bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case study of an extra-curricular school activity designed to promote creativity
Authors: Cunliffe Leslie
Published: October 2008

This article reports on case study research into an extra-curricular activity carried out in a secondary school. It used new technologies and interdisciplinary teaching methods in collaboration with a creative partner to promote creativity. The research aims were informed by issues
emerging from government policy in England, recent literature on creativity and the particular school context. Predetermined themes included extra-curricular learning and creativity, synaesthesia, planning, interdisciplinary work, information and communication technology, subject and pastoral
perspectives and the role of creative partners working with novices. Emerging themes were the participation theory of learning, and leadership. This case study highlights the importance of distinguishing between knowledge-lean and knowledge-rich creativity in interdisciplinary work, and of
achieving clarity about what precisely a creative partner explicitly models when working with novices. The final interdisciplinary outcome can be accessed at: www.education.ex.ac.uk/staff_details.php?user=lcunliff
Taming the hegemonic power: SCIRI and the evolution of US policy in Iraq
Authors: Visser Reidar
Published: October 2008

This article discusses the historical development of the United States' special relationship with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI also known as SIIC or ISCI), one of the Shi'ite religious parties of Iraq. It surveys SCIRI's ideological heritage from the
1980s onwards, with particular emphasis on SCIRI's long-standing principle of subordination to the supreme leaders of Iran through the concept of wilayat al-faqih. The article then goes on to discuss the modalities by which the United States came to choose the most pro-Iranian of the
Iraqi political parties as its preferred partner in Iraq after 2003. SCIRI managed to achieve this status by playing on the superpower's predilection for an ethnosectarian reading of Iraqi politics, by emphasizing professionalism in all its dealings with Washington, by exploiting the United
States' lack of knowledge about how power works in Shi'ism, and by playing down its links to Iran. As a result of these manoeuvres, the Bush administration has chosen to sideline the other Iraqi Shi'ite parties (which historically have far weaker ties to Iran), and has ended up with a partnership
that in the long term will probably mean a marked strengthening of Iranian influence in Iraq.
Reforming UN sanctions in the shade of Iraq: Targeting regimes, sparing civilians
Authors: von Sponeck Hans-C , Ismael Tareq Y , Langille Christopher
Published: October 2008

While the stated target of the 19902003 United Nations (UN) sanctions policy was the errant Iraqi regime, the Iraqi civilian population ultimately bore the brunt of its effects. The devastating record of this period is analysed in terms of the role played by the governments of the United
States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) and, as such, in terms of the UN's failure to live up to its role as a guarantor of international law. The UN, as of yet, has failed to fully audit the consequences of this era, and in this failure, has failed to consider alternative measures to sanction
rogue regimes. This article surveys the over twelve-year sanction period, highlighting the fundamental defects of comprehensive sanctions programmes. In this spirit, the authors subsequently posit alternative models for future UN action and places these alternatives within the larger discussion
of UN reform. Finally, the past and present UN policy towards Iraq is argued to represent a breakdown of international order, with the role of the UN vis--vis contemporary Iraq presented as particularly worrisome.
Key questions over the Oil and Gas Law in Iraq
Authors: Jiyad Ahmed M
Published: October 2008

This paper examines in detail the two drafts of the Oil and Gas Law in Iraq. By using a set of criteria the analysis identifies fundamental problems with the proposed legislation. Proposals are advanced to deal with the identified problems. Failure to address these problems effectively
and comprehensively, the paper argues, would render the Law operationally dysfunctional, economically disadvantageous, politically undemocratic, ideologically non-patriotic, and the council it creates is organizationally inadequate. Considering the overwhelming and widespread resistance and
opposition to the draft law, both professional and grassroots, the paper calls upon the Iraqi government, parliament and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to radically rethink the issues addressed here, taking account of professional, academic and popular reflections.
Contemporary radio art and spatial politics: The critical radio utopias of Anna Friz
Authors: Ouzounian Gascia
Published: October 2008

The article explores the work of the Canadian sound artist Anna Friz over the last decade. Her work deals explicitly with issues of technology and the relative absence of women's voices on radio. Exploring her work as a composer, installation artist, instrumentalist, performance artist
and storyteller, and contextualising these practices within feminist critiques and radio conventions, the article explores Friz's self-reflexive radio. Ideas of supermodernity, displacement and critical utopia are deployed to discuss specific pieces of Friz's work in relation to identity and
space. The article argues that Friz reconfigures the radio as a site of resistance to dominant constructions of contemporary globalised space and cultures, the politics of informational capitalism and the uneven flows that these cultures and politics engender.
A star of the airwaves: Peter Lorre master of the macabre and American radio programming
Authors: Thomas Sarah
Published: October 2008

The article argues that within analyses of star performers from the classical Hollywood period, the role played by the medium of radio has been significantly underestimated. Building upon new developments in star discourses which question the role of the cinema as the dominant medium in the creation of star personae, this article examines the relationship between Hollywood and American broadcast media through a study of the multi-medial persona of Peter Lorre in order to suggest that the macabre star persona associated with Lorre has been erroneously attributed to his cinematic career at the expense of a consideration of his radio career. Central to Lorre's public persona was the nature of his employment on American radio between 1936 and 1964. The article discusses the three types of appearances made by the actor: as a star performer in horror programming; his position as host of horror series; and his celebrity cameos on popular shows. It explores how Lorre's extensive radio work was reliant upon certain consistent modes of representation which had the potential to greatly influence public awareness of the performer and helped to cement his nefarious star persona to a far greater degree than his film roles or screen performances.
Sound effects: Gender, voice and the cultural work of NPR
Authors: Loviglio Jason
Published: October 2008

The dominant role of women's voices on National Public Radio (NPR) and the atypical voices of some of NPR's women and men contribute significantly to NPR's appeal to an audience of listeners who are ambivalently positioned within a post-liberal, post-civil rights and post-feminist social formation of highly educated Americans. The changing cultural and political meanings associated with the movements of the 1960s and 1970s are echoed in the voices, sounds and stories of National Public Radio, particularly in the changing sounds of men's voices. The cultural work of NPR, then, which can be traced in the content of its journalism, is most effectively conveyed in its harder-to-pin-down sound signification, especially those demonstrated in the voices of the reporters, hosts and commentators most closely identified with the network.
Conceiving the rhythms of silence
Authors: Crittenden Roger
Published: October 2008

From the point of view of a film editor, it is important to consider the details of picture and sound in tandem when editing a film. What is visible and audible in the finished product necessarily obscures the work done to reach that point. However, the archaeology beneath the surface
is worth investigating if only to confirm how effective or otherwise the symbiosis has been. I will refer to examples taken from both personal experience and observation of the methodology of others.
Biochemical measures in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS)1
Authors: Thierfelder Wulf , Dortschy Reinhard , Hintzpeter Birte , Kahl Heidrun , Scheidt-Nave Christa
Published: October 2008

In the framework of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), a series of clinical chemical parameters was determined in order to provide objective information on health status and particular health risks in addition to parent interview data and anthropometric measurements. In total, 43 parameters covered three areas of particular public health interest: nutrient deficiency, sero-epidemiology of past infectious diseases and immunization status, and risk indicators or risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases. The parameters were classified into five categories: these reflected the availability of reference ranges or cut-off values that are valid for children and young people, and they also depended on the degree of standardization of each test method. The present paper discusses initial descriptive results for selected parameters representing the various categories. In order to assess the public health significance of the results, and perhaps to derive standard reference ranges relevant to health care, more detailed analyses will be required. As a first step, these will focus on cross-sectional analyses of the association between biochemical parameters and other health-related anthropometric and socio-demographic variables. Intermediate and long-term objectives will include the construction of multidimensional reference ranges taking into account several laboratory parameters and additional clinical information, and the prognostic validation of reference ranges or cut-off values for selected parameters based on follow-up of study participants for clinical outcomes.
Regulatory approaches for genetic tests and the increase of the individualised genetic knowledge1
Authors: Fuchs Michael
Published: October 2008

In the USA, discrimination due to genetic information is prohibited by law. The German Federal Government undertook a step with the key points for a gene diagnostics law for legal regulation. The article presents possible starting points of an adjustment in particular for predictive genetic tests. In addition, it analyses what may be implemented in Germany and the USA and asks for suitability and consistency. A further requirement of an altogether desirable law is its practicability and enforceability.
DNA microarrays in microbiology1
Authors: Cullen Paul , Funke Harald , Klein Hanns-Georg , Langmann Thomas , Neumaier Michael
Published: October 2008

The techniques for cultivation and identification of micro-organisms have changed little since the emergence of microbiology as a distinct discipline just over a hundred years ago. More recently, however, progress in molecular biology and the appearance of highly parallel analytic methods such as DNA microarrays have raised hopes of quicker, more accurate and broader identification of microbes and their sensitivities to antibiotics. These developments have even led some observers to predict the demise of conventional bacteriology. As outlined in the following contributions, however, such a scenario still lies in the future. The reasons for this are the high technical demands placed on molecular methods that are suitable for automation, and insufficient knowledge of the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance. Further difficulties are a lack of sensitivity and a fundamental inability of these methods to distinguish living bacteria from those that have already been killed.
The Contemporary Definition of Complex Relative Permittivity
Authors: Wang Shiliang
Published: October 2008

ASTM D150 [Standard Test Methods for AC Loss Characteristic and Permittivity (Dielectric Constant) of Solid Electrical Insulation, 2004] is the standard for measurement of alternating current (AC). Aimed at an analysis of this standard and proceeding from the information transmission characteristic of the dielectric, the definition of ac complex relative permittivity εr′(=Iac′/I0=Qac′/Q0=Cac′/C0=ε′/ε0) is put forward anew. Faraday’s “relative permittivity” is a result of this definition under the specific condition (ω=0).
Assumption of medical risks and the problem of medical liability in the ancient Roman law
Authors: Váradi Ágnes
Published: October 2008

Az egészség védelme, különösen a balesetből és betegségből eredő kockázatok viselésének és a károk megtérítésének szabályozási igénye már a római jog időszakában is megjelent, különböző jogintézmények szabályozási rendszerébe ágyazva. Egységes szabályozási előkép hiányában a különböző személyi körök egészségében, testi épségében beállt károsodásokat érdemes kiemelni: a vizsgálat során ki kell térnünk a rabszolgákat, a filius familiasokat és a szabad embert ért sérülések, betegségek jogi minősítésének bemutatására. A Digesta fragmentumaiból származó esetek nemcsak konkrét jogi problémákat vetnek fel, hanem messzebb mutató elméleti kérdések kiindulópontjai is lehetnek. Így például joggal vetődhet fel a kérdés: Ha a haláleset rossz gyógyszerezés következménye, felel-e az orvos? Része volt-e az utókezelés az orvos gyógyítótevékenységének a római jog értelmezésében? Mindezeknek a kérdéseknek a megválaszolása nem szakadhat el a római jog komplex felelősségi rendszerének bemutatásától, valamint a szerződéses és szerződésen kívül okozott károk megtérítésének, a
lex Aquilia
intézményének, illetve a felelősségi rendszer alapjainak ismertetésétől. Az egyes esetek elemzése során kitérek a ma már klasszikusnak számító római jogi szakirodalom álláspontjára, továbbá a kortárs hazai és külföldi szerzők nézeteire is. Ezen példák bemutatása egyrészt a deliktuális felelősség kialakulásának egy sajátos állomását tárja fel, másrészt hozzájárulhat a modern egészségügyi felelősség fogalmának elméleti szintű továbbfejlesztéséhez.
Results of ENDORSE study in Hungary. Multinational, cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in acute hospital care setting
Authors: Losonczy Hajna , Tar Attila
Published: October 2008

A vénás thromboembolia kockázatáról és a profilaxis alkalmazásának mértékéről világszerte hiányosak az adatok. Az ENDORSE (nemzetközi epidemiológiai nap a vénás trombózis és embólia szempontjából veszélyeztetett betegek felmérésére az akut kórházi ellátásban) az első, nemzetközi, keresztmetszeti vizsgálat, amely globális áttekintést nyújt az akut kórházi ellátásban részesülő betegek vénásthromboembolia-kockázatának prevalenciájáról, valamint a hatásos profilaxisban részesülő betegek arányáról. Harminckét ország 358 reprezentatív kórházában a kórlapok alapján felmérték a 40 éves vagy idősebb, belgyógyászati és a 18 éves vagy idősebb, sebészeti osztályon fekvő összes beteg vénásthromboembolia-kockázatát. Az American College of Chest Physicians 2004-es evidenciákon alapuló irányelvei szerint értékelték a trombózisrizikót és megvizsgálták, hogy a betegek megkapták-e az irányelveknek megfelelő profilaxist. A nemzetközi felmérésben kilenc magyarországi centrum vett részt, és hazánkban a trombóziskockázatot összesen 1300 betegnél becsülték meg. A vénás thromboembolia szempontjából veszélyeztetettek aránya 39,9% (N = 519) volt, közülük 58,2% (N = 253) volt a sebészeti és 30,8% (N = 266) a belgyógyászati beteg. A teljes trombóziskockázatú populációnak 56,6%-a (294 beteg) részesült az ACCP-irányelvek szerinti profilaxisban. Az ajánlásnak megfelelő profilaxist a sebészeti betegek közül 86,6% (N = 219), a belgyógyászati betegek közül csak 28,2% (N = 75) kapta meg. Hazánkban tehát a hospitalizált, vénás trombózis által veszélyeztetett belgyógyászati betegek több mint kétharmada megfelelő profilaxis nélkül maradt. Az ENDORSE felmérés megerősíti, hogy a kórházi, belgyógyászati és sebészeti betegek nagy részénél világszerte, így hazánkban is vénástrombózis-veszély áll fenn, így sürgősen cselekednünk kell annak érdekében, hogy a veszélyeztetett betegek megfelelő profilaxist kapjanak.
Platinum Group Metal Chemistry of Functionalised Phosphines
Authors: Smith Martin B.
Published: October 2008

Tertiary phosphines are a large class of fascinating ligands commonly used in platinum group metal (pgm) coordination chemistry. They play an important role in areas ranging from homogeneous catalysis to selective metal extraction chemistry and to therapeutic applications. In this article, pgm-containing complexes of new functionalised mono-, di- and polytertiary phosphines, derived from straightforward condensation reactions, are reviewed. These phosphines have been used as building blocks in supramolecular chemistry and for constructing novel hexanuclear pgm complexes, as ligands for bridging homo- and heterobimetallic late transition metals, and in the field of precious metal-based catalysis.
SOX2 Silencing in Glioblastoma Tumor-Initiating Cells Causes Stop of Proliferation and Loss of Tumorigenicity
Authors: Gangemi Rosaria Maria Rita , Griffero Fabrizio , Marubbi Daniela , Perera Marzia , Capra Maria Cristina , Malatesta Paolo , Ravetti Gian Luigi , Zona Gian Luigi , Daga Antonio , Corte Giorgio
Published: October 2008

Glioblastoma, the most aggressive cerebral tumor, is invariably lethal. Glioblastoma cells express several genes typical of normal neural stem cells. One of them, SOX2, is a master gene involved in sustaining self-renewal of several stem cells, in particular neural stem cells. To investigate its role in the aberrant growth of glioblastoma, we silenced SOX2 in freshly derived glioblastoma tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Our results indicate that SOX2 silenced glioblastoma TICs, despite the many mutations they have accumulated, stop proliferating and lose tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mice. SOX2 is then also fundamental for maintenance of the self-renewal capacity of neural stem cells when they have acquired cancer properties. SOX2, or its immediate downstream effectors, would then be an ideal target for glioblastoma therapy.
Metoclopramide stimulates catecholamine- and granin-derived peptide secretion from pheochromocytoma cells through activation of serotonin type 4 (5-HT4) receptors
Authors: Guillemot Johann , Compagnon Patricia , Cartier Dorthe , Thouennon Erwan , Bastard Christian , Lihrmann Isabelle , Pichon Perrine , Thuillez Christian , Plouin Pierre-François , Bertherat Jérôme , Anouar Youssef , Kuhn Jean-Marc , Yon Laurent , Lefebvre Hervé
Published: October 2008

The gastroprokinetic agent metoclopramide is known to stimulate catecholamine secretion from pheochromocytomas. The aim of the study was to investigate the mechanism of action of metoclopramide and expression of serotonin type 4 (5-HT4) receptors in pheochromocytoma tissues. Tissue explants, obtained from 18 pheochromocytomas including the tumor removed from a 46-year-old female patient who experienced life-threatening hypertension crisis after metoclopramide administration and 17 additional pheochromocytomas (9 benign and 8 malignant) were studied. Cultured pheochromocytoma cells derived from the patient who previously received metoclopramide were incubated with metoclopramide and various 5-HT4 receptor ligands. In addition, total mRNAs were extracted from all the 18 tumors. Catecholamine- and granin-derived peptide concentrations were measured in pheochromocytoma cell incubation medium by HPLC and radioimmunological assays. In addition, expression of 5-HT4 receptor mRNAs in the 18 pheochromocytomas was investigated by the use of reverse transcriptase-PCR. Results: Metoclopramide and the 5-HT4 receptor agonist cisapride were found to activate catecholamine- and granin-derived peptide secretions by cultured tumor cells. Metoclopramide- and cisapride-evoked catecholamine- and granin-derived peptide productions were inhibited by the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist GR 113808. 5-HT4 receptor mRNAs were detected in the patient's tumor and the series of 17 additional pheochromocytomas. This study shows that pheochromocytomas express functional 5-HT4 receptors that are responsible for the stimulatory action of metoclopramide on catecholamine- and granin-derived peptide secretion. All 5-HT4 receptor agonists must therefore be contraindicated in patients with proven or suspected pheochromocytoma.
Myocardial heat shock protein 60 expression in insulin-resistant and diabetic rats
Authors: Chen Harn-Shen , Wu Tzu-En , Juan Chi-Chang , Lin Hong-Da
Published: October 2008

Heat shock protein 60 (HSPD1) plays a critical role in myocardial protection. Its reduced expression may lower myocardial protection against ischemic injury in the diabetic state. This study was conducted to investigate the natural course of fructose-fed insulin-resistant rats, define changes in myocardial HSPD1 expression, and determine the effects of thiazolidinedione or anti-hypertensive treatment. Results showed that insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia and hypertension developed after 6 weeks of fructose feeding. This time-course study also showed that myocardial HSPD1 expression was mildly increased in week 6 (P=0.05) and significantly increased in week 8. Rosiglitazone-treated rats had restored systolic blood pressure (BP) and normalized plasma insulin level during oral glucose tolerance tests, whereas amlodipine-treated rats restored only systolic BP. Both amlodipine and rosiglitazone treatments normalized the abundance of myocardial HSPD1 expression in fructose-fed rats. When these rats received streptozotocin injection and diabetes developed, myocardial HSPD1 expression decreased despite persistent hypertension. In conclusion, this is the first study to report that myocardial HSPD1 expression is increased in high-fructose-fed rats, which may be due to increased BP. Once the high-fructose-fed rats developed diabetes with insulin deficiency, the myocardial HSPD1 expression decreased in spite of persistent hypertension.
Influence of the monocular near‐to‐eye display position on the visual system during dual‐task performance
Authors: Pölönen M. , Aaltonen V. , Nyman G. , Häkkinen J.
Published: October 2008

Abstract— In this research project, the influence of different monocular near‐to‐eye display (NED) positions on user comfort has been investigated. In total, 43 subjects participated in tests; 22 used above and 21 below NED positions during dual‐task performance for 40 minutes. SSQ and VSQ questionnaires were used to compare the eyestrain and other sickness symptoms before and after the task performance for both display positions. According to the subjective test results, the NED position above the eye causes more symptoms than the position below the eye.
The effect of stereoscopic viewing in a word‐search task with a layered background
Authors: Mizobuchi Sachi , Terasaki Shinya , Häkkinen Jukka , Heinonen Erkki , Bergquist Johan , Chignell Mark
Published: October 2008

Abstract— The benefits of stereoscopic viewing were explored in searching in words superimposed over a background. In the first experiment, eight participants searched for text in a normal 2‐D display, a 3‐D display using a parallax barrier, and a darkened 2‐D display of equivalent brightness to the 3‐D display. Word‐search performance was significantly faster for the bright 2‐D display vs. the 3‐D display, but when brightness was controlled, performance on the 3‐D display was better relative to the 2‐D (dim) display. In a second experiment, the effect of floating text vs. sinking background disparity was assessed across four background conditions. Twenty participants saw only the floating‐text (FT) condition and 20 participants saw only the sinking‐background (SB) condition. Performance of the SB group was significantly better than that of FT group, and the advantage of SB disparity was greater with the more‐complex backgrounds. Thus, when a parallax‐barrier 3‐D display is used to view text or other figural information overlaid on a background, it is proposed that the layer of primary interest (foreground) should be displayed with zero disparity (on the physical display surface) with the secondary layer (background) appearing to be sunk beneath that surface.
Motion‐blur characterization with simulation method for mobile LCDs
Authors: Zhang Yuning , Li Xiaohua , Xu Yiqin , Shi Yabin , Song Wen , Lei Wei
Published: October 2008

Abstract— A simulation method based on measured liquid‐crystal responses and human‐vision properties was proposed to characterize the motion blur of LCDs. A perceptual experiment was implemented to validate the simulation model within different viewing conditions by changing the visual angle. The results indicate that the smaller visual angle of the mobile display has no statistic significant effect on smooth‐pursuit eye tracking when perceiving a moving block on a screen. The calculation process of quantitative metric was presented based on the measured light behavior and the simulation model. In the end, the different motion‐blur reduction approaches were evaluated for mobile LCDs.
OLED lifetime issues from a mobile‐phone‐industry point of view
Authors: Laaperi Antti
Published: October 2008

Abstract— Lifetime issues have been a hot topic throughout the history of OLEDs. The rapid development of lifetimes since 2002 has enabled OLED displays to become acceptable for mobile phones. The lifetime requirements of 30,000 hours expressed by the representatives of mobile‐phone‐terminal makers were felt to be unrealistic to be obtained in 2003, since the lifetime of the blue color was below 1000 hours. Today, 5 years later, lifetimes of AMOLED panels are over 50,000 hours. OLED displays are suffering from a burn‐in effect due to limited lifetime. After 2003, it was understood by the panel and terminal makers that instead of lifetime, burn‐in sensitivity became the limiting factor from an AMOLED‐panel usability point of view. The burn‐in effect becomes visible at 2–3% luminance degradation levels between adjacent pixels. To take this effect into account in mobile‐phone applications, the lifetime needs to be increased from 30,000 to 60,000 hours, and suitable algorithms need to be used for the display of the terminal. There is also pressure to double the peak luminance values used in the terminals in order to improve the performance of the screen in outdoor environments. The roles of the material developers, panel makers, and terminal makers are reviewed in this paper from a lifetime perspective.
Color performance of an MVA‐LCD using an LED backlight
Authors: Lu Ruibo , Nie Xiangyi , Wu Shin‐Tson
Published: October 2008

Abstract— The color performance, including color gamut, color shift, and gamma curve, of a multi‐domain vertical‐alignment (MVA) liquid‐crystal display (LCD) using an LED backlight are calculated quantitatively. Simulation results indicate that an LED backlight exhibits better angular color uniformity and smaller color shifts than a CCFL backlight. Color gamut can be further widened and color shift reduced when using a color‐sequential RGB‐LED backlight without color filters, while the angular‐dependent gamma curves are less influenced using different backlights. The obtained quantitative results are useful for optimizing the color performance and color management of high‐end LCD monitors and LCD TVs.
A touch‐sensitive display with embedded hydrogenated amorphous‐silicon photodetector arrays
Authors: Park Hyun‐Sang , Ha Tae‐Jun , Hong Yongtaek , Lee Jae‐Hoon , Lee Byoung‐Jun , You Bong‐Hyun , Kim Nam‐Deog , Han Min‐Koo
Published: October 2008

Abstract— A new touch‐sensitive hydrogenated amorphous‐silicon (a‐Si:H) display with embedded optical sensor arrays is presented. The touch‐panel operation was successfully demonstrated by fabricating a prototype of a 16‐in. active‐matrix liquid‐crystal display (AMLCD). The proposed system, obviating the need for the extraction of information from the captured images in real time, provides the location of the finger touch. Due to the simple architecture of the system, the touch‐panel operation can be readily integrated within large‐area displays.
Examination of Salmonella and Escherichia coli Translocation from Hog Manure to Forage, Soil, and Cattle Grazed on the Hog Manure‐treated Pasture
Authors: Holley Richard , Walkty Joël , Blank Gregory , Tenuta Mario , Ominski Kimberly , Krause Denis , Ng Lai‐King
Published: October 2008

Use of hog (Sus scrofa) manure as a fertilizer is a practical solution for waste re‐utilization, however, it may serve as a vehicle for environmental and domestic animal contamination. Work was conducted to determine whether pathogens, naturally present in hog manure could be detected in cattle (Bos taurus) grazed on the manure‐treated pasture, and whether forage contamination occurred. During two 3 mo summer trials manure was applied to yield ≤124 kg available N per hectare in a single spring or split spring and fall application. Samples of hog manure, forage, soil, and cattle feces were analyzed for naturally occurring Salmonella, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Escherichia coli To follow movement of Salmonella in the environment isolates were identified to serovar and serotyped. Transfer of E. coli from hog manure to soil and cattle was examined by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of >600 E. coli isolates. While Y. enterocolitica was absent from all samples, in both years S. enterica Derby and S. enterica Krefeld were found in most hog manure samples, but were only on forage samples in the second year. Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, absent from hog manure was present on some forage in the first year. Cattle feces and soil samples were consistently Salmonella negative. These contaminations could not be traced to manure application. During this study, Salmonella and E. coli found in hog manure had different RAPD genomic profiles from those found in the feces of cattle grazing on manure‐treated pasture.
Multivariate Analysis and Visualization of Soil Quality Data for No‐Till Systems
Authors: Villamil M. B. , Miguez F. E. , Bollero G. A.
Published: October 2008

To evidence the multidimensionality of the soil quality concept, we propose the use of data visualization as a tool for exploratory data analyses, model building, and diagnostics. Our objective was to establish the best edaphic indicators for assessing soil quality in four no‐till systems with regard to functioning as a medium for crop production and nutrient cycling across two Illinois locations. The compared situations were no‐till corn–soybean rotations including either winter fallowing (C/S) or cover crops of rye (Secale cereale; C‐R/S‐R), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa; C‐R/S‐V), or their mixture (C‐R/S‐VR). The dataset included the variables bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR), water aggregate stability (WAS), soil reaction (pH), and the contents of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), soil nitrates (NO3–N), and available phosphorus (P). Interactive data visualization along with canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) allowed us to show that WAS, BD, and the contents of P, TN, and SOM have the greatest potential as soil quality indicators in no‐till systems in Illinois. It was more difficult to discriminate among WCC rotations than to separate these from C/S, considerably inflating the error rate associated with CDA. We predict that observations of no‐till C/S will be classified correctly 51% of the time, while observations of no‐till WCC rotations will be classified correctly 74% of the time. High error rates in CDA underscore the complexity of no‐till systems and the need in this area for more long‐term studies with larger datasets to increase accuracy to acceptable levels.
Effects of Low Concentrations of Herbicides on Full‐Season, Field‐Grown Potatoes
Authors: Pfleeger Thomas , Olszyk David , Plocher Milton , Yilma Solomon
Published: October 2008

Current phytotoxicity plant test protocols for US pesticide registration require testing for effects on seedling emergence and early growth without regard to other important factors, such as plant reproduction. Yield and quality reduction can have significant economic and ecological effects. Therefore, field trials were conducted to determine if potato (Solanum tubersum L.) vegetative growth and tuber yield and quality were affected by herbicides at below recommended field rates. Potatoes were grown in fields at the Oregon State University Horticulture Farm with herbicides applied at below recommended field application rates 14 d after emergence (DAE) or at 28 DAE. Plant height was measured before and 14 d after application. Visual foliar injury was rated 14 d after application, and tuber yield and quality parameters were measured at harvest (120 DAE). Some tubers were grown in the greenhouse the following year to determine if there were carry‐over effects. Potato vegetation and tuber yield quality were generally more affected by herbicides applied at 14 DAE than at 28 DAE. Tuber yield and quality parameters were more affected by lower herbicide rates than were plant height or injury. There were significant yield losses caused by low rates of sulfometuron methyl and imazapyr and, to a lesser extent, with glyphosate and cloransulam‐methyl. Bromoxynil and MCPA ((4‐chloro‐2‐methylphenoxy)acetic) acid had little effect on the plants. Vegetative responses did not accurately predict yield and quality responses of tubers; therefore, reproductive responses should be considered in phytotoxicity test protocols for pesticide registration in the USA.
Amelioration of Physical Strength in Waste Foundry Green Sands for Reuse as a Soil Amendment
Authors: de Koff J. P. , Lee B. D. , Dungan R. S.
Published: October 2008

To avoid increasing costs of landfill disposal, it has become increasingly important for U.S. foundries to identify beneficial reuses for the 8 to 12 million tons of waste foundry sand (WFS) generated annually. A major drawback to the reuse of some WFSs as a soil amendment is their high soil strength, under dry conditions, where root growth may be limited. Fifteen WFSs were analyzed for strength to rupture using lab‐formed clods, exchangeable cations (Na, Mg, Ca), metal oxide concentration (Fe, Mn, Al, Si), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and % clay. Several WFS samples from gray iron foundries demonstrated high strength to rupture values (> 1.5 MPa), and could potentially restrict root growth in amended soils. The percentage of Na‐bentonite exhibited a positive correlation (R2 = 0.84) with strength to rupture values. When WFSs containing more Na‐bentonite were saturated with 1 mol L−1 Ca ions, strength values decreased by ∼70%. Waste foundry sands containing less Na‐bentonite were saturated with 1 mol L−1 Na ions and exhibited a threefold increase in strength. Additions of gypsum (up to 9.6 g kg−1 sand) to high strength waste foundry sands also caused decreases in strength. These results indicate that high strength WFSs have properties similar to hardsetting soils which are caused by high Na+ clay content and can be ameliorated by the addition of Ca2+
Estimating the Impact of Seawater on the Production of Soil Water‐Extractable Organic Carbon during Coastal Erosion
Authors: Dou Fugen , Ping Chien‐Lu , Guo Laodong , Jorgenson Torre
Published: October 2008

The production of water‐extractable organic carbon (WEOC) during arctic coastal erosion and permafrost degradation may contribute significantly to C fluxes under warming conditions, but it remains difficult to quantify. A tundra soil collected near Barrow, AK, was selected to evaluate the effects of soil pretreatments (oven drying vs. freeze drying) as well as extraction solutions (pure water vs. seawater) on WEOC yields. Both oven drying and freeze drying significantly increased WEOC release compared with the original moist soil samples; dried samples released, on average, 18% more WEOC than did original moist samples. Similar results were observed for the production of low‐molecular‐weight dissolved organic C. However, extractable OC released from different soil horizons exhibited differences in specific UV absorption, suggesting differences in WEOC quality. Furthermore, extractable OC yields were significantly less in samples extracted with seawater compared with those extracted with pure water, likely due to the effects of major ions on extractable OC flocculation. Compared with samples from the active horizons, upper permafrost samples released more WEOC, suggesting that continuously frozen samples were more sensitive than samples that had experienced more drying–wetting cycles in nature. Specific UV absorption of seawater‐extracted OC was significantly lower than that of OC extracted using pure water, suggesting more aromatic or humic substances were flocculated during seawater extraction. Our results suggest that overestimation of total terrestrial WEOC input to the Arctic Ocean during coastal erosion could occur if estimations were based on WEOC extracted from dried soil samples using pure water.
Characterization of Iron‐ and Manganese‐Cemented Redoximorphic Aggregates in Wetland Soils Contaminated with Mine Wastes
Authors: Hickey Patrick J. , McDaniel Paul A. , Strawn Daniel G.
Published: October 2008

In wetlands, translocation of Fe and Mn from reducing to oxidizing zones creates localized enrichments and depletions of oxide minerals. In zones of enrichment, oxides cement matrix particles together into aggregates. In this paper, we describe the various Fe‐ and Mn‐cemented features present in the 1 to 2‐mm size fraction of mine‐waste contaminated wetland soils of the Coeur d'Alene (CDA) River Basin in northern Idaho. These aggregates are categorized based on color and morphology. Total Fe and Mn concentrations are also reported. Distribution of the aggregates in soil profiles along an elevation transect with varying water table heights was investigated. Six distinct categories of aggregates were characterized in the 1 to 2‐mm size fraction. The two most predominant categories were aggregates cemented by only Fe oxides and aggregates cemented by a mixture of Fe and Mn oxides. Iron‐depleted aggregates, Fe and Mn‐cemented sand aggregates, and root channel linings were also identified. The remaining aggregates were categorized into a catch‐all category that consisted of primarily charcoal particles. The highest Fe content was in the root channel linings, and the highest Mn content was in the Fe/Mn cemented particles. Iron‐cemented aggregates were most common in surface horizons at all sites, and root channels were most common in the 30 to 45‐cm core at the lowland point, reflecting the presence of deep rooting vegetation at this site. Spatial distributions of other aggregates at the site were not significant.
CProb: A Computational Tool for Conducting Conditional Probability Analysis
Authors: Hollister Jeffrey W. , Walker Henry A. , Paul John F.
Published: October 2008

Conditional probability is the probability of observing one event given that another event has occurred. In an environmental context, conditional probability helps to assess the association between an environmental contaminant (i.e., the stressor) and the ecological condition of a resource (i.e., the response). These analyses, when combined with controlled experiments and other methodologies, show great promise in evaluating ecological conditions from observational data and in defining water quality and other environmental criteria. Current applications of conditional probability analysis (CPA) are largely done via scripts or cumbersome spreadsheet routines, which may prove daunting to end‐users and do not provide access to the underlying scripts. Combining spreadsheets with scripts eases computation through a familiar interface (i.e., Microsoft Excel) and creates a transparent process through full accessibility to the scripts. With this in mind, we developed a software application, CProb, as an Add‐in for Microsoft Excel with R, R(D)com Server, and Visual Basic for Applications. CProb calculates and plots scatterplots, empirical cumulative distribution functions, and conditional probability. In this short communication, we describe CPA, our motivation for developing a CPA tool, and our implementation of CPA as a Microsoft Excel Add‐in. Further, we illustrate the use of our software with two examples: a water quality example and a landscape example. CProb is freely available for download at http://www.epa.gov/emap/nca/html/regions/cprob
Is Colloid‐Facilitated Phosphorus Leaching Triggered by Phosphorus Accumulation in Sandy Soils?
Authors: Siemens Jan , Ilg Katrin , Pagel Holger , Kaupenjohann Martin
Published: October 2008

The leaching of colloidal phosphorus (Pcoll) contributes to P losses from agricultural soils. In an irrigation experiment with undisturbed soil columns, we investigated whether the accumulation of P in soils due to excess P additions enhances the leaching of colloids and Pcoll from sandy soils. Furthermore, we hypothesized that large concentrations of Pcoll occur at the onset of leaching events and that Pcoll mobilized from topsoils is retained in subsoils. Soil columns of different P saturation and depth (0–25 and 0–40 cm) were collected at a former disposal site for liquid manure and at the Thyrow fertilization experiment in northeastern Germany. Concentrations of total dissolved P, Pcoll, Fecoll, Alcoll, optical density, zeta potential, pH, and electrical conductivity of the leachates were determined. Colloidal P concentrations ranged from 0.46 to 10 μmol L−1 and contributed between 1 and 37% to total P leaching. Large Pcoll concentrations leached from the P‐rich soil of the manure disposal site were rather related to a large P‐content of colloids than to the mobilization of additional colloids. Concentrations of colloids and Pcoll in leachates from P‐poor and P‐rich columns from Thyrow did not differ significantly. In contrast, accumulation of P in the Werbellin and the Thyrow soil consistently increased dissolved P concentrations to maximum values as high as 300 μmol L−1 We observed no first‐flush of colloids and Pcoll at the beginning of the leaching event. Concentrations of Pcoll leached from 40‐cm soil columns were not smaller than those leached from 25‐cm columns. Our results illustrate that an accumulation of P in sandy soils does not necessarily lead to an enhanced leaching of colloids and Pcoll, because a multitude of factors independent from the P status of soils control the mobility of colloids. In contrast, P accumulation generally increases dissolved P concentrations in noncalcareous soils due to the saturation of the P sorption capacity. This indicates that leaching of dissolved P might be a more widespread environmental problem in areas with P‐saturated sandy soils than leaching of Pcoll
Zerovalent Iron Nanoparticles for Treatment of Ground Water Contaminated by Hexachlorocyclohexanes
Authors: Elliott Daniel W. , Lien Hsing‐Lung , Zhang Wei‐xian
Published: October 2008

Ground water and aquifer samples from a site contaminated by hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs; C6H6Cl6) were exposed to nanoscale iron particles to evaluate the technology as a potential remediation method. The summed concentration of the HCH isomers in ground water was approximately 5.16 μmol L−1 (1500 μg L−1). Batch experiments with 2.2 to 27.0 g L−1 iron nanoparticles showed that more than 95% of the HCHs were removed from solution within 48 h. Using a pseudo first‐order kinetics model, the HCH isomers were removed in accordance with the trend γ ≅ α > β > δ. This seems to be correlated with the orientation (axial vs. equatorial) of the chlorine atoms lost in the dihaloelimination steps. Although the reactivity of the HCH isomers has been investigated in the classical organic chemistry literature, the present study was the first in the environmental remediation arena. The rate of removal is directly correlated to the number of axial chlorines. The observed rate constant varied from 0.04 to 0.65 h−1, and the rate constant normalized to the iron surface area concentration ranged from 5.4 × 10−4 to 8.8 × 10−4 L m−2 h−1 Post‐test extractions of the reactor contents detected little HCH remaining in solution or on the iron surfaces, reinforcing the contention that reaction rather than sorption was the operative mechanism for the HCH removal. Together with previously published work on a wide variety of chlorinated organic solvents, this work further demonstrates the potential of zerovalent iron nanoparticles for treatment and remediation of persistent organic pollutants.
Organic Acids and Aldehydes in Throughfall and Dew in a Japanese Pine Forest
Authors: Chiwa Masaaki , Miyake Takayuki , Kimura Nobuhito , Sakugawa Hiroshi
Published: October 2008

We analyzed low molecular weight organic acids and aldehydes in throughfall under pine forest, and organic acids in dew on chemically inert surfaces and pine needle surfaces at urban‐ and mountain‐facing sites of pine forest in western Japan. Low molecular weight organic acids and aldehydes accounted for less than 5% of the dissolved organic carbon in throughfall at both sites. Formaldehyde at both sites and formate at the mountain‐facing site were found at significantly lower concentrations in throughfall than in rainfall, which may be explained by the degradation and/or retention of these components by the pine canopy as the incident precipitation passed through it. The oxalate concentration in throughfall was significantly higher than those in rainfall at both sites, suggesting that oxalate was derived from leaching from the pine foliage. At both sites, organic acid concentrations were higher in dew on the pine needles than in throughfall or dew on chemically inert surfaces. This could be due to the long contact time of dew on pine needles, during which leached substances from pine needles and dry deposits accumulated on their surfaces can dissolve into the small volume of dew. The role of enhanced concentrations of oxalate in an aqueous phase on the plant surfaces (e.g., dew) is discussed in relation to hydroxyl radical formation via the photo‐Fenton reaction.
Relationships between Landscape Pattern, Wetland Characteristics, and Water Quality in Agricultural Catchments
Authors: Moreno‐Mateos David , Mander Ülo , Comín Francisco A. , Pedrocchi César , Uuemaa Evelyn
Published: October 2008

Water quality in streams is dependent on landscape metrics at catchment and wetland scales. A study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation between landscape metrics, namely patch density and area, shape, heterogeneity, aggregation, connectivity, land‐use ratio, and water quality variables (salinity, nutrients, sediments, alkalinity, other potential pollutants and pH) in the agricultural areas of a semiarid Mediterranean region dominated by irrigated farmlands (NE Spain). The study also aims to develop wetland construction criteria in agricultural catchments. The percentage of arable land and landscape homogeneity (low value of Simpson index) are significantly correlated with salinity (r2 = 0.72) and NO3–N variables (r2 = 0.49) at catchment scale. The number of stock farms was correlated (Spearman's corr. = 0.60; p < 0.01) with TP concentration in stream water. The relative abundance of wetlands and the aggregation of its patches influence salinity variables at wetland scale (r2 = 0.59 for Na+ and K+ concentrations). The number and aggregation of wetland patches are closely correlated to the landscape complexity of catchments, measured as patch density (r2 = 0.69), patch size (r2 = 0.53), and landscape heterogeneity (r2 = 0.62). These results suggest that more effective results in water quality improvement would be achieved if we acted at both catchment and wetland scales, especially reducing landscape homogeneity and creating numerous wetlands scattered throughout the catchment. A set of guidelines for planners and decision makers is provided for future agricultural developments or to improve existing ones.