bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LaS1.9, CeS1.9, PrS1.9, NdS1.9 und GdS1.9: Fünf neue Lanthanoidpolysulfide – Synthese und Kristallstrukturen und ihre Strukturbeziehung zum ZrSSi‐Typ
Authors: Doert Thomas , Graf Christian , Lauxmann Petra , Schleid Thomas
Published: October 2007

LaS1.9, CeS1.9, PrS1.9, NdS1.9, and GdS1.9: Five new Lanthanide Polysulfides – Syntheses, Crystal Structures and their Structural Relationship to the ZrSSi Type

Crystals of the five new lanthanide polysulfides LaS1.9, CeS1.9, PrS1.9, NdS1.9, and GdS1.9 have been prepared by different synthetic routes. According to X‐ray structure analyses, the compounds adopt the tetragonal CeSe1.9 type structure (space group: P42/n, no. 86) with the lattice parameters a = 9.111(1) Å, c = 16.336(2) Å (LaS1.9), a = 9.015(3) Å, c = 16.168(4) Å (CeS1.9), a = 8.947(3) Å, c = 16.054(4) Å (PrS1.9), a = 8.901(3) Å, c = 16.022(4) Å (NdS1.9), and a = 8.714(1) Å, c = 15.791(1) Å (GdS1.9), respectively. The crystal structure consists of puckered [LnS] double slabs and planar sulfur layers alternating along [001]. Each planar sulfur layer contains disulfide dumbbells, isolated anions and ordered vacancies.
Tetrachloroferrate(III) Complexes of some Organic Diammonium Cations: Structures and Magnetic Properties
Authors: James Bruce D. , Mrozinski Jerzy , Klak Julia , Skelton Brian W. , White Allan H.
Published: October 2007

With aqueous acidic iron(III) chloride, the three diamines ethylenediamine (en), tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda) and 4:4′‐tetramethyldiaminodiphenylmethane (ddmp) yield the aquapentachloroferrate(III) and a pair of [FeCl4]− Cl− double salts, respectively. Their structures indicate that N–H···Cl hydrogen bonding is present, but the Fe···Fe distances are all quite long. The magnetic data show that, while all the materials display antiferromagnetic coupling on cooling, in none of the cases was any transition observed above 1.8 K.
The Reduction of Rare‐Earth Metal Halides with Unlike Metals – Wöhler's Metallothermic Reduction
Authors: Meyer Gerd
Published: October 2007

Rare‐earth halides may be reduced by rare‐earth metals (conproportionation) and, as an alternative, by unlike metals such as alkali or alkaline‐earth metals, a route first established for the production of rare‐earth metals. It has great power for exploratory research subject to enhanced reactivity at lower temperatures and the formation of alkali halide flux for crystal growth. A large number of new compounds, ternary and higher, salt‐like and (semi‐)metallic including interstitially stabilized cluster compounds has been synthesized and characterized during the last decades.
Synthesen und Kristallstrukturen neuer chalkogenido‐verbrückter Niob‐Kupfer‐Cluster
Authors: Bechlars Bettina , Feuerhake Robert , Fenske Dieter
Published: October 2007

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Novel Chalcogenido‐bridged Niobium Copper Clusters

In the presence of tertiary phosphines, the reaction of NbCl5 and Copper(I) salts with Se(SiMe3)2 (E = S, Se) affords the new chalcogenido‐bridged niobium‐copper cluster compounds $^{1}_{\infty}\rm [NbCu_{2}Se_{4}(P^{i}Pr_{2}Me)_{3}]$ (1) and [NbCu4Se4Cl (PPh3)4] (2). Using E(R)SiMe3 (E = S, Se, R = Ph, nPr) instead of the bisilylated selenium species leads to the compounds [NbCu2(SPh)6(PMe3)2] (3), [NbCu2(SPh)6(PnPr3)2] (4), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PMe3)2] (5), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PnPr3)2] (6), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PiPr3)2] (7), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PtBu3)2] (8), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PiPr2Me)2] (9), [NbCu2(SePh)6(PPhEt2)2] (10), [Nb2Cu2(SnPr)8(PnPr3)2Cl2] (11) and [Nb2Cu6(SnPr)12(PiPr3)2Cl4]·2 CH3CN (12·2 CH3CN). By reacting CuI salts and NbCl5 with the monosilylated selenides Se(tBu)SiMe3 and Se(iPr)SiMe3 which have a weak Se–C bond the products [Nb2Cu6Se6(PiPr3)6Cl4] (13), [Nb2Cu4Se2(SeiPr)6(PnPr3)4Cl2] (14) and [Nb2Cu6Se2(SeiPr)10(PEt2Me)2Cl2]·DME (15) are formed which contain selenide as well as alkylselenolate ligands. The molecular structures of all of these new compounds were determined by single crystal X‐ray diffraction measurements.
Congenital nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Jalanko Hannu
Published: October 2007

Congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) is a rare kidney disorder characterized by heavy proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, and edema starting soon after birth. The majority of cases are caused by genetic defects in the components of the glomerular filtration barrier, especially nephrin and podocin. CNS may also be a part of a more generalized syndrome or caused by a perinatal infection. Immunosuppressive medication is not helpful in the genetic forms of CNS, and kidney transplantation is the only curative therapy. Before the operation, management of these infants largely depends on the magnitude of proteinuria. In severe cases, daily albumin infusions are required to prevent life-threatening edema. The therapy also includes hypercaloric diet, thyroxin and mineral substitution, prevention of thrombotic episodes, and prompt management of infectious complications. The outcome of CNS patients without major extrarenal manifestations is comparable with other patient groups after kidney transplantation.
An Artificial Mitochondrial Tail Signal/Anchor Sequence Confirms a Requirement for Moderate Hydrophobicity for Targeting
Authors: Wattenberg Binks W. , Clark Denise , Brock Stephanie
Published: October 2007

Tail-anchored proteins are a group of membrane proteins oriented with their amino terminus in the cytoplasm and their carboxy terminus embedded in intracellular membranes. This group includes the apoptosis-mediating proteins of the Bcl-2 family as well as the vesicle targeting proteins of the SNARE group, among others. A stretch of hydrophobic amino acids at the extreme carboxy terminus of these proteins serves both as a membrane anchor and as a targeting signal. Tail-anchored proteins are differentially targeted to either the endoplasmic reticulum or the mitochondrial outer membrane and the mechanism which accomplishes this selective targeting is poorly understood. Here we define important characteristics of the signal/anchor region which directs proteins to the mitochondrial outer membrane. We have created an artificial sequence consisting of a stretch of 16 leucines bounded by positively charged amino acids. Using this template we demonstrate that moderate hydrophobicity distinguishes the mitochondrial tail-anchor sequence from that of the endoplasmic reticulum tail-anchor sequence. A change as small as introduction of a single polar residue into a sequence that otherwise targets to the endoplasmic reticulum can substantially switch targeting to the mitochondrial outer membrane. Further we show that a mitochondrially targeted tail-anchor has a higher propensity for the formation of alpha-helical structure than a sequence directing tail-anchored proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Desmoscaris tripsinosa and Palaemonetes africanus Responses to Concentrations of Neatex and Norust CR486 in Sediment
Authors: Ezemonye L. I. N. , Ogeleka D. F. , Okieimen F. E.
Published: October 2007

The assessment of water and sediment quality from chemical pollutants in the Nigerian Niger Delta were conducted using bioindicators (Desmoscaris tripsinosa and Palaemonetes africanus). The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2004), No.218 direct sediment toxicity assessment was employed. Shrimp were exposed to sediments treated with Neatex (liquid detergent) and Norust CR 486 (corrosion inhibitor) at concentrations of 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg. Percentage mortality was measured as the ecological endpoint. Mean % mortality and estimated lethal concentration LC50 values varied with species type, concentration and exposure duration. Observed % mean mortality of the test organisms in both chemicals were significantly different from that of the control test suggesting that mortality may be induced by the effect of the chemicals. LC50s were significantly different for both chemicals at p < 0.05, t = 6.06 (fresh water) and p < 0.05, t = 12.34 (brackish). The values from this study are an indication that the chemicals have the potential to cause acute lethal toxicity. It is a prediction of likely adverse effects on shrimp populations in benthic sediment of the Niger Delta ecological zone. Consequently, there is a great need to protect some of the more sensitive invertebrates representing the major proportion of the diet of many other species.
Hydrogenation of Edible Oils: a Model Involving Competitive Adsorption of Reactants
Authors: Xiao Haiyi , Lalvani Shashi B.
Published: October 2007

A model involving competitive adsorption of reactants for hydrogenation of fatty acids was developed and analyzed. The model was established based on data obtained from catalytic transfer hydrogenation of peanut, corn, and soybean oils and soybean lecithin with aqueous sodium formate solution as the hydrogen donor and palladium on carbon as the catalyst. The predicted values based on the model agreed well with the experimental data as indicated by the r2 and F test values. The rate of formate consumption, which decreased with time and the initial amount of formic acid versus the iodine value, was explained with regards to the mathematical model developed. Adsorption of reactants on the catalyst surface followed by a chemical reaction including participation of the fatty acid, formate and water were considered in this model.
Influence of cooking duration of cabbage and presence of colonic microbiota on the excretion ofN-acetylcysteine conjugates of allyl isothiocyanate and bioactivity of phase 2 enzymes in F344 rats
Authors: Rungapamestry Vanessa , Rabot Sylvie , Fuller Zoë , Ratcliffe Brian , Duncan Alan J.
Published: October 2007

Isothiocyanates have been implicated in the cancer-protective effects of brassica vegetables. When cabbage is consumed, sinigrin is hydrolysed by plant or microbial myrosinase partly to allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), which is mainly excreted asN-acetylcysteine conjugates (NAC) of AITC in urine. The effect of cooking cabbage on the excretion of NAC of AITC, and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) activity in rat liver and colon was investigated. Germ-free (GF) and human faecal microbiota-associated (HFM) rats were fed a control diet containing 20 % raw, lightly cooked, or fully cooked cabbage for 14 d. When plant myrosinase was present, excretion of NAC of AITC/24 h was increased by 1·4 and 2·5 times by the additional presence of microbial myrosinase after consumption of raw and lightly cooked cabbage respectively. When plant myrosinase was absent, as after consumption of fully cooked cabbage, excretion of the AITC conjugate was almost zero in GF and HFM rats. None of the cabbage diets modified hepatic GST activity. When microbiota was absent, colonic GST was 1·3-fold higher after fully cooked cabbage, and hepatic UGT was increased by 1·4–1·8-fold after all cabbage diets, compared with the control feed. There were no differences in GST or UGT following cabbage consumption when microbiota was present. It is possible that other constituents of cabbage, rather than metabolites of glucosinolatesper se, may be responsible for changes in phase 2 enzyme activity. The main effect of cooking cabbage and altering colonic microbiota was on excretion of NAC of AITC.
Law and Custom under the Chosŏn Dynasty and Colonial Korea: A Comparative Perspective
Authors: Kim Marie Seong-Hak
Published: October 2007

A number of Korean legal historians have argued that Chosŏn Korea had a tradition of customary law and that it was suppressed and distorted by the Japanese during the colonial period. But a comparison of Korean “custom” with that in late medieval France, where the legal concept of customary law developed, reveals that custom as a judicial norm was absent in premodern Korea. The Korean “customary law” that has been postulated as a true source of private law in Korean historiography was the invention of the Japanese colonial jurists. The Japanese collected Korea's popular usages that were supposed to serve as an antecedent for a modern civil law, and colonial judges employed the legal instrument of custom in reordering Korean practices into a modern civil legal framework. In colonial Korea, custom played the role of an intermediary regime between tradition and the demands of modern civil law.
Gender and Class: Women in Indian Industry, 1890–1990
Authors: SEN SAMITA
Published: October 2007

In India, investigations into patterns of industrialisation and the formation of industrial labour began during the colonial period, soon after the inception of modern industry in the mid-nineteenth century. After Independence in 1947, the development of a ‘working class’ became the primary focus of enquiry into conditions of industrial labour.
Base-rate respect: From ecological rationality to dual processes
Authors: Barbey Aron K. , Sloman Steven A.
Published: October 2007

The phenomenon of base-rate neglect has elicited much debate. One arena of debate concerns how people make judgments under conditions of uncertainty. Another more controversial arena concerns human rationality. In this target article, we attempt to unpack the perspectives in the literature on both kinds of issues and evaluate their ability to explain existing data and their conceptual coherence. From this evaluation we conclude that the best account of the data should be framed in terms of a dual-process model of judgment, which attributes base-rate neglect to associative judgment strategies that fail to adequately represent the set structure of the problem. Base-rate neglect is reduced when problems are presented in a format that affords accurate representation in terms of nested sets of individuals.
From base-rate to cumulative respect
Authors: Beaman C. Philip , McCloy Rachel
Published: October 2007

The tendency to neglect base-rates in judgment under uncertainty may be “notorious,” as Barbey & Sloman (B&S) suggest, but it is neither inevitable (as they document; see also Koehler 1996) nor unique. Here we would like to point out another line of evidence connecting ecological rationality to dual processes, the failure of individuals to appropriately judge cumulative probability.
Omissions, conflations, and false dichotomies: Conceptual and empirical problems with the Barbey & Sloman account
Authors: Brase Gary L.
Published: October 2007

Both the theoretical frameworks that organize the first part of Barbey & Sloman's (B&S's) target article and the empirical evidence marshaled in the second part are marked by distinctions that should not exist (i.e., false dichotomies), conflations where distinctions should be made, and selective omissions of empirical results – within the very studies discussed – that create illusions of theoretical and empirical favor.
The role of representation in Bayesian reasoning: Correcting common misconceptions
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd , Hoffrage Ulrich
Published: October 2007

The termsnested sets, partitive frequencies, inside-outside view, anddual processesadd little but confusion to our original analysis (Gigerenzer & Hoffrage 1995; 1999). The idea of nested set was introduced because of an oversight; it simply rephrases two of our equations. Representation in terms ofchances, in contrast, is a novel contribution yet consistent with our computational analysis – it uses exactly the same numbers as natural frequencies. We show that non-Bayesian reasoning in children, laypeople, and physicians follows multiple rules rather than a general-purpose associative process in a vaguely specified “System 1.” It is unclear what the theory in “dual process theory” is: Unless the two processes are defined, this distinction can account post hoc for almost everything. In contrast, an ecological view of cognition helps to explain how insight is elicited from the outside (the external representation of information) and, more generally, how cognitive strategies match with environmental structures.
Ordinary people do not ignore base rates
Authors: Laming Donald
Published: October 2007

Human responses to probabilities can be studied through gambling and through experiments presenting biased sequences of stimuli. In both cases, participants are sensitive to base rates. They adjust automatically to changes in base rate; such adjustment is incompatible with conformity to Bayes' Theorem. ”Base-rate neglect” is therefore specific to the exercises in mental arithmetic reviewed in the target article.
The versatility and generality of nested set operations
Authors: Patterson Richard
Published: October 2007

The target article makes an impressive case that nested set operations (NS) facilitate probability computations by helping make clear the relevant natural frequency partitions; however, NS can also contribute to common errors. That NS constitute a general reasoning process is supported by their role in deductive, modal, causal, and other reasoning. That NS are solely a rule-based process is problematic.
Base-rate respect: From statistical formats to cognitive structures
Authors: Barbey Aron K. , Sloman Steven A.
Published: October 2007

The commentaries indicate a general agreement that one source of reduction of base-rate neglect involves making structural relations among relevant sets transparent. There is much less agreement, however, that this entails dual systems of reasoning. In this response, we make the case for our perspective on dual systems. We compare and contrast our view to the natural frequency hypothesis as formulated in the commentaries.
Is mental time travel a frame-of-reference issue?
Authors: Bischof-Köhler Doris , Bischof Norbert
Published: October 2007

Mental time travel and theory of mind develop, both phylo- and ontogenetically, at the same stage. We argue that this synchrony is due to the emergence of a shared competence, namely, the ability to become aware of frames of reference.
The costs of mental time travel
Authors: Brüne Martin , Brüne-Cohrs Ute
Published: October 2007

A species like ours, whose life critically depends on the ability to foresee, plan, and shape future events, is vulnerable to dysfunction if any one facet contributing to what Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) call “mental time travel” (MTT) is affected by disease. Although the authors mention brain pathology as a potential cause of disturbed MTT, they fail to explore psychopathological syndromes as a source to better understand the significance of MTT for normal functioning and adaptive behaviour.
A unique role for the hippocampus in recollecting the past and remembering the future
Authors: Carr Valerie A. , Viskontas Indre V.
Published: October 2007

Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) argue that episodic memory is the most flexible and recently evolved memory system, and point to the reorganization of prefrontal cortex throughout human evolution as the neuroanatomical substrate. Their approach, however, fails to address the unique role that the hippocampus, a primitive brain region, plays in creating and recalling episodic memories, as well as future event construction.
Mental time travel in the rat: Dissociation of recall and familiarity
Authors: Eacott Madeline J. , Easton Alexander
Published: October 2007

We examine and reject the claim that the past-directed aspect of mental time travel (episodic memory) is unique to humans. Recent work in our laboratory with rats has demonstrated behaviours that resemble “remember, know” judgements about past occasions. Similar to human episodic memory, we can also demonstrate a dissociation in the neural basis of recollection and familiarity in nonhumans.
Mental time travel sickness and a Bayesian remedy
Authors: Hegdé Jay
Published: October 2007

Mental time travel is a principled, but a narrow and computationally limiting, implementation of foresight. Future events can be predicted with sufficient specificity without having to have episodic memory of specific past events. Bayesian estimation theory provides a framework by which one can make predictions about specific future events by combining information about various generic patterns in the past experience.
Past and future, human and nonhuman, semantic/procedural and episodic
Authors: Hurford James R. , Flaherty Molly , Argyropoulos Giorgis
Published: October 2007

The overlap of representations of past and future is not a completely new idea. Suddendorf & Corballis (S&C) usefully discuss the problems of testing the existence of such representations. Our taxonomy of memory differs from theirs, emphasizing the late evolutionary emergence of notions of time in memory.
Bird predation on insects reduces damage to the foliage of cocoa trees (Theobroma cacao) in western Panama
Authors: Van Bael Sunshine A. , Bichier Peter , Greenberg Russell
Published: October 2007

In the Neotropics, crops that are grown in agroforestry systems with shade trees support high levels of bird diversity compared with crops grown without shade (Estrada & Coates-Estrada 2005, Faria et al. 2006). Several experiments in shaded coffee farms have explored how insectivorous birds reduce herbivore numbers and their damage to plants and have simultaneously approached ecological questions that are applied (e.g. biological control) and basic (e.g. tri-trophic interactions) (Borkhataria et al. 2006, Greenberg et al., Perfecto et al. 2004). Here we used exclosures to test whether birds lower the densities of herbivorous insects and reduce insect damage to cocoa (Theobroma cacao L., Sterculiaceae) foliage in shaded farms of western Panama. Although bird predation has been shown to reduce insect damage to crops in other systems (Mols & Visser 2002), we provide the first test for shade-grown cocoa.
Tree-piping termites and growth and survival of host trees in savanna woodland of north Australia
Authors: Werner Patricia A. , Prior Lynda D.
Published: October 2007

Most trees in the eucalypt savannas of Australia have hollow cores, or pipes, caused by termite activity, yet little is known about their effect on tree growth or survival. Five hundred and forty-one trees with known growth and survival histories were cored to determine pipe diameters in wooded savanna of Kakadu National Park, north Australia. Generalized linear modelling and multi-model inference was used to analyse frequency and degree of piping relative to initial tree diameter at breast height (dbh), eco-taxonomic group or species of eucalypt. Growth (dbh increment) and survival (4 y) were analysed relative to initial tree size, pipe ratio (pipe diameter:dbh) and eco-taxonomic group. The frequency of piping was strongly dependent on dbh, increasing with size of tree, and was highest in eucalypts. Growth and survival of eucalypts increased with tree diameter and decreased with pipe ratio. For example, from modelled data, 10-cm-diameter trees without pipes grew 0.14 cm y−1 with 85% survival vs. 10-cm trees with pipe ratios of 0.60 which had near-zero growth and only 46% survival. Comparing 40-cm-diameter trees without pipes to those having pipe ratios of 0.80, growth was 0.22 vs. 0.05 cm y−1, with little difference in survival, 97–99%, respectively. Contrary to the suggestion that tree hollows are an adaptive trait whereby trees benefit by the release of nutrients, in the north Australian eucalypt savannas the net effect of termite piping on individual tree growth and survival was negative.
Spatial relationship between elephant and sodium concentration of water disappears as density increases in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Authors: Chamaillé-Jammes Simon , Fritz Hervé , Holdo Ricardo M.
Published: October 2007

African elephants Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach) may profoundly affect vegetation and associated animal bio-diversity in savannas (Conybeare 2004, Skarpe et al. 2004). Understanding the patterns of habitat use by elephants is crucial to predict their impacts on ecosystems (Ben-Shahar 1993, Nelleman et al. 2002), particularly now that many populations are recovering from past culling events or poaching outbreaks (Blanc et al. 2007). Surface water is one of the major constraints on elephant distribution (Chamaillé-Jammes et al. 2007, Stokke & du Toit 2002), and accordingly, elephant impacts are higher in the vicinity of water (Ben-Shahar 1993, de Beer et al. 2006). However, waterhole selection by elephant remains poorly understood. Weir (1972) showed in Hwange National Park (hereafter Hwange NP), Zimbabwe, that elephant numbers at waterholes over 24 h increased with the sodium concentration of water on nutrient-poor Kalahari sands. His work has become widely cited in elephant studies as it remains the only one, to the best of our knowledge, to have studied elephant use of waterholes in relation to the mineral concentration of water. Weir's work, however, took place when elephant densities in Hwange NP were low, likely below 0.5 elephants km−2 as estimated by aerial censuses (Williamson 1975). Since then, the elephant population has increased dramatically, particularly since the halt to culling operations in 1986 (Chamaillé-Jammes 2006, Cumming 1981). The present elephant density is much higher, estimated to be over 2 elephants km−2 (Chamaillé-Jammes et al. 2007, in press), and is one of the highest in the world (Blanc et al. 2007). Increased density may modify ecological constraints and affect the hierarchy of habitat selection processes (Morris 2003), and the extent to which water-nutrient selection still constrains elephant distribution at high population density – when their impact on savanna vegetation is the highest – remains unknown.
Characterization of cholera outbreak isolates from Namibia, December 2006 to February 2007
Authors: SMITH A. M. , KEDDY K. H. , De WEE L.
Published: October 2007

We report on the first recorded outbreak of cholera in Namibia. From December 2006 to February 2007, more than 250 cases of cholera were reported from the Omusati and Kunene provinces of Namibia. However, only nine bacterial isolates were obtainable for analysis. Isolates were all identified as Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Inaba biotype El Tor. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, augmentin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, kanamycin, imipenem, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime; and they all showed resistance to trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and streptomycin. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of bacteria incorporating either SfiI or NotI digestion revealed an identical fingerprint pattern for all isolates. These data together with results indicating identical antimicrobial susceptibility profiles for all isolates determined that the outbreak was caused by a single strain of V. cholerae.
Correlation of a 140-year global time signature in cancer mortality birth cohorts with galactic cosmic ray variation
Authors: Juckett David A.
Published: October 2007

An understanding of the cosmic ray modulation of life processes is critical to space exploration, evolution and current medical science. Previous evidence has implicated a role for cosmic rays in US female cancer, involving a possible cross-generational foetal effect. This study explores the global nature of that effect by examining cancer time variations for population cohorts in five countries on three continents. Age–period–cohort analysis was used to separate cohort-related effects from period-related effects, generating time signatures for comparisons among both male and female populations in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Australia (AU), Canada (CA) and New Zealand (NZ). The available cancer mortality data spanned most of the 20th century for US, UK and AU, with shorter periods for CA and NZ. The longest cohort series spanned 1825 to 1965 and exhibited two peaks of higher mortality likelihood approximately 75 years apart in all countries and in both sexes. The constancy of this oscillation on three continents and both hemispheres suggests the presence of a global environmental effect. To explore a possible source for this effect, the birth cohort oscillation is shown to correlate with the variations in background cosmic radiation one generation prior to the birth cohorts. This confirms an earlier study correlating human breast cancer mortality and galactic cosmic rays. A corroborating correlation is also noted between the latitude dependences of cancer incidence in 42 countries and the intensity of background cosmic rays. The role of germ cells as a possible target of this radiation is discussed, emphasizing the amplification that must occur to make this weak radiation relevant to human health. Germ cell timing for this effect has profound implications for evolution, long-distance space travel and the colonization of planets with high background radiation.
Behavioral effects of employer-sponsored retirement plans
Authors: NYCE STEVEN A.
Published: October 2007

Many organizations have either already terminated their defined benefit (DB) plans or are thinking about it, in order to offload the financial and regulatory risks these programs pose. But plan sponsors should think carefully about how their decision might affect their workers' commitment and productivity – and ultimately their organization's success.

To answer those and other retirement questions, Watson Wyatt set out to learn how DB and defined contribution (DC) plans affect employees' workforce behavior and decisions. Watson Wyatt's Retirement Attitude Survey (WWRAS) found that, while most workers value both types of plans very highly, workers with DB plans generally appreciate their retirement programs significantly more than those with only a DC plan. This was particularly the case for those with a hybrid pension plan. This analysis found that retirement plan generosity and effective communication strongly affect a plan's perceived value to employees. This has important implications for plan sponsors, since greater plan appreciation is strongly linked to employee commitment. In fact, we found that workers covered by a defined benefit plan express a very strong commitment to their current employer, while DC plan coverage has no effect on employee commitment. This is partly owing to a selection effect, whereby firms with DB plans tend to attract more committed workers. However, even after controlling for the selection effect, DB plans exert an independent effect on the likelihood that employees will stay with their employer.
A multidisciplinary study of a syntectonic pluton close to a major lithospheric‐scale fault—Relationships between the Montmarault granitic massif and the Sillon Houiller Fault in the Variscan French Massif Central: 1. Geochronology, mineral fabrics, and tectonic implications
Authors: Joly Aurore , Chen Yan , Faure Michel , Martelet Guillaume
Published: October 2007

Because of its location along one of the major faults, the Sillon Houiller Fault (SHF) of the French Massif Central (FMC), the Montmarault granitic pluton is well suited to better understand the place of the late orogenic magmatism in Variscan orogeny. Through a methodological approach, the close spatial association of the pluton with the lithospheric SHF is investigated in order to clarify the relationships between faulting and magmatic processes during the Late Carboniferous. Therefore a multidisciplinary study has been carried out on the Montmarault massif. Combining geochronology, field and laboratory microstructural observations, and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) methods presented in this paper and gravity and aeromagnetic modeling (part 2), as well as similar studies from other plutons in the FMC, allows us to draw the following conclusions: (1) The Montmarault pluton, dated by the chemical U‐Th‐Pb method on monazite at 321 ± 2 Ma, was emplaced in a NW‐SE maximum stretching trend which is consistent with the regional extensional tectonic regime; (2) the Montmarault pluton is rooted in its eastern part along the SHF with a laccolite‐like shape in its western part; (3) at circa 320 Ma, the “Proto‐SHF” acted probably as a normal fault considered as the feeding channel for the magma emplacement; and (4) Late Carboniferous NE‐SW extensional tectonics reworked the Montmarault pluton in a brittle postsolidus stage.
Clear‐sky column water vapor retrievals using the Airborne Imaging Microwave Radiometer (AIMR)
Authors: Bush Brett C. , Valero Francisco P. J. , Haggerty Julie A.
Published: October 2007

The brightness temperature measurements from the Airborne Imaging Microwave Radiometer (AIMR) microwave radiometer 37 GHz and 90 GHz channels are used to determine the column water vapor amount under clear‐sky conditions during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign in 1999. The retrieval algorithm is based on the integrated relative humidity profiles measured by numerous dropsondes released from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) C‐130 aircraft that operated during the 2 month Intensive Field Phase (IFP) of INDOEX. The highest correlations of the linear relationship between the AIMR brightness temperature measurements and the dropsonde column water vapor values are for the nadir brightness temperatures of the 37 GHz and 90 GHz AIMR channels. The column water vapor, w, given with units of kg m−2, may be expressed in terms of the 90 GHz nadir brightness temperature, TB, via the expression, w = −209.4 + 1.025 TB, whereas in terms of the 37 GHz AIMR nadir brightness temperature, w = −277.8 + 1.835 TB. These expressions are valid when AIMR brightness temperature measurements about the NCAR C‐130 are made at high altitudes (above 5 km) and when the atmospheric column is cloud‐free below the aircraft. Other relationships between the polarized components of the AIMR brightness temperature measurements as well as various combinations (differences) of these polarized components with the column water vapor did not identify any parameterizations to the algorithm better than that seen with the mean of the raw brightness temperature components.
Intraseasonal variability in South America recorded in stable water isotopes
Authors: Sturm Christophe , Vimeux Françoise , Krinner Gerhard
Published: October 2007

The recent number isotopic records extracted from Andean ice cores (South America) has illustrated the key role such archives can play in past climate reconstructions. Nevertheless, interpreting isotopic archives as quantified climate proxies requires an understanding of which climate parameters control the stable isotopic composition of water. Mesoscale modeling sheds new light on the meteorological mechanisms dominant during austral summer. Here we focus on the variability of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) and its repercussions on upstream regions. The SACZ is a major component of the South American Monsoon System (SAMS). The present study uses the isotopic signature of the SAMS, as simulated by the stable water isotope enabled regional circulation model REMOiso to answer the question: how does the SAMS affect the isotopic composition of precipitation during the wet season? In order to analyze the internal, purely atmospheric variability mode, the model was forced by climatological sea‐surface temperatures. We investigate the concurrent intraseasonal variability of meteorological and isotopic parameters at pentad (5 days) interval using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). REMOiso reproduces the main meteorological characteristics of the SAMS consistent with observations as well as previous modeling studies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that δ18O integrates both circulation and precipitation variability. This new evidence contributes to the comprehension of the δ18O signal in tropical South America, highlighting the internal atmospheric variability, as opposed to external forcing by Pacific and Atlantic sea‐surface temperature.
Radar signatures of the urban effect on precipitation distribution: A case study for Atlanta, Georgia
Authors: Mote Thomas L. , Lacke Matthew C. , Shepherd J. Marshall
Published: October 2007

Ground‐based weather radar from Peachtree City, GA, is used to examine the distribution of summer precipitation in northern Georgia, including metropolitan Atlanta, during June–August of 2002–2006. The study included 194 “synoptically benign” days with a maritime tropical air mass type. Areas in eastern metropolitan Atlanta are shown to have 30% more rainfall during these days than areas west of the city. Both precipitation amount and frequency were enhanced up to 80 km to the east of the urban core of Atlanta. A precipitation maxima northeast of Atlanta occurs near a precipitation anomaly and lightning flash density anomaly identified in previous studies. An hourly analysis of precipitation data demonstrates that the enhanced precipitation on the periphery of the urban core is most evident from 00–05 UTC (19‐00 LST). This study is the first to use ground‐based radar precipitation estimates in an attempt to quantify the impact of urbanization on precipitation.
Subauroral proton spots visualize the Pc1 source
Authors: Yahnin A. G. , Yahnina T. A. , Frey H. U.
Published: October 2007

Recent observations from the IMAGE spacecraft revealed a new type of proton aurora – subauroral proton spots, which map onto the vicinity of the plasmapause. It has been suggested that this proton aurora is produced by energetic proton precipitation after the interaction of ring current particles with electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere. We prove this suggestion by comparing observations from IMAGE with geomagnetic pulsations Pc1, which are a ground signature of EMIC waves. We found that when the proton spot is nearly conjugated with the ground station equipped with a pulsation magnetometer, the station always observes Pc1. Moreover, there is a good agreement between the appearance/disappearance of the spot and the beginning/end of the Pc1 train. We conclude that the subauroral proton spots are images on the ionospheric “screen” of magnetospheric regions where the ion cyclotron instability develops leading to an intense scattering of energetic protons into the loss cone.
Magnetization of exsolution intergrowths of hematite and ilmenite: Mineral chemistry, phase relations, and magnetic properties of hemo‐ilmenite ores with micron‐ to nanometer‐scale lamellae from Allard Lake, Quebec
Authors: McEnroe Suzanne A. , Robinson Peter , Langenhorst Falko , Frandsen Cathrine , Terry Michael P. , Boffa Ballaran Tiziana
Published: October 2007

Hemo‐ilmenite ores from Allard Lake, Quebec, were first studied over 50 years ago. Interest was renewed in these coarsely exsolved oxides, based on the theory of lamellar magnetism as an explanation for the high and stable natural remanent magnetizations (NRMs), 32 to 120 A/m, reported here. To understand the magnetism and evolution of the exsolution lamellae, the microstructures and nanostructures were studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), phase chemistry, and relations between mineral chemistry and the hematite‐ilmenite phase diagram. Cycles of exsolution during slow cooling resulted in lamellae down to 1–2 nm thick. Combined electron microprobe, TEM, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that hematite hosts reached a composition approximately ilmenite (Ilm) 14.4, and ilmenite hosts ∼Ilm 98. The bulk of the very stable NRM, which shows thermal unblocking ∼595–620°C, was acquired during final exsolution in the two‐phase region canted antiferromagnetic Rc hematite + R ilmenite. Hysteresis measurements show a very strong anisotropy, with a stronger coercivity normal to, than parallel to, the basal plane orientation of the lamellae. Magnetic saturation (Ms) values are up to 914 A/m, compared to 564 A/m predicted for a modally equivalent spin‐canted hematite corrected for ∼15% R2+TiO3 substitution. Low‐temperature hysteresis, AC‐susceptibility measurements, and Mössbauer results indicate a Néel temperature (TN) of the geikielite‐substituted ilmenite at ∼43 K. The low‐temperature hysteresis and AC‐susceptibility measurements also show a cluster‐spin‐glass‐like transition near 20 K. Below TN of ilmenite an exchange bias occurs with a 40 mT shift at 10 K.
River bifurcations: Experimental observations on equilibrium configurations
Authors: Bertoldi W. , Tubino M.
Published: October 2007

In this work we have investigated the equilibrium configurations of a Y‐shaped fluvial bifurcation through a laboratory analysis. Three series of experimental runs have been performed in a wide flume, where a symmetrical bifurcation has been constructed joining three branches with fixed banks and movable bed made of a well sorted quartz sand; the angle between the two downstream distributaries was equal to 30 degrees. The experiments have been carried out with different values of longitudinal bed slope and water discharge, in order to investigate a range of the relevant morphodynamic parameters typical of gravel bed braided rivers. The equilibrium configuration of the bifurcation has been characterized through the measure of the discharge partition in downstream branches and of the local bed structure at the node. The existence of unbalanced equilibrium configurations has been observed and the role of migrating alternate bars has been pointed out. The experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions which have been recently obtained through the simple model of Bolla Pittaluga et al. (2003). Moreover, interpreting the measured data in the light of the concept of morphodynamic influence provides a new perspective in the analysis of the equilibrium configurations of a bifurcation.
Endogenous pro‐resolving and anti‐inflammatory lipid mediators: a new pharmacologic genus
Authors: Serhan C N , Chiang N
Published: October 2007

Complete resolution of an acute inflammatory response and its return to homeostasis are essential for healthy tissues. Here, we overview ongoing efforts to characterize cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern the resolution of self‐limited inflammation. Systematic temporal analyses of evolving inflammatory exudates using mediator lipidomics‐informatics, proteomics, and cellular trafficking with murine resolving exudates demonstrate novel endogenous pathways of local‐acting mediators that share both anti‐inflammatory and pro‐resolving properties. In murine systems, resolving‐exudate leukocytes switch their phenotype to actively generate new families of mediators from major omega‐3 fatty acids EPA and DHA termed resolvins and protectins. Recent advances on their biosynthesis and actions are reviewed with a focus on the E‐series resolvins (RvE1, RvE2), D series resolvins (RvD1, RvD2) and the protectins including neuroprotectin D1/protectin D1 (NPD1/PD1) as well as their aspirin‐triggered epimeric forms. Members of each new family demonstrate potent stereo‐specific actions, joining the lipoxins as endogenous local signals that govern resolution and endogenous anti‐inflammation mechanisms. In addition to their origins and roles in resolution biology in the immune system, recent findings indicate that these new mediator families also display potent protective actions in lung, kidney, and eye as well as enhance microbial clearance. Thus, these endogenous agonists of resolution pathways constitute a novel genus of chemical mediators that possess pro‐resolving, anti‐inflammatory, and antifibrotic as well as host‐directed antimicrobial actions. These may be useful in the design of new therapeutics and treatments for diseases with the underlying trait of uncontrolled inflammation and redox organ stress.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S200–S215; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707489; published online 29 October 2007
A day in the life of a G protein‐coupled receptor: the contribution to function of G protein‐coupled receptor dimerization
Authors: Milligan G
Published: October 2007

G protein‐coupled receptors are one of the most actively studied families of proteins. However, despite the ubiquity of protein dimerization and oligomerization as a structural and functional motif in biology, until the last decade they were generally considered as monomeric, non‐interacting polypeptides. For the metabotropic glutamate‐like group of G protein‐coupled receptors, it is now firmly established that they exist and function as dimers or, potentially, even within higher‐order structures. Despite some evidence continuing to support the view that rhodopsin‐like G protein‐coupled receptors are predominantly monomers, many recent studies are consistent with the dimerization/oligomerization of such receptors. Key roles suggested for dimerization of G protein‐coupled receptors include control of protein maturation and cell surface delivery and providing the correct framework for interactions with both hetero‐trimeric G proteins and arrestins to allow signal generation and its termination. As G protein‐coupled receptors are the most targeted group of proteins for the development of therapeutic small molecule medicines, recent indications that hetero‐dimerization between co‐expressed G protein‐coupled receptors may be a common process offers the potential for the development of more selective and tissue restricted medicines. However, many of the key experiments have, so far, been limited to model cell systems. Priorities for the future include the generation of tools and reagents able to identify unequivocally potential G protein‐coupled receptor hetero‐dimers in native tissues and detailed analyses of the influence of hetero‐dimerization on receptor function and pharmacology.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S216–S229; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707490; published online 29 October 2007
Antagonism of thromboxane receptors by diclofenac and lumiracoxib
Authors: Selg E , Buccellati C , Andersson M , Rovati G E , Ezinga M , Sala A , Larsson A‐K , Ambrosio E , Låstbom L , Capra V , Dahlén B , Ryrfeldt Å , Folco G C , Dahlén S‐E
Published: October 2007

Background and purpose:

Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are analgesic and anti‐inflammatory by virtue of inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) reaction that initiates biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Findings in a pulmonary pharmacology project gave rise to the hypothesis that certain members of the NSAID class might also be antagonists of the thromboxane (TP) receptor.

Experimental approach:

Functional responses due to activation of the TP receptor were studied in isolated airway and vascular smooth muscle preparations from guinea pigs and rats as well as in human platelets. Receptor binding and activation of the TP receptor was studied in HEK293 cells.

Key results:

Diclofenac concentration‐dependently and selectively inhibited the contraction responses to TP receptor agonists such as prostaglandin D2and U‐46619 in the tested smooth muscle preparations and the aggregation of human platelets. The competitive antagonism of the TP receptor was confirmed by binding studies and at the level of signal transduction. The selective COX‐2 inhibitor lumiracoxib shared this activity profile, whereas a number of standard NSAIDs and other selective COX‐2 inhibitors did not.

Conclusions and implications:

Diclofenac and lumiracoxib, in addition to being COX unselective and highly COX‐2 selective inhibitors, respectively, displayed a previously unknown pharmacological activity, namely TP receptor antagonism. Development of COX‐2 selective inhibitors with dual activity as potent TP antagonists may lead to coxibs with improved cardiovascular safety, as the TP receptor mediates cardiovascular effects of thromboxane A2and isoprostanes.

British Journal of Pharmacology(2007)152, 1185–1195; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707518; published online 29 October 2007