bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of plane of nutrition and diet composition on rumen fermentation and energy utilization by dairy cows
Authors: Sutton J. D. , Broster W. H. , Schuller E. , Napper D. J. , Broster Valerie J. , Bines J. A.
Published: March 2009

Mean digestible energy (DE) intakes of 147 cows of three parities receiving three levels of DE including one ad libitum (about 2·2, 2·6 and 3·3 multiples of maintenance (MM)) drawn from three mixed diets containing hay and 60, 75 or 90% compound were calculated.

Rumen samples were taken from three-quarters of the cows at monthly intervals throughout the experiment. Molar proportions of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen were not affected by stage of lactation over the 36 weeks of the experiment. The proportion of acetic acid decreased and that of propionic acid increased with greater intakes and with higher proportions of compound in the diet. The proportion of n-butyric acid was little affected by level of intake but decreased with increasing proportions of compound. In young, non-lactating cattle given the same diets but at lower levels of intake, VFA proportions were unaffected by diet composition at intakes of about 0·7 MM but at intakes of about 1·3 MM the proportion of acetate decreased and that of propionate increased when the proportion of compound was increased from 75 to 90%.

The efficiency of milk energy production in relation to DE or metabolizable energy (ME) above maintenance decreased with increasing level of intake but was little affected by the proportion of compound. Partition towards live weight increased with level of intake in early lactation but not in late lactation. It also increased with higher proportions of compound in mid and late lactation but not in early lactation.

Estimates of the ME requirement for live-weight change (LWC) were in reasonable agreement with recently published standards in early lactation when live weight was decreasing, but later in lactation when live-weight gain was occurring, a much higher value was calculated which is difficult to reconcile with these standards.

Rumen VFA proportions were related to dietary fibre concentration and level of intake additively. The relationship to VFA proportions was close for milk fat concentration, but less so for energy partition towards live weight and none was apparent for the efficiency of ME utilization for milk energy production. It is suggested that both the reduction in milk fat concentration and the increase in milk yield in response to reductions in the fibre content of diets may be independently related to the increase in the proportion of propionate in the rumen VFA.

It is concluded that further progress in studies of the dietary factors affecting the efficiency of milk production will require measurements of nutrient uptake from the digestive tract and description of milk production and LWC in terms of their chemical composition rather than energy alone.
A study of the process of making clamp silage
Authors: Amos Arthur , Woodman Herbert Ernest
Published: March 2009

An account has been given of an investigation into the changes which occur during the preservation of the oat and tare crop in the clamp silo.

The material obtained from the clamp was divisible into three types: (1) An uppermost thick layer of mouldy material. (2) “Sweet” silage from the middle layers. (3) Wet “sour” silage from the bottom layer. The spoilt material in the top layer represented approximately 19 per cent. of the whole of the crop contained in the clamp, and in addition to this, the silage was extensively spoilt round the sides of the clamp to an average depth of 12 inches. In comparing the processes of ensilage in the tower and in the clamp, it should be remembered that spoiling of this type only affects the top few inches of the material in the tower silo.

The loss of dry matter in the “sour” silage layer, arising from fermentation and drainage away of juice, amounted to more than one-fifth of the dry matter of the crop originally present in the layer. This represents a much bigger loss than any previously recorded at Cambridge in similar work with tower silos. An exceptionally heavy destruction of carbohydrates further characterised the production of the “sour” silage in the clamp.

The loss of dry matter in the “sweet” silage layer was much smaller and was comparable in magnitude with that occurring during the production of “green fruity” silage in tower silos.

The chemical characteristics of the “sour” silage samples were investigated and were found to conform with results discussed in a previous communication, namely, the samples contained a high proportion of volatile bases to amino acids, and the volatile acids were present in appreciable excess of the non-volatile organic acids.
The determination of nitrogen in heavy clay soils
Authors: Bal D. V.
Published: March 2009

In determining the nitrogen content of the heavy black cotton soil of the Central Provinces, India, by the Kjeldahl process it is important that the determinations be carried out on moist and not on air-dried soil. These soils apparently contain a cementing material probably containing iron which is insoluble in concentrated sulphuric acid and protects organic matter in the interior of the compound particles from the action of the acid.

It may be that these soils are peculiar in this respect, but it would seem of importance that other workers should take into account the possibility of error in the estimation of nitrogen when using air-dry soils.

In conclusion it is with great pleasure that I acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr F. J. Plymen and Dr H. E. Annett for their valuable suggestions and advice during the course of this work.
A new method of evaluating basic slags and mineral phosphates
Authors: Vanstone Ernest
Published: March 2009

In a former paper (1) it was shown by solubility curves and pot experiments that the Wagner citric acid method is a satisfactory means of evaluating basic slags but is unsatisfactory for mineral phosphates.
Studies in the physical properties of soils: III. Observations on the electrical conductivity of soils
Authors: Hanies William B.
Published: March 2009

1. An improved and simplified laboratory method of measuring the electrical conductivity of soils is described and measurements recorded for diverse soil samples.

2. The results for ignited soil lead to certain interesting confirmations of the capillary theory of an ideal soil.

3. The results for soils generally indicate a sufficiently simple connection between conductivity and moisture for this property to be made the basis of soil moisture determinations.

4. Certain clays were found to form a class apart, and must be regarded as exceptions to the general statement in (3) owing to the more complex nature of the moisture-conductivity relationship.
The chemical evaluation of pyrethrum flowers (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium). The extraction of the flowers for analysis and the preparation of colourless concentrates of the pyrethrins
Authors: Martin J. T.
Published: March 2009

1. Biological trials have been carried out to determine the efficacy of petroleum ether as solvent for the extraction of pyrethrum flowers for analysis. 95% of the toxic material was extracted from flowers one year old after only 3 hr. percolation. An extraction period of 8 hr. with petroleum ether is suggested.

2. A method of preparing colourless extracts of pyrethrum and analytical data for such extracts are given. They are shown to be of value for the preparation of concentrates of the pyrethrins. The preparation of a colourless concentrate containing 93% of total pyrethrins, as determined by a modified Seil method, is described.
The storage of artificially dried grass
Authors: Wright Norman C.
Published: March 2009

1. Experiments have been carried out to determine the relation between the moisture content of artificially dried grass and the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. This relation is given by a smooth curve. At relative humidities which are typical of outdoor winter conditions in the British Isles (80–90%) the equilibrium moisture content lies between 18 and 30%.

2. The rate of moulding is directly related to the relative humidity and therefore to the moisture content of the dried grass. For reasonably safe storage a relative humidity of 67 % should not be exceeded. This corresponds to a moisture content of roughly 13 %. Even this low value does not confer absolute immunity from mould growth.

3. The importance of extending storage trials over long periods is stressed. In one instance storage for 300 days was required before mould growth occurred. Neglect of this fact may account for the widely held view that a relative humidity of 70–75 % provides safe storage conditions.

4. Attempts to detect mould growth at an early stage by plating methods proved unsuccessful. It is shown that the two earliest and most reliable indications of mould growth are (i) the appearance of visible mycelium when the product is examined under a low-power objective, and (ii) the detection of a musty smell.
The fate of nitrate in cattle slurries acidified with nitric acid
Authors: Stevens R. J. , Laughlin R. J. , O'Bric C. J.
Published: March 2009

The fate of NO3-in raw and anaerobically-digested cattle slurries acidified with HNO3was studied in a laboratory incubation experiment at the Agriculture and Food Science Centre, Belfast, in 1992. Four amounts (20, 30, 40 and 50 g) of each slurry type were acidified with five rates of HNO3supplying 0·7, 1·4, 2·1, 2·8 and 3·5 mg N/g enriched to 10 atom%15N. The slurries were stored in 500 ml glass jars for 7 days at 20 °C. The jars were left open to allow O2supply by diffusion through the slurry surface to create varying degrees of aeration depending on slurry depth. Fluxes of N2and N2O were measured from each jar for 2 h each day. The pH was measured after each gas flux measurement and HNO3--N recovery as NO3--N measured at the end of the incubation.

For raw cattle slurry, almost none of the HNO3--N was recovered as NO3--N at the 0·7 or 1·4 mg HNO3-N/g rates, but recovery was not significantly different (P >0·05) from 100% at the 2·8 and 3·5 mg HNO3-N/g rates. At the 21 mg HNO3-N/g rate, recovery was higher when larger amounts of slurry were incubated, indicating that O2could promote NO3-loss. Average pH during the incubation period had to be < 5·5 for recovery of HNO3-N as NO3-N to be > 90%. For digested cattle slurry, recovery was > 87% at the 0·7 mg HNO3-N/g rate and not significantly different (P >0·05) from 100% at all other acid rates.

Fluxes of N2and N2O were not detected from any digested slurry treatment but were measured in all raw slurry treatments. Gaseous losses occurred after incubation for 1 day, and maximum flux rates occurred after incubation for 2 days. Fluxes were highest from incubations with the intermediate amounts of slurry containing 1·4 mg HNO3-N/g. The largest observed flux from an individual jar was 322 μg N2-N/g/2 h with 40 g of slurry containing 1·4 mg HNO3-N/g, which would have accounted for a loss of 23% of the added HNO3-N during this period. Nitrous oxide and N2were always evolved simultaneously and when the pH was between 7 and 9. On average, 90% of the total loss of N-gases was as N2.

The raw slurry contained much higher concentrations of volatile fatty acids than the digested slurry. If HNO3is added to slurries containing such readily decomposable substrates, the NO3-is susceptible to loss as N2and N2O by denitrification. Oxygen supply, pH and substrate availability control the rate of denitrification.
Ammonia volatilization following surface-applied pig and cattle slurry in France
Authors: Moal J.-F. , Martinez J. , Guiziou F. , Coste C.-M.
Published: March 2009

Field experiments were carried out in Brittany (Western France) in 1993 to measure ammonia losses from surface-applied pig and cattle slurry. Experiments were conducted on grass, stubble (wheat and maize) and arable land using a wind tunnel system. Ammonia losses were followed during periods ranging from 20 to 96 h after slurry application. Rates of slurry applied varied from 40 to 200 m3/ha. In two experiments, losses from cattle slurry were respectively 75 and 54% of the ammoniacal nitrogen applied in the slurry. Ammonia emissions from pig slurry applied at a rate of 40 m3/ha, during spring and summer experiments, were higher on grass (45–63% of the total ammoniacal nitrogen applied) than on wheat stubble (37–45%). On average, 75% of the total loss in all experiments occurred within the first 15 h after spreading. Significant correlations were found between ammonia losses (kg N/ha) and mean soil temperature and slurry dry matter content (%) using simple linear regressions and stepwise procedures. The time of application was also found to influence the magnitude of ammonia loss: 83% of the total loss occurred within 6 h when the slurry was applied at midday compared with 42% when it was applied in the evening.
Response of broilers to dietary levels of thevetia cake
Authors: Atteh J. O. , Ibiyemi S. A. , Ojo A. O.
Published: March 2009

Two experiments done at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, in 1992/93 investigated the effects of dietary levels of thevetia cake on the performance and nutrient retention of broilers. In Expt 1, dayold broiler chicks were fed either a control diet or diets containing 5, 10 or 15% thevetia cake during a 4-week period. In Expt 2, day-old broiler chicks were fed a standard diet until 4 weeks of age and were then switched to diets containing 0, 5, 10 or 15% thevetia cake. Inclusion of thevetia cake in broiler diets, irrespective of level of inclusion, drastically reduced feed intake and weight gain (p < 0·01) at both the starter and finisher stages. Dietary thevetia cake also caused a significant increase in mortality rate (P < 0·01). There was a reduction in protein and fibre retention and dietary ME with increases in the dietary level of thevetia cake at both the starter and finisher stages (P < 0·05). It is concluded that thevetia cake is toxic to broilers and needs further processing before it can effectively be used as an ingredient in broiler feed.
The quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence as an indicator of drought tolerance in durum wheat
Authors: Flagella Z. , Pastore D. , Campanile R. G. , Fonzo N. Di
Published: March 2009

The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters ΔF/Fm′ and Fv′/Fm′, related respectively to the quantum yield of photosynthetic electron transport and to the efficiency of excitation capture by the open centres of photosystem II, have been evaluated as possible indicators of drought tolerance in durum wheat. ΔF/Fm′ and Fv′/Fm′ measurements were carried out on excised leaves, both control and dehydrated, of 25 cultivars. ΔF/Fm′ and Fv′/Fm′ values were obtained at two times after the start of fluorescence measurement: at 14 s, i.e. during the induction curve (ΔF/Fm′14s and Fv′/Fm′14s) and at 200s, i.e. at steady state fluorescence (ΔF/Fm′200s and Fv′/Fm′200s).

In dehydrated leaves a mean significant decrease of 20% (P < 0·001) was observed in ΔF/Fm′14s values. In contrast, no great differences were observed between control and dehydrated leaves with regard to ΔF/Fm′200s, Fv′/Fm′14s and Fv′/Fm′200s.

The percentage decrease of ΔF/Fm′14s after dehydration was correlated with the drought susceptibility index (DSI) of the cultivars, evaluated on a yield basis and a significant correlation (r = 0·72, P < 0·001) was found.
Appearance and growth of individual leaves in the canopies of several potato cultivars
Authors: Firman D. M. , O'Brien P. J. , Allen E. J.
Published: March 2009

Leaf appearance of contrasting potato cultivars was examined in field experiments at Cambridge, UK, between 1985 and 1990. Three experiments examined the effects of N fertilizer on the appearance and growth of leaves. Four experiments examined leaf appearance over a wide range of planting dates and in two of these experiments different physiological ages of seed were compared.

Linear regression of rate of appearance of main-stem leaves on air temperature indicated a strong dependence of rate of leaf appearance on temperature in the cultivar Maris Piper with a phyllochron of c. 31 K d/leaf but in Estima variation in rate of leaf appearance was only partly explained by differences in air temperature. The phyllochron of main-stem leaves in Estima and Home Guard was shorter for old seed than young seed but there was little effect of seed age in four other cultivars. The phyllochron of main-stem leaves was longer without N fertilizer than with N but the difference in the phyllochron between rates of applied N was small. Leaf appearance on sympodial branches was slower and more variable than on the main-stem. Growth of branches differed between cultivars, particularly with no N fertilizer. In the determinate cultivars Estima and Diana there was restricted growth of branches but in the indeterminate cultivar Cara, significant leaf area was contributed by branches. The duration of leaf appearance and longevity of individual leaves is discussed in relation to N, temperature and cultivar.
The sprouting process in yam (Dioscorea spp.) tuber pieces
Authors: Onwueme I. C.
Published: March 2009

The progression of sprouting was observed in water-yam (Dioscorea alata) and whiteyam (D. rotundata) tuber pieces planted in moist sawdust. Soon after planting, white callus-like protuberances (sprouting loci) were seen on the tuber surface, followed by the appearance of one or more differentiated shoot buds on the sprouting locus. Sprouting loci appeared more readily on the upper and lower parts of each tuber piece than on the sides. Large tuber pieces sprouted more rapidly, had larger and more numerous sprouting loci, and gave rise to more shoot buds than small tuber pieces.

Anatomical examination showed that the shoot bud resulted from the activity of a layer of meristematic cells lying close to the tuber surface. Extensive cell divisions commenced in this layer after planting, and some of the resulting cells soon differentiated into the shoot bud.
Allometry of food intake and grazing behaviour with body size in cattle
Authors: Illius A. W.
Published: March 2009

In 2 years two groups of 32 grazing cattle were used to examine the effects of previous grazing treatment and of body size on grazing behaviour and herbage organic matter intake (HOMI). Compensatory intake resulted from differences in grazing time only in the first year. There were no sex differences in intake when account was taken of differences in mature size raised to the power 0·73. Bite weight was related to the degree of maturity by the allometric coefficient of 0·46, and HOMI was similarly related by the coefficient of 0·36. This accords with the predicted effects of restricted grazing conditions on animals of different weight, and with allometric changes with weight in incisor breadth. Decreases in intake under grazing were similar in animals differing in maturity and weight. It is suggested that under constant grazing conditions the change in grazed herbage intake as animals mature reflects the allometric change in bite weight and a corresponding decline in bite numbers, resulting in consumption of a constant proportion of ad libitum intake.
Flavour differences in meat from lambs grazed on lucerne (Medicago sativa) or phalaris (Phalaris tuberosa) pastures
Authors: Park R. J. , Corbett J. L. , Furnival E. P.
Published: March 2009

Significant differences were found in the flavour characteristics of stewed minces from lambs raised on either lucerne or phalaris pastures. The meat from lambs raised on lucerne had a more intense ‘sharp’ and ‘sickly’ aroma and flavour and a significantly lower flavour acceptability. These characteristics were not significantly alter when the lambs were starved for up to 3 days before slaughter. However, the flavour of meat from lambs transferred from lucerne to phalaris 7 or 14 days before slaughter was not significantly different from that of lambs grazed solely on phalaris.
Length of oestrus, duration of phenomena related to oestrus, and ovulation time in the local fat-tailed Awassi ewe
Authors: Schindler H. , Amir D.
Published: March 2009

Oestrous cycle and phenomena accompanying oestrus were studied in the local fattailed Awassi ewe. By heat detections at 4 h intervals, the average period of oestrous was found to be 35·5 h and the mean duration of the oestrous cycle, 17·5 days. The repeatability of length of oestrus and of cycle length was 0·60 and 0·41, respectively. The appearance of a transparent or cloudy fluid secretion indicated that the ewe was still at least in the first half of the oestrous period, while that of a viscous creamy secretion indicated the approaching end of oestrus as well as the approaching ovulation; the latter events generally coincided. The onset of oestrus was not centred around any particular time of day.
The genetics of resistance to two strains of bean common mosaic virus in three cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris L.
Authors: Innes N. L. , Walkey D. G. A.
Published: March 2009

A high level of resistance to the bean common mosaic virus strains NL3 and NL4 when inoculated separately or together was confirmed in the cultivars Turkish Brown, Valja and 1750–73. Following crosses between the susceptible cv. The Prince and all three resistant cultivars, inoculation of F2 and F3 populations revealed that the cvs Turkish Brown and Valja each differed from The Prince in being homozygous for a major recessive gene conferring resistance to both NL3 and NL4. Homology tests indicated that the same gene was present in both Turkish Brown and Valja. Polygenes in Turkish Brown and Valja also appeared to confer some resistance to NL3, or environmental variation led to continuous distribution patterns in the F2's of resistant parents crossed with The Prince. Although a major recessive gene controlled resistance to NL3 in cv. 1750–73, it differed from that in the two other resistant cultivars. In addition, cv. 1750–73 carried a dominant gene determining reaction to the virus; probably the I gene originally found in Corbett Refugee. An attempt is made to relate these results to Drijfhout's (1978) gene-for-gene model. Using Drijfhout's gene nomenclature all the cultivars tested appear to carry the strain nonspecific gene bc-u. Further genetical tests will be necessary to determine with certainty which, if any, of Drijfhout's strain-specific resistant bc-genes are present in the three resistant cultivars studied here.
Influence of drying method and ageing on chemical and physical properties andin vitrodegradation characteristics of grass and maize samples
Authors: Cone J. W. , Van Gelder A. H. , Marvin H. J. P.
Published: March 2009

The influence of different drying conditions on the chemical composition, physical properties,in vitroorganic matter degradability and fermentation kinetics of forages was investigated using young and old grass (Lolium perenne) samples (harvested on 15 June and 9 July 1992 at Lelystad, The Netherlands) and young and old maize (Zea mayscv. Scana) stem samples (harvested on 19 August and 30 September 1991 at Lelystad). The samples were either freeze-dried with a maximum sample temperature of 10 °C, dried in a vacuum at 20 °C or air-dried at 30, 50, 70 and 105 °C. The different drying methods had little effect on ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), crude fibre and crude protein (CP) contents andin vitrodegradation of the forage samples. However, some effects were found for sugars and phenolic acids. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content in protein-rich samples and the fermentation kinetics in rumen fluid differed significantly according to drying method. In samples dried other than by freeze-drying, proteins were bound to the NDF content and in some cases an effect on the amount of soluble sugars was also seen. Physical properties of the samples were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differences were found between freeze-dried materials and those dried at 70 °C. The influence of age on the maize samples was very pronounced, whereas it had little effect on the characteristics of the grass samples, with the exception of a decreased CP content and an increased sugar content after acid hydrolysis.
Seasonal variation in the morphology of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) plants and populations in pastures under intensive sheep grazing
Authors: Brock J. L. , Hume D. E. , Fletcher R. H.
Published: March 2009

The morphology of independent plants of ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenneL.) and three cultivars of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerataL.) (‘Grasslands Apanui’, ‘Grasslands Kara’ and ‘Grasslands Wana’) in mixed pastures under intensive sheep grazing was studied at Palmerston North, New Zealand during 1991/92.

Both perennial ryegrass and cocksfoot exhibited a similar pattern of clonal growth and population structure. Distribution of plants among various orders of branching showed a relatively stable pattern through most of the year except in spring, when stem decay and plant fragmentation exceeded apical growth and regeneration, causing an increase in the proportion of small plants and a corresponding decrease of larger plants. This pattern was similar to that previously reported for white clover (Trifolium repensL.). Nevertheless, seasonal variation in plant structure (number of leaves, tillers and stems per plant) was small, but variation in organ size (DW or length) was greater. Stolon formation through elongation of internodes occurred throughout the year, but was associated primarily with flowering.

Grazing management caused no differences in plant structure between species or among the cocksfoot cultivars, but did affect the size of organs, and hence plants. Cocksfoot plants were 50–60% heavier than perennial ryegrass under rotational grazing. Under set stocking, only perennial ryegrass and Wana cocksfoot exhibited sufficient phenotypic plasticity to survive, both Kara and Apanui cocksfoot failed to persist. The only consistent difference between the species was greater flowering in perennial ryegrass than in cocksfoot, in both the proportion of plants flowering, and the number of flowering tillers per plant. Both species produced stolons throughout the year, although perennial ryegrass and Wana cocksfoot had a higher proportion of plants with stolons than Apanui and Kara cocksfoot. Length and DW of stolons per plant were similar in both species.

As there was little variation in plant structure and plant density, length of stolons per unit area tended to parallel seasonal changes in pasture tiller density. The role of grazing management in the survival of tillers and plants, and subsequent performance of grass species in pastures is discussed.
Radiation-attenuated schistosome vaccination – a brief historical perspective
Authors: BICKLE Q. D.
Published: March 2009

The high level of protection which can be induced by vaccination of a range of hosts, from rodents to primates, with live radiation-attenuated schistosome larvae offers great promise for development of a human schistosome vaccine. Studies of the irradiated vaccine models benefitted from significant funding during the 1970–90s and much was learned concerning the inducers, targets and mechanisms of immunity. Less progress was made in definition of the protective antigens involved. The application of new techniques for identifying membrane and secreted antigens has recently provided new vaccine candidates and a new impetus for schistosome vaccine development. This article is intended as an overview of some of the main lessons learned from the studies of the irradiated vaccines as a backdrop to renewed interest in schistosome vaccine development.
Christ, creation and the drama of redemption: ‘The play's the thing . . .’
Authors: Bender Kimlyn J.
Published: March 2009

The Christian doctrine of creation is predicated upon two convictions: the transcendence of God and the creative activity of God in the world. While recent studies have shown the compatibility of these two seemingly conflicting convictions, the grounding for them has received less attention. This paper argues that a proper Christian understanding of these convictions and their relationship is dependent upon seeing their basis in christology and trinitarian doctrine. It thus traces the close relationship between Christ and creation and that between creation and redemption in scripture, the patristic period and their more recent retrieval in Schleiermacher and Barth, comparing such conceptions to pagan and neo-pagan alternatives for understanding the God–world relation.
Response to Alyssa Lyra Pitstick,Light in Darkness
Authors: Lauber David
Published: March 2009

In her remarkably forceful and learned book,Light in Darkness: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Catholic Doctrine of Christ's Descent into Hell, Alyssa Lyra Pitstick offers a comprehensive critique of Hans Urs von Balthasar's theology of the descent into hell. Pitstick contributes to a sharpening of readings of Balthasar and forces one to make precise interpretative judgements. Clearly, she has produced a work with which anyone interested in Balthasar must engage, and the conversation and debate the book has started will, to be sure, continue for many years ahead. This said, I am afraid that Dr Pitstick's unrelenting and totalising prosecution of Balthasar's theology leads her to disallow any charitable reading and critical appropriation of Balthasar's creative and, at times, sublime theology. Although not necessarily the final evaluative word on Balthasar, or on the doctrine of the descent into hell, Pitstick's book provides a tremendous spark for those interested in Balthasar's theology and for much needed reflection on the significance of the church's confession that Jesus Christ descended into hell.
Commentary: Renaming the Promised Land
Authors: Judson Pieter M.
Published: March 2009

What's in a name? For nationalist activists in Habsburg Central Europe in the early part of the twentieth century, names seem to have meant everything. As Peter Bugge and Maura Hametz convincingly demonstrate in their engaging essays on Bratislava and Trieste after World War I, the use of particular names gave nationalists the power to assert symbolic territorial claims against opponents. Well before 1914 in many regions of the monarchy, as apparently innocent a gesture as hanging a business sign in one language in a neighborhood inhabited by speakers of another language could inflame the passions of local nationalists enough to create politicalcauses célèbresout of such displays. Similarly, the decision of a town council in a linguistically mixed region either to add or to prohibit street signs in a second language could easily provoke serious public protest. The activists who labored obsessively to nationalize both Central European peoples and the spaces they inhabited experienced decisions in favor of one or another set of names as incursions launched against the territory of a national enemy. Never mind that such “linguistic attacks” frequently originated as innocent business advertisement. Nationalists made sure that they would become understood as the legitimate (or illegitimate) reclamation (or seizure) of one nation's property from another.
China's Flat Earth: History and 8 August 2008
Authors: Barmé Geremie R.
Published: March 2009

The opening ceremony of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing was celebrated in China as an opportunity for the country to “tell its story to the world.” This article offers a forensic analysis of that story and how it was created under Party fiat with the active collaboration of local and international arts figures. In a scene-by-scene description of the ceremony, the article also reviews the symbiotic relationship of avant-garde cultural activists and the party-state, a relationship that has continuously evolved throughout the Reform era (since 1978). It also discusses contentious historical issues related to the revival of real and imagined national traditions in the era of China's re-emergence on the global stage.
Talmudic Text and Iranian Context: On the Development of Two Talmudic Narratives
Authors: Secunda Shai
Published: March 2009

The past few years have witnessed an expansion of the range of sources that Talmudists regularly employ in their research on the Bavli. Scholars now turn to Iranian epic and folk literature; to Zoroastrian, Manichaean, and Eastern Christian ritual and theological writings; to Sasanian civil law; and to other nonrabbinic sources in an effort to broaden and deepen their understanding of the Bavli and its place in the “splendid confusion” that was Sasanian Mesopotamian society. As Yaakov Elman has pointed out, this research trend serves as a corrective for more than half a century of scholarly neglect, which was only encouraged by a dearth of critical editions of Middle Persian literature and more general studies of Sasanian culture and religions. Now, following a steady output of some long-anticipated editions, and, more significantly, as a result of recent collaboration between Talmudists and Iranists, the coming years hold great promise for a radically new understanding of the Bavli and its world.
Seasonal patterns in time series of pertussis
Authors: De GREEFF S. C. , DEKKERS A. L. M. , TEUNIS P. , RAHAMAT-LANGENDOEN J. C. , MOOI F. R. , De MELKER H. E.
Published: March 2009

To gain insight into pertussis disease dynamics, we studied age-specific long-term periodicity and seasonality of pertussis in The Netherlands. Hierarchical time-series models were used to analyse the monthly reported pertussis incidence in January 1996–June 2006 by age group. The incidence of pertussis showed a slightly increasing long-term trend with highest incidence rates seen in 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2004. For all age groups the annual peak incidence was found in August, except for the 13–18 years age group where the peak occurred in November. Monthly trends in adults showed high correlation with trends in age groups 0–4 years (0·94) and 5–12 years (0·92). We found no evidence for a relationship between annual rises in pertussis and the opening of schools. Concurrent annual fluctuations of pertussis incidence in adults and infants suggest frequent transmission within and between these age groups. Studying trends offers insight into transmission dynamics and may facilitate decisions on future vaccination strategies.
The relationship between international humanitarian and human rights law where it matters: admissible killing and internment of fighters in non-international armed conflicts
Authors: Sassòli Marco , Olson Laura M.
Published: March 2009

This article explores the relationship between international humanitarian and human rights law during non-international armed conflict. It seeks to answer two questions which are crucial in practice, but where the relationship between the two branches and the answers of humanitarian law alone are unclear. First, according to which branch of law may a member of an armed group be attacked and killed? Second, may a captured member of an armed force or group be detained similarly to a prisoner of war in international armed conflicts or as prescribed by human rights? Through application of the lex specialis principle, this article discusses possible answers to these questions.
Two contrasting dust‐dominant periods over India observed from MODIS and CALIPSO data
Authors: Gautam Ritesh , Liu Zhaoyan , Singh Ramesh P. , Hsu N. Christina
Published: March 2009

Each year, prior to the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon, the Gangetic Plains (GP), bounded by the high‐altitude Himalayan mountains, are strongly influenced by the transport of dust outbreaks originating in the northwestern desert in India (known as the Thar Desert). Dust particles constitute the bulk of the regional aerosol loading which peaks annually during the pre‐monsoon season. This paper integrates observations from space‐borne sensors, namely MODIS and CALIPSO, together with ground sunphotometer measurements, to infer dust loading in the pre‐monsoon aerosol build‐up over source and sink regions in northern India. Detailed aerosol characterization from the synergetic observational assessment suggests that the two pre‐monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008 were strikingly contrasting in terms of the dust loading over both the Thar Desert and the GP. Further analysis of aerosol loading and optical properties, from the entire record of MODIS and sunphotometer observations, reveals that the 2007 pre‐monsoon season was an unusually weak dust‐laden period. Our findings suggest the plausible role of the immediately preceding excess winter monsoon rainfall in the suppressed dust activity during the 2007 pre‐monsoon season.
Observations and analysis of Alfvén wave phase mixing in the Earth's magnetosphere
Authors: Sarris T. E. , Wright A. N. , Li X.
Published: March 2009

Signatures of Alfvén wave phase mixing in the Earth's magnetosphere, observed as polarization rotation of a transverse, Pc5 magnetospheric pulsation, are presented and compared to theory. The polarization rotation occurred during a rare event of a dayside narrowband ULF magnetospheric pulsation that lasted for 5 consecutive days, from 24 to 30 November 1997; details of this event were reported by Sarris et al. (2009) through observations at geosynchronous orbit and on the ground. In this paper we investigate the polarization signatures of the pulsation by performing a detailed analysis of its transverse components as observed through hodogram plots. Density measurements from one of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) spacecraft which had its L shells closest to GOES‐8 are used to calculate field line resonance frequencies at geosynchronous orbit; these frequency calculations show good agreement with the observed pulsations but also have a local time offset. For an instance of an observed polarization rotation we estimate the observed poloidal lifetime of the pulsation by the time taken for the poloidal and toroidal amplitudes to become equal, which we compare with the theoretical approximation to the poloidal lifetime, as calculated in a box model magnetosphere by Mann and Wright (1995). Density measurements from different LANL spacecraft at geosynchronous orbit and their varying L shells as derived from their varying local times are used to estimate a local gradient in the local Alfvén speed, which is then used in the calculation of the predicted poloidal lifetime. This is the first time that such polarization rotations are directly observed and compared with theoretical predictions.
Three‐dimensional crustal structure of eastern North America extracted from ambient noise
Authors: Liang Chuntao , Langston Charles A.
Published: March 2009

Group velocity dispersion curves of surface waves extracted from ambient seismic noise are inverted to find 3‐D shear wave structure of the crust beneath eastern North America. The 3‐D model consists of one sediment layer and another six layers with fixed depths at 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 25, and 43 km. Velocities of the seven layers together with the thickness of the sediment layer are determined by the simulated annealing method. We found that almost all failed ancient rifting events (e.g., the Reelfoot rift, Ouachita triple junction, and the Midcontinent rift) and rifting related events (e.g., the Ozark uplift and the Nashville dome) are associated with high‐velocity bodies in the middle and lower crust. Our results also suggest the existence of a triple junction‐like high‐velocity body centered around the New Madrid and the Wabash Valley seismic zones with the Reelfoot rift, the Ozark uplift, and the Nashville dome being on its southwestern, northwestern, and southeastern arms, respectively. We also found that the western limb of the Midcontinent rift (MCR) extends southwestward to western Oklahoma and Texas, and the eastern limb of the MCR extends southeastward into western Ohio. The Appalachian Mountains are characterized by high‐velocity upper crust underlain with relatively low velocity middle and lower crust. All major seismic zones are associated with either divergent or convergent events. The New Madrid seismic zone and Wabash Valley seismic zone are clearly associated with the failed Reelfoot rift. Both the eastern Tennessee seismic zone and Ouachita Orogen seismic zone are located along convergent boundaries.
Hydroecological factors governing surface water flow on a low‐gradient floodplain
Authors: Harvey Judson W. , Schaffranek Raymond W. , Noe Gregory B. , Larsen Laurel G. , Nowacki Daniel J. , O'Connor Ben L.
Published: March 2009

Interrelationships between hydrology and aquatic ecosystems are better understood in streams and rivers compared to their surrounding floodplains. Our goal was to characterize the hydrology of the Everglades ridge and slough floodplain ecosystem, which is valued for the comparatively high biodiversity and connectivity of its parallel‐drainage features but which has been degraded over the past century in response to flow reductions associated with flood control. We measured flow velocity, water depth, and wind velocity continuously for 3 years in an area of the Everglades with well‐preserved parallel‐drainage features (i.e., 200‐m wide sloughs interspersed with slightly higher elevation and more densely vegetated ridges). Mean daily flow velocity averaged 0.32 cm s−1 and ranged between 0.02 and 0.79 cm s−1. Highest sustained velocities were associated with flow pulses caused by water releases from upstream hydraulic control structures that increased flow velocity by a factor of 2–3 on the floodplain for weeks at a time. The highest instantaneous measurements of flow velocity were associated with the passage of Hurricane Wilma in 2005 when the inverse barometric pressure effect increased flow velocity up to 5 cm s−1 for several hours. Time‐averaged flow velocities were 29% greater in sloughs compared to ridges because of marginally higher vegetative drag in ridges compared to sloughs, which contributed modestly (relative to greater water depth and flow duration in sloughs compared to ridges) to the predominant fraction (86%) of total discharge through the landscape occurring in sloughs. Univariate scaling relationships developed from theory of flow through vegetation, and our field data indicated that flow velocity increases with the square of water surface slope and the fourth power of stem diameter, decreases in direct proportion with increasing frontal area of vegetation, and is unrelated to water depth except for the influence that water depth has in controlling the submergence height of vegetation that varies vertically in its architectural characteristics. In the Everglades the result of interactions among controlling variables was that flow velocity was dominantly controlled by water surface slope variations responding to flow pulses more than spatial variation in vegetation characteristics or fluctuating water depth. Our findings indicate that floodplain managers could, in addition to managing water depth, manipulate the frequency and duration of inflow pulses to manage water surface slope, which would add further control over flow velocities, water residence times, sediment settling, biogeochemical transformations, and other processes that are important to floodplain function.
Stochastic modeling of the cover effect and bedrock erosion
Authors: Turowski Jens M.
Published: March 2009

Several important fluvial bedrock erosion processes are driven by the impact of bed load particles. Bed load transport rates fluctuate strongly in both nature and experiment, and stochastic models of the transport processes have been put forward to describe this behavior. In this paper I adapt a model based on a Markov chain formulation to derive probability distributions for bed load transport rate over a rock bed only partly covered by sediment. I propose a way to calculate the probability distribution of bed cover for given sediment supply using a combinatoric model and combine the two curves to calculate probability distributions for bed cover and erosion rate at constant hydraulics. In the proposed model, mean bed cover is an exponentially declining function of the number of particles in the control volume. The model describes recently published experimental data well, but at the moment it is not possible to finally discriminate between the exponential and the previously proposed linear model formulation. Distributions of erosion rate are fairly broad functions slightly skewed toward high erosion rates.
Bacterial Metallothioneins
Authors: Blindauer Claudia A.
Published: March 2009

The bacterial metallothioneins (MT), BmtAs, constitute a well defined sub-family, sharing a number of characteristics with eukaryotic metallothioneins. They are small, cysteine-rich proteins, are inducible by metal ion stress, and contain metal-thiolate clusters with topologies similar to those of mammalian MTs. They also have a number of features that set them apart from most previously characterized metallothioneins. Most importantly, they adopt a zinc finger-like protein fold, and they contain conserved aromatic residues including histidines. The latter have been shown to modulate thermodynamics and kinetics of metal binding in various ways. The two metal-coordinating His residues in Synechococcus PCC 7942 SmtA enhance the stability of the zinc-thiolate cluster, compared to an all-Cys cluster generated by site-directed mutagenesis. His40 confers structural order to the entire C-terminus, whilst His49 has been shown to play a pivotal role in regulating zinc transfer reactions. The sequences of SmtA orthologues from other species show varations in the loop containing this residue, and preliminary studies have shown that this crucially affects metal binding properties of the proteins.
Metallothioneins in Plants
Authors: Freisinger Eva
Published: March 2009

The earliest perception restricted the occurrence of metallothioneins to animals, fungi, and certain bacteria and assigned the corresponding functions in plants to the enzymatically synthesized phytochelatins. This picture has now clearly changed, and the existence of plant metallothioneins is generally accepted. Compared to the vertebrate forms, plant metallothioneins show an intriguing sequence diversity, which is contrasted by an enormous lack of information about their possible functions, properties, and structures. The majority of functions proposed is derived from gene expression studies, which are reviewed with a not exhaustive but representative list of examples. However, it becomes evident that so far it is not possible to draw a clear-cut picture that ascribes specific functions to a given metallothionein. Rather, proposed functions overlap or are complementary to each other; sometimes even contradictory results are obtained. Regarding the structures and properties of the plant metallothionein proteins the amount of literature available is, compared to that of other MTs, considerably less comprehensive illustrating the early stages, in which this research area resides. Informations are at hand concerning the metal ion content of the different plant metallothionein species and metal-thiolate cluster stabilities, the number of clusters formed is proposed and predictions regarding the secondary structure are made. Three-dimensional data is so far restricted to one domain of a metallothionein from wheat providing fascinating insights into a cluster arrangement never reported for any metallothionein so far.