method utilizing cosmic rays has several advantages over soil and snow monitoring tools now available to hydrologists (e.g., microwave remote sensing, invasive electromagnetic methods, snow tubes, and snow pillows). It is passive, requires only moderately expensive equipment, of the order of U.S. $10,000, and can be insensitive to soil salinity depending on the neutron energies selected. Most important, a cosmic ray water sensor is noninvasive and can measure water content or snow water equivalent over a scale desirable for input to hydrologic models (100 meter radius) but unattainable by other instruments. While the ability to measure soil water and snowpack in the field with cosmic rays has been validated, this method has applications to other water‐rich systems, including biological ones.
Online database for instantaneous streamflow data
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2007

Access to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) historical instantaneous streamflow discharge data, dating from around 1990, is now available online through the Instantaneous Data Archive (IDA), the USGS announced on 14 November. In this new system, users can find streamflow information reported at the time intervals at which it is collected, typically 15‐minute to hourly intervals. Although instantaneous data have been available for many years, they were not accessible through the Internet. Robert Hirsch, USGS Associate Director of Water, said, “A userfriendly archive of historical instantaneous streamflow data is important to many different users for such things as floodplain mapping, flood modeling, and estimating pollutant transport.” The site currently has about 1.5 billion instantaneous data values from 5500 stream gages in 26 states. The number of states and stream gages with data will continue to increase, according to the USGS. For more information, visit the Web site: http://ida.water.usgs.gov/ida/.
Inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) restore the p53 pathway in neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Condorelli F , Gnemmi I , Vallario A , Genazzani A A , Canonico P L
Published: December 2007

Background and purpose:

Inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) are emerging as a promising class of anti‐cancer drugs, but a generic deregulation of transcription in neoplastic cells cannot fully explain their therapeutic effects. In this study we evaluated alternative molecular mechanisms by which HDAC inhibitors could affect neuroblastoma viability.

Experimental approach:

Effects of HDAC inhibitors on survival of the I‐type SK‐N‐BE and the N‐type NB SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines were assessed by the MTT assay. Molecular pathways leading to this were examined by western blot, confocal microscopy and cytofluorometry. The mRNA levels of apoptotic mediators were assessed semi‐quantitatively by RT‐PCR. Tumour‐suppressor p53 trans activity was assessed in EMSA experiments. HDAC inhibitors were also studied in cells subjected to plasmid‐based p53 interference (p53i).

Key results:

HDAC inhibitors induced cell death via the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis with recruitment of Bcl‐2 family members. Bcl‐2 overexpression rendered neuroblastoma cells resistant to HDAC inhibitor treatment. Low concentrations of HDAC inhibitors (0.9 mM) caused a G2 cell‐cycle arrest and a marked upregulation of the p21/Waf1/Cip1 protein. HDAC inhibitors also activate the p53 protein via hyper‐acetylation and nuclear re‐localization, without affecting its protein expression. Accordingly, HDAC inhibitor‐induced cell‐killing and p21/Waf1/Cip1 upregulation is impaired in p53i‐cells.

Conclusions and implications:

In neuroblastoma cells, HDAC inhibitors may overcome the resistance to classical chemotherapeutic drugs by restoring the p53 tumour‐repressor function via its hyper‐acetylation and nuclear migration, events usually impaired in such tumours. In neuroblastoma cells, HDAC inhibitors are not able to induce p21/Waf1/Cip1 in the absence of a functional p53.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 657–668; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707608; published online 3 December 2007
Targeted cell detection based on microchannel gating
Authors: Javanmard Mehdi , Talasaz AmirAli H. , Nemat-Gorgani Mohsen , Pease Fabian , Ronaghi Mostafa , Davis Ronald W.
Published: December 2007

Currently, microbiological techniques such as culture enrichment and various plating techniques are used for detection of pathogens. These expensive and time consuming methods can take several days. Described below is the design, fabrication, and testing of a rapid and inexpensive sensor, involving the use of microelectrodes in a microchannel, which can be used to detect single bacterial cells electrically (label-free format) in real time. As a proof of principle, we have successfully demonstrated real-time detection of target yeast cells by measuring instantaneous changes in ionic impedance. We have also demonstrated the selectivity of our sensors in responding to target cells while remaining irresponsive to nontarget cells. Using this technique, it can be possible to multiplex an array of these sensors onto a chip and probe a complex mixture for various types of bacterial cells.
Complete set of elastic and piezoelectric coefficients of α-quartz at low temperatures
Authors: Tarumi Ryuichi , Nakamura Koichi , Ogi Hirotsugu , Hirao Masahiko
Published: December 2007

A complete set of low temperature elastic constants Cij and piezoelectric coefficients eij of α-quartz single crystal has been investigated by resonance ultrasound spectroscopy coupled with a laser-Doppler interferometry. Most elastic constants showed monotonic elastic stiffening, while C66 continuously softened as the temperature decreased. Two piezoelectric coefficients eij showed monotonic decreasing upon cooling, and we found a strong correlation between e11 and C66, representing that thermal contraction induced internal strain plays an important role in their temperature behaviors. Group theoretical lattice dynamics analysis revealed that the elastic softening and the correlation can be attributed to an optical-mode-phonon-type internal strain having doubly degenerated E symmetry in the point group of D3.
Deep periodic domain inversions in x-cut LiNbO3 and its use for second harmonic generation near 1.5μm
Authors: Généreux Francis , Baldenberger Georges , Bourliaguet Bruno , Vallée Réal
Published: December 2007

In this letter, we report the fabrication of deep x-cut periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal. The technique relies on ridges performed by wet etching to improve poling field penetration into the substrate and, hence, to provide more depth to inverted domains. Based on this approach, domain inversions as deep as 6.5μm were achieved. As an application, reverse proton exchanged waveguides were fabricated on top of the PPLN to demonstrate efficient second harmonic generation in the near infrared. A conversion efficiency as high as 46%W−1cm−2 was measured near 1.5μm.
Large spectral tuning of liquid microdroplets standing on a superhydrophobic surface using optical scattering force
Authors: Kiraz A. , Yavuz S. Ç. , Karadağ Y. , Kurt A. , Sennaroglu A. , Çankaya H.
Published: December 2007

We demonstrate large spectral tuning of glycerol/water microdroplets standing on a superhydrophobic surface using the optical scattering force exerted by a 1064nm Nd3+:YVO4 solid-state laser. Spectral tuning up to 30nm is presented in the whispering gallery modes as a result of the deformation of the microdroplets toward a truncated prolate spheroid geometry. Observed large spectral tuning is also reported to be highly reversible. This demonstration can inspire novel, largely tunable optical switches or filters based on liquid microdroplets kept in a sealed chamber.
Optical characterization of silicon on insulator photonic crystal nanocavities infiltrated with colloidal PbS quantum dots
Authors: Dorfner D. F. , Hürlimann T. , Abstreiter G. , Finley J. J.
Published: December 2007

The authors present the fabrication of silicon on insulator (SOI) membrane nanocavities for use as sensitive optical biosensors and investigations of their optical properties. Simulations illustrate the evolution of the cavity mode frequency as a function of structural parameters. The SOI nanocavities were characterized using μ-photoluminescence spectroscopy by doping the photonic crystals with colloidal PbS quantum dots embedded in a polymer matrix. Experiments lead to cavity mode quality factors of Q=800±35 and the dependence on geometric parameters is in excellent agreement with our calculations.
Radiation field screening in photoconductive antennae studied via pulsed terahertz emission spectroscopy
Authors: Loata Gabriel C. , Thomson Mark D. , Löffler Torsten , Roskos Hartmut G.
Published: December 2007

We report terahertz emission experiments on low-temperature-grown GaAs photoconductive antennae. Two field-screening effects determine the device response: space-charge screening on a long time scale and radiation field screening of the local electric field. This latter effect is the principal cause for saturation of terahertz emission observed when the emitters are driven hard with high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses. We present an equivalent-circuit model consisting of three elements: a resistor with time-dependent conductance (photoswitch), a time-dependent voltage source (space-charge screening), and the antenna impedance (terahertz emission and radiation field screening). The simulations with this voltage divider reproduce the measured data well.
A fuzzy-logic tool for multi-criteria decision making in fisheries: the case of the South African pelagic fishery
Authors: Paterson B. , Jarre A. , Moloney C. L. , Fairweather T. P. , van der Lingen C. D. , Shannon L. J. , Field J. G.
Published: December 2007

The present study presents an electronic decision-support tool that uses a fuzzy-logic model of expert knowledge to assist in multi-criteria decision-making in the context of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF). The prototype model integrates the multiple goals and objectives related to the evaluation of the ecosystem performance of the South African sardine Sardinops sagax fishery into a NetWeaver knowledge base and provides intuitive visual outputs to communicate results to managers and stakeholders. The software tool was developed in a consultative process with key experts and follows the hierarchical tree approach recommended in the FAO guidelines for responsible fisheries. Input variables are based both on quantitative data and expert opinion. We evaluated the model in terms of robustness to input changes, influence of system structure, and appropriateness of input scales for parameters based on expert opinion. Results show that the model is robust and conservative. The strength of the approach lies in the ability to include variables that are difficult to measure. It provides a means of rendering value judgements explicit and transparent. The tool synthesises a large amount of information and aims at improving understanding rather than achieving precision. The system has the potential to have wide application in the context of EAF.