bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-vitro permeation of the Insect repellent N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) and the sunscreen oxybenzone
Authors: Gu Xiaochen , Kasichayanula Sreeneeranj , Fediuk Daryl J. , Burczynski Frank J.
Published: April 2004

The permeation behaviours of the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) and the sunscreen oxybenzone were assessed in a series of in-vitro diffusion studies, using piglet skin and poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membrane. The transmembrane permeability of DEET and oxybenzone across piglet skin and PDMS membrane was dependent on dissolving vehicles and test concentrations. An enhanced permeation increase across piglet skin was found for DEET and oxybenzone when both compounds were present in the same medium (DEET: 289% in propylene glycol, 243% in ethanol and 112% in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-400); oxybenzone: 139% in PEG-400, 120% in propylene glycol and 112% in ethanol). Permeation enhancement was also observed in PDMS membrane (DEET: 207% in ethanol, 124% in PEG-400 and 107% in propylene glycol; oxybenzone: 254%in PEG-400, 154% in ethanol and 105% in propylene glycol). PDMS membrane was found to be a suitable candidate for in-vitro diffusion evaluations. This study shows that the permeations of the insect repellent DEET and the sunscreen oxybenzone were synergistically enhanced when they were applied simultaneously.
Learning from the US? The influence of American ideas upon ‘new labour’ thinking on welfare reform
Authors: Deacon Alan
Published: April 2004

English

This article assesses how far New Labour thinking about welfare reform has been influenced by ideas and developments in the United States. Having entered office declaring its determination to ‘think the unthinkable’, the Blair administration has subsequently been in earnest pursuit of the workable. It has looked to the US for ideas about wage supplementation and- especially- welfare to work programmes. More broadly, the language in which these policies are presented and justified has drawn heavily upon that of US politicians and commentators. The article discusses the extent and the significance of this ‘Americanisation’ of the welfare debate. It argues that its most important consequence has been to sustain and enhance a moralism which is common to New Labour and Thatcherism, but distrusted by both ‘One Nation’ conservatism and ‘Old Labour’ social democracy.
The challenges of measuring the ethno-cultural diversity of Britain in the new millennium
Authors: Aspinall Peter
Published: April 2004

English

During the next 50 years the ethnic diversity of Britain will increase in response to growing intermarriage, differential rates of natural increase, and continuing migration flows, especially of refugees. While religion is assuming a greater importance in the social identities of some minority ethnic groups, in others it is being displaced by an ethnic focus. In the upcoming decades the increasing sovereignty that people attach to self-identifiers and the demand for finer distinctions to accommodate hybridisation and generational changes will present substantial challenges to statistical agencies. New conceptual approaches are needed to capture this diversity and give service providers the robust data required to promote equal opportunities.
Examining the multidimensionality of approaches to learning through the development of a revised version of the Learning Process Questionnaire
Authors: Kember David , Biggs John , Leung Doris Y. P.
Published: April 2004

Aim: This study aimed to produce a revised two‐factor version of the Learning Process Questionnaire (R‐LPQ‐2F) with deep and surface approach scales, measured by a reasonably small number of items, suitable for use by teachers in secondary schools to evaluate the learning approaches of their students.

Method: A set of 41 items was derived, with modification, from the original version of the LPQ and from items used to develop the revised version of the SPQ. These items were tested using reliability procedures and confirmatory factor analysis and items were deleted until scales were of a suitable length and confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit to the intended two‐factor structure.

Sample: The sample consisted of 841 students from 20 secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Results: The final two‐factor version of the questionnaire had good Cronbach alpha values and reasonable goodness‐of‐fit values for the confirmatory analysis. There was a much better fit, though, to a hierarchical structure with motive and strategy subscales for each approach, each of which, in turn, had two subcomponents.

Conclusion: Approaches to learning have a hierarchical dimensionality with motive and strategy elements. Each motive and strategy element is itself multidimensional. The results are used to question the conventional approach to the testing and acceptance of instruments, which place sole reliance upon reliability tests. The use of confirmatory factor analysis is recommended as a routine procedure in the development and testing of instruments.
Attitudes to emotional expression and personality in predicting post‐traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Nightingale J. , Williams R. M.
Published: April 2004

Objectives. To test hypotheses derived from a suggestion of Williams (1989) that negative attitudes towards emotional expression act as a predisposing or maintaining factor for post‐traumatic stress reactions following a traumatic event.

Design. The study employed a prospective design in which attitudes to emotional expression, the ‘Big Five’ personality factors (Costa & McCrae, 1992a) and initial symptoms and injury severity within 1 week of a road traffic accident were used to predict the development of post‐traumatic stress disorder 6 weeks post‐accident.

Method. Sixty victims of road traffic accidents randomly selected from attenders at a large A&E department were assessed by questionnaire and interview. Measures comprised a 4‐item scale relating to emotional expression, standardized scales for intrusion and avoidance features of traumatic experiences, and for anxiety and depression and the NEO‐FFI Five Factor Personality Inventory. Forty‐five of these participants responded to a postal questionnaire follow‐up. In this survey the battery was repeated and also included a self‐report diagnostic measure of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results. The percentage of the sample meeting DSM‐IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD at 6 weeks post‐trauma was 30.8. A small but significant relationship was found for negative attitudes to emotional expression at 1 week to predict intrusive symptoms and diagnosis at 6 weeks, over and above the independent relationships of initial symptoms, initial injury severity, personality and coping. The emotional expression measure was largely stable between the two points of measurement. More negative attitudes to emotional expression were related to less openness, extraversion and agreeableness personality domains.

Conclusions. Some support for the hypotheses was found in relation to the development of PTSD and for the status of attitudes to emotion as a stable trait related to personality factors. The potential importance of attitudes to emotional expression in therapy and other work is discussed.
Screening for memory problems in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Dent Alexandra , Lincoln Nadina B.
Published: April 2004

Objectives. To assess the Brief, Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB‐N) as a screening measure for memory problems in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design. Sensitivity and specificity values were calculated and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves plotted.

Methods. Patients were recruited from the regional MS Management Clinic. The BRB‐N and WMS‐R were administered.

Results. Using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and 10/36 Spatial Recall Test (10 36 SRT) Total Immediate recall, the BRB‐N had a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 48%.

Conclusion. The BRB‐N is sensitive at detecting memory impairments, although its specificity is low.
Sex‐role traits and self‐monitoring as dimensions of control: Women with bulimia nervosa vs. controls
Authors: Williams Robert J. , Taylor Jeff , Ricciardelli Lina A.
Published: April 2004

Objective. The study investigated sex‐role traits and self‐monitoring styles as two dimensions of self‐control amongst women with bulimia nervosa and normal controls.

Design and methods. The participants were 30 women with bulimia nervosa and 40 normal controls who completed questionnaires, which assessed bulimic symptoms, sex‐role traits, and Synder s Self‐Monitoring Scale.

Results. Women with bulimia nervosa were found to identify more strongly than controls with negative feminine traits and Other Directedness, a style of self monitoring that focuses on pleasing others.

Conclusions. These findings reinforce the notion that women with bulimia nervosa lack assertiveness skills and that the strategies they have developed in their interactions with others can be described as a Negative Yielding style of self control.
Radical Amination with Sulfonyl Azides: A Powerful Method for the Formation of CN Bonds
Authors: Panchaud Philippe , Chabaud Laurent , Landais Yannick , Ollivier Cyril , Renaud Philippe , Zigmantas Sarunas
Published: April 2004

A novel reaction for the introduction of an azide moiety by means of a mild radical process is currently under development. Sulfonyl azides are suitable azidating agents for nucleophilic radicals, such as secondary and tertiary alkyl radicals. More electrophilic radicals, such as enolate radicals, do not react with sulfonyl azides. This feature allowed the development of efficient intra‐ and intermolecular carboazidations of olefins. Due to the versatility of the azido group, this reaction has an important synthetic potential, as already demonstrated by the preparation of the core of several alkaloids, particularly those containing an amino‐substituted quaternary carbon center, such as FR901483.
Bridging Nanogap Electrodes by In Situ Electropolymerization of a Bis(terthiophenylphenanthroline)ruthenium Complex
Authors: Araki Koiti , Endo Hiroaki , Masuda Gou , Ogawa Takuji
Published: April 2004

A novel complex containing a 3,8‐bis[terthiophenyl‐(1,10‐phenanthroline)] ligand coordinated to [Ru(bpy)2] was synthesized and characterized by electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The complex was shown to be a suitable starting material for the electrodeposition of functionalized molecular wires between nanogap electrodes to generate stable molecular nanodevices. Temperature‐dependent nonlinear I–V curves were obtained at 80–300 K. The material can also be deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) to form compact electrochromic films at surface concentrations lower than ≈1×10−8 mol cm2; however, a more loosely bond fibrous form is preferentially deposited at higher surface concentrations.
Octanuclear Oxothiomolybdate(V) Rings: Structure and Ionic‐Conducting Properties
Authors: du Peloux Charlotte , Dolbecq Anne , Barboux Philippe , Laurent Guillaume , Marrot Jérôme , Sécheresse Francis
Published: April 2004

A family of alkali salts of octanuclear oxothiomolybdate rings has been synthesized by crystallization of the [Mo8S8O8(OH)8{HMO5(H2O)}]3− (noted HMo8M3−; M=Mo, W) and [Mo8S8O8(OH)8(C2O4)]2− (noted Mo8ox2−) anions in an aqueous solution of ACl (A=Li, Na, K, Rb). Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction experiments have been performed showing that the alkali salts exhibit a similar three‐dimensional structure. Disordered alkali ions form columns to which the anionic rings are anchored. Ionic‐conductivity measurements on pressed pellets have revealed two different behaviors. The lithium salts of HMo8M3− (M=Mo, W) are moderately good proton conductors at room temperature (σ=10−5 S cm−1) and the profile of conductivity as a function of relative humidity shows that the conductivity is due to surface‐proton motion (particle‐hydrate‐type mechanism). On the other hand, the lithium salt of Mo8ox2− competes with the best crystalline lithium conductors at room temperature (σ=10−3 S cm−1), and 7Li NMR experiments confirm the mobility of the lithium ions along the one‐dimensional channels of this material.
Highly Enantioselective Cr(salen)‐Catalyzed Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction: Construction of δ‐Hydroxy‐β‐keto Ester Derivatives.
Authors: Shimada Yuya , Matsuoka Yuko , Irie Ryo , Katsuki Tsutomu
Published: April 2004

For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.
Thermal Decomposition of the Non‐Interstitial Hydrides for the Storage and Production of Hydrogen
Authors: Grochala Wojciech , Edwards Peter P.
Published: April 2004

For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.
A Portable Fill‐and‐Flow Channel Biosensor with an Electrode to Predict the Effect of Interferences
Authors: Zhao Min , Harding Ian S. , Hibbert D. Brynn , Gooding J. Justin
Published: April 2004

A portable fill‐and‐flow channel biosensor with a “predictor electrode” is described. The predictor electrode, on the opposite channel wall and upstream of the detector electrode, allows direct evaluation of the current due to interfering species at the detector electrode. A model is developed which shows that the reaction at the upstream predictor electrode has no significant effect on the concentration distribution of the interfering species at the detector electrode. This enables a straightforward correction of the current at the detector electrode and a determination of the analyte concentration. The effect of interference from ascorbic acid in the detection of glucose in samples was efficiently removed by using such a concept. The recovery of glucose from samples containing ascorbic acid was 103% (s=12%, n=3). The approach was also applied to a biosensor for the determination of glucose in red wine samples containing polyphenolic interferents.
Examining the link between price regulation and pharmaceutical R&D investment
Authors: Vernon John A.
Published: April 2004

This paper examines the link between price regulation and pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) investment. I identify two mechanisms through which price regulation may exert an influence on R&D: an expected‐profit effect and a cash‐flow effect. Using established models of the determinants of pharmaceutical R&D, I exploit a unique fact to quantify firm exposure to pharmaceutical price regulation: relative to the rest of the world, the U.S. pharmaceutical market is largely unregulated with respect to price. Using this fact within the context of a system of quasi‐structural equations, I simulate how a new policy regulating pharmaceutical prices in the U.S. will affect R&D investment. I find that such a policy will lead to a decline in industry R&D by between 23.4 and 32.7%. This prediction, however, is accompanied by several caveats. Moreover, it says nothing about the implications for social welfare; therefore, these issues are also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In vitro and in vivo behavior of self‐reinforced bioabsorbable polymer and self‐reinforced bioabsorbable polymer/bioactive glass composites
Authors: Niiranen Henna , Pyhältö Tuomo , Rokkanen Pentti , Kellomäki Minna , Törmälä Pertti
Published: April 2004

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo properties and degradation of (1) self‐reinforced (SR) lactide copolymer, P(L/DL)LA 70:30, and (2) SR composites of the same polylactide and bioactive glass 13‐93. The following three polymer and polymer–bioactive glass samples were studied: SR‐PLA70, SR‐PLA70 + BaG15s, and SR‐PLA70 + BaG20c. In vitro behavior was studied in a phosphate‐buffered saline for 87 weeks at 37° ± 1°C and a pH of 7.4 ± 0.2. In vivo behavior was studied by implanting the rods in the dorsal subcutaneous tissue of rats (SR‐PLA70 + BaG20c) or rabbits (SR‐PLA70 and SR‐PLA70 + BaG15s) for 48 weeks. The degradation of the specimens was evaluated by measuring the changes in mechanical properties, crystallinity and molecular weight of polymer, water absorption, weight loss, and structural changes. Results showed that the addition of bioactive glass filler modified the degradation kinetics and material morphology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 699–708, 2004
Acanthosis Nigricans in Kabuki Syndrome
Authors: Fahim Simone S. , Adam John E.
Published: April 2004

Background

Acanthosis nigricans has been classified in different ways. All classifications depend on the clinical picture and the association with other conditions.

Objective

We report a case of acanthosis nigricans in a patient with Kabuki syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by five main manifestations: typical facial features, post natal growth deficiency, skeletal abnormalities, dermatoglyphic abnormalities, and mild to moderate mental retardation.

Conclusion

Our case may suggest that acanthosis nigricans could be associated with Kabuki syndrome.
Ultrasonic assessment of cervix in “at risk” patients
Authors: Varma T.R. , Patel R.H. , Pillai U.
Published: April 2004

One hundred seventy patients were considered to be at risk of cervical incompetence from their previous history. They were scanned serially from the first trimester to 36 weeks gestation. Of the 170, 105 patients (61.8%) were found to have defective cervix (the length of cervix, width of the cervix, and cervical canal at the level of the internal cervical os, and herniation of amniotic membrane with or without fetal parts into the cervical canal). Of the 105 patients diagnosed to have defective cervix (possible cervical incompetence), 22 patients (21%) aborted, 48 patients (45.7%) had to have cervical cerclage, 26 patients (24.8%) had preterm delivery and the remaining 9 patients (8.5%) had no problems during pregnancy. The remaining 65 patients (38.2%) did not have ultrasonic evidence of cervical incompetence and 3 aborted and only 2 patients delivered between 35 and 37 weeks gestation while 60 patients delivered between 37 and 42 weeks gestation. These 65 patients would have had cervical cerclage on the basis of the clinical history alone, but in only 6, cervical cerclage was inserted.
Who is the elderly primigravida in Nigeria?
Authors: Ojo A. , Oronsaye U.
Published: April 2004

A retrospective study of 792 primigravidae, divided into four age‐groups, was made in order to detect which group showed features of the elderly primigravida. Adolescent primigravidae showed significantly highest incidences of pre‐eclampsia, anemia, premature labor and cephalopelvic disproportion. The 20–24 year age‐group showed the least incidence of pregnancy and labor complications. The 25–29 year age‐group showed significantly increased incidences of uterine fibroids, pre‐eclampsia, post‐term pregnancy, premature labor, slow labor, fetal distress, failed induction, vacuum and cesarean section deliveries, when compared with the 20–24 year age‐group. Most of the complications in the 25–29 year age‐group were continued into 30–34 years. A woman 25 years and above in her first pregnancy in Nigeria should be termed “elderly primigravida”.
Evolution of cystic and adnexal tumors identified by echography
Authors: Pinotti J.A. , de Franzin C.M.M.O. , Marussi E.F. , Zeferino L.C.
Published: April 2004

The authors present their experience in detecting volume and echostructure alterations of the ovary in 14 525 women examined echographically and clinically. They analyzed 499 adnexal tumors and observed after clinical follow‐up and echography that 60.6% of the cystic‐septa tumors had involuted spontaneously. Percentage of spontaneous resolution was higher in small‐diameter tumors, avoiding unnecessary surgery.
Primary pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy
Authors: Takeuchi T. , Nishii O. , Okamura T. , Yaginuma T.
Published: April 2004

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is an uncommon but serious disease. Most patients with PPH are young women and the disease is more serious and eventful in pregnant women. We have experienced a patient with PPH in pregnancy, who was delivered successfully but died suddenly on the 7th day after the delivery. We report the obstetric course and the clinical management for the delivery of the patient with PPH.
Biochemical changes in the mother and the fetus during labor and its significance for the management of the second stage
Authors: Schneider H. , Prögler M. , Ziegler W.H. , Huch R.
Published: April 2004

In 69 patients with uneventful pregnancies, term labor was studied prospectively with respect to length of second stage, number of bearing down efforts, maternal and fetal levels of lactate, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Maternal venous blood concentrations were measured in early labor and at the time of delivery while samples from umbilical artery and vein provided fetal blood. There was a significant rise of lactate and catecholamines in maternal blood during labor and at delivery fetal lactate concentration was lower than the maternal level while for epinephrine and norepinephrine fetal levels were higher. For all three compounds umbilical artery concentrations were higher than umbilical venous levels. While there was no correlation between the biochemical parameters in maternal blood and length of second stage maternal lactate and norepinephrine concentration at the time of delivery significantly correlated with the number of bearing down efforts. Umbilical artery lactate correlated with both, length of second stage and number of bearing down efforts.
Globulines anormalment precipitables (GAP) in Nigerian users of progestogen‐only pill
Authors: Wright E.A. , Temple V.J. , Kapu M.M. , Mwaigwe M.M.
Published: April 2004

The globulines anormalment precipitables (GAP), which have been reported to be raised in current and former oral contraceptive users, were measured in Nigerian subjects which included male volunteers. The results showed that GAP were presnt in males who had never used contraceptives and that the mean values were lowest in intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) users and highest in females who had never used any contraceptives. However, curent contraceptive users had lower mean GAP values than either former users or never users. It was therefore concluded that GAP levels alone cannot be used to predict the development of thromboembolic complications in pill users, and that ethinyl estradiol cannot be the main physiological stimulus for GAP synthesis.
The tap test: A simple and inexpensive method for the diagnosis of fetal pulmonary maturity
Authors: Kassanos D. , Botsis D. , Gregoriou O. , Bezantakos Ch. , Kontogeorgi Z. , Zourlas P.A.
Published: April 2004

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience in the prediction of fetal lung maturity with the tap test. METHOD: Amniotic fluid was obtained from 207 pregnant women from 17–40 weeks' gestation and the tap test compared with the phospholipid profile. RESULTS: The predictive values for a mature tap test were 100%, 99.9% and 98.2% and for immature tap test were 45.8%, 50% and 56.4% at 2.5 and 10 min, respectively. CONCLUSION: The tap test is a reliable, rapid, easy, inexpensive and accurate method for detection of fetal lung maturity.
Bone mineral density in Turkish postmenopausal women
Authors: Biberoǧlu K.Ö. , Yildiz A. , Kandemir Ö.
Published: April 2004

OBJECTIVE: To determine the bone mineral density curve in Turkish postmenopausal women and to evaluate the efficacy of estrogen replacement therapy in the prevention of bone loss. METHOD: Spinal bone mineral density was measured using dual photon absorptiometry in 118 postmenopausal women, prospectively. Parity, previous and current use of estrogen preparations were correlated with BMD using Student's t‐test and the χ2‐test. RESULTS: With a mean BMD value of 0.967 ± 0.013 g/cm2, 62.5% of our postmenopausal study population had a mean BMD value of < 1.0 g/cm2 and 33.7% were already osteoporotic (<0.9 g/cm2). Bone loss was faster and more intense in the surgically menopausal than in the naturally menopausal group (P < 0.05). Parity after the fourth delivery dropped the mean BMD value (P < 0.05). Previous and current use of estrogen treatment seemed to decrease bone mineral loss in the postmenopausal years. CONCLUSION: Our data stress the need for locally obtained normal BMD values in every country in the world. High parity, surgical menopause and duration of 5 or more years of natural menopause are risk factors for bone loss. Estrogen replacement diminishes the annual bone loss.
Wife battering in Nigeria
Authors: Odujinrin O.
Published: April 2004

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, types and regularity of spouse abuse among Nigerian women. The effects of socio‐economic status, education and alcohol consumption were also investigated. METHOD: Questionnaire survey of 1000 randomly chosen Nigerian women was undertaken. RESULT: Wife abuse was found to be as prevalent in Nigeria as in other parts of the world, 81.0% of the respondents had suffered either verbal abuse (68.6%) or both physical and verbal abuse (31.4%); occasionally (77.4%), regularly (16.2%) or always (6.0%), Almost half of them (46.2%) were abused in the presence of their children. Education and occupation were found to influence the prevalence, type and regularity of abuse and their children witnessing the abuse. CONCLUSION: Wife battering has been found to be very prevalent in Nigeria. However, further research is needed to identify the causes and the psychological effects on these women and their children. This information will be invaluable for designing appropriate medico‐social rehabilitation for them.
Prenatal diagnosis of congenital nephrosis of the Finnish type (CNF) in the second trimester
Authors: Suren A. , Gröne H.J. , Kallerhoff M. , Weber M.H. , Zoll B. , Osmers R.
Published: April 2004

Congenital nephrosis of the Finnish type is an hereditary, autosomal recessive disease which leads to death in early infancy. This is a case report concerning an affected fetus with legal interruption in the 24th week of gestation on the basis of certain sonographic changes in the fetal kidneys and changes in the protein profile in amniotic fluid, which were consistent with nephrotic damage of the kidneys. Light and electron microscopy showed evidence of CNF, i.e. increase of mesangial matrix and cells in glomeruli, dilated tubular segments, and effaced and plumb foot processes of the glomerular epithelial cells. Antenatal diagnosis of CNF therefore seems feasible in the second trimester of gestation by means of AFP determinations in maternal serum and amniotic fluid as well as by using sonographic criteria and determination of proteins in amniotic fluid.
Ubiquilin interacts with ubiquitylated proteins and proteasome through its ubiquitin‐associated and ubiquitin‐like domains
Authors: Seok Ko Han , Uehara Takashi , Tsuruma Kazuhiro , Nomura Yasuyuki
Published: April 2004

Mammalian cells acquire tolerance against multiple stressors through the high‐level expression of stress‐responsible genes. We have previously demonstrated that protein‐disulfide isomerase (PDI) together with ubiquilin are up‐regulated in response to hypoxia/brain ischemia, and play critical roles in resistance to these damages. We show here that ubiquilin interacts preferentially with poly‐ubiquitin chains and 19S proteasome subunits. Taken together, these results suggest that ubiquitin could serve as an adaptor protein that both interacts with PDI and mediates the delivery of poly‐ubiquitylated proteins to the proteasome in the cytosol in the vicinity of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.
Vegetational response to tephra deposition and land-use change in Iceland: a modern analogue and multiple working hypothesis approach to tephropalynology
Authors: Edwards Kevin J. , Dugmore Andrew J. , Blackford Jeff J.
Published: April 2004

Evidence is provided from the joint application of tephrochronology and palynology in two Icelandic locations — the island of Papey off the east coast and Seljaland in the south. The Papey study relates to vegetation change around the time of volcanic ash deposition from the eruption of Katla in 1755. This produced various hypotheses concerning volcanic impacts and land-use activities, including changes in nutrient inputs, grazing activity, and climate. Similar data have been obtained from Seljaland, where a group of farms was affected by fall-out from the 1947 eruption of Hekla. The patterns of pollen-based vegetational change were similar at both locations, enabling a fuller exploration of floristic and anthropogenic responses to ash deposition. The Seljaland data are influenced by the known removal of livestock in order to guard against the effects of fluorosis. The resultant cessation of grazing was probably responsible for much of the vegetational change apparent in the pollen record, and this represents a credible recent analogue for processes that may have taken place in Papey in 1755.
The Arctic Council of 1851: fact or fancy?
Authors: Ross W. Gillies
Published: April 2004

The Arctic Council has often been described as a formal advisory body established by the Admiralty to help direct the search for Sir John Franklin (1847–59), but no such organization existed. The source of the erroneous and misleading notion appears to be a well-known composite portrait painted by Stephen Pearce in 1851. Frequent repetition in publications on Arctic history has perpetuated the error, with imaginative embellishments.
Antarctic sledging preparations and tacit knowledge
Authors: Savitt Ronald
Published: April 2004

The article discusses how organisational structure and culture affected the preparations for sledging in three Antarctic expeditions between 1901 and 1904. The central focus is how expedition leaders sought tacit knowledge, ‘the knowledge of how we do things.’ Two organisational types were derived from a study of 36 major polar expeditions. These – the industrial organisation and the innovative organisation – were used to analyse how sledging practices evolved in the British National Antarctic Expedition, German South Polar Expedition, and Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. Robert Falcon Scott, in great part as a result of his naval heritage, did not fully understand the need for and the methods required to gain the operational knowledge required for sledging in Antarctica. He applied the traditional command-and-control system based on naval tradition. Erich von Drygalski and William Speirs Bruce applied Fridtjof Nansen's scientific approach, in which the scientific staffs were integrated into sledging operations. In this approach, every variable that could possibly affect the outcome of the research was incorporated into preparations, much as is the case in classical experimental design. While no attempt is made to judge sledging success in the study, the results clearly indicate the importance of knowing how to use the tacit dimension in sledging. The implications go far beyond sledging and suggest the need for managers to have an intimate understanding of how things work.
The construction of Heimat under conditions of individualised modernity: Swiss and British elderly migrants in Spain
Authors: HUBER ANDREAS , O'REILLY KAREN
Published: April 2004

The objective of this paper is to present the findings of a quantitative study of Swiss elderly residents on the Costa Blanca (in the Province of Alicante, Spain) and of an ethnographic study of their British counterparts in Fuengirola and Los Boliches on the Costa del Sol (in the Province of Málaga). We examine the German concept Heimat and its value as an organising construct for understanding the aspirations and actions of foreign retirees resident in Spain, and explore whether globalisation undermines locality to the extent that being in a particular geographical place is no longer a prerequisite for feeling at home. The paper describes the social life and patterns of association of these groups of retired people, in terms of social clubs, leisure activities, voluntary associations, charity groups and self-help groups, relations with home, and relations to Spaniards and people from other countries. It compares the results of the two studies in an analysis of the strategies that the two groups adopt for constructing social communities and for finding a new home. This paper thus provides some insights into what older people seek in later life in terms of their residence, co-resident groups, social contacts and lifestyle choices.
Northern European retired residents in nine southern European areas: characteristics, motivations and adjustment
Authors: CASADO-DÍAZ MARÍA ANGELES , KAISER CLAUDIA , WARNES ANTHONY M.
Published: April 2004

During the last two decades, northern European retirement residence in the southern European sunbelt has grown strongly and its forms have rapidly changed, but standard demographic and social statistical sources provide no information about the flows, the migrants or their increasingly mobile and complex residential patterns. Considerable primary research has however recently been undertaken into the causes, conditions, experiences and consequences of international retirement migration (IRM) by investigators from Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Many collaborated when designing their studies and instruments, and all have subsequently worked together in a European Science Foundation Scientific Network. This paper compares the findings of six systematic social surveys in (to be more precise than the title) eight regions of southern Europe and the Canary Islands: all that have tackled similar research questions with similar methods and instruments. It presents interpretations of several comparative tables compiled from their original data, with a focus on the socio-economic backgrounds, motivations and behaviour of the various migrant groups and their relationship with the host and home countries. The paper presents new findings about the typical and variant forms of IRM, and additional understanding of the heterogeneity of the retirees of different nations and in the several regions.
The settlement patterns and residential histories of older Gujaratis, Punjabis and Sylhetis in Birmingham, England
Authors: BURHOLT VANESSA
Published: April 2004

Britain's minority ethnic groups are numerous and diverse, and among them there are complex relationships between their origins, the timing of their arrival by decade and the age of the migrants, their geographical distribution in Britain, and gender differences in their occupational status distributions. All of these lifecourse attributes have implications for the migrants' situations as they reach old age. To advance our knowledge and understanding of these factors, this paper examines the lifecourse of a sample of 303 South Asian older migrants living in Birmingham, England's second largest city. The sample included 103 Gujaratis, 100 Punjabis, and 100 Sylhetis. The paper examines their living arrangements, education and language abilities, occupational status, and settlement and moves within the United Kingdom. The associations between ethnic group membership, gender and pre-migration histories are related to differences in their settlement patterns and residential mobility in Britain. The findings show variations in the timing, chronology and locations of each ethnic group's major lifecourse events, in the meanings associated with the events, and in the outcomes in late life. The similarities and differences between the ethnic groups and between men and women are discussed with regard to the current socio-economic situation of ethnic older people in the UK and the prospect for continuing inequalities.
Linkages between migration and the care of frail older people: observations from Greece, Ghana and The Netherlands
Authors: GEEST SJAAK VAN DER , MUL ANKE , VERMEULEN HANS
Published: April 2004

There are at least four ways in which old age and migration cross each other's paths. First of all, there are people who migrated for economic reasons, usually at a relatively young age, and who have grown old in a foreign country. Secondly, there are older people who migrate when (or because) they are old: in Europe, they are mostly from the affluent northern countries and travel southward. Thirdly, there is increasing employment of, and demand for, immigrant workers in old-age institutions in the northern countries. Finally, there is the out-migration of young people, mainly from rural areas, that results in older people being left behind without children to look after them. In all these cases, migration has a profound effect on the wellbeing and care of older people. The authors of this article explore a fifth linkage between migration and old age, by focusing on the (mainly illegal) immigrants who take on roles as private carers and, in effect, replace the children who have emigrated. Two cases, from Greece and Ghana, are presented and viewed in the two countries' political, cultural and economic contexts, and are then compared to conditions in The Netherlands. In both cases, involving a ‘stranger’ in the care of an older parent is regarded as a good and respectable solution to the problem of absent children and grandchildren: it follows rules of reciprocity and normally provides a good quality of care. Ironically, hiring full-time private care for older people is feasible in low-income countries but a rare luxury in high-income societies.
Perpendicular diffusion coefficient for charged particles of arbitrary energy
Authors: Zank G. P. , Li Gang , Florinski V. , Matthaeus W. H. , Webb G. M. , le Roux J. A.
Published: April 2004

The problem of perpendicular diffusion by a particle in a turbulent plasma is a problem of enduring interest and one that has yet to be fully solved. Analytic models do not agree with either observations or numerical simulations. Recently, a nonlinear guiding center theory (NLGC) was developed byMatthaeus et al.[2003]which, for the first time, appears to be consistent with numerical simulations in both the high‐energy and low‐energy particle regimes, provided that the transverse magnetic field is complex. Flux surfaces with high transverse complexity are characterized by the rapid separation of nearby magnetic field lines, and we show that the combination of slab and two‐dimensional turbulence (a “two‐component” model) is necessary to produce transverse complexity and that slab turbulence alone, for example, is insufficient. The nonlinear theory is expressed through the solution of an integral equation for the perpendicular diffusion coefficient κxx, which we solve approximately. Our approximate solution is in excellent agreement with the exact solution of the integral equation. The physical content of the NLGC theory is revealed clearly by the approximate solution and it is shown how κxxscales with parameters such as the energy density in magnetic fluctuations, mean field strength, particle gyroradius, MHD turbulence correlation length scales, parallel diffusion coefficient, etc. Unlike the integral equation formulation, which is not readily amenable to inclusion in models and numerical codes that require the perpendicular diffusion coefficient explicitly, the approximate model derived here is easily incorporated into, for example, heliospheric cosmic ray modulation models. Finally, the perpendicular diffusion coefficient is used to evaluate (1) the particle acceleration timescale for diffusive shock acceleration at perpendicular shocks and (2) the diffusion coefficient for cosmic ray modulation throughout the heliosphere.
Decompression experiments identify kinetic controls on explosive silicic eruptions
Authors: Mangan M. T. , Sisson T. W. , Hankins W. B.
Published: April 2004

Eruption intensity is largely controlled by decompression‐induced release of water‐rich gas dissolved in magma. It is not simply the amount of gas that dictates how forcefully magma is propelled upwards during an eruption, but also the rate of degassing, which is partly a function of the supersaturation pressure (ΔPcritical) triggering gas bubble nucleation. High temperature and pressure decompression experiments using rhyolite and dacite melt reveal compositionally‐dependent differences in the ΔPcritical of degassing that may explain why rhyolites have fueled some of the most explosive eruptions on record.
Is there a methimazole dose effect on remission rate in Graves' disease? Results from a long‐term prospective study
Authors: Benker Georg , Reinwein Dankwart , Kahaly Georg , Tegler Lennart , Alexander W. Donald , Faßbinder Johanes , Hirche Herbert ,   The European Multicentre Trial Group of the Treatment of Hyperthyroidism with Antithyroid Drugs
Published: April 2004

OBJECTIVE

The optimal antithyroid drug regimen for Graves' disease remains a matter of controversy. The European Multicentre Trial Group has investigated the effects of methimazole drug dose on the long‐term outcome of Graves' disease.

DESIGN

Extended follow‐up of patients from a prospective multicentre trial, designed to study methimazole dose effects on the outcome of Graves' disease. We have reported previously that the relapse rates did not differ after a medication‐free observation period of 12 months; the relapse rates were 37 and 38%, respectively. In this paper, we describe the outcome in these patients after a mean observation period of 4.3 ± 1.3 years and have looked for potential predictors of this outcome.

PATIENTS

Three hundred and thirteen patients with Graves' disease were randomized to treatment with a constant dose of 10 or 40 mg of methimazole for 1 year, with levothyroxine supplementation as required.

MEASUREMENTS

At the time of inclusion into the trial: thyroid size, T4, T3, TSH‐binding inhibiting immunoglobulins, urinary iodide excretion, thyroid uptake, Crook's therapeutic index of hyperthyroidism (a measure of clinical disease severity). At the time of follow‐up examination: TSH, T4, T3, thyroid size, thyroid ultrasound, THS‐binding inhibiting immunoglobulins.

RESULTS

The overall relapse rate was 58%. There was no difference in relapse rates between patients treated with either 10 or 40 mg of methimazole (58.3 vs. 57.8%). Five patients had become spontaneously hypothyroid, without obvious relationship to antithyroid drug dose. Patients who relapsed and patients who remained in remission did not differ with respect to: age, goitre size, ophthalmopathy, median iodine excretion, serum T4 or serum T3, Crook's therapeutic index and thyroid uptake at the time of study entry. Thus, none of these variables was potentially suitable for predicting outcome. This finding was confirmed by Cox's proportional hazard regression. Thyroid volume, measured by ultrasound, did not differ between patients in remission and patients with relapse. There was no difference in the course of endocrine eye signs, in the requirement for steroid and radiotherapy for eye signs, or in thyroid echostructure between patients in the 10 and in the 40 mg group, nor was serum TSH different in patients who had remained in remission (0.8 ± 0.6 mU/l in the 10 mg group, 1.0 ± 0.8 mU/l in the 40 mg group).

CONCLUSIONS

The dose of methimazole in Graves' disease therapy can safely be kept to the minimal required dose. This will provide the same chance of remission as higher doses, and provide the best balance of risk and benefit.
Glucocorticoid therapy suppresses abnormal secretion of big IGF‐II by non‐islet cell tumours inducing hypoglycaemia (NICTH)
Authors: Teale J. D. , Marks V.
Published: April 2004

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relative efficacy of hGH and glucocorticoids in the treatment of non‐islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia (NICTH) by examination of their influence on the composition of the various molecular species involving tumour and mature forms of IGF‐II in association with IGFBP‐3.

DESIGN

Two groups each of 4 patients, all diagnosed as cases of NICTH, were treated with either hGH or glucocorticoids. Through the use of acidic size exclusion chromatography serum levels of tumour (big) and mature IGF‐II were evaluated. Neutral size exclusion chromatography was used in the separation of molecular species before assay for immunoreactive IGF‐II and IGFBP‐3 content.

RESULTS

High‐dose hGH treatment produced increases in serum levels of big and mature IGF‐II and IGFBP‐3 but without generation of high molecular weight complexes. Glucocorticoid treatment suppressed big IGF‐II permitting re‐establishment of normal IGF/IGFBP association patterns.

CONCLUSION

Glucocorticoid therapy has been demonstrated to consistently reverse the biochemical abnormalities caused by tumour‐derived big IGF‐II compared with the potentially adverse stimulatory effects of hGH treatment in causing increases in serum levels of big IGF‐II.
Tangential discontinuities in untidy magnetic topologies
Authors: Parker E. N.
Published: April 2004

The equilibrium requirement ∇×B=αB for the Maxwell stresses in a magnetic field B has the curious property that the torsion coefficient α is constant along every individual field line (B⋅∇α=0) but is completely unrelated from one field line to the next. The magnetic fields to be seen in nature sometimes have untidy internal field topologies because of the interlacing of their field lines by convection of their footpoints. The field lines may be wrapped and swirled in arbitrary topological patterns at different locations along the field, with the result that the local magnetic circulation, represented by the invariant α, must be supplemented by the appearance of surfaces of tangential discontinuity. These incipient discontinuities introduce rapid resistive dissipation of the magnetic free energy, which may contribute to heating the x-ray corona of the Sun, etc.
Self-consistent nonlinear transmission line model of standing wave effects in a capacitive discharge
Authors: Chabert P. , Raimbault J. L. , Rax J. M. , Lieberman M. A.
Published: April 2004

It has been shown previously [Lieberman et al., Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 11, 283 (2002)], using a non-self-consistent model based on solutions of Maxwell’s equations, that several electromagnetic effects may compromise capacitive discharge uniformity. Among these, the standing wave effect dominates at low and moderate electron densities when the driving frequency is significantly greater than the usual 13.56 MHz. In the present work, two different global discharge models have been coupled to a transmission line model and used to obtain the self-consistent characteristics of the standing wave effect. An analytical solution for the wavelength λ was derived for the lossless case and compared to the numerical results. For typical plasma etching conditions (pressure 10–100 mTorr), a good approximation of the wavelength is λ/λ0≈40 V01/10l−1/2f−2/5, where λ0 is the wavelength in vacuum, V0 is the rf voltage magnitude in volts at the discharge center, l is the electrode spacing in meters, and f the driving frequency in hertz.
Study of edge turbulence in dimensionally similar laboratory plasmas
Authors: Stroth U. , Greiner F. , Lechte C. , Mahdizadeh N. , Rahbarnia K. , Ramisch M.
Published: April 2004

Comparative studies between a toroidal low-temperature plasma and drift-Alfvén-wave simulations were carried out in order to investigate the microscopic structure of turbulence. The dimensionless plasma parameters in the TJ-K torsatron [N. Krause et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 73, 3474 (2002)] are similar to those in the edge of a fusion plasma. At the same time the fluctuations can be fully diagnosed by probe arrays. Fluctuation spectra are analyzed by wavelet techniques indicating a large amount of intermittency in both numerical and experimental data. Since in both cases no critical gradient is present, the intermittency is not due to a state in self-organized criticality (SOC). The spectral density P(ω,k) of the turbulence was measured with a 64-tip Langmuir probe array. A broad spectrum indicates fully developed turbulence. The wave-number spectrum of the density fluctuations decays with a power law with an exponent of −3. The experiments confirm predictions from the turbulence code. The cross-phase between potential and density fluctuations is close to zero on all scales and the spectra shift to smaller wave numbers when the drift scale ρs is increased by changing the ion mass from hydrogen to helium and argon. The ρs scaling is confirmed by correlation measurements within the tips of the poloidal array and an 8×8 probe matrix. The results point to the drift-wave mechanism being responsible for the drive of the turbulence in the low-β plasma of TJ-K.