bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Treaty-Based Settlement of Terrorism-Related Disputes in the Era of Active United Nations Security Council Involvement
Authors: Ali Nathanael Tilahun
Published: October 2014

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Treaty-Based Settlement of Terrorism-Related Disputes in the Era of Active United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council has become a crucial actor in international counterterrorism by not only spurring the taking of preventive and suppressive measures against terrorist individuals and groups, but also by taking actions against states that are said to stand in the way. The Security Council's actions against such states invariably arise from accusations by other states, such as accusations of refusal to extradite suspects of terrorism or responsibility for supporting terrorists. Meanwhile, most such issues of dispute are covered under international treaties relating to terrorism, which provide for political (negotiation) and judicial (arbitration and adjudication) mechanisms of dispute settlement. The Security Council's actions against states in connection with terrorism, therefore, involve (explicit or implicit) factual and legal determinations that affect the legal positions of the disputing states under the applicable international treaties relating to terrorism. The point of departure of this paper is that, in this respect, the Security Council effectively becomes an alternative to the treaty-based dispute-settlement mechanisms. The article centrally contends that the Security Council effectively acts as a more attractive alternative to treaty-based dispute-settlement mechanisms for pursuing terrorism-related (legal) disputes between states, without providing a meaningful platform of disputation that is based on equality of the parties. And the Security Council's relative attractiveness, arising from the discursive and legal superiority its decisions enjoy and the relative convenience and expediency with which those decisions are delivered, entails the rendering of resort to treaty-based dispute-settlement mechanisms of little legal consequence. The point of concern the article aims to highlight is the lack of platform of disputation some states are faced with, trapped between a hostile Security Council that makes determinations and decisions of legal consequence and an unhelpful treaty-based dispute-settlement mechanism.
Human Rights Courts Interpreting Sustainable Development: Balancing Individual Rights and the Collective Interest
Authors: Folkesson Emelie
Published: October 2014

Human Rights Courts Interpreting Sustainable Development: Balancing Individual Rights and the Collective Interest

This article uses a generally accepted conceptualisation of sustainable development that can be operationalized in a judicial context. It focuses on the individual and collective dimensions of the environmental, economic and social pillars, as well as the consideration of inter-generational and intra-generational equity. Case law from the European, African and American systems is analysed to reveal if the elements of sustainable development have been incorporated in their jurisprudence. The analysis reveals that the human rights bodies have used different interpretative methods, some more progressive than others, in order to incorporate the elements of sustainable development in the scope of their mandate, even if they do not mention the concept as such. The overall conclusion is that sustainable development has been operationalized through human rights courts to a certain extent. Sometimes, however, a purely individualised approach to human rights creates a hurdle to further advance sustainable development. The conclusion creates the impression that sustainable development is not just a concept on paper, but that it in fact can be operationalized, also in other courts and quasi-courts. Moreover, it shows that the institutional structure of human rights courts has been used in other areas than pure human rights protection, which means that other areas of law might make use of it to fill the gap of a non-existing court structure.
Unity in Multiplicity: Shared Cultural Understandings on Marital Life in a Damascus Catholic and Muslim Court
Authors: Van Eijk Esther
Published: October 2014

Unity in Multiplicity: Shared Cultural Understandings on Marital Life in a Damascus Catholic and Muslim Court

Family relations in Syria are governed by a plurality of personal status laws and courts. This plurality manifests itself on a variety of levels, including statutory, communal and individual. In this article, the author argues that, albeit this plurality, Syrian personal status law is also characterised by the prevalence of shared, gendered norms and views on marital life. Based on fieldwork conducted in a Catholic and a shar’iyya personal status courts in Damascus in 2009, the author examines the shared cultural understandings on marital relationships that were found in these courts, and as laid down – most importantly – in the respective Catholic and Muslim family laws. The article maintains that the patriarchal family model is preserved and reinforced by the various personal status laws and by the various actors which operated in the field of personal status law. Finally, two Catholic case studies are presented and analysed to demonstrate the importance and attachment to patriarchal gender norms in the Catholic first instance court of Damascus.
At the Crossroads of National and European Union Law. Experiences of National Judges in a Multi-level Legal Order
Authors: Jaremba Urszula
Published: October 2014

At the Crossroads of National and European Union Law. Experiences of National Judges in a Multi-level Legal Order

The notion and theory of legal pluralism have been witnessing an increasing interest on part of scholars. The theory that originates from the legal anthropological studies and is one of the major topical streams in the realm of socio-legal studies slowly but steady started to become a point of departure for other disciplines. Unavoidably it has also gained attention from the scholars in the realm of the law of the European Union. It is the aim of the present article to illustrate the legal reality in which the law of the Union and the national laws coexist and intertwine with each other and, subsequently, to provide some insight on the manner national judges personally construct their own understanding of this complex legal architecture and the problems they come across in that respect. In that sense, the present article not only illustrates the new, pluralistic legal environment that came into being with the founding of the Communities, later the European Union, but also adds another dimension to this by presenting selected, empirical data on how national judges in several Member States of the EU individually perceive, adapt to, experience and make sense of this reality of overlapping and intertwining legal orders. Thus, the principal aim of this article is to illustrate how the pluralistic legal system works in the mind of a national judge and to capture the more day-to-day legal reality by showing how the law works on the ground through the lived experiences of national judges.
From Legal Pluralism to Public Justification
Authors: Melissaris Emmanuel
Published: October 2014

From legal pluralism to public justification

The paper offers an argument for a conception of legal pluralism, which has some substantive upshots and at least partly alleviates that legal pluralism may regress to rampant relativism. In particular, I will argue that law in its pluralist conception is inextricably linked to the requirement of public justification. This is not by way of appealing to any transcendental normative ideals but as a matter of entailment of the very practice of law. But, perhaps to the disappointment of many, this procedural requirement is the only practical consequence of the concept of law. For thicker, substantive limits to what law can do and for ways in which legal pluralism may be reduced in real contexts one will have to turn to the actual circumstances furnishing the law with content and a different kind of thinking about the law.
Unexpected Circumstances arising from World War I and its Aftermath: ‘Open’ versus ‘Closed’ Legal Systems
Authors: Oosterhuis Janwillem
Published: October 2014

Unexpected Circumstances arising from World War I and its Aftermath: ‘Open’ versus ‘Closed’ Legal Systems

European jurisdictions can be distinguished in ‘open’ and ‘closed’ legal systems in respect of their approach to unexpected circumstances occurring in contractual relations. In this article, it will be argued that this distinction can be related to the judiciary’s reaction in certain countries to the economic consequences of World War I. The first point to be highlighted will be the rather strict approach to unexpected circumstances in contract law that many jurisdictions had before the war – including England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Secondly, the judicial approach in England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands to unexpected circumstances arising from the war will be briefly analysed. It will appear that all of the aforementioned jurisdictions remained ‘closed’. Subsequently, the reaction of the judiciary in these jurisdictions to the economic circumstances in the aftermath of the war, (hyper)inflation in particular, will be analysed. Germany, which experienced hyperinflation in the immediate aftermath of the war, developed an ‘open’ system, using the doctrine of the Wegfall der Geschäftsgrundlage. In the Netherlands, this experience failed to have an impact: indeed, in judicial practice the Netherlands appears to have a ‘closed’ legal system nevertheless, save for an ‘exceptional’ remedy in the new Dutch Civil Code, Article 6:258 of the Burgerlijk Wetboek (1992). In conclusion, the hypothesis is put forward that generally only in jurisdictions that have experienced exceptional economic upheaval, such as the hyperinflation in the wake of World War I, ‘exceptional’ remedies addressing unexpected circumstances can have a lasting effect on the legal system.
The First World War and Constitutional Law for the Netherlands Indies
Authors: Efthymiou Nick
Published: October 2014

The First World War and Constitutional Law for the Netherlands Indies

In the nineteenth and part of the twentieth century, the Kingdom of the Netherlands had colonies both in the West Indies and in the East Indies. This article will focus on the Dutch colonies in the East Indies, i.e., the Netherlands Indies – present-day Indonesia, and will discuss whether the First World War had an impact on the constitutional law for the Netherlands Indies.
Participatory trouble: Towards an understanding of algorithmic structures on Facebook
Authors: Berg Martin
Published: October 2014

Several studies have engaged in understanding how the internet and online platforms increase political engagement through various forms of online participation and leverage social collective action. This article advances this line of research by exploring how social network sites in general and Facebook in particular are fuelled by algorithms that affect and become entangled with social practices on these sites. The article is empirically grounded in an analysis of 66 self-reflexive diaries on Facebook use and studies algorithmic structures on Facebook by exploring how personalized social feeds affect the experienced relationship between self and others as well as the readiness to share information to a network of peers. In contrast to studies that position online platforms as strengthening participatory political action, this article argues that it is necessary to take into account how algorithmic structures affect interpersonal relationships and the experienced ability to engage in participatory practices.
Democracy as pothole repair: Civic applications and cyber-empowerment in Russia
Authors: Ermoshina Ksenia
Published: October 2014

The article examines the phenomenon of so-called civic apps, applications for smartphones and web largely used by Russian social movements in their fight against corruption, roads in poor condition, street faults and other public problems. Developed by independent programmers and anti-Putin activists, these applications become a means of collective action and empowerment, redefining traditional repertoires of contention. They help citizens participate in public life by mapping, documenting and photographing different urban problems and hence enable citizen expertise and facilitate citizen control. The aim of this article is thus to understand how such small-scaled actions as pothole reporting or mapping street faults can become a means of empowerment and counter-democracy tools. The article is based on two years of field research and focuses on four cases of civic applications. Analyzing technical aspects, the genesis and design of these apps, the author provides an account of new repertoires of contention and new forms of citizenship created with the help of these tools.
‘Žít Brno’: Czech online political activism from jokes and tactics to politics and strategies
Authors: Macková Alena , Macek Jakub
Published: October 2014

The paper presents a case study of the Czech online activist group Žít Brno. The group that challenges local representatives and employs tactics of political satire, parody and culture jamming, evolved from a spontaneous one-off event to an ongoing political project and eventually became an institutionalized political actor. The case study, based on interviews with group members, content analysis of the project website, longitudinal observation of the group's activities and other additional material, enables us to research the limits and the potential of online tactics and the way online practices are intertwined with a more traditional repertoire of collective action. Building on debates about online political participation and the broadening concept of the political, we interpret the group's protest as a reaction to the crisis of institutionalized local politics and we discuss the actual role of new media in such a protest. The conclusion is that online protest and new media, despite their criticized action-less character, could enable a functional bridge to “real” politics but at the same time they do not play an exclusive role in successful protest politics and have to be interpreted within the context of a particular political action.
Whither slacktivism? Political engagement and social media use in the 2013 Czech Parliamentary elections
Authors: Štětka Václav , Mazák Jaromír
Published: October 2014

This article examines the relationship between online political expression and offline forms of political participation in the context of the 2013 Czech Parliamentary elections. It draws on the rapidly growing but still very much inconclusive empirical evidence concerning the use of new media and social network sites in particular for electoral mobilization and social activism, and their impact on more traditional forms of civic and political engagement. The theoretical framework of the paper is inspired by the competing perspectives on the role of social media for democratic participation and civic engagement, the mobilization vs. normalization thesis, as well as by the popular concepts of clicktivism or slacktivism (Morozov, 2009), denouncing online activism for allegedly not being complemented by offline actions and having little or no impact on real-life political processes. With the intention to empirically contribute to these discussions, this study uses data from a cross-sectional survey on a representative sample of the Czech adult population (N=1,653) which was conducted directly following the 2013 Parliamentary elections. The study was driven by the main research question: Is there a link between online political expression during the election campaign and traditional forms of political participation among Czech Facebook users? Furthermore, the analysis examined the relationship between online political participation and a declared political interest, electoral participation and political news consumption. The results obtained from an ordinal logistic regression analysis confirm the existence of a significant positive relationship between the respondents’ level of campaign engagement on Facebook and their political interest, political information seeking as well as traditional (mainly offline) participation activities, including voting.
Caracterização citogenética da espécie Trigona chanchamayoensis (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) encontrada no cerrado brasileiro
Authors: Fernandes Anderson , Barth Adriane , Sampaio Wagner Santana
Published: October 2014

As abelhas da subtribo Meliponini são conhecidas como abelhas sem ferrão. Elas são as principais vítimas dos avanços das fronteiras agrícolas principalmente pela ação das queimadas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar citogeneticamente a espécie Trigona chanchamayoensis. Os cromossomos metafásicos foram obtidos a partir dos gânglios cerebrais de larvas. Foi possível observar que a espécie T. chanchamayoensis apresentou número cromossômico de 2n=34 para as fêmeas e n=17 para os machos. O fluorocromo DAPI apresentou fortes marcações ao longo de um dos braços de todos os cromossomos, indicando que essas regiões são ricas em pares de bases AT. O fluorocromo CMA3 apresentou fortes marcações na região intersticial do braço longo de um dos pares dos cromossomos acrocêntricos. Ao que tudo indica estas regiões podem estar envolvidas com as NORs (Região Organizadora de Nucléolos) nesta espécie.
Volatile cycling of H2O, CO2, F, and Cl in the HIMU mantle: A new window provided by melt inclusions from oceanic hot spot lavas at Mangaia, Cook Islands
Authors: Cabral Rita A. , Jackson Matthew G. , Koga Kenneth T. , Rose‐Koga Estelle F. , Hauri Erik H. , Whitehouse Martin J. , Price Allison A. , Day James M. D. , Shimizu Nobumichi , Kelley Katherine A.
Published: October 2014

Mangaia hosts the most radiogenic Pb‐isotopic compositions observed in ocean island basalts and represents the HIMU (high µ = 238U/204Pb) mantle end‐member, thought to result from recycled oceanic crust. Complete geochemical characterization of the HIMU mantle end‐member has been inhibited due to a lack of deep submarine glass samples from HIMU localities. We homogenized olivine‐hosted melt inclusions separated from Mangaia lavas and the resulting glassy inclusions made possible the first volatile abundances to be obtained from the HIMU mantle end‐member. We also report major and trace element abundances and Pb‐isotopic ratios on the inclusions, which have HIMU isotopic fingerprints. We evaluate the samples for processes that could modify the volatile and trace element abundances postmantle melting, including diffusive Fe and H2O loss, degassing, and assimilation. H2O/Ce ratios vary from 119 to 245 in the most pristine Mangaia inclusions; excluding an inclusion that shows evidence for assimilation, the primary magmatic H2O/Ce ratios vary up to ∼200, and are consistent with significant dehydration of oceanic crust during subduction and long‐term storage in the mantle. CO2 concentrations range up to 2346 ppm CO2 in the inclusions. Relatively high CO2 in the inclusions, combined with previous observations of carbonate blebs in other Mangaia melt inclusions, highlight the importance of CO2 for the generation of the HIMU mantle. F/Nd ratios in the inclusions (30 ± 9; 2σ standard deviation) are higher than the canonical ratio observed in oceanic lavas, and Cl/K ratios (0.079 ± 0.028) fall in the range of pristine mantle (0.02–0.08).
The role of viscoelasticity in subducting plates
Authors: Farrington R. J. , Moresi L.‐N. , Capitanio F. A.
Published: October 2014

Subduction of tectonic plates into Earth's mantle occurs when one plate bends beneath another at convergent plate boundaries. The characteristic time of deformation at these convergent boundaries approximates the Maxwell relaxation time for olivine at lithospheric temperatures and pressures, it is therefore by definition a viscoelastic process. While this is widely acknowledged, the large‐scale features of subduction can, and have been, successfully reproduced assuming the plate deforms by a viscous mechanism alone. However, the energy rates and stress profile within convergent margins are influenced by viscoelastic deformation. In this study, viscoelastic stresses have been systematically introduced into numerical models of free subduction, using both the viscosity and shear modulus to control the Maxwell relaxation time. The introduction of an elastic deformation mechanism into subduction models produces deviations in both the stress profile and energy rates within the subduction hinge when compared to viscous only models. These variations result in an apparent viscosity that is variable throughout the length of the plate, decreasing upon approach and increasing upon leaving the hinge. At realistic Earth parameters, we show that viscoelastic stresses have a minor effect on morphology yet are less dissipative at depth and result in an energy transfer between the energy stored during bending and the energy released during unbending. We conclude that elasticity is important during both bending and unbending within the slab hinge with the resulting stress loading and energy profile indicating that slabs maintain larger deformation rates at smaller stresses during bending and retain their strength during unbending at depth.
Rayleigh wave phase velocities in the Atlantic upper mantle
Authors: James Esther K. , Dalton Colleen A. , Gaherty James B.
Published: October 2014

Phase velocity in the period range 30–130 s is measured for approximately 10,000 fundamental‐mode Rayleigh waves traversing the Atlantic basin. In order to isolate the signal of the oceanic upper mantle, paths with >30% of their length through continental upper mantle are excluded. The lateral distribution of Rayleigh wave phase velocity in the Atlantic upper mantle is explored with two approaches. One, phase velocity is allowed to vary only as a function of seafloor age. Two, a general two‐dimensional parameterization is utilized in order to capture perturbations to age‐dependent structure. In both scenarios, phase velocity shows a strong dependence on seafloor age at all periods, with higher velocity associated with older seafloor. Removing age‐dependent velocity from the 2‐D phase‐velocity maps highlights areas of anomalously low velocity, almost all of which are proximal to locations of hotspot volcanism. The age‐dependent phase velocities for the Atlantic are not consistent with a half‐space cooling model and are best explained by a plate cooling model with thickness of 75 km and mantle temperature of 1400°C. In contrast, age‐dependent phase velocities for the Pacific basin determined by Nishimura and Forsyth (1989) can be fit reasonably well by a half‐space cooling model with mantle temperature approximately 50°C warmer than the Atlantic. Comparison of Rayleigh wave phase velocity and fractionation‐corrected Na concentrations in mid‐ocean ridge basalts erupted at 87 axial ridge segments reveals a positive correlation coefficient that increases with period, as expected if along‐ridge variations in mantle potential temperature are controlling both quantities.
Mapping atmospheric aerosols with a citizen science network of smartphone spectropolarimeters
Authors: Snik Frans , Rietjens Jeroen H. H. , Apituley Arnoud , Volten Hester , Mijling Bas , Di Noia Antonio , Heikamp Stephanie , Heinsbroek Ritse C. , Hasekamp Otto P. , Smit J. Martijn , Vonk Jan , Stam Daphne M. , van Harten Gerard , de Boer Jozua , Keller Christoph U. ,   3187 iSPEX citizen scientists
Published: October 2014

To assess the impact of atmospheric aerosols on health, climate, and air traffic, aerosol properties must be measured with fine spatial and temporal sampling. This can be achieved by actively involving citizens and the technology they own to form an atmospheric measurement network. We establish this new measurement strategy by developing and deploying iSPEX, a low‐cost, mass‐producible optical add‐on for smartphones with a corresponding app. The aerosol optical thickness (AOT) maps derived from iSPEX spectropolarimetric measurements of the daytime cloud‐free sky by thousands of citizen scientists throughout the Netherlands are in good agreement with the spatial AOT structure derived from satellite imagery and temporal AOT variations derived from ground‐based precision photometry. These maps show structures at scales of kilometers that are typical for urban air pollution, indicating the potential of iSPEX to provide information about aerosol properties at locations and at times that are not covered by current monitoring efforts.
Where is mineral ballast important for surface export of particulate organic carbon in the ocean?
Authors: Le Moigne Frédéric A. C. , Pabortsava Katsiaryna , Marcinko Charlotte L. J. , Martin Patrick , Sanders Richard J.
Published: October 2014

Correlations between particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral fluxes in the deep ocean have inspired the inclusion of “ballast effect” parameterizations in carbon cycle models. A recent study demonstrated regional variability in the effect of ballast minerals on the flux of POC in the deep ocean. We have undertaken a similar analysis of shallow export data from the Arctic, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans. Mineral ballasting is of greatest importance in the high‐latitude North Atlantic, where 60% of the POC flux is associated with ballast minerals. This fraction drops to around 40% in the Southern Ocean. The remainder of the export flux is not associated with minerals, and this unballasted fraction thus often dominates the export flux. The proportion of mineral‐associated POC flux often scales with regional variation in export efficiency (the proportion of primary production that is exported). However, local discrepancies suggest that regional differences in ecology also impact the magnitude of surface export. We propose that POC export will not respond equally across all high‐latitude regions to possible future changes in ballast availability.
Sudden impulse observations in the dayside magnetosphere by THEMIS
Authors: Samsonov A. A. , Sibeck D. G. , Walsh B. M. , Zolotova N. V.
Published: October 2014

We present a study of the magnetospheric response to interplanetary shocks. We show eight events with simultaneous observations of sudden impulses in the dayside magnetosphere and interplanetary shocks in the solar wind. The spacecraft measurements in the equatorial plane, even those very close to the Earth, can be interpreted in terms of the vortices predicted by previous studies employing global MHD models. In fact, these vortices are velocity oscillations with the properties of Alfvén waves. The amplitude and frequency of the oscillations depend on radial distance from the Earth. The amplitude of the velocity perturbations decreases with increase of the density and magnetic field magnitude, but the velocity amplitude shows no dependence on magnitude of the solar wind dynamic pressure change attending the interplanetary shocks. The oscillations are observed both in the outer magnetosphere and the plasmasphere, but they become less sinusoidal near the plasmapause, i.e., in the region with a large‐density gradient. The amplitude of the magnetic field enhancement in the sudden impulses also depends on the radial distance. The MHD simulations successfully predict the amplitudes of magnetic field increase and the first cycles of the velocity oscillations in these events.
Intensity asymmetries in the dusk sector of the poleward auroral oval due to IMF Bx
Authors: Reistad J. P. , Østgaard N. , Laundal K. M. , Haaland S. , Tenfjord P. , Snekvik K. , Oksavik K. , Milan S. E.
Published: October 2014

In the exploration of global‐scale features of the Earth's aurora, little attention has been given to the radial component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). This study investigates the global auroral response in both hemispheres when the IMF is southward and lies in the xz plane. We present a statistical study of the average auroral response in the 12–24 magnetic local time (MLT) sector to an x component in the IMF. Maps of auroral intensity in both hemispheres for two IMF Bx dominated conditions (± IMF Bx) are shown during periods of negative IMF Bz, small IMF By, and local winter. This is obtained by using global imaging from the Wideband Imaging Camera on the IMAGE satellite. The analysis indicates a significant asymmetry between the two IMF Bx dominated conditions in both hemispheres. In the Northern Hemisphere the aurora is brighter in the 15–19 MLT region during negative IMF Bx. In the Southern Hemisphere the aurora is brighter in the 16–20 MLT sector during positive IMF Bx. We interpret the results in the context of a more efficient solar wind dynamo in one hemisphere. Both the intensity asymmetry and its location are consistent with this idea. This has earlier been suggested from case studies of simultaneous observations of the aurora in both hemispheres, but hitherto never been observed to have a general impact on global auroral brightness in both hemispheres from a statistical study. The observed asymmetries between the two IMF Bx cases are not large; however, the difference is significant with a 95% confidence level. As the solar wind conditions examined in the study are rather common (37% of the time) the accumulative effect of this small influence may be important for the total energy budget.
Evidence for the braking of flow bursts as they propagate toward the Earth
Authors: Hamrin M. , Pitkänen T. , Norqvist P. , Karlsson T. , Nilsson H. , André M. , Buchert S. , Vaivads A. , Marghitu O. , Klecker B. , Kistler L. M. , Dandouras I.
Published: October 2014

In this article we use energy conversion arguments to investigate the possible braking of flow bursts as they propagate toward the Earth. By using E·J data (E and J are the electric field and the current density) observed by Cluster in the magnetotail plasma sheet, we find indications of a plasma deceleration in the region −20 RE < X < − 15 RE. Our results suggest a braking mechanism where compressed magnetic flux tubes in so‐called dipolarization fronts (DFs) can decelerate incoming flow bursts. Our results also show that energy conversion arguments can be used for studying flow braking and that the position of the flow velocity peak with respect to the DF can be used as a single‐spacecraft proxy when determining energy conversion properties. Such a single‐spacecraft proxy is invaluable whenever multispacecraft data are not available. In a superposed epoch study, we find that a flow burst with the velocity peak behind the DF is likely to decelerate and transfer energy from the particles to the fields. For flow bursts with the peak flow at or ahead of the DF we see no indications of braking, but instead we find an energy transfer from the fields to the particles. From our results we obtain an estimate of the magnitude of the deceleration of the flow bursts, and we find that it is consistent with previous investigations.
Observations in the E region ionosphere of kappa distribution functions associated with precipitating auroral electrons and discrete aurorae
Authors: Kaeppler S. R. , Nicolls M. J. , Strømme A. , Kletzing C. A. , Bounds S. R.
Published: October 2014

Precipitating auroral electrons can produce discrete auroral arcs that contain signatures of the magnetospheric auroral source region. Differential number flux observations over two discrete aurorae were obtained by the Auroral Currents and Electrodynamics Structure sounding rocket mission, which successfully launched in 2009. These observations were made at E region altitudes of approximately 130 km. A model of precipitating auroral electrons as described by Evans (1974) was fit to the electron differential number flux obtained by the payloads, and parameters from the model were used to infer properties of the auroral source region. It is shown that the field‐aligned precipitating electrons were better fit by a kappa distribution function versus a Maxwellian distribution function for the equatorward side of the first, quasi‐stable, auroral arc crossing. The latter half of the first auroral arc crossing and second auroral crossing show that the precipitating electrons were better fit by a Maxwellian distribution function, which provides additional observational confirmation of previous studies. The low‐energy electron population determined by the Evans (1974) model was within a factor of 2 of the observed differential number flux. The source region parameters determined from fitting the model to the data were compared with relevant studies from sounding rockets and satellites. Our observations are consistent with the results of Kletzing et al. (2003) that the plasma sheet electrons mapping to auroral zone invariant latitudes are characterized by kappa distribution functions.
The case for a common spectrum of particles accelerated in the heliosphere: Observations and theory
Authors: Fisk L. A. , Gloeckler G.
Published: October 2014

In the last decade a significant discovery has been made in the heliosphere: the spectrum of particles accelerated in both the inner heliosphere and in the heliosheath is the same: a power law in particle speed with a spectral index of −5, when the spectrum is expressed as a distribution function; or equivalently, a differential intensity spectrum that is a power law in energy with a spectral index of −1.5. In the inner heliosphere this common spectrum occurs at quite low energies and is most evident in instruments designed to measure suprathermal particles. In the heliosheath, the common spectrum is observed over the full energy range of the Voyager energetic particle instruments, up to energies of ~100 MeV. The remarkable discovery of a common spectrum is compounded by the realization that no traditional acceleration mechanism, i.e., diffusive shock acceleration or stochastic acceleration, can account for the common spectrum. There is thus an opportunity to once again demonstrate the relevance of heliospheric physics by developing a new acceleration mechanism that yields the common spectrum, with the expectation that such a new acceleration mechanism will find broader applications in astrophysics. In this paper, the observations of the common spectrum in the heliosphere are summarized, with emphasis on those that best reveal the conditions in which the acceleration must operate. Then, building on earlier work, a complete derivation is presented of an acceleration mechanism, a pump acceleration mechanism, that yields the common spectrum, and the various subtleties associated with this derivation are discussed.
Excitation of nightside magnetosonic waves observed by Van Allen Probes
Authors: Zhou Qinghua , Xiao Fuliang , Yang Chang , Liu Si , Kletzing C. A. , Kurth W. S. , Hospodarsky G. B. , Spence H. E. , Reeves G. D. , Funsten H. O. , Blake J. B. , Baker D. N. , Wygant J. R.
Published: October 2014

During the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm on 30–31 March 2013, Van Allen Probe A detected enhanced magnetosonic (MS) waves in a broad range of L = 1.8–4.7 and magnetic local time (MLT) = 17–22 h, with a frequency range ∼10–100 Hz. In the meanwhile, distinct proton ring distributions with peaks at energies of ∼10 keV, were also observed in L = 3.2–4.6 and L = 5.0–5.6. Using a subtracted bi‐Maxwellian distribution to model the observed proton ring distribution, we perform three‐dimensional ray tracing to investigate the instability, propagation, and spatial distribution of MS waves. Numerical results show that nightside MS waves are produced by proton ring distribution and grow rapidly from the source location L = 5.6 to the location L = 5.0 but remain nearly stable at locations L < 5.0. Moreover, waves launched toward lower L shells with different initial azimuthal angles propagate across different MLT regions with divergent paths at first, then gradually turn back toward higher L shells and propagate across different MLT regions with convergent paths. The current results further reveal that MS waves are generated by a ring distribution of ∼10 keV proton and proton ring in one region can contribute to the MS wave power in another region.
Empirical assessment of theory for bankfull characteristics of alluvial channels
Authors: Trampush S. M. , Huzurbazar S. , McElroy B.
Published: October 2014

We compiled a data set of 541 bankfull measurements of alluvial rivers (see supporting information) and used Bayesian linear regression to examine empirical and theoretical support for the hypothesis that alluvial channels adjust to a predictable condition of basal shear stress as a function of sediment transport mode. An empirical closure based on channel slope, bankfull channel depth, and median grain size is proposed and results in the scaling of bankfull Shields stress with the inverse square root of particle Reynolds number. The empirical relationship is sufficient for purposes of quantifying paleohydraulic conditions in ancient alluvial channels. However, it is not currently appropriate for application to alluvial channels on extraterrestrial bodies because it depends on constant‐valued, Earth‐based coefficients.
Pore‐scale study of dissolution‐induced changes in hydrologic properties of rocks with binary minerals
Authors: Chen Li , Kang Qinjun , Viswanathan Hari S. , Tao Wen‐Quan
Published: October 2014

A pore‐scale numerical model for reactive transport processes based on the Lattice Boltzmann method is used to study the dissolution‐induced changes in hydrologic properties of a fractured medium and a porous medium. The solid phase of both media consists of two minerals, and a structure reconstruction method called quartet structure generation set is employed to generate the distributions of both minerals. Emphasis is put on the effects of undissolved minerals on the changes of permeability and porosity under different Peclet and Damkohler numbers. The simulation results show porous layers formed by the undissolved mineral remain behind the dissolution reaction front. Due to the large flow resistance in these porous layers, the permeability increases very slowly or even remains at a small value although the porosity increases by a large amount. Besides, due to the heterogeneous characteristic of the dissolution, the chemical, mechanical and hydraulic apertures are very different from each other. Further, simulations in complex porous structures demonstrate that the existence of the porous layers of the nonreactive mineral suppresses the wormholing phenomena observed in the dissolution of mono‐mineralic rocks.
Ecogeomorphic feedbacks and flood loss of riparian tree seedlings in meandering channel experiments
Authors: Kui Li , Stella John C. , Lightbody Anne , Wilcox Andrew C.
Published: October 2014

During floods, fluvial forces interact with riparian plants to influence evolution of river morphology and floodplain plant community development. Understanding of these interactions, however, is constrained by insufficient precision and control of drivers in field settings, and insufficient realism in laboratory studies. We completed a novel set of flume experiments using woody seedlings planted on a sandbar within an outdoor meandering stream channel. We quantified effects on local sedimentation and seedling loss to scour and burial across realistic ranges of woody plant morphologies (Populus versus Tamarix species), densities (240 plants m−2 versus 24 m−2), and sediment supply (equilibrium versus deficit). Sedimentation was higher within Tamarix patches than Populus patches, reflecting Tamarix's greater crown frontal area and lower maximum crown density. Plant dislodgement occurred rarely (1% of plants) and was induced in plants with shorter roots. Complete burial was most frequent for small Tamarix that occurred at high densities. Burial risk decreased 3% for Populus and 13% for Tamarix for every centimeter increment in stem height, and was very low for plants >50 cm tall. These results suggest that Tamarix are proportionally more vulnerable than Populus when small (<20 cm tall), but that larger plants of both species are resistant to both burial and scour. Thus, plant morphological traits and development windows must be considered in addition to physical drivers when designing process‐based restoration efforts on regulated rivers such as flow releases to benefit native tree species.
Highly Thermal Stable and Efficient Organic Photovoltaic Cells with Crosslinked Networks Appending Open‐Cage Fullerenes as Additives
Authors: Chen Chih‐Ping , Huang Chien‐Yu , Chuang Shih‐Ching
Published: October 2014

Highly thermal stable organic bulk heterojunction (OBHJ) photovoltaic cells are demonstrated with crosslinkable open‐cage fullerenes (COF) as additives in the active layer. Partial incorporation of COF, ≈10–15 wt% with weight ratio of P3HT:PC61BM = 1:0.9, builds up three‐dimensional local borders upon heating treatment at 150 °C for 10 min. This process induces crosslinking chemical reaction through activating the styryl moiety in COF and reduces phase aggregation rates of fullerenes materials. Supported by statistics of devices degradation data analysis and optical microscopy study, the devices with COF show longer lifetime with keeping their efficiency (t = 144 h) under accelerated heating test at 150 °C, while PCE of normal devices without COF drop dramatically. These results demonstrate that the thermally crosslinkable COF is an excellent additive for highly thermal stable and durable OPVs applications.
Sustained improvements in myocardial T2* over 2 years in severely iron‐overloaded patients with beta thalassemia major treated with deferasirox or deferoxamine
Authors: Pennell Dudley J. , Porter John B. , Piga Antonio , Lai Yong‐Rong , El‐Beshlawy Amal , Elalfy Mohsen , Yesilipek Akif , Kilinç Yurdanur , Habr Dany , Musallam Khaled M. , Shen Junwu , Aydinok Yesim ,   on behalf of the CORDELIA study investigators
Published: October 2014

Long‐term controlled studies are needed to inform on the clinical benefit of chelation therapy for myocardial iron removal in transfusion‐dependent beta thalassemia patients. In a 1‐year nonrandomized extension to the CORDELIA study, data collected from patients with myocardial siderosis provided additional information on deferasirox or deferoxamine (DFO) efficacy and safety. Myocardial (m)T2* increased from baseline 11.6 to 15.9 ms in patients receiving deferasirox for 24 months (n = 74; geometric mean [Gmean] ratio of month 24/baseline 1.38 [95% confidence interval 1.28, 1.49]) and from 10.8 to 14.2 ms in those receiving DFO (n = 29; Gmean ratio 1.33 [1.13, 1.55]; P = 0.93 between groups). Improved mT2* with deferasirox was evident across all subgroups evaluated irrespective of baseline myocardial (mT2* < 10 vs. ≥ 10 ms) or liver (LIC <15 vs. ≥15 mg Fe/g dw) iron burden. Mean LVEF was stable and remained within normal limits with deferasirox or DFO. Liver iron concentration decreased from high baseline values of 30.6 ± 18.0 to 14.4 ± 16.6 mg Fe/g dw at month 24 in deferasirox patients and from 36.8 ± 15.6 to 11.0 ± 12.1 mg Fe/g dw in DFO patients. The long‐term safety profile of deferasirox or DFO was consistent with previous reports; serious drug‐related AEs were reported in 6.8% of deferasirox and 6.9% of DFO patients. Continued treatment of severely iron‐overloaded beta thalassemia patients with deferasirox or DFO led to sustained improvements in myocardial iron irrespective of high or low baseline myocardial or liver iron burden, in parallel with substantial improvements in liver iron (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00600938). Am. J. Hematol. 90:91–96, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Weniger ist mehr: Neue Messkonzepte in der Chemie durch Compressed Sensing
Authors: Holland Daniel J. , Gladden Lynn F.
Published: October 2014

Die Mathematik hat einen tiefgreifenden Einfluss auf die Wissenschaft, und sie gibt den Wissenschaftlern einzigartige Instrumente an die Hand, um die Welt um uns herum zu erklären. Mit dem Anbruch des digitalen Zeitalters gewann auch die Bedeutung der Informationstheorie enorm an Bedeutung. Insbesondere führten Entwicklungen der letzten zwanzig Jahre im Datensampling und der Funktionsrekonstruktion zum Konzept des Compressed Sensing. Was zunächst nach einer abstrakten Idee klang, hat heute einen maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Wissenschaft, z. B. in der klinischen Medizin, wo das Compressed Sensing die hochauflösende Bildgebung von Patienten ermöglicht, sowie in der 3D‐Elektronentomographie von Katalysator‐Nanopartikeln und der mehrdimensionalen NMR‐Spektroskopie von Proteinen. Der Kurzaufsatz fasst diese Anwendungen zusammen und wirft einen Blick in die Zukunft des Compressed Sensing in der physikalischen, biologischen und medizinischen Metrologie.
Spot the Difference: Engineered and Natural Nanoparticles in the Environment—Release, Behavior, and Fate
Authors: Wagner Stephan , Gondikas Andreas , Neubauer Elisabeth , Hofmann Thilo , von der Kammer Frank
Published: October 2014

The production and use of nanoparticles leads to the emission of manufactured or engineered nanoparticles into the environment. Those particles undergo many possible reactions and interactions in the environment they are exposed to. These reactions and the resulting behavior and fate of nanoparticles in the environment have been studied for decades through naturally occurring nanoparticulate (1–100 nm) and colloidal (1–1000 nm) substances. The knowledge gained from these investigations is nowhere near sufficiently complete to create a detailed model of the behavior and fate of engineered nanoparticles in the environment, but is a valuable starting point for the risk assessment of these novel materials. It is the aim of this Review to critically compare naturally observed processes with those found for engineered systems to identify the “nanospecific” properties of manufactured particles and describe critical knowledge gaps relevant for the risk assessment of manufactured nanomaterials in the environment.
Asymmetric Disulfonimide‐Catalyzed Synthesis of δ‐Amino‐β‐Ketoester Derivatives by Vinylogous Mukaiyama–Mannich Reactions
Authors: Wang Qinggang , van Gemmeren Manuel , List Benjamin
Published: October 2014

An organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of δ‐amino‐β‐ketoester derivatives has been developed. A chiral disulfonimide (DSI) serves as a highly efficient precatalyst for a vinylogous Mukaiyama–Mannich reaction of readily available dioxinone‐derived silyloxydienes with N‐Boc‐protected imines, delivering products in excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The synthetic utility of this reaction is illustrated in various transformations, including a new CC bond‐forming reaction, which provide useful enantioenriched building blocks. The methodology is applied in a formal synthesis of (−)‐lasubin.
Enantioselective copper(II)‐catalyzed Henry reaction utilizing chiral aziridinyl alcohols
Authors: Wang Xiaojuan , Zhao Wenxian , Li Gaowei , Wang Jin , Liu Guanjun , Liu Lantao , Zhao Ruijuan , Wang Mincan
Published: October 2014

A family of enantiopure β‐aminoalcohols based on aziridine backbones were synthesized, and examined as chiral ligands for the copper(II)‐catalyzed asymmetric Henry reaction of aromatic aldehydes with nitromethane, giving β‐nitroalcohols in excellent yields (up to 93%) and moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 82%). Moreover, possible transition states of the reaction are proposed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The design and performance of a vane mixer based on extensional flow for polymer blends
Authors: Xiaochun Yin , Zhongwei Yu , Zengwenbing  , Guangjian He , Zhitao Yang , Baiping Xu
Published: October 2014

A new laboratory‐scale mixing device called the “Vane Mixer” was designed, built, and tested. The vane mixer consists of three vane plasticizing and conveying unit. In comparison with the existing laboratory mixers, material flow in this vane mixer is characterized by a high contribution from extensional flow. As the mixer has mixing chamber of very simple geometry, the cleaning is very easy and the material lost is very small. The influences of mixing time and rotor speed on dispersed phase size were characterized and discussed. Morphology data on model immiscible polystyrene/high density polyethylene (PS/HDPE) blend have proved the high distributive and dispersive mixing efficiency. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41551.