bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Specific Immunotherapy with Standardized Latex Extract versus Placebo in Latex-Allergic Patients
Authors: Tabar Ana Isabel , Anda Marta , Bonifazi Floriano , Bilò Maria Beatrice , Leynadier Francisque , Fuchs Thomas , Ring Johannes , Galvain Sylvie , André Claude
Published: August 2006

Background: Allergy to natural rubber latex proteins continues to be an important medical problem among health care professionals, but also in multioperated children. Clinical manifestations range from urticaria to angioedema, rhinoconjunctivitis, bronchial asthma and anaphylactic shock. Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a 12-month latex-specific immunotherapy in sensitized patients, most often health care workers. Twenty-three patients with latex rhinoconjunctivitis (20 of whom also had asthma) were included in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (11 in the active group, 12 in the placebo group). Treatment efficacy was assessed by means of symptom and medication scores. Conjunctival provocation tests and quantitative skin prick tests were also performed. Results: The clinical index (derived by combining changes from baseline of six efficacy variables during the treatment period) did not differ significantly between treatment groups. Change from baseline of rhinitis, conjunctivitis, skin symptoms, asthma symptoms, medication score and cutaneous reactivity were not significantly different between the two groups. A nonsignificant difference in conjunctival reactivity was observed in favor of the active group (p = 0.09). Systemic reactions were much higher in the specific immunotherapy than in the placebo group. Conclusions: The present study failed to show a significant improvement of symptoms and medication scores, probably because of the low level of symptoms at baseline and the low maintenance dose of therapy, even if allergen-specific conjunctival reactivity decreased in the active group. Moreover, the incidence of systemic reactions was very high in the active group.
Clinical, Immunological and Molecular Characteristics of 37 Iranian Patients with X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia
Authors: Aghamohammadi Asghar , Fiorini Maurilia , Moin Mostafa , Parvaneh Nima , Teimourian Shahram , Yeganeh Mehdi , Goffi Francesca , Kanegane Hirokazu , Amirzargar Ali Akbar , Pourpak Zahra , Rezaei Nima , Salavati Ali , Pouladi Nima , Abdollahzade Sina , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Miyawaki Toshio , Plebani Alessandro
Published: August 2006

Background: X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a hereditary immunodeficiency characterized by an early onset of recurrent bacterial infections, a profound deficiency of all immunoglobulin isotypes and a markedly reduced number of peripheral B lymphocytes. Eighty-five percent of the patients with this phenotype have mutations in Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene. Methods: To provide an informative outlook of clinical and immunological manifestations of XLA in Iran, 37 Iranian male patients with an age range of 1–34 years, followed over a period of 25 years, were studied. Twenty-four of the 37 patients were screened for BTK gene mutation using PCR-SSCP followed by direct sequencing. BTK protein expression assay was done by flow cytometry in 9 families. Results: All patients first presented with infectious diseases, the most common of which were respiratory tract infections. Eighteen different mutations were identified, 13 of which were novel: IVS1+5G>C, 1896G>A, 349delA, 1618C>T, 1783T>C, 2084A>G, 1346delT, 1351delGAG, 587A>G, IVS14–1G>A, IVS3+2T>C, 1482G>A, 1975C>A. Conclusion: The fact that we found a great number of novel mutations in a relatively limited number of patients underlines the heterogeneity of BTK mutations in the Iranian population. The large number of new mutations indicates that extended studies in this region would be rewarding.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Leukocytapheresis in a Pregnant Woman with Severe Active Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Okada H. , Makidono C. , Takenaka R. , Hiraoka S. , Fujiwara A. , Kato J. , Kawahara Y. , Kawamoto H. , Mizuno M. , Shiratori Y.
Published: August 2006

Leukocytapheresis has recently been used to induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who fail to respond to corticosteroids. We could not find a report in the literature on leukocytapheresis for UC with gestational exacerbation. We have recently encountered this unique condition and report the details here. A 30-year-old Japanese woman with left-sided severe UC was corticosteroid-dependent and had recurrence of the active disease during tapering of corticosteroid. She declined any dose increase and the use of any immunosuppressive agent because she was in the 13th week of pregnancy. Then, concomitant leukocytapheresis was performed without increasing the corticosteroid dose. Recovery was rapid and dramatic. Mucous and bloody stool decreased after the first session, and she had remission 2 weeks later. She underwent a total of four sessions without complications. After 6 weeks, she was discharged from our hospital and underwent maintenance treatment as an outpatient with mesalazine and corticosteroid tapering. Subsequently, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl by an uncomplicated vaginal delivery while keeping the remitted stage of UC.
A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial of Oral Misoprostol and Intramuscular Syntometrine in the Management of the Third Stage of Labor
Authors: Ng P.S. , Lai C.Y. , Sahota D.S. , Yuen P.M.
Published: August 2006

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of oral misoprostol 400 µg with intramuscular syntometrine in the management of the third stage of labor. Material and Methods: This was a double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in a tertiary care hospital. Three hundred and fifty-five women randomized to receive either oral misoprostol 400 µg or intramuscular syntometrine in the third stage of labor were studied. The change in hemoglobin level from before to 48 h after delivery, use of additional oxytocics and treatment related side effects were the main outcome measures. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the change in hemoglobin level and mean blood loss. The incidence of shivering was significantly higher in the misoprostol group whilst that of vomiting was significantly higher in the syntometrine group. There were no differences in the incidence of nausea, headache, diarrhea and pyrexia between the two groups. Conclusion: Orally administeredmisoprostol at a dose of 400 µg is an acceptable alternative in preventing post-partum blood loss, as measured by the peri-partum change in hemoglobin level and was not associated with an increased incidence of side effects.
Influence of Endothelin-1 Gene Polymorphisms on the Progression of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Reiterová J. , Merta M. , Štekrová J. , Čabartová Z. , Cibulka R. , Maixnerová D. , Ryšavá R. , Říhová Z. , Tesař V. , Motáň J.
Published: August 2006

Background/Aim:A significant phenotypical variability is observed in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The variability cannot be fully explained by the genetic heterogeneity of the disease. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been suggested to be a major promoting factor in renal diseases. The role of the ET-1 gene locus (EDN1) in the renal function in the general nondiabetic population was evaluated. We examined the influence of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the ET-1 gene (EDN1) – K198N, 3A/4A, and T-1370G – on the progression of ADPKD towards end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods: Two hundred and five ADPKD patients (113 males and 92 females) who had reached ESRD were analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) 48 patients (23 males and 25 females) with ESRD later than 63 years of age (slow progressors), (2) 74 patients (41 males and 33 females) with ESRD before 45 years of age (rapid progressors), and (3) 83 patients (49 males and 34 females) with ESRD between 45 and 63 years old. DNA samples from collected blood were genotyped for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms of EDN1: K198N, 3A/4A, and T-1370G. Haplotype analysis was also done in 200 healthy individuals. We compared the frequencies of the different genotypes between the groups of slow and rapid progressors and the ages at the time of ESRD regarding the EDN1 genotypes. Results: The EDN1 genotype distribution showed no differences among the groups of slow progressors, rapid progressors, the ADPKD group with ESRD between 45 and 63 years old, and the control group. Comparing the ages of ESRD of all patients, we did not find significant differences with regard to the different genotypes. Furthermore, we compared the combinations of the different haplotypes and the ages at the time of ESRD. We found no differences in ages at the time of ESRD in patients with different haplotypes in the endothelin promoter (T-1370G) in combination with 3A/4A or K198N polymorphisms. Comparing the ages at the time of ESRD in patients with different 3A/4A and K198N haplotypes, we found a significantly lower age at the time of ESRD (47.1 ± 8.7 years) in the carriers of the 4A allele in combination with the 198N allele (4A/4A, 3A/4A + 198KN,NN) than in the carriers of the 4A allele homozygous for the K198 allele (52.9 ± 10.9 years; 4A/4A, 3A/4A + 198KK; t test: p < 0.01) and in the carriers of the 198N allele homozygous for the 3A allele (53 ± 11.2 years; 3A/3A + 198KN,NN; t test: p < 0.05). Conclusions: We excluded an effect of K198N, 3A/4A, and T-1370G polymorphisms of EDN1 on the progression of ADPKD. However, a deleterious effect of the combination of 4A and 198N alleles of EDN1 was observed in APKDK individuals.
Effect of Levocetirizine on the Contraction Induced by Histamine on Isolated Rabbit Bronchioles from Precision-Cut Lung Slices
Authors: Simoen V. , Christophe B.
Published: August 2006

The present experiments were designed to study the effects of levocetirizine (a potent selective histamine H1 antagonist) on the contraction induced by histamine on isolated rabbit bronchioles using the precision-cut lung slice technology. Histamine induced a concentration-dependent contraction of isolated rabbit bronchioles (pD2 value of 5.6). Mepyramine (0.01–1 µmol/l) induced a shift to the right without any decrease in the concentration-response curve to histamine (pA2 value of 8.2). Levocetirizine (0.03–0.1 µmol/l) induced both a shift to the right and a decrease in the maximal amplitude of the concentration-response curve to histamine (pA2 and pD′2 values of 7.9 and 7.0, respectively). The difference between both compounds could be explained in terms of the difference in the dissociation rate from the histamine H1 receptor coupled to a putative low receptor reserve present in the rabbit bronchioles.
Common Mechanisms in Nephropathy Induced by Toxic Metals
Authors: Sabolić Ivan
Published: August 2006

Various metals of unknown function in the body (Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, U), trace elements in excessive concentrations (Co, Cu, Fe, Zn), or metals used in cancer therapy (Pt, V), accumulate in the mammalian kidney, largely in the proximal tubule (PT) cells, and cause functional and structural damage that results in reabsorptive and secretory defects. The intracellular mechanisms of their toxicity in the PT cells are not well known. Recent studies have indicated an oxidative stress with associated lipid peroxidation, apoptosis, and necrosis as common phenomena in the course of nephrotoxicity of these metals. However, a number of other phenomena, such as the selective inhibition and/or loss of various membrane transporters, enhancement of ion conductances, increased cytoplasmic concentration of calcium, deranged cytoskeleton and cell polarity, impaired endocytosis, swelling and fragmentation of mitochondria, increased expression of metallothionein, heat-shock and multidrug resistance proteins, loss of cell membrane integrity, as well as the damage of mitochondrial and genomic DNAs have been fragmentarily demonstrated for the action of some toxic metals, but their importance for the course of nephrotoxicity and the sequence of events in relation to oxidative stress, apoptosis, and necrosis have not been clearly established. Recent studies of metal toxicity in various tissues and cells of non-renal and renal origin enable us to estimate ‘causes and consequences’ of various phenomena in the metal-induced nephrotoxicity, and to assemble them in a possible common, time-related sequence.
Body Composition Assessed by Impedance Changes Very Early with Declining Renal Graft Function
Authors: Coroas Andreia S.P.S. , Oliveira José G.G. , Sampaio S. , Borges C. , Tavares I. , Pestana M. , Almeida M.D.V.
Published: August 2006

Background: Kidney transplant (Tx) restores renal filtration, although it does not achieve the function of two native kidneys, and with time it may variably involute back to chronic renal failure. We hypothesized that bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) might highlight differences for body compartments among Tx with different filtration rates, and we compared them with healthy controls. Methods: 38 Tx patients (25 males, 13 females) were studied at 75.9 ± 37.8 months postsurgery and divided into three groups: good creatinine clearance (CrCl, ml/min/1.73 m2; > 65.0), borderline (35.0 < CrCl < 60.0) and bad (CrCl < 35.0). BIA was assessed three times in a year. Total body water, extracellular water (ECW), intracellular water (ICW), Na:K exchange rate (Nae:Ke) and phase angle were studied. Healthy (n = 11) and hemodialysis (n = 11) groups were also studied. Results: BIA showed no differences between healthy controls and good Tx while both borderline and bad Tx presented a significantly higher ECW and lower ICW than either good Tx or normal controls. Only good CrCl was different from predialysis. Conclusions: A good kidney graft manages to restore and maintain normal body composition, even with potential disturbances brought about by steroids and cyclosporine. With mild renal dysfunction a change in body compartments was observed, moving towards the composition of that with chronic renal failure patients.
Emission-Induced Nonlinearities in the Global Aerosol System: Results from the ECHAM5-HAM Aerosol-Climate Model
Authors: Stier Philip , Feichter Johann , Kloster Silvia , Vignati Elisabetta , Wilson Julian
Published: August 2006

In a series of simulations with the global ECHAM5-HAM aerosol-climate model, the response to changes in anthropogenic emissions is analyzed. Traditionally, additivity is assumed in the assessment of the aerosol climate impact, as the underlying bulk aerosol models are largely constrained to linearity. The microphysical aerosol module HAM establishes degrees of freedom for nonlinear responses of the aerosol system. In this study’s results, aerosol column mass burdens respond nonlinearly to changes in anthropogenic emissions, manifested in alterations of the aerosol lifetimes. Specific emission changes induce modifications of aerosol cycles with unaltered emissions, indicating a microphysical coupling of the aerosol cycles. Anthropogenic carbonaceous emissions disproportionately contribute to the accumulation mode numbers close to the source regions. In contrast, anthropogenic sulfuric emissions less than proportionally contribute to the accumulation mode numbers close to the source regions and disproportionately contribute in remote regions. The additivity of the aerosol system is analyzed by comparing the changes from a simulation with emission changes for several compounds with the sum of changes of single simulations, in each of which one of the emission changes was introduced. Close to the anthropogenic source regions, deviations from additivity are found at up to 30% and 15% for the accumulation mode number burden and aerosol optical thickness, respectively. These results challenge the traditional approach of assessing the climate impact of aerosols separately for each component and demand for integrated assessments and emission strategies.
IPCC’s Twentieth-Century Climate Simulations: Varied Representations of North American Hydroclimate Variability
Authors: Ruiz-Barradas Alfredo , Nigam Sumant
Published: August 2006

The annual cycle of precipitation and the interannual variability of the North American hydroclimate during summer months are analyzed in coupled simulations of the twentieth-century climate. The state-of-the-art general circulation models, participating in the Fourth Assessment Report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), included in the present study are the U.S. Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3), the Parallel Climate Model (PCM), the Goddard Institute for Space Studies model version EH (GISS-EH), and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Coupled Model version 2.1 (GFDL-CM2.1); the Met Office’s Third Hadley Centre Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere GCM (UKMO-HadCM3); and the Japanese Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate version 3.2 [MIROC3.2(hires)]. Datasets with proven high quality such as NCEP’s North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) U.S.–Mexico precipitation analysis are used as targets for simulations.

Climatological precipitation is not easily simulated. While models capture winter precipitation very well over the U.S. northwest, they encounter failure over the U.S. southeast in the same season. Summer precipitation over the central United States and Mexico is also a great challenge for models, particularly the timing. In general the UKMO-HadCM3 is closest to the observations.

The models’ potential in simulating interannual hydroclimate variability over North America during the warm season is varied and limited to the central United States. Models like PCM, and in particular UKMO-HadCM3, exhibit reasonably well the observed distribution and relative importance of remote and local contributions to precipitation variability over the region (i.e., convergence of remote moisture fluxes dominate over local evapotranspiration). However, in models like CCSM3 and GFDL-CM2.1 local contributions dominate over remote ones, in contrast with warm-season observations. In the other extreme are models like GISS-EH and MIROC3.2(hires) that prioritize the remote influence of moisture fluxes and neglect the local influence of land surface processes to the regional precipitation variability.
Sensitivity of Simulated Climate to Horizontal and Vertical Resolution in the ECHAM5 Atmosphere Model
Authors: Roeckner E. , Brokopf R. , Esch M. , Giorgetta M. , Hagemann S. , Kornblueh L. , Manzini E. , Schlese U. , Schulzweida U.
Published: August 2006

The most recent version of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology atmospheric general circulation model, ECHAM5, is used to study the impact of changes in horizontal and vertical resolution on seasonal mean climate. In a series of Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP)-style experiments with resolutions ranging between T21L19 and T159L31, the systematic errors and convergence properties are assessed for two vertical resolutions. At low vertical resolution (L19) there is no evidence for convergence to a more realistic climate state for horizontal resolutions higher than T42. At higher vertical resolution (L31), on the other hand, the root-mean-square errors decrease monotonically with increasing horizontal resolution. Furthermore, except for T42, the L31 versions are superior to their L19 counterparts, and the improvements become more evident at increasingly higher horizontal resolutions. This applies, in particular, to the zonal mean climate state and to the stationary wave patterns in boreal winter. As in previous studies, increasing horizontal resolution leads to a warming of the troposphere, most prominently at midlatitudes, and to a poleward shift and intensification of the midlatitude westerlies. Increasing the vertical resolution has the opposite effect, almost independent of horizontal resolution. Whereas the atmosphere is colder at low and middle latitudes, it is warmer at high latitudes and close to the surface. In addition, increased vertical resolution results in a pronounced warming in the polar upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, where the cold bias is reduced by up to 50% compared to L19 simulations. Consistent with these temperature changes is a decrease and equatorward shift of the midlatitude westerlies. The substantial benefits in refining both horizontal and vertical resolution give some support to scaling arguments deduced from quasigeostrophic theory implying that horizontal and vertical resolution ought to be chosen consistently.
Assessment of Snow Cover and Surface Albedo in the ECHAM5 General Circulation Model
Authors: Roesch Andreas , Roeckner Erich
Published: August 2006

Land surface albedo, snow cover fraction (SCF), and snow depth (SD) from two versions of the ECHAM climate model are compared to available ground-based and remote-sensed climatologies.

ECHAM5 accurately reproduces the annual cycle of SD and correctly captures the timing of the snowmelt. ECHAM4, in contrast, simulates an excessive Eurasian snow mass in spring due to a delayed snowmelt. Annual cycles of continental snow cover area (SCA) are captured fairly well in both ECHAM4 and ECHAM5. The negative SCA trend observed during the last two decades of the twentieth century is evident also in the ECHAM5 simulation but less pronounced. ECHAM5 captures the interannual variability of SCA reasonably well, which is in contrast with results that were reported earlier for second-phase Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP II) models. An error analysis revealed that, for studies on SCA, it is essential to test the data records for their homogeneity and trends.

The second part of the paper compares simulated surface albedos with remote-sensed climatologies derived from PINKER and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). ECHAM5 is in better agreement with observations in the Himalayan–Tibetan area than ECHAM4. In contrast, the positive surface albedo bias over boreal forests under snow conditions in ECHAM4 is even more pronounced in ECHAM5. This deficiency is mainly due to the neglect of the snow-masking effect of stems and branches after trees have lost their foliage.

The analysis demonstrates that positive biases in the SCA are not necessarily related to positive albedo biases. Furthermore, an overestimation of the area-averaged SD is not always related to positive SCF anomalies since the relationship between SD and SCF is highly nonlinear.
Effects of Ocean Biology on the Penetrative Radiation in a Coupled Climate Model
Authors: Wetzel Patrick , Maier-Reimer Ernst , Botzet Michael , Jungclaus Johann , Keenlyside Noel , Latif Mojib
Published: August 2006

The influence of phytoplankton on the seasonal cycle and the mean global climate is investigated in a fully coupled climate model. The control experiment uses a fixed attenuation depth for shortwave radiation, while the attenuation depth in the experiment with biology is derived from phytoplankton concentrations simulated with a marine biogeochemical model coupled online to the ocean model. Some of the changes in the upper ocean are similar to the results from previous studies that did not use interactive atmospheres, for example, amplification of the seasonal cycle; warming in upwelling regions, such as the equatorial Pacific and the Arabian Sea; and reduction in sea ice cover in the high latitudes. In addition, positive feedbacks within the climate system cause a global shift of the seasonal cycle. The onset of spring is about 2 weeks earlier, which results in a more realistic representation of the seasons. Feedback mechanisms, such as increased wind stress and changes in the shortwave radiation, lead to significant warming in the midlatitudes in summer and to seasonal modifications of the overall warming in the equatorial Pacific. Temperature changes also occur over land where they are sometimes even larger than over the ocean. In the equatorial Pacific, the strength of interannual SST variability is reduced by about 10%–15% and phase locking to the annual cycle is improved. The ENSO spectral peak is broader than in the experiment without biology and the dominant ENSO period is increased to around 5 yr. Also the skewness of ENSO variability is slightly improved. All of these changes lead to the conclusion that the influence of marine biology on the radiative budget of the upper ocean should be considered in detailed simulations of the earth’s climate.
The HAMMONIA Chemistry Climate Model: Sensitivity of the Mesopause Region to the 11-Year Solar Cycle and CO2 Doubling
Authors: Schmidt H. , Brasseur G. P. , Charron M. , Manzini E. , Giorgetta M. A. , Diehl T. , Fomichev V. I. , Kinnison D. , Marsh D. , Walters S.
Published: August 2006

This paper introduces the three-dimensional Hamburg Model of the Neutral and Ionized Atmosphere (HAMMONIA), which treats atmospheric dynamics, radiation, and chemistry interactively for the height range from the earth’s surface to the thermosphere (approximately 250 km). It is based on the latest version of the ECHAM atmospheric general circulation model of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany, which is extended to include important radiative and dynamical processes of the upper atmosphere and is coupled to a chemistry module containing 48 compounds. The model is applied to study the effects of natural and anthropogenic climate forcing on the atmosphere, represented, on the one hand, by the 11-yr solar cycle and, on the other hand, by a doubling of the present-day concentration of carbon dioxide. The numerical experiments are analyzed with the focus on the effects on temperature and chemical composition in the mesopause region. Results include a temperature response to the solar cycle by 2 to 10 K in the mesopause region with the largest values occurring slightly above the summer mesopause. Ozone in the secondary maximum increases by up to 20% for solar maximum conditions. Changes in winds are in general small. In the case of a doubling of carbon dioxide the simulation indicates a cooling of the atmosphere everywhere above the tropopause but by the smallest values around the mesopause. It is shown that the temperature response up to the mesopause is strongly influenced by changes in dynamics. During Northern Hemisphere summer, dynamical processes alone would lead to an almost global warming of up to 3 K in the uppermost mesosphere.
Evaluation of the Hydrological Cycle in the ECHAM5 Model
Authors: Hagemann Stefan , Arpe Klaus , Roeckner Erich
Published: August 2006

This study investigates the impact of model resolution on the hydrological cycle in a suite of model simulations using a new version of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). Special attention is paid to the evaluation of precipitation on the regional scale by comparing model simulations with observational data in a number of catchments representing the major river systems on the earth in different climate zones. It is found that an increased vertical resolution, from 19 to 31 atmospheric layers, has a beneficial effect on simulated precipitation with respect to both the annual mean and the annual cycle. On the other hand, the influence of increased horizontal resolution, from T63 to T106, is comparatively small. Most of the improvements at higher vertical resolution, on the scale of a catchment, are due to large-scale moisture transport, whereas the impact of local water recycling through evapotranspiration is somewhat smaller. At high horizontal and vertical resolution (T106L31) the model captures most features of the observed hydrological cycle over land, and also the local and remote precipitation response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events.

Major deficiencies are the overestimation of precipitation over the oceans, especially at higher vertical resolution, along steep mountain slopes and during the Asian summer monsoon season, whereas a dry bias exists over Australia. In addition, the model fails to reproduce the observed precipitation response to ENSO variability in the Indian Ocean and Africa. This might be related to missing coupled air–sea feedbacks in an AGCM forced with observed sea surface temperatures.
Observed Relationships between Arctic Longwave Cloud Forcing and Cloud Parameters Using a Neural Network
Authors: Chen Yonghua , Aires Filipe , Francis Jennifer A. , Miller James R.
Published: August 2006

A neural network technique is used to quantify relationships involved in cloud–radiation feedbacks based on observations from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) project. Sensitivities of longwave cloud forcing (CFL) to cloud parameters indicate that a bimodal distribution pattern dominates the histogram of each sensitivity. Although the mean states of the relationships agree well with those derived in a previous study, they do not often exist in reality. The sensitivity of CFL to cloud cover increases as the cloudiness increases with a range of 0.1–0.9 W m−2 %−1. There is a saturation effect of liquid water path (LWP) on CFL. The highest sensitivity of CFL to LWP corresponds to clouds with low LWP, and sensitivity decreases as LWP increases. The sensitivity of CFL to cloud-base height (CBH) depends on whether the clouds are below or above an inversion layer. The relationship is negative for clouds higher than 0.8 km at the SHEBA site. The strongest positive relationship corresponds to clouds with low CBH. The dominant mode of the sensitivity of CFL to cloud-base temperature (CBT) is near zero and corresponds to warm clouds with base temperatures higher than −9°C. The low and high sensitivity regimes correspond to the summer and winter seasons, respectively, especially for LWP and CBT. Overall, the neural network technique is able to separate two distinct regimes of clouds that correspond to different sensitivities; that is, it captures the nonlinear behavior in the relationships. This study demonstrates a new method for evaluating nonlinear relationships between climate variables. It could also be used as an effective tool for evaluating feedback processes in climate models.
Variability of Stratospheric Water Vapor Inferred from SAGE II, HALOE, and Boulder (Colorado) Balloon Measurements
Authors: Chiou E. W. , Thomason L. W. , Chu W. P.
Published: August 2006

The variability of stratospheric water vapor between 1996 and 2004 has been studied using multiyear measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) version 6.2 dataset, the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) version 19 dataset, and the balloon-borne frost point hygrometer data record at Boulder, Colorado (40°N, 105°W). The features derived from SAGE II and HALOE for 20° latitudinal zones from 60°S to 60°N at various altitudes (16–34 km) show good quantitative agreement regarding the phases and magnitudes of annual, semiannual, and quasi-biennial oscillations (QBO). For the latitudinal zones 20°–40° and 40°–60°, the hemispheric asymmetry at 22 km with mainly QBO in the north and predominantly annual oscillations in the south has been revealed by both SAGE II and HALOE observations. Strong correlation exists between SAGE II and HALOE lower-stratospheric H2O anomalies over low latitudes and 100-hPa tropical zonal mean temperature anomalies. The correlation coefficients based on the 0°–20°S water vapor time series with H2O lagged by 2 months are 0.81 and 0.70 for HALOE and SAGE II, respectively. For 35°–45°N, SAGE II and HALOE show consistent trends generally varying from −0.05 to −0.02 ppmv yr−1 between 16 and 34 km. The corresponding analyses based on frost point measurements over Boulder show insignificant trends. These trends are not strongly dependent on the end points of the analysis and stand in contrast to the positive trends reported in previous studies that include data records prior to 1994. For the lower stratosphere, investigations of the entire balloon-borne dataset over Boulder indicate higher values of mixing ratios after 1992–93 compared to the period 1980–92. In contrast, SAGE II monthly zonal mean measurements for 35°–45°N show insignificant differences between the periods 1987–89 and 1996–2004.
Detection and Attribution of Twentieth-Century Northern and Southern African Rainfall Change
Authors: Hoerling Martin , Hurrell James , Eischeid Jon , Phillips Adam
Published: August 2006

The spatial patterns, time history, and seasonality of African rainfall trends since 1950 are found to be deducible from the atmosphere’s response to the known variations of global sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The robustness of the oceanic impact is confirmed through the diagnosis of 80 separate 50-yr climate simulations across a suite of atmospheric general circulation models. Drying over the Sahel during boreal summer is shown to be a response to warming of the South Atlantic relative to North Atlantic SST, with the ensuing anomalous interhemispheric SST contrast favoring a more southern position of the Atlantic intertropical convergence zone. Southern African drying during austral summer is shown to be a response to Indian Ocean warming, with enhanced atmospheric convection over those warm waters driving subsidence drying over Africa.

The ensemble of greenhouse-gas-forced experiments, conducted as part of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, fails to simulate the pattern or amplitude of the twentieth-century African drying, indicating that the drought conditions were likely of natural origin. For the period 2000–49, the ensemble mean of the forced experiments yields a wet signal over the Sahel and a dry signal over southern Africa. These rainfall changes are physically consistent with a projected warming of the North Atlantic Ocean compared with the South Atlantic Ocean, and a further warming of the Indian Ocean. However, considerable spread exists among the individual members of the multimodel ensemble.
Reevaluating the Causes of Observed Changes in Indian Ocean Water Masses
Authors: Stark Sheila , Wood Richard A. , Banks Helene T.
Published: August 2006

The consistency between observed changes in Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) properties at 32°S in the Indian Ocean and model simulations is explored using the Third Hadley Centre Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere GCM (HadCM3). Hydrographic data collected in 2002 show that the water mass is warmer and saltier on isopycnals than in 1987, in contrast to the isopycnal freshening observed between 1962 and 1987. The response of HadCM3 under a range of forcing scenarios is explored and the observed freshening is only seen in experiments that include greenhouse gas forcing; however, there is no subsequent return to more saline conditions in 2002. The response of the model to greenhouse gas forcing is dominated by a persistent freshening trend, the simulated water mass variability agrees well with that suggested by the limited observations. Comparing model isopycnal changes from the forced experiments with a control run shows that the changes from the 1960s to 2002 are best explained by internal variability. This is in contrast to earlier work, which attributed the observed isopycnal freshening to anthropogenic forcing. Although the model shows that at present an anthropogenic climate change signal is not detectable in SAMW, the model water mass freshens on isopycnals during the twenty-first century under increased greenhouse gas forcing. This is consistent with recent heat content observations, which suggest that the salting is unlikely to persist. In HadCM3, this freshening is due to an increasing surface heat flux and Ekman heat and freshwater flux into the water mass formation region. This paper emphasizes the importance of higher-frequency observations of SAMW if detection and attribution statements are to be made.
Political Belonging and Cultural Belonging
Authors: Brettell Caroline B.
Published: August 2006

This article compares identity and citizenship among four immigrant populations in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area to explore the distinctions that immigrants themselves draw between political and cultural belonging. The article addresses the differences between the rights/responsibilities dimensions of citizenship on one hand, and the identity dimensions of citizenship on the other hand. It demonstrates the significance of immigration status in shaping attitudes toward naturalization, citizenship, and the construction of identity, arguing that immigrants have a bifocal outlook on belonging.
Cultural Trauma and Ethnic Identity Formation Among Iranian Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Mobasher Mohsen
Published: August 2006

Inspired mainly by Jeffery Alexander's concept of cultural trauma and Irving Goffman's analysis of stigma, this article examines the impact of the Iranian Revolution and the ensuing hostage crisis in 1979 on the formation of ethnic identity among Iranian immigrants in the United States. These events resulted in the loss of cultural and ethnic pride, the rise of anti-Islamic religious sentiments, and the concealment of religious, national, and ethnic identity among Iranian immigrants in America. The article argues that the continuation of negative images of Iran and the equation of Islam with fundamentalism, extremism, and terrorism by American mainstream media had a central role in the construction of new ethnic identities among Iranians in exile.
The Munroe Multicultural Attitude Scale Questionnaire
Authors: Munroe Arnold , Pearson Carolyn
Published: August 2006

Institutions of higher education want to diversify their learning climates, and many offer courses in multiculturalism, yet these courses still do not meet the needs of attitudinal change. A new instrument was developed, the Munroe Multicultural Attitude Scale Questionnaire (MASQUE), that was theoretically based in Banks's transformative approach, which specifically measured multicultural attitudes. Psychometric properties of the instrument's scores are discussed. Exploratory factor analysis supported the “know,” “act,” and “care” domains of Banks's transformative approach, and the instrument was sensitive to detecting group differences on several demographic variables. The MASQUE's potential uses for affecting multicultural research and instruction are discussed.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Work Locus of Control Scale
Authors: Oliver Joseph E. , Jose Paul E. , Brough Paula
Published: August 2006

Original formulations of the Work Locus of Control Scale (WLCS) proposed a unidimensional structure of this measure; however, more recently, evidence for a twodimensional structure has been reported, with separate subscales for internal and external loci of control. The current study evaluates the one and two-factor models with confirmatory factor analysis. The results suggest that although the two-factor model provides a better fit of the data than does the one-factor model, it still does not reach an adequate standard of fit. Exploratory factor analysis reveal the presence of a third factor, and confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the three-factor model provides a superior fit to either the one or two-factor model. This finding is replicated with a second independent sample. These findings call into question the psychometric robustness of the WLCS and indicate that further refinement is required.
Multidimensional Self-Concept Structure for Preadolescents With Mild Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Marsh Herbert W. , Tracey Danielle K. , Craven Rhonda G.
Published: August 2006

Confirmatory factor analysis of responses by 211 preadolescents ( M age = 10.25 years, SD = 1.48) with mild intellectual disabilities (MIDs) to the individually administered Self Description Questionnaire I–Individual Administration (SDQI-IA) counters widely cited claims that these children cannot differentiate multiple self-concept factors. Results provide clear support for the a priori eight-factor solution, modest correlations between the factors ( Mdn r = .38), substantial reliabilities ( Mdn = .90), and invariance of the factor solution over gender, age, and educational placement (regular vs. special, segregated classes). Also introduced is a new hybrid compromise between multigroup and multipleindicator-multiple-cause (MIMIC) approaches to latent mean differences. Consistent with a priori predictions, preadolescents with MIDs have lower self-concepts in segregated classes than in regular classes for three academic self-concept scales (reading, math, and general-school) and, to a lesser extent, peer relationships and global selfesteem, but not for the other three nonacademic components of self-concept (physical, appearance, and parent relationships).
Burnett Hillman Streeter* (17th November 1874-10th September 1937)
Authors: Court John M.
Published: August 2006

B. H. Streeter was one of the most distinguished of his generation of English New Testament scholars who wrote the standard work on the sources of the four Gospels, in which he drew heavily on German scholarship but also introduced ideas of his own. He was an academic and a churchman, a canon of Hereford Cathedral who was also attracted to Moral Rearmament.
Ethnic Diversity, Issues, and International Crisis Dynamics, 1918-2002
Authors: Mishali-Ram Meirav
Published: August 2006

Ethnic conflict is prominent and recurrent in contemporary world politics, expressed in both internal and international disputes. The main goal of this study is to link ethnic conflict at the state level and its spillover to international conflict and crisis. More specifically, it examines the relationship between particular ethnic dimensions and international crises. The examination focuses on ethnic diversity among adversaries and ethnic issues within interstate confrontations, and their effects on crisis dynamics. The analysis links two major datasets: the Minorities at Risk (MAR) Project, which characterizes worldwide ethno-political actors of several types, and the International Crisis Behavior (ICB) Project, which analyzes international conflicts and crises across the world. Analyses of 133 ethnic-related international crises in the period 1918-2002, in which 67 ethno-political actors were involved, reveal the multidimensional impact that ethnicity has upon international conflict. Ethnic conflict increases the complexity and danger inherent in international crisis. The presence of ethnic diversity extends crisis duration, increases the level of its violence, and impedes accommodative crisis outcome. Moreover, the changing world order is characterized by a shift in the issue agenda. Ethnic issues related to identity and to political and economic status, which mainly concern non-state political actors, create both intrastate and interstate confrontations and shape the behavior of major actors on the world stage. Different ethnic issues in crises have diverse influences on crisis process and outcome.
Democracies and Transparency: Country Reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, 1992-2001
Authors: Lebovic James H.
Published: August 2006

This study assesses participation in the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNRCA) in its first decade (1992-2001) of operation to determine the effects of democracy on international transparency. First, the function of the UNRCA is discussed. Second, transparency is defined and then explained by democracy and factors recognized in two international politics theories: realism, which emphasizes the effects of state capabilities and interests, and liberal institutionalism, which stresses the facilitative role of international institutions. Third, preliminary judgments are offered based on the frequency and nature of participation in the UNRCA, the consistency between export and import reports to the register, and participation in the register by democracies and non-democracies. Fourth, a cross-sectional time-series logit model is specified and tested to determine the relative effects of democracy on participation in the UN register. The study concludes that existing international politics theories go a long way toward accounting for patterns of openness and deception in international politics but not the full extent that security policies owe to domestic structures and processes.
Printing, cartography and conceptions of place in Renaissance Europe
Authors: Mukerji Chandra
Published: August 2006

Eisenstein's account of the connection between scientific progress and printing does not apply well to map publication and knowledge of geography. Most of the celebrated figures in map design and publishing in the 16th century were fundamentally copyists and collectors of others' works. In Renaissance Europe, geographers did not strive to be original, but relied on others' measures, adding their own information to extant maps whenever this was possible. They also made maps in multiple genres, and used geographical works not simply as practical tools for trade and politics, but as evidence for Creation and demonstrations of human dominion. Printed atlases displayed the array of map forms, provided exemplars of good work, and made visible points of translation across different genres of geographical representation. In this context, copying and collection were helpful rather than detrimental to knowledge.
Political advertising: why is it so boring?
Authors: Scammell Margaret , Langer Ana I.
Published: August 2006

Most analysis of political advertising questions how it matches up to the normative standard of providing information to voters. It tends to treat advertising as a core, and often debased, resource for deliberation. However, advertising as a form is less suited to complex information and more to engagement of interest. Despite this, political advertising normally is both constructed and analysed as information carriers. While commercial advertising attracts interest through pleasure and popular discourse, political advertising remains wedded to information. The persuasive strategies of political and commercial advertising are marked as much by dissimilarity as by similarity, the former aiming at plausibility and the latter at pleasure. The article analyses party election broadcasts in the UK over two general elections, according to a scheme that elicits both the informational content and its aesthetic and emotional appeals. Both the analysis design and the underlying rationale may have application beyond the UK. They help answer the quuestion: why does political advertising seem so dull and so bad to so many people?
Conference Attendance by Nigerian Library and Information Professionals
Authors: Adomi Esharenana E. , Alakpodia Onome N. , Akporhonor Blessings A.
Published: August 2006

Surveys patterns of conference attendance among LIS professionals in Nigeria. Through questionnaires, data were collected from 105 LIS personnel who attended the 43rd National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) held at Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria on 9–15.July, 2005. Findings revealed: the personal characteristics of the respondents; that the respondents attend various conferences though a majority attend the NLA National Conferences only occasionally; most of them attend conferences in order to keep up-to-date with developments in the profession; most of them obtain conference information from websites; the main factors which determine conference attendance are the reputation of the organizers and early notification of conference date and venue; conference attendance results in improved productivity in the organization; lack of organizational funding for conference attendance is a problem for most of the respondents. In general, the results indicate that, for most respondents and their employing organizations, participating in conferences produces real benefits.