bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Biological Weapons Convention: An overview
Authors: Goldblat Jozef
Published: January 2010

Since ancient times, the use in war of poison and pathogenic agents has been considered a treacherous practice. It was condemned by international declarations and treaties, notably by the 1907 Hague Convention (IV) respecting the laws and customs of war on land. Efforts to strengthen this prohibition resulted in the conclusion, in 1925, of the Geneva Protocol which banned the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, usually referred to as chemical weapons, as well as the use of bacteriological methods of warfare. The latter are now understood to include not only bacteria, but also other biological agents, such as viruses or rickettsiae which were unknown at the time the Geneva Protocol was signed. (On 1 January 1997, 132 States were party to this Protocol.) However, the Geneva Protocol did not prohibit the development, production and stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons. Attempts to achieve a complete ban were made in the 1930s in the framework of the League of Nations, but with no success.
The humanitarian dimension of the Convention on “silent weapons”
Authors: Romanov Valentin A.
Published: January 2010

Analysing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, concluded a quarter of a century ago (10 April 1972), American expert Lynn M. Hansen wrote: “The spectre of biological warfare is something no person enjoys contemplating. The spectre is real, however, as man has learned how to use biology to wage war against himself. Fortunately, the international community in 1972 outlawed these weapons.” This is the essence of the Convention.
Handling the tragedy in Novye Atagi — The Norwegian Red Cross experience
Authors: Heiberg Astrid Nøklebye
Published: January 2010

In the following pages I will give an account on how the Norwegian Red Cross reacted to the tragic killing of six ICRC delegates in Chechnya in December 1996. Then was the time for action; now is the time for reflection.

For the Movement as a whole it is vital that we now focus on the security issue as it affects our Red Cross/Red Crescent workers. At the same time, we must never let evil acts like this paralyse our ability to operate in conflict areas.
Humanitarian law in the Articles of War decreed in 1621 by King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden
Authors: Ögren Kenneth
Published: January 2010

In July 1621 several regiments of the Swedish army were assembled at Årsta Meadow south of Stockholm awaiting transport by ship to the Baltic, where they were to fight the Russian forces which had invaded the provinces in early summer. It was on this occasion that they heard for the first time the new Articles of War read to them by chancellor Axel Oxenstierna. The text had been drafted by King Gustavus himself and revised by Oxenstierna the preceding spring, and the final decree had been signed by the King at camp on 15 July.
Prosecution of suspected war criminals in Switzerland
Authors: van Wijnkoop Jürg
Published: January 2010

Legal bases

By ratifying the Geneva Conventions of 1949, Switzerland undertook to supplement its national legislation accordingly. Its subsequent revision of the Swiss military penal code in 1950, though certainly prompt, was half-hearted. It was not until 1 March 1968, when a broader revision came into force, that national legislation was fully adapted to meet the requirements laid down in those Conventions:

— the scope of application of Swiss criminal law was extended to cover all armed conflicts within the meaning of international conventions;

— civilians who commit offences against international law in the event of armed conflict were explicitly made liable to military jurisdiction; it is thereby clearly established that Switzerland, or more specifically the military justice authorities, must prosecute violations of international humanitarian law even if the offence is committed outside Switzerland by nationals (civilians or members of the armed forces) of another country.
Effect of embolisation on endoscopic resection of angiofibroma
Authors: Mohammadi M , Saedi B , Basam A
Published: January 2010

Objective:

To determine the effect of embolisation on endoscopic resection of angiofibroma.

Subjects and method:

A partially blinded trial was undertaken. Twenty-three patients with angiofibroma (nine embolised and 14 not embolised) underwent endoscopic resection between January 2007 and August 2008 in two tertiary referral centres. Demographic data were collected, the pre-operative tumour extent was assessed by computed tomography, and tumours were staged according to their computed tomography appearance (Radkowski scale). In addition, we evaluated the duration of surgery, amount of haemorrhage, blood pressure during surgery, duration of hospitalisation, complications of surgery and embolisation, cost of treatment, and number of post-operative recurrences, as well as the angiographic characteristics in the embolisation group.

Results:

There was no significant difference between the general characteristics of both groups. At the end of the study period, we could find no significant difference between the two groups regarding haemorrhage, number of recurrences or complications. The only significant difference was cost of treatment, which was significantly higher in the embolisation group.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic resection is a feasible and safe method for angiofibroma surgery. The current evidence does not support obligatory embolisation in every case of endoscopic angiofibroma resection.
Crises and Growth: A Latin American Perspective
Authors: Edwards Sebastian
Published: January 2010

En este artículo uso datos históricos para analizar la relación entre crisis y crecimiento en América Latina. Calculo en cuanto se ha reduci-do el PIB per capita en la región como consecuencia de las recurrentes crisis externas. Analizo, también, los principales determinantes de las crisis de balanzas de pagos. La principal conclusión es que es poco probable que América Latina experimente, en promedio, una mejora impor-tante en su crecimiento en el largo plazo. Es posible que algunos países experimenten un cierto progreso en su convergencia con los países avan-zados. Esto, sin embargo no será la norma; la mayoría de los países latinoamericanos se atrasaran en relación a los países asiáticos y otros países en desarrollo emergentes. Mi análisis también sugiere que en el futuro el tipo de crisis catastróficas, tan comunes en la región, afectarán a un menor número de países. El futuro de América Latina será «Sin crisis y con un crecimiento muy modesto».
El legado colonial y el desarrollo regional en Colombia
Authors: Bonet Jaime , Roca Adolfo Meisel
Published: January 2010

Este trabajo utiliza los aportes teóricos y empíricos de la reciente literatura internacional sobre los determinantes del crecimiento económico de largo plazo, para explicar el origen histórico de las enormes desigualdades económicas regionales que caracterizan a Colombia. Los resultados indican que la geografía y la cultura no son un determinante directo de las diferencias en el ingreso per cápita regional. Sin embargo, la geografía tuvo un papel central pero indirecto, a través de su influencia en los patrones de poblamiento durante el período colonial. Si bien las estimaciones econométricas muestran la enorme influencia del legado colonial sobre las diferencias contemporáneas en los ingresos departamentales, no es claro si el efecto opera vía las instituciones o el capital humano.
The Other Europeans: Immigration into Latin America and the International Labour Market (1870–1930)
Authors: Alonso Blanca Sánchez
Published: January 2010

No todos los europeos emigraron a Estados Unidos. Entre 1879 y 1930 alrededor de 13 millones de europeos fueron a América Latina. Sin embargo, América Latina no está plenamente incorporada a los debates actuales sobre costes y beneficios de las migraciones atlánticas. Este artículo presenta un estado de la cuestión de la inmigración en América Latina desde finales del siglo XIX hasta 1930. Evalúa las inferencias realizadas a partir de la experiencia de los inmigrantes europeos en Estados Unidos y se cuestiona su validez para el caso latinoamericano. Los temas tratados en la primera sección incluyen las tendencias migratorias y su cronología, el origen nacional de los flujos y la evolución de los salarios reales entre países receptores y emisores. El trabajo presenta nuevos datos sobre el coste del transporte en la migración internacional. Una segunda sección examina la contribución de los inmigrantes al crecimiento eco nómico de América Latina, con especial énfasis en el capital humano de los inmigrantes europeos. El impacto de la inmigración sobre la mano de obra y la estructura demográfica de los países de inmigración, en el corto y en el largo plazo, se analiza en la sección siguiente.
Bonsais in a Wild Forest? A Historical Interpretation of the Longevity of Large Spanish Family Firms
Authors: Pérez Paloma Fernández , Raposo Núria Puig
Published: January 2010

En este artículo se presentan los primeros resultados de una investigación en curso sobre la longevidad de las grandes empresas familiares españolas. Su principal objetivo es proporcionar datos sólidos sobre un tema en el que abundan más las opiniones que las estadísticas científicas, así como identificar las claves de la supervivencia y competitividad de las cerca de 250 empresas en que se basa el estudio. Se concluye que esta realidad no es sólo el resultado de dos décadas de integración económica en Europa o de una buena dotación de recursos naturales, sino también de un largo período de aprendizaje y de la combinación de dos factores: la especialización en nichos de mercado que no fueron objeto de interés estratégico por parte del Estado, y la habilidad para consolidar redes personales de cooperación e influencia dentro y fuera del país.
Una mirada ingenua sobre las series del sector exterior, 1869–1999
Authors: Sanz José María Serrano , Sort Marcela Sabaté , Rivas María Dolores Gadea
Published: January 2010

Este trabajo propone periodificar el sector exterior de la España contemporánea (1869–1999) con mirada ingenua. Es decir, su propuesta es periodificar dejando que sea el análisis estadístico de las nuevas series de Prados (2003), quien establezca etapas y las caracterice. Los resultados así obtenidos permiten afirmar que existieron dos etapas compactas pero diferentes entre sí, separadas por una larga transición. La primera etapa, hasta 1935, fue la de un comercio impredecible, con escasa relación con la evolución de la renta. La transición se prolongó hasta 1960 como un periodo lleno de irregularidades. Ese año se abre una segunda etapa compacta, la de un comercio de madurez, predecible y fuertemente vinculado a la evolución de la renta.
Statistics of Spain's Colonial Trade, 1747–1820: New Estimates and Comparisons with Great Britain
Authors: Cuenca-Esteban Javier
Published: January 2010

New estimates of Spain's current-account balance with the «Indies» add new perspectives to the recent debate on the aims and results of Spanish commercial policy. At the height of «comercio libre» in 1784–92, Spain's private commercial interests appear to have drawn larger financial returns from the Indies than did their British counterparts from wider colonial engagement. On this as on other scores, by the eve of the French wars the Spanish empire appears to have become a sounder economic proposition than might be inferred from recent pessimistic views. The empire's subsequent demise may have involved a greater degree of geographical and dynastic accident than is seemingly apparent.
Autarkic Policy and Efficiency in the Spanish Industrial Sector. An Estimate of Domestic Resource Cost in 1958
Authors: Ruiz Elena Martínez
Published: January 2010

The impact of Francoist autarkic economic policy on Spain's economy is assessed using Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) as an indicator. This indicator compares the real opportunity cost of the primary factors used in the production of a certain good with its added value at international prices. Our results indicate that the inefficient allocation of productive factors induced by the interventionist economic policy resulted in a significant loss of efficiency for the economy. Only 50 out of 125 industries or, in other words, 39 per cent of Spanish industrial production, could be considered efficient. However, the paper also shows that the Spanish economy was in a good position to take advantage of the opportunities created by the 1959 reform, as most industrial production was on the verge of relative efficiency.
Convergence, trade and industrial policy: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in the international economy, 1900–1980
Authors: Bértola Luis , Porcile Gabriel
Published: January 2010

This paper discusses the economic performance of three Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay) from a comparative perspective, using as a benchmark a group of four developed countries (France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States). The focus is on the relative performance within the region and between the Latin American countries and the developed countries in the period 1900–1980. The paper argues that Argentina and Uruguay benefited from a privileged position in international markets at the beginning of the 20thcentury and this allowed them to converge. However, they failed to adjust to the major long-run change in the pattern of world trade brought about by World War I and the Great Depression, which implied a persistent decline of their export markets. On the other hand, Brazil, after having been much less successful until 1930, grew at higher rates thereafter based on rapid structural change and the building up of competitive advantages in new industrial sectors. The more vigorous Brazilian policy for industrialization and export diversification may explain why Brazil succeeded in changing its pattern of specialization, while Argentina and Uruguay were locked in to the old pattern. A typology of convergence regimes is suggested based on the growth experience of these countries.
The role of Mexico in the first world oil shortage: 1918–1922, an international perspective
Authors: Rubio María Del Mar
Published: January 2010

En 1921 México producía un cuarto del petróleo mundial, siendo el segundo mayor productor en el mundo, pero para 1930 ya sólo representaba el 3 por cien de la producción. Hasta la fecha la mayor parte de la discusión se ha basado en los hechos acaecidos en México para explicar el declive de la industria petrolera, poniéndose muy poca atención en los acontecimientos de la industria petrolera en otros lugares, salvo en Venezuela. Prácticamente ningún esfuerzo se ha dedicado a entender las razones del auge, ignorando así los cambios masivos que tuvieron lugar en la industria petrolera durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y la inmediata posguerra, y sobre todo, olvidando la crisis energética que se produjo entre 1918 y 1921. Estos eventos son cruciales a la hora de comprender el primer auge de la industria petrolera mexicana y sientan las bases para comprender mejor el posterior súbito declive.
Electricidad e industria en la España rural: el Irati, 1904–1961
Authors: Irurzun Urrutia Josean Garrués
Published: January 2010

El estudio del Irati pretende mostrar algunos de los comportamientos empresariales que se esconden detrás de las primeras fases del desarrollo eléctrico español y, a su vez, establecer nuevas preguntas sobre los factores y condicionamientos de los procesos regionales de industrialización. De hecho, esta firma representa una de las múltiples posibilidades abiertas por la electricidad en una región española no industrializada a principios del siglo XX. La producción eléctrica generada en sus saltos explica la creación del mayor complejo industrial integrado en España alrededor de la primera transformación de la madera (serrerías y destilación química) y su comercialización (ferrocarril), al tiempo que la venta de sus excedentes energéticos en el mercado más importante de Navarra. El análisis de esta última actividad, además, permite ofrecer un modelo explicativo alternativo y complementario al clásico—realizado desde las mayores firmas—, sobre la progresiva articulación de los mercados eléctricos tradicionales en los mercados integrados de las grandes compañías españolas.
Entre la eficiencia y la equidad. Los desafíos de la reforma fiscal en Buenos Aires. Primera mitad del siglo XIX
Authors: Gelman Jorge , Santilli Daniel
Published: January 2010

En 1821 se realiza una reforma fiscal en Buenos Aires de claro carácter modernizador. Se suprimen gravámenes de antiguo régimen y se crea un sistema que si bien incluye los inevitables impuestos al comercio exterior, implanta contribuciones directas a los capitales, con el objeto de disminuir la dependencia de los primeros y distribuir más equitativamente la carga fiscal, imponiendo a los propietarios según sus riquezas.

En este trabajo se reconstruyen las series impositivas, mostrando el escaso peso de la Contribución Directa en el conjunto. Se estudian también diversos intentos de mejorar su recaudación, que fueron fracasando uno tras otro.

Finalmente se analizan las causas de estos fracasos y la lógica que llevó a los gobiernos del período a mantener un sistema impositivo regresivo, pero eficiente y con menores costos políticos.
La convertibilidad de la peseta en el siglo XIX
Authors: Ródenas Clementina , Bru Segundo
Published: January 2010

Este artículo presenta una nueva interpretación para una cuestión central de la historia monetaria española. En España, desde el Decreto de Figuerola de 1868, el sistema monetario legal era, y continuó siendo a lo largo de todo el siglo XIX, bimetalista. Como consecuencia de tal sistema el Banco de España, al igual que el Banco de Francia, podía realizar el pago de sus billetes en plata, en oro, o en ambas monedas metálicas. Por ello, en 1883 no hubo ninguna declaración de inconvertibilidad ni el abandono de ningún supuesto patrón oro. La convertibilidad de la peseta, que no puede identificarse exclusivamente con su canje por oro, siempre estuvo asegurada por las leyes y por la jurisprudencia. En España, a diferencia de Italia, Portugal, Austria o Francia, no hubo nunca curso forzoso del billete.
Gender Equality and Inequality in Numeracy: The Case of Latin America and the Caribbean, 1880–1949
Authors: Manzel Kerstin , Baten Jörg
Published: January 2010

This article outlines the development of gender disparities in education for 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries for the period from 1880 to 1949, using age heaping techniques. We explore in particular the hypothesis of a U-shaped development of women's education during economic development, i.e., a decrease in gender equality at lower levels of overall education, and increasing gender equality at higher levels. For the downward sloping part, we find some evidence, although this part is relatively small. The upward sloping part is strongly confirmed. We also find that non-Hispanic Caribbean countries had substantially lower gender inequality rates than Latin American countries. A second major contribution is to document the development of average numerical abilities (of both genders) in these 28 countries.
Regulación Económica y Mercado en el Sector de las Telecomunicaciones. Telefónica: 1945–1965
Authors: Calvo Ángel Calvo
Published: January 2010

This article analyses the impact of market forces and regulation in the Spanish telephone sector. It aims to explore the combined effects of the intersection between regulation of the monopoly, economic policy and entrepreneurial strategies, and hypothesizes that the regulation had a decisive influence on the development of the networks and services. Chronologically, the study covers the two decades of the transition from autarky to the Stabilization and Development Plans. In its double supply-demand approach, the article quantifies investment as an expression of supply and reviews the ground rules within which these two market forces developed. Finally, it examines the situation of shortages that the intervention created, and explains the intervention in prices from the perspective of the trade-off between its use as an element of stabilization and the bargaining power of the sector. The conclusions reflect the impact of the regulation and highlight its more complex aspects.
La Integración del Mercado Español a Finales del Siglo XIX: Los Precios del Trigo Entre 1891 y 1905
Authors: García Mariano Matilla , Pascual Pedro Pérez , Carnero Basilio Sanz
Published: January 2010

The degree of development of Spanish agriculture at the end of the XIX century and the beginning of XX is a controversial issue. In this respect the study of the integration of the domestic market could provide new evidence since the degree of the market integration can be considered an indicator of economic development. By using regional wheat prices this paper analyzes the Spanish market integration between 1891 and 1905. With this aim in mind we employ the usual cointegration approach as well as an alternative method based on spectral analysis that allows taking into consideration the existence of no synchronized cycles.
Equality or Growth: A 20th Century Argentine Dilemma
Authors: Gerchunoff Pablo , Llach Lucas
Published: January 2010

Argentina's long term economic performance between 1880 and 2000 (convergence with the rich followed by divergence) can be understood in terms of the economic and political consequences of its peculiar factor endowments. Skewed endowments meant huge gains from trade during the First Globalization boom; but, conversely, disintegration of world commerce in the Depression was a heavier blow for such a naturally specialized economy. The extreme protectionism, characteristic of the post-war period, was related to the country's peculiar economic structure: comparative advantages in food production and disadvantages in (labor-intensive) manufacturing implied that closing the economy was a political winner, though it eventually hampered growth. The road to openness followed in the last quarter of the 20th century would have meant, correspondingly, an increase in inequality. Attempts to moderate it through debt accumulation and exchange rate appreciation destabilized the economy and contributed further to Argentina's comparative decline.
UnZaibatsuFuera de Lugar: Los Orígenes Del Grupo Fierro (1870–1939)
Authors: Román Elena San
Published: January 2010

This work focuses on the origins of the Fierro Group. Ildefonso Fierro (1882–1961) was one of the most prominent businessmen of Franco's regime. Fierro's case study presents two features that distinguish it from other Spanish family firms founded in the first half of the twentieth century: its high degree of diversifcation and its peculiar financial history. Prior to the commencement of the Franco dictatorship, Fierro had managed to form a diversifed family business and had bought a bank to finance his industrial activity. This article analyzes how he achieved this and compares his path with that of the JapaneseZaibatsu.
Comparing the demonstration of freedom fromTrichinellainfection of domestic pigs by traditional and risk-based surveillance
Authors: SCHUPPERS M. E. , FREY C. F. , GOTTSTEIN B. , STÄRK K. D. C. , KIHM U. , REGULA G.
Published: January 2010

Traditionally, the routine artificial digestion test is applied to assess the presence ofTrichinellalarvae in pigs. However, this diagnostic method has a low sensitivity compared to serological tests. The results from artificial digestion tests in Switzerland were evaluated over a time period of 15 years to determine by when freedom from infection based on these data could be confirmed. Freedom was defined as a 95% probability that the prevalence of infection was below 0·0001%. Freedom was demonstrated after 12 years at the latest. A new risk-based surveillance approach was then developed based on serology. Risk-based surveillance was also assessed over 15 years, starting in 2010. It was shown that by using this design, the sample size could be reduced by at least a factor of 4 when compared with the traditional testing regimen, without lowering the level of confidence in theTrichinella-free status of the pig population.
Peste des petits ruminants in Arabian wildlife
Authors: KINNE J. , KREUTZER R. , KREUTZER M. , WERNERY U. , WOHLSEIN P.
Published: January 2010

Recurrence of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was diagnosed in the United Arabian Emirates in several wild ruminants confirmed by morphological, immunohistochemical, serological and molecular findings. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus strain belongs to lineage IV, which is different to some previously isolated PPR strains from the Arabian Peninsula. This study shows that wild ruminants may play an important epidemiological role as virus source for domestic small ruminants.
Delay-dependent stability and stabilization of uncertain discrete-time markovian jump singular systems with time delay
Authors: Ma Shuping , Liu Xinzhi , Zhang Chenghui
Published: January 2010

This paper discusses robust stochastic stability and stabilization of time-delay discrete Markovian jump singular systems with parameter uncertainties. Based on the restricted system equivalent (RES) transformation, a delay-dependent linear matrix inequalities condition for time-delay discrete-time Markovian jump singular systems to be regular, causal and stochastically stable is established. With this condition, problems of robust stochastic stability and stabilization are solved, and delay-dependent linear matrix inequalities are obtained. A numerical example is also given to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.2000Mathematics subject classification: primary 39A12; secondary 93C55.
Tracking control of linear switched systems
Authors: Li R. , Feng Z.G. , Teo K.L. , Duan G.R.
Published: January 2010

This paper deals with the optimal tracking problem for switched systems, where the control input, the switching times and the switching index are all design variables. We propose a three-stage method for solving this problem. First, we fix the switching times and switching index sequence, which leads to a linear tracking problem, except different subsystems are defined in their respective time intervals. The optimal control and the corresponding cost function obtained depend on the switching signal. This gives rise to an optimal parameter selection problem for which the switching instants and the switching index are to be chosen optimally. In the second stage, the switching index is fixed. A reverse time transformation followed by a time scaling transform are introduced to convert this subproblem into an equivalent standard optimal parameter selection problem. The gradient formula of the cost function is derived. Then the discrete filled function is used in the third stage to search for the optimal switching index. On this basis, a computational method, which combines a gradient-based method, a local search algorithm and a filled function method, is developed for solving this problem. A numerical exampleis solved, showing the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
General projection systems and relaxed cocoercive nonlinear variational inequalities
Authors: Verma Ram U.
Published: January 2010

We explore the solvability of a general system of nonlinear relaxed cocoercive variational inequality (SNVI) problems based on a new projection system for the direct product of two nonempty closed and convex subsets of real Hilbert spaces.
Asymptotic stability in the distribution of nonlinear stochastic systems with semi-Markovian switching
Authors: Hou Zhenting , Dong Hailing , Shi Peng
Published: January 2010

abstract

In this paper, finite phase semi-Markov processes are introduced. By introducing variables and a simple transformation, every finite phase semi-Markov process can be transformed to a finite Markov chain which is called its associated Markov chain. A consequence of this is that every phase semi-Markovian switching system may be equivalently expressed as its associated Markovian switching system. Existing results for Markovian switching systems may then be applied to analyze phase semi-Markovian switching systems. In the following, we obtain asymptotic stability for the distribution of nonlinear stochastic systems with semi-Markovian switching. The results can also be extended to general semi-Markovian switching systems. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the theoretical results obtained.
A new proximity function generating the best known iteration bounds for both large-update and small-update interior-point methods
Authors: Aminis Keyvan , Haseli Arash
Published: January 2010

Interior-Point Methods (IPMs) are not only very effective in practice for solving linear optimization problems but also have polynomial-time complexity. Despite the practical efficiency of large-update algorithms, from a theoretical point of view, these algorithms have a weaker iteration bound with respect to small-update algorithms. In fact, there is a significant gap between theory and practice for large-update algorithms. By introducing self-regular barrier functions, Peng, Roos and Terlaky improved this gap up to a factor of log n. However, checking these self-regular functions is not simple and proofs of theorems involving these functions are very complicated. Roos el al. by presenting a new class of barrier functions which are not necessarily self-regular, achieved very good results through some much simpler theorems. In this paper we introduce a new kernel function in this class which yields the best known complexity bound, both for large-update and small-update methods.
Usage of the convergence test of the residual norm in the Tsuno-Nodera version of the GMRES algorithm
Authors: Moriya K. , Nodera T.
Published: January 2010

Tsuno and Nodera proposed a new variant of the GMRES(m) algorithm. Their algorithm is referred to as the GMRES(≤ mmax) algorithm and performs the restart process adaptively, considering the distribution of the zeros of the residual polynomial. However, unless the zeros of the residual polynomial are distributed uniformly, mass is always chosen and their algorithm becomes almost the same as the GMRES(m) algorithm with m = mmax. In this paper, we include a convergence test for the residual norm in the GMRES(≤ mmax) algorithm and propose a new restarting technique based on two criteria. Even if the distribution of zeros does not become uniform, the restart can be performed by using the convergence test of the residual norm. Numerical examples simulated on a Compaq Beowulf computer demonstrate that the proposed technique accelerates the convergence of the GMRES(≤ mmax) algorithm.
NO OBVIOUS HOME: THE FLIGHT OF THE PORTUGUESE “TRIBE” FROM MAKASSAR TO AYUTTHAYA AND CAMBODIA DURING THE 1660s
Authors: Halikowski Smith Stefan
Published: January 2010

Western historiography has both turned its back on the Portuguese in the East after their ascendancy during the sixteenth century, and largely misunderstood the changed seventeenth-century realities of that presence. While scholars recognize how the missionary blueprint overtook the military one, the Portuguese population, particularly in areas outside official Crown control, in fact had very little to do with Europe, nowhere more so than in its racial composition. One might think of this entity as a “clan” or “tribe”. The internal social structure of this entity, and the reasons it was able to gain mass allegiance on the part of native populations, remains to be ascertained. This article examines how the “tribe” responded to two successive displacements as a result of the Dutch conquests of Melaka in 1641 and Makassar in the 1660s, considering why it moved to mainland South-East Asia and what this movement tells us about the group's dynamics.
Synergistic use of spaceborne lidar and optical imagery for assessing forest disturbance: An Alaska case study
Authors: Goetz S. J. , Sun M. , Baccini A. , Beck P. S. A.
Published: January 2010

Fire disturbance at high latitudes modifies a broad range of ecosystem properties and processes, thus it is important to monitor the response of vegetation to fire disturbance. This monitoring effort can be aided by lidar remote sensing, which captures information on vegetation structure, particularly canopy height metrics. We used lidar data acquired from the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System (GLAS) on ICESAT to derive canopy information for a wide range of burned areas across Alaska. The GLAS data aided our analysis of postfire disturbance and vegetation recovery by allowing us to derive returned energy height metrics within burned area perimeters. The analysis was augmented with MODIS reflectance data sets, which were used to stratify vegetation cover into cover type and density. We also made use of Landsat burn severity maps to further stratify the lidar metrics. Results indicate that canopy height decreases following fire, as expected, but height was not a good overall indicator of fire disturbance because many locations within the burned area perimeters either did not actually burn or experienced different levels of burn severity, typically leaving many standing trees or snags even after intensive burning. Because vegetation recovery following fire is differentially affected by burn severity, significantly greater height growth was documented in more severely burned areas due to a greater proportion of deciduous vegetation regrowth. When these factors were considered, GLAS height metrics were useful for documenting properties of regrowth in burned areas, thereby facilitating monitoring and mapping efforts following fire disturbance. A new satellite lidar sensor designed for vegetation studies would thus prove valuable information for improving ecosystem models that incorporate disturbance and recovery.
The spectrum of a Saturn ring spoke from Cassini/VIMS
Authors: D'Aversa E. , Bellucci G. , Nicholson P. D. , Hedman M. M. , Brown R. H. , Showalter M. R. , Altieri F. , Carrozzo F. G. , Filacchione G. , Tosi F.
Published: January 2010

On 2008, July, the Cassini/VIMS spectrometer detected spokes on the Saturn's B ring for the first time. These are the first measurements of the complete reflectance spectrum of the spokes in a wide spectral range (0.35–0.51 μm). Here we will focus on a single broad‐shaped spoke, imaged by VIMS on July, 9. Radiative transfer modeling supports a pure water ice composition for the spoke's grains, but their size distribution is found to be wider than previously thought: preliminary results yields a modal value of about 1.90 μm (reff = 3.5 μm, veff = 0.3) and a number density of about 0.01–0.1 grains/cm3. The unexpected abundance of micron‐sized grains in the spoke may have implications for the formation models since the energy requirement increases by at least one order of magnitude. These kind of observations may also constrain the size selection effects thought to be produced by the forces governing the spokes' evolution.
Depolarized radar return for breaking wave measurement and hurricane wind retrieval
Authors: Hwang Paul A. , Zhang Biao , Perrie William
Published: January 2010

O. M. Phillips (1988) elucidated the double structure of sea surface scatterers for radar scattering from the ocean surface. The wind generates a distribution of small slope waves and sporadic steep breaking events. The signature of double structure is in the wind speed dependence of radar returns: linear for scattering from gentle waves and cubic for breaking contribution. The composite Bragg (CB) theory successfully describes the former. The breaking contribution remains elusive. Here we show that the depolarized (de‐pol) radar return exhibits the typical double structure, its wind speed dependence increases with wind speed from linear to cubic. The enhanced sensitivity of de‐pol returns in high winds is ideal for hurricane wind retrieval. The strong breaking connection offers an opportunity to measure wave breaking and associated energy dissipation and area of foam coverage from space, their quantification is important in air‐sea interaction and electromagnetic and electro‐optical remote sensing.
On phase space density radial gradients of Earth's outer‐belt electrons prior to sudden solar wind pressure enhancements: Results from distinctive events and a superposed epoch analysis
Authors: Turner Drew L. , Li Xinlin , Reeves Geoff D. , Singer Howard J.
Published: January 2010

Here, we present the results of a study of phase space density radial gradients for outer‐belt electrons at and beyond geosynchronous orbit prior to 86 sudden solar wind pressure enhancements from 1993 through 2007. All of the events are classified and analyzed based on the results for equatorial electrons with first adiabatic invariants of 50, 200, 750, and 2000 MeV/G. Examples of three distinctive events are compared, and the results from a superposed epoch analysis are presented. We find that the radial gradients are dependent on the first adiabatic invariant (i.e., energy), and that for the majority of cases, the gradient is negative for electrons with energies above a couple of hundred keV, while it is either positive or relatively flat for electrons with energies lower than this, which is evidence of two distinct populations. In the cases where a positive gradient is observed for 2000 MeV/G electrons, the solar wind and geomagnetic conditions are very quiet for at least two days prior to the event, but for the events when the gradient for the same electrons is negative, there is a consistent evidence of enhanced substorm activity and/or convection in the days leading up to the events. Overall, this study puts previous observations of phase space density (PSD) gradients into a broader context of solar wind and geomagnetic conditions, while encompassing a broad range of energies, from the source population of tens to hundreds of keV electrons to relativistic electrons with energies exceeding 1 MeV. We discuss how 41 of the 86 events are consistent with and can be explained by local heating by wave‐particle interactions, and we provide evidence of the solar wind and geomagnetic conditions that are important to different types of sources of outer‐belt electron PSD.
Volatile organic compounds in snow in the Quebec‐Windsor Corridor
Authors: Kos G. , Ariya P. A.
Published: January 2010

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) were determined in snow to investigate the role of the snowpack as an exchange medium for atmospherically active compounds of anthropogenic and biogenic origin. The major question was which VOC species occur in snow and how the species identity and selected concentrations are related to the sampling area and environmental conditions. Samples were collected using a standardized sampling protocol in two distinct areas in six locations (near Mont‐Saint‐Hilaire, 45°33′06″N, 73°03′03″W (semirural) and Mont Tremblant, 46°20′11″N, 74°30′36″W (rural) in the heavily populated Quebec‐Windsor Corridor, Canada, with different characteristics regarding location and proximity to urban centers. A solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) procedure was employed for analysis, and VOC were identified using a gas chromatography method with mass spectrometric detection (GC/MS). Results revealed a broad spectrum of VOC in snow samples, including ethers, aldehydes, and aromatic and halogenated compounds, all of them active precursors for atmospheric reactions. Quantification was carried out for 11 aromatic and/or oxygenated compounds. Concentrations were found to be between 1.0 ± 0.2 ng/L (ethylbenzene) and 2.67 ± 0.06 μg/L (acetophenone), and limits of detection varied between 0.30 ng/L (benzene) and 78.2 ng/L (benzaldehyde). Principal component analysis was carried out to assess similarities between the sampling locations based on the types of species identified and concentration profiles. We discuss the implication of our results for atmosphere‐snowpack interactions of VOC including back trajectory calculations for the sampling dates.
Radical Reactions in Aqueous Media
Authors: Perchyonok Tamara
Published: January 2010

Chemists are now moving away from volatile, environmentally harmful, and biologically incompatible organic solvents. With its low cost, ready availability, and capacity to remove environmentally unfriendly by-products, water is an obvious replacement. Recent advances in free radical chemistry in water have expanded the versatility and flexibility of homolytic carbon-hydrogen, carbon-carbon, carbon-halogen, carbon-nitrogen bond formations in aqueous media. This textbook highlights the substantial progress which has been made in the last decade to "tame" the reactive free radical species in aqueous phase reactions. It describes carbon-hydrogen bond formations in aqueous media via radical reactions with a specific focus on HAT (Hydrogen Atom Transfer). Suitable for students of chemistry, industrial chemists and academic researchers, it combines extensive knowledge of free radical chemistry with the latest innovations and creative applications. Divided into five main areas, it covers the: generation of carbon centred free radicals; radical initiators; solubility of substrate; suitability of free radical hydrogen donors, and HAT reactions in aqueous media. The book describes radical reactions in organic and aqueous media and their applications in total synthesis, DNA structural probing, isotope labelling, living polymerization and various other applications. It shows that, armed with an elementary knowledge of kinetics and some common sense, it is possible to harness radicals into tremendously powerful tools for solving synthetic problems. Written with the needs of students in mind, it offers just the right level of detail for undergraduate study. All the basic principles and facts on each topic area are presented in a concise yet comprehensive style that is appropriate for both core and specialist courses. It provides a step-wise introduction, taking students from the basic principles of radical reactions through to their applications in industry and their role in biological and environmental processes. Case studies are used to illustrate reactions in landmark synthesis and problems, with outlined answers, test the reader's understanding. There are also suggestions for further reading.
Ultralong Pt-on-Pd bimetallic nanowires with nanoporous surface: nanodendritic structure for enhanced electrocatalytic activity
Authors: Guo Shaojun , Dong Shaojun , Wang Erkang
Published: January 2010

We for the first time report a facile, wet-chemical strategy for the high-yield (∼100%) synthesis of ultralong Pt-on-Pd bimetallic nanowires (NWs) with the cores being Pd NWs and the shells being made of dendritic Pt, which exhibit high surface area and enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction.
Combined CuI-catalysed alkyne–azidecycloaddition and furan–maleimide Diels–Alder “click” chemistry approach to thermoresponsive dendrimers
Authors: Vieyres Arnaud , Lam Tina , Gillet Renaud , Franc Grégory , Castonguay Annie , Kakkar Ashok
Published: January 2010

Cu1-catalyzed alkyne–azide and Diels–Alder “click” reactions are used in sequence, in a layer-by-layer build-up of dendrimers which undergo retro-Diels–Alder disassembly upon heating.
Crystal structure of an Aurora-A mutant that mimics Aurora-B bound to MLN8054: insights into selectivity and drug design
Authors: Dodson Charlotte A. , Kosmopoulou Magda , Richards Mark W. , Atrash Butrus , Bavetsias Vassilios , Blagg Julian , Bayliss Richard
Published: January 2010

The production of selective protein kinase inhibitors is often frustrated by the similarity of the enzyme active sites. For this reason, it is challenging to design inhibitors that discriminate between the three Aurora kinases, which are important targets in cancer drug discovery. We have used a triple-point mutant of Aurora-A (AurAx3) which mimics the active site of Aurora-B to investigate the structural basis of MLN8054 selectivity. The bias toward Aurora-A inhibition by MLN8054 is fully recapitulated by AurAx3in vitro. X-ray crystal structures of the complex suggest that the basis for the discrimination is electrostatic repulsion due to the T217E substitution, which we have confirmed using a single-point mutant. The activation loop of Aurora-A in the AurAx3–MLN8054 complex exhibits an unusual conformation in which Asp274 and Phe275 side chains point into the interior of the protein. There is to our knowledge no documented precedent for this conformation, which we have termed DFG-up. The sequence requirements of the DFG-up conformation suggest that it might be accessible to only a fraction of kinases. MLN8054 thus circumvents the problem of highly homologous active sites. Binding of MLN8054 to Aurora-A switches the character of a pocket within the active site from polar to a hydrophobic pocket, similar to what is observed in the structure of Aurora-A bound to a compound that induces DFG-out. We propose that targeting this pocket may be a productive route in the design of selective kinase inhibitors and describe the structural basis for the rational design of these compounds.
Success by Design: HOPE VI, New Urbanism, and the Neoliberal Transformation of Public Housing in the United States
Authors: Hanlon James
Published: January 2010

Since the mid-1990s over 200 public housing projects across the United States have been redeveloped through a Department of Housing and Urban Development program called HOPE VI. The objectives of HOPE VI, each of which bears the imprint of neoliberal urban policy, include: promoting ‘mixed-finance’ partnerships between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors; replacing housing projects with ‘mixed-income’ communities; and rebuilding those communities in ways that bear no resemblance to traditional public housing. In this paper I interrogate the means and motives of these objectives through the lens of a ‘successful’ HOPE VI site. My case study is Park DuValle in Louisville, Kentucky, which is widely regarded as one of the program's crowning achievements. This approach allows for a more precise explication of how HOPE VI is intended to work than existing research on the program provides, and in turn affords a clearer perspective on the underlying rationales for, and broader implications of, HOPE VI revitalization. A key component of Park DuValle's apparent success is its embrace of New Urbanism and the stark contrast to the architecture of public housing that this planning and design paradigm presents. The physical transformation effected through HOPE VI, as exemplified by Park DuValle, both enables and legitimates the program's mixed-finance and mixed-income objectives while eliding the costs of pursuing these objectives.
Contemporary Cultures of Abstinence and the Nighttime Economy: Muslim Attitudes towards Alcohol and the Implications for Social Cohesion
Authors: Valentine Gill , Holloway Sarah L , Jayne Mark
Published: January 2010

This paper draws on original empirical work with the British Pakistani community to explore Muslim attitudes to alcohol and alcohol-related practices, before considering how the Pakistani Muslim community's culture of abstention shapes its members' access to, and use of, public space in the nighttime economy. We foreground the active role played by alcohol, as a nonhuman actor, in shaping emergent social relations by exploring its agency in generating new exclusions with the mainstream nighttime economy. By using the lens of a faith-based culture of abstention in this way, this paper provides a new perspective on debates about access to public space and social cohesion in the contemporary urban nighttime economy.