bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Force of Symmetry
Authors: Icke Vincent
Published: August 2012

The Force of Symmetry gives an elementary introduction to the spectacular interplay between the three great themes of contemporary physics: quantum behaviour; relativity; and symmetry. In clear, non-technical language, though without oversimplification, it explores many fascinating aspects of modern physics, discussing the nature and interaction of force and matter. All these themes are drawn together, towards the end of the book, to describe the most successful physics theory in history, the 'standard model' of subatomic particles. The lively and non-technical approach of this book will make it suitable for first-year undergraduates in the physical sciences and mathematics, or even to those just about to embark on such courses. It will also be a valuable accompaniment to more advanced texts on quantum mechanics and particle physics.
Statistical Field Theory
Authors: Itzykson Claude , Drouffe Jean-Michel
Published: August 2012

Volume 1: From Brownian Motion to Renormalization and Lattice Gauge Theory. Volume 2: Strong Coupling, Monte Carlo Methods, Conformal Field Theory, and Random Systems. This two-volume work provides a comprehensive and timely survey of the application of the methods of quantum field theory to statistical physics, a very active and fruitful area of modern research. The first volume provides a pedagogical introduction to the subject, discussing Brownian motion, its anticommutative counterpart in the guise of Onsager's solution to the two-dimensional Ising model, the mean field or Landau approximation, scaling ideas exemplified by the Kosterlitz-Thouless theory for the XY transition, the continuous renormalization group applied to the standard phi-to the fourth theory (the simplest typical case) and lattice gauge theory as a pathway to the understanding of quark confinement in quantum chromodynamics. The second volume covers more diverse topics, including strong coupling expansions and their analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, two-dimensional conformal field theory, and simple disordered systems. The book concludes with a chapter on random geometry and the Polyakov model of random surfaces which illustrates the relations between string theory and statistical physics. The two volumes that make up this work will be useful to theoretical physicists and applied mathematicians who are interested in the exciting developments which have resulted from the synthesis of field theory and statistical physics.
From Physics to Metaphysics
Authors: Redhead Michael
Published: August 2012

The book is drawn from the Tarner lectures, delivered in Cambridge in 1993. It is concerned with the ultimate nature of reality, and how this is revealed by modern physical theories such as relativity and quantum theory. The objectivity and rationality of science are defended against the views of relativists and social constructionists. It is claimed that modern physics gives us a tentative and fallible, but nevertheless rational, approach to the nature of physical reality. The role of subjectivity in science is examined in the fields of relativity theory, statistical mechanics and quantum theory, and recent claims of an essential role for human consciousness in physics are rejected. Prospects for a 'Theory of Everything' are considered, and the related question of how to assess scientific progress is carefully examined.
Time's Arrows and Quantum Measurement
Authors: Schulman Lawrence S.
Published: August 2012

This book is an introduction to the arrow of time in thermodynamics and cosmology, and develops a new quantum measurement theory in which the foregoing concepts play an essential role. The first chapter is an overview and 'route map' and is followed by an exposition of irreversibility, the expansion of the Universe and other arrows of time. The author examines the thesis that the thermodynamic arrow follows the cosmological one, and in doing so extends traditional statistical mechanics. The second part of the book presents a new theory of quantum measurement and possible experimental tests. This theory incorporates the extended statistical mechanics in an essential way. The last chapter discusses open experimental and theoretical issues. Written in a lively and accessible style, the text is liberally sprinkled with exercises. Each chapter ends with a resources section that includes notes, further reading, and technical appendices.
Materials and the Designer
Authors: Cornish E. H.
Published: August 2012

This book introduces the reader to methods of selecting materials for engineering applications. With the rapid growth in the variety of manufacturing materials available, the choice of the optimum material for an engineering design is of increasing importance and difficulty. Materials have to be chosen that satisfy several, often conflicting, criteria including strength, durability, flammability, and cost. The author, an acknowledged expert on materials, provides a guide to many of the classes of engineering materials currently available. He includes tables and lists of standards, along with lists of consultants' addresses and references. Materials covered include metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and there are chapters on surface finishes, materials' performance, and the impact of manufacturing processes on design possibilities.
Multivariate Analysis in Community Ecology
Authors: Gauch Hugh G.
Published: August 2012

Ecologists are making increasing use of computer methods in analyzing ecological data on plant and animal communities. Ecological problems naturally involve numerous variables and numerous individuals or samples. Multivariate techniques permit the summary of large, complex sets of data and provide the means to tackle many problems that cannot be investigated experimentally because of practical restraints. Ecologists are thus enabled to group similar species and similar sample sites together, and to generate hypotheses about environmental and historical factors that affect the communities. This timely book presents a full critical description of three methodologies - direct gradient analysis, ordination, and classification - from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Both traditional and new methods are presented. Using a wide range of illustrative examples, Hugh Gauch provides an up-to-date synthesis of this field, which will be of interest to advanced students and ecologists. These mathematical tools are also used in a wide variety of other areas, from natural resource management and agronomy to the social and political sciences.
Spatial Data Analysis in the Social and Environmental Sciences
Authors: Haining Robert
Published: August 2012

Within both the social and environmental sciences, much of the data collected is within a spatial context and requires statistical analysis for interpretation. The purpose of this book is to describe current methods for the analysis of spatial data. Methods described include data description, map interpolation, and exploratory and explanatory analyses. The book also examines spatial referencing, and methods for detecting problems, assessing their seriousness and taking appropriate action are discussed. This is an important text for any discipline requiring a broad overview of current theoretical and applied work for the analysis of spatial data sets. It will be of particular use to research workers and final year undergraduates in the fields of geography, environmental sciences and social sciences.
An Introduction to the Theory of the Riemann Zeta-Function
Authors: Patterson S. J.
Published: August 2012

This is a modern introduction to the analytic techniques used in the investigation of zeta functions, through the example of the Riemann zeta function. Riemann introduced this function in connection with his study of prime numbers and from this has developed the subject of analytic number theory. Since then many other classes of 'zeta function' have been introduced and they are now some of the most intensively studied objects in number theory. Professor Patterson has emphasised central ideas of broad application, avoiding technical results and the customary function-theoretic approach. Thus, graduate students and non-specialists will find this an up-to-date and accessible introduction, especially for the purposes of algebraic number theory. There are many exercises included throughout, designed to encourage active learning.
Lectures on Mechanics
Authors: Marsden Jerrold E.
Published: August 2012

The use of geometric methods in classical mechanics has proven to be a fruitful exercise, with the results being of wide application to physics and engineering. Here Professor Marsden concentrates on these geometric aspects, and especially on symmetry techniques. The main points he covers are: the stability of relative equilibria, which is analyzed using the block diagonalization technique; geometric phases, studied using the reduction and reconstruction technique; and bifurcation of relative equilibria and chaos in mechanical systems. A unifying theme for these points is provided by reduction theory, the associated mechanical connection and techniques from dynamical systems. These methods can be applied to many control and stabilization situations, and this is illustrated using rigid bodies with internal rotors, and the use of geometric phases in mechanical systems. To illustrate the above ideas and the power of geometric arguments, the author studies a variety of specific systems, including the double spherical pendulum and the classical rotating water molecule. This book, based on the 1991 LMS Invited Lectures, will be valued by pure and applied mathematicians, physicists and engineers who work in geometry, nonlinear dynamics, mechanics, and robotics.
International Student Security
Authors: Marginson Simon , Nyland Chris , Sawir Erlenawati , Forbes-Mewett Helen
Published: August 2012

More than three million students globally are on the move each year, crossing borders for their tertiary education. Many travel from Asia and Africa to English speaking countries, led by the United States, including the UK, Australia and New Zealand where students pay tuition fees at commercial rates and prop up an education export sector that has become lucrative for the provider nations. But the 'no frills' commercial form of tertiary education, designed to minimise costs and maximise revenues, leaves many international students inadequately protected and less than satisfied. International Student Security draws on a close study of international students in Australia, and exposes opportunity, difficulty, danger and courage on a massive scale in the global student market. It works through many unresolved issues confronting students and their families, including personal safety, language proficiency, finances, sub-standard housing, loneliness and racism.
Understanding the British Empire
Authors: Hyam Ronald
Published: August 2012

Understanding the British Empire draws on a lifetime's research and reflection on the history of the British Empire by one of the senior figures in the field. Essays cover six key themes: the geopolitical and economic dynamics of empire, religion and ethics, imperial bureaucracy, the contribution of political leaders, the significance of sexuality, and the shaping of imperial historiography. A major new introductory chapter draws together the wider framework of Dr Hyam's studies and several new chapters focus on lesser known figures. Other chapters are revised versions of earlier papers, reflecting some of the debates and controversies raised by the author's work, including the issue of sexual exploitation, the European intrusion into Africa, including the African response to missionaries, trusteeship, and Winston Churchill's imperial attitudes. Combining traditional archival research with newer forms of cultural exploration, this is an unusually wide-ranging approach to key aspects of empire.
Darfur's Sorrow
Authors: Daly M. W.
Published: August 2012

Darfur's Sorrow is the first general history of Darfur to be published in any language. The book surveys events from before the founding of the Fur sultanate in the sixteenth century through the rise and establishment of the Fur state and its incorporation into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1916. The narrative continues with detailed coverage of the brief but all-important colonial period (1916–1956) and Darfur's history as a neglected peripheral region since independence. The political, economic, environmental, and social factors that gave rise to the current humanitarian crisis are discussed in detail, as are the course of Darfur's rebellion, its brutal suppression by the Sudanese government, and the lawless brigands known as janjawid. The second edition of the book brings the story up to date and includes an analysis of attempts to save Darfur's embattled people and to bring an end to the fighting.
Actors and Acting in Shakespeare's Time
Authors: Astington John H.
Published: August 2012

John Astington brings the acting style of the Shakespearean period to life, describing and analysing the art of the player in the English professional theatre between Richard Tarlton and Thomas Betterton. The book pays close attention to the cultural context of stage playing, the critical language used about it, and the kinds of training and professional practice employed in the theatre at various times over the course of roughly one hundred years - 1558–1660. Perfect for courses, this survey takes into account recent discoveries about actors and their social networks, about apprenticeship and company affiliations, and about playing outside the major centre of theatre, London. Astington considers the educational tradition of playing, in schools, universities, legal inns, and choral communities, in comparison to the work of the professional players. A comprehensive biographical dictionary of all major professional players of the Shakespearean period is included as a handy reference guide.
Money in Classical Antiquity
Authors: Reden Sitta von
Published: August 2012

This book was the first to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the impact of money on the economy, society and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds. It uses new approaches in economic history to explore how money affected the economy in antiquity and demonstrates that the crucial factors in its increasing influence were state-formation, expanding political networks, metal supply and above all an increasing sophistication of credit and contractual law. Covering a wide range of monetary contexts within the Mediterranean over almost a thousand years (c.600 BC–AD 300), it demonstrates that money played different roles in different social and political circumstances. The book will prove an invaluable introduction to upper-level students of ancient money, while also offering perspectives for future research to the specialist.
On the drag of turbulent vortex rings
Authors: Gan L. , Dawson J. R. , Nickels T. B.
Published: August 2012

In this paper the pressure field during the early development of turbulent vortex rings at two Reynolds numbers is determined using temporally resolved two-dimensional and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). The pressure gradient terms are obtained by solving the incompressible Euler equation so that the drag coefficients of the vortex rings can be evaluated. Maxworthy (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 64, 1974, pp. 227–239) and Glezer & Coles (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 211, 1990, pp. 243–283) each developed models to describe the long-term physics of turbulent vortex rings: the former developed a semi-empirical model which permits loss of impulse via the shedding of vorticity into the wake whereas the latter developed a similarity model based on invariance of the hydrodynamic impulse. Maxworthy’s model implies that a significant correction to the similarity solution is required to account for the drag on the vortex ring bubble. We show that during the early development of the turbulent vortex rings the drag is very small and the similarity scaling can basically be retained.
Total protein, animal protein and physical activity in relation to muscle mass in middle-aged and older Americans
Authors: Morris Martha Savaria , Jacques Paul F.
Published: August 2012

Resistance training is recognised as a good strategy for retarding age-related declines in muscle mass and strength. Recent studies have also highlighted the potential value of protein intakes in excess of present recommendations. The roles that leisure-time physical activity and protein quality play in the preservation of skeletal muscle during ageing, and how such influences interact in free-living people are unclear. We sought to clarify these issues using data collected on 2425 participants aged ≥ 50 years in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2006). We estimated subjects’ usual intakes of total protein and beef from two 24 h diet recalls and computed the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index from anthropometric measures. Participants self-reported their physical activity levels. Analyses accounted for demographic factors and smoking. The association between muscle-strengthening activity and the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index varied with protein intake. Furthermore, among obese subjects with protein intakes < 70 g/d, those who performed such activities had a lower appendicular skeletal muscle mass index than those who were physically inactive. Protein intakes above the present recommendations were associated with benefits to obese subjects only. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index of non-obese subjects who performed vigorous aerobic activities was consistently high; in obese subjects, it varied with protein intake. High-protein intake was associated with a modest increase in the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index in non-obese, physically inactive subjects. The present findings reinforce the idea that muscle-strengthening exercise preserves muscle when combined with adequate dietary protein. Vigorous aerobic activity may also help.
Arachidonic acid supplementation during gestational, lactational and post-weaning periods prevents retinal degeneration induced in a rodent model
Authors: Yoshizawa Katsuhiko , Sasaki Tomo , Kuro Maki , Uehara Norihisa , Takada Hideho , Harauma Akiko , Ohara Naoki , Moriguchi Toru , Tsubura Airo
Published: August 2012

Fatty acids and their derivatives play a role in the response to retinal injury. The effects of dietary arachidonic acid (AA) supplementation onN-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced retinal degeneration was investigated in young Lewis rats during the gestational, lactational and post-weaning periods. Dams were fed 0·1, 0·5 or 2·0 % AA diets or a basal ( < 0·01 % AA) diet. On postnatal day 21 (at weaning), male pups received a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg MNU/kg or vehicle, and were fed the same diet as their mother for 7 d. Retinal apoptosis was analysed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay 24 h after the MNU treatment, and retinal morphology was examined 7 d post-MNU. Histologically, all rats that received MNU and were fed the basal and 0·1 % AA diets developed retinal degeneration characterised by the loss of photoreceptor cells (disappearance of the outer nuclear layer and the photoreceptor layer) in the central retina. The 0·5 and 2·0 % AA diets rescued rats from retinal damage. Morphometrically, in parallel with the AA dose (0·5 and 2·0 % AA), the photoreceptor ratio significantly increased and the retinal damage ratio decreased in the central retina, compared with the corresponding ratios in basal diet-fed rats. In parallel with the increase in serum and retinal AA levels and the AA:DHA ratio, the apoptotic index in the central retina was dose-dependently decreased in rats fed the 0·5 and 2·0 % AA diets. In conclusion, an AA-rich diet during the gestation, lactation and post-weaning periods rescued young Lewis rats from MNU-induced retinal degeneration via the inhibition of photoreceptor apoptosis. Therefore, an AA-enriched diet in the prenatal and postnatal periods may be an important strategy to suppress the degree of photoreceptor injury in humans.
ALGEBRAIC CONVERGENCE THEOREMS OF COMPLEX KLEINIAN GROUPS
Authors: CAO WENSHENG
Published: August 2012

Let {Gr,i} be a sequence of r-generator subgroups ofU(1,n; ℂ) andGrbe its algebraic limit group. In this paper, two algebraic convergence theorems concerning {Gr,i} andGrare obtained. Our results are generalisations of their counterparts in the n-dimensional sense-preserving Möbius group.
G-GRAPHS AND SPECIAL REPRESENTATIONS FOR BINARY DIHEDRAL GROUPS IN GL(2,ℂ)
Authors: DE CELIS ALVARO NOLLA
Published: August 2012

Given a finite subgroup G⊂GL(2,ℂ), it is known that the minimal resolution of singularity ℂ2/G is the moduli space Y=G-Hilb(ℂ2) of G-clusters ⊂ℂ2. The explicit description of Y can be obtained by calculating every possible distinguished basis for as vector spaces. These basis are the so-called G-graphs. In this paper we classify G-graphs for any small binary dihedral subgroup G in GL(2,ℂ), and in the context of the special McKay correspondence we use this classification to give a combinatorial description of special representations of G appearing in Y in terms of its maximal normal cyclic subgroup H ⊴ G.
TWO REMARKS ON PQε-PROJECTIVITY OF RIEMANNIAN METRICS
Authors: MATVEEV VLADIMIR S. , ROSEMANN STEFAN
Published: August 2012

We show that PQε-projectivity of two Riemannian metrics introduced in [15] (P. J. Topalov, Geodesic compatibility and integrability of geodesic flows, J. Math. Phys.44(2) (2003), 913–929.) implies affine equivalence of the metrics unless ε ∈ {0,−1,−3,−5,−7,. . .}. Moreover, we show that for ε=0, PQε-projectivity implies projective equivalence.
COQUASITRIANGULAR STRUCTURES FOR EXTENSIONS OF HOPF ALGEBRAS. APPLICATIONS
Authors: AGORE A. L.
Published: August 2012

Let A ⊆ E be an extension of Hopf algebras such that there exists a normal left A-module coalgebra map π : E → A that splits the inclusion. We shall describe the set of all coquasitriangular structures on the Hopf algebra E in terms of the datum (A, E, π) as follows: first, any such extension E is isomorphic to a unified product A ⋉ H, for some unitary subcoalgebra H of E (A. L. Agore and G. Militaru, Unified products and split extensions of Hopf algebras, to appear in AMS Contemp. Math.). Then, as a main theorem, we establish a bijective correspondence between the set of all coquasitriangular structures on an arbitrary unified product A ⋉ H and a certain set of datum (p, τ, u, v) related to the components of the unified product. As the main application, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for Majid's infinite-dimensional quantum double Dλ(A, H) = A ⋈τH to be a coquasitriangular Hopf algebra. Several examples are worked out in detail.
CHARACTERISATIONS OF GEODESIC HYPERSPHERES IN A NON-FLAT COMPLEX SPACE FORM
Authors: MAEDA SADAHIRO , ADACHI TOSHIAKI , KIM YOUNG HO
Published: August 2012

Totally η-umbilic real hypersurfaces are the simplest examples of real hypersurfaces in a non-flat complex space form. Geodesic hyperspheres in this ambient space are typical examples of such real hypersurfaces. We characterise every geodesic hypersphere by observing the extrinsic shapes of its geodesics and using the derivative of its contact form.
Constructing Myth in Modern China
Authors: Mcneal Robin
Published: August 2012

This study presents an overview of attempts by Chinese literati during the twentieth century to articulate a coherent Chinese mythology, primarily based on ancient texts but eventually to some extent drawing from ethnographic materials and folklore as well, and all much beholden to Western examples such as Greek and Norse mythology. This examination of text-based activities sets the stage for an inquiry into a wave of monument building during the Reform Era, much of which has celebrated China's ancient myth, history, and legend. A recent park in Wuhan dedicated to the legendary sage ruler and conqueror of floods, Yu the Great, serves as a case study of how, over the last three decades, old Chinese myths have been inscribed on the new Chinese landscape, and allows exploration of this phenomenon in relation to deeper issues concerning the role of myth in Chinese society, particularly its unexpected marriage with modernity.
Lao Buddhist Monks' Involvement in Political and Military Resistance to the Lao People's Democratic Republic Government since 1975
Authors: Baird Ian G.
Published: August 2012

There is a long history of Theravada Buddhist monk involvement in militarism in mainland Southeast Asia. Here, I examine recent Lao monk support for political and military activities directed against the communist Lao People's Democratic Republic government and its Vietnamese supporters since 1975. Monks have not become directly involved in armed conflict, as monastic rules do not allow participation in offensive violent acts, or arms trading, but they have played various important roles in supporting armed resistance against the Lao government. Some monks assisting insurgents have been shot in Thailand. Now most of the Lao insurgent-supporting monks live in the United States, Canada, and France, where a few continue to assist the political resistance against the Lao government, arguing that providing such support does not contradict Buddhist teachings. This article demonstrates how Lao Buddhist monks have negotiated religious conduct rules in the context of strong nationalistic convictions.
Profit and Protection: Emin Khwaja and the Qing Conquest of Central Asia, 1759–1777
Authors: Kim Kwangmin
Published: August 2012

This article provides a Muslim perspective on the eighteenth-century Qing conquest of Xinjiang. It explores the career of Emin Khwaja, a leader of the Muslim community of Turfan and the most prominent Muslim ally in the Qing conquest. I investigate how the notion of “protection” (ḥimāyatin Arabic), a key concept in the Central Asian Muslim understanding of religious and political patronage, informed Emin's decision to ally himself with the Qing. I argue that Emin understood his alliance with the “infidel” Manchu not as a collaboration in betrayal of Islam but as a positive policy to achieve security and prosperity of the Muslim community in the changing political and commercial environment of eighteenth-century Eurasia. Emin was able to build a local coalition of Muslim commercial interests for the support of the Qing, while promoting his standing within the regional political hierarchy of Muslim Central Asia.
Mono Lake Northern Paiute
Authors: Babel Molly , Houser Michael J. , Toosarvandani Maziar
Published: August 2012

Northern Paiute is a member of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is spoken across the Great Basin in the western United States – from Mono Lake in California, on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, through western Nevada and into southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, as well as in a discontinuous region in southeastern Idaho by the Bannock. There are, according to Golla (2011), about 300 first-language speakers of Northern Paiute. In this illustration, we describe the language's Mono Lake variety.
Czech spoken in Bohemia and Moravia
Authors: Šimáčková Šárka , Podlipský Václav Jonáš , Chládková Kateřina
Published: August 2012

As a western Slavic language of the Indo-European family, Czech is closest to Slovak and Polish. It is spoken as a native language by nearly 10 million people in the Czech Republic (Czech Statistical Office n.d.). About two million people living abroad, mostly in the USA, Canada, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and the UK, claim Czech heritage (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic 2009). However, it is not known how many of them are native speakers of Czech.
Robust transitivity for endomorphisms
Authors: LIZANA CRISTINA , PUJALS ENRIQUE
Published: August 2012

We address the problem of the conditions under which an endomorphism having a dense orbit is such that a sufficiently close perturbed map also exhibits a dense orbit. For this purpose we give sufficient conditions, covering a large class of examples, for endomorphisms on the $n$-dimensional torus to be robustly transitive: the endomorphism must be volume expanding and any large connected arc must contain a point such that its future orbit belongs to an expanding region.
Learning non-adjacent regularities at age 0 ; 7
Authors: GERVAIN JUDIT , WERKER JANET F.
Published: August 2012

One important mechanism suggested to underlie the acquisition of grammar is rule learning. Indeed, infants aged 0 ; 7 are able to learn rules based on simple identity relations (adjacent repetitions, ABB: “wo fe fe” and non-adjacent repetitions, ABA: “wo fe wo”, respectively; Marcus et al., 1999). One unexplored issue is whether young infants are able to process both adjacent and non-adjacent repetitions. As the previous studies always compared the two types of repetition structures directly, the ability to learn only one of them was sufficient for successful discrimination in these tasks. The present study reports two experiments, in which we test the ability of infants aged 0 ; 7 to discriminate adjacent and non-adjacent repetition structures against random controls (ABB vs. ABC and ABA vs. ABC). We show that, contrary to some previous proposals, infants aged 0 ; 7 successfully discriminate both repetition types from random controls, but show no spontaneous preference for either of them.
Note from the Editors
Authors: Ringen Catherine , Vikner Sten
Published: August 2012

This is the first issue of volume 35 of the Nordic Journal of Linguistics. The NJL is the journal of the Nordic Association of Linguists. Individuals may subscribe to the Journal by joining the Nordic Association of Linguists. The NAL membership form can be found on the Cambridge University Press web site of the NJL, http://journals.cambridge.org/NJL, as well as on the NAL web site, http://www.uef.fi/nal.
Rapid decline and shift in the future distribution predicted for the endangered Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae due to climate change
Authors: MONADJEM ARA , VIRANI MUNIR Z. , JACKSON COLIN , RESIDE APRIL
Published: August 2012

Climate change is predicted to have serious impacts on the conservation status of numerous species of birds, particularly low-density, range-restricted species occupying narrow habitats. One such species is the globally “Endangered” Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae that currently survives in just two or three small pockets of forest in coastal Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania. We assessed the potential impact of changes in future climate on this species using predictive niche modelling. Distributional data were obtained from various published and unpublished sources, and field surveys. Maximum Entropy (Maxent) was used to model the current distribution of Sokoke Scops Owl. A general circulation model was used to predict the distribution of this species in 2080. This scenario predicts a southward shift in the future distribution of this species in Kenya and a complete disappearance from the Usambara mountains in Tanzania, with a concomitant 64% reduction in areas of high environmental suitability. Considering the isolated nature of the forest fragments in which this owl survives and the sea of inhospitable human-modified habitat which surrounds these fragments, the future conservation prospects of this species are bleak. Close monitoring of the species is strongly recommended and potential conservation interventions are discussed.
A new population of the globally Endangered Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys unusually breeding in palms
Authors: ROJAS ABRAHAM , YUCRA ELEUTERIO , VERA IVÁN , REQUEJO ANDRÉS , TELLA JOSÉL.
Published: August 2012

The Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys is endemic to Bolivia, where it is listed as “Critically Endangered” due to its reduced population size and persisting threats. This species is known to breed exclusively on steep cliffs in arid inter-Andean valleys. However, during a survey of the whole distribution, we noted a previously overlooked population breeding in stands of the also endemic and globally endangered palm Parajubaea torallyi. We observed five adult pairs and confirmed at least three active nests. Nests were in holes 14–20 m above the ground in dead palms, at 2,580–2,700 m asl. The scarcity of breeding habitat and current nest poaching were identified as the major threats for this population. This discovery broadens our understanding of the breeding ecology and widens the scope of action for the monitoring and conservation of the species.
Cambodian Bon Om Touk Stampede Highlights Preventable Tragedy
Authors: Hsu Edbert B. , Burkle Frederick M.
Published: August 2012

The tragic nature of the human stampede that took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 22, 2010 claimed the lives of 347 people during the three-day-long Water Festival, known as Bon Om Touk. Described as the greatest tragedy that Cambodia has experienced since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge, the Bon Om Touk stampede ranks among the deadliest human stampede disasters during the past 30 years, a Class IV event exceeding 100 fatalities according to a recently proposed scale.1 From the perspective of global health, the event shares many characteristics with preceding major crowd disasters and failures in event planning. It is essential for the international community to officially monitor human stampedes as it does other major disasters. Additional research on human stampedes is needed to improve our collective understanding of the causes of crowd disasters and how best to prevent them.

HsuEB, BurkleFMJr. Cambodian Bon Om Touk stampede highlights preventable tragedy. Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(5):1-2.
Radiobiological comparison of single and dual-isotope prostate seed implants
Authors: Knaup Courtney , Mavroidis Panayiotis , Esquivel Carlos , Stathakis Sotirios , Swanson Gregory , Baltas Dimos , Papanikolaou Nikos
Published: August 2012

Purpose: Several isotopes are available for low dose-rate prostate brachytherapy. Currently most implants use a single isotope. However, the use of dual-isotope implants may yield an advantageous combination of characteristics such as half-life and relative biological effectiveness. However, the use of dual-isotope implants complicates treatment planning and quality assurance. Do the benefits of dual-isotope implants outweigh the added difficulty? The goal of this work was to use a linear-quadratic model to compare single and dual-isotope implants.

Materials & Methods: Ten patients were evaluated. For each patient, six treatment plans were created with single or dual-isotope combinations of 125I, 103Pd and 131Cs. For each plan the prostate, urethra, rectum and bladder were contoured by a physician. The biologically effective dose was used to determine the tumor control probability and normal tissue complication probabilities for each plan. Each plan was evaluated using favorable, intermediate and unfavorable radiobiological parameters. The results of the radiobiological analysis were used to compare the single and dual-isotope treatment plans.

Results: Iodine-125 only implants were seen to be most affected by changes in tumor parameters. Significant differences in organ response probabilities were seen at common dose levels. However, after adjusting the initial seed strength the differences between isotope combinations were minimal.

Conclusions: The objective of this work was to perform a radiobiologically based comparison of single and dual-isotope prostate seed implant plans. For all isotope combinations, the plans were improved by varying the initial seed strength. For the optimized treatment plans, no substantial differences in predicted treatment outcomes were seen among the different isotope combinations.
A 77-GHz antenna and fully integrated radar transceiver in package
Authors: Fischer A. , Stelzer A. , Maurer L.
Published: August 2012

A 77-GHz–directional folded dipole antenna integrated in an embedded wafer level ball grid array package is presented. For the characterization of the antenna, a frequency multiplier is embedded, which scales the 4.25-GHz input signal up to 76.5 GHz and allows the use of a commercial signal source. The antenna structure is manufactured at the metallic layer, in the fan-out area of the package, and is directly connected to the monolithically integrated transceiver. The gain of the antenna is about 7 dBi, measured over a large bandwidth of about 8 GHz. The combination of the frequency multiplier with a 77-GHz transceiver and the on-package antenna is a promising approach for a system-in-package to future radar modules for automotive radar applications. Such a module avoids 77-GHz transitions to the printed circuit board and hence simplifies the design and manufacturing of the radar sensor significantly.
Seismic evidence for shallow gas‐escape features associated with a retreating gas hydrate zone offshore west Svalbard
Authors: Sarkar Sudipta , Berndt Christian , Minshull Timothy A. , Westbrook Graham K. , Klaeschen Dirk , Masson Douglas G. , Chabert Anne , Thatcher Kate E.
Published: August 2012

Active gas venting occurs on the uppermost continental slope off west Svalbard, close to and upslope from the present‐day intersection of the base of methane hydrate stability (BMHS) with the seabed in about 400 m water depth in the inter‐fan region between the Kongsfjorden and Isfjorden cross‐shelf troughs. From an integrated analysis of high‐resolution, two‐dimensional, pre‐stack migrated seismic reflection profiles and multibeam bathymetric data, we map out a bottom simulating reflector (BSR) in the inter‐fan region and analyze the subsurface gas migration and accumulation. Gas seeps mostly occur in the zone from which the BMHS at the seabed has retreated over the recent past (1975–2008) as a consequence of a bottom water temperature rise of 1°C. The overall margin‐parallel alignment of the gas seeps is not related to fault‐controlled gas migration, as seismic evidence of faults is absent. There is no evidence for a BSR close to the gas flare region in the upper slope but numerous gas pockets exist directly below the predicted BMHS. While the contour following trend of the gas seeps could be a consequence of retreat of the landward limit of the BMHS and gas hydrate dissociation, the scattered distribution of seeps within the probable hydrate dissociation corridor and the occurrence of a cluster of seeps outside the predicted BMHS limit and near the shelf break indicate the role of lithological heterogeneity in focusing gas migration.
Exhumation and relief development in the Pelvoux and Dora‐Maira massifs (western Alps) assessed by spectral analysis and inversion of thermochronological age transects
Authors: Beucher Romain , van der Beek Peter , Braun Jean , Batt Geoffrey E.
Published: August 2012

We have used dedicated sampling and analysis of apatite fission track (AFT) and apatite (U‐Th)/He (AHe) thermochronological data sets in an attempt to quantify relief evolution and exhumation rates in the Pelvoux and Dora‐Maira massifs (western European Alps). A dual approach comparing spectral analysis and thermal‐kinematic model inversion was applied. We sampled age‐elevation relationships at a range of topographic wavelengths along two north‐south transects crossing these massifs. For the 40‐km‐long Pelvoux transect we report 35 new AFT ages that range between 3.0 ± 0.4 Ma and 12.6 ± 1.0 Ma, and 8 new AHe ages between 3.5 ± 1.5 and 4.7 ± 0.7 Ma. The Dora‐Maira transect spans a distance of 60 km and includes 28 (23 new and 5 previously published) significantly older AFT ages, which vary between 13.1 ± 0.2 and 27.3 ± 0.3 Ma. Inferred exhumation rates of 0.7 km m.y.−1 since ∼8 Ma in the Pelvoux and only 0.1 km m.y.−1since ∼20 Ma in Dora‐Maira are consistent between methods as well as with previous estimates, although they are associated with large uncertainties due to imperfect sampling and analytical errors. Neither massif displays clear evidence for relief change during the intervals constrained by the data. Data from the Dora‐Maria massif suggest moderate recent relief increase, whereas the results from the Pelvoux are inconclusive but could imply relief decrease. Our study highlights the difficulties of applying thermochronology techniques to constrain relief changes. We show that an unreasonable number of samples is needed to perform reliable spectral analysis of age‐elevation transects and discuss the overall limitations of both techniques to address relief evolution. We suggest that a more efficient approach would be to apply thermal‐kinematic model inversion to relatively small study areas using spatially distributed sampling and multiple thermochronometer analyses per sample.
The active bacterial community in a pristine confined aquifer
Authors: Flynn Theodore M. , Sanford Robert A. , Santo Domingo Jorge W. , Ashbolt Nicholas J. , Levine Audrey D. , Bethke Craig M.
Published: August 2012

This study of the active bacteria residing in a pristine confined aquifer provides unexpected insights into the ecology of iron‐reducing and sulfate‐reducing bacteria in the subsurface. At 18 wells, we trapped the microbes that attached to aquifer sediment and used molecular techniques to examine the bacterial populations. We used multivariate statistics to compare the composition of bacterial communities among the wells with respect to the chemistry of the groundwater. We found groundwater at each well was considerably richer in ferrous iron than sulfide, indicating iron‐reducing bacteria should, by established criteria, dominate the sulfate reducers. Our results show, however, that areas where groundwater contains more than a negligible amount of sulfate (>0.03 mM), populations related to sulfate reducers of the generaDesulfobacter and Desulfobulbus were of nearly equal abundance with putative iron reducers related to Geobacter, Geothrix, and Desulfuromonas. Whereas sulfate is a key discriminant of bacterial community structure, we observed no statistical relationship between the distribution of bacterial populations in this aquifer and the concentration of either ferrous iron or dissolved sulfide. These results call into question the validity of using the relative concentration of these two ions to predict the nature of bacterial activity in an aquifer. Sulfate reducers and iron reducers do not appear to be segregated into discrete zones in the aquifer, as would be predicted by the theory of competitive exclusion. Instead, we find the two groups coexist in the subsurface in what we suggest is a mutualistic relationship.
Inequalities in the networks of virtual water flow
Authors: Carr Joel , D'Odorico Paolo , Laio Francesco , Ridolfi Luca , Seekell David
Published: August 2012

The globalization of water associated with the trade of food commodities [Hoekstra and Chapagain, 2008] has often been acclaimed as a means to save water, mitigate the effect of regional‐ and local‐scale water scarcity, and meet the demand for food in overpopulated and water‐poor countries [Allan, 1998]. However, there are negative implications for water use from globalization of trade. For instance, globalization disconnects populations from local sustainable freshwater use [Allan, 1998; D'Odorico et al., 2010]. This distance between societies and the resources on which they rely is a major obstacle to the emergence of behaviors that foster ecosystem stewardship [Chapin et al., 2009] through a responsible management of the environment. The globalization of water is also expected to reduce societal resilience to drought by decreasing the redundancy of freshwater resources, thereby limiting opportunities to meet human needs during periods of crisis [D'Odorico et al., 2010]. Overall, globalization enhances inequalities in the way different societies may have access to freshwater resources [Chapin et al., 2009]. In fact, only a few countries control most of the water that is virtually exchanged—through food trade—in the global market.
Prediction system to protect astronauts from solar storms
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: August 2012

With the impending solar maximum expected to bring heightened rates of fares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), putting at risk an ever‐increasing human presence in space, Oh et al. designed and assessed a prediction system to keep astronauts safe from these solar storms. During a solar fare or CME, particles from the Sun can be accelerated to very high energies—in some cases traveling near the speed of light. Protons with energies surpassing 100 megaelectron volts (MeV) essentially sandblast everything in their path. Though people on Earth are protected by the planet's magnetic feld and thick atmosphere, astronauts in spacecraft beyond low‐Earth orbit or people at high altitudes near the poles can be exposed to this increased radiation, which can cause radiation sickness, with symptoms such as fever and vomiting.
High alternative oxidase activity in cold soils and its implication to the Dole Effect
Authors: Angert Alon , Rodeghiero Mirco , Griffin Kevin
Published: August 2012

Variations in the Dole Effect, which have been used to infer past changes in biospheric productivity, are strongly affected by isotopic discrimination in soil respiration. Respiration through the alternative oxidase (AOX) pathway is associated with a higher discrimination than the one associated with the “normal” dark respiration pathway (the cytochrome pathway, COX). However, observations of O2 discrimination and AOX activity in undisturbed natural environments are scarce. In the current study we measured the O2 concentration and stable isotopes in the root zone of tundra, boreal forest and alpine forest soils. To estimate the discrimination from this data, we have performed O2diffusion experiments in gamma‐sterilized soil columns, with varying soil clay content. The discrimination found in the diffusion experiments was independent of clay content, and the value found, 14 ± 2‰, is the same as the one for binary diffusion of O2 in N2, indicating no interaction between the O2 and clay particles. Based on the field and laboratory results, the respiratory discrimination in the soils studied is 15–31‰, with the higher values associated with colder soils. The high discrimination found for cold (<6°C) soils indicates that AOX is a major respiratory pathway in these soils. This relationship between soil temperature and discrimination can be used in future interpretations of Dole Effect variations.
Multi‐year predictability of temperature and precipitation in multiple climate models
Authors: Jia Liwei , DelSole Timothy
Published: August 2012

This paper explicitly identifies patterns in the ocean and land surface that are predictable on multi‐year time scales in multiple climate models. The patterns are identified by maximizing the Average Predictability Time (APT) of surface air temperature and precipitation in control simulations from the recently available fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Because the patterns are identified from control runs, the predictability arises from internal dynamics that occur in the absence of interannual variations of anthropogenic and natural forcing. The most predictable component of annual mean surface air temperature is shown to have significant predictability as long as 3–20 years, depending on model. Over land, two components of surface air temperature are verified to be significantly predictable on multi‐year time scales, with one component deriving predictability from the persistence of temperature over the oceans, and the other deriving predictability from evolving ENSO patterns. Annual mean land precipitation is shown to be significantly predictable for 2–4 years in multiple models. These results contradict the widely held belief that temperature and precipitationover land is unpredictable beyond seasonal time scales.