bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wisconsinan stratigraphy of the Cuyahoga Valley in the Erie Basin, northeastern Ohio
Authors: Szabo John P.
Published: January 2010

During the Wisconsinan Stage, ice of the Cuyahoga Lobe flowed southward from the Erie Basin through a lowland created by an ancestral Cuyahoga River. The paleovalley of the Cuyahoga River is filled with the pre-Woodfordian tills and lacustrine deposits. The oldest till, the Mogadore Till, overlies proglacial lacustrine deposits. After retreat of Mogadore ice into the Erie Basin, ice readvanced to deposit a previously unnamed till, Northampton Till, over deltaic and lacustrine deposits of Lake Cuyahoga. Northampton ice melted back into the Erie Basin after depositing the core of the Summit County morainic complex. Northampton ice then readvanced over deposits of proglacial Lake Independence and formed the Defiance Moraine. Aside from minor leaching of carbonates and weathering of clay minerals, little evidence of the Farmdalian Substage exists. Woodfordian, Kent, Lavery, and Hiram tills were deposited over pre-Woodfordian deposits.The multiple nature of the pre-Woodfordian tills in the Cuyahoga Lobe is similar to that of the Titusville Till in Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. Northampton Till is distinctive in having a significantly different matrix texture and carbonate content from either the Mogadore or the Kent Till. Organic debris suitable for dating from pre-Woodfordian deposits is rare because of glacial erosion and drainage changes. Lack of radiocarbon dates continues to complicate the interpretation of the Pre-Woodfordian stratigraphy.Durant l'épisode wisconsinien, la glace du lobe de Cuyahoga s'écoulait vers le sud à partir du bassin Érié en traversant une plaine créée par l'ancien lit de la rivière Cuyahoga. La paléovallée de la rivière Cuyahoga est comblée de tills et de dépôts lacustres. Le till le plus ancien, Mogadore, recouvre les dépôts lacustres proglaciaires. La régression du glacier de Mogadore fut suivie d'une progression qui édifia un till, jadis sans nom, mais ultérieurement appelé le till Northampton, lequel recouvre les dépôts deltaïques et lacustres du lac Cuyahoga. Le front du glacier de Northampton recula dans le bassin Érié après y avoir déposé la partie centrale du complexe morainique de Summit County. Ensuite, le glacier de Northampton réavança et recouvrit les dépôts du lac proglaciaire Independence et y déposa la moraine Defiance. À part un lessivage mineur des carbonates et une légère altération des minéraux argileux, il y a peu d'indice de l'exitence du sous-épisode farmdalien. Les tills du Woodfordien, Kent, Lavery et Hiram furent ont été mis en place par-dessus les dépôts pré-woodfordiens.
The possible roles of Precambrian biota in the origin of magmatogene and hydrothermal silver-bearing vein deposits
Authors: Morton Roger D. , Changkakoti Amarendra
Published: January 2010

The origins of silver-bearing, polyelement vein associations in the Great Bear Lake region and elsewhere in the world might be traced back to possible organic-rich, Precambrian sedimentary protoliths. These protoliths could have yielded a characteristic spectrum of elements to hydrothermal systems during regional metamorphism or during anatexis to form S-type granitoids. Wholesale capture of metals and metalloids by microbiota and their remains may have been a characteristic of some Early Proterozoic marginal marine, mesosaline environments. Two possible atmosphere–hydrosphere–lithosphere models are considered in light of recent theories. The metallogenic effects of Early Proterozoic organic-rich sedimentary environments could be of great significance: they might account for the polyelemental signatures of many younger, remobilized metal liferous systems.
Wisconsinan and pre-Wisconsinan ice thicknesses on Ellesmere Island, Canada: inferences from ice cores
Authors: Koerner R. M. , Fisher D. A. , Paterson W. S. B.
Published: January 2010

Study of two cores through an ice cap on northern Ellesmere Island suggests (1) during the Wisconsin Glaciation the ice near the crest was never more than about 200 m thicker than at present; (2) in a preceding glaciation, the ice was thicker than this, and the local ice divide near the boreholes was eliminated; (3) early in the Sangamon Interglacial, basal melting occurred in a deep bedrock valley south of the borehole site; and (4) the change in δ18O at the Wisconsinan–Holocene transition is 11‰, of which at least 8‰ results from climatic warming.
New correlations of Hadrynian strata, south-central British Columbia
Authors: Pell J. , Simony P. S.
Published: January 2010

The Hadrynian (Late Proterozoic) Kaza Group is 3800 m thick in the southern Cariboo Mountains of south-central British Columbia, and it consists of a lower division of pelite and psammite (700 m), a middle division of granule conglomerate with thick pelite intervals and some quartzite and carbonate (1400 m), and an upper division of granule conglomerate with little pelite (1700 m). Contacts with both the overlying Isaac Formation of the Cariboo Group and with underlying marble, semipelite, and amphibolite are gradational. The underlying strata can be traced southeastward into the middle marble and the semipelite–amphibolite division of the Hadrynian Horsethief Creek Group. The upper clastic division that caps the Horsethief Creek Group in the Selkirk Mountains is a southeastward-thinning equivalent of the Kaza Group.Two southeastward-tapering wedges of granule conglomerate, pelite, and carbonate constitute the bulk of the Hadrynian Windermere Supergroup of southern British Columbia. The lower wedge is represented by the Horsethief Creek Group, exclusive of its upper clastic division. The upper wedge is represented by the upper clastic division, the Kaza Group, the overlying Cariboo Group, and the middle and upper Miette Group. The two wedges indicate two pulses of crustal thinning and stretching during Hadrynian rifting of western North America.
40Ar/39Ar mineral age record of variably superimposed Proterozoic tectonothermal events in the Grenville Orogen, central Labrador
Authors: Dallmeyer R. D.
Published: January 2010

Penetratively cleaved slate–phyllite within supracrustal sequences (Seal Lake and Letitia Lake groups) in northernmost portions of the Grenville parauthochthon in central Labrador record 1018 ± 15 and 985 ± 14 Ma whole-rock 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages, which are interpreted as closely dating deformation and a concomitant low-grade metamorphism. The 40Ar/39Ar signature of Grenvillian tectonothermal effects is variably recorded in more southerly portions of the parautochthon. Locally within the extensive North Pole Brook igneous suite, there is no significant metamorphic retrogression. In these areas, igneous hornblendes record ca. 1650 Ma plateau ages similar to those suggested for emplacement of most of the suite by previously reported Rb–Sr whole-rock isochron and U–Pb zircon analyses. Low-temperature retrogression of igneous assemblages is observed throughout most of the North Pole Brook igneous terrane. Hornblende concentrates from five relatively undeformed samples are characterized by internally discordant 40Ar/39Ar spectra reflecting variable extraneous argon contamination and minor development of retrogressive blue–green amphibole. Biotite spectra are generally more concordant but display a wide range in total-gas and plateau ages (1534–2419 Ma) as a result of variable extraneous argon contamination. The North Pole Brook suite is progressively more deformed southwestward in the Grenville parautochthon, where it is largely represented by blastomylonitic orthogneisses that record hornblende plateau ages of 991–1013 Ma. Where not contaminated with extraneous argon, biotite records ages identical to those of coexisting hornblende, suggesting rapid post-Grenvillian metamorphic cooling. Paragneiss exposed in northeastern portions of the parautochthon displays a heterogeneous Grenvillian tectonothermal record. Muscovite within mylonitic rocks, developed along internal imbrication zones, yields plateau ages of 1046 and 1088 Ma. Hornblendes within amphibolite horizons in the paragneisses show little rejuvenation and record pre-Grenvillian thermal histories (1873 and 1315 Ma plateau dates). Hornblende within statically metamorphosed amphibolite near the structural base of the Wilson Lake allochthon records an early Grenville (1112 Ma) plateau age. Biotite within the allochthon has been previously shown to be regionally contaminated with extraneous argon components. The 40Ar/39Ar results support previous hypotheses that suggest that northwestward emplacement (at ca. 1100 Ma?) of the Wilson Lake and other allochthons was partially responsible for the burial and associated polydeformation and metamorphism of the Grenville parautochthon. The 985–1018 Ma low-grade metamorphism and penetrative deformation recorded in supracrustal sequences in the northernmost parautochthon are markedly younger and must reflect late Grenvillian orogenic activity with different tectonic implications.
Les séries volcaniques de Fayal (Açores) : étude pétrologique et géochimique
Authors: Lemarchand Fabienne
Published: January 2010

L'île de Fayal est composée de quatre unités volcano-structurales, le Galégo, le volcan central, le graben et les zones fissurales. Les trois premières d'entre elles se caractérisent chacune par une séquence pétrographique allant de basaltes alcalins porphyriques à plagioclase, à des trachytes. Les variations minéralogiques et géochimiques (majeurs et traces) sont cohérentes avec un modèle de différenciation par cristallisation fractionnée de plagioclase–salite–olivine–titanomagnétite–kaersutite–apatite, opérant à partir de liquides primaires de compositions voisines. Cependant, les benmoréïtes du volcan central, essentiellement post-caldeiriques, correspondent à des mélanges entre un magma basaltique d'origine profonde remonté à la faveur de l'ouverture du graben, et un magma déjà différencié situé dans la chambre magmatique. Les zones fissurales émettent exclusivement des basaltes alcalins et des hawaïtes porphyriques à olivine et clinopyroxène. Les variations des teneurs en Cr, Co, Ni, Sc, MgO et Al2O3 traduisent le fractionnement du couple olivine–clinopyroxène. Les variations du rapport La/Lu montrent que ces laves dérivent de liquides primaires ayant des teneurs en terres rares lourdes légèrement différentes et traduisant des proportions de grenat résiduel variables.Les liquides primaires de ces quatre unités proviennent d'une source mantélique géochimiquement homogène qui se distingue nettement de celles des autres îles. Il est probable que l'évolution volcanologique de Fayal soit étroitement gouvernée par le jeu de la fracture à composante distensive d'orientation N1 15°.
Ice wedges on hillslopes and landform evolution in the late Quaternary, western Arctic coast, Canada
Authors: Mackay J. Ross
Published: January 2010

In rolling to hilly areas of the western Arctic coast of Canada, anti-syngenetic wedges, which by definition are those that grow on denudational slopes, are the most abundant type of ice wedge. Through prolonged slope denudation, hilltop epigenetic wedges can evolve into hillslope anti-syngenetic wedges, and some bottom-slope anti-syngenetic wedges, by means of deposition from upslope, can evolve into bottom-slope syngenetic wedges. The axis of a hillslope wedge is oriented perpendicular to the slope, so the wedge foliation varies according to the trend of the wedge with respect to the slope. Because the tops of hillslope wedges are truncated by slope recession, the mean chronological age of anti-syngenetic wedge ice decreases with time, so the growth record for an old wedge is incomplete. Summer and winter measurements show that a thermally induced net movement of the active layer of hillslope polygons tends to transport material from their centres towards their troughs independent of the trends of the troughs relative to the slope. Wedge-ice uplift, probably diapiric, has been measured. Some hillslope polygon patterns may predate the development of the present topography. Many Wisconsinan wedges, truncated and buried during the Hypsithermal period, have been reactivated by upward cracking.
Multiple episodes of Cenozoic denudation in the northeastern Brooks Range: fission-track data from the Okpilak batholith, Alaska
Authors: O'sullivan Paul B. , Hanks Catherine L. , Wallace Wesley K. , Green Paul F.
Published: January 2010

The northeastern Brooks Range of Alaska is a complex Mesozoic to Cenozoic northward-verging fold and thrust belt. In response to regional compression, shortening in the upper crust has occurred through the duplexing of thrust sheets and formation of associated fault-bend folds. Apatite and zircon fission-track data from the Okpilak batholith and adjacent sedimentary rocks exposed within the northeastern Brooks Range provide new constraints on the timing, magnitude, and rate of cooling of these thrust sheets as they were rapidly denuded in response to uplift during Cenozoic time. Fission-track results indicate that a previously recognized episode of Paleocene cooling was followed by at least two younger episodes of rapid cooling during Middle Eocene and Late Oligocene time. The two younger episodes of rapid cooling are interpreted to reflect denudation in response to uplift resulting from Cenozoic thrusting and related folding. As a result of structural thickening, up to 8 km of material was eroded from the top of the batholith between ~41–45 Ma (Middle Eocene). Renewed shortening and emplacement of an underlying thrust sheet at ~25 Ma (Late Oligocene) resulted in at least 2 km of uplift and erosion of sedimentary rocks immediately north of the batholith. These results suggest that, even though Paleocene uplift and erosion may have occurred across the northeastern Brooks Range, the major episode of thrust faulting, responsible for structural emplacement of the batholith into its present position and kilometre-scale denudation, most likely occurred during Middle Eocene time.
Proterozoic orogens of the northeastern Canadian Shield: new information from the Lithoprobe ECSOOT crustal reflection seismic survey
Authors: Hall Jeremy , Wardle Richard J. , Gower Charles F. , Kerr Andrew , Coflin Kevin , Keen Charlotte E. , Carroll Peter
Published: January 2010

As part of the Eastern Canadian Shield Onshore–Offshore Transect (ECSOOT), Lithoprobe acquired 1250 km of deep seismic reflection data along the coast of Labrador and across Ungava Bay, to image evidence of Proterozoic crustal accretion to the Archean nuclei of the Nain and Superior provinces of the Canadian Shield. The relatively pristine Archean crust of the Nain Province has low reflectivity and generally lacks systematic reflector orientations. Reworking of Archean crust on the margins of the Makkovik Province has little effect on this weak signature. In contrast, the Archean crust in the Eastern Churchill (Rae) Province appears to have been overprinted by a strongly developed, whole-crustal, easterly dipping reflection fabric, interpreted to result from Proterozoic collision of the Nain and Superior provinces in the paired New Quebec and Torngat orogens. Juvenile Proterozoic crust in the Makkovik and Grenville provinces also shows strong whole-crustal dipping reflection fabrics, interpretable as outwardly verging structures associated with collisional mobile belts. Crustal thickness varies from 35 to 45 km in Proterozoic provinces, except where thinner in areas probably affected by Mesozoic extension associated with rifting of the Labrador Sea. Dipping reflectors in the mantle are commonly associated with strong lower-crustal dipping reflections in a manner similar to that observed in some modern orogens. The ECSOOT data show that Proterozoic crust in this area has structural forms comparable with those of modern orogens and, inferentially, its tectonic development was controlled by very similar collisional processes.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of Lower Jurassic and Paleozoic Stikinian strata and Tertiary intrusions, northwestern British Columbia
Authors: Greig C. J. , Gehrels G. E.
Published: January 2010

New U–Pb zircon ages are reported from western Stikinia. Devonian and Pennsylvanian ages of volcanic rocks at Oweegee dome confirm the presence of pre-Permian strata, and with Paleozoic and Triassic detrital zircons from Lower Jurassic sandstone, they help to demonstrate pre-Lower Jurassic deformation and uplift. The absence of pre-Paleozoic inherited zircon from all samples is consistent with Nd–Sr isotopic data which suggest that Stikinia consists mainly of juvenile crust. U–Pb ages for posttectonic intrusions suggest that structures in Skeena Fold Belt in the Kinskuch area formed prior to Eocene time. Five ages for felsic volcanic rocks from stratigraphically well-constrained upper parts of the Hazelton arc are approximately 196–199 Ma and suggest near-contemporaneity for cessation of volcanism in the areas studied. The Sinemurian or late Sinemurian – early Pliensbachian ages are older than previously reported U–Pb and biostratigraphic ages for presumed correlative rocks to the west, and westward-migrating volcanism is implied. Together with Toarcian fossils from overlying sandstone, the new ages suggest that a hiatus of moderate duration preceded regionally extensive sedimentation.
Improved age estimates for the White River and Bridge River tephras, western Canada
Authors: Clague J. J. , Evans S. G. , Rampton V. N. , Woodsworth G.J.
Published: January 2010

New14C ages date the eruptions that produced the White River and Bridge River tephras, two important Holocene marker beds in western Canada. The14C ages were obtained on trees in growth position buried in coarse tephra and a pyroclastic flow near the source vents. The mean calendric age of the White River eruption, based on four14C ages, is 1147 cal years BP (calibrated years, approximately equivalent to calendric years) or AD 803 (the 2σ age range, obtained from the two most precise14C ages, is 1014–1256 cal years BP or AD 694–936). The mean age of the Bridge River eruption, determined both from (i) the single most precise outer-ring14C age and (ii) the weighted mean of six outer-ring14C ages is 2360 cal years BP or 411 BC (2σ age range = 2349–2704 cal years BP or 755–400 BC).
Geochemistry, petrogenesis, and tectonic setting of lower Paleozoic alkalic and potassic volcanic rocks, Northern Canadian Cordilleran Miogeocline
Authors: Goodfellow Wayne D. , Cecile Mike P. , Leybourne Matthew I.
Published: January 2010

The Northern Canadian Cordilleran Miogeocline developed intermittently during the early Paleozoic and hosts alkalic and ultrapotassic volcanic rocks that are spatially restricted in thin beds and lenses and isolated volcanic piles. On the basis of geochemistry and geographic location, these volcanic rocks are subdivided into five main groups. Group I rocks (Porter Puddle and Macmillan rocks) are potassic basanites characterized by high Nb, Ce, and Nb/Y and low Zr/Nb. They are chemically similar to the Mountain Diatreme, indicating a genetic link. Group II rocks (Porter Puddle, Niddery, and Macmillan rocks) are also potassic but have lower abundances of Nb and Ce, higher Zr/Nb, and lower Nb/Y. Group III rocks (Vulcan and Itsi Lakes) are also potassic but are chemically variable, have lower contents of high field strength elements (HFSE) than the groups I and II rocks, and contain elevated Ba contents. Groups I–III are characterized by mica (biotite and phlogopite) phenocrysts, sanidine, augite, and Ba-feldspar, a mineral assemblage typical of ultrapotassic lavas. Group IV (Whale Mountain) alkali basalts are the least enriched in the large ion lithophile elements and have relatively low contents of HFSE compared with Groups I and II basalts. Groups I–III are consistent with partial melting of a previously metasomatized lithospheric mantle that was variably enriched in Ba, Nb, and Ce, whereas the group IV rocks are more typical of asthenospherically derived oceanic island basalt partial melts. The geochemistry of the volcanic rocks is consistent with paleotectonic models of the Selwyn Basin. The Selwyn Basin is a passive continental rift that underwent episodic extension and associated subsidence throughout the lower Paleozoic. Alkalic volcanism, and spatially and temporally associated Ba and base metal mineralization, is concentrated along rift-parallel normal faults, particularly where these faults are offset by transform faults.
Hortonella uttingii, gen. nov., sp. nov., Udotéacées? (Algues vertes?) du Carbonifère inférieur
Authors: Mamet Bernard
Published: January 2010

We describe here a new algal taxon observed in Tournaisian rocks of the Horton Group, Nova Scotia. The thallus morphology suggests an udoteacean, but the central medullary tubes are divided by septiform processes, a character normally associated with the Rhodophyta. Hortonella is also recognized in Visean strata of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Alberta, and Algeria.
ALL-ELECTRICAL SPIN CONTROL IN A TRIPLE-TERMINAL QUANTUM DOTS RING: EFFECT OF THE INTERDOT COUPLING AND SPIN FLIP
Authors: CHI FENG , ZHENG JUN , YUAN XIQIU
Published: January 2010

The electron spin polarization in two quantum dots, which are inserted in one arm of a mesoscopic ring, is investigated by means of the non-equilibrium Keldysh Green's function technique. We find that the spin accumulations in the two dots Δni=ni↑-ni↓, where niσ is the spin-σ electron occupation number in dot i, can be efficiently tuned in terms of the applied bias voltage V, the interdot tunneling coupling strength tc and the phase induced by the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. By adjusting these parameters, Δn1 and Δn2 can be generated and manipulated either simultaneously or separately, which may have real usage in spintronics or quantum information devices. We interpret the origin of the spin accumulation in terms of the spin-dependent total effective coupling strengths between the leads and the dots.
REGULARITY AND GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF SOLUTIONS TO HAMILTON–JACOBI EQUATIONS II: CONVEX INITIAL DATA
Authors: ZHAO YINCHUAN , TANG TAO , WANG JINGHUA
Published: January 2010

The paper is concerned with the Hamilton–Jacobi (HJ) equations of multidimensional space variables with convex initial data and general Hamiltonians. Using Hopf's formula (II), we will study the differentiability of the HJ solutions. For any given point, we give a sufficient and necessary condition such that the solutions are Ck smooth in some neighborhood of this point. We also study the characteristics of the equations which play important roles in our analysis. It is shown that there are only two kinds of characteristics, one never touches the singularity point, but the other one touches the singularity point in a finite time. Based on these results, we study the global structure of the set of singularity points for the solutions. It is shown that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between the path connected components of the set of singularity points and path connected component of the set {(Dg(y),H(Dg(y)))| y ∈ ℝn}\ {(Dg(y), conv H(Dg(y)))| y ∈ ℝn}, where conv, H is the convex hull of H. A path connected component of the set of singularity points never terminates as t increases. Moreover, our results depend only on H and its domain of definition.
Ret Finger Protein: An E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Juxtaposed to the XY Body in Meiosis
Authors: Gillot Isabelle , Matthews Cédric , Puel Daniel , Vidal Frédérique , Lopez Pascal
Published: January 2010

During prophase I of male meiosis, the sex chromosomes form a compact structure called XY body that associates with the nuclear membrane of pachytene spermatocytes. Ret Finger Protein is a transcriptional repressor, able to interact with both nuclear matrix-associated proteins and double-stranded DNA. We report the precise and unique localization of Ret Finger Protein in pachytene spermatocytes, in which Ret Finger Protein takes place of lamin B1, between the XY body and the inner nuclear membrane. This localization of Ret Finger Protein does not seem to be associated with O-glycosylation or sumoylation. In addition, we demonstrate that Ret Finger Protein contains an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. These observations lead to an attractive hypothesis in which Ret Finger Protein would be involved in the positioning and the attachment of XY body to the nuclear lamina of pachytene spermatocytes.
Prevalence of Stylopization ofSphex ichneumoneus(L.) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) byParaxenos westwoodi(Templeton) (Strepsiptera: Xenidae)
Authors: Miller Richard S. , Pearce April M. , O'Neill Kevin M.
Published: January 2010

On a seed production farm in southcentral Montana, USA, we found the strepsipteranParaxenos westwoodi(Templeton) parasitizing adultSphex ichneumoneus(L.), which were collected while they were foraging for nectar. Over a two-year period, 25% of males and 7% of female wasps were stylopized, as evidenced by the presence of puparia and empty puparial cases of male and femaleP. westwoodiexserted dorsally between abdominal segments. Our estimate is based on a sample size larger than those usually reported for strepsipterans attacking solitary aculeate wasps. We review the literature on strepsipteran prevalence in solitary aculeate wasps and provide an updated list of solitary wasps known to act of strepsipteran hosts in North America.
The Role of Necropsy in Diagnostic Dilemmas as Seen in a Tertiary Hospital in North Central Nigeria
Authors: Silas Olugbenga A. , Adoga Adeyi A. , Manasseh Agabus N. , Echejoh Godwin O. , Mandong Barnabas M. , Olu-Silas Rahila
Published: January 2010

Background. Necropsy (autopsy) has helped medical science and law. It has given rise to numerous diagnostic surprises as it explains cause of death, pathogenesis of diseases, and circumstances of death. It also explains reasons for most therapeutic failures. In spite of its usefulness, the rate has dropped worldwide and Africa is worse hit. This work aims to highlight the role autopsy (Necropsy) plays in demystifying diagnostic dilemmas and to encourage its patronage by medical practitioners, law enforcement agents and society.Methods. This is a retrospective review of autopsy and clinical reports of cases seen by pathologists and physicians in the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Jos, North central Nigeria.Results. A total 166 cases were studied out of which 52 had same diagnosis for both attending physician and pathologist, 106 had different diagnoses and in eight cases diagnoses remained unknown even after autopsy was performed.Conclusions. Autopsy remains an important tool for obtaining definitive diagnosis, determining cause of death to explain pathogenesis of diseases, medical auditing and a vital source of data for health statistics and planning.
Research of Financial Early‐Warning Model on Evolutionary Support Vector Machines Based on Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Zuoquan , Lang Fan , Zhao Qin
Published: January 2010

A support vector machine is a new learning machine; it is based on the statistics learning theory and attracts the attention of all researchers. Recently, the support vector machines (SVMs) have been applied to the problem of financial
early‐warning prediction (Rose, 1999). The SVMs‐based method has been compared with other statistical methods and has shown good results. But the parameters of the kernel function which influence the result and performance of support vector machines have
not been decided. Based on genetic algorithms, this paper proposes a new scientific method to automatically select the parameters of SVMs for financial early‐warning model. The results demonstrate that the method is a powerful and flexible way to
solve financial early‐warning problem.
Nesting Behavior ofAbispa ephippium(Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae): Extended Parental Care in an Australian Mason Wasp
Authors: Matthews Robert W. , Matthews Janice R.
Published: January 2010

The genusAbispaincludes Australia's largest wasps, potters with distinctive mud nests weighing up to 0.5 kg. During 31 days near Katherine, NT, Australia, we observed 8 activeA. ephippium(Fabricius) nests and dissected 16. Nesting is lengthy and asynchronous; female generations often overlap. Females display long-term parental care through truncated progressive provisioning, removing debris, repairing damage, and attacking potential invaders. Males patrol water-gathering spots, and visit and associate with active nests, mating there and in flight. Females actively guard nests, but challenged nest-attending males simply retreat. The distinctive funnel-shaped entrance helps females defend nests physically but probably not chemically; dismantled for cell closure material, it is built anew for each cell. Nests contain up to 8 cells; construction and provisioning total about 7 days per cell. The only parasite wasStilbum cyanurumForster. Thievery and nest usurpation byPseudabispa paragioides(Meade-Waldo) were discovered.
Ambient Air Temperature Does Not Predict whether Small or Large Workers Forage in Bumble Bees (Bombus impatiens)
Authors: Couvillon Margaret J. , Fitzpatrick Ginny , Dornhaus Anna
Published: January 2010

Bumble bees are important pollinators of crops and other plants. However, many aspects of their basic biology remain relatively unexplored. For example, one important and unusual natural history feature in bumble bees is the massive size variation seen between workers of the same nest. This size polymorphism may be an adaptation for division of labor, colony economics, or be nonadaptive. It was also suggested that perhaps this variation allows for niche specialization in workers foraging at different temperatures: larger bees might be better suited to forage at cooler temperatures and smaller bees might be better suited to forage at warmer temperatures. This we tested here using a large, enclosed growth chamber, where we were able to regulate the ambient temperature. We found no significant effect of ambient or nest temperature on the average size of bees flying to and foraging from a suspended feeder. Instead, bees of all sizes successfully flew and foraged between16∘Cand36∘C. Thus, large bees foraged even at very hot temperatures, which we thought might cause overheating. Size variation therefore could not be explained in terms of niche specialization for foragers at different temperatures.
Ulcerative Colitis with Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Successfully Treated with Bifidobacterium
Authors: Nagasaki Azusa , Takahashi Hirokazu , Iinuma Mizue , Uchiyama Takashi , Watanabe Seitaro , Koide Tomoko , Tokoro Chikako , Inamori Masahiko , Abe Yasunobu , Nakajima Atsushi
Published: January 2010

A 71-year-old man was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) complicated by bacterial infections, and his active disease proved difficult to treat with steroid therapy or antibiotics. Although the patient’s UC failed to respond to several types of induction therapy, his condition finally improved when treated using Bifidobacterium. Probiotics could be one of the treatment agents for induction of remission in UC.
Photoprotection beyond Ultraviolet Radiation – Effective Sun Protection Has to Include Protection against Infrared A Radiation-Induced Skin Damage
Authors: Schroeder P. , Calles C. , Benesova T. , Macaluso F. , Krutmann J.
Published: January 2010

Solar radiation is well known to damage human skin, for example by causing premature skin ageing (i.e. photoageing). We have recently learned that this damage does not result from ultraviolet (UV) radiation alone, but also from longer wavelengths, in particular near-infrared radiation (IRA radiation, 760–1,440 nm). IRA radiation accounts for more than one third of the solar energy that reaches human skin. While infrared radiation of longer wavelengths (IRB and IRC) does not penetrate deeply into the skin, more than 65% of the shorter wavelength (IRA) reaches the dermis. IRA radiation has been demonstrated to alter the collagen equilibrium of the dermal extracellular matrix in at least two ways: (a) by leading to an increased expression of the collagen-degrading enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 1, and (b) by decreasing the de novo synthesis of the collagen itself. IRA radiation exposure therefore induces similar biological effects to UV radiation, but the underlying mechanisms are substantially different, specifically, the cellular response to IRA irradiation involves the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Effective sun protection requires specific strategies to prevent IRA radiation-induced skin damage.
The Porphyrias: Clinic, Diagnostics, Novel Investigative Tools and Evolving Molecular Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: van Tuyll van Serooskerken A.-M. , Poblete-Gutiérrez P. , Frank J.
Published: January 2010

The porphyrias are clinically and genetically heterogeneous metabolic disorders resulting from a predominantly hereditary dysfunction of specific enzymes involved in heme biosynthesis. Today, the clinical, biochemical, and genetic characteristics of this fascinating group of diseases are well established. Recently, different in vitro and animal models have facilitated the investigation of etiopathologic mechanisms in the different types of porphyria and the development of causal treatment strategies such as pathway interference, enzyme replacement, and gene therapy. The continuous progress in basic science has made an invaluable contribution to the rapid translation of discoveries made in the laboratory into new diagnostics and therapeutics in the near future.
Expression and Induction of Cytochrome P450 Isoenzymes in Human Skin Equivalents
Authors: Neis M.M. , Wendel A. , Wiederholt T. , Marquardt Y. , Joussen S. , Baron J.M. , Merk H.F.
Published: January 2010

Organotypic skin models are frequently used for a wide range of applications and latterly also for dermatotoxicological studies. To evaluate their practicability for the investigation of xenobiotic metabolism in human skin we compared three types of organotypic skin models, acquired by purchase from different manufacturers, to a self-constructed in-house model with regard to cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzyme expression on mRNA and protein level and the inducibility of these enzymes by aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands. To induce enzyme activity, models were treated with benzanthracene, liquor carbonis detergens, pix lithanthracis or dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent control. RNA was isolated by phenol-chloroform extraction and purified. Gene expression patterns were studied by cDNA microarray analysis. Microarray data were confirmed by real-time PCR. For quality control of the models and to detect and localize enzyme expression, immunofluorescence staining was performed with antibodies against CYPs and structure proteins. The immunofluorescence staining demonstrated the regular structure of our models. We could provide evidence for the expression of CYP types 1A1, 1B1, 2E1, 2C and 3A5 in organotypic skin models. The expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 was highly inducible by treatment with liquor carbonis detergens. The proof of the expression and inducibility of CYP enzymes in organotypic skin models suggests that skin equivalents are a valuable tool that can emulate CYP-dependent metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics in human skin.
Radical Production by Infrared A Irradiation in Human Tissue
Authors: Darvin M.E. , Haag S. , Meinke M. , Zastrow L. , Sterry W. , Lademann J.
Published: January 2010

The influence of the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of the sun on the formation of free radicals in human skin is well investigated. Up to now, only small amounts of data are available stating that infrared (IR) irradiation can produce free radicals in the skin. In the present study, the formation of free radicals in human skin, subsequent to IRA irradiation (600–1,500 nm), has been demonstrated by means of two different methods. Firstly, the radical formation was detected indirectly by the degradation of the cutaneous carotenoid antioxidants β-carotene and lycopene, which was investigated in vivo by resonance Raman spectroscopic measurements. Secondly, the direct observation of produced radicals subsequent to IRA irradiation of the skin was performed in vitro by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Taking into account the results of the present study and previous UV light studies, it can be expected that also solar irradiation in the visible spectral range will produce free radicals in the human skin. Therefore, the current sun protection strategies should be reconsidered. Furthermore, it was shown in the present study that the side effect in the form of radical formation could be significantly reduced by increasing the protection system of the human organism in form of the antioxidant network.
Which Skin Model Is the Most Appropriate for the Investigation of Topically Applied Substances into the Hair Follicles?
Authors: Lademann J. , Richter H. , Meinke M. , Sterry W. , Patzelt A.
Published: January 2010

It has recently been demonstrated by the utilization of different techniques, such as differential stripping and laser scanning microscopy, that the hair follicles represent an efficient long-term reservoir for topically applied substances. In the present paper, the different in vivo techniques are compared to those of in vitro analysis. It was found that in vitro measurements on pig ear skin are highly superior for the analysis of follicular penetration, as compared to in vitro investigations on excised human skin, mainly due to the fact that the human skin contracts after removal. Restretching of the skin to its original size mainly stretches the interfollicular fibres, whereas the fibres around the hair follicles remain contracted. In contrast to excised human skin, pig ear tissue does not contract when the cartilage is not removed. Moreover, it has an intact barrier on both sides of the ear. Regardless of the fact that the hair follicles on pig ear skin are larger than those of humans, the porcine ear skin represents a more suitable in vitro model for the analysis of the penetration and storage of topically applied substances in the hair follicles than excised human skin.
Tacrolimus Modulates Dendritic Cell Activation in the Sensitization Phase of Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Authors: Ott H. , Baron J.M. , Heise R. , Skazik C. , Merk H.F.
Published: January 2010

Background: Knowledge of the effect of topically applied calcineurin antagonists such as tacrolimus on the sensitization phase of allergic contact dermatitis is currently limited. Objective: To investigate tacrolimus-dependent immunomodulation on gene expression alterations in human antigen-presenting cells which are stimulated with small-molecular-weight contact allergens. Methods: Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC) and THP-1 cells were stimulated with the contact sensitizer cinnamic aldehyde (CAld) and compared with the very strong experimental sensitizer 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in vitro. Quantitative PCR analysis was used to detect gene expression changes, particularly of interleukin (IL) 8, as an indicator of differential dendritic cell (DC) gene expression after sensitizer stimulation in the absence or presence of tacrolimus and betamethasone at two different concentrations. Results: DC activation was clearly demonstrated by a significant IL-8 upregulation after 24 h, whereas tacrolimus or betamethasone alone did not affect IL-8 baseline expression. Betamethasone and, to a lesser extent, tacrolimus led to a marked reduction of chemical-induced IL-8 expression by TNBS and CAld. Conclusion: The results of the present study support the hypothesis that the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus has modulatory effects on human antigen-presenting cells during the sensitization phase of allergic contact dermatitis. In addition, moDC as well as THP-1 cells may serve as a system to study immune-modulating effects of drugs such as glucocorticoids or calcineurin antagonists.
Platelet Monoamine Oxidase B Activity Did Not Predict Destructive Personality Traits or Violent Recidivism: A Prospective Study in Male Forensic Psychiatric Examinees
Authors: Gustavson Christina , Wass Caroline , Mansson Jan-Eric , Blennow Kaj , Forsman Anders , Anckarsater Henrik , Nilsson Thomas
Published: January 2010

Aims: This prospective study was designed to replicate previous findings of an association between the platelet monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity and factors of relevance for criminal behaviour in a well-documented clinical study population. Methods: Subjects (n = 77, aged 17–76 years, median 30 years) were recruited among consecutive perpetrators of severe interpersonal violent and/or sexual crimes referred to forensic psychiatric investigation. Participants were extensively investigated by structured psychiatric, psychological and social workups, including state-of-the-art rating instruments and official records, and with laboratory tests including venous blood sampling for determination of MAO-B activity. A subset of 36 individuals had lumbar punctures to measure cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of monoamine neurotransmitter metabolites. Results: Platelet MAO-B activity did not show any significant correlation with assessments of childhood behavioural disorders, substance abuse, or psychosocial adversity, nor with any crime-related factors, such as scores on the Life History of Aggression Scale, the Psychopathy Checklist or recidivistic violent crime. No significant correlation was found between MAO-B and any of the monoamine metabolites. Analyses in subgroups of smokers/non-smokers did not change this overall result. Conclusions: The findings of the present study did not support the use of MAO-B as a biological marker for aggression-related personality traits or as a predictor for violent recidivism among violent offenders.
Association of DRD4 and COMT Polymorphisms with Disgust Sensitivity in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Kang Jee In , Kim Se Joo , Namkoong Kee , An Suk Kyoon
Published: January 2010

Background: Disgust is a basic emotion that involves feelings of revulsion and withdrawal behavior from dangerous/infectious situations. Very little is known about the genetic basis of disgust sensitivity. The dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes have been implicated in neuroticism-related traits and approach-related temperaments which are supposed to be associated with disgust sensitivity. The present study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between disgust sensitivity and COMT Val158Met and DRD4 variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphisms in healthy subjects. Methods: In total, 241 healthy Korean college students were recruited, and the 228 participants with a complete data set (127 males and 101 females) were included in the data analysis. Disgust sensitivity was assessed using the Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) and genotyping of COMT Val158Met and DRD4 VNTR polymorphisms was performed. Results:The Val/Val groups of COMT had significantly higher scores than the non-Val/Val group for the Animal-Reminder and the Contamination-Based Disgust scores as well as for total DS-R scores. Additionally, the non-2-repeat allele group of DRD4 had a tendency to a significantly higher disgust sensitivity than the 2-repeat allele group for Contamination-Based Disgust. Conclusions: These findings suggest that disgust sensitivity may be affected by genetic components, such as dopamine-related genes.
Induction of Tolerance to Warfarin after Anaphylaxis with a Desensitization Protocol
Authors: Jameson Travis , Siri Dareen
Published: January 2010

Warfarin hypersensitivity is exceedingly rare. A 59-year-old male with acute renal infarction and a history of allergy to warfarin underwent evaluation, confirming presence of warfarin hypersensitivity. Induction of tolerance to warfarin was successfully completed using an oral desensitization protocol, which has not previously been reported.
Role of Broca’s Subregions in Syntactic Processing: A Comparative Study of Japanese Patients with Lesions in the Pars Triangularis and Opercularis
Authors: Nagai Chiyoko , Inui Toshio , Iwata Makoto
Published: January 2010

Background/Aim: To clarify whether Broca’s subregions, comprising the pars triangularis and pars opercularis, play different roles in syntactic processing, we investigated Japanese infarct patients with selective damage in each subregion. Methods: Four patients participated in this study: 3 showing lesions mostly restricted to the pars opercularis (Op group) and a rare case with a lesion mostly restricted to the pars triangularis (Tr). Using the Object Manipulation Task, scores and error types were compared between the Tr and the Op patients. Results: No marked differences in total score were evident between the Tr and Op patients. However, the Tr patient showed greater difficulty with dative sentences than the Op patients. Conversely, the Tr patient showed rather high scores with relative sentences, whereas the Op patients were rarely able to manipulate items correctly for relative sentences. In addition, the Tr patient tended to posit items in canonical word order incorrectly, whereas the Op group tended to make simplification errors. Conclusion: Broca’s subregions play different roles in syntactic processing. Considering Japanese sentence structure, the results indicate that the pars triangularis is involved in comprehension of semantic relationships among syntactically equivalent nominal phrases assigned thematic roles, while the pars opercularis is involved in thematic role transformation and/or reinterpretation.
Heading Disorientation: A New Test and a Possible Underlying Mechanism
Authors: Hashimoto Ritsuo , Tanaka Yasufumi , Nakano Imaharu
Published: January 2010

Background/Aims: Heading disorientation (HD) is a type of pure topographical disorientation. Reported cases showing HD have been very few so far, and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to find the anatomic substrates of HD and to demonstrate a possible underlying mechanism for the symptom. Methods: We investigated 3 patients with HD by a new test, the card-placing test (CPT). Part A of the test assesses the ability of a subject to retain information on spatial locations of cards placed on the floor around the subject. Part B examines the subject’s ability to integrate information on the spatial locations of similarly arranged cards and that on changes of the body directions. Results: The patients had a lesion that commonly involved the right retrosplenial cortex and showed good record results for part A but very poor ones for part B. Conclusions: The results of the CPT suggest that HD patients cannot integrate information on the spatial locations of objects derived from an egocentric reference frame with that on changes of the body directions. The retrosplenial cortex may be the place where these different types of information necessary for navigation converge.