bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial and temporal pattern of introduced Bombus terrestris abundance in Hokkaido, Japan, and its potential impact on native bumblebees
Authors: Inari Naoki , Nagamitsu Teruyoshi , Kenta Tanaka , Goka Koichi , Hiura Tsutom
Published: February 2005

A commercial colony of Bombus terrestris (L.) was introduced to Japan in 1992 for crop pollination in greenhouses. Since then wild colonies have developed and spread in some regions. In the present study, we measured the spatial distribution and temporal change in abundance of B. terrestris in the Chitose River Basin, Hokkaido, Japan to elucidate the relation of greenhouses to the bee's distribution and to evaluate its potential effects on native bumblebees. Bumblebees were collected with window traps in windbreak forests roughly 1, 2, 4, and 6 km NNW and SSE of a large greenhouse. The peak catch of B. terrestris queens occurred in early June, suggesting that they had successfully hibernated in the field. The distributions of B. terrestris and the native B. ardens were mutually exclusive, while the native B. hypocrita appeared at all sites. Catches of B. terrestris were restricted to within 4 km of the nearest greenhouse, suggesting that the invasion was still in the initial phase in this area. The reduction in abundance of the native bumblebees in the sites of high B. terrestris abundance suggests the presence of interspecies competition between B. terrestris and the native bumblebees during the early part of the colony activity, although such reduction in B. ardens can be explained by habitat suitability.
Stopped‐flow spectrophotometric and resonance Raman analyses of aldoxime dehydratase involved in carbon–nitrogen triple bond synthesis
Authors: Oinuma Ken-Ichi , Kumita Hideyuki , Ohta Takehiro , Konishi Kazunobu , Hashimoto Yoshiteru , Higashibata Hiroki , Kitagawa Teizo , Shiro Yoshitsugu , Kobayashi Michihiko
Published: February 2005

On stopped‐flow analysis of aliphatic aldoxime dehydratase (OxdA), a novel hemoprotein, a spectrum derived from a reaction intermediate was detected on mixing ferrous OxdA with butyraldoxime; it gradually changed into that of ferrous OxdA with an isosbestic point at 421 nm. The spectral change on the addition of butyraldoxime to the ferrous H320A mutant showed the formation of a substrate‐coordinated mutant, the absorption spectrum of which closely resembled that of the above intermediate. These observations and the resonance Raman investigation revealed that the substrate actually binds to the heme in OxdA, forming a hexa‐coordinate low‐spin heme.
Prenatal auditory enrichment with species‐specific calls and sitar music modulates expression of Bcl‐2 and Bax to alter programmed cell death in developing chick auditory nuclei
Authors: Alladi Phalguni Anand , Roy Tarashankar , Singh Neeta , Wadhwa Shashi
Published: February 2005

Postnatal auditory stimulation influences early perceptual learning. Previously we reported morphological effects of prenatal auditory stimulation by species‐specific and sitar musical sounds on the chick brainstem auditory nuclei—nucleus magnocellularis and nucleus laminaris. At hatching, these two nuclei of auditory enriched embryos showed higher neuronal numbers, amongst other morphological changes. There were also increases in synaptophysin and syntaxin1 expressions in the sound enriched groups and modulation of the developmental expression of transcription factors c‐Fos and c‐Jun. We hypothesized that prenatal auditory enrichment may have reduced embryonic apoptosis in these nuclei with possible alteration of molecular mechanisms enhancing the postsynaptic neuron's ability to survive. In the present study, therefore, we examined apoptotic cell death by TUNEL technique and Bcl‐2 expression using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. In the controls, a peak percentage in the TUNEL‐positive cells was noted in the auditory nuclei at embryonic day 12, which was reduced at embryonic day 16. Bcl‐2 immunoreactivity decreased from embryonic day 8 to embryonic day 12 overlapping the period of embryonic cell death in these nuclei. The stimulated groups, however, showed fewer apoptotic neurons and higher Bcl‐2 level than that in the controls. On the other hand, Bax immunohistochemistry showed correlated reverse changes compared to Bcl‐2 expression. Thus prenatal extra‐acoustic stimulation appears to alter Bcl‐2 and Bax expression to support cell survival and differentiation, thereby augmenting the development of auditory nuclei.
Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha receptors p55/p75 ratio and ovarian cancer detection
Authors: Rzymski P. , Opala T. , Wilczak M. , Woźniak J. , Sajdak S.
Published: February 2005

Objective

Early ovarian cancer detection is still very difficult and patients are mostly in advanced stages, with obvious influence on poor prognosis.

Method

Fifty‐one ovarian cancer patients and 16 healthy controls had the serum concentrations of TNFα receptor p55, p75 and CA‐125 measured prospectively and preoperatively.

Result

Mean concentrations of TNFα receptor p55, p75 and CA‐125 in patients with ovarian cancer were higher than in controls. The ratios of p55 and p75 receptor in ovarian cancer and controls were 0.73±0.38 and 0.55±0.06 respectively. The areas under ROC curve in detecting malignancy (all FIGO stages) were 0.73, 0.65, 0.88 and 0.85 for p55, p75, p55/p75 ratio and CA‐125 respectively. The areas under ROC curve in detecting stage I of ovarian cancer were 0.52, 0.60, 0.84 and 0.66 for p55, p75, p55/p75 ratio and CA‐125 respectively.

Conclusion

Serum TNFα p55/p75 ratio showed promising value in ovarian cancer detection.
Has survival improved for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States?
Authors: Lee Jivianne T. , Ko Clifford Y.
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiologic patterns and survival rates for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma over the last three decades.

METHODS

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program tumor registries were used to identify patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States from 1973 to 1999. Incidence and survival rates for each decade were then determined according to age, gender, race, histological type, and stage using the SEER statistical program.

RESULTS

From 1973 to 1999, 4680 cases of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the United States were sampled by the NCI/SEER database. Overall incidence rates for each decade essentially remained unchanged over time (0.7/100,000). Asians exhibited the highest incidence rates (3.0–4.2), followed by blacks (0.7–1.1) and then whites (0.4–0.7). In contrast, survival rates have gradually improved over time for all stages and histological types (35.7% 5‐year survival in the 1970s vs. 44.1% in the 1980, and 51% in the 1990s). With respect to race, Asians demonstrated the best 5‐year survival rate (62.9%) followed by whites (42.6%) and then blacks (36.2%). However, this may be due to histology, because Asians were also found to have a greater proportion of World Health Organization (WHO) type III cases (27.6%) in comparison to the other 2 groups (22.4% for blacks and 15% for whites).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma have remained essentially unchanged in the United States in the last 3 decades, survival rates for each stage and histological subtype have exhibited considerable improvement over time. The higher survival rates in Asians may be partially attributed to the more favorable histology (type III) often seen in this group. EBM rating: B‐3.
Laryngotracheal reconstruction in congenital laryngeal webs and atresias
Authors: Wyatt Michelle Elizabeth , John Hartley Benjamin Ernest
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVE

To review the role of open laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) in congenital laryngeal webs and atresias.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

A retrospective chart review was undertaken in a specialist otorhinolaryngology unit in an academic tertiary referral paediatric hospital. Twenty‐one patients with congenital laryngeal subglottic stenosis (SGS) underwent LTR between 1993 and 2003. Two groups were identified; one group had SGS alone (n = 6) and the other group had SGS associated with a laryngeal web (n = 15). Information recorded included presenting features, classification of lesion, surgery performed, and whether decannulation was achieved.

RESULTS

All grades of stenosis (Myer‐Cotton classification) and webs of type 2, 3, and 4 (Cohen's classification) were recorded. Fifteen patients had a staged reconstruction and 6 patients had a single‐stage LTR. Complications included 2 revision procedures, 3 tracheocutaneous fistulas, and 1 death (cause unrelated). All appropriate patients were successfully decannulated at between 3 and 18 months post‐LTR (median, 5 months).

CONCLUSION

This series illustrates the effective role of open LTR in both congenital SGS alone and that in association with glottic webbing.
OSAS in children: Correlation between endoscopic and polysomnographic findings
Authors: Valera Fabiana C. P. , Avelino Melissa A. G. , Pettermann Márcia B. , Fujita Reginaldo , Pignatari Shirley S. N. , Moreira Gustavo A. , Pradella‐Hallinan Márcia L. , Tufik Sérgio , Weckx Luc L. M.
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVES

To correlate polysomnographic findings with clinical history of apnea, the degree of obstruction caused by tonsillar hypertrophy, and to age group.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

267 children with a clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) were evaluated. Patients were divided into preschool‐ and school‐age categories, and subdivided in 3 additional groups, according to tonsillar hypertrophy. Polysomnographic findings were compared within groups.

RESULTS

34% of children had history of OSAS and normal polysomnographic findings. Tonsillar hypertrophy was correlated to more severe apnea among preschool‐age children, but not among school‐age children. Among children with tonsillar hypertrophy, more severe apnea was observed in preschool‐age children than in school‐age children.

CONCLUSIONS

There is little correlation between polysomnographic and clinical findings in children with OSAS.

SIGNIFICANCE

Adenotonsillar hypertrophy leads to more severe polysomnographic patterns in preschool‐age children. More severe apnea is observed in younger children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy than in older ones.
A simple and reliable predictor for an adequate laryngeal view with rigid endoscopic laryngoscopy
Authors: Low Christopher , Young PAM , Webb Christopher J. , Walshe Peter , Hone Stephen , Panarese Alessandro , McCormick Maxwell S.
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVES

It is sometimes impossible to obtain an adequate laryngeal view during rigid endoscopic laryngoscopy. This may be due to a high tongue base. Our study seeks to determine a correlation between tongue base level and the adequacy of laryngeal view obtained with a 70‐degree rigid endoscope.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Over a period of 4 months, patients from a voice clinic were gathered and categorized into class I to III according to Mallampati et al (1985). Rigid laryngo‐videostroboscopy was conducted to assess the larynx and the adequacy of the view was recorded.

RESULTS

74 patients were recruited. The number of adequate views were: class I = 18/20 (90%); class II = 20/33 (60.6%); class III = 7/21 (33.3%). χ2 analysis demonstrated significance trend in all 3 classes.

CONCLUSION

The level of the tongue base correlated well with the adequacy of laryngeal view obtained from a 70‐degree rigid endoscope. This can be used to predict the success of obtaining adequate views during rigid laryngoscopy.
Randomized controlled trial of Coblation versus electrocautery tonsillectomy
Authors: Chang Kay W.
Published: February 2005

OBJECTIVE

To compare the postoperative recovery of patients receiving Coblation‐assisted (Arthrocare, Sunnyvale, CA) intracapsular tonsillectomy with that of patients receiving traditional subcapsular electrocautery tonsillectomy.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

This was a prospective, randomized, double‐blinded, controlled study. One hundred one children, aged 2 to 16 years, were randomized to Coblation or to conventional electrocautery tonsillectomy. Only patients with the operative indication of obstructive sleep apnea were entered into the study. Intracapsular tonsillectomy was performed on the Coblation group, and traditional subcapsular dissection was performed on the electrocautery group. Adenoidectomy was performed with the curette in both groups. Outcome measures were assessed on days 1, 3, and 5 after surgery. These included child and parental rating of pain by using the Wong Faces pain scale, analgesic use, oral intake, and activity level. Patients, parents, and the nurse practitioner obtaining the outcome data were blinded to treatment arm.

RESULTS

Treatment groups were similar in age, gender, and weight. Surgical time and estimated blood loss were similar. There were no complications in either group. Coblation patients had less pain and greater oral intake at all 3 time points. Percentage of normal activity level returned to >70% earlier and more frequently in Coblation patients. There was slightly decreased analgesic use on postoperative day 5 in the Coblation group.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Children with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy demonstrate significantly better postoperative recovery after Coblation‐assisted intracapsular tonsillectomy.
THE POLITICAL NEEDS OF A TOOLMAKING ANIMAL: MADISON, HAMILTON,
LOCKE, AND THE QUESTION OF PROPERTY
Authors: Rahe Paul A.
Published: February 2005

When Benjamin Franklin suggested that man is by nature a tool-making
animal, he summed up what was for his fellow Americans the common sense
of the matter. It is not, then, surprising that, when Britain's colonists
in North America broke with the mother country over the issue of an
unrepresentative parliament's right to tax and govern the colonies, they
defended their right to the property they owned on the ground that it was
in a most thorough-going sense an extension of themselves: the fruits of
their own labor. This understanding they learned from John Locke, who based
the argument of his Two Treatises of Government on the unorthodox account of
providence and of man's place within the natural world that Sir Francis
Bacon had been the first to articulate. All of this helps explain why the
framers of the American constitution included within it a clause giving
sanction to property in ideas of practical use.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UNJUST INITIAL ACQUISITION
Authors: Feser Edward
Published: February 2005

Critics of Robert Nozick's libertarian political theory often allege
that the theory in general and its account of property rights in particular
lack sufficient foundations. A key difficulty is thought to lie in his
account of how portions of the world which no one yet owns can justly come
to be initially acquired. But the difficulty is illusory, because (contrary
to what both Nozick and his critics assume) the concept of justice does not
meaningfully apply to initial acquisition in the first place. Moreover, the
principle of self-ownership provides a solid foundation for Nozick's
libertarianism, and when seen in the light of that principle and its full
implications, the standard purported examples of injustices in acquisition
are revealed to be nothing of the kind.
NOZICK AND LOCKE: FILLING THE SPACE OF RIGHTS
Authors: Waldron Jeremy
Published: February 2005

Do property entitlements define the moral environment in which rights
to well-being are defined, or do rights to well-being define the moral
environment in which property entitlements are defined? Robert Nozick
argued for the former alternative and he denied that any serious attempt
had been made to state the latter alternative (what he called “the
‘reverse’ theory”). I actually think John Locke's
approach to property can be seen as an instance of the “reverse”
theory. And Nozick's can too, inasmuch as it shares a number of features
with the Lockean approach. But my paper is not intended as a criticism of
Nozick; on the contrary, it acknowledges the integrity and the importance of
his insistence that welfare, property, and justice be integrated into a
single theory with clearly established priorities.
TOWARD A THEORY OF EMPIRICAL NATURAL RIGHTS
Authors: Hasnas John
Published: February 2005

Natural rights theorists such as John Locke and Robert Nozick provide
arguments for limited government that are grounded on the individual's
possession of natural rights to life, liberty, and property. Resting on
natural rights, such arguments can be no more persuasive than the underlying
arguments for the existence of such rights, which are notoriously weak. In
this article, John Hasnas offers an alternative conception of natural rights,
“empirical natural rights,” that are not beset by the objections
typically raised against traditional natural rights. Empirical natural rights
are rights that evolve in the state of nature rather than those that
individuals are antecedently endowed with in that state. Professor Hasnas
argues that empirical natural rights are true natural rights, that is,
pre-political rights with natural grounds that can be possessed in the state
of nature, and that, when taken together, they form a close approximation of
the Lockean rights to life, liberty, and property. He furthers argues that
empirical natural rights are normatively well-grounded because respecting
them is productive of social peace, which possesses instrumental moral value
regardless of one's conception inherent value. Professor Hasnas thus
offers his conception of rights as solved problems as an alternative and
potentially more secure footing for the traditional natural rights arguments
for limited government associated with Locke and Nozick.
HISTORY AND PATTERN
Authors: Schmidtz David
Published: February 2005

This essay compares Rawls's and Nozick's theories of justice.
Nozick thinks patterned principles of justice are false, and offers a
historical alternative. Along the way, Nozick accepts Rawls's claim
that the natural distribution of talent is morally arbitrary, but denies
that there is any short step from this premise to any conclusion that the
natural distribution is unjust. Nozick also agrees with Rawls on the core
idea of natural rights liberalism: namely, that we are separate persons.
However, Rawls and Nozick interpret that idea in different ways-momentously
different ways. The tension between their interpretations is among the
forces shaping political philosophy to this day.
Differential effects of Alzheimer's disease and
Huntington's disease on the performance of mental rotation
Authors: LINEWEAVER TARA T. , SALMON DAVID P. , BONDI MARK W. , COREY-BLOOM JODY
Published: February 2005

The ability to spatially rotate a mental image was compared in
patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 18) and
patients with Huntington's disease (HD; n = 18). Compared
to their respective age-matched normal control (NC) group, the speed,
but not the accuracy, of mental rotation abnormally decreased with
increasing angle of orientation for patients with HD. In contrast, the
accuracy, but not the speed, of rotation abnormally decreased with
increasing angle of orientation for patients with AD. Additional
analyses showed that these unique patterns of performance were not
attributable to different speed/accuracy trade-off sensitivities.
This double dissociation suggests that the distinct brain regions
affected in the two diseases differentially contribute to speed and
accuracy of mental rotation. Specifically, the slowing exhibited by HD
patients may be mediated by damage to the basal ganglia, whereas the
spatial manipulation deficit of AD patients may reflect pathology in
parietal and temporal lobe association cortices important for
visuospatial processing. (JINS, 2005, 11,
30–39.)
Spontaneous recovery from acalculia
Authors: BASSO ANNA , CAPORALI ALESSANDRA , FAGLIONI PIETRO
Published: February 2005

A topic much considered in research on acalculia was its relationship
with aphasia. Far less attention has been given to the natural course
of acalculia. In this retrospective study, we examined the relationship
between aphasia and acalculia in an unselected series of 98
left-brain-damaged patients and the spontaneous recovery from acalculia
in 92 acalculic patients with follow-up. There was a significant
association between aphasia and acalculia although 19 participants
exhibited aphasia with no acalculia and six acalculia with no aphasia.
We observed significant improvement between a first examination carried
out between 1 and 5 months post-onset and a second examination carried
out between 3 and 11 months later (mean: 5 months). The mechanisms of
spontaneous recovery are discussed. (JINS, 2005, 11,
99–107.)
Instantaneous space‐weighted ionospheric regional model for instantaneous mapping of the critical frequency of the F2 layer in the European region
Authors: Pietrella Marco , Perrone Loredana
Published: February 2005

An instantaneous space‐weighted ionospheric regional model (ISWIRM) for the regional now‐casting of the critical frequency of the F2 layer (foF2) has been developed. The geographical area of applicability of the model is ranged between 35°N–70°N and 5°W–40°E. Inside this region the hourly values of foF2 are obtained, correcting the monthly medians values of foF2 predicted by the space‐weighted ionospheric local model (SWILM) on the basis of hourly observations of foF2 coming from four reference stations (Rome, Chilton, Lycksele, and Loparskaya (or Sodankyla)). The performance of the model, evaluated at four testing stations (Tortosa, Juliusruh, Uppsala, and Kiruna) during some periods characterized by strong solar and geomagnetic activity, can be considered satisfactory, given that the hourly values of the residuals are almost always below 1 MHz. A comparison between ISWIRM's performance using manually validated and autoscaled data of foF2 and SWILM's performance was made for two disturbed periods. One example of instantaneous ionospheric mapping of foF2 relative to the selected disturbed periods is also shown.
Simultaneous observations of the auroral ovals in both hemispheres under varying conditions
Authors: Stubbs T. J. , Vondrak R. R. , Østgaard N. , Sigwarth J. B. , Frank L. A.
Published: February 2005

This is the first analysis to use simultaneous observations of the entire auroral ovals in both hemispheres to track their location. Data was used from the Polar VIS and IMAGE FUV imagers on 23 October 2002 and plotted in AACGM coordinates. Results showed the expected IMF By‐dependent asymmetry along the dawn‐dusk meridian; however, there was an unexpected offset of both ovals toward dawn. Evidence is also shown for an asymmetry along the noon‐midnight meridian dependent on both dipole tilt angle and the sense of IMF Bx. During a brief period of weak IMF Bz > 0 and IMF Bx > 0, the southern oval is observed to move equatorward relative to the northern oval, consistent with tail lobe reconnection occurring only in the southern hemisphere. This has important implications for the global response of the magnetosphere to different interplanetary conditions.
Cluster observations of currents in the plasma sheet during reconnection
Authors: Alexeev I. V. , Owen C. J. , Fazakerley A. N. , Runov A. , Dewhurst J. P. , Balogh A. , Rème H. , Klecker B. , Kistler L.
Published: February 2005

We present Cluster PEACE observations of parallel electron currents near a reversal of accelerated ion flows which indicated that the spacecraft were in the vicinity of an active reconnection X‐line (XL). Moments calculated from the PEACE electron spectrometer 3D 4s resolution data are analysed. We surveyed the electron current structure to reveal their dependence on distance from the neutral sheet (NS). The electron density and the magnetic field component parallel to the lobe magnetic field were selected as proxies of the distance to the NS. We found that earthward from the XL the electron parallel current switches direction: tailward closer to the NS and earthward nearer to the lobe. On the interface between the tailward and earthward currents we found a narrow layer of strong earthward current. At the same place the largest transverse magnetic disturbances were detected. The observed current structure is consistent with the collisionless reconnection model. However, tailward of the XL no such structure was evident in the data.
The ∼150 day quasi‐periodicity in interplanetary and solar phenomena during cycle 23
Authors: Richardson I. G. , Cane H. V.
Published: January 2005

An intermittent quasi‐periodicity of ∼150 days in various solar and interplanetary phenomena has been reported in earlier solar cycles. We suggest that variations in the occurrence of solar energetic particle events, interplanetary coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storm sudden commencements during solar cycle 23 show evidence of this quasi‐periodicity, which is also present in the sunspot number, in particular in the northern solar hemisphere. It is not, however, prominent in the interplanetary magnetic field strength.
Near‐source ground motion from steady state dynamic rupture pulses
Authors: Dunham Eric M. , Archuleta Ralph J.
Published: February 2005

Ground motion from two‐dimensional steady state dynamic ruptures is examined for both subshear and supershear rupture velocities. Synthetic seismograms demonstrate that coherent high‐frequency information about the source process rapidly attenuates with distance from the fault for subshear ruptures. Such records provide almost no resolution of the spatial extent of the stress breakdown zone. At supershear speeds, S waves radiate away from the fault, preserving the full source spectrum and carrying an exact history of the slip velocity on both the fault‐parallel and fault‐normal components of motion, whose amplitudes are given by a function of rupture speed that vanishes at times the S‐wave speed. The energy liberated from the strain field by the passage of a supershear rupture is partitioned into fracture energy dissipated within the fault zone and far‐field S‐wave radiation. The partition depends on both the rupture velocity and the size of the breakdown zone.
Meaning of ionospheric Joule heating
Authors: Vasyliūnas Vytenis M. , Song Paul
Published: February 2005

The possibility of relating the electric current in the ionosphere to the electric field in the frame of reference either of the neutral atmosphere (as commonly done) or of the plasma raises the question: which should be used in calculating Joule heating? The energy equations for the plasma and for the neutral medium, including collision effects, can be combined with momentum equations to separate energy transfer into work done and heating (this is not the same as separation of energy content into bulk‐flow kinetic energy and thermal energy). Heating/dissipation processes can be unambiguously identified, showing that true electromagnetic (Joule) heating rate is given by J · E in the frame of reference of the plasma. The major part of energy dissipation associated with J and E in the ionosphere is heating by collisions between plasma and neutrals, proportional to the square of the difference in their bulk flow velocities and distributed approximately equally between the two. The conventionally calculated ionospheric Joule heating as J · E in the frame of reference of the neutral atmosphere equals the sum of total heating rate of plasma (only a small part of which is true Joule heating) plus total heating rate of neutrals, plus a term equal to work done on plasma in the neutral‐atmosphere frame of reference; the latter is assumed negligible, with J × B/c balanced entirely by plasma‐neutral collisions and with no net work done on the plasma. This assumption implies that all the magnetic stresses exerted on the plasma at ionospheric heights are taken up by the local neutral medium; hence the dynamics of the neutral atmosphere play an important role in magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions.
Tectonic evolution of the west Scotia Sea
Authors: Eagles Graeme , Livermore Roy A. , Fairhead J. Derek , Morris Peter
Published: February 2005

Joint inversion of isochron and flow line data from the flanks of the extinct West Scotia Ridge spreading center yields five reconstruction rotations for times between the inception of spreading prior to chron C8 (26.5 Ma), and extinction around chron C3A (6.6–5.9 Ma). When they are placed in a regional plate circuit, the rotations predict plate motions consistent with known tectonic events at the margins of the Scotia Sea: Oligocene extension in Powell Basin; Miocene convergence in Tierra del Fuego and at the North Scotia Ridge; and Miocene transpression at the Shackleton Fracture Zone. The inversion results are consistent with a spreading history involving only two plates, at rates similar to those between the enclosing South America and Antarctica plates after chron C5C (16.7 Ma), but that were faster beforehand. The spreading rate drop accompanies inception of the East Scotia Ridge back‐arc spreading center, which may therefore have assumed the role of the West Scotia Ridge in accommodating eastward motion of the trench at the eastern boundary of the Scotia Sea. This interpretation is most easily incorporated into a model in which the basins in the central parts of the Scotia Sea had already formed by chron C8, contrary to some widely accepted interpretations, and which has significant implications for paleoceanography and paleobiogeography.
Evaluating the National Center for Atmospheric Research climate system model over West Africa: Present‐day and the 21st century A1 scenario
Authors: Kamga Andre F. , Jenkins Gregory S. , Gaye Amadou T. , Garba Adamou , Sarr A. , Adedoyin A.
Published: February 2005

We present an analysis of observed and simulated June–July–August (JJA) West African climate during the last 2 decades of the 20th and 21st centuries. The National Center for Atmospheric Research coupled atmosphere‐ocean climate system model (CSM) simulation is compared to long‐term observations and National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis with an emphasis on the wet season during the late 20th century. While there are significant improvements in the simulation of the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) and African easterly waves relative to the uncoupled Community Climate Model, version 3, biases still exist. These biases are related to a poor simulation of the Azores high, which extends into eastern Europe, allowing for cold air advection into North Africa. There is also little improvement in the upper troposphere Tropical Easterly Jet in the CSM, which is too weak and does not extend westward over the Atlantic Ocean. In the late 21st century, JJA summer temperatures in West Africa have warmed 1.5°–2.5°C relative to the 1951–1980 period. Moreover, the Sahelian region is wetter in the late 21st century in association with an increase in atmospheric moisture, stronger meridional winds from the Gulf of Guinea, and a slightly stronger AEJ.
Nocturnal thermal structure of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region at Maui, Hawaii (20.7°N), and Starfire Optical Range, New Mexico (35°N)
Authors: Chu Xinzhao , Gardner Chester S. , Franke Steven J.
Published: January 2005

The nighttime thermal structure of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region at the Starfire Optical Range (SOR), New Mexico (35.0°N, 106.5°W), and at Maui, Hawaii (20.7°N, 156.3°W), are characterized using Na lidar observations. Both locations exhibit mesospheric temperature inversion layers (MILs) between 85 and 100 km that are not predicted by the MSIS‐00 model. The amplitudes of the Maui MILs (∼5.8 K) are about half of those at SOR (∼9.8 K), and the Maui MILs have a smaller width (∼11.1 km) compared to the SOR MILs (∼14.5 km). The Maui lidar temperatures are generally warmer than the MSIS‐00 predictions, while the SOR lidar data are comparable to the MSIS‐00, except in the MIL altitude range. Both SOR and Maui mesopause temperatures are coldest in midsummer and are warmest during the mesopause transition periods. However, the Maui mesopause is warmer than the SOR, and the amplitude of the mesopause temperature variations at Maui (∼9 K) is much smaller than at SOR (∼19 K). Two distinct levels of mesopause altitudes are clearly shown in the SOR seasonal data with a low altitude around 86.5 km in summer (May through August) and a high altitude around 101 km during the rest of the year. Abrupt transitions between the two stable levels occur in early May and early September. The lidar measurements indicate a low mesopause altitude near 87.5 km in July at Maui when averaging over a 10‐hour period centered at local midnight.
Subsurface thermal effects of land use changes
Authors: Nitoiu Daniela , Beltrami Hugo
Published: February 2005

The International Heat Flow Commission global geothermal data set contains over 10,000 borehole temperature logs worldwide. Only about 10% of these data are currently used for climate studies because a number of known nonclimatic energy perturbations are superimposed on the climatic signal. Here we propose a first‐order approach in terms of ground surface temperatures (GSTs) to attempt to correct borehole temperature data for the effects of one of these nonclimatic energy perturbations: deforestation. We simulate the ground surface temperature changes following deforestation using a combined power‐exponential function describing the organic matter decay and recovery of the forest floor after a clear‐cut. Application of this correction could allow many borehole data to be incorporated into the borehole climatology database and, at the same time, may allow land surface models to use geothermal data in regions of known land disruption in order to optimize land surface energy exchange parameterizations.
Scaling from process timescales to daily time steps: A distribution function approach
Authors: Kandel D. D. , Western A. W. , Grayson R. B.
Published: February 2005

A new temporal scaling method applicable to many rainfall‐runoff‐erosion models is presented. The method is based on the probability distribution approach used in a number of spatial hydrological models, and it uses statistical distributions of rainfall intensity to represent subdaily intensity variations in a daily time step model. This allows the effect of short timescale nonlinear processes to be captured while modeling at a daily time step, which is often attractive due to the wide availability of total daily rainfall data. The approach relies on characterizing the rainfall intensity variation within a day using a probability distribution function (pdf). This pdf is then modified by various linear and nonlinear processes typically represented in hydrological and erosion models. The statistical description of subdaily variability is thus propagated through the model, allowing the effects of variability to be captured in the simulations. This results in pdfs of various fluxes, the integration of which over a day gives respective daily totals. The method is tested using 42 plot years of daily runoff and erosion plot data from field studies in different environments from Australia and Nepal. Significant improvements in the simulation of surface runoff and erosion are achieved, compared with a similar model using average daily rainfall intensities. The probability‐based model compares well with a subhourly (2 and 6 min) model using similar process descriptions. This suggests that the probability‐based approach captures the important effects of sub–time step variability while utilizing commonly available information. It is also found that the model parameters are more robustly defined using the probability‐based approach compared with the daily effective parameter model. This suggests that the probability‐based approach may offer improved model transferability spatially (to other areas) and temporally (to other periods).
Spinal phospholipase A2 in inflammatory hyperalgesia: role of Group IVA cPLA2
Authors: Lucas Karin Killermann , Svensson Camilla I , Hua Xiao‐Ying , Yaksh Tony L , Dennis Edward A
Published: February 2005

Current work has shown the importance of spinal cyclooxygenase (COX) products in facilitatory processes leading to tissue injury induced hyperalgesia. This cascade must originate with free arachidonic acid (AA) released by the activity of spinal phospholipase A2's (PLA2). In the present work, we studied the role of PLA2's in spinal sensitization.

We first demonstrate the presence of constitutive mRNA in the spinal cord for PLA2 Groups IB, IIA, IIC, IVA, V and VI by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and sequencing. Using quantitative‐PCR, we found that Group IVA cPLA2 and Group VI iPLA2 are the predominant PLA2 messages in the spinal cord. Western blotting and activity assays specific for Group IVA cPLA2 and Group VI iPLA2 verified the presence of these enzymes. PLA2 activity in spinal cord homogenates was suppressed by methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP) and arachidonyl trifluoromethylketone (AACOCF3), mixed inhibitors of Group IVA cPLA2 and Group VI iPLA2 as well as by bromoenol lactone (BEL), a Group VI iPLA2 inhibitor. The spinal expression of PLA2 mRNA or protein was not altered in the face of peripheral inflammation. Secondly, we showed that intrathecal (i.t.) administration of MAFP and AACOCF3, but not BEL, dose‐dependently prevented thermal hyperalgesia induced by intraplantar carrageenan as well as formalin‐induced flinching. Finally, i.t. injection of AACOCF3, at antihyperalgesic doses, decreased the release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) into spinal dialysate evoked by i.t. NMDA, while i.t. injection of BEL had no effect.

Taken together, this work points to a role for constitutive Group IVA cPLA2 in spinal nociceptive processing.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 940–952. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706116
Postnatal consequences of prenatal cocaine exposure and myocardial apoptosis: does cocaine in utero imperil the adult heart?
Authors: Feng Qingping
Published: February 2005

Cocaine use is common among pregnant women with a history of substance abuse, and has been shown to cause abnormalities in the heart during fetal and postnatal development. However, mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects of cocaine on the developing heart are not fully understood. In this issue, Bae and Zhang show that prenatal cocaine exposure increases the susceptibility of the postnatal heart to ischemia and reperfusion injury. Their results suggest that myocardial apoptosis induced by cocaine during fetal development may represent one of the mechanisms by which prenatal cocaine exposure exerts its long‐term, deleterious consequences on postnatal cardiac function.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 887–888. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706130
CGH2466, a combined adenosine receptor antagonist, p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase and phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor with potent in vitro and in vivo anti‐inflammatory activities
Authors: Trifilieff Alexandre , Keller Thomas H , Press Neil J , Howe Trevor , Gedeck Peter , Beer David , Walker Christoph
Published: February 2005

Theophylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine receptor antagonist, is used in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment. However, the relatively low effectiveness of theophylline have recently led to reduced usage. The goal of the present study was to identify a theophylline‐like compound with improved effectiveness.

We discovered CGH2466, which not only antagonised the adenosine A1, A2b and A3 receptors with IC50 values of 19±4, 21±3 and 80±14 nM, respectively, but also inhibited the p38 mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinases α and β and the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) isoenzyme with IC50 values of 187±18, 400±38 and 22±5 nM, respectively.

Despite similar potencies on individual targets, CGH2466 inhibited the production of cytokines and oxygen radicals by human peripheral blood leucocytes in vitro, more potently (IC50 values between 30 and 50 nM) than the standard p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 (30 nM to >1 μM), the PDE4 inhibitor cilomilast (120–400 nM) and the broad spectrum adenosine receptor antagonist CGS15943 (>10 μM).

When given either orally or locally into the lungs, CGH2466 (3 to 10 mg kg−1) inhibited the ovalbumin‐ or lipopolysaccharide‐induced airway inflammation in mice more potently than the single receptor antagonists or enzyme inhibitors used alone.

In conclusion, CGH2466 through its combined activities at multiple targets exerted a powerful anti‐inflammatory effect and therefore may have beneficial therapeutic value in diseases such as asthma and COPD.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 1002–1010. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706132
Humanizing mice: catching up with elusive B1 receptors
Authors: Connor Mark , Vaughan Christopher W
Published: February 2005

Bradykinin receptor activation plays an important role in pain arising following tissue inflammation, and recent studies have suggested that bradykinin B1 receptors in particular may be important in chronic pain related to arthritis and various neuropathies. The investigation of the function of the B1 receptors in vivo has been hampered by the lack of nonpeptide antagonists, and the development of such compounds made more difficult by the considerable species variation between human and rodent B1 receptors. In this issue, Fox and co‐workers report the creation of a mouse that has had the human B1 gene inserted into the corresponding mouse locus, and they exploit this animal to study the effects of a novel, nonpeptide B1 receptor antagonist on measures of acute nociception and nociception following inflammation. By creating a platform that allows the study of human B1 receptors in vivo, these investigators have provided a tool to significantly advance the understanding of the kallikrein–kinin system in physiological and pathophysiological states.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 144, 885–886. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706141
On the description of electrical effects in the two-fluid model of superfluidity
Authors: Kosevich A. M.
Published: February 2005

A model description of the electrothermal effect in a superfluid liquid is proposed. It is hypothesized that the superfluid state is an ordered state with an isotropic quadrupole moment which does not manifest electrical properties in an equilibrium liquid. The polarization properties of the liquid are excited by an inhomogeneous distribution of the superfluid flow. The Landau equations of superfluid hydrodynamics are supplemented by an equation relating the electrical polarization of the medium with the density of the superfluid component and the inhomogeneity of the superfluid flow. The value of the expected oscillations of the electrical potential in a second-sound wave agrees with the measurements of A. S. Rybalko, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 30, 1321 (2004) [Low Temp. Phys. 30, 994 (2004)].
Evidence for superconductivity and a pseudogap in the new magnetic compound PrAg6In6
Authors: Dmitriev V. M. , Rybaltchenko L. F. , Wyder P. , Jansen A. G. M. , Prentslau N. N. , Suski W.
Published: February 2005

Direct evidence for superconductivity in the new magnetic compound PrAg6In6 is revealed for the first time. The distinct Andreev-reflection current is observed in metallic point contacts (PC) based on this compound. The data obtained provide reason enough to suggest that the rise of superconductivity depends strongly on the local magnetic order varying over the sample volume. The triangular-shaped PC spectra (dV/dI(V)) in the vicinity of the zero-bias voltage suggest an unconventional type of superconducting pairing. As follows from the temperature and magnetic field dependences of the PC spectra, the superconducting energy gap structure transforms into the pseudogap one as the temperature or the magnetic field increases.
High-frequency polariton waves on a metal–vacuum interface
Authors: Smirnov S. N. , Natsik V. D. , Natsik L. D.
Published: February 2005

Some novel aspects of the problem of linear electromagnetic–plasma waves on a plane metal–vacuum interface are investigated. The analysis is based on Maxwell’s equations for the electric and magnetic fields, supplemented by the hydrodynamic equation for the electron plasma of the metal. This system of equations admits the existence of specific long-wavelength inhomogeneous eigenmodes of the polariton type (E waves) having frequencies ω of the order of the plasma frequency ωp of the conduction electrons and a polarization direction of the magnetic field oscillations that lies in the plane of the interface and perpendicular to the direction of propagation along the boundary. These waves, which have not been discussed before, are the result of hybridization of longitudinal electron-density waves (plasmons) of the metal with the transverse modes (photons) of the metal and vacuum. In particular, it is shown that the excitation of plasmons in the bulk of the metal is accompanied by the appearance of an electromagnetic wave localized near the surface, consisting of a mixture of metallic and vacuum photons. This inhomogeneous wave has the dispersion relation of of bulk plasmons and exists in the frequency band that is characteristic for such plasmons, ωp<ω<√ωp; here the characteristic values of the localization parameter are of the order of c/ωp (c is the speed of light in vacuum). For standard metals this parameter has values of 10–50 nm, and these modes can therefore play an important role in the description of electromagnetic resonances and radiation effects in metallic nanostructures.
Manifestation of the band structure in the tunneling characteristics of materials with low Fermi energies
Authors: Khachaturov A. I.
Published: February 2005

The ideal behavior of the tunneling characteristics is investigated for metal–insulator–metal junctions in which the Fermi energies of the electrodes do not exceed 1.5–2.0 eV. It is shown that in this case the band structure of the electrodes has a substantial influence on the tunneling characteristics, contrary to the accepted ideas in tunneling spectroscopy. For example, the dependence of the differential tunneling conductance σ(V), calculated for a symmetric rectangular barrier, is asymmetric. In addition, at a bias voltage eV equal to the difference of the Fermi energies of the electrodes one observes a jump of the conductance that is not susceptible to temperature smearing. It is shown that curve of the second derivative of the current with respect to voltage can display the feature corresponding to this jump even in the case of conventional metal electrodes with Fermi energies of the order of several electron-volts.
Resonance spin modes in layered conductors
Authors: Stepanenko D. I.
Published: February 2005

The propagation of spin waves in layered conductors in the presence of an external magnetic field is studied theoretically. It is it is shown that for certain orientations of the magnetic field with respect to the layers of the conductor there is no collisionless absorption, and weakly damped collective modes can propagate even under conditions of strong spatial dispersion.
On the nature of the reentrant effect in susceptibility of mesoscopic cylindrical samples
Authors: Gogadze G. A.
Published: February 2005

A theory of the reentrant effect in the susceptibility of mesoscopic cylindrical NS samples is proposed which is essentially based on the properties of the Andreev levels. The specific feature of the quantum levels of the structure is that in a varying magnetic field (or temperature) each level periodically comes into coincidence with the chemical potential of the metal. As a result, the state of the system becomes strongly degenerate and the amplitude of the paramagnetic contribution to the susceptibility increases sharply.