bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The comparison of burden between caregiving spouses of depressive and demented patients
Authors: Leinonen Esa , Korpisammal Lea , Pulkkinen Lea‐Mari , Pukuri Tarja
Published: September 2002

Background

The opportunities for a depressive or demented elderly patient to live at home are dependent on the availability of support. If the spouse is alive, her or his resources to care for the patient are an essential option. In this study we compared the burden of the spouses of depressive and demented elderly patients admitted to the University Psychogeriatric Clinic.

Methods

The Zarit Burden Interview was used when comparing the burden between the groups. Psychological distress was screened by the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire. The care and support given by the spouse was assessed by Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire. The spouse's stress related to the health state of the patient was evaluated by the Pearlin Caregiving Stress Inventory. Twenty‐two spouses living with a depressive patient and 43 with a demented patient were included in the study.

Results

The spouses of demented patients as a group were psychologically more stressed than the spouses of depressive patients. However, when demented patients were divided into two groups, in those admitted mainly for noncognitive symptoms related to dementia and in those admitted for memory assessment and diagnostic purposes, the burden of the spouses in the former group was higher than that of the group of depressive patients' spouses. No difference was found between the latter group of demented patient spouses and depressive patients' spouses.

Both the patients and the spouses in the demented group were older than those in the depressive group. However, no correlation was found between stress of the spouse and her or his own age or the age of the patient either within the depressive or within the demented group. As expected, the function level of demented patients was lower than that of depressive patients. A correlation was found within both groups between low functional capacity of the patient and the stress of the spouse. In both groups the spouses who felt their own mental health to be poor were more likely to have high levels of burden.

Conclusions

Among the general psychogeriatric patient groups, the caregiving spouses of demented patients with noncognitive psychiatric symptoms are the most burdened group. However, spouses of depressive patients are as much burdened as those of demented patients with mild to moderate memory impairment. More support is needed for every spouse group caring for psychogeriatric patients. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of five clock scoring methods using ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis
Authors: Storey Joella E. , Rowland Jeffrey T. J. , Basic David , Conforti David A.
Published: September 2002

Objective

To compare the accuracy of five clock scoring methods for detecting dementia in English‐speaking patients.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting

A general geriatric outpatient clinic in southwest Sydney, Australia.

Participants

A total of 127 consecutive new referrals to the clinic, of mean age 78.2 years.

Measurements

The clock drawing test was conducted at the beginning of each clinic appointment by a blinded observer. Each patient was then assessed by a geriatrician, who collected demographic data, administered the modified Barthel index, the geriatric depression scale, and the Folstein Mini‐Mental State Examination, and categorised each patient as demented or not demented, according to DSM‐4 criteria. Each clock was scored according to the methods of Mendez, Shulman, Sunderland, Watson and Wolf‐Klein, and evaluated for reliability, and predictive accuracy, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

The area under the ROC curve was largest for the Shulman (0.79, 95% CI 0.70–0.85) and Mendez (0.78, 95% CI 0.70–0.85) methods. Both predicted dementia more accurately than the Sunderland (area = 0.71) and Watson (area = 0.65) methods (p < 0.05). The inter‐rater (0.81–0.93) and intra‐rater (0.87–0.96) correlation coefficients were high for all five methods.

Conclusions

While substantial differences among the clock scoring methods were evident in our sample, the accuracy of each was modest at best. Unless further studies in relevant settings suggest otherwise, we caution on the use of clock drawing alone to screen for dementia. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropathological correlates to clinically defined dementia with Lewy bodies
Authors: Londos E. , Passant U. , Gustafson L. , Brun A.
Published: September 2002

Objectives

To analyse the neuropathological changes behind clinically defined dementia with Lewy bodies (clinDLB) compared with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (clinAD).

Methods

The prevalence of neuropathological findings in 48 clinDLB and 45 clinAD cases was compared. Sixteen clinDLB and 10 clinAD cases were reassessed with α‐synuclein staining for Lewy bodies (LB).

Results

Alzheimer pathology was found in 81% of the clinDLB and 93% of the clinAD cases. The clinDLB group had a higher prevalence of frontal white matter pathology, mostly of ischemic type, and a more severe degeneration of the substantia nigra compared with the clinAD group. In hematoxylin–eosin staining, LBs were identified in seven (15%) of the clinDLB and in four (9%) of the clinAD group. In α‐synuclein staining, 38% of the clinDLB and 40% of the clinAD cases exhibited LBs. The cases without LBs, in the clinDLB group, had AD pathology in combination with frontal white matter disease. Vascular pathology of significant degree was prevalent in more than 40% of all the cases with verified LBs regardless of clinical diagnosis.

Conclusion

Consecutive dementia cases, fulfilling the clinical consensus criteria for DLB, may exhibit combinations of neuropathological changes which in themselves can explain the clinical picture of DLB even when LBs are absent. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of oligo(thienylenevinylenes) substituted with alkoxy groups
Authors: Ono Noboru , Okumura Hideki , Murashima Takashi
Published: September 2002

Conjugated oligomers based on a combination of thiophene and 3,4‐dialkoxythiophene moieties have been synthesized via the Vilsmeier formylation, Wittig‐Honer reaction, and McMurry coupling reaction starting from dimethyl 3,4‐dihydroxythiophene‐2,5‐dicarboxylates. Comparison of the optical and electrochemical properties shows that the mixed π‐conjugated oligomers of thiophene and 3,4‐dialkoxythiophene produces a decrease of the highest occupied molecular orbital‐lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap that is attributed to the electron‐donating property of the alkoxy groups. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 12:414–417, 2001
Dynamic behavior of pentacoordinate organogermanium carboxylic acids and their pyridinium salts
Authors: Takeuchi Yoshito , Nishikawa Miki , Tanaka Katsumi , Yamamoto Gaku
Published: September 2002

Solution structures of some pentavalent organogermanium compounds have been investigated. Variable temperature NMR studies of these compounds revealed that concomitant Berry pseudorotation and prototropy occur, which make the two protons of the CH2 moiety nonequivalent at lower temperatures. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 12:451–456, 2001
Proportional treatment effects for count response panel data: effects of binary exercise on health care demand
Authors: Lee Myoung‐Jae , Kobayashi Satoru
Published: September 2002

We define conditional and marginal treatment effects appropriate for count data, and then conduct an empirical analysis for the effects of exercise on health care demand using panel data from the Health Retirement Study. The response variables are office visits to doctors and hospitalization days, and the treatments of interest are light and vigorous exercises. We found that short‐run light exercise increases health care demand by 3–5%, whereas long‐run light exercise decreases it by 3–6%. We also found that short‐run vigorous exercise decreases health care demand by 1–2%, whereas long‐run vigorous exercise decreases it by 1–3%. However, many of these numbers are not statistically significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that it will be difficult to reduce health care cost much by encouraging people to do more exercise—at least in the short‐run. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incidence of shoulder pain after neck dissection: A clinical explorative study for risk factors
Authors: Dijkstra Pieter U. , van Wilgen Paul C. , Buijs Ron P. , Brendeke Wim , de Goede Cornelis J. T. , Kerst Ad , Koolstra Muriel , Marinus Johan , Schoppink Elisabeth M. , Stuiver Martijn M. , van de Velde Caroline F. , Roodenburg Jan L. N.
Published: September 2002

Background

It is the purpose of this study to determine the incidence of shoulder pain and restricted range of motion of the shoulder after neck dissection, and to identify risk factors for the development of shoulder pain and restricted range of motion.

Methods

Clinical patients who underwent a neck dissection completed a questionnaire assessing shoulder pain. The intensity of pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (100 mm). Range of motion of the shoulder was measured. Information about reconstructive surgery and side and type of neck dissection was retrieved from the medical records.

Results

Of the patients (n = 177, mean age 60.3 years [SD, 11.9]) 70% experienced pain in the shoulder. Forward flexion and abduction of the operated side was severely reduced compared to the non‐operated side, 21° and 47°, respectively. Non‐selective neck dissection was a risk factor for the development of shoulder pain (9.6 mm) and a restricted shoulder abduction (55°). Reconstruction was risk factor for a restricted forward flexion of the shoulder (24.5°).

Conclusions

Shoulder pain after neck dissection is clinically present in 70% of the patients. Non‐selective neck dissection is a risk factor for shoulder pain and a restricted abduction. Reconstruction is a risk factor for a restricted forward flexion of the shoulder. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 947–953, 2001.
Resistance of immature hippocampus to morphologic and physiologic alterations following status epilepticus or kindling
Authors: Haas Kurt Z. , Sperber Ellen F. , Opanashuk Lisa A. , Stanton Patric K. , Moshé Solomon L.
Published: September 2002

Seizures in adult rats result in long‐term deficits in learning and memory, as well as an enhanced susceptibility to further seizures. In contrast, fewer lasting changes have been found following seizures in rats younger than 20 days old. This age‐dependency could be due to differing amounts of hippocampal neuronal damage produced by seizures at different ages. To determine if there is an early developmental resistance to seizure‐induced hippocampal damage, we compared the effects of kainic acid (KA)‐induced status epilepticus and amygdala kindling on hippocampal dentate gyrus anatomy and electrophysiology, in immature (16 day old) and adult rats. In adult rats, KA status epilepticus resulted in numerous silver‐stained degenerating dentate hilar neurons, pyramidal cells in fields CA1 and CA3, and marked numerical reductions in CA3c pyramidal neuron counts (−57%) in separate rats. Two weeks following the last kindled seizure, some, but significantly less, CA3c pyramidal cell loss was observed (−26%). Both KA status epilepticus and kindling induced mossy‐fiber sprouting, as evidenced by ectopic Timm staining in supragranular layers of the dentate gyrus. In hippocampal slices from adult rats, paired‐pulse stimulation of perforant path axons revealed a persistent enhancement of dentate granule‐cell inhibition following KA status epilepticus or kindling. While seizures induced by KA or kindling in 16‐day‐old rats were typically more severe than in adults, the immature hippocampus exhibited markedly less KA‐induced cell loss (−22%), no kindling‐induced loss, no detectable synaptic rearrangement, and no change in dentate inhibition. These results demonstrate that, in immature rats, neither severe KA‐induced seizures nor repeated kindled seizures produce the kind of hippocampal damage and changes associated with even less severe seizures in adults. The lesser magnitude of seizure‐induced hippocampal alterations in immature rats may explain their greater resistance to long‐term effects of seizures on neuronal function, as well as future seizure susceptibility. Conversely, hippocampal neuron loss and altered synaptic physiology in adults may contribute to increased sensitivity to epileptogenic stimuli, spontaneous seizures, and behavioral deficits. Hippocampus 2001;11:615–625. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inositol hexakisphosphate‐mediated regulation of glutamate receptors in rat brain sections
Authors: Valastro Barbara , Girard Martine , Gagné Joël , Martin Frédéric , Parent Angèle T. , Baudry Michel , Massicotte Guy
Published: September 2002

D‐myo‐inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6‐hexakisphosphate (InsP6), one of the most abundant inositol phosphates within cells, has been proposed to play a key role in vesicle trafficking and receptor compartmentalization. In the present study, we used in vitro receptor autoradiography, subcellular fractionation, and immunoblotting to investigate its effects on α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of 3H‐AMPA binding indicated that incubation of frozen‐thawed brain sections with InsP6 at 35°C enhanced AMPA receptor binding in several brain regions, with maximal increases in the hippocampus and cerebellum. Moreover, saturation kinetics demonstrated that InsP6‐induced augmentation of AMPA binding was due to an increment in the maximal number of AMPA binding sites. At the immunological level, Western blots performed on crude mitochondrial/synaptic (P2) fractions revealed that InsP6 (but not InsP5 and InsP3) treatment increased glutamate receptor (GluR)1 and GluR2 subunits of AMPA receptors, an effect that was associated with concomitant reductions in microsomal (P3) fractions. Interestingly, the InsP6‐induced modulation of AMPA receptor binding was blocked at room temperature, and pretreatment with heparin also dampered its action on both AMPA receptor binding and GluR subunits. These effects of InsP6 appear to be specific to AMPA receptors, as neither 3H‐glutamate binding to NMDA receptors nor levels of NR1 and NR2A subunits in P2 and P3 fractions were affected. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that InsP6 specifically regulates AMPA receptor distribution, possibly through a clathrin‐dependent process. Hippocampus 2001;11:673–682. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
GABAergic septohippocampal neurons are not necessary for spatial memory
Authors: Pang Kevin C.H. , Nocera Romy , Secor Adam J. , Yoder Ryan M.
Published: September 2002

The medial septum/vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (MSDB) provides a major input to the hippocampus and is important for spatial memory. Both cholinergic and GABAergic MSDB neurons project to the hippocampus, and nonselective lesions of the MSDB or transections of the septohippocampal pathway impair spatial memory. However, selective lesions of cholinergic MSDB neurons using 192‐IgG saporin (SAP) do not impair or only mildly impair spatial memory. Previously, intraseptal kainic acid was found to reduce levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase, a marker of GABAergic neurons, but not to alter the levels of choline acetyltransferase, a marker of cholinergic neurons. The present study further characterized the effects of kainic acid on GABAergic MSDB neurons and examined the effects of intraseptal kainic acid on spatial memory. Saline, kainic acid, SAP, or the combination of kainic acid and SAP was administered into the MSDB of rats. Spatial memory was assessed in an eight‐arm radial maze and a water maze. Kainic acid destroyed GABAergic septohippocampal neurons, but spared cholinergic neurons. SAP eliminated MSDB cholinergic neurons, sparing noncholinergic neurons. Coadministration of kainic acid and SAP destroyed GABAergic and cholinergic MSDB neurons. Acquisition of the radial maze task and performance on this task with 4‐h delays were unimpaired by intraseptal kainic acid or SAP, but were impaired by coadministration of kainic acid and SAP. Acquisition of the water maze task was unaffected by intraseptal kainic acid, delayed slightly by SAP, and impaired severely by coadministration of kainic acid and SAP. These results provide evidence that kainic acid at appropriate concentrations effectively destroys GABAergic septohippocampal neurons, while sparing cholinergic MSDB neurons. Furthermore, lesions of the GABAergic septohippocampal neurons do not impair spatial memory. While lesions of cholinergic MSDB neurons may mildly impair spatial memory, the combined lesion of GABAergic and cholinergic septohippocampal neurons resulted in a memory impairment that was greater than that observed after a selective lesion to either population. Thus, damage of GABAergic or cholinergic MSDB neurons, which together comprise the majority of the septohippocampal pathway, cannot totally account for the spatial memory impairment that is observed after nonselective lesions of the MSDB. Hippocampus 2001;11:814–827. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hydrologic flowpaths in tropical rainforest soilscapes—a review
Authors: Elsenbeer Helmut
Published: September 2002

An Erratum has been published for this article in Hydrological Processes 15(14) 2001, 2863.

A conceptual framework of hillslope hydrological response patterns and their environmental controls is used to evaluate past and present research sites in tropical rainforests with regard to their predominant controls and hydrological functioning. This evaluation highlights the importance of near‐surface flowpaths for runoff generation in Acrisol landscapes, and lack thereof in Ferralsol landscapes. Both soil types tentatively define the width of a spectrum of possible hillslope hydrologic flowpaths, from predominantly vertical to predominantly lateral flowpaths. This result allows the testing of hypotheses concerning the soil geographical occurrence of particular processes of runoff generation even where soil hydraulic data are not available. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative trace element imaging using PIXE and the nuclear microprobe
Authors: Ryan C. G.
Published: September 2002

The X‐ray spectra of pure elements, excited using MeV energy beam of protons from the nuclear microprobe, have known spectra signatures. This makes X‐ray spectra for more complex mixtures amenable to decomposition into contributions from the component elements. By devising this procedure as a matrix operation that transforms directly from spectrum vector to elemental concentration vector, the decomposition can be performed very efficiently enabling the real‐time projection of the component element signals. In the case of a raster‐scanned beam, with data that contain position information for each X‐ray event, this approach enables the real‐time projection of component element spatial distribution images. This paper describes the matrix transform approach called dynamic analysis (DA), which enables on‐line real‐time imaging of major and trace elements using proton‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE). The method also provides off‐line iterative yield corrections to these images to compensate for changing sample composition across an image area. The resulting images are quantitative in two respects: (1) they resolve the pure element components and strongly reject interferences from other elements and (2) they can be directly interrogated for sample composition at each pixel, over areas, or along lines across the image area, with accuracy comparable to microanalytical point analysis methods. The paper describes the DA method, presents tests, and discusses its application to quantitative major and trace element imaging in geology. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 11, 219–230, 2000
High quality diesel via the Fischer–Tropsch process – a review
Authors: Dry Mark E
Published: September 2002

The Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis is used to produce chemicals, gasoline and diesel fuel. The FT products are predominantly linear, hence the quality of the diesel fuel is very high, having cetane numbers of up to 75. Since purified synthesis gas is used in the FT process all the products are S‐ and N‐free. In this review the production of syngas and the various options used in the FT process (reactors and catalyst types, and high and low temperature operation) are discussed. The best FT option for producing high quality diesel is using cobalt‐based catalyst in slurry phase reactor, gearing the process for high wax production and then selectively hydrocracking the wax to diesel fuel. The overall diesel pool has a high cetane number, the aromatic S and N contents are zero and the exhaust emissions are significantly lower than for standard diesel fuels.

© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry
Oxides and apoptosis in inflammatory myopathies
Authors: Stangel Martin , Mix Eilhard , Zettl Uwe K. , Gold Ralf
Published: September 2002

Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) and nitric oxide (NO·) are produced in abundance in the inflammatory muscle diseases of autoimmune origin polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), and inclusion body myositis (IBM). However, their role in the pathogenesis of these diseases is so far not clear. In contrast to demyelinating neuropathies, there is no convincing evidence for oxide‐induced apoptosis either in myocytes or in lymphocytes and phagocytes in inflammatory myopathies. On the contrary, NO· released at low concentrations at target sites may even have cell‐protective effects. A major mechanism of protection from apoptosis in both myocytes and inflammatory cells seems to be the upregulation of anti‐apoptotic proteins like Bcl‐2. Caution is warranted to apply antioxidative and anti‐apoptotic agents to patients with inflammatory myopathies as long as the pathogenic role of oxides and apoptosis in the individual case is not resolved. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:249–258, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Assessing morphological differences in an adaptive trait: A landmark‐based morphometric approach
Authors: Albertson R. Craig , Kocher Thomas D.
Published: September 2002

East African cichlid fishes have evolved a stunning array of oral jaw morphologies. To better understand the adaptive evolution of this trait, we performed a morphological analysis of the jaws of two closely related species from Lake Malawi that have very different modes of feeding. Labeotropheus fuelleborni forages along the substrate with a “biting” mode of feeding, while Metriaclima zebra feeds in the water column with a “sucking” mode. We analyzed each of the four skeletal elements that make up the oral jaws: the dentary, articular, premaxilla, and maxilla. In addition, we performed the same analysis on the neurocranium, an element closely associated with the oral jaws. We used the thin‐plate spline method to quantify morphological differences, which allowed us to relate our results to the functional biology of the species. We find many aspects of shape change that relate directly to the functional design of the cichlid head. The same series of measurements was made on hybrids between Labeotropheus and Metriaclima. For every character, hybrid progeny are statistically different from both parental species. These results suggest an additive mode of action of the alleles responsible for these phenotypes. J. Exp. Zool. 289:385–403, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Donor support to human resource capacity building in Namibia: experience of resident technical assistance support for workplace learning and assessment of alternative options
Authors: Low Anne , Tjongarero Agnes , Low Allan , Nambundunga Beata
Published: September 2002

The initiation and implementation of development programmes in developing countries places demands on professional staff to acquire new skills and adopt new approaches to drive new development paradigms. It has been found that formal training plays a relatively small part in learning new skills in the workplace, compared with informal learning‐by‐doing within a supportive institutional environment. This paper describes and contrasts the ways in which two donor funded technical assistance projects in Namibia applied four learning support strategies identified in the literature. The experiences described suggest that resident technical assistance can offer types of support for workplace learning and institutional development through mentoring and backstopping, that alternative short term assistance or training course oriented projects lack. It is concluded therefore, that in seeking alternatives to capacity building through resident technical assistance, donors and recipient countries should assess the options not only in terms of skills transferred, but also in terms of building confidence to undertake new areas of work and the development of institutional processes supportive of workplace learning. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The allantoplacenta of Mabuya mabouya (Sauria, Scincidae)
Authors: Jerez Adriana , Ramírez‐Pinilla Martha Patricia
Published: September 2002

Analysis of placentation in the final stages of development in Mabuya mabouya shows that the placenta is formed by the apposition of the chorioallantois to the uterine mucosa implicating the entire embryonic chamber, because the allantoic vesicle invades all the exocoelom. The chorioallantoic placenta presents the features proper of a type IV allantoplacenta. However, in the mesometrial area peripheral to the placentome, we found that the paraplacentome is an additional zone specialized for histotrophic transfer, and is separated from the rest of the embryonic chamber by a chorionic invagination formed of polymorphic cells. The chorionic areolae are components of the embryonic hemisphere; they are in apposition to an endometrium with columnar epithelial cells and several glands that secrete toward the cavity of the areolae. They are observed only in the preparturition stage, probably operating in maternal‐fetal transfer of nutrients during the last embryonic growth stage. The mesometrial hemisphere possesses specializations related to histotrophic nutrition (placentome, paraplacentome, and chorionic areolae), while in the abembryonic hemisphere there is an allantoplacenta of mixed function, with capacity for histotrophic nutrition and for gas exchange. The absorptive plaques are small rounded areas constituted by chorionic cells similar to the paraplacentomal chorionic cells, in intimate apposition with a secretory uterine epithelium. Separating the absorptive plaques are respiratory segments histologically similar to the type I allantoplacenta. The additional histotrophic areas found for this species demonstrate the great specialization of this allantoplacenta, and support the highest degree of matrotrophy among reptiles reached in the Neotropical Mabuya. J. Morphol. 249:132–146, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In vivo HIV‐1 compartmentalisation: Drug resistance‐associated mutation distribution
Authors: Devereux Helen L. , Burke Andy , Lee Christine A. , Johnson Margaret A.
Published: September 2002

Four patients who had received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and had postmortem samples stored, were tested for genotypic resistance using consensus sequencing. One patient was further investigated using single‐copy sequencing. Patients 1, 3, and 4 showed a relatively uniform distribution of resistance‐associated mutations, with only a small number (one to three) of protease mutations detectable. Patient 2 had a number of detectable mutations (four to eight, depending on the tissue) with similar distributions between the tissues. The exception was viruses detected in the esophagus, which were more diverse. Plasma was a moderately representative tissue of the viruses circulating in these individuals. However, some mutations detectable in some tissues were not seen in plasma (e.g., M46I and D30N in the protease). Single‐copy sequencing revealed a wide distribution of quasi‐species and a number of defective viruses in the proviral DNA and RNA. This study supports the concept that a wide variety of quasi‐species circulate in each individual and that there may be viruses evolving independently in different body compartments. J. Med. Virol. 66:8–12, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Using redundancy analysis to improve dynamical seasonal mean 500 hPa geopotential forecasts
Authors: Wang Xiaolan L. , Zwiers Francis W.
Published: September 2002

In this study, we evaluate and compare 500 hPa geopotential height hindcast skill in two large dynamical hindcast experiments performed with the Canadian Climate Centre second generation general circulation model (GCM). In one hindcast experiment, seasonal hindcasts are made from lagged initial conditions observed at the beginning of each season. The sea‐surface temperatures (SSTs) required by the model during each forecast period are forecast by persisting the SST anomalies observed during the month just prior to the forecast period. The second hindcast experiment consists of an ensemble of simulations in which continuously evolving observed SSTs are specified at the model's lower boundary. These hindcasts do not benefit from re‐specification of the initial state at the beginning of each season, but they do enjoy the benefit of ‘perfect’ SST forecasts. We also demonstrate the use of a regression technique, called redundancy analysis (RA), for statistically improving the skill of both types of dynamical hindcast. The results indicate that specification of the initial state at the beginning of each season adds skill to the seasonal hindcasts, even though SSTs at the lower boundary are imperfectly specified. We also find that the model can predict the mean state of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with some skill in boreal winter and spring when the initial state is specified at the beginning of each season. The results also indicate that statistical post‐processing with the RA technique improves the (cross‐validated) skill of both types of dynamical hindcast. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society
Downscaling temperature and precipitation: a comparison of regression‐based methods and artificial neural networks
Authors: Schoof J.T. , Pryor S.C.
Published: September 2002

A comparison of two statistical downscaling methods for daily maximum and minimum surface air temperature, total daily precipitation and total monthly precipitation at Indianapolis, IN, USA, is presented. The analysis is conducted for two seasons, the growing season and the non‐growing season, defined based on variability of surface air temperature. The predictors used in the downscaling are indices of the synoptic scale circulation derived from rotated principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis of variables extracted from an 18‐year record from seven rawinsonde stations in the Midwest region of the United States. PCA yielded seven significant components for the growing season and five significant components for the non‐growing season. These PCs explained 86% and 83% of the original rawinsonde data for the growing and non‐growing seasons, respectively. Cluster analysis of the PC scores using the average linkage method resulted in eight growing season synoptic types and twelve non‐growing synoptic types. The downscaling of temperature and precipitation is conducted using PC scores and cluster frequencies in regression models and artificial neural networks (ANNs).

Regression models and ANNs yielded similar results, but the data for each regression model violated at least one of the assumptions of regression analysis. As expected, the accuracy of the downscaling models for temperature was superior to that for precipitation. The accuracy of all temperature models was improved by adding an autoregressive term, which also changed the relative importance of the dominant anomaly patterns as manifest in the PC scores. Application of the transfer functions to model daily maximum and minimum temperature data from an independent time series resulted in correlation coefficients of 0.34–0.89. In accord with previous studies, the precipitation models exhibited lesser predictive capabilities. The correlation coefficient for predicted versus observed daily precipitation totals was less than 0.5 for both seasons, while that for monthly total precipitation was below 0.65. The downscaling techniques are discussed in terms of model performance, comparison of techniques and possible model improvements. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society
Changes in total precipitation, rainy days and extreme events in northeastern Italy
Authors: Brunetti Michele , Maugeri Maurizio , Nanni Teresa
Published: September 2002

A new daily precipitation dataset, for the period 1920–1998, comprising seven stations located in the northeastern Italy is presented.

Seasonal and annual precipitation and number of rainy days have been analysed and a study aimed at investigating precipitation intensity and extreme events has been performed. Precipitation intensity has been analysed through studying both the mean precipitation amount per wet day and dividing precipitation into heavy and non‐heavy classes. In addition, the return period of the extreme events has been calculated for 30‐year running windows and its variations have been examined.

The results show a negative trend in the number of wet days associated with an increase in the contribution of heavy rainfall events to total precipitation. This is in agreement with a reduction in return period for extreme events since 1920. Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society
Dissociation and rate of proton transfer of HXO3 (X = Cl, Br) in aqueous solution determined by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Alves Wagner A. , Téllez S Claudio A. , Sala Oswaldo , Santos Paulo S. , Faria Roberto B.
Published: September 2002

Raman spectra of aqueous halate and oxyacids HXO3 (X = Cl,Br) solutions were obtained. Integrated Raman intensity measurements of the 804 and 933 cm−1 bands of HBrO3 and HClO3 in aqueous solutions, respectively, allowed the determination of the degree of dissociation of these acids in the molarity range studied. The results show that these acids are almost completely dissociated until the maximum concentration studied. In addition, we observed that bromic and chloric acid solutions with concentrations ≥ 3.2 and 2.5 mol L−1, respectively, decompose to bromine and chlorine at room temperature. The trend of the Raman specific intensities of the halate ions (BrO3− > ClO3−) bands in aqueous solutions is discussed and compared with that observed by other workers who considered the contributions of the isotropic and anisotropic components of the polarizability tensor. Measurements of the Raman line broadening of the same bands gave values of 2.6 × 1011 L mol−1 s−1 for the second‐order rate constant of the reaction between H+ and BrO3− and 3.4 × 1011 L mol−1 s−1 for the reaction between H+ and CIO3−. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phytate content and phytate degradation by endogenous phytase in pea (Pisum sativum)
Authors: Fredrikson Mattias , Alminger Marie Larsson , Carlsson Nils‐Gunnar , Sandberg Ann‐Sofie
Published: September 2002

In order to rapidly reduce the content of inositol tri–hexaphosphates in pea flour by action of the endogenous phytase, raw materials as well as incubation conditions have been evaluated. The phytate (inositol hexaphosphate) content was analysed in 27 pea varieties; the influence of storage time and the difference in phytate content between the germ and the cotyledon were determined. Furthermore, degradation of inositol phosphates by the endogenous phytase enzyme was studied in pea flour, germ and cotyledon. To find the maximum phytate degradation, the effects of temperature and pH during pea flour incubation were investigated. The most efficient phytate degradation in pea flour incubation was achieved at pH 7.5 and 45 °C. At this condition an almost complete degradation of phytate and a 66% reduction in the sum of inositol hexa‐, penta‐, tetra‐ and triphosphates were reached in 10 h. The storage time of pea seeds or removal of the germ did not have a major effect on the phytate content. Since several inositol pentaphosphate isomers were produced during phytate degradation, it can be concluded that peas contain several phytate‐degrading enzymes, or one phytate‐degrading enzyme with unspecific initial hydrolysation pattern.

© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.
Ethnography: a research method in practice
Authors: Palmer Catherine
Published: September 2002

This article discusses the ethnographic methods employed for a doctoral study focusing upon heritage tourism and English national identity. It explains the fundamental principles behind the research and how the field work was conducted. In addition, it examines the issues of practicality which emerged during the research process and discusses how these were resolved. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of ethnography as a tool for understanding and interpreting visitor behaviour. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mathematical formulas for ester hydrolysis and formation
Authors: Hunter L. W.
Published: September 2002

Mathematical formulas are developed to describe the progress of ester hydrolysis reactions and the reverse reactions of ester formation, in aqueous solution. Included is a formula for the time to achieve a given degree of reaction. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 277–280, 2001
Direct kinetics study of the temperature dependence of the CH2O branching channel for the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction
Authors: Elrod Matthew J. , Ranschaert Dana L. , Schneider Nicholas J.
Published: September 2002

A direct kinetics study of the temperature dependence of the CH2O branching channel for the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction has been performed using the turbulent flow technique with high‐pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry for the detection of reactants and products. The temperature dependence of the CH2O‐producing channel rate constant was investigated between 298 and 218 K at a pressure of 100 Torr, and the data were fitted to the following Arrhenius expression: 1.6 × 10−15 × exp[(1730 ± 130)/T] cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Using the Arrhenius expression for the overall rate of the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction and this result, the 298 K branching ratio for the CH2O producing channel is measured to be 0.11, and the branching ratio is calculated to increase to a value of 0.31 at 218 K, the lowest temperature accessed in this study. The results are compared to the analogous CH3O2 + CH3O2 reaction and the potential atmospheric ramifications of significant CH2O production from the CH3O2 + HO2 reaction are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 363–376, 2001
The N(4S) + N2O(X̃1∑) reaction
Authors: Fernandez Abel , Fontijn Arthur
Published: September 2002

The title reaction, which is spin‐forbidden for N2(X1∑) + NO(X2Π) production, has been studied from 960 to 1130 K in a high‐temperature photochemistry reactor. No reaction could be observed, indicating k < 1 × 10−15 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. It is concluded that there is no significant contribution from the spin‐allowed exothermic path leading to N2(X1∑) + NO(a4Π). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 387–389, 2001
Inhibitory effect of silibinin on ligand binding to erbB1 and associated mitogenic signaling, growth, and DNA synthesis in advanced human prostate carcinoma cells
Authors: Sharma Yogesh , Agarwal Chapla , Singh Ashvani K. , Agarwal Rajesh
Published: September 2002

We recently showed the inhibitory effect of a flavonoid antioxidant, silymarin, on erbB1‐Shc activation in prostate cancer (PCA) DU145 cells. In the present study, we performed more detailed mechanistic and molecular modeling studies with pure silibinin to assess and define its effect on membrane signaling related to erbB1 activation in human PCA LNCaP and DU145 cells. Studies also were performed to establish the biologic responses toward extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation, cell growth, and DNA synthesis. Treatment of serum‐starved cells with various doses of silibinin for 2 h followed by 125I‐epidermal growth factor (EGF) showed 30–75% inhibition in ligand binding and 55–95% inhibition in its internalization in LNCaP cells and 20–64% and 12–27% inhibition in these two events in DU145 cells. Time‐response studies showed similar effects. In further studies, treatment of serum‐starved cultures with silibinin followed by EGF showed strong inhibitory effects on membrane and cytoplasmic signaling molecules. In the case of erbB1 activation, silibinin showed a 58–75% decrease in LNCaP and a 40–100% decrease in DU145 cells at 50, 75, and 100‐μg/mL doses. Inhibitory effects of silibinin also were evident on ERK1/2 activation (20–80% inhibition) in both cell lines. Treatment of serum‐starved cultures with silibinin resulted in 20–40% and 30–55% inhibition of LNCaP and DU145 cell growth, respectively, at similar doses after 1–3 d of treatment, and 10–50% cell death in both cell lines. Under 10% serum conditions, identical silibinin treatments resulted in 20–65% inhibition of cell growth in LNCaP and DU145 cells but did not cause any cell death. Similar doses of silibinin treatments for 24 h also resulted in 25–60%, 35–40%, and 36–50% inhibition of DNA synthesis when cells were cultured in 10% serum, totally serum starved, and serum starved plus stimulated with EGF, respectively. Molecular modeling of silibinin showed that it is a highly lipophilic compound, suggesting that it interacts with lipid‐rich plasma membrane, including binding with erbB1, thereby competing with the EGF‐erbB1 interaction. Because the ligand‐erbB1 autocrine‐loop is causally involved in advanced and androgen‐independent PCA, the observed effects of silibinin and its strong lipophilic nature could be useful in developing this agent for the prevention and therapy of PCA. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional assessment of peripheral nerve recovery in the rat: Gait kinematics
Authors: Varejão Artur S.P. , Cabrita António M. , Patrício João A. , Bulas‐Cruz José , Gabriel Ronaldo C. , Melo‐Pinto Pedro , Couto Pedro A. , Meek Marcel F.
Published: September 2002

Computerized rat gait analysis has become an invaluable technique of functional evaluation for some peripheral nerve investigators, comparing the normal and the pathological kinematic data. Appropriate selection of the methods to evaluate the functional outcome should be sensitive enough to moderate changes. By combining kinematic data and traditional methods in regeneration studies, it is possible to achieve better documentation of functional changes with the passage of time. A review of the three commonly kinematic parameters used in nerve regeneration studies, such as the calculation of sciatic function index, stance factor, and ankle angle, will provide the reader with detailed information about this accurate and consistent means of evaluating peripheral nerve function after nerve injury and repair. This study aims to review the different methods and potentialities of the rat gait kinematics as a noninvasive evaluation during regeneration, allowing for measurement of the rate of functional recovery in experimental studies. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 21:383–388 2001
Global solution curves for semilinear systems
Authors: Korman Philip
Published: September 2002

We study semilinear elliptic systems in two different directions. In the first one we give a simple constructive proof existence of solutions for a class of sublinear systems. Our main results are in the second direction, where we use bifurcation theory to study global solution curves. Crucial to our analysis is proving positivity properties of the corresponding linearized systems. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bound for resolvent of second order elliptic operator in low spectral stripe
Authors: Łada Andrzej , Sidz Leszek
Published: September 2002

Mourre method of commutators is used to get low energy resolvent bound for an abstract operatorin a Hilbert space and for a second order variable coefficient elliptic operator in Rd, d⩾3. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NMR applications for solid‐phase synthesis: Part I. Suppression of residual polymer signals in 1D 1H NMR spectroscopy of polymer‐supported species
Authors: Ditty Michael J. T. , Hunter Howard N. , Mainville Rachel M. E. , Power William P.
Published: September 2002

A simple and readily implemented technique for suppression of polymer signals in 1H 1D NMR spectroscopy of samples from solid‐phase synthetic methods is described. Based on the 2D TOCSY experiment, and combined with routine magic angle spinning, this sequence can be readily adapted from standard pulse programs and used in a robust way for a range of samples attached to Wang resin. Signal intensities of the attached species retain their quantitative nature, permitting the standard organic spectroscopic analyses to be performed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
α‐, β‐, γ‐catenin, and p120CTN expression during the terminal differentiation and fusion of human mononucleate cytotrophoblasts in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Getsios Spiro , Chen George T.C. , MacCalman Colin D.
Published: September 2002

The cadherins play key roles in the formation and organization of the mammalian placenta by mediating cellular interactions and the terminal differentiation of trophoblastic cells. Although cadherin function is regulated by the cytoplasmic proteins, known as the catenins, the identity and expression pattern(s) of the catenins present in the trophoblastic cells of the human placenta have not been characterized. In these studies, we have determined that α‐, β‐, γ‐catenin, and p120ctn expression levels are high in villous cytotrophoblasts isolated from the human term placenta but decline as these cells undergo aggregation and fusion to form syncytium with time in culture. In contrast, the expression levels of these four catenin subtypes remained constant in non‐fusing JEG‐3 choriocarcinoma cells at all of the time points examined in these studies. α‐, β‐, γ‐catenin, and p120ctn expression was further immunolocalized to the mononucleate cells present in these two trophoblastic cell cultures. Similarly, intense immunostaining for all four catenins was detected in the mononucleate villous cytotrophoblasts of the human first trimester placenta. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that the expression levels of α‐, β‐, γ‐catenin, and p120ctn are tightly regulated during the formation of multinucleated syncytium in vitro and in vivo. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 59:168–177, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spherical navigator echoes for full 3D rigid body motion measurement in MRI
Authors: Welch Edward Brian , Manduca Armando , Grimm Roger C. , Ward Heidi A. , Jack Jr. Clifford R.
Published: September 2002

We developed a 3D spherical navigator (SNAV) echo technique that can measure rigid body motion in all six degrees of freedom simultaneously by sampling a spherical shell in k‐space. 3D rotations of an imaged object simply rotate the data on this shell and can be detected by registration of k‐space magnitude values. 3D translations add phase shifts to the data on the shell and can be detected with a weighted least‐squares fit to the phase differences at corresponding points. MRI pulse sequences were developed to study k‐space sampling strategies on such a shell. Data collected with a computer‐controlled motion phantom with known rotational and translational motions were used to evaluate the technique. The accuracy and precision of the technique depend on the sampling density. Roughly 2000 sample points were necessary for accurate detection to within the error limits of the motion phantom when using a prototype time‐intensive sampling method. This number of samples can be captured in an approximately 27‐ms double excitation SNAV pulse sequence with a 3D helical spiral trajectory. Preliminary results with the helical SNAV are encouraging and indicate that accurate motion measurement suitable for retrospective or prospective correction should be feasible with SNAV echoes. Magn Reson Med 47:32–41, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.