Courtroom Ethnography: Researching the Intersection of Law,Space, and Everyday Practices

This article argues for a more sustained use of courtroom ethnography by geographers as a means to research legal phenomena, especially in matters of court trials. To do this, I begin by referencing two main threads of courtroom ethnographies conducted in disciplines outside geography, specifically the spaces of the courthouse and courtrooms and the study of emotion and bodily performances by sociolegal and sociology scholars. To then underscore the ways in which a geographical perspective can enhance this existing research and point to topical and theoretical interventions that courtroom ethnography might offer geography, I draw on my experiences with courtroom ethnography on the criminal trial against former Enron chief executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. This experience produced a nuanced and lively understanding of how law, justice, and space comingle through the court’s physical spaces and performative embodiments. My conclusions emphasize courtroom ethnographies’ scholarly opportunities for researchers who study the intersection of law and space, while also reflecting on its challenges. Key Words: corporation, courtroom, Enron, ethnography, legal geography.     

The Spatial–Temporal Hierarchy of Inequality in Urban China: A Prefectural City–Level Study

Inequality has been the subject of intense debates in China, but inequality across cities remains less studied. This article investigates economic inequality based on prefectural-level cities during the period from 1990 to 2010. Statistical analyses indicate that interregional inequality among cities has increased, which is mostly attributable to widening intraregional inequality, especially within the western region. The high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita clusters emerged in the Pearl River Delta in the 1990s, spread to the Yangtze River Delta in the 2000s, and then reached north China in the 2010s. In contrast, the number of low GDP per capita clusters significantly increased in the central and western regions in the 2010s. In addition, the significance of national development zones and foreign direct investment indicates the greatest effect of globalization on the increasing intercity inequality. Decentralization also contributes to the intercity inequality of China. We suggest that in addition to national programs aimed at reducing the inequality between the eastern region and the rest of China, efforts are needed to reduce inequality within each region through provincial and local government policies, especially in western China. Key Words: China, cluster, decentralization, globalization, regional inequality, urban inequality.     

用多变量灰色预测模型模拟预测参考作物蒸散量的研究

当观测资料的数据量少而又存在多个相互影响或关联的变量时,常用的灰色预测模型GM（1,1）不能全面考虑多个变量。为此,采用自适应MGM（1,n）模型—多变量灰色预测模型,较好地解决了这一问题。针对一些地区气象数据较少甚至缺失的情况,以内蒙古正蓝旗的气象资料用Penman-Monteith计算的参考作物蒸散量（ET0）为研究对象,运用灰色系统理论建立MGM（1,3）模型,模拟预测参考作物蒸散量变化规律,并与GM（1,1）模型和BP神经网络模型比较,结果表明MGM（1,3）模型有较好的预测效果。     

The accuracy of methods used to estimate the whole-lake accumulation rate of organic carbon, major cations, phosphorus and heavy metals in sediment

The accuracy of three methods used to estimate the whole-lake accumulation rate of chemicals in sediment, the simple mean accumulation rate, regression against water depth and the mean accumulation rate in sedimentation zones, was assessed. The concentrations and accumulation rates of organic carbon, four major cations, phosphorus and four heavy metals in the 1902 to 1988 sediment layer at 43 sites in Kassjön were used and the three methods gave identical results. The accuracy of the simple mean accumulation rate method using 5 or 10 sites was investigated using Monte Carlo simulation and both versions gave accurate results. If the method used the dry sediment accumulation rate at 5 or 10 sites, along with chemical concentration at one central site, then the errors were less than ±10% for five of the chemicals and larger for the others (?20 or 20–40%), although the direction of the bias was predictable. If chemical accumulation rate at the central site only was used to estimate the whole-lake value, the bias increased to 25% for the major cations, 50% for the heavy metals and P, and 85% for organic carbon. Having 43 sites in Kassjön meant that the true whole-lake chemical accumulation rate was known and so the accuracy of the methods and their variants could be assessed for the first time. These findings allow the particulars of the simple mean accumulation rate method to be chosen to suit the accuracy needed for a palaeolimnological investigation.     

Brazil’s Financial Centers in the Twenty-first Century: Hierarchy,Specialization, and Concentration

The purpose of this article is to examine how the geography of Brazil’s financial centers changed since 2000 in terms of financial center hierarchy, specialization, and spatial concentration. To address these questions, we use data on employment and mergers and acquisitions in financial and business services, complemented with data on remuneration and bank assets. Our results show that São Paulo has consolidated its dominance as Brazil’s primary financial center, with market for corporate control as an important channel of this process. Rio’s decline as a financial center, which started more than fifty years ago, has continued into this century. At the same time, Brasília has emerged as the third most important financial center of Brazil. We document the recent dynamic of this territorial division of labor, with Rio’s specialization in insurance and Brasília’s dependence on government-owned banks. Finally, we show signs that Brazil’s financial center activities might be following an inverse U-shaped pattern whereby increasing geographical concentration is followed by its slow decline. Key Words: Brazil, concentration, financial centers, São Paulo, territorial division of labor.     

石斑鱼鱼虱病的研究──Ⅰ.南海鱼虱,新种Caligus nanhaiensis n.sp.

记述华南地区网箱养殖石斑鱼鱼虱病病原──南海鱼虱，新种Caligusnanhaiensisnsp．形态的光镜和电镜观察结果，并对南海鱼虱与相似种C．seriolaeYamaguti，1936和C.tanagoYamaguti，1939的形态特征进行详细比较。     

西风爆发事件对暖池厄尔尼诺和冷舌厄尔尼诺的作用——一个概念模型得到的结果

本文通过1个概念模型讨论了西风爆发事件对暖池厄尔尼诺与冷舌厄尔尼诺两种事件的作用,并讨论了它们对应的物理机制。结果表明,由西风爆发所诱导的纬向平流异常和海洋波动对厄尔尼诺的多样性有着至关重要的作用。由于模型包含了最基本的海-洋与大气物理变量及其相互作用机制,本结果可为解释西风爆发事件对厄尔尼诺多样性影响研究提供最基本的框架。     

The contribution of nano- and micro-planktonic assemblages in the surface layer (0-30 m) under different hydrographic conditions in the upwelling area off Concepción, central Chile

In the highly productive region off central Chile, the structure and temporal and spatial variability of planktonic assemblages, and the factors that determine changes in this structure are poorly understood. In the region, wind-driven upwelling, heating by solar radiation and freshwater inputs are highly seasonal processes, which, together with higher frequency events, can promote changes in the planktonic communities, especially in the upper layer. This study focuses on the structure of nano- through to micro-planktonic assemblages (2-200 μm) of unicellular organisms (protists) in surface waters (0-30 m) during different hydrographic conditions. Samples were taken from a fixed shelf station off Concepción (COPAS time series Station 18) on eight occasions between September 2003 and August 2004. The nano-plankton flagellate-dominated fraction was numerically important during the whole period. Maxima in flagellate abundance and biomass occurred during the upwelling period (November-April samplings) but these maxima appear to be unrelated to the degree of water column stratification. The micro-plankton diatom-dominated fraction was usually the largest component in terms of biomass during the study period and the diatoms made important numerical contributions during the upwelling period, with maxima in abundance and biomass when water column stability was lowest. The dominant genera and morphotypes in each functional group were found throughout the study period, with maxima in abundance and biomass co-occurring under similar environmental upwelling conditions. The mean macro-nutrient concentrations (nitrate and silicate) were relatively high in the top 30 m during both upwelling and non-upwelling periods, and did not explain the maxima in plankton or functional group replacements. The persistence of the dominant taxa in the planktonic assemblages suggests a high degree of flexibility, though probably not at the specific level, to withstand the highly variable environmental conditions in this upwelling area.     

Crustal structure of eastern Cuba,derived by constrained 3D gravity inversion

A three-dimensional crustal model for Eastern Cuba, obtained through a process of gravity data inversion is presented. The study area cover a rectangular area of 64 600 km². The initial model for the inversion was constrained by surface geology, seismic and drilling data. The inversion algorithm uses gravity data to estimate 3-D topographies from the main geological units. The model provides quantitative information on the depths and thicknesses of the geological formations. The resulting model provides new information about the regional composition of the crust. Alien sequences are observed with different compositions and origin over the basement of Bahamas carbonate platform. Most of the maximum gravity anomalies are associated with presence of dense shallow ophiolite sheets. The most remarkable detail is the gravity “southwest” maximum, related to the presence of denser oceanic crust generated in the Cayman spreading center.     

QVOA techniques for fracture characterization

New computational techniques of QVOA analysis (Quality factor Versus Offset and Azimuth) for fracture characterization are developed. The techniques are applied to synthetic surface data of reflection with noise.