bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Surface Excitation of the Thermohaline Circulation
Authors: Zanna Laure , Tziperman Eli
Published: January 2008

The amplification of thermohaline circulation (THC) anomalies resulting from heat and freshwater forcing at the ocean surface is investigated in a zonally averaged coupled ocean–atmosphere model. Optimal initial conditions of surface temperature and salinity leading to the largest THC growth are computed, and so are the structures of stochastic surface temperature and salinity forcing that excite maximum THC variance (stochastic optimals). When the THC amplitude is defined as its sum of squares (equivalent to using the standard L2 norm), the nonnormal linearized dynamics lead to an amplification with a time scale on the order of 100 yr. The optimal initial conditions have a vanishing THC anomaly, and the complex amplification mechanism involves the advection of both temperature and salinity anomalies by the mean flow and of the mean temperature and salinity by the anomaly flow. The L2 characterization of THC anomalies leads to physically interesting results, yet to a mathematically singular problem. A novel alternative characterizing the THC amplitude by its maximum value, as often done in general circulation model studies, is therefore introduced. This complementary method is shown to be equivalent to using the L-infinity norm, and the needed mathematical approach is developed and applied to the THC problem. Under this norm, an amplification occurs within 10 yr explained by the classic salinity advective feedback mechanism. The analysis of the stochastic optimals shows that the character of the THC variability may be very sensitive to the spatial pattern of the surface forcing. In particular, a maximum THC variance and long-time-scale variability are excited by a basin-scale surface forcing pattern, while a significantly higher frequency and to some extent a weaker variability are induced by a smooth and large-scale, yet mostly concentrated in polar areas, surface forcing pattern. Overall, the results suggest that a large THC variability can be efficiently excited by atmospheric surface forcing, and the simple model used here makes several predictions that would be interesting to test using more complex models.
Variability at Intermediate Depths at the Equator in the Atlantic Ocean in 2000–06: Annual Cycle, Equatorial Deep Jets, and Intraseasonal Meridional Velocity Fluctuations
Authors: Bunge Lucia , Provost Christine , Hua Bach Lien , Kartavtseff Annie
Published: January 2008

Time series of high vertical resolution current meter measurements between 600-m and 1800-m depths on the equator in the Atlantic were obtained at two locations, 10° and 23°W. The measurements have a time span of almost 7 years (2000–06) and provide insights into the temporal scales and vertical structure of variability at intermediate depths. Variability in the zonal velocity component records is dominated by semiannual, annual, and interannual fluctuations. At semiannual and annual periodicities, vertical scales are large, on the order of 2000 stretched meters (sm), and show upward phase propagation. In contrast, interannual variability is associated with small vertical scale flows, called equatorial deep jets (EDJs), presenting downward phase propagation most of the time. Fitting a plane wave to these small vertical-scale flows leads to velocity amplitude, vertical scale, and temporal scale estimates of 8 (normalized) cm s−1, 440 sm, and 4.4 yr. However, this plane wave cannot explain all the variability presenting small vertical scales. Indeed, the data suggest that, along with a seasonal cycle of much larger vertical scale, different features with EDJ vertical scale coexist, with the possibility of a semipermanent eastward jet at around 1500 sm. Variability in the meridional velocity component is dominated by intraseasonal fluctuations. In addition, at 23°W, the meridional component shows low-frequency flows that may be due to the interaction of zonal fluctuations with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The GDP fan charts: an empirical evaluation
Authors: Dowd Kevin
Published: January 2008

This paper evaluates the probability density forecasts reflected in the Bank of England's real GDP growth fan charts. Evaluation is carried out using tests that allow for data dependence and using two GDP growth estimates. Results suggest there are problems with the shorter horizon forecasts, but conclusions about the performance of longer-term forecasts depend to some extent on the GDP estimates used in the assessment.
Here is the news: forecast revisions in the Bank of England survey of external forecasters
Authors: Boero Gianna , Smith Jeremy , Wallis Kenneth F.
Published: January 2008

This article analyses the forecasts of inflation and GDP growth supplied by the individual respondents to the Bank of England's quarterly Survey of External Forecasters, 1996-2005, using a recently released dataset. This comprises a conventional incomplete panel dataset, with an additional dimension arising from the collection of repeated forecasts for the last quarter of each year. This fixed-event forecast structure allows study of the forecast revision process, its weak and strong efficiency, and its relation to macroeconomic news. The collection of density forecasts as well as point forecasts allows study of the revision process of forecast uncertainty.
A review of forecasting techniques for large datasets
Authors: Eklund Jana , Kapetanios George
Published: January 2008

This paper aims to provide a brief and relatively non-technical overview of state-of-the-art forecasting with large data sets. We classify existing methods into four groups depending on whether data sets are used wholly or partly, whether a single model or multiple models are used and whether a small subset or the whole data set is being forecast. In particular, we provide brief descriptions of the methods and short recommendations where appropriate, without going into detailed discussions of their merits or demerits.
The predicament of firms in the new and old economies: a critical inquiry into traditional binaries in the study of the space-economy
Authors: Ettlinger Nancy
Published: January 2008

Working with the assumption that the social and the material are mutually embedded, this article suggests that actors in the business world tend to separate social from material concerns despite the entanglement of these two dimensions. This disconnection — a binary logic applied in the context of blurry realities — creates problems, the resolution of which requires change in production logic. The predicament of firms is the apparent inability of actors to develop a production logic that recognizes the entwinement of the material and the social; rather than changing from a unidimensional to a multidimensional logic, strategies continuously oscillate between one unidimensional logic (emphasizing social or material concerns) and another (emphasizing the opposite), thus perpetuating the predicament. The oscillation occurs in both the old and new economies, but is compressed in the new economy. Recognizing this oscillation in the new and old economies requires dehomogenizing each to uncover problems that prompt change. Recognizing the transformation of production logics within the old and new economies requires awareness of, and retreat from, binary logic in academic analysis.
Beyond embeddedness: economic practices and the invisible dimensions of transnational business activity
Authors: Jones Andrew
Published: January 2008

Embeddedness remains a central concept in much economic geographical thought for understanding how social factors influence economic activity. Recent commentators have argued for a reconceptualization that entails a relational and processual redefinition of the concept. This paper argues, however, that there remain deep-rooted epistemological problems with embeddedness that are not overcome by this emerging reconceptualization. It argues that the conceptual lexicon of embeddedness conflates economic action and outcomes, insufficiently captures power and agency and produces a limited understanding of the spatialized development of economic activity. It further argues that the language of embeddedness conceals dimensions to transnational business activity that require increasing theoretical attention in order to explain economic success or failure in the context of contemporary globalization. In contrast to those seeking to reconceptualize embeddedness, the paper thus argues for a relational and associational approach centred on tracing the practices that produce economic outcomes in the contemporary global space economy. This alternative approach draws on recent contributions to actor-network theory as well as relational and topological theorizations of the nature of power and knowledge in relation to economic activity. The arguments are grounded with reference to a series of examples drawn from research into the nature of contemporary transnational firms.
Career Development From Adolescence Through Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Messersmith Emily E. , Garrett Jessica L. , Davis-Kean Pamela E. , Malanchuk Oksana , Eccles Jacquelynne S.
Published: January 2008

Career development theories suggest that social-contextual experiences are influential in individuals' career interests, aspirations, and skill development and may be a source of gender and ethnic differences in certain career fields. In this mixed methods study, we examine the supportive and obstructive career-related experiences of 13 men and 13 women (modal age 25). Interviews focused primarily on the pathway toward or away from an information technology (IT) career. Thematic coding indicated that parents were mostly supportive, while experiences in school and work occasionally made individuals reconsider their career plans. Social influences often changed developmentally as participants entered full-time jobs. Gendered participation in IT was often attributed to women's perception that it is a male-oriented field.
The `collapse' of civilizations: what palaeoenvironmental reconstruction cannot tell us, but anthropology can
Authors: O'Sullivan Patrick
Published: January 2008

Solutions to environmental problems experienced by human societies proposed by `palaeo' scientists are often deterministic, and therefore philosophically unacceptable to most social scientists, discouraging links between the biophysical and the social sciences. One social science which may offer the greatest scope for interdisciplinary cooperation is anthropology, which provides a set of rules by which non-social scientists can understand the general characteristics and nature of change, in both traditional and modern societies. These involve shifts in the relationship between the society, the polity and the economy, the ways in which access to resources is controlled, and the distribution of resources amongst the group, which may be egalitarian or stratified (unequal). During the Holocene, many human groups have abandoned egalitarianism in favour of stratified societies involving expansionist political organization, increasing inequality and internal social control, and production of an ever-increasing economic surplus. Since CE 1500, modern societies have emerged in which the economy is separate from the polity, and economic activity increasingly globalized. Currently, many national polities are subservient to the global economy, involving rapidly increasing impact upon the Earth's support systems. Societies `collapse' (as do those which survive) for a variety of reasons, both environmental and cultural, but underlying all such events is a tendency towards economic intensification, political expansion and increased social control (and therefore reduced socio-political flexibility). Alternative modes of subsistence offering long-term sustainability may therefore involve increased local economic self-reliance and personal and political autonomy, and enhanced ability of local communities to manage their own resources.
Climate and surface water acidity: development and application of a generalized predictive model
Authors: Boyle John F.
Published: January 2008

A simple generalized geochemical model is presented that predicts long-term mean lake water acidity from rock type, annual precipitation and temperature, aeolian dust supply and catchment to lake area ratio; all of which can be estimated from mapped data. The model provides a geochemical tool to aid palaeoenvironmental interpretation of diatom inferred lake pH records, and shows how the sensitivity of lake water acidity to climate change varies with the physical and chemical properties of its catchment. Analysis of the model suggests that direct temperature effects on surface water alkalinity are generally minor, while variations in runoff rate caused by changing precipitation or evaporation can have a substantial effect. It is argued that variations in aeolian dust flux are more important than climate in regulating surface water alkalinity in areas of the world subject to above-average dust deposition, an effect that must be taken into account when considering possible direct climate impacts. Applying the model to early Holocene diatom inferred pH records, climatic factors are predicted to be minor compared with the effect of mineral depletion. The model is sensitive to assumptions about dissolved organic carbon production and lake water pCO2, the two factors that are least well understood. The lack of a quantitative model linking pCO2 with climate seriously limits our ability to quantify general environmental controls over lake-water pH. These issues require urgent attention if future climate change impacts on surface water acidity and pH are to be predicted reliably.
Three decades of dating recent sediments by fallout radionuclides: a review
Authors: Appleby P.G.
Published: January 2008

This paper reviews the 210Pb dating programme carried out at the University of Liverpool over a period of three decades since its inception by Frank Oldfield in the mid-1970s. The work at Liverpool has included studies of the basic processes controlling the supply of 210Pb to the various natural archives, as well as the development of a detailed and systematic methodology for dating the environmental records in these archives. The assumption that 210Pb fallout at any given location is constant when measured on timescales of a year or more has been tested using data on 210Pb concentrations in UK rainwater spanning more than 40 years, and a simple atmospheric model developed to account for observed spatial variations in the flux over large land masses. The basic assumptions of the CRS dating model have been tested in detail using mass balance studies of fallout radionuclides in catchment/lake systems, and in general using data from a large number of separate studies. The Liverpool data base is used to illustrate the wide ranging applicability of the 210Pb dating method. Results are shown from lakes varying in size from the very small to the very large, and with sedimentation rates ranging from the very fast to the very slow. The particular difficulties of dating sediment records from Desert Lakes and Polar Regions with very low atmospheric fluxes are discussed, with unexpected results in some cases.
Is spring starting earlier?
Authors: Thompson R. , Clark R.M.
Published: January 2008

Time series of leafing phenology, air temperature and precipitation along with regional changes in carbon dioxide concentration, are analysed in addressing three questions: `what magnitude of changes in flushing day are likely with climate change?', `which taxa have a chilling requirement?' and `is spring starting earlier?'. Phenological observations of leafing, starting in 1739, are used to calibrate a new model that describes the time of flushing. Statistical methods are used to provide full standard errors on the model coefficients. All 13 tree types studied are found to show an association between flushing date and air temperature. Nine out of the 13 tree types show non-linear temperature behaviour. Model output indicates that climate change has a particularly strong effect on flushing date in oceanic climates, such as that of Britain. The modelled responses can be used to estimate the impact that recent changes in temperature have had on the timing of the start of spring. We find that in any future climate-warming, flushing dates of tree types sensitive to `chilling', for example beech and horse chestnut, are likely to move 30 days, or more, out of synchroneity with those sensitive only to springtime warmth. The new phenological model is also applied to fluctuations in the carbon dioxide mixing-ratio. Changes in the phase of the annual CO2cycle are isolated and used as evidence for an earlier spring. We make use of a complex demodulation analysis of carbon dioxide, as monitored at 27 stations around the world, to reveal that the timing of the annual CO2cycle has become steadily earlier in recent decades. Finally we show that the estimates of the effect of rising temperatures on the earliness of spring, made using our new phenological model, are in good agreement with global observations of changes in the timing of the annual carbon dioxide cycle if about 50% of the biomass of the world's terrestrial biosphere is fully temperature sensitive and about 50% sensitive to chilling (or to an equivalent inhibitory effect).
Does Shared Group Membership Promote Altruism?
Authors: Yamagishi Toshio , Mifune Nobuhiro
Published: January 2008

Two explanations of why shared group membership promotes cooperation in social dilemmas were compared. According to the fear—greed model of social identity proposed by Simpson (2006), shared group membership reduces greed but not fear and, thus, should promote altruistic behavior toward in-group members in the absence of fear. According to the group heuristic model proposed by Yamagishi and colleagues, altruistic behavior toward in-group members is a `ticket' to enter a generalized exchange system; people are not predicted to behave altruistically when it is made salient that no system of generalized exchange operates in the group. We tested these models in a dictator game experiment with two conditions. In the common knowledge condition, either model predicts greater altruism toward in-group recipients. In the unilateral knowledge condition — when the dictator knows the group membership of the recipient, but the recipient does not know the membership of the dictator — the fear—greed model predicts greater altruism toward ingroup recipients. In contrast, the group heuristic model does not predict such in-group bias in altruism. The results of the experiment support the group heuristic model.
The Auto Salvage: A Space of Second Chances
Authors: Soderman Braxton , Carter Roxanne
Published: January 2008

Using the auto salvage yard as its base of operations, this explorative essay—consisting of text and images—attempts to theorize a concept of salvaging. Generally, the authors ask what “salvaging” means within contemporary culture. What do the auto salvage yard and the act of salvaging teach us about the relation between subjects and objects? How can we “read” the signs that appear in the salvage yard? Overall, increasing the visibility of the salvage yard and the practices of salvage transmits the possibility of rethinking the position of the human subject in an increasingly automated environment. Instead of a future where human affect is ejected from rationalized systems, focusing attention of the concept of salvage offers a second chance to revitalize the human subject, rescuing the present from an oppressed past.
Characteristics of Lower Extremity Pressure Sensation Impairment in Developing Diabetic Sensory Polyneuropathy
Authors: Rader Andrew J. , Barry Timothy P. , Stanley Otis L.
Published: January 2008

The medical literature presents diabetic sensory polyneuropathy as a length-dependent process producing a stocking distribution of sensory loss in the lower extremities. If a purely length-dependent etiology for diabetic sensory polyneuropathy were true, then a validated comparison of sensory loss at any equidistant site about the forefoot will reveal findings consistent with the accepted stocking pattern of anesthesia. A single-blinded, age-matched, control/experimental study is made into the frequency of apparent purely length-dependent A-beta fiber pathology in developing diabetic sensory polyneuropathy. Control (n = 46) and experimental (n = 83) central US subjects are examined with a subjective neuropathy screening questionnaire, vibratory threshold, and single-point pressure threshold testing. There is a plantar predominant pattern (61.5%) of sensory loss in developing diabetic sensory polyneuropathy, even after adjusting for sensitivity differences between different areas of the foot. A typical stocking pattern of sensory loss was not found. Although axonal pathology is length dependent, it is not apparently a purely length-dependent process. Therefore, a purely metabolic explanation for sensory loss is unlikely. In addition, an anatomic component for A-beta fiber pathology is implied by this study.
Rapid chemical analysis of the <2 μm clay fraction using an SEM/EDS technique
Authors: Clayton T. , Pearce R. B.
Published: January 2008

Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) analysis of smear slides of oriented <2 mm clay fractions is shown to be a reliable and rapid analytical technique for providing chemical data on clay mineral mixtures. Such smear slides are routinely prepared for clay mineral analysis by X-ray diffraction and the only additional treatment required for chemical analysis by EDS is carbon-coating to form an electronically conductive surface. Using standard clays, mixtures of standard clays, and sediment samples, it is shown that sample thickness, sample heterogeneity and surface roughness do not introduce significant analytical errors, although the presence of non-clay mineral phases such as calcite, dolomite, quartz and pyrite may introduce minor discrepancies. Chemical data complement the XRD analyses and increase their accuracy and reliability.
Response to desmopressin is influenced by the genotype and phenotype in type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD): results from the European Study MCMDM-1VWD
Authors: Castaman Giancarlo , Lethagen Stefan , Federici Augusto B. , Tosetto Alberto , Goodeve Anne , Budde Ulrich , Batlle Javier , Meyer Dominique , Mazurier Claudine , Fressinaud Edith , Goudemand Jenny , Eikenboom Jeroen , Schneppenheim Reinhard , Ingerslev Jorgen , Vorlova Zdena , Habart David , Holmberg Lars , Pasi John , Hill Frank , Peake Ian , Rodeghiero Francesco
Published: January 2008

We have prospectively evaluated the biologic response to desmopressin in 77 patients with type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) enrolled within the Molecular and Clinical Markers for the Diagnosis and Management of type 1 VWD project. Complete response to desmopressin was defined as an increase of both ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) and factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) to 50 IU/dL or higher and partial response as VWF:RCo or FVIII:C lower than 50 IU/dL after infusion, but at least 3-fold the basal level. Complete response was observed in 83% of patients; partial in 13%; and no response in 4%. Patients with some abnormality of VWF multimeric pattern had significantly lower basal FVIII:C and VWF, lower VWF:RCo/Ag ratio, and less complete responses to desmopressin than patients with a normal multimeric pattern (P = .002). Patients with mutations at codons 1130 and 1205 in the D′-D3 domain had the greatest relative increase, but shortest FVIII and VWF half-lives after infusion. Most partial and nonresponsive patients had mutations in the A1-A3 domains. Response to desmopressin in these VWD patients seemed to be associated with the location of the causative mutation. The presence of subtle multimeric abnormalities did not hamper potential clinically useful responses, as in typical type 1 VWD.
Clinical malaria in African pregnant women
Authors: Bardají Azucena , Sigauque Betuel , Bruni Laia , Romagosa Cleofé , Sanz Sergi , Mabunda Samuel , Mandomando Inacio , Aponte John , Sevene Esperança , Alonso Pedro L , Menéndez Clara
Published: January 2008

Background

There is a widespread notion, based on limited information, that in areas of stable malaria transmission most pregnant women with Plasmodium falciparum infection are asymptomatic. This study aim to characterize the clinical presentation of malaria in African pregnant women and to evaluate the adequacy of case management based on clinical complaints.

Methods

A hospital-based descriptive study between August 2003 and November 2005 was conducted at the maternity clinic of a rural hospital in Mozambique. All women attending the maternity clinic were invited to participate. A total of 2,330 women made 3,437 eligible visits, 3129 were analysed, the remainder were excluded because diagnostic results were unavailable or they were repeat visits. Women gave a standardized clinical history and had a medical exam. Malaria parasitaemia and haematocrit in capillary blood was determined for all women with signs or symptoms compatible with malaria including: presence and history of fever, arthromyalgias, headache, history of convulsions and pallor. Outcome measure was association of malaria symptoms or signs with positive blood slide for malaria parasitaemia.

Results

In 77.4% of visits pregnant women had symptoms suggestive of malaria; 23% (708/3129) were in the first trimester. Malaria parasitaemia was confirmed in 26.9% (842/3129) of visits. Headache, arthromyalgias and history of fever were the most common symptoms (86.5%, 74.8% and 65.4%) presented, but their positive predictive values for malaria parasitaemia were low [28% (27–30), 29% (28–31), and 33% (31–35), respectively].

Conclusion

Symptoms suggestive of malaria were very frequent among pregnant women attending a rural maternity clinic in an area of stable malaria transmission. However, less than a third of them were parasitaemic. In the absence of microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests, a large proportion of women, including those in the first trimester of gestation, would be unnecessarily receiving antimalarial drugs, often those with unknown safety profiles for pregnancy. Accessibility to malaria diagnostic tools needs to be improved for pregnant women and drugs with a safety profile in all gestational ages are urgently needed.
Anatomical evaluation of CT-MRI combined femoral model
Authors: Lee Yeon S , Seon Jong K , Shin Vladimir I , Kim Gyu-Ha , Jeon Moongu
Published: January 2008

Background

Both CT and MRI are complementary to each other in that CT can produce a distinct contour of bones, and MRI can show the shape of both ligaments and bones. It will be ideal to build a CT-MRI combined model to take advantage of complementary information of each modality. This study evaluated the accuracy of the combined femoral model in terms of anatomical inspection.

Methods

Six normal porcine femora (180 ± 10 days, 3 lefts and 3 rights) with ball markers were scanned by CT and MRI. The 3D/3D registration was performed by two methods, i.e. the landmark-based 3 points-to-3 points and the surface matching using the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. The matching accuracy of the combined model was evaluated with statistical global deviation and locally measure anatomical contour-based deviation. Statistical analysis to assess any significant difference between accuracies of those two methods was performed using univariate repeated measures ANOVA with the Turkey post hoc test.

Results

This study revealed that the local 2D contour-based measurement of matching deviation was 0.5 ± 0.3 mm in the femoral condyle, and in the middle femoral shaft. The global 3D contour matching deviation of the landmark-based matching was 1.1 ± 0.3 mm, but local 2D contour deviation through anatomical inspection was much larger as much as 3.0 ± 1.8 mm.

Conclusion

Even with human-factor derived errors accumulated from segmentation of MRI images, and limited image quality, the matching accuracy of CT-&-MRI combined 3D models was 0.5 ± 0.3 mm in terms of local anatomical inspection.
Issues in the construction of wealth indices for the measurement of socio-economic position in low-income countries
Authors: Howe Laura D , Hargreaves James R , Huttly Sharon RA
Published: January 2008

Background

Epidemiological studies often require measures of socio-economic position (SEP). The application of principal components analysis (PCA) to data on asset-ownership is one popular approach to household SEP measurement. Proponents suggest that the approach provides a rational method for weighting asset data in a single indicator, captures the most important aspect of SEP for health studies, and is based on data that are readily available and/or simple to collect. However, the use of PCA on asset data may not be the best approach to SEP measurement. There remains concern that this approach can obscure the meaning of the final index and is statistically inappropriate for use with discrete data. In addition, the choice of assets to include and the level of agreement between wealth indices and more conventional measures of SEP such as consumption expenditure remain unclear. We discuss these issues, illustrating our examples with data from the Malawi Integrated Household Survey 2004–5.

Methods

Wealth indices were constructed using the assets on which data are collected within Demographic and Health Surveys. Indices were constructed using five weighting methods: PCA, PCA using dichotomised versions of categorical variables, equal weights, weights equal to the inverse of the proportion of households owning the item, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Agreement between indices was assessed. Indices were compared with per capita consumption expenditure, and the difference in agreement assessed when different methods were used to adjust consumption expenditure for household size and composition.

Results

All indices demonstrated similarly modest agreement with consumption expenditure. The indices constructed using dichotomised data showed strong agreement with each other, as did the indices constructed using categorical data. Agreement was lower between indices using data coded in different ways. The level of agreement between wealth indices and consumption expenditure did not differ when different consumption equivalence scales were applied.

Conclusion

This study questions the appropriateness of wealth indices as proxies for consumption expenditure. The choice of data included had a greater influence on the wealth index than the method used to weight the data. Despite the limitations of PCA, alternative methods also all had disadvantages.
Warping prestack imaged data to improve stack quality and resolution
Authors: Perez Gabriel , Marfurt Kurt J.
Published: January 2008

Accurate seismic imaging requires that a geologic feature be located at the same lateral and vertical position in images obtained by 3D prestack migration from different data bins, such as common-offset or common-angle subvolumes. Misalignment of those images degrades the quality of the stack. For dipping reflectors and lateral discontinuities, imperfect imaging causes both lateral and vertical misalignment. In current practice, the vertical component of the misalignment is used to estimate updates in velocity and other imaging parameters; the lateral component is largely ignored. We show that recent developments in seismic-attribute analysis allow us to examine the lateral misalignment of prestack volumes with similar resolution to that achieved in examining vertical moveout. To measure lateral moveout, we pick maxima from local 2D crosscorrelations computed between slices from 3D attribute volumes. We then use these measurements to correct for the lateral misalignment by applying a warping procedure to the corresponding slices in the prestack migrated seismic data. We apply our technique to a 3D land survey acquired over the Fort Worth basin in Texas, and obtain subtle, but potentially important, improvements in the quality and resolution of the stack as well as in the attribute images computed from the corrected data.
Phase III Randomized, Intergroup Trial Assessing Imatinib Mesylate At Two Dose Levels in Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Expressing the Kit Receptor Tyrosine Kinase: S0033
Authors: Blanke Charles D. , Rankin Cathryn , Demetri George D. , Ryan Christopher W. , von Mehren Margaret , Benjamin Robert S. , Raymond A. Kevin , Bramwell Vivien H.C. , Baker Laurence H. , Maki Robert G. , Tanaka Michael , Hecht J. Randolph , Heinrich Michael C. , Fletcher Christopher D.M. , Crowley John J. , Borden Ernest C.
Published: January 2008

Purpose

To assess potential differences in progression-free or overall survival when imatinib mesylate is administered to patients with incurable gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) at a standard dose (400 mg daily) versus a high dose (400 mg twice daily).

Patients and Methods

Patients with metastatic or surgically unresectable GIST were eligible for this phase III open-label clinical trial. At registration, patients were randomly assigned to either standard or high-dose imatinib, with close interval follow-up. If objective progression occurred by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, patients on the standard-dose arm could reregister to the trial and receive the high-dose imatinib regimen.

Results

Seven hundred forty-six patients with advanced GIST from 148 centers across the United States and Canada were enrolled onto this trial in 9 months. With a median follow-up of 4.5 years, median progression-free survival was 18 months for patients on the standard-dose arm, and 20 months for those receiving high-dose imatinib. Median overall survival was 55 and 51 months, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in objective response rates, progression-free survival, or overall survival. After progression on standard-dose imatinib, 33% of patients who crossed over to the high-dose imatinib regimen achieved either an objective response or stable disease. There were more grade 3, 4, and 5 toxicities noted on the high-dose imatinib arm.

Conclusion

This trial confirms the effectiveness of imatinib as primary systemic therapy for patients with incurable GIST but did not show any advantage to higher dose treatment. It appears reasonable to initiate therapy with 400 mg daily and to consider dose escalation on progression of disease.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Use Among US Adults After Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Velicer Christine M. , Ulrich Cornelia M.
Published: January 2008

Vitamin and mineral supplement use is thought to be common among the 10 million adults in the United States who have been diagnosed with cancer; however, well-conducted studies of this topic are sparse. Moreover, the biologic effects of supplement use among cancer survivors are not well established and not necessarily beneficial. We present a systematic summary of studies published between 1999 and 2006, 32 in total, addressing vitamin and mineral supplement use among US adult cancer patients and survivors. Supplement use is widespread among cancer patients and longer-term survivors. In studies combining different cancer sites, 64% to 81% of survivors reported using any vitamin or mineral supplements and 26% to 77% reported using any multivitamins. In contrast, approximately 50% of US adults use dietary supplements and 33% use multivitamin/multimineral supplements. Between 14% and 32% of survivors initiate supplement use after diagnosis, and use differs by cancer site. Breast cancer survivors reported the highest use, whereas prostate cancer survivors reported the least. Higher level of education and female sex emerged as factors most consistently associated with supplement use. Up to 68% of physicians are unaware of supplement use among their cancer patients. These results highlight the need for further studies of the association between dietary supplement use and cancer treatment toxicity, recurrence, survival, and quality of life to support evidence-based clinical guidelines for dietary supplement use among cancer patients and longer-term survivors.
Coordination Structure Changes of Linear Cobalt(II) Triazole Complexes Induced by Binding of Long-chained Alcohols: Adaptive Molecular Clefts
Authors: Kuroiwa Keita , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: January 2008

Lipophilic, linear cobalt(II) triazole complex Co(1)3Cl2 in chloroform shows sol-to-gel transition upon addition of long-chained alcohols. Binding of alcohol molecules induces coordination structure changes (octahedral, Oh to tetrahedral, Td), which promotes aggregation of nanofibers and concomitant physical gelation. The surface of lipophilic, linear complexes provides binding sites for guest molecules, which is referred to as adaptive molecular clefts.
From knotted to nested RNA structures: A variety of computational methods for pseudoknot removal
Authors: Smit Sandra , Rother Kristian , Heringa Jaap , Knight Rob
Published: January 2008

Pseudoknots are abundant in RNA structures. Many computational analyses require pseudoknot-free structures, which means that some of the base pairs in the knotted structure must be disregarded to obtain a nested structure. There is a surprising diversity of methods to perform this pseudoknot removal task, but these methods are often poorly described and studies can therefore be difficult to reproduce (in part, because different procedures may be intuitively obvious to different investigators). Here we provide a variety of algorithms for pseudoknot removal, some of which can incorporate sequence or alignment information in the removal process. We demonstrate that different methods lead to different results, which might affect structure-based analyses. This work thus provides a starting point for discussion of the extent to which these different methods recapture the underlying biological reality. We provide access to reference implementations through a web interface (at http://www.ibi.vu.nl/programs/k2nwww), and the source code is available in the PyCogent project.
The Expression of MicroRNA miR-107 Decreases Early in Alzheimer's Disease and May Accelerate Disease Progression through Regulation of β-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein-Cleaving Enzyme 1
Authors: Wang Wang-Xia , Rajeev Bernard W. , Stromberg Arnold J. , Ren Na , Tang Guiliang , Huang Qingwei , Rigoutsos Isidore , Nelson Peter T.
Published: January 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that participate in posttranscriptional gene regulation in a sequence-specific manner. However, little is understood about the role(s) of miRNAs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used miRNA expression microarrays on RNA extracted from human brain tissue from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center Brain Bank with near-optimal clinicopathological correlation. Cases were separated into four groups: elderly nondemented with negligible AD-type pathology, nondemented with incipient AD pathology, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with moderate AD pathology, and AD. Among the AD-related miRNA expression changes, miR-107 was exceptional because miR-107 levels decreased significantly even in patients with the earliest stages of pathology.In situhybridization with cross-comparison to neuropathology demonstrated that particular cerebral cortical laminas involved by AD pathology exhibit diminished neuronal miR-107 expression. Computational analysis predicted that the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) mRNA is targeted multiply by miR-107. From the same RNA material analyzed on miRNA microarrays, mRNA expression profiling was performed using Affymetrix Exon Array microarrays on nondemented, MCI, and AD patients. BACE1 mRNA levels tended to increase as miR-107 levels decreased in the progression of AD. Cell culture reporter assays performed with a subset of the predicted miR-107 binding sites indicate the presence of at least one physiological miR-107 miRNA recognition sequence in the 3′-UTR of BACE1 mRNA. Together, the coordinated application of miRNA profiling, Affymetrix microarrays, new bioinformatics predictions,in situhybridization, and biochemical validation indicate that miR-107 may be involved in accelerated disease progression through regulation of BACE1.
Enzymatic Machinery for Endocannabinoid Biosynthesis Associated with Calcium Stores in Glutamatergic Axon Terminals
Authors: Nyilas Rita , Dudok Barna , Urbán Gabriella M. , Mackie Ken , Watanabe Masahiko , Cravatt Benjamin F. , Freund Tamás F. , Katona István
Published: January 2008

Endocannabinoids are regarded as retrograde signaling molecules at various types of synapses throughout the CNS. The lipid derivatives anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are generally thought to be the key molecular players in this process. Previous anatomical and electrophysiological studies provided compelling evidence that the biosynthetic enzyme of 2-AG is indeed localized in the postsynaptic plasma membrane, whereas its target, the CB1cannabinoid receptor, and the enzyme responsible for its inactivation are both found presynaptically. This molecular architecture of 2-AG signaling is a conserved feature of most synapses and supports the retrograde signaling role of 2-AG. Conversely, the molecular and neuroanatomical organization of synaptic anandamide signaling remains largely unknown. In contrast to its predicted role in retrograde signaling, here we show thatN-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-hydrolyzing phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD), a biosynthetic enzyme of anandamide and its related bioactive congeners, theN-acylethanolamines (NAEs), is concentrated presynaptically in several types of hippocampal excitatory axon terminals. Furthermore, high-resolution quantitative immunogold labeling demonstrates that this calcium-sensitive enzyme is localized predominantly on the intracellular membrane cisternae of axonal calcium stores. Finally, the highest density of NAPE-PLD is found in mossy terminals of granule cells, which do not express CB1receptors. Together, these findings suggest that anandamide and related NAEs are also present at glutamatergic synapses, but the sites of their synthesis and action are remarkably different from 2-AG, indicating distinct physiological roles for given endocannabinoids in the regulation of synaptic neurotransmission and plasticity.
Lost in Translation: An Enculturation Effect in Music Memory Performance
Authors: Demorest Steven M. , Morrison Steven J. , Jungbluth Denise , Beken Münir N.
Published: January 2008

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO TEST THE cross-cultural musical understanding of trained and untrained listeners from two distinct musical cultures by exploring the influence of enculturation on musical memory performance. Trained and untrained participants (N = 150) from the United States and Turkey listened to a series of novel musical excerpts from both familiar and unfamiliar cultures and then completed a recognition memory task for each set of examples. All participants were significantly better at remembering novel music from their native culture and there were no performance differences based on musical expertise. In addition, Turkish participants were better at remembering Western music, a familiar but nonnative musical culture, than Chinese music. The results suggest that our cognitive schemata for musical information are culturally derived and that enculturation influences musical memory at a structural level.
Web-based laboratory service
Authors: Bhattoa Pal Harjit , Csáthy László , Deményi Tamás , Kappelmayer János
Published: January 2008

Az internetes szolgáltatások komoly fejlődést jelenthetnek a klinikai laboratóriumnak, különösen azok felhasználói részére. Az internet segítségével a laboratórium pontos és naprakész információt tud közölni a szolgáltatásairól, az elvégzett vizsgálatokról, valamint a beavatkozások folyamatáról.
Célkitűzés:
A laboratórium tevékenységének jól áttekinthető és könnyen elérhető formában történő megjelenítése, az információ hatékonyabb átadása a klinikusok felé; a vizsgálati repertoár különböző bontásban történő ismertetése, speciális mintavételt, illetve mintaszállítást igénylő vizsgálatok feltüntetése, vizsgálatkereső kialakítása; valamennyi részleg kérőlapjának és az újonnan bevezetett vizsgálatok részletes leírásának letölthető formában történő megadása; adekvát linkek elérhetővé tétele, az intézet oktatási és kutatási tevékenységének ismertetése.
Eredmények:
A saját honlapunk kialakításával a klinikus kollégák és a hallgatók számára egy praktikus, könnyen elérhető, felhasználóbarát eszközzel tudunk összképet adni a laboratóriumi tevékenységről, továbbá lényegesen csökkent a preanalitikai kérdések száma.
Következtetések:
A mai magyar egészségügyi ellátásban még sajnos viszonylag keveset használunk az internet nyújtotta lehetőségek közül, de velünk együtt sok más intézmény is törekszik arra, hogy ezen a tendencián javítson.
Análise crítica dos resultados da reabilitação vestibular em relação à etiologia da tontura
Authors: Bittar Roseli Saraiva Moreira , Pedalini Maria Elisabete Bovino , Ramalho Jeanne Oiticica , Yoshimura Ricardo
Published: January 2008

A reabilitação vestibular (RV) é uma ótima opção terapêutica para tratamento dos pacientes vestibulopatas. Contudo, mesmo quando bem conduzida, algumas vezes não surte os efeitos propostos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a resposta de pacientes submetidos à RV em relação às etiologias apresentadas. Forma de Estudo: Retrospectivo descritivo. PACIENTES E MÉTODO: Analisamos pacientes que concluíram a RV e tinham diagnóstico entre janeiro de 2002 e dezembro de 2004. Dividimos os pacientes em três grupos, de acordo com a resposta à RV e os comparamos em relação às etiologias. RESULTADOS: Observamos 13 casos sem melhora com a RV, 24 com melhora parcial e 22 com remissão dos sintomas. As etiologias encontradas foram cervical, trauma, metabólica, central, transtornos da ansiedade e do humor, doença auto-imune, intolerância ortostática. A etiologia metabólica apresentou evolução significativamente melhor do que as demais. CONCLUSÃO: Quando associada à adequada correção etiológica, a RV é uma ótima opção no tratamento das vestibulopatias.
Interculturalidade: por uma genealogia da discriminação
Authors: Rodrigues Maria Beatriz
Published: January 2008

O tema interculturalidade não pode ser examinado sem o devido referimento às lutas por reconhecimento de identidades e de direitos. Hoje, especialmente depois da queda do muro de Berlim, e do propalado fim das ideologias, e mais recentemente após o 11/09/2001, observa-se um recrudescimento dessas lutas através de discursos étnico-religiosos. Associa-se a isso o crescente movimento migratório de pessoas verso países mais desenvolvidos, que alguns atribuem a globalização, outros aos próprios conflitos étnico-religiosos, ou a pobreza endêmica resultante do sistema político-econômico neoliberal. Acreditamos que todos estes fatores são indissociáveis e que compõem a realidade social contemporânea, com seus movimentos de exclusão direcionados a novos grupos. Este artigo reflete genealógicamente sobre diversidade e convivência intercultural, tentando entender as implicações e significados da discriminação hoje, em um contexto de crescente intolerância étnica, cultural e religiosa. Para tanto, utilizamos a experiência de Foucault com a revolução de Khomeini no Irã, entre 1978-79, como dispositivo inaugural da discussão sobre o hoje chamado "choque de civilizações". Utilizamos também exemplos atuais, muitos deles extraídos de nossa vivência como subjetividade imigrante na Europa.