bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low mRNA levels of RGS4 splice variants in Alzheimer's disease: Association between a rare haplotype and decreased mRNA expression
Authors: Emilsson L. , Saetre P. , Jazin E.
Published: December 2005

Regulator of G‐protein signaling 4 (RGS4) showed decreased mRNA levels in Alzheimer's disease in a large collection of human brain autopsies from prefrontal cortex. The expression levels of three RGS4 splice variants were examined in the same samples, and the association between RGS4 gene expression and/or the disease with single nucleotide polymorphisms located in this gene was explored. We show that all splice variants are down‐regulated in patients. We also demonstrate that one rare haplotype (ATAG) is associated with decreased mRNA levels in both cases and controls. Our results suggest that an altered regulation in transcription initiation may be an important mechanism for low RGS4 protein levels in Alzeimer's disease. Synapse 59:173–176, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Utilisation of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the generation and isolation of non‐lethal ricin A chain variants
Authors: Allen Stuart C. H. , Byron Adam , Lord J. Michael , Davey John , Roberts Lynne M. , Ladds Graham
Published: December 2005

Knowledge of the uptake, membrane translocation, refolding and ribosome interaction of the ribosome‐inactivating toxin ricin is incomplete at the present time. Ricin A chain (RTA) is the catalytic subunit of holotoxin and is also of particular interest as a vaccine candidate. For many studies into the uptake and immunological applications of ricin, it is essential to have inactive variants. Here, following error‐prone polymerase chain reaction of the RTA open reading frame, we have used a modified gap‐repair protocol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to show that it is possible to rapidly generate a panel of inactive RTA mutants. Since yeast cells have ribosomes that are highly sensitive to RTA, we utilized a genetic selection based on the viability of transformants. This enabled the recovery of a number of mutations, some not previously identified, which permitted production of full‐length but non‐toxic RTA proteins. Such disarmed toxins may have utility as tools to study the cytosolic entry and action of RTA, and as potential vaccine candidates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactions between Psilocybe fasciata and its companion fungus Acremonium strictum
Authors: He Peixin , He Xinsheng , Zhang Changkai
Published: December 2005

Interactions between Psilocybe fasciata and its companion fungus Acremonium strictum were analysed. The conidia of A. strictum were observed on stipe, flesh and gill of P. fasciata, which suggested that A. strictum is the fungicolous fungi or mycophilic fungi of P. fasciata. The microscopic observations of the interacting hyphae of P. fasciata and A. strictum in dual culture and the negligible activities of chitinase and β‐1,3‐glucanase in inducing or non‐inducing media of the pure and mixed cultures of the two fungi indicated that A. strictum is not the mycoparasite of P. fasciata. In addition, the co‐existence, no pigmentation and dew formation in dual culture of both fungi were observed, which implied that the interference competition between the two fungi is weak. The activities of cellobiase, filter paper enzyme, endoglucanase and xylanase of pure and mixed cultures of P. fasciata and A. strictum were the same or similar, which may allow the co‐existence of the two fungi. As a consequence of coevolution, the relationship between P. fasciata and A. strictum is commensalism: A. strictum showed no clear benefit to P. fasciata; however, P. fasciata may shelter A. strictum by its psychoactive tryptamines and may be helpful to conidium dispersal of A. strictum. The relationship between P. fasciata and A. strictum is different from that of A. strictum and other fungi.
Exploring depression in schizophrenia
Authors: Maggini Carlo , Raballo Andrea
Published: December 2005

Background

A consistent amount of empirical research suggests that depression, besides interfering with quality of life and social functioning, may influence other symptom dimensions in schizophrenia, thus constituting an important domain for treatment strategies, outcome, and prognosis.

Aim. –

This study investigated the factorial structure of the Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia (CDSS) in a sample of schizophrenic patients and explored the relationships between such factors, major symptom dimensions and subjective experiences.

Methods

One hundred and sixty-one subjects were examined to assess the severity of schizophrenic symptoms (scored according to the five-dimensional model of Toomey et al. [28]), the distress due to the subjective experience of negative symptoms, and the degree of subjectively-felt cognitive-affective vulnerability (i.e. basic symptoms).

Results

Principal component analysis revealed CDSS to include three main factors, namely: “depression-hopelessness” (factor I), “guilty idea of reference-pathological guilt” (factor II) and “early wakening” (factor III).

Whereas the last factor did not correlate with any of the other psychopathological domains, the first two factors revealed multiple correlations with both diagnostic symptoms and subjective experiences.

Conclusions

The results confirm the threefold factorial structure of the CDSS previously reported by the authors of the scale and could shed further light on the psychopathological nature of the components of depression in schizophrenia. The specific correlation patterns with diagnostic and subjective psychopatholgy substantiate the clinical distinction between a general depression factor (“depression-hopelessness”) and a cognitive-guilt factor (“guilty idea of reference-pathological guilt”).
Identification of an actin‐binding site in p47phox an organizer protein of NADPH oxidase
Authors: Tamura Minoru , Itoh Katsunori , Akita Hiroshi , Takano Keiko , Oku Satoshi
Published: December 2005

Actin has been reported to enhance the superoxide‐generating activity of neutrophil NADPH oxidase in a cell‐free system and to interact with p47
phox
, a regulatory subunit of the oxidase. In the present study, we searched for an actin‐binding site in p47
phox
by far‐western blotting and blot‐binding assays using truncated forms of p47
phox
. The amino‐acid sequence 319–337 was identified as an actin‐binding site, and a synthetic peptide of this sequence bound to actin. The sequence shows no homology to other known actin‐binding motifs. It is located in the autoinhibitory region of p47
phox
and includes Ser‐328, a phosphorylation site essential for unmasking. Although a phosphorylation‐mimetic p47
phox
mutant bound to actin with a lower affinity than the wild type, the same mutant interacted with filamentous actin more efficiently than the wild type. A mutant peptide p47
phox
(319–337, Ser328Glu) bound to filamentous actin more tightly than to monomer actin. These results suggest that p47
phox
moves to cortical actin when it becomes unmasked in the cells.
Hand Replantations Following Complete Amputations at the Wrist Joint: First Experiences in Hanoi, Vietnam
Authors: HOANG N. T.
Published: December 2005

Five completely amputated hands at the level of the wrist joint were replanted. The five patients were all men, ranging from 19 to 31 years and the amputations were all the result of knife injuries. All the revascularizations were successful. Secondary tenolysis was required in one case. Postoperative functional results compared to the uninjured hand were evaluated according to five main criteria: (1) the patient’s overall satisfaction with the hand; (2) recovery of flexor and extensor function of the thumb and fingers; (3) recovery of thumb opposition; (4) recovery of sensitivity in the median and ulnar nerve distributions; (5) ability of the surviving hand to perform daily tasks. The results showed that, although the replanted hands were never functionally as good as the contralateral hand, the patients were able to use them satisfactorily for activities of daily living. Our results demonstrate that replantation following complete amputation at the wrist joint level as a result of a sharp injury is extremely worthwhile and has excellent potential for functional recovery.
Carpal Canal Pressures after Volar Plating of Distal Radius Fractures
Authors: FULLER D. A. , BARRETT M. , MARBURGER R. K. , HIRSCH R.
Published: December 2005

Elevated pressures within the carpal canal are known to occur after distal radius fractures. Controversy exists regarding prophylactic carpal tunnel release after open reduction with internal fixation of distal radius fractures. The purpose of this study was to determine the tissue pressures within the carpal canal after volar plating of distal radius fractures. This study was a prospective, observational, IRB approved research study. Ten consecutive patients undergoing volar plating of distal radius fractures were enrolled. After the distal radius fractures were reduced and fixed with volar plates, slit catheters were inserted into the carpal canals for continuous postoperative pressure monitoring for 24 hours. The maximum recorded pressure was 65 mmHg, which occurred in the only patient with fracture blisters. Peak pressures remained at 40 mmHg or less (range 16–40, mean 29) in all patients without fracture blisters. At the conclusion of data collection, all pressures were at 31 mmHg or less. No patient complained of median nerve dysfunction during the study period. Routine prophylactic carpal tunnel release is not recommended after volar plating of distal radius fractures based on these pressure recordings.
Knowledge as a strategic resource in supply chains
Authors: Hult G. Tomas M. , Ketchen David J. , Cavusgil S. Tamer , Calantone Roger J.
Published: December 2005

Despite the importance of supply chains to firms, we know little about the intangible aspects of why some supply chains excel while others struggle. Building on the resource‐based view, strategic choice theory, and configurational research, we suggest that the relative fit among strategy and eight knowledge elements is a key to achieving superior supply chain performance. Using data from 913 entities in supply chains, we conducted a profile deviation analysis by using ideal “knowledge profiles” for five strategy types as the benchmarks. Separate analyses were conducted based on the ideal profiles derived from qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical inputs. Overall, the results indicate that the strategy‐knowledge fit is associated with chain performance. Our findings lend support to the notion that capitalizing on knowledge can create superior performance in supply chains, but only if the relative emphasis on various knowledge elements matches strategy.
Many QTLs with minor additive effects are associated with a large difference in growth between two selection lines in chickens
Authors: JACOBSSON LINA , PARK HEE-BOK , WAHLBERG PER , FREDRIKSSON ROBERT , PEREZ-ENCISO MIGUEL , SIEGEL PAUL B. , ANDERSSON LEIF
Published: December 2005

Two growth-selected lines in chickens have been developed from a single founder population by divergent selection for body weight at 56 days of age. After more than 40 generations of selection they show a nine-fold difference in body weight at selection age and large differences in growth rate, appetite, fat deposition and metabolic characteristics. We have generated a large intercross between these lines comprising more than 800 F2 birds. QTL mapping revealed 13 loci affecting growth. The most striking observation was that the allele in the high weight line in all cases was associated with enhanced growth, but each locus explained only a small proportion of the phenotypic variance using a standard QTL model (1·3–3·1%). This result is in sharp contrast to our previous study where we reported that the two-fold difference in adult body size between the red junglefowl and White Leghorn domestic chickens is explained by a small number of QTLs with large additive effects. Furthermore, no QTLs for anorexia or antibody response were detected despite large differences for these traits between the founder lines. The result is an excellent example where a large phenotypic difference between populations occurs in the apparent absence of any single locus with large phenotypic effects. The study underscores the need for powerful experimental designs in genetic studies of multifactorial traits. No QTL at all would have reached genome-wide significance using a less powerful design (e.g. approx. 200 F2 individuals) regardless of the nine-fold phenotypic difference between the founder lines for the selected trait.
A Highly Accurate and Computationally Efficient Method for Predicting RAIM Holes
Authors: Feng Shaojun , Ochieng Washington Y. , Walsh David , Ioannides Rigas
Published: December 2005

Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) is a method implemented within the receiver to protect users against satellite navigation system failures. For a receiver to execute a RAIM calculation, two conditions must be met: a minimum number of satellites and adequate satellite geometry. The non-existence of the minimum number of satellites (five) is referred to as a RAIM hole. Current regional and global RAIM availability studies use spatial (grid-based) and temporal sampling intervals driven by a trade-off between accuracy and computation workload. The implication of minimising computational load is that accuracy is compromised and potential RAIM holes remain un-sampled, with potential risk to safety. This paper proposes a direct and computationally efficient method (as opposed to the grid-based search approach) to predict RAIM holes. The method is based on the precise computation of satellite coverage (footprint) boundaries, the intersection points and analysis of the topology of the regions of intersection. Test results show that the proposed method is highly accurate and requires minimal computational load compared to the current approach.
Lookout Versus Lights: Some Sidelights on the Dark History of Navigation Lights
Authors: Crosbie John Wilde
Published: December 2005

Before the middle of the 19th Century, sailing vessels under way at night did not set a light. This paper investigates the reasons for this practice and explains the development of navigation lights which culminated in the requirement for both steamships and sailing vessels to display lights at night.
Assessing Risk of Collision
Authors: McGeoch Ian
Published: December 2005

Edmund Hadnett writing in his article AIS at the Front Line in the May 2005 issue of the Journal, attributes to me the argument that ‘the automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) should remain the principal means of assessing a risk of collision’. ARPA has never been the principal means of assessing a risk of collision and I have never argued that it has been and should remain so. My argument concerns the merits respectively of ARPA and AIS as navaids or a fusion of data from both.
Disconnection and Reorganization: The Transformation of Civic Life in Late-Twentieth-Century America
Authors: Skocpol Theda , Cobb Rachael V. , Klofstad Casey Andrew
Published: December 2005

From the early 1800s through the middle of the twentieth century, U.S. democracy was energized by the remarkable propensity of Americans to organize and join voluntary associations. Observers of many persuasions agree on this point – and also concur that the final decades of the twentieth century brought fundamental shifts in civic organization and citizen involvements with voluntary groups in the United States. The nature, tempo, and causes of these changes remain a topic for scholarly discussion, however. Investigators highlight different aspects of recent civic transformations and explore these changes using contrasting theoretical perspectives and types of empirical data.
Locke, Alger, and Atomistic Individualism Fifty Years Later: Revisiting Louis Hartz's Liberal Tradition in America
Authors: Nackenoff Carol
Published: December 2005

Louis Hartz asked some very important questions in The Liberal Tradition in America. One that seems especially relevant in the aftermath of invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and to which I will point only briefly, concerns America's relationship with the rest of the world. Hartz wrote that America's “messianism is the polar counterpart of its isolationism,” and that it had “hampered insight abroad and heightened anxiety at home.” He contended that America had difficulty communicating with the rest of the world because the American liberal creed, even in its Alger form, “is obviously not a theory which other peoples can easily appropriate or understand,” and that absence of the experience of social revolution in America's history lies at the heart of our inability to understand how to lead others. Henry Kissinger contends that, in a post-cold war era, American exceptionalism with its rejection of history, extolling “the image of a universal man living by universal maxims, regardless of the past, of geography, or of other immutable circumstances,” is a kind of innocence ill-suited to successful diplomacy in the emerging world order. We talk a great deal about bringing freedom, democracy, and self-determination to the Middle East, but this hardly seems an apt description of what is happening on the ground. Do we have anything to teach? Hartz, who was quite skeptical about our ability to export the American liberal tradition, might still have something useful to say about our interactions abroad, even in a post-cold war world.
Storybook Truths about America
Authors: Morone James A.
Published: December 2005

Fifty years ago Louis Hartz set out to tell the “storybook truth” about America. Despite being almost risibly dense, The Liberal Tradition in America neatly captures the popular folklore – this is what you might hear at the Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, academics are often flatly contemptuous: Hartz mangled history, muffed quotations, and did not bother with rules of evidence. Even so, for better and for worse, his version of an all-American fable lives on as an enigmatic, controversial, and enduring political science classic.
Louis Hartz's Liberal Tradition in America as Method
Authors: Glenn Brian J.
Published: December 2005

On the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Louis Hartz's The Liberal Tradition in America, the book remains more controversial than ever. As Philip Abbott has recently catalogued, the book has been attacked from literally every direction possible. Sean Wilentz summarizes the feelings of many when he argues that Hartz should be forgotten, or at best considered “a figure of historical interest.” Hartz has been accused of being loose with the facts, inappropriate in comparing America to continental Europe, and blind to other perspectives such as race or morality. Even those who take him seriously argue his theory is anything but a complete explanation of American political development and thought, but rather one that at best represents a mere slice of America's “multiple traditions.” Finally, of course, there is a very large and influential school of American political development that argues ideas have very little role at all in explaining politics, and for adherents to this way of thinking, Hartz is simply irrelevant. For many members of the American political development scholarly community, there is simply no room left for taking Hartz's thesis seriously any more, if there ever was.
Elder abuse
Authors: O'Connor Kieran A , Rowe Jed
Published: December 2005

Elder neglect and abuse is a widespread, largely undiagnosed and often ignored problem in our society. However, recently elder abuse has gained increasing recognition as a significant problem, meriting the attention of both clinicians caring for older people and society at large. Its occurrence in differing forms throughout the world has been highlighted as part of a recent WHO report about violence and health. In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons Health Committee has inquired into elder abuse and published its report and recommendations in April 2004. Concurrently with this rising public interest, there is a slowly developing body of scientific work on the subject. Although, much of the research has been criticized for significant scientific flaws, recent work has been more rigorously designed, tending to use standard case-definitions and scientifically acceptable research methods.
RENAL INJURY AND RECOVERY IN PRE-ECLAMPSIA
Authors: HLADUNEWICH MICHELLE
Published: December 2005

Affecting 7–10% of pregnancies, pre-eclampsia is, in fact, the most common glomerular disease worldwide. It remains a leading cause of fetal growth restriction, premature birth, as well as infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological studies have identified numerous risk factors for the development of pre-eclampsia including a positive family history, race, nulliparity, advanced maternal age and the presence of pre-existing co morbidities such as kidney disease, hypertension or diabetes mellitus. The incidence of pre-eclampsia has increased by an alarming 40% over the past decade, likely due to the number of women delaying pregnancy and/or becoming pregnant despite the presence of other comorbid conditions.
Delineation of precipitation areas from MODIS visible and infrared imagery with articial neural networks
Authors: Capacci D. , Conway B. J.
Published: December 2005

An important phase in a nowcasting system is the diagnosis of the forecast variables. This work focuses on the diagnosis of precipitation. The Nimrod automatic nowcasting system at the Met Office (UK) has long used Meteosat visible and infrared data to supplement the data it receives from the UK weather radar network to produce rainfall analyses. With the advent of Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) attention has focused on how best to use the larger range of spectral information from MSG to improve the rainfall analyses. Earlier work at the Met Office had suggested artificial neural networks (ANNs) to be a useful tool for such applications. Pending the availability of data from MSG, ANNs were used to process data from appropriate visible and infrared channels on the MODIS instrument. Sixty daytime winter cases were collected, and Nimrod radar rainfall analyses provided ‘ground truth’ for both training and testing the ANNs. The optimal combination of MODIS channels was investigated and it was found that almost all the skill in rain/no rain discrimination was provided by the radiance values from six selected spectral channels. A notable result was that the 1.64 µm channel had no value as a discriminator when used alone, but produced a large increase in skill when used in conjunction with a visible channel. The ANN with MODIS data was found to outperform the corresponding Nimrod look‐up table technique applied to Meteosat data. Application of the technique to SEVIRI data is proposed, as is extension to other seasons. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
The use of numerical weather forecast model predictions as a source of data for irrigation modelling
Authors: Venäläinen A. , Salo T. , Fortelius C.
Published: December 2005

The use of numerical weather forecast model data as a source of data for soil moisture modelling was tested. Results show that the potential evaporation calculated using the Penman‐Monteith equation can be estimated accurately using data obtained from the output of a high resolution numerical atmospheric model (HIRLAM, High Resolution Limited Area Model). The mean bias error was 0.26 mm for a 36‐hour sum and the root mean square error was 2.14 mm. The evaporation obtained directly from HIRLAM was systematically smaller because this direct model output represents the real evaporation rather than the potential evaporation. The precipitation forecasts were less accurate. When the accuracy of parameters required for the calculation of potential evaporation were studied for one station, no serious bias was found. When two different irrigation models (AMBAV and SWAP) were run over one summer using either measured or HIRLAM data as the input, the results given by the models were quite similar regardless of input data source. The largest differences between the model outputs were caused by the formulation of crop and soil characteristics in the irrigation models. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
Using dew points to estimate savings during a planned cooling shutdown
Authors: Friedlein Matthew T. , Changnon David , Musselman Eric , Zielinski Jeff
Published: December 2005

In an effort to save money during the summer of 2003, Northern Illinois University (NIU) administrators instituted a four‐day working week and stopped air conditioning buildings for the three‐day weekends (Friday through Sunday). Shutting down the air conditioning systems caused a noticeable drop in electricity usage for that part of the campus that features in our study, with estimated total electricity savings of 1,268,492 kilowatt‐hours or 17% of the average usage during that eight‐week period. NIU's air conditioning systems, which relied on evaporative cooling to function, were sensitive to dew point levels. Greatest savings during the shutdown period occurred on days with higher dew points. An examination of the regional dew point climatology (1959–2003) indicated that the average summer daily dew point for 2003 was 14.9°C(58.8°F), which fell in the lowest 20% of the distribution. Based on the relationship between daily average dew points and electrical usage, a predictive model that could estimate electrical daily savings was created. This model suggests that electrical savings related to any future three‐day shutdowns over summer could be much greater in more humid summers. Studies like this demonstrate the potential value of applying climatological information and of integrating this information into practical decision‐making. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society
Evaluation intraindividueller Veränderung
Authors: Nachtigall Christof , Suhl Ute
Published: December 2005

Zusammenfassung. Zur Frage der Erfassung von intraindividuellen Therapieeffekten auf der Basis von Prä- und Post-Messungen liegt eine Reihe von Lösungsvorschlägen vor. Grawe und Braun (1994) schlugen als deskriptiven Kennwert die standardisierte Post-Prä-Differenz vor. Mit der Kritischen Differenz nach Lienert (1961) bzw. deren Umformulierung als Reliable Change Index ( Jacobson & Truax, 1991 ), existieren weit verbreitete inferenzielle Kennwerte. Diese etablierten Kennwerte werden von Steyer, Hannöver, Telser und Kriebel (1997) mit dem Argument kritisiert, dass die Unreliabilität der Messinstrumente sowie Regressionseffekte nicht adäquat berücksichtigt seien. Stattdessen werden dort alternative Kennwerte zur Erfassung intraindividueller Veränderung vorgeschlagen. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht diese Alternativen und vergleicht sie mit den etablierten Kennwerten. Es zeigt sich, dass die alternativen Kennwerte mit großen Problemen sowohl hinsichtlich der Einhaltung des α-Fehlers als auch bei der Berücksichtigung des Regressionseffektes behaftet sind, so dass von einer Verwendung abzuraten ist.
Effekte von eltern- und kindzentrierten Interventionen bei Hyperkinetischen Störungen
Authors: Lauth Gerhard W. , Kausch Thorsten W. E. , Schlottke Peter F.
Published: December 2005

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Kind- und elternzentrierte Behandlungsprogramme werden in der Therapie von Hyperkinetischen Störungen oft als unterschiedlich wirksam ausgewiesen. Allerdings fehlt es an systematischen Vergleichsuntersuchungen hierzu. Fragestellung: Die Wirksamkeit einer kind- und elternzentrierten Behandlung sowie deren Kombination werden miteinander verglichen. Methode: Insgesamt 60 Kinder (Altersbereich 7;3-12;2 Jahre) mit der Diagnose einer Hyperkinetischen Störung wurden aus einer größeren Grundgesamtheit ausgewählt. Jeweils 15 Kinder wurden einem kindzentrierten Training, einem Elterntraining, einer Kombinationsbehandlung (Kind- und Elterntraining) oder einer Wartekontrollgruppe ohne Behandlung zugewiesen. Die Effekte dieser Behandlungsmaßnahmen wurden jeweils aus der Perspektive der Eltern, der Lehrer und der Kinder in wiederholten Messungen überprüft (Symptomhäufigkeit, Symptomstärke). Ergebnisse: Im Urteil der Eltern und der Kinder führen alle drei Interventionsformen zu einer bedeutsamen und andauernden Reduktion der Hyperkinetischen Symptomatik. Nach Lehrerurteil ändert keine der Behandlungsbedingungen die Störungssymptomatik. Schlussfolgerung: Alle drei Behandlungsformen waren gleich wirkungsvoll.
Modeling nutrient (N, P, Si) budget in the Seine watershed: Application of the Riverstrahler model using data from local to global scale resolution
Authors: Sferratore Agata , Billen Gilles , Garnier Josette , Théry Sylvain
Published: December 2005

The deterministic Riverstrahler model that simulates nutrient transfer from land‐based sources to the sea through the drainage network has been successfully applied to a number of large watersheds ranging from 20,000 to 800,000 km2. In order to assess the feasibility of upscaling such a model in view of its worldwide application based on global databases of hydrology, climate, population, land use, and lithology, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out. The response of the model to differing scales of input data, both high‐resolution local data and low‐resolution global data, is examined, applying the model to the well‐documented Seine River basin. The results show that the evaluation of the overall annual fluxes of nutrients delivered at the outlet of a basin can be correctly predicted even from low resolution input data, provided that (1) the total discharge and seasonal hydrological regime are correctly simulated; (2) the drainage network description does not neglect tributaries that drain more than approximately 4000 km2 watershed area; and (3) the total point sources of nutrients as well as their distribution between the different stream orders are estimated (phosphorus being the most sensitive among the considered nutrients to point sources distribution). Diffuse sources of nutrients can be assessed from low‐resolution land use and lithological data. As a result of this study, the capacity of statistical/empirical formulas to assess annual fluxes of nutrient delivery appears comparable to that of deterministic drainage network models, but the latter are particularly suited to predict seasonal variations of riverine nutrient delivery and its elemental ratios.
The semidiurnal variation in GPS‐derived zenith neutral delay
Authors: Humphreys T. E. , Kelley M. C. , Huber N. , Kintner P. M.
Published: December 2005

Zenith neutral delay (ZND) estimates derived from ground‐based GPS receivers exhibit variations at harmonics of the solar day. The aim of this work is to characterize the semidiurnal (S2) variation and determine its probable origin. Data from 100 GPS sites are compared with surface pressure measurements to reveal close agreement between the estimated ZND S2 variation and the S2 surface pressure tide. Error analysis suggests that the S2 variation in ZND estimates is not due primarily to orbit, solid earth, or Earth orientation modeling errors. Atmospheric loading and mapping function errors are each expected to contribute less than 11% to the estimated ZND S2 amplitude. Local incongruities reflect the influence of water vapor or site‐dependent errors.
Polar UVI images to study steady magnetospheric convection events: Initial results
Authors: DeJong Anna D. , Clauer C. Robert
Published: December 2005

During periods of steady enhanced magnetospheric driving, it may be possible for the reconnection rate on the nightside to adjust to match the reconnection rate on the dayside. When this occurs, it is referred to as a steady magnetospheric convection event or SMC. This balance of reconnection rates is reflected by unchanging open flux in the lobes, which can be inferred using the open‐closed boundaries on auroral images. We use Polar UVI data to determine this boundary and calculate the area inside the polar cap. The temporal changes in this area are used to determine the degree of balance between the dayside and nightside reconnection rates. Thus far, we have identified 22 SMC events. We relate these events to past SMC studies. The preliminary results presented here support many past conclusions while also contradicting others.
The 2005 M7.2 MIYAGI‐OKI earthquake, NE Japan: Possible rerupturing of one of asperities that caused the previous M7.4 earthquake
Authors: Okada Tomomi , Yaginuma Tadashi , Umino Norihito , Kono Toshio , Matsuzawa Toru , Kita Saeko , Hasegawa Akira
Published: December 2005

A large (M7.2) interplate earthquake occurred on 16 August 2005 in the Miyagi‐Oki region, where large interplate earthquakes with magnitude of ∼7.5 have occurred repeatedly at a recurrence interval of ∼37 yrs, NE Japan. We compared aftershock distribution of the 2005 Miyagi‐Oki earthquake with that of the previous 1978 Miyagi‐Oki earthquake (M7.4) using double‐difference hypocenter locations. The aftershock area of the 2005 Miyagi‐Oki earthquake is partly overlapped with the southern/southeastern part of that of the 1978 event. Locations of aftershock clusters of the 2005 event correspond with those of the 1978 event and those of the background seismicity. Coseismic slip area of the 2005 event estimated by seismic waveform inversion is also partly overlapped with that of the 1978 event. These observations suggest that spatial seismicity pattern on the plate boundary in subduction zone persists and the 2005 event possibly ruptured a part of the source area of the 1978 event.
A projection of severe near‐surface permafrost degradation during the 21st century
Authors: Lawrence David M. , Slater Andrew G.
Published: December 2005

The current distribution and future projections of permafrost are examined in a fully coupled global climate model, the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) with explicit treatment of frozen soil processes. The spatial extent of simulated present‐day permafrost in CCSM3 agrees well with observational estimates – an area, excluding ice sheets, of 10.5 million km2. By 2100, as little as 1.0 million km2 of near‐surface permafrost remains. Freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean rises by 28% over the same period, largely due to increases in precipitation that outpace increases in evaporation, with about 15% of the rise directly attributable to melting ground ice. Such large changes in permafrost may provoke feedbacks such as activation of the soil carbon pool and a northward expansion of shrubs and forests.
Three‐dimensional global hybrid simulation of dayside dynamics associated with the quasi‐parallel bow shock
Authors: Lin Y. , Wang X. Y.
Published: December 2005

A three‐dimensional global‐scale hybrid simulation is carried out, for the first time, for dynamics of the dayside bow shock‐magnetosphere system associated with the quasi‐parallel bow shock. A case with IMF along the Sun‐Earth line is examined in detail. First, the foreshock waves and the associated shock reformation process are investigated. In particular, the generation and structure of diamagnetic cavities, with a decrease in the magnetic field and density, in the foreshock of the quasi‐parallel shock are discussed. Second, the interaction of the foreshock‐originated pressure pulses with the dayside magnetosphere is simulated. The diamagnetic cavities that are generated in the turbulent foreshock due to the ion beam plasma interaction are found to lead to strong surface perturbations at the magnetopause. Third, the coupling between the pressure pulses and the magnetosphere is studied. The compressional waves are found to mode convert to shear Alfvén waves and kinetic Alfvén waves through the Alfvén resonance process in nonuniform plasmas. The shear Alfvén waves lead to field line resonance, which corresponds to the fundamental odd resonance wave number, and produce field‐aligned currents in the dipole magnetospheric field.
Plasmoids observed in the near‐Earth magnetotail at X ∼ −7 RE
Authors: Miyashita Y. , Ieda A. , Kamide Y. , Machida S. , Mukai T. , Saito Y. , Liou K. , Meng C.‐I. , Parks G. K. , McEntire R. W. , Nishitani N. , Lester M. , Sofko G. J. , Villain J.‐P.
Published: December 2005

Recent studies have statistically shown that the magnetic reconnection site at substorm expansion onset is located in the magnetotail at X ∼ −20 RE on average. For a substorm event that occurred at ∼0153 UT on 2 July 1996, however, Geotail observed a series of tailward but slow flows with southward magnetic fields fairly close to the Earth at (X, Y) ∼ (−7, 9) RE. The flows had enhancements of the total pressure and the total magnetic field as well as bidirectional field‐aligned low‐energy electrons in their central part. We interpret these as signatures for tailward moving small plasmoids with scales of ∼0.5–3 RE. Considering that GOES‐8 observed a dipolarization at (X, Y) ∼ (−4, 5) RE after the expansion onset, we estimate that the magnetic reconnection occurred between the Geotail and GOES‐8 positions. UVI auroral images from Polar and ground magnetic field data show that this substorm, initiated at ∼20 hours MLT and ∼64° magnetic latitude, was not very intense, and the period examined was not during an intense storm. The southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was not very large, while the large duskward IMF persisted for more than 12 hours before the onset as well as the somewhat large solar wind dynamic pressure. It seems likely that the global ionospheric convection was not very strong. Locally enhanced convection and auroral oval expansion due to the large IMF By and the solar wind dynamic pressure might lead to the initiation of the magnetic reconnection much closer to the Earth than usual.
On the possibility of single‐domain/pseudo‐single‐domain magnetic particles existing in the lower crust of Mars: Source of the strong magnetic anomalies
Authors: Arkani‐Hamed Jafar
Published: December 2005

This paper shows that single‐domain or pseudo‐single‐domain (SD/PSD) magnetite grains can exist in the upper 30–45 km of the Martian crust. The upper ∼50 km of the Martian crust have likely formed by volcanic eruptions on a stagnant lithosphere. A given lava flow cools very rapidly at the surface but is then gradually heated up through burial heating as it is overlain by other successive flows. The thermal evolution models of a lava flow show that its temperature remains below the magnetic blocking temperatures of magnetite, 480–580°C, until it reaches ∼30–45 km depth. The highly magnetic SD/PSD magnetite grains can easily explain the strong magnetic anomalies of Mars; less than 1% by volume of magnetite particles is sufficient.
Meltwater production due to strain heating in Storglaciären, Sweden
Authors: Aschwanden Andy , Blatter Heinz
Published: December 2005

Storglaciären, northern Sweden, is temperate in most parts except for a cold surface layer in the ablation zone. One of four possible sources for liquid water in temperate ice is melting due to strain heating. Velocity fields are calculated with an ice flow model, so that calculated and observed surface velocities agree. Meltwater accumulation is computed by integrating strain heating along trajectories starting at the surface in the accumulation area and ending at the cold‐temperate transition surface in the ablation zone. The distribution of moisture content due to strain heating alone is mapped in a longitudinal section of Storglaciären. Values reach more than 10 g of water per kilogram ice‐water mixture in the lowest parts of the temperate domain. For this moisture content the rate factor is more than 3 times higher than for water‐free ice, and therefore water production by strain heating is important for the modeling of temperate and polythermal glaciers.
Enhanced terrestrial weathering/runoff and surface ocean carbonate production during the recovery stages of the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum
Authors: Kelly D. Clay , Zachos James C. , Bralower Timothy J. , Schellenberg Stephen A.
Published: December 2005

The carbonate saturation profile of the oceans shoaled markedly during a transient global warming event known as the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) (circa 55 Ma). The rapid release of large quantities of carbon into the ocean‐atmosphere system is believed to have triggered this intense episode of dissolution along with a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). The brevity (120–220 kyr) of the PETM reflects the rapid enhancement of negative feedback mechanisms within Earth's exogenic carbon cycle that served the dual function of buffering ocean pH and reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Detailed study of the PETM stratigraphy from Ocean Drilling Program Site 690 (Weddell Sea) reveals that the CIE recovery period, which postdates the CIE onset by ∼80 kyr, is represented by an expanded (∼2.5 m thick) interval containing a unique planktic foraminiferal assemblage strongly diluted by coccolithophore carbonate. Collectively, the micropaleontological and sedimentological changes preserved within the CIE recovery interval reflect a transient state when ocean‐atmosphere chemistry fostered prolific coccolithophore blooms that suppressed the local lysocline to relatively deeper depths. A prominent peak in the abundance of the clay mineral kaolinite is associated with the CIE recovery interval, indicating that continental weathering/runoff intensified at this time as well (Robert and Kennett, 1994). Such parallel stratigraphic changes are generally consonant with the hypothesis that enhanced continental weathering/runoff and carbonate precipitation helped sequester carbon during the PETM recovery period (e.g., Dickens et al., 1997; Zachos et al., 2005).
Analytical solution for two‐dimensional groundwater flow in presence of two isopotential lines
Authors: Holzbecher Ekkehard
Published: December 2005

The groundwater flow pattern is examined in an idealized situation, which is an approximation for situations as found at the confluence of rivers or where streams flow into or out of a lake or at peninsulas or bays. Two isopotential lines meet at an angle α; it is assumed that the aquifer is well connected to all surface water bodies. Moreover, groundwater flow is determined by a base flow component and recharge or pumping wells. The flow field is constructed using superposition of analytical solutions and conformal mapping. Classical results for α = π concerning the onset of bank filtration and the length of the infiltration zone are extended for the general case. Finally, an outlook is given on general problem setups, for which the proposed methodology can be applied too.
Polyclonal antibodies inhibit the glycation‐induced inactivation of bovine Cu,Zn‐superoxide dismutase
Authors: Jabeen Rukhsana , Saleemuddin M.
Published: December 2005

In vitroincubation of bovine Cu,Zn‐SOD (Cu,Zn‐superoxide dismutase) with glucose, ribose or fructose results in a remarkable inactivation of the enzyme. There was a progressive decrease in enzyme activity on incubation with glucose and, at the end of 7 days, only 26% of the initial activity remained. The inactivation was accompanied by a parallel decrease in the amount of protein detectable on gels after SDS/PAGE. Reaction of the sugars with SOD was ascertained using an immunoblot assay in which sugar‐incubated SOD was derivatized with 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydrazine and allowed to react with the dinitrophenol‐specific antibody. Affinity purified antibodies from the sera of rabbits immunized with bovine SOD were highly effective in restricting the inactivation of the enzyme induced by glucose, ribose or fructose.
Immobilization of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 on a nanofibrous chitosan membrane for enhanced guided bone regeneration
Authors: Park Yoon Jeong , Kim Kyung Hwa , Lee Jue Yeon , Ku Young , Lee Seung Jin , Min Byung Moo , Chung Chong Pyoung
Published: December 2005

BMP‐2 (bone morphogenetic protein‐2) has been used in promoting bone formation and, in combination with various delivery carriers, in bone regeneration or bone tissue‐engineering practice. In the present study, BMP‐2 was immobilized directly on a GBR (guided bone‐regenerative) membrane surface made of chitosan nanofibres, providing a bioactive surface that can enhance bone‐regeneration capacity. The BMP‐2‐conjugated membrane surface retained bioactivity for up to 4 weeks of incubation, as well as holding over 50% of the initial BMP‐2 attached. The BMP‐2‐conjugated surface increased osteoblastic cell attachment in accordance with the amount of BMP‐2 conjugated. In addition, the BMP‐2‐conjugated chitosan membrane significantly promoted cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, as well as calcium deposition when compared with BMP‐2‐adsorbed membrane, indicating a stable localization of BMP‐2 at the surface of the chitosan membrane. Taking these findings together, the conjugation of BMP‐2 on a chitosan nanofibrous membrane would seen to be applicable for inducing significant and localized bone formation in future GBR procedures.
Taxonomy of the New World species of Lotus (Leguminosae: Loteae)
Authors: Arambarri Ana M. , Stenglein Sebastián A. , Colares Marta N. , Novoa María C.
Published: December 2005

The aims of the present study were to elucidate the relationships of the New World Lotus species groups, subgenera Acmispon Raf. (sections Microlotus Benth. and Simpeteria Ottley), Hosackia Benth. and Syrmatium Vog., and to compare these results with previous classifications and recent morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses. A numerical taxonomic study using unweighted pair-group arithmetic average clustering was performed. The phenogram was generated from 34 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) × 41 characters (four vegetative characters and the basic chromosome numbers, 16 epidermal traits and 20 reproductive characters). The epidermal microcharacters (epidermal cells, stomata, stomatal index and trichomes) are described and summarised for 18 species of Hosackia and Syrmatium, and the remaining characters were derived from the literature. Phenetic results resolved four groups of species which coincide with the new genera Acmispon, Hosackia Douglas ex Benth., Ottleya D.D.Sokoloff and Syrmatium proposed, having taken into consideration the most recent morphological and phylogenetic hypotheses.
Distribution of understorey species in forest affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi in south-western Western Australia
Authors: McDougall K. L. , Hobbs R. J. , Hardy G. E. St J.
Published: December 2005

The introduced soil-borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands infects and kills a large number of species in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn. ex Smith) forest of Western Australia, causing great floristic and structural change. Many of the floristic changes can be explained simply by the known susceptibility of species to infection. Some common species, however, are rarely found at infested sites but are thought to be resistant to infection. It has been postulated that such species may be affected by the change in habitat caused by the death of trees, and not by P. cinnamomi directly. If this were the case, such species should cluster around surviving trees at infested sites. The occurrence of a susceptible species in the vicinity of trees surviving at infested sites has also been reported. To investigate the spatial relationship between trees and understorey species, the positions of trees and selected perennial understorey species were mapped at two sites in jarrah forest long-affected by P. cinnamomi. Random sets of plants and trees were generated and used in simulations to test whether understorey species grew closer to trees than expected. Many understorey species, both resistant and susceptible to infection by P. cinnamomi, were found to grow closer than expected to trees currently growing at the sites and closer to the trees that would have been present at the time of infestation. This suggests that not only do these trees enable some resistant species to persist at infested sites but that they also offer protection to some susceptible species against damage by P. cinnamomi. The proximity of many understorey species to trees that are likely to have appeared at the study sites since the first infestation indicates that the maintenance and enhancement of tree cover at infested sites in the jarrah forest may limit the damage caused by P. cinnamomi and assist in the protection of biodiversity.