bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular markers of micrometastasis in oral cavity carcinomas
Authors: Germani Ross M. , Civantos Francisco J. , Elgart George , Roberts Brenda , Franzmann Elizabeth J.
Published: March 2009

Objective

To examine the expression of candidate markers for micrometastasis.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis of subjects with oral cavity carcinomas who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and subsequent immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis.

Subjects and Methods

Two groups were identified based on SLNB status: negative SLNB (19/30) and positive SLNB (11/30). Specimens underwent IHC using conjugated monoclonal antibodies for membrane type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP), CD44, focal adhesion kinase‐1, and E‐cadherin. Staining results were evaluated to determine if a particular marker was associated with SLNB status or other histopathologic prognosticators.

Results

For MT1‐MMP, 21 percent (3/14) of evaluable specimens stained positively in the SLNB(−) group and 67 percent (4/6) stained positively in the SLNB(+) group (P = 0.12). No statistically significant association was seen between any marker's staining pattern and SLNB status alone. When MT1‐MMP staining was evaluated in tumors with SLNB(+) or perineural invasion (PNI) present on histopathology, six of nine specimens (67%) stained positively for MT1‐MMP, vs one of 11 (9%) in specimens lacking either negative prognosticator (P = 0.016, RR = 7.33).

Conclusion

Preliminary results suggest that MT1‐MMP positivity in primary tumor specimens may identify aggressive tumor types, evidenced by the presence of micrometastasis or PNI.
COMPACT LEFT MULTIPLIERS ON BANACH ALGEBRAS RELATED TO LOCALLY COMPACT GROUPS
Authors: MEHDIPOUR M. J. , NASR-ISFAHANI R.
Published: March 2009

We deal with the dual Banach algebras $L_0^\infty (G)^*$ for a locally compact group G. We investigate compact left multipliers on $L_0^\infty (G)^*$, and prove that the existence of a compact left multiplier on $L_0^\infty (G)^*$ is equivalent to compactness of G. We also describe some classes of left completely continuous elements in $L_0^\infty (G)^*$.
ON THE GOWERS NORM OF PSEUDORANDOM BINARY SEQUENCES
Authors: NIEDERREITER HARALD , RIVAT JOËL
Published: March 2009

We study the Gowers norm for periodic binary sequences and relate it to correlation measures for such sequences. The case of periodic binary sequences derived from inversive pseudorandom numbers is considered in detail.
ESSENTIAL AMENABILITY OF ABSTRACT SEGAL ALGEBRAS
Authors: SAMEA H.
Published: March 2009

A number of well-known results of Ghahramani and Loy on the essential amenability of Banach algebras are generalized. It is proved that a symmetric abstract Segal algebra with respect to an amenable Banach algebra is essentially amenable. Applications to locally compact groups are given.
INJECTIVE TRANSFORMATIONS WITH EQUAL GAP AND DEFECT
Authors: SANWONG JINTANA , SULLIVAN R. P.
Published: March 2009

Suppose thatXis an infinite set andI(X) is the symmetric inverse semigroup defined onX. Ifα∈I(X), we letdom αand ran αdenote the domain and range ofα, respectively, and we say thatg(α)=|X/dom α| andd(α)=|X/ran α| is the ‘gap’ and the ‘defect’ ofα, respectively. In this paper, we study algebraic properties of the semigroup$A(X)=\{\alpha \in I(X)\mid g(\alpha )=d(\alpha )\}$. For example, we describe Green’s relations and ideals inA(X), and determine all maximal subsemigroups ofA(X) whenXis uncountable.
GROUPS WITH COMMUTING POWERS
Authors: BRANDL ROLF
Published: March 2009

A group G satisfies the second Engel condition [X,Y,Y ]=1 if and only if x commutes with xy, for all x,y∈G. This paper considers the generalization of this condition to groups G such that, for fixed positive integers r and s, xr commutes with (xs)y for all x,y∈G. Various general bounds are proved for the structure of groups in the corresponding variety, defined by the law [Xr,(Xs)Y]=1.
CODES ASSOCIATED WITH Sp(4,q) AND EVEN-POWER MOMENTS OF KLOOSTERMAN SUMS
Authors: KIM JI HYUN
Published: March 2009

Here we derive a recursive formula for even-power moments of Kloosterman sums or equivalently for power moments of two-dimensional Kloosterman sums. This is done by using the Pless power-moment identity and an explicit expression of the Gauss sum for Sp(4,q).
Policy-Seeking Parties in a Parliamentary Democracy with Proportional Representation: A Valence-Uncertainty Model
Authors: Adams James , Merrill III Samuel
Published: March 2009

A unidimensional spatial model of multiparty parliamentary elections under proportional representation is presented, in which parties project that the median parliamentary party will implement its policy position. The parties are assumed to be uncertain about the electoral impact of valence issues relating to party elites’ images of competence, integrity and charisma. The assumptions of the model, highlighting the importance of the median party in parliament, are consistent with empirical work by McDonald and Budge. Under them, the existence of a Nash equilibrium under quite general concavity conditions is proved and it is shown that parties will moderate their positions when their valence images deteriorate. Computations of party equilibria are reported. The model and its implications for policy-seeking parties with results on vote-seeking parties can be contrasted with that recently reported by Schofield and Sened.
The complexity of simple tillage systems
Authors: OSWALD A. , DE HAAN S. , SANCHEZ J. , CCANTO R.
Published: March 2009

In the Central Peruvian highlands, potatoes are commonly cultivated by smallholder farmers in fields between 3500 and 4300 m asl. Severe climatic conditions, marginal soils and limited access to inputs and infrastructure define these challenging agro-ecological environments. To prepare an adequate seed bed for the potato and mitigate climatic, topographic and labour constraints, Andean farmers have developed distinct footplough-based tillage systems: barbecho, chiwa and chacmeo. A series of field experiments was conducted in 2005/06 and 2006/07 at four different locations to investigate the effect of three different tillage systems on potato tuber yield, varying factors such as cultivars and types and amounts of fertilizer applied. The objective was to improve understanding of the effect of these factors on potato yield and study the potential advantages and disadvantages of each tillage system.

The study showed that the type of tillage influenced a great variety of factors. Farmers often use a combination of tillage systems as a strategy to diversify possible risks, considering trade-offs regarding productivity v. yield stability, internal v. external resource use, labour requirement during peak times v. more uniform distribution or extensive v. intensive production. The chiwa and to some extent the chacmeo tillage systems resulted in relatively constant and stable yields for different environments and genetic materials, whereas the more intensive barbecho system sought to optimize growth conditions for the potato crop but was more liable to stress and required external resources. Currently, farmers often use the barbecho system to produce commercial cultivars for the urban markets investing the greatest share of internal and external resources. They use the chiwa and chacmeo systems to produce diverse native cultivars for their home consumption, valorizing their taste, cooking qualities and lower resource requirements.
Diet selection and milk production and composition in Girgentana goats with different αs1-casein genotype
Authors: Avondo Marcella , Pagano Renato Italo , Guastella Anna Maria , Criscione Andrea , Di Gloria Marianna , Valenti Bernardo , Piccione Giuseppe , Pennisi Pietro
Published: March 2009

In goats, αs1-casein polymorphism is related to different rates of protein synthesis. Two genetic variants, A and F, have been identified as strong and weak alleles based on a production of 3·5 and 0·45 g/l of αs1-casein per allele. The aim of the trial was to test whether goats can select their diet as a function of their genetic aptitude to produce milk at different casein levels and whether this selection can influence milk production or composition. Two groups of 8 animals, homozygous for strong (AA) or weak (FF) alleles were housed in individual pens. Using a manger subdivided into five separate containers, the goats were offered daily for 3 weeks: 1·5 kg of alfalfa pelleted hay, 0·7 kg of whole barley, 0·7 kg of whole maize, 0·7 kg of whole faba bean and 0·7 kg of pelleted sunflower cake. Total dry matter intake was similar between groups and resulted in nutrient inputs much higher than requirements. On average, goats selected 86% of maize plus barley and only 46% of faba bean plus sunflower. Indeed, AA goats selected less faba bean compared with FF goats (37·2v. 56·7% of the available amount;P=0·01); during week 2 and week 3 they significantly increased maize selection (respectively for week 2 and week 3: 94·9 and 99·1%v. 85·3 and 87·3%) thus increasing the ratio between the high-energy feeds and the high-protein feeds (2·41v. 1·81,P=0·023). As for true protein, the high soluble fraction (B1) and the indigestible fraction (C) were lower in the diet selected by AA goats (respectively in AA and FF groups: B1, 7·85v. 9·23% CP,P<0·01; C, 6·07v. 6·30% CP,P<0·001); these diet characteristics can be associated with lower losses of protein. Milk production, being similar in AA and FF groups when goats were fed with a mixed diet, significantly increased in AA group, when free-choice feeding was given (mean productions: 1198v. 800 g/d,P<0·01). Casein content was higher in AA group than in FF group (2·70v. 2·40%,P<0·01) whereas milk urea was higher in FF group (59·7v. 48·8 mg/dl,P<0·01). In conclusion, when the animals were free to select their diet, their higher genetic aptitude to produce casein seemed to adjust their energy and protein dietary input in qualitative terms, thus leading to an increase in milk production and a decrease in milk urea. These results seem to demonstrate that interactions probably occurred between genetic polymorphism at the αs1-casein locus, diet selection and the efficiency of nutrient transformation into milk.
Effect of sunflower-seed oil or linseed oil on milk fatty acid secretion and lipogenic gene expression in goats fed hay-based diets
Authors: Bernard Laurence , Leroux Christine , Faulconnier Yannick , Durand Denys , Shingfield Kevin J , Chilliard Yves
Published: March 2009

Plant oils in the diet are known to alter milk fat composition owing to changes in the supply of fatty acid precursors and/or activity of lipogenic enzymes in the mammary gland. Thirteen mid-lactating Alpine goats were used in a 3×3 Latin square design with 28-d periods to evaluate possible mechanisms regulating milk fat synthesis and fatty acid composition on grass hay-based diets containing none (H) or 55 g/kg diet dry matter of sunflower-seed oil (HSO) or linseed oil (HLO). Inclusion of oils in the diet had no effect on milk yield but enhanced (P<0·05) milk fat secretion. Compared with the control, HLO and HSO decreased (P<0·05) C10–C16 secretion and increased (P<0·05) C18 output in milk, responses that were accompanied by reductions in milk fatcis-9 14:1/14:0,cis-9 18:1/18:0 andcis-9,trans-11 18:2/cis-9 18:1 concentration ratios. Plant oil supplements decreased (P<0·05) mammary stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity but had no effect on SCD mRNA. Treatments had no effect on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, or mRNA abundance and/or activity of lipoprotein lipase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase in mammary, hepatic or adipose tissue. The results provided little support for milk fatty acid secretion responses to HLO and HSO being mediated via changes in mammary, hepatic or adipose mRNA abundance or in the activity of key lipogenic enzymes. In conclusion, plant oils in the diet enhance milk fat synthesis, alter milk fatty acid composition and specifically inhibit mammary SCD activity in the goat. Furthermore, the results suggest that the regulation of mammary lipogenesis in response to plant oils appears related to factors other than altered mammary gene expression or potential lipogenic enzyme activity.
Safety Assessment ofLactobacillus fermentumCECT5716, a probiotic strain isolated from human milk
Authors: Lara-Villoslada Federico , Sierra Saleta , Díaz-Ropero María Paz , Rodríguez Juan Miguel , Xaus Jordi , Olivares Mónica
Published: March 2009

Lactobacillus fermentumCECT5716, a probiotic strain isolated from human milk, was characterized in a previous study. The objective of this study was to evaluate its sensitivity to antibiotics and its potential toxicity and translocation ability after oral administration to mice. For this puropose, 40 Balb/C mice were divided in two groups (n=20 per group). One group was treated orally with 1010colony forming units (cfu)/mouse/day ofLb. fermentumCECT5716 during 28 d. The other group only received the excipient and was used as control. Food intake, body weight, bacterial translocation and different biochemical and haematological parameters were analysed. Oral administration ofLb. fermentumCECT5716 to mice had no adverse effects on mice. There were no significant differences in body weight or food intake between control and probiotic-treated mice. No bacteraemia was observed and there was no treatment-associated bacterial translocation to liver or spleen. Stress oxidative markers were not different in control and probiotic-treated mice. These results suggest that the strainLb. fermentumCECT5716 is non-pathogenic for mice even in doses 10,000 times higher (expressed per kg of body weight) than those normally consumed by humans.
Application of a multiplex PCR assay for the detection ofShigella,Escherichia coliand Shiga toxin-producingEsch. coliin milk
Authors: Riyaz-Ul-Hassan Syed , Syed Saima , Johri Sarojini , Verma Vijeshwar , Qazi Ghulam Nabi
Published: March 2009

A multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay using previously known genetic markers ofShigella, Escherichia coliand Shiga-toxicEsch. coliwas standardized.uidAgene was targeted for the common detection ofEsch. coliandShigella, whereasipaHandstx1genes were used as markers for the detection ofShigellaand shiga-toxin producing strains, respectively. The standardized assays detected the target organism specifically and selectively. The mPCR developed by combining all the three reactions generated specific products. The inclusivity and exclusivity tests depicted the precise specificity of the mPCR assay. Results were interpreted on the basis of the pattern of amplicons generated: amplifications of theipaHanduidAgene fragments indicated the presence ofShigellaspp., amplification ofuidAalone revealed the presence ofEsch. coliand additional presence of verotoxin gene amplicon indicated verotoxinogenic nature of the strain. Specific patterns of bands were obtained when different strains ofEsch. coliandShigellaspp. were subjected to this assay. The reactions, individually as well as in the mPCR, could detect approximately 1 cell per 20-μl PCR assay. The protocols were validated by analyzing the coded samples of full fat milk spiked with different pathogens. In naturally contaminated raw milk samples (n=100),Esch. coliwere detected in all samples and verotoxinogenicEsch. coliin 15 samples.Shigella, however, was not detected in any of the samples. When DNA purified from the samples found positive for Shiga-toxicEsch. coliwas directly used as template for the mPCR, the results showed agreement with the enrichment based detection. The mPCR assay, standardized in this study, may be used for rapid microbiological evaluation of milk samples. Further, the study emphasizes the need for better hygienic conditions in dairies.
The effect of single dose versus two doses of praziquantel on Schistosoma haematobium infection and pathology among school-aged children in Mali
Authors: SACKO M. , MAGNUSSEN P. , TRAORÉ M. , LANDOURÉ A. , DOUCOURÉ A. , REIMERT C. M. , VENNERVALD B. J.
Published: March 2009

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of two doses of 40 mg/kg praziquantel with 2 weeks interval versus a standard single dose of 40 mg/kg on cure rates, egg reduction, intensity of infection, and micro-haematuria in Schistosoma haematobium infections. A randomised controlled intervention study was carried out among school-aged children in two different endemic settings with follow-up at 3, 6 and 18 months following drug administration. Differences in cure rates between the two treatment regimens were not significant. However, in high transmission areas, the double treatment regimen was more effective in egg reduction than single treatment regimen and the difference in egg reduction between the two treatments was significant at 3 months (P<0·005), 6 months (P<0·0001) and 18 months (P<0·003) after treatment. There was a significant difference in the effect of the two treatments on prevalence of micro-haematuria at 18-month follow-up in both Koulikoro (P<0·001) and Selingue (P<0·003). The study shows that although no significant difference could be observed in the overall cure-rates between the two treatment regimens, the effect of double treatment was a significant reduction in infection intensity as well as micro-haematuria which may have a great impact in reducing subtle morbidity.
Praziquantel: its use in control of schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa and current research needs
Authors: DOENHOFF M. J. , HAGAN P. , CIOLI D. , SOUTHGATE V. , PICA-MATTOCCIA L. , BOTROS S. , COLES G. , TCHUEM TCHUENTÉ L. A. , MBAYE A. , ENGELS D.
Published: March 2009

Treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) has become virtually the sole basis of schistosomiasis control in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, and the drug is reviewed here in the context of the increasing rate that it is being used for this purpose. Attention is drawn to our relative lack of knowledge about the mechanisms of action of PZQ at the molecular level, the need for more work to be done on schistosome isolates that have been collected recently from endemic areas rather than those maintained in laboratory conditions for long periods, and our reliance for experimental work mainly onSchistosoma mansoni, little work having been done onS. haematobium. There is no evidence that resistance to PZQ has been induced in African schistosomes as a result of its large-scale use on that continent to date, but there is also no assurance that PZQ and/or schistosomes are in any way unique and that resistant organisms will not be selected as a result of widespread drug usage. The failure of PZQ to produce complete cures in populations given a routine treatment should therefore solicit considerable concern. With few alternatives to PZQ currently available and/or on the horizon, methods to monitor drug-susceptibility in African schistosomes need to be devised and used to help ensure that this drug remains effective for as long a time as possible.
Myxobolus cerebralis(Myxozoa), the causative agent of whirling disease, reduces fecundity and feeding activity ofTubifex tubifex(Oligochaeta)
Authors: SHIRAKASHI S. , EL-MATBOULI M.
Published: March 2009

Myxobolus cerebralisis the causative agent of whirling disease that has significant economical and ecological impacts on trout populations. Although intensive studies have been conducted to understand its effects on and interactions with its fish host, only limited information is available about how and to what extentM. cerebralisaffects its oligochaete host,Tubifex tubifex. We investigated the effects ofM. cerebralison survival, growth, reproduction, and feeding activity ofT. tubifex. Mature, immature and juvenile worms were exposed to myxospores and their infection prevalence, mortality, sexual development, reproduction and spore production were compared with unexposed worms. The parasite affected neither survival nor growth but inhibited clitellar development and reduced cocoon production by over 80%. Numbers of actinospores released from mature worms were nearly 9-fold higher than that of immature worms. When non-clitellated infected worms were kept at 30°C for 4 days, spore release ceased and they re-developed a clitellum. These results suggest parasite-induced castration. Comparative monitoring of defecation rate revealed thatM. cerebralisreduced feeding activity ofT. tubifexby approximately 40%. Low energy intake and impaired energetic allocation may be the underlying mechanism behind reduced fecundity of infectedT. tubifex.
Schistosoma mansoniTOR is a tetraspanning orphan receptor on the parasite surface
Authors: LOCHMATTER C. , SCHIFFERLI J. A. , MARTIN P. J.
Published: March 2009

A trispanning orphan receptor (TOR) has been described inSchistosoma haematobiumandS. mansoni. Here we report the complete molecular organization of theS. mansoniTOR gene, also known as SmCRIT (complement C2 receptor inhibitor trispanning). The SmTOR gene consists of 4 exons and 3 introns as shown by cloning the single exons fromS. mansonigenomic DNA and the corresponding cDNA from the larval stage (cercaria) and the adult worm. The SmTOR ORF consists of 1260 bp and is longer than previously reported, with a fourth trans-membrane domain (proposed new name: Tetraspanning Orphan Receptor) and with, however, an unchanged C2-binding domain on the extracellular domain 1 (ed1). This domain differs inS. japonicum. A protein at the approximate expected molecular weight (55 kDa) was detected in adult worm extracts with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and was found to be expressed on the tegumental surface of cercariae.
Solutions of the Riemann–Hilbert–Poincaré problem and the Robin problem for the inhomogeneous Cauchy–Riemann equation
Authors: Mohammed Alip , Wong M. W.
Published: March 2009

The Riemann–Hilbert–Poincaré problem with general coefficient for the inhomogeneous Cauchy–Riemann equation on the unit disc is studied using Fourier analysis. It is shown that the problem is well posed only if the coeffcient is holomorphic. If the coefficient has a pole, then the problem is transformed into a system of linear equations and a finite number of boundary conditions are imposed in order to find a unique and explicit solution. In the case when the coefficient has an essential singularity, it is shown that the problem is well posed only for the Robin boundary condition.
Lattice differential equations embedded into reaction–diffusion systems
Authors: Scheel Arnd , Van Vleck Erik S.
Published: March 2009

We show that lattice dynamical systems naturally arise on infinite-dimensional invariant manifolds of reaction–diffusion equations with spatially periodic diffusive fluxes. The result connects wave-pinning phenomena in lattice differential equations and in reaction–diffusion equations in inhomogeneous media. The proof is based on a careful singular perturbation analysis of the linear part, where the infinite-dimensional manifold corresponds to an infinite-dimensional centre eigenspace.
Interaction of homoclinic solutions and Hopf points in functional differential equations of mixed type
Authors: Georgi Marc
Published: March 2009

We study a homoclinic bifurcation in a general functional differential equation of mixed type. More precisely, we investigate the case when the asymptotic steady state of a homoclinic solution undergoes a Hopf bifurcation. Bifurcations of this kind are diffcult to analyse due to the lack of Fredholm properties. In particular, a straightforward application of a Lyapunov–Schmidt reduction is not possible.

As one of the main results we prove the existence of centre-stable and centre-unstable manifolds of steady states near homoclinic orbits. With their help, we can analyse the bifurcation scenario similar to the case for ordinary differential equations and can show the existence of solutions which bifurcate near the homoclinic orbit, are decaying in one direction and oscillatory in the other direction. These solutions can be visualized as an interaction of the homoclinic orbit and small periodic solutions that exist on account of the Hopf bifurcation, for exactly one asymptotic direction t→8 or t→−∞.
Composite meromorphic functions and normal families
Authors: Chang Jianming , Fang Mingliang , Zalcman Lawrence
Published: March 2009

We study the normality of families of meromorphic functions defined in terms of certain omitted functions. In particular, we prove the following results. Firstly, if $\mathcal{F}$ is a family of meromorphic functions in a domain D ⊂ ℂ, and a(z), b(z) and c(z) are distinct meromorphic functions in D and if, for all f ∈ $\mathcal{F}$ and all z ∈ D, f(z) ≠ a(z), f(z) ≠ b(z) and f(z) ≠ c(z), then $\mathcal{F}$ is normal in D. Secondly, letting R(w) be a rational function of degree greater than or equal to 3 and $\mathcal{F}$ be a family of functions meromorphic in a domain D ⊂ ℂ, if there exists a non-constant meromorphic function α(z) in D such that, for all f ∈ $\mathcal{F}$ and z ∈ D, R(f(z)) ≠ α(z), then $\mathcal{F}$ is normal in D.
Self-similar solutions of the p-Laplace heat equation: the case when p > 2
Authors: Bidaut-Véron Marie Françoise
Published: March 2009

We study the self-similar solutions of the equation

in ℝN, when p > 2. We make a complete study of the existence and possible uniqueness of solutions of the form

of any sign, regular or singular at x = 0. Among them we find solutions with an expanding compact support or a shrinking hole (for t > 0), or a spreading compact support or a focusing hole (for t < 0). When t < 0, we show the existence of positive solutions oscillating around the particular solution $\smash{U(x,t)=C_{N,p}(|x|^{p}/(-t))^{1/(p-2)}}$.
‘Rich flames and hired tears’: sugar, sub-imperial agents and the Cuban phoenix of empire
Authors: Curry-Machado Jonathan
Published: March 2009

This paper analyses the importation of foreign steam technology into Cuba in the course of the nineteenth century, and the experience of the migrant workers employed to operate it, in order to focus not on Cuba as an isolatable entity, but existing in the context of transnational networks that were involving the island in processes of globalization. This was, at the outset, a ‘sub-imperial’ globalization, operating independently, and implying liberation, from empire. The search for new technologies to enable improvements in sugar production necessarily took the Creole elite beyond the restricted possibilities of the Spanish empire to the industrial centres of the United States, Britain, and France. Such new links helped fuel the emergence of an independent Cuban identity; however, the same globalizing tendencies that were eroding the Spanish empire led Cuba into new forms of imperial domination. The increasing expense of the new steam technology necessitated a growing dependence upon investment from foreign merchant banks, which gradually assumed control over much of the island's production and trade. The same migrant engineers who had begun by assisting Cuban planters took on the role of agents for foreign companies. Rather than contributing their skills, as one more group of migrants in a nation formed out of multiple migrations, these engineers asserted their foreign identity and guarded their privileged position. They came to be seen as symbolic of the process by which Cuba shook off the Spanish yoke only to replace it with another.
The United Kingdom and the political economy of the global oils and fats business during the 1930s
Authors: Olukoju Ayodeji
Published: March 2009

This article examines an aspect of the globalization of commodity production, exchange, and consumption in the interwar years: the differential impact of protectionism on primary producers in the context of the Great Depression. Focusing on West African oilseeds, especially Nigerian palm produce, it highlights the dilemma of imperial Britain in the synchronic interplay of forces that operated in the north and south, and globally in the two-dimensional inter-product competition of the late 1920s and 1930s. Imperial Britain was caught in intricate and interlocking facets of inter-product competition on the world market, both north–south (palm produce versus whale oil), and south–south (West African palm produce, Indian groundnuts, and Dutch East Indies palm produce). The article highlights the implications and consequences of the extensive interchangeability of these products, the dilemmas of the colonial and imperial governments, reactions to protectionist policies, and the differential impact of the interwar depression upon the growth and freedom of commodity flows within the global economy.
The King's Christmas pudding: globalization, recipes, and the commodities of empire
Authors: O’Connor Kaori
Published: March 2009

Food globalization has been in train for some ten millennia,1 driven by, and driving, war, trade, imperialism, colonialism, and culture. Within economic history, the dominant discipline in the study of globalization, only the first four are dealt with in any depth, invariably focusing on production and the supply side. By contrast, there have been relatively few studies of globalization in terms of culture, consumption, and the demand side, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the ways in which material life, cultural values, and political imperatives interact in a global context. These dynamics are examined in this anthropological account of culture and commerce in Britain and the empire in the interwar years, focusing on a dish that assumed tremendous symbolic and economic importance – the King's Christmas pudding
High-frequency monolithic thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate filters
Authors: Abdolvand Reza , Ayazi Farrokh
Published: March 2009

A class of micromachined acoustic filters is presented in which the number of individual resonant structures is reduced to 1 (monolithic filter). This resonant structure is comprised of a stack of thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon. Symmetric and anti-symmetric resonance modes (dual modes) of the silicon structure are piezoelectrically excited and coupled to realize a 2-pole narrowband filter. High-order lateral bulk acoustic resonance modes of a rectangular plate are utilized to design dispersed-frequency UHF filters fabricated on a single substrate. Thickness mode filters are also realized at GHz frequencies using a new interdigitated electrode design. Additionally, it is shown that the filter bandwidth can be controlled by changing the dimensions of the resonant structure and the electrode pattern. Narrowband lateral mode filters with filter Q’s larger than 300 at ~440 MHz and thickness mode filters with filter Q’s in the range of 150–900 at ~3.1 GHz are demonstrated.
Photochemistry of mineral dust surface as a potential atmospheric renoxification process
Authors: Ndour Marieme , Conchon Pierre , D'Anna Barbara , Ka Oumar , George Christian
Published: March 2009

The nitrate formation on dust particles is considered as a sink for atmospheric NOy (such as HNO3). However mineral dust is shown here to be an effective photocatalyst for transformation of nitrate anions into NO and NO2, without involving its photolysis. The photodecomposition of NO3− at the surface of synthetic mineral dust samples of SiO2, TiO2, mixed TiO2‐SiO2 and authentic sand doped with 6% NO3− was studied by means of a flow‐tube at 298 K with UV‐illumination in the 340–420 nm range at relative humidities between 5 and 80%. Both NO and NO2 are observed during irradiation of films composed of either mixed TiO2‐SiO2, pure TiO2 and authentic minerals from the Sahara. The relative humidity strongly affects the concentration of NOx released into the gas phase. The photoinduced nitrate conversion into NOx is discussed as being a potential renoxification process of the atmosphere.
Hygroscopic mineral dust particles as influenced by chlorine chemistry in the marine atmosphere
Authors: Tobo Yutaka , Zhang Daizhou , Nakata Naonobu , Yamada Maromu , Ogata Hiroko , Hara Kazutaka , Iwasaka Yasunobu
Published: March 2009

Morphology and elemental compositions of individual dust particles were investigated with the use of Asian dust samples collected at a site along the Sea of Japan side of the archipelago. Our results indicate the preferential formation of chloride in Ca‐containing dust particles (0.1 < Cl/Ca < 0.65) in cases when the particles contain little or no sulfate. Most of them are in an amorphous state and nearly spherical even under high vacuum. A likely explanation for the results is that highly soluble salts such as calcium chloride (CaCl2) are formed as a result of heterogeneous reactions of dust particles with chloride precursor gases (mostly, HCl) in the marine atmosphere. The chloride formation is expected to play an important role in enhancing the hygroscopicity of dust particles.
Impacts of climate change on regional and urban air quality in the eastern United States: Role of meteorology
Authors: Dawson John P. , Racherla Pavan N. , Lynn Barry H. , Adams Peter J. , Pandis Spyros N.
Published: March 2009

The effects of climate change on ozone and PM2.5 concentrations over the eastern United States were investigated using the Global‐Regional Coupled Air Pollution modeling System (GRE‐CAPS). GRE‐CAPS consists of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) II' general circulation model with aerosol processes and ozone chemistry, the fifth‐generation PSU/NCAR mesoscale model (MM5) regional meteorological model, and the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) with aerosol (PM) processes developed at Carnegie Mellon University (PMCAMx) regional chemical transport model. A set of five present‐day Januaries and six present‐day Julys was simulated using GRE‐CAPS. The present‐day model predictions (2000s) were compared to model predictions for a set of five future Januaries and Julys. The future time period investigated was the 2050s, using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A2 scenario. U.S. emissions of biogenic and anthropogenic precursors were held constant so that the effects of climate change alone could be calculated. Climate change led to a decrease in U.S. land cell average January PM2.5 concentrations of 0.3 μg m−3 and an increase of July PM2.5 of 2.5 μg m−3. The changes in PM in the Northeast were of the opposite sign of the domain‐wide averages. The response in January was due largely to increased precipitation, while the response in July was due primarily to decreased ventilation, as indicated by decreases in mixing height and wind speed, with increases in sulfate being the largest response by a single species. The U.S. land cell average change in July daily maximum 8‐h ozone concentration was +1.7 ppb, though the increases in cities in the Southeast were up to 15 ppb. In spite of the large differences in ozone in many areas, the changes in ozone concentration were not statistically significant over most of the domain because of large interannual variability. In separate simulations to test the sensitivity of ozone concentrations to biogenic emissions, a 25% increase in biogenic U.S. volatile organic compound emissions led to an additional increase in land cell average ozone of 0.7 ppb, though the increased ozone resulting from increased biogenics was largely statistically insignificant.
Seasonal contrast in the surface energy balance of the Sahel
Authors: Miller R. L. , Slingo A. , Barnard J. C. , Kassianov E.
Published: March 2009

Over much of the world, heating of the surface by sunlight is balanced predominately by evaporative cooling. However, at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) in Niamey, Niger, evaporation makes a significant contribution to the surface energy balance only at the height of the rainy season, when precipitation has replenished the reservoir of soil moisture. The AMF was placed at Niamey from late 2005 to early 2007 to provide measurements of surface fluxes in coordination with geostationary satellite retrievals of radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere, as part of the RADAGAST experiment to calculate atmospheric radiative divergence. We use observations at the mobile facility to investigate how the surface adjusts to radiative forcing throughout the year. The surface response to solar heating varies with changes in atmospheric water vapor associated with the seasonal reversal of the West African monsoon, which modulates the greenhouse effect and the ability of the surface to radiate thermal energy directly to space. During the dry season, sunlight is balanced mainly by longwave radiation and the turbulent flux of sensible heat. The ability of longwave radiation to cool the surface drops after the onset of southwesterly surface winds at Niamey, when moist, oceanic air flows onshore, increasing local column moisture and atmospheric opacity. Following the onset of southwesterly flow, evaporation remains limited by the supply of moisture from precipitation. By the height of the rainy season, however, sufficient precipitation has accumulated that evaporation is controlled by incident sunlight, and radiative forcing of the surface is balanced comparably by the latent, sensible, and longwave fluxes. Evaporation increases with the leaf area index, suggesting that plants are a significant source of atmospheric moisture and may tap moisture stored beneath the surface that accumulated during a previous rainy season. Surface radiative forcing during a dust aerosol outbreak is balanced comparably by net surface longwave and the sensible heat flux during the dry season, with the sensible flux increasing in importance with the onset of the summer monsoon winds. Measurements of surface fluxes by the AMF indicate broader features of the West African monsoon circulation and should be used to evaluate model simulations of the Sahel climate.
Estimate of the impact of absorbing aerosol over cloud on the MODIS retrievals of cloud optical thickness and effective radius using two independent retrievals of liquid water path
Authors: Wilcox Eric M. , Harshvardhan  , Platnick Steven
Published: March 2009

Two independent satellite retrievals of cloud liquid water path (LWP) from the NASA Aqua satellite are used to diagnose the impact of absorbing biomass burning aerosol overlaying boundary‐layer marine water clouds on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) retrievals of cloud optical thickness (τ) and cloud droplet effective radius (re). In the MODIS retrieval over oceans, cloud reflectance in the 0.86‐μm and 2.13‐μm bands is used to simultaneously retrieve τ and re. A low bias in the MODIS τ retrieval may result from reductions in the 0.86‐μm reflectance, which is only very weakly absorbed by clouds, owing to absorption by aerosols in cases where biomass burning aerosols occur above water clouds. MODIS LWP, derived from the product of the retrieved τ and re, is compared with LWP ocean retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer‐EOS (AMSR‐E), determined from cloud microwave emission that is transparent to aerosols. For the coastal Atlantic southern African region investigated in this study, a systematic difference between AMSR‐E and MODIS LWP retrievals is found for stratocumulus clouds over three biomass burning months in 2005 and 2006 that is consistent with above‐cloud absorbing aerosols. Biomass burning aerosol is detected using the ultraviolet aerosol index from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura satellite. The LWP difference (AMSR‐E minus MODIS) increases both with increasing τ and increasing OMI aerosol index. During the biomass burning season the mean LWP difference is 14 g m−2, which is within the 15–20 g m−2 range of estimated uncertainties in instantaneous LWP retrievals. For samples with only low amounts of overlaying smoke (OMI AI ≤ 1) the difference is 9.4, suggesting that the impact of smoke aerosols on the mean MODIS LWP is 5.6 g m−2. Only for scenes with OMI aerosol index greater than 2 does the average LWP difference and the estimated bias in MODIS cloud optical thickness attributable to the impact of overlaying biomass burning aerosol exceed the instantaneous uncertainty in the retrievals.
Daily snow cover estimation from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Polar Pathfinder data over Northern Hemisphere land surfaces during 1982–2004
Authors: Zhao Hongxu , Fernandes Richard
Published: March 2009

The Global Climate Observing System has identified the need for systematic global daily snow cover data sets over land. Current in situ snow cover data sets have limited spatial coverage while satellite‐based snow cover records have either limited historical extent or limited temporal and spatial resolution because of cloud cover or specific sensor availability. NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data offers nearly complete daily global coverage of the Northern Hemisphere, extending back to the early 1980s with successors slated to continue into the next decade. In this paper, we apply a new algorithm, Snowcover, to estimate daily snow cover, including periods of cloudy conditions, from AVHRR Polar Pathfinder (APP) data over Northern Hemisphere land surfaces. This new snow cover product is compared to snow cover estimates derived from long‐term in situ snow depth measurements over Canada and the northern Eurasia. The APP snow cover maps showed an 80% agreement rate or better at 95% of the in situ sites. This performance was comparable to the agreement of MODIS 0.05 degree snow cover products over the same sites; although the MODIS product was only retrieved ∼20% of the time corresponding to clear sky conditions in contrast to over 95% of the time with the APP snow product. The almost continuously temporal and spatial coverage for the past 23 years from 1982 to 2004 over Northern Hemisphere makes the new daily snow cover product especially suitable for analysis of large‐scale patterns of spring snowmelt in association with variability of circumpolar climate and ecological parameters.
Experimental and forecasted values of the ultraviolet index in southwestern Spain
Authors: Antón M. , Serrano A. , Cancillo M. L. , García J. A.
Published: March 2009

The ultraviolet (UV) index is a standard vehicle for informing the public about the magnitude of the UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface and its potential harmful effects over the human health. The first objective of this article is to analyze experimental values of the UV index in three stations located in southwestern Spain during five years (2001–2005). The study reports reliable fundamental statistical parameters, which can serve as relevant values for comparison with other regions and model results. The results show a great influence of the astronomical factors in the seasonal evolution of the daily UV index showing higher values in late spring and summer. Thus high erythemal risk values of the UV index (between 7 and 9) occur in 41.6% of the total cases in Badajoz, 41.4% in Cáceres, and 36.6% in Plasencia. These high percentages remark the great interest in reporting values of the UV index in the area of study. Besides the seasonal evolution, cloudiness appears as the main attenuation factor at short‐term scales. Thus spring and autumn presented the highest dispersion because of their great variability in sky conditions. Also, changes in skewness and kurtosis are mainly related to the variability in cloudiness and particularly to the difference between the cloudless summer and the rest of the year. The second objective of the present article is to compare the values of daily UV index as calculated by different approaches: 30‐min average, 10‐min average, and 1‐min average daily maximum erythemal irradiance, and value at solar noon. The results show that although the indices obtained by the different approaches are very similar for cloud‐free days, they show interesting differences for cloudy days. Finally, this paper aims to compare the UV index measured at the mentioned three locations, with the UV index forecasted using the SBDART radiative transfer code and values of total ozone provided by TOMS. The predictions are always calculated assuming cloud‐free conditions. The comparison between experimental and modeled values shows that the forecasted UV index values have an absolute mean error between 7% and 11%, depending on the location and on the delayed daily value of total ozone used as input for the model.
Field comparison of the point velocity probe with other groundwater velocity measurement methods
Authors: Labaky W. , Devlin J. F. , Gillham R. W.
Published: March 2009

Field testing of a new tool for measuring groundwater velocities at the centimeter scale, the point velocity probe (PVP), was undertaken at Canadian Forces Base, Borden, Ontario, Canada. The measurements were performed in a sheet pile‐bounded alleyway in which bulk flow rate and direction could be controlled. PVP velocities were compared with those estimated from bulk flow, a Geoflo® instrument, borehole dilution, colloidal borescope measurements, and a forced gradient tracer test. In addition, the velocity profiles were compared with vertical variations in hydraulic conductivity (K) measured by permeameter testing of core samples and in situ high‐resolution slug tests. There was qualitative agreement between the trends in velocity and K among all the various methods. The PVP and Geoflo® meter tests returned average velocity magnitudes of 30.2 ± 7.7 to 34.7 ± 13.1 cm/d (depending on prior knowledge of flow direction in PVP tests) and 36.5 ± 10.6, respectively, which were near the estimated bulk velocity (20 cm/d). The other direct velocity measurement techniques yielded velocity estimates 5 to 12 times the bulk velocity. Best results with the PVP instrument were obtained by jetting the instrument into place, though this method may have introduced a slight positive bias to the measured velocities. The individual estimates of point velocity direction varied, but the average of the point velocity directions agreed quite well with the expected bulk flow direction. It was concluded that the PVP method is a viable technique for use in the field, where high‐resolution velocity data are required.
Human U1 snRNA forms a new chromatin‐associated snRNP with TAF15
Authors: Jobert Laure , Pinzón Natalia , Van Herreweghe Elodie , Jády Beáta E , Guialis Apostolia , Kiss Tamás , Tora László
Published: March 2009

The U1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA)—in the form of the U1 spliceosomal Sm small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) that contains seven Sm and three U1‐specific RNP proteins—has a crucial function in the recognition and removal of pre‐messenger RNA introns. Here, we show that a fraction of human U1 snRNA specifically associates with the nuclear RNA‐binding protein TBP‐associated factor 15 (TAF15). We show that none of the known protein components of the spliceosomal U1‐Sm snRNP interacts with the newly identified U1‐TAF15 snRNP. In addition, the U1‐TAF15 snRNP tightly associates with chromatin in an RNA‐dependent manner and accumulates in nucleolar caps upon transcriptional inhibition. The Sm‐binding motif of U1 snRNA is essential for the biogenesis of both U1‐Sm and U1‐TAF15 snRNPs, suggesting that the U1‐TAF15 particle is produced by remodelling of the U1‐Sm snRNP. A demonstration that human U1 snRNA forms at least two structurally distinct snRNPs supports the idea that the U1 snRNA has many nuclear functions.
Sexuality, Caste, Governmentality: Contests over ‘Gender’ in India
Authors: Menon Nivedita
Published: March 2009

This article tracks the journeys made by the term ‘gender’ in India. From its beginnings in the 1970s as a feminist contribution to public discourse, destabilizing the biological category of ‘sex’, we find that gender has taken two distinct forms since the 1990s. On the one hand, gender as an analytical category is being used to challenge the notion of ‘woman’ as the subject of feminist politics. This challenge comes from the politics of caste and sexuality. On the other hand, gender is mobilized by the state to perform a role in discourses of development, to achieve exactly the opposite effect; that is, gender becomes a synonym for ‘women’. Thus, the first trend threatens to dissolve, and the second to domesticate, the subject of feminist politics. This article explores the implications of both journeys in terms of a feminist horizon.