bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Test characteristics of placental location screening by transabdominal ultrasound at 18–20 weeks
Authors: Olive E. C. , Roberts C. L. , Nassar N. , Algert C. S.
Published: November 2006

Objectives

To determine the test characteristics of a second‐trimester transabdominal fetal anomaly scan in screening for placenta previa.

Patients and methods

This was a case‐control study carried out at a tertiary obstetric hospital involving 54 women (0.5% of the total number booked for antenatal care and delivery at the center) with clinically significant placenta previa at the time of delivery, and 168 randomly selected controls who attended for antenatal care and delivery in 2000–2003. Sensitivity, specificity and false positive rate of the placenta–os measurement in the second‐trimester transabdominal fetal anomaly scan for identification of clinically significant placenta previa were assessed.

Results

Women with placenta previa at delivery had significantly different second‐trimester placenta–os measurements from those of controls (P < 0.0001). For women with placenta previa, the mean (standard deviation) placenta–os measurement was −0.96 cm (1.95) vs. 4.15 cm (1.77) for controls (P < 0.0001). Using the anomaly scan as a screening test for placenta previa with a placenta–os measurement cut‐off point of ≤ 2 cm, all cases of placenta previa should be identified, but 11.1% (95% CI, 7.1–14.8) of women without placenta previa would have false positive results. At cut‐off points of 3 cm and 1.5 cm the false positive rates were 25.7% (95% CI, 18.8–30.2%) and 6.6% (95% CI, 3.8–9.6%), respectively, but at 1.5 cm 3.8% of cases would be missed.

Conclusions

The second‐trimester transabdominal fetal anomaly scan is a useful screening test for placenta previa. However, because of false positives among the much larger population of women without placenta previa, we estimate that with a cut‐off point of ≤2 cm, 23 women would have to be followed up to confirm one true placenta previa. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subtelomeric rearrangements and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in anomalous growth‐restricted fetuses with normal or balanced G‐banded karyotype
Authors: Chen M. , Hwu W.‐L. , Kuo S.‐J. , Chen C.‐P. , Yin P.‐L. , Chang S.‐P. , Lee D.‐J. , Chen T.‐H. , Wang B.‐T. , Lin C.‐C.
Published: November 2006

Objective

To determine the frequencies of cryptic subtelomeric rearrangements and 22q11.2 deletion in anomalous growth‐restricted fetuses with normal or balanced G‐banded karyotypes.

Methods

This was a study of 27 consecutive fetuses at a median gestational age of 26 (range, 19–33) weeks, that had intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) as well as at least one major structural anomaly, and a normal or balanced G‐banded karyotype. The median maternal age was 29 (range, 17–39) years. Fluorescence z in‐situ hybridization (FISH) diagnosis of the cultured amniocytes with the probe TUPLE 1, and then the Chromoprobe Multiprobe‐T® system were used, respectively, to screen for the frequency of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and subtelomeric rearrangements involving the 41 unique chromosome ends (i.e. excluding the five short arms of acrocentric autosomes (no. 13, 14, 15, 21 and 22)). Those that had suspected deleted subtelomeres were reanalyzed with a specific subtelomeric probe, TelVysion®.

Results

Of the 27 fetuses, three (11%) were affected with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and two (7.4%) had subtelomeric deletions (one monosomy 21q22.3, one monosomy 1p36.3). Of the 11 fetuses with congenital heart defects, three (27.3%) had 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and one (9.1%) had monosomy 1p36.3. In the remaining 16 fetuses without congenital heart defects, none had 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. However, one (6.3%) had cryptic rearrangement involving subtelomeres.

Conclusion

Prenatal subtelomeric FISH screening is technically feasible using cultured amniocytes. We propose that 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and cryptic subtelomere rearrangements may be important etiologies of fetuses with IUGR and at least one structural anomaly, along with a normal karyotype or one that is balanced by traditional G‐banding. Fetuses with congenital heart defects and IUGR should undergo FISH to exclude 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. In fetuses with IUGR and at least one major structural anomaly but without congenital heart defects, screening of subtelomeric rearrangements may contribute to further elucidation of the underlying etiology. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of a confidence scale in reporting postmortem fetal magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Breeze A. C. G. , Cross J. J. , Hackett G. A. , Jessop F. A. , Joubert I. , Lomas D. J. , Set P. A. K. , Whitehead A. L. , Lees C. C. ,   for the Cambridge Post‐mortem MRI Study Group
Published: November 2006

Objectives

Postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be an alternative to conventional autopsy. However, it is unclear how confident radiologists are in reporting such studies. We sought to determine the confidence with which radiologists report on various fetal organs by developing a scale to express their confidence of normality and abnormality, and to place this in the context of a pathological diagnosis of whether the organ was in fact normal or abnormal.

Methods

Thirty fetuses, aged 16–39 gestational weeks and weighing 61–3270 g, underwent postmortem MRI prior to conventional autopsy. MRI studies were reported by two radiologists with access to the clinical and sonographic history: a neuroradiologist, reporting head and neck, and a pediatric radiologist, reporting thorax, abdomen and pelvis. Radiologists used a scale (0 = definitely abnormal, 100 = definitely normal, 50 = unable to comment) to indicate their confidence of anatomical structures being normal or abnormal, using a checklist. Conventional autopsies were performed by pediatric pathologists blinded to the MRI findings, and these were considered the reference standard.

Results

Most normal fetal organs had high scores on postmortem MRI, with median confidence scores above 80. However, the atrioventricular valves, duodenum, bowel rotation and pancreas proved more difficult to assess, with median scores of 50, 60, 60 and 62.5, respectively. Abnormal cardiac atria and ventricles, kidneys, cerebral hemispheres and corpus callosum were always detected with high or moderate degrees of confidence (median scores of 2.5, 5, 0, 0 and 30 respectively). However, in two cases with abnormal cardiac outflow tracts, both cases scored 50. Kappa values, assessing agreement between MRI diagnoses of abnormality and autopsy, were high for the brain (0.83), moderate for the lungs (0.56) and fair for the heart (0.33).

Conclusions

This scoring system represents an attempt to define the confidence of radiologists to report varying degrees of normality and abnormality following z ex‐utero fetal MRI. While most fetal anatomy is clearly visualized on postmortem MRI, radiologists may lack confidence reporting such studies and there are particular problems with assessment of some cardiac and gastrointestinal structures, both normal and abnormal. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When Should We Be Concerned about Pancreatic Necrosis? Analysis from a Single Institution in Mexico City
Authors: Remes‐Troche José M. , Uscanga Luis F. , Peláez‐Luna Mario , Duarte‐Rojo Andres , González‐Balboa Paola , Teliz Marco Antonio , Chan‐Nunez Carlos , Campuzano Manuel , Robles‐Díaz Guillermo
Published: November 2006

Background/Aim

Although pancreatic necrosis classifies acute pancreatitis (AP) as severe, many patients with tomographic evidence of necrosis never develop systemic complications. Our aim was to analyze the incidence of pancreatic necrosis, organ failure (OF), and the relationship between them.

Methods

Medical records from 165 patients with a first AP episode and in whom a contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT) was performed were analyzed. Pancreatic necrosis was diagnosed as non‐enhancing areas of the pancreas on the CECT and was graded as <30%, 30%–50%, and >50%. Pancreatic infection was assessed by guided percutaneous aspiration. Organ failure was defined according to the Atlanta criteria.

Results

Of 165 patients (mean age 42 years, 85 men), 54 (33%) had pancreatic necrosis. Necrosis was graded as <30% in 25 subjects (46%), 30%–50% in 16 (30%), and >50% in 13 (24%). Pancreatic infection was diagnosed in 14 cases (26%). Organ failure occurred in 49 patients: in 20 patients (37%) with necrosis, and in 29 patients (26%) without necrosis (P = 0.20). Extensive pancreatic necrosis (>50%) (P < 0.05) and infected necrosis (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with OF. Eight patients, all of them with OF, died. In 6 of these cases infected pancreatic necrosis was present.

Conclusions

Patients with pancreatic necrosis are not necessarily at risk of developing OF. However, it should be considered an important risk factor when the necrotizing process compromises more than 50% of the gland and is infected.
Homocysteine and atherothrombosis
Authors: Falk Erling , Zhou Ji , Møller Jan
Published: November 2006

Atherosclerosis with or without thrombosis superimposed is the most frequent cause of ischemic heart disease (IHD), peripheral arterial disease, and a main cause of stroke. Conflicting results have been reported in genetic, observational, and experimental studies on the relationship between homocysteine and these atherothrombotic diseases. Although cardiovascular complications are common in homocystinuric pateints (severe hyperhomocysteinemia), IHD, the most frequent manifestation of atherothrombosis in the general population, appears to be rare. On the basis of findings in individuals with hyperhomocysteinemia of genetic origin, there is in fact no clear evidence for a causal role of homocysteine in the pathogenesis of atherothrombotic disease, and the positive association between plasma homocysteine and II ID observed in many, but not all epidemiologic studies does not prove causality. To infer causality from observational studies, there should be a temporal, consistent, strong, independent, graded (dose‐response effect), and duration‐dependent relationship between exposure and outcomes, and a biologically plausible mechanism should exist. The relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and IHD does not fulfill these criteria beyond reasonable doubt. In the general population, plasma homocysteine levels are to a great extent determined by dietary habits, and plasma homocysteine could be a marker, or a consequence, of atherothrombosis and/or risk‐associated behavior (e.g., a diet low in fruits and vegetables) rather than a cause of atherothrombosis. Experimentally, hyperhomocysteinemia is not in itself atherogenic in normal animals with relatively low plasma cholesterol levels. The homocysteine theory of atherosclerosis should be tested more thoroughly in hypercholesterolemic animals that develop atherosclerosis spontaneously to determine whether elevated plasma homocysteine levels are harmful under atherogenic conditions. A causal role of homocystein in atherothrombotic disease remains to be established.
Short‐term folic acid supplementation induces variable and paradoxical changes in plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations
Authors: Malinow M. René , Duell P. Barton , Williams Michelle A. , Kruger Warren D. , Evans Alison A. , Anderson Peter H. , Block Peter C. , Hess David L. , Upson Barbara M. , Graf Eric E. , Irvin‐Jones Andrea , Wang Liqun
Published: November 2006

Folic acid is presently the mainstay of treatment for most subjects with elevated plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations [Plasma or serum homocyst(e)ine, or total homocysteine, refers to the sum of the sulfhydryl amino acid homocysteine and the homocysteinyl moieties of the disulfides homocystine and homocystein‐cysteine, whether free or bound to plasma proteins.] Changes in homocyst(e)ine in response to folic acid supplementation are characterized by considerable interindividual variation. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that contribute to heterogeneity in short‐term responses to folic acid supplementation. The effects of folic acid supplementation (1 or 2 mg per day) for 3 wk on plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations were assessed in 304 men and women. Overall, folic acid supplementation increased mean plasma folate 31.5±98.0 nmol/L and decreased mean plasma homocyst(e)ine concentrations 1.2±2.4 μmol/L. There was evidence of substantial interindividual variation in the homocyst(e)ine response from −18.5 to +7.1 μmol/L, including an increase in homocyst(e)ine in 20% of subjects (mean increase 1.5±1.4 μmol/L). Basal homocyst(e)ine, age, male gender, cigarette smoking, use of multivitamins, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase, and cystathionine β‐synthase polymorphisms accounted for 47.6% of the interindividual variability in the change in homocyst(e)ine after folic acid supplementation, but about 50% of variability in response to folic acid was not explained by the variables we studied.
The oxidant stress hypothesis of atherogenesis
Authors: Iuliano Luigi
Published: November 2006

Atherosclerosis is the commonest lesion of blood vessels and is responsible for life‐threatening events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. In the last two decades a series of excellent studies unraveled biochemical mechanisms that provided the background for a theory of atherogenesis. This theory is centered on foam cells and on free radical‐mediated modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL). Foam cells are the main cell type of atherosclerotic lesions and originate from monocytes migrated from blood and from smooth muscle cells of the arterial wall. Foam cells are engulfed of lipids taken from LDL. Paradoxically, accumulation of LDL in developing foam cells does not occur via the classic LDL receptor. Incubation of macrophages with even very high concentrations of LDL does not appreciably increase cholesterol content. Chemically modified LDL easily enter the cells of atherosclerotic plaque via an unregulated receptor, the scavenger receptor. The most studied chemical modification of LDL is that induced by free radicals.
The role of antioxidants in the mediterranean diet
Authors: Visioli Francesco , Galli Claudio
Published: November 2006

Traditional Mediterranean diets, as opposed to North European and American diets, include a significantly large amount of plant foods; this notable difference between the two eating styles, despite the similarities among other classic risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) such as high plasma cholesterol levels, has been associated with a lower risk of developing the CHD and certain cancers. The involvement of excessive free radical production and the great number of epidemiologic studies linking antioxidant intake with a reduced incidence of the above‐mentioned diseases indicate that dietary antioxidants likely play a protective role. Because diets in the Mediterranean are (or better yet, were) characterized by abundant plant foods (fruits, vegetables, breads, nuts, seeds; wine and olive oil), this article includes a review of the potential activities of dietary antioxidants, which are plentiful in Mediterranean diets, and wine as related to human disease.
Antioxidant vitamins and prevention of cardiovascular disease: Epidemiological and clinical trial data
Authors: Marchioli Roberto , Schweiger Carlo , Levantesi Giacomo , Tavazzi Luigi , Valagussa Franco
Published: November 2006

Naturally occurring antioxidants such as vitamin E, β‐carotene, and vitamin C can inhibit the oxidative modification of low density lipoproteins. This action could positively influence the atherosclerotic process and, as a consequence, the progression of coronary heart disease. A wealth of experimental studies provide a sound biological rationale for the mechanisms of action of antioxidants, whereas epidemiologic studies strongly sustain the “antioxidant hypothesis”. To date, however, clinical trials with β‐carotene supplements have been disappointing, and their use as a preventive intervention for cancer and coronary heart disease should be discouraged. Only scanty data from clinical trials are available for vitamin C. As to vitamin E, discrepant results have been obtained by the Alpha‐Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study with a low‐dose vitamin E supplementation (50 mg/d) and the Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (400–800 mg/d). The results of the GISSI‐Prevenzione (300 mg/d) and HOPE (400 mg/d) trials suggest the absence of relevant clinical effects of vitamin E on the risk of cardiovascular events. Currently ongoing are several large‐scale clinical trials that will help in clarifying the role of vitamin E in association with other antioxidants in the prevention of atherosclerotic coronary disease.
The effect of n−3 fatty acids on low density lipoprotein subfractions
Authors: Griffin Bruce A.
Published: November 2006

A predominance of small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) represents a significant source of increased risk for the development of coronary heart disease in Westernized countries. Dietary long‐chain n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exert a potent triglyceride‐lowering effect that redistributes LDL subfractions toward larger and lighter particles. These dietary fatty acids thus have a key role to play in providing protection against this particularly atherogenic type of LDL.
The electrophysiologic basis for the antiarrhythmic and anticonvulsant effects of n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Heart and brain
Authors: Leaf Alexander
Published: November 2006

The n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to be antiarrhythmic in animals and probably in humans. PUFA stabilize the electrical activity of isolated cardiac myocytes by modulating sarcolemmal ion channels, so that a stronger electrical stimulus is required to elicit an action potential and the refractory period is markedly prolonged. Inhibition of voltage‐dependent sodium currents, which initiate action potentials in excitable tissues, and of the L‐type calcium currents, which initiate release of sarcoplasmic calcium stores, thus increasing cytosolic free calcium concentrations and activating the contractile proteins in myocytes, appears at present to be the probable major antiarrhythmic mechanisms of PUFA. Because the ion channels in neurons have channel proteins essentially homologous to those in the heart, the n−3 fatty acids would appear to be likely to affect the electrical activity in the brain in a manner similar to their effects in the heart, and accumulating evidence supports this notion. Evidence of important beneficial neurological effects of dietary n−3 PUFA are emerging with more likely to be discovered.
Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry for analysis of lipids
Authors: Byrdwell William Craig
Published: November 2006

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) has proven to be a very valuable technique for analysis of lipids from a variety of classes. This instrumental method readily produces useful ions with gentle fragmentation from large neutral molecules such as triacylglycerols and carotenoids, which are often difficult to analyze using other techniques. Molecules that are easily ionized, such as phospholipids, produce molecular ions and diagnostically useful fragment ions that are complementary to those produced by methods such as electrospray ionization MS with collision‐induced dissociation. The simplicity and versatility of APCI‐MS make it an ideal tool for use in solving hitherto very difficult analytical problems.
Nonalcoholic components in wine reduce low density lipoprotein cholesterol in normocholesterolemic rats
Authors: Cascón Esther , Roig Roser , Ardèvol Anna , Salvadó M. Josepa , Arola Lluis , Bladé Cinta
Published: November 2006

Using an experimental model that enables the effects of alcohol to be distinguished from the effects of the nonalcoholic components present in wine, we determined whether wine has effects other than those of alcohol on the metabolism of cholesterol. Male rats were fed a standard diet and had free access to water and either wine or an equivalent alcohol solution for 45 d or 6 mon. Alcohol intake was similar in the two groups of animals. Consumption of the alcohol solution or wine did not influence plasma cholesterol or high density lipoprotein‐cholesterol. At 45 d, the consumption both of wine and of alcohol solution reduced low density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol. At 6 mon, only the rats that consumed wine had reduced LDL‐cholesterol. After 45 d of consuming alcohol solution, total cholesterol in the aorta was significantly increased mainly as a result of the rise in free cholesterol. In the aorta, the effect of wine consumption was similar to the effect of alcohol solution consumption, although it was less intense. The only clear effect that could be ascribed to the nonalcoholic components in wine was that the LDL‐cholesterol was reduced in the long term, although aortic cholesterol was not.
Fullerene lipids: Synthesis of novel nitrogen‐bridged [60]fullerene fatty ester derivatives
Authors: Lie Ken Jie Marcel S. F. , Cheung Sunny W. H. , Ho Janette C. M.
Published: November 2006

Reactions of methyl 6‐azido‐hexanoate, 8‐azido‐octanoate, and 12‐azido‐dodecanoate with [60]fullerene (1) gave the corresponding aza‐[60]fullerene ester derivatives (2a‐2c, 22–35% based on the amount of [60]fullerene reacted). The nitrogen atom is bonded to the [60]fullerene cage to yield a “[5,6]‐open” type aza substructure. This was confirmed by the appearance of 30–31 sp2 signals at δC 133–147 in the carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Reaction of methyl 11‐azido‐7‐undecynoate with [60]fullerene furnished a mixture of aza‐[60]fullerene (2d, 53%) and aziridine‐[60]fullerene (2e, 38%) ester derivatives. Compound 2e was identified as the “[6,6]‐closed” type aziridine‐[60]fullerene derivative, which displayed 10 sp2 signals in the region δC 140–145 and one signal at δC 85.05 for the sp3 carbons of the cage. Refluxing a solution of compound 2d in toluene for 50 h gave about 50% yield of compound 2e, but not vice versa.
Analysis of molecular species of peroxide adducts of triacylglycerols following treatment of corn oil with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide
Authors: Sjövall O. , Kuksis A. , Kallio H.
Published: November 2006

We recently demonstrated that exposure of synthetic mono‐and diunsaturated triacylglycerols to tert‐butylhy‐droperoxide (TBHP) leads to formation of stable adducts of the oxidizing agent and the unsaturated esters (Sjövall, O., Kuksis, A., and Kallio, H., Reversed Phase High‐Performance Liquid Chromatographic Separation of tert‐Butyl Hydroperoxide Oxidation Products of Unsaturated Triacylglycerols. J. Chromatogr. A 905, 119–132, 2001). In the present study we isolated and identified the TBHP adducts of corn oil triacylglycerols. The much wider range of molecular species available in the corn oil permitted us to demonstrate that the yield of the adducts varies with the degree of unsaturation of the triacylglycerol. The highest yields were obtained for the linoleate (20% of linoleoyl‐containing residual triacylglycerols) and the lowest ones for the oleate (5% of oleoyl‐containing residual triacylglycerols) tria‐cylglycerols, whereas the saturated triacylglycerols did not give TBHP adducts in readily detectable amounts. Normal‐phase thin‐layer chromatography along with reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) with electrospray ionization was used to isolate and separate the major molecular species of polyunsaturated triacylglycerols and corresponding TBHP adducts. As an extreme example, the dilinoleoylmonooleoylglycerol was identified as the mono‐, di‐, tri‐, tetra‐, and penta‐TBHP adduct. LC/MS with electrospray ionization at elevated capillary exit voltage (pseudo tandem mass spectrometry) was used to confirm structures of the [M−RCOOH]+ ions and the absence of TBHP adducts of [M−RCOOH]+. It is concluded that stable adduct formation is an unavoidable complication of preparation of oxotriacylglycerols by oxidation with concentrated TBHP solutions and care must be taken to resolve the adducts from the desired oxidation product.
MR AND MRS PUNCH IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND
Authors: CRONE ROSALIND
Published: November 2006

This article examines the changes and continuities in the depiction of the violent relationship between the popular glove-puppets, Punch and Judy, over the course of the nineteenth century. While the puppet show emerged as a low-brow street entertainment during the first decades of the nineteenth century, by 1850 it had been hijacked by the middle and upper classes, and began to appear with increasing frequency in fashionable drawing rooms. At the same time, the relationship between the two central characters, Punch and Judy, was substantially modified. On the streets, during the first half of the century, the Punches’ marriage had both reflected the continuing popularity of the early modern theme of the ‘struggle for the breeches’ and encapsulated familial tensions that resulted from the pressures of industrialization and urbanization. However, from 1850 the middle classes attempted to reshape the relationship into a moral tale in order to teach their children valuable lessons about marital behaviour. Yet, at the same time, the maintenance of violence in the portrayal of the Punches’ conjugal life exposed crucial patterns of continuity in attitudes towards marriage, masculinity, and femininity in Victorian England.
THE ORIGINS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Authors: IMLAY TALBOT C.
Published: November 2006

Anticipating total war: the German and American experiences, 1871–1914. By Manfred Boemeke, Roger Chickering, and Stig Förster. New York and Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Pp. ix+506. ISBN 0-521-62294-8. £55.00.

German strategy and the path to Verdun: Erich von Falkenhayn and the development of attrition, 1870–1916. By Robert T. Foley. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Pp. xiv+316. ISBN 0-521-84193-3. £45.00.

Europe's last summer: who started the Great War in 1914? By David Fromkin. New York: Knopf, 2004. Pp. xiii+368. ISBN 0-375-41156-9. £26.95.

The origins of World War I. Edited by Richard F. Hamilton and Holger H. Herwig. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Pp. xiii+552. ISBN 0-521-81735-8. £35.00.

Geheime Diplomatie und öffentliche Meinung: Die Parlamente in Frankreich, Deutschland und Grossbritanien und die erste Marokkokrise, 1904–1906. By Martin Mayer. Düsseldorf: Droste, 2002. Pp. 382. ISBN 3-7700-5242-0. £44.80.

Helmuth von Moltke and the origins of the First World War. By Annika Mombauer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Pp. xvi+344. ISBN 0-521-79101-4. £48.00.

The origins of the First World War: controversies and consensus. By Annika Mombauer. London: Pearson Education, 2002. Pp. ix+256. ISBN 0-582-41872-0. £15.99.

Inventing the Schlieffen plan: German war planning, 1871–1914. By Terence Zuber. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Pp. xi+340. ISBN 0-19-925016-2. £52.50.

As Richard Hamilton and Holger Herwig remark in the introduction to their edited collection of essays on the origins of the First World War, thousands of books (and countless articles) have been written on the subject, a veritable flood that began with the outbreak of the conflict in 1914 and continues to this day. This enduring interest is understandable: the First World War was, in George Kennan’s still apt phrase, the ‘great seminal catastrophe’ of the twentieth century. Marking the end of the long nineteenth century and the beginning of the short twentieth century, the war amounted to an earthquake whose seismic shocks and after-shocks resonated decades afterwards both inside and outside of the belligerent countries. The Bolshevik Revolution, the growth of fascist and Nazi movements, the accelerated emergence of the United States as a leading great power, the economic depression of the 1930s – these and other developments all have their roots in the tempest of war during 1914–18. Given the momentous nature of the conflict, it is little wonder that scholars continue to investigate – and to argue about – its origins. At the same time, as Hamilton and Herwig suggest, the sheer number of existing studies places the onus on scholars themselves to justify their decision to add to this historiographical mountain. This being so, in assessing the need for a new work on the origins of the war, one might usefully ask whether it fulfills one of several functions.
PATTERNS OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN AUSTRALIA: ANALYSIS OF THE 2001 NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY
Authors: YUSUF FARHAT , SIEDLECKY STEFANIA
Published: November 2006

The purpose of this paper is to review the patterns of contraceptive use in Australia, using data from a nationally representative sample of 5872 women aged 18 to 49. This survey was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2001 as part of the National Health Survey. Results of the analysis indicate that the oral contraceptive pill and condom were the two most frequently used methods. More than 76% of the respondents reported having ever used the pill. Over 23% of women were currently using condoms; of these 80% of the condom users used them for contraception – this included 36% who used condoms for both protection against infection and for contraception – and the remainder used them only for protection. Withdrawal was the third most popular non-surgical method up to age 40. Few women used IUDs, injections or diaphragms. Just over 3% of the respondents were using natural methods with the highest rate reported among those in their 30s. The ‘morning-after pill’ was reported mostly by women aged 18–24; however, there was no evidence to suggest that it was being used as a primary method of birth control. Contraceptive use declined in older women who turned to sterilization for themselves and/or their partners. Use of the contraceptive pill was somewhat higher among better-educated women, but lower among less-educated women and those from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
Advancement in post-meningitic lateral semicircular canal labyrinthitis ossificans
Authors: Chan C C , Saunders D E , Chong W K , Hartley B E , Raglan E , Rajput K
Published: November 2006

Objective: To assess whether lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) ossification is more advanced than that in the cochlear basal turn, in order to judge the value of the former as a predictor.

Methods: Retrospective review of 33 paediatric patients from our cochlear implant programme, with profound sensorineural hearing loss after bacterial meningitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans and operative findings were reviewed.

Results: On CT, LSCC ossification scores were more advanced than those for the cochlear basal turn in 69.9 per cent of implanted ears. Forty-five per cent (15/33) of children had ossification at surgery. In predicting this, the sensitivity of CT LSCC ossification was 90 per cent and that of MRI LSCC ossification was 83.3 per cent.

Conclusions: The more advanced ossification found in the LSCC, compared with that in the cochlear basal turn, adds to previous findings of LSCC pathology predicting cochlear ossification. Surprisingly, CT of the LSCC appears to be no less valuable than MRI in pre-operative cochlear implant assessment of post-meningitic children.
Role of ossiculoplasty in canal wall down tympanoplasty for middle-ear cholesteatoma: hearing results
Authors: Corso E De , Marchese M R , Sergi B , Rigante M , Paludetti G
Published: November 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing results of ossiculoplasty in canal wall down tympanoplasty in one stage middle-ear cholesteatoma surgery.

We carried out a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 142 cases which had undergone type two or three canal wall down tympanoplasty with ossicular reconstruction, between January 1995 and December 2002, due to chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma.

Pre-operative audiometric testing revealed a mean air conduction pure tone average (PTA) of 50.97 dB and a mean bone conduction PTA of 22.14 dB. The mean post-operative result for air conduction PTA was 37.62 and for bone conduction PTA was 23.37 dB. The mean pre- and post-operative air–bone gaps (ABGs) were 28.83 and 13.94 dB, respectively, with a gain of 14.89 dB. Almost 62.67 per cent of patients closed their ABGs to within 20 dB.

Our functional results are comparable with those of other authors. In the present study, we show that hearing improvement is possible following cholesteatoma surgery with canal wall down tympanoplasty and ossicular chain reconstruction.
Can self assessment of communication predict hearing loss?
Authors: Vij S , Nagarkar A N , Jindal P
Published: November 2006

A total of 120 subjects with hearing loss (75 men, 45 women), within the age range 18–70 years (mean, 38 years), and 15 normal subjects were administered a modified Hindi adaptation of the ‘self assessment of communication’ hearing loss inventory. The study aimed to determine whether there was any correlation between subjects' average pure tone thresholds and their inventory scores. Data was analysed using the Pearson coefficient of correlation and regression analysis. A negative correlation was obtained stating that the greater the hearing loss, the lower the inventory score. An equation could also be derived for the bilateral symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss group and the bilateral symmetrical conductive hearing loss group to enable calculation of patients' average hearing loss from their inventory scores, in the absence of an audiogram. This could aid rehabilitation in cases with either type of hearing loss (in which no medical intervention was required) when pure tone audiometry is not possible.
Behaviour and chemical signature of pre-hibernating females of Polistes dominulus infected by the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum
Authors: DAPPORTO L. , CINI A. , PALAGI E. , MORELLI M. , SIMONTI A. , TURILLAZZI S.
Published: November 2006

Polistes dominulus are social wasps which are the host of the strepsipteran endoparasite Xenos vesparum. In the hibernating phase, unparasitized and parasitized wasps leave natal nests and aggregate together in sheltered quarters. In aggregations, wasps are socially active, and some individuals perform helping behaviour. Here we investigated if castrated parasitized wasps perform worker tasks in mixed aggregations. Moreover, by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we examined the cuticular hydrocarbons of unparasitized and parasitized wasps to evaluate if the infection alters the composition of cuticular waxes that are recognition cues in social insects. In clusters, infected females do not perform helping behaviour and they are less active than unparasitized wasps. Cuticular hydrocarbons are slightly differentiated between unparasitized and parasitized wasps but, generally, unparasitized wasps are more similar to wasps infected by Xenos females compared to wasps infected by Xenos males. Wasps infected by Xenos males do not usually survive the winter. This chemical similarity is probably a consequence of the similar physiological condition of unparasitized and female-affected Polistes wasps. At this stage, it is difficult to affirm whether these modifications are a true parasite manipulation or a consequence of infection.
Increased rainfall is associated with increased risk for legionellosis
Authors: HICKS L. A. , ROSE C. E. , FIELDS B. S. , DREES M. L. , ENGEL J. P. , JENKINS P. R. , ROUSE B. S. , BLYTHE D. , KHALIFAH A. P. , FEIKIN D. R. , WHITNEY C. G.
Published: November 2006

Legionnaires' disease (LD) is caused by Legionella species, most of which live in water. The Mid-Atlantic region experienced a sharp rise in LD in 2003 coinciding with a period of record-breaking rainfall. To investigate a possible relationship, we analysed the association between monthly legionellosis incidence and monthly rainfall totals from January 1990 to December 2003 in five Mid-Atlantic states. Using negative binomial model a 1-cm increase in rainfall was associated with a 2·6% (RR 1·026, 95% CI 1·012–1·040) increase in legionellosis incidence. The average monthly rainfall from May to September 1990–2002 was 10·4 cm compared to 15·7 cm from May to September 2003. This change in rainfall corresponds to an increased risk for legionellosis of approximately 14·6% (RR 1·146, 95% CI 1·067–1·231). Legionellosis incidence increased during periods of increased rainfall; identification of mechanisms that increase exposure and transmission of Legionella during rainfall might lead to opportunities for prevention.
Value, Interest, and Well-Being
Authors: MACKLEM TIMOTHY , GARDNER JOHN
Published: November 2006

In this article we consider and cast doubt on two doctrines given prominence and prestige by the utilitarian tradition in ethics. According to the interest theory of value, value is realized only in the advancement of people's interests. According to the well-being theory of interests, people's interests are advanced only in the augmentation of their well-being. We argue that it is possible to resist these doctrines without abandoning the value-humanist doctrine that the value of anything has to be explained in terms of its potential to contribute to human lives and their quality.
Meteoroids: a landing capsule for panspermia
Authors: Coulson S.G.
Published: November 2006

Viable, organic material has been discovered at altitudes of around 40 km above the Earth (Wainwright et al. (2004). Int J. Astrobiol. 3(1), 13–15). Assuming an extraterrestrial origin, this raises the question of how the material survived air breaking in the atmosphere from hypervelocity speeds. The Earth is under constant bombardment from interplanetary and interstellar dust particles, with a daily influx of over 60 tonnes of material incident upon the upper atmosphere. The majority of this material is in the form of micro-meteoroids with typical radii ranging from 0.01 μm to a peak of around 200 μm (Ceplecha et al. (1998). Space Sci. Rev. 84, 327–471).

Classical work on meteoroid ablation suggests that these particles should be annihilated by atmospheric deceleration. Recent work suggests that molecular sputtering of surface molecules may provide an alternative way to decelerate, without such intense heating. In general, the mathematics of atmospheric entry are complex; here we review some of the main parameters (particle size, initial velocity, entry angle and composition) that contribute to the heating of meteoroids during their descent. Comparing the heating profiles for meteoroids descending from inside and outside of the Earth's shadow, it is found that the maximum temperatures reached by 10 μm meteoroids can be 10–15% lower if the meteoroid descends from within the shadow of the Earth, compared to those decelerating during daylight. The possibility that micrometre-sized particles can decelerate subject to maximum temperatures ~300 K offers a mechanism for the survivability of the recovered organic material.
Channeling with diffusion into stagnant water and into a matrix in series
Authors: Neretnieks Ivars
Published: November 2006

Numerous field observations show that most water flow in fractured rocks takes place in only a small part of the fractures. We call these channels. Solutes in the flowing water can diffuse in and out of stagnant water in the porous rock matrix that the flowing water contacts via the so‐called flow wetted surface (FWS). In addition, the solutes can diffuse into stagnant water in the fractures themselves and from this water further into the rock matrix. For narrow channels with small FWS the transport via the stagnant water in the fracture can considerably add to the exchange of solutes between flowing water and matrix water. For sorbing solutes that interact with the micropore surfaces in the matrix the effect can be very strong. Some models that account for these processes are developed and solved using Laplace transforms. Some examples are presented that show the effects of first diffusion into stagnant waters in fractures with subsequent diffusion into the rock matrix. Effects of slit‐like and tube‐like channels are considered as well as the presence of intersecting fractures. The solutions are especially useful to model solute transport in complex three‐dimensional channels networks where wide and narrow or even tube‐like channels with widely varying flow rates combine into a multitude of different paths.
Anomaly of heat content in the northern Atlantic in the last 7 years: Is the ocean warming or cooling?
Authors: Ivchenko V. O. , Wells N. C. , Aleynik D. L.
Published: November 2006

Whether the North Atlantic Ocean is warming or cooling is an important question both in physical oceanography and climate change. The Argo profiling buoys provide an accurate and stable instrument for determining the tendencies in heat content from the surface to 2000 m from 1999 to 2005. To calculate temperature and heat content anomalies two reference climatologies are used. These are the well known WOA2001 climatology (Stephens et al., 2002), and a new WOCE Global Hydrographic climatology (Gouretski and Koltermann, 2004). The former climatology is used for our main results, and the latter is used for evaluating the sensitivity of our results to the climatology. Our scheme allows us to estimate the anomaly of heat content (AHC) in the North Atlantic and its smaller sub‐domains (i.e. 10° boxes) for the period 1999–2005. We have found a dipole structure in the time averaged AHC: negative values are concentrated in the southern and middle latitudes of the North Atlantic whilst positive values are found north of 50°N. The upper 1500 m of the North Atlantic is warming throughout the period 1999 to 2005.
Periodic surface features in coastal East Antarctica
Authors: Anschütz Helgard , Eisen Olaf , Rack Wolfgang , Scheinert Mirko
Published: November 2006

We found evidence for highly periodic dunes in a near‐coastal area of Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Analysis of accumulation patterns, derived from ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) internal layering, and GPS‐based characteristics of surface topography, by means of auto‐ and cross‐covariance, indicate quasi‐harmonic oscillations of surface undulations, surface slope, and accumulation. The dunes occur at an elevation range of 1000–1350 m with the dominant wavelength of 5 km and undulations of ∼10 m. Accumulation and slope are anticorrelated at zero lag, with a mean annual accumulation of some 140 kg m−2 yr−1 and variations on the order of ±100 kg m−2 yr−1. Our findings have implications for studies aiming at the mass balance of coastal areas in Antarctica.
Temporal stability of the neodymium isotope signature of the Holocene to glacial North Atlantic
Authors: van de Flierdt Tina , Robinson Laura F. , Adkins Jess F. , Hemming Sidney R. , Goldstein Steven L.
Published: November 2006

The neodymium isotopic composition of marine precipitates is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for identifying changes in ocean circulation and mixing on million year to millennial timescales. Unlike nutrient proxies such as δ13C or Cd/Ca, Nd isotopes are not thought to be altered in any significant way by biological processes, and thus they can serve as a quasi‐conservative water mass tracer. However, the application of Nd isotopes in understanding the role of thermohaline circulation in rapid climate change is currently hindered by the lack of direct constraints on the signature of the North Atlantic end‐member through time. Here we present the first results of Nd isotopes measured in U‐Th‐dated deep‐sea corals from the New England seamounts in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Our data are consistent with the conclusion that the Nd isotopic composition of North Atlantic deep and intermediate water has remained nearly constant through the last glacial cycle. The results address long‐standing concerns that there may have been significant changes in the Nd isotopic composition of the North Atlantic end‐member during this interval and substantiate the applicability of this novel tracer on millennial timescales for paleoceanography research.
Flood prediction in the future: Recognizing hydrologic issues in anticipation of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission
Authors: Hossain Faisal , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: November 2006

The planned Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission beckons hydrologists as an opportunity to improve flood prediction capability for medium to large river basins, especially in the underdeveloped world where in situ precipitation gauge networks are sparse. However, before the potential of GPM can be realized, there are a number of hydrologic issues that must be addressed. In particular, we argue that unless there is a shift in paradigm, the conventional assessment frameworks and metrics for estimation of precipitation from satellite sensors will remain inadequate for hydrologic purposes such as flood prediction. We also argue that greater emphasis must be placed on development of hydrologically relevant precipitation estimation algorithms and that this will require involvement of a broader cross section of the hydrologic community.
Mapping Martian Atmospheric Pressure with Ground-Based Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Chamberlain Sarah A. , Bailey Jeremy A. , Crisp David
Published: November 2006

We present images of Mars obtained in the 2.0 μm CO2 band with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The images reveal topographic features of the Martian surface that are usually invisible in direct albedo images at visible or IR wavelengths, but agree remarkably well with the topography of the planet as mapped by the MOLA instrument on Mars Global Surveyor. The CO2 band depth is a measure of the absorbing column of CO2 and hence determined primarily by the surface atmospheric pressure. The surface pressure variations are detected with a sensitivity of 4–5 Pa. We compare our data with radiative transfer models and find that the measured CO2 variation with pressure is consistent with the models. We discuss the possibility that similar observations might be used to observe atmospheric pressure changes due to Martian weather systems.
Green Protocol for Synthesis of Bis-indolylmethanes and Bis-indolylglycoconjugates in the Presence of Iron(III) Fluoride as a Heterogeneous, Reusable, and Eco-Friendly Catalyst
Authors: Kamble Vinod T. , Bandgar Babasaheb P. , Suryawanshi Satish B. , Bavikar Sudhir N.
Published: November 2006

An efficient method for the preparation of bis-indolylmethanes and bis-indolylglycoconjugates from carbonyl compounds with indoles in the presence of a catalytic amount of iron(iii) fluoride under solvent-free conditions is reported. The desired products were obtained in high yields with a simple and environmentally benign procedure. The use of iron(iii) fluoride is feasible because of its stability, easy handling, easy recovery, reusability, and good activity.