bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes of Medical Students, General Practitioners, Teachers, and Police Officers Toward Suicide in a Turkish Sample
Authors: Öncü Bedriye , Soykan Çiğdem , İhan İnci Özgür , Sayıl Işık
Published: November 2008

Since attitudes predict future behavior and are important in suicide prevention, we aimed to determine the attitudes of professional groups with potential importance in suicide and suicide prevention. A total sample of 205 medical students, general practitioners, secondary school guidance teachers, and police officers from Ankara completed the Attitudes Toward Suicide Scale (ATSS). Principal components analysis revealed a nine factor model for the scale. Participants from different professions held different attitudes toward suicide. Medical students and general practitioners had the most permissive attitudes. General practitioners attitude scores about preparedness to prevent suicide were lower compared to other groups, which points out the importance of continuing medical education and implementation of suicide prevention programs in primary care.
The Seasonal Risk for Deliberate Self-Harm
Authors: Rock Daniel Joseph , Hallmayer Joachim Franz
Published: November 2008

Groups at seasonal risk for deliberate self-harm (DSH) vary according to their geographic location. It is unknown, however, if seasonal risk factors for DSH are associated with place of birth or place of residence as these are confounded in all studies to date. In order to disaggregate place of birth from place of residence we examined general and seasonal risk factors for DSH in three different population birth groups living in Western Australia: Australian Aborigines, Australian born non-Aborigines, and UK migrants. We found Aborigines are at much higher general risk for DSH than non-Aborigines, but are not at seasonal risk, whereas non-Aboriginal Australians and UK migrants are. For UK migrants, this is only found for females. For all groups at seasonal risk this peaks during the austral (southern hemisphere) spring/summer. Furthermore, non-Aboriginal Australians and UK migrants show a consistent pattern of increased case fatality with increasing age. In contrast, case fatality does not increase with age among Australian Aborigines. Overall, despite living in the same environment, the three birth groups show different patterns of seasonal risk for DSH. In particular, the sex difference found between UK migrants and non-Aboriginal Australian birth groups suggests that predisposition toward seasonal risk for DSH is established early in life, but when present this is expressed according to local conditions.
Suicidal Ideation in Ethnic Minority and Majority Adolescents in Utrecht, The Netherlands
Authors: van Bergen D.D. , Smit J.H. , van Balkom A.J.L.M. , van Ameijden E. , Saharso S.
Published: November 2008

We investigated the prevalence and explored the vulnerability to suicidal ideation across several ethnic minority versus ethnic majority adolescents in the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands. Exploratory analyses were conducted on a dataset obtained from the Municipal Health Services in Utrecht. We examined whether ethnic minority adolescents are at risk for suicidal ideation because of a family background of migration, social-economic position and certain family factors, which influence psychological constellations. We found that levels of suicidal ideation among adolescents of Turkish background were significantly higher than in both majority and other minority adolescents. The Turkish adolescents at risk for suicidal ideation reported that they do not enjoy being at home with their families. Psychological factors, in particular lack of self-pride and the idea of not becoming successful in life, appeared to be important, as well as feelings of loneliness. Suicidal ideation was not found equally across all ethnic minority groups. A history of migration, ethnic minority status, or low socioeconomic status were not sufficient to explain the variation across ethnicities. Our results suggest that specific social-cultural factors, contextualized in the individual and located in the family environment, are relevant in explaining the disproportionate rates for Turkish adolescents in Utrecht.
Gender Differences in Suicidal Intent and Choice of Method Among Suicide Attempters
Authors: Nordentoft Merete , Branner Jacob
Published: November 2008

The objective was to examine gender differences in choice of method and suicidal intent among persons referred to a suicide prevention center. A total of 351 consecutive patients who had attempted suicide were interviewed using the European Parasuicide Study Interview Schedule I (EPSIS I) while participating in a 2-week inpatient treatment program. They were invited to a 1-year follow-up interview, and followed in the National Patient Register. Compared to women, men who had attempted suicide were older, had better self-esteem, fewer depressive symptoms, and higher total suicidal intention scores, but they were not more likely to use violent methods. Neither use of violent method nor dangerousness of the attempt was associated with suicidal intention. Although men had higher suicide intent scores than women, there were no significant gender differences in the number of repeat suicide attempts during a 1-year follow-up period. Suicidal intent was not related to dangerousness of suicide method.
Cost of Treatment of Deliberate Self-Harm
Authors: Shahid Muhammad , Khan Murad M. , Naqvi Haider , Razzak Junaid
Published: November 2008

A retrospective review of 98 patients through medical and billing records, over a period of 12 months (January to December 2004), was conducted to evaluate the cost of treatment of patients presenting with deliberate self-harm (DSH) to a private tertiary care teaching hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. After initial treatment in the Emergency Department (ED), 34 patients were admitted to the medical wards for further treatment and 64 patients were either discharged or left against medical advice from ED. The mean cost for admitted and discharged patients was US $255 and US $55.60, respectively. One patient was intubated in the ED and shifted to intensive care unit. The cost of treatment of DSH is extremely high in a country like Pakistan, where the patients have to bear the hospital cost out of their own pocket. The most important determinant of cost was length of hospital stay, averaging 2.91 days.
Slip rate and locking depth from GPS profiles across the southern Dead Sea Transform
Authors: Le Beon Maryline , Klinger Yann , Amrat Abdel Qader , Agnon Amotz , Dorbath Louis , Baer Gidon , Ruegg Jean‐Claude , Charade Olivier , Mayyas Omar
Published: November 2008

The Dead Sea Transform is a major strike‐slip fault bounding the Arabia plate and the Sinai subplate. On the basis of two GPS campaign measurements, 6 years apart, at 17 sites distributed in Israel and Jordan, complemented by Israeli permanent stations, we compute the present‐day deformation across the southern segment of the Dead Sea Transform, the Wadi Araba fault. Elastic locked‐fault modeling of fault‐parallel velocities provides a slip rate of 4.9 ± 1.4 mm/a and a best fit locking depth of ∼12 km. This slip rate is slightly higher than previous results based only on Israeli permanent GPS stations data, which are located west of the fault. It is in good agreement with results based on offset geomorphologic and geologic features that average longer periods of time (10 ka to 1 Ma). Projection in ITRF2000 reference frame allows using our data, combined with results published earlier, to further study the kinematics between Arabia, Nubia, and Sinai. Systematic combination of Euler poles available in the literature, in addition to our new set of data, shows that a wide range of Arabia‐Sinai pole positions and angular velocities predict reasonable slip rate on the Dead Sea fault. We highlight uncertainties of calculating such poles due to the small size of the blocks and their slow relative motion along a short and almost straight strand of the transform fault, which lead to a large trade‐off between pole location and angular velocity.
Earthquake of 4 November 1898 in northern Europe: New insights
Authors: Mäntyniemi Päivi
Published: November 2008

The earthquake of 4 November 1898 UTC is a rare event in terms of the size of the area of perceptibility that extended to Finland and Sweden located in the intraplate northern Europe. Previously unknown macroseismic reports were discovered in a thorough search of the contemporary press in this study. The comprehensive collection of written documentary records is used to prepare an intensity data point map. The slightly damaging intensities (5, 5–6, and 6 on the European Macroseismic Scale) are distributed over a larger area than outlined earlier. This is attributed to the amplification of ground shaking by the soil characteristics in the river valleys where habitation concentrated at that time. The new epicenter is located within a north‐south‐oriented seismicity trend that shows frequent microearthquakes and runs parallel to a mapped shear zone. The magnitude of the main shock is inferred to be within the range from 4.4 to 4.7, and the magnitude of the immediate aftershock is inferred to be between 3.7 and 4.1. A theoretical relationship of intensity attenuation is employed in the inference of the magnitude. The macroseismic reports show that earthquakes of this size posed an indirect hazard of fire to the dwellings in a region where earthquake‐related problems have previously been considered absent.
Hydrothermal sediment alteration at a seafloor vent field: Grimsey Graben, Tjörnes Fracture Zone, north of Iceland
Authors: Dekov Vesselin , Scholten Jan , Garbe‐Schönberg Carl‐Dieter , Botz Reiner , Cuadros Javier , Schmidt Mark , Stoffers Peter
Published: November 2008

An active seafloor hydrothermal system subjects the background sediments of the Grimsey Graben (Tjörnes Fracture Zone) to alteration that produces dissolution of the primary volcaniclastic matrix and replacement/precipitation of sulfides, sulfates, oxides, oxyhydroxides, carbonates and phyllosilicates. Three types of hydrothermal alteration of the sediment are defined on the basis of the dominant hydrothermal phyllosilicate formed: smectite, kaolinite, chlorite. The most common alteration is near‐total conversion of the volcaniclastic material to smectite (95–116°C). The dominant smectite in the deepest sediments sampled is beidellite, which is replaced by montmorillonite and an intimate mixture of di‐ and tri‐octahedral smectite up core. This gradual vertical change in smectite composition suggests an increase in the Mg supply upward, the result of sediment alteration by the ascending hydrothermal fluids mixing with descending seawater. The vertical sequence kaolinite → kaolinite‐smectite mixed‐layer → smectite from bottom to top of a core, as well as the distinct zonation across the veins (kaolinite in the central zone → kaolinite‐smectite in the rim), suggests hydrothermal transformation of the initially formed smectite to kaolinite through kaolinite‐smectite mixed‐layer (150–160°C). The cause of this transformation might have been an evolution of the fluids toward a slightly acidic pH or a relative increase in the Al concentration. Minor amounts of chamosite fill thin veins in the deepest sections of some cores. The gradual change from background clinochlore to chamosite across the veins suggests that chamosite replaces clinochlore as Fe is made available from hydrothermal dissolution of detrital Fe‐containing minerals. The internal textures, REE distribution patterns and the mode of occurrence of another magnesian phyllosilicate, kerolite, suggest that this mineral is the primary precipitate in the hydrothermal chimneys rather than an alteration product in the sediment. Kerolite precipitated after and grew on anhydrite in the chimneys. Oxygen isotope ratios are interpreted to reflect precipitation of kerolite at temperatures of 302° to 336°C. It accumulated in the hydrothermal mounds following the collapse of the chimneys and subsequent dissolution of anhydrite, thereby forming highly permeable aquifer layers underlying the vent field. Some kerolite was redeposited in the near vent field sediments by turbidity flows. The altered sediments are depleted in Mn, Rb and Sr, and enriched in U, Mo, Pb, Ba, As, Bi, Sb, Ag, Tl and Ga, as a result of leaching and precipitation, respectively. Conservative elements (Ti, Zr, Hf, Sc, Cr, Nb and Sn) are depleted or enriched in the altered sediments because of passive (precipitation or leaching of other phases) rather than active (because of their mobility) processes.
Sustainable water resource management under hydrological uncertainty
Authors: Ajami Newsha K. , Hornberger George M. , Sunding David L.
Published: November 2008

A proper understanding of the sources and effects of uncertainty is needed to achieve the goals of reliability and sustainability in water resource management and planning. Many studies have focused on uncertainties relating to climate inputs (e.g., precipitation and temperature), as well as those related to supply and demand relationships. In the end‐to‐end projection of the hydrological impacts of climate variability, however, hydrological uncertainties have often been ignored or addressed indirectly. In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of hydrological uncertainties for reliable water resources management. We assess the uncertainties associated with hydrological inputs, parameters, and model structural uncertainties using an integrated Bayesian uncertainty estimator framework. Subsequently, these uncertainties are propagated through a simple reservoir management model in order to evaluate how various operational rules impact the characteristics of the downstream uncertainties, such as the width of the uncertainty bounds. By considering different operational rules, we examine how hydrological uncertainties impact reliability, resilience, and vulnerability of the management system. The results of this study suggest that a combination of operational rules (i.e., an adaptive operational approach) is the most reliable and sustainable overall management strategy.
Multiarrival wavefront tracking and its applications
Authors: Hauser J. , Sambridge M. , Rawlinson N.
Published: November 2008

Multivalued traveltimes have traditionally not been used in seismic imaging, with only a handful of notable exceptions in the field of exploration geophysics. For studies at local and regional scales (e.g., local earthquake/teleseismic tomography), the focus has largely been on first arrivals, with numerous ray‐ and grid‐based schemes developed for their calculation. However, later arrivals often contribute to the length and shape of a recorded wave train, particularly in regions of complex geology. These arrivals are likely to contain additional information about seismic structure, as their two point path differs from that of the first arrival; in particular, they are more amenable to sampling regions of lower velocity. In this work the wavefront construction principle is used as the basis of a new scheme for computing multivalued traveltimes that arise from smooth variations in both velocity structure and interface geometry. The idea is to represent the wavefront as a set of points in reduced phase space and use local ray tracing and interpolation to advance the wavefront in a series of time steps. The scheme is robust in the presence of strong velocity heterogeneity and interface curvature, with phases comprising multiple reflections, refractions, and triplications successfully tracked. Outside the field of exploration seismology wavefront construction techniques are rarely used, yet they hold great potential for addressing problems in other areas of seismology. This paper demonstrates the viability of the new wavefront construction scheme by applying it to a range of scenarios, including multiarrival body and surface wave tomography, teleseismic receiver function prediction using Gaussian beams, and the tracking of global phases such asPcP.
South Equatorial Undercurrent in the western to central tropical Atlantic
Authors: Fischer Jürgen , Hormann Verena , Brandt Peter , Schott Friedrich A. , Rabe Benjamin , Funk Andreas
Published: November 2008

The South Equatorial Undercurrent (SEUC) in the western to central tropical Atlantic is investigated by a combination of shallow floats, with a few acoustically tracked, shipboard current measurements and hydrography. Float trajectories show a well confined SEUC revealing large standing meanders near its western origin. Transports determined from 31 sections across the SEUC increase from 5.6 Sv at 35°W near the western boundary to 10.2 Sv 800 km farther east. Internal recirculations north and south of the SEUC were indicated by the float trajectories and a weak transport reduction farther along its eastward progression is observed. The deep part of the South Equatorial Current carries on both sides of the SEUC interior water masses westward, and supplies almost 5 Sv to the SEUC between 35°W and 28°W, or about half of the SEUC transport in the interior tropical Atlantic.
Interplanetary origin of multiple‐dip geomagnetic storms
Authors: Zhang J. , Richardson I. G. , Webb D. F.
Published: November 2008

In this paper, we have systematically investigated the interplanetary drivers of major dips during intense (Dst ≤ −100 nT) geomagnetic storms in 1996–2006. A major dip is defined as a temporary decrease in Dst index with amplitude larger than 14.5 nT. Multiple dips result in a storm if regions of geoeffective solar wind with strong southward magnetic fields are separated by less geoeffective solar wind. Among these 90 intense storms, we found that only 34% (31 events) showed a classical “one‐dip” profile, while 49% (44 events) had two dips. Another 17% (15 events) had triple or more dips. We found that of a total of 165 major dips associated with the 90 storms, about 45% (74 dips) were caused by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), or ejecta, and 30% (49 dips) were caused by sheaths (SHs) that lie between shocks driven by ICMEs and leading edges of the ICMEs. About 7% (11 dips) were caused by a shock driven by an ICME running into a preceding ICME and intensifying its magnetic field (PICME‐SH). About 11% (18 dips) were due to corotating interaction regions (CIRs) formed by the interaction of high‐speed solar wind from coronal holes with the preceding slower solar wind. Another 7% (12 dips) were caused by various solar wind structures prior the onset of the storm. Among these different types of drivers, the largest storms dips on average were produced by shocks propagating through preceding ICMEs (PICME‐SH). One frequent cause of a two‐dip storm is that the first dip is produced by the upstream sheath and the second dip is produced by the driving ICME. Another common cause of a two‐dip or multiple‐dip storm is the presence of multiple subregions of southward magnetic field within a complex solar wind flow, resulting from two successive, closely spaced ICMEs.
Differences between spontaneous and triggered earthquakes: Their influences on foreshock probabilities
Authors: Zhuang Jiancang , Christophersen Annemarie , Savage Martha K. , Vere‐Jones David , Ogata Yosihiko , Jackson David D.
Published: November 2008

In this study we investigate the foreshock probabilities calculated from earthquake catalogs from Japan, southern California, and New Zealand. Unlike conventional studies on foreshocks, we use a probability‐based declustering method to separate each catalog into stochastic versions of family trees, such that each event is classified as either having been triggered by a preceding event or being a spontaneous event. The probabilities are determined from parameters that provide the best fit of the real catalogue using a space‐time epidemic‐type aftershock sequence (ETAS) model. The model assumes that background and triggered earthquakes have the same magnitude‐dependent triggering capability. A foreshock here is defined as a spontaneous event that has one or more larger descendants, and a triggered foreshock is a triggered event that has one or more larger descendants. The proportion of foreshocks in spontaneous events of each catalog is found to be lower than the proportion of triggered foreshocks in triggered events. One possibility is that this is due to different triggering productivity in spontaneous versus triggered events, i.e., a triggered event triggers more children than a spontaneous events of the same magnitude. However, further analysis on simulated data shows that such difference might be caused by the events triggered by smaller events below the magnitude threshold of the catalog. Even if the physical interpretation is unclear, a clustering model where spontaneous events and triggered events have different triggering behaviors can be used to assess the risk of foreshocks, and to avoid overpredicting.
Evidence for extensive olivine‐rich basalt bedrock outcrops in Ganges and Eos chasmas, Mars
Authors: Edwards C. S. , Christensen P. R. , Hamilton V. E.
Published: November 2008

Several localized outcrops of olivine‐enriched bedrock have been previously identified in the Ganges and Eos Chasma area on the eastern end of Valles Marineris with the Thermal Emission Imaging System multispectral images. These outcrops form a layer in the walls of Ganges Chasma and appear to be the remnants of a once continuous unit, which was mapped over ∼100 km. In this study we further characterize the composition (forsterite content of ∼0.68), olivine abundance (10 to >15%), thermal inertia (>600 JK−1 m−2 s−1/2, consistent with in‐place rocky material), vertical dimension (∼60 to ∼220 m), extent (>1100 km laterally), volume (∼9.9 × 104 km3), dip (∼0.013°NE), and continuity of this layer utilizing Thermal Emission Spectrometer hyperspectral, Thermal Emission Imaging System multispectral, and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter elevation data. Morphologic data from high‐resolution imagery display a relatively unmantled, rough, and pitted surface associated with the olivine‐enriched material, consistent with thermal inertia data. Four possibilities for the origin of the olivine‐enriched unit are (1) volcanism associated with tectonic rifting of the Valles Marineris system, (2) a volcaniclastic flow deposit, (3) an intrusive mafic sill, or (4) a discrete episode in Martian history during which flood lavas were erupted onto the surface. The most likely origin is an eruptive event consisting of compositionally uniform flood lavas originating from a primitive mantle source region, possibly associated with the initiation of Tharsis volcanism. This unit is one of the largest continuous compositional units found on Mars and is strikingly similar to other olivine‐enriched deposits identified in previous studies where compositional, morphologic, and thermophysical similarities are observed. These similarities may indicate that there was a period in early Martian history, where compositionally uniform and extensive olivine‐enriched flood basalts were erupted on the Martian surface.
Spirit Mars Rover Mission to the Columbia Hills, Gusev Crater: Mission overview and selected results from the Cumberland Ridge to Home Plate
Authors: Arvidson R. E. , Ruff S. W. , Morris R. V. , Ming D. W. , Crumpler L. S. , Yen A. S. , Squyres S. W. , Sullivan R. J. , Bell J. F. , Cabrol N. A. , Clark B. C. , Farrand W. H. , Gellert R. , Greenberger R. , Grant J. A. , Guinness E. A. , Herkenhoff K. E. , Hurowitz J. A. , Johnson J. R. , Klingelhöfer G. , Lewis K. W. , Li R. , McCoy T. J. , Moersch J. , McSween H. Y. , Murchie S. L. , Schmidt M. , Schröder C. , Wang A. , Wiseman S. , Madsen M. B. , Goetz W. , McLennan S. M.
Published: November 2008

This paper summarizes the Spirit rover operations in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater from sols 513 to 1476 and provides an overview of selected findings that focus on synergistic use of the Athena Payload and comparisons to orbital data. Results include discovery of outcrops (Voltaire) on Husband Hill that are interpreted to be altered impact melt deposits that incorporated local materials during emplacement. Evidence for extensive volcanic activity and aqueous alteration in the Inner Basin is also detailed, including discovery and characterization of accretionary lapilli and formation of sulfate, silica, and hematite‐rich deposits. Use of Spirit's data to understand the range of spectral signatures observed over the Columbia Hills by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) hyperspectral imager (0.4–4 μm) is summarized. We show that CRISM spectra are controlled by the proportion of ferric‐rich dust to ferrous‐bearing igneous minerals exposed in ripples and other wind‐blown deposits. The evidence for aqueous alteration derived from Spirit's data is associated with outcrops that are too small to be detected from orbital observations or with materials exposed from the shallow subsurface during rover activities. Although orbital observations show many other locations on Mars with evidence for minerals formed or altered in an aqueous environment, Spirit's data imply that the older crust of Mars has been altered even more extensively than evident from orbital data. This result greatly increases the potential that the surface or shallow subsurface was once a habitable regime.
Interannual variability of photosynthesis across Africa and its attribution
Authors: Williams Christopher A. , Hanan Niall P. , Baker Ian , Collatz G. James , Berry Joseph , Denning A. Scott
Published: November 2008

Africa is thought to be a large source of interannual variability in the global carbon cycle, only vaguely attributed to climate fluctuations. This study uses a biophysical model, Simple Biosphere, to examine in detail what specific factors, physiological (acute stress from low soil water, temperature, or low humidity) and biophysical (low vegetation radiation use), are responsible for spatiotemporal patterns of photosynthesis across the African continent during the period 1982–2003. Acute soil water stress emerges as the primary factor driving interannual variability of photosynthesis for most of Africa. Southern savannas and woodlands are a particular hot spot of interannual variability in photosynthesis, owing to high rainfall variability and photosynthetic potential but intermediate annual rainfall. Surprisingly low interannual variability of photosynthesis in much of the Sudano‐Sahelian zone derives from relatively low vegetation cover, pronounced humidity stress, and somewhat lower rainfall variability, whereas perennially wet conditions diminish interannual variability in photosynthesis across much of the Congo Basin and coastal West Africa. Though not of focus here, the coefficient of variation in photosynthesis is notably high in drylands and desert margins (i.e., Sahel, Greater Horn, Namib, and Kalahari) having implications for supply of food and fiber. These findings emphasize that when considering impacts of climate change and land surface feedbacks to the atmosphere, it is important to recognize how vegetation, climate, and soil characteristics may conspire to filter or dampen ecosystem responses to hydroclimatic variability.
Diatom δ13C, δ15N, and C/N since the Last Glacial Maximum in the Southern Ocean: Potential impact of Species Composition
Authors: Jacot Des Combes H. , Esper O. , De La Rocha C. L. , Abelmann A. , Gersonde R. , Yam R. , Shemesh A.
Published: November 2008

Measurements of δ13C, δ15N, and C/N on diatom‐bound organic matter were made over the Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from three sediment cores in the Southern Ocean, one each from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific sectors. The site in the Scotia Sea (Atlantic sector) differed considerably from the other two sites by having markedly lower δ13C, more variable δ15N and C/N ratios, and a sedimentary diatom assemblage that was never dominated by Fragilariopsis kerguelensis. Although environmental parameters certainly have a strong impact on the isotope ratios, δ13C is also correlated to the proportion of F. kerguelensis in the three cores investigated here (r2 = 0.8). Extreme values of δ13C, δ15N, and C/N at the Last Glacial Maximum were also related to the abundance of winter stages of Eucampia antarctica. These results suggest that diatom specific isotope records should be interpreted in conjunction with information on the species composition of the samples.
Tectonic control on sedimentary facies pattern and sediment accumulation rates in the Miocene foreland basin of the southern Alborz mountains, northern Iran
Authors: Ballato Paolo , Nowaczyk Norbert R. , Landgraf Angela , Strecker Manfred R. , Friedrich Anke , Tabatabaei Saeid H.
Published: November 2008

The southern Alborz mountains of northern Iran are an integral part of the Arabia/Eurasia collision zone. A magnetostratigraphic and rock magnetic investigation of the Eyvanekey stratigraphic section in the southern Alborz mountains reveals the spatiotemporal character of sedimentary facies migration in the Alborz foreland basin. The section constitutes three coarsening upward units (units 1, 2, and 3), comprising the Upper Red and Hezardarreh formations. Our data reveal that the Upper Red Formation was deposited between 17.5 and 7.5 Ma, while the depositional age of the top of the Hezardarreh Formation can be extrapolated to ∼6.2 Ma. Slow sediment accumulation rates correlate with sedimentary facies comprising prograding, coarsening‐upward units. This is likely the result of intraforeland uplift (units 1 and 2) and basin inversion, probably associated with a growth syncline located in the proximal foreland (unit 3). In contrast, fine‐grained strata at the bottom of each cycle are associated with faster sediment accumulation rates, testifying to enhanced flexural basin subsidence in the course of thrust loading. Progradation of coarse‐grained facies also occurred during relatively fast sediment accumulation (top of unit 2), suggesting that the influx of coarse‐grained sediment outpaced the storage capacity of the proximal foreland. Thus, despite an overall southward propagation of deformation into the southern Alborz foreland, the locus of active deformation must have migrated back and forth on a time scale of circa 0.7 to 2 Ma.
Estimation of fracture flow parameters through numerical analysis of hydromechanical pressure pulses
Authors: Cappa Frédéric , Guglielmi Yves , Rutqvist Jonny , Tsang Chin‐Fu , Thoraval Alain
Published: November 2008

The flow parameters of a natural fracture were estimated by modeling in situ pressure pulses. The pulses were generated in two horizontal boreholes spaced 1 m apart vertically and intersecting a near‐vertical highly permeable fracture located within a shallow‐fractured carbonate reservoir. Fracture hydromechanical response was monitored using specialized fiber‐optic borehole equipment that could simultaneously measure fluid pressure and fracture displacements. Measurements indicated a significant time lag between the pressure peak at the injection point and the one at the second measuring point, located 1 m away. The pressure pulse dilated and contracted the fracture. Field data were analyzed through hydraulic and coupled hydromechanical simulations using different governing flow laws. In matching the time lag between the pressure peaks at the two measuring points, our hydraulic models indicated that (1) flow was channeled in the fracture, (2) the hydraulic conductivity tensor was highly anisotropic, and (3) the radius of pulse influence was asymmetric in that the pulse traveled faster vertically than horizontally. Moreover, our parametric study demonstrated that the fluid pressure diffusion through the fracture was quite sensitive to the spacing and orientation of channels, hydraulic aperture, storativity, and hydraulic conductivity. Comparison between hydraulic and hydromechanical models showed that the deformation significantly affected fracture permeability and storativity and, consequently, the fluid pressure propagation, suggesting that the simultaneous measurements of pressure and mechanical displacement signals could substantially improve the interpretation of pulse tests during reservoir characterization.
Microbial communities associated with the invasive Hawaiian sponge Mycale armata
Authors: Wang Guangyi , Yoon Sang-Hwal , Lefait Emilie
Published: November 2008

Microbial symbionts are fundamentally important to their host ecology, but microbial communities of invasive marine species remain largely unexplored. Clone libraries and Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses revealed diverse microbial phylotypes in the invasive marine sponge Mycale armata. Phylotypes were related to eight phyla: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Crenarchaeota and Firmicutes, with predominant alphaproteobacterial sequences (>58%). Three Bacterial Phylotype Groups (BPG1––associated only with sequence from marine sponges; BPG2––associated with sponges and other marine organisms and BPG3––potential new phylotypes) were identified in M. armata. The operational taxonomic units (OTU) of cluster BPG2-B, belonging to Rhodobacteraceae, are dominant sequences of two clone libraries of M. armata, but constitute only a small fraction of sequences from the non-invasive sponge Dysidea sp. Six OTUs from M. armata were potential new phylotypes because of their low sequence identity with their reference sequences. Our results suggest that M. armata harbors both sponge-specific phylotypes and bacterial phylotypes from other marine organisms.
Dielectric Constant of Water Discovered to be Simple Function of Density over Extreme Ranges from – 35 to + 600^o^C and to 1200 MPa (12000 Atm.), Believed Universal
Authors: Marshall William L.
Published: November 2008

The experimental static dielectric constants ([epsilon]) of water formulated by Fernández, et al., (1997-International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, IAPWS), –35 to 600^o^C; 0.1 to 1200 MPa, are discovered to be closely described throughout by a simple equation of density ([rho]), presented here, and agreeing with their reported calculated (extrapolated) values to 923^o^C. Eight limiting boundary conditions are observed. Values of [epsilon] follow isothermal straight-line slopes of log ([epsilon] – 1) vs log [rho] down to densities of 0.25 g cm^-3^ water, even in dioxane-water solutions. At lower densities, all slopes curve asymptotically in approaching unity, while becoming unity throughout at –35^o^C (near metastable freezing point). Slopes above 0.25 g cm^-3^ asymptotically approach 1 2/3 at high temperatures that numerically proportionates ([epsilon] – 1) to volume times surface densities, with a proposed explanation given. Values for [epsilon] of water dissolved in dioxane down to 0.006 g cm^-3^ water (25-300^o^C) and in benzene to 0.014 g cm^-3^ water (300-400^o^C) extend uninterrupted from those for pure water. The Deul-Franck (1984, 1991) values of [epsilon] for benzene (25-400^o^C; to 400 MPa) by the relationship fall on a single straight-line independent of temperature. Theorists should evaluate this simple relationship of water and other liquids to density that appears to be universal.
Lifestyle Intervention in Obese Children With Variations in the Melanocortin 4 Receptor Gene
Authors: Reinehr Thomas , Hebebrand Johannes , Friedel Susann , Toschke André M. , Brumm Harald , Biebermann Heike , Hinney Anke
Published: November 2008

Because information on weight changes after lifestyle intervention in children with mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) gene is scarce, we compared weight changes after lifestyle intervention between children with and without MC4R variations. A group of 514 overweight children (aged 5–16 years), who presented to participate in a 1‐year lifestyle intervention based on exercise, behavior, and nutrition therapy were screened for MC4R mutations. For comparison, children with MC4R mutations leading to reduced receptor function (group A) were each of them randomly matched with five children of same age and gender without MC4R mutations (group B). Changes of weight status were analyzed as change of BMI standard deviation scores (BMI‐SDSs). Furthermore, 16 children (3.1%) harbored MC4R mutations leading to reduced receptor function, and 17 (3.3%) children carried variations not leading to reduced receptor function. Children with and without MC4R mutations reduced their overweight at the end of intervention to a similar degree (P = 0.318 between groups based on an intention‐to‐treat analysis). The maintenance of weight loss after intervention among children with MC4R mutations leading to reduced receptor function failed in contrast to children without such mutations (P < 0.001 adjusted for BMI‐SDS at baseline, age, and gender in an intention‐to‐treat analysis). In conclusion, children with MC4R mutations leading to reduced receptor function were able to lose weight in a lifestyle intervention but had much greater difficulties to maintain this weight loss supporting the impact of these mutations on weight status.
No Apparent Progress in Bioelectrical Impedance Accuracy: Validation Against Metabolic Risk and DXA
Authors: Hemmingsson Erik , Uddén Joanna , Neovius Martin
Published: November 2008

Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) is quick, easy, and safe when quantifying fat and lean tissue. New BIA models (Tanita BC‐418 MA, abbreviated BIA8) can perform segmental body composition analysis, e.g., estimate %trunkal fatness (%TF). It is not known, however, whether new BIA models can detect metabolic risk factors (MRFs) better than older models (Tanita TBF‐300, abbreviated BIA4). We therefore tested the correlation between MRF and percentage whole‐body fat (%BF) from BIA4 and BIA8 and compared these with the correlation between MRF and dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA, used as gold standard), BMI and waist circumference (WC). The sample consisted of 136 abdominally obese (WC ≥ 88 cm), middle‐aged (30–60 years) women. MRF included fasting blood glucose and insulin; high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides; high sensitive C‐reactive protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1), and fibrinogen; and alanine transaminase (ALT) liver enzyme. We found that similar to DXA, but in contrast to BMI, neither %BF BIA4 nor %BF BIA8 correlated with blood lipids or ALT. In the segmental analysis of %TF, BIA8 only correlated with inflammatory markers, but not insulin, blood lipids, or ALT liver enzyme (in contrast to WC and %TF DXA). %TF DXA was associated with homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) independently of WC (P = 0.03), whereas %TF BIA8 was not (P = 0.53). Receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curves confirmed that %TF BIA8 did not differ from chance in the detection of insulin resistance (P = 0.26). BIA estimates of fatness were, at best, weakly correlated with obesity‐related risk factors in abdominally obese women, even the new eight‐electrode model. Our data support the continued use of WC and BMI.
Obesity, Leanness, and Mortality: Effect Modification by Physical Activity in Men and Women
Authors: Heitmann Berit L. , Hills Andrew P. , Frederiksen Peder , Ward Leigh C.
Published: November 2008

The 13‐year mortality from BMI, body fat (BF), and fat‐free mass (FFM) was examined among active and sedentary adults. In total, 2,819 men and women aged 35–65 years in 1987/1988, participating in the Danish MONICA project, were included, and followed for 13.6 years for total mortality. In men, physical activity modified the health hazard of both a high and a low BMI, and the U‐shaped association disappeared among the active (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.86, CI: 0.72–1.02). Among active men, FFM was inversely related to mortality (HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.77) whereas a direct positive trend was seen for BF. Among women, physical activity modified association between BMI and mortality, but the U‐shaped association remained among the active. Among women, no significant associations were found between either BF or FFM and total mortality. All effects were independent of waist‐ and hip‐circumferences. In conclusion, among men, physical activity may play an important role for the prevention of early mortality beyond its direct effects, by modifying the health hazard of both a high and a low BMI, and by lowering the risk associated with a high BF or a low FFM. Among women physical activity lowers mortality, but an effect‐modifying potential of physical activity on associations between BMI or body composition could not be identified.
Antiandrogenic Contraceptives Increase Serum Adiponectin in Obese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Luque‐Ramírez Manuel , Álvarez‐Blasco Francisco , Escobar‐Morreale Héctor F.
Published: November 2008

Increasing evidence suggests that adipocyte function is altered in the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as a result of androgen excess, providing an explanation for its frequent association with abdominal adiposity and insulin resistance. We here compared the response of serum adiponectin and leptin levels to the amelioration of androgen excess by means of treatment with an antiandrogenic oral contraceptive pill, as compared with the response to insulin sensitization with metformin. Thirty‐four women presenting with PCOS were randomized to treatment with an oral contraceptive containing 35 µg ethinyl‐estradiol plus 2 mg cyproterone acetate (Diane35 Diario) or with metformin (850 mg twice daily). Serum adiponectin and leptin levels were evaluated at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. In obese PCOS women, treatment with Diane35 Diario resulted in an increase in serum adiponectin levels and in the adiponectin/leptin ratio, in parallel with a marked decrease in serum androgen concentrations, whereas no statistically significant changes were observed during treatment with metformin. On the contrary, leptin concentrations did not show any statistically significant change during the study with any of the drugs studied here. In summary, our present results might suggest a direct inhibitory effect of androgen excess on adiponectin secretion by adipocytes in obese PCOS women, supporting the hypothesis that androgen excess contributes to adipocyte dysfunction in these women.
Becoming Physically Active After Bariatric Surgery is Associated With Improved Weight Loss and Health‐related Quality of Life
Authors: Bond Dale S. , Phelan Suzanne , Wolfe Luke G. , Evans Ronald K. , Meador Jill G. , Kellum John M. , Maher James W. , Wing Rena R.
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine whether pre‐ to postoperative increases in physical activity (PA) are associated with weight loss and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) following bariatric surgery. Participants were 199 Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery patients. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to categorize participants into three groups according to their preoperative and /1‐year postoperative PA level: (i) Inactive/Active (<200‐min/week/≥200‐min/week), (ii) Active/Active (≥200‐min/week/≥200‐min/week) and (iii) Inactive/Inactive (<200‐min/week/<200‐min/week). The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form‐36 (SF‐36) was used to assess HRQoL. Analyses of covariance were conducted to examine the effects of PA group on weight and HRQoL changes. Inactive/Active participants, compared with Inactive/Inactive individuals, had greater reductions in weight (52.5 ± 15.4 vs. 46.4 ± 12.8 kg) and BMI (18.9 ± 4.6 vs. 16.9 ± 4.2 kg/m2). Weight loss outcomes in the Inactive/Active and Active/Active groups were similar to each other. Inactive/Active and Active/Active participants reported greater improvements than Inactive/Inactive participants on the mental component summary (MCS) score and the general health, vitality and mental health domains (P < 0.01). Although the direction of causation is not clear, these findings suggest that RYGB patients who become active postoperatively achieve weight losses and HRQoL improvements that are greater than those experienced by patients who remain inactive and comparable to those attained by patients who stay active. Future randomized controlled trials should examine whether assisting patients who are inactive preoperatively to increase their PA postoperatively contributes to optimization of weight loss and HRQoL outcomes.
Paxillin nuclear-cytoplasmic localization is regulated by phosphorylation of the LD4 motif: evidence that nuclear paxillin promotes cell proliferation
Authors: Dong Jing-Ming , Lau Lei-Shong , Ng Yuen-Wai , Lim Louis , Manser Ed
Published: November 2008

Paxillin, a major focal-adhesion complex component belongs to the subfamily of LIM domain proteins and participates in cell adhesion-mediated signal transduction. It is implicated in cell-motility responses upon activation of cell-surface receptors and can recruit, among others, the GIT1 [GRK (G-protein-coupled-receptor kinase)-interacting ARF (ADP-ribosylation factor) GAP (GTPase-activating protein)]–PIX [PAK (p21-activated kinase)-interacting exchange factor]–PAK1 complex. Several adhesion proteins including zyxin, Hic5 and Trip6 are also nuclear and can exert transcriptional effects. In the present study we show that endogenous paxillin shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus, and we have used a variety of tagged paxillin constructs to map the nuclear export signal. This region overlaps an important LD4 motif that binds GIT1 and FAK1 (focal-adhesion kinase 1). We provide evidence that phosphorylation of Ser272 within LD4 blocks nuclear export, and we show that this modification also reduces GIT1, but not FAK1, binding; however, Ser272 phosphorylation does not appear to be mediated by PAK1 as previously suggested. Expression of nuclear-localized paxillin LIM domains stimulate DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. By real-time PCR analysis we have established that overexpression of either full-length paxillin or a truncated nuclear form suppresses expression of the parental imprinted gene H19, and modulation of this locus probably affects the rate of NIH-3T3 cell proliferation.
Phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I by mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1
Authors: You Bei , Yan Guijun , Zhang Zhiling , Yan Lin , Li Jing , Ge Qingyuan , Jin Jian-Ping , Sun Jianxin
Published: November 2008

Mst1 (mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1) is a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase and its activation in the heart causes cardiomyocyte apoptosis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Its myocardial substrates, however, remain unknown. In a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human heart cDNA library with a dominant-negative Mst1 (K59R) mutant used as bait, cTn [cardiac Tn (troponin)] I was identified as an Mst1-interacting protein. The interaction of cTnI with Mst1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in both co-transfected HEK-293 cells (human embryonic kidney cells) and native cardiomyocytes, in which cTnI interacted with full-length Mst1, but not with its N-terminal kinase fragment. in vitro phosphorylation assays demonstrated that cTnI is a sensitive substrate for Mst1. In contrast, cTnT was phosphorylated by Mst1 only when it was incorporated into the Tn complex. MS analysis indicated that Mst1 phosphorylates cTnI at Thr31, Thr51, Thr129 and Thr143. Substitution of Thr31 with an alanine residue reduced Mst1-mediated cTnI phosphorylation by 90%, whereas replacement of Thr51, Thr129 or Thr143 with alanine residues reduced Mst1-catalysed cTnI phosphorylation by approx. 60%, suggesting that Thr31 is a preferential phosphorylation site for Mst1. Furthermore, treatment of cardiomyocytes with hydrogen peroxide rapidly induced Mst1-dependent phosphorylation of cTnI at Thr31. Protein epitope analysis and binding assays showed that Mst1-mediated phosphorylation modulates the molecular conformation of cTnI and its binding affinity to TnT and TnC, thus indicating functional significances. The results of the present study suggest that Mst1 is a novel mediator of cTnI phosphorylation in the heart and may contribute to the modulation of myofilament function under a variety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions.