bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ovi-caprid dung as an indicator of paleovegetation and paleoclimate in northwestern China
Authors: Ghosh Ruby , Gupta Sudha , Bera Subir , Jiang Hong-en , Li Xiao , Li Cheng-Sen
Published: July 2008

Diverse palynomorphs and phytoliths recovered from coprolites of ovi-caprids (sheep, goat) collected from Yang-Hai Tomb at Xinjiang Province, China, have been used to elucidate the dietary pattern of ancient livestock and to reconstruct the paleovegetation and paleoclimate of this part of northwest China ca. 2500 14C yr BP. Palynological and phytolith data suggest that a rich dry temperate vegetation prevailed in the area during the said period. Climatic conditions and grassland vegetation type of the area are explored using phytolith indices.
50,000 years of vegetation and climate history on the Colorado Plateau, Utah and Arizona, USA
Authors: Coats Larry L. , Cole Kenneth L. , Mead Jim I.
Published: July 2008

Sixty packrat middens were collected in Canyonlands and Grand Canyon National Parks, and these series include sites north of areas that produced previous detailed series from the Colorado Plateau. The exceptionally long time series obtained from each of three sites (> 48,00014C yr BP to present) include some of the oldest middens yet discovered. Most middens contain a typical late-Wisconsinan glaciation mixture of mesic and xeric taxa, evidence that plant species responded to climate change by range adjustments of elevational distribution based on individual criteria. Differences in elevational range from today for trees and shrubs ranged from no apparent change to as much as 1200 m difference. The oldest middens from Canyonlands NP, however, differ in containing strictly xeric assemblages, including middens incorporating needles of Arizona single-leaf pinyon, far north of its current distribution. Similar-aged middens from the eastern end of Grand Canyon NP contain plants more typical of glacial climates, but also contain fossils of one-seed juniper near its current northern limit in Arizona. Holocene middens reveal the development of modern vegetation assemblages on the Colorado Plateau, recording departures of mesic taxa from low elevation sites, and the arrival of modern dominant components much later.
Consequences of protein supplementation for anorexia, expression of immunity and plasma leptin concentrations in parasitized ewes of two breeds
Authors: Zaralis Konstantinos , Tolkamp Bert J. , Houdijk Jos G. M. , Wylie Alastair R. G. , Kyriazakis Ilias
Published: July 2008

The periparturient relaxation of immunity (PPRI) against parasites in ewes has a nutritional basis. We investigated whether ewes experience a reduction in food intake (anorexia) during PPRI and if the magnitude of anorexia is affected by host production potential and dietary protein supplementation. We also investigated whether nematode infection is linked to plasma leptin concentrations in periparturient ewes. The experiment was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Two breeds of twin-bearing/lactating ewes (Greyface cross, G (n 32) and Scottish Blackface, B (n 32)) were used. Half of the ewes were trickle infected with 30 000 larvae of the abomasal parasite Teladorsagia circumcincta per week and the other half were not. During the experiment, all ewes had ad libitum access to a low-protein diet that provided less protein than the recommended allowance. In addition, half of the ewes received a protein supplement that resulted in protein intakes that exceeded recommendations. Nematode infection resulted in a breakdown of immunity to parasites and a reduction in food intake in both breeds. The breeds differed in the extent of PPRI (G ewes having higher faecal egg counts than B ewes), but not in the magnitude of anorexia. Protein supplementation resulted in a reduction in faecal egg counts, but had no effect on the magnitude of anorexia. Plasma leptin concentrations changed significantly over time, but were not affected by protein supplementation or infection. It is concluded that infection with T. circumcincta in periparturient ewes results in anorexia that is not alleviated by protein supplementation and seems unrelated to plasma leptin concentrations.
Regular consumption ofn-3 fatty acid-enriched pork modifies cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Coates Alison M. , Sioutis Stelios , Buckley Jonathan D. , Howe Peter R. C.
Published: July 2008

The long-chain (LC)n-3 PUFA content of pork, particularly DHA, can be increased by including 15 % PorcOmega®(a fortified tuna fishmeal product) in pig finisher diets. The aim of the present study was to see whether this enriched pork could deliver cardiovascular health benefits to consumers. In a double-blind intervention trial, thirty-three healthy adult volunteers (sixteen female and seventeen male) were randomised to consume eithern-3-enriched or regular (control) pork (a selection of five fresh cuts totalling 1000 g/week) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected every 4 weeks and analysed for serum lipids, maximally stimulated thromboxane production and erythrocyte fatty acid composition. Then-3-enriched pork provided subjects with 1·3 g LCn-3 PUFA per week. Erythrocyte DHA levels rose 15 % in then-3 group and fell 5 % in the control group over 12 weeks (P = 0·001). Compared with the control group, serum TAG decreased to a greater extent in then-3 group (P = 0·02) and serum thromboxane production increased to a lesser extent (P = 0·004). Changes in the latter were inversely associated with changes in incorporation of DHA into erythrocytes (r − 0·54;P < 0·05). Thus the modest increases in LCn-3 PUFA intake resulting from regular consumption of enriched pork can improve cardiovascular risk factors.
Sex differences in sensitivity to β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol in the isolated adult rat heart following prenatal protein restriction
Authors: Elmes Matthew J. , Haase Andrea , Gardner David S. , Langley-Evans Simon C.
Published: July 2008

Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of CVD. Epidemiological studies have shown that low birth weight increases the risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. Hypertension increases the risk of suffering IHD and early findings provide evidence that hearts from prenatally protein-restricted, hypertensive, male offspring are more susceptible to cardiac dysfunction following ischaemic events. Hypertension and abnormalities in cardiac function following ischaemia–reperfusion in the human population are treated therapeutically with β-adrenergic antagonists. We hypothesised that increased susceptibility to myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion injury in prenatally programmed offspring may be due to sympathetic hyperactivity. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed control or low-protein (maternal low protein; MLP) diets throughout gestation. At age 6 months, hearts were rapidly excised and retro-perfused using the Langendorff apparatus, to assess isolated cardiac function following stimulation with increasing doses of the non-specific β-agonist isoproterenol. Baseline heart rates were similar in control and MLP-fed offspring. With significant diet × sex interactions (P < 0·01) maximum heart rate response following isoproterenol infusion was significantly longer in MLP than control. Prenatal diet had no effect on maximal left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) response, but the LVDP isoproterenol response was significantly longer in duration in MLP-exposed male offspring (diet × sex P < 0·001). Myocardial mRNA expression of β2-adrenergic receptors was increased in 2-week-old female MLP offspring only (P < 0·049). In conclusion, maternal protein restriction programmes cardiac sympathetic activity in a sex-specific manner, and may explain increased susceptibility to ischaemia–reperfusion injury in males subject to fetal undernutrition.
Effects of safflower seed extract supplementation on oxidation and cardiovascular risk markers in healthy human volunteers
Authors: Koyama Naoto , Suzuki Katsuya , Furukawa Yasushi , Arisaka Harumi , Seki Tetsuya , Kuribayashi Kanna , Ishii Koichi , Sukegawa Eiji , Takahashi Michio
Published: July 2008

We previously demonstrated that safflower seed extract (SSE) and its major antioxidant constituents, serotonin hydroxycinnamic acid amides, suppressed LDL oxidation in vitro, decreased plasma autoantibody titres to oxidized LDL and attenuated atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoE-deficient mice. In this report, we examined whether SSE, rich in serotonin derivatives, could affect markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and aortic stiffness in healthy human subjects. Twenty Japanese male volunteers were studied at baseline, after 2·1 g SSE supplementation daily (providing 290 mg serotonin derivatives/d) for 4 weeks, and after a 4-week washout period. Significant reductions in circulating oxidized LDL, autoantibody titres to malondialdehyde-modified LDL, the soluble form of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and urinary 8-isoprostane were observed after a 4-week intervention. Although there were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure or brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an index of arterial stiffness, baPWV was lower than baseline in eleven of twenty subjects and was accompanied by a reduction in blood pressure. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed between the extent of initial cardiovascular risk markers (autoantibody titres, 8-isoprostane, sVCAM-1 and baPWV) and the effect of intervention. This suggested that individuals with elevated oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or arterial stiffness may receive more benefit from SSE supplementation.
Genetic variation and covariation of aphid life-history traits across unrelated host plants
Authors: Vorburger C. , Ramsauer N.
Published: July 2008

A central paradigm of life-history theory is the existence of resource mediated trade-offs among different traits that contribute to fitness, yet observations inconsistent with this tenet are not uncommon. We previously found a clonal population of the aphidMyzus persicaeto exhibit positive genetic correlations among major components of fitness, resulting in strong heritable fitness differences on a common host. This raises the question of how this genetic variation is maintained. One hypothesis states that variation for resource acquisition on different hosts may override variation for allocation, predicting strong fitness differences within hosts as a rule, but changes in fitness hierarchies across hosts due to trade-offs. Therefore, we carried out a life-table experiment with 17 clones ofM. persicae, reared on three unrelated host plants: radish, common lambsquarters and black nightshade. We estimated the broad-sense heritabilities of six life-history traits on each host, the genetic correlations among traits within hosts, and the genetic correlations among traits on different hosts (cross-environment genetic correlations). The three plants represented radically different environments with strong effects on performance ofM. persicae, yet we detected little evidence for trade-offs. Fitness components were positively correlated within hosts but also between the two more benign hosts (radish and lambsquarters), as well as between those and another host tested earlier. The comparison with the most stressful host, nightshade, was hampered by low survival. Survival on nightshade also exhibited genetic variation but was unrelated to fitness on other hosts. Acknowledging that the number of environments was necessarily limited in a quantitative genetic experiment, we suggest that the rather consistent fitness hierarchies across very different plants provided little evidence to support the idea that the clonal variation for life-history traits and their covariance structure are maintained by strong genotype×environment interactions with respect to hosts. Alternative explanations are discussed.
Do functional traits improve prediction of predation rates for a disparate group of aphid predators?
Authors: Bell J.R. , Mead A. , Skirvin D.J. , Sunderland K.D. , Fenlon J.S. , Symondson W.O.C.
Published: July 2008

Aphid predators are a systematically disparate group of arthropods united on the basis that they consume aphids as part of their diet. In Europe, this group includes Araneae, Opiliones, Heteroptera, chrysopids, Forficulina, syrphid larvae, carabids, staphylinids, cantharids and coccinellids. This functional group has no phylogenetic meaning but was created by ecologists as a way of understanding predation, particularly for conservation biological control. We investigated whether trait-based approaches could bring some cohesion and structure to this predator group. A taxonomic hierarchy-based null model was created from taxonomic distances in which a simple multiplicative relationship described the Linnaean hierarchies (species, genera, etc.) of fifty common aphid predators. Using the same fifty species, a functional groups model was developed using ten behavioural traits (e.g. polyphagy, dispersal, activity, etc.) to describe the way in which aphids were predated in the field. The interrelationships between species were then expressed as dissimilarities within each model and separately analysed using PROXSCAL, a multidimensional scaling (MDS) program. When ordinated using PROXSCAL and then statistically compared using Procrustes analysis, we found that only 17% of information was shared between the two configurations. Polyphagy across kingdoms (i.e. predatory behaviour across animal, plant and fungi kingdoms) and the ability to withstand starvation over days, weeks and months were particularly divisive within the functional groups model. Confirmatory MDS indicated poor prediction of aphid predation rates by the configurations derived from either model. The counterintuitive conclusion was that the inclusion of functional traits, pertinent to the way in which predators fed on aphids, did not lead to a large improvement in the prediction of predation rate when compared to the standard taxonomic approach.
Digestive α-amylases fromTecia solanivoralarvae (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): response to pH, temperature and plant amylase inhibitors
Authors: Valencia-Jiménez A. , Arboleda V J.W. , López Ávila A. , Grossi-de-Sá M.F.
Published: July 2008

The biochemical properties of the digestive alpha-amylase fromTecia solanivoralarvae, an important and invasive insect pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum), were studied. This insect has three major digestive α-amylases with isoelectric points 5.30, 5.70 and 5.98, respectively, which were separated using native and isoelectric focusing gels. The alpha-amylase activity has an optimum pH between 7.0 and 10.0 with a peak at pH 9.0. The enzymes are stable when heated to 50°C and were inhibited by proteinaceous inhibitors fromPhaseolus coccineus(70% inhibition) andP. vulgariscv. Radical (87% inhibition) at pH 6.0. The inhibitors present in an amaranth hybrid inhibited 80% of the activity at pH 9.0. The results show that the alpha-amylase inhibitor from amaranth seeds may be a better candidate to make genetically-modified potatoes resistant to this insect than inhibitors from common bean seeds.
Unicoloniality inReticulitermes urbis: a novel feature in a potentially invasive termite species
Authors: Leniaud L. , Pichon A. , Uva P. , Bagnères A.-G.
Published: July 2008

Social insects are among the world's most successful species at invading of new habitats. A good example of this invasive ability isReticulitermes(Rhinotermitidae), a prominent group of subterranean termites. As a result of human intervention, i.e. transportation and creation of urban heat islands,Reticulitermeshave been able to invade and thrive in cities located in areas where the natural habitat is normally too cold for colonization. They commonly infest man-made structures where they can cause extensive damage.

This study was designed to evaluate the invasiveness ofReticulitermes urbisthat was probably introduced in France from the Balkans. Invasive potential was assessed on the basis of features typical to invasive social insects, i.e. unicoloniality, low intraspecific aggression, high level of polygyny and colony reproduction by budding. The opportunity to study establishment and spreading processes arose after extensive sampling of an importedReticulitermes urbispopulation was performed over the entire city of Domène, France (Rhône-Alpes region).

For the first time, genetic analysis showed that the termites belonged to a single ‘genetic entity’ forming a vast colony covering about seven hectares. The colony was structured as an extended family with separate reproductive centres. We speculate that termites were introduced in a single location from which they gradually budded throughout the old town. Based on the absence of aggression among different nests within the colony, we defined this ‘genetic entity’ as a supercolony.
Phase-specific developmental and reproductive strategies in the desert locust
Authors: Maeno K. , Tanaka S.
Published: July 2008

Locusts modify developmental and reproductive traits over successive generations depending on the population density. A trade-off between developmental rate and body size and between progeny size and number is often observed in organisms. In this study, we present evidence that this rule is evaded by desert locusts,Schistocerca gregariaForskål, which often undergo outbreaks. Under isolated conditions, large hatchlings, typical of the gregarious forms, grow faster but emerge as larger adults than do small hatchlings typical of the solitarious forms, except for some individuals of the latter group that undergo extra molting. Under crowded conditions, large and small hatchlings grow at a similar rate, but the former become larger adults than the latter. Small hatchlings show a trade-off between development time and body size at maturation, but this constraint is avoided by large hatchlings. Phase-specific, as well as body size–dependent, differences are also detected in reproductive performance. As adult body size increases, females of a solitarious line produce more but slightly smaller eggs, whereas those of a gregarious line produce more and larger eggs. Total egg mass per pod is larger in gregarious forms than in solitarious forms. A trade-off between egg size and number is shown by a solitarious line but not by a gregarious line that produces relatively large eggs with similar numbers of eggs per pod. These results suggest that phase transformation involves not just a shift of resource allocation but also an enhanced capability expressed in response to crowding.
Resistance mechanisms to mitochondrial electron transport inhibitors in a field-collected strain ofTetranychus urticaeKoch (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Van Pottelberge S. , Van Leeuwen T. , Nauen R. , Tirry L.
Published: July 2008

A Belgian field strain (MR-VP) ofTetranychus urticae(Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) exhibits different levels of resistance to four frequently used METI (mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor)-acaricides, i.e. tebufenpyrad, fenpyroximate, pyridaben and fenazaquin. Resistance factors for these compounds were 184, 1547, 5971 and 35, respectively. A 23.5-fold increase in 7-ethoxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarinO-deethylation activity suggested that metabolic resistance through elevated levels of cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenase-activity is a possible resistance mechanism.

However, synergism studies with different metabolic inhibitors revealed some contrasting resistance mechanisms between the METI-acaricides. Tebufenpyrad resistance could only be synergized after pre-treatment with the monooxygenase inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO), whereas pyridaben resistance was strongly synergized both by PBO and the esterase inhibitor S,S,S-tributylphosphorotrithioate (DEF). Resistance levels to fenpyroximate could neither be suppressed by PBO nor by DEF. Although METI-acaricides are structurally related, these findings probably reflect a different role of esterases and mono-oxygenases in metabolic detoxification between these compounds. The overall lack of synergism by diethylmaleate (DEM) suggests that glutathione-S-transferases are not an important factor in resistance to METIs.

Reciprocal crosses between susceptible females and resistant males showed no maternal effect, and resistance to METI-acaricides was inherited generally as a dominant trait. Backcrosses with F1females revealed striking differences in the mode of inheritance. Although resistance to fenpyroximate and pyridaben was under monogenic control, resistance to tebufenpyrad was under control of more than one gene.
Alcohol sclerotherapy of human immunodeficiency virus related parotid lymphoepithelial cysts
Authors: Meyer E , Lubbe D E , Fagan J J
Published: July 2008

Objective:

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of alcohol sclerotherapy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus related salivary gland disease.

Study design:

Prospective study investigating the effectiveness of alcohol as a sclerosing agent.

Setting:

Tertiary referral hospital.

Patients:

Eleven human immunodeficiency virus positive patients with benign lymphoepithelial cysts were included in the study, from July 2005 to September 2006.

Interventions:

Alcohol sclerotherapy was performed under local anaesthesia, with alcohol infiltrated into the benign lymphoepithelial cysts.

Results:

Alcohol injection sclerotherapy proved to be an effective, simple, cheap, ambulatory procedure for patients who did not qualify for antiretroviral treatment.
Hume, Malebranche and ‘Rationalism’
Authors: Kail P. J. E.
Published: July 2008

Traditionally Hume is seen as offering an ‘empiricist’ critique of ‘rationalism’. This view is often illustrated – or rejected – by comparing Hume's views with those of Descartes'. However the textual evidence shows that Hume's most sustained engagement with a canonical ‘rationalist’ is with Nicolas Malebranche. The author shows that the fundamental differences (among the many similarities) between the two on the self and causal power do indeed rest on a principled distinction between ‘rationalism’ and ‘empiricism’, and that there is some truth in the traditional story. This, however, is very far from saying that Hume's general orientation is an attack on something called ‘rationalism’.
The Irreducible Importance of Religious Hope in Kant's Conception of the Highest Good
Authors: Insole Christopher
Published: July 2008

Kant is clear that the concept of the ‘highest good’ involves both a demand, that we follow the moral law, as well as a promise, that happiness will be the outcome of being moral. The latter element of the highest good has troubled commentators, who tend to find it metaphysically extravagant, involving, as it does, belief in God and an afterlife. Furthermore, it seems to threaten the moral purity that Kant demands: that we obey the moral law for its own sake, not out of interest in the consequences. Those commentators brave enough to tackle the issue look to the concept of the highest good either to add content to the moral law (Silber), or to provide rational motivation, in a way that does not violate moral purity (Beiser and Wood). I argue that such interpretations, although they may be plausible reconstructions, are unable to account for certain conceptual and textual problems. By placing Kant's thought against the background of medieval theology, I argue that the hope for the summum bonum is irreducibly important for Kant, even where its function is not that of providing the content or motivational force of the moral law. Kant is not only concerned with the shape of our duties and motivations, but the shape of the universe within which these emerge.
On What There Is (In Space)
Authors: Goldstick D.
Published: July 2008

Dispositions depend on “categorical” facts definitionally and pedagogically. Must they always depend on them also ontologically for “grounding”? Does there really have to be an ultimate “bottom level” of matter, and must it be “categorical”? The concepts microphysics supplies, however, are dispositional in meaning. What predicates aren't? Besides “shaping” and “locating” predicates, predicates expressing degrees of similarity and dissimilarity are nondispositional enough in meaning: but the predication of all these features of things depends upon other features for these to bound and to relate to one another comparatively. Faced with the uncomfortable alternative of “dispositions all the way down” Simon Blackburn proposes antirealism. Possibly, though, predicates' dispositionality or categoricality can be relative to a given level of the organization of matter.
The Equality of Lotteries
Authors: Saunders Ben
Published: July 2008

Lotteries have long been used to resolve competing claims, yet their recent implementation to allocate school places in Brighton and Hove, England led to considerable public outcry. This article argues that, given appropriate selection is impossible when parties have equal claims, a lottery is preferable to an auction because it excludes unjust influences. Three forms of contractualism are discussed and the fairness of lotteries is traced to the fact that they give each person an equal chance, as a surrogate for their equal claim to the good. It is argued that this can be a reason to favour an artificially-constructed lottery to a ‘natural’ lottery where there is suspicion that the latter may be biased.
p21 and p27: roles in carcinogenesis and drug resistance
Authors: Abukhdeir Abde M. , Park Ben Ho
Published: July 2008

Human cancers arise from an imbalance of cell growth and cell death. Key proteins that govern this balance are those that mediate the cell cycle. Several different molecular effectors have been identified that tightly regulate specific phases of the cell cycle, including cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and CDK inhibitors. Notably, loss of expression or function of two G1-checkpoint CDK inhibitors – p21 (CDKN1A) and p27 (CDKN1B) – has been implicated in the genesis or progression of many human malignancies. Additionally, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that functional loss of p21 or p27 can mediate a drug-resistance phenotype. However, reports in the literature have also suggested p21 and p27 can promote tumours, indicating a paradoxical effect. Here, we review historic and recent studies of these two CDK inhibitors, including their identification, function, importance to carcinogenesis and finally their roles in drug resistance.
WHAT DOES FIDO BELIEVE?
Authors: Bortolotti Lisa
Published: July 2008

Lisa Bortolotti introduces the arguments about whether dogs can have beliefs.
WHEN YOUR MORAL ORGAN IS RIGHT!
Authors: Hauser Marc D.
Published: July 2008

What explains our moral intuitions?
TOM BAKER: HIS PART IN MY DOWNFALL. (A PHILOSOPHER'S GUIDE TO TIME-TRAVEL.)
Authors: Richmond Alasdair
Published: July 2008

Alasdair Richmond introduces some famous paradoxes about time travel.
EXPUNGING EVIL
Authors: Simon Thomas
Published: July 2008

Has the time come finally to abandon the concept of evil?
I AM JOHN'S BRAIN
Authors: Clark Andy
Published: July 2008

A talking brain corrects a few preconceptions.
“Men Being Partial to Themselves”: Human Selfishness in Locke'sTwo Treatises
Authors: Forster Greg , Ian Parker Kim
Published: July 2008

Conventional wisdom describes Locke as an “optimist” about human nature; some scholars go further and say that he denied the Christian view that human beings are naturally sinful. But Locke's works, including theTwo Treatises, clearly and firmly hold that human nature has a consistent tendency to desire selfishness and evil. Locke's view of the origin of human sinfulness is unorthodox – he dissents from the traditional doctrine of “original sin” – but on the question of whether human nature is in fact sinful his views are perfectly orthodox, and are in harmony with the Calvinism of the Church of England in his time. Understanding this is crucial to grasping the fundamental problem of theTwo Treaties, which is the need to cope with humanity's selfishness. Locke argues that the persistent moral corruption of human nature is the primary reason government exists.
The Serbian Orthodox Church as a Political Actor in the Aftermath of October 5, 2000
Authors: Vukomanović Milan
Published: July 2008

This study tackles the place and role of the Orthodox Church in Serbian society, state, and political life after October 5, 2000. Owing to its present “symphony” with the state, the church now offers a new ideological framework and value-system for state institutions such as the armed forces and public education. This new role of the church is particularly emphasized in the current legislation. One could probably refer to the “etatization” of the Serbian Church, with some negative consequences for non-traditional religious communities. The relations with the Macedonian and Montenegrin Orthodox churches have also been discussed in this context. In post-Milošević Serbia, religious rights and freedoms have been considerably extended, but there is still a great deal of arbitrariness, even completely partial interpretations of the church-state relations. In the concluding section, this article deals with the church's traditionalist perception of society as narod (the people), with some recommendations as for the possible cooperation between the church and civil society in Serbia.
Freshwater impacts recorded in tetraunsaturated alkenones and alkenone sea surface temperatures from the Okhotsk Sea across millennial‐scale cycles
Authors: Harada Naomi , Sato Miyako , Sakamoto Tatsuhiko
Published: July 2008

We present records of phytoplankton‐produced alkenones down a long piston core, which reveal changes of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) in the southwestern Okhotsk Sea over the past 120 ka. Between 20 and 60 ka B.P., alkenone‐derived temperatures typically increased by 6°C–8°C from periods corresponding, within a few hundred years, to stadials to those corresponding to interstadials recorded in Greenland ice cores. The abundance of C37:4 alkenone relative to total C37 alkenones (percent C37:4), a possible proxy for salinity, indicated that during most low SSS was associated with high SST. The warm freshwater events might be related to (1) a decline in the supply of saline water entering the Okhotsk Sea through the Soya Strait; (2) strengthening of the freshwater supply from the Amur River and precipitation over the Okhotsk Sea, associated mainly with increased Asian summer monsoon activity; and (3) the effect of melting sea ice. These findings increase our understanding of the close linkage between high and low latitudes in relation to climate change and the synchronicity of climate changes within a few centuries between the Pacific and the Atlantic sides of the Northern Hemisphere.
Seasonal distribution and succession of dominant phytoplankton groups in the global ocean: A satellite view
Authors: Alvain S. , Moulin C. , Dandonneau Y. , Loisel H.
Published: July 2008

Phytoplankton plays an important role in the global carbon cycle via the fixation of inorganic carbon during photosynthesis. However, the efficiency of this “biological pump of carbon” strongly depends on the nature of the phytoplankton. Monitoring spatial and temporal variations of the distribution of dominant phytoplankton groups at the global scale is thus of critical importance. Recently, an algorithm has been developed to detect the major dominant phytoplankton groups from anomalies of the marine signal measured by ocean color satellites. This method, called PHYSAT, allows to identify nanoeucaryotes, Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and diatoms. In this paper, PHYSAT has been improved to detect an additional group, named phaeocystis‐like, by analyzing specific signal anomalies in the Southern Ocean during winter months. This new version of PHYSAT was then used to process daily global SeaWiFS GAC data between 1998 and 2006. The global distribution of major phytoplankton groups is presented in this study as a monthly climatology of the most frequent phytoplankton group. The contribution of nanoeucaryotes‐dominated waters to the global ocean varies from 45 to 70% depending on the season, whereas both diatoms and phaeocystis‐like contributions exhibit a stronger seasonal variability mostly due to the large blooms that occur during winter in the Southern Ocean. Three regions of particular interest are also studied in more details: the Southern Ocean, the North Atlantic, and the Equatorial Pacific. The North Atlantic diatom bloom shows a large interannual variability. Large blooms of both diatoms and phaeocystis‐like are observed during winter in the Southern Ocean, with a larger contribution from diatoms. Their respective geographical distribution is shown to be tightly related to the depth of the mixed‐layer, with diatoms prevailing in stratified waters. Synechococcus and Prochloroccocus prevail in the Equatorial Pacific, but our data show also sporadic diatoms contributions in this region during La Niña. The observed seasonal cycle and interannual variability of phytoplankton groups in the global ocean suggest that the PHYSAT archive is suitable to study the impact of climate variability on the structure of marine ecosystems.
Large‐amplitude wave electric field in the inner magnetosphere during substorms
Authors: Nishimura Y. , Wygant J. , Ono T. , Iizima M. , Kumamoto A. , Brautigam D. , Rich F.
Published: July 2008

CRRES electric field data during substorms have been analyzed to investigate intense electric fields in the inner magnetosphere associated with dipolarizations. Substorm injections during 13:00–15:00 UT on 7 March 1991 exhibit many large‐scale electric fields and short‐duration electric field spikes. Large‐scale electric fields with durations of ∼1 min are identified as spatial structures associated with the region 1 field‐aligned currents. Amplitudes of electric fields reach 30 mV/m with a high correlation with variations of the magnetic field, and the Poynting fluxes are directed toward the ionosphere with magnitudes of more than 0.5 mW/m2. 16‐Hz high‐resolution data show intense electric field spikes with amplitudes of ∼100 mV/m with durations of ∼1 s. Most of the spikes are electromagnetic with Poynting fluxes of ∼0.1 mW/m2 directed toward the ionosphere. The electric field spikes are identified as right‐handed whistler waves with a size of ∼1000 km with frequencies just below the ion cyclotron frequency. A nearly simultaneous measurement by the DMSP‐F9 satellite shows intense plasma flows with durations of 1 s and inverted‐V electron precipitation. An estimation of the wave and particle energy fluxes shows that about half of the Poynting flux of the electric field spikes is consumed accelerating auroral particles, and 1% of the Poynting flux drives the fast plasma flows at the ionosphere. It is suggested that the electromagnetic spikes provide sufficient energy for auroral particle acceleration.
Plate motion at the ridge‐transform boundary of the south Cleft segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge from GPS‐Acoustic data
Authors: Chadwell C. David , Spiess Fred N.
Published: July 2008

We measure the present‐day plate velocity of the Juan de Fuca Ridge 25 km off‐axis to be 63.6 ± 3.6 mm/a at S67.2°E ± 7.9° degrees (1‐σ) relative to the Pacific plate (PA). This velocity was derived from GPS‐Acoustic (GPSA) measurements in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 that observed the position of a seafloor array (44°43′N,130°03′W, 2900 m depth) with a repeatability of ±4–6 mm. Three transient events at the Juan de Fuca Ridge and Blanco Transform account for ∼10% of this motion in viscoelastic modeling, suggesting that the observed GPSA‐PA velocity is due primarily to steady state plate dynamics. Subtracting the modeled transient motion gives a velocity of 57.3 ± 3.9 mm/a at S72.9°E ± 12.1° degrees (1‐σ), which is consistent at the 95% confidence level with the velocity calculated from the Wilson (1993) 0–0.78 Ma Euler pole. Therefore this site is interpreted to be in a region of continuous, full‐rate plate motion, a robust result of this study which holds with and without correcting for transient motions. These results provide direct geodetic evidence that spreading occurs predominantly within 25 km of the axis at this intermediate spreading‐rate ridge. Previously reported geodetic monitoring across the 1‐km‐wide axial valley from 1994–1999 and 2000–2003 shows no significant extension (Chadwell et al., 1999; Hildebrand et al., 1999; Chadwick and Stapp, 2002; W. W. Chadwick, personal communication, 2006) and seismic monitoring shows no activity. This suggests the crust between 0.5 and 25 km off‐axis accommodates ∼26 mm of aseismic deformation each year through some combination of near‐axis fault motion and elastic strain accumulation.
Mesoscale Atlantic water eddy off the Laptev Sea continental slope carries the signature of upstream interaction
Authors: Dmitrenko I. A. , Kirillov S. A. , Ivanov V. V. , Woodgate R. A.
Published: July 2008

A mesoscale eddy formed by the interaction of inflows of Atlantic water (AW) from Fram Strait and the Barents Sea into the Arctic Ocean was observed in February 2005 off the Laptev Sea continental slope by a mooring equipped with a McLane Moored Profiler. The eddy was composed of two distinct, vertically aligned cores with a combined thickness of about 650 m. The upper core of approximately ambient density was warmer (2.6°C), saltier (34.88 psu), and vertically stably stratified. The lower core was cooler (0.1°C), fresher (34.81 psu), neutrally stratified and ∼0.02 kg/m3 less dense than surrounding ambient water. The eddy, homogeneous out to a radius of at least 3.4 km, had a 14.5 km radius of maximum velocity, and an entire diameter of about 27 km. We hypothesize that the eddy was formed by the confluence of the Fram Strait and Barents Sea AW inflows into the Arctic Ocean that takes place north of the Kara Sea, about 1100 km upstream from the mooring location. The eddy's vertical structure is likely maintained by salt fingering and diffusive convection. The numerical simulation of one‐dimensional thermal and salt diffusion equations reasonably reproduces the evolution of the eddy thermohaline patterns from the hypothesized source area to the mooring location, suggesting that the vertical processes of double‐diffusive and shear instabilities may be more important than lateral processes for the evolution of the eddy. The eddy is able to carry its thermohaline anomaly several thousand kilometers downstream from its source location.
Determination of cloud liquid water distribution using 3D cloud tomography
Authors: Huang Dong , Liu Yangang , Wiscombe Warren
Published: July 2008

The cloud microwave tomography method for remotely retrieving 3D distributions of cloud Liquid Water Content (LWC) was originally proposed by Warner et al. in the 1980s but has lain dormant since then. This paper revisits and extends the cloud tomography method by rigorously examining the nature of the resultant mathematical problem and its close relationship to the physical configuration of microwave radiometers. The singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis reveals that the retrieval of cloud LWC fields from microwave emission is highly ill‐posed, and requires special techniques to solve it. The truncated SVD approach along with the L‐curve method for choosing the optimal truncating point is used to obtain a better retrieval of cloud LWC. A group of sensitivity studies show that the retrieval accuracy is determined by several factors, including the number of radiometers, the spatial resolution of output, the number of scanning angles, the radiometer characteristics (e.g., noise level, beam width), the physical arrangement of radiometers, and the uncertainty in the ancillary temperature and water vapor mixing ratio data. When more radiometers and/or more scanning angles are used, and/or the radiometer beam width is reduced, and/or when a coarser output resolution is acceptable, the retrieval problem becomes less ill‐posed, and a better retrieval can be obtained. Moreover, the observation system simulations demonstrate that the cloud tomography method is able to retrieve the cloud structures generated by cloud resolving models with a good accuracy. For a setup consisting of four microwave radiometers of typical noise level 0.3 K, the tomography method is capable of retrieving the LWC to within 5% of the maximum LWC in the simulated stratocumulus and broken cumulus cases, with a spatial resolution of a few hundred meters.
A study of ozone depletion in the 2004/2005 Arctic winter based on data from Odin/SMR and Aura/MLS
Authors: Rösevall J. D. , Murtagh D. P. , Urban J. , Feng W. , Eriksson P. , Brohede S.
Published: July 2008

Ozone depletion in the colder than average 2004/2005 Arctic polar vortex is mapped and quantified using ozone profiles from two limb sounding satellite instruments, the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder (Aura/MLS) and the Odin Sub‐Millimetre Radiometer (Odin/SMR). Profiles of chemically inert nitrous oxide (N2O) are used to trace vertical transport during the winter. Two methods are used for estimating the vortex average ozone losses north of 67° equivalent latitude. In a first step, the time evolution of ozone mixing ratios is described on N2O isopleths. Maximum ozone depletion is found on the 100 ppbv and 150 ppbv N2O isopleths (located in the 430–460 K potential temperature range in mid‐March 2005) where vortex average ozone depletion totalled 1.0–1.1 ppmv for Aura/MLS and 0.7–0.9 ppmv for Odin/SMR. Second, ozone profiles from Aura/MLS and Odin/SMR are assimilated into the DIAMOND isentropic transport model. Ozone depletion is estimated by comparing assimilated fields to ozone fields passively transported from 1 January. On the 450 K potential temperature level, the Aura/MLS ozone fields indicate 0.9–1.3 ppmv vortex‐averaged ozone depletion while the Odin/SMR fields indicate 0.6–0.9 ppmv depletion. The uncertainty depends mainly on the rates of cross‐isentropic transport used in the study. The ozone depletion estimates in this study are lower than previously published estimates. The discrepancies to some studies can be attributed to the more adequate treatment of an ozone poor region that is found in the central polar vortex in the early winter.
The distribution of dust devil activity on Mars
Authors: Whelley Patrick L. , Greeley Ronald
Published: July 2008

Martian dust devil activity, inferred from their tracks, is mapped globally and compared to surface and atmospheric properties. Dust devils are estimated to lift 2.3 ± 1 × 1011 kg of dust each year, mostly from two narrow bands near 60°N and 60°S, during their respective spring and summer. Approximately 55% of the dust lifted by dust devils in the northern hemisphere is removed from within 45 and 75°N, while 65% of that lifted in the south is from within 45 and 75°S. The southern band is an order of magnitude more populated with tracks than in the north, likely a result of Mars' orbital eccentricity. The equator is the location of a lesser peak, while few dust devil tracks are found at the poles and middle latitudes. During the fall and winter in both hemispheres, few tracks are observed. Dust devil and track formation does not appear to be controlled significantly by elevation, topographic slope, dust cover, or surface physical properties. Dust devils annually lift approximately half as much material as local and regional dust storms and are therefore significant contributors of dust into the Martian atmosphere.
Trends and multidecadal oscillations in rainfall extremes, based on a more than 100‐year time series of 10 min rainfall intensities at Uccle, Belgium
Authors: Ntegeka Victor , Willems Patrick
Published: July 2008

Investigation was made on whether the recent historical changes in frequency and amplitude of rainfall extremes can be considered statistically significant under the hypothesis of no trend or temporal clustering of rainfall extremes. The analysis was based on a 107‐year time series of 10‐min Peaks‐Over‐Threshold rainfall data obtained from the Uccle station in Belgium. Rainfall intensities were aggregated at levels ranging from 10 min to the monthly scale, and defined for different seasons and block lengths between 5 and 15 years using sliding windows. Perturbations in rainfall extremes were derived, which represent the empirical quantile changes. Significant deviations in rainfall quantiles were found, which persisted for periods of 10 to 15 years. In the winter and summer seasons, high extremes were clustered in the 1910s–1920s, the 1960s and recently in the 1990s. This temporal clustering highlights the difficulty of attributing “change” in climate series to anthropogenically induced global warming. Research in a variety of climate phenomena is essential for the attribution of changes in the climate.
Core‐mantle boundary topography estimated from numerical simulations of instantaneous mantle flow
Authors: Yoshida Masaki
Published: July 2008

Core‐mantle boundary (CMB) topography is estimated from numerical simulations of instantaneous mantle flow in a three‐dimensional spherical shell geometry. Density anomaly models of the Earth's mantle are derived from geodynamic models constrained principally by seismic tomography results. To account for the small (±∼1.5 km) CMB topographic relief inferred from recent seismological results, lateral viscosity variations in the mantle, compositionally dense piles in the deep mantle, and a low‐viscosity D″ layer are all required for the numerical models. Low‐viscosity subducting slabs in the lower mantle serve to reduce the topographic amplitude below high‐velocity regions (i.e., the circum‐Pacific belt). The existence of dense piles may cause the local topographic depressions even below low‐velocity regions (i.e., the South Pacific and Atlantic Africa regions).
A new approach to using wind speed for prediction of tropical cyclone generated storm surge
Authors: Jordan Mark R. , Clayson Carol Anne
Published: July 2008

We examine the best track wind speed data for all U.S. landfalling hurricanes between 1986 and 2007 to determine the relationship between wind speed and observed maximum storm surge heights at the coast. We show that pre‐landfall intensity correlates significantly better with observed maximum surge heights than landfall intensity does. This outcome is not a result of outliers skewing the data, but is representative of a more definitive trend. We anticipate that our findings will lead to a reconsideration of the way wind is used as a surge predictor, and we believe that our findings provide a possible explanation for why some tropical cyclones' storm surges tend to over/under perform with respect to official storm surge forecasts.
Turbopause determination, climatology, and climatic trends using medium frequency radars at 52°N and 70°N
Authors: Hall C. M. , Meek C. E. , Manson A. H. , Nozawa S.
Published: July 2008

We explore methods for identifying the turbopause in its various guises using results from the medium frequency (MF) radars at Saskatoon (52°N) and Tromsø (70°N) and using data from 1999 to 2007 inclusive. The classical radar turbopause, identified as the altitude at which molecular viscosity inhibits turbulence, is determined and exhibits clear annual variation at both latitudes, occurring slightly lower down at 52°N as compared with 70°N. Second, we determine the altitude at which the zonal wind in the mesosphere undergoes a zero crossing as a possible height regime for gravity wave breaking. Third, we then investigate the altitude at which the mean square velocity fluctuation undergoes a transition from height independence to a steep increase with height. This altitude has recently been proposed as a “wave” turbopause, and our method and determination are in good agreement with those of other authors. This wave turbopause lies somewhat under the classical radar turbopause and exhibits annual and semiannual variations at 70°N and 52°N, respectively. The relationships between these different transition altitudes are discussed, and we conclude that the recently defined wave turbopause may represent a useful parameterization of mesospheric dynamics for future research. Examining the classical radar turbopause time series we identify a trend in the 70°N results but none in those from 52°N. The possible reasons for the high‐latitude finding are then discussed in the context of determinations of other features of the middle atmosphere and lower thermosphere. We conclude that mesospheric cooling in the underlying mesosphere is a probable cause.