bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rice and wheat production in Pakistan with Effective Microorganisms
Authors: Hussain Tahir , Javaid T. , Parr J.F. , Jilani G. , Haq M.A.
Published: October 2009

There is a growing interest in the use of soil microbial inoculants as an alternative biological approach to a) improve soil quality, b) enhance the growth, yield and quality of crops, and c) reduce the inputs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture worldwide. One such product that has received considerable attention, is Effective Microorganisms or EM; it consists of mixed cultures of beneficial microorganisms. A long-term field experiment was conducted at Faisalabad, Pakistan to determine the agronomic and economic merits of EM in a rice-wheat cropping system. Treatments were applied in a randomized complete block design that included: control (untreated); recommended chemical fertilizer (NPK); green manure (GM); farmyard manure (FYM); Effective Microorganisms (EM) alone; NPK + EM; GM + EM; and FYM + EM. Significantly higher grain and straw yields for both crops were obtained with NPK alone, with other treatments in the following order: NPK > GM > FYM > EM. However, when fertilizer and organic amendments were combined with EM, higher grain and straw yields were obtained for each crop following the same order, i.e., NPK+EM > GM+EM > FYM+EM. The GM+EM treatment produced grain and straw yields for each crop that approached those for NPK alone. In all cases, the grain and straw yields from EM alone were higher than the controls. With few exceptions, EM applied in combination with NPK, GM and FYM caused a significant increase in nutrient uptake by the grain and straw of each crop. The uptake of NPK by both crops was higher for EM alone than for the controls. A comparative economic analysis of the treatments showed a significantly higher net return due to EM. The average net profit from rice and wheat production using EM was $44.90 ha−1 and $62.35 ha−1, respectively. The study indicates that EM can enhance maximum economic yields in a rice-wheat rotation and also improve soil productivity when applied with organic amendments.
Globalization of pesticide technology and meeting the needs of low-input sustainable agriculture
Authors: den Hond F. , Groenewegen P. , Vorley W.T.
Published: October 2009

The focus of this paper is the challenge to technology development in the international pesticide industry. We address these challenges within the context of debates on how to achieve an environmentally- and economically-sustainable world food production system. Forces acting within and upon both pesticide manufacturers and the agrifood system are moving toward globalization and standardization. Main issues on sustainability in agriculture are protecting and improving agricultural resources (e.g., preserving and restoring soil and water quality). This places greater emphasis on diversity, regional self reliance, reduced chemical dependence and greater community involvement. A small but rapidly growing movement in local food systems is evolving in parallel with globalized agribusiness. It offers new opportunities for private sector development of technologies and services. These opportunities could be interesting for companies that are struggling to retain profitability in a stagnant and commodityoriented pesticide market. Our question is whether the pesticide industry is structurally capable of developing innovations in products and services for these new local/regional markets to ensure a more diversified and sustainable agriculture. Our conclusion is probably not, but if the industry were capable of doing so it would first need to acquire a thorough understanding of how organic farming systems function.
Feasibility of cereal straw for industrial utilization in Minnesota
Authors: Wagner N.C. , Ramaswamy S. , Tschirner U.
Published: October 2009

A pre-economic feasibility study was undertaken to determine the potential of cereal straw for industrial utilization in Minnesota. Specifically, utilizing straw for pulp and paper manufacture was of interest. The availability of cereal straw fiber supplies at various locations across the state of Minnesota, along with pre-processing issues such as transportation, harvesting, handling, and storage, are discussed and priced. The greatest economic advantage of straw for industrial use appears to be the low cost of the raw material compared to traditional raw materials. This also provides an excellent opportunity for additional income for farmers. The methodology and information provided here should be helpful in evaluating the feasibility of utilizing straw for other industrial purposes in other parts of the world. However, in some Third World countries, long-standing on-farm, traditional uses of cereal straws for fuel, fiber, and animal feed may limit their availability for industrial utilization.
Dairy farm characteristics and managed flows of phosphorus
Authors: Anderson B.H. , Magdoff F.R.
Published: October 2009

Nonpoint sources of P pollution have been implicated in the declining water quality of many lakes in the northeastern U.S. Most of the agricultural nonpoint P contribution to surface waters comes from field runoff. Water quality may be improved by better understanding the movement, or flow, of P through a farm so that reasons for buildup of high soil P levels can be identified and remedies explored. In this study, the managed flows of P (P in imported and exported products) were estimated based on 1hour farmer interviews on 45 Vermont farms and 1 New York farm. Farm P inflow/outflow budgets were developed using information from the interviews. It was estimated that an average of 57% of the P brought onto the farms was not exported. Phosphorus imported in feed and minerals averaged 65% of the total P imports, while purchased fertilizer contributed to an average of 35% of the total farm P imports. Phosphorus was often fed in excess of the cow's nutritional requirements recommended by the National Research Council. Soil test P levels on two pairs of farms with similar animal densities and soil types reflected the large differences in the estimated net P accumulation. For all 46 farms, there was a significant relationship between net P accumulation and animal density (r2 = 0.59). Farms grouped by management operation type (confinement, pasture - based [non-organic], and pasture-based [organic]) were different in average farm size, animal density, P imports, net P accumulation, milk production, and predominant crop. Feeding of excess P results from the high P levels recommended by feed salesmen and nutritionists, who typically take into account the available home-grown forages and provide the suggested needs for purchases of concentrates and minerals. In a survey of seven Vermont dairy feed consultants and salespersons, rations were designed to feed cows as much as 50% more P than research has indicated is necessary.
Purslane as a living mulch in broccoli production
Authors: Ellis D.R. , Guillard K. , Adams R.G.
Published: October 2009

Many of the characteristics of common purslane that describe this species as a “weed” are also desirable traits for a living mulch. Common purslane was investigated as a living mulch in spring broccoli production in Connecticut and was compared with mechanical and chemical weed control, as well as black plastic mulch. Common purslane seed was broadcast prior to transplanting broccoli in late May 1993 and in early June 1994. Broccoli yields with the purslane living mulch were comparable to yields with conventional methods of weed management and with no reduction in crop quality. Common purslane living mulch was able to effectively compete with weeds in broccoli when between-row areas were kept relatively weed-free by hoeing or hand pulling during the first 2 weeks after broccoli transplanting. High levels of weed control and ground cover occurred when purslane became established between crop rows. Broccoli plants were tolerant of purslane living mulch and weeds up to a critical threshold level without a significant reduction in yield. Purslane living mulch established through periodic mechanical weed management was determined to be the most economical treatment in the study. While including purslane living mulch in a spring broccoli crop production system may be a novel approach to controlling weeds, the strategies involved in this system still rely on basic weed management principles.
Lessons learned from the Upper Midwest Organic Marketing Project
Authors: Dobbs T.L. , Shane R.C. , Feuz D.M.
Published: October 2009

The strategic implications of a major, unique effort in the U.S. to expand organic food and agriculture are examined in this article. The authors recently completed an evaluation of the Upper Midwest Organic Marketing Project (UMOMP), funded initially by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and under the guidance of the Midwest Organic Alliance (MOA). The UMOMP was designed to increase the land area under organic production in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. On the supply side, the focus was on organic grain, edible bean, and dairy commodities. On the demand side, an increase in organic food consumption was the focus in the Minneapolis—St. Paul metropolitan area. The UMOMP not only encouraged growth in demand, but also aided in the creation of necessary regional organic production, processing, distribution, and retail infrastructure. The UMOMP was generally successful, notably in the increased involvement of mainstream grocery stores in providing and promoting organic food products. Part of this success was due to the MOA's help in forging broker and distributor connections between mainstream stores and regional and national organic suppliers. A broad-based public awareness campaign about organic food and agriculture was another important element in the UMOMP strategy. The organic production and marketing educational effort should help to enable future expansion of organic hectarage. However, serious national or regional strategies to encourage organic farming probably will need other elements as well. Such strategies will involve some fundamental issues about the future structure and nature of organic farming and food systems, e.g., whether organic agriculture can remain centered on small- and moderate-sized family farms that operate in a somewhat independent and entrepreneurial fashion. Whether organic agriculture can be a vehicle for encouraging food systems that are more regional in geographic scope is a related issue. Preserving an organic farming and food system that differs substantially from the presently evolving “industrial” system may necessitate a slower and more deliberate approach than was used in the UMOMP. However, that could involve some sacrifice in the rate of growth in organic supply and demand.
Statistical analysis of pesttolerant crop response with reference to corn weed control
Authors: Du Fang , Morzuch Bernard J. , Moffitt L. Joe , Bhowmik Prasanta C.
Published: October 2009

A statistical model of crop-weed competition is developed to permit, but not require, the existence of crop tolerance of weed pests. The popular rectangular hyperbolic model of crop-weed competition is shown to be a special case of the more comprehensive model. Application of the model to corn weed control in Massachusetts demonstrates its practicality and detects evidence of pest-tolerant crop response in this crop-weed system.
Factors affecting the adoption of conservation tillage on clay soils in southwestern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Wandel Johanna , Smithers John
Published: October 2009

Despite significant progress in promoting the wider use of conservation tillage systems among farmers in Ontario, recent evidence suggests that adoption levels remain low overall, and especially low in those areas where agricultural soils are predominantly clay-based. Given the prominence of cash-crop agriculture in these regions, there is continuing interest in understanding the reasons for non-adoption in these areas, and in identifying strategies that would result in greater use of conservation tillage systems. This paper reports on an empirical analysis of conservation tillage adoption among a sample of 50 farmers in Lambton County, Ontario. The purpose of the research was to document and explain variations in the use of conservation tillage, and to assess prospects for increasing the adoption of this technology. A statistical analysis revealed that personal and attitudinal factors were largely unrelated to decisions concerning the use of conservation tillage. Instead, significant factors related to the scale of the farm operation as reflected in both farm size and sales, and in the nature of the farming system itself Subsequent analysis of farmers' stated motivations and perceived barriers suggests that inertia and uncertainty act as impediments to adoption. The findings point to the need for site-specific and farm system-specific information on the performance of this technology, and to the importance of benefits that are readily observable and communicable within local farming communities.
Small grain winter cover crops for conservation of residual soil nitrogen in the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain
Authors: Coale F.J. , Costa J.M. , Bollero G.A. , Schlosnagle S.P.
Published: October 2009

Cereal rye is an effective winter cover crop because it accumulates residual soil N and reduces nitrate leaching. Wheat, barley, and triticale are alternative winter small grain species that may be managed as winter cover crops and yet produce marketable commodities. The objectives of this research were to evaluate N recovery capacity and grain yields of wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye grown as winter cover crops. Field plots established in 1996 and 1997 at two different locations on Maryland's mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain were amended with annual spring applications of four rates of broiler litter in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each manure rate plot was divided into four subplots by planting four winter small grain cover crops: wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye. Rye cover crop treatments were killed with herbicide when the plants were 30 to 50 cm tall, while the wheat, barley, and triticale treatments continued to grow until grain maturity. Barley, rye, triticale, and wheat cover crops exhibited similar capacities to accumulate soil N, and therefore, reduce the potential for NO3—N leaching to groundwater. At the time of rye kill-down, aerial biomass N accumulation ranged from 11 to 112 kg N ha−1 and soil NO3—N levels were low (<1.5 mg NO3—N kg−1) and relatively uniform across treatments. Average barley, triticale, and wheat grain yields increased with previous broiler litter application rate and initial soil NO3—N concentration. Potential income derived from the grain and straw produced could partially or completely offset cover crop production costs.
Multifamily farms and America's farm structure: A new perspective on an old issue
Authors: Lillywhite Jay M. , Duffy Michael
Published: October 2009

This study examined the extent and nature of multifamily farms in Iowa. Based on a random sample phone survey conducted in 1997, it was found that over one-fourth (26%) of Iowa's farms would be classified as multifamily farms. Multifamily farms showed significant differences from their single-family farm counterparts in several areas. They tended to have younger operators and larger operations, and the operators were more likely to consider farming as their principal occupation. In addition, they had more diverse operations and generated larger farm and family incomes. The farms were further classified based on their annual sales. As expected, non-commercial farms (sales less than $50,000) had the lowest percentage of multifamily farms (21%). Smallcommercial farms with sales from $50,000 to $250,000 were 30% multifamily, while large-commercial farms were 35% multifamily. The study also addressed whether or not policy restrictions based on age and income would discriminate against farms due to the multifamily farm phenomenon. A logit regression analysis was performed to determine if a multifamily structure was significant in predicting whether or not a farm was small. The results showed that multifamily relations were not a significant predictor. A growing phenomenon in U.S. agriculture, namely the multifamily farm, was examined. A significant percentage of Iowa farms was found to be multifamily. There were many differences between multifamily and single-family farms, but these differences did not display any predictive power. More research is needed in order to understand multifamily farms, a structure that will likely continue to grow and influence U.S. agriculture and outreach programs.
Role of ecology in lower-input, sustainable agriculture: An introduction
Authors: Stinner Benjamin R. , House Garfield J.
Published: October 2009

The papers in this issue of the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture are devoted to the proceedings of a symposium, “The Role of Ecology in Lower-Input, Sustainable Agriculture.” This symposium was sponsored by the Ecological Society of America as a part of its annual meetings with the American Institute of Biological Sciences at The Ohio State University, Columbus, August 10, 1987. The symposium was organized for the purpose of relating ecological approaches and concepts to sustainable agriculture. Additionally, it was our intention to indicate research opportunities for ecologists in agricultural systems.
Impacts of low and high input agriculture on landscape structure and function
Authors: Lowrance Richard , Groffman Peter M.
Published: October 2009

The conversion from high to low input agricultural systems has been studied at the field and farm scale but analysis of the effects of conversion at the landscape or regional scale has not previously been attempted. In this paper, we apply existing historical data bases on changing inputs and changing land uses to project possible effects of conversion on productivity and environmental quality on the landscape scale. We chose two areas for the analysis of changing input effects on landscape structure and function. One area is a region defined as the southern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan (Southern Lower Michigan or SLM). The second area is a small watershed, Watershed K of the Little River Watershed, in the Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain of Georgia. In SLM, land use data suggest that lower input use will lower per hectare productivity, and that regional production can only be maintained by bringing marginal lands into production. The prime lands not already in crop production in SLM are mostly poorly drained or sandy soils which will require either drainage modifications or supplemental irrigation for crop production. Intensification of input use in SLM during the last 20 years has led to increases in aggregate production, but may have contributed to declining water quality in the Grand River, the major drainage of that region. On Watershed K, corn grain yield was linearly related to N fertilizer application. A hypothetical yield response curve with a yield of 1500 kg/ha of corn grain without nitrogen fertilizer was selected for use in the analysis of changing inputs. Land use data on Watershed K showed that even with no nitrogen input to corn, the aggregate production of corn could be maintained without encroachment on riparian areas which are critical to maintenance of water quality. Our analyses, which are limited to historical data on the relationships among input, yield, and environmental quality, raise many questions about the landscape scale effects of conversion from high to low input systems. Relationships between inputs and yields are poorly understood at the field scale and relationships among inputs, productivity, and environmental quality have not been established at the landscape scale. Our analyses also raise questions about the need to maintain aggregate landscape production in the light of crop surpluses and declining environmental quality.
Sustainable agriculture and the challenge of place
Authors: Ehrenfeld David
Published: October 2009

Modern, conventional agriculture has generalized the technology of farming, minimizing the significance of the relationship between farmers and their particular land. This generalization undermines farm culture and impedes its transmission from generation to generation. To avoid making the same mistake, ecologists designing the new, lower input agriculture should: 1) reject any black box presentations of their systems that the farmer cannot understand and that interfere with the relationship between the farmer and the land; 2) make systematic efforts to rediscover traditional farm wisdom and incorporate it into the new system; 3) utilize academics in a major program of local, adult education for farmers; and 4) reorganize extension services to facilitate the lateral transfer of information from farmer to farmer, and develop methods of incorporating farmers into the agricultural research process at the planning stage.
A decade of urban history: Ashgate's Historical Urban Studies series
Authors: DOYLE BARRY M.
Published: October 2009

The first half of the 1990s was a pivotal period in the development and growth of urban history in Europe. In Britain the Urban History Group began to convene again after a decade in abeyance, work commenced on the three-volumeCambridge Urban History of Britain, theUrban History YearbookbecameUrban Historywhilst the European Association of Urban Historians organized their first conference. It was in this climate that Ashgate Publishing commissioned a new monograph series, Historical Urban Studies, under the editorship of Richard Rodger, editor ofUrban History, and Jean-Luc Pinol, the leading French urban historian and a key figure in the European Association of Urban Historians (EAUH). The aim of the series was and is to be comparative over both time and space, drawing on multiple locations to explore what is common and what distinctive about the urban experience of diverse towns and nations. The broad agenda for the series was shaped by an overarching concern with the administration and governance of the city which underpinned attempts to manage the social, economic and political challenges wrought by 300 years of urban change. In particular, the editors stress the importance of the comparative element which should allow historians to distinguish ‘which were systematic factors and which were of a purely local nature’. The editors set themselves an ambitious agenda and this essay aims to explore how the series has developed over the ten or so years since it commenced publication; the degree to which it has provided a platform for advancing the sub-discipline of urban history; and to consider some future directions which urban history might take.
Making concessions in Tianjin: heterotopia and Italian colonialism in mainland China
Authors: MARINELLI MAURIZIO
Published: October 2009

Between 1860 and 1945, the Chinese port city of Tianjin became the site of up to nine foreign-controlled concessions, functioning side by side. Ruth Rogaski has argued that Tianjin's distinctiveness deserves the appellation ‘hyper-colony’, a term which reflects Tianjin's socio-political intricacies and the multiple colonial discourses of power and space. This article focuses on the representations of the ex-Italian concession in Tianjin, a site which is currently renegotiating its identity between reinvention of the past (1901–45) and property-led regeneration. The article employs the concept of heterotopia to explore ‘semi-colonial’, ‘hyper-colonial’ and ‘globalizing’ representations of Tianjin's built form.
LEARNING DYNAMICS AND NONLINEAR MISSPECIFICATION IN AN ARTIFICIAL FINANCIAL MARKET
Authors: Georges Christophre , Wallace John C.
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we explore the consequence of learning to forecast in a very simple environment. Agents have bounded memory and incorrectly believe that there is nonlinear structure underlying the aggregate time series dynamics. Under social learning with finite memory, agents may be unable to learn the true structure of the economy and rather may chase spurious trends, destabilizing the actual aggregate dynamics. We explore the degree to which agents' forecasts are drawn toward a minimal state variable learning equilibrium as well as a weaker long-run consistency condition.
Why Are Federal Arrangements not a Panacea for Containing Ethnic Nationalism? Lessons from the Post-Soviet Russian Experience
Authors: TANRISEVER OKTAY F.
Published: October 2009

Federal arrangements have been considered by some thinkers as a panacea for containing ethnic nationalism in the ethnically defined regions. This article challenges this view by arguing that federal institutions may enable ethnic nationalists in the ethnically defined regions to consolidate their power through the guarantees that they receive from the federal centre. Although the post-Soviet Russian leadership under Boris Yeltsin sought to use federalism as a tool for containing ethnic nationalism, Russia's this experiment with federalism demonstrates that federalism may serve not to contain but to strengthen ethnic nationalism. Disillusioned with Yeltsin's failed use of federalism in containing ethnic nationalism, the overwhelming majority of the Russian people supported Vladimir Putin's anti-federalist reforms since 2000 which made federalism redundant in Russia. While undermining the basis for Western style democracy in Russia, Putin's centralism proved to be more effective than Yeltsin's federalism in containing ethnic nationalism.
Expression of β-agarase I DagA in prokaryotic cell and its activity identification
Authors: Yan-Sheng Zhou , Bao-Li Wang , Dong Qu
Published: October 2009

The DagA gene and DagA(▽), which is a DagA gene encoding sequence without signal peptide, were cloned from genome DNA ofPseudoalteromonas atlantica19262 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After ligation with pET21 vector, DagA and DagA(▽) were respectively expressed inEscherichia coliER2566 using molecular chaperones DsbC and FkpA. A strain of ER2566-pET21a-DagA(▽)-DsbC was screened as a highly effective expressing system in the form of an inclusion body that had the target protein with up to 60% total bacterial protein. DagA protein was renatured and purified by dissolving it in 8 mol/l of urea, using Ni-NTA resin affinity chromatography and refolding using the urea gradient method. DagA with a molecular weight of ~30.8 kDa was identified by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and had the ability to digest agarose. In a pH range of 4.8–6.8, DagA maintained a bioactivity greater than 60%, with 5.8 being the optimum pH, and it exhibited activity at temperatures from 37°C to 60°C, with 55°C being the optimum temperature.
New Zealand’s Primary Health Care Strategy: early effects of the new financing and payment system for general practice and future challenges
Authors: Cumming Jacqueline , Mays Nicholas
Published: October 2009

Since 2001, implementation of a New Zealand’s Primary Health Care Strategy (the Strategy) has led to an increase in the proportion of primary health care services which are publicly funded, the development of 82 primary health organisations (PHOs) to oversee primary health care services and universal public capitation funding of PHOs. This approach has replaced the previous system of fee-for service targeted public subsidies paid to individual general practitioners (GPs). Patient copayments, although at a reduced level but still set by individual practitioners, have remained a core feature of the system.

This paper focuses on the implementation and impact of key policy changes over the first five years of the Strategy. Although patient copayments have fallen and consultation rates have increased, the new funding and payment system has raised a number of unresolved issues – whether to retain the new universal funding system or revert to the former targeted approach; how to achieve the potential gains from capitation when GPs continue to receive their income from a variety of sources and in a variety of different ways; and how to manage the potential for ‘cream skimming’.

Recent improvements in access may, in time, improve health status and reduce inequalities in health, but there is no guarantee that a universal system will necessarily improve average health or reduce inequalities. Much depends on the services being delivered and the populations that are benefiting most – something New Zealand needs better evidence on before determining future policy directions in primary health care.
Zusammenhänge zwischen Ängstlichkeit, Angstbewältigung und Salutogenese in der Kindheit
Authors: Lengning Anke , Mackowiak Katja , Steinhoff Sandra , Franke Alexa
Published: October 2009

Zusammenfassung. In der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurde überprüft, ob der bei Erwachsenen mehrfach nachgewiesene Zusammenhang zwischen hoher Ängstlichkeit und einem geringen Kohärenzgefühl auch bei Kindern besteht. Das Kohärenzgefühl beschreibt, inwiefern ein Individuum die Welt als verstehbar, handhabbar und bedeutsam erachtet. Weiterhin wurde aufgrund theoretischer Überlegungen und empirischer Befunde untersucht, ob das Kohärenzgefühl ebenfalls mit der Auswahl bestimmter Emotionsbewältigungsstrategien in Zusammenhang steht. Ängstlichkeit und ihre Bewältigung wurden in dieser Untersuchung sowohl durch Selbsteinschätzung der Kinder als auch durch Fremdeinschätzung seitens der Eltern erfasst. Informationen über das Kohärenzgefühl wurden über die Selbsteinschätzung der Kinder gewonnen. Die Daten wurden bei 98 Kindern der dritten und vierten Klasse erhoben. Die Ergebnisse belegen Zusammenhänge zwischen Ängstlichkeit, Angstbewältigung und Kohärenzgefühl. Hoch ängstliche Kinder erleben ein geringeres Kohärenzgefühl als niedrig ängstliche Kinder. Darüber hinaus konnten Hinweise gefunden werden, dass Adaptive Bewältigungsstrategien mit einem ausgeprägten Kohärenzgefühl einhergehen.
Seismic and geodetic constraints on Cascadia slow slip
Authors: Wech Aaron G. , Creager Kenneth C. , Melbourne Timothy I.
Published: October 2009

Automatically detected and located tremor epicenters from episodic tremor and slip (ETS) episodes in northern Cascadia provide a high‐resolution map of Washington's slow slip region. Thousands of epicenters from the past four ETS events from 2004 to 2008 provide detailed map‐view constraints that correlate with geodetic estimates of the simultaneous slow slip. Each of these ETS events exhibits remarkable similarity in the timing and geographic distribution of tremor density and geodetically inferred slip. Analysis of the latest 15‐month inter‐ETS period also reveals ageodetic tremor activity similar both in duration and extent to ETS tremor. Epicenters from both ETS and inter‐ETS tremor are bounded between the 30‐ and 45‐km plate interface depth contours and locate approximately 75 km east of previous estimates of the locked portion of the subducting Juan de Fuca plate. Inter‐ETS tremor overlaps but is generally downdip of ETS tremor and does not yet correlate with geodetically observed slip, but this is likely because the slip is below current GPS detection levels. Based on the tremor and slip correlation and the tremor‐duration and slip magnitude relationship, we suggest that the well‐resolved, sharp updip edge of tremor epicenters reflects a change in plate interface coupling properties. The region updip of this boundary may accumulate stress with the potential for coseismic shear failure during a megathrust earthquake. Alternatively, plate convergence in this region could be accommodated by continuous slow slip with no detectable tremor or by slow slip events with sufficiently long recurrence intervals that none have been detected during the past 10 years of GPS observations.
Delineating tectonic units beneath the Donbas Fold Belt using scale lengths estimated from DOBRE 2000/2001 deep reflection data
Authors: Carpentier S. F. A. , Roy‐Chowdhury K. , Stephenson R. A. , Stovba S.
Published: October 2009

A novel statistical analysis, which augments conventional interpretation of deep seismic reflection/refraction data, is applied to the DOBRE 2000/2001 reflection profile. The goal is to improve delineation of the lithosphere in terms of lithotectonic units and to compare these to existing interpretations. After a successful validation of the method using synthetic data, stochastic parameters estimated from windowed average lateral autocorrelations in the DOBRE data are compiled in a two‐dimensional profile of von Karman‐type causative reflectivity. These estimates in terms of lateral correlation lengths and power law exponents are accompanied by associated uncertainties. Given its low uncertainties, the lateral correlation length ax turns out to be a robust delineator. The profile of ax reveals systematic spatial variations in the lithospheric fabric below the Donbas Fold Belt. As in earlier interpretations based upon conventional processing of reflection/refraction data, both the sedimentary basin and Moho discontinuity stand out clearly, as well as a region indicating massive vertical intrusion in the crust from upper mantle sills and ultramafic underplating of the lower crust. Notable differences with conventional interpretations include the number and extent of supra‐Moho rift pillow structures, the lack of imaging a crust‐cutting dislocation feature and a laterally disturbed uppermost mantle. Von Karman lateral correlation length provides new independent information at a scale between velocity models from wide‐angle reflection/refraction data and line drawings from near vertical reflections and provides new insights and understanding of lithospheric evolution.
Estimating internal wave spectra using constrained models of the dynamic ocean
Authors: Vsemirnova E. , Hobbs R. , Serra N. , Klaeschen D. , Quentel E.
Published: October 2009

Multi‐Channel Seismic method (MCS), with its ability to image events down to a lateral resolution of 10 m has been successfully applied to address questions in physical oceanography. However, to date, these analyses have overlooked an important detail; the imaged boundaries are dynamic and move on a timescale that can be resolved by the MCS method. An important step in understanding the effect of the movement is calibration against constrained models. We demonstrate in this paper that it is possible using careful interpolation to take high resolution models of dynamic water (160 m × 2 m spatial resolution and 15 min temporal resolution) and generate models for synthetic seismic simulations (20 m × 4 m spatial resolution and 20 sec temporal resolution). We show that moving water, when ignored, will distort analyses of wavenumber spectra estimated from seismic data since the relative movement of water masses and the seismic acquisition vessel will change the apparent slope of spectra.
A new brooding species of the biscuit star Tosia (Echinodermata:Asteroidea:Goniasteridae), distinguished by molecular, morphological and larval characters
Authors: Naughton Kate M. , O'Hara Timothy D.
Published: October 2009

The biscuit star Tosia australis Gray, 1840 is a well known component of the shallow rocky reef fauna of south-eastern Australia. The putative T. australis species complex was subjected to reproductive, morphometric and molecular analyses. Molecular analyses of the data from three markers (mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA and the nuclear non-coding region ITS2) confirmed the presence of a cryptic species, the morphology of which does not agree with any of the existing nominal species. Two separate reproductive modes were observed within the complex and documented via scanning electron microscopy. T. neossia, sp. nov., described herein from south-eastern Australia, is shown to release gametes from gonopores on the actinal surface. Embryos develop first into non-feeding, non-swimming brachiolaria, and then into tripod brachiolaria before metamorphosis. No surface cilia are present at any point throughout development of T. neossia. T. australis sensu stricto is shown to release gametes from the abactinal surface. Embryos develop into non-feeding, swimming brachiolaria before metamorphosis. Whereas T. australis var. astrologorum is confirmed as synonymous with T. australis, the status of the putative Western Australian taxon T. nobilis remains unresolved.
Systematics of Nearctic Cybaeus (Araneae:Cybaeidae)
Authors: Copley Claudia R. , Bennett Robb , Perlman Steve J.
Published: October 2009

Spiders in the genus Cybaeus L. Koch (Araneae : Dictynoidea : Cybaeidae) are common forest-floor inhabitants in western North America and Japan. Here we establish an initial phylogenetic framework for North American Cybaeus. Morphological details for eight proposed species groups are given, and these results, combined with molecular analyses of one nuclear and one mitochondrial gene for six of the eight species groups, suggest that North American Cybaeus species are contained in two broad clades, one Holarctic and one Nearctic (primarily Californian). The Holarctic clade contains the tetricus and angustiarum species groups, which contain mostly widely distributed species. The Californian clade includes the adenes, aspenicolens, consocius, devius, septatus and tardatus species groups, all of which have very restricted ranges. The genus Cybaeus and the Palaearctic species C. tetricus (C.L. Koch) (type species of the genus) and C. angustiarum L. Koch are redescribed and illustrated. A key to species groups is provided. Nine new species endemic to the western Nearctic and included in the molecular analyses are described and illustrated: C. paralypropriapus Bennett, sp. nov. and C. waynei Bennett, sp. nov. (tetricus group); C. sanbruno Bennett, sp. nov. (adenes group); C. thermydrinos Bennett, sp. nov. (aspenicolens group); C. penedentatus Bennett, sp. nov. and C. vulpinus Bennett, sp. nov. (consocius group); C. chauliodous Bennett, sp. nov. and C. somesbar Bennett, sp. nov. (septatus group); and C. gidneyi Bennett, sp. nov. (unplaced).
Cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision of the scutellaris group of Palpada Macquart (Diptera:Syrphidae)
Authors: Morales Mírian Nunes , Marinoni Luciane
Published: October 2009

Palpada Macquart, 1834 is a large genus of tropical Eristaliini flies with distribution restricted to the New World (Diptera : Syrphidae : Eristalinae). Most species were initially placed within Eristalis Latreille, 1804. In 1972, most Neotropical species were transferred to Palpada when F.C. Thompson divided Eristalis sensu lato into three genera: Eristalis, Eoseristalis Kanervo, 1938 and Palpada. The latter genus was divided by Thompson (1981) into three groups of species: scutellaris, agrorum and vinetorum. In the present study, the species of the scutellaris group are revised and the phylogenetic relationships among its species are reconstructed based on adult morphology. The cladistic analysis of the 24 terminal species and 48 characters of external morphology and male and female genitalia, produced one cladogram under equal weights. The monophyly of the scutellaris group was corroborated. Twelve species are recognised within the group, of which one is described as new: Palpada cordiformis Morales, sp. nov., P. claudia (Curran), P. conica (Fabricius), P. doris (Curran), P. erratica (Curran), P. fuliginosa (Hull), P. megafemur Thompson, P. melanaspis (Wiedemann), P. precipua (Williston), P. rufoscutellata (Sack), P. scutellaris (Fabricius) and P. vera (Hull). Two new synonymies are proposed: P. dorothea (Hull, 1942) = P. melanaspis (Wiedemann, 1830); and P. glabella (Hull, 1942) = P. fuliginosa (Hull, 1935). The lectotype is designated for Eristalis melanaspis. An identification key, a catalogue, distribution maps, illustrations of general aspects, illustrations of male and female genitalia and scanning electron micrographs are provided.
New proteins identified in epididymal fluid from the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Authors: Dacheux Jean-Louis , Dacheux Francoise , Labas Valerie , Ecroyd Heath , Nixon Brett , Jones Russell C.
Published: October 2009

The platypus epididymal proteome is being studied because epididymal proteins are essential for male fertility in mammals and it is considered that knowledge of the epididymal proteome in an early mammal would be informative in assessing the convergence and divergence of proteins that are important in the function of the mammalian epididymis. Few of the epididymal proteins that have been identified in eutherian mammals were found in platypus caudal epididymal fluid, and the major epididymal proteins in the platypus (PXN-FBPL, SPARC and E-OR20) have never been identified in the epididymis of any other mammal.
Evolution amplified processing with temporally dispersed slow neuronal connectivity in primates
Authors: Caminiti Roberto , Ghaziri Hassan , Galuske Ralf , Hof Patrick R. , Innocenti Giorgio M.
Published: October 2009

The corpus callosum (CC) provides the main route of communication between the 2 hemispheres of the brain. In monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans, callosal axons of distinct size interconnect functionally different cortical areas. Thinner axons in the genu and in the posterior body of the CC interconnect the prefrontal and parietal areas, respectively, and thicker axons in the midbody and in the splenium interconnect primary motor, somatosensory, and visual areas. At all locations, axon diameter, and hence its conduction velocity, increases slightly in the chimpanzee compared with the macaque because of an increased number of large axons but not between the chimpanzee and man. This, together with the longer connections in larger brains, doubles the expected conduction delays between the hemispheres, from macaque to man, and amplifies their range about 3-fold. These changes can have several consequences for cortical dynamics, particularly on the cycle of interhemispheric oscillators.
Precise determination of the diversity of a combinatorial antibody library gives insight into the human immunoglobulin repertoire
Authors: Glanville Jacob , Zhai Wenwu , Berka Jan , Telman Dilduz , Huerta Gabriella , Mehta Gautam R. , Ni Irene , Mei Li , Sundar Purnima D. , Day Giles M. R. , Cox David , Rajpal Arvind , Pons Jaume
Published: October 2009

Antibody repertoire diversity, potentially as high as 1011unique molecules in a single individual, confounds characterization by conventional sequence analyses. In this study, we present a general method for assessing human antibody sequence diversity displayed on phage using massively parallel pyrosequencing, a novel application of Kabat column-labeled profile Hidden Markov Models, and translated complementarity determining region (CDR) capture-recapture analysis. Pyrosequencing of domain amplicon and RCA PCR products generated 1.5 × 106reads, including more than 1.9 × 105high quality, full-length sequences of antibody variable fragment (Fv) variable domains. Novel methods for germline and CDR classification and fine characterization of sequence diversity in the 6 CDRs are presented. Diverse germline contributions to the repertoire with random heavy and light chain pairing are observed. All germline families were found to be represented in 1.7 × 104sequences obtained from repeated panning of the library. While the most variable CDR (CDR-H3) presents significant length and sequence variability, we find a substantial contribution to total diversity from somatically mutated germline encoded CDRs 1 and 2. Using a capture-recapture method, the total diversity of the antibody library obtained from a human donor Immunoglobulin M (IgM) pool was determined to be at least 3.5 × 1010. The results provide insights into the role of IgM diversification, display library construction, and productive germline usages in antibody libraries and the humoral repertoire.
‘Hospital at home’ care model as an effective alternative in the management of decompensated chronic heart failure
Authors: Mendoza Humberto , Martín María Jesús , García Angel , Arós Fernando , Aizpuru Felipe , Regalado De Los Cobos José , Belló María Concepción , Lopetegui Pedro , Cia Juan Miguel
Published: October 2009

Aims

The ‘Hospital at home’ (HaH) model avoids hospital admission by transferring healthcare and treatment to the patient's home. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and direct healthcare costs of treating elderly patients with decompensated heart failure (HF) using HaH care vs. inpatient hospital care (IHC) in a cardiology unit.

Methods and results

Eighty patients aged over 65 years who presented at the emergency department with decompensated HF were randomly assigned to IHC or HaH. All patients were studied for 1 year. Seventy‐one patients completed the study, of these 34 were admitted to cardiology and 37 received HaH care. No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics, including comorbidity, functional status, and health‐related quality of life. Clinical outcomes were similar after initial admission and also after the 12 months of follow‐up. Death or re‐admission due to HF or another cardiovascular event occurred in 19 patients in IHC and 20 in HaH (P = 0.88). Changes in functional status and health‐related quality of life over the follow‐up period were not significantly different. The average cost of the initial admission was 4502 ± 2153€ in IHC and 2541 ± 1334€ in HaH (P < 0.001). During 12 months of follow‐up, the average expenditure was 4619 ± 7679€ and 3425 ± 4948€ (P = 0.83) respectively.

Conclusion

Hospital at home care allows an important reduction in the costs during the index episode compared with hospital care, whilst maintaining similar outcomes with respect to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and quality of life at 1 year follow‐up.
Correction for Newton and Chamoun, Construction of point vortex equilibria via Brownian ratchets
Authors: Newton Paul K. , Chamoun George
Published: October 2009

Correction for ‘Construction of point vortex equilibria via Brownian ratchets’ by Paul K. Newton and George Chamoun (Proc. R. Soc. A
463
, 1525–1540.
(doi:
10.1098/rspa.2007.1832
)).

The following equations contain typographical errors that have no consequence for any other equation or result in the above paper.
Correction for Zabarankin, Asymmetric three-dimensional Stokes flows about two fused equal spheres
Authors: Zabarankin Michael
Published: October 2009

Correction for ‘Asymmetric three-dimensional Stokes flows about two fused equal spheres’ by Michael Zabarankin (Proc. R. Soc. A
463
, 2329–2349.
(doi:
10.1098/rspa.2007.1872
)).

The final paragraph of the print version of this paper is incorrect; the correct paragraph is as follows.
Beyond fractional derivatives: local approximation of other convolution integrals
Authors: Singh Satwinder Jit , Chatterjee Anindya
Published: October 2009

Dynamic systems involving convolution integrals with decaying kernels, of which fractionally damped systems form a special case, are non-local in time and hence infinite dimensional. Straightforward numerical solution of such systems up to time 
t
needs

computations owing to the repeated evaluation of integrals over intervals that grow like 
t
. Finite-dimensional and local approximations are thus desirable. We present here an approximation method which first rewrites the evolution equation as a coupled infinite-dimensional system with no convolution, and then uses Galerkin approximation with finite elements to obtain linear, finite-dimensional, constant coefficient approximations for the convolution. This paper is a broad generalization, based on a new insight, of our prior work with fractional order derivatives (
Singh & Chatterjee 2006
Nonlinear Dyn.
45
, 183–206). In particular, the decaying kernels we can address are now generalized to the Laplace transforms of known functions; of these, the power law kernel of fractional order differentiation is a special case. The approximation can be refined easily. The local nature of the approximation allows numerical solution up to time
t
with

computations. Examples with several different kernels show excellent performance. A key feature of our approach is that the dynamic system in which the convolution integral appears is itself approximated using another system, as distinct from numerically approximating just the solution for the given initial values; this allows non-standard uses of the approximation, e.g. in stability analyses.