bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semiperiodic chirp sequences reduce autocorrelation side lobes of pulsed signals
Authors: Askeland Bjørn , Hobæk Halvor , Mjelde Rolf
Published: May 2008

A time-coded sequence of source pulses has been designed to allow for increased range to the target and reduced side-lobe energy with correlation. The method was designed for a new type of marine-combustion seismic source that can be fired repeatedly, but the method also can be applied to other acoustic-pulsed sources. The basic concept is that one can reduce autocorrelation side lobes by using semiperiodic sequences to concentrate much of the side-lobe noise into time intervals corresponding to the semiperiod. Signals can then be detected with better sensitivity in the time interval after the first autocorrelation peak and before the first periodic side lobe, because this interval contains only lower-level crosscorrelations between the sequence components. Compared with a source which fires pulses randomly, an 8-dB reduction of autocorrelation side lobes has been simulated for sequences of [Formula: see text] duration.
Randomized Phase III Trial Comparing Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection With One Course of Bleomycin and Etoposide Plus Cisplatin Chemotherapy in the Adjuvant Treatment of Clinical Stage I Nonseminomatous Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: AUO Trial AH 01/94 by the German Testicular Cancer Study Group
Authors: Albers Peter , Siener Roswitha , Krege Susanne , Schmelz Hans-Uwe , Dieckmann Klaus-Peter , Heidenreich Axel , Kwasny Peter , Pechoel Maik , Lehmann Jan , Kliesch Sabine , Köhrmann Kai-Uwe , Fimmers Rolf , Weiβbach Lothar , Loy Volker , Wittekind Christian , Hartmann Michael
Published: May 2008

Purpose

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and adjuvant chemotherapy are two adjuvant treatment options for patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis (NSGCT). Aim of this trial was to prove the advantage of one cycle of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy compared with RPLND in terms of recurrence.

Patients and Methods

Between 1996 and 2005, 382 patients were randomly assigned to receive either RPLND (n = 191) or one course of BEP (n = 191) after orchidectomy. The primary study end point was the rate of recurrence. The trial was powered to detect a 7% reduction (from 10% to 3%) of recurrence with chemotherapy compared with surgery.

Results

After a median follow-up of 4.7 years, two and 15 recurrences were observed in the intention-to-treat population with chemotherapy and surgery, respectively (P = .0011). The difference in the 2-year recurrence-free survival rate between chemotherapy (99.46%; 95% CI, 96.20% to 99.92%) and surgery (91.87%; 95% CI, 86.87% to 95.02%) was 7.59% (95% CI, 3.13% to 12.05%). The hazard ratio to experience a tumor recurrence with surgery as opposed to chemotherapy was 7.937 (95% CI, 1.808 to 34.48).

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the largest randomized trial investigating adjuvant treatment strategies in clinical stage I NSGCT, which showed the superiority of one course BEP over RPLND performed according to community standards to prevent recurrence. Although not standard treatment, one course of BEP is active in an unselected group of patients with clinical stage I disease and merits further investigation.
Where Does the Money Go? Best and Worst Practices in Foreign Aid
Authors: Easterly William , Pfutze Tobias
Published: May 2008

This paper does not address the issue of aid effectiveness—that is, the extent to which foreign aid dollars actually achieve their goals—but on “best practices” in the way in which official aid is given, an important component of the wider debate. First we discuss best practice for an ideal aid agency and the difficulties that aid agencies face because they are typically not accountable to their intended beneficiaries. Next we consider the transparency of aid agencies and four additional dimensions of aid practice: specialization, or the degree to which aid is not framgemented among too many donors, too many countries, and too many sectors for each donor); selectivity, or the extent to which aid avoids corrupt autocrats and goes to the poorest countries; use of ineffective aid channels such as tied aid, food aid, and technical assistance; and the overhead costs of aid agencies. We compare 48 aid agencies along these dimensions, distinguishing between bilateral and multilateral ones. Using the admittedly limited information we have, we rank the aid agencies on different dimensions of aid practice and then provide one final comprehensive ranking. We present these results as an illustrative exercise to move the aid discussion forward.
Oscillatory Traffic Flow Patterns Induced by Queue Spillback in a Simple Road Network
Authors: Nie Yu (Marco) , Zhang H. Michael
Published: May 2008

We study in this paper some consequences of queue spillback in a simple road network with a steady demand and provide exact formulas for traffic flow patterns. This one origin-destination pair, two-route network contains a diverge and a merge, and the interaction of queues formed at the merge produces several interesting traffic flow patterns, of which two types of oscillatory solutions are of particular interest. One of the oscillatory solutions is decaying, and the other is perfectly periodic. The latter resembles the stop-and-go pattern found in real-world traffic. Because a general road network usually contains many components like the simple network studied here, interaction of queues at junctions provides an alternative explanation to the formation of stop-and-go traffic.
The Stochastic Eulerian Tour Problem
Authors: Mohan Srimathy , Gendreau Michel , Rousseau Jean-Marc
Published: May 2008

This paper defines the stochastic Eulerian tour problem (SETP) and investigates several characteristics of this problem. Given an undirected Eulerian graph G = (V, E), a subset R (|R| = n) of the edges in E that require service, and a probability distribution for the number of edges in R that have to be visited in any given instance of the graph, the SETP seeks an a priori Eulerian tour of minimum expected length. We derive a closed-form expression for the expected length of a given Eulerian tour when the number of required edges that have to be visited follows a binomial distribution. We also show that the SETP is NP-hard, even though the deterministic counterpart is solvable in polynomial time. We derive further properties and a worst-case ratio of the deviation of the expected length of a random Eulerian tour from the expected length of the optimal tour. Finally, we present some of the desirable properties in a good a priori tour using illustrative examples.
“Earth’s Confiding Time”: Childhood Trust and Christian Nurture
Authors: Eberwein Jane Donahue
Published: May 2008

Although Dickinson experienced a well known crisis of non-conversion during the revivals of the late 1840s and early 1850s at Mount Holyoke and in Amherst’s First Church, exploration of child-rearing practices within her religious environment suggests that her parents may have followed advice found in John Abbott’s The Mother at Home and The Child at Home (both 1833), books that offered more hope for cultivating trust in God, love for Jesus, and a grateful disposition than a more conservative manual, Heman Humphrey’s Domestic Education (1840). Evidence in Dickinson’s adult letters and poems encourages speculation that her household environment had strengthened her to develop as a spiritually healthy child who found herself colliding against the revivalistic pressures of the Second Awakening at a time of life when even the most pious young person would face challenges moving toward mature faith. The conflict she experienced was not that of a graceless unbeliever refusing redemption but of a trusting Christian who felt herself betrayed by the church society around her and eventually even by her own family. Her crisis bore out Horace Bushnell’s incisive critique of that Calvinist revival culture in Views of Christian Nurture (1847), a highly controversial book when first published, but one that anticipated trends in religious education that became dominant after the Civil War. Although Dickinson’s mixed memories of church responses as a little girl and the ironic child persona who speaks in manyof her poems reflect a pained sense of exclusion, “I’m ceded - I’ve stopped being Their’s - ” (Fr353), “Papa above!” (Fr151), and “You left me - Sire - two Legacies - ” (Fr713) bespeak continuing faith rooted in childhood religious formation.
Herodotus and Sima Qian: History and the Anthropological Turn in Ancient Greece and Han China
Authors: Stuurman Siep
Published: May 2008

This article presents a comparative investigation of Herodotus and Sima Qian with a focus on their ethnographies of nomadic peoples. Both historians included geography
and ethnography in their works because their societies had reached a stage when it was
no longer possible to write their histories without taking the measure of their wider
environment. The author posits that frontiers are not just locations of “othering” but
also zones of creative interaction and regions in which it is possible to take the fi rst
steps toward an appraisal of the rationality of foreign cultures. Herodotus and Sima
Qian combined an incipient cultural relativism with notions of common humanity,
resulting in an anthropological turn, the representation of the cultures of “others” as
autonomous systems that must be judged on their own terms. Their anthropological
turn is connected to their conceptions of empire and the temporalities underpinning
their histories.
“Pygmies” of the Far North
Authors: Seaver Kirsten A.
Published: May 2008

A recurring issue in discussions about the medieval Norse in Greenland is the name
Skræling(j)ar (Skrælings) for the natives whom the eleventh-century Norse encountered
in North America. Grappling with this problem involves confronting the nineteenth-
century assumption that medieval people believed in a fl at world. The fact that
medieval people, including the Norse, took for granted a spherical world, on whose
unexplored fringes lived the monster races described in the medieval Christian canon,
is the key both to understanding how the Norse saw their North American experiences
and to the interpretation of oddities in several medieval and early Renaissance texts
and maps.
The State and Coordinated Capitalism: Contributions of the Public Sector to Social Solidarity in Postindustrial Societies
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo , Thelen Kathleen
Published: May 2008

This article investigates the politics of change in coordinated market econo\mies, and explores why some countries (well known for their highly cooperative arrangements) manage to sustain coordination when adjusting to economic transformation, while others fail. The authors argue that the broad category of “coordinated market economies” subsumes different types of cooperative engagement:macrocorporatutforms of coordination are characterized by national-level institutions for fostering cooperation and feature a strong role for the state, while forms of coordination associated withenterprise cooperationmore typically occur at the level of sector or regional institutions and are often privately controlled. Although these diverse forms of coordination once appeared quite similar and functioned as structural equivalents, they now have radically different capacities for self-adjustment.

The role of the state is at the heart of the divergence among European coordinated countries. A large public sector affects the political dynamics behind collective outcomes, through its impact both on the state's construction of its own policy interests and on private actors' goals. Although a large public sector has typically been written off as an inevitable drag on the economy, it can provide state actors with a crucial political tool for shoring up coordination in a postindustrial economy. The authors use the cases of Denmark and Germany to illustrate how uncontroversially coordinated market economies have evolved along two sharply divergent paths in the past two decades and to reflect on broader questions of stability and change in coordinated market economies. The two countries diverge most acutely with respect to the balance of power between state and society; indeed, the Danish state—far from being a constraint on adjustment (a central truism in neoliberal thought)—plays the role of facilitator in economic adjustment, policy change, and continued coordination.
Ideas, Networks, and Islamist Movements: Evidence from Central Asia and the Caucasus
Authors: Collins Kathleen
Published: May 2008

Two major questions are seldom addressed in the literature on Islamism and opposition social movements more generally: (1) what explains the relative success or failure of Islamist groups in mobilizing a social base and (2) what role do Islamist ideas play in attracting support. Islamist movements vary significantly in their origins, leadership, ideas, and strategies. In answering these important questions, this article offers three main propositions: that under certain conditions, Islamism can emerge as a powerful idea that generates social appeal; that to be successful, Islamist organizations must develop a local Islamist ideology that suits the local social base, rather than tie themselves to a global Islamist agenda,; and that in authoritarian contexts, especially where open mobilization is forbidden, inclusive informal social networks are an essential mechanism for spreading Islamist ideas and protecting group members. Nonetheless, there are limitations to an Islamist movements ability to grow and bring about political change. The article contributes to an understanding of Islamism and, more broadly, to an understanding of why and how opposition movements emerge and mobilize under authoritarian regimes. The article develops these propositions in a comparative examination of three Islamist groups active in the Central Asian and south Caucasus regions of the former Soviet Union (FSU): Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (HT), the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRP), and the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA).
Courts and Judges in Authoritarian Regimes
Authors: Solomon Peter H.
Published: May 2008

The establishment of constitutional review in transitional and nondemocratic regimes has drawn attention to courts in nondemocratic states. Typically, authoritarian leaders treat law and courts in an instrumental fashion and try to keep judges dependent and responsive to their desires. The three books under review reveal the sophisticated ways that this is achieved, including the development ofjudicial bureaucracies and the cultivation of apolitical judges, and how the empowerment ofjudges tends to produce power that is contingent and easily withdrawn. The leaders of established authoritarian regimes do empower judges, if only to gain legitimacy for the regime and keep its officials accountable, but sometimes at a cost to judicial independence. The mixture of independence, power, and accountability ofjudges in authoritarian states differs from what is found in democratic ones, and informal practices often determine the meaning of judicial power. These patterns have serious consequences for legal transition.
The Relationship Between Student Psychological Wellbeing, Behaviour and Educational Outcomes: A Lesson From the MindMatters Plus Demonstration Schools
Authors: Anderson Sarah
Published: May 2008

The aim of the MM+ initiative is to build the capacity of secondary schools to ensure optimal outcomes of students with high needs in the area of mental health. This is important for many reasons including the fact that poor psychological wellbeing in students has been found to lead to behavioural difficulties at school that can then serve as obstacles to learning and further development. Therefore, it is important for schools to focus on supporting students with high mental health needs in order to improve student wellbeing, behaviour and academic potential. The following article discusses the research findings in regard to these relationships. These findings are also examined within a discussion of how schools can help to improve emotional and behavioural problems from within the classroom, including tips about how this was achieved by the MindMatters Plus demonstration schools.
Neutron Response Function for BC-523A Scintillation Detector in the Energy Range 0.5 MeV to 20 MeV
Authors: Cvachovec J. , Cvachovec F. , Ošmera B. , Pošta S.
Published: May 2008

In the paper, the physical model of a doped scintilator is described. The Monte Carlo type code NEU-7 [Cvachovec, Cvachovec, and Tajovsky, Nucl. Math. Inst. Phys. Res. A, Vol. 476, 2002, pp. 200–202], which was created for a NE-213 and stilben type scintillators containing also hydrogen and carbon only, was extended for scintillators containing 10B, 11B, and O also.

The modified NEU-7 code is called NEUB-7, and with it the response function for scintilator BC-523A doped with 4.41 % 10B was calculated. The dimensions of the cylindrical scintilator are 5 × 6 in.2, corresponding to the real detector. The created response matrix was implemented in the unfolding code with the maximum likelihood method.
A Simplified Modeling Approach for Predicting Global Distortion in Large Metallic Parts Caused by the Installation of Interference Fit Bushings
Authors: Widdle Richard D. , Firth Lee C. , Reed Paul W.
Published: May 2008

One technique for improving the fatigue life of a fastener hole in a built-up metallic structure is to use an interference fit bushing. The installation of these bushings produces residual compressive stresses around the hole that improve the fatigue life. It also causes residual strains and therefore distortion of the part. The distortion is both in-plane growth of the part and out-of-plane deflection, or cupping. The resulting distortion can cause difficulty in downstream assembly, such as misalignment of fastener holes or a misfit of mating surfaces. For small parts with only a few bushings, it is possible to predict the distortion by explicitly modeling the installation process by using a finite element approach. However, for a large part with many bushings, it is not practical to build a model with a detailed finite element representation of each bushing installation. In this work, a simplified approach is presented for predicting the global distortion of large shell-like parts that is caused by installing many interference fit bushings. The simplified approach consists of representing the bushings with equivalent springs in a shell-based finite element model of a large part. In this approach, the equivalent springs are not constructed with spring elements that are commonly found in finite element codes. Rather, the equivalent springs are constructed with a number of shell elements in two layers. The properties of the elements that make up the equivalent springs are estimated from experiments on small test coupons. The same springs, with the same calibrated parameters, are then applied to the larger part of interest. Results indicate that this approach can be used to estimate the distortion that can be expected in a large part that is cause by the installation of interference fit bushings.
The Chromosome 11 Region From Strain 129 Provides Protection From Sex Reversal in XYPOS Mice
Authors: Nikolova Ganka , Sinsheimer Janet S , Eicher Eva M , Vilain Eric
Published: May 2008

C57BL/6J (B6) mice containing the Mus domesticus poschiavinus Y chromosome, YPOS, develop ovarian tissue, whereas testicular tissue develops in DBA/2J or 129S1/SvImJ (129) mice containing the YPOS chromosome. To identify genes involved in sex determination, we used a congenic strain approach to determine which chromosomal regions from 129Sl/SvImJ provide protection against sex reversal in XYPOS mice of the C57BL/6J.129-YPOS strain. Genome scans using microsatellite and SNP markers identified a chromosome 11 region of 129 origin in C57BL/6J.129-YPOS mice. To determine if this region influenced testis development in XYPOS mice, two strains of C57BL/6J-YPOS mice were produced and used in genetic experiments. XYPOS adults homozygous for the 129 region had a lower incidence of sex reversal than XYPOS adults homozygous for the B6 region. In addition, many homozygous 129 XYPOS fetuses developed normal-appearing testes, an occurrence never observed in XYPOS mice of the C57BL/6J-YPOS strain. Finally, the amount of testicular tissue observed in ovotestes of heterozygous 129/B6 XYPOS fetuses was greater than the amount observed in ovotestes of homozygous B6 XYPOS fetuses. We conclude that a chromosome 11 locus derived from 129Sl/SvImJ essentially protects against sex reversal in XYPOS mice. A number of genes located in this chromosome 11 region are discussed as potential candidates.
Intravascular Volume Administration: A Contributing Risk Factor for Intracranial Hemorrhage During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation?
Authors: de Mol Amerik C. , Gerrits Luella C. , van Heijst Arno F. J. , Straatman Huub , van der Staak Frans H. J. M. , Liem Kian D.
Published: May 2008

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the frequency and total volume of intravascular volume administration and the development of intracranial hemorrhage during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

METHODS. In a retrospective, matched, case-control study, 24 newborns who developed an intracranial hemorrhage during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment were compared with 40 control subjects. Both groups were analyzed for gestational age, gender, race, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, birth weight, cardiopulmonary resuscitation before venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, age at the start of treatment, duration of treatment, worst arterial blood gas sample preceding treatment, activated clotting time values, need for platelet transfusions, mean blood pressure, and the use of inotropics and steroids before the treatment. For both groups, total number and volume of intravascular infusions of normal saline, pasteurized plasma protein solution, erythrocytes, and platelets during the first 24 hours of treatment were determined. Variables were analyzed in their relationship to intracranial hemorrhage by using univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS. The only statistically significant difference in patient characteristics between the case patients and control subjects was arterial blood gas values. Newborns who developed intracranial hemorrhage during the treatment received both a statistically significantly higher number and a statistically significantly higher total volume of intravascular volume administrations compared with control patients. After adjustment for pH, Paco2, and Pao2 in the multivariate analysis, we found a significant relation between the development of intracranial hemorrhage and >8 infusions or >300 mL of volume infusion in the first 8 hours and >10 infusions in the first 24 hours of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS. The number and total volume of intravascular volume administration in the first 8 and 24 hours of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment are statistically significantly related to the development of intracranial hemorrhage.
Identification of mycobacterial infections in wild boars in Northern Sardinia, Italy
Authors: Zanetti Stefania , Bua Alessandra , Molicotti Paola , Delogu Giovanni , Mura Antonio , Ortu Silvia , Sechi Leonardo
Published: May 2008

During a six-month period a region of Northern Sardinia was monitored to check the presence of mycobacterial infections in wild boars. Forty-eight serum and 229 biopsy samples were collected from different animals and examined by both traditional diagnostic techniques (culture, bacterioscopic and molecular tests) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The latter was used to determine the antibody response against both methylated and nonmethylated Heparin-Binding Haemagglutinin (HBHA) protein. Nine mycobacterial strains were isolated: three
M. avium
ssp.
paratuberculosis
(Map), three
M. avium
, one
M. interjectum
and two
M. scrofulaceum
strains. By PCR, only one animal was positive for
M. bovis
, whereas 10 animals were positive for Map. Out of the 48 sera tested, 19 showed a good humoral response to methylated HBHA and 17 to nonmethylated HBHA. Our data provide new information on the prevalence of mycobacterial infection among wild boars in Northern Sardinia and suggest that a more effective program should be developed to monitor mycobacterial infections in the wild animal population.
Breeding for scrapie resistance in the Hungarian sheep population
Authors: Fésüs László , Zsolnai Attila , Anton István , Sáfár László
Published: May 2008

The first results of the Hungarian sheep prion protein (PrP) genotyping programme are discussed in this paper. To obtain initial genotype frequency data 10 commercial (Hungarian Merino, German Mutton Merino, Merino Landschaf, German Blackheaded, Suffolk, Texel, Ile de France, Charollais, Lacaune, British Milksheep) and 4 indigenous (Gyimes Racka, Hortobágy Racka, Tsigaja, Cikta) breeds were sampled in 2003 and 2004, and the PrP genotypes were determined by microsequencing analysis with capillary electrophoresis. In all commercial breeds, a higher number of sheep were genotyped in 2005 (3648) and in 2006 (3834) within the breeding programme to increase scrapie resistance, and the estimated frequency data were compared to the initial figures to evaluate the efficiency of selection. The new developments arising from the identification of the so-called ‘atypical’ scrapie cases are also discussed.
Effect of Different Levels of Fine-Sediment Loading on the Escapement Success of Rainbow Trout Fry from Artificial Redds
Authors: Fudge Thomas S. , Wautier Kerry G. , Evans Robert E. , Palace Vince P.
Published: May 2008

Increased sedimentation from logging operations can affect water flow over salmonid redds, potentially impairing embryonic development in incubating eggs and fry. Effects may result from reduced oxygen delivery or waste removal or from physical entrapment of fry by sediment cap formation. A system of artificial redds was used to examine the effects of varying loads of mixed fine sediments on the escapement success of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry. Replicates of 80 eyed rainbow trout eggs were seeded in redds loaded with low (11.8%), medium (21.2%), high (28.6%), or no (0%) additional fine sediments. Interstitial oxygen saturation was determined in each chamber throughout incubation and emergence. Total percent emergence, residual yolk sac remaining, prevalence of deformities, and condition factor were determined in emergent fry. Fry began to emerge at 507.6 degree-days postfertilization, and overall emergence was more than 70% in all treatment levels. Emergence rate patterns approximated a normal distribution in all treatment groups except for the high-sediment-loaded redds. Emergence of fry from the high-sediment-load chambers was greater initially and exhibited a slower, more continuous pattern. The formation of a sediment cap in the redds with high-sediment loading appears to have significantly altered the emergence pattern of developing fry. Mean oxygen saturation was more than 79% in all groups and was not correlated to sediment load. Residual yolk was not different among fry from any of the groups throughout the emergence period. Fry condition factor decreased significantly over the sampling period, but there were no statistically significant differences among treatments.
Venous Thromboembolic Events and Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents: An Update
Authors: Dicato Mario
Published: May 2008

Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) are frequent in cancer patients because of the effects of malignant disease, its treatment, and comorbidities. The higher risk for VTEs associated with the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) appears to be a class effect but may be particularly pronounced when these agents are used in patients who are not anemic at baseline and/or to achieve hemoglobin targets higher than those recommended in current labeling. Particular attention should be taken to assess the balance of risks and benefits in patients with a history of thromboembolism. If the goal of treatment of patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia is aimed to raise the hemoglobin level to 12 g/dl, and is confined to that, ESA-induced VTEs should rarely be a problem.
Constant rate of displacement test on ultra-soft soil
Authors: Bo M. W. , Wong K. S. , Choa V.
Published: May 2008

The step-loading consolidation test with hydraulic Rowe cell on ultra-soft soil takes several weeks to obtain a complete e–log σ′v, curve. An alternative method is to conduct the test at a constant rate of strain. This test can be carried out with the hydraulic Rowe cell by pumping water into the diaphragm cell at a constant rate of volume. A series of tests were carried out at various strain rates. A method is proposed for the selection of a suitable strain rate based on the estimated compression index. The best strain rate for the soil used in this study is 0·01%/min. The various compression indices at the different log-cycles can be determined from the e–log σ′vcurve obtained from this test. The large-strain coefficient of consolidation and permeability at various times and stresses can also be obtained, because the settlement and pore pressure are measured during the test.
ALTERATION OF SEAGRASS SPECIES COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION OVER TWO DECADES
Authors: Micheli Fiorenza , Bishop Melanie J. , Peterson Charles H. , Rivera José
Published: May 2008

Changes in the species composition and structural characteristics of marine vegetated habitats in response to climate change or local anthropogenic impacts may alter their quality as habitat for associated fish and invertebrates. Summer densities and biomass of the eelgrass, Zostera marina, declined significantly between 1985 and 2004 in Bogue Sound, North Carolina, USA, within the present‐day zone of biogeographic overlap in the distribution of this subtidal temperate species and the intertidal subtropical seagrass, Halodule wrightii. Zostera decline was associated with increased spring water temperatures and water nutrient concentrations. In contrast, Halodule did not exhibit a consistent trend of temporal change. Experimental seagrass transplants indicated that Halodule has the capacity to grow at depths greater than it currently occupies, suggesting that Halodule might, over time, replace Zostera. The abundance and diversity of infaunal invertebrates were lower in seagrass beds dominated by Halodule than in those dominated by Zostera or mixtures of the two species, suggesting that changing seagrass species composition affects associated faunal assemblages. Experimental deployment of artificial seagrass patches mimicking the structure of the two species showed that both depth and structural characteristics of seagrass explain differences in faunal assemblages. Epifaunal community structure differed significantly between structurally identical seagrass mimics deployed in intertidal and subtidal habitat, and invertebrates and fishes were significantly more abundant in artificial Zostera than Halodule patches at one of the two study sites. Synthesis of these results suggests that, in the event of continued Zostera loss, with or without replacement by Halodule, important habitat functions will be lost, and secondary productivity of these lagoonal ecosystems may significantly decrease.
An analytic equation of state based on analytic mean-field potential approach and application to three phases of metallic Zirconium
Authors: Tian Ronggang , Sun Jiuxun , Yang Wei , Xue Xinying , Yu Fei
Published: May 2008

The analytic mean-field approach (AMFP) was applied to study the thermodynamic properties of Zirconium (Zr). The analytic expressions for the Helmholtz free energy, internal energy and equation of state have been derived. The formalism for the case of the Morse potential is used in this work. The four potential parameters are determined by fitting the molar volume of the three phases of Zr. The calculated molar volume of α, β and ω Zr are in fairly good agreement with the available experimental data. The results presented in this paper verify that the AMFP is a useful approach to study the thermodynamic properties of Zr. Furthermore, we predict the variation of the relationship of free energy and internal energy versus the molar volume at various temperatures and the dependence of the bulk modulus, the thermal expansion coefficient and the heat capacity on temperature at zero pressure of α, β and ω Zr.
Tribological properties of paraffin oil doped with liquid crystalline mezogenes
Authors: Ważyńska B. , Okowiak J. , Kołacz S. , Małysa A.
Published: May 2008

The paper presents description and analysis of the results obtained in the investigation performed on a disc-ball tribotester T-11. Samples of 100Cr6 steel were tested, while as lubricant the mixtures of paraffin oil, with addition of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% of liquid crystalline compounds, from two homologous series defined with nOBCAB and nCBB symbols, were used. The friction force and wear of a sample and a counter-sample were measured. The improvement in tribological and anti-wear properties was found for all mixtures in relation to paraffin oil. The best tribological properties and the best wearability were obtained for mixtures with a compound 8CBB. This compound differs from the others in formation of different liquid crystalline phases.
Sequential convergences on MV-algebras without Urysohn’s axiom
Authors: Jakubík Ján
Published: May 2008

In a previous author’s paper, sequential convergences on an MV-algebra have been studied; the Urysohn’s axiom was assumed to be valid. The system of all such convergences was denoted by Conv . In the present paper we investigate analogous questions without supposing the validity of the Urysohn’s axiom; the corresponding system of convergences is denoted by conv . Both Conv and conv are partially ordered by the set-theoretical inclusion. We deal with the properties of conv 289-6 and the relations between conv and Conv . We prove that each interval of conv is a distributive lattice. The system conv has the least element, but it does not possess any atom. Hence it is either a singleton set or it is infinite. We consider also the relations between conv and conv G, where (G, u) is a unital lattice-ordered group with = Γ (G, u).
Asymptotic formulas for certain arithmetic functions
Authors: Garaev M. , Kühleitner M. , Luca F. , Nowak W.
Published: May 2008

This is an extended summary of a talk given by the last named author at the Czecho-Slovake Number Theory Conference 2005, held at Malenovice in September 2005. It surveys some recent results concerning asymptotics for a class of arithmetic functions, including, e.g., the second moments of the number-of-divisors function d(n) and of the function r(n) which counts the number of ways to write a positive integer as a sum of two squares. For the proofs, reference is made to original articles by the authors published elsewhere.
Registration of ‘Alice’ Wheat
Authors: Ibrahim A. M. H. , Haley S. D. , Baenziger P. S. , Jin Y. , Langham M. A. C. , Rickertsen J. , Kalsbeck S. , Little R. , Ingemansen J. , Chung O. K. , Seabourn B. W. , Bai G. H. , Chen Ming-Shun , McVey D. V.
Published: May 2008

‘Alice’ (Reg. No. CV‐1023, PI 644223) hard white winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2006 to seed producers by the developing institution and the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. Alice was selected from the cross ‘Abilene’ (PI 511307)/‘Karl’ (PI 527480) made in 1992 at Brookings, SD. Alice was selected as an F4:5 line (F4–derived line in the F5 generation) in 1997 and was assigned experimental line number SD97W609. Alice was released on the basis of its white grain color, earliness, excellent bread baking quality, good preharvest sprouting tolerance, and high yield performance in rainfed production systems in South Dakota and the northern Great Plains, including Nebraska. Alice was named to honor Alice Wright, administrative assistant for the South Dakota Wheat Commission for 23 yr.
Registration of ‘Darrell’ Wheat
Authors: Ibrahim A. M. H. , Haley S. D. , Baenziger P. S. , Jin Y. , Langham M. A. C. , Rickertsen J. , Kalsbeck S. , Little R. , Ingemansen J. , Chung O. K. , Seabourn B. W. , Bai G. H. , Chen Ming-Shun , McVey D. V.
Published: May 2008

‘Darrell’ (Reg. No. CV‐1024, PI 644224) hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by the South Dakota State University–Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2006 to seed producers by the South Dakota State University–Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. Darrell was selected from the cross 2076‐W12‐11/‘Karl 92’ (PI 564245)//NE89526. NE89526 is an experimental line from the University of Nebraska with the pedigree ‘Lancota’ (CI 17389) selection/‘Siouxland’ (PI 483469)//TX792729. 2076‐W12‐11 is an unreleased experimental line that originated from a population with an unidentified pedigree. Darrell was selected as an F3:4 line in 1998 and was assigned experimental line number SD98102. Darrell was released on the basis of its good disease resistance and excellent yield potential in the northern Great Plains.
Registration of NDBS11(FR‐M)C3, NDBS1011, and NDBSK(HI‐M)C3 Maize Germplasm
Authors: Carena M. J. , Eno C. , Wanner D.D.
Published: May 2008

NDBS11(FR‐M)C3 (Reg. No. GP‐554, PI 650887), NDBS1011 (Reg. No. GP‐555, PI 650888), and NDBSK(HI‐M)C3 (Reg. No. GP‐556, PI 650889), are three new maize (Zea mays L.) populations that serve as new sources for inbred line development targeted at 85‐95RM hybrids. They were developed by the North Dakota State University maize breeding program and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (NDAES) in February 2007. NDBS11(FR‐M)C3 derived from BS11(FR)C13 and three cycles of stratified mass selection for earliness in North Dakota. NDBS1011 was developed from BS10(FR)C13 × BS11(FR)C13 and four cycles of stratified mass selection for earliness in North Dakota. NDBSK(HI‐M)C3 derived from BSK(HI)C11 and three cycles of stratified mass selection for earliness in North Dakota. Cycle populations were evaluated across nine North Dakota environments in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Stratified mass selection was confirmed to be an effective and inexpensive method for adapting populations (e.g., 2 d year−1) and also was demonstrated to produce significant positive correlated responses in economically important traits (e.g., 0.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Preliminary diallel studies suggested that NDBSK(HI‐M)C3 shares the same heterotic group as BS22(R‐T)C8 and NDSAB(MER‐FS)C14 (e.g., early SSS), while NDBS11(FR‐M)C3 shares the same group with BS21(R‐T)C8, LEAMING(F‐S)C6, and CGL(S1‐S2)C5 (e.g., early non SSS). NDBS1011 seems to belong to an alternative heterotic group.
A submerged membrane reactor for continuous phenol hydroxylation over TS‐1
Authors: Lu Changjuan , Chen Rizhi , Xing Weihong , Jin Wanqin , Xu Nanping
Published: May 2008

Coupling a heterogeneous catalytic reaction with a membrane separation can solve the problem concerning catalyst separation in situ from the reaction mixture and make the production process continuous. In this article, the feasibility of continuous hydroxylation of phenol to hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CA) over ultrafine TS‐1 catalyst in a submerged ceramic membrane reactor system is investigated. It has demonstrated that the submerged ceramic membrane reactor system can maintain a steady production of HQ and CA, and has a higher productivity than the batch reactor and the fixed‐bed. The effects of operation conditions on the properties of the coupling process are examined by single factor experiments. Results show that the operation conditions influence greatly the conversion, selectivity of phenol hydroxylation, and the filtration resistance. The phenol conversion is above 17% and the dihydroxybenzene (DHB) selectivity keeps at about 90% in a 20 h continuous run under the optimal reaction condition. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Climate variables as predictors of basal metabolic rate: New equations
Authors: Froehle Andrew W.
Published: May 2008

Estimation of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily energy expenditure (DEE) in living humans and in fossil hominins can be used to understand the way populations adapt to different environmental and nutritional circumstances. One variable that should be considered in such estimates is climate, which may influence between‐population variation in BMR. Overall, populations living in warmer climates tend to have lower BMR than those living in colder climates, even after controlling for body size and composition. Current methods of estimating BMR ignore climate, or deal with its effects in an insufficient manner. This may affect studies that use the factorial method to estimate DEE from BMR, when BMR is not measured but predicted using an equation. The present meta‐analysis of published BMR uses stepwise regression to investigate whether the inclusion of climate variables can produce a generally applicable model for human BMR. Regression results show that mean annual temperature and high heat index temperature have a significant effect on BMR, along with body size, age and sex. Based on the regression analysis, equations predicting BMR from body size and climate variables were derived and compared with existing equations. The new equations are generally more accurate and more consistent across climates than the older ones. Estimates of DEE in living and fossil humans using the new equations are compared with estimates using previously published equations, illustrating the utility of including climate variables in estimates of BMR. The new equations derived here may prove useful for future studies of human energy expenditure. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis, spectral characterization, electrochemistry and catalytic activities of Cu(II) complexes of bifunctional tridentate Schiff bases containing ONO donors
Authors: Manimaran A. , Prabhakaran R. , Deepa T. , Natarajan K. , Jayabalakrishnan C.
Published: May 2008

Paramagnetic copper(II) complexes of the type [Cu(PPh3)(L)] (where L = bifunctional tridentate Schiff bases) were synthesized from the reaction of anthranillic acid with salicylaldehyde (H2L1), 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthaldehyde (H2L2), o‐hydroxyacetophenone (H2L3) and o‐vanillin (H2L4) with monomeric metal precursor [CuCl2(PPh3)2]. The obtained complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic susceptility and spectroscopic methods (FT‐IR, UV–vis and EPR and cyclic voltammetry). EPR and redox potential studies have been carried out to elucidate the electronic structure, nature of metal–ligand bonding and electrochemical features. EPR spectra exhibit a four line pattern with nitrogen super‐hyperfine couplings originating from imine nitrogen atom. These planar complexes possess a significant amount of tetrahedral distortion leading to a pseudo‐square planar geometry, as is evidenced from EPR properties. Cyclic voltammograms of all the complexes display quasireversible oxidations, Cu(III)Cu(II), in the range 0.31–0.45 V and reduction peaks, Cu(II)Cu(I),in the range −0.29 to −0.36 V, involving a large geometrical change and irreversible. The observed redox potentials vary with respect to the size of the chelate ring of the Schiff base ligands. Further, the catalytic activity of all the complexes has been found to be high towards the oxidation of alcohols into aldehydes and ketones in the presence of N‐methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide as co‐oxidant. The formation of high valent CuIVO oxo species as a catalytic intermediate is proposed for the catalytic process. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microwave‐assisted synthesis, characterization, biotoxicity and antispermatogenic activity of some antimony(III) complexes with N∩O and N∩S donor ligands
Authors: Mahajan Karuna , Swami Monika , Joshi S. C. , Singh R. V.
Published: May 2008

New series of phenylantimony chloride and antimony chloride with Schiff base ligands, L1H and L2H having N∩S and N∩O donor systems were synthesized under microwave irradiation using a domestic microwave oven. The reaction time was brought down from hours to a few seconds with improved yield as compared with conventional heating. All the ligands and their antimony(III) derivatives were characterized on the basis of microanalysis, elemental analyses, molecular weight determinations and spectral studies including IR, NMR (1H and 13C) and electronic spectral studies. A distorted trigonal bipyramidal and pseudo‐octahedral geometry around the antimony atom was tentatively proposed for these derivatives. The compounds were screened in vitro against bacteria and fungi to test their antimicrobial property and in vivo in male albino rats to test their antifertility properties. The treatment with the ligands and their phenylantimony derivatives at dose levels of 20 mg per rat per day did not cause any significant change in body weight, but a significant reduction in the weights of reproductive organs was observed. Arrest of spermatogenesis was noted at various stages with production of primary spermatocytes (preleptotene and pachytene), secondary spermatocytes and step‐19 spermatids found to be decreased. Biochemical parameters of tissues, i.e. protein, sialic acid, cholesterol content of testes and seminal vesicular fructose also showed significant reduction. Further, the serum testosterone concentrations were also decreased after treatment with ligands and their antimony(III) derivatives. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Miscible polyisoprene/polybutadiene blends: Relationship between average statistical segment length and vinyl content
Authors: Ambler Michael R.
Published: May 2008

Average statistical segment lengths for a series of miscible protonated polyisoprene/deuterated polybutadiene (HPI/DPB) blends with considerable range in vinyl contents and blend ratios are used to determine average statistical segment lengths of the two polydienes in those blends. These blends exhibit a minimum in the plot of blend average statistical segment length versus blend total vinyl content because in blends the average statistical segment length of DPB decreases as both DPB vinyl content and HPI vinyl content increases and the average statistical segment length of HPI increases as both HPI vinyl content and DPB vinyl content increases. In a blend, both polydienes are more flexible than they are as isolated homopolymers. The increased flexibility of both polydienes when miscibly blended is due to immiscibility on a molecular scale, manifesting itself as an increase of free volume and allowing increased segmental mobility and depressed Tg. There is a matrix effect on the flexibility of each polydiene in a miscible blend. The vinyl content of each polydiene influences the average statistical segment length of the other polydiene. In miscible HPI/DPB blends (as well as polydiene homopolymers), the average statistical segment length of each polydiene chain can be viewed not as an inherent physical property describing the chain's flexibility, rather its flexibility is influenced by the vinyl content of the polydiene chains with which it is entangled. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008