bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of fracture inflow parameters with a borehole fluid conductivity logging method
Authors: Tsang Chin‐Fu , Hufschmied Peter , Hale Frank V.
Published: February 2008

There is much current interest in determining the flow characteristics of fractures intersecting a well bore in order to provide data for use in estimating the hydrologic behavior of fractured rocks. Inflow rates from these fractures into the well bore are usually very low. Moreover, in most cases only a few percent of the fractures identified by core inspection and geophysical logging actually conduct water, the rest being closed, clogged, or isolated from the water flow system. A new procedure is proposed and a corresponding method of analysis developed to locate water‐conducting fractures and obtain fracture inflow rates by means of a time sequence of electric conductivity logs of the borehole fluid. The physical basis of the analysis method is discussed, and the procedure is applied to an existing set of data, which shows initiation and growth of nine conductivity peaks in a 900‐m section of a 1690‐m borehole, corresponding to nine water‐conducting fractures intersecting the borehole. By applying our analysis to these nine peaks, the flow rates and the salinity of the water from these fractures are determined. These results are used with other information to obtain transmissivities of the nine fractures, which are validated against independent hydraulic measurements by packer tests. The salinities measured in fluids from the fractures are also validated against salinity values obtained by chemical sampling of fluids from different depths of the borehole. The applicability of this technique is discussed in the context of a borehole‐testing program.
Sediment transport in a small stream based on 137Cs inventories of the bed load fraction
Authors: Sobocinski Robert W. , Cerling Thure E. , Morrison Stan J. , Larsen Ingvar L.
Published: February 2008

We report on sediment transport in White Oak Creek, a small third‐order stream in eastern Tennessee, whose sediments have been contaminated by the irreversible adsorption of 137Cs. Sediment cores taken downstream from a point contamination source record the recent history of sedimentation and contamination in the creek. Sediment size distinguishes between different sedimentation events. The contamination profile developed since the last sedimentation event is used to estimate the time of the most recent sedimentation event which agrees with higher‐than‐normal periods of discharge measured by weirs on the creek. It is likely that at least seven major bed load transport events occurred during 1985 and 1986. Total inventories of 137Cs in the bed load fraction were measured for six different size fractions for cores taken downstream from the point contamination source. The 137Cs concentration at any point in the creek is due to contaminated sediment transported to that location and subsequent contamination by 137Cs adsorbed directly from stream‐water. The irreversible nature of 137Cs adsorption onto the sediments of White Oak Creek means that 137Cs can be used as a particle tracer in this system. Sediment transport in White Oak Creek was modeled by using a general transport model that has terms for dispersion, velocity, adsorption, and radioactive decay. For White Oak Creek, maximum velocities of 265, 215, 170, and 160 m y−1 are estimated for the 1–2, 2–4, 4–8, and 8–16 mm size fractions, respectively.
Solving groundwater flow problems by conjugate‐gradient methods and the strongly implicit procedure
Authors: Hill Mary C.
Published: February 2008

The performance of the preconditioned conjugate‐gradient method with three preconditioners is compared with the strongly implicit procedure (SIP) using a scalar computer. The preconditioners considered are the incomplete Cholesky (ICCG) and the modified incomplete Cholesky (MICCG), which require the same computer storage as SIP as programmed for a problem with a symmetric matrix, and a polynomial preconditioner (POLCG), which requires less computer storage than SIP. Although POLCG is usually used on vector computers, it is included here because of its small storage requirements. In this paper, published comparisons of the solvers are evaluated, all four solvers are compared for the first time, and new test cases are presented to provide a more complete basis by which the solvers can be judged for typical groundwater flow problems. Based on nine test cases, the following conclusions are reached: (1) SIP is actually as efficient as ICCG for some of the published, linear, two‐dimensional test cases that were reportedly solved much more efficiently by ICCG; (2) SIP is more efficient than other published comparisons would indicate when common convergence criteria are used; and (3) for problems that are three‐dimensional, nonlinear, or both, and for which common convergence criteria are used, SIP is often more efficient than ICCG, and is sometimes more efficient than MICCG.
Mass arrival of sorptive solute in heterogeneous porous media
Authors: Cvetkovic Vladimir D. , Shapiro Allen M.
Published: February 2008

The stochastic arrival time analysis of nonreactive solute movement in heterogeneous porous media is extended to consider solute that undergo sorption‐desorption governed by first‐order linear kinetics. For an instantaneous solute injection, a general expression for the expected mass flux at any distance from the injection point is derived in terms of the three‐dimensional velocity field and the forward‐ and reverse‐sorption rate coefficients. This general expression is reduced for three special cases: (1) equilibrium sorption‐desorption where the retardation coefficient is either correlated or uncorrelated with the hydraulic conductivity field, (2) solute degradation where the rate coefficient is uncorrelated with the hydraulic conductivity, and (3) nonequilibrium sorption‐desorption with constant sorption rate coefficients. These cases are analyzed for a lognormally distributed and statistically isotropic spatial correlation of the hydraulic conductivity; other assumptions of spatial correlation in the hydraulic conductivity can also be used. The influence of spatial variability in the sorption rate coefficients for nonequilibrium sorption‐desorption is investigated for the special case of a stratified porous medium. For equilibrium sorption‐desorption, the spatial variability in the retardation coefficient may notably delay the breakthrough of solute at a given location. The spatial variability in the degradation parameter does not influence solute breakthrough significantly for the considered range of parameters. For a stratified porous medium, spatial variability in the sorption rate coefficients has a significant effect on the cumulative mass arrival at a given location. Using the harmonic mean of the sorption rate coefficients most closely approximates the results generated using variable sorption‐rate coefficients for the stratified formation case.
Thermal and trophic stability of deeper Maine lakes in granite watersheds impacted by acid deposition
Authors: Stauffer Robert E. , Wittchen Bruce D.
Published: February 2008

Acid deposition can lead to lake and watershed acidification, increases in lake transparency, and reductions in thermal stability and hypolimnetic oxygen deficits. On the basis of lake surveys during August‐September 1985, we determined to what extent the deeper (maximum depth zm > 17 m) Maine lakes in acid‐sensitive granitic watersheds have registered changes in temperature and oxygen stratification, as compared to 1938–1942, when G. P. Cooper performed the earliest scientific surveys of the state's lakes. After correcting for small but geographically consistent interannual differences in summer hypolimnetic temperatures related to spring turnover, and weather‐dependent differences in mixed layer depth, there has been no significant change in thermal stratification in these Maine lakes over approximately 43 years. On the basis of specific historical contrasts in the late summer metalimnetic, hypolimnetic, and bathylimnetic oxygen concentrations there has been no significant change in lake trophic state or transparency.
Biofilm growth and the related changes in the physical properties of a porous medium: 1. Experimental investigation
Authors: Taylor Stewart W. , Jaffé Peter R.
Published: February 2008

An experimental investigation was conducted to quantify the permeability reduction caused by enhanced biological growth in a porous medium. Studies were conducted using sand‐packed column reactors for which variations in piezometric head, substrate concentration, and biomass measured as organic carbon were monitored in space and time. Methanol was used as a growth substrate. Permeability reductions by factors of order 10−3 were observed. The data show that a limit on permeability reduction exists, having a magnitude of 5 × 10−4 in the present study. The limit on permeability reduction and the existence of high densities of bacteria in substrate depleted zones are explained with an open pore model. Permeability reduction was observed to correlate well with biomass density for values less than about 0.4 mg/cm3, and exhibited independence at higher densities.
Apparent dispersion in transient groundwater flow
Authors: Goode Daniel J. , Konikow Leonard F.
Published: February 2008

This paper investigates the effects of large‐scale temporal velocity fluctuations, particularly changes in the direction of flow, on solute spreading in a two‐dimensional aquifer. Relations for apparent longitudinal and transverse dispersivity are developed through an analytical solution for dispersion in a fluctuating, quasi‐steady uniform flow field, in which storativity is zero. For transient flow, spatial moments are evaluated from numerical solutions. Ignored or unknown transients in the direction of flow primarily act to increase the apparent transverse dispersivity because the longitudinal dispersivity is acting in a direction that is not the assumed flow direction. This increase is a function of the angle between the transient flow vector and the assumed steady state flow direction and the ratio of transverse to longitudinal dispersivity. The maximum effect on transverse dispersivity occurs if storativity is assumed to be zero, such that the flow field responds instantly to boundary condition changes.
Development and Testing of Single‐Parameter Precipitation Distributions
Authors: Selker John S. , Haith Douglas A.
Published: February 2008

A general procedure was developed for calibrating multiparameter probability distributions of daily precipitation to single‐parameter distributions. The approach uses monthly precipitation summaries and data from U.S. Weather Bureau Technical Paper 57 (Miller and Frederick, 1966). The three‐parameter beta‐P model of daily precipitation amount was calibrated for 33 sites east of the Rocky Mountains. The resulting single‐parameter Weibull distribution and two other single‐parameter precipitation distributions were compared with respect to their fit to Paper 57 summaries and historical daily precipitation records. The Weibull model was shown to yield significant improvement over the other models in reproducing precipitation probability distributions.
Ablation of Avalanched and Undisturbed Snow, Himalaya Mountains, Pakistan
Authors: de Scally Fes A. , Gardner James S.
Published: February 2008

Avalanche deposits represent a significant storage of winter snow on the south slope of the Himalaya Mountains, Pakistan, complicating the annual snowmelt cycle because of the differences in ablation of avalanche‐transported snow and undisturbed snow. Measurements show very high rates of melting of both snow types, particularly of avalanche snow late in the melt season. The high rates are a function of the low latitude of the study area and the low elevation of the avalanche snow deposits, as well as heat release by condensation. Air temperature was closely Correlated with daily snowmelt and appears to hold promise as a predictor, however, data constraints prevent an energy balance analysis of this relationship. Gravimetric measurements show that condensation is important in the snow surface energy exchange and can represent a significant source of energy for snowmelt. Rainfall during warm conditions also makes a more significant contribution to snowmelt than shown in previous studies. The derived temperature‐based melt factors or coefficients compare well with published figures from other mountain areas, but their confidence limits are sufficiently wide to produce significant errors in the prediction of basin snowmelt runoff.
Catchment Hydrogeochemistry
Authors: Church M. Robbins , Hornberger George M. , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: February 2008

From September 18 to 21, 1989, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) sponsored a Chapman Conference on Hydrogeochemical Responses of Forested Catchments. Approximately 130 hydrologists, geochemists, soil scientists, ecologists, and other scientists involved in research on forested catchments presented results of their investigations and discussed the state of knowledge regarding hydrological and geochemical processes that control catchment response.

Within the field of catchment hydrogeochemistry, the focus of geochemists has been to attain an understanding of the basic processes which govern the interactions between water and rocks, whereas the focus of hydrologists has been to determine rates of flow along different flow paths through a catchment. Of course, geochemists are well aware that the explanation of temporal variation of the chemical composition of surface and ground waters requires knowledge of flow paths and residence times of water as well as of chemical processes per se, and hydrologists know that flow generation mechanisms can be identified most efficiently in the field by using information about the geochemical history of waters. Nevertheless, cross‐discipline communication has not been as pervasive as desirable for rapid advancement of the science. The Chapman Conference, organized by two of us (M. Robbins Church and George M. Hornberger), brought hydrologists and geochemists together to discuss recent significant contributions with the hope that progress in the future would be speeded up by the interdisciplinary information exchange.
Development of C60 plasma ion source for time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry applications
Authors: Ji Qing , Chen Ye , Ji Lili , Hahto Sami , Leung Ka-Ngo , Lee Tae Geol , Moon Dae Won
Published: February 2008

Initial data from a multicusp ion source developed for buckminsterfullerene (C60) cluster ion production are reported in this article. A C60+ beam current of 425nA and a C60− beam current of 200nA are obtainable in continuous mode. Compared to prior work using electron impact ionization, the multicusp ion source provides at least two orders of magnitude increase in the extractable C60+ beam current. Mass spectra for both positive and negative bismuth cluster ions generated by the multicusp ion source are also included.
Ion-driven deuterium retention in tungsten
Authors: Ogorodnikova O. V. , Roth J. , Mayer M.
Published: February 2008

The ion-driven retention of deuterium in polycrystalline tungsten (PCW) is studied experimentally and theoretically as a function of temperature, incident ion energy, and ion fluence. Deuterium retention was investigated by thermodesorption spectroscopy and ion beam analysis. The peculiarities of deuterium behavior in PCW such as (i) ion-induced defect formation at low-energy implantation and (ii) higher D retention of low-energy ions (60–200eV) compared to high-energy ions (3keV) at high fluences are considered. The effect of intrinsic defects (dislocations, vacancies, grain boundaries) and ion-induced defects (vacancies, dislocations, deuterium clusters) is discussed for polycrystalline tungsten.
Effects of random distribution of Mn,Fe in Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler compounds probed by Mn55 nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Wurmehl Sabine , Kohlhepp Jürgen T. , Swagten Henk J. M. , Koopmans Bert , Wójcik Marek , Balke Benjamin , Blum Christian G. F. , Ksenofontov Vadim , Fecher Gerhard H. , Felser Claudia
Published: February 2008

Recent spin echo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) revealed that the half-metallic Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler alloys exhibit the L21 structure with random distribution of Mn and Fe on the 4b Wyckoff position. This random distribution is most prominent in the third coordination shell of the Mn55 nuclei, as this shell is the first magnetically active shell, leading to a line splitting in the Mn55 NMR spectra. A comparison, as presented in this paper, of all Mn55 NMR satellite lines shows that the resonance frequencies corresponding to the same number of Fe atoms in the third shell of Mn55 shift to slightly different resonance frequencies with increasing overall Fe content x. This shift is related to the constructive contribution of higher shells to the hyperfine field. These higher shells affect also the satellite linewidth, leading to a parabolic behavior with increasing Fe concentration x. This parabolic behavior is modified by the frequency spacing related to the replacement of Mn by Fe.
Abnormal increase in ferromagnetic resonance amplitude just before the breakdown in tunnel magnetoresistive heads
Authors: Han G. C. , Tan E. L. , Zong B. Y. , Zheng Y. K. , Tan S. G. , Wang L.
Published: February 2008

The peak value (PSDp) from power spectral density (PSD) curves was obtained as a function of burning current before and after the breakdown in tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) heads. The obtained PSDp versus current curves can be classified into two categories. For one set of TMR heads, an abnormal peak was observed just before the breakdown of TMR heads. For another set of TMR heads, PSDp shows a nearly linear current dependence as expected from the mag-noise theory. After the pinhole growth, the abnormal PSDp peak disappears, implying that it is related to the pinhole-free barrier. Spin transfer effect was examined to understand the abnormal increases in PSDp by both reversing current direction and reducing measuring current. The result shows that the spin transfer effect is not important for the presence of the abnormal increase in PSDp. In spite of the lack of a full understanding, we will give discussions on possible mechanisms.
Intrinsic and extrinsic diffusion of phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony in germanium
Authors: Brotzmann Sergej , Bracht Hartmut
Published: February 2008

Diffusion experiments of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb) in high purity germanium (Ge) were performed at temperatures between 600 and 920 °C. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and spreading resistance profiling were applied to determine the concentration profiles of the chemically and electrically active dopants. Intrinsic and extrinsic doping conditions result in a complementary error function and box-shaped diffusion profiles, respectively. These profiles demonstrate enhanced dopant diffusion under extrinsic doping. Accurate modeling of dopant diffusion is achieved on the basis of the vacancy mechanism taking into account singly negatively charged dopant-vacancy pairs and doubly negatively charged vacancies. The activation enthalpy and pre-exponential factor for dopant diffusion under intrinsic condition were determined to 2.85 eV and 9.1 cm2 s−1 for P, 2.71 eV and 32 cm2 s−1 for As, and 2.55 eV and 16.7 cm2 s−1 for Sb. With increasing atomic size of the dopants the activation enthalpy decreases. This is attributed to differences in the binding energy of the dopant-vacancy pairs.
Structural and optical properties of epitaxial CaxBa1−xNb2O6 thin films grown on MgO by pulsed laser deposition
Authors: Ndione Paul F. , Gaidi Mounir , Durand Christophe , Chaker Mohamed , Morandotti Roberto , Rioux Grégory
Published: February 2008

In the present work, we investigate in detail the effect of both the deposition temperature and the cooling rate on the growth of calcium barium niobate (CBN) thin films on a magnesium oxide (MgO) single crystal substrate. As revealed by x-ray diffraction measurements, epitaxy occurs for films deposited at 800°C with a slow in situ cooling rate. We have also investigated the chemical composition of the films by way of a Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy technique and of an elastic recoil detection analysis, which reveal a good stoichiometry for our samples. In addition, optical analysis (UV-visible spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry) is performed on both polycrystalline and epitaxial films. A high transmittance (>85%) and a refractive index close to that observed for bulk crystal are obtained for epitaxial CBN films deposited at a low oxygen pressure. X-ray reflectivity measurements have enabled us to correlate the density of the films with their refractive indices.
Tunable negative permeability in an isotropic dielectric composite
Authors: Zhao Qian , Du Bo , Kang Lei , Zhao Hongjie , Xie Qin , Li Bo , Zhang Xing , Zhou Ji , Li Longtu , Meng Yonggang
Published: February 2008

A tunable isotropic negative effective permeability is experimentally demonstrated in a three-dimensional (3D) dielectric composite consisting of dielectric ceramic cube arrays by temperature changing. It shows that a strong subwavelength magnetic resonance can be excited in dielectric cubes corresponding to the first Mie resonance mode and can be continuously and reversibly adjusted from 13.65to19.28GHz with the temperature changing from −15to35°C. Accordingly, negative permeability can be performed in the frequency range of about 6GHz by adjusting the temperature. It provides a convenient route to design adaptive metamaterials and 3D invisible cloak.
Templated biomimetic multifunctional coatings
Authors: Sun Chih-Hung , Gonzalez Adriel , Linn Nicholas C. , Jiang Peng , Jiang Bin
Published: February 2008

We report a bioinspired templating technique for fabricating multifunctional optical coatings that mimic both unique functionalities of antireflective moth eyes and superhydrophobic cicada wings. Subwavelength-structured fluoropolymer nipple arrays are created by a soft-lithography-like process. The utilization of fluoropolymers simultaneously enhances the antireflective performance and the hydrophobicity of the replicated films. The specular reflectivity matches the optical simulation using a thin-film multilayer model. The dependence of the size and the crystalline ordering of the replicated nipples on the resulting antireflective properties have also been investigated by experiment and modeling. These biomimetic materials may find important technological application in self-cleaning antireflection coatings.
Spatial tuning of laser emission in a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal wedge cell
Authors: Jeong Mi-Yun , Choi Hyunhee , Wu J. W.
Published: February 2008

Spatial tuning of lasing wavelength in a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal wedge cell is demonstrated. The wedge cell possesses a series of dislocation lines along the wedge direction. In the lasing operation, we find that the lasing wavelength is continuously tuned in the region between two dislocation lines, while the lasing wavelength jumps when crossing the dislocation lines. The observed one-dimensional spatial continuous tuning is attributed to the presence of a gradient in the cholesteric helical pitch, while the laser wavelength jumping originates from the pitch jump owing to a change in the number of half-turns of the cholesteric helix.
17000 Years of Depicting the Junction of Two Smooth Shapes
Authors: Biederman Irving , Kim Jiye G
Published: February 2008

Competent realistic drawings preserve viewpoint-invariant shape characteristics of simple parts, such that a contour in the object that is straight or curved, for example, is depicted that way in the drawing. A more subtle invariant—a V-shaped singularity of the occluding boundary, containing a T-junction and a contour termination—is produced at the junction between articulated smooth surfaces, as with the leg joining the body of a horse. 45% of the drawings made in 2007 by individuals with only minimal art education correctly depicted such junctions, a proportion that is not reliably different from the incidence (42%) of correct depictions in a large sample of cave art made 17 000 years ago. Whether a person did or did not include the invariant in their drawing, all agreed that it made for a better depiction.
Assessing the potential of mutational strategies to elicit new phenotypes in industrial strains
Authors: Klein-Marcuschamer Daniel , Stephanopoulos Gregory
Published: February 2008

Industrial strains have been traditionally improved by rational approaches and combinatorial methods involving mutagenesis and selection. Recently, other methods have emerged, such as the use of artificial transcription factors and engineering of the native ones. As methods for generating genetic diversity continue to proliferate, the need for quantifying phenotypic diversity and, hence, assessing the potential of various genetic libraries for strain improvement becomes more pronounced. Here, we present a metric based on the quantification of phenotypic diversity, using
Lactobacillus plantarum
as a model organism. We found that phenotypic diversity can be introduced by mutagenesis of the principal σ factor, that this diversity can be modulated by tuning the sequence diversity, and that this method compares favorably with commonly used protocols for chemical mutagenesis. The results of the diversity metric here developed also correlated well with the probability of finding improved mutants in the different libraries, as determined by recursive screening under stress. In addition, we subjected our libraries to lactic and inorganic acids and found strains with improved growth in both conditions, with a concomitant increase in lactate productivity.
Anticipated Group versus Individual Examinations: A Classroom Comparison
Authors: Woody William Douglas , Woody Lisa K. , Bromley Susan
Published: February 2008

Instructors across disciplines continue to seek methods to improve students' retention of class material. One potential method for increasing retention is the use of collaborative, or group, testing. We tested the hypothesis that group testing would lead to greater retention than individual testing. Two instructors, teaching 2 sections of their respective courses, alternated testing formats across the 2 courses. Participants were 147 students from 4 separate undergraduate psychology courses (2 per instructor). Participants taking the group test initially scored higher than those taking the individual test. However, after 3 weeks, with retesting on a subset of questions, there was no significant difference in retention between group versus individual test takers. These findings call into question the value of collaborative testing.
The SNARC Effect in the Processing of Second-Language Number Words: Further Evidence for Strong Lexico-Semantic Connections
Authors: De Brauwer Jolien , Duyck Wouter , Brysbaert Marc
Published: February 2008

We present new evidence that word translation involves semantic mediation. It has been shown that participants react faster to small numbers with their left hand and to large numbers with their right hand. This SNARC (spatial-numerical association of response codes) effect is due to the fact that in Western cultures the semantic number line is oriented from left (small) to right (large). We obtained a SNARC effect when participants had to indicate the parity of second-language (L2) number words, but not when they had to indicate whether L2 number words contained a particular sound. Crucially, the SNARC effect was also obtained in a translation verification task, indicating that this task involved the activation of number magnitude.
Effects of Head Orientation on Gaze Perception: How Positive Congruency Effects Can be Reversed
Authors: Ricciardelli Paola , Driver Jon
Published: February 2008

Several past studies have considered how perceived head orientation may be combined with perceived gaze direction in judging where someone else is attending. In three experiments we tested the impact of different sources of information by examining the role of head orientation in gaze-direction judgements when presenting: (a) the whole face; (b) the face with the nose masked; (c) just the eye region, removing all other head-orientation cues apart from some visible part of the nose; or (d) just the eyes, with all parts of the nose masked and no head orientation cues present other than those within the eyes themselves. We also varied time pressure on gaze direction judgements. The results showed that gaze judgements were not solely driven by the eye region. Gaze perception can also be affected by parts of the head and face, but in a manner that depends on the time constraints for gaze direction judgements. While “positive” congruency effects were found with time pressure (i.e., faster left/right judgements of seen gaze when the seen head deviated towards the same side as that gaze), the opposite applied without time pressure.
Short Article: Age-Related Differences in the Von Restorff Isolation Effect
Authors: Bireta Tamra J. , Surprenant Aimée M. , Neath Ian
Published: February 2008

When one item is made distinct from the other items in a list, memory for the distinctive item is improved, a finding known as the isolation or von Restorff effect (after von Restorff, 1933). Although demonstrated numerous times with younger adults and children, this effect has not been found with older adults (Cimbalo & Brink, 1982). In contrast to the earlier study, we obtained a significant von Restorff effect for both younger and older adults using a physical manipulation of font colour. The effect size for older adults was smaller than that obtained for younger adults, confirming a prediction of Naveh-Benjamin's (2000) associative deficit hypothesis, which attributes age-related differences in memory performance to older adults’ reduced ability to form associations. The findings are consistent with related research in which older adults demonstrate similar—but smaller—benefits for distinctive information to those for younger adults.
Short Article: Visual Similarity in Short-Term Recall for Where and When
Authors: Jalbert Annie , Saint-Aubin Jean , Tremblay Sébastien
Published: February 2008

Two experiments examined the effects of visual similarity on short-term recall for where and when in the visual spatial domain. A series of squares of similar or dissimilar colours were serially presented at various locations on the screen. At recall, all coloured squares were simultaneously presented in a random order at the bottom of the screen, and the locations used for presentation were indicated by white squares. Participants were asked to place the colours at their appropriate location in their presentation order. Performance for location (where) and order (when) was assessed separately. Results revealed that similarity severely hinders both memory for what was where and memory for what was when, under quiet and articulatory suppression conditions. These results provide further evidence that similarity has a major impact on processing relational information in memory.
Short Article: They're Digging up the Road Again: The Processing Cost of Institutional They
Authors: Sanford Anthony J. , Filik Ruth , Emmott Catherine , Morrow Lorna
Published: February 2008

It is commonplace to use the pronoun they to refer to agents in certain situations without ever providing a referent, as in On the train, they served really bad coffee. Such an example we call “Institutional They”, because such defaults typically represent the actions of some agent tied stereotypically to a situation. These cases represent an important subset of unheralded pronouns (Gerrig, 1986), pronouns without any explicit antecedent. While in many situations, the occurrence of referential pronouns without explicit antecedents entails a processing cost, an eye-tracking experiment revealed no reliable detectable costs associated with Institutional They. However, there were for singular pronouns without antecedents in the same situations. We argue that Institutional They cases result from properties of plural pronouns ( they and them). These will accept underspecified type-referents, while singular pronouns require specified token-referents. Failure to identify token-referents results in disruption of processing in the case of singulars, but not in the case of the plurals.
Short Article: Do Updating Tasks Involve Updating? Evidence from Comparisons with Immediate Serial Recall
Authors: Palladino Paola , Jarrold Christopher
Published: February 2008

Updating tasks require participants to process a sequence of items, varying in length, and afterwards to remember only a fixed number of the elements of the sequence; the assumption being that participants actively update the to-be-recalled list as presentation progresses. However recent evidence has cast doubt on this assumption, and the present study examined the strategies that participants employ in such tasks by comparing the serial position curves found in verbal and visuo-spatial updating tasks with those seen in standard serial recall tasks. These comparisons showed that even when the same number of items are presented or recalled, participants perform less well in an updating than a serial recall context. In addition, while standard serial position effects were observed for serial recall, marked recency and reduced or absent primacy effects were seen in updating conditions. These findings suggest that participants do not typically adopt a strategy of actively updating the memory list in updating tasks, but instead tend to wait passively until the list ends before trying to recall the most recently presented items.
Trophic polymorphism in brook charr revealed by diet, parasites and morphometrics
Authors: Bertrand M. , Marcogliese D. J. , Magnan P.
Published: February 2008

Stomach contents, parasite assemblages and morphometrics were compared in brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis from the littoral and pelagic zone of two adjacent lakes on the Canadian Shield. In lac Baie des Onze Îles, fish from the littoral zone had greater abundance of benthic prey in their stomach and were more heavily infected by parasites that use intermediate hosts associated with the littoral zone than fish captured in the pelagic zone. Littoral and pelagic brook charr from this lake also differed in regard to body shape and fin length, with each group being anatomically adapted to exploit their respective habitats. The highly significant correlation between morphometric and parasite canonical scores supports the hypothesis of functional diversification of individuals within lac Baie des Onze Îles. While fish from littoral and pelagic zones of lac Caribou did not differ in terms of diet, parasite assemblages or morphometrics, they were different to fish from lac Baie des Onze Îles in that they were less frequently infected with parasites that use gastropods as intermediate hosts, and had shorter pectoral fins. The inter‐lake comparisons suggested that parasite assemblages and morphometrics of brook charr reflected the dominance of the limnetic and littoral habitats in lacs Caribou and lac Baie des Onze Îles, respectively.
Establishment of biological and pharmacokinetic assays of telomerase‐specific replication‐selective adenovirus
Authors: Hashimoto Yuuri , Watanabe Yuichi , Shirakiya Yoshiko , Uno Futoshi , Kagawa Shunsuke , Kawamura Hitoshi , Nagai Katsuyuki , Tanaka Noriaki , Kumon Horomi , Urata Yasuo , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: February 2008

The use of replication‐selective tumor‐specific viruses represents a novel approach for the treatment of neoplastic disease. We constructed an attenuated adenovirus, telomerase‐specific replication‐selective adenovirus (TRAD), in which the human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter element drives the expression of the E1A and E1B genes linked with an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Forty‐eight hours after TRAD infection at a multiplicity of infection of 1.0, the cell viability of H1299 human lung cancer cells was consistently less than 50% and therefore this procedure could be used as a potency assay to assess the biological activity of TRAD. We also established a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with consensus primers for either the adenovirus E1A or IRES sequence. The linear ranges of quantitation with E1A and IRES primers were 103–108 and 102–108 plaque‐forming units/mL in the plasma, respectively. The PCR analysis demonstrated that the levels of E1A in normal tissues were more than 103 lower than in the tumors of A549 human lung tumor xenografts in nu/nµ mice at 28 days after intratumoral injection. Our results suggest that the cell‐killing assay against H1299 cells and real‐time PCR can be used to assess the biological activity and biodistribution of TRAD in clinical trials. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 385–390)
Loss of nephronectin promotes tumor progression in malignant melanoma
Authors: Kuphal Silke , Wallner Susanne , Bosserhoff Anja K.
Published: February 2008

Nephronectin (POEM) was originally identified as a factor involved in tissue morphogenesis. POEM has several characteristics of a matrix protein including an arg‐gly‐asp binding domain site that is recognized by integrins. Recently, deregulation of POEM was found in breast cancer. We therefore speculate that deregulation of POEM expression plays a role in the development or progression of malignant melanoma. Thus, we evaluated melanoma cell lines and tissue samples of malignant melanoma for POEM transcription. We found that POEM expression was reduced or lost in most cell lines and in all tumor samples analyzed. Reduced POEM expression occurred as early as in primary tumors detected by both immunohistochemical and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analyses. Functional assays with stable POEM transfected cell lines revealed that POEM expression increased cell adhesion and decreased cell migration and invasion supporting a role of POEM in tumor progression. Interestingly, integrin α‐8 expression, which was described as a receptor for POEM, is enhanced in malignant melanoma. Our studies thus indicate that loss of POEM expression may contribute to melanoma progression. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 229–233)
Association of a missense single nucleotide polymorphism, Cys1367Arg of the WRN gene, with the risk of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in Japan
Authors: Nakayama Robert , Sato Yasunori , Masutani Mitsuko , Ogino Hideki , Nakatani Fumihiko , Chuman Hirokazu , Beppu Yasuo , Morioka Hideo , Yabe Hiroo , Hirose Hiroshi , Sugimura Haruhiko , Sakamoto Hiromi , Ohta Tsutomu , Toyama Yoshiaki , Yoshida Teruhiko , Kawai Akira
Published: February 2008

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas (BSTSs) are rare malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin. Although BSTSs frequently occur in some hereditary cancer syndromes with germline mutations of DNA repair genes, genetic factors responsible for sporadic cases have not been determined. In the present study we undertook a case‐control study and analyzed possible associations between the susceptibility to BSTS and the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair genes. Genomic DNAs extracted from case and control peripheral blood leukocytes were genotyped by pyrosequencing. For candidate polymorphisms, we chose 50 non‐synonymous missense SNPs, which we have previously been identified by resequencing 36 DNA repair genes among the Japanese population. In the first screening, we analyzed 240 cases and 685 controls and selected six SNPs at the significance level of P < 0.1 (Fisher's exact test). The six SNPs were further analyzed in the second genotyping on an additional set of 304 cases and 834 controls. In the joint analysis (the first and second genotyping combined) of 544 cases and 1378 controls, Cys1367Arg of the WRN gene was found to be a protective factor of BSTS (odds ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.49–0.88, P = 0.005). An exploratory subgroup analysis without multiple comparison adjustment suggested that the WRN‐Cys1367Arg SNP is associated with soft tissue sarcomas, sarcomas with reciprocal chromosomal translocations and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 333–339)
Motif‐programmed artificial protein induces apoptosis in several cancer cells by disrupting mitochondria
Authors: Saito Hirohide , Minamisawa Tamiko , Yamori Takao , Shiba Kiyotaka
Published: February 2008

By combinatorially assembling two natural motifs, respectively, associated with protein transduction (PTD) and induction of apoptosis (BH3), we previously synthesized an artificial protein (#284) that is taken up into cells, where it induces apoptosis. Here we used cluster analysis of GI50 (average concentration required for 50% growth inhibition), as well as immunohistochemical and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling analyses to further characterize the capacity of #284 to induce apoptosis in a panel of 39 cancer cell lines. Our results showed that #284 preferentially inhibited the growth of several cancer cells with a GI50 of approximately 5 µM, which is in the range of conventional anticancer drugs such as cisplatin and etoposide. In breast cancer HBC‐4 cells, #284 caused mitochondrial aggregation and induced apoptosis in a BH3 motif‐dependent manner. Moreover, transfection of the artificial gene that encodes #284 led to effective expression of the artificial protein within cells, which in turn caused apoptosis at a level similar to that seen in naturally occurring apoptosis inducers, Noxa/Bax transfectants. These findings suggest that synthetic proteins created by reprogramming peptide motifs have the potential to serve as novel agents useful in the treatment of cancer. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 398–406)
Socio‐economic variations in tobacco consumption, intention to quit and self‐efficacy to quit among male smokers in Thailand and Malaysia: results from the International Tobacco Control–South‐East Asia (ITC–SEA) survey
Authors: Siahpush Mohammad , Borland Ron , Yong Hua‐Hie , Kin Foong , Sirirassamee Buppha
Published: February 2008

Aim  To examine the association of socio‐economic position (education, income and employment status) with cigarette consumption, intention to quit and self‐efficacy to quit among male smokers in Thailand and Malaysia.

Design and setting  The data were based on a survey of adult smokers conducted in early 2005 in Thailand and Malaysia as part of the International Tobacco Control–South‐East Asia (ITC–SEA) project.

Participants  A total of 1846 men in Thailand and 1906 men in Malaysia.

Measurement  Participants were asked questions on daily cigarette consumption, intention to quit and self‐efficacy to quit in face‐to‐face interviews.

Findings  Analyses were based on multivariate regression models that adjusted for all three socio‐economic indicators. In Thailand, higher level of education was associated strongly with not having self‐efficacy, associated weakly with having an intention to quit and was not associated with cigarette consumption. Higher income was associated strongly with having self‐efficacy, associated weakly with high cigarette consumption and was not associated with having an intention to quit. Being employed was associated strongly with having an intention to quit and was not associated with cigarette consumption or self‐efficacy. In Malaysia, higher level of education was not associated with any of the outcomes. Higher income was associated strongly with having self‐efficacy, and was not associated with the other outcomes. Being employed was associated moderately with higher cigarette consumption and was not associated with the other outcomes.

Conclusion  Socio‐economic and cultural conditions, as well as tobacco control policies and tobacco industry activities, shape the determinants of smoking behaviour and beliefs. Existing knowledge from high‐income countries about disparities in smoking should not be generalized readily to other countries.
Determination of how many immunoglobulin variable region heavy chain mutations are allowable in unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia – long‐term follow up of patients with different percentages of mutations
Authors: Hamblin Terry J. , Davis Zadie A. , Oscier David G.
Published: February 2008

The choice of 98% sequence homology for immunoglobulin heavy chains to distinguish between mutated and unmutated versions of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was arbitrary and was chosen to account for supposed polymorphisms. Some authors chose 97% or even 95%. This study examined survival curves for cohorts of patients with varying degrees of sequence homology. All patients with <97% homology behaved as if mutated. Those with 97–98% homology were more aggressive than the mutated cases, but less aggressive than those with >98% homology.
Should prophylactic granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor be used in multiple myeloma patients developing neutropenia under lenalidomide‐based therapy?
Authors: Mateos María‐Victoria , García‐Sanz Ramón , Colado Enrique , Olazábal Juan , San‐Miguel Jesús
Published: February 2008

Lenalidomide combined with dexamethasone has significant clinical activity in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). In previous clinical trials lenalidomide‐induced neutropenia was a frequent side‐effect, often leading to treatment delays and dose reductions. We describe three MM patients treated with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone, which developed grade 3/4 neutropenia during the initial cycles, but without serious infection. Administration of granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) for 3 d prevented further neutropenia, treatment delays, dose reductions, or infectious complications during the following cycles. Consequently, G‐CSF could be effective in preventing further neutropenia‐related complications without compromising treatment efficacy in MM patients with lenalidomide‐induced neutropenia.
Mechanisms and mediators of nasal symptoms in non‐allergic rhinitis
Authors: Salib R. J. , Harries P. G. , Nair S. B. , Howarth P. H.
Published: February 2008

Non‐allergic rhinitis may be a contributing factor in up to 60% of rhinitis patients and a sole contributor in a quarter. It is a highly heterogeneous condition with poorly understood pathophysiological mechanisms. Compelling evidence is emerging of a localized nasal mucosal allergic response in some non‐allergic rhinitic subjects in the absence of systemic atopy. While the inflammatory disease pathway in non‐allergic rhinitis may share some of the features of its allergic counterpart, overall the mechanisms remain unclear, and there are likely to be differences. In particular, symptoms of nasal congestion and rhinorrhoea tend to be more prominent and persistent in non‐allergic rhinitic patients compared with allergic rhinitis. Our aim is to review the literature relating to mechanisms and mediators of nasal symptoms in non‐allergic rhinitis. Better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological basis should enable the development of more accurate testing, and better targeted therapeutic options in the future.