bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interannual variability in the atmospheric CO2 rectification over a boreal forest region
Authors: Chen Baozhang , Chen Jing M. , Worthy Douglas E. J.
Published: August 2005

Ecosystem CO2 exchange with the atmosphere and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics are correlated diurnally and seasonally. The strength of this kind of covariation is quantified as the rectifier effect, and it affects the vertical gradient of CO2 and thus the global CO2 distribution pattern. An 11‐year (1990–1996, 1999–2002), continuous CO2 record from Fraserdale, Ontario (49°52′29.9″N, 81°34′12.3″W), along with a coupled vertical diffusion scheme (VDS) and ecosystem model named Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS), are used to investigate the interannual variability of the rectifier effect over a boreal forest region. The coupled model performed well (r2 = 0.70 and 0.87, at 40 m at hourly and daily time steps, respectively) in simulating CO2 vertical diffusion processes. The simulated annual atmospheric rectifier effect varies from 3.99 to 5.52 ppm, while the diurnal rectifying effect accounted for about a quarter of the annual total (22.8∼28.9%).The atmospheric rectification of CO2 is not simply influenced by terrestrial source and sink strengths, but by seasonal and diurnal variations in the land CO2 flux and their interaction with PBL dynamics. Air temperature and moisture are found to be the dominant climatic factors controlling the rectifier effect. The annual rectifier effect is highly correlated with annual mean temperature (r2 = 0.84), while annual mean air relative humidity can explain 51% of the interannual variation in rectification. Seasonal rectifier effect is also found to be more sensitive to climate variability than diurnal rectifier effect.
Glacial to interglacial changes in the settling depth of the Mediterranean Outflow plume
Authors: Rogerson M. , Rohling E. J. , Weaver P. P. E. , Murray J. W.
Published: August 2005

We present micropalaeontological and grain‐size records for a set of sediment cores from the Gulf of Cadiz (southwest Spain) that reflect changes in the position and strength of the Mediterranean Outflow (MO) current. The cores sample a sediment drift (the Gil Eanes Drift) that is positioned lower on the slope in the Gulf of Cadiz than the position of the main current today. The data indicate that the drift is of glacial age and that the glacial MO current was positioned lower on the slope than today but also that it was active over a considerably reduced area of the slope. We argue that this observation is consistent with physical constraints on the Gibraltar Exchange and on the likely settling and spreading behavior of the MO plume along the Iberian Margin under glacial environmental and sea level conditions. The deeper settling of the MO is likely to have influenced the formation of glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water and also may have exerted indirect influence on the formation of glacial North Atlantic Deep Water.
Geomagnetic storm of 29–31 October 2003: Geomagnetically induced currents and their relation to problems in the Swedish high‐voltage power transmission system
Authors: Pulkkinen Antti , Lindahl Sture , Viljanen Ari , Pirjola Risto
Published: August 2005

On 30 October 2003, an ongoing geomagnetic superstorm knocked down a part of the high‐voltage power transmission system in southern Sweden. The blackout lasted for an hour and left about 50,000 customers without electricity. The incident was probably the most severe geomagnetically induced current (GIC) failure observed since the well‐known March 1989 Québec blackout. The “three‐phase” storm produced exceptionally large geomagnetic activity at the Fennoscandian auroral region. Although the diversity of the GIC drivers is addressed in the study, the problems in operating the Swedish system during the storm are attributed geophysically to substorms, storm sudden commencement, and enhanced ionospheric convection, all of which created large and complex geoelectric fields capable of driving large GIC. On the basis of the basic twofold nature of the failure‐related geoelectric field characteristics, a semideterministic approach for forecasting GIC‐related geomagnetic activity in which average overall activity is supplemented with statistical estimations of the amplitudes of GIC fluctuations is suggested. The study revealed that the primary mode of GIC‐related failures in the Swedish high‐voltage power transmission system were via harmonic distortions produced by GIC combined with too sensitive operation of the protective relays. The outage in Malmö on 30 October 2003 was caused by a combination of an abnormal switching state of the system and tripping of a low‐set residual overcurrent relay that had a high sensitivity for the third harmonic of the fundamental frequency.
Automatic rainfall recharge model induction by evolutionary computational intelligence
Authors: Hong Yoon‐Seok Timothy , White Paul A. , Scott David M.
Published: August 2005

Genetic programming (GP) is used to develop models of rainfall recharge from observations of rainfall recharge and rainfall, calculated potential evapotranspiration (PET) and soil profile available water (PAW) at four sites over a 4 year period in Canterbury, New Zealand. This work demonstrates that the automatic model induction method is a useful development in modeling rainfall recharge. The five best performing models evolved by genetic programming show a highly nonlinear relationship between rainfall recharge and the independent variables. These models are dominated by a positive correlation with rainfall, a negative correlation with the square of PET, and a negative correlation with PAW. The best performing GP models are more reliable than a soil water balance model at predicting rainfall recharge when rainfall recharge is observed in the late spring, summer, and early autumn periods. The “best” GP model provides estimates of cumulative sums of rainfall recharge that are closer than a soil water balance model to observations at all four sites.
Scattering by rough surface using a hybrid technique combining the multilevel UV method with the sparse matrix canonical grid method
Authors: Xu Peng , Tsang Leung
Published: August 2005

A procedure is developed for combining efficiently the multilevel UV method with the sparse matrix canonical grid (SMCG) method in the computation of three‐dimensional (3‐D) wave scattering from random rough surface. It handles near‐ and intermediate‐field interactions by the multilevel UV method and far‐field interactions by the SMCG method. This hybrid UV/SMCG method removes the large memory requirement of both the UV method in the far field and the SMCG method in the near field. The computational complexity for the hybrid method is O(NlogN). The tradeoffs in computer memory requirement and CPU time between the UV part and the SMCG part are examined for Gaussian random rough surfaces with Gaussian correlation function and with exponential correlation function. For a surface area of 44 × 44 square wavelengths with RMS of 1 wavelength and 123,904 surface unknowns, the UV/SMCG method requires CPU of 52.2 s per iteration with total CPU of 46.6 min for 22 iterations on a single processor of CPU speed of 2.66 GHz.
Environmental uncertainty and survival of international joint ventures: the case of political and economic risk in emerging countries
Authors: Meschi Pierre‐Xavier
Published: August 2005

This article examines the survival of international joint ventures formed in emerging countries. More precisely, our research consisted in studying the survival rate of international joint ventures, and relating it to country risk. A survival analysis was applied to a sample of 210 international joint ventures that were formed during the year 1996 by foreign partners originating from the European Union and local partners from different emerging countries. This survival analysis was used together with a Cox proportional hazards model testing for the impact of different country risk variables (included in the model as time‐varying constructs) on the hazard rate of international joint ventures. Time‐related variations were observed in their termination rate (i.e., inverted single U variations) and their hazard rate (i.e., curvilinear distribution with honeymoon effect). Concerning the impact of country risk on joint venture survival, the findings provided only a partial confirmation of this impact: the link between country risk and joint venture survival is only supported empirically for the overall score of economic risk. A negative impact was observed and it may be interpreted as follows: a high economic uncertainty is associated with a hazard rate of joint ventures that decreases with time, and vice versa.
Operator product expansions as a consequence of phase space properties
Authors: Bostelmann Henning
Published: August 2005

The paper presents a model-independent, nonperturbative proof of operator product expansions in quantum field theory. As an input, a recently proposed phase space condition is used that allows a precise description of point field structures. Based on the product expansions, we also define and analyze normal products (in the sense of Zimmermann).
Investigation of annealing effects and film thickness dependence of polymer solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)
Authors: Li Gang , Shrotriya Vishal , Yao Yan , Yang Yang
Published: August 2005

Regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT) is a promising candidate for polymer photovoltaic research due to its stability and absorption in the red region. In this manuscript, we report polymer photovoltaic devices based on RR-P3HT:methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) 1:1 weight-ratio blend. We studied the effects of annealing temperature and time on the device performance for devices annealed before and after cathode deposition. Thermal annealing shows significant improvement in the performance for both types of annealing conditions, with postproduction annealing being slightly better. For devices with a 43-nm-thick active layer, maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.2% and fill factor up to 67% is achieved under Air Mass 1.5, 100-mW∕cm2 illumination. We performed atomic force microscopy and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy on the P3HT:PCBM films to explain the effect of thermal annealing. By keeping the optimized thermal annealing condition and by varying the active layer thickness, we fabricated devices with PCE up to 4.0%, which is the highest efficiency reported so far for this system.
Direct evidence of the molecular switching in electrically commanded surfaces for liquid-crystal displays
Authors: Škarabot Miha , Muševič Igor , Helgee Bertil , Komitov Lachezar
Published: August 2005

This work, performed by means of time-resolved high-resolution birefringence measurements, establishes the switching mechanism of electrically commanded surfaces (ECS) for liquid-crystal displays. A distinct polar electro-optic response, due to the field-induced in-plane switching of the molecules of the 200-nm ferroelectric liquid crystalline polysiloxane alignment layer representing ECS, was detected in a cell filled with isotropic liquid (hexadecane). The similarity between this response and the one reported recently in cells containing the same ECS but with a nematic liquid-crystal bulk with negative dielectric anisotropy (Δε<0) and field-free planar alignment provides direct and unambiguous proof that the switching in these cells is indeed mediated by the ECS.
Correlation between the sp2-phase nanostructure and the physical properties of unhydrogenated carbon nitride
Authors: Tabbal M. , Christidis T. , Isber S. , Mérel P. , El Khakani M. A. , Chaker M. , Amassian A. , Martinu L.
Published: August 2005

This paper consists of an investigation of the structural arrangement of the sp2 phase in amorphous unhydrogenated carbon nitride (a-CNx) films and its effect on their physical properties. The a-CNx films (0.16<x<0.25) were synthesized using a hybrid deposition system combining laser ablation of graphite and a source of atomic nitrogen. The microstructure of the films was investigated by Raman spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), while their optical and mechanical properties were determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry and nanoindentation, respectively. It was found that deposition at high laser intensities leads to an increase in the spin density (>1020∕cm3) and the EPR linewidth (of a few gausses) along with a decrease in nitrogen content. Visible Raman measurements indicate that these effects are accompanied by an increase in the degree of disorder of the sp2 phase, as inferred from the broadening and downshift of the G Raman band, and a reduction of the CN triple bond signal. The analysis of these results in terms of the structural configuration and bonding in the films, show that an enhancement of the connectivity of the sp2 phase in the layers, takes place when deposition is performed at high laser intensities. These structural modifications are strongly correlated to a decrease in the optical gap from 0.61 to 0.21 eV as well as to an increase of the hardness value of the films from 12 to 24 GPa. The transition from a reduced to an enhanced connectivity of the sp2 phase occurs when the nitrogen content decreases below 22 at. %, as a result of the detected reduction of the triply bonded CN species in the layers.
Calculation of the electrical power dissipated in silent discharge reactors
Authors: Yehia Ashraf , Mizuno Akira
Published: August 2005

This paper is aimed to investigating how the electrical power consumed in generating silent discharges is influenced by the width of the annular discharge gap in the reactor. The silent discharges have been generated in conventional tubular reactors forming annular discharge gaps of 1×10−3-, 2×10−3-, and 3×10−3-m width, with one dielectric barrier pasting on the ground electrodes of the reactors. The reactors were fed by dry air flowing with a constant rate at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, and stressed by an ac voltage. The discharge power consumed in generating silent discharges has been measured as a function of the voltage applied to the reactors up to a Vp of 20 000 V, and calculated by Manley’s equation under the same discharge conditions. The experimental and calculated results have shown that when the reactor has a discharge gap of 1×10−3- or 2×10−3-m width, Manley’s equation agrees only with the experimental results in range of the voltage of V0⩽Vp⩽Vc. In the higher range of the applied voltage of Vc⩽Vp⩽20000V, Manley’s equation has been modified to fit the experimental results. With the reactor that has a discharge gap of 3×10−3-m width, Manley’s equation agrees with the experimental results over the whole range of the voltage applied to the reactor. The results have been explained by recorded oscillograms showing the wave form of the ac voltage applied to the reactors and the corresponding discharge current.
Property investigation of C+-ion-implanted LiNbO3 planar optical waveguides
Authors: Chen Feng , Hu Hui , Wang Xue-Lin , Lu Fei , Wang Ke-Ming
Published: August 2005

The LiNbO3 planar optical waveguides are fabricated by 3.0-MeV C+ ion implantation at the doses of 1.5–10.5×10(14)cm−2. Both TE and TM modes are observed by prism coupling method (m lines). The reconstructed refractive index profiles of the guiding region show that extraordinary index has an enhancement compared with the substrate of LiNbO3, while ordinary index experiences a typical “barrier” change. The modal analysis of the waveguides shows a good confinement of light in fundamental TM mode. The tendency of effective refractive index (decrease after the annealing for TE and increase after annealing for TM) suggests a moderate recovery of the lattice.
Hierarchy of beam plasma instabilities up to high beam densities for fast ignition scenario
Authors: Bret A. , Deutsch C.
Published: August 2005

The hierarchy of electromagnetic instabilities suffered by a relativistic electron beam passing through a plasma is investigated. The fluid approximation is used and beam densities up to the plasma one are considered. The hierarchy between instabilities is established in terms of two parameters only: the beam relativistic factor and the ratio nb∕np of the beam density to the plasma one. It is found that for nb∕np≲0.53, the most unstable modes are a mix between filamentation and two-stream instabilities. Beyond this limit, filamentation instability may dominate, depending on the beam relativistic factor. The largest growth rates are found for a beam density slightly smaller than the plasma one.
The importance of network structure in high-k dielectrics: LaAlO3, Pr2O3, and Ta2O5
Authors: Busani T. , Devine R. A. B.
Published: August 2005

Measurements of the dielectric constant of amorphous and crystalline Pr2O3 are reported. The high value ∼25 for the polycrystalline phase is discussed in terms of the network structure and comparison is made with heavy rare-earth oxide values. The specific cases of LaAlO3 and Ta2O5 are also discussed and the role of network structure evidenced and elucidated. A potential route to finding high k materials suitable for microelectronics applications is suggested.
Recycling biosolids to pasture-based animal production systems in Australia: a review of evidence on the control of potentially toxic metals and persistent organic compounds recycled to agricultural land
Authors: Hill J.
Published: August 2005

Biosolids from municipal waste water treatment are commonly used in agriculture as a source of nutrients, organic matter, and irrigation. There is, however, concern that the use of biosolids on pasture can lead to an accumulation of potentially toxic metals (PTM) and persistent organic compounds (POC) in the surface layers of soil and associated herbage that can be ingested by grazing livestock. This review examines the following two key questions. Is the use of these materials in an agricultural setting safe and practical? Is the use of biosolids safe in all climates, on all soils, and is it sustainable over the long term? To answer these important questions, the Australian regulatory framework is examined in light of similar legislation in Europe and the United States on the basis of scientific evidence that underpins the published limits, contaminant gradings, annual loadings, and prescribed restrictions on the use of biosolids in agriculture. The review concludes that the regulatory frameworks currently enacted at State level suffer from a lack of data to underpin the risk assessments conducted to prevent transfer of PTM and POC to the human food chain from livestock production and the basis of published thresholds is poorly defined. The important areas of future research are identified as studies on acquisition and transfer of PTM and POC to grazing animals and the subsequent effect of attenuation of the pollutant on the human food chain, the validation and acceptance of methods to quantify POC in biosolids, the effect of recycling of biosolids on the economic performance of pasture-based agriculture, and the market perception of animal products produced from land receiving biosolids.
Regulation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Down-Regulation by UBPY-mediated Deubiquitination at Endosomes
Authors: Mizuno Emi , Iura Takanobu , Mukai Akiko , Yoshimori Tamotsu , Kitamura Naomi , Komada Masayuki
Published: August 2005

Ligand-activated receptor tyrosine kinases undergo endocytosis and are transported via endosomes to lysosomes for degradation. This “receptor down-regulation” process is crucial to terminate the cell proliferation signals produced by activated receptors. During the process, ubiquitination of the receptors serves as a sorting signal for their trafficking from endosomes to lysosomes. Here, we describe the role of a deubiquitinating enzyme UBPY/USP8 in the down-regulation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR). Overexpression of UBPY reduced the ubiquitination level of EGFR and delayed its degradation in EGF-stimulated cells. Immunopurified UBPY deubiquitinated EGFR in vitro. In EGF-stimulated cells, UBPY underwent ubiquitination and bound to EGFR. Overexpression of Hrs or a dominant-negative mutant of SKD1, proteins that play roles in the endosomal sorting of ubiquitinated receptors, caused the accumulation of endogenous UBPY on exaggerated endosomes. A catalytically inactive UBPY mutant clearly localized on endosomes, where it overlapped with EGFR when cells were stimulated with EGF. Finally, depletion of endogenous UBPY by RNA interference resulted in elevated ubiquitination and accelerated degradation of EGF-activated EGFR. We conclude that UBPY negatively regulates the rate of EGFR down-regulation by deubiquitinating EGFR on endosomes.
INTERNATIONAL OUTSOURCING AND THE PRODUCTIVITY OF LOW‐SKILLED LABOR IN THE EU
Authors: EGGER HARTMUT , EGGER PETER
Published: August 2005

This article presents first insights into the role of international outsourcing on the productivity of low‐skilled workers in EU manufacturing. Whereas in the short run international outsourcing exhibits a negative marginal effect on real value added per low‐skilled worker, the long‐run parameter estimates reveal a positive impact. This may be explained by imperfections in European labor and goods markets, which prohibit an immediate adjustment in the factor employment and the output structure. The change in the outsourcing intensity since 1993 alone acounts for a long‐run increase of about 6.0% in the real value added per low‐skilled worker. (JEL C33, F14, F15)
Context and the Economic Vote: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Duch Raymond M. , Stevenson Randy
Published: August 2005

Voters use observed economic performance to infer the competence of incumbent politicians. These economic perceptions enter the voter's utility calculations modified by a weight that is minimized when the variance in exogenous shocks to the economy is very large relative to the variance in economic outcomes associated with the competence of politicians. Cross-national variations in the political and economic context systematically increase or undermine the voter's ability to ascertain the competency of incumbents. We test one hypothesis: As policy-making responsibility is shared more equally among parties, economic evaluations will be more important in the vote decision. We employ two multilevel modeling procedures for estimating the contextual variations in micro-level economic voting effects: a conventional pooled approach and a two-stage procedure. We compare the multivariate results of a pooled method with our two-stage estimation procedure and conclude that they are similar. Our empirical efforts use data from 163 national surveys from 18 countries over a 22-year period.
Keynote Article: The Constitutional Treaty – Three Readings from a Fusion Perspective
Authors: WESSELS WOLFGANG
Published: August 2005

L'esprit humain invente plus facilement les choses que les mots: de là vient l'usage de tant de termes impropres et d'expressions incomplètes’ Alexis de Tocqueville, De la Dàmocratie en Amàrique
Loss of claudin‐1 expression in tumor‐associated vessels correlates with acquisition of metastatic phenotype in melanocytic neoplasms
Authors: Cohn Michael L. , Goncharuk Viktor N. , Diwan A. Hafeez , Zhang Peter S. , Shen Steven S. , Prieto Victor G.
Published: August 2005

Abstract:  Claudins are a family of transmembrane proteins involved in cell‐to‐cell adhesion and are believed to be the main component of tight junctions. Recent studies have suggested that some metastatic solid tumors lack claudin expression. It is unknown whether claudins play a role in cutaneous melanoma. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on tissue microarrays containing 19 benign melanocytic nevi (BN), 21 dysplastic nevi (DN), 23 primary malignant melanomas (MMs), and 31 metastatic melanomas (MMMs) using a polyclonal anti‐claudin‐1 antibody. Immunoreactivity in tumor cells and associated vessels was graded by intensity and by percentage of reactive cells. Normal epidermis served as internal control (3+ labeling). Cases with at least 2+ labeling in more than 25% of the cells were considered positive. Claudin‐1 expression was present in 37% of BN, 24% of DN, 26% of MM, and 3.2% of MMM. Tumor‐associated vessels showed the following results: 11 of 19 (58%) in BN, 14 of 21 (67%) in DN, 17 of 23 (74%) in MM, and 6 of 31 (19%) in MMM. A significant loss of expression was noted between MMM and all other lesions in tumor cells and associated vessels. There was no significant difference between BN, DN, and MM. Within primary melanomas, there was a significant correlation between expression of claudin in tumor cells and Clark level/Breslow thickness. Also significant was a decreased expression of claudin in tumor vessels of lesions with higher Breslow thickness or Clark level. These data suggest that loss of claudin‐1 may play a significant role in the acquisition of metastatic phenotype in cutaneous melanoma.
Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor: three unusual cases occurring in infancy
Authors: Leclerc Stéphanie , Hamel‐Teillac Dominique , Oger Patrice , Brousse Nicole , Fraitag Sylvie
Published: August 2005

Background:  Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor is a soft‐tissue tumor of intermediate malignancy occurring in children and young adults but is only rarely found in infants. The tumor usually involves the upper limbs and is slow growing and painless. Recurrence rate is high. Lymph node and systemic metastases can occur, but have never been reported in infants. Clinical behavior in infancy is not known. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by nodules of histiocyte‐like and multinucleated cells and fascicles of spindle cells arranged in a plexiform pattern. Mitosis, atypia, and nuclear pleomorphism are common but not pronounced.

Methods and Results:  We report three cases in infants, one of which is congenital, having an unusual topography and a broad histological spectrum.

Conclusion:  In infants, wide excision with large safety margins should be performed as the behaviour of this tumor remains uncertain.
Expression of androgen receptor coactivator ARA70/ELE1 in androgenic alopecia
Authors: Lee Peng , Zhu Chang‐Cheng , Sadick N. S. , Diwan A. Hafeez , Zhang Peter S. , Liu Jinsong S. , Prieto Victor G.
Published: August 2005

Background:  Androgens have been implicated in androgenic alopecia as evidenced by the increased cutaneous expression of androgen receptor (AR), 5α‐reductase, and decreased aromatase. Abnormalities of the AR‐signal transduction pathway probably participate in the development of androgenic alopecia. ARA70/ELE1 is an AR coactivator with two isoforms, one full‐length form (ARA70α/ELE1α), and an internally deleted form (ARA70β/ELE1β). We decided to examine the cutaneous expression of both isoforms in male androgenic alopecia.

Methods:  Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue sections from seven subjects with androgenic alopecia with matched punch biopsies from non‐balding and balding areas were examined by in situ hybridization.

Results:  Expression of at least one of the two probes for ARA70/ELE1 was present in all phases of the hair‐growth cycle in all epithelial hair structures except for the inner root sheath. The dermal papilla and hair bulb expressed only the short (β) but not the long (α) form of ARA70/ELE1. In situ labeling for ARA70β/ELE1β was weaker in the dermal papilla of balding recipient areas than those from donor ones.

Conclusions:  Our data further support that the hair growth is regulated by androgens. The differential expression pattern of ARA70/ELE1 suggests that this key androgen receptor coactivator is involved in androgenic alopecia.
Maternal Position at Midwife‐Attended Birth and Perineal Trauma:  Is There an Association?
Authors: Soong Barbara , Barnes Margaret
Published: August 2005

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Most women will sustain some degree of trauma to the genital tract after vaginal birth. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal position at birth and perineal outcome in women who had a midwife‐attended, spontaneous vaginal birth and an uncomplicated pregnancy at term. Methods: Data from 3,756 births in a major public tertiary teaching hospital were eligible for analysis. The need for sutures in perineal trauma was evaluated and compared for each major factor studied (maternal age, first vaginal delivery, induction of labor, not occipitoanterior, use of regional anesthesia, deflexed head and newborn birthweight >3,500 g). Birth positions were compared against each other. Subgroup analysis determined whether birth positions mattered more or less in each of the major factors studied. The chi‐square test was used to compare categorical variables. Results: Most women (65.9%) gave birth in the semi‐recumbent position. Of the 1,679 women (44.5%) who required perineal suturing, semi‐recumbent position was associated with the need for perineal sutures, whereas all‐fours was associated with reduced need for sutures; these associations were more marked in first vaginal births and newborn birth weight over 3,500 g. When regional anesthesia was used, semi‐recumbent position was associated with a need for suturing, and lateral position associated with a reduced need for suturing. The four major factors significantly related to perineal trauma included first vaginal birth, use of regional anesthesia, deflexed head, and newborn weight more than 3,500 g. Conclusions: Women should be given the choice to give birth in whatever position they find comfortable. Maternity practitioners have a responsibility to inform women of the likelihood of perineal trauma in the preferred birth position. Ongoing audit of all clinicians attending births is encouraged to further determine effects of maternal birth position and perineal trauma, to investigate women's perception of comfortable positioning at birth, and to measure changes to midwifery practice resulting from this study.
Episiotomy Rates Around the World: An Update
Authors: Graham Ian D. , Carroli Guillermo , Davies Christine , Medves Jennifer Mary
Published: August 2005

ABSTRACT:  Episiotomy, the unkindest cut of all, persists despite clinical practice guidelines recommending its restrictive use. The purpose of this paper was to compile international statistics on the use of this practice and examine whether current guidance on the restrictive use of episiotomy was being followed. Methods: We searched government websites and the Internet, contacted colleagues for references, and checked the references of retrieved citations. Results: Statistics from around the world revealed overall high rates of episiotomy with a decreasing trend in some countries. Considerable variation occurs in the use of the operation by country, within countries, and even within the same professional provider group. Conclusions: Greater efforts are needed than currently in place to reduce the episiotomy rate, particularly in the developing world.
Linked Ecologies: States and Universities as Environments for Professions
Authors: Abbott Andrew
Published: August 2005

In this article I generalize ecological theory by developing the notion of separate but linked ecologies. I characterize an ecology by its set of actors, its set of locations, and the relation it involves between these. I then develop two central concepts for the linkage of ecologies: hinges and avatars. The first are issues or strategies that “work” in both ecologies at once. The second are attempts to institutionalize in one ecology a copy or colony of an actor in another. The article investigates the first of these concepts using two detailed examples of hinge analysis between the professional and political ecologies. Both concern medical licensing, the first in 19th-century New York and the second in 19th-century England. For the avatar concept, the article analyzes four less detailed cases linking the professional and university ecologies: computer science, criminal justice, clinical psychology, and applied economics.
The Detraditionalization of Intimacy Reconsidered
Authors: Gross Neil
Published: August 2005

This essay challenges those strains of contemporary social theory that regard romantic/ sexual intimacy as a premier site of detraditionalization in the late modern era. Striking changes have occurred in intimacy and family life over the last half-century, but the notion of detraditionalization as currently formulated does not capture them very well. With the goal of achieving a more refined understanding, the article proposes a distinction between “regulative” and “meaning-constitutive” traditions. The former involve threats of exclusion from various moral communities; the latter involve linguistic and cultural frameworks within which sense is made of the world. Focusing on the U.S. case and marshaling various kinds of empirical evidence, the article argues that while the regulative tradition of what it terms lifelong, internally stratified marriage has declined in strength in recent years, the image of the form of couplehood inscribed in this regulative tradition continues to function as a hegemonic ideal in many American intimate relationships. Intimacy in the United States also remains beholden to the tradition of romantic love. That these meaning-constitutive traditions continue to play a central role in structuring contemporary intimacy suggests that detraditionalization involves the relative decline only of certain regulative traditions, a point that calls into question some of the normative assessments that often accompany the detraditionalization thesis.
Trade Credit and Monetary Policy Transmission
Authors: Mateut Simona
Published: August 2005

Abstract.  Recently, an increasing number of papers have investigated the role of trade credit as an external source of finance when analyzing the monetary transmission mechanism. These works support the balance sheet‐channel view and at the same time explain the difficulties encountered when looking for evidence in favor of the bank‐lending channel. This paper presents a survey of the emerging literature on the role of trade credit in the transmission of monetary policy, trying to link it with the well‐established credit‐channel literature.
HEPARIN INHIBITS INFECTIVITY OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IN VITRO
Authors: Nagumo Toshiyuki , Hoshino Hiroo
Published: August 2005

The infectivity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was inhibited by heparin, though de‐N‐sulfated heparin and heparin pretreated with protamine sulfate were hardly inhibitory. There was a correlation between the anticoagulant activities and anti‐HIV activities of heparin‐related compounds.
Sandwich Radioimmunometric Assay with Murine Monoclonal Antibody, NCC‐ST‐439, for Serological Diagnosis of Human Cancers
Authors: Sugano Kokichi , Ohkura Hisanao , Maruyama Takashi , Watanabe Masahiko , Hirohashi Setsuo , Shimosato Yukio , Kodaira Susumu , Abe Osahiko
Published: August 2005

Sandwich radioimmunometric assay (RIA) for a new tumor‐associated carbohydrate antigen defined by a monoclonal antibody (MoAb), NCC‐ST‐439, was developed and the antigen levels were determined in sera of normal donors, and patients with various malignant and non‐malignant disorders. In normal donors, 97.0% (226/233) of sera were antigen‐negative (less than 12 units/ml) except for 7 serum samples from young females. In patients with malignant disorders, 34.2% (82/240) were antigen‐positive, in particular 64.0% (16/25) of patients with pancreatic carcinoma, 66.7% (16/24) of patients with recurrent colorectal carcinoma and 54,5% (6/11) of patients with recurrent breast carcinoma. In patients with non‐malignant disorders, 6.0% (7/116) were antigen‐positive. The positive rate in benign hepatobiliary disorders, including gallstones, hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, was especially low at 4.3% (1/23). We concluded that determination of serum NCC‐ST‐439 antigen would be useful in serodiagnosis of carcinoma patients.
Tumor Necrosis Factor‐inducing Activities of Lipid A Preparations from Pseudomonas diminuta and Pseudomonas vesicularis
Authors: Arata Satoru , Nakaya Kazuyasu , Furuhashi Hisayoshi , Nakamura Yasuharu , Hirayama Tohru , Mashimo Jun‐ichi , Kasai Nobuhiko
Published: August 2005

Tumor necrosis factor (TNP)‐inducing activities of lipid A preparations from P. diminuta and P. vesicularis, which contain mainly 2 mol of 2,3‐diamino‐2,3‐dideoxy‐D‐glucose and 1 mol of nonglycosidic phosphate as the backbone component and have partly different fatty acid compositions, were examined. TNF was induced by injecting various lipid A fractions into mice that had previously been sensitized with Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine. A major component of lipid A of both strains, referred to as A3 fraction, exhibited stronger TNF‐inducing activity than A2 fraction having incomplete acyl residues. The removal of ester‐linked fatty acyl groups by mild hydrazinolysis of the P. diminuta lipid A results in a marked decrease of the activity. These results suggest that the structure of the hydrophobic part, including the amide‐linked acyloxyacyl group(s), of the lipid A molecule play an important role in inducing TNF in the sera of mice.
Metabolic Activation of Pyrolysate Arylamines by Human Liver Microsomes; Possible Involvement of a P‐448‐H Type Cytochrome P‐450
Authors: Yamazoe Yasushi , Abu‐Zeid Medhat , Yamauchi Kiyomi , Kato Ryuichi
Published: August 2005

Metabolic activating capacity of human livers for carcinogenic heterocyclic arylamines has been studied using a Salmonella mutagenesis test. A large individual variation was observed among 15 liver samples in the capacities of activation of Glu‐P‐1(2‐amino‐6‐methyldipyrido[1,2‐α:3′,2′‐d]imidazole), IQ (2‐amino‐3‐methylimidazo[4,5‐f]quinoline) and MeIQx (2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethyl‐3H‐imidazo[4,5‐f]quinoxaline). The average numbers of revertants induced by the three heterocyclic arylamines were nearly the same or rather higher in the presence of hepatic microsomes from human than those from rat. In high‐performance liquid chromatography, formation of N‐hydroxy‐Glu‐P‐1 was detected and accounted for more than 80% of the total mutagenicity observed in the human microsomal system with Glu‐P‐1, indicating that, similarly to experimental animals, N‐hydroxylation is a major activating step for heterocyclic arylamines in human. Addition of flavone or 7,8‐benzoflavone to human liver microsomes showed effective inhibition of the mutagenic activation of Glu‐P‐1, although the treatment rather enhanced microsomal benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylation in human livers. Mutagenic activation of Glu‐P‐1 by human liver microsomes was also decreased by the inclusion of anti‐rat P‐448‐H IgG, and was well correlated with the content of immunoreactive P‐448‐H in livers, suggesting the involvement of a human cytochrome P‐450, which shares immunochemical and catalytic properties with rat P‐448‐H, in the metabolic activation of heterocyclic arylamines in human livers.
Somatic Mutation in Peripheral Lymphocytes of Former Workers at the Okunojima Poison Gas Factory
Authors: Yanagida Jitsuro , Hozawa Soichiro , Ishioka Shinichi , Maeda Hiroyuki , Takahashi Koichi , Oyama Tetsu , Takaishi Masatoshi , Hakoda Masayuki , Akiyama Mitoshi , Yamakido Michio
Published: August 2005

The former workers at the Okunojima poison gas factory comprise a high risk group for malignant tumors such as respiratory tract cancer. Demonstration of injury to somatic cell genes in this group may provide important data for evaluating the association between mustard gas and malignant tumors. So we measured the frequency of T lymphocytes lacking the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) activity, by cloning with interleukin 2 (IL2). In this study, we performed cloning of T lymphocytes lacking the HGPRT activity using recombinant IL2 (rIL2) and observed an increased frequency of somatic mutation in poison gas workers who had had more chances to be exposed to mustard gas and those who had worked for a longer period. This result suggested that inhalation of small amounts of mustard gas damaged somatic cell genes, resulting in carcinogenesis.
Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Studies on Nickel Sulfide‐induced Tumors in F344 Rats
Authors: Sano Nobuya , Shibata Masashi , Izumi Keisuke , Otsuka Hisashi
Published: August 2005

Twenty‐five tumors induced in F344 male rats were examined histologically and immunohistochemically using antibodies against myoglobin, myosin, desmin and cathepsin B. Eight were from rats which had been given intramuscular (im) injection and 17 were from rats which had been given subcutaneous (sc) injection of 5 mg of Ni3S2. Among 10 rhabdomyosarcomas, myoglobin was detectable in 3, myosin in 8, and desmin in all, but cathepsin B was present in none. Out of 8 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, cathepsin B was detectable in all, but the other antigens were absent. In a leiomyosarcoma, only desmin was detected. In two fibrosarcomas, none of the markers were detected. In four undetermined tumors, one reacted only with anti‐desmin antibody, two with only anti‐cathepsin B antibody, and one with none of the antibodies. Of the three myogenic markers utilized in this study, anti‐desmin antibody appeared to be the most sensitive. Cathepsin B was found mainly in the histiocytic cells of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Thus, desmin appears to be particularly valuable in distinguishing immature myogenic tumors from other primitive tumors, while cathepsin B is useful in distinguishing malignant fibrous histiocytoma from other plemorphic mesenchymal tumors.
APPEARANCE OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST PHOSPHOTYROSINE AND TYROSINE PHOSPHORYLATION OF LYMPHOCYTE PROTEINS IN HUMAN T CELL LEUKEMIA VIRUS TYPE‐I INFECTION
Authors: Ogawa Ryoichi , Koizumi Tamio , Nakao Yoshinobu , Sakitani Mitsuru , Watanabe Yasushi , Fujita Takuo
Published: August 2005

Antibodies reactive with O‐phosphotyrosine (Ptyr) were detected in all of 56 patients with adult T cell leukemia (ATL) with high titers ranging from 1:1,600 to 1:25,000 in 91% of the patients, whereas 97% of 70 healthy subjects showed titers of 1:400 or less. Ptyr‐containing proteins (molecular weights of 70k, 45k and 30k) were detected in peripheral lymphocytes from patients with ATL. These proteins might be involved as antigens in the induction of such antibodies.
WIDE‐SPECTRUM INITIATION MODELS: POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS TO MEDIUM‐TERM MULTIPLE ORGAN BIOASSAYS FOR CARCINOGENESIS MODIFIERS
Authors: Ito Nobuyuki , Imaida Katsumi , Tsuda Hiroyuki , Shibata Masa‐aki , Aoki Toyohiko , de Camargo Joao Lauro V. , Fukushima Shoji
Published: August 2005

Two wide‐spectrum initiation models were investigated in F344 male rats. Model I: After sequential treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), N‐methylnitrosourea (MNU) and dihydroxy‐di‐N‐propylnitrosamine (DHPN), animals were given phenobarbital (PB) or N, N‐dibutylnitrosamine (DBN) as a test compound for 14 weeks and sacrificed at week 18. Model II: Animals were treated with DHPN, followed by N‐ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN), and then 3,2′‐dimethyl‐4‐aminobiphenyl (DMAB) as initiators and were subsequently given 3‐methylcholanthrene (MCA) or PB as a test compound for 11 weeks. Animals were sacrificed 16 weeks after the commencement. In both models, assessment of lesion yield revealed significant enhancement of carcinogenesis by the test compounds in their respective target organs. Since, in many cases, treatment with PB, DBN and MCA subsequent to the combined initiation procedures brought about a marked increase in lesion development, far greater than a simple sum of the yields given by initiators and test compounds alone, the presently described approach appears promising for development of medium‐term bioassay systems for detection of environmental carcinogens.
Specific Uptake of Retinoids into Human Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells HL‐60 by Retinoid‐specific Binding Protein: Possibly the True Retinoid Receptor
Authors: Hashimoto Yuichi , Kagechika Hiroyuki , Kawachi Emiko , Shudo Koichi
Published: August 2005

The uptake of all‐trans‐retinoic acid (RA) and two new retinoids [4‐(5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐5,5,8,8‐tetramethyl‐2‐naphthalenylcarbamoyl)benzoic acid (Am80) and (E)‐4‐[3‐(3,5‐di‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐3‐oxo‐1‐propenyl]benzoic acid (Ch55)] by HL‐60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells was investigated. For the investigation, [3H]RA and [3H]Am80 with high specific radioactivities (more than 50 Ci/mmol) were used. [3H]Am80 was prepared by hydrogenolysis of the corresponding chlorinated derivative of Am80 with tritium gas. The retinoids RA, Am80 and Ch55 were efficiently taken up by HL‐60 cells, and induced differentiation of the cells into mature granulocytes. The specific bindings (uptake) of RA, Am80 and Ch55 (the bindings inhibited competitively by the other two retinoids) by HL‐60 cells were due to a newly detected binding protein. The protein that bound specifically to RA appeared identical to that which bound specifically to Am80 by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and was named retinoid‐specific binding protein (RSBP). One HL‐60 cell was found to contain about 1500 molecules of RSBP distributed between the nuclear fraction and cytosolic fraction in proportions of about 4:1. The bindings of the three retinoids (RA, Am80 and Ch55) to RSBP (i.e., formation of retinoid‐RSBP complexes) greatly enhanced the affinity of RSBP for the nuclei. The apparent molecular weight of RSBP was estimated to be 95,000 daltons by size exclusion HPLC. The association constants (Ka) of RSBP were calculated to be 2.4 × 1010M‐1 for RA and 4.4 × 1010M‐1 for Am80 from Scatchard plots. The bindings of RA, Am80 and Ch55 to RSBP were mutually competitive, indicating that the binding sites for RA, Am80 and Ch55 were identical. The very high affinities of these retinoids for RSBP (Ka's of the order of 1010M‐1) correspond to the effective concentrations of these retinoids in HL‐60 cell culture medium for induction of differentiation of the cells. The mutually competitive bindings of these retinoids strongly support the idea that RSBP is the true receptor of retinoids.
EXPRESSION OF PARATHYROID HORMONE‐RELATED PROTEIN mRNA IN TUMORS OBTAINED FROM PATIENTS WITH HUMORAL HYPERCALCEMIA OF MALIGNANCY
Authors: Honda Satoshi , Yamaguchi Ken , Suzuki Masafumi , Sato Yutaka , Adachi Isamu , Kimura Satoshi , Abe Kaoru
Published: August 2005

Human parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) mRNA was detected in all fresh cancer tissues consecutively obtained from 6 patients with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). The primary sites of the cancers in these cases were distributed among different organs including the lung, esophagus, kidney and ovary. PTHrP mRNA was undetectable in all 10 fresh cancer tissues obtained from normocalcemic patients. These results suggest PTHrP as a major cause of HHM.
Comparative Study of the Levels of Sialyltransferases Responsible for the Formation of Sugar Chains in Glycoproteins and Gangliosides in Rat Liver and Hepatomas
Authors: Miyagi Taeko , Koseki Masai , Tsuiki Shigeru
Published: August 2005

Sialyltransferases responsible for the formation of sugar chains in glycoproteins were studied in rat hepatoma in comparison with rat liver. Hepatoma induced by feeding Wistar rats with 3′‐ methyl‐4‐dimethyIaminoazobenzene (MeDAB) was more active than Wistar liver in sialylating asialo‐orosomucoid, and this was due to an increased activity of GaI(β1→4)GlcNAc (α→6) sialyltransferase, the major sialyltransferase in these tissues, Gal(β1→3,4)GlcNAc (α→3) sialyltransferase and the sialyltransferases acting on asialo‐bovine submaxillary mucin were, however, decreased in the hepatoma. A similar pattern of sialyltransferase alterations was observed in regenerating liver and other tumors such as AH‐109A hepatoma and Sato lung cancer, both of which had been inoculated into Donryu rats. In contrast to these sialyltransferases, the activities of the sialyltransferases responsible for the formation of gangliosides were markedly different even between Wistar and Donryu livers. When compared with Wistar liver, MeDAB induced hepatoma was higher in lactosylceramide‐ and lower in GM3‐sialyltransferase activity, but these two activities were both lower in AH‐109A compared with Donryu liver.