bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forced migration and mortality in the very long term: Didperestroikaaffect death rates also in Finland?
Authors: Saarela Jan , Finnäs Fjalar
Published: August 2009

In this article, we analyze mortality rates of Finns born in areas that were ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II and from which the entire population was evacuated. These internally displaced persons are observed during the period 1971-2004 and compared with people born in the same region but on the adjacent side of the new border. We find that in the 1970s and 1980s, the forced migrants had mortality rates that were on par with those of people in the comparison group. In the late 1980s, the mortality risk of internally displaced men increased by 20% in relation to the expected time trend. This deviation, which manifests particularly in cardiovascular mortality, coincides with perestroika and the demise of the Soviet Union, which were events that resulted in an intense debate in civil society about restitution of the ceded areas. Because state actors were reluctant to engage, the debate declined after some few years, and after the mid-1990s, the death risk again approached the long-term trend. Our findings indicate that when internally displaced persons must adjust to situations for which appropriate coping behaviors are unknown, psychosocial stress might arise several decades after their evacuation.
Parliamentary Immunity in Democratizing Countries: The Case of Turkey
Authors: Wigley Simon
Published: August 2009

This article examines the effect that shielding elected representatives from criminal law might have in those countries that are undergoing democratization. Parliamentary immunity helps to compensate for any shortfall in the human rights enjoyed by ordinary citizens and provides elected representatives with the protection necessary to rectify that shortfall. However, the immunity may also protect subversive advocacy, rights violations and political corruption. Turkey provides an illuminating case study of those challenges to parliamentary immunity. Drawing on the Turkish experience, it is argued that methods other than exposing parliamentarians to criminal prosecution should be used to counter those problems.
Caution and Confrontation in the International Criminal Court’s Pursuit of Accountability in Uganda and Sudan
Authors: Peskin Victor
Published: August 2009

This article addresses the unfolding pursuit of state cooperation by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It explains that the prosecutor’s recent shift from a cautionary to a confrontational pursuit is due to 1) the failure to persuade states to hand over suspects and 2) the lack of international backing for arrests amid the quest for a negotiated peace to ongoing conflicts. The article focuses on the prosecutor’s forceful campaign to apprehend rebel leaders from Uganda and government suspects implicated in atrocities in Darfur, including President Bashir of Sudan.
Executive Leadership and the Continuing Quest for Justice in Argentina
Authors: Roehrig Terence
Published: August 2009

After Argentina transitioned from military rule to democracy, the new civilian government attempted to prosecute members of the former military regime for human rights abuses. However, military rebellions, pardons, and amnesty laws prevented all but a few from being held accountable for past crimes. In 2003, President Néstor Kirchner along with the Argentine legislature and Supreme Court opened the door for further prosecution. Though many contributed to the revival of these efforts to prosecute military personnel and police, it was the actions of President Kirchner that were most crucial in removing the obstacles necessary to resume judicial proceedings.
The Response of Local School Systems in Georgia to Fiscal and Economic Conditions
Authors: Alm James , Sjoquist David L.
Published: August 2009

The 2001 recession had a major effect on Georgia's fiscal condition. We explore how economic conditions affected state and local financing of K-12 education in Georgia. We find that the magnitude of postrecession cuts in state real revenue per student varied widely across the local school systems in Georgia. We then examine whether and how cuts in real revenue per student at the state level affected local real revenue per student, and we find weak evidence that local real revenue per student is lower when state real revenue per student is higher-that is, local school systems in Georgia seemed to respond to changes in economic conditions and changes in state real revenue per student by increasing local real revenue per student in order to offset decreases in state real revenue per student. We also find no support for the position that the reaction of school systems in Georgia to changes in state revenue was more pronounced in the years immediately following the 2001 recession. We discuss the implications of our findings for the current economic environment.
"It was a thrill to see rows of B-29s going through the sky": The American Strategic Bombing of Singapore, 1944–45
Authors: Kwan Toh Boon
Published: August 2009

B-29 sorties during the American strategic bombing campaign against Singapore in 1944–45 were the longest daylight bombing missions mounted to that point during the Second World War. Despite the campaign's historical significance, a comprehensive account incorporating the perspectives of American aircrew, Japanese occupiers, local civilians, and internees who lived through the bombings remains to be written. This lacuna is reflective of the scant scholarship on the impact of Allied bombing on friendly civilians in enemy-occupied territories in the Far East. Although the combat results were mixed, Allied bombing raised the morale of civilians and internees in Japanese-occupied Singapore.
The Battle of Lagos, 1759
Authors: Willis Sam
Published: August 2009

In August 1759 France needed to unite its Mediterranean and Atlantic fleets before invading England. A small British squadron at Gibraltar under Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen was tasked with blockading the French at Toulon. When the French ran through the Straits of Gibraltar, Boscawen's fleet rapidly got to sea and chased. Confusion among Boscawen's captains and the French unwillingness to stand and fight ensured that the Battle of Lagos was not decisive, but three French ships were taken, two were driven ashore and burned, and the battle became an important precursor to the more famous Battle of Quiberon Bay of November 1759.
"How Can We Fail?": The Texas State Library's Traveling Libraries and Bookmobiles, 1916–1966
Authors: Cummings Jennifer
Published: August 2009

The Texas State Library's multicounty bookmobile program and its earlier "traveling libraries" program had similar missions: to reach rural Texans deprived of proper library service. In both programs librarians faced inadequate funding and the daunting task of sending books over the vast distances of the Lone Star State. Ultimately, Texas's traveling libraries and bookmobiles introduced the pleasure of reading to families in the state's isolated farms and ranches and garnered support for today's county libraries.
Code-Scripting the Body: Sex and the Onto-Theology of Bioinformatics
Authors: Garlick Steve
Published: August 2009

It is generally acknowledged that molecular biology has been enamored with discourses of information theory and cybernetics from its earliest days. Equally common, in critical theory, is the belief that biological science has lost purchase on important dimensions of embodied life as a result. This essay suggests, however, that when we examine the work of 'cyberscience' pioneers such as Edwin Schrödinger, Norbert Wiener, and Claude Shannon, we find an ambiguous embrace of the complexity of embodied life and freedom at the level of the living organism or cybernetic system, counteracted by a underlying desire for order and informatic determinism at the level of code or message. Moreover, these competing tendencies towards organicism and informatics feed into two central and interrelated tensions that inhabit modern biological thought. The first tension concerns the efforts of biologists to dispel vitalism and the specter of God underlying the natural order, while the second involves the concept of (hetero)sexual difference and its substitution for God as guarantor of biological knowledge. This essay makes the argument that sex is often an unrecognized point of articulation in attempts to resolve these tensions and, as such, is central to the potential of bioinformatic bodies.
Recent Studies in the Restoration and Eighteenth Century
Authors: Backscheider Paula R.
Published: August 2009

An assessment of recent scholarly work treating the literature of the Restoration and Eighteenth Century and some general observations on the state of the profession. A full bibliography and price list of the works received by SEL for consideration follow.
Boadicea Onstage before 1800, a Theatrical and Colonial History
Authors: Nielsen Wendy C.
Published: August 2009

This essay examines the theatrical legacy of Boadicea, the British warrior queen defeated by the Romans around 61 AD, in three plays: John Fletcher’s The Tragedy of Bonduca, or the British Heroine and two unrelated dramas titled Boadicea by Charles Hopkins and Richard Glover. Performance histories attempt to explain why audiences respond to Boadicea with ambivalence. Each production underplays the defeated queen and gives starring roles to one or more of her daughters and a male lead, who contrast with Boadicea’s supposed brutality and provide British audiences with lessons about ways to rule in an ostensibly civilized fashion.
Theatrical Space and Scientific Space in Thomas Shadwell’s Virtuoso
Authors: Shanahan John
Published: August 2009

Thomas Shadwell’s dramatic satire The Virtuoso is the period’s most trenchant formal examination of an ideological crisis associated with the new science. While Robert Boyle and his fellow virtuosi sought to make natural philosophy increasingly autonomous from discourses of theatricality, Shadwell short-circuited their message by representing the new empirical work onstage and “inside,” as it were, the more capacious and flexible empirical space of live theater. The Virtuoso claims that Royal Society science ought to be seen as little more than a species of drama.
Commerce, Luxury, and Identity in Mary Robinson’s Memoirs
Authors: Saglia Diego
Published: August 2009

Mary Robinson’s poetical and prose output conjures up a variety of images of commercialized and culturally thriving urban settings, among which emerge those of London and her native Bristol. These representations are particularly significant in the context of contemporary depictions of the author as the figurehead of a culture dominated by spectacle, commerce, and luxury. Returning to this intersection of consumption and identity, rich both in personal intimations and public resonance, this essay recovers and assesses the relevance of luxury in Robinson’s acts of discursive self-presentation and self-construction, particularly her Memoirs (1801). In this fashion, it seeks to highlight how Robinson rescues luxury from hostile images of herself to harness it to a revisionary narrative of identity grounded in the opulent lifestyle of her Bristol childhood.
Outcomes of inpatients with and without sickle cell disease after high‐volume surgical procedures
Authors: Dinan Michaela A. , Chou Chia‐Hung , Hammill Bradley G. , Graham Felicia L. , Schulman Kevin A. , Telen Marilyn J. , Reed Shelby D.
Published: August 2009

In this study, we examined differences in inpatient costs, length of stay, and in‐hospital mortality between hospitalizations for patients with and without sickle cell disease (SCD) undergoing high‐volume surgical procedures. We used Clinical Classification Software (CCS) codes to identify discharges in the 2002–2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project for patients who had undergone either cholecystectomy or hip replacement. We limited the non‐SCD cohort to hospitals where patients with SCD had undergone the same procedure. We compared inpatient outcomes using summary statistics and generalized linear regression analysis to adjust for patient, hospital, and procedural characteristics. Overall, the median age of surgical patients with SCD was more than three decades less than the median age of patients without SCD undergoing the same procedure. In recognition of the age disparity, we limited the analyses to patients aged 18 to 64 years. Nonetheless, patients with SCD undergoing cholecystectomy or hip replacement were 12.1 and 14.4 years younger, had inpatient stays that were 73% and 82% longer, and incurred costs that were 46% and 40% higher per discharge than patients without SCD, respectively. Inpatient mortality for these procedures was low, ∼0.6% for cholecystectomy and 0.2% for hip replacement and did not differ significantly between patients with and without SCD. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that higher inpatient costs among patients with SCD were primarily attributable to longer hospital stays. Patients with SCD who underwent cholecystectomy or hip replacement required more health care resources than patients without SCD. Am. J. Hematol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Familial aggregation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Fang Fang , Kamel Freya , Lichtenstein Paul , Bellocco Rino , Sparén Pär , Sandler Dale P. , Ye Weimin
Published: August 2009

Objective

To assess the relative risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in families of ALS patients.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study based on the Swedish Multi‐Generation Register in 1961 to 2005. Among 6,671 probands (first ALS case in the family), 1,909 full siblings, 13,947 children, and 5,405 spouses were identified (exposed group). Other persons in the Multi‐Generation Register, who were siblings, children, or spouses to persons without ALS, served as the reference group. Relative risks for ALS among the exposed group, compared with the reference group, were calculated from Poisson regression models. Concurrence of ALS within twins was assessed in 86,441 twin pairs registered in the Swedish Twin Register.

Results

Nine cases of ALS were noted among the siblings and 37 cases among the children of the probands, giving a 17‐fold risk among the siblings (95% confidence interval, 8.1–30.4) and a 9‐fold risk among the children (95% confidence interval, 6.2–12.0), compared with the reference group. Siblings and children had a greater excess risk if the proband was diagnosed at a younger age, and the excess risks decreased with increasing age at diagnosis of the proband (p < 0.001). Spouses had no significantly increased risk (p = 0.27). Two cases were identified among the cotwins of ALS probands, giving a relative risk of 32 (95% confidence interval, 5.2–102.6).

Interpretation

The siblings and children of ALS patients have an about 10‐fold risk for ALS compared with the reference group. The excess risks vary with both age and kinship, indicating a major genetic role in familial ALS. Ann Neurol 2009;66:94–99
Jahn–Teller Effects in Molecular Cations Studied by Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Group Theory
Authors: Wörner Hans Jakob , Merkt Frédéric
Published: August 2009

The traditional “ball‐and‐stick” concept of molecular structure fails when the motion of the electrons is coupled to that of the nuclei. Such a situation arises in the Jahn–Teller (JT) effect which is very common in open‐shell molecular systems, such as radicals or ions. The JT effect is well known to chemists as a mechanism that causes the distortion of an otherwise symmetric system. Its implications on the dynamics of molecules still represent unsolved problems in many cases. Herein we review recent progress in understanding the dynamic structure of molecular cations that have a high permutational symmetry by using rotationally resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and group theory. Specifically, we show how the pseudo‐Jahn–Teller effect in the cyclopentadienyl cation causes electronic localization and nuclear delocalization. The fundamental physical mechanisms underlying the vaguely defined concept of “antiaromaticity” are thereby elucidated. Our investigation of the methane cation represents the first experimental characterization of the JT effect in a threefold degenerate electronic state. A special kind of isomerism resulting from the JT effect has been discovered and is predicted to exist in all JT systems in which the minima on the potential‐energy surface are separated by substantial barriers.
Assessing the integration of audience response system technology in teaching of anatomical sciences
Authors: Alexander Cara J. , Crescini Weronika M. , Juskewitch Justin E. , Lachman Nirusha , Pawlina Wojciech
Published: August 2009

The goals of our study were to determine the predictive value and usability of an audience response system (ARS) as a knowledge assessment tool in an undergraduate medical curriculum. Over a three year period (2006–2008), data were collected from first year didactic blocks in Genetics/Histology and Anatomy/Radiology (n= 42–50 per class). During each block, students answered clinically oriented multiple choice questions using the ARS. Students' performances were recorded and cumulative ARS scores were compared with final examination performances. Correlation coefficients between these variables were calculated to assess the existence and direction of an association between ARS and final examination score. If associations existed, univariate models were then constructed using ARS as a predictor of final examination score. Student and faculty perception of ARS difficulty, usefulness, effect on performance, and preferred use were evaluated using a questionnaire. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between ARS and final examination scores in all didactic blocks and predictive univariate models were constructed for each relationship (allP< 0.0001). Students and faculty agreed that ARS was easy to use and a reliable tool for providing real‐time feedback that improved their performance and participation. In conclusion, we found ARS to be an effective assessment tool benefiting the faculty and the students in a curriculum focused on interaction and self‐directed learning. Anat Sci Educ 2:160–166. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.
Rationalitäten der Wissenproduktion: Über Transformationen von Gegenständen, Technologien und Information in Biomedizin und Lebenswissenschaften
Authors: Paul Norbert W.
Published: August 2009

Rationalities of Knowledge Production: On Transformations of Objects, Technologies and Information in Biomedicine and the Life Sciences.Since decades, scientific change has been interpreted in the light of of paradigm shifts and scientific revolutions. The Kuhnian interpretation of scientific change however is now more and more confronted with non‐disciplinary thinking in both, science and studies on science. This paper explores how research in biomedicine and the life sciences can be characterized by different rationalities, sometimes converging, sometimes contradictory, all present at the same time with varying ways of influence, impact, and visibility. In general, the rationality of objects is generated by fitting new objects and findings into a new experimental context. The rationality of hypotheses is a move towards the construction of novel explanatory tools and models. This is often inseparable meshing with the third, the technological rationaliy, in which a technology‐driven, self‐supporting and sometimes self‐referential refinement of methods and technologies comes along with an extension into other fields. During the second and the third phase, the new and emerging fields tend to expand their explanatory reach not only across disciplinary boundaries but also into the social sphere, creating what has been characterized as “exceptionalism” (e.g. genetic exceptionalism or neuro‐exceptionalism). Finally, recent biomedicine and life‐sciences reach a level in which experimental work becomes more and more data‐driven because the technologically constructed experimental systems generate a plethora of findings (data) which at some point start to blur the original hypotheses. For the rationality of information the materiality of research practices becomes secondary and research objects are more and more getting out of sight. Finally, the credibility of science as a practice becomes more and more dependent on consensus about the applicability and relevance of its results. The rationality of interest (and accountability) has become more and more characteristic for a research process which is no longer primarily determined by the desire for knowledge but by the desire for relevance. This paper explores in which ways object‐driven and hypotheses‐driven experimental life‐sciences transformed into domains of experimental research evolving in a technologically constructed, data‐driven environment in which they are subjected to constant morphing due to the forces of different rationalities.
CFD Investigation of the Mixing of Yield‐Pseudoplastic Fluids with Anchor Impellers
Authors: Prajapati P. , Ein‐Mozaffari F.
Published: August 2009

The study was carried out to simulate the 3D flow domain in the mixing of pseudoplastic fluids possessing yield stress with anchor impellers, using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package. The multiple reference frames (MRF) technique was employed to model the rotation of the impellers. The rheology of the fluid was approximated using the Herschel–Bulkley model. To validate the model, the CFD results for the power consumption were compared to the experimental data. After the flow fields were calculated, the simulations for tracer homogenization were performed to simulate the mixing time. The effects of impeller speed, fluid rheology, and impeller geometry on power consumption, mixing time, and flow pattern were explored. The optimum values of c/D (impeller clearance to tank diameter) and w/D (impeller blade width to tank diameter) ratios were determined on the basis of minimum mixing time.
Biogas Production: New Trends for Alternative Energy Sources in Rural and Urban Zones
Authors: Martins das Neves L. C. , Converti A. , Vessoni Penna T. C.
Published: August 2009

Biogas is a biofuel with a high energy value and basically consisting of methane, which can be used as a renewable energy source as a substitute for natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. It can be produced by anaerobic digestion of agricultural organic waste or manure in rural areas, where it can be used to generate electric, thermal or mechanical energy. It can also be generated in landfills from the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes and used as an alternative energy source in urban areas. Industrialized and urbanized areas are afflicted by serious environmental problems associated with the generation of organic residues. Anaerobic microorganisms can degrade pollutants resulting in two kinds of products, i.e., digested sludge and biogas, which can be exploited as a soil fertilizer and a renewable energy source, respectively. The correct management of residual waste involves high costs, and inadequate treatment and storage can compromise its quality. Environmental agencies have been encouraging the dissemination of anaerobic digesters to produce biogas from organic residues and the use of the resulting sludge as fertilizer since it is able to destroy pathogenic agents and reduce the humidity level. This review aims to evaluate the production capability of biogas and its application as an alternative energy source in rural and urban areas.
Influence of Cationic Starch Adsorption on Fiber Flocculation
Authors: Zakrajšek N. , Fuente E. , Blanco A. , Golob J.
Published: August 2009

The adsorption of cationic starch on hardwood fibers and its influence on flocculation were studied in relation to the dosage of cationic starch, the effect of shear forces and the presence of different concentrations of inorganic salts in the paper stock. Flocculation was monitored by means of a focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) probe. It was established that floc size at low shear rates depends on adsorption efficiency. At high shear forces, flocs were irreversibly decomposed despite the presence of a higher amount of adsorbed cationic starch on the fibers. Therefore, flocculation was produced by a bridging mechanism. The results show a significant effect of inorganic salts on the adsorption of cationic starch on fibers. Low concentrations of inorganic salts usually improved the adsorption process while higher concentrations (> 0.01 mol/L) reduced the adsorption and limited the flocculation process.
Competitive Adsorption of Nickel and Copper Ions from Aqueous Solution Using Nonliving Biomass of the Marine Brown Alga Laminaria japonica
Authors: Wang Xue Song , Li Zhi Zhong
Published: August 2009

The adsorption of nickel and copper in a bicomponent system using the nonliving biomass of the marine brown alga Laminaria japonica was investigated in batch systems as a function of initial solution pH, contact time and temperature. The adsorption of nickel and copper was strongly pH dependent. Kinetic studies pointed to a rapid uptake with an equilibrium time of about 30 min. The kinetic curves were successfully fitted by linear regression to pseudo first and pseudo‐second‐order equations. The equilibrium data was analyzed using several models, including the extended Langmuir equation, modified extended Langmuir model and combined extended Langmuir‐Freundlich model. The results suggested that the competitive adsorption of nickel and copper at all temperatures was best represented by the combined extended Langmuir‐Freundlich isotherm. The isotherms indicated competitive uptake, with copper being preferentially adsorbed followed by nickel with an increase in the amount of solute in solution. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the simultaneous adsorption of nickel and copper ions could be considered to be a spontaneous, endothermic process, with increased randomness.
Effects of Salt on Microbial Populations and Treatment Performance in Purifying Saline Sewage Using the MUCT Process
Authors: Cui Youwei , Peng Changyao , Peng Yongzhen , Ye Liu
Published: August 2009

Understanding salt effects on activated sludge systems and treatment performance is essential in order to design and operate a full scale treatment plant processing saline sewage. For this purpose, a bench scale modified University of Cape Town (MUCT) process for treating saline sewage was used to provide information with regard to microbial population shift and treatment performance. Various salt levels (5, 8, 10 and 15 g/L) were studied. Experimental results indicated that the salt concentration in sewage significantly affected phosphorous removal, while salt inhibition of ammonium degradation was slight, even in a 15 g/L salt solution. Outstanding nitrite accumulation in aerobic tanks occurred in the MUCT treating 8 g/L saline sewage, which resulted in denitrifying nitrite by phosphorous accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the anoxic tank. Population size of physiological groups (aerobic‐heterotrophic, nitrifying and denitrifying microbial group) was also investigated at different salt levels. The investigation of changes in the dynamics of the activated sludge microbial structure gave an insight into the nature and the magnitude of salt effects on the microbial community.
The Effect of Oxygen on Anaerobic Color Removal of Azo Dye in a Sequencing Batch Reactor
Authors: Çinar Özer , Demiröz Kevser , Kanat Gamze , Uysal Yagmur , Yaman Cevat
Published: August 2009

In this study, various amounts of oxygen were added to the anaerobic phase of an anaerobic‐aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) receiving azo dye remazol brilliant violet 5R to mimic the input of oxygen into the anaerobic zones of biological textile wastewater treatment plants. The effect of oxygen on the anaerobic biodegradative capability of the mixed microbial culture for remazol brilliant violet 5R was investigated. To investigate the effect of oxygen on anaerobic azo dye biodegradation, the anaerobic phase of the SBR cultures were exposed to a very low limited amount of oxygen for various air flow rates. Initially, an air flow rate of 20 mL/min was applied, further on the air flow rate in the anaerobic phase was increased up to 40 mL/min. System performance was determined by monitoring chemical oxygen demand, color removal rate, activities of anaerobic (azo reductase) and aerobic enzymes (catechol 2,3‐dioxygenase, catechol 1,2‐dioxygenase). The results of percentage COD reduction at each stage were similar for all runs, giving an overall reduction of 96%. Anaerobic color removal efficiency and azo reductase activity of anaerobic microorganisms were adversely affected by the addition of oxygen. Color removal efficiencies of the anaerobic phases decreased from 80% down to 42 and 38% for the limited oxygen conditions of 20 mL/min and 40 mL/min, respectively. It was observed that the activity of catechol 2,3‐dioxygenase and catechol 1,2‐dioxygenase, involved in breakage of aromatic rings, increased after they are exposed to oxygen limited conditions compared to fully anaerobic conditions. It was also observed that catechol 1,2‐dioxygenase enzyme activity increased by increasing the oxygen level on oxygen limited conditions in the anaerobic zone.
Amending Soils with Hydrogels Increases the Biomass of Nine Tree Species under Non‐water Stress Conditions
Authors: Orikiriza Lawrence J. B. , Agaba Hillary , Tweheyo Mnason , Eilu Gerald , Kabasa John David , Hüttermann Aloys
Published: August 2009

The classical aim of the application of super absorbent polyacrylate (SAPs) hydrogels is the prolonging of plant survival under water stress. Their effect on plant growth during non‐water stress conditions is not known. This study examined the root and shoot biomass of seedlings of nine tree species; Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus citriodora, Pinus caribaea, Araucaria cunninghamii, Melia volkensii, Grevillea robusta, Azadirachta indica, Maesopsis eminii and Terminalia superba. The seedlings were potted in five soil types; sand, sandy loam, loam, silt loam and clay. These were amended at two hydrogel levels: 0.2 and 0.4% w/w and grown under controlled conditions in a green house. Root and shoot growth responses of the seedlings were determined by measuring the dry weight of the roots, stems, leaves and twigs. The addition of either 0.2 or 0.4% hydrogel to the five soil types resulted in a significant increase of the root dry weight (p < 0.001) in eight tree species compared to the controls after 8 wk of routine watering. Also, the dry weight of stems and leaves and twigs were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the nine tree species potted in hydrogel amended soil types than in the hydrogel free controls. These results suggested that hydrogel amendment enhances the efficiency of water uptake and utilization of photosynthates of plants grown in soils which have water contents close to field capacity.
Fertility preservation in young women with epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Wright Jason D. , Shah Monjri , Mathew Leny , Burke William M. , Culhane Jennifer , Goldman Noah , Schiff Peter B. , Herzog Thomas J.
Published: August 2009

BACKGROUND:

Surgical management of ovarian cancer consists of hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy. In young women, this results in the loss of reproductive function and estrogen deprivation. In the current study, the authors examined the safety of fertility‐conserving surgery in premenopausal women with epithelial ovarian cancers.

METHODS:

Women aged ≤50 years with stage IA or IC epithelial ovarian cancer who were registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were examined. Patients who underwent bilateral oophorectomy were compared with those who underwent ovarian conservation. A second analysis examined uterine conservation versus hysterectomy. Multivariate Poisson regression models were developed to describe predictors of fertility preservation. Survival was examined using Cox proportional hazards models and the Kaplan‐Meier method.

RESULTS:

In total, 1186 women, including 754 women (64%) who underwent bilateral oophorectomy and 432 women (36%) who underwent ovarian preservation, were identified. Younger age, later year of diagnosis, and residence in the eastern or western United States were associated with ovarian preservation (P < .05 for all). Women with endometrioid and clear cell histologies and stage IC disease were less likely to have ovarian conservation (P < .05). In a Cox model, ovarian preservation had no effect on survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39‐1.20). Young age, later year of diagnosis, residence in the eastern or western United States, single women, mucinous tumors, and patients with stage IA disease were more likely to have uterine preservation (P < .05 for all). In a multivariate model, uterine preservation had no effect on survival (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.62‐1.22).

CONCLUSIONS:

Ovarian and uterine‐conserving surgery were safe in young women who had stage IA and IC epithelial ovarian cancer. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Magnitude of Finite‐Nucleus‐Size Effects in Relativistic Density Functional Computations of Indirect NMR Nuclear Spin–Spin Coupling Constants
Authors: Autschbach Jochen
Published: August 2009

A spherical Gaussian nuclear charge distribution model has been implemented for spin‐free (scalar) and two‐component (spin–orbit) relativistic density functional calculations of indirect NMR nuclear spin–spin coupling (J‐coupling) constants. The finite nuclear volume effects on the hyperfine integrals are quite pronounced and as a consequence they noticeably alter coupling constants involving heavy NMR nuclei such as W, Pt, Hg, Tl, and Pb. Typically, the isotropic J‐couplings are reduced in magnitude by about 10 to 15 % for couplings between one of the heaviest NMR nuclei and a light atomic ligand, and even more so for couplings between two heavy atoms. For a subset of the systems studied, viz. the Hg atom, Hg22+, and TlX where X=Br, I, the basis set convergence of the hyperfine integrals and the coupling constants was monitored. For the Hg atom, numerical and basis set calculations of the electron density and the 1s and 6s orbital hyperfine integrals are directly compared. The coupling anisotropies of TlBr and TlI increase by about 2 % due to finite‐nucleus effects.
Numerical analysis of effects of large wood structures on channel morphology and fish habitat suitability in a Southern US sandy creek
Authors: He Zhiguo , Wu Weiming , Douglas Shields F.
Published: August 2009

A depth‐averaged two‐dimensional model was applied to simulate the effect of large wood structures (LWS) on flow, sediment transport, bed change, and fish habitat in a deeply‐incised sharp bend in the Little Topashaw Creek, North Central Mississippi. The hydrodynamic simulation showed that the flow was retarded by the large wood matrices along the outer bank and accelerated in the main channel, thus causing deposition along the outer bank and erosion in the main channel, consistent with field observations. Effects on fish habitat were quantified using two approaches. Habitat evaluations using kinetic energy and circulation metrics indicated that LWS only slightly increased the diversity of physical conditions. Weighted usable areas (WUA) for two fish species, blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), were computed using hydrodynamic simulations of three discharges before and after the LWS construction and habitat preference curves for depth and velocity. The results show that the values of WUA for both fish species were increased after LWS installation at all three discharges. Application of LWS improved the quantity and quality of fish habitats. Habitat evaluations based on computation of WUA were more sensitive to the influence of LWS than metrics based on velocity gradients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Grain transport mechanics in shallow overland flow
Authors: Prasad S.N. , Suryadevara Madhu R. , Römkens M.J.M.
Published: August 2009

A physical model based on continuum multiphase flow is described to represent saltating transport of grains in shallow overland flows. The two‐phase continuum flow of water and sediment considers coupled StVenant‐type equations. The interactive cumulative effect of grains is incorporated by a dispersive stress term. The mean fluid thrust on the particle in the saltation layer of grains is expressed in terms of a slip velocity. The continuum model leads to the unexpected, but an interesting result is that particle velocity increases with the solid concentration. This increase predicts monotonic behaviour leading to overestimates of particle velocity at higher sediment concentration. To improve the predictions, grain dynamic equations, which incorporate bed collision, are analysed. The analysis leads to an improved model for predicting saltation height. Incorporation of the results in the continuum model yields a velocity‐concentration relationship that is consistent with experimental observations for increasing concentration. Laboratory flume experiments explore the evaluation of various parameters from the measured particle velocities by photonic probes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Small environmental flows, drought and the role of refugia for freshwater fish in the Macquarie Marshes, arid Australia
Authors: Rayner Thomas S. , Jenkins Kim M. , Kingsford Richard T.
Published: August 2009

Fish in arid‐zone rivers are dependent on waterholes for refuge during drought. In heavily regulated systems, water extraction for human use has the potential to exacerbate drought conditions and increase the reliance of fish on refugia. This study investigated this hypothesis by surveying fish communities at 25 sites in the Ramsar listed Macquarie Marshes, before and after a 23‐GL environmental flow event. Although such flows are central to restoration efforts in the Murray‐Darling Basin, limited water availability often forces water managers to make difficult triage decisions regarding which ecological assets to service. This study aimed to provide an update on the current health and status of native fish populations in the Macquarie Marshes and discuss how small flows may best be delivered to meet their ecological needs, particularly during droughts. Eight native species were collected, but they were outnumbered by three alien species by more than 3:1. Post‐flooding recruitment was observed in most species and mean species richness of sampling sites increased significantly, as fish moved out of drought refugia to utilize a more diverse array of microhabitats. This study presents a conceptual model of fish use of refugia and recommends that key low‐flow refugia be targeted for remediation efforts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulatory effects of IFN‐β on production of osteopontin and IL‐17 by CD4+ T Cells in MS
Authors: Chen Meiyue , Chen Guangjie , Nie Hong , Zhang Xin , Niu Xiaoyin , Zang Ying C. Q. , Skinner Sheri M. , Zhang Jingwu Z. , Killian James M. , Hong Jian
Published: August 2009

IFN‐β currently serves as one of the major treatments for MS. Its anti‐inflammatory mechanism has been reported as involving a shift in cytokine balance from Th1 to Th2 in the T‐cell response against elements of the myelin sheath. In addition to the Th1 and Th2 groups, two other important pro‐inflammatory cytokines, IL‐17 and osteopontin (OPN), are believed to play important roles in CNS inflammation in the pathogenesis of MS. In this study, we examined the potential effects of IFN‐β on the regulation of OPN and IL‐17 in MS patients. We found that IFN‐β used in vitro at 0.5–3 ng/mL significantly inhibited the production of OPN in primary T cells derived from PBMC. The inhibition of OPN was determined to occur at the CD4+ T‐cell level. In addition, IFN‐β inhibited the production of IL‐17 and IL‐21 in CD4+ T cells. It has been described that IFN‐β suppresses IL‐17 production through the inhibition of a monocytic cytokine, the intracellular translational isoform of OPN. Our further investigation demonstrated that IFN‐β also acted directly on the CD4+ T cells to regulate OPN and IL‐17 expression through the type I IFN receptor‐mediated activation of STAT1 and suppression of STAT3 activity. Administration of IFN‐β to EAE mice ameliorated the disease severity. Furthermore, spinal cord infiltration of OPN+ and IL‐17+ cells decreased in IFN‐β‐treated EAE mice along with decreases in serum levels of OPN and IL‐21. Importantly, decreased OPN production by IFN‐β treatment contributes to the reduced migratory activity of T cells. Taken together, the results from both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that IFN‐β treatment can down‐regulate the OPN and IL‐17 production in MS. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of action of IFN‐β in the treatment of MS.
2‐Benzoxazolyl‐6‐[1‐(arylimino)ethyl]pyridyliron(II) Chlorides as Ethylene Oligomerization Catalysts
Authors: Gao Rong , Li Yan , Wang Fosong , Sun Wen‐Hua , Bochmann Manfred
Published: August 2009

A series of iron(II) dichloride complexes (Fe1–Fe7) ligated by 2‐(2‐benzoxazolyl)‐6‐[1‐(arylimino)ethyl]pyridines was synthesized and characterized [aryl = 2,6‐R12C6H3; R1 = Me (1), Et (2), iPr (3), Cl (4), Br (5); 2,6‐Me2C6H2‐4‐R2, R2 = Me (6), Br (7)]. The molecular structures of Fe1, Fe3, and Fe5 were determined by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Complexes Fe1 and Fe3 both display distorted trigonal‐bipyramidal geometries, whereas complex Fe5 is a distorted square pyramid. Upon activation with modified methylaluminoxane, all iron complexes showed moderate to good activities [up to ca. 106 g(product) × (mol Fe)–1 h–1 bar–1] for the oligomerization and polymerization of ethylene, with high selectivity for vinyl‐terminated oligomers or polyethylene waxes.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Aromatic Enamide/Ene Metathesis toward Substituted Indoles and Its Application to the Synthesis of Indomethacins
Authors: Kasaya Yayoi , Hoshi Kosuke , Terada Yukiyoshi , Nishida Atsushi , Shuto Satoshi , Arisawa Mitsuhiro
Published: August 2009

A steric and electronic effect on enamide/ene metathesis, a novel preparation of 2‐substituted indoles and 3‐substituted indoles using enamide‐ene metathesis as a key reaction, and its application to the synthesis of indomethacin are described. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Electrocyclization‐Mediated Approach to 2‐Methyltriclisine, an Unnatural Analog of the Azafluoranthene Alkaloid Triclisine
Authors: Silveira Claudio C. , Larghi Enrique L. , Mendes Samuel R. , Bracca Andrea B. J. , Rinaldi Francieli , Kaufman Teodoro S.
Published: August 2009

The synthesis of 2‐methyltriclisine, an unnatural analog of the azafluoranthene alkaloid triclisine, is reported. The synthesis was achieved in 10 steps and 21 % overall yield from 2‐bromo‐3,4‐dimethoxybenzaldehyde, through the intermediacy of 3,4‐dimethoxyfluoren‐9‐one. Construction of the heterocyclic ring entailed the para‐Claisen rearrangement of an allyl‐4‐fluorenyl ether, followed by isomerization of the resulting 2‐allylfluoren‐9‐one and a microwave‐assisted electrocyclization of the aza 6π‐electron system formed by oximation of its carbonyl function. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Initial stiffness of reinforced concrete structural walls with irregular openings
Authors: Li Bing , Chen Qin
Published: August 2009

Reinforced concrete (RC) structural walls with openings are the primary lateral‐load‐carrying elements utilized in many structures designed to resist earthquakes. A review of the technical literature shows that there is a considerable amount of uncertainty with regards to the elastic stiffness of these structures when subjected to seismic excitations. Current design practices often employ a stiffness reduction factor to deal with this uncertainty. In an attempt to develop additional information regarding the stiffness of these structures, this paper discusses an approach to determine the initial stiffness of RC structural walls with irregular openings and low aspect ratios. This approach would consider the effect of both flexural and shear deformations. As a part of this study, an analytical approach to determine stiffness was also developed and validated by comparing theoretical and experimental results obtained from six RC shear walls with irregular openings. Simple equations for assessing initial stiffness of RC structural walls with irregular openings are then proposed, based on these parametric case studies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Water surface mapping from airborne laser scanning using signal intensity and elevation data
Authors: Höfle Bernhard , Vetter Michael , Pfeifer Norbert , Mandlburger Gottfried , Stötter Johann
Published: August 2009

In recent years airborne laser scanning (ALS) evolved into a state‐of‐the‐art technology for topographic data acquisition. We present a novel, automatic method for water surface classification and delineation by combining the geometrical and signal intensity information provided by ALS. The reflection characteristics of water surfaces in the near‐infrared wavelength (1064 nm) of the ALS system along with the surface roughness information provide the basis for the differentiation between water and land areas. Water areas are characterized by a high number of laser shot dropouts and predominant low backscatter energy. In a preprocessing step, the recorded intensities are corrected for spherical loss and atmospheric attenuation, and the locations of laser shot dropouts are modeled. A seeded region growing segmentation, applied to the point cloud and the modeled dropouts, is used to detect potential water regions. Object‐based classification of the resulting segments determines the final separation of water and non‐water points. The water‐land‐boundary is defined by the central contour line of the transition zone between water and land points. We demonstrate that the proposed workflow succeeds for a regulated river (Inn, Austria) with smooth water surface as well as for a pro‐glacial braided river (Hintereisfernerbach, Austria). A multi‐temporal analysis over five years of the pro‐glacial river channel emphasizes the applicability of the developed method for different ALS systems and acquisition settings (e.g. point density). The validation, based on real time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) field survey and a terrestrial orthophoto, indicate point cloud classification accuracy above 97% with 0·45 m planimetric accuracy (root mean square error) of the water–land boundary. This article shows the capability of ALS data for water surface mapping with a high degree of automation and accuracy. This provides valuable datasets for a number of applications in geomorphology, hydrology and hydraulics, such as monitoring of braided rivers, flood modeling and mapping. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large‐scale SPH simulations of droplet impact onto a liquid surface up to the consequent formation of Worthington jet
Authors: Nishio Naoto , Yamana Kentaro , Yamaguchi Yasutaka , Inaba Takehiko , Kuroda Koji , Nakajima Tadashi , Ohno Kouhei , Fujimura Hideo
Published: August 2009

In this study, the whole process of liquid droplet impact onto a liquid surface up to the consequent formation of the central column was simulated using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method (SPH), and compared with an experiment using a high‐speed video camera. The surface tension tensor for the particle‐based expression was adequately included as the gradient of the surface tension and that enabled the simulation leading to the formations of crater and crown as well as the consequent central column. The simulated time series of the crater depth and diameter and crown height corresponded quantitatively well with the experimental result up to the rebound motion while discrepancies remained as a lower central column height in the simulation, and this seemed to be ascribed to the difficulty in realizing the complex surface structure that inevitably appeared in the fast rebound motion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.