bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global land resources and population-supporting capacity
Authors: Eswaran Hari , Beinroth Fred , Reich Paul
Published: October 2009

Anticipated advances in biotechnology and sustainable land management, in combination with the availability of high-quality lands, suggest a level of food production that will sustain twice the current global population. However, lack of political will, insufficient investments in modern agriculture, and a general apathy to the tenets of sustainable land management threaten food security in Third World countries, and in some, contribute to poverty and famine. From a global land-productivity point of view, the specter of Malthusian scenarios seems unwarranted. Sadly, however, local and regional food shortages are likely to continue to occur unless mechanisms for equitable food distribution, effective technical assistance, and infusions of capital for infrastructure development are implemented in some developing countries.
Organic farming in Austria
Authors: Vogl Christian R. , Hess Jürgen
Published: October 2009

During the present decade, Austria has experienced a dramatic increase in organic farming among those countries that comprise the European Union (EU). For example, in 1992, approximately 2,000 farms were practicing organic, ecological, or biodynamic farming methods. By 1997 the number of certified organic farms plus those in transition from conventional farming had increased 10-fold to some 20,000 farms. This represents almost 9% of the total farms in Austria and an area of 345,375 ha, or 10% of the total cultivated farmland. The largest concentration of organic farms is in regions with a high proportion of alpine grassland or pastures. Approximately 50% of the organic farms range in size from 5 to 15 ha. The strong organic movement in Austria can be attributed to a) government subsidies which provide incentives to organic farmers and b) widespread acceptance of organic products and their brand names by large food chains and supermarkets. More than 60% of organic farmers are affiliated with associations and organizations that provide advisory and support services in marketing activities. Certification of organic farms and food processors is conducted by seven monitoring bodies according to EU regulation No. 2092/91, which guarantees legallybinding standards of food safety and quality to EU consumers, and according to the Austrian Alimentari Codex. Since January 1998, all monitoring/certifying bodies in Austria must verify accreditation according to regulation European Norm 45011. The major supermarket chain offers a variety of organic dairy and meat products, as well as organic ice cream, pizza, vegetables, fruits, baby foods, and bread. The current domestic wholesale value of organic products marketed from Austrian farms is approximately 170 million US$ annually. Unfortunately, funding for support of scientific research and extension to enhance organic farming and marketing has not kept pace with the increasing number of organic farms and farmers. Additional funding is essential to ensure the sustainable development of the organic movement and the organic market.
Fine-scale analysis of soil quality for various land uses and landforms in central Honduras
Authors: Ericksen P.J. , McSweeney K.
Published: October 2009

A key element of sustainable land management is maintenance of soil quality. We designed this study to compare the impact of land use and landform on soil quality attributes that vary at the plot level, or fine scale, using a framework that can be applied in many settings. The research site for this case study was a small catchment in the hillsides of central Honduras where farmers manage a variety of land uses. Fourteen biological, physical, and chemical attributes that affect the ability of a soil to perform key functions related to supporting plant growth were measured and scored. Samples from 20 sites represented different combinations of landform and land use. Quantitative analysis revealed that land use had a greater influence on soil quality than did landform. Soil organic carbon, texture, A horizon thickness, pH, structure, and bulk density accounted for the greatest differences among landform and land use units. Using weighted and additive combinations of the scored attributes to approximate soil quality functions, irrigated agriculture was judged to be the least sustainable land use, and coffee groves and forest patches were the most sustainable. The final soil quality values were sensitive to the weights and attributes chosen for a given function, and additional testing and evaluation were recommended.
Evaluating consumer knowledge of alternative agricultural commodities: The case of IPM produce
Authors: Govindasamy Ramu , Italia John
Published: October 2009

Nearly 32% of consumers surveyed at four supermarkets and one private direct market in New Jersey reported having prior awareness of integrated pest management (IPM). However, knowledge of IPM does not appear homogeneous across all demographic segments. This study empirically evaluates which socioeconomic characteristics suggest that a consumer will be more likely to have existing knowledge of IPM. Results indicate that those who had higher levels of education, had visited a farmers' market within the previous five years, had no children, grew fruits and vegetables at home, were female, or had regularly used media reports about food safety were more likely to claim awareness of IPM.
Integrative biological indicators for detecting change in soil quality
Authors: Ndiaye E.L. , Sandeno J.M. , McGrath D. , Dick R.P.
Published: October 2009

To promote agricultural sustainability, there is a growing interest in developing soil quality indicators that can be used as early indicators of changes in management practices by growers, agricultural professionals, and researchers. A study was conducted on four commercial growers' fields and two research stations in western Oregon with treatments that had been started from 1 to 7 years prior to initiating the investigation. The primary comparison at each site was a winter cover crop and winter fallow in rotation with summer vegetable crops. The effects of these treatments on microbial biomass carbon (MBC), mineralizable N, soil enzyme activity (arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase), and cotton strip decomposition were analyzed to monitor changes in soil quality over a 2-year period. The cotton strip method was tested because of its simplicity (buried in soil for short periods and then assessed for tensile strength or weight loss) and potential as a soil biological indicator. Results showed that cover cropping significantly affected MBCand soil enzyme activity. Mineralizable N and CO2respiration (laboratory incubation) did not respond to winter cover crop treatment. Cotton strip decomposition was relatively insensitive to field treatments. Because MBCand β-glucosidase activity responded quickly to field management treatment and were less variable than the other measurements, they showed the most potential as soil quality indicators. Total C (organic matter index) and extractable nutrients were not significantly affected by cover cropping (even after 7 years), indicating selected biological properties are superior to these chemical properties for detecting effects of soil management.
Studies of the preceding crop effect of ley in ecological agriculture
Authors: Granstedt Artur , L-Baeckström Gärd
Published: October 2009

Two field experiments were conducted from 1991 to 1996 on clay soils in central Sweden to provide information for improving soil fertility, minimizing N leaching, and increasing the benefits of ley to subsequent crops in organic farming. The results show that it is possible to calculate the amount of N mineralized during the 2-year period following incorporation of ley-crop residues, based on the proportion of incorporated organic matter stabilized in the more resistant humus fractions (i.e., the humification coefficient, calculated to be 35–40%), C:N ratios of the ley biomass, and ley age (humification appears to be higher in older crop residues). The fractions of potentially mineralizable N that are actually mineralized in the first and second years after ley incorporation vary depending on ley age and botanical composition and climatic conditions.
Performance of a Swedish deep-bedded feeder pig production system in Iowa
Authors: Honeyman M.S. , Kent D.
Published: October 2009

At the Iowa State University Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm in southwestern Iowa, a Swedish feeder pig production system was studied and demonstrated for 2-1/2 years. The system is based mainly on straw bedding, simple buildings, and intensive management. The system was designed to minimize pig stress and use of subtherapeutic antibiotics in the feed. Gestating and breeding sows were group-housed in a hooped structure with individual feeding stalls. Large round bales of cornstalks were used for bedding. Farrowing, lactation, and nursery phases were housed in a remodeled hog house. Cubicles with rollers and oat straw bedding were used for farrowing. Two groups of Yorkshire × Landrace sows bred to Hampshire boars produced feeder pigs in the system. Conception rates averaged 95%, and litter size averaged 11.3 live pigs/litter. Sows were allowed to select their own bedded farrowing cubicle. Prewean pig mortality, mostly from crushing, was high (29%), occurring primarily in the first 3 days. At 2 weeks of age the cubicles were removed and group lactation occurred. After group lactation the average pig weaning weight was 10.4 kg at 33.9 days of age. At weaning the sows were removed, and the pigs remained in the bedded farrowing/lactation room for 24 additional days. The pigs weighed 24.8 kg at 60 days of age, and overall nursery phase average daily weight gain was 549 g/day. Overall pig health was excellent with no major clinical diseases confirmed. The demonstration exceeded reproductive performance measures of typical small- and mid-sized Iowa farms.
Perennial wheat: The development of a sustainable cropping system for the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Authors: Scheinost Pamela L. , Lammer Doug L. , Cai Xiwen , Murray Timothy D. , Jones Stephen S.
Published: October 2009

Perennial wheat offers a new solution to the long-standing problems of soil erosion and degradation associated with conventional annual small-grain cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest region. Using classical breeding methods, new types of wheat have been developed that maintain the key characteristics of annual wheat, but continue to grow after harvest. Following dormancy in the winter, growth is initiated from the roots or crowns in the spring, allowing a crop to be harvested every fall. By retaining constant soil cover over multiple years, wind and water erosion would be dramatically reduced. In addition, the costs associated with annual seeding and tillage would be minimized, and unlike many reduced tillage systems, it is expected that standard seeding equipment would be suitable for stand establishment. Other potential benefits of perennial wheat include improved wildlife habitat, more efficient use of available water, provision of a potent carbon sink, and the possibility of integrating straw retrieval into a small grains cropping system. Past attempts in the first half of the last century failed to develop perennial wheat as a viable crop, primarily because of low yields, and the research was ultimately abandoned. Perennial wheat production may now be viewed as acceptable for highly erodible land or for obtaining carbon sequestration credits. This paper presents an overview of solutions to the obstacles encountered by previous researchers, introduces some of the newly developed perennial wheat lines, and discusses considerations for management practices.
Ecological genetics and evolution in insect pests: Implications for lower input agriculture
Authors: Simms Ellen L.
Published: October 2009

This paper has three goals: (1) to convince ecologists and evolutionary biologists to study the evolution in insects of the ability to overcome crop protection measures, (2) to provide insights into the kinds of data needed to develop methods for retarding the evolution of such traits, and (3) to suggest that the study of these phenomena can further our understanding of evolution. The evolution of resistance to chemical insecticides often results in higher application rates and constant development of new classes of these potentially environmentally degrading toxicants. Moreover, it is important to understand resistance phenomena related to alternative crop protection measures involving plant genetic resistance and biological insecticides so that these less environmentally damaging control measures can be maintained. Insecticide resistance evolves in insect populations in response to selection by chemical compounds. Similarly, selection by host-plant defenses of resistant crops leads to the evolution of virulence to those varieties. The evolution of these traits constitutes an important subject of applied evolutionary biology. In the context of single-gene evolutionary models, this article reviews the most common strategies that have been suggested for retarding the evolution of insecticide resistance. These models are also used to illustrate the effects of ecological factors and genetical properties of insect populations on the evolution of resistance. Where appropriate, the relevance of these models to the evolution of virulence to resistant crop varieties is also described. Durability in the insecticidal effectiveness of a plant protective chemical is not incompatible with the requirement for health safety in the same material.
Strategies for research and management in reduced-input agroecosystems
Authors: Hendrix Paul F.
Published: October 2009

Developing reduced-input agroecosystems is a challenge to researchers and practitioners in a number of disciplines. In particular, because of the complexity of managerial inputs, understanding the effects of decreases in levels of one or several inputs presents a difficult experimental problem. Moderate reductionism is proposed as an appropriate hierarchical analysis, which first characterizes system level behavior and then explains it in terms of system components and their interactions. An example is given using reduced nitrogen fertilizer inputs; higher nitrogen use efficiency at lower levels of input is explained by increased nutrient recycling between soil and plant subsystems. Transition from conventional to reduced-input management involves changes in both economic and ecological properties of agroecosystems. Biological, chemical and physical changes, including increased species diversity, tighter nutrient recycling, and longer-term perennial effects, may parallel ecological succession. Hypothetical trends for several such changes are discussed.
Medical advertising and trust in late Georgian England
Authors: BARKER HANNAH
Published: October 2009

This article explores the nature of trust in the fast growing and rapidly changing urban environments of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England through an examination of medical advertisements published in newspapers in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield between 1760 and 1820. The ways in which medicines were promoted suggest not just a belief that the market in medicines operated both rationally and fairly, but also a conception that a trustworthy ‘public’ existed that was not limited to the social elite but was instead constituted of a more socially diverse range of individuals.
Urban planning, colonial doctrines and street naming in French Dakar and British Lagos,c.1850–1930
Authors: BIGON LIORA
Published: October 2009

The published literature that has thoroughly treated the history of European planning in sub-Saharan Africa is still rather scanty. This article examines French and British colonial policies for town planning and street naming in Dakar and Lagos, their chieflieux de colonisationin West Africa. It will trace the relationships between the physical and conceptual aspects of town planning and the colonial doctrines that produced these plans from the official establishment of these cities as colonial capitals in the mid-nineteenth century and up to the inter-war period. Whereas in Dakar these aspects reflected a Eurocentric meta-narrative that excluded African histories and identities, a glimpse at contemporary Lagos shows the opposite. This study is one of few that compares colonial doctrines of assimilation to doctrines of indirect rule as each affects urban planning.
Industrial urbanization, working-class lads and slang toponyms in early twentieth-century Helsinki
Authors: PAUNONEN HEIKKI , VUOLTEENAHO JANI , AINIALA TERHI
Published: October 2009

The article investigates the linkages between urban transformation and informal verbalizations of everyday spaces among male juveniles from Sörnäinen (a working-class district in Helsinki) in 1900–39. Sörkka lads' biographically and contextually varying uses of slang names mirrored their itineraries across the city in the search of earning and spare-time opportunities. As a simultaneously practical and stylistic street language, the uses of slang both eroded (in uniting bilingual male juvenile groups) and strengthened (as with providers and teachers, working-class girls, upper-class urbanites and rural newcomers) existing socio-spatial boundaries. Unlike in the late nineteenth century Stockholmska slang studied by Pred, openly irreverent toponymic expressions vis-à-vis the hegemonic conceptions of urban space were relatively few in early Helsinki slang.
Bibliography of urban history 2009
Authors: NOBLE MALCOLM
Published: October 2009

This year has seen the introduction of the digital bibliography online. This is a searchable database of all the bibliographies contained in the Urban History Yearbook and past numbers of this journal. Containing over 33,000 citations, this is an invaluable resource for research.
Benefit-transfer valuation of a cultural heritage site: the Petroglyph National Monument
Authors: ULIBARRI CARLOS A. , ULIBARRI VICTOR C.
Published: October 2009

This paper applies a household production framework (Becker, 1971) to infer the economic value of a cultural heritage site, namely, the Petroglyph National Monument, situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The empirical analysis uses benefit-transfer techniques from three source studies: those of Bergstrom and Cordell (1991) and Boxallet al. (2003), which concern willingness-to-pay to hike and view rock art sites; and those of Rolfe and Windle (2003, 2006), which concern willingness-to-pay by Aboriginal and general populations to preserve a cultural heritage site containing rock art. The benefit-transfer analysis estimates recreational values between 3.75 million and 7 million dollars per year (depending on perceptions of the cultural attribute quality) and a nonuse value of approximately 12.5 million dollars per year. By comparison the annualized costs of developing/operating the study site are 8.5 million dollars per year. Thus a partial cost-benefit analysis suggests the study site yields net economic benefits upwards of 7.8 million dollars per year.
Japan's Parliamentary Confrontation on the Post-Cold War National Security Policies
Authors: SHINODA TOMOHITO
Published: October 2009

In the fall 2007 Diet session, the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) showed strong opposition against the government's proposal to continue the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) refueling operations to support maritime inspections in the Indian Ocean. In order to evaluate this parliamentary confrontation, the article compares the handling of this issue with the six past major post-Cold War national security policies. The DPJ constantly presented its own legislative proposals in order to participate in Diet deliberation. DPJ's counter proposals, however, were not always cooperative with the government. This different attitude by the DPJ could not be explained by the public and media opinions or the position of the supporting organization but by DPJ's political calculation.
Verknüpfung von Vorstellung und Motorik in der Entwicklung
Authors: Krüger Markus , Krist Horst
Published: October 2009

Zusammenfassung. In einem Reaktionszeitexperiment zur mentalen Rotation von Händen, an dem 138 Kindergartenkinder, 82 Grundschüler (2. Klassenstufe) und 82 Erwachsene teilnahmen, konnte ein Einfluss der motorischen Einschränkung von Handbewegungen auf die Vorstellung nachgewiesen werden. Dieser Motoreffekt war jedoch nicht in allen Altersgruppen und Bedingungen zu beobachten. Es konnte auch nicht bestätigt werden, dass er bei jüngeren Kindern generell stärker ausgeprägt ist als bei älteren Kindern und Erwachsenen. Dafür gab es Hinweise darauf, dass die Bedingungen, unter denen ein Motoreffekt auftritt, systematisch mit dem Alter variieren. Insbesondere war bei Kindergartenkindern ein Motoreffekt nur dann zu beobachten, wenn die eigene Handstellung mit der Perspektive auf die präsentierten Hände korrespondierte.
Die deutschsprachige Version des Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised
Authors: Glattacker Manuela , Bengel Jürgen , Jäckel Wilfried H.
Published: October 2009

Zusammenfassung. Ziel der Studie war es, die deutschsprachige Version des Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) psychometrisch zu evaluieren. Hierbei wurden die faktorielle Validität, Konstruktvalidität und konkurrente Kriteriumsvalidität bestimmt sowie die interne Konsistenz und Test-Retest-Reliabilität analysiert. Die Mehrzahl der Analysen wurden in einer Querschnittsstudie an N = 817 Patienten aus sechs Rehabilitationskliniken durchgeführt. Die Prüfung der konkurrenten Kriteriumsvalidität erfolgte an einer Teilstichprobe dieser Patienten in Kontrastierung zu einer Stichprobe von N = 58 Akutpatienten. Die Test-Retest-Reliabilität wurde anhand einer Stichprobe von N = 45 Patienten aus zwei Rehabilitationskliniken ermittelt. Die faktorielle Struktur des Original-Fragebogens kann insgesamt bestätigt werden. Die Cronbachs Alpha-Koeffizienten liegen mit Werten zwischen .70 und .87 in einem befriedigend bis guten Bereich, lediglich die Skala „Behandlungskontrolle” weist mit einem α von .58 einen inakzeptablen Wert auf. Das Muster der Korrelationsmatrix ist plausibel. Der Fragebogen diskriminiert zwischen Rehabilitanden und Akutpatienten und weist mit Intraklassenkoeffizienten zwischen .55 und .87 bzw. Pearson-Korrelationskoeffizienten zwischen .56 und .87 eine ausreichende Test-Retest-Reliabilität auf. Die kognitiven Krankheitsrepräsentationen von Rehabilitanden können mit dem deutschsprachigen IPQ-R relativ reliabel und valide gemessen werden. Einige der Ergebnisse weisen jedoch auf Überarbeitungspotenzial des Fragebogens hin.
Tumorbedingte Fatigue
Authors: de Vries Ulrike , Reif Karl , Stuhldreher Nina , Petermann Franz , Görres Stefan
Published: October 2009

Zusammenfassung. Die tumorbedingte Fatigue ist ein verbreitetes und den Patienten sehr belastendes Syndrom im Rahmen der Krebserkrankung und -therapie. Tumorbedingte Fatigue (im angloamerikanischen Sprachraum als cancer-related fatigue, CRF, bezeichnet) geht einher mit dem subjektiven Gefühl von physischer und mentaler Müdigkeit, Erschöpfung, Energieverlust und wenig Möglichkeiten der Erholung. Es geht weit über das „normale” Maß an Erschöpfung hinaus, was gesunde Personen erleben. Tumorbedingte Fatigue kommt als Folge der Krebserkrankung selbst und als Nebeneffekt der Krebstherapie vor. Das genaue Ursachengefüge ist jedoch bislang nicht genau geklärt. Zum Diagnosezeitpunkt leiden bis zu 40%, im weiteren Verlauf der Krebsbehandlung mehr als 90% der Patienten unter tumorbedingter Fatigue. Unter der Strahlentherapie tritt die tumorbedingte Fatigue bei über 90%, während der Chemotherapie bei bis zu 80% der Betroffenen auf. Tumorbedingte Fatigue neigt zur Chronifizierung auch nach Abschluss der Therapie und ist dann umso belastender für die Patienten, da eine Ursachenzuschreibung erschwert ist. Die Beeinträchtigungen durch die tumorbedingte Fatigue sind beträchtlich, die Lebensqualität, das psychische Wohlbefinden so wie die Teilhabe am Alltagsleben und die berufliche Leistungsfähigkeit sind in aller Regel massiv eingeschränkt. Trotz dieser hohen Relevanz für Patienten und Behandler hat sich die Forschung über tumorbedingte Fatigue, im Vergleich zu anderen Begleitsymptomen der Krebserkrankung und -therapie, erst in den letzten Jahren intensiviert. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen systematischen Überblick über epidemiologische Grundlagen, krankheitsbegleitende Aspekte sowie evaluierte nicht-medikamentöse Interventionen und ihren Stellenwert innerhalb der Behandlung tumorbedingter Fatigue.
Localization of Quaternary slip rates in an active rift in 105 years: An example from central Greece constrained by 234U‐230Th coral dates from uplifted paleoshorelines
Authors: Roberts G. P. , Houghton S. L. , Underwood C. , Papanikolaou I. , Cowie P. A. , van Calsteren P. , Wigley T. , Cooper F. J. , McArthur J. M.
Published: October 2009

Mapping, dating, and modeling of paleoshorelines uplifted in the footwall of the 1981 Gulf of Corinth earthquake fault, Greece (Ms 6.9–6.7), are used to assess its slip rate history relative to other normal faults in the area and study strain localization. The 234U‐230Th coral ages from Cladocora caespitosa date uplifted shoreface sediments, and paleoshorelines from glacioeustatic sea level highstands at 76, (possibly) 100, 125, 175, 200, 216, 240, and 340 ka. Uplifted Quaternary and Holocene paleoshorelines decrease in elevation toward the western tip of the fault, exhibiting larger tilt angles with age, showing that uplift is due to progressive fault slip. Since 125 ka, uplift rates varied from 0.25 to 0.52 mm/yr over a distance of 5 km away from the fault tip. Tilting was also occurring prior to 125 ka, but uplift rates were lower because the 125 ka paleoshoreline is at 77% of the elevation of the 240 ka paleoshoreline despite being nearly half its age. Comparison of paleoshoreline elevations and sedimentology with the Quaternary sea level curve shows that slip rates increased by a factor of 3.2 ± 0.2 at 175 ± 75 ka, synchronous with cessation of activity on a neighboring normal fault at 382–112 ka. We suggest that the rapid localization of up to 10–15 mm/yr of extension into the narrow gulf (∼30 km wide) resulted from synchronous fault activity on neighboring faults followed by localization rather than sequential faulting, with consequences for the mechanism controlling localization of extension.
Conservation of lateral stochastic structure of a medium in its simulated seismic response
Authors: Carpentier S. F. A. , Roy‐Chowdhury K.
Published: October 2009

Mapping correlation lengths of continental lower crustal heterogeneity directly from deep reflection data can be a valuable additional interpretation tool for deep seismic imaging. In this feasibility study we investigate the conservation of lateral correlation length and power law structure in the seismic response of lower‐crustal stochastic lithology. The conservation of von Karman power law heterogeneity in backscattered wavefields is evaluated in a range of challenging seismic scenarios. We pay special attention to the limitations of this conservation due to the effect of spatial band limitation, caused by limited seismic recording aperture and to the effect of complex seismic scattering conditions. The comparison of average lateral correlations in von Karman media and their modeled reflection responses reveals two important facts: spatial band limitation by limited seismic illumination severely affects the estimated power law exponent (the Hurst number) of the von Karman heterogeneity distribution, but the estimated correlation length is unaffected and scales linearly with the original value. The original type of lateral power law distribution is conserved under nearly all seismic scattering conditions investigated, albeit with an underestimated correlation length and overestimated Hurst number. Our results can be quantitatively explained which allows for stable estimations of correlation length under various seismic scattering scenarios. This study confirms the potential of utilizing estimates of lateral von Karman structure to characterize the middle and lower crust from deep seismic reflection data.
Deep crustal structure of the Indian shield from joint inversion of P wave receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocities: Implications for Precambrian crustal evolution
Authors: Julià J. , Jagadeesh S. , Rai S. S. , Owens T. J.
Published: October 2009

The S wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of the Indian shield has been investigated by jointly inverting P wave receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocities at 38 broadband stations in the subcontinent. The Indian shield is an amalgamation of several terranes of Archean and Proterozoic age that were partly flooded by Deccan Trap volcanism during Cenozoic times and that make up a natural laboratory for assessing models of Precambrian crustal evolution. Our results reveal significant variations in crustal thickness and deep crustal velocities: 45–50 km thick under the Archean West Dharwar craton and Southern Granulite Terrane, with lower crustal velocities around 4.1 km/s; 32–35 km thick beneath the Archean East Dharwar and Bundelkhand cratons, with lower crustal velocities around 3.8–3.9 km/s; 50–65 km thick under the Proterozoic Bhandara craton, with lower crustal velocities around 4.2–4.3 km/s; and ∼55 km thick under the Proterozoic Aravalli‐Delhi belt, with lower crustal velocities around 4.2 km/s. S velocities in the 4.1–4.3 km/s range in the deep crust can be attributed to mafic lithologies, suggesting there has been no secular change in the Precambrian evolution of the south Indian shield. Moreover, pervasive mafic dike swarming throughout the Indian shield suggests that the layer of mafic cumulates is 2.5–1.6 Ga old and that it delaminated from some Archean terranes. Our interpretation is that mafic underplating of the terranes making up the Indian shield occurred in Proterozoic times and that a refractory root developed under the Archean terranes after the Proterozoic event.
Quantifying connectivity in the coastal ocean with application to the Southern California Bight
Authors: Mitarai S. , Siegel D. A. , Watson J. R. , Dong C. , McWilliams J. C.
Published: October 2009

The quantification of coastal connectivity is important for a wide range of real‐world applications ranging from assessment of pollutant risk to nearshore fisheries management. For these purposes, coastal connectivity can be defined as the probability that water parcels from one location have advected to another site over a given time interval. Here we demonstrate how to quantify connectivity using Lagrangian probability‐density functions (PDFs) based on numerical solutions of the coastal circulation of the Southern California Bight (SCB). Ensemble mean dispersal patterns from a single release site show strong dependencies on particle‐release location, season, and year, reflecting annual and interannual circulation patterns in the SCB. Mean connectivity patterns are heterogeneous for the advection time of 30 days or less, due to local circulation patterns, and they become more homogeneous for longer advection times. However, connectivity patterns for a single realization are highly variable because of intrinsic eddy‐driven transport and synoptic wind‐forcing variability. In the long term, mainland sites are good sources while both Northern and Southern Channel Islands are poor sources, although they receive substantial fluxes of water parcels from the mainland. The predicted connectivity gives useful information to ecological and other applications for the SCB (e.g., designing marine protected areas and predicting the impact of a pollution event) and demonstrates how high‐resolution numerical solutions of coastal ocean circulations can be used to quantify nearshore connectivity.
A continuous high‐resolution dust record for the reconstruction of wind systems in central Europe (Eifel, Western Germany) over the past 133 ka
Authors: Seelos Klemens , Sirocko Frank , Dietrich Stephan
Published: October 2009

The last glacial cycle in Central Europe is dominated by processes of aeolian dust transport and accumulation. These dust deposits are preserved in soils and lake sediments and provide detailed information about the climate variability during cold and dry periods. Especially the transitions from warm into cold periods are characterized by turbulent climate conditions. The main problems of terrestrial paleoclimate reconstructions are the completeness of the core material and a sampling resolution. To detect single dust storms we use a particle detection method, which allows high resolution, sub‐annual analyses of sediment structures in undisturbed samples. The ELSA (Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive) stack is a compilation of four different lake sediment cores of the Eifel region (Western Germany) and comprise the period of the last 133 ka. The results of our analyses show high frequencies of dust storm events during the first cold events C24 and C23 after the last warm stage. In opposition, the coldest periods of the last glacial cycle OIS‐4 (70–60 ka BP) and OIS‐2 (35–14 ka BP) are characterized by stable climate conditions that provide the accumulation of homogenous dust sediments.
Source spectrum for the Algerian tsunami of 21 May 2003 estimated from coastal tide gauge data
Authors: Vich Maria‐del‐Mar , Monserrat Sebastian
Published: October 2009

On 21 May 2003 a submarine earthquake occurred near Algiers producing a tsunami that propagated northward and reached the Balearic Islands and the Levantine coast of the Iberian Peninsula within an hour. Despite that the generated tsunami was moderate, sea level variations inside certain harbors at the Balearic Islands were significant, producing severe damage to moored boats. Available tsunami records in the affected harbors are examined to estimate amplifications factors of arriving waves and spectral characteristics of the source. Comparison between background and tsunami oscillations at various sites allowed separation of the tsunami source properties from local topographic effects. The fundamental period of the reconstructed source spectrum is 21 min, which is in close agreement with that found by Alasset et al. (2006) based on modeling the tsunami initiation.
Distinct asymmetry in rupture‐induced inelastic strain across dipping faults: An off‐fault yielding model
Authors: Ma Shuo
Published: October 2009

Off‐fault stresses associated with rupture propagation cause material yielding under a Mohr‐Coulomb condition, leaving irrecoverable deformation in the fault zone. 2D dynamic rupture simulations for a 30° reverse fault and a 60° normal fault in a depth‐dependent stress environment show that the yielding (inelastic) zone off the fault broadens as it nears the surface with decreasing confining pressure, forming a skewed ‘flower‐like’ structure bounded at the top by the free surface. The inelastic strain in the hanging wall is significantly larger and broader than the footwall for both reverse and normal faults. The occurrence of inelastic strain, however, significantly reduces ground motion (especially on the hanging wall) and gives rise to a reduced asymmetry in ground motion on the hanging wall and footwall compared to elastic solutions. These results provide theoretical predictions for fault zone structure of dipping faults that can be tested by future observational experiments.
First tomographic observations of the Midlatitude Summer Nighttime Anomaly over Japan
Authors: Thampi Smitha V. , Lin Charles , Liu Huixin , Yamamoto Mamoru
Published: October 2009

Recently, a chain of digital beacon receivers has been established over Japan, mainly for the tomographic imaging of the ionosphere. These receivers are installed at Shionomisaki (33.45°N, 135.8°E), Shigaraki (34.85°N, 136.1°E), and Fukui (36.06°N,136°E), which continuously track the Low Earth Orbiting Satellites (LEOS), and the simultaneous line‐of‐sight Total Electron Content (TEC) data are used for tomographic reconstruction. In the images obtained during July 2008, it is seen that the nighttime electron densities exceed the daytime values on almost all days over latitudes >33–34°N. On several days, these northern latitudes show enhanced electron densities compared to the low‐latitude region during nighttime. These are the prominent features of the “Midlatitude Summer Nighttime Anomaly (MSNA)” that is recently observed in the northern hemisphere and is considered similar to the nighttime Weddell Sea Anomaly (WSA). This is the first study of the MSNA using tomographic technique and found its significant day‐to‐day variability. The ionosonde data from Wakkanai (45.4°N, 141.7° E), ground‐based GPS TEC observations using the GEONET, CHAMP in situ electron density measurements, and Formosat3/COSMIC (F3/C) occultation measurements are also used to confirm the presence of MSNA over this region and to examine its variability. It is seen that, in general, during the local summer period, electron density over the northern latitudes is highest at ∼2000–2100 LT and the latitudinal enhancement in electron density also begins to appear around the same time, which continues to exist even at later hours.
Reconstructing the exhumation history of the Lesser Himalaya, NW India, from a multitechnique provenance study of the foreland basin Siwalik Group
Authors: Najman Yani , Bickle Mike , Garzanti Eduardo , Pringle Malcolm , Barfod Dan , Brozovic Nick , Burbank Doug , Ando Sergio
Published: October 2009

This research presents the first multitechnique provenance study of the Siwalik Group in the Himalayan foreland basin in India, using the Jawalamukhi section, magnetostratigraphically dated at 13–5 Ma. Combined with provenance data from a Dharamsala Formation sedimentary section (21–13 Ma) located close by, it forms the longest temporally continuous record of Himalayan erosion in the Indian foreland basin. Sandstone petrography and heavy mineral analysis, conglomerate clast composition, Ar‐Ar dating of detrital white micas, and Sm‐Nd analyses on siltstones, conglomerate matrix and conglomerate clasts was undertaken to determine (1) shifts in source region through time and (2) changes in detrital lag times related to exhumation rates in the hinterland, together interpreted in the light of thrusting events. We interpret the data to show a slow down in exhumation rate of the Higher Himalaya by 16–17 Ma, after which time the locus of thrusting propagated south of the Main Central Thrust, and erosion of the low grade Haimanta Formation to the south became significant. The nonmetamorphosed Inner Lesser Himalaya breached its Haimanta cover by 9 Ma with the metamorphosed Inner Lesser Himalaya (Lesser Himalayan Crystalline Series) exhuming to surface by 6 Ma. This event caused sufficient disruption to established drainage patterns that all Higher Himalayan material was diverted from this location at this time.
Introduction to special section on Uncertainty Assessment in Surface and Subsurface Hydrology: An overview of issues and challenges
Authors: Montanari Alberto , Shoemaker Christine A. , van de Giesen Nick
Published: October 2009

This paper introduces the Water Resources Research special section on Uncertainty Assessment in Surface and Subsurface Hydrology. Over the past years, hydrological literature has seen a large increase in the number of papers dealing with uncertainty. In this article, we present an overview of the different sources of uncertainty and the different types of problems associated with uncertainty assessment. It is argued here that clarity about which part of the large field of uncertainty research is addressed by a given research activity would already help guide discussions within the hydrological community. We present an introduction to the differences between the more classical frequentist approach to uncertainty and Bayesian approaches and between probabilistic and nonprobabilistic approaches. Bayesian approaches allow for inclusion of more subjective expert knowledge and would be more appropriate where less “hard” data are available. Any underlying assumptions need to be made very clear to the end user. Finally, a brief classification of the articles of the special section is presented.
Neutral Aminopeptidase and Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV Activities in Plasma of Monosodium Glutamate Obese and Food‐deprived Rats
Authors: Alponti Rafaela F. , Silveira Paulo F.
Published: October 2009

Biometric parameters, glycemia and activity levels of plasma neutral aminopeptidase (APN) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) were measured in monosodium glutamate obese and food‐deprived rats (MSG‐FD), to analyze the involvement of these enzymes in such situations. Plasma APN was distinguished as sensitive (PSA) (Km= 7.8 × 10−5mol/l) and predominantly insensitive (APM) (Km= 21.6 × 10−5mol/l) to puromycin, whereas DPPIV was sensitive (DPPIV‐DS) (Km= 0.24 × 10−5mol/l) and predominantly insensitive (DPPIV‐DI) (Km= 7.04 × 10−5mol/l) to diprotin A. Although unchanged in the MSG and food‐deprived animals, APM activity levels were closely correlated with body mass, Lee index, and mass of retroperitoneal fat pad in the food deprived, but not in the MSG animals. DPPIV‐DI activity levels decreased by 33% and were correlated with body mass, Lee index, and mass of periepididymal fat pad in the food‐deprived MSG rats. These data suggest that APM and DPPIV‐DI are respectively related to the downregulation of somatostatin in food‐deprived rats, and to the recovery of energy balance in MSG obese rats during food deprivation.
2.7 μm emission of Nd3+, Er3+ codoped tellurite glass
Authors: Zhong Haiyang , Chen Baojiu , Ren Guozhong , Cheng Lihong , Yao Li , Sun Jiashi
Published: October 2009

In this paper, we report on the observation of enhanced 2.7 μm midinfrared emission under 800 nm excitation in a Nd3+/Er3+ codoped tellurite glass. It is also found that the green upconversion emissions from Er3+ are effectively restricted, meanwhile the I413/2 level of Er3+ is depopulated in the Nd3+/Er3+ codoped tellurite glass. These results suggest that the midinfrared emission can be achieved in the oxyfluoride glasses and that codoping with Nd3+ can greatly improve the midinfrared emission performance.
Shape memory and superelasticity in polycrystalline Cu–Al–Ni microwires
Authors: Chen Ying , Zhang Xuexi , Dunand David C. , Schuh Christopher A.
Published: October 2009

We report a strategy to significantly improve the ductility and achieve large superelastic and shape memory strains in polycrystalline Cu–Al–Ni shape memory alloys that are normally brittle. We use a liquid-phase (Taylor) wire forming process to obtain microwires of 10–150 μm diameter with a bamboo grain structure. The reduction of grain boundary area, removal of triple junctions, and introduction of a high specific surface area in the wire decrease constraints on the martensitic transformation, and permit both superelasticity and stress-assisted two-way shape memory with recoverable strains as high as 6.8%.
Directional mapping of DNA nicking in ejaculated and cauda epididymidal spermatozoa of the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus: Monotremata)
Authors: Johnston S. D. , López-Fernández C. , Gosálbez A. , Holt W. V. , Gosálvez J.
Published: October 2009

Prototherian spermatozoa are unique amongst the Mammalia in terms of their filiform morphology, tandem arrangement of chromosomes and formation of sperm bundles. In the present study, we provide observations of echidna spermatozoa and note that the superstructure of the bundle is engineered around the shape of the individual sperm head and that this in turn may be a consequence of the unusual circumferential and helicoidal condensation of the DNA during spermiogenesis. Frozen–thawed ejaculated echidna spermatozoa were incubated and examined for the presence of non-typical DNA conformation by means of in situ labelling of DNA breaks using Klenow polymerase and via alkaline single-cell comet assays for detection of fragmented DNA. Both techniques successfully revealed the presence of what appeared to be directional DNA nicking, co-localised with the presence of highly sensitive alkali sites along the length of the sperm nucleus. It was not possible to define whether these alternative DNA configurations were associated with a failure of the sperm nucleus to condense appropriately during spermiogenesis or were evidence of DNA fragmentation following post-thaw incubation or a sequential structural chromatin rearrangement necessary for fertilisation.
Characterisation of ATRX, DMRT1, DMRT7 and WT1 in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Authors: Tsend-Ayush Enkhjargal , Lim Shu Ly , Pask Andrew J. , Hamdan Diana Demiyah Mohd , Renfree Marilyn B. , Grützner Frank
Published: October 2009

One of the most puzzling aspects of monotreme reproductive biology is how they determine sex in the absence of the SRY gene that triggers testis development in most other mammals. Although monotremes share a XX female/XY male sex chromosome system with other mammals, their sex chromosomes show homology to the chicken Z chromosome, including the DMRT1 gene, which is a dosage-dependent sex determination gene in birds. In addition, monotremes feature an extraordinary multiple sex chromosome system. However, no sex determination gene has been identified as yet on any of the five X or five Y chromosomes and there is very little knowledge about the conservation and function of other known genes in the monotreme sex determination and differentiation pathway. We have analysed the expression pattern of four evolutionarily conserved genes that are important at different stages of sexual development in therian mammals. DMRT1 is a conserved sex-determination gene that is upregulated in the male developing gonad in vertebrates, while DMRT7 is a mammal-specific spermatogenesis gene. ATRX, a chromatin remodelling protein, lies on the therian X but there is a testis-expressed Y-copy in marsupials. However, in monotremes, the ATRX orthologue is autosomal. WT1 is an evolutionarily conserved gene essential for early gonadal formation in both sexes and later in testis development. We show that these four genes in the adult platypus have the same expression pattern as in other mammals, suggesting that they have a conserved role in sexual development independent of genomic location.
Monotreme sex chromosomes - implications for the evolution of amniote sex chromosomes
Authors: Waters Paul D. , Marshall Graves Jennifer A.
Published: October 2009

In vertebrates, a highly conserved pathway of genetic events controls male and female development, to the extent that many genes involved in human sex determination are also involved in fish sex determination. Surprisingly, the master switch to this pathway, which intuitively could be considered the most critical step, is inconsistent between vertebrate taxa. Interspersed in the vertebrate tree there are species that determine sex by environmental cues such as the temperature at which eggs are incubated, and then there are genetic sex-determination systems, with male heterogametic species (XY systems) and female heterogametic species (ZW systems), some of which have heteromorphic, and others homomorphic, sex chromosomes. This plasticity of sex-determining switches in vertebrates has made tracking the events of sex chromosome evolution in amniotes a daunting task, but comparative gene mapping is beginning to reveal some striking similarities across even distant taxa. In particular, the recent completion of the platypus genome sequence has completely changed our understanding of when the therian mammal X and Y chromosomes first arose (they are up to 150 million years younger than previously thought) and has also revealed the unexpected insight that sex determination of the amniote ancestor might have been controlled by a bird-like ZW system.