bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enseñar a los jóvenes el respeto de la dignidad: Contribución del Movimiento Internacional de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja
Authors: Baeriswyl Édith
Published: January 2010

Los jóvenes son a menudo objeto de un interés particular en los análisis de la situación en los ámbitos humanitarios, social y político. Como «víctimas», la suerte que corren capta especialmente la atención, en nombre de esa vulnerabilidad que se les reconoce en todas las culturas del mundo — con variaciones importantes, claro está, en los límites del paso a la edad adulta. Como «grupo marginal» (esto es, los niños de la calle, los menores delincuentes, los no escolarizados, los ninos soldados, etc.), se trata a los jóvenes, según las circunstancias y el lugar, como víctimas, como seres irrecuperables o como verdugos. Por último, como «grupo controlado» (es decir, los que se benefician de una realidad social y/o escolar normal), los jóvenes son tanto más solicitados cuanto que los adultos se sienten desorientados frente a los interrogantes sobre los vertiginosos cambios de este fin de siglo; y que tratan de preparar lo mejor posible a las futuras generaciones para esos porvenires inciertos.
Las actividades de difusión en Bosnia-Herzegovina: Lo que hemos aprendido
Authors: Farrell Norman
Published: January 2010

El Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja (CICR) ha estado ayudando a las víctimas del conflicto en ex Yugoslavia desde junio de 1991. Seis años después, sus delegados siguen prestando servicios en la zona, ocupándose de las consecuencias a largo plazo del conflicto; pero, a medida que la situación ha ido evolucionando, también ha evolucionado la índole del trabajo que desempeñan. Esto es cierto sobre todo por lo que hace a las actividades de difusión, que comenzaron como un esfuerzo concertado para promover una mejor comprensión del derecho internacional humanitario y del cometido del CICR, pero que actualmente se han orientado hacia las necesidades de la situación postconflictiva. La finalidad del presente documento es describir y analizar el desarrollo de las actividades de difusión en el contexto actual. Pese a que las actividades del CICR durante el conflicto se centraron principalmente en Croacia y en Bosnia-Herzegovina, y a que se despliegan actividades de difusión similares en las dos regiones, el presente documento se centra en las de Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Instrucción a las fuerzas armadas para que respeten el derecho internacional humanitario: Perspectiva del delegado del CICR para las Relaciones con las Fuerzas Armadas y de Seguridad en Asia meridional
Authors: Roberts David Lloyd
Published: January 2010

En este artículo se trata brevemente el tema de la obligación jurídica de los Estados de respetar el derecho internacional humanitario y de instruir a las respectivas fuerzas armadas acerca de ese derecho. Se abordan, asimismo, las cuestiones prácticas que ello puede entrañar y cómo pueden resolverse o afrontarse. Se expondrá el enfoque adoptado por el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja (CICR) con respecto a la formación en general y el enfoque particular por lo que atañe a Asia meridional.
El Instituto Internacional de Derecho Humanitario (San Remo) y los cursos internacionales para militares sobre el derecho de los conflictos armados
Authors: Blais Giorgio
Published: January 2010

Una de las pocas instituciones en el mundo que pueden reunir a oficiales de todo el planeta que viven y trabajan juntos durante dos semanas, cada uno con su propio uniforme, es el Instituto Internacional de Derecho Humanitario de San Remo, en Italia.

Esta organización no gubernamental se fundó en 1970 para promover la difusión y el desarrollo del derecho internacional humanitario. La elección de la turística ciudad italiana de San Remo no fue casual, pues Alfredo Nobel pasó allí los últimos años de su vida y legó todas sus bienes a la causa humanitaria. La casa donde se alojó hasta su muerte es ahora la sede del Instituto Internacional de Derecho Humanitario.
El medio siglo de los Convenios de Ginebre
Authors: Sandoz Yves
Published: January 2010

"¿Hay que llorar por ello?, ¿hay que reír?, no tengo corazón para decirlo", cantaba el poeta y esta vacilación nos invade cuando se trata de celebrar el cincuentenario de los Convenios de Ginebra de 1949. No cabe duda de que hay momentos de alegría: la familia reunida, el prisionero repatriado, el mensaje familiar… pero la acción humanitaria parece muy escasa ante los sufrimientos que toda guerra despliega ante nuestros ojos. Entonces, ¿hay que cantar las virtudes de estos Convenios? o ¿hay que llorar por todo lo que no han podido impedir? Este dilema abrumará hasta su fin al derecho internacional humanitario: en realidad, no es posible alegrarse por sus éxitos en la medida en que es cierto que nunca se hará lo suficiente para mejorar la suerte que corren las víctimas de la guerra.
La influencia de los principios humanitarios en la negociación de tratados sobre limitación de armamentos
Authors: Mathews Robert J. , McCormack Timothy L.H.
Published: January 2010

En este centenario de la I Conferencia Internacional de la Paz de La Haya, es oportuno reflexionar sobre la influencia de los principios humanitarios en la negociación de tratados multilaterales sobre control de armamentos. Dos de los tres temas de la conferencia de 1899 fueron las leyes de la guerra (o derecho internacional humanitario) y el control de armas y el desarme. No cabe duda de que parte de la motivación de 1899, y ciertamente de la II Conferencia Internacional de la Paz de La Haya de 1907, al considerar estos dos temas, fue la preocupación humanitaria por aliviar el sufrimiento de las víctimas del conflicto armado2. Tras 100 años de elaboratión de leyes en ambos émbitos, el aniversario de 1999 es oportuno para evaluar hasta qué punto los principios humanitarios han seguido influyendo en los esfuerzos para regular los efectos de determinadas armas.
Reseña de los artículos de la RICR
Authors: Grossrieder Paul
Published: January 2010

Antes de tratar la cuestión planteada en el título del artículo, el autor examina el pasado y demuestra que el CICR ha podido no sólo adaptar el derecho internacional humanitario a nuevos retos, sino también encontrar nuevas maneras de abordar las cuestiones humanitarias que estén surgiendo últimamente. Tal fue el caso, por ejemplo, cuando las guerras dieron lugar a un enorme número de refugiados o cuando la causa de los detenidos políticos requirío una acción innovadora del CICR. La emergencia de los movimientos de liberación nacional planted problemas particularmente difíciles, peró en el sistema humanitario se encontraron situaciones en general satisfactorias. Hoy enfrentamos nuevas formas de conflictos en los que, cada vez més, participan actores no estatales. Tras examinar la naturaleza de los retos y discutir posibles respuestas a ellos, el autor concluye que sería trégico que nuestra época fuera incapaz de encontrarles una situatión adecuada.
Los retos del derecho y la acción humanitarios en el umbral del siglo XXI: una perspectiva africana
Authors: Nahum Fasil
Published: January 2010

Quizá nunca antes en la historia, y muy pocas veces en los tiempos modernos, ha estado la humanidad tan cerca y a la vez tan lejos de lograr sus objetivos humanitarios como lo está ahora. Esta paradoja se debe principalmente al hecho de que la humanidad se encuentra una vez más en una encrucijada. Por consiguiente, es necesario explorar las características sobresalientes tanto de dicha paradoja como de los retos que plantea ésta para el derecho y la acción humanitarios en el umbral del siglo XXI.
Lograr que el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja tenga mejor aceptación en el terreno
Authors: Tauxe Jean-Daniel
Published: January 2010

¿ Cómo es el "terreno" de nuestros días? Hoy, a finales de este siglo XX, se impone una primera evidencia, marcada por una multitud de conflictos con caracterí sticas muy diversas, pocos de los cuales pueden considerarse como conflictos internacionales. Sin embargo, subsisten aún en el mundo numerosos focos de tensiones interestatales o se desarrollan con ocasión de la emergencia de nuevos Estados. Por otra parte, no pocos conflictos internos sufren la influencia de nuevos parámetros a menudo no reconocidos desde el punto de vista juridico. Son precisamente éstos los que examinaremos en ste artículo.
Consolidación de la paz y prevención de la violencia: el papel de las organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales
Authors: Egeland Jan
Published: January 2010

Vivimos en una época de tendencias contradictorias de carácter único. Muchos sintetizan el período posterior a la guerra fria con una frase: aunque la amenaza inmediata es menor, la inseguridad es mucho mayor que nunca antes. Ya no tenemos miedo a una III Guerra Mundial inducida por las superpotencias pero estamos cada vez mas preocupados por los crecientes conflictos y tensiones sociales, para no mencionar las crisis del medio ambiente que surgen amenazadoras en el horizonte.
La brecha entre la acción humanitaria y la acción para el desarrollo
Authors: Moore Jonathan
Published: January 2010

Una de las cuestiones más importantes que se desprenden de la acción humanitaria es la separación o, si se quiere, la simbiosis no realizada entre la asistencia de emergencia y el desarrollo sostenible. El espacio entre estos ámbitos tradicionales puede denominarse rehabilitación (a falta de un mejor término; véase más adelante sobre el aspecto semántico) y corresponde a lo que experimentan en general países propensos a crisis asolados por la pobreza y desgarrados por el conflicto. Actualmente existen más de treinta de estos paí ses seriamente afectados por situaciones que las Naciones Unidas denominan "emergencias complejas". Estas emergencias se han multiplicado debido a la concurrencia de una serie de factores, entre los que figuran el final de la guerra fría, el desencadenamiento de hostilidades étnicas antes inhibidas, la proliferación de armas, el avance de la tecnología de la informatión, la erosión de la inviolabilidad de la soberanía, la persistencia del subdesarrollo, y el paso de tortuga de la democratizatión.
La política de separar la política de lo humanitario
Authors: Warner Daniel
Published: January 2010

"[P]ara vivir éticamente, tenemos que pensar y actuar políticamente". "[L]o humanitario y la política deben conservar la dinámica propia de cada uno para no comprometer la neutralidad y la imparcialidad de la actión. "Pese a llevarse a cabo en circunstancias muy politizadas, la actión humanitaria no debe ser política"
Testing dominance-diversity hypotheses using data from abandoned plantations and pastures in Puerto Rico and Ecuador
Authors: Myster Randall W.
Published: January 2010

Ecosystems have long been categorized by their function and structure (Odum 1953) and dominance and diversity are among the most common structural parameters measured in plant communities. The dominance of a plant species over another has been defined by having (1) more individual plants in a given sampling plot, (2) more collective biomass, or (3) greater cover (i.e. leaf area), but implicit in all definitions is a better ability to capture resources, grow and compete. Alternatively, diversity is a community-wide parameter encompassing both the raw number of species and the distribution of individual plants among them. Combining dominance and diversity together gives curves that show the distribution of abundances within a community (Whittaker 1965, Wilson 1991) and explore how these two aspects of structure relate to each other, change over time, and compare between communities separated in time or space. These curves are also effective in displaying contrasting patterns of species richness, highlighting differences in evenness among assemblages, and comparing species abundance patterns across communities (Magurran 2004). Indeed combining the dominance of particular species and the relative importance of that species within a community can suggest a ranking in competitive success and niche differentiation.
A study of argumentation-based negotiation in collaborative design
Authors: Jin Yan , Geslin Mathieu
Published: January 2010

Engineering of complex systems often involves teamwork. The members of an engineering team must work together to identify design requirements, explore design spaces, generate design alternatives, and make both interactive and joint design decisions. Because of the latency of information and the disciplinary differences, it is often a difficult process for the members of a team to reach agreements when needed. Negotiation has been studied as a method for facilitating information exchange, mutual understanding, and joint decision making. An argumentation-based negotiation approach was previously proposed by the authors to support collaborative engineering design. In this paper, we present an experiment study that was conducted to evaluate the impact of this negotiation support approach on the process and the outcome of collaborative design. The results of the experiment show both positive effects and limitations of the approach.
Automating the conceptual design process: “From black box to component selection”
Authors: Kurtoglu Tolga , Swantner Albert , Campbell Matthew I.
Published: January 2010

Conceptual design is a vital part of the design process during which designers first envision new ideas and then synthesize them into physical configurations that meet certain design specifications. In this research, a suite of computational tools is developed that assists the designers in performing this nontrivial task of navigating the design space for creating conceptual design solutions. The methodology is based on automating the function-based synthesis paradigm by combining various computational methods. Accordingly, three nested search algorithms are developed and integrated to capture different design decisions at various stages of conceptual design. The implemented system provides a method for automatically generating novel alternative solutions to real design problems. The application of the approach to the design of an electromechanical device shows the method's range of capabilities and how it serves as a comparison to human conceptual design generation and as a tool suite to complement the skills of a designer.
Learning symbolic formulations in design: Syntax, semantics, and knowledge reification
Authors: Sarkar Somwrita , Dong Andy , Gero John S.
Published: January 2010

An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to automate symbolic design reformulation is an enduring challenge in design automation. Existing research shows that design tools either require high levels of knowledge engineering or large databases of training cases. To address these limitations, we present a singular value decomposition (SVD) and unsupervised clustering-based method that performs design reformulation by acquiring semantic knowledge from the syntax of design representations. The development of the method was analogically inspired by applications of SVD in statistical natural language processing and digital image processing. We demonstrate our method on an analytically formulated hydraulic cylinder design problem and an aeroengine design problem formulated using a nonanalytic design structure matrix form. Our results show that the method automates various design reformulation tasks on problems of varying sizes from different design domains, stated in analytic and nonanalytic representational forms. The behavior of the method presents observations that cannot be explained by pure symbolic AI approaches, including uncovering patterns of implicit knowledge that are not readily encoded as logical rules, and automating tasks that require the associative transformation of sets of inputs to experiences. As an explanation, we relate the structure and performance of our algorithm with findings in cognitive neuroscience, and present a set of theoretical postulates addressing an alternate perspective on how symbols may interact with each other in experiences to reify semantic knowledge in design representations.
Space–time patterns ofCampylobacterspp. colonization in broiler flocks, 2002–2006
Authors: JONSSON M. E. , NORSTRÖM M. , SANDBERG M. , ERSBØLL A. K. , HOFSHAGEN M.
Published: January 2010

This study was performed to investigate space–time patterns ofCampylobacterspp. colonization in broiler flocks in Norway. Data on theCampylobacterspp. status at the time of slaughter of 16 054 broiler flocks from 580 farms between 2002 and 2006 was included in the study. Spatial relative risk maps together with maps of space–time clustering were generated, the latter by using spatial scan statistics. These maps identified the same areas almost every year where there was a higher risk for a broiler flock to test positive forCampylobacterspp. during the summer months. A modifiedK-function analysis showed significant clustering at distances between 2·5 and 4 km within different years. The identification of geographical areas with higher risk forCampylobacterspp. colonization in broilers indicates that there are risk factors associated withCampylobacterspp. colonization in broiler flocks varying with region and time, e.g. climate, landscape or geography. These need to be further explored. The results also showed clustering at shorter distances indicating that there are risk factors forCampylobacterspp. acting in a more narrow scale as well.
Risk factors for Japanese encephalitis: a case-control study
Authors: LIU W. , GIBBONS R. V. , KARI K. , CLEMENS J. D. , NISALAK A. , MARKS F. , XU Z. Y.
Published: January 2010

Japanese encephalitis (JE) has been found to be endemic in Bali, Indonesia. A case-control study was conducted to identify factors associated with JE infection. All 94 serologically confirmed JE cases (cases) and 163 cases of encephalitis or aseptic meningitis without JE (controls) identified in Bali during 2001–2004 were included in the study. Potential risk factors were surveyed at hospital admission. Univariate analyses revealed the following factors to be associated with JE: older age, referral from sub-district health centre or private hospital, playing outdoors after dinner, use of mosquito repellent or spraying, proximity of the residence to rice fields, and pig ownership by the family or next-door neighbours. Multivariate analysis identified proximity to rice fields (OR 2·93, 95% CI 1·57–5·45), pig ownership (OR 2·24, 95% CI 1·17–4·26), and older age (OR 1·21, 95% CI 1·09–1·33) as being independently associated with the risk of JE. Because rice cultivation and pig rearing are essential to the economy of Bali, JE immunization is the best intervention for prevention of JE in Bali.
An assessment of the effect of statin use on the incidence of acute respiratory infections in England during winters 1998–1999 to 2005–2006
Authors: FLEMING D. M. , VERLANDER N. Q. , ELLIOT A. J. , ZHAO H. , GELB D. , JEHRING D. , NGUYEN-VAN-TAM J. S.
Published: January 2010

Statins reduce cardiovascular mortality and related risks associated with pneumonia suggesting potentially beneficial use in influenza pandemics. We investigated the effect of current statin use on acute respiratory infections in primary care. Data from anonymized electronic medical records of persons aged ⩾45 years were examined for statin use, chronic morbidity, respiratory diagnoses, vaccination procedures, and immune suppression. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for statin users vs. non-users in respiratory infection outcomes. A total of 329 881 person-year observations included 18% statin users and 46% influenza vaccinees. Adjusted ORs for statin users vs. non-users were: influenza-like illness, 1·05 (95% CI 0·92–1·20); acute bronchitis, 1·08 (95% CI 1·01–1·15); pneumonia, 0·91 (95% CI 0·73–1·13); all acute respiratory infections, 1·03 (95% CI 0·98–1·07); and urinary tract infections, 0·91 (95% CI 0·85–0·98). We found no benefit in respiratory infection outcomes attributable to statin use, although uniformly higher ORs in non-vaccinated statin users might suggest synergism between statins and influenza vaccination.
Heterogeneity and penetration of HIV-1 non-subtype B viruses in an Italian province: public health implications
Authors: TORTI C. , LAPADULA G. , IZZO I. , BRINDICCI G. , LABBATE G. , QUIROS-ROLDAN E. , DIALLO I. , GARGIULO F. , CASTELNUOVO F. , CALABRESI A. , CAROSI G. , MANCA N. , MONNO L.
Published: January 2010

This study assessed changes in prevalence and distribution of HIV-1 non-subtype B viruses in Italian and immigrant patients over two decades in a province in Italy. All HIV-positive patients who underwent genotypic resistance testing were selected. Prevalence of non-subtype B viruses in 3-year periods was calculated. All sequences of non-subtype B and those provided by REGA as unassigned were analysed for phylogenetic relationships. In total, 250/1563 (16%) individuals were infected with a non-subtype B virus. Prevalence increased over time, reaching a peak (31·5%) in 2004–2006. In Italian patients, the most frequent subtypes were B (92·5%) and F1 (4%). F1 subtype was also prevalent in patients from South America (13·6%); in patients of African origin, CRF02_AG (54·9%) and G (12·3%) were the most frequent. HIV-1 non-subtype B infections in Italians were mostly found in patients who acquired HIV sexually. A phylogenetic relationship between F subtypes in Italian and representative HIV-1 sequences from Brazil was found. C subtypes in Italians were phylogenetically related to subtypes circulating in Brazil. Inter-subtype recombinants were also found in the latest years. The HIV-1 epidemic in Brescia province evolved to the point where about 1/3 patients recently diagnosed harboured non-B HIV subtypes. The distribution of HIV-1 non-B subtypes in Italian patients resembled that in South American patients and phylogenetic relatedness between some Italian and South American HIV-1 strains was found. The possible epidemiological link between these two populations would have been missed by looking only at risk factors for HIV acquisition declared by patients. The evidence of inter-subtype recombinants points to significant genetic assortment. Overall our results support phylogenetic analysis as a tool for epidemiological investigation in order to guide targeted prevention strategies.
Is it time to leave behind the Revised Hierarchical Model of bilingual language processing after fifteen years of service?
Authors: BRYSBAERT MARC , DUYCK WOUTER
Published: January 2010

The Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM) of bilingual language processing dominates current thinking on bilingual language processing. Recently, basic tenets of the model have been called into question. First, there is little evidence for separate lexicons. Second, there is little evidence for language selective access. Third, the inclusion of excitatory connections between translation equivalents at the lexical level is likely to impede word recognition. Fourth, the connections between L2 words and their meanings are stronger than proposed in RHM. And finally, there is good evidence to make a distinction between language-dependent and language-independent semantic features. It is argued that the Revised Hierarchical Model cannot easily be adapted to incorporate these challenges and that a more fruitful way forward is to start from existing computational models of monolingual language processing and see how they can be adapted for bilingual input and output, as has been done in the Bilingual Interactive Activation model.
The astrobiological case for our cosmic ancestry
Authors: Wickramasinghe Chandra
Published: January 2010

With steadily mounting evidence that points to a cosmic origin of terrestrial life, a cultural barrier prevails against admitting that such a connection exists. Astronomy continues to reveal the presence of organic molecules and organic dust on a huge cosmic scale, amounting to a third of interstellar carbon tied up in this form. Just as the overwhelming bulk of organics on Earth stored over geological timescales are derived from the degradation of living cells, so it seems likely that interstellar organics in large measure also derive from biology. As we enter a new decade – the year 2010 – a clear pronouncement of our likely alien ancestry and of the existence of extraterrestrial life on a cosmic scale would seem to be overdue.
Assessing genetic diversity in three wildBrachymystax lenokpopulations using AFLP markers
Authors: Di Wang , Shao-Wu Li , Ge-Feng Xu , Yang Liu , Zhen-Bo Mou , Tong-Yan Lu
Published: January 2010

The genetic diversities of 72 individuals from three wild Lenok populations of Mudanjiang River (MD), Yalujiang River (YL) and Wusulijiang River (WSL) in the northeast of China were analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The results showed that 541 polymorphic loci out of 559 were amplified by 12 primer pairs and the percentage of polymorphic loci was 96.78%. Shannon indices for the MD, YL and WSL populations were 0.3988±0.2913, 0.3254±0.3037, 0.2125±0.2862, respectively, and Nei's gene diversity indices were 0.2737±0.2062, 0.2229±0.2129, 0.1446±0.1985, respectively. The average total genetic diversity (Ht) was 0.3512±0.0.0208 and the average genetic diversity within populations (Hs) was 0.2137±0.0152. Among the three populations, the average genetic distance (Dst) was 0.1375 and the gene differentiation coefficient (Gst) was 0.3914. The genetic diversity was 60.85% within populations and 39.15% among populations. The gene flow index (Nm) was 0.7776. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the average fixation index (Fst) was 0.55336. The variance was 55.16% within populations and 44.84% among populations. The highest polymorphism ratio was in the MD group and the lowest in the WSL group.
Karyotyping ofBrassica oleraceaC genome using Brassica A genomic DNA as blocking agent
Authors: Xiao-Dan Chen , Li-Quan Zhu , Yong Wang , Xiao-Ying Rong , Jun Lu , Xiao-Jia Wang
Published: January 2010

In exploring an effective and reliable karyotyping method in Brassica crop plants,Brassica oleraceawas successfully karyotyped using genomicin situhybridization (GISH).B. oleraceagenomic DNA was labelled as probe using DIG-high prime mix kit, withB. rapagenomic DNA acting as blocking agent. Specific fluorescent signals were detected on each pair of homologous chromosomes, and nine pairs of chromosomes ofB. oleraceawere clearly identified according to the signal characteristics. A practical and accurate method for conducting karyotyping of small chromosomes has been demonstrated.
Collection and preservation of porcine polar bodies
Authors: Gong-Jin Wang , Xiao-Long Zhou , Xiao-Dong Tan , Jian-Ning Yu , Xiao-Bo Xu , Bi-Qin Fan
Published: January 2010

Mature porcine oocytes containing first polar bodies (Pb I) were obtained byin vitroculture of follicle oocytes from ovaries obtained from a local abattoir, and zygotes with second polar bodies (Pb II) were grown afterin vitrofertilization of the mature oocytes. Extrusion, biological activity and morphology of Pb I and Pb II were statistically analysed. Polar bodies were isolated and collected from oocytes by enzyme digestion or micromanipulation. Their vigour under different preservation conditions was analysed and evaluated using a Trypan blue staining method. The results showed that 66.7% of the oocytes extruded Pb I after 40 h ofin vitromature culture of oocytes, and 49.7% of the zygotes extruded Pb II 20 h afterin vitrofertilization. The efficiency of isolation of Pb II by micromanipulation significantly exceeded that by enzyme digestion, the Pb I and Pb II isolated by micromanipulation presenting with good vigour and normal morphology (95.3% versus 58.9%). The survival rates of Pb I and Pb II were 63.3% and 93.1% for 4 h at 39°C, 85.0% and 72.9% for 40 h at 4°C, and over 95.0% and 84.6% for less than 7 days at −20°C. In comparison with the above preservation conditions for Pb I and Pb II, the results for cryopreservation were best, with rates of survival as high as 89.1% for Pb I and 87.9% for Pb II for preservation periods of over a month, and rates of normal morphology of 97.8% and 95.7%, respectively. The Pb I and Pb II could be isolated and preserved effectively, for use in further research on the recombination of oocytes and zygotes.
Impact Factor, My Donkey!
Authors: Egerton Ray
Published: January 2010

No recent phenomenon in scientific publishing is more remarkable than the rise of the Impact Factor (IF). Once an obscure statistic devised by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), it has now assumed a prominent place in the minds of researchers and administrators.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Authors: Lyman Charles
Published: January 2010

In 2010, the world's largest annual microscopy meeting and instrument exhibition, Microscopy & Microanalysis, will be held August 1–5 in Portland, Oregon. This delightful meeting location was the site for our successful 1999 M&M meeting, and we return to Portland by popular demand.
Seasonal and interannual variability of the Columbia River plume: A perspective enabled by multiyear simulation databases
Authors: Burla Michela , Baptista António M. , Zhang Yinglong , Frolov Sergey
Published: January 2010

As integral capability within an end‐to‐end observatory for the Columbia River estuary‐plume‐shelf system, we routinely create simulation databases of 3‐D baroclinic circulation with unstructured grid models SELFE (Semi‐implicit Eulerian‐Lagrangian Finite Element) and ELCIRC (Eulerian‐Lagrangian Circulation). Here, 1999–2006 SELFE simulations are used to study plume variability at multiple temporal scales: interannual, seasonal, and event scale. Time series of plume metrics, together with climatology and anomalies of surface salinity, suggest that simulations usefully capture key features of plume dynamics. In particular, simulations capture seasonal variability around two known trends: a coastally attached northward winter plume and a detached southward summer plume. Results show significant interannual variability of the plume orientation and extent, with potential implications on the variability of productivity in the system. An empirical orthogonal function analysis confirms that a bidirectional plume is prevalent in summer, showing that the result holds true regardless of interannual variability. Short‐term bidirectional plumes, previously observed or modeled only in summer, can also occasionally develop in winter as a result of episodically strong upwelling‐favorable winds. Across years, the predominantly coastal attached northward plume in late fall and winter is found to separate frequently from the coast, during wind relaxation events or weak wind reversals. Multiple skill scores are used to evaluate the quality of the simulations against earlier circulation databases and data. Analysis of root‐mean‐square error and bias suggests overall superiority of SELFE‐generated over ELCIRC‐generated simulation databases, but the generality of the conclusions is limited by (1) models not being the only difference between simulation databases and (2) no model prevailing across all error metrics.
Iron silicides at pressures of the Earth's inner core
Authors: Zhang Feiwu , Oganov Artem R.
Published: January 2010

The Earth's core is expected to contain around 10 wt % light elements (S, Si, O, possibly C, H, etc.) alloyed with Fe and Ni. Very little is known about these alloys at pressures and temperatures of the core. Here, using the evolutionary crystal structure prediction methodology, we investigate Fe‐Si compounds at pressures of up to 400 GPa, i.e. covering the pressure range of the Earth's core. Evolutionary simulations correctly find that at atmospheric pressure the known non‐trivial structure with P213 symmetry is stable, while at pressures above 20 GPa the CsCl‐type structure is stable. We show that among the possible Fe silicides (Fe3Si, Fe2Si, Fe5Si3, FeSi, FeSi2 and FeSi3) only FeSi with CsCl‐type structure is thermodynamically stable at core pressures, while the other silicides are unstable to decomposition into Fe + FeSi or FeSi + Si. This is consistent with previous works and suggests that Si impurities contribute to stabilization of the body‐centered cubic phase of Fe in the inner core.
Seismic structure of the Longmen Shan region from S‐wave tomography and its relationship with the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake on 12 May 2008, southwestern China
Authors: Xu Yi , Li Zhiwei , Huang Runqiu , Xu Ya
Published: January 2010

Using arrival time data, we determined seismic structure of the Longmen Shan by S‐wave tomography and studied its relations with the Ms 8.0 earthquake in Wenchuan, southwestern China. Our results suggest that the Longmen Shan fault belt is a rheologic boundary between the eastern Tibetan plateau and the Sichuan basin, and the deep crust of the entire Longmen Shan is significantly thickened by ductile deformation. The upper structure of the eastern Tibetan plateau is cored by the high‐velocity Pengguan massif. Its collision with the Sichuan basin is the most direct reason for the seismic ruptures on the Longmen Shan fault belt north of Wenchuan, while the lack of earthquakes south of Wenchuan is related to the weakness of the crust. Therefore, The Ms 8.0 earthquake occurred in a strongly heterogeneous region. The variations in the crustal structure largely controlled the initial rupture of the Ms 8.0 earthquake and aftershock activity.
Off‐fault plasticity favors the arrest of dynamic ruptures on strength heterogeneity: Two‐dimensional cases
Authors: Hok S. , Campillo M. , Cotton F. , Favreau P. , Ionescu I.
Published: January 2010

We study the effects of a plastic behavior of the volume around the fault on in‐plane and anti‐plane 2D rupture dynamics. Both rupture modes exhibit similar answer to off‐fault yielding, in terms of modification of the kinematics of the rupture front, and in terms of energy lost outside the fault plane. We then compare the ability of the rupture to propagate through a barrier on the interface. The plastic behavior, responsible for a linear increase of the global fracture energy during dynamic crack growth, enhances the rupture front sensitivity to a static resistance increase on the fault. Consequently, the rupture arrest is more easily provoked in heterogeneous models that include a plastic yielding, even with relatively small variations of frictional resistance along the fault plane.
Creation of artificial ionospheric layers using high‐power HF waves
Authors: Pedersen T. , Gustavsson B. , Mishin E. , Kendall E. , Mills T. , Carlson H. C. , Snyder A. L.
Published: January 2010

We report the first evidence of artificial ionospheric plasmas reaching sufficient density to sustain interaction with a high‐power HF pump beam produced by the 3.6 MW High‐Frequency Active Auroral Program (HAARP) transmitter in Gakona, Alaska. The HF‐driven ionization process is initiated near the 2nd electron gyroharmonic at 220 km altitude in the ionospheric F region. Once the artificial plasma reaches sufficient density to support interaction with the transmitter beam it rapidly descends as an ionization wave to ∼150 km altitude. Although these initial artificial layers appear to be dynamic and highly structured, this new ability to produce significant artificial plasma in the upper atmosphere opens the door to a new regime in ionospheric radio wave propagation where transmitter‐produced plasmas dominate over the natural ionospheric plasma and may eventually be employed as active components of communications, radar, and other systems.
Performance of high‐resolution satellite precipitation products over China
Authors: Shen Yan , Xiong Anyuan , Wang Ying , Xie Pingping
Published: January 2010

A gauge‐based analysis of hourly precipitation is constructed on a 0.25° latitude/longitude grid over China for a 3 year period from 2005 to 2007 by interpolating gauge reports from ∼2000 stations collected and quality controlled by the National Meteorological Information Center of the China Meteorological Administration. Gauge‐based precipitation analysis is applied to examine the performance of six high‐resolution satellite precipitation estimates, including Joyce et al.'s (2004) Climate Prediction Center Morphing Technique (CMORPH) and the arithmetic mean of the microwave estimates used in CMORPH; Huffman et al.'s (2007) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation product 3B42 and its real‐time version 3B42RT; Turk et al.'s (2004) Naval Research Laboratory blended product; and Hsu et al.'s (1997) Precipitation Estimation From Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Network (PERSIANN). Our results showed the following: (1) all six satellite products are capable of capturing the overall spatial distribution and temporal variations of precipitation reasonably well; (2) performance of the satellite products varies for different regions and different precipitation regimes, with better comparison statistics observed over wet regions and for warm seasons; (3) products based solely on satellite observations present regionally and seasonally varying biases, while the gauge‐adjustment procedures applied in TRMM 3B42 remove the large‐scale bias almost completely; (4) CMORPH exhibits the best performance in depicting the spatial pattern and temporal variations of precipitation; and (5) both the relative magnitude and the phase of the warm season precipitation over China are estimated quite well, but the early morning peak associated with the Mei‐Yu rainfall over central eastern China is substantially under‐estimated by all satellite products.
A comparison between the effects of snow albedo and infiltration of melting water of Eurasian snow on East Asian summer monsoon rainfall
Authors: Souma Kazuyoshi , Wang Yuqing
Published: January 2010

The effect of Eurasian spring snow amount on East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) rainfall has previously been studied on the basis of both observations and numerical simulations. The results indicate that information on the Eurasian spring snow amount could be important for seasonal prediction of EASM rainfall. Although previous studies identified the effects of snow albedo and melting water of Eurasian snow on global climate, their individual contributions to the prolonged snow effect on early summer regional climate have not been evaluated quantitatively. In this study, the relative importance of the effects of snow albedo and snowmelt water over the Tibetan Plateau on the simulated EASM rainfall is investigated using a regional climate model. Three ensemble simulations were conducted. The first ensemble simulation considers the actual snow cover in the initial condition. The second ensemble simulation ignores the snow effect on the surface albedo in the radiation budget. The third ensemble simulation ignores the infiltration of snowmelt water. A detailed comparison of these simulations indicates that the albedo effect is significant and its effect on rainfall amount over the Yangtze River basin is about three times that of the effect of snowmelt water from May to June. The albedo effect decreased from July to August, while the effect of snowmelt water increased. Eventually, the difference between the two effects became insignificant. Overall, the snow albedo effect over the central and western Tibet appears to dominate the observed relationship between the spring snow anomaly and the EASM rainfall anomaly.
PRELIMINARY BASELINE SURVEY OF AVIFAUNAL DIVERSITY IN JIMMA ZONE, SOUTH-WESTERN ETHIOPIA
Authors: Yineger Haile , Hundera Kitessa , Abdu Bruktawit , Beyene Tifases , Ndungu' James Kuria , Sekercioglu Cagan Hakki , Honnay Olivier , Muys Bart , Aerts Raf , Lens Luc
Published: January 2010

Multidimensional poverty, which is deeply-rooted within least-developed African countries like Ethiopia, is forcing local people to heavily rely on natural resources for their subsistent livelihoods. As a result, remaining wilderness areas in tropical Africa which support huge but little known biological diversity, are subject to extensive habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation in turn causing loss of plant and animal species and ecosystem services provided by them. Coffee forest fragment within the Jimma Zone of Ethiopia cannot be expected to be an exception to such scenario. Taking this persistent problem into consideration, we carried out a preliminary survey of bird biodiversity in selected areas of Jimma Zone during a short term bird ringing training held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 20, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to identify and document bird species of Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia, for further in-debth ornithological studies. Survey data were collected through exhaustive observations in and around 10 coffee forest fragments in Garuke, one fragment in Eladale, one urban area site in Jimma town and in scrubland vegetation around Gilgel Ghibe hydropower reservoir, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia. In addition, five mist-nets were employed to capture understory forest birds in two purposively selected coffee forest fragments. Mist nets were opened at 5:50 A.M. and checked every 30 minutes until they were closed at 12:00 A.M. Over 196 bird species were identified during this survey and of these, 41 individuals belonging to 20 species were captured in Garuke and 23 individuals of 9 bird species in Eladale. Montane white-eye (Zosterops poliogastrus) followed by Olive sunbird (Nectarinia olivacea), Abyssinian slaty-flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus) and Rupell’s robinchat (Cossypha semirufa) were the most frequently captured bird species. Of the sites surveyed, Gilgel Ghibe hydropower reservoir had strikingly highest bird species diversity. We approached the reservoir almost in a constant site near Bulbul Kebele (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) and recorded over 115 bird species within about 300 meters distance! We learnt that this area was an important and most appropriate site to see a number of migrant and resident species as well as to undertake future bird ringing activities. We believe that the result of this survey will contribute much for the preparation of a comprehensive bird species checklist for Jimma Zone that could serve as important baseline information for more focused future ornithological investigations in the area so as to promote bird conservation through ecotourism activities and improve the livelihood of local people.
Life cycle characteristics of the Blue Morwong Nemadactylus valenciennesi, compared with those of other species of Cheilodactylidae
Authors: Coulson P. G. , Hesp S. A. , Potter I. C. , Hall N. G.
Published: January 2010

The demonstration by this study that the life cycle characteristics of the reef fish Nemadactylus valenciennesi differed markedly from those of other cheilodactylids led us to compare these differences and hypothesise on their evolutionary implications. The distribution, length and age compositions, growth and the length and age at maturity of N. valenciennesi in south-western Australian waters have been determined. The maximum age (21 years) of N. valenciennesi (maximum total length = 984 mm) is far less than those of the much smaller Cheilodactylus fuscus, Nemadactylus macropterus (both ~40 years) and Cheilodactylus spectabilis (97 years). Yet N. valenciennesi, N. macropterus and C. spectabilis mature at a similar young age (3–7 years). While, on the basis of data for other species, all three species mature at lengths consistent with their asymptotic lengths, the last two species mature at a far earlier age than would be predicted from their long life spans. The early attainment of maturity by N. macropterus and C. spectabilis may reflect a response to high juvenile mortality or constrained adult growth, whereas their long life spans could reflect a response to variable recruitment in the past or compensation for limited annual reproductive output due to very constrained adult growth.
An organellar maturase associates with multiple group II introns
Authors: Zoschke Reimo , Nakamura Masayuki , Liere Karsten , Sugiura Masahiro , Börner Thomas , Schmitz-Linneweber Christian
Published: January 2010

Bacterial group II introns encode maturase proteins required for splicing. In organelles of photosynthetic land plants, most of the group II introns have lost the reading frames for maturases. Here, we show that the plastidial maturase MatK not only interacts with its encoding intron within
trnK
-UUU, but also with six additional group II introns, all belonging to intron subclass IIA. Mapping analyses of RNA binding sites revealed MatK to recognize multiple regions within the
trnK
intron. Organellar group II introns are considered to be the ancestors of nuclear spliceosomal introns. That MatK associates with multiple intron ligands makes it an attractive model for an early
trans
-acting nuclear splicing activity.
A broad-spectrum antiviral targeting entry of enveloped viruses
Authors: Wolf Mike C. , Freiberg Alexander N. , Zhang Tinghu , Akyol-Ataman Zeynep , Grock Andrew , Hong Patrick W. , Li Jianrong , Watson Natalya F. , Fang Angela Q. , Aguilar Hector C. , Porotto Matteo , Honko Anna N. , Damoiseaux Robert , Miller John P. , Woodson Sara E. , Chantasirivisal Steven , Fontanes Vanessa , Negrete Oscar A. , Krogstad Paul , Dasgupta Asim , Moscona Anne , Hensley Lisa E. , Whelan Sean P. , Faull Kym F. , Holbrook Michael R. , Jung Michael E. , Lee Benhur
Published: January 2010

We describe an antiviral small molecule, LJ001, effective against numerous enveloped viruses including Influenza A, filoviruses, poxviruses, arenaviruses, bunyaviruses, paramyxoviruses, flaviviruses, and HIV-1. In sharp contrast, the compound had no effect on the infection of nonenveloped viruses. In vitro and in vivo assays showed no overt toxicity. LJ001 specifically intercalated into viral membranes, irreversibly inactivated virions while leaving functionally intact envelope proteins, and inhibited viral entry at a step after virus binding but before virus–cell fusion. LJ001 pretreatment also prevented virus-induced mortality from Ebola and Rift Valley fever viruses. Structure–activity relationship analyses of LJ001, a rhodanine derivative, implicated both the polar and nonpolar ends of LJ001 in its antiviral activity. LJ001 specifically inhibited virus–cell but not cell–cell fusion, and further studies with lipid biosynthesis inhibitors indicated that LJ001 exploits the therapeutic window that exists between static viral membranes and biogenic cellular membranes with reparative capacity. In sum, our data reveal a class of broad-spectrum antivirals effective against enveloped viruses that target the viral lipid membrane and compromises its ability to mediate virus–cell fusion.
Bacterial translation elongation factor EF-Tu interacts and colocalizes with actin-like MreB protein
Authors: Defeu Soufo Hervé Joël , Reimold Christian , Linne Uwe , Knust Tobias , Gescher Johannes , Graumann Peter L.
Published: January 2010

We show that translation initiation factor EF-Tu plays a second important role in cell shape maintenance in the bacterium
Bacillus subtilis
. EF-Tu localizes in a helical pattern underneath the cell membrane and colocalizes with MreB, an actin-like cytoskeletal element setting up rod cell shape. The localization of MreB and of EF-Tu is interdependent, but in contrast to the dynamic MreB filaments, EF-Tu structures are more static and may serve as tracks for MreB filaments. In agreement with this idea, EF-Tu and MreB interact in vivo and in vitro. Lowering of the EF-Tu levels had a minor effect on translation but a strong effect on cell shape and on the localization of MreB, and blocking of the function of EF-Tu in translation did not interfere with the localization of MreB, showing that, directly or indirectly, EF-Tu affects the cytoskeletal MreB structure and thus serves two important functions in a bacterium.