bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pricing and Reimbursement Policies in New EU Accession Countries
Authors: Kazakov Rossen
Published: February 2007

This paper aims to provide an informative and analytical view on healthcare policies on pricing and reimbursement in new accession countries, their reflection by the new national drugs legislations, and pricing and reimbursement policies, constraints and opportunities for the EU generic medicines producers. It is driven by the belief that having a greater understanding will help the pricing and reimbursement strategy planning process, and will enhance companies' performance while achieving greater awareness of the influence of the health policy factors in the region. A major stress is put on the process of change and the need for reformation of the healthcare policies on pricing and reimbursement, coming out of the EU enlargement process and legislation harmonisation. A snapshot is given of current pricing and reimbursement models together with a look at the Central and Eastern Europe drugs markets recent figures. Cost containment measures like economic evaluation of drugs, cross-countries price comparisons and parallel trade, and the slide from a branded to unbranded generics market are highlighted as the major factors that generic companies should take into account in the near future.
Thermal analysis and topographical characterization of latex films by scanning probe microscopy
Authors: Ihalainen Petri , Backfolk Kaj , Sirviö Petri , Peltonen Jouko
Published: February 2007

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) was utilized to study the thermal behavior of latex films dried under different conditions. Using the SPM probe resonance frequency method, the resonance frequency (ω) of the oscillating probe above the sample surface was followed as a function of temperature (T). Two different approaches for detecting thermal transitions were used and compared. In the heating-by-the-sample approach, the SPM probe acts as a thermal sensor detecting the heat dissipated by the heated sample. In the heating-by-the-probe approach, the SPM probe is utilized simultaneously as an actuator and a sensor: the heated probe both dissipates heat and detects the heat reflected from the sample surface. Thermal transitions in the polymer films could be observed in the Δω-T curves. The results were consistent with those observed by differential scanning calorimetry, but also additional information about the characteristics of the transitions was obtained. The heating-by-the-probe method showed higher surface sensitivity and more localized effects than the other approach. Furthermore, the progress of the latex film formation and the effect of the different drying conditions on film topography were studied by SPM imaging and roughness analysis. Skewness and local surface curvature are demonstrated to serve as useful numerical measures with which to distinguish different levels of particle deformation and the formation of a continuous film. Preannealing of the samples at high temperature influenced not only the topography (roughness) but also the characteristics of the thermal transitions.
Experimental evidence for the adsorption-desorption phenomenon on the spectroscopy impedance measurements of an electrolytic cell
Authors: Barbero G. , Becchi M. , Strigazzi A. , Le Digabel J. , Neto A. M. Figueiredo
Published: February 2007

The frequency dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the electrical impedance of an electrolytic cell in the low frequency range is experimentally investigated. We show that a possible candidate able to explain the anomalous increasing of the real part of the electrical impedance of the cell is the adsorption-desorption phenomenon at the bounding surfaces. Measurements are performed on cells of water solution containing KCl, of different thickness and concentration of KCl, limited by the same type of gold electrodes. The experimental data can be fitted with the same adsorption and desorption coefficients, appearing in the kinetic equations, in the Langmuir approximation. This result confirm that the electrical impedance of the interface introduced to interpret the observed increasing of the resistance of the cell, in the low frequency region, could be connected with the adsorption-desorption phenomenon.
Transition-event durations in one-dimensional activated processes
Authors: Zhang Bin W. , Jasnow David , Zuckerman Daniel M.
Published: February 2007

Despite their importance in activated processes, transition-event durations—which are much shorter than first passage times—have not received a complete theoretical treatment. The authors therefore study the distribution ρb(t) of durations of transition events over a barrier in a one-dimensional system undergoing overdamped Langevin dynamics. The authors show that ρb(t) is determined by a Fokker-Planck equation with absorbing boundary conditions and obtain a number of results, including (i) the analytic form of the asymptotic short-time transient behavior, which is universal and independent of the potential function; (ii) the first nonuniversal correction to the short-time behavior leading to an estimate of a key physical time scale; (iii) following previous work, a recursive formulation for calculating, exactly, all moments of ρb based solely on the potential function—along with approximations for the distribution based on a small number of moments; and (iv) a high-barrier approximation to the long-time (t→∞) behavior of ρb(t). The authors also find that the mean event duration does not depend simply on the barrier-top frequency (curvature) but is sensitive to details of the potential. All of the analytic results are confirmed by transition-path-sampling simulations implemented in a novel way. Finally, the authors discuss which aspects of the duration distribution are expected to be general for more complex systems.
Vibronic interactions in the photodetachment spectroscopy of phenide anion
Authors: Sivaranjana Reddy V. , Venkatesan T. S. , Mahapatra S.
Published: February 2007

Photodetachment spectroscopy of phenide anion C6H5− is theoretically studied with the aid of electronic structure calculations and quantum dynamical simulations of nuclear motion. The theoretical results are compared with the available experimental data. The vibronic structure of the first, second, and third photoelectron bands associated with the ground X̃A12 and low-lying excited ÃB12 and B̃A22 electronic states of the phenyl radical C6H5 is examined at length. While the X̃ state of the radical is energetically well separated and its interaction is found to be rather weak with the rest, the Ã and B̃ electronic states are found to be only ∼0.57eV apart in energy at the vertical configuration. Low-energy conical intersections between the latter two states are discovered and their impact on the nuclear dynamics underlying the second and third photoelectron bands is delineated. The nuclear dynamics in the X̃ state solely proceeds through the adiabatic path and the theoretically calculated vibrational level structure of this state compares well with the experimental result. Two Condon active totally symmetric (a1) vibrational modes of ring deformation type form the most dominant progression in the first photoelectron band. The existing ambiguity in the assignment of these two vibrational modes is resolved here. The Ã-B̃ conical intersections drive the nuclear dynamics via nonadiabatic paths, and as a result the second and third photoelectron bands overlap and particularly the third band due to the B̃ state of C6H5 becomes highly diffused and structureless. Experimental photodetachment spectroscopy results are not available for these bands. However, the second band has been detected in electronic absorption spectroscopy measurements. The present theoretical results are compared with these absorption spectroscopy data to establish the nonadiabatic interactions between the Ã and B̃ electronic states of C6H5.
Steady-state radiation ablation in the wire-array Z pinch
Authors: Yu Edmund P. , Oliver B. V. , Sinars D. B. , Mehlhorn T. A. , Cuneo M. E. , Sasorov P. V. , Haines M. G. , Lebedev S. V.
Published: February 2007

The mass ablation phase of a wire-array Z pinch is investigated using steady-state (r,θ) simulations. By identifying the dominant physical mechanisms governing the ablation process, a simple scaling relation is derived for the mass ablation rate ṁ with drive current I, in the case where radiation is the primary energy transport mechanism to the wire core. In order to investigate the dependence of ṁ on wire core size, a simplified analytical model is developed involving a wire core placed in a heat bath and ablating due to radiation. Results of the model, simulation, and experiment are compared.
Infrared spectrum of NH4+(H2O): Evidence for mode specific fragmentation
Authors: Pankewitz Tobias , Lagutschenkov Anita , Niedner-Schatteburg Gereon , Xantheas Sotiris S. , Lee Yuan-Tseh
Published: February 2007

The gas phase infrared spectrum (3250–3810cm−1) of the singly hydrated ammonium ion, NH4+(H2O), has been recorded by action spectroscopy of mass selected and isolated ions. The four bands obtained are assigned to N–H stretching modes and to O–H stretching modes. The N–H stretching modes observed are blueshifted with respect to the corresponding modes of the free NH4+ ion, whereas a redshift is observed with respect to the modes of the free NH3 molecule. The O–H stretching modes observed are redshifted when compared to the free H2O molecule. The asymmetric stretching modes give rise to rotationally resolved perpendicular transitions. The K-type equidistant rotational spacings of 11.1(2)cm−1 (NH4+) and 29(3)cm−1 (H2O) deviate systematically from the corresponding values of the free molecules, a fact which is rationalized in terms of a symmetric top analysis. The relative band intensities recorded compare favorably with predictions of high level ab initio calculations, except on the ν3(H2O) band for which the observed value is about 20 times weaker than the calculated one. The ν3(H2O)∕ν1(H2O) intensity ratios from other published action spectra in other cationic complexes vary such that the ν3(H2O) intensities become smaller the stronger the complexes are bound. The recorded ratios vary, in particular, among the data collected from action spectra that were recorded with and without rare gas tagging. The calculated anharmonic coupling constants in NH4+(H2O) further suggest that the coupling of the ν3(H2O) and ν1(H2O) modes to other cluster modes indeed varies by orders of magnitude. These findings together render a picture of a mode specific fragmentation dynamic that modulates band intensities in action spectra with respect to absorption spectra. Additional high level electronic structure calculations at the coupled-cluster singles and doubles with a perturbative treatment of triple excitations [CCSD(T)] level of theory with large basis sets allow for the determination of an accurate binding energy and enthalpy of the NH4+(H2O) cluster. The authors’ extrapolated values at the CCSD(T) complete basis set limit are De [NH4+−(H2O)]=−85.40(±0.24)kJ∕mol and ΔH(298K) [NH4+−(H2O)]=−78.3(±0.3)kJ∕mol (CC2), in which double standard deviations are indicated in parentheses.
Low energy electron-induced reactions in gas phase 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-ribofuranose: A model system for the behavior of sugar in DNA
Authors: Bald Ilko , Kopyra Janina , Dąbkowska Iwona , Antonsson Egill , Illenberger Eugen
Published: February 2007

Dissociative electron attachment to 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-ribofuranose (TAR) is studied in a crossed electron-molecular beam experiment with mass spectrometric detection of the observed fragment ions. Since in TAR acetyl groups are coupled at the relevant positions to the five membered ribose ring, it may serve as an appropriate model compound to study the response of the sugar unit in DNA towards low energy electrons. Intense resonances close to 0eV are observed similar to the pure gas phase sugars (2-deoxyribose, ribose, and fructose). Further strong resonances appear in the range of 1.6–1.8eV (not present in the pure sugars). Based on calculations on transient anions adopting the stabilization method, this feature is assigned to a series of closely spaced shape resonances of π* character with the extra electron localized on the acetyl groups outside the ribose ring system. Further but weaker resonant contributions are observed in the range of 7–11eV, representing core excited resonances and/or σ* shape resonances. The decomposition processes involve single bond ruptures but also more complex reactions associated with substantial rearrangement. The authors hence propose that the sugar unit in DNA plays an active role in the molecular mechanism towards single strand breaks induced by low energy electrons.
Spatial distribution of refractive index variations induced in bulk fused silica by single ultrashort and short laser pulses
Authors: Burakov I. M. , Bulgakova N. M. , Stoian R. , Mermillod-Blondin A. , Audouard E. , Rosenfeld A. , Husakou A. , Hertel I. V.
Published: February 2007

We correlate phase-contrast microscopy of modification tracks induced by tightly focused single ultrashort and short laser pulses inside fused silica with numerical simulations of nonlinear laser excitation footprints. Different pulse durations on the femtosecond and picosecond range are compared in order to validate the experimental and theoretical observations on the subsequent refractive index variations in a regime where linear and nonlinear contributions play a comparable role. The nature of the laser-induced structural changes depends essentially on the characteristics of pulse propagation in different regions of the irradiated zone. Numerical simulations of laser pulse propagation in the excited region show that accumulation of excess energy and swift nonlinear absorption contribute to the formation of either positive or negative phase-shift regions within the same single-pulse-induced damage trace. The decrease in the refractive index can be unambiguously correlated with the regions of maximum energy deposition during prolonged exposure times.
Transient coaxial helicity injection for solenoid-free plasma startup in HIT-II
Authors: Raman R. , Jarboe T. R , Hamp W. T. , Redd A. J. , Nelson B. A. , O’Neill R. G. , Sieck P. E. , Smith R. J.
Published: February 2007

The favorable properties of the spherical torus (ST) arise from its very small aspect ratio. Methods for initiating the plasma current without relying on induction from a central solenoid are essential for the viability of the ST concept. In steady state tokamaks, the central solenoid can be dispensed with if suitable methods for initiating the plasma current are on hand. Coaxial helicity injection (CHI) is a promising candidate for solenoid-free plasma current startup in STs and tokamaks. Experiments on the Helicity Injected Torus (HIT-II) machine at the University of Washington [T. R. Jarboe, Fusion Technol. 15, 7 (1989)] have demonstrated the capability of a new method, referred to as transient CHI, to produce a high quality closed-flux equilibrium that has been successfully coupled to induction demonstrating that this new plasma current startup method is compatible with the conventional inductive method. This paper presents physics requirements for implementing this method in STs and tokamaks and supporting experimental results from the HIT-II device.
Dispersive destabilization of nonlinear light propagation in fiber Bragg gratings: A numerical verification
Authors: Martel Carlos , Casas Carlos M.
Published: February 2007

This paper presents some numerical simulations of the full one-dimensional Maxwell-Lorentz equations that describe light propagation in fiber Bragg gratings in order to confirm that the standard nonlinear coupled mode equations fail to predict the weakly nonlinear dynamics of the system when dispersive instabilities come into play, and that, in this case, the correct slow envelope description of the system requires us to consider higher order dispersion effects.
Scattering for massive Dirac fields on the Kerr metric
Authors: Batic D.
Published: February 2007

Starting with the Dirac equation outside the event horizon of a nonextreme Kerr black hole, we develop a time-dependent scattering theory for massive Dirac particles. The explicit computation of the modified wave operators at infinity is done by implementing a time-dependent logarithmic phase shift from the free dynamics to offset the long range term in the full Hamiltonian due to the presence of the gravitational force. Analytical expressions for the wave operators are also given.
Charge retention behavior of preferentially oriented and textured Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films by electrostatic force microscopy
Authors: Kim T. Y. , Lee J. H. , Oh Y. J. , Choi M. R. , Jo W.
Published: February 2007

The authors report charge retention in preferentially (117) oriented and textured c-axis oriented ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films by electrostatic force microscopy. Surface charges of the films were observed as a function of time in a selected area which consists of a single-poled region and a reverse-poled region. The highly (117) oriented film shows the extended exponential decay with characteristic scaling exponents, n=1.5–1.6. The preferentially c-axis oriented film shows a remarkable retained behavior regardless of the poling. Decay and retention mechanisms of the regions are explained by space-charge redistribution and trapping of defects in the films.
Ab initio simulation of the vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectrum of Si3−
Authors: Garcia-Fernandez Pablo , Boggs James E. , Stanton John F.
Published: February 2007

Electron photodetachment spectra provide a wealth of information about the electronic and vibrational level structures of neutral molecules that form stable anions. Experiments carried out for the smallest polyatomic silicon cluster anion (Si3−+hυ→Si3*+e−) show vibrational progressions in six observed electronic bands (X–E) of the neutral species. The authors have performed ab initio calculations using the MRCI+D/aug-cc-pVQZ level for the corresponding electronic states followed by variational calculations of the vibronic levels associated with these adiabatic potential energy surfaces. In contrast to previous approaches, the authors treat the nonadiabatic dynamics on the potential energy surfaces, which allows for a vastly improved reproduction of the experimental level structure and a corrected assignment for band A.
Implantation profile of Na22 continuous energy spectrum positrons in silicon
Authors: Foster P. J. , Mascher P. , Knights A. P. , Coleman P. G.
Published: February 2007

The implantation profile of positrons emitted from a continuous energy spectrum source of Na22 in close proximity to a silicon target is modeled. The primary motivation is the use of positron lifetime spectroscopy to characterize layers of defects such as those created by ion irradiation, usually deemed accessible only to techniques which utilize slow positrons. The model combines the Makhov profile, used with considerable success to describe the profile of low energy (<30keV) monoenergetic positrons, with the well-established, universal β-decay energy spectrum. The success of this approach is verified by measuring the fractions of positrons absorbed in thinned silicon samples. This verification utilizes lifetime measurements performed on silicon in a bilayer sandwich configuration with copper as a backing. The model accounts for the uncertainty in the positron backscattering at the silicon∕copper interface. An optimal fit of the model to the experimental data requires that the parameter defining the mean depth of the Makhov profile (usually denoted r) is energy dependent. An example of application is provided in the form of a positron lifetime measurement of defects in silicon introduced by 1.5MeV proton irradiation. Excellent agreement is found between the lifetime data and those obtained using a slow positron technique.
Effect of roughness on pressure fluctuations in a turbulent channel flow
Authors: Bhaganagar Kiran , Coleman Gary , Kim John
Published: February 2007

Direct numerical simulation is used to investigate the nature of pressure fluctuations induced by surface roughness in a turbulent channel flow at Reτ=400 for three-dimensional periodic roughness elements, whose peaks overlap approximately 25% of the logarithmic layer. The three-dimensional roughness elements alter the pressure statistics significantly, compared to the corresponding smooth-wall flow, in both the inner and outer (core) regions of the channel. The direct consequence of roughness is an increased form drag, associated with more intense pressure fluctuations. However, it also alters the pressure fluctuations in the outer layer of the flow, and modifies the length scales defined by two-point correlations. We also find that the depth of the roughness sublayer defined by the pressure fluctuations is very different from that given by the large- and small-scale statistics from the velocity field.
Coarse-grained model for phospholipid/cholesterol bilayer employing inverse Monte Carlo with thermodynamic constraints
Authors: Murtola Teemu , Falck Emma , Karttunen Mikko , Vattulainen Ilpo
Published: February 2007

The authors introduce a coarse-grained (CG) model for a lipid membrane comprised of phospholipids and cholesterol at different molar concentrations, which allows them to study systems that are approximately 100nm in linear size. The systems are studied in the fluid phase above the main transition temperature. The effective interactions for the CG model are extracted from atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulations using the inverse Monte Carlo (IMC) technique, an approach similar to the one the authors used earlier to construct another CG bilayer model [T. Murtola et al., J. Chem. Phys. 121, 9156 (2004)]. Here, the authors improve their original CG model by employing a more accurate description of the molecular structure for the phospholipid molecules. Further, they include a thermodynamic constraint in the IMC procedure to yield area compressibilities in line with experimental data. The more realistic description of the molecular structure of phospholipids and a more accurate representation of the interaction between cholesterols and phospholipid tails are shown to improve the behavior of the model significantly. In particular, the new model predicts the formation of denser transient regions in a pure phospholipid system, a finding that the authors have verified through large scale atomistic simulations. They also find that the model predicts the formation of cholesterol-rich and cholesterol-poor domains at intermediate cholesterol concentrations, in agreement with the original model and the experimental phase diagram. However, the domains observed here are much more distinct compared to the previous model. Finally, the authors also explore the limitations of the model, discussing its advantages and disadvantages.
Of Urban Entrepreneurs or 24-Hour Party People? City-Centre Living in Manchester, England
Authors: Allen Chris
Published: February 2007

My purpose in this paper is to provide a fuller account of the origins and nature of city-centre living in Manchester, England, by emphasising its too-often neglected ‘independent’ and ‘countercultural’ underside. Some urban policy researchers have made too much of the ‘entrepreneurial turn’ in Manchester, which is said to have been a key catalyst of its city-centre renaissance and city-centre living. My own empirical work as well as that of some cultural geographers highlights the ‘counter-cultural’ origins of the city-centre renaissance and, later, city-centre living in Manchester. I argue that urban policy research in Britain tends to characterise city-centre dwellers as young, single, professionals as if this was a more-or-less undifferentiated social group. Yet this demonstrates an oversight towards work undertaken by some geographers and urban sociologists who have shown that gentrifiers moving into British and North American city centres and inner-urban areas over the last two decades are a complex and differentiated group of housing consumers. My own empirical work shows that Manchester city-centre dwellers are a similarly complex and differentiated group of housing consumers that occupy a number of distinct positions within the city-centre housing market, and that this can be seen more clearly when the origins and subsequent development of city-centre living in Manchester is more fully understood. Three typologies of Manchester city-centre dwellers are identified; ‘counter-culturalists’ tend to originate from within the ‘new’ middle class; ‘city-centre tourists’ tend to originate from the ‘service class’; and ‘successful agers’ tend to be over the age of fifty.
‘Gde Muzh, Tarn Zhena’ (Where the Husband is, So is the Wife): Space and Gender in Post-Soviet Patterns of Penality
Authors: Pallot Judith
Published: February 2007

Fifteen years after the collapse of communism, post-Soviet Russian remains a ‘high-imprisonment society’, second only to the USA in the relative number of people held in prison (570 per 100 000 population compared with the USA's 714 per 100 000). This gives a total prison population of around 800 000 people. These people are detained in penal facilities built during the Soviet era, the majority of which are in peripheral locations. Because the peripheries have been selected as ‘sites of punishment’, Russia's distinctive ‘geography of penality’ makes the maintenance of social contacts of prisoners difficult and undermines attempts to reduce the rates of recidivism in Russia. Women are drawn into the penal complex by virtue of their relationships with the majority male prisoner population, a process which transforms them into ‘quasi-prisoners’ and reproduces gender stereotypes.
A physics-based approach to modelling grassland fires
Authors: Mell William , Jenkins Mary Ann , Gould Jim , Cheney Phil
Published: February 2007

Physics-based coupled fire–atmosphere models are based on approximations to the governing equations of fluid dynamics, combustion, and the thermal degradation of solid fuel. They require significantly more computational resources than the most commonly used fire spread models, which are semi-empirical or empirical. However, there are a number of fire behaviour problems, of increasing relevance, that are outside the scope of empirical and semi-empirical models. Examples are wildland–urban interface fires, assessing how well fuel treatments work to reduce the intensity of wildland fires, and investigating the mechanisms and conditions underlying blow-up fires and fire spread through heterogeneous fuels. These problems are not amenable to repeatable full-scale field studies. Suitably validated coupled atmosphere–fire models are one way to address these problems. This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional, fully transient, physics-based computer simulation approach for modelling fire spread through surface fuels. Grassland fires were simulated and compared to findings from Australian experiments. Predictions of the head fire spread rate for a range of ambient wind speeds and ignition line-fire lengths compared favourably to experiments. In addition, two specific experimental cases were simulated in order to evaluate how well the model predicts the development of the entire fire perimeter.
Factors affecting sustained smouldering in organic soils from pocosin and pond pine woodland wetlands
Authors: Reardon James , Hungerford Roger , Ryan Kevin
Published: February 2007

The smouldering combustion of peat and muck soil plays an important role in the creation and maintenance of wetland communities. This experimental study was conducted to improve our understanding of how moisture and mineral content constrain smouldering in organic soil. Laboratory burning was conducted with root mat and muck soil samples from pocosin and pond pine woodland wetlands common on the North Carolina coastal plain. The results of laboratory and prescribed burning were compared. Laboratory results showed that moisture and mineral content influenced sustained smouldering in root mat soils. Predictions based on logistic regression analysis show that root mat soils with an average mineral content of 4.5% had an estimated 50% probability of sustained smouldering at a moisture content of 93%, whereas at moisture contents above 145% the estimated probability was less than 10%. The odds that root mat soil will sustain smouldering decrease by 19.3% for each 5% increase in moisture content. Root mat soils with an average mineral content of 5.5% and a moisture content of 93% had an estimated 61% probability of sustained smouldering. The odds that root mat soil will sustain smouldering combustion increased by 155.9% with each 1% increase in mineral content. Root mat and muck soils differ in physical and chemical characteristics expected to influence smouldering behaviour. The formation of muck soil has led to increases in density, smaller soil particle size, changes in water holding characteristics and increases in waxes, resins and bituminous compounds. Muck soil smouldered at higher moisture contents than root mat soil. Muck soil at a moisture content of 201% had an estimated 50% probability of sustained smouldering, whereas at moisture contents above 260% the estimated probability was less than 10%. The odds that muck soil will sustain smouldering combustion decrease by 17.2% with each 5% increase in moisture content. Ground fire in the prescribed burns stopped its vertical spread in organic soils at moisture contents consistent with logistic regression predictions developed from our laboratory results.
Factors influencing wildfire occurrence and distribution in eastern Kentucky, USA
Authors: Maingi John K. , Henry Mary C.
Published: February 2007

Most wildfires in Kentucky occur in the heavily forested Appalachian counties in the eastern portion of the state. In the present study, we reconstructed a brief fire history of eastern Kentucky using Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus images acquired between 1985 and 2002. We then examined relationships between fire occurrence and area burned, and abiotic and human factors. Abiotic factors included Palmer Drought Severity Index, slope, aspect, and elevation, and human factors included county unemployment rates, distance to roads, and distance to populated places. Approximately 83% of the total burned area burned only once, 14% twice, and 3% thrice. More fires burned in the winter compared with the fall, but the latter fires were larger on average and accounted for ~71% of the total area burned. Fire size was negatively correlated with Palmer Drought Severity Index for certain times of the year. There were significant relationships between elevation and slope and fire occurrence, but not between aspect and fire occurrence. We found links between fire location and proximity to roads and settlements, but we found no correlations between monthly unemployment rates and arson-caused fires.
Predicting forest floor moisture for burned and unburned Pinus banksiana forests in the Canadian Northwest Territories
Authors: Abbott Keith N. , Alexander Martin E. , MacLean David A. , Leblon Brigitte , Beck Judith A. , Staples Gordon C.
Published: February 2007

We assessed how well the fuel moisture codes of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System can be used to predict forest floor moisture in burned and in mature, unburned jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Moisture content sampled at varying depths in the forest floor profile was compared with hourly variations in the Fine Fuel Moisture Code and daily variations in the Duff Moisture Code and Drought Code. Fuel moisture samples were collected in June 2000 and August 2002 from one mature forest stand and four experimental plots that were burned between 1997 and 2000. Forest floor moisture, drying rate, and water-holding capacity varied between the mature, unburned forest and burned plot areas, as well as between surface and subsurface fuel layers within the mature forest. The Duff Moisture Code was the best predictor of forest floor moisture for all the fuel components examined, based on the coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.81–0.90) and because its relationship with forest floor moisture more closely resembled relationships observed in previous studies.
Burnt area estimation for the year 2005 in Borneo using multi-resolution satellite imagery
Authors: Miettinen Jukka , Langner Andreas , Siegert Florian
Published: February 2007

Humid tropical South-East Asia suffers significant yearly biomass burning. This paper evaluates and compares the results of medium-resolution (MODIS) burnt area mapping and hotspot-based assessment of fire affected areas in Borneo in 2005, using field observations and high resolution Landsat ETM+ data as reference. Based on burnt area mapping, over 600 000 ha burnt in large-scale vegetation fires. Approximately 90% of this burning took place in degraded ecosystems and was related to agricultural land clearing activities or logged over forests. The estimation based on active fire detection (hotspots) resulted in a total burnt area of more than 1.1 million hectares. The reason for this significant difference was that small scale shifting cultivation fires could not be detected in MODIS images. These results indicate that a combination of both methods is required to reliably assess burnt areas in Borneo using medium-resolution MODIS satellite imagery.
Genetic analysis of the calcineurin pathway identifies members of the
EGR
gene family, specifically
EGR3
, as potential susceptibility candidates in schizophrenia
Authors: Yamada Kazuo , Gerber David J. , Iwayama Yoshimi , Ohnishi Tetsuo , Ohba Hisako , Toyota Tomoko , Aruga Jun , Minabe Yoshio , Tonegawa Susumu , Yoshikawa Takeo
Published: February 2007

The calcineurin cascade is central to neuronal signal transduction, and genes in this network are intriguing candidate schizophrenia susceptibility genes. To replicate and extend our previously reported association between the
PPP3CC
gene, encoding the calcineurin catalytic γ-subunit, and schizophrenia, we examined 84 SNPs from 14 calcineurin-related candidate genes for genetic association by using 124 Japanese schizophrenic pedigrees. Four of these genes (
PPP3CC
,
EGR2
,
EGR3
, and
EGR4
) showed nominally significant association with schizophrenia. In a postmortem brain study,
EGR1
,
EGR2
, and
EGR3
transcripts were shown to be down-regulated in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic, but not bipolar, patients. These findings raise a potentially important role for
EGR
genes in schizophrenia pathogenesis. Because
EGR3
is an attractive candidate gene based on its chromosomal location close to
PPP3CC
within 8p21.3 and its functional link to dopamine, glutamate, and neuregulin signaling, we extended our analysis by resequencing the entire
EGR3
genomic interval and detected 15 SNPs. One of these, IVS1 + 607A→G SNP, displayed the strongest evidence for disease association, which was confirmed in 1,140 independent case-control samples. An
in vitro
promoter assay detected a possible expression-regulatory effect of this SNP. These findings support the previous genetic association of altered calcineurin signaling with schizophrenia pathogenesis and identify
EGR3
as a compelling susceptibility gene.
Gepard: a rapid and sensitive tool for creating dotplots on genome scale
Authors: Krumsiek Jan , Arnold Roland , Rattei Thomas
Published: February 2007

Summary: Gepard provides a user-friendly, interactive application for the quick creation of dotplots. It utilizes suffix arrays to reduce the time complexity of dotplot calculation to Θ(m*log n). A client–server mode, which is a novel feature for dotplot creation software, allows the user to calculate dotplots and color them by functional annotation without any prior downloading of sequence or annotation data.

Availability: Both source codes and executable binaries are available at http://mips.gsf.de/services/analysis/gepard

Contact:  krumsiek@in.tum.de
The food and feeding relationships of larval and 0+ year juvenile fishes in lowland rivers and connected waterbodies. II. Prey selection and the influence of gape
Authors: Nunn A. D. , Harvey J. P. , Cowx I. G.
Published: February 2007

The relative importance of taxa‐ and size‐specific prey selection, and the influence of gape on the prey consumed by the larvae and 0+ year juveniles of four fish species were investigated in ‘main river’, ‘marina’ and ‘pond’ macrohabitats in the lower River Trent, England. A general sequence of ontogenetic shifts in food consumption was reflected in the electivity indices of particular prey taxa, partly due to the restrictions imposed by the gape of 0+ year fishes. Certain taxa, however, were consistently selected over others, irrespective of size, suggesting that taxa‐specific, as well as size‐specific, prey characteristics may be important in the selection process. There were significant, positive relationships between maximum prey (zooplankton) length and maximum gape height for larvae, but not for 0+ year juveniles. The majority of fishes, however, consumed prey substantially smaller than the maximum theoretically possible inferred from their gape. The greater size ranges of zooplankton in connected waterbodies compared with main river channels provide suitable prey for a range of developmental steps and fish species, and may, thus, enhance recruitment success.
Spatial and temporal segregation of spawning habitat by catostomids in the Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina, U.S.A.
Authors: Grabowski T. B. , Isely J. J.
Published: February 2007

Spawning aggregations of five species of catostomids were observed on the two mid‐channel gravel bars of the Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina, in 2004 and 2005 to assess the degree of spatial and temporal overlap in the use of this habitat and determine the habitat preferences leading to segregation. Spawning catostomids showed a considerable amount of temporal overlap in their use of these mid‐channel gravel bars. The observed temporal overlap was consistent between 2004 and 2005 and corresponded to temperatures at which species were present. The distribution of catostomids was not uniform at the upstream gravel bar. CarpsuckersCarpiodessp., spotted suckerMinytrema melanopsand robust redhorseMoxostoma robustumboth demonstrated some spatial overlap with notchlip redhorseMoxostoma collapsum; however, their overall distributions were different from one another. Northern hogsuckerHypentelium nigricanswas present across the gravel bars, apparently as an egg predator. Spawning catostomids segregated based on flow, depth, slope and substratum size. Whether due to limited habitat availability or changes in the timing of reproduction due to altered cues, temporal and spatial overlap occurs between spawning catostomids despite the apparent partitioning of available spawning habitat. It is unclear, however, if this overlap results in excessive mortality in the early life‐history stages of these species. Results suggest spatial overlap among catostomid species was minimized due to species spawning in areas within a narrow range of conditions. Intraspecific interactions such as nest site superimposition or disturbance may be a concern.
Spatially structured interactions between a migratory pelagic predator, the Norwegian spring‐spawning herring Clupea harengus L., and its zooplankton prey
Authors: Olsen E. M. , Melle W. , Kaartvedt S. , Holst J. C. , Mork K. A.
Published: February 2007

Spring‐spawning herring Clupea harengus was patchily distributed over large parts of the Norwegian Sea in May 1995–2005, during the early phase of the annual feeding migration. Overall, herring tended to be found in areas with intermediate biomasses of zooplankton prey, intermediate water temperatures and relatively high salinities. Herring had more food in their stomachs in areas of relatively low water temperature and high herring abundance. Hydrographical conditions revealed that herring was feeding mainly within Atlantic water masses, and more intensely in western and northern regions of the Norwegian Sea. Zooplankton biomass was patchily distributed, and was generally higher towards the western parts of the Norwegian Sea. Here, zooplankton biomass in yeari+1 was also negatively associated with herring spawning stock biomass in yeari, while there was no evidence for such an association in the eastern region; indicating that herring may have a geographically structured ‘top–down’ effect on the recruitment of its zooplankton prey. The fact that herring was not typically associated with the areas containing the greatest zooplankton biomasses may reflect that the fish had not yet reached the most profitable feeding grounds or alternatively that herring was depleting zooplankton biomass.
Electron backscattered diffraction as a tool to quantify subgrains in deformed calcite
Authors: VALCKE S. L. A. , PENNOCK G. M. , DRURY M. R. , DE BRESSER J. H. P.
Published: February 2007

In this work, we investigated processing methods to obtain subgrain sizes from electron backscattered diffraction data using samples of experimentally deformed calcite (CaCO3) polycrystals. The domain boundary hierarchy method, based on area measurements of domains enclosed by boundaries larger than a given misorientation angle, was applied to these calcite samples and was found to be limited by: (i) topological problems; (ii) undersampling of large grains; and (iii) artefacts caused by nonindexing. We tested two alternative methods that may reduce the problems: (i) the measured linear intercept hierarchy method, based on measurements of linear intercept between boundaries having larger misorientations than a given minimum angle; and (ii) the calculated linear intercept hierarchy method, based on the total length of boundaries having misorientations larger than a given minimum angle. The measured linear intercept hierarchy method was found to produce results more representative for the microstructure than the calculated linear intercept hierarchy method, because the calculated linear intercept hierarchy method has a significant uncertainty related to the grid‐based nature of the measurements. Preliminary results on calcite suggest that the measured linear intercept hierarchy method is related, in a complex way, to deformation conditions such as stress, strain and temperature as well as to the characteristics of subgrain rotation and grain boundary migration processes.
Crystallization of poly(l‐lactid acid) monitored by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy
Authors: KORTABERRIA G. , MARIETA C. , JIMENO A. , ARRUTI P. , MONDRAGON I.
Published: February 2007

An investigation was carried out on the crystallization process of poly(l‐lactid acid) by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Experimental results were generated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy over a wide range of frequency and temperature in both the wholly amorphous state and during crystallization. The variation of the average relaxation time was studied during crystallization at 80 °C and the temperature dependence of this relaxation time for wholly amorphous and crystallized samples was analysed. This behaviour was modelled by Havriliak‐Negami and Vogel‐Fulcher equations. The sensitivity of the segmental dynamics to the degree of crystallinity was analysed, taking into account the relaxing segments and the thickness of the amorphous layer between lamellae. The morphologies obtained during crystallization processes at 80, 130 and 150 °C were monitored by atomic force microscopy at both the lamellar level and by analysing the multilayered superstructures formed. Hedrites, intermediate structures between single lamellar crystals and mature spherulites, were found to appear at the highest temperatures, whereas no evidence of hedrites was found at 80 °C, the spherulites seemed to be constructed from a framework of individual dominant lamellae that splay apart and branch. Complementary to the atomic force microscopy study, the evolution of the obtained morphologies was also followed by optical microscopy. Supporting evidence about the thermal behaviour of the polymers was obtained with differential scanning calorimetry.
A guided tour into subcellular colocalization analysis in light microscopy
Authors: BOLTE S. , CORDELIÈRES F. P.
Published: February 2007

It is generally accepted that the functional compartmentalization of eukaryotic cells is reflected by the differential occurrence of proteins in their compartments. The location and physiological function of a protein are closely related; local information of a protein is thus crucial to understanding its role in biological processes. The visualization of proteins residing on intracellular structures by fluorescence microscopy has become a routine approach in cell biology and is increasingly used to assess their colocalization with well‐characterized markers. However, image‐analysis methods for colocalization studies are a field of contention and enigma. We have therefore undertaken to review the most currently used colocalization analysis methods, introducing the basic optical concepts important for image acquisition and subsequent analysis. We provide a summary of practical tips for image acquisition and treatment that should precede proper colocalization analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the application and feasibility of colocalization tools for various biological colocalization situations and discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses. We have created a novel toolbox for subcellular colocalization analysis under ImageJ, named JACoP, that integrates current global statistic methods and a novel object‐based approach.
White grapes arose through the mutation of two similar and adjacent regulatory genes
Authors: Walker Amanda R. , Lee Elizabeth , Bogs Jochen , McDavid Debra A. J. , Thomas Mark R. , Robinson Simon P.
Published: February 2007

Most of the thousands of grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) can be divided into two groups, red and white, based on the presence or absence of anthocyanin in the berry skin, which has been found from genetic experiments to be controlled by a single locus. A regulatory gene, VvMYBA1, which could activate anthocyanin biosynthesis in a transient assay, was recently shown not to be transcribed in white berries due to the presence of a retrotransposon in the promoter. We have found that the berry colour locus comprises two very similar genes, VvMYBA1 and VvMYBA2, located on a single bacterial artificial chromosome. Either gene can regulate colour in the grape berry. The white berry allele of VvMYBA2 is inactivated by two non‐conservative mutations, one leads to an amino acid substitution and the other to a frame shift resulting in a smaller protein. Transient assays showed that either mutation removed the ability of the regulator to switch on anthocyanin biosynthesis. VvMYBA2 sequence analyses, together with marker information, confirmed that 55 white cultivars all contain the white berry allele, but not red berry alleles. These results suggest that all extant white cultivars of grape vines have a common origin. We conclude that rare mutational events occurring in two adjacent genes were essential for the genesis of the white grapes used to produce the white wines and white table grapes we enjoy today.