bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimally Invasive Video‐Assisted Thyroidectomy for Benign Thyroid Disease: An Evidence‐Based Review
Authors: Miccoli Paolo , Minuto Michele N. , Ugolini Clara , Pisano Roberta , Fosso Alessandra , Berti Piero
Published: February 2008

Background

A decade after nearly all surgical disciplines developed minimally invasive techniques, the first report of a single case of minimally invasive thyroidectomy was published. Minimally invasive video‐assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) is now considered the most widely practiced and most easily reproducible minimally invasive procedure for thyroidectomy. The aim of this review was to analyze the treatment of benign thyroid diseases by MIVAT.

Methods

A systematic evidence‐based literature review focusing on three questions was carried out. Additional data were obtained on the basis of our personal experience. (1) Are minimally invasive procedures indicated in the treatment of thyroid diseases? (2) Is MIVAT a safe technique and what are the demonstrated advantages? (3) Since different thyroid diseases may be treated by MIVAT, is it of any value in the treatment of benign thyroid diseases?

Results

MIVAT can be considered an appropriate treatment of some thyroid diseases; it represents a safe procedure with the same incidence of complications as traditional surgery, and also has advantages in terms of both cosmetic result and postoperative distress.

Conclusions

In spite of an increasing trend toward performing more extensive procedures other than thyroidectomy alone during videoscopic procedures, the current literature seems to reaffirm that the main and safest indication for MIVAT is benign disease.
Photosynthetic property and primary production of phytoplankton in sublittoral sand bank area in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan
Authors: Genkai‐Kato Motomi , Onishi Miyuki , Doi Hideyuki , Nozaki Kentaro , Yoshino Kenji , Miyasaka Hitoshi , Omori Koji
Published: February 2008

We investigated the photosynthesis–light intensity (P–I) relationships of phytoplankton collected from a sublittoral sand bank in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, under different temperature conditions. In spite of low chlorophyll a concentration (<3 mg m−3), phytoplankton had considerably high photosynthetic potential (>10 mg C (mg chl a)−1 h−1) in the study area. Based on the P–I relationships, we conducted numerical simulation of areal primary production using published data on water temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, and irradiance. The areal primary production ranged between 159 and 187 g C m−2 year−1. This production was within the range of typical values reported previously in deeper areas of the Seto Inland Sea. The productivity in the sand bank area was discussed in relation to water current, allochthonous resource input, and fisheries.
Preparation and Characterization of Mesoporous Zirconia Made by Using a Poly (methyl methacrylate) Template
Authors: Duan Guorong , Zhang Chunxiang , Li Aimei , Yang Xujie , Lu Lude , Wang Xin
Published: February 2008

Superfine powders of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been prepared by means of an emulsion polymerization method. These have been used as templates in the synthesis of tetragonal phase mesoporous zirconia by the sol–gel method, using zirconium oxychloride and oxalic acid as raw materials. The products have been characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, N2adsorption-desorption isotherms, and pore size distribution. The results indicate that the average pore size was found to be 3.7 nm.
Fatty Acid Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Antiproliferative Capacity of Selected Cold‐Pressed Seed Flours
Authors: Parry John W. , Cheng Zhihong , Moore Jeffrey , Yu Liangli Lucy
Published: February 2008

Cold‐pressed seed flours from pumpkin, parsley, mullein, cardamom, and milk thistle were examined for total oil, fatty acid profile of the oil, total phenolic content (TPC), scavenging activities against peroxyl (ORAC), hydroxyl (HOSC) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (RDSC) radicals, and antiproliferative capacity against HT‐29 human colon cancer cells. The cold‐pressed parsley seed flour contained a very high concentration of total oil—17.6 g/100 g flour—with primarily C18:1 fatty acid at 86.2 g/100 g fatty acids. All other flour oils had relatively high levels of saturated fats, ranging from 39.0 to 62.9 g/100 g fatty acids. The tested seed flours demonstrated significant TPC and free radical scavenging activities. Milk thistle seed flour had the highest TPC value of 25.2 mg gallic acid equivalent per g flour (GAE mg/g) followed by that of parsley seed flour at 8.1 GAE mg/g. Milk thistle seed‐flour extract also had significantly higher antioxidant activities than all other extracts against all tested radicals. The milk thistle seed‐flour extract had an ORAC value of 1131 μmol trolox equivalents (TE) per g flour (TE μmol/g), a HOSC value of 893 TE μmol/g, and an RDSC value of 61 TE μmol/g. Also, ORAC, HOSC, and TPC values were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) under the experimental conditions. The cold‐pressed milk thistle seed flour inhibited the proliferation of HT‐29 cancer cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Results from this study suggest that these cold‐pressed seed flours may serve as natural sources of antioxidants and may be used to improve human health.
Management of distal tibial medial malleolus type-6 physeal fractures
Authors: Peterson Hamlet A. , Jacobsen F. Stig
Published: February 2008

Purpose

Type 6 is an open fracture in which part of the physis is missing. It is the least common physeal fracture, but has the highest rate of complications, particularly the formation of a physeal bar. Without preemptive treatment, a physeal bar always forms, producing growth retardation and angular deformity, and excision of these physeal bars has been uniformly unsuccessful. The distal medial malleolus is a common site for the fracture.

Methods

Strategies for the treatment of two varieties of acute medial malleolar type-6 fractures and two types of late deformities following type-6 fracture are given. The acute fractures were treated with either fat or cartilage applied to the exposed physis. The late deformities were treated with corrective iliac bone grafting.

Results

The acute fractures were prevented from forming physeal bars and the two late deformities were fully corrected with good outcomes.

Conclusion

Fat applied to an acute type-6 physeal fracture has a good chance of preventing bar formation. Ankle deformities due to bars can be corrected by means of iliac bone grafting.
II. International Law in English Court—Recent Cases
Authors: Warbrick Colin , McGoldrick Dominic
Published: February 2008

The Orthodox position on the legal effect of treaties in English law is easy to state. Treaties are entered into by the Executive acting under prerogative powers. The exercise of these powers is not, even in the post-GCHQ2 dispensation, a matter within the jurisdiction of the courts, so that the desirability of entering into a treaty cannot be challenged in the courts.3 However, since any prerogative power must be exercised campatibly with legislation, if there is an extant statutory restriction upon making a particular treaty or providing a particular procedure as a condition upon which the prerogative power may be exercised, then compliance with the statutory provisions is a matter for the courts.4
Poverty Dynamics and Social Exclusion: An Analysis of Norwegian Panel Data
Authors: DAHL ESPEN , FLØTTEN TONE , LORENTZEN THOMAS
Published: February 2008

This article aims to examine the relationship between poverty and social exclusion in a dynamic perspective. We look at two dimensions of social exclusion (lack of friendship relationships and lack of participation in civic organisations), and scrutinise two aspects of poverty: poverty duration (that is, ‘previously poor’, ‘recently poor’, ‘recurrent poor’ and ‘permanently poor) and poverty gradation (defined as 50, 60 and 70 per cent of median income). For income, panel data for four waves are used (1997–2000). For the social exclusion indicators, data are available only for one wave, the year 2000. We find that poor people are more likely to see friends regularly than non-poor, but this is primarily caused by some third factor such as work activity or ethnicity, and not by povertyper se. With respect to relationship to civic organisations, the poor are less likely to participate than the non-poor. This occurs regardless of where the poverty line is drawn and the duration of poverty. These results are discussed in light of current anti-poverty policies and recent theories and research on social exclusion and social capital.
Strategies for the Prevention of Social Exclusion: An Analysis of the Children's Fund
Authors: BARNES MARIAN , MORRIS KATE
Published: February 2008

The Children's Fund involved the development of partnerships in every local authority in England to prevent the social exclusion of children and young people. This article draws from the national evaluation of this initiative to consider the strategies used to implement the Fund, and reflect on their capacity to address the multiple dimensions of exclusion experienced by marginalised groups of children and young people. It discusses the contested nature of the concept of social exclusion, but argues that this is a useful framework for understanding the processes by which children may become excluded and for assessing the capacity of strategies to address this. It concludes that the Children's Fund is likely to have limited long-term impact in this respect.
Men Taking Up Career Leave: An Opportunity for a Better Work and Family Life Balance?
Authors: VANDEWEYER JESSIE , GLORIEUX IGNACE
Published: February 2008

In 2004, 9 per cent of female employees took advantage of the system of ‘career break’ or ‘time credit’ in Flanders, compared to only 3 per cent of male workers. Although the number of men taking a career break is increasing, they remain a small group. In this article the time use of men interrupting their careers full-time or part-time is compared to that of full-time working men, using representative time use data from 2004. Analyses show that a career break does not imply a reduced workload. Half of the men interrupting their career full-time do so to try out another job. Men who take part-time leave are mainly motivated by their desire for a better work and family life balance. About 80 per cent of the time they gain by working on a part-time basis is allocated to household and childcare activities. This suggests that encouraging men to work fewer hours could well be the best policy for achieving gender equality.
Common and distinct cognitive bases for reading in English–Cantonese bilinguals
Authors: LUK GIGI , BIALYSTOK ELLEN
Published: February 2008

The study explores the relationship between phonological awareness and early reading for bilingual children learning to read in two languages that use different writing systems. Participants were 57 Cantonese–English bilingual 6-year-olds who were learning to read in both languages. The children completed cognitive measures, phonological awareness tasks, and word identification tests in both languages. Once cognitive abilities had been controlled, there was no correlation in word identification ability performance across languages, but the correspondence in phonological awareness measures remained strong. This pattern was confirmed by a principal components analysis and hierarchical regression that demonstrated a different role for each phonological awareness factor in reading performance in each language. The results indicate that phonological awareness depends on a set of cognitive abilities that is applied generally across languages and that early reading depends on a common set of cognitive abilities in conjunction with skills specific to different writing systems.
Predicting mortality with pneumonia severity scores: importance of model recalibration to local settings
Authors: SCHUETZ P. , KOLLER M. , CHRIST-CRAIN M. , STEYERBERG E. , STOLZ D. , MÜLLER C. , BUCHER H. C. , BINGISSER R. , TAMM M. , MÜLLER B.
Published: February 2008

In patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) prediction rules based on individual predicted mortalities are frequently used to support decision-making for in-patient vs. outpatient management. We studied the accuracy and the need for recalibration of three risk prediction scores in a tertiary-care University hospital emergency-department setting in Switzerland. We pooled data from patients with CAP enrolled in two randomized controlled trials. We compared expected mortality from the original pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB65 and CRB65 scores against observed mortality (calibration) and recalibrated the scores by fitting the intercept α and the calibration slope β from our calibration model. Each of the original models underestimated the observed 30-day mortality of 11%, in 371 patients admitted to the emergency department with CAP (8·4%, 5·5% and 5·0% for the PSI, CURB65 and CRB65 scores, respectively). In particular, we observed a relevant mortality within the low risk classes of the original models (2·6%, 5·3%, and 3·7% for PSI classes I–III, CURB65 classes 0–1, and CRB65 class 0, respectively). Recalibration of the original risk models corrected the miscalibration. After recalibration, however, only PSI class I was sensitive enough to identify patients with a low risk (i.e. <1%) for mortality suitable for outpatient management. In our tertiary-care setting with mostly referred in-patients, CAP risk scores substantially underestimated observed mortalities misclassifying patients with relevant risks of death suitable for outpatient management. Prior to the implementation of CAP risk scores in the clinical setting, the need for recalibration and the accuracy of low-risk re-classification should be studied in order to adhere with discharge guidelines and guarantee patients' safety.
Analysis of near-surface ozone variations in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica
Authors: Cristofanelli P. , Bonasoni P. , Calzolari F. , Bonafè U. , Lanconelli C. , Lupi A. , Trivellone G. , Vitale V. , Petkov B.
Published: February 2008

Ozone concentration measurements were made during December from 2001–2005 to quantify the contributions of different processes to near-surface ozone concentrations (O3) in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. The average O3 concentration was 20.3 ppbv. On days characterized by high solar radiation fluxes (HSR), significantly higher concentrations of O3 (21.3 ppbv) were recorded compared to days with low solar radiation fluxes (LSR days, 16.8 ppbv). High O3 concentrations could be related to strong winds from SW–NW. Three-dimensional back-trajectories show that air from the interior of the continent could affect O3 at Terra Nova Bay. Moreover, during HSR days, high O3 concentrations were also recorded in connection with weak circulation, suggesting that emissions from the Italian base (located 2 km north) could also represent a significant source of O3. To clarify the role of local pollution in Terra Nova Bay, O3 values were also calculated using the photochemical steady state (PSS) approximation under clear sky and cloudy conditions.
Skeletal muscle aging
Authors: Close Graeme L , Haggan Philippa , McArdle Anne
Published: February 2008

Average world life expectancy has seen a dramatic rise over the last two centuries although active life expectancy remains relatively unchanged. One reason for this is that aging results in skeletal muscle becoming smaller, weaker and more susceptible to contraction-induced injury. By the age of 70, muscle strength is reduced by around 30–40% and this can have catastrophic effects on quality of life. Despite a vast amount of research into age-related changes in skeletal muscle, the exact mechanisms responsible for this is still unclear and thus treatments to preserve muscle function with aging remain elusive.
The 2006 Mexican Presidential Election: The Economy, Oil Revenues,
and Ideology
Authors: Moreno Alejandro
Published: February 2008

Early analyses of the 2006 presidential election in Mexico have called
our attention to the post-election process, to accusations of fraud, to
the extent of partisan polarization, and to the prospects of democratic
consolidation, but few have offered an explanation of why President
Vicente Fox's National Action Party (PAN) was able to maintain
control of the executive office, even by the slim margin of 0.56%. In this
article, I argue that the first post-PRI-regime election split the
anti-PRI vote into different ideological and policy-oriented camps. This
made the 2006 race a choice between policy programs and priorities that
reflected economic concerns, and voters' assessments of the economy
were a central feature of candidate support. Economic growth in the second
half of the Fox administration as well as unusually high oil prices played
a crucial role in the election. They enabled the PAN candidate, Felipe
Calderón, to appeal for stability and to attack his main contender,
PRD candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as a danger to
it. Had economic growth remained slow and oil prices at the expected rate,
the PAN's chances to keep the presidency would have been slim,
especially against a popular leftist candidate who had a lead in the
polls, promised to help the poor at the expense of the rich, and voiced
harsh criticism against the “neoliberal” policies of the PRI
and PAN governments.
Larry D. Terry
Authors: Stivers Camilla
Published: February 2008

Larry D. Terry died in Atlanta, Georgia on June 17, 2006, of
respiratory arrest due to an allergic reaction. At the time of his death,
he was vice-president for business and professor of public administration
at the University of Texas, Dallas (UTD). He was 52 years old.
Trends in Numbers of Degrees Earned in Political Science,
1990–2004
Authors: Sedowski Leanne
Published: February 2008

The number of students pursuing degrees and graduating in political
science is growing again after the discipline experienced falling or
stagnant enrollment numbers at all academic levels in the 1990s, according
to data in the latest Digest of Education Statistics (2005).
After experiencing a growth in enrollments and degrees awarded in the
1980s, political science departments reported falling enrollments in the
early 1990s and stagnant numbers of degrees awarded in the later half of
the 1990s (Mann 1996; 2002). Political science departments began to report
increasing enrollments starting in 1998–1999 (Mann 2002), reflected
in the increase in graduation numbers beginning in 2002.
You Can Leave a Congressional Fellowship, but the Fellowship Never
Leaves You: How a Former Fellow Found Himself Staffing an Event Long after
Leaving Capitol Hill
Authors: Ward Artemus
Published: February 2008

On Saturday, September 2, 2006, I staffed an event by my member at the
Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in
Philadelphia. So what, you say? Congressional Fellows are supposed to
staff events, right? Yes, but three years after my fellowship ended? To be
sure, I have continued to be part of the Congressional Fellowship Program
(CFP) in the last few years by continuing to work with staffers who were
my colleagues in Congress, giving talks to interested groups about my
experiences such as the recent presentation I gave on “How a Bill
Really Becomes a Law” at the Dirksen Congressional Center, attending
CFP events at conferences and in D.C., and generally keeping in touch with
the director of the program, Jeff Biggs, and other fellows. Despite all of
this, I never imagined I would end up staffing another event after I left
Capitol Hill.
Microsound in public space: compositional methods to enhance site-specific sound
Authors: Anderson Sven
Published: February 2008

This article documents the resolution of a problem encountered during the design of a semi-permanent interactive sound and video installation currently being installed at a tram station located in Dublin, Ireland. This artwork generates video and multi-channel sound output in real time, responding to changes in traffic patterns on an adjacent street. While the visuals are composed from pre-recorded content, the sound environment explores the use of site-specific sound within public urban space by sampling and processing sounds that occur naturally in and around the station. Regulations involving the artwork's volume resulted in the sound output being reduced to a level at which it was too subtle to be noticed amidst the busy activity of the station. It was therefore necessary to strengthen the artwork's aural presence without interfering with the subtleties of the site-specific sound environment. A dynamic field of sine tones and rhythmic glitches was composed to augment the more subtle sounds of the installation. This juxtaposition of site-specific sound with compositional structures associated with the popular musical genre known as microsound proved to be effective, calling attention to the mediated sound environment even at low volume levels and balancing the artwork's presence with the other functions of the site.
statics: a C++ implementation of functional iteration synthesis
Authors: Lilly Stephen F.
Published: February 2008

statics is a non-standard sound synthesis program that uses functional iteration to both generate sound events and organise them temporally. This paper gives a brief history on the use of functional iteration in music composition and then describes how it is implemented in statics. Also discussed is the conception of program design as compositional process. Since statics was designed by a composer with musical goals in mind, the program is itself is a collection of compositional decisions. Furthermore, the unique timbres and structures created by statics are a direct result of these decisions. Accordingly, I discuss my compositional process in two stages: those choices that are embedded into the program (general decisions) and those choices that occurred post-design (specific decisions). Using as examples the three individual compositions created with statics (congruent, convergence and cyclian), I delineate the effects of both types of decision on the compositional process and then describe how these three compositions embody different characteristics of my implementation of functional iteration.
‘Hoovering up the Money’? Delivering Government-Funded Capacity-Building Programmes to Voluntary and Community Organisations
Authors: Harris Margaret , Schlappa Hans
Published: February 2008

The ‘ChangeUp’ and ‘FutureBuilders initiatives have provided substantial funding to support and facilitate ‘capacity building’ in voluntary and community organisations and so enable them to contribute to the achievement of public and social policy goals. This paper builds on findings from a study of an early ‘capacity-building’ programme delivered between 1998 and 2005. We explore the challenges of implementing such initiatives for voluntary sector intermediary bodies involved in delivering them and for the voluntary and community organisations intended as the main beneficiaries. We conclude with a discussion about the implications for policy implementation.
Choice and Voice – A Review
Authors: Greener Ian
Published: February 2008

‘Choice’ and ‘voice’ are two of the most significant means through which the public are able to participate in public services. Choice agendas position public service users as consumers, driving improvements by choosing good providers over bad, which then thrive through greater allocations of funds as money follows their selections (Le Grand, 2007). Choice-driven reforms tend to be about trying to make public services more locally responsive (Ferlie, Freeman, McDonnell, Petsoulas and Rundle-Smith, 2006). Voice-driven reforms, on the other hand, tend to position public service users as citizens, suggesting an emphasis on accountability mechanisms to drive service improvements through elections, with the possible removal of low regarded officials, or a greater involvement of local people in the running of services (Jenkins, 2006). Voice implies that citizens hold the right to participate in public services either through the political process, or through their direct involvement in the running or delivery of the services themselves. Of course, it is also possible to combine choice and voice mechanisms to try and achieve greater service responsiveness and accountability. In this review, choice reforms will be treated as those which are based upon consumer literature, and voice reforms those based upon attempting to achieve greater citizenship.

Citizenship and consumption are two areas with significant literatures in their own right, but whereas the citizenship literature is widely cited in the social policy literature, the consumption literature appears rather more selectively. This review examines each area in turn in terms of its application to social policy, and then presents a synthesis of commonalties in the two literatures, which represent particularly promising avenues for exploring the relationship between public services and their users.
Metabolic and Morphological Differences between Rapidly Proliferating Cancerous and Normal Breast Epithelial Cells
Authors: Meadows Adam L. , Kong Becky , Berdichevsky Marina , Roy Siddhartha , Rosiva Rosiva , Blanch Harvey W. , Clark Douglas S.
Published: February 2008

The metabolic and morphological characteristics of two human epithelial breast cell populations‐MCF7 cells, a cancerous cell line, and 48R human mammary epithelial cells (48R HMECs), a noncancerous, finite lifespan cell strain‐were compared at identical growth rates. Both cell types were induced to grow rapidly in nutrient‐rich media containing 13C‐labeled glucose, and the isotopic enrichment of cellular metabolites was quantified to calculate metabolic fluxes in key pathways. Despite their similar growth rates, the cells exhibited distinctly different metabolic and morphological profiles. MCF7 cells have an 80% smaller exposed surface area and contain 26% less protein per cell than the 48R cells. Surprisingly, rapidly proliferating 48R cells exhibited a 225% higher per‐cell glucose consumption rate, a 250% higher per‐cell lactate production rate, and a nearly identical per‐cell glutamine consumption rate relative to the cancer cell line. However, when fluxes were considered on the basis of exposed area, the cancer cells were observed to have higher glucose, lactate, and glutamine fluxes, demonstrating superior transport capabilities per unit area of cell membrane. MCF7 cells also consumed amino acids at rates much higher than are generally required for protein synthesis, whereas 48R cells generally did not. Pentose phosphate pathway activity was higher in MCF7 cells, and the flux of glutamine to glutamate was less reversible. Energy efficiency was significantly higher in MCF7 cells, as a result of a combination of their smaller size and greater reliance on the TCA cycle than the 48R cells. These observations support evolutionary models of cancer cell metabolism and suggest targets for metabolic drugs in metastatic breast cancers.
Therapiemotivation, Psychische Belastung und Persönlichkeit bei Inhaftierten des Jugendvollzuges
Authors: Köhler Denis , Hinrichs Günter , Baving Lioba
Published: February 2008

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Therapiemotivation spielt für den Verlauf und Erfolg von Behandlungsmaßnahmen eine entscheidende Rolle. Fragestellung: Deshalb wurde der Frage nachgegangen, mit welchen psychischen Merkmalen (Psychische Belastung, Persönlichkeit) die Therapiemotivation bei jungen Häftlingen zusammenhängt. Methode: Es wurden 217 männliche Inhaftierte des Jugendvollzuges bezüglich der psychischen Befindlichkeit (KASSL, BSI), der Persönlichkeit (NEO-FFI; SKID-II Fragebogen), haftspezifischer Variablen und der Therapiemotivation (TMSF) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen Zusammenhang zur Therapiemotivation für die Variablen Erwartung der Therapiewirksamkeit, psychische Belastung, Neurotizismus sowie für dependente, depressive, schizotypische, negativistische und Borderline-Persönlichkeitsanteile. Schlussfolgerungen: Inhaftierte des Jugendvollzuges sind bzgl. intramuraler Behandlung nicht prinzipiell unmotiviert. Die Therapiemotivation bei Inhaftierten hängt jedoch nur gering bis mäßig von personalen Faktoren ab. Ergänzend dazu sollten im Strafvollzug deshalb auch externale Variablen (z.B. Therapieauflagen) erfasst und im Behandlungs-/Haftverlauf betrachtet werden.
Kurz- und längerfristige Wirksamkeit psychologischer Interventionen bei Depressionen im Alter
Authors: Hautzinger Martin , Welz Sabine
Published: February 2008

Zusammenfassung. Einleitung: Zur Psychotherapie bei Depressionen im Alter besteht unverändert ein Mangel an gut kontrollierten Studien. Die Bedeutung von unspezifischen, unterstützenden Elementen ist ebenso ungeklärt, wie der Einfluss von Rahmenbedingungen der Intervention und die Rolle leichter kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen. Ziele: Überprüfung der kurz- und längerfristigen Wirksamkeit einer spezifischen Psychotherapie für Depressionen im Alter (DiA) im Vergleich mit einer unspezifischen unterstützenden Therapie (UT), durchgeführt entweder als Einzel- oder als Gruppentherapie. Zusätzlich soll der Einfluss leichter kognitiver Einschränkungen sowie der Einnahme von Antidepressiva untersucht werden. Methode: In einem varianzanalytischen Design wurden 109 depressive ältere Patienten (mit bzw. ohne leichte kognitive Beeinträchtigungen) zufällig auf eine von vier Interventionsbedingungen (DiA Gruppe, DiA Einzeln, UT Gruppe, UT Einzeln) verteilt und über 4 Monate (15 Therapiekontakte) behandelt. Die Effekte wurden unmittelbar nach Ende und ein Jahr nach Abschluss der Interventionen über Selbst- und Fremdbeurteilung erfasst. Ergebnisse: Entsprechend der Erwartung werden durch die Interventionen die depressiven Symptome erfolgreich reduziert. Dieser Erfolg ist auch ein Jahr nach Abschluss der Interventionen nachweisbar und hoch signifikant. Entgegen der Erwartung reduziert eine spezifische kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Therapie die depressive Symptomatik nicht signifikant stärker, als eine unterstützende unspezifische Intervention. Gruppentherapie und Einzeltherapie wirken vergleichbar gut. Patienten mit leichter kognitiver Beeinträchtigung profitieren in gleicher Weise von den Interventionen. Die parallele Einnahme von antidepressiver Medikation nimmt auf die Effekte der psychologischen Interventionen keinen Einfluss. Schlussfolgerungen: Psychotherapie bei älteren depressiven Patienten ist selbst bei Vorliegen leichter kognitiver Einschränkungen erfolgreich (d = 0,64 bis 1,1), wenn gleich es vor allem die allgemein unterstützenden, beratenden Elemente sind, die zu diesen statistisch und klinisch relevanten Effekten führen.
The economics of time delayed salinity impact management in the River Murray
Authors: Connor Jeff
Published: February 2008

Drainage from irrigation along the River Murray causes rising levels of saline discharge to the river and floodplains with adverse impacts including crop, water infrastructure and floodplain ecological health damage. These salinity impacts of drainage are time delayed by up to several decades. Investment in engineering infrastructure to pump saline water away from the river to evaporation basins has been a significant feature of public policy to address the issue. This article evaluates the costs and benefits of further engineering investments to offset expected future salinity growth. The analysis involves an integer programming optimization model that explicitly accounts for salinity impact time delays in benefit, cost accounting considering a long term, 100 year time horizon. A lower bound salinity growth scenario is evaluated involving increasingly efficient irrigation and further new irrigation development at locations where salinity impacts are comparatively small. This is compared to an upper bound salinity growth scenario with static irrigation efficiency and new irrigation development in high salinity impact areas. It is concluded that if conditions leading to the upper bound salinity growth scenario can not be avoided in the near term, the marginal costs of offsetting future salinity growth with additional engineering investment will exceed the marginal benefits several decades hence.
Farming the planet: 2. Geographic distribution of crop areas, yields, physiological types, and net primary production in the year 2000
Authors: Monfreda Chad , Ramankutty Navin , Foley Jonathan A.
Published: February 2008

Croplands cover ∼15 million km2 of the planet and provide the bulk of the food and fiber essential to human well‐being. Most global land cover data sets from satellites group croplands into just a few categories, thereby excluding information that is critical for answering key questions ranging from biodiversity conservation to food security to biogeochemical cycling. Information about agricultural land use practices like crop selection, yield, and fertilizer use is even more limited. Here we present land use data sets created by combining national, state, and county level census statistics with a recently updated global data set of croplands on a 5 min by 5 min (∼10 km by 10 km) latitude‐longitude grid. The resulting land use data sets depict circa the year 2000 the area (harvested) and yield of 175 distinct crops of the world. We aggregate these individual crop maps to produce novel maps of 11 major crop groups, crop net primary production, and four physiologically based crop types: annuals/perennials, herbaceous/shrubs/trees, C3/C4, and leguminous/nonleguminous.
State‐dependent atmospheric noise associated with ENSO
Authors: Kug Jong‐Seong , Jin Fei‐Fei , Sooraj K. P. , Kang In‐Sik
Published: February 2008

A strong relationship between ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation) and atmospheric short‐term variability in the near‐surface zonal wind is reported in the present study. On one hand, anomalies in the variance of the short‐term atmospheric variability over the western Pacific tend to lead El Nino development. On the other hand, the activity of the fast atmospheric variability over the central Pacific is simultaneously correlated to the NINO3.4 SST. The significant correlation exists over the broad range of atmospheric variability from the synoptic time scale to the inter‐seasonal time scale. This finding supports the notion that the ENSO–state dependence of the atmospheric variability serves as a source of stochastic forcing for ENSO. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that there is a significant interdecadal change in this dependence. The state‐dependent noise becomes much stronger in the recent period, which possibly explains the recent increase of the ENSO activities, consistent with the recent theory of noise‐induced destabilization effect for ENSO.
Tidal propagation of deep tropical cloud signatures into the thermosphere from TIMED observations
Authors: Oberheide J. , Forbes J. M.
Published: February 2008

The diurnal eastward zonal wavenumber‐3 (DE3) tide is excited in the tropical troposphere by latent heat release in deep convective clouds. Its direct propagation into the thermosphere is explored using Hough Mode Extension (HME) analysis of temperature T, and zonal and meridional wind (u, v) measurements from SABER and TIDI on board the TIMED satellite. HMEs provide observation‐based tidal information about parameters not measured (vertical wind w, density ρ) and at latitudes and altitudes not covered by the two instruments. DE3 in (u, v, T, ρ) maximizes around 100 km. The thermospheric (180 km) signal is negligible for (v, ρ) but still considerable for (u, w, T). Maximum amplitudes are 6 m/s (u), 0.12 m/s (w), and 8 K (T). The HME analysis also shows the quantitative consistency of the DE3 tides from SABER and TIDI in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere region. This allows one to interpret the seasonal DE3 variation in terms of symmetric vs. antisymmetric modes.
Direct measurements of dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy of North Pacific subtropical mode water
Authors: Mori Kosuke , Uehara Kazuyuki , Kameda Takahiko , Kakehi Shigeho
Published: February 2008

Measurements of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate ɛ were performed in a region of North Pacific subtropical mode water (STMW), and the vertical eddy diffusivity Kz was calculated from the observed ɛ values. In summer, the magnitude of ɛ in the STMW interior was 2–3 × 10−10 Wkg−1, whereas the values at both the upper and lower boundaries of STMW were 4–6 × 10−10 Wkg−1. In winter, on the other hand, ɛ was almost uniform and had a magnitude less than 10−10 Wkg−1 over the whole depth of STMW. The magnitude of Kz was mostly from 10−6 to 10−5 m2s−1 in summer and from 10−7 to 10−5 m2s−1 in winter. These are at least one order of magnitude smaller than the inferred value from a budget analysis of potential vorticity in STMW.
Effect of canopy thickness and canopy saturation on the amount and kinetic energy of throughfall: An experimental approach
Authors: Nanko Kazuki , Onda Yuichi , Ito Akane , Moriwaki Hiromu
Published: February 2008

To investigate how canopy thickness and canopy saturation affect the amount and kinetic energy of throughfall, we conducted indoor experiments using a 9.8‐m‐tall transplanted Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and a large‐scale rainfall simulator with spray nozzles at a height of 16 m. The amount of throughfall and raindrop sizes and velocities were measured at twenty‐four points under four canopy structures generated by staged branch pruning. Decreasing the canopy thickness resulted in increases of the initial throughfall amount, volume proportion of large throughfall drops, the number of drops with high velocities, and throughfall kinetic energy. Compared to a saturated canopy, a canopy undergoing wetting had lower throughfall amounts and volume proportion of large drops, but higher mean drop velocity. Canopy thickness affected throughfall generation by affecting the processes of canopy saturation and drop generation within the canopy.
Monte Carlo method for determining earthquake recurrence parameters from short paleoseismic catalogs: Example calculations for California
Authors: Parsons Tom
Published: February 2008

Paleoearthquake observations often lack enough events at a given site to directly define a probability density function (PDF) for earthquake recurrence. Sites with fewer than 10–15 intervals do not provide enough information to reliably determine the shape of the PDF using standard maximum‐likelihood techniques (e.g., Ellsworth et al., 1999). In this paper I present a method that attempts to fit wide ranges of distribution parameters to short paleoseismic series. From repeated Monte Carlo draws, it becomes possible to quantitatively estimate most likely recurrence PDF parameters, and a ranked distribution of parameters is returned that can be used to assess uncertainties in hazard calculations. In tests on short synthetic earthquake series, the method gives results that cluster around the mean of the input distribution, whereas maximum likelihood methods return the sample means (e.g., NIST/SEMATECH, 2006). For short series (fewer than 10 intervals), sample means tend to reflect the median of an asymmetric recurrence distribution, possibly leading to an overestimate of the hazard should they be used in probability calculations. Therefore a Monte Carlo approach may be useful for assessing recurrence from limited paleoearthquake records. Further, the degree of functional dependence among parameters like mean recurrence interval and coefficient of variation can be established. The method is described for use with time‐independent and time‐dependent PDFs, and results from 19 paleoseismic sequences on strike‐slip faults throughout the state of California are given.
Microseismic signatures of hydraulic fracture growth in sediment formations: Observations and modeling
Authors: Fischer T. , Hainzl S. , Eisner L. , Shapiro S. A. , Le Calvez J.
Published: February 2008

We analyzed a microseismic data set from hydraulic fracture stimulation of the gas field in west Texas. We used an automated wave‐picking algorithm and obtained a high‐density image of induced microseismic events accompanying the hydraulic fracture growth. The microseismic locations delineated a planar fracture growing predominantly in the horizontal direction; the vertical growth was limited by shale layers. A strongly asymmetric fracture with a twice longer eastern wing containing 80% of the located events was observed. Owing to the planarity of the microseismic cloud, it was possible to reduce the location problem to two dimensions and to use only S waves for event localization. Thus, because of the larger amplitudes of S waves, a fourfold increase in the number of located events was achieved. We find that the length of the hydraulic fracture increased, for different depth intervals, both linear and nonlinear in time. We use hydraulic fracture models to explain the spreading of the microseismic front, whose nonlinear time dependence could indicate either a diffusive fluid flow or a two‐dimensional growth of the hydraulic fracture. By the maximum‐likelihood fitting of the observed fracture growth and by inverting for its parameters, we find that the fracture was 7–10 mm wide and that nearly the whole injected volume was used for creating the new fracture, that is a negligible diffusive infiltration of the injected fluid into the reservoir rock occurred.
Climate Warming and 21st‐Century Drought in Southwestern North America
Authors: MacDonald Glen M. , Stahle David W. , Diaz Jose Villanueva , Beer Nicholas , Busby Simon J. , Cerano‐Paredes Julian , Cole Julie E. , Cook Edward R. , Endfield Georgina , Gutierrez‐Garcia Genaro , Hall Beth , Magan Victor , Meko David M. , Méndez‐Pérez Matias , Sauchyn David J. , Watson Emma , Woodhouse Connie A.
Published: February 2008

Since 2000, southwestern North America has experienced widespread drought. Lakes Powell and Mead are now at less than 50% of their reservoir capacity, and drought or fire‐related states of emergency were declared this past summer by governors in six western states. As with other prolonged droughts, such as the Dust Bowl during the 1930s, aridity has at times extended from northern Mexico to the southern Canadian prairies. A synthesis of climatological and paleoclimatological studies suggests that a transition to a more arid climate may be occurring due to global warming, with the prospect of sustained droughts being exacerbated by the potential reaction of the Pacific Ocean to warming.
NASA Proposed Budget Would Boost Human Spaceflight and Earth Science
Authors: Kumar Mohi
Published: February 2008

NASA's budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2009 keeps the agency on schedule to replace the space shuttle program, fulfills international obligations to maintain the International Space Station, and includes several new Earth and planetary science missions, officials announced on 4 February.

The agency's total budget request is US$17.6 billion, 1.8% higher than the FY 2008 enacted amount. The Constellation project, NASA's new fleet of spacecraft designed for human spaceflight, will receive much of this proposed boost, increasing by 23% (about $576 million) from the FY 2008 enacted amount to roughly $3.05 billion. In contrast, programs involving education, aeronautics, and astrophysics would each be cut by more than 10% compared with what Congress enacted for FY 2008. However, some of the proposed decreases were due to cuts in overhead or run‐outs of congressional grants. In addition, at least four science missions' total costs are over budget by at least 15%, according to the FY 2009 funding proposal.
Overexpression of UCP2 Protects Thalamic Neurons following Global Ischemia in the Mouse
Authors: Deierborg Olsson Tomas , Wieloch Tadeusz , Diano Sabrina , Warden Craig H , Horvath Tamas L , Mattiasson Gustav
Published: February 2008

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is upregulated in the brain after sublethal ischemia, and overexpression of UCP2 is neuroprotective in several models of neurodegenerative disease. We investigated if increased levels of UCP2 diminished neuronal damage after global brain ischemia by subjecting mice overexpressing UCP2 (UCP2/3tg) and wild-type littermates (wt) to a 12-min global ischemia. The histopathological outcome in the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and thalamus was evaluated at 4 days of recovery, allowing maturation of the selective neuronal death. Global ischemia led to extensive cell death in the striatum, thalamus, and in the CA1 and CA2, and less-pronounced cell death in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) hippocampal subfields. Histologic damage was significantly lower in the ventral posterolateral VPL and medial VPM thalamic nuclei in UCP2/3tg animals compared with wt. These thalamic regions showed a larger increase in UCP2 expression in UCP2/3tg compared with wt animals relative to the nonprotected DG. In the other regions studied, the histologic damage was lower or equal in UCP2/3tg animals compared with wt. Consequently, neuroprotection in the thalamus correlated with a high expression of UCP2, which is neuroprotective in a number of models of neurodegenerative diseases.
Oxidation of myosin by haem proteins generates myosin radicals and protein cross-links
Authors: Lund Marianne N. , Luxford Catherine , Skibsted Leif H. , Davies Michael J.
Published: February 2008

Previous studies have reported that myosin can be modified by oxidative stress and particularly by activated haem proteins. These reactions have been implicated in changes in the properties of this protein in food samples (changes in meat tenderness and palatability), in human physiology (alteration of myocyte function and force generation) and in disease (e.g. cardiomyopathy, chronic heart failure). The oxidant species, mechanisms of reaction and consequences of these reactions are incompletely characterized. In the present study, the nature of the transient species generated on myosin as a result of the reaction with activated haem proteins (horseradish peroxidase/H2O2 and met-myoglobin/H2O2) has been investigated by EPR spectroscopy and amino-acid consumption, product formation has been characterized by HPLC, and changes in protein integrity have been determined by SDS/PAGE. Multiple radical species have been detected by EPR in both the presence and the absence of spin traps. Evidence has been obtained for the presence of thiyl, tyrosyl and other unidentified radical species on myosin as a result of damage-transfer from oxidized myoglobin or horseradish peroxidase. The generation of thiyl and tyrosyl radicals is consistent with the observed consumption of cysteine and tyrosine residues, the detection of di-tyrosine by HPLC and the detection of both reducible (disulfide bond) and non-reducible cross-links between myosin molecules by SDS/PAGE. The time course of radical formation on myosin, product generation and cross-link induction are consistent with these processes being interlinked. These changes are consistent with the altered function and properties of myosin in muscle tissue exposed to oxidative stress arising from disease or from food processing.