bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Substituents at C2 Carbon of Thiosemicarbazones on the Bonding Pattern of Bis(diphenylphopshano)alkanes in Palladium(II) Complexes
Authors: Lobana Tarlock S. , Bawa Gagandeep , Hundal Geeta , Butcher Ray J. , Castineiras Alfonso
Published: March 2009

Reactions of trans‐PdCl2(PPh3)2 with acetone thiosemicarbazone (Hactsc) and benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (Hbtsc) in a 1:1 molar ratio in the presence of Et3N yielded the neutral complexes [Pd(η2‐N3,S‐actsc)(PPh3)Cl] (1) and [Pd(η2‐N3,S‐btsc)(PPh3)Cl] (2) respectively. In contrast, reactions of cis‐PdCl2(dppe) (dppe = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane) and cis‐PdCl2(dppp) (dppp = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane) with Hbtsc gave the ionic complexes [Pd(η2‐N2,S‐btsc)(η2‐dppe)]Cl (3) and [Pd(η2‐N3,S‐btsc)(η2‐dppp)]Cl (4) because of the chelation effect. The reaction of salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (H2stsc) with cis‐PdCl2(dppm) (dppm = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)methane)and cis‐PdCl2(dppp) yielded the dinuclear complexes [Pd2(η3‐O,N3,S‐stsc)2(μ‐dppm)] (5) and [Pd2(η3‐O,N3,S‐stsc)2(μ‐dppp)] (6). Complexes 1–6 were characterized with spectroscopic techniques [IR, 1H, 31P{1H} NMR], and single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. The ligands are negative bidentate in complexes 1–4 and dinegative tridentate (O, N3, S) in complexes 5 and 6. Diphosphanes exhibited both chelating (η2; 3, 4) as well as bridging (μ; 5, 6) modes.
On the Crystal Structure, Metal Atom Site Preferences and Magnetic Properties of Nd5–xErxTt4 (Tt = Si or Ge)
Authors: Misra Sumohan , Poweleit Eric T. , Miller Gordon J.
Published: March 2009

A crystallographic study of the Nd/Er site preferences in the Nd5–xErxTt4 (Tt = Si, Ge) series prepared by high‐temperature methods is presented. For Nd5–xErxSi4, phases with x ≤ 1.0 adopt the tetragonal Zr5Si4‐type structure. On the other hand, phases in the composition range of 2.0 ≤ x ≤ 5.0 exhibits the Gd5Si4‐type structure. For all silicides, all silicon atoms belong to Si–Si dimers. In the Nd5–xErxGe4 system, phases with x < 3.2 and x = 4.0 adopt the orthorhombic Sm5Ge4‐type structure. For the composition range of 3.2 ≤ x ≤ 4.0, a monoclinic U2Mo3Si4‐type structure (space group P21/c) occurs as the majority phase. This monoclinic structure, until recently, was not reported for similar RE5T4 systems, and differs from the known monoclinic Gd5Si2Ge2‐type (space group P21/a) because all Ge···Ge contacts between slabs are equivalent. The structural relationships between the Zr5Si4‐type, Gd5Si4‐type, Sm5Ge4‐type, and U2Mo3Si4‐type structures are discussed. Single crystal refinements of the metal atom occupancies for the three different metal sites in the asymmetric unit of all structure types reveal a partially ordered nonstatistical arrangement of neodymium and erbium atoms. The magnetic properties of some Nd5–xErxGe4 phases are also reported. Nd4ErGe4 shows an antiferromagnetic‐type transition similar to Gd5Ge4. As the erbium concentration increases (2 ≤ x ≤ 4), these phases exhibit, at least, ferrimagnetic‐type ordering.
Chloride Derivatives of Lanthanide Ortho‐Oxomolybdates: 1. Structural Comparison, Magnetic Properties, and Luminescence of the LnCl[MoO4] Representatives with the Smaller Lanthanides (Ln = Sm–Lu)
Authors: Hartenbach Ingo , Strobel Sabine , Schleid Thomas , Krämer Karl W. , Dorhout Peter K.
Published: March 2009

The lanthanide chloride ortho‐oxomolybdates LnCl[MoO4] (Ln = Sm–Yb) crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/m (a = 1035–1010 pm, b = 736–713 pm, c = 691–678 pm, β = 106.7–107.4°, Z = 4), while LuCl[MoO4] displays a triclinic structure (space group P, a = 591.42(2) pm, b = 716.19(3) pm, c = 681.44(3) pm, α = 93.724(2)°, β = 102.463°, γ = 122.134(2)°, Z = 2). The isotypical monoclinic derivatives exhibit one crystallographically unique site for the lanthanide cations with a coordination number of eight (2 × Cl– and 6 × O2– arranged as trigonal dodecahedra). The Lu3+ cations in LuCl[MoO4] also occupy a single crystallographic position, but with a coordination number of only seven (2 × Cl– and 5 × O2–, arranged as monocapped trigonal prisms). The coordination polyhedra around the lanthanide cations in the LnCl[MoO4] representatives (Ln = Sm–Yb) are connected to each other via three common edges, building up a ∞2{[LnCl2/2eO4/2eO2/1t]6–} layer parallel to the ab plane. These layers are cross‐linked along [001] by Mo6+ cations, which on their part form tetrahedral ortho‐oxomolybdate units [MoO4]2–. In LuCl[MoO4] only two edges of the [LuCl2O5] polyhedra are interconnected, constituting a ∞1{[LuCl2/2eO2/2eO3/1t]6–} chain along [100]. These chains arrange as a sheered primitive rod‐packing with the Mo6+ cations connecting these strands to each other, again by the formation of tetrahedral [MoO4]2– entities. Magnetic measurements were performed for GdCl[MoO4] and DyCl[MoO4], exhibiting Curie‐Weiss behaviour for both compounds. Luminescence and excitation spectra of EuCl[MoO4] and TbCl[MoO4] were measured. Under UV excitation both bulk materials show intense red and green luminescence, respectively. This is slightly uncommon, since most bulk compounds do not show intense luminescence due to concentration quenching.
How People Can Benefit from Mental Health Consumer‐Run Organizations
Authors: Brown Louis D.
Published: March 2009

The goal of this study is to develop a more comprehensive theoretical understanding of the processes by which people can benefit from mental health consumer‐run organizations (CROs). To accomplish this goal, the concept of roles is used to create a preliminary framework that draws connections between several established theoretical explanations. To ground theory development in empirical data, 194 CRO members from 20 CROs answered open‐ended questions about what personal changes occurred as a result of their CRO involvement and what CRO participation experiences enabled personal change. Data analysis led to the identification of 18 personal change categories and 7 experiences that led to change. These categories were integrated into the preliminary theoretical framework, which needed to be extended to accommodate all categories. While inevitably tentative, the final conceptualization provides a more comprehensive understanding of the processes by which people can benefit from CRO participation.
Modulation of Transmission Spectra of Anodized Alumina Membrane Distributed Bragg Reflector by Controlling Anodization Temperature
Authors: Zheng Wen Jun , Fei Guang Tao , Wang Biao , De Zhang Li
Published: March 2009

We have successfully prepared anodized alumina membrane distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) using electrochemical anodization method. The transmission peak of this distributed Bragg reflector could be easily and effectively modulated to cover almost any wavelength range of the whole visible spectrum by adjusting anodization temperature.
Fractionation of Soybean Globulins Using Ca2+ and Mg2+: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Teng Zi , Liu Chong , Yang Xiaoquan , Li Lin , Tang Chuanhe , Jiang Yueming
Published: March 2009

The substitution of CaCl2 by MgCl2 was undertaken in Deak’s two‐step process of separating the soybean 11S and 7S globulins, aiming at higher purities and lower phytic acid (PA) contents of recovered protein fractions. The effects of pH and the addition of NaCl were also evaluated. Compared with CaCl2, MgCl2 reduced the PA content of the 11S‐rich fraction by 63–71% but increased that of the 7S‐rich fraction by 14–28%, depending on pH. Correspondingly, more Ca2+ was recovered in the 11S‐rich fraction, while more Mg2+ co‐precipitated with the 7S‐rich fraction. NaCl increased the purity of the 11S‐rich fraction and reduced its PA content, but the purity of the 7S‐rich fraction was reduced by using 50–100 mM NaCl. Lowering pHs from 6.4 and 4.8 to 5.6 and 4.0 in the two precipitation steps increased the yield of both fractions. The optimized fractionating procedure was as follows: the 11S‐rich fraction was precipitated at pH 5.8 by using 5 mM MgCl2, 10 mM NaHSO3 and 20 mM NaCl, followed by the precipitation of the 7S‐rich fraction at pH 4.5. The new method provided both fractions with satisfactory protein yields (22% for 11S and 16% for 7S), purities (88% for 11S and 80% for 7S) and PA contents (0.356% for 11S and 0.882% for 7S).
Differentiation of Fish Oils According to Species by 13C‐NMR Regiospecific Analyses of Triacyglycerols
Authors: Standal Inger B. , Axelson David E. , Aursand Marit
Published: March 2009

The aim of this study was to use 13C‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) regiospecific analyses of triacylglycerols to distinguish fish oils from different fish species for authentication purposes. 13C‐NMR data of muscle lipids from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and herring (Clupea harengus) were obtained, and the distribution of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids between the sn‐1,3 and sn‐2 glycerol chains calculated from the carbonyl region. The results show that there were significant differences in the sn‐2 position specificity of the fatty acids 22:6n‐3, 20:5n‐3 and 18:4n‐3 among the species investigated. The most pronounced difference was that herring had a higher proportion of its 22:6n‐3 in the sn‐2 position compared to the two other species. Principal component analysis of data points in the carbonyl‐region showed that there were also differences in the level and regiospecific distribution of monounsaturated/saturated fatty acids, which made it possible to distinguish oils of these three species solely from the carbonyl region of 13C‐NMR spectra.
β2‐Chimaerin binds to EphA receptors and regulates cell migration
Authors: Takeuchi Shingo , Yamaki Nao , Iwasato Takuji , Negishi Manabu , Katoh Hironori
Published: March 2009

MINT‐7013491: Chimaerin beta 2 (uniprotkb:Q80XD1‐2) physically interacts (MI:0218) with EphA4 (uniprotkb:O08542) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)
The effect of 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose on Werner syndrome RecQ helicase gene
Authors: Zhou Bei , Ikejima Takashi , Watanabe Takeshi , Iwakoshi Keiko , Idei Yohei , Tanuma Sei-ichi , Uchiumi Fumiaki
Published: March 2009

Caloric restriction (CR) is known to effectively elongate mammalian life‐spans. The compound 2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose (2DG), which is often used as an inhibitor of glucose utilization, is a mimetic agent of CR. In this study, we examined the changes of telomerase and Werner's syndrome RecQ (WRN) helicase after treatment with 2DG, because of the involvement of recQ helicase in the regulation of telomeres. Interestingly, 2DG treatment increased the expression of WRN protein in accordance with induction of its promoter activity and gene expression. Furthermore, the activation of telomerase was observed after 2DG treatment, whereas it resulted in the reduction of cell proliferation. These results suggest that 2DG could up‐regulate telomere maintenance factors accompanied with suppression of proliferation.
Crystal structure of polysaccharide lyase family 20 endo‐β‐1,4‐glucuronan lyase from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei
Authors: Konno Naotake , Ishida Takuya , Igarashi Kiyohiko , Fushinobu Shinya , Habu Naoto , Samejima Masahiro , Isogai Akira
Published: March 2009

The crystal structure of endo‐β‐(1→4)‐glucuronan lyase from Trichoderma reesei (TrGL) has been determined at 1.8 Å resolution as the first three‐dimensional structure of polysaccharide lyase (PL) family 20. TrGL has a typical β‐jelly roll fold, which is similar to glycoside hydrolase family 16 and PL7 enzymes. A calcium ion is bound to the site far from the cleft and appears to contribute to the stability. There are several completely conserved residues in the cleft. Possible catalytic residues are predicted based on structural comparison with PL7 alginate lyase A1–II′.
Ca2+‐modulated ONE‐GC odorant signal transduction
Authors: Duda Teresa , Sharma Rameshwar K.
Published: March 2009

In a subset of olfactory epithelium the odorant receptor guanylate cyclase, ONE‐GC, is a central transduction component of the cyclic GMP signaling pathway. The odorant binds to the extracellular domain and activates its intracellular catalytic domain to generate the odorant second messenger, cyclic GMP. The present study demonstrates that it is a two‐step, Ca2+‐independent and Ca2+‐dependent, sequential process. In step one, the odorant, uroguanylin, binds ONE‐GC and primes it for stimulation. In step two, Ca2+‐bound neurocalcin δ binds to the defined intracellular domain and saturates ONE‐GC activity. A prototype model is proposed that depicts this signal transduction process.
A contingent view of e‐collaboration and performance in manufacturing
Authors: Rosenzweig Eve D.
Published: March 2009

Manufacturers are increasingly utilizing Internet‐based tools to more readily conduct collaborative activities with key business customers. While the emerging conventional wisdom suggests that the greater the extent to which manufacturers engage in Internet‐enabled commerce with downstream business customers the better the performance, we espouse an alternative view. Consistent with the relational view of competitive advantage and contingency theory, we develop a model and a series of hypotheses that specify how various product and market characteristics may influence the nature of the expected positive relationship between e‐collaboration and performance.

To test the model, we collected data from 50 manufacturers using a Web‐based survey. Our partial least squares (PLS) analysis results do indeed support the notion that e‐collaboration is related to better operational and business performance. However, we go on to show that the strength of the relationship between e‐collaboration and operational performance diminishes as the level of environmental munificence increases. Notably, we found no such moderating effect with respect to the level of product complexity or market variability. Our findings contribute to the operations strategy literature on supply chain relationships in the e‐business arena and offer managers a framework for understanding the conditions under which investments in e‐collaboration may be more appropriate and therefore more beneficial.
Thin healthy women have a similar low bone mass to women with anorexia nervosa
Authors: Fernández-García D. , Rodríguez M. , García Alemán J. , García-Almeida J. M. , Picón M. J. , Fernández-Aranda F. , Tinahones F. J.
Published: March 2009

An association between anorexia nerviosa (AN) and low bone mass has been demonstrated. Bone loss associated with AN involves hormonal and nutritional impairments, though their exact contribution is not clearly established. We compared bone mass in AN patients with women of similar weight with no criteria for AN, and a third group of healthy, normal-weight, age-matched women. The study included forty-eight patients with AN, twenty-two healthy eumenorrhoeic women with low weight (LW group; BMI < 18·5 kg/m2) and twenty healthy women with BMI >18·5 kg/m2 (control group), all of similar age. We measured lean body mass, percentage fat mass, total bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density in lumbar spine (BMD LS) and in total (tBMD). We measured anthropometric parameters, leptin and growth hormone. The control group had greater tBMD and BMD LS than the other groups, with no differences between the AN and LW groups. No differences were found in tBMD, BMD LS and total BMC between the restrictive (n 25) and binge–purge type (n 23) in AN patients. In AN, minimum weight (P = 0·002) and percentage fat mass (P = 0·02) explained BMD LS variation (r2 0·48) and minimum weight (r2 0·42; P = 0·002) for tBMD in stepwise regression analyses. In the LW group, BMI explained BMD LS (r2 0·72; P = 0·01) and tBMD (r2 0·57; P = 0·04). We concluded that patients with AN had similar BMD to healthy thin women. Anthropometric parameters could contribute more significantly than oestrogen deficiency in the achievement of peak bone mass in AN patients.
Effects of a diet rich in sesame (Sesamum indicum) pericarp on the expression of oestrogen receptor α and oestrogen receptor β in rat prostate and uterus
Authors: Anagnostis Aristotelis , Papadopoulos Athanasios I.
Published: March 2009

The expression of oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the prostate and uterus tissues of Wistar rats supplied for 8 weeks with a diet rich in sesame (Sesamum indicum) pericarp (30 %) was monitored. Eight male rats, aged 6 weeks, were divided into a control group fed on a normal diet, and an experimental one, provided with the normal diet enriched with 30 % sesame pericarp. A similar experiment was performed with female rats. At the end of the experiment, the prostate and uterus tissues were surgically removed and kept at − 80°C for up to 2 months. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) methods were used in order to investigate the levels of receptor proteins and mRNA. Significant increase in the expression of ERβ in prostate and uterus was evident in both methods, while the magnitude of the observed alteration depended on the applied method. No statistically significant change was observed in the expression of ERα in uterus. In prostate, although the increase was more evident when investigated by means of qRT-PCR, the difference in expression of ERα was not statistically significant. In both tissues, a shift of the ratio of ERα:ERβ in favour of ERβ was evident, indicating, according to existing literature, a beneficial effect of the diet provided upon the health status of the organisms. It is suggested that this effect is attributed to the lignans present in the pericarp which exert phyto-oestrogenic activity.
Distinguishing suitable biotypes ofDactylopius tomentosus(Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) for biological control ofCylindropuntia fulgidavar.fulgida(Caryophyllales: Cactaceae) in South Africa
Authors: Mathenge C.W. , Holford P. , Hoffmann J.H. , Zimmermann H.G. , Spooner-Hart R. , Beattie G.A.C.
Published: March 2009

Cylindropuntia fulgida(Engelmann) F.M. Knuth var.fulgida(Engelmann) F.M. Knuth (Cff) (Caryophyllales: Cactaceae) is native to Mexico and Arizona and was introduced into South Africa for ornamental purposes. It subsequently became highly invasive, necessitating control. The cochineal insect,Dactylopius tomentosus(Lamarck) (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae), was selected as a potential biological control agent based on its restricted host range amongCylindropuntiaspecies and previous success in controllingC. imbricata(DC.) F. Knuth (Ci). EightD. tomentosusprovenances (Cholla, Cholla E, Fulgida, Mamillata, Imbricata, Tunicata U, Tunicata V and Rosea) fromCylindropuntiaspecies in their native ranges were reared onCff, whilst Cholla and Imbricata were also reared onCi. Large differences were found in the development and survival of crawlers, and in the reproductive capacity of females. Three subjective categories of provenance interaction with host plants were identified based on a fitness index (FI) calculated from data relating to crawler survival, female development time and fecundity: (i) thriving (FI≥1) – insects had shorter developmental times, high crawler survival and highly fecund females (Cholla); (ii) surviving (FI<1 but >0) – insects had extended development times, low crawler survival and low fecundity (Imbricata, Fulgida and Mamillata); and (iii) dying (FI=0) – insects died before or at the second instar (Rosea, Tunicata U and Tunicata V). Cholla, therefore, is highly suitable for biological control ofCffin South Africa. In addition, Cholla thrived onCffbut only survived onCiwhilst, in contrast, Imbricata thrived onCibut only survived onCff. This differential ability of provenances to thrive or survive on different host plants demonstrated that host adapted biotypes ofD. tomentosusexist; therefore, biotypes should be taken into account when considering this species as a biological control agent of cactus weeds.
Wing morphometry as a tool for correct identification of primary and secondary New World screwworm fly
Authors: Lyra M.L. , Hatadani L.M. , de Azeredo-Espin A.M.L. , Klaczko L.B.
Published: March 2009

Cochliomyia hominivoraxandCochliomyia macellariaare endemic Neotropical Calliphoridae species. The former causes severe myiasis in hosts while the latter is Sarcosaprophagous, but commonly found as a second invader in wounds. Due to the morphological similarity between them and the potential losses thatC. hominivoraxrepresents for cattle breeders, the rapid and correct identification of these two species is very important. In addition to a correct identification of these species, a good knowledge ofC. hominivoraxbiology can be helpful for designing control programs. We applied geometric morphometric methods to assess wing differences betweenC. hominivoraxandC. macellariaand conduct a preliminary analysis of wing morphological variation inC. hominivoraxpopulations. Canonical variate analysis, using wing shape data, correctly classified 100% of the individuals analyzed according to sex and species. This result demonstrates that wing morphometry is a simple and reliable method for identifyingC. hominivoraxandC. macellariasamples and can be used to monitorC. hominivorax. Both species show sexual dimorphism, but inC. hominivoraxit is magnified. We suggest that this may reflect different histories of selection pressures operating on males and females. Significant differences in wing size and shape were obtained amongC. hominivoraxpopulations, with little correlation with latitude. This result suggests that wing variation is also a good morphological marker for studying population variation inC. hominivorax.
IS ABSCISIC ACID INVOLVED IN THE DROUGHT RESPONSES OF BRAZILIAN GREEN DWARF COCONUT?
Authors: GOMES F. P. , OLIVA M. A. , MIELKE M. S. , DE ALMEIDA A-A. F. , LEITE H. G. , AQUINO L. A.
Published: March 2009

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in leaves of drought-stressed coconut palms and its involvement with stomatal regulation of gas exchange during and after stress were investigated. Two Brazilian Green Dwarf coconut ecotypes from hot/humid and hot/dry environments were submitted to three consecutive drying/recovery cycles under greenhouse conditions. ABA accumulated in leaflets before significant changes in pre-dawn leaflet water potential (ΨPD) and did not recover completely in the two ecotypes after 8 days of rewatering. Stomatal conductance was influenced by ABA under mild drought and by ΨPD under severe drought. There were no significant differences between the ecotypes for most variables measured. However, the ecotype from a hot/dry environment showed higher water use efficiency after repeated cycles of water stress.
GRAIN YIELD AND MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES FROM 60 YEARS OF GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF WHEAT IN IRAN
Authors: MIRI HAMID REZA
Published: March 2009

In order to understanding the changes in morpho-physiological traits of wheat cultivars released from 1940 to 2000 in Iran and to determine the association of these traits with grain yield, an experiment was conducted with 15 wheat cultivars released over the past 60 years using an randomized complete block design with four replications. The experiment was conducted on an experimental farm of Arsanjan Islamic Azad University in 2005/6 and 2006/7. Results indicated that cultivar grain yield was significantly correlated with year of release over the 60 years (r= 0.878,p< 0.01). Harvest index and biological yield increased significantly with increasing grain yield. The change in the photosynthesis rate was not significant during this period but transpiration rate and stomatal conductance and chlorophyll index increased significantly. Among yield components, grain number per ear increased significantly but increase in ear number was not significant. Plant height decreased significantly in new cultivars. In conclusion the results showed that wheat yield improvement in Iran is associated with increasing harvest index, grain number per ear, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and decreasing plant height.
ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN FIXATION POTENTIAL IN AHIPA (Pachyrhizus ahipa) AND ITS EFFECT ON ROOT AND SEED YIELD
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-NAVARRO D. N. , CAMACHO M. , TEMPRANO F. , SANTAMARÍA C. , LEIDI E. O.
Published: March 2009

Ahipa is a legume of great interest for the production of raw materials (starch, sugar, oil and proteins) for industrial use. Its yield potential and ability to fix atmospheric N2in association with rhizobia makes it an attractive option for low input agriculture systems. At present, it is cultivated on a very small scale as a food crop in a few South American countries. Little information is available on symbiotic N2fixation in ahipa and no work has been performed on strain selection for inoculant production. Soils in southwest Europe are devoid of specific rhizobia able to nodulate on ahipa. Selecting rhizobia for symbiotic effectiveness from a collection led to the isolation of strains which provided greater shoot growth and N content under controlled conditions. In the field, inoculation at sowing with the selected strains increased significantly seed and tuberous root yield and seed protein content. The amount of N2fixed, estimated by15N natural abundance, reached 160–260 kg N ha−1. In previous work, ahipa appeared to be a promising alternative crop for the production of industrial raw materials. The results of the present study showed a yield increase in tuberous roots and seeds when applying effective rhizobia inoculants. Furthermore, a positive soil N balance was left after its cultivation making ahipa even more interesting for sustainable farming systems.
EVALUATION OF CONVENTIONAL AND PROLONGED-SWELLING SODIUM DODECYL SULFATE SEDIMENTATION TESTS FOR THE PREDICTION OF BREAD WHEAT QUALITY UNDER HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS
Authors: TAHIR IZZAT S. A. , NAKATA NOBORU , ALI ABDELBAGI M. , SAAD ABU SEFYAN I. , TSUJI WATARU
Published: March 2009

In non-traditional, heat-stressed environments, wheat breeding programmes were mainly concerned with the introduction and adaptation of high-yielding, heat-tolerant cultivars regardless of the end-use quality. For the recently developed quality-oriented markets, new cultivars should combine the above-mentioned traits with good grain quality to improve economic feasibility of wheat production in these environments. This study aimed to examine the suitability of the conventional sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (SDSS) test for predicting bread-making quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of a prolonged-swelling SDSS test in improving the predictability of end-use quality under heat stress conditions. Conventional and prolonged-swelling SDSS volumes were measured from whole meal of 15 bread wheat genotypes grown for two seasons under two sowing conditions at Gezira Research Farm, Wad Medani, Sudan. Results of correlations of SDSS volumes with total and insoluble protein contents, mixograph peak height and mixograph descending slope indicated the suitability of the SDSS test in predicting bread-making quality under heat-stress irrigated conditions. However, the absence of significant correlations with some quality attributes, such as mixograph peak time and mixograph curve width, demonstrated the non-exclusiveness of the SDSS test for predicting all bread-making quality attributes. The prolonged-swelling SDSS tests did not improve identification of differences among genotypes over the conventional test despite similarly predicting some quality attributes and showing relatively small increases in the correlation coefficient magnitudes with others. SDSS after 10 min from settlement (SDSS10) showed strong correlations with all other SDSS volumes at various times and with most of quality attributes. This suggested that SDSS10 could be used for evaluation of bread-making quality in early generations of the breeding programme in the hot irrigated conditions of Sudan and similar environments.
EVALUATING EXPERIMENTAL AND COMMERCIAL YIELDS: AN ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE CORRECTION TECHNIQUE FOR SUGARCANE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: RAMBURAN SANESH
Published: March 2009

The objective of this study was to compare historical experimental and commercial yield data for sugarcane in order to determine the general level of disparity and assess the possibility of deriving a correction factor to adjust trial yields to realistic commercial levels. Over the 29-year comparison period, trial yields (fresh stalk weight) of sugarcane were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than commercial yields by approximately 30 t ha−1. Trial and commercial yield data were used to derive a correction factor of 0.7, which can be used to successfully correct trial yields to equivalent commercial levels at both the national and regional level; however, at the local (mill supply area) level different correction factors were derived. The degree of correlation between experimental and commercial yields was found to be greater in areas of higher yield potential, and it was also established that off-station trials were more representative of the commercial potential than on-station trials. The correction factor of 0.7 can therefore be used as a tool to adjust experimental sugarcane yields to indicate likely commercial levels, thereby improving the confidence of growers in taking up recommendations for the adoption of new varieties derived from trial yields.
LONG-TERM LIMING REGIME INCREASES PRIME LAMB PRODUCTION ON ACID SOILS
Authors: CHEN G. , LI G. D. , CONYERS M. K. , CULLIS B. R.
Published: March 2009

Prime lamb live weight response to lime application on pasture was measured in a grazing experiment in the high rainfall zone of the southwestern slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The pastures were limed every 6 years over 15 years. First cross South African Meat Merino lambs were used as test animals. Pre- and post-grazing pasture dry matter (DM) yield, botanical composition, feed quality and lamb live weight were monitored over 12 weeks in 2007. Results showed that liming significantly increased pasture DM yield of high quality species and improved overall pasture quality due to increased digestibility and metabolic energy content. As a result, the limed perennial and annual pastures carried 24.0% (3.6 lambs ha−1) and 29.0% (4.4 lambs ha−1) more stock than the unlimed perennial and annual pastures, respectively. Averaged across pasture types, the limed pastures produced 30.6% (131 kg ha−1) more lamb live weight gain than the unlimed pastures over 12 weeks. The live weight gain varied between grazing cycles depending on the availability of feed-on-offer and feed quality, which were closely related to the rainfall pattern. The perennial pastures did not show any advantage in animal production over annual pastures during the experimental period due to lack of moisture in the deep soil profile because of severe drought in the previous year. More seasons with normal or above average rainfall are needed to compare animal production on perennial pastures and annual pastures to investigate the advantage of perennial pastures in animal production.
POTENTIAL AND CONSTRAINTS OF LITTLE BAG SILAGE FOR SMALLHOLDERS-RESULTS AND EXPERIENCES FROM HONDURAS
Authors: REIBER CHRISTOPH , SCHULTZE-KRAFT RAINER , PETERS MICHAEL , HOFFMANN VOLKER
Published: March 2009

Little bag silage (LBS) is seen as a low-cost alternative suitable for resource-poor smallholders to alleviate dry-season feed constraints. Within a research project carried out by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and partners in Honduras, LBS was tested and its use encouraged during farmer training and field days. The present study highlights the most relevant technological and socio-economic potential and constraints of LBS. Surveys and experimental results revealed great vulnerability of plastic bags to pests, particularly rodents, accompanied by high spoilage losses. The main constraints to wider adoption include availability of i) suitable and affordable plastic bags, and ii) appropriate chopping equipment and storage facilities on smallholder farms. LBS proved to be useful and could play an important role in participatory research and extension activities, as a demonstration, experimentation and learning tool that can be used to get small-scale silage novices started with a low-risk technology.
International Child Sex Tourism: A South African Perspective
Authors: Vrancken Patrick , Chetty Kasturi
Published: March 2009

After explaining the nature and extent of the problem of child sex tourism, this article identifies the relevant instruments of international law, before discussing the legal tools available in South Africa to deal with this issue.
Constitutional Mimicry and Common Law Reform in a Rights-Based Post-Colonial Setting: The Case of South Africa and Malawi
Authors: Banda Sibo
Published: March 2009

Competent courts in Malawi must, as courts have done in South Africa, undertake a radical path in order to enhance the common law position of distinct categories of persons. This article discusses judicial appreciation of the common law-changing function of a bill of rights and its associated values, and judicial understanding as to when such a function may be brought into play. The article examines approaches taken by courts in South Africa in determining the circumstances in which the South African Bill of Rights applies to private relationships, when private parties owe each other duties arising out of the Bill of Rights and the scope of a court's authority to amend the common law in that regard. The article projects the debate, analysis and critique of these approaches onto the Malawian legal landscape through a discussion of the tenant worker contracted on the Malawi private estate.
DOES FAMINE HAVE A LONG-TERM EFFECT ON COHORT MORTALITY? EVIDENCE FROM THE 1959–1961 GREAT LEAP FORWARD FAMINE IN CHINA
Authors: SONG SHIGE
Published: March 2009

Using retrospective individual mortality records of three cohorts of newborns (1954–1958, 1959–1962 and 1963–1967) from a large national fertility survey conducted in 1988 in China, this paper examines the effect of being conceived or born during the 1959–1961 Great Leap Forward Famine on postnatal mortality. The results show strong evidence of a short-term (period) effect of the famine, caused directly by starvation or severe malnutrition during the period of the famine. After controlling for period mortality fluctuation, however, the famine-born cohort does not show higher mortality than either the pre-famine or the post-famine cohort. Aggregate-level cross-temporal comparisons using published cohort population counts from China's 1982 Census, 1990 Census, 1995 micro-Census, 2000 Census and 2005 micro-Census lead to the same conclusion. The relevance of these new findings for the ‘fetal origins’ hypothesis and the selection effect hypothesis is discussed.
IQ AND THE VALUES OF NATIONS
Authors: KANAZAWA SATOSHI
Published: March 2009

The origin of values and preferences is an unresolved theoretical question in behavioural and social sciences. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis, derived from the Savanna Principle and a theory of the evolution of general intelligence, suggests that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel values and preferences (such as liberalism and atheism and, for men, sexual exclusivity) than less intelligent individuals, but that general intelligence may have no effect on the acquisition and espousal of evolutionarily familiar values. Macro-level analyses show that nations with higher average intelligence are more liberal (have greater highest marginal individual tax rate and, as a result, lower income inequality), less religious (a smaller proportion of the population believes in God or considers themselves religious) and more monogamous. The average intelligence of a population appears to be the strongest predictor of its level of liberalism, atheism and monogamy.
Focusing of a dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beam in a magnetoplasma
Authors: SODHA MAHENDRA SINGH , MISHRA S. K. , MISRA SHIKHA
Published: March 2009

This paper presents an analysis and subsequent discussion of the self focusing of a dark hollow Gaussian electromagnetic beam (HGB) in a magnetoplasma, considering ponderomotive and collisional nonlinearities. A paraxial-like approach, in which the relevant parameters are expanded in terms of radial distance from the maximum of the irradiance rather than that from the axis, has been adopted to analyze the propagation of the HGB. The nature of self focusing is highlighted through the critical curves as a plot of dimensionless radius versus power of the beam. The effect of the magnetic field and the nature of the nonlinearity on self focusing of various order HGBs has also been explored.
Hakka Chinese
Authors: Lee Wai-Sum , Zee Eric
Published: March 2009

Hakka Chinese is also known in China as Kejia dialect. The present study is based on phonetic data collected from native speakers of Hakka Chinese, male and female, aged between 18 and 22, during our field trips to Hakka-speaking Meixian County in the northeastern part of Guangdong Province in southeastern China in 2007. The speakers have lived all their life in Meijiang District of the county, speaking Meijiang variety which is considered representative of Meixian Hakka. The style of speech illustrated here is that typical of the educated younger generation and the recording is that of a 22-year-old male college student.
Luanyjang Dinka
Authors: Remijsen Bert , Manyang Caguor Adong
Published: March 2009

Dinka is a Western Nilotic language within the Nilo-Saharan family. There are over two million speakers (Gordon 2005). The Dinkas live along the banks of the White Nile and its tributaries in Southern Sudan. There are also communities elsewhere within Sudan, in particular in the capital Khartoum, and abroad. Cows play a key role in the Dinka economy, and also in the sociocultural system. Four major dialect areas are commonly distinguished: Padang, Rek, Agar, and Bor. The variety of Dinka represented here – Luanyjang or, as in Roettger & Roettger (1989), Luac – is part of the Rek dialect group. The term Luanyjang ‘Luac Dinka’ refers in the first place to a section within the Dinka ethnic group, and by extension also to their variety of the Dinka language. The main Luanyjang town is Wuncuei, located about 170 kilometers east of the city of Wau. Luanyjang has around 15000 speakers according to Ethnologue (Gordon 2005), although the current number is likely to be much higher.
Lengthened affricates as a test case for the phonetics–phonology interface
Authors: Pycha Anne
Published: March 2009

Many phonetic and phonological processes resemble one another, which has led some researchers to suggest that phonetics and phonology are essentially the same. This study compares phonetic and phonological processes of consonant lengthening by analyzing duration measurements collected from Hungarian speakers (n = 14). Affricates, which crucially possess a two-part structure, were placed in target positions. Results show that affricates regularly undergo phonetic lengthening at phrase boundaries, and the affected portion of the affricate is always that which lies closer to the boundary. Affricates also regularly undergo phonological lengthening when next to a geminating suffix, but the affected portion of the affricate is always the stop closure. Thus, while phonetic lengthening observes a strict respect for locality, phonological lengthening does not, and we conclude that the two processes are in fact quite different from one another.
A preliminary study of jaw movement in Arrernte consonant production
Authors: Tabain Marija
Published: March 2009

This study presents jaw movement data from Central Arrernte, an Australian Aboriginal language with six places of articulation in the stop series, including four coronal places of articulation. The focus of the study is on jaw consonant targets, and on the opening and closing movements of the jaw. As a point of comparison, data are also presented for English, a language with three places of articulation in the stop series. In line with previous results for English, jaw position in Arrernte is lowest for the velar /k/. The apico-post-alveolar (retroflex) /ʈ/, which is not found in English, has a jaw position almost as low as /k/. By contrast, the lamino-alveo-palatal /c/, which is also not found in English, has the highest jaw position. The remaining coronal consonants in Arrernte, /t/ (apico-alveolar and lamino-dental, respectively), show intermediate jaw positions, with differences between speakers. In terms of the kinematic measures examined (namely, variability in distance, duration and velocity of opening and closing movements), results show no consistent differences between English and Arrernte jaw movement.
Coronal contrasts in Anong
Authors: Thurgood Ela
Published: March 2009

This study examines acoustic characteristics of a three-way distinction among a set of voiceless coronal fricatives and two sets of voiceless coronal affricates in Anong, an endangered Tibeto-Burman language. The study shows a lack of parallelism between the fricative and affricate series. The fricatives are well differentiated by spectral shapes and formant transitions of the following vowels, but not by the center of gravity. The affricates are well differentiated by the center of gravity, but not by spectral shapes nor by formant transitions of the following vowels. The study shows that /ʂ/ is acoustically a retroflex, while /tʂʰ tʂ/ are not.
The contradictions of regionalism in North America
Authors: CAPLING ANN , NOSSAL KIM RICHARD
Published: March 2009

Students of regionalism almost reflexively include North America in their lists of regions in contemporary global politics. Inevitably students of regionalism point to the integrative agreements between the countries of North America: the two free trade agreements that transformed the continental economy beginning in the late 1980s – the Canada–US Free Trade Agreement that came into force on 1 January 1989, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, that came into force on 1 January 1994 – and the Secutity and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), launched in March 2005. These agreements, it is implied, are just like the integrative agreements that forge the bonds of regionalism elsewhere in the world. We argue that this is a profound misreading, not only of the two free trade agreements of the late 1980s and early 1990s and the SPP mechanism of 2005, but also of the political and economic implications of those agreements. While these integrative agreements have created considerable regionalisation in North America, there has been little of the regionalism evident in other parts of the world. We examine the contradictions of North America integration in order to explain why North Americans have been so open to regionalisation but so resistant to regionalism.
The Southern African security order: regional economic integration and security among developing states
Authors: HENTZ JAMES J.
Published: March 2009

Theories in international relations, predicated on particular assumptions, for explaining the relationship between regional economic integration and regional security miss the challenges to security in the developing world. Unlike the developed world, regional interdependence in much of the developing world engenders negative externalities. The relationship between regional economic integration and regional security depends on the nature of the security threats that define the region – traditional state vs state threats on one hand versus new security threats on the other hand. The nature of the security threat, or security dilemma, will determine how different forms of regional economic integration, laissez faire, functional, and developmental, define or re-define a particular regional security order. Building a ‘security community’ in the developing world, therefore, calls for new architectural principles. In the case of southern Africa, both, laissez faire (free trade area) and functional cooperation (spatial development initiatives) will foster insecurity rather than security.
The Commonwealth of Independent States: an example of failed regionalism?
Authors: KUBICEK PAUL
Published: March 2009

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was designed to manage the collapse of the Soviet Union and foster post-Soviet cooperation in political, economic, and security spheres. Over a decade into its existence, most analysts would rate it a failure: many post-Soviet states do not participate in CIS ventures, the institutional machinery of the CIS is weak, and Russia, the most dominant post-Soviet state, has tended to favour bi-lateral relationships over multi-lateral institutions. Why is this the case? This article looks at the CIS through the prism of theories of regionalism, demonstrating that the CIS was handicapped on many fronts, including emergent multi-polarity in the post-Soviet space and domestic-level political considerations in many post-Soviet states.
Collective alpha particle stopping for reduction of the threshold for laser fusion using nonlinear force driven plasma blocks
Authors: Malekynia B. , Ghoranneviss M. , Hora H. , Miley G.H.
Published: March 2009

The anomaly at laser plasma interaction at laser pulses of TW to PW power and ps duration led to a very unique generation of quasi-neutral plasma blocks by a skin layer interaction avoiding the relativistic self-focusing. This is in contrast to numerous usual experiments. The plasma blocks have ion current densities above 1011A/cm2and may be used for a fast ignition scheme with comparably low compression of the deuterium tritium (DT) fuel. The difficulty is that a very high energy flux densityE* of the ions is necessary according to the hydrodynamic theory (Bobin, 1971, 1974; Chu, 1972). This theory did not include the later discovered collective effect for the stopping power of the alpha particles. One problem is being discussed, whether the Bethe-Bloch binary collision theory or the collective collision theory of Gabor has to be applied. The inclusion of the collective effect results in a reduction of the threshold value ofE* for ignition by a factor of about fife.
Keynesian Uncertainty and the Weight of Arguments
Authors: Runde Jochen
Published: March 2009

In Chapter 12 of the General Theory, on “The State of Long-Term Expectation,” Keynes writes: “It would be foolish, in forming our expectations, to attach great weight to matters which are very uncertain” (CW VII, p. 148). In a footnote to this sentence, Keynes points out that by “very uncertain” he does not mean the same as “very improbable” and refers to the chapter on “The Weight of Arguments” in his earlier Treatise on Probability (CW VIII, pp. 77–85). The purpose of this article, in the first place, is to provide an account of, and to sort out the relations between, Keynes's views on probability, uncertainty, and the weight of arguments.
In Situ Hydride Formation in Zirconium and Titanium
during Ion Milling
Authors: Carpenter Graham J.C. , Jackman Jennifer A. , McCaffrey John P. , Alani Reza
Published: March 2009

Changes in microstructure of Zr, Ti, and Ti-6%Al-%V resulting
from ion-beam sputtering used to prepare samples for transmission
electron microscopy have been correlated with hydrogen absorption.
Zr was particularly sensitive to this phenomenon, resulting
in extensive hydride formation in thin foil samples. Hydrogen
enrichment extending to several micrometers in depth could also
be produced in bulk samples in a few hours of sputtering. The
performance of various sputtering units in different configurations
has been examined. It is concluded that hydride formation appears
to be caused primarily by the presence of hydrocarbons, for
example, from the backstreaming of diffusion pump oil, in the
residual vacuum background of the sputtering chamber.