bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of policy-induced structural change on milk quality: evidence from the Flemish dairy sector
Authors: Van der Straeten Bart , Buysse Jeroen , Van Huylenbroeck Guido , Lauwers Ludwig
Published: March 2009

This paper uses a Markov chain model to analyse the dynamics in farm-size distribution among the Flemish dairy sector and the impact of quota policy regulation on such changes. The model predicts a decline of 24% in number of farms in 2014 compared with the current situation with a more liberal exchange policy and a decline of 18% with a restricted quota exchange policy. From these Markov chain model results, we analysed the impact of farm-size distribution on eight different milk quality parameters (total bacterial count, somatic cell count, coliform count, freezing point, urea-N, fat content and protein content and penalty-points). In general, larger farms produce higher quality milk than smaller farms, especially with respect to the microbiological parameters (total bacterial count, somatic cell count and coliform count). The change in farm-size distribution from a liberal quota exchange policy would decrease the average total bacterial count by 18·0%, the somatic cell count by 2·1% and the coliform count by 11·0%. The aggregate performance of the other parameters are smaller with improvements in all cases of <1%.
Milk ejection disorders in Swiss dairy cows: a field study
Authors: Belo Claire J , Schlegel Sabrina , Moll Jürg , Möstl Erich , Bruckmaier Rupert M
Published: March 2009

A questionnaire was sent to 2099 dairy farms to investigate the occurrence of poor milkability. Based on that, the frequency of poor milkability in Swiss dairy cows was 4% and the percentage of cows treated with oxytocin (OT) was 2%. In addition, 270 dairy farms that had reported cases of animals with poor milkability were contacted for an interview to classify the disorders. Farmers suspected disturbed milk ejection in 52%, anatomical dysfunction of the teat and/or the udder in 16% and milk ejection disorder or impaired milkability caused by discernable environmental factors in 32% of the cases. Forty-eight animals from 18 farms with suspected milk ejection disorders were selected for an experimental field study which included milk flow recording and OT administration to induce milk ejection. After cessation of the spontaneous milk flow, a low dose of OT (0·2, 0·5 or 1 i.u.) was injected i.v. to test the responsiveness of the udder to OT at a physiological level. When milk flow ceased again, 10 i.u. OT was injected i.v. (supraphysiological) to ensure complete udder emptying and to determine the residual milk. Milk ejection disorder could be confirmed in 69% of the cases, i.e. if residual milk was >20% of the total milk. Because in 27% of the animals milk ejection disorder was not confirmed on the basis of elevated residual milk, an anatomical disorder of the teat and/or the udder was suspected. Milk ejection disorder could be confirmed in 69% of the cases whereas in 27% of the suspected cases an anatomical disorder of the teat and/or the udder was suspected. An increased cortisol production in cows with milk ejection disorder was not obvious because faecal concentrations of cortisol metabolites with a 5β-androstane-3α,11oxo-structure were not augmented in animals with disturbed milk ejection.
Enumeration of starter cultures during yogurt production using Petrifilm™ AC plates associated with acidified MRS and M17 broths
Authors: Gonçalves Marília M , Freitas Rosangela , Nero Luís A , Carvalho Antônio F
Published: March 2009

The efficiency of Petrifilm™ AC (3M Microbiology, St. Paul, MN, USA) associated with the broths M17 and de Mann-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) at pH 5·4 was evaluated to enumerate Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus during the yogurt production. Commercial and reference strains of these microorganisms were experimentally inoculated in nonfat milk and incubated at 42°C for 4 h for yogurt production. At the moment of inoculation and after incubation, aliquots were collected, submitted to dilution using the broths M17 and MRS at pH 5·4, and plated for Strep. salivarius and Lb. bulgaricus enumeration according ISO 9232 and at Petrifilm™ AC plates, respectively. M17 plates were incubated at 42°C, and MRS plates were incubated at 35°C under anaerobiosis. After 48 h, the formed colonies were enumerated and the counts were compared by correlation and analysis of variance (P<0·05). In addition, colonies were randomly selected from all plates and characterized according to Gram staining and morphology. The obtained results indicated that Petrifilm™ AC plates associated to M17 and MRS at pH 5·4 can be considered as a suitable alternative for Strep. salivarius and Lb. bulgaricus enumeration during yogurt production, with slight interferences due to the acidity of MRS at the moment of inoculation, and due to the acidity of yogurt at the end of fermentation process. It was also observed that the MRS at pH 5·4 was not sufficiently selective for Lb. delbrueckii enumeration, despite it is indicated by the official protocol from ISO 9232.
A compartmental model describing changes in progesterone concentrations during the oestrous cycle
Authors: Meier Susanne , Roche John R , Kolver Eric S , Boston Ray C
Published: March 2009

The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the rise and decline in plasma progesterone concentrations, and is able to define parameters describing progesterone appearance and disappearance during the bovine oestrous cycle. Daily plasma progesterone data from 27 cows were used to develop a compartmental model consisting of an appearance function and an appearance modulating function. Model outputs included an apparent appearance or secretion duration, appearance rate and an average disappearance rate (expressed as arbitrary units per day; units/d). Shape-based clustering identified three common shape-based groups (or clusters) of progesterone profiles defined as either ‘peaked’ profile, with the profile reaching a distinguishable peak, 'structured', with the profile exhibiting a wave-like pattern, or ‘flat top’, with the profile reaching a plateau. Differences in the model parameters for the three different shapes of progesterone profiles were examined: peaked (n=13), flat top (n=7) and structured (n=7). The mean duration of apparent appearance was 11·49 (sd 0·17 d) for all 27 profiles. The model estimates for total appearance of progesterone (area under the curve; ng/ml per cycle), mean appearance rate and maximum appearance rate were 69·04 ng/ml per cycle (sd 15·2 ng/ml per cycle), 3·19 ng/ml per cycle (sd 0·7 ng/ml per d) and 6·70 ng/ml (sd 1·31 ng/ml), respectively. The average disappearance rate was 1·0 units/d (sd 0·04 units/d). The apparent appearance duration was greatest (P<0·01) in the flat top profiles (12·54, sd 0·41 d) followed by the structured (11·77, sd 0·66 d) and the peaked (10·80, sd 0·30 d) profiles. Total and mean progesterone appearance, maximum progesterone appearance rate, and the progesterone disappearance rates were not different between the profiles. The model successfully simulated all components of the progesterone profile and was able to define specific parameters of different shaped progesterone profiles. A simple model able to estimate parameters describing progesterone appearance and disappearance can be used to explore the relationships between profile shapes and reproductive outcomes.
A multiplier theorem for one-sided Hardy spaces
Authors: Segovia C. , Testoni R.
Published: March 2009

In this paper we give a multiplier theorem for one-sided Hardy spaces which generalizes the results given by Strömberg and Torchinsky for two-sided weights. Also we state the $\smash{L_{\omega}^{p}}$ version with a Sawyer's weight ω.
On a Liouville-type equation with sign-changing weight
Authors: Ruf Bernhard , Ubilla Pedro
Published: March 2009

We study the existence, nonexistence and multiplicity of non-negative solutions for the family of problems

where Ω is a bounded domain in ℝ2 and λ > 0 is a parameter. The coefficient a(x) is permitted to change sign. The techniques used in the proofs are a combination of upper and lower solutions, the Trudinger–Moser inequality and variational methods. Note that when f(x, u) = 0 the equation is of Liouville type.
Global bifurcation of solutions to diffusive logistic equations on bounded domains subject to nonlinear boundary conditions
Authors: Cantrell Robert Stephen , Cosner Chris , Martínez Salome
Published: March 2009

We consider the diffusive logistic equation

supplemented by the nonlinear boundary condition

where α is a non-negative, non-decreasing function with α([0, 1]) ⊆ [0, 1]. When regarded as an ecological model for an organism inhabiting a focal patch of its habitat, the assumptions on α are intended to capture a tendency on the part of the organism to remain in the habitat patch when it encounters the patch boundary that increases with species density. Such a mechanism has been suggested in the ecological literature as a means by which the dynamics of the organism at the scale of the patch might differ from its local dynamics within the patch. Building upon earlier examinations of the boundary-value problem by Cantrell and Cosner, we detail in this paper the global disposition of biologically relevant equilibria when both 0 and 1 (the local carrying capacity within the patch) are equilibria. Our analysis relies on global bifurcation theory and estimates for elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations.
Interconnected synchronicities: the production of Bombay and Glasgow as modern global ports c.1850–1880
Authors: Hazareesingh Sandip
Published: March 2009

Cain and Hopkins' influential theory of British imperialism opted for a metropolitan-based model of explanation, rooted in the interests of a City-of-London-based class of ‘gentlemanly capitalists’, and discounting in the process events and experiences in the colonies and the significance of industrialization. By focusing on the simultaneous emergence of Bombay and Glasgow as modern, global ports in the second half of the nineteenth century, this article argues, in diametrical opposition, for a fresh perspective on the relationship between metropole and periphery, based on the concept of ‘interconnected synchronicity‘. This proposes that ‘imperial’ causation be viewed, at least from this period, as occurring in both arenas, based on a set of related and mutually transformative processes generated by the ‘globalizing’, commodity-driven imperatives of industrial capitalism.
Analysis of the ICME on 24 August 2001
Authors: Popescu Nedelia A.
Published: March 2009

The analysis of in-situ data recorded by Ulysses for the ICME on 24 August 2001 is carried out, using different signatures such asHe++abundance enhancement, low ion temperature, low velocity, and anomalies of abundance and charge state of heavy ion species.
Particle acceleration and turbulence transport in heliospheric plasmas
Authors: Vainio Rami
Published: March 2009

Plasma turbulence at various length scales affects practically all mechanisms proposed to be responsible for particle acceleration in the heliosphere. In this paper, we concentrate on providing a synthesis of some recent efforts to understand particle acceleration in the solar corona and inner heliosphere. Acceleration at coronal and interplanetary shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is the most viable mechanism for producing large gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events, whereas particle acceleration in impulsive flares is assumed to be responsible for the generation of smaller impulsive SEP events. Impulsive events show enhanced abundances of3He and heavy ions over the gradual SEP events. Gradual events often show charge states consistent with acceleration of ions in a dilute plasma at 1–2 MK temperature, while impulsive events have higher charge states. The division of SEP events to gradual and impulsive has been challenged by the discovery of events, which show intensity-vs.-time profiles typical for gradual events but, especially at the highest energies (above 10 MeV/nucl), abundances and charge states more typical of impulsive events. Although a direct flare component cannot be ruled out, we find that particle acceleration at quasi-perpendicular shocks in the low corona also offer a plausible explanation for the hybrid events. By carefully modeling shock acceleration and coronal turbulence and its modification by the accelerated particles, a consistent picture of gradual events thus emerges from the shock acceleration hypothesis.
Radio remote sensing of the corona and the solar wind
Authors: Spangler Steven R. , Whiting Catherine A.
Published: March 2009

Modern radio telescopes are extremely sensitive to plasma on the line of sight from a radio source to the antenna. Plasmas in the corona and solar wind produce measurable changes in the radio wave amplitude and phase, and the phase difference between wave fields of opposite circular polarization. Such measurements can be made of radio waves from spacecraft transmitters and extragalactic radio sources, using radio telescopes and spacecraft tracking antennas. Data have been taken at frequencies from about 80 MHz to 8000 MHz. Lower frequencies probe plasma at greater heliocentric distances. Analysis of these data yields information on the plasma density, density fluctuations, and plasma flow speeds in the corona and solar wind, and on the magnetic field in the solar corona. This paper will concentrate on the information that can be obtained from measurements of Faraday rotation through the corona and inner solar wind. The magnitude of Faraday rotation is proportional to the line of sight integral of the plasma density and the line-of-sight component of the magnetic field. Faraday rotation provides an almost unique means of estimating the magnetic field in this part of space. This technique has contributed to measurement of the large scale coronal magnetic field, the properties of electromagnetic turbulence in the corona, possible detection of electrical currents in the corona, and probing of the internal structure of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This paper concentrates on the search for small-scale coronal turbulence and remote sensing of the structure of CMEs. Future investigations with the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) or Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) could provide unique observational input on the astrophysics of CMEs.
Properties of lower hybrid waves
Authors: Verdon Alix L. , Cairns I. H. , Melrose D. B. , Robinson P. A.
Published: March 2009

Most treatments of lower hybrid waves include either electromagnetic or warm-plasma effects, but not both. Here we compare numerical dispersion curves for lower hybrid waves with a new analytic dispersion relation that includes both warm and electromagnetic effects. Very good agreement is obtained over significant ranges in wavenumber and plasma parameters, except where ion magnetization effects become important.
The Biology Battle: Public Opinion and the Origins of Life
Authors: Freeman Patricia K. , Houston David J.
Published: March 2009

Is the origins of life debate occurring in the United States an illustration of the culture wars? To address this question we examine attitudes toward evolution using data from the 2006 General Social Survey. Multinomial logistic regression models indicate that attitudes about whether humans today evolved from earlier species of life are more fully explained by orthodox Christian doctrine, not religious tradition, as the culture wars thesis suggests. However, an isomorphism between orthodox Christine doctrine and conservative political ideology has not occurred. While a liberal political ideology is strongly related to acceptance of evolution, these data suggest that only a certain group of political conservatives, those who accept orthodox Christian doctrine, reject evolution as sound scientific theory. Additionally, respondents who “don't know” if evolution is “true” or “false” differ from both the believers and skeptics in that they appear to lack the exposure to either science or orthodox Christian doctrine that would give them clear guidance about what to think in regards to evolution.
Kinetic effects of microscale plasticity at grain boundaries during pressure solution
Authors: van Noort Reinier , Spiers Christopher J.
Published: March 2009

It is generally assumed in kinetic models for pressure solution in materials such as quartz that the effective dissolution rate coefficient in grain boundaries is equal to the conventional geochemical dissolution rate coefficient on a free surface. However, predictions based on this assumption usually overestimate both natural and experimental pressure solution rates even when evidence for dissolution rate control is strong. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that grain boundary structure and dissipative processes such as microscale plasticity in the grain boundary can decrease this effective rate coefficient. On the basis of a simple grain boundary model assuming an island‐channel structure, we have derived a preliminary model for the effect that dissipation by plastic deformation (work‐hardening flow and creep) of grain boundary islands has on dissolution‐controlled pressure solution rates. Comparing the predictions of this model with the experimental data on quartz pressure solution rates, we see that microscale plasticity at grain boundary islands does slow down pressure solution and can help explain the discrepancies between observed and theoretical pressure solution rates. When applied to pressure solution creep of sandstones or fault rocks in nature, our model predicts that grain boundary plastic deformation in quartz might have a significant effect at depths beyond ∼9–10 km.
Dry cyclogenesis and dust mobilization in the intertropical discontinuity of the West African Monsoon: A case study
Authors: Bou Karam Diana , Flamant Cyrille , Tulet Pierre , Todd Martin C. , Pelon Jacques , Williams Earle
Published: March 2009

Three‐dimensional mesoscale numerical simulations were performed over Niger in order to investigate dry cyclogenesis in the West African intertropical discontinuity (ITD) during the summer, when it is located over the Sahel. The implications of dry cyclogenesis on dust emission and transport over West Africa are also addressed using the model results, together with spaceborne observations from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra‐Red Imager (SEVIRI) and the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). The study focuses on the case of 7–8 July 2006, during the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) Special Observing Period 2a1. Model results show the formation of three dry cyclones in the ITD during a 24‐h period. Simulations are used to investigate the formation and the development of one of these cyclones over Niger in the lee of the Hoggar‐Aïr Mountains. They show the development of the vortex to be associated with (1) strong horizontal shear and low‐level convergence existing along the monsoon shearline and (2) enhanced northeasterly winds associated with orographic blocking of air masses from the Mediterranean Sea. The dry cyclone was apparent between 0700 and 1300 UTC in the simulation, and it was approximately 400 km wide and 1500 m deep. Potential vorticity in the center of vortex reached nearly 6 PVU at the end of the cyclogenesis period (1000 UTC). The role of the orography on cyclogenesis along the ITD was evaluated through model simulations without orography. The comparison of the characteristics of the vortex in the simulations with and without orography suggests that the orography plays a secondary but still important role in the formation of the cyclone. Orography and related flow splitting tend to create low‐level jets in the lee of the Hoggar and Aïr mountains which, in turn, create conditions favorable for the onset of a better defined and more intense vortex in the ITD region. Moreover, orography blocking appears to favor the occurrence of a longer‐lived cyclone. Furthermore, model results suggested that strong surface winds (∼11 m s−1) enhanced by the intensification of the vortex led to the emission of dust mass fluxes as large as 3 μg m−2 s−1. The mobilized dust was mixed upward to a height of 4–5 km to be made available for long‐range transport. This study suggests that the occurrence of dry vortices in the ITD region may contribute significantly to the total dust activity over West Africa during summer. The distribution of dust over the Sahara‐Sahel may be affected over areas and at time scales much larger than those associated with the cyclone itself.
The role of the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases in cellular function and human disease
Authors: Ooms Lisa M. , Horan Kristy A. , Rahman Parvin , Seaton Gillian , Gurung Rajendra , Kethesparan Dharini S. , Mitchell Christina A.
Published: March 2009

Phosphoinositides are membrane-bound signalling molecules that regulate cell proliferation and survival, cytoskeletal reorganization and vesicular trafficking by recruiting effector proteins to cellular membranes. Growth factor or insulin stimulation induces a canonical cascade resulting in the transient phosphorylation of PtdIns(4,5)P2 by PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) to form PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, which is rapidly dephosphorylated either by PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) back to PtdIns(4,5)P2, or by the 5-ptases (inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases), generating PtdIns(3,4)P2. The 5-ptases also hydrolyse PtdIns(4,5)P2, forming PtdIns4P. Ten mammalian 5-ptases have been identified, which share a catalytic mechanism similar to that of the apurinic/apyrimidinic endonucleases. Gene-targeted deletion of 5-ptases in mice has revealed that these enzymes regulate haemopoietic cell proliferation, synaptic vesicle recycling, insulin signalling, endocytosis, vesicular trafficking and actin polymerization. Several studies have revealed that the molecular basis of Lowe's syndrome is due to mutations in the 5-ptase OCRL (oculocerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe). Futhermore, the 5-ptases SHIP [SH2 (Src homology 2)-domain-containing inositol phosphatase] 2, SKIP (skeletal muscle- and kidney-enriched inositol phosphatase) and 72-5ptase (72 kDa 5-ptase)/Type IV/Inpp5e (inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase E) are implicated in negatively regulating insulin signalling and glucose homoeostasis in specific tissues. SHIP2 polymorphisms are associated with a predisposition to insulin resistance. Gene profiling studies have identified changes in the expression of various 5-ptases in specific cancers. In addition, 5-ptases such as SHIP1, SHIP2 and 72-5ptase/Type IV/Inpp5e regulate macrophage phagocytosis, and SHIP1 also controls haemopoietic cell proliferation. Therefore the 5-ptases are a significant family of signal-modulating enzymes that govern a plethora of cellular functions by regulating the levels of specific phosphoinositides. Emerging studies have implicated their loss or gain of function in human disease.
Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate and Fab1p/PIKfyve underPPIn endo-lysosome function
Authors: Dove Stephen K. , Dong Kangzhen , Kobayashi Takafumi , Williams Fay K. , Michell Robert H.
Published: March 2009

PtdIns(3,5)P2 is one of the seven regulatory PPIn (polyphosphoinositides) that are ubiquitous in eukaryotes. It controls membrane trafficking at multiple points in the endosomal/lysosomal system and consequently regulates the size, shape and acidity of at least one endo-lysosomal compartment. PtdIns(3,5)P2 appears to exert this control via multiple effector proteins, with each effector specific for a subset of the various PtdIns(3,5)P2-dependent processes. Some putative PtdIns(3,5)P2 effectors have been identified, including Atg18p-related PROPPIN [β-propeller(s) that bind PPIn] proteins and the epsin-like proteins Ent3p and Ent5p, whereas others remain to be defined. One of the principal functions of PtdIns(3,5)P2 is to regulate the fission/fragmentation of endo-lysosomal sub-compartments. PtdIns(3,5)P2 is required for vesicle formation during protein trafficking between endo-lysosomes and also for fragmentation of endo-lysosomes into smaller compartments. In yeast, hyperosmotic stress accelerates the latter process. In the present review we highlight and discuss recent studies that reveal the role of the HOPS–CORVET complex and the vacuolar H+-ATPase in the process of endo-lysosome fission, and speculate on connections between these machineries and the Fab1p pathway. We also discuss new evidence linking PtdIns(3,5)P2 and PtdIns5P to the regulation of exocytosis.
Genomic and structural aspects of protein evolution
Authors: Chothia Cyrus , Gough Julian
Published: March 2009

It has been known for more than 35 years that, during evolution, new proteins are formed by gene duplications, sequence and structural divergence and, in many cases, gene combinations. The genome projects have produced complete, or almost complete, descriptions of the protein repertoires of over 600 distinct organisms. Analyses of these data have dramatically increased our understanding of the formation of new proteins. At the present time, we can accurately trace the evolutionary relationships of about half the proteins found in most genomes, and it is these proteins that we discuss in the present review. Usually, the units of evolution are protein domains that are duplicated, diverge and form combinations. Small proteins contain one domain, and large proteins contain combinations of two or more domains. Domains descended from a common ancestor are clustered into superfamilies. In most genomes, the net growth of superfamily members means that more than 90% of domains are duplicates. In a section on domain duplications, we discuss the number of currently known superfamilies, their size and distribution, and superfamily expansions related to biological complexity and to specific lineages. In a section on divergence, we describe how sequences and structures diverge, the changes in stability produced by acceptable mutations, and the nature of functional divergence and selection. In a section on domain combinations, we discuss their general nature, the sequential order of domains, how combinations modify function, and the extraordinary variety of the domain combinations found in different genomes. We conclude with a brief note on other forms of protein evolution and speculations of the origins of the duplication, divergence and combination processes.
The Conditions of Politics: Low-Caste Women's Political Agency in Contemporary North Indian Society
Authors: Ciotti Manuela
Published: March 2009

In this article I analyse the structural and cultural conditions of low-caste women's political agency in urban north India. Whereas in Western feminist political theory, the sexual division of labour is considered to be a key constraint for women's political participation, I show how this has a secondary relevance in the context analysed. I argue that issues concerning the division of labour are intertwined with and subject to those of male consent and support for women's activities. I illustrate how it is often the supposedly ‘oppressive’ household boundaries rather than alternative outer spaces that, under a series of enabling circumstances, initiate women's political activities. Against this backdrop, I show how Indian women activists’ political agency is shaped by men's role, and how agency's relational nature is embedded in women's lifecycles, everyday practices and cultural expectations; in essence, in overall gendered agency. Comparative analyses between Western and non-Western models of political participation and discourse have only just begun. In this respect, I contribute to this nascent field in the following directions: not only do the arguments I present in this article challenge the individualistic Western subject of political action, but they also complicate the idea of the resulting empowerment as a culturally constructed process whose understanding arises from the dialectics between insider and outsider values.
Same-Sex Weddings, Hindu Traditions and Modern India
Authors: Vanita Ruth
Published: March 2009

This article examines the phenomenon of same-sex unions, both joint suicides and weddings, mostly among young, low-income, non-English speaking women, that have been reported from many parts of India over the last three decades. Most of the women were Hindus and many of the weddings took place by Hindu rites. None of these women had contact with any LGBT or women's movement or activists before their weddings. Ancient as well as modern texts show that people can and do draw on traditional Hindu ideas about love (as the product of attachments formed in former lives), rebirth (attachments persist from one birth to another) and marriage (which is supposed to outlast one lifetime) to legitimize socially disapproved unions, both cross-sex and same-sex. Right-wing Hindu forces today mistakenly argue that the idea of same-sex love and marriage, and indeed of marriage based on love itself, are Western imports. In fact, same-sex marriages were reported from rural areas and small towns long before the Indian LGBT movement took cognizance of the issue. When families accept them, female couples are generally able to stay together but when families violently oppose them, often with the collusion of local police, couples may be forced to separate or driven to suicide, even though law courts have uniformly upheld the right of consenting adults to live together. Modern Hindu teachers and priests are divided on the question of the validity and desirability of same-sex marriage; a doctrinal debate is now developing.
The Politics of Conflict and Difference or the Difference of Conflict in Politics: The Women's Movement in Nepal
Authors: Tamang Seira
Published: March 2009

This article argues that an adequately historicized and politicized understanding of the women's movement in Nepal (or elsewhere) requires a detailed examination of the construction of the gendered subject herself in the complex geo-political space of the emergent (Nepali) nation state. In turn, this unravelling of the gendered subject in Nepal serves to reinforce the premise that the representation of ‘the Nepali Woman’ as a single over-arching category is a contemporary construction, which has been achieved at the expense of consistently effacing the historically prior multiple and contested ethnic/caste identities taken by thrust upon women in what is now the new Nepal. The ‘natural’ goal of the women's movement since post-1990 Nepal to achieve a (single) feminist agenda has become part of the problem, as it can only be achieved at the expense of respecting the radical diversity and difference that is covered over by the ‘theoretical fiction’ of the unified nation of Nepal. The main important players, whether it be the women from mainstream political parties, or the women of the NGO world or the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists), have all contributed to excluding and silencing radical diversity in the name of expediency and elite power brokering. Moreover, it is argued that the contours of this composite discourse continue to be shaped by the international aid industry in Nepal, where ‘development’ is not merely the epistemic link between Nepal and the ‘West’, it is also the locus classicus of generic apolitical consciousness-less Nepali woman whose cause is taken up by scholar and activist alike.
Interrogating the ‘political’: Feminist Peace Activism in Sri Lanka
Authors: de Alwis Malathi
Published: March 2009

This article seeks to interrogate the category of the ‘political’ through an exploration of the present trajectory of feminist peace activism in Sri Lanka. It provides a critical appraisal of current strategies adopted by the majority of feminist organizations that seem to suggest a shift from ‘refusal’ to ‘request’. This results in the resort to more ‘feel safe’ campaigns, rather than the placement of oneself in an antagonistic and oppositional relationship with the state, which continuously calls the political into question. It concludes by considering two other kinds of political trajectories and the disparate conceptual challenges each offers.
The Ethical Ambivalence of Resistant Violence: Notes from Postcolonial South Asia
Authors: Roy Srila
Published: March 2009

In the face of mounting militarism in south Asia, this essay turns to anti-state, ‘liberatory’ movements in the region that employ violence to achieve their political aims. It explores some of the ethical quandaries that arise from the embrace of such violence, particularly for feminists for whom political violence and militarism is today a moot point. Feminist responses towards resistant political violence have, however, been less straightforward than towards the violence of the state, suggesting a more ambivalent ethical position towards the former than the latter. The nature of this ambivalence can be located in a postcolonial feminist ethics that is conceptually committed to the use of political violence in certain, albeit exceptional circumstances on the basis of the ethical ends that this violence (as opposed to other oppressive violence) serves. In opening up this ethical ambivalence — or the ethics of ambiguity, as Simone de Beauvoir says — to interrogation and reflection, I underscore the difficulties involved in ethically discriminating between forms of violence, especially when we consider the manner in which such distinctions rely on and reproduce gendered modes of power. This raises particular problems for current feminist appraisals of resistant political violence as an expression of women's empowerment and ‘agency’.
Enhanced pyroelectric coefficient of antiferroelectric-ferroelectric bilayer thin films
Authors: Corkovic S. , Zhang Q.
Published: March 2009

In this study, the pyroelectric coefficient and the figure of merit (FOM) of the ferroelectric (FE) PbZr0.3Ti0.7O3 (PZT 30/70) thin films were found to be greatly enhanced by introducing a thin antiferroelectric (AF) PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 (PZT 95/05) layer underneath the FE film and thus creating a bilayer structure on platinized silicon substrates. The film properties were investigated as a function of the FE layer thickness when the thickness of AF layer remained unchanged. The highest pyroelectric coefficient of 1 μm thick PZT 30/70 film was 3.18×10−4 cm−2 K−1. However, the highest pyroelectric coefficient for 1 μm thick bilayer film was 3.5×10−4 or 2.5×10−4 cm−2 K−1 for only 280 nm thick bilayer film. The enhancement of pyroelectric coefficient suggests switching of AF into FE phase during poling and following stabilization of FE phase at room temperature. The reduction in dielectric constant in bilayer films after poling, compared to pure PZT 30/70, showed a FOM of 2.94×10−5 Pa−0.5, which is the double of the FOM for pure PZT 30/70 films of similar thickness (1.45×10−5 Pa−0.5).
Ferroelectric switching dynamics in VDF-TrFE copolymer thin films spin coated on Si substrate
Authors: Furukawa T. , Kanai S. , Okada A. , Takahashi Y. , Yamamoto R.
Published: March 2009

Simultaneous measurements of the charge Q and the capacitance C were performed for an MFS capacitor with Au-(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymer)-(n-Si) structure using a double-frequency voltage consisting of a low-frequency high voltage and a high-frequency sinusoidal low voltage. The use of a triangular high voltage yields asymmetrical Q-V and C-V hysteresis loops that support the full ferroelectric polarization reversal occurring in close relation to charge compensation in the n-Si layer. The use of a rectangular high voltage reveals the details of asymmetric switching dynamics. Polarization switching toward the positive side starts with the loss of the depletion layer and progresses rapidly owing to the accumulation of majority carriers to be completed at a time analogous to that for the case of a metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitor. On the other hand, that toward the negative side is markedly impeded by depletion layer formation but is eventually completed via a constant-current process at a time given by the ratio of switched polarization and constant current. On the basis of a linear relationship between the constant current and the depletion layer width, we conclude that the switching dynamics under a negative voltage is controlled by the rate of minority carrier generation in the depletion layer.
Adaptive gain fuzzy sliding mode control for the synchronization of nonlinear chaotic gyros
Authors: Roopaei Mehdi , Zolghadri Jahromi Mansoor , Jafari Shahram
Published: March 2009

This paper proposes an adaptive gain fuzzy sliding mode control (AGFSMC) scheme for the synchronization of two nonlinear chaotic gyros in the presence of model uncertainties and external disturbances. In the AGFSMC scheme, the hitting controller that drives the system to the sliding surface is constructed by a set of fuzzy rules. In the proposed method, the gain of the reaching controller is adaptively adjusted to provide robustness against bounded uncertainties and external disturbances. The AGFSMC scheme can provide robustness in the absence of any knowledge about the bounds of uncertainties and external disturbances. We show that the adaptive gain scheme used in AGFSMC, improves the performance in comparison with the same control methodology that uses a fixed gain. Theoretical analysis of the AGFSMC scheme based on Lyapunov stability theory is provided. Numerical simulation on the application of the proposed method for the synchronization of two chaotic gyros is provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the method.
Induction heating of FeCo nanoparticles for rapid rf curing of epoxy composites
Authors: Miller K. J. , Collier K. N. , Soll-Morris H. B. , Swaminathan Raja , McHenry M. E.
Published: March 2009

FeCo magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been investigated for curing polymer epoxy composites through radio-frequency (rf) heating. The rf response of functionalized FeCo MNPs is shown to uniformly cure the epoxy without parasitic heating for potential applications in electronic packaging. The FeCo/(Co,Fe)3O4 MNPs were synthesized using a rf induction plasma torch and were ultrasonicated in diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F epoxy to form stable ferrofluids. Transmission electron microscopy studies reveal as-synthesized MNPs to have a mean diameter of 17.6 nm with a 5.2 nm standard deviation. The mean MNP diameter is reduced to 9 nm after cryomilling and causes particles to form ∼200 nm agglomerates. Ferrofluids of varying MNP concentrations, sizes, and shapes were rf heated using a precision rf coil operated at 20.0 kA/m and 267 kHz frequency. Using a 1.36 vol % ferrofluid, the epoxy composite was effectively rf cured, reaching temperatures >100 °C in ∼70 s. The results suggest that rf heating of FeCo MNPs may provide an effective method to curing epoxy composites.
Vacancy-type defects in Mg-doped InN probed by means of positron annihilation
Authors: Uedono A. , Nakamori H. , Narita K. , Suzuki J. , Wang X. , Che S.-B. , Ishitani Y. , Yoshikawa A. , Ishibashi S.
Published: March 2009

The introduction of vacancy-type defects into InN by Mg-doping was studied using a monoenergetic positron beam. Doppler broadening spectra of the annihilation radiation were measured for Mg-doped InN (N-polar) grown on GaN/sapphire templates using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The concentration of In-vacancy (VIn) related defects was high near the InN/GaN interface, and the defect-rich region expanded from the interface toward the surface with increasing Mg concentration [Mg]. Using electrolyte-based capacitance-voltage analysis, we determined that the conduction type of InN with low [Mg] (≤1×1018 cm−3) was still n-type. It became p-type with increasing [Mg] (3×1018–2×1019 cm−3), but turned into n-type again above 3×1019 cm−3. The point defects introduced at the conductivity transition from p-type and n-type were found to be complexes between In-vacancy (VIn) and N-vacancy clusters such as VIn(VN)3. Below [Mg]=4×1019 cm−3, an observed behavior of positron annihilation parameters was well explained by assuming the trapping of positrons by N-vacancy clusters such as (VN)3. This fact suggests that, although isolated VN is positively charged, a VN cluster could be a positron trapping center because of the increased electron concentration in the local In-rich region.
Effect of oxygen to argon ratio on properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 thin films prepared on LaNiO3/Si substrates
Authors: Shen Hong , Gao Yanhong , Zhou Peng , Ma Jianhua , Sun Jinglan , Meng Xiangjian , Chu Junhao
Published: March 2009

Thin films of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST) on LaNiO3/Si substrates were deposited using rf magnetron sputtering at various (O2/Ar+O2) mixing ratios (OMRs). The crystallinity of the films improved significantly as the OMR increased. The dielectric constant increased with increasing OMR and reached a maximum value at 50% OMR. The leakage current density decreased with increasing oxygen flow because of the decrease of oxygen vacancies in films and had a minimum value at 50% OMR. The results for the dielectric constant were interpreted in terms of polarization and stress effect. In addition, the BST films deposited at 600 °C and 50% OMR exhibited a higher figure of merit (FOM), and the value of FOM is calculated to be 40.23.
State-resolved distribution of OH X Π2 products arising from electronic quenching of OH A Σ2+ by N2
Authors: Dempsey Logan P. , Sechler Timothy D. , Murray Craig , Lester Marsha I. , Matsika Spiridoula
Published: March 2009

The nascent OH X Π2 product state distribution arising from collisional quenching of electronically excited OH A Σ2+ by N2 has been determined using a pump-probe technique. The majority of OH X Π2 products are observed in their lowest vibrational level, v″=0, with significantly less population in v″=1. The OH (v″=0) products are generated with a substantial degree of rotational excitation, peaking around N″=18, with an average rotational energy of ∼6500 cm−1. A preference is found for the OH Π(A′) Λ-doublet, indicating some degree of pπ orbital alignment. The branching fraction into OH X Π2 product states demonstrates that nonreactive quenching is the dominant decay pathway for quenching of OH A Σ2+ by N2. The topography of the conical intersection region that couples the electronically excited and ground state potential energy surfaces is also examined theoretically. The rotational excitation of the OH X Π2 products and branching fraction are found to be dynamical signatures of nonadiabatic passage through the conical intersection region.
Direct observation of magnetic gradient in Co/Pd pressure-graded media
Authors: Kirby B. J. , Watson S. M. , Davies J. E. , Zimanyi G. T. , Liu Kai , Shull R. D. , Borchers J. A.
Published: March 2009

Magnetometry and neutron scattering have been used to study the magnetic properties of pressure-graded Co/Pd multilayers. The grading of the multilayer structure was done by varying the deposition pressure during sputtering of the samples. Magnetic depth profiling by polarized neutron reflectometry directly shows that for pressure-graded samples, the magnetization changes significantly from one pressure region to the next, while control samples sputtered at uniform pressure exhibit essentially uniform magnetic depth profiles. Complementary magnetometry results suggest that the observed graded magnetic profiles are due in part to a decrease in saturation magnetization for regions deposited at progressively higher pressure. Increased deposition pressure is shown to increase coercivity, and for graded samples, the absence of discrete steps in the hysteresis loops implies exchange coupling among regions deposited at different pressures.
Zinc oxide nanolevel surface transformation for liquid crystal orientation by ion bombardment
Authors: Oh Byeong-Yun , Lee Won-Kyu , Kim Young-Hwan , Seo Dae-Shik
Published: March 2009

This paper introduces the characteristics of the zinc oxide (ZnO) inorganic film deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering as an alternative alignment layer for liquid crystal display (LCD) applications. The crystalline structure related to the texture formation of ZnO (101¯3) was observed with a tilt angle of approximately 28.1° to the ZnO (0001) plane, leading to a smooth surface and high-density structure. Ion beam (IB) bombardment at various incident angles was used to induce liquid crystal (LC) alignment and cause the measured pretilt angle on ZnO films to assume a triangular contour. The orientation order of liquid crystal molecules was due to the van der Waals force for the vertical alignment of LCs with selective breaking of O–Zn bonds by IB bombardment. The contact angle contour as a function of the IB incident angle resembled the behavior of the pretilt angle. The pretilt angle is controllable by adjusting the surface features on ZnO films with IB bombardment. The electro-optic characteristics of vertically aligned (VA)-LCD based on ZnO film were comparable to those of VA-LCD based on polyimide, showing good potential of ZnO film as a LC alignment layer.
Dispersion of waves in relativistic plasmas with isotropic particle distributions
Authors: Shcherbakov Roman V.
Published: March 2009

The dispersion laws of Langmuir and transverse waves are calculated in the relativistic nonmagnetized formalism for several isotropic particle distributions: thermal, power law, relativistic Lorentzian κ, and hybrid β. For Langmuir waves the parameters of superluminal undamped, subluminal damped principal, and higher modes are determined for a range of distribution parameters. The undamped and principal damped modes are found to match smoothly. Principal damped and second damped modes are found not to match smoothly. The presence of maximum wavenumber is discovered above that no longitudinal modes formally exist. The higher damped modes are discovered to be qualitatively different for thermal and certain nonthermal distributions. Consistently with the known results, the Landau damping is calculated to be stronger for nonthermal power-law-like distributions. The dispersion law is obtained for the single undamped transverse mode. The analytic results for the simplest distributions are provided.
Four twins for a paradox: On “sensitive” twins and the biological counterpart of the “twin paradox”
Authors: Ascioti Fortunato A.
Published: March 2009

Monozygotic twin (MZT) epigenetic development, i.e., aging, diverges largely in time despite the initially very small genetic differences between MZTs. This fact is interpreted as a “sensitivity to initial conditions” phenomenon, a common property of either deterministic or stochastic chaotic systems. Some of the biotheoretical implications stemming from this empirical observation are briefly discussed here, while an actual measure of MZT epigenetic time divergence is given through an estimate of the (Stochastic) Lyapunov exponents (LEs) (i.e., the rate of exponential time divergence). These results suggest a reconsideration of the Langevin–Einstein thought experiment known as the “twin paradox.” At least four twins are necessary in order to take into account the inertially independent divergent aging described here. Alternatively, LE estimates, like those given here, should be used. Finally suggested in the actual special-relativity experiments is the replacement of clocks with some nonlinear (chaotic) forced oscillator.