bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Suppressor of Cytokine Signalling 3, SOCS3, may be One Critical Modulator of Seasonal Body Weight Changes in the Siberian Hamster, Phodopus sungorus
Authors: Tups A. , Barrett P. , Ross A. W. , Morgan P. J. , Klingenspor M. , Mercer J. G.
Published: December 2005

The Siberian hamster, Phodopus sungorus, exhibits a remarkable cycle of body weight, reproduction and leptin sensitivity in response to a seasonal change in photoperiod. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that the suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) plays a critical role in the regulation of the seasonal body weight cycle. We analysed arcuate nucleus SOCS3 gene expression in short day length (SD; 8 : 16 h light/dark) acclimated Siberian hamsters that were transferred back to long day length (LD; 16 : 8 h light/dark) and in hamsters that spontaneously became photorefractory to SD induced by prolonged exposure. SD acclimated hamsters that were transferred back to LD for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 weeks, increased arcuate nucleus SOCS3 gene expression to the LD level within 2 weeks, and maintained this higher level thereafter. The early increase of SOCS3 gene expression preceded the LD‐induced rise in body weight by approximately 3 weeks. Hamsters kept in SD for an extended period (25 weeks), began to become refractory to SD and to increase body weight. By this time, there was no difference in level of SOCS3 gene expression between LD and SD photoperiods, although body weight was still suppressed in SD hamsters. Finally, we addressed whether SOCS3 gene expression is related to SD‐induced gonadal regression or to body weight decrease by comparing Siberian hamsters with Syrian hamsters. The latter exhibited substantial SD‐induced gonadal regression but only limited seasonal changes in body weight. Acclimation to either LD or SD for 14 weeks had no effect on SOCS3 gene expression. This implies that arcuate nucleus SOCS3 gene expression is unlikely to be related to seasonal cycles in reproductive activity. Taken together, the findings further strengthen our hypothesis that SOCS3 may be one molecular trigger of seasonal cycles in body weight.
Targets of the master regulator of biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Chu Frances , Kearns Daniel B. , Branda Steven S. , Kolter Roberto , Losick Richard
Published: December 2005

Wild strains of the spore‐forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis are capable of forming architecturally complex communities of cells. The formation of these biofilms is mediated in part by the 15‐gene exopolysaccharide operon, epsA‐O, which is under the direct negative control of the SinR repressor. We report the identification of an additional operon, yqxM‐sipW‐tasA, that is required for biofilm formation and is under the direct negative control of SinR. We now show that all three members of the operon are required for the formation of robust biofilms and that SinR is a potent repressor of the operon that acts by binding to multiple sites in the promoter region. Genome‐wide analysis of SinR‐controlled transcription indicates that the epsA‐O and yqxM‐sipW‐tasA operons constitute many of the most strongly controlled genes in the SinR regulon. These findings reinforce the view that SinR is a master regulator for biofilm formation and further suggest that a principal biological function of SinR is to govern the assembly of complex multicellular communities.
Introgression of crown rust (Puccinia coronata) resistance from meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) into Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum): genetic mapping and identification of associated molecular markers
Authors: Armstead I. P. , Harper J. A. , Turner L. B. , Skøt L. , King I. P. , Humphreys M. O. , Morgan W. G. , Thomas H. M. , Roderick H. W.
Published: December 2005

Crown rust (Puccinia coronata) resistance (CRres), which had been introgressed from meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) into the Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) background, was genetically mapped with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and sequence tagged site (STS) markers to a terminal segment of chromosome 5. Comparative mapping had previously shown that this region of the Lolium/Festuca genome has a degree of conserved genetic synteny with chromosomes 11 and 12 of rice. Sequences from rice chromosome 12 were used as templates for identifying further STS markers that cosegregated with CRres. The relative genomic positions of molecular markers associated with CRres in L. multiflorum, L. perenne, F. pratensis and oats is discussed, along with their relationships to physical positions on rice chromosomes C11 and C12.
Stromatolite reef crusts, Early Cretaceous, Spain: bacterial origin of in situ‐precipitated peloid microspar?
Authors: RIDING ROBERT , TOMÁS SARA
Published: December 2005

Peloidal crusts are significant components of Early Cretaceous (Aptian) reef carbonates in eastern Spain. The crusts form steep‐sided laminated deposits on coral and other skeletal surfaces. Their microfabric consists almost entirely of silt‐sized peloids in fenestral microspar matrix. This microfabric contrasts with more poorly sorted and generally finer grained detrital wackestone–packstone fabrics of the adjacent reef matrix. Scarcity of incorporated grains indicates that the crusts did not trap many particles. It is proposed that the crusts are stromatolites and that peloids and inter‐peloid space were created concurrently by bacterial degradation of organic matter. As they developed, inter‐peloid voids were protected from infiltration of extraneous sediment by the organic‐rich exterior surface of the stromatolite. Even spacing of the peloids within microspar may reflect self‐organization of bacterial colonies in the decaying organic matrix. Compressed and partly amalgamated peloids marginal to burrows in the stromatolites suggest that the peloid fabrics were initially only partially lithified. The grainstone‐like peloid fabric is therefore interpreted as having formed in situ by very early diagenetic processes driven by heterotrophic bacteria.
Localization of a flavonoid biosynthetic polyphenol oxidase in vacuoles
Authors: Ono Eiichiro , Hatayama Masayoshi , Isono Yuri , Sato Takuya , Watanabe Ryoko , Yonekura‐Sakakibara Keiko , Fukuchi‐Mizutani Masako , Tanaka Yoshikazu , Kusumi Takaaki , Nishino Tokuzo , Nakayama Toru
Published: December 2005

Aureusidin synthase, a polyphenol oxidase (PPO), specifically catalyzes the oxidative formation of aurones from chalcones, which are plant flavonoids, and is responsible for the yellow coloration of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) flowers. All known PPOs have been found to be localized in plastids, whereas flavonoid biosynthesis is thought to take place in the cytoplasm [or on the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)]. However, the primary structural characteristics of aureusidin synthase and some of its molecular properties argue against localization of the enzyme in plastids and the cytoplasm. In this study, the subcellular localization of the enzyme in petal cells of the yellow snapdragon was investigated. Sucrose‐density gradient and differential centrifugation analyses suggested that the enzyme (the 39‐kDa mature form) is not located in plastids or on the ER. Transient assays using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera fused with the putative propeptide of the PPO precursor suggested that the enzyme was localized within the vacuole lumen. We also found that the necessary information for vacuolar targeting of the PPO was encoded within the 53‐residue N‐terminal sequence (NTPP), but not in the C‐terminal sequence of the precursor. NTPP‐mediated ER‐to‐Golgi trafficking to vacuoles was confirmed by means of the co‐expression of an NTPP‐GFP chimera with a dominant negative mutant of the Arabidopsis GTPase Sar1 or with a monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP)‐fused Golgi marker (an H+‐translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase of Arabidopsis). We identified a sequence‐specific vacuolar sorting determinant in the NTPP of the precursor. We have demonstrated the biosynthesis of a flavonoid skeleton in vacuoles. The findings of this metabolic compartmentation may provide a strategy for overcoming the biochemical instability of the precursor chalcones in the cytoplasm, thus leading to the efficient accumulation of aurones in the flower.
The pherophorins: common, versatile building blocks in the evolution of extracellular matrix architecture in Volvocales
Authors: Hallmann Armin
Published: December 2005

Green algae of the order Volvocales provide an unrivalled opportunity for exploring the transition from unicellularity to multicellularity. They range from unicells, like Chlamydomonas, through homocytic colonial forms with increasing cooperation of individual cells, like Gonium or Pandorina, to heterocytic multicellular forms with different cell types and a complete division of labour, like Volvox. A fundamental requirement for the evolution of multicellularity is the development of a complex, multifunctional extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM has many functions, which can change under developmental control or as a result of environmental factors. Here molecular data from 15 novel proteins are presented. These proteins have been identified in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Gonium pectorale, Pandorina morum and Volvox carteri, and all belong to a single protein family, the pherophorins. Pherophorin‐V1 is shown to be a glycoprotein localized to the ‘cellular zone’ of the V. carteri ECM. Pherophorin‐V1 and ‐V2 mRNAs are strongly induced not only by the sex inducer, which triggers sexual development at extremely low concentrations, but also by mechanical wounding. Like the extensins of higher plants, which are also developmentally controlled or sometimes inducible by wounding, the pherophorins contain a (hydroxy‐)proline‐rich (HR) rod‐like domain and are abundant within the extracellular compartment. In contrast to most extensins, pherophorins have additional globular A and B domains on both ends of the HR domains. Therefore pherophorins most closely resemble a particular class of higher plant extensin, the solanaceous lectins (e.g. potato lectin), suggesting multivalent carbohydrate‐binding functions are present within the A and B domains and are responsible for cross‐linking. Our results suggest that pherophorins are used as the building blocks for the extracellular scaffold throughout the Volvocales, with the characteristic mesh sizes in different ECM structures being a result of the highly diverse extensions of the HR domains. Pherophorins have therefore been a versatile element during the evolution of ECM architecture in these green algae.
Case verification of children with asthma in Ontario
Authors: To Teresa , Dell Sharon , Dick Paul T. , Cicutto Lisa , Harris Jennifer K. , MacLusky Ian B. , Tassoudji Marjan
Published: December 2005

Asthma is an important chronic childhood illness. A population‐based surveillance program could measure the burden of illness, but first, the validity of an administrative diagnosis of asthma must be confirmed. The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of population‐based outpatient administrative data in identifying children with asthma for the purpose of on‐going asthma surveillance and research. Twenty‐one primary care physician (PCP) clinics in Ontario participated. Patients under 18 yr old were categorized into three diagnosis categories according to administrative data diagnosis codes: asthma, asthma‐related, and non‐asthma. In each PCP clinic, for each diagnosis category, 10 charts were randomly selected for abstraction. A panel of experts (blind to the code) reviewed the abstracted charts and identified them as asthma or non‐asthma. The reviewers’ diagnosis was considered the gold standard. The accuracy of the administrative data diagnosis coding was analyzed using the concepts of diagnostic test evaluation. Six hundred and thirty patient charts were abstracted and reviewed. Overall agreement between the diagnosis provided by expert chart review and the administrative data diagnosis code was 84.8% (p < 0.001), and was 60.2%, 94.8% and 99.5% for the asthma, asthma‐related, and non‐asthma categories, respectively. Additionally, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.4% and 82.9%, respectively. Agreement between the administrative data diagnosis code and the PCP chart diagnosis was 99.4% (p < 0.001). An administrative data diagnosis code of asthma is sensitive and specific for identifying asthma. By using the results of this study as a starting point, future research will create a cohort of children with asthma to be used for population‐based surveillance and research.
Pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire (PAQLQ): Validation among asthmatic children in Thailand
Authors: Poachanukoon Orapan , Visitsunthorn Nualanong , Leurmarnkul Watcharee , Vichyanond Pakit
Published: December 2005

Quality of life (QoL) is an important consideration among asthma sufferers. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring health‐related QoL in children with asthma. The standardized version of PAQLQ contains 23 questions in three domains, i.e., activity limitation, symptoms and emotional function. The objective of this study was to validate the Thai‐translated version of the PAQLQ. The study design consisted of a five‐week single cohort study. Patients recorded symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) each morning and evening during the first and fifth week of the study in asthma diary. At each clinic visit, a trained‐interviewer administered the PAQLQ and performed spirometric measurements. Fifty‐one children, ages between 7 and 17 yr participated in the study. Scores from the asthma diary were used to classify patients into stable vs. unstable groups. The construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed in both cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies by demonstrating correlations between various PAQLQ domains with clinical asthma parameters (asthma diary, β‐agonist use and PEFR). There was high internal consistency for scores of the three domains (Cronbach's α‐coefficient = 0.83–0.95). For those with stable asthma, the reliability of PAQLQ was good for the rating scale (intra‐class correlation coefficient – ICC = 0.84) and for total score (α = 0.97) indicating high reproducibility of the PAQLQ. The significant difference of changes QoL scores between stable and unstable groups was observed in all domains. We conclude that the Thai version of PAQLQ is valid and reliable for implementing in Thai children with asthma.
Novel polymorphisms in exons 6 and 7 of A/B alleles detected by polymerase chain reaction–single strand conformation polymorphism
Authors: Chen Y. J. , Chen P. S. , Liu H. M. , Lyou J. Y. , Hu H. Y. , Lin J. S. , Tzeng C. H.
Published: December 2005

Background and Objectives  The ABO blood group system is the most important blood group system in transfusion medicine. In addition to the major A, B and O alleles, many rare alleles have been defined. Polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) and analysis by PCR sequence specific primers (SSP) are commonly conducted for genotyping but have the limitation of being unable to detect unknown substitution(s) in amplified DNA fragments, whereas PCR–single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) can be used for both.

Materials and Methods  Three‐hundred unrelated blood donors of the AB phenotype were enrolled. Four pairs of primers were designed to constitute two sets of multiplex PCRs: this amplifies four fragments spanning the entire exon 6 and its immediate flanking regions, nucleotides 432–1065, as well as the 3′ untranslated region of exon 7 of the ABO gene. The SSCP electrophoresis was carried out on a 12·5% polyacrylamide gel in a GenePhor electrophoresis unit. For those with unexpected banding patterns, SSCP analyses were performed in duplicate and samples were cloned and sequenced for exons 6 and 7.

Results  Seven samples were noted to have six variant alleles, of which five have not been previously reported in the literature. Of these five novel variants, four were derived from the B allele, while the other derived from the A allele.

Conclusions  By using PCR–SSCP, five novel A/B alleles were found.
Characterization of the Mefjell plutonic complex from the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica: Implications for the petrogenesis of Pan‐African plutonic rocks of East Gondwanaland
Authors: Li Zilong , Tainosho Yoshiaki , Kimura Jun‐Ichi , Shiraishi Kazuyuki
Published: December 2005

Abstract  The Mefjell plutonic complex consists of 500–550‐Ma Pan‐African plutonic rocks, which intrude into the Precambrian crystalline basement in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica, and forms part of the Sør Rondane Suture Zone. The complex comprises syenitic and granitic (mostly monzogranitic) rocks, and is characterized by the presence of iron‐rich hydrous mafic minerals and primary ilmenite, both of which imply its formation at high temperature and under low oxygen fugacity conditions. The syenitic rocks are metaluminous, and are high in alkalis, K2O/Na2O, Al2O3, FeOt/(FeOt + MgO) (0.88–0.98), K/Rb (800–1000), Ga (18–28 p.p.m.), Zr (up to 2100 p.p.m.) and Ba. They also have a low Mg♯ (Mg/[Mg + Fe2+]), Rb, Sr, Nb, Y and F, low to moderate light rare earth element (LREE)/heavy rare earth element (HREE) ratios and positive Eu anomalies in their rare earth element (REE) patterns. The granitic rocks are metaluminous to peraluminous, and have a high Rb content, high Sr/Ba and LREE/HREE ratios, low K/Rb and negative Eu anomalies. Most of the syenitic and granitic rocks have Y/Nb ratios greater than 1.2, and are depleted in Nb, Ti and Sr on the primitive mantle‐normalized spider diagrams, indicating a crustal origin with subduction zone signatures. We interpret both the syenitic and granitic rocks to be derived from an iron‐rich lower crustal source by dehydration melting induced by the heat of mantle‐derived basaltic intrusion, after which they then underwent limited fractional crystallization. The Mefjell plutonic complex has a high Zr content and tectonic discrimination diagram signatures indicative of normal A‐type granitic rocks. Both rock suites may have been generated under the same postorogenic tectonic setting. The Mefjell syenitic rocks are chemically comparable to charnockites in the Gjelsvikjella and western Mühlig‐Hofmannfjella areas of East Antarctica, whereas the granitic rocks are comparable to aluminous A‐type granitic rocks in South India, which were emplaced during formation and evolution of the Gondwanaland supercontinent.
Basalt and tonalite from the Amami Plateau, northern West Philippine Basin: New Early Cretaceous ages and geochemical results, and their petrologic and tectonic implications
Authors: Hickey‐Vargas Rosemary
Published: December 2005

Abstract Basalts and tonalites dredged from the Amami Plateau in the northern West Philippine Basin have the geochemical characteristics of intraoceanic island arc rocks: low87Sr/86Sr (0.70297–0.70310), intermediate143Nd/144Nd (0.51288–0.51292), moderate light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment (La/Yb = 4.1–6.6) and high La/Nb (1.4–4.3). The incremental heating of hornblende from tonalites yielded well‐defined plateaus and40Ar/39Ar isochron ages of 115.8 ± 0.5 Ma and 117.0 ± 1.1 Ma, while plagioclase yielded disturbed Ar release patterns, with ages ranging from 70 to 112 Ma. Taken together, these results show that the Amami Plateau was formed by subduction‐related magmatism in the Early Cretaceous period, earlier than indicated by prior K/Ar results. The results support tectonic models in which the West Philippine Basin was opened within a complex of Jurassic–Paleocene island arc terranes, which are now scattered in the northern West Philippine Basin, the Philippine Islands and Halmahera. The Amami Plateau tonalites and basalts have higher Sr/Y and lower Y and87Sr/86Sr compared with younger tonalitic rocks from the northern Kyushu–Palau Ridge and the Tanzawa complex, which were formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. Based on the geochemical characteristics of the basalts, the Early Cretaceous subduction zone that formed the Amami Plateau may have been the site of slab melting, which suggests that a younger and hotter plate was being subducted at that time. However, the Amami tonalites were probably formed from basaltic magma by fractional crystallization or by partial melting of basaltic arc crust, rather than by melting of the subducted slab.
Distribution of Early Tertiary volcanic rocks in south Sumatra and west Java
Authors: Soeria‐Atmadja Rubini , Noeradi Dardji
Published: December 2005

Abstract  The evolution of volcanism in Sumatra and Java during Tertiary and Quaternary time can be divided into three phases: (i) lava flows of the Early Tertiary event (43–33 Ma) consisting of island arc tholeiites; followed by (ii) eruption of tholeiitic pillow basalt at the beginning of the Late Tertiary (11 Ma); and succeeded by (iii) medium‐K calc‐alkaline magmatism in the Pliocene and Quaternary. The present available field data on the occurrence of Paleogene volcanic rocks and subsurface data in south Sumatra and northern west Java indicate a much larger area of distribution of the volcanic rocks than previously recognized. Because the eastward continuation of the northern west Java volcanic rocks had not been found, early investigators were inclined to assume that they continued to south Kalimantan. In contrast, the early Tertiary volcanic rocks that occupy the south coast of Java can be traced further east as far as Flores. The occurrence of Paleogene volcanics in south Sumatra and northern west Java can be interpreted as a Paleogene volcanic arc that was presumably related to the late Cretaceous–Paleogene trench parallel to Sumatra and west Java due to subduction of the Indian Plate toward the northeast (Meratus trend).
Petrogenesis and tectonomagmatic significance of volcanic and subvolcanic rocks in the Albanide–Hellenide ophiolitic mélanges
Authors: Saccani Emilio , Photiades Adonis
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Ophiolitic mélanges associated with ophiolitic sequences are wide spread in the Mirdita–Subpelagonian zone (Albanide–Hellenide Orogenic Belt) and consist of tectonosedimentary ‘block‐in‐matrix‐type’ mélanges. Volcanic and subvolcanic basaltic rocks included in the main mélange units are studied in this paper with the aim of assessing their chemistry and petrogenesis, as well as their original tectonic setting of formation. Basaltic rocks incorporated in these mélanges include (i) Triassic transitional to alkaline within‐plate basalts (WPB); (ii) Triassic normal (N‐MORB) and enriched (E‐MORB) mid‐oceanic ridge basalts; (iii) Jurassic N‐MORB; (iv) Jurassic basalts with geochemical characteristics intermediate between MORB and island arc tholeiites (MORB/IAT); and (v) Jurassic boninitic rocks. These rocks record different igneous activities, which are related to the geodynamic and mantle evolution through time in the Mirdita–Subpelagonian sector of the Tethys. Mélange units formed mainly through sedimentary processes are characterized by the prevalence of materials derived from the supra‐subduction zone (SSZ) environments, whereas in mélange units where tectonic processes prevail, oceanic materials predominate. In contrast, no compositional distinction between structurally similar mélange units is observed, suggesting that they may be regarded as a unique mélange belt extending from the Hellenides to the Albanides, whose formation was largely dominated by the mechanisms of incorporation of the different materials. Most of the basaltic rocks surfacing in the MOR and SSZ Albanide–Hellenide ophiolites are incorporated in mélanges. However, basalts with island arc tholeiitic affinity, although they are volumetrically the most abundant ophiolitic rock types, have not been found in mélanges so far. This implies that the rocks forming the main part of the intraoceanic arc do not seem to have contributed to the mélange formation, whereas rocks presumably formed in the forearc region are largely represented in sedimentary‐dominated mélanges. In addition, Triassic E‐MORB, N‐MORB and WPB included in many mélanges are not presently found in the ophiolitic sequences. Nonetheless, they testify to the existence throughout the Albanide–Hellenide Belt of an oceanic basin since the Middle Triassic.
Tectonic accretion of a subducted intraoceanic remnant arc in Cretaceous Hokkaido, Japan, and implications for evolution of the Pacific northwest
Authors: Ueda Hayato , Miyashita Sumio
Published: December 2005

Abstract  An accretionary complex, which contains fragments of a remnant island arc, was newly recognized in the Cretaceous accretionary terranes in Hokkaido, Japan. It consists of volcanics, volcanic conglomerate, intermediate to ultramafic intrusive rocks with island‐arc affinity including boninitic rocks, accompanied by chert and deformed terrigenous turbidites. Compared with the results of modern oceanic surveys, the preserved sequence from island‐arc volcanics to chert, via reworked volcanics, is indicative of intraoceanic remnant arc, because the sequence suggests an inactive arc isolated within a pelagic environment before its accretion. The age of a subducting oceanic crust can be discontinuous before and after a remnant‐arc subduction, resulting in abrupt changes in accretion style and metamorphism, as seen in Cretaceous Hokkaido. Subduction of such an intraoceanic remnant arc suggests that the subducted oceanic plate in the Cretaceous was not an extensive oceanic plate like the Izanagi and/or Kula Plates as previously believed by many authors, but a marginal basin plate having an arc–back‐arc system like the present‐day Philippine Sea Plate.
Latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous radiolarian fauna from the Xialu chert in the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet: Comparison with coeval western Pacific radiolarian faunas and paleoceanographic implications
Authors: Matsuoka Atsushi , Yang Qun , Takei Masahiko
Published: December 2005

Abstract  The Xialu chert radiolarian fauna is latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous in age (Pseudodictyomitra carpatica zone) and contains many taxa in common with coeval northern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) radiolarian faunas represented by the Torinosu fauna in southwest Japan. Common elements include Eucyrtidiellum pyramis (Aita), Protunuma japonicus Matsuoka & Yao, Sethocapsa pseudouterculus Aita, Sethocapsa (?) subcrassitestata Aita, Archaeodictyomitra minoensis (Mizutani), Stichocapsa praepulchella Hori and Xitus gifuensis (Mizutani). The Xialu fauna is less similar to low‐latitude (tropical) assemblages represented by the Mariana fauna. For this reason, the Xialu fauna is regarded as representative of a southern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) fauna. A mirror‐image bi‐temperate provincialism to the equator in radiolarian faunas is reconstructed for the Ceno‐Tethys and Pacific Ocean in latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous time.
Debris flow disaster at Larcha, upper Bhotekoshi Valley, central Nepal
Authors: Adhikari Danda Pani , Koshimizu Satoshi
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Damage, destruction and casualties related to landslide and debris flow are common phenomena in the Himalaya, especially during the summer monsoon. This fact was tragically illustrated on 22 July 1996, when Larcha, situated at the 109‐km mark of the Arniko Highway, upper Bhotekoshi Valley, central Nepal, experienced a catastrophic debris flow powered by the Bhairab Kunda Stream. Of the 22 houses in Larcha, 16 were swept away, two were partially damaged and 54 people were killed in a matter of a few minutes. The event attracted attention when media linked it to a glacial lake outburst flood as a result of the fact that the source of the stream is a glacial lake. To understand the cause, initiation mechanism and deposition process, the basin area was studied from geological, geomorphologic and engineering geological points of view and the role of precipitation was evaluated. A combination of rainfall, runoff from cliff faces and stream undercutting triggered failure of the bedrock and colluvium, both on the dip and counter‐dip slopes, 500 m upstream from the highway. The landslide debris dammed the channel, which was eventually breached, and deposited approximately 104 000 m3 of coarse debris, dominated by the metasediments of the Lesser Himalayan origin, and overwhelmed the village of Larcha. The debris deposit was studied for clast size, composition, texture and dimensions. Lack of sorting and the presence of abundant silt and clay in the source area helped in the initiation of debris flow. The abundance of the Lesser Himalayan metasediment clasts together with the absence of debris traces upstream from the landslide site ruled out the possibility of a glacial lake outburst flood. The disaster was a result of landslide damming triggered by precipitation and stream undercutting and sudden bursting.
The historical Saklei Shuyinj and Chateboi Glacier Dams as triggers for lake outburst cascades in the Karambar Valley, Hindukush
Authors: Iturrizaga Lasafam
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Since the mid‐nineteenth century, devastating glacier lake outbursts have occurred in the Karambar Valley. The exact source areas of these floods are to date unknown. The present study uses geomorphologic field evidence and interviews of local inhabitants to reconstruct nine potential glacier dams in the Karambar Valley within a horizontal distance of only 40 km. The article focuses on the geomorphologic reconstruction of the highest glacier dams, the Chateboi and Saklei Shuyinj Glaciers. Their lake basins were connected in former times resulting in a complex interfingering of lake sediments, lake terraces and glacial deposits. The outbursts of these lakes could have triggered the drainage of one of the lower ice‐dammed lakes (Sokther Rabot, Chillinji, Warghut or Karambar) and therefore initiated an outburst cascade in the upper Karambar Valley. Successive glacier dams are wide spread in the Karakoram, and cascading lakes might have also played a role in other lake outburst scenarios. In the Karambar Valley, even today the Chateboi Glacier blocks the Karambar River over a distance of 4 km and represents a permanent hazard for the villages located downstream.
Geology of the summit limestone of Mount Qomolangma (Everest) and cooling history of the Yellow Band under the Qomolangma detachment
Authors: Sakai Harutaka , Sawada Minoru , Takigami Yutaka , Orihashi Yuji , Danhara Tohru , Iwano Hideki , Kuwahara Yoshihiro , Dong Qi , Cai Huawei , Li Jianguo
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Newly discovered peloidal limestone from the summit of Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest) contains skeletal fragments of trilobites, ostracods and crinoids. They are small pebble‐sized debris interbedded in micritic bedded limestone of the Qomolangma Formation, and are interpreted to have been derived from a bank margin and redeposited in peri‐platform environments. An exposure of the Qomolangma detachment at the base of the first step (8520 m), on the northern slope of Mount Qomolangma was also found. Non‐metamorphosed, strongly fractured Ordovician limestone is separated from underlying metamorphosed Yellow Band by a sharp fault with a breccia zone. The 40Ar–39Ar ages of muscovite from the Yellow Band show two‐phase metamorphic events of approximately 33.3 and 24.5 Ma. The older age represents the peak of a Barrovian‐type Eo‐Himalayan metamorphic event and the younger age records a decompressional high‐temperature Neo‐Himalayan metamorphic event. A muscovite whole‐rock 87Rb–86Sr isochron of the Yellow Band yielded 40.06 ± 0.81 Ma, which suggests a Pre‐Himalayan metamorphism, probably caused by tectonic stacking of the Tibetan Tethys sediments in the leading margin of the Indian subcontinent. Zircon and apatite grains, separated from the Yellow Band, gave pooled fission‐track ages of 14.4 ± 0.9 and 14.4 ± 1.4 Ma, respectively. These new chronologic data indicate rapid cooling of the hanging wall of the Qomolangma detachment from approximately 350°C to 130°C during a short period (15.5–14.4 Ma).
Tectonic and climatic control of the changes in the sedimentary record of the Karnali River section (Siwaliks of western Nepal)
Authors: Huyghe Pascale , Mugnier Jean‐Louis , Gajurel Ananta Prasad , Delcaillau Bernard
Published: December 2005

Abstract A multidisciplinary study was conducted on the section of the Siwalik Group sediments, approximately 5000 m thick, exposed along the Karnali River. Analysis of facies, clay mineralogy and neodymium isotope compositions revealed significant changes in the sedimentary record, allowing discussion of their tectonic or climatic origin. Two major changes within the sedimentary fill were detected: the change from a meandering to a braided river system atca 9.5 Ma and the change from a deep sandy braided to a shallow sandy braided river system atca 6.5 Ma. The 9.5‐Ma change in fluvial style is contemporaneous with an abrupt increase of ɛNd(0) values following a ɛNd(0) minimum. This evolution indicates a change in source material and erosion of Lesser Himalayan rocks within the Karnali catchment basin between 13 and 10 Ma. The tectonic activity along the Ramgarh thrust caused this local exhumation. By changing the proximity and morphology of relief, the forward propagation of the basal detachment to the main boundary thrust was responsible for the high gradient and sediment load required for the development of the braided river system. The change from a deep sandy braided to a shallow sandy braided river system at approximately 6.5 Ma was contemporaneous with a change in clay mineralogy towards smectite‐/kaolinite‐dominant assemblages. As no source rock change and no burial effect are detected at that time, the change in clay mineralogy is interpreted as resulting from differences in environmental conditions. The facies analysis shows abruptly and frequently increasing discharges by 6.5 Ma, and could be linked to an increase in seasonality, induced by intensification of the monsoon climate. The major fluvial changes deciphered along the Karnali section have been recognized from central to western Nepal, although they are diachronous. The change in clay mineralogy towards smectite‐/kaolinite‐rich assemblages and the slight decrease of ɛNd(0) have also been detected in the Bengal Fan sedimentary record, showing the extent and importance of the two major events recorded along the Karnali section.
Glacial geomorphology and ice ages in Tibet and the surrounding mountains
Authors: Kuhle Matthias
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Since 1973 new data have been obtained on the maximum extent of glaciation in High Asia. Evidence for an ice sheet covering Tibet during the last glacial period means a radical rethinking about glaciation in the northern hemisphere. The ice sheet's subtropical latitude, vast size (2.4 million km2) and high elevation (6000 m a.s.l.) are supposed to have resulted in a substantial, albedo‐induced cooling of the Earth's atmosphere and the disruption of summer monsoon circulation. Moraines were found to reach down to 460 m a.s.l. on the southern flank of the Himalayas and to 2300 m a.s.l. on the northern slope of the Tibetan Plateau, in the Qilian Shan region. On the northern slopes of the Karakoram, Aghil and Kuen‐Lun Mountains, moraines occur as far down as 1900 m a.s.l. In southern Tibet, radiographic analyses of erratics suggest a former ice thickness of at least 1200 m. Glacial polish and roches moutonnées in the Himalayas and Karakoram suggest former glaciers as thick as 1200–2700 m. On the basis of this evidence, a 1100–1600‐m lower equilibrium line has been reconstructed, resulting in an ice sheet of 2.4 million km2, covering almost all of Tibet. Radiometric ages, obtained by different methods, classify this glaciation as isotope stage 3–2 in age (Würmian, the last glacial period, ca 60 000–18 000 years ago).
Thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic adrenalectomy for isolated locally recurrent adrenal carcinoma
Authors: MATSUMOTO KAZUMASA , EGAWA SHIN , SATOH TAKEFUMI , OKUNO NORIHIKO , KASEDA SHIZUKA , BABA SHIRO
Published: December 2005

Abstract  A 58‐year‐old man who had undergone left adrenalectomy 2 years previously for adrenocortical carcinoma was diagnosed to have a left suprarenal solid mass. Thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic excision of the tumor was conducted under the diagnosis of isolated local recurrence of adrenal carcinoma. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. The patient subsequently received three courses of adjuvant chemotherapy. There have been no signs of tumor recurrence during 3 years follow up after surgery. This approach provides a minimally invasive alternative to an open thoracoabdominal procedure after prior open surgery.
Chronic expanding hematoma in the psoas muscle
Authors: YAMASAKI TOSHINARI , SHIRAHASE TOSHIAKI , HASHIMURA TAKAYUKI
Published: December 2005

Abstract  We report an unusual case of chronic expanding hematoma in the psoas muscle. A 53‐year‐old man was admitted for evaluation of a mass shadow in the left lower lung field on chest X‐rays. He had also been suffering from dull left back pain. A computed tomography scan showed a cystic lesion with a rim enhancement in the left retroperitoneal space. Mixed signal intensity in a mosaic pattern was seen on a T2‐weighted magnetic resonance image. We could not rule out a suspicion of a neoplastic intratumoral hemorrhage. Due to increased pain and the definite diagnosis, surgery was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma. The expansion process is thought to be due to the irritant effects of blood and its breakdown products, which cause repeated exudation and bleeding from capillaries in the granulation tissues.
Ectopic prostatic tissue in the bladder
Authors: BELLEZZA GUIDO , SIDONI ANGELO , CAVALIERE ANTONIO
Published: December 2005

Abstract  Ectopic prostatic tissue in the bladder has rarely been reported and usually involves the midline in the form of vestigial remains of embryonic prostatic elements. To our knowledge there are only 32 reports on this lesion in the literature in English. Prostatic heterotopia may be endoscopically confused with malignancy in the urinary system. We report three cases of ectopic prostatic tissue at the retrotrigonal area and left ureteral orifice. The patients presented with gross or microscopic hematuria and all the lesions had a polypoid appearance. The histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination revealed the prostatic nature of the tissue. No recurrences were evidenced. The authors review the literature concerning this lesion which should be recognized by urologists and pathologists, who must be aware of its benign nature.
Cuff filling volumes and pressures in pediatric laryngeal mask airways
Authors: MAINO PAULO , DULLENKOPF ALEXANDER , KELLER CHRISTIAN , BERNET‐BUETTIKER VERA , WEISS MARKUS
Published: December 2005

Background : Hyperinflation of LMA cuffs carries the risk of airway morbidity by exerting pressure on laryngeal and pharyngeal structures. Cuff hyperinflation in LMAs can result from nitrous oxide diffusion into the LMA cuff and from deliberate manual cuff inflation.

Methods : In an in vitro set up, maximum recommended cuff filling volumes for size 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 disposable LMAs from different manufacturers [SoftSeal LMA (Portex); Unique LMA (Intavent); Marshall LAD, LaryngoSeal (Tyco)] and reusable Classic and ProSeal LMAs (Intavent) were inflated into completely emptied LMA‐cuffs and into LMA‐cuffs at resting volume. Cuff pressures were measured using a cuff manometer. Experiments were performed eight times using two exemplars of each brand/size.

Results : Maximum recommended cuff filling volumes for pediatric LMAs resulted in hyperinflation (cuff pressure >60 cmH2O) in almost all LMAs, starting with emptied cuff. Starting from resting cuff volume, the maximum recommended inflation volume resulted in cuff pressures of >120 cmH2O in all LMAs and sizes except in the ProSeal size 3 (101 ± 1 cmH2O).

Conclusions : Since the volume of air which is effectively required depends on several factors and varies between patients, the cuffs should be inflated only with the minimum volume of air required to form an effective seal with the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and the cuff pressure should be controlled.
Spinal anesthesia in children with isobaric local anesthetics: Report on 307 patients under 13 years of age
Authors: IMBELLONI LUIZ EDUARDO , VIEIRA ENEIDA MARIA , SPERNI FRANCINE , GUIZELLINI ROSA HELENA , TOLENTINO ANA PAULA
Published: December 2005

Background:  Spinal anesthesia in expert hands is an excellent method for children for appropriate surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of spinal anesthesia with isobaric solutions in 307 consecutive cases from May 2001 to August 2002.

Methods:  In this prospective study, 307 patients from 0 to 12 years of age were scheduled for spinal anesthesia with enantiomeric mixture of bupivacaine (S75 : 25R) 0.5% or racemic bupivacaine 0.5% or lidocaine 2% without glucose, for surgery compatible with the technique. The following were assessed: latency of analgesia, motor block, maximum length and duration of sensory blockade, cardiovascular changes, incidence of headache or transient neurological symptoms and cost.

Results:  The onset of sensory block occurred at 2.36 ± 0.95 min. Duration of surgery was 1.29 ± 0.83 h and the duration of stay in the postanesthesia care unit was 39.72 ± 26.84 min. The highest level of analgesia ranged from T9 to T4 (mean T6). Onset of motor block was <2 min in all children and each had a modified Bromage score of 3 at the beginning of the surgery. At the end of the surgery 9% had score 3, 16%, score 2, 46%, score 1 and 29%, zero. Seventy five percent of all patients recovered from motor block 1 or zero at the end of the surgery. Patients older than 1  year were able to walk in 3.79 ± 0.73 h. There was no case of oxygen desaturation. Hypotension and bradycardia occurred in one patient. Spinal anesthesia failed in five patients. Three children developed postdural puncture headache (PDPH), the youngest aged 2 years. PDPH in all three was mild or moderate. Transient radicular symptoms were not observed. The final cost of the spinal anesthesia was R$49.00 compared with a mean cost of general anesthesia of R$105.00.

Conclusions:  Spinal anesthesia continues to gain acceptance as an alternative to general anesthesia in children. There has also been an increased use of spinal anesthesia for other surgical procedures including lower extremity orthopedic procedures as well as specific surgery procedures above the umbilicus and in patients past the neonatal period. Spinal anesthesia in children is a special method suitable for use only by anesthesiologists, expert in administering spinal anesthesia for adults. It was 54% less than the cost of general anesthesia.
Delayed ventricular fibrillation following blunt chest trauma in a 4‐year‐old child
Authors: TOME RIAD , SOMRI MOSTAFA , TESZLER CHRISTIAN B. , YANOVSKI BORIS , GAITINI LUIS
Published: December 2005

A 4‐year‐old boy who was involved in a motor vehicle accident as a pedestrian and suffered blunt chest trauma was admitted to the emergency room. Unpredictable delayed ventricular fibrillation was diagnosed and treated successfully 2 h later. This case cannot be classified as commotio cordis as the ventricular fibrillation (VF) developed so long after the sustained chest injury. At the same time, other possible etiologies of VF such as cardiac pathology or electrolyte and metabolic disorders had been ruled out. Thus, an etiological link between the chest trauma and the subsequent VF could not be ruled out and is in fact plausible despite the late onset.
Spinal anesthesia in infants with ventriculoperitoneal shunt: report of five cases and review of literature
Authors: KACHKO LUDMYLA , PLATIS CARI M. , LIVNI GILAT , TARABIKIN EVELYNA , MICHOWIZ SHALOM , KATZ JACOB
Published: December 2005

We describe five cases of children with ventriculoperitoneal shunt who underwent abdominal and perineal procedures under spinal anesthesia. Four of them had been born prematurely, and all had suffered from severe neonatal complications. All of our patients suffered from severe respiratory impairment, that had required mechanical ventilation, and three of them suffered additionally from apnea of prematurity. Four patients had ventriculoperitoneal shunt inserted because of obstructive hydrocephalus and one because of congenital central nervous system anomalies. Two underwent subsequently shunt revision. The benefits of spinal anesthesia in this high‐risk population are described. The risks of spinal anesthesia in the presence of a ventricular shunt device, especially infection and dural leakage, are discussed, and the literature about this topic briefly reviewed.
Anesthetic management of tracheoesophageal fistula repair in a newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Authors: SAADE EDOUARD , SETZER NANCY
Published: December 2005

We present a case of a newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). The anesthesia management for the repair of the TEF is presented and the management of the unique pathophysiology of the HLHS circulation is discussed.
RETURNING GENETIC RESEARCH RESULTS TO INDIVIDUALS: POINTS‐TO‐CONSIDER
Authors: RENEGAR GAILE , WEBSTER CHRISTOPHER J. , STUERZEBECHER STEFFEN , HARTY LEA , IDE SUSAN E. , BALKITE BETH , ROGALSKI‐SALTER TARYN A. , COHEN NADINE , SPEAR BRIAN B. , BARNES DIANE M. , BRAZELL CELIA
Published: December 2005

This paper is intended to stimulate debate amongst stakeholders in the international research community on the topic of returning individual genetic research results to study participants. Pharmacogenetics and disease genetics studies are becoming increasingly prevalent, leading to a growing body of information on genetic associations for drug responsiveness and disease susceptibility with the potential to improve health care. Much of these data are presently characterized as exploratory (non‐validated or hypothesis‐generating). There is, however, a trend for research participants to be permitted access to their personal data if they so choose. Researchers, sponsors, patient advocacy groups, ethics committees and regulatory authorities are consequently confronting the issue of whether, and how, study participants might receive their individual results. Noted international ethico‐legal guidelines and public policy positions in Europe and the United States are reviewed for background. The authors offer ‘Points‐to‐Consider’ regarding returning research results in the context of drug development trials based on their knowledge and experience. These considerations include: the clinical relevance of data, laboratory qualifications, informed consent procedures, confidentiality of medical information and the competency of persons providing results to participants. The discussion is framed as a benefit‐to‐risk assessment to balance the potential positive versus negative consequences to participants, while maintaining the integrity and feasibility of conducting genetic research studies.
Dog Whistles and Democratic Mandates
Authors: GOODIN ROBERT E. , SAWARD MICHAEL
Published: December 2005

Manipulative mixed messages from candidates to voters affect what governments are entitled to do in office. A party that wins an election gains a 'mandate to rule'. But there is a second type of mandate: a 'policy mandate' to enact specific policy proposals central to the winning party's campaign. Mixed‐message politics in general can undermine policy mandates, and the use of 'dog whistle politics' ‐ telling one group of voters one thing, while allowing or encouraging another group to believe another ‐ makes the inferring of policy mandates especially problematic. Referendums provide only a partial remedy to dog whistle politics. Winning a clear policy mandate means forgoing dog whistle politics, despite the short term electoral advantage they may deliver.