bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An observer's view of simulated galaxies: disc-to-total ratios, bars and (pseudo-)bulges
Authors: Scannapieco Cecilia , Gadotti Dimitri A. , Jonsson Patrik , White Simon D. M.
Published: July 2010

We use cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of the formation of Milky Way-mass galaxies to study the relative importance of the main stellar components, i.e. discs, bulges and bars, at redshift zero. The main aim of this Letter is to understand if estimates of the structural parameters of these components determined from kinematics (as is usually done in simulations) agree well with those obtained using a photometric bulge/disc/bar decomposition (as done in observations). To perform such a comparison, we have produced synthetic observations of the simulation outputs with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code sunrise and used the budda code to make 2D photometric decompositions of the resulting images (in the i and g bands). We find that the kinematic disc-to-total (D/T) ratio estimates are systematically and significantly lower than the photometric ones. While the maximum D/T ratios obtained with the former method are of the order of 0.2, they are typically >0.4, and can be as high as 0.7, according to the latter. The photometric decomposition shows that many of the simulated galaxies have bars, with Bar/T ratios in the range 0.2–0.4, and that bulges have in all cases low Sérsic indices, resembling observed pseudo-bulges instead of classical ones. Simulated discs, bulges and bars generally have similar g−i colours, which are in the blue tail of the distribution of observed colours. This is not due to the presence of young stars, but rather due to low metallicities and poor gas content in the simulated galaxies, which makes dust extinction low. Photometric decompositions thus match the component ratios usually quoted for spiral galaxies better than kinematic decompositions, but the shift is insufficient to make the simulations consistent with observed late-type systems.
Marital Functioning and Physical Health: Implications for Social and Personality Psychology
Authors: Slatcher Richard B.
Published: July 2010

Marriage – the most important adult relationship in most people’s lives – has been theorized to affect biological processes, physical health, and mortality. This article highlights key findings in marriage and health research, focusing on the interpersonal processes through which marriage has been proposed to affect health. A model of marriage and health is presented that incorporates both main and stress‐moderating effects of negative marital experiences –marital strain– and positive marital experiences –marital strength. Although many more studies have investigated marital strain than marital strength, current evidence suggests that both have potent effects on biology and health. The article concludes with a discussion of implications of this research for social and personality psychology, focusing on insights that may be gained from basic relationship science. Examples of three areas of relationship research – intimacy processes, commitment processes, and dyadic analysis – and their potential relevance for marriage and health research are presented.
The impacts of Miscanthus×giganteus production on the Midwest US hydrologic cycle
Authors: VANLOOCKE ANDY , BERNACCHI CARL J. , TWINE TRACY E.
Published: July 2010

Perennial grasses are being considered as candidates for biofuel feedstocks to provide an alternative energy source to fossil fuels. Miscanthus×giganteus (miscanthus), in particular, is a grass that is predicted to provide more energy per sown area than corn ethanol and reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the storage of carbon belowground. Miscanthus uses more water than Zea mays (maize), mainly as a result of a longer growing season and higher productivity. Conversion of current land use for miscanthus production will likely disrupt regional hydrologic cycles, yet the magnitude, timing, and spatial distribution of effects are unknown. Here, we show the effects of five different scenarios of miscanthus production on the simulated Midwest US hydrologic cycle. Given the same historic precipitation observations, our ecosystem model simulation results show that on an annual basis miscanthus uses more water than the ecosystems it will likely replace. The actual timing and magnitude of increased water loss to the atmosphere depends on location; however, substantial increases only occur when miscanthus fraction cover exceeds 25% in dry regions and 50% in nearly all of the Midwest. Our results delineate where large‐scale land use conversion to perennial biofuel grasses might deplete soil water resources. Given the fact that some watersheds within the Midwest already have depleted water resources, we expect our results to inform decisions on where to grow perennial grasses for biofuel use to ensure sustainability of energy and water resources, and to minimize the potential for deleterious effects to water quantity and quality.
Bacterial Community and “
Candidatus
Accumulibacter” Population Dynamics in Laboratory-Scale Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal Reactors
Authors: He Shaomei , Bishop Forrest I. , McMahon Katherine D.
Published: July 2010

“
Candidatus
Accumulibacter” and total bacterial community dynamics were studied in two lab-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) reactors by using a community fingerprint technique, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). We first evaluated the quantitative capability of ARISA compared to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). ARISA and qPCR provided comparable relative quantification of the two dominant “
Ca
. Accumulibacter” clades (IA and IIA) detected in our reactors. The quantification of total “
Ca
. Accumulibacter” 16S rRNA genes relative to that from the total bacterial community was highly correlated, with ARISA systematically underestimating “
Ca
. Accumulibacter” abundance, probably due to the different normalization techniques applied. During 6 months of normal (undisturbed) operation, the distribution of the two clades within the total “
Ca
. Accumulibacter” population was quite stable in one reactor while comparatively dynamic in the other reactor. However, the variance in the clade distribution did not appear to affect reactor performance. Instead, good EBPR activity was positively associated with the abundance of total “
Ca
. Accumulibacter.” Therefore, we concluded that the different clades in the system provided functional redundancy. We disturbed the reactor operation by adding nitrate together with acetate feeding in the anaerobic phase to reach initial reactor concentrations of 10 mg/liter NO
3
-N for 35 days. The reactor performance deteriorated with a concomitant decrease in the total “
Ca
. Accumulibacter” population, suggesting that a population shift was the cause of performance upset after a long exposure to nitrate in the anaerobic phase.
Towards Glycoengineering in Archaea: Replacement of
Haloferax volcanii
AglD with Homologous Glycosyltransferases from Other Halophilic Archaea
Authors: Calo Doron , Eilam Yael , Lichtenstein Rachel G. , Eichler Jerry
Published: July 2010

Like eukarya and bacteria, archaea also perform N-glycosylation. However, the N-linked glycans of archaeal glycoproteins present a variety not seen elsewhere. Archaea accordingly rely on N-glycosylation pathways likely involving a broad range of species-specific enzymes. To harness the enormous applied potential of such diversity for the generation of glycoproteins bearing tailored N-linked glycans, the development of an appropriate archaeal glycoengineering platform is required. With a sequenced genome, a relatively well-defined N-glycosylation pathway, and molecular tools for gene manipulation, the haloarchaeon
Haloferax volcanii
(
Hfx. volcanii
) represents a promising candidate. Accordingly, cells lacking AglD, a glycosyltransferase involved in adding the final hexose of a pentasaccharide N-linked to the surface (S)-layer glycoprotein, were transformed to express AglD homologues from other haloarchaea. The introduction of nonnative versions of AglD led to the appearance of an S-layer glycoprotein similar to the protein from the native strain. Indeed, mass spectrometry confirmed that AglD and its homologues introduce the final hexose to the N-linked S-layer glycoprotein pentasaccharide. Heterologously expressed haloarchaeal AglD homologues contributed to N-glycosylation in
Hfx. volcanii
despite an apparent lack of AglD function in those haloarchaea from where the introduced homologues came. For example, although functional in
Hfx. volcanii
, no transcription of the
Halobacterium salinarum aglD
homologue,
OE1482
, was detected in cells of the native host grown under various conditions. Thus, at least one AglD homologue works more readily in
Hfx. volcanii
than in the native host. These results warrant the continued assessment of
Hfx. volcanii
as a glycosylation “workshop.”
Identification of Compounds with Bioactivity against the Nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
by a Screen Based on the Functional Genomics of the Marine Bacterium
Pseudoalteromonas tunicata
D2
Authors: Ballestriero Francesco , Thomas Torsten , Burke Catherine , Egan Suhelen , Kjelleberg Staffan
Published: July 2010

Marine bacteria are a rich, yet underexplored, resource of compounds with inhibitory bioactivity against a range of eukaryotic target organisms. Identification of those inhibitors, however, requires a culturable or genetically tractable producer strain, a prerequisite that is not often fulfilled. This study describes a novel functional genomic screen that is based on expression of inhibitors in a heterogeneous recombinant host (i.e.,
Escherichia coli
). Functional libraries were screened by selective grazing by the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
, in a simple, rapid, high-throughput manner. We applied our approach to discover inhibitors of
C. elegans
produced by the marine bacterium
Pseudoalteromonas tunicata
D2, a model organism for exploring a range of antagonistic activities between bacteria and eukaryotes and a known producer of several toxic compounds. Expression of
P. tunicata
DNA in
E. coli
and grazing selection by the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
identified two clones, with slow- and fast-killing modes of action. Genomic analysis of the slow-killing clone revealed that the activity was due to a small molecule, tambjamine, while the fast-killing activity involved a gene encoding for a novel protein. Microscopic analysis showed substantial colonization of the intestinal lumen, or rapid death of the nematode without colonization, for the two activities, respectively. The novel functional genomic screen presented here therefore detects new eukaryotic inhibitors with different chemical structures, kinetics, and predicted modes of actions.
Flavin Mononucleotide-Based Fluorescent Reporter Proteins Outperform Green Fluorescent Protein-Like Proteins as Quantitative
In Vivo
Real-Time Reporters
Authors: Drepper Thomas , Huber Robert , Heck Achim , Circolone Franco , Hillmer Anne-Kathrin , Büchs Jochen , Jaeger Karl-Erich
Published: July 2010

Fluorescent proteins of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family are commonly used as reporter proteins for quantitative analysis of complex biological processes in living microorganisms. Here we demonstrate that the fluorescence signal intensity of GFP-like proteins is affected under oxygen limitation and therefore does not reflect the amount of reporter protein in
Escherichia coli
batch cultures. Instead, flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding fluorescent proteins (FbFPs) are suitable for quantitative real-time
in vivo
assays under these conditions.
Allelic Exchange in
Actinomyces oris
with mCherry Fluorescence Counterselection
Authors: Wu Chenggang , Ton-That Hung
Published: July 2010

Described here is a method for facile generation of markerless gene deletion mutants of
Actinomyces oris
. Homologous integration of a nonreplicative vector carrying a gene exchange cassette into the bacterial chromosome was selected for by using mCherry fluorescence and resistance to kanamycin. Completion of allelic replacement was counterselected for by using loss of fluorescence.
Suitability of Quantitative Real-Time PCR To Estimate the Biomass of Fungal Root Endophytes
Authors: Tellenbach Christoph , Grünig Christoph R. , Sieber Thomas N.
Published: July 2010

A nested single-copy locus-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay and a multicopy locus-based qPCR assay were developed to estimate endophytic biomass of fungal root symbionts belonging to the
Phialocephala fortinii
sensu lato-
Acephala applanata
species complex (PAC). Both assays were suitable for estimation of endophytic biomass, but the nested assay was more sensitive and specific for PAC. For mycelia grown in liquid cultures, the correlation between dry weight and DNA amount was strong and statistically significant for all three examined strains, allowing accurate prediction of fungal biomass by qPCR. For mycelia colonizing cellophane or Norway spruce roots, correlation between biomass estimated by qPCR and microscopy was strain dependent and was affected by the abundance of microsclerotia. Fungal biomass estimated by qPCR and microscopy correlated well for one strain with poor microsclerotia formation but not for two strains with high microsclerotia formation. The accuracy of qPCR measurement is constrained by the variability of cell volumes, while the accuracy of microscopy can be hampered by overlapping fungal structures and lack of specificity for PAC. Nevertheless, qPCR is preferable because it is highly specific for PAC and less time-consuming than quantification by microscopy. There is currently no better method than qPCR-based quantification using calibration curves obtained from pure mycelia to predict PAC biomass in substrates. In this study, the DNA amount of
A. applanata
extracted from 15 mm of Norway spruce fine root segments (mean diameter, 610 μm) varied between 0.3 and 45.5 ng, which corresponds to a PAC biomass of 5.1 ± 4.5 μg (estimate ± 95% prediction interval) and 418 ± 264 μg.
Display of Recombinant Proteins on
Bacillus subtilis
Spores, Using a Coat-Associated Enzyme as the Carrier
Authors: Potot Sébastien , Serra Cláudia R. , Henriques Adriano O. , Schyns Ghislain
Published: July 2010

The display of proteins such as feed enzymes at the surface of bacterial spore systems has a great potential use for animal feed. Feed enzymes increase the digestibility of nutrients, leading to greater efficiency in the manufacturing of animal products and minimizing the environmental impact of increased animal production. To deliver their full potential in the gut, feed enzymes must survive the harsh conditions of the feed preparation and the gastrointestinal tract. The well-documented resistance of spores to harsh environments, together with the ability to use proteins that compose the spore as carriers for the display of passenger proteins, suggests that spores could be used as innovative tools to improve the formulation of bioactive molecules. Although some successful examples have been reported, in which abundant structural proteins of the
Bacillus subtilis
spore outer-coat layer were used as carriers for the display of recombinant proteins, only one convincing example resulted in the display of functional enzymes. In addition, no examples are available about the use of an inner-coat protein for the display of an active passenger enzyme. In our study, we show that the inner-coat oxalate decarboxylase (OxdD) can expose an endogenous phytase, a commonly used feed enzyme for monogastric animals, in an active form at the spore surface. Importantly, despite the higher abundance of CotG outer-coat protein, an OxdD-Phy fusion was more represented at the spore surface. The potential of OxdD as a carrier protein is further documented through the spore display of a bioactive heterologous passenger, the tetrameric β-glucuronidase enzyme from
Escherichia coli
.
Two Internal Origins of Replication in
Streptomyces
Linear Plasmid pFRL1
Authors: Zhang Ran , Peng Shiyuan , Qin Zhongjun
Published: July 2010

Previous reports showed that
Streptomyces
linear plasmids usually contain one internal replication locus. Here, we identified two new replication loci on pFRL1, one (
rep1A-ncs1
) next to a telomere and another (
rep2A-ncs2
) ∼10 kb from it. The
rep1A-ncs1
locus was able to direct replication independently in both linear and circular modes, whereas
rep2A-ncs2
required an additional locus,
rlrA-rorA
, in order to direct propagation in linear mode. Rep1A protein bound to
ncs1 in vitro
. By quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and Northern hybridization, we showed that transcription of
rep1A
and
rep2A
varied during development and that each dominated at different time points. pFRL1-derived linear plasmids were inherited through spores more stably than circular plasmids and were more stable with pSLA2 telomeres than with pFRL1 telomeres in
Streptomyces lividans
.
Analysis of RuvABC and RecG Involvement in the
Escherichia coli
Response to the Covalent Topoisomerase-DNA Complex
Authors: Sutherland Jeanette H. , Tse-Dinh Yuk-Ching
Published: July 2010

Topoisomerases form a covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate after initial DNA cleavage. Trapping of the cleavage complex formed by type IIA topoisomerases initiates the bactericidal action of fluoroquinolones. It should be possible also to identify novel antibacterial lead compounds that act with a similar mechanism on type IA bacterial topoisomerases. The cellular response and repair pathways for trapped topoisomerase complexes remain to be fully elucidated. The RuvAB and RecG proteins could play a role in the conversion of the initial protein-DNA complex to double-strand breaks and also in the resolution of the Holliday junction during homologous recombination.
Escherichia coli
strains with
ruvA
and
recG
mutations are found to have increased sensitivity to low levels of norfloxacin treatment, but the mutations had more pronounced effects on survival following the accumulation of covalent complexes formed by mutant topoisomerase I defective in DNA religation. Covalent topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase complexes are converted into double-strand breaks for SOS induction by the RecBCD pathway. SOS induction following topoisomerase I complex accumulation is significantly lower in the
ruvA
and
recG
mutants than in the wild-type background, suggesting that RuvAB and RecG may play a role in converting the initial single-strand DNA-protein cleavage complex into a double-strand break prior to repair by homologous recombination. The use of a
ruvB
mutant proficient in homologous recombination but not in replication fork reversal demonstrated that the replication fork reversal function of RuvAB is required for SOS induction by the covalent complex formed by topoisomerase I.
The Gene
ssl3076
Encodes a Protein Mediating the Salt-Induced Expression of
ggpS
for the Biosynthesis of the Compatible Solute Glucosylglycerol in
Synechocystis
sp. Strain PCC 6803
Authors: Klähn Stephan , Höhne Antje , Simon Elke , Hagemann Martin
Published: July 2010

Acclimation to high salt concentrations involves concerted changes in gene expression. For the majority of salt-regulated genes, the mechanism underlying the induction process is not known. The gene
ggpS
(
sll1566
), which encodes the glucosylglycerol-phosphate synthase responsible for the synthesis of the compatible solute glucosylglycerol (GG), is specifically induced by salt in the cyanobacterial model strain
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803. To identify mechanisms mediating this salt-specific gene regulation, the
ggpS
promoter was analyzed in more detail. 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′-RACE) experiments revealed that the adjacent open reading frame (ORF), which is annotated as unknown protein Ssl3076, overlaps with the transcriptional start site of the
ggpS
gene. Reporter gene expression analyses indicated an essential role for the intact
ssl3076
gene in the salt-regulated transcription of a
gfp
reporter gene. Promoter fragments containing a mutated
ssl3076
lost the salt regulation; similarly, a frameshift mutation in
ssl3076
resulted in a high level of
ggpS
expression under low-salt conditions, thereby establishing this small ORF, named
ggpR
, as a negative regulator of
ggpS
. Interestingly, small ORFs were also found adjacent to
ggpS
genes in the genomes of other GG-accumulating cyanobacteria. These results suggest that the GgpR protein represses
ggpS
expression under low-salt conditions, whereas in salt-shocked and salt-acclimated cells a stress-proportional
ggpS
expression occurs, leading to GG accumulation.
Genome Sequence of the Oligotrophic Marine Gammaproteobacterium HTCC2143, Isolated from the Oregon Coast
Authors: Oh Hyun-Myung , Kang Ilnam , Ferriera Steve , Giovannoni Stephen J. , Cho Jang-Cheon
Published: July 2010

Strain HTCC2143 was isolated from Oregon Coast surface waters using dilution-to-extinction culturing. Here we present the genome of strain HTCC2143 from the BD1-7 clade of the oligotrophic marine
Gammaproteobacteria
group. The genome of HTCC2143 contains genes for carotenoid biosynthesis and proteorhodopsin and for proteins that have potential biotechnological significance: epoxide hydrolases, Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases, and polyketide synthases.
Nonlinear lymphangion pressure-volume relationship minimizes edema
Authors: Venugopal Arun M. , Stewart Randolph H. , Laine Glen A. , Quick Christopher M.
Published: July 2010

Lymphangions, the segments of lymphatic vessel between two valves, contract cyclically and actively pump, analogous to cardiac ventricles. Besides having a discernable systole and diastole, lymphangions have a relatively linear end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (with slope Emax) and a nonlinear end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship (with slope Emin). To counter increased microvascular filtration (causing increased lymphatic inlet pressure), lymphangions must respond to modest increases in transmural pressure by increasing pumping. To counter venous hypertension (causing increased lymphatic inlet and outlet pressures), lymphangions must respond to potentially large increases in transmural pressure by maintaining lymph flow. We therefore hypothesized that the nonlinear lymphangion pressure-volume relationship allows transition from a transmural pressure-dependent stroke volume to a transmural pressure-independent stroke volume as transmural pressure increases. To test this hypothesis, we applied a mathematical model based on the time-varying elastance concept typically applied to ventricles (the ratio of pressure to volume cycles periodically from a minimum, Emin, to a maximum, Emax). This model predicted that lymphangions increase stroke volume and stroke work with transmural pressure if Emin < Emax at low transmural pressures, but maintain stroke volume and stroke work if Emin= Emax at higher transmural pressures. Furthermore, at higher transmural pressures, stroke work is evenly distributed among a chain of lymphangions. Model predictions were tested by comparison to previously reported data. Model predictions were consistent with reported lymphangion properties and pressure-flow relationships of entire lymphatic systems. The nonlinear lymphangion pressure-volume relationship therefore minimizes edema resulting from both increased microvascular filtration and venous hypertension.
The variability of blood pressure due to small changes of hematocrit
Authors: Vázquez Beatriz Y. Salazar , Martini Judith , Tsai Amy G. , Johnson Paul C. , Cabrales Pedro , Intaglietta Marcos
Published: July 2010

The hematocrit (Hct) of awake hamsters was lowered to 90% of baseline by isovolemic hemodilution using hamster plasma to determine the acute effect of small changes in Hct and blood viscosity on systemic hemodynamics. Mean arterial blood pressure increased, reaching a maximum of about 10% above baseline (8.6 ± 5.5 mmHg) when Hct decreased 8.4 ± 1.9% ( P < 0.005). Cardiac output increased continuously with hemodilution. These conditions were reached at ∼60 min after exchange transfusion and remained stationary for 1 h. Peripheral vascular resistance was approximately constant up to a decrease of Hct of about 10% and then fell continuously with lowering Hct. Vascular hindrance or vascular resistance independent of blood viscosity increased by about 20% and remained at this level up to an Hct decrease of 20%, indicating that the vasculature constricted with the lowered Hct. The results for the initial 2-h period are opposite but continuous with previous findings with small increases in Hct. In conclusion, limited acute anemic conditions increase mean arterial blood pressure during the initial period of 2 h, an effect that is quantitatively similar but opposite to the acute increase of Hct during the same period.
Monoclonal antibody-assisted structure-function analysis of the carbohydrate recognition domain of surfactant protein D
Authors: Hartshorn Kevan L. , White Mitchell R. , Rynkiewicz Michael , Sorensen Grith , Holmskov Uffe , Head James , Crouch Erika C.
Published: July 2010

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays important roles in host defense against a variety of pathogens including influenza A virus (IAV). Ligand binding by SP-D is mediated by the trimeric neck and carbohydrate recognition domain (NCRD). We used monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human SP-D and a panel of mutant collectin NCRD constructs to identify functionally and structurally important epitopes. The ability of SP-D to bind to IAV and mannan involved partially overlapping binding sites that are distinct from those involved in binding to the glycoprotein-340 (gp-340) scavenger receptor protein. A species-specific motif (D324,D325,R343), which has been implicated in the specific binding of several ligands, contributes to recognition by mAbs that block antiviral or mannan binding activity. D325, in particular, is involved in the epitopes of these blocking mAbs. Conversely, the interspecies substitution of arginine for Lys343 in the rat NCRD (rK343R) conferred binding to two of the mAbs. The single site substitution of alanine for R349 or E347 resulted in highly selective alterations in mAb binding and caused decreased antiviral activity. Mutations at Glu333 (E333A), Trp340 (W340F), and Phe335 (F335A), which abrogated antiviral activity, were associated with decreased binding to multiple blocking mAbs, consistent with critical structural roles. More conservative substitutions at 335, which showed a significant increase in neutralization activity, caused selective loss of binding to one mAb. The analysis reveals, for the first time, an extended binding site for IAV; calcium-dependent antiviral activity involves residues flanking the primary carbohydrate binding site as well as more remote residues displayed on the carbohydrate recognition domain surface.
Ophrynon (Hymenoptera: Orussidae) in California: diversity, distribution and phylogeny
Authors: Smith David , Vilhelmsen Lars , Blank Stephan
Published: July 2010

Three new species of Ophrynon Middlekauff, 1983, O. dominiqueae, O. martini and O. patricki, are added to the only species known previously, O. levigatus Middlekauff, 1983. All species are described, illustrated and keyed. Cladistic analyses under different weighting conditions retrieved Ophrynon as monophyletic, but the topologies produced for the higher ophrynopine taxa are quite variable. The possible closest relatives of Ophrynon are Argentophrynopus Vilhelmsen & D.R. Smith, 2002 and Kulcania Benson, 1935. The internal phylogeny of Ophrynon is O. martini + (O. levigatus + (O. dominiqueae + O. patricki)). The distribution of Ophrynon is restricted to central and southern California. Supposedly, the species belong to the californo-eremial distribution type and are the result of a comparatively recent speciation process.
The implementation of the IPPC Directive from a comparative perspective and lessons for its recast (Part1 )
Authors: Bohne Eberhard
Published: July 2010

This essay presents a comparative empirical and legal evaluation of the implementation of the IPPC Directive in eight EU member states focusing on the integrated approach of the directive. The national transpositions left existing national administrative structures and procedures basically unchanged. Holistic integrated permitting does not occur in any of the countries under study. Explaining the findings with incremental political theory, they serve as the basis for some reflections on the planned recast of the IPPC Directive and the prospects for better regulation. This first part of the article displays the basic shortcomings of the IPPC review process (1.) the concepts of integration under the Directive (2.) and the empirical analysis of the national approaches to integrated permitting (3.1 – 3.3). The second part which will be published in the subsequent JEEPL issue explains and evaluates the findings with regard to the pending revision of the Directive.
Public Participation in the Establishment and Management of the Natura 2000 Network—Legal Framework and Administrative Practices in Selected Member States
Authors: Unnerstall Herwig
Published: July 2010

The Natura 2000 network is one of the most important instruments for biodiversity conservation in the EU. Public participation at its establishment and its management is an idea often promoted for improving implementation and hence conservation results. The Habitats Directive being the legal basis for the network does not pay attention to the issue of public participation—leaving the task to the Member States. This paper analyses and compares the legal basis and administrative practices of a number of Member States in regard to public participation at different stages of development of the network. It distinguishes different of types of public participation and makes a preliminary evaluation of them.
Classification, Labelling and Packaging: implementation of the Globally Harmonised System
Authors: Holmqvist Jenny , Blainey Mark
Published: July 2010

The European Commission has proposed a new Regulation on Classification Labelling and Packaging to replace the current Directives on classification and to implement the Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling (GHS). The proposal is slowly making its way through the co-decision process and has raised a number of questions with the Council and Parliament that need to be addressed before a compromise can be found.
Including aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme: prepare for take-off
Authors: Barton Jane
Published: July 2010

Since the advent of civil aviation, air transport has experienced almost continuous growth. However this growth has also led to an increase in emissions which contribute to climate change. The exclusion of international aviation emissions from the targets under the Kyoto Protocol means that little action has been taken to address this impact. In 2005, the European Commission set out its comprehensive approach for addressing aviation's impact on climate change and in December 2006 made a legislative proposal for the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Both the Council and the European Parliament broadly support the Commission's proposal but have proposed detailed amendments to the proposed legislation. This Article analyses the position adopted by each institution so far and the next steps for the adoption of the legislation.
State Aid for Environmental Protection—The Commission's new Guidelines and the new General Block Exemption Regulation
Authors: Schatz Felix , Soltész Ulrich
Published: July 2010

With its new guidelines on State aid for environmental protection, the European Commission seeks to further implement the roadmap for state aid reform 2005–2009 laid down in its State Aid Action Plan and thus to strive for "less and better targeted aid" in the field of environmental protection. Another important change in the legal regime applicable to State aid for environmental protection is brought about by the new General Block Exemption Regulation which, for the first time, contains several block exemption provisions for aid in this field. The new Guidelines—together with the respective provisions in the new General Block Exemption Regulation—are a remarkable step in that they entail a considerable increase in regulatory density and are thereby increasing "red tape" in this field. The new Guidelines are evidence of a more and more palpable tendency of the European Commission to use its power to examine aid for its compatibility with the common market under Article 87(3) EC to regulate in areas of law in which it is not competent to legislate. In doing so, it does not only interfere with competences of the Member States and of the other Community institutions but also risks contradiction to its own decisions in other fields.
Using Green Public Procurement (GPP) for sustainable consumption and production
Authors: Burja Alenka
Published: July 2010

Each year public authorities spend approximately 2 trillion euros (17% of the EU's Gross Domestic Product) on purchasing a variety of goods, services and works. If they can be encouraged to purchase environmentally friendly products and services instead of conventional ones with the same functions, they can save energy, natural resources and water, reduce harmful emissions and hazardous substances, generate less waste, improve health and stimulate behavioural change towards sustainable consumption and production. In this way, public authorities will be promoting modes of production that are more environmentally friendly and stimulate the supply of green goods and services. Politically GPP has been widely recognised as a powerful voluntary instrument in most of the Member States. At EU level European Commission sets a target that, by 2010, 50% of all tendering procedures should be green, where green means compliant with endorsed common core GPP criteria. Also, GPP guidance tools have been developed, together with common criteria for 10 priority product groups, and translated into all EU languages. However, in order to make GPP a standard practice of procurement procedure, more needs to be done to develop further common GPP criteria, and to train procurement officials, and possibly to establish a product database at EU level.
Public participation in the preparation of plans and programs: some reflections on the scope of obligations under Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention
Authors: Jendrośka Jerzy
Published: July 2010

The article aims to present the main legal issues related to implementation of the provisions of Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention regarding public participation in the preparations of plans and programs. The analysis is presented against the background of an overview of the legal nature and scope of obligations stemming from the second pillar of the Convention. The article attempts to identify the scope of application of Article 7 and the main elements of the framework for public participation included therein. The legal analysis is based, where appropriate, on the respective opinions of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee. The implementation of the Aarhus Convention in EU law will be addressed in this respect in a separate article in the forthcoming issue of the journal.
Implementing EC environmental law. Compliance promotion and enforcement by the European Commission
Authors: Koller Peter , Cashman Liam
Published: July 2010

It is widely acknowledged that only by ensuring the correct implementation of European environmental law will it be possible to achieve the EU's ambitious environmental objectives. Implementation has therefore become a strategic priority for the European Commission in recent years. This article presents a short overview of the main challenges in implementing EC environmental law and the Commission's compliance promotion and legal enforcement activities in this field. It deals with the Commission's priority-setting for its legal enforcement actions and presents briefly recent developments and new approaches in the Commission's complaints and infringements handling.
REACH, still being developed!
Authors: Blainey Mark
Published: July 2010

A number of changes have occurred since REACH came into force in June 2007. These changes included modifications to the Regulation itself as well as the adoption of 4 Commission Regulations on test methods, fees, the qualifications of the European Chemical Agency's board of appeal, and the rules on the organisation and procedure of that body. In addition, changes to Annexes IV, V and XI of REACH have been adopted by the Commission. The review of Annex I has been completed whilst the review of Annex XIII is still ongoing, although a change to Annex XIII is likely XIII. In addition, REACH is undergoing its first challenge in the European Court if Justice. These changes are unlikely to be the last with further reviews of REACH and the European Chemicals Agency on the horizon in 2012.
Pit Stop Poznan. An Analysis of Negotiations on the Bali Action Plan at the Stopover to Copenhagen
Authors: Ott Hermann , Rudolph Frederic , Kiyar Dagmar , Mersmann Florian , Arens Christof , Eichhorst Urda , Santarius Tilman , Sterk Wolfgang , Watanabe Rie
Published: July 2010

This paper analyzes the international climate negotiations that took place at the 14th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP) and the 4th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) held in Poznan, December 1–12, 2008. It works out the main issues at stake in the negotiations, contrasts divergences in interests amongst negotiating Parties, and summarizes the main results achieved in Poznan. Furthermore, it contextualizes the Poznan negotiations within the broader political and economic context, which has shaped climate policy making throughout 2008. The paper ends with an outlook on the tasks ahead in 2009, until the next COP/CMP in December 2009 in Copenhagen.
Ocean Fertilization as Climate Change Mitigation Measure—Consideration under International Law
Authors: Ginzky Harald
Published: July 2010

Ocean fertilization is, at least theoretically, perceived as an option to mitigate climate change. However, theoretical assumptions could not be proved by experiments, in fact recent experiments have endorsed existing doubts. On international level seems to be a far-reaching—at least political—consensus that ocean fertilization should not be applied as climate change mitigation measure, based inter alia on unknown risks for the marine environment. Currently the Contracting Parties of the London Protocol are negotiating an international ban of ocean fertilization projects. Only “legitimate scientific research” shall be exempted from the prohibition provided negative effects on the marine environment can be excluded in this field. There is an ongoing discussion on whether a prior permission regime for research projects would be an adequate and reasonable approach and—finally also—legally admissible.
Renewing Moral Intuitionism
Authors: Tropman Elizabeth
Published: July 2010

According to moral intuitionism, moral properties are objective, but our cognitions of them are not always based on premises. In this paper, I develop a novel version of moral intuitionism and argue that this new intuitionism is worthy of closer attention. The intuitionistic theory I propose, while inspired by the early twentieth-century intuitionism of W.D. Ross, avoids the alleged errors of his view. Furthermore, unlike Robert Audi's contemporary formulation of intuitionism, my theory has the resources to account for the non-inferential character of particular, as opposed to merely general, moral beliefs. I achieve this result by avoiding the appeal to self-evidence to explain the possibility of non-inferential moral knowledge.
Deontological Restrictions and the Good/Bad Asymmetry
Authors: Alm David
Published: July 2010

I argue that a defense of deontological restrictions need not resort to what I call the 'Good/Bad asymmetry', according to which it is morally more important to avoid harming others than to prevent just such harm. I replace this paradoxical asymmetry with two non-paradoxical (if also non-obvious) ones. These are the following: (a) We ought to treat an act of preventing harm to persons precisely as such (as a harm prevention), rather than as the causing of a benefit; but we ought to treat an act that causes harm precisely as such (as a harm causing), rather than as the prevention of a benefit. (b) It is morally more important not to cause harm than to cause benefit. I show how we can use those asymmetries, together with certain other assumptions, to defend restrictions. I also offer a partial defense of the first of the two asymmetries.
The Precarious Church: Developing Congregations in an Individualized Society
Authors: de Roest Henk
Published: July 2010

This article discusses the social phenomenon of shrinking face-to-face organizations and the so-called 'decline of long-term commitment' of late modern populations and the consequences for Christian community formation. Social and organizational bonds are precarious, as research in such diverse contexts as Great Britain, The Netherlands and The United States seems to indicate. In each of these contexts the results of empirical data are subject to sociological dispute and the question with regard to the direction of the developments remains open. Will Christians (paraphrasing Putnam's study on social bonds in America) end up 'worshipping alone'? In that case, what might the theological consequences be? Can there be communio cum Christo without community? Are communal 'carriers of faith' a necessity? The author discusses this question and argues that 'believing without belonging' is a dead-end route for the church. In the last section of the article four ideal-typical church-concepts, reminiscent of the Weber-Troeltsch distinction of 'church' and 'sect', are outlined of which the contours are emerging in each of the different contexts. The concepts serve heuristic purposes, located between the polarities: 'individual and community', 'freedom and bonds'.
The Church and Mary
Authors: Young Frances
Published: July 2010

The aim of this paper is to explore the theme of Mary as 'type' of the Church, and to do so with a bifocal ecumenical perspective. The first section of this paper focuses on the persisting reasons for the Protestant critique of Mariology. Mary's ambiguous role as a model for virginity shifts the focus to the second section, which directs the gaze on Mary as a pattern for all believers, the one who typifies the Church's calling – to bring Christ into the world. Protestants are challenged to take seriously the theological logic underlying Marian devotion; Orthodox and Catholics are invited to consider Mary's priestly role and its implications for the ordination of women.
Dei Verbum § 9 in Baptist Perspective
Authors: Harmon Steven
Published: July 2010

The Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum is replete with affirmations about the nature of revelation and the authority of Scripture which Baptists can affirm, but the seeming equation of the authority of Scripture and tradition in article 9 is a sticking point that must be addressed before proceeding to other points of difference that owe much to differing perspectives on the authority of tradition. A close reading of article 9 highlights points of Baptist disagreement even while revealing some openings for a Baptist appreciation of the trajectory in the development of Catholic teaching on tradition evident in this text. Baptists cannot offer an unqualified endorsement of article 9, but they can find a place within the pattern of theological contestation that produced it. This text with which Baptists cannot unequivocally agree thus points to a larger opening for convergence between Roman Catholics in their practice of conciliar contestation and Baptists in their identity as dissenting catholics.
Claiming Barth for Ethics: The Last Two Decades
Authors: Leyden Michael , Clough David
Published: July 2010

Since 1990, there has been something of a reversal in scholarly opinion regarding Karl Barth's forays into Christian ethics. Against the previously held conclusion that Barth's account of divine action overwhelms the possibility of human agency and therefore any meaningful basis for ethics, more recent scholarship has tried to show that Barth did in fact take seriously the human being as moral agent. This article surveys the key publications from the past twenty years, in places bringing them into critical dialogue with one another, before assessing what can be learned about Barth's contribution to Christian ethics. There is discussion of Barth's relationship to casuistry and natural law, as well as the extent to which modern scholarship must rework Barth's theological ethics in order for it to publicly viable in the future.
Two Concepts of Rule Utilitarianism
Authors: Martin Rex
Published: July 2010

The notion of rule utilitarianism (a twentieth-century addition to the canon of utilitarian thought) has been discussed under two main headings—ideal-rule utilitarianism and 'indirect' utilitarianism. The distinction between them is often hazy. But we can sketch out each perspective along three different dimensions, contrasting the two conceptions of rule utilitarianism at each of three main hinge points: (1) the grounding of rules, (2) the allowed complexity of rules, (3) the conflict of rules. These two profiles constitute ideal types, but they help us see that we can regiment and focus utilitarian intuitions in two quite distinct ways. An interesting test case is provided by J.S. Mill. He has been associated with each of these perspectives (with a utilitarianism of ideal rules by R.B. Brandt and with indirect utilitarianism by John Gray), but careful attention to Mill's main arguments indicates, I believe, that he adheres to neither consistently, though he is closer to the indirect utilitarian position.
Unstable Autonomy: Conscience and Judgment in Kant's Moral Philosophy
Authors: Moyar Dean
Published: July 2010

In this paper I argue that Kant's claims about conscience in his moral writings of the 1790s reveal a fundamental instability in his moral philosophy. The central issue is the relationship between the moral law as the form of universality and the judgment of individuals about specific cases. Against Thomas Hill's claim that Kant has only a limited role for conscience, I argue that conscience has a comprehensive role in Kantian deliberation. I unpack the claims about conscience in the Metaphysics of Morals to show that they describe conscience as both a basic act of self-consciousness and as an all-things-considered judgment. I outline the role of conscience in moral motivation, and argue that taken together Kant's writings about conscience reveal a way to rethink Kant's conception of the Fact of Reason.
Of Theories of Coercion, Two Axes, and the Importance of the Coercer
Authors: Anderson Scott
Published: July 2010

Recent accounts of coercion can be mapped onto two different axes: whether they focus on the situation of the coercee or the activities of the coercer; and whether or not they depend upon moral judgments in their analysis of coercion. Using this analysis, I suggest that almost no recent theories have seriously explored a non-moralized, coercer-focused approach to coercion. I offer some reasons to think that a theory in this underexplored quadrant offers some important advantages over theories confined to the other quadrants. In particular I suggest that much of our interest in coercion depends on facts about the coercer, such as the sorts of powers coercers must possess to be able to coerce, and on the coercer's intention in using those powers to constrain or alter the coercee's activities.