bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of phytohormones on the growth, cellulose production and pellicle properties of Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC 53582
Authors: Qureshi Osama , Sohail Hira , Latos Andrew , Strap Janice L.
Published: March 2013

Gluconacetobacter xylinus is a plant-associated bacterium best studied for its cellulose production. Bacterial cellulose is important in facilitating plant-microbe interactions but little is known about the effect that exogenous phytohormones have on bacterial cellulose synthesis or the growth of G. xylinus. We characterized the growth, development and effect on pellicle characteristics caused by exogenous indole-3- acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatin (Z) over a range of concentrations (1 nM to 100 μM). These phytohormones are plant growth regulators known to be involved plant development including fruit ripening and stress tolerance. Each of these hormones stimulated G. xylinus growth and influenced its pellicle characteristics. Exogenous IAA had the greatest effect on G. xylinus pellicles. Growth in IAA produced thin pellicles with very little cellulose. In general, pellicle wet weight was inversely proportional to the bacterial cellulose yield when cultures were grown in the presence of ABA, suggesting ABA influenced pellicle density and hydration. The crystallinity index, CI (IR) of cellulose produced in the presence of each phytohormone over a variety of concentrations was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The observed effect on cellulose crystallinity was concentration and hormone dependent. GA caused the greatest alterations in crystallinity with the highest CI (IR)=0.94 at 1 μM and the lowest CI (IR)=0.47 at 500 nM. Endogenous production of hormones by G. xylinus was investigated by high performance liquid chromatography of extracts prepared from both cell pellets and culture supernatants. We found G. xylinus synthesized GA, ABA and Z but did not produce IAA.
Molecular Basis and Clinical Management of Pompe Disease
Authors: Parenti Giancarlo , Di Iorio Giuseppe , Sampaolo Simone , Fiorentino Giuseppe , Farina Vincenzo , Fecarotta Simona , Valente Fabio , Ascione Serena , Caputi Mario , Andria Generoso
Published: March 2013

Pompe disease (glycogenosis type II) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder due to mutations of the GAA gene, leading to the deficiency of acid α-glucosidase and consequent glycogen storage in various tissues, mainly in the skeletal muscle, heart and liver. The consequent clinical picture is mainly due to the muscle and heart involvement, although clinical manifestations may be multi-systemic. The phenotype of patients is heterogeneous and the severity is inversely related to the residual enzymatic activity of acid α-glucosidase. More than 200 different mutations of GAA gene have been described and genotype/phenotype correlations have been established for some of them. Traditionally three forms have been described, i.e. early onset classical and non-classical forms and late onset attenuated forms. A severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in combination with conduction disorder in newborns represents a typical feature in the classic infantile presentation, while clinical picture in late onset forms is dominated by skeletal muscle dysfunction, resulting in mobility and respiratory problems. Enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant human GAA is the approved therapeutic approach in Pompe disease patients. Clinical trials on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) support the efficacy in improving survival and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while efficacy seems to be variable on manifestations due to skeletal muscle involvement, mainly in lateonset patients. Considering the limitations of ERT and its high costs, innovative therapeutic approaches are now under development.
Constructing a modern cytology laboratory: A toolkit for planning and design
Authors: Roberson Janie , Wrenn Allison , Poole John , Jaeger Andrew , Eltoum Isam A.
Published: March 2013

Introduction:

Constructing or renovating a laboratory can be both challenging and rewarding. UAB Cytology (UAB CY) recently undertook a project to relocate from a building constructed in 1928 to new space. UAB CY is part of an academic center that provides service to a large set of patients, support training of one cytotechnology program and one cytopathology fellowship training program and involve actively in research and scholarly activity. Our objectives were to provide a safe, aesthetically pleasing space and gain efficiencies through lean processes.

Methods:

The phases of any laboratory design project are Planning, Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), Construction Documents (CD) and Construction. Lab personnel are most critical in the Planning phase. During this time stakeholders, relationships, budget, square footage and equipment were identified. Equipment lists, including what would be relocated, purchased new and projected for future growth ensure that utilities were matched to expected need. A chemical inventory was prepared and adequate storage space was planned. Regulatory and safety requirements were discussed. Tours and high level process flow diagrams helped architects and engineers understand the laboratory daily work. Future needs were addressed through a questionnaire which identified potential areas of growth and technological change. Throughout the project, decisions were driven by data from the planning phase. During the SD phase, objective information from the first phase was used by architects and planners to create a general floor plan. This was the basis of a series of meetings to brainstorm and suggest modifications. DD brings more detail to the plans with engineering, casework, equipment specifics, finishes. Design changes should be completed at this phase. The next phase, CD took the project from the lab purview into purely technical mode. Construction documents were used by the contractor for the bidding process and ultimately the Construction phase.

Results:

The project fitted out a total of 9,000 square feet; 4,000 laboratory and 5,000 office/support. Lab space includes areas for Prep, CT screening, sign out and Imaging. Adjacent space houses faculty offices and conferencing facilities. Transportation time was reduced (waste removal) by a Pneumatic Tube System, specimen drop window to Prep Lab and a pass thru window to the screening area. Open screening and prep areas allow visual management control. Efficiencies were gained by ergonomically placing CT Manual and Imaging microscopes and computers in close proximity, also facilitating a paperless workflow for additional savings. Logistically, closer proximity to Surgical Pathology maximized the natural synergies between the areas.

Conclusions:

Lab construction should be a systematic process based on sound principles for safety, high quality testing, and finance. Our detailed planning and design process can be a model for others undertaking similar projects
Feasibility of a Parenting Program to Prevent Substance Use among Latino Youth: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study
Authors: Allen Michele L. , Hurtado Ghaffar A. , Yon Kyu Jin , Okuyemi Kola S. , Davey Cynthia S. , Marczak Mary S. , Stoppa Patricia , Svetaz Veronica M.
Published: March 2013

Purpose.

Family-skills training programs prevent adolescent substance use, but few exist for immigrant Latino families. This study assesses the feasibility of a family-skills training intervention developed using a community-based participatory research framework, and explores parental traditional values as a modifier of preliminary effects.

Design.

One-group pretest-posttest.

Setting.

Four Latino youth–serving sites (school, clinic, church, social-service agency).

Subjects.

Immigrant Latino parents of adolescents aged 10 to 14 years (N = 83).

Intervention.

Eight-session program in Spanish to improve parenting practices and parent-youth interpersonal relations designed with Latino parents and staff from collaborating organizations.

Measures.

Feasibility was assessed through retention, program appropriateness, and group interaction quality. Preliminary outcomes evaluated were (1) parenting self-efficacy, discipline, harsh parenting, monitoring, conflict, attachment, acceptance, and involvement, and (2) parent perception of adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and substance use behaviors. Covariates included sociodemographics and parental endorsement of traditional values.

Analysis.

Feasibility outcomes were assessed with descriptive statistics. Paired t-tests measured changes in parenting outcomes. Adjusted multiple regression models were conducted for change in each outcome, and t-tests compared mean changes in outcomes between parents with high and low traditional values scores.

Results.

Program appropriateness and group interaction scores were positive. Improvement was noted for eight parenting outcomes. Parents perceived that adolescent internalizing behaviors decreased. Parents with lower endorsement of traditional values showed greater pretest-posttest change in attachment, acceptance, and involvement.

Conclusion.

This intervention is feasible and may influence parenting contributors to adolescent substance use.
Comparison of Enrollment Rates of African-American Families into a School-Based Tobacco Prevention Trial Using Two Recruitment Strategies in Urban and Rural Settings
Authors: Tingen Martha S. , Andrews Jeannette O. , Heath Janie , Turnmire Ashley E. , Waller Jennifer L. , Treiber Frank A.
Published: March 2013

Purpose.

This study evaluated similarities and differences of enrollment rates using two different recruitment strategies for a tobacco control trial in rural and urban African-American (AA) elementary school families.

Design.

A comparative study, nested within a larger randomized controlled trial, was used to test the effectiveness of two recruitment approaches on enrollment rates in rural and urban AA families.

Setting.

The study was conducted in 14 Title 1 elementary schools in the southeastern United States: 7 rural and 7 urban.

Subjects.

There were 736 eligible AA families, and 332 (45%) completed informed consent and were enrolled into the study.

Intervention.

The Facilitate, Open and transparent communication, Shared benefits, Team and tailored, Educate bilaterally, and Relationships, realistic and rewards (FOSTER) approach guided the two recruitment strategies: (1) written informational packets provided to fourth graders to take home to parents; and (2) proactive, face-to-face family information sessions held at schools.

Measures.

Enrollment rates were based on responsiveness to the two recruitment strategies and completion of the informed consent process.

Analysis.

Chi-square, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel, and Breslow-Day tests were performed.

Results.

Higher enrollment rates occurred during the family session for both rural and urban families (100% rural, 93.6% urban; p = .0475) than informational packets alone (28.7% rural, 22% urban; p < .0001). Rural family enrollment rates were overall higher than urban rates regardless of recruitment strategy (52.0% rural vs. 39.6% urban; p = .0008).

Conclusion.

The findings suggest the FOSTER approach, although effective in both rural and urban settings, was more successful in recruiting rural families.
$LT^2C^2$ : A language of thought with Turing-computable Kolmogorov complexity
Authors: Romano Sergio , Sigman Mariano , Figueira Santiago
Published: March 2013

In this paper, we present a theoretical effort to connect the theory of program size to psychology by implementing a concrete language of thought with Turing-computable Kolmogorov complexity ($LT^2C^2$ ) satisfying the following requirements: 1) to be simple enough so that the complexity of any given finite binary sequence can be computed, 2) to be based on tangible operations of human reasoning (printing, repeating,. . . ), 3) to be sufficiently powerful to generate all possible sequences but not too powerful as to identify regularities which would be invisible to humans. We first formalize $LT^2C^2$ , giving its syntax and semantics, and defining an adequate notion of program size. Our setting leads to a Kolmogorov complexity function relative to $LT^2C^2$ which is computable in polynomial time, and it also induces a prediction algorithm in the spirit of Solomonoff’s inductive inference theory. We then prove the efficacy of this language by investigating regularities in strings produced by participants attempting to generate random strings. Participants had a profound understanding of randomness and hence avoided typical misconceptions such as exaggerating the number of alternations. We reasoned that remaining regularities would express the algorithmic nature of human thoughts, revealed in the form of specific patterns. Kolmogorov complexity relative to $LT^2C^2$ passed three expected tests examined here: 1) human sequences were less complex than control PRNG sequences, 2) human sequences were not stationary showing decreasing values of complexity resulting from fatigue 3) each individual showed traces of algorithmic stability since fitting of partial data was more effective to predict subsequent data than average fits. This work extends on previous efforts to combine notions of Kolmogorov complexity theory and algorithmic information theory to psychology, by explicitly proposing a language which may describe the patterns of human thoughts.Received: 12 December 2012,  Accepted: 3 February 2013; Edited by: G. Mindlin; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.050001Cite as: S Romano, M Sigman, S Figueira, Papers in Physics 5, 050001 (2013)
Entrevista a Nicolás Matjí, productor de Las aventuras de Tadeo Jones
Authors: Lorenzo Hernández María
Published: March 2013

Nicolás Matjí lleva desde el año 1999 en el mundode la producción cinematográfica, a través de sus productorasLa Fiesta PC y Lightbox Entertainment S.L.En el año 2003 decide especializarse en la producciónde contenidos de animación, produciendo los cortometrajesde Enrique Gato Tadeo Jones (2004), y TadeoJones y el sótano maldito (2007), además de Changes(2006), Tachaaan! (2009) y La Bruxa (2010). En elaño 2008 funda Lightbox Entertainment S.L. juntoa Enrique Gato, con el objetivo de producir largometrajesde animación para una audiencia global. Lasaventuras de Tadeo Jones (2012) es el primer largometrajede animación de Lightbox Entertainment, al queseguirá una secuela en breve. En su entrevista, NicolásMatjí nos desvela algunos detalles de la producción deLas aventuras de Tadeo Jones, película revelación en lacartelera española del pasado año.
Economies of Recycling, ‘Consumption Work’ and Divisions of Labour in Sweden and England
Authors: Wheeler Kathryn , Glucksmann Miriam
Published: March 2013

The recycling of domestic waste has become increasingly significant over recent years with governments across the world pledging increases in their recycling rates. But success in reaching targets relies on the input and effort of the household and consumer. This article argues that the work consumers regularly perform in sorting their recyclable waste into different fractions and, in some cases, transporting this to communal sites, plays an integral role in the overall division of labour within waste management processes. We develop the concept of ‘consumption work’ drawing on comparative research in Sweden and England to show how the consumer is both at the end and starting point of a circular global economy of materials re-use. The work that consumers do has not been systematically explored as a distinctive form of labour, and we argue that treating it seriously requires revision of the conventional approach to the division of labour.
Bases, Stages and ‘Working your Way Up’: Young People's Talk about Non-Coital Practices and ‘Normal’ Sexual Trajectories
Authors: Lewis Ruth , Marston Cicely , Wellings Kaye
Published: March 2013

While the symbolic importance of ‘losing your virginity’ has been described in many settings, meanings of non-coital sexual experiences, such as oral sex and hand-genital contact, are often missing from theorisation of sexual transitions. Drawing on data from a qualitative mixed methods study with young people aged 16-18 in England (the ‘sixteen18 project’), we explore normative expectations about non-coital sex and sexual trajectories.

Our study demonstrates how gendered talk about a ‘normal order’ of non-coital sexual activities ‘leading to’ vaginal intercourse contributes to a heteronormative discourse shaping sexual narratives and experiences long before first vaginal intercourse. Pre-coital sexual experiences were accounted for in terms of providing an opportunity for young men to develop and demonstrate sexual skill, for young women to be prepared for penetration by a penis and to learn to enjoy partnered sexual encounters, and for both sexes to develop the emotional intimacy required for first vaginal intercourse in a relationship. Prior to ‘having sex’, young people's talk about, and experience of, non-coital sexual activities helps circulate ideas about what ‘proper’ sex is, which sexual practices are valued and why, which skills are required and by whom, and whose pleasure is prioritised. If sexual health programmes are to challenge gendered inequalities in dominant assumptions about sex, non-coital sexual activities should be viewed as a legitimate area for discussion.
Researching ‘Ordinary’ Young People in a Changing World: The Sociology of Generations and the ‘Missing Middle’ in Youth Research
Authors: Woodman Dan
Published: March 2013

Several researchers have pointed to an overemphasis on ‘spectacular’ elements of youth culture and on ‘at-risk’ young people, arguing for greater attention to the ‘ordinary’ in sociological youth research. This article draws upon the Life Patterns Project, a 20-year longitudinal study of transitions in Australia, to argue that both understanding the ‘ordinary’ experience of youth and contemporary patterns of inequality between young people can be facilitated by a return to ideas from the undervalued legacy of the sociology of generations. Much youth research draws, often implicitly, on a model of youth where the adulthood that is the end point of transitions tends to be taken for granted. Yet, in the context of a rapidly changing labour market, the Life-Patterns participants have had to reshape the meaning of youth and adulthood as the field of possibilities open to them has changed. Understanding this remaking is the basis from which youth research can understand how some young people come to win or lose in contemporary conditions.
Goffman Goes to Church: Face-Saving and the Maintenance of Collective Order in Religious Services
Authors: Donnelly Christopher M. , Wright Bradley R.E.
Published: March 2013

This article explores behavioural norms and consequences of their transgression during Mainline Protestant and Catholic church services in the Northeastern United States. We utilize Erving Goffman's essay “On Face-Work” as our primary theoretical orientation. Based on fieldwork conducted at twelve different churches in two Northeastern states, we found multiple types of social disruptions, sanctions, and attempted repairs occurring in services. Our findings highlight the normative complexity of religious services and have implications for a variety of collective endeavours.
‘Extending the Analytical Lens’: A Consideration of the Concepts of ‘Care’ and ‘Intimacy’ in Relation to Fathering after Separation or Divorce
Authors: Philip Georgia
Published: March 2013

This article adds to theoretical debate among British sociologists of families and relationships by considering the analytical potential and positioning of intimacy and care as concepts. Drawing on qualitative data from a study of fathering after separation or divorce, it explores the conceptual value of care as a means to advance understanding of fathering relationships. Raising the question of labour and the question of power, the discussion demonstrates the distinctiveness of care as an analytical tool, alongside, but not equivalent to, intimacy. I argue that intimacy and care are not interchangeable concepts and that care should not be limited as a purely descriptive term. The article presents care as a valuable concept which sheds particular light on the interplay between practical, ethical and emotional dimensions of family relationships, arguing that it has a deeply embedded ethical dimension which lies at the heart of its analytical potential.
Stillbirth and Loss: Family Practices and Display
Authors: Murphy Samantha , Thomas Hilary
Published: March 2013

This paper explores how parents respond to their memories of their stillborn child over the years following their loss. When people die after living for several years or more, their family and friends have the residual traces of a life lived as a basis for an identity that may be remembered over a sustained period of time. For the parent of a stillborn child there is no such basis and the claim for a continuing social identity for their son or daughter is precarious. Drawing on interviews with the parents of 22 stillborn children, this paper explores the identity work performed by parents concerned to create a lasting and meaningful identity for their child and to include him or her in their families after death. The paper draws on Finch's (2007) concept of family display and Walter's (1999) thesis that links continue to exist between the living and the dead over a continued period. The paper argues that evidence from the experience of stillbirth suggests that there is scope for development for both theoretical frameworks.
Retrieval and satellite intercomparison of O3 measurements from ground-based FTIR Spectrometer at Equatorial Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Takele Kenea S. , Mengistu Tsidu G. , Blumenstock T. , Hase F. , von Clarmann T. , Stiller G. P.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Since May 2009, high-resolution Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) solar absorption spectra have been recorded at Addis Ababa (9.01° N latitude, 38.76° E longitude, 2443 m altitude above sea level), Ethiopia. The vertical profiles and total column amounts of ozone (O3) are deduced from the spectra by using the retrieval code PROFFIT (V9.5) and regularly determined instrumental line shape (ILS). A detailed error analysis of the O3 retrieval is performed. Averaging kernels of the target gas shows that the major contribution to the retrieved information comes from the measurement. The degrees of freedom for signals is found to be 2.1 on average for the retrieval of O3 from the observed FTIR spectra. The ozone Volume Mixing Ratio (VMR) profiles and column amounts retrieved from FTIR spectra are compared with the coincident satellite observations of Microwave Limb Sounding (MLS), Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Atmospheric Infrared Sounding (AIRS) and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2) instruments. The mean relative differences in ozone profiles of FTIR from MLS and MIPAS are generally lower than 15% within the altitude range of 27 to 36 km, whereas difference from TES is lower than 1%. Comparisons of measurements of column amounts from the satellite and the ground-based FTIR show very good agreement as exhibited by relative differences within +0.2% to +2.8% for FTIR versus MLS and GOME-2; and −0.9 to −9.0% for FTIR versus OMI, TES and AIRS. The corresponding standard deviations are within 2.0 to 2.8% for FTIR versus MLS and GOME-2 comparisons whereas that of FTIR versus OMI, TES and AIRS are within 3.5 to 7.3%. Thus, the retrieved O3 VMR and column amounts from a tropical site, Addis Ababa, is found to exhibit very good agreement with all coincident satellite observations over an approximate 3-yr period.
An automated setup to measure paleoatmospheric δ13C-CH4, δ15N-N2O and δ18O-N2O in one ice core sample
Authors: Sperlich P. , Buizert C. , Jenk T. M. , Sapart C. J. , Prokopiou M. , Röckmann T. , Blunier T.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Air bubbles in ice core samples represent the only opportunity to study the isotopic variability of paleoatmospheric CH4 and N2O. The highest possible precision in isotope measurements is required to maximize the resolving power for CH4 and N2O sink and source reconstructions. We present a new setup to measure δ13C-CH4, δ15N-N2O and δ18O-N2O isotope ratios in one ice core sample, with a precision of 0.09‰, 0.6‰ and 0.7‰, respectively, as determined on 0.6–1.6 nmol CH4 and 0.25–0.6 nmol N2O. The isotope ratios are referenced to the VPDB scale (δ13C-CH4), the N2-air scale (δ15N-N2O) and the VSMOW scale (δ18O-N2O). Ice core samples of 200–500 g are melted while the air is constantly extracted to minimize gas dissolution. A helium carrier gas flow transports the sample through the analytical system. A gold catalyst is used to oxidize CO to CO2 in the air sample without affecting the CH4 and N2O sample. CH4 and N2O are then separated from N2, O2, Ar and CO2 before they get pre-concentrated and separated by gas chromatography. While the separated N2O sample is immediately analysed in the mass spectrometer, a combustion unit is required for δ13C-CH4 analysis, which is equipped with a constant oxygen supply as well as a post-combustion trap and a post-combustion GC-column (GC-C-GC-IRMS). The post combustion trap and the second GC column in the GC-C-GC-IRMS combination increase the time for δ13C-CH4 analysis which is used to measure δ15N-N2O and δ18O-N2O first and then δ13C-CH4. The analytical time is adjusted to ensure stable conditions in the ion-source before each sample gas enters the IRMS, thereby improving the precision achieved for measurements of CH4 and N2O on the same IRMS. After the extraction of the air from the ice core sample, the analysis of CH4 and N2O takes 42 min. The setup is calibrated by analyzing multiple isotope reference gases that were injected over bubble-free-ice samples. We show a comparison of ice core sample measurements for δ13C-CH4 that are of excellent reproducibility and accuracy, and in good agreement with previously published data.
Enhancement of aerosol characterization using synergy of lidar and sun – photometer coincident observations: the GARRLiC algorithm
Authors: Lopatin A. , Dubovik O. , Chaikovsky A. , Goloub Ph. , Lapyonok T. , Tanré D. , Litvinov P.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Currently most of experiments pursuing comprehensive characterization of atmosphere include coordinated observations by both lidar and radiometers in order to obtain important complimentary information about aerosol properties. The passive observations by radiometers from ground are mostly sensitive to the properties of aerosol in total atmospheric column and have very limited sensitivity to vertical structure of the atmosphere. Such observations are commonly used for measuring aerosol optical thickness and deriving the information about aerosol microphysics including aerosol particles shape, size distribution, and complex refractive index. In a contrast, lidar observations of atmospheric responses from different altitudes to laser pulses emitted from ground are designed to provide accurate profiling of the atmospheric properties. The interpretation of the lidar observation generally relies on some assumptions about aerosol type and loading. Here we present the GARRLiC algorithm (Generalized Aerosol Retrieval from Radiometer and Lidar Combined data) that simultaneously inverts co-incident lidar and radiometer observations and derives a united set of aerosol parameters. Such synergetic retrieval is expected to result in additional enhancements in derived aerosol properties because the backscattering observations by lidar add some sensitivity to the columnar properties of aerosol, while radiometric observations provide sufficient constraints on aerosol type and loading that generally are missing in lidar signals. GARRLiC is based on AERONET algorithm for inverting combined observations by radiometer and multi-wavelength elastic lidar observations. It is expected that spectral changes of backscattering signal obtained by multi-wavelength lidar at different altitudes provide some sensitivity to the vertical variability of aerosol particle sizes. In order to benefit from this sensitivity the algorithm is set to derive not only the vertical profile of total aerosol concentration but it also differentiates between the contributions of fine and coarse modes of aerosol. The detailed microphysical properties are assumed height independent and different for each mode and expected to be derived as a part of the retrieval. Thus, the GARRLiC inversion algorithm retrieves vertical distribution of both fine and coarse aerosol concentrations as well as the size distribution, complex refractive index and single scattering albedo for each mode. The potential and limitations of the method are demonstrated by the series of sensitivity tests. The practical outcome of the approach is illustrated by applications of the algorithm to the real lidar and radiometer observations obtained over selected AERONET site.
Statistical characteristics of PMWE observations by the EISCAT VHF radar
Authors: Strelnikova I. , Rapp M.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. In the present paper ~ 32.5 h of EISCAT VHF PMWE observations were analyzed with focus on spectral properties like spectral width, doppler shift and spectral shape. Examples from two days of observations with weak and strong polar mesosphere winter echo (PMWE) signals are presented and discussed in detail. These examples reveal a large variability from one case to the other. That is, some features like an observed change of vertical wind direction and spectral broadening can be very prominent in one case, but unnoticeable in the other case. However, for all observations a change of spectral shape inside the layer relative to the incoherent background is noticed.
The Little Ice Age: evidence from a sediment record in Gullmar Fjord, Swedish west coast
Authors: Polovodova Asteman I. , Nordberg K. , Filipsson H. L.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. We discuss the climatic and environmental changes during the last millennium in NE Europe based on a ca. 8-m long high-resolved and well-dated marine sediment record from the deepest basin of Gullmar Fjord (SW Sweden). According to the 210Pb- and 14C-datings, the record includes the period of the late Holocene characterised by anomalously cold summers and well-known as the Little Ice Age (LIA). Using benthic foraminiferal stratigraphy, lithology, bulk sediment geochemistry and stable carbon isotopes we reconstruct various phases of the cold period, identify its timing in the study area and discuss the land–sea interactions occurring during that time. The onset of the LIA is indicated by an increase in cold-water foraminiferal species Adercotryma glomerata at ~ 1350 AD The first phase of the LIA was characterised by a stormy climate and higher productivity, which is indicated by a foraminiferal unit of Nonionella iridea and Cassidulina laevigata. Maximum abundances of N. iridea probably mirror a short and abrupt warming event at ~ 1600 AD. It is likely that due to land use changes in the second part of the LIA there was an increased input of terrestrial organic matter to the fjord, which is indicated by lighter δ13C values and an increase of detritivorous and omnivorous species such as Textularia earlandi and Eggerelloides scaber. The climate deterioration during the climax of the LIA (1675–1704 AD), as suggested by the increase of agglutinated species, presence of Hyalinea balthica, and a decline of N. iridea may have driven the decline in primary productivity during this time period.
Modeling the impact of soil aggregate size on selenium immobilization
Authors: Kausch M. F. , Pallud C. E.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Soil aggregates are mm- to cm-sized microporous structures separated by macropores. Whereas fast advective transport prevails in macropores, advection is inhibited by the low permeability of intra-aggregate micropores. This can lead to mass transfer limitations and the formation of aggregate scale concentration gradients affecting the distribution and transport of redox sensitive elements. Selenium (Se) mobilized through irrigation of seleniferous soils has emerged as a major aquatic contaminant. In the absence of oxygen, the bioavailable oxyanions selenate, Se(VI), and selenite, Se(IV), can be microbially reduced to solid, elemental Se, Se(0), and anoxic microzones within soil aggregates are thought to promote this process in otherwise well-aerated soils. To evaluate the impact of soil aggregate size on selenium retention, we developed a dynamic 2-D reactive transport model of selenium cycling in a single idealized aggregate surrounded by a macropore. The model was developed based on flow-through-reactor experiments involving artificial soil aggregates (diameter: 2.5 cm) made of sand and containing Enterobacter cloacae SLD1a-1 that reduces Se(VI) via Se(IV) to Se(0). Aggregates were surrounded by a constant flow providing Se(VI) and pyruvate under oxic or anoxic conditions. In the model, reactions were implemented with double-Monod rate equations coupled to the transport of pyruvate, O2, and Se species. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the model were validated with data from experiments, and predictive simulations were performed covering aggregate sizes 1–2.5 cm in diameter. Simulations predict that selenium retention scales with aggregate size. Depending on O2, Se(VI), and pyruvate concentrations, selenium retention was 4–23 times higher in 2.5 cm aggregates compared to 1 cm aggregates. Under oxic conditions, aggregate size and pyruvate concentrations were found to have a positive synergistic effect on selenium retention. Promoting soil aggregation on seleniferous agricultural soils, through organic matter amendments and conservation tillage, may thus help decrease the impacts of selenium contaminated drainage water on downstream aquatic ecosystems.
Paleohydrology reconstruction and Holocene climate variability in the South Adriatic Sea
Authors: Siani G. , Magny M. , Paterne M. , Debret M. , Fontugne M.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Holocene paleohydrology reconstruction is derived combining planktonic and benthic stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and oxygen isotope composition of seawater (δ18Ow) from a high sedimentation core collected in the South Adriatic Sea (SAS). Core chronology is based on 10 AMS 14C measures on planktonic foraminifera and tephra layers. Results reveal two contrasted paleohydrological periods that reflect (i) a marked lowering of δ18Ow/salinity during the early to mid-Holocene (11.5 ka to 6.3 ka), including the two-step sapropel S1 deposition, followed during the mid- to upper Holocene by (ii) a prevailing period of increased salinity and enhanced arid conditions in the South Adriatic Basin. Superimposed on these trends, short-term centennial-scale hydrological events punctuated the Holocene period in the SAS. During the early to mid-Holocene, two main SST coolings together with prominent δ18Ow/salinity lowering delineate the sapropel S1 interruption and the post-sapropel phase between 7.3 to 6.3 ka. After 6 ka, centennial-scale δ18Ow and G. bulloides δ13C lowering, mostly centered between 3 to 0.6 ka, reflect short-term hydrological changes related to more intensive runoff of the Po and/or Apennine rivers. These short-term events, even of lesser amplitude compared to the early to mid-Holocene period, may have induced a lowering of sea surface density and consequently reduced and/or inhibited the formation of deep bottom waters in the SAS. Comparison of the emerging centennial- to millennial-scale hydrological record with previous climatic records from the central Mediterranean area and north of the Alps reveal possible synchronicities (within the radiocarbon-dating uncertainty) between phases of lower salinity in the SAS and periods of wetter climatic conditions around the north-central Adriatic Sea. Finally, wavelet analyses provide new clues about the potential origin of climate variability in the SAS, confirming the evidence for a mid-Holocene transition in the central Mediterranean climate and the dominance of a ~1670-yr periodicity after 6 ka, reflecting a plausible connection with the North Atlantic climate system.
Evaluation of high-resolution satellite precipitation products using rain gauge observations over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Gao Y. C. , Liu M. F.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. High-resolution satellite precipitation products are very attractive for studying the hydrologic processes in mountainous areas where rain gauges are generally sparse. Four high-resolution satellite precipitation products are evaluated using gauge measurements over different climate zones of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) within a 6 yr period from 2004 to 2009. The four satellite-based precipitation data sets are: Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis 3B42 version 6 (TMPA) and its Real Time version (TMPART), Climate Prediction Center Morphing Technique (CMOPRH) and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Network (PERSIANN). TMPA and CMORPH, with higher correlation coefficients and lower root mean square errors (RMSEs), show overall better performance than PERSIANN and TMPART. TMPA has the lowest biases among the four precipitation data sets, which is likely due to the correction process against the monthly gauge observations from global precipitation climatology project (GPCP). TMPA also shows large improvement over TMPART, indicating the importance of gauge-based correction on accuracy of rainfall. The four products show better agreement with gauge measurements over humid regions than that over arid regions where correlation coefficients are less than 0.5. Moreover, the four precipitation products generally tend to overestimate light rainfall (0–10 mm) and underestimate moderate and heavy rainfall (>10 mm). Moreover, this study extracts 24 topographic variables from a DEM (digital elevation model) and uses a linear regression model to explore the bias–topography relationship. Results show that biases of TMPA and CMORPH present weak dependence on topography. However, biases of TMPART and PERSIANN present dependence on topography and variability of elevation and surface roughness plays important roles in explaining their biases.
Water footprints of cities – indicators for sustainable consumption and production
Authors: Hoff H. , Döll P. , Fader M. , Gerten D. , Hauser S. , Siebert S.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Water footprints have been proposed as sustainability indicators, relating the consumption of goods like food to the amount of water necessary for their production and the impacts of that water use in the source regions. We have further developed the existing water footprint methodology by globally resolving virtual water flows and import and source regions at 5 arc minutes spatial resolution, and by assessing local impacts of export production. Applying this method to three exemplary cities, Berlin, Delhi and Lagos, we find major differences in amounts, composition, and origin of green and blue virtual water imports, due to differences in diets, trade integration and crop water productivities in the source regions. While almost all of Delhi's and Lagos' virtual water imports are of domestic origin, Berlin on average imports from more than 4000 km distance, in particular soy (livestock feed), coffee and cocoa. While 42% of Delhi's virtual water imports are blue water based, the fractions for Berlin and Lagos are 2% and 0.5%, respectively, roughly equal to local drinking water abstractions of these cities. Some of the external source regions of Berlin's virtual water imports appear to be critically water scarce and/or food insecure. However for deriving recommendations on sustainable consumption and trade, further analysis of context-specific costs and benefits associated with export production will be required.
Bedmap2: improved ice bed, surface and thickness datasets for Antarctica
Authors: Fretwell P. , Pritchard H. D. , Vaughan D. G. , Bamber J. L. , Barrand N. E. , Bell R. , Bianchi C. , Bingham R. G. , Blankenship D. D. , Casassa G. , Catania G. , Callens D. , Conway H. , Cook A. J. , Corr H. F. J. , Damaske D. , Damm V. , Ferraccioli F. , Forsberg R. , Fujita S. , Gim Y. , Gogineni P. , Griggs J. A. , Hindmarsh R. C. A. , Holmlund P. , Holt J. W. , Jacobel R. W. , Jenkins A. , Jokat W. , Jordan T. , King E. C. , Kohler J. , Krabill W. , Riger-Kusk M. , Langley K. A. , Leitchenkov G. , Leuschen C. , Luyendyk B. P. , Matsuoka K. , Mouginot J. , Nitsche F. O. , Nogi Y. , Nost O. A. , Popov S. V. , Rignot E. , Rippin D. M. , Rivera A. , Roberts J. , Ross N. , Siegert M. J. , Smith A. M. , Steinhage D. , Studinger M. , Sun B. , Tinto B. K. , Welch B. C. , Wilson D. , Young D. A. , Xiangbin C. , Zirizzotti A.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. We present Bedmap2, a new suite of gridded products describing surface elevation, ice-thickness and the seafloor and subglacial bed elevation of the Antarctic south of 60° S. We derived these products using data from a variety of sources, including many substantial surveys completed since the original Bedmap compilation (Bedmap1) in 2001. In particular, the Bedmap2 ice thickness grid is made from 25 million measurements, over two orders of magnitude more than were used in Bedmap1. In most parts of Antarctica the subglacial landscape is visible in much greater detail than was previously available and the improved data-coverage has in many areas revealed the full scale of mountain ranges, valleys, basins and troughs, only fragments of which were previously indicated in local surveys. The derived statistics for Bedmap2 show that the volume of ice contained in the Antarctic ice sheet (27 million km3) and its potential contribution to sea-level rise (58 m) are similar to those of Bedmap1, but the mean thickness of the ice sheet is 4.6% greater, the mean depth of the bed beneath the grounded ice sheet is 72 m lower and the area of ice sheet grounded on bed below sea level is increased by 10%. The Bedmap2 compilation highlights several areas beneath the ice sheet where the bed elevation is substantially lower than the deepest bed indicated by Bedmap1. These products, along with grids of data coverage and uncertainty, provide new opportunities for detailed modelling of the past and future evolution of the Antarctic ice sheets.
Marking Time: Women and Nazi Propaganda Art during World War II
Authors: McCloskey Barbara
Published: March 2013

"Marking Time" considers the relative scarcity of woman's image in Nazi propaganda posters during World War II. This scarcity departs from the ubiquity of women in paintings and sculptures of the same period. In the fine arts, woman served to solidify the "Nazi myth" and its claim to the timeless time of an Aryan order simultaneously achieved and yet to come. Looking at poster art and using Ernst Bloch's notion of the nonsynchronous, this essay explores the extent to which women as signifiers of the modern – and thus as markers of time – threatened to expose the limits of this Nazi myth especially as the regime's war effort ground to its catastrophic end.
Preparation and characteristics of beta-glucan concentrate from brewer's yeast as the additive substance in foods
Authors: Kováčová Mária , Dodok Ladislav , Žofajová Livia , Mikuš Ľubomí­r
Published: March 2013

The brewer¢s yeast was used for preparation of concentrate with content of β-glucan. Hot water extraction (100°C, 5 hours) and subsequently an alkaline extraction of sediment using 1 M NaOH at 90°C for 1 hour were used. β-glucan concentrate containing 59,15 % of β-glucan had good functional properties (water binding capacity 13,34 g water/1 g concentrate, fat binding capacity 6,86 g fat/1 g concentrate) and indicated biological action too.  At concentration of 2 mg/ml DMSO (dimethylsulfoxid) was viability of murine L1210 leukemic cells reduced to 76.15 %. When observing the antioxidant activity it was identified, that the lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid samples was decreased during the presence of β-glucan concentrate. These results and good sensory properties like a bright colour and the pleasant taste and smell indicate, that prepared β-glucan concentrate has a potential to be used to improve the health – beneficial substances in the foods.
Perception of basic tastes and threshold sensitivity during testing of selected judges
Authors: Barborová Petra , Jančovičová Jana , Zajác Peter , Čapla Jozef , Vietoris Vladimí­r
Published: March 2013

The sense of taste is one of the most important human senses. Alteration in taste perception can greately interfere to our lives, because it influences our dietary habits and consequently general human health. Many physiological and external factors can cause the loss of taste perception. These factors include for example certain diseases, the side effect of the use of certain medicaments, head trauma, gender, dietary habbits, smoking, role of saliva, age, stress and many more. In this paper we are discussing perception of basic tastes and treshold sensitivity during testing of selected groupe of 500 sensory judges. A resolution taste test and sensitivity treshold test were performed using basic tastes (sour, bitter, salty, sweet, umami, astringent, metallic). We have found that the perception of basic tastes decreese with human age. Smoking leads to significant errors in the determination of basic tastes. Different mistakes occures in different age categories. This study suggests further researches, investigating various factors influencing taste perception.
Hop pellets as an interesting source of antioxidant active compounds
Authors: Holubková Andrea , Mošovská Silvia , Baloghová Barbora , Šturdí­k Ernest
Published: March 2013

Hop is a plant used by humankind for thousands of years. This plant is one of the main and indispensable raw materials for the beer production. It is used for various dishes preparation in the cuisine. Hop is also used to inhibit bacterial contamination. The hop extracts are used for its sedative, antiseptic and antioxidant properties in medicine, as a part of many phytopharmaceuticals. The present paper have focused on the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from 4 samples of hop pellets varieties of Aurora, Saaz, Lublin and Saphir, on the analyzing of bioactive substances (polyphenolics and flavonoids) in prepared extracts and on the determination of antioxidant activity.  The highest content of polyphenolic substances was determined in the sample Lublin (153.06 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g) and Saaz (151.87 mg GAE/g). The amount of flavonoids in the samples  was descending order Saaz > Saphir > Aurora > Lublin. Hops, as plant, is known by high content of antioxidant active substances. Antioxidant activity was determined using three independent spectrofotometric methods, radical scavenging assays using 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The sample Aurora showed the highest ability to scavenge of ABTS radical cation. Antioxidant activity continued to decline in a row Saphir> Lublin> Saaz. The same trend was also observed by using the FRAP assay. The most effective DPPH radical scavengering activity had the sample Saaz a Saphir (p>0.05).
Trotting Gait of a Quadruped Robot Based on the Time-Pose Control Method
Authors: RunBin Cai , YangZhen Chen , WenQi Hou , Jiang Wang , HongXu Ma
Published: March 2013

We present the Time-Pose control method for the trotting gait of a quadruped robot on flat ground and up a slope. The method, with brief control structure, real-time operation ability and high adaptability, divides quadruped robot control into gait control and pose control. Virtual leg and intuitive controllers are introduced to simplify the model and generate the trajectory of mass centre and location of supporting legs in gait control, while redundancy optimization is used for solving the inverse kinematics in pose control. The models both on flat ground and up a slope are fully analysed, and different kinds of optimization methods are compared using the manipulability measure in order to select the best option. Simulations are performed, which prove that the Time-Pose control method is realizable for these two kinds of environment.