bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a Basic Endoscopic Assessment of Swallowing in Acute Stroke – Development and Evaluation of a Simple Dysphagia Score
Authors: Dziewas Rainer , Warnecke Tobias , Ölenberg Stefan , Teismann Inga , Zimmermann Julian , Krämer Christoffer , Ritter Martin , Ringelstein E. Bernd , Schäbitz Wolf R.
Published: June 2008

Background and Purpose: Dysphagia is an important complication of acute stroke with a reported incidence of up to 76%. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and to evaluate an endoscopic scoring system which has the potential to guide dysphagia management in acute stroke patients. Methods: A fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) was carried out in 100 patients within 72 h of stroke onset. During endoscopic examination, the secretion status was evaluated, and the patient was successively given standard volumes of puree consistency, liquids and soft solid food. Penetration and aspiration was assessed using a 5-point scale. Results: Nearly 80% of patients showed penetration or aspiration during FEES. These events occurred more frequently with liquids and soft solid food than with puree. Penetration or aspiration at any stage of examination predicted failure at the subsequent food consistency. Furthermore, key findings of endoscopic evaluation were predictive of the need for later orotracheal intubation. Based on these observations a score was developed that grades stroke-related dysphagia according to the risk of penetration or aspiration of the different food consistencies tested. Assessment of interrater reliability by means of 25 additional endoscopic examinations resulted in excellent agreement between three investigators, reflected by a ĸ coefficient of 0.89. Conclusion: Stroke-related dysphagia may effectively be graded using a simple endoscopic scoring system. The usefulness of this screening protocol with respect to patient outcome and intercurrent complications has to be studied in prospective clinical trials.
Antiplatelet Cilostazol Is Beneficial in Diabetic and/or Hypertensive Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Shinohara Yukito , Gotoh Fumio , Tohgi Hideo , Hirai Shunsaku , Terashi Akiro , Fukuuchi Yasuo , Otomo Eiichi , Itoh Eiichi , Matsuda Tamotsu , Sawada Tohru , Yamaguchi Takenori , Nishimaru Katsuya , Ohashi Yasuo
Published: June 2008

Background and Purpose: Although antiplatelets are known to be effective for secondary prevention of cerebral infarction, the number needed to treat is rather large and the effects in stroke patients with complications such as hypertension or diabetes are inadequately defined. This study was conducted to examine the effect of such complications on recurrence of cerebral infarction, and to assess the effect of cilostazol, an antiplatelet agent, in these high-risk subjects. Methods: A post hoc subgroup analysis of the already reported Cilostazol Stroke Prevention Study, which was a placebo-controlled double-blind trial, has been carried out to clarify the influence of various complications on recurrence in the placebo group and the effects of cilostazol in 1,095 patients with noncardioembolic ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Treatment continued for an average of 1.8 ± 1.3 years (maximum 4.8 years). Results: The recurrence rate of the diabetic stroke patients was significantly higher compared with the nondiabetics in the placebo group (9.4 vs. 4.7%/year, p = 0.01). Furthermore, our study showed that the relative risk reduction (RRR) for recurrence of infarction was 41.7% with cilostazol. This treatment provided a significant benefit in patients with lacunar infarction (RRR 43.4%, p = 0.04), with diabetes (RRR 64.4%, p = 0.008), or with hypertension (RRR 58.0%, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Diabetic patients are particularly at risk for recurrence of cerebral infarction. Cilostazol is useful for the prevention of the recurrence of vascular events in patients with lacunar infarction, and is probably effective in high-risk patients with diabetes and/or hypertension.
Oxidative Stress and Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Are Associated with Cardiovascular Complications in Hemodialysis Patients: Improvements by L-Arginine Intake
Authors: El-Mesallamy Hala O. , Abdel Hamid Sherehan G. , Gad Mohamed Z.
Published: June 2008

Background/Aim: High incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a result of an interlaced relation between oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction (ED) and inflammation. This study tries to investigate the development of these processes in CKD patients receiving conservative treatment or on hemodialysis (HD). We also examined the modulating effect of oral L-arginine in HD patients having CVD. Methods: The study included 12 healthy volunteers and 63 renal patients divided into 15 renal impairment, 18 HD free of CVD, and 30 HD suffering from CVD (HD+CVD). Of the latter, 15 patients were given oral L-arginine (15 g/day, 5 g t.i.d.) for 1 month. Blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and homocysteine and myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) were estimated. Results: ADMA, MDA and homocysteine were significantly elevated in renal impairment group. HD and HD+CVD patients experienced higher levels, along with high MPO activity. Significant reduction by 21, 46, 11, and 26%, respectively, in the aforementioned parameters was observed in HD+CVD patients following L-arginine intake. Conclusion:We recommend considering ADMA, MDA, homocysteine and MPO as potentially important cardiovascular risk factors in CKD patients, and focus the attention to the cardiovascular advantages of L-arginine in these patients.
Optimization of the Model of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – Experiment in an Animal Model
Authors: Moláček Jiří , Třeška Vladislav , Kobr Jiří , Čertík Bohuslav , Skalický Tomáš , Kuntscher Vilém , Křížková Věra
Published: June 2008

Background: Many studies have been performed in order to model abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in an experimental animal, most commonly in small laboratory animals. In our study, we tried to find the best AAA model in a pig by using various mechanical and enzymatic mechanisms. Methods: Twenty-two pigs were operated on. We combined 3 mechanisms of creating an AAA, using an intraluminal infusion of porcine pancreatic elastase into the abdominal aortic segment, application of plastic cuff below the renal arteries causing turbulent blood flow, and inserting a patch into the longitudinal aortotomy. Results: We found different results in different groups according to the mechanisms used. In group A, with a combination of the intraluminal elastase infusion and application of a stenosing cuff, AAA developed in all 7 animals (100%). In this group, we also found the largest histological changes in the abdominal aorta samples. Conclusion: The use of intraluminal pancreatic elastase infusion, together with increased turbulent flow caused by the stenosing cuff, seems to be the best model of AAA in pigs. This model is suitable for further research in the etiopathology of AAA. In fact, it is the first successful approach to a large-caliber native aneurysm model.
Visualization of Activated Platelets by Targeted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Utilizing Conformation-Specific Antibodies against Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa
Authors: von zur Muhlen Constantin , Peter Karlheinz , Ali Ziad A. , Schneider Jürgen E. , McAteer Martina A. , Neubauer Stefan , Channon Keith M. , Bode Christoph , Choudhury Robin P.
Published: June 2008

Ruptured atherosclerotic plaques, lined with activated platelets, constitute an attractive target for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study evaluated whether microparticles of iron oxide (MPIO) targeting ligand-induced binding sites (LIBS) on the activated conformation of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa could be used to image platelets. MPIO (size: 1 μm) were conjugated to anti-LIBS or control single-chain antibody. Following guidewire injury to mouse femoral artery, platelet adhesion was present after 24 h. Mice were perfused with anti-LIBS-MPIO (or control MPIO) via the left ventricle and 11.7-tesla MRI was performed on femoral arteries ex vivo. A 3D gradient echo sequence attained an isotropic resolution of 25 μm. MPIO binding, quantified by MRI, was 4-fold higher with anti-LIBS-MPIO in comparison to control MPIO (p < 0.01). In histological sections, low signal zones on MRI and MPIO correlated strongly (R2 = 0.72; p < 0.001), indicating accurate MR quantification. In conclusion, anti-LIBS-MPIO bind to activated platelets in mouse arteries, providing a basis for the use of function-specific single-chain antibody-MPIO conjugates for molecular MRI, and represent the first molecular imaging of a conformational change in a surface receptor. This presents an opportunity to specifically image activated platelets involved in acute atherothrombosis with MRI.
Ascorbic Acid Uptake and Regulation of Type I Collagen Synthesis in Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Qiao Huan , Bell Jason , Juliao Saul , Li Liying , May James M.
Published: June 2008

Background/Aims: Vascular smooth muscle cells contribute both to the structure and function of arteries, but are also involved in pathologic changes that accompany inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. Since inflammation is associated with oxidant stress, we examined the uptake and cellular effects of the antioxidant vitamin ascorbic acid in cultured A10 vascular smooth muscle cells. Methods/Results: A10 cells concentrated ascorbate against a gradient in a sodium-dependent manner, most likely on the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter type 2 (SVCT2) ascorbate transporter, which was present in immunoblots of cell extracts. Although ascorbate did not affect A10 cell proliferation, it stimulated radiolabeled proline incorporation and type I collagen synthesis. The latter was evident in the cells as increases in proα1(I) collagen and conversion of proα1(I) and proα2(I) collagen to mature forms that were released from the cells and deposited as extracellular matrix. Intracellular type I procollagen maturation was optimal at intracellular ascorbate concentrations of 200 μM and below, which were readily achieved by culture of the cells at plasma physiologic ascorbate concentrations. Conclusion: These results show that the SVCT2 facilitates ascorbate uptake by vascular smooth muscle cells, which in turn increases both the synthesis and maturation of type I collagen.
An Ultrasensitive New DNA Microarray Chip Provides Gene Expression Profiles for Preoperative Esophageal Cancer Biopsies without RNA Amplification
Authors: Ito Tetsuo , Tanaka Eiji , Kadowaki Tadashi , Kan Takatsugu , Higashiyama Motoshige , Shiojima Satoshi , Tomoda Shiori , Myoumoto Akira , Akiyama Hideo , Nobumasa Hitoshi , Matsumoto Shigemi , Miyamoto Shinichi , Mitsumori Michihide , Sato Fumiaki , Watanabe Go , Itami Atsushi , Meltzer Stephen J. , Tsujimoto Gozoh , Shimada Yutaka
Published: June 2008

Objectives: Gene expression profiling using pretreatment biopsies has been limited due to their small sample sizes. This study evaluated the usefulness of an ultrasensitive new DNA microarray chip, which has a unique array structure, for the clinical diagnosis of esophageal cancer using preoperative biopsies. Methods: Paired cancer and normal esophageal epithelial tissues from 56 patients who underwent esophagectomy and from 48 patients who underwent preoperative endoscopy were studied. Among 2 feature gene sets selected by a reference DNA chip discriminating malignant status of samples, 20 feature genes were selected for the development of the new DNA chip. The new DNA chip was hybridized with 0.1 µg of total RNA per slide without RNA amplification. Results: Twenty feature genes, including RRM-2 and XRCC-3, for the new DNA chip could discriminate cancer from noncancer at a 95.2% rate of accuracy in 42 biopsies (sensitivity 95.7%, specificity 94.7%). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve for the prediction was 0.966. Conclusions: The gene expression profiles from the preoperative biopsies could diagnose esophageal cancer accurately, using the ultrasensitive DNA chip without RNA amplification. This new DNA chip technology might contribute further to the development of customized therapeutic strategies for various cancer patients.
Association of E1AF mRNA Expression with Tumor Progression and Matrilysin in Human Rectal Cancer
Authors: Liu Hai-yi , Zhou Bin , Wang Ling , Li Yuan , Zhou Zong-guang , Sun Xiao-Feng , Xu Bing , Zeng Yu-jian , Song Jun-min , Luo Hong-zhi , Yang Lie
Published: June 2008

Objective: To examine E1AF mRNA expression and to determine whether it is correlated with tumor progression and matrilysin in human rectal cancer. Methods: Real-time RT-PCR was used to determine E1AF and matrilysin expression in 100 matched rectal cancers and normal tissues. Results: Among the 100 rectal cancers, 69 cases of E1AF mRNA overexpression were observed. E1AF mRNA overexpression correlated well with matrilysin. In carcinomas, E1AF mRNA overexpression correlated significantly with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, venous involvement and advanced pTNM stage. Conclusions: E1AF was correlated significantly with tumor progression of human rectal cancer and may be an important factor in rectal cancer progression.
Immunohistochemical Study of Glypican 3 in Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Yamanaka Kanako , Ito Yasuhiro , Okuyama Noriko , Noda Katsuhisa , Matsumoto Hitoshi , Yoshida Hiroshi , Miyauchi Akira , Capurro Mariana , Filmus Jorge , Miyoshi Eiji
Published: June 2008

In 123 patients with thyroid cancer, expression of glypican 3 (GPC3) was immunohistochemically investigated in tissue samples and the biological significance of GPC3 in thyroid cancer was examined. GPC3 was scarcely expressed in the normal thyroid gland, but was dramatically enhanced in certain types of cancers: 100% in follicular carcinoma (20/20 cases) and 70% in papillary carcinoma (48/69 cases). Expression of GPC3 in follicular carcinoma was significantly higher than that of follicular adenoma (p < 0.0019). In contrast, GPC 3 was not expressed in 17 cases of anaplastic carcinoma. A high expression of GPC3 mRNA was confirmed in cancer lesions, which were strongly positive for immunohistochemical staining. In 69 cases of papillary carcinoma, GPC3 was expressed at an early stage, suggesting that GPC3 expression in thyroid cancer is an early event in developing papillary carcinoma. Further studies are required to determine biological functions and molecular mechanisms underlying the upregulation of GPC3 in thyroid cancer.
Caseinophosphopeptide-Bound Iron: Protective Effect against Gut Peroxidation
Authors: Kibangou Ida , Bouhallab Saïd , Bureau François , Allouche Stéphane , Thouvenin Guy , Bouglé Dominique
Published: June 2008

Background: Peptides derived from cow’s milk proteins have in vitro protective effects on iron-induced peroxidation that could be used to prevent the side effects of iron fortification. The aim of the study was to confirm these properties in an in vivo model of gut peroxidation. Methods: Iron bound to the 1–25 phosphopeptide of β-casein [Fe-β-CPP(1–25)] was compared to an encapsulated ferric pyrophosphate (Fe-P) in the Caco-2 model. Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) was used as control (100 µmol/l iron, n = 6 per group). The concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), a stable byproduct of lipid peroxidation, was used as the marker of peroxidation. Results: The lowest MDA levels were observed in cells grown with Fe-β-CPP(1–25) and the highest with Fe-P. Iron absorption of Fe-β-CPP(1–25) was higher than in the 2 other forms, due to its high cellular uptake and high basolateral transfer, while iron absorption of Fe-P showed high uptake and high cell retention. Conclusions: The enhancing effect of β-CPP(1–25) on iron absorption was associated with a protective effect against enterocyte peroxidation, perhaps due to its low storage by enterocytes. These observations support a role for specific milk components in food fortification to prevent iron deficiency.
Perioperative Nutrition in Elective Gastrointestinal Surgery – Potential for Improvement?
Authors: Akbarshahi H. , Andersson B. , Nordén M. , Andersson R.
Published: June 2008

Nutritional concern is one of the most important issues to be addressed in the perioperative care given to gastrointestinal patients. Not at least, malnutrition may be detrimental and relate to postoperative morbidity. Perioperative nutritional management, integrated with other modern perioperative care policies, allows the establishment of multimodal strategies with an attempt to optimize the patients’ course of disease. The present review evaluates available data regarding pre- and postoperative nutrition, nutritional supplements, including immunonutrition, and their clinical role. It is to be concluded that pre- and postoperative prolonged fasting has no routine role in management. Instead, for example, early postoperative feeding administered perorally or enterally may reduce postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. There are also indications that perioperative immunonutrition may reduce postoperative infectious complications and length of hospital stay, though further studies in this field are needed.
Polymorphisms in Methionine Synthase, Methionine Synthase Reductase and Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase, Folate and Alcohol Intake, and Colon Cancer Risk
Authors: Steck Susan E. , Keku Temitope , Butler Lesley M. , Galanko Joseph , Massa Beri , Millikan Robert C. , Sandler Robert S.
Published: June 2008

Background/Aims: We examined associations among folate and alcohol intake, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in one-carbon metabolism, and colon cancer risk. Methods: Colon cancer cases (294 African-Americans and 349 whites) were frequency matched to population controls (437 African-Americans and 611 whites) by age, race and sex from 33 North Carolina counties from 1996 to 2000. Folate and alcohol intakes were collected by dietary interview. Five SNPs were genotyped using DNA from whole blood: SHMT C1420T; MTRR A66G; MTR A2756G, and the previously-reported MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated using logistic regression. Results: An inverse association was observed for SHMT TT genotype as compared to CC genotype in whites (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4, 1.0), but not in African Americans. Inverse associations were observed for high folate intake in individuals carrying 0 or 1 variant allele [OR 0.2 (95% CI 0.06–0.8) for African-Americans; OR 0.2 (95% CI 0.1–0.6) for whites] compared to low folate intake. Modest interactions between these SNPs and alcohol or folate intakes were observed. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with other findings and provide needed data on these associations among African-Americans.
Endobronchial Metastases from Colorectal Adenocarcinomas: Clinical and Endoscopic Characteristics and Patient Prognosis
Authors: Coriat Romain , Diaz Olivia , de la Fouchardière Christelle , Desseigne Françoise , Négrier Sylvie
Published: June 2008

Background: Endobronchial metastases (EBM) secondary to extrapulmonary solid malignant tumours are rare but may occur. The most common extrathoracic malignancies associated with EBM are breast, renal and colorectal carcinomas. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and bronchoscopic aspects of EBM from colorectal carcinomas and the prognosis of the patients. Methods: EBM were diagnosed in 7 patients with colorectal carcinomas between 2004 and 2005. All patients underwent colorectal resection at the time of primary tumour diagnosis. Bronchial involvement was proved by bronchoscopy, and the metastatic nature of the lesions was confirmed histopathologically in all patients. EBM patients were compared with a control group of 7 patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer. Results: Median age at time of colorectal carcinoma was 55 years in EBM patients and 57 years in controls. Distressing airway symptoms caused by EBM were relieved by use of newer intrabronchial therapies: radiotherapy, brachytherapy and cryotherapy. One patient underwent metastasis resection. The median survival after diagnosis of EBM was 18.9 months. All patients had pulmonary metastases. The median survival after diagnosis of pulmonary metastasis from colorectal carcinoma was 55.7 months in EBM patients and 12.7 months in controls (p < 0.005). Discussion: EBM are generally underdiagnosed in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Bronchoscopy is not part of the standard evaluation of these patients. Physicians must be more attentive to pulmonary symptoms, even when patients’ pulmonary metastases are known. Various management options are available for localized endobronchial tumours. Conclusion: On average, EBM are diagnosed about 5 years after the diagnosis of the primary tumour, which is a relatively long lead time. Although this metastatic location usually implies a very negative prognosis regarding life expectancy, it did not seem to significantly reduce survival in our patients. Local treatments allow substantial improvement of pulmonary symptoms.
Gemcitabine and Carboplatin in Intensively Pretreated Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Laessig D. , Stemmler H.J. , Vehling-Kaiser U. , Fasching P.A. , Melchert F. , Kölbl H. , Stauch M. , Maubach P. , Scharl A. , Morack G. , Meerpohl H. , Weber B. , Kalischefski B. , Heinemann V.
Published: June 2008

Background: Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are increasingly exposed to anthracyclines and taxanes either during treatment of primary breast cancer or during initial therapy of metastatic disease. The combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin was therefore investigated as an anthracycline- and taxane-free treatment option. Patients and Methods: MBC patients previously treated with chemotherapy were enrolled in a multicenter phase II study. Treatment consisted of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 8) and carboplatin (AUC 4 i.v. on day 1) applied every 3 weeks. Results: Thirty-nine patients were recruited, and a total of 207 treatment cycles were applied with a median of 5 cycles per patient. One complete response and 11 partial responses were observed for an overall response rate of 31% (95% CI: 17–48%). Twelve patients (31%) had stable disease. Median time to progression was 5.3 months (95% CI: 2.6–6.7 months) and median overall survival from start of treatment was 13.2 months (95% CI: 8.7–16.7 months). Grade 3/4 hematological toxicity included leukopenia (59%/5%), thrombocytopenia (26%/23%) and anemia (10%/0%). Nonhematological toxicity was rarely severe. Conclusion: Combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and carboplatin is an effective and generally well-tolerated treatment option for intensively pretreated patients with MBC. Due to a considerable incidence of severe thrombocytopenia it would be reasonable to consider starting gemcitabine at the lower dose level of 800 mg/m2.
Anastrozole-Associated Sclerosing Glomerulonephritis in a Patient with Breast Cancer
Authors: Kalender M. Emin , Sevinc Alper , Camci Celalettin , Turk H. Mehmet , Karakok Metin , Akgul Bülent
Published: June 2008

Objective: Anastrozole is a selective aromatase inhibitor and is used for the hormonal treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer. There are major side effects of anastrozole including decrease in both lumbar spine and total hip bone mineral density, increase in the incidence of all bone fractures (especially fractures of spine, hip and wrist), joint disorders and increase in the cholesterol level. Case Summary: We report a case of a 73-year-old postmenopausal woman with stage T2N0M0 breast cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not indicated and anastrozole hormonotherapy was started. Diagnosis of sclerosing glomerulonephritis occurred in this patient during anastrozole use, suggesting a newly defined side effect of anastrozole. Discussion: Renal elimination is not a significant pathway of elimination for anastrozole, clearance of anastrozole is unchanged even in severe renal impairment. Dosing adjustment in patients with renal dysfunction is not necessary for anastrozole. We believe that the acute renal failure in our patient was associated with anastrozole. Renal injury due to anastrozole has not been published in the English literature. Conclusions: Anastrozole may be the causative factor in patients with sclerosing glomerulonephritis.
Fast Lidar and Radar Multiple-Scattering Models. Part II: Wide-Angle Scattering Using the Time-Dependent Two-Stream Approximation
Authors: Hogan Robin J. , Battaglia Alessandro
Published: June 2008

Spaceborne lidar returns from liquid water clouds contain significant contributions from photons that have experienced many wide-angle multiple-scattering events, resulting in returns appearing to originate from far beyond the end of the cloud. A similar effect occurs for spaceborne millimeter-wave radar observations of deep convective clouds. An efficient method is described for calculating the time-dependent returns from such a medium by splitting the photons into those that have taken a near-direct path out to and back from a single backscattering event (in the case of lidar, accounting for small-angle forward scatterings on the way, as described in Part I of this paper) and those that have experienced wide-angle multiple-scattering events. This paper describes the modeling of the latter using the time-dependent two-stream approximation, which reduces the problem to solving a pair of coupled partial differential equations for the energy of the photons traveling toward and away from the instrument. To determine what fraction of this energy is detected by the receiver, the lateral variance of photon position is modeled by the Ornstein–Fürth formula, in which both the ballistic and diffusive limits of photon behavior are treated; this is considerably more accurate than simple diffusion theory. By assuming that the lateral distribution can be described by a Gaussian, the fraction of photons within the receiver field of view may be calculated. The method performs well in comparison to Monte Carlo calculations (for both radar and lidar) but is much more efficient. This opens the way for multiple scattering to be accounted for in radar and lidar retrieval schemes.
Contribution of Atmospheric Circulation to Inception of the Laurentide Ice Sheet at 116 kyr BP*
Authors: Otieno Francis O. , Bromwich David H.
Published: June 2008

The role of atmospheric circulations, yielding extremely cold summer and wet winter seasons, in the development of perennial snow cover over the inception region of the Laurentide Ice Sheet is investigated using the Community Land Model, version 3 (CLM3) with bias-corrected 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) idealized atmospheric forcing. Potential contribution of changes in frequency of these extremes under contemporary and Eemian (116 kyr BP) conditions is also examined by adjusting the atmospheric forcing.

The results confirm that colder atmospheric temperatures during the melt season are more important than extreme amounts of winter snowfall. Increases in frequency of extremely cold and persistent summer air temperatures in the contemporary climate do not produce perennial snow. An additional cooling of 4°C together with adjustments for Eemian incident radiation is required for perennial snow to start growing around Hudson Bay. Deeper snow is found over the Labrador–Ungava area, close to the North Atlantic Ocean moisture sources, compared to the Keewatin area. These areas are in agreement with the locations of the Laurentide Ice Sheet domes found from free gravity analysis.

Starting from the warm present-day atmosphere a 25% decrease in summer insolation is required for CLM3 to develop perennial snow. This suggests that cooling resulting from modest decreases in local insolation in response to Milankovitch radiation forcing was insufficient for inception at 116 kyr BP. Remote cooling or local feedbacks that amplify the impact of the modest insolation reductions are required. A large-scale atmospheric cooling appears to have played a decisive role in inception.
Statistical Analyses of Satellite Cloud Object Data from CERES. Part V: Relationships between Physical Properties of Marine Boundary Layer Clouds
Authors: Eitzen Zachary A. , Xu Kuan-Man , Wong Takmeng
Published: June 2008

Relationships between physical properties are studied for three types of marine boundary layer cloud objects identified with the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) footprint data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite between 30°S and 30°N. Each cloud object is a contiguous region of CERES footprints that have cloud-top heights below 3 km, and cloud fractions of 99%–100% (overcast type), 40%–99% (stratocumulus type), or 10%–40% (shallow cumulus type). These cloud fractions represent the fraction of ∼2 km × 2 km Visible/Infrared Scanner pixels that are cloudy within each ∼10 km × 10 km footprint. The cloud objects have effective diameters that are greater than 300 km for the overcast and stratocumulus types, and greater than 150 km for the shallow cumulus type. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient is calculated between many microphysical/optical [effective radius (re), cloud optical depth (τ), albedo, liquid water path, and shortwave cloud radiative forcing (SW CRF)] and macrophysical [outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), cloud fraction, cloud-top temperature, longwave cloud radiative forcing (LW CRF), and sea surface temperature (SST)] properties for each of the three cloud object types. When both physical properties are of the same category (microphysical/optical or macrophysical), the magnitude of the correlation tends to be higher than when they are from different categories. The magnitudes of the correlations also change with cloud object type, with the correlations for overcast and stratocumulus cloud objects tending to be higher than those for shallow cumulus cloud objects.

Three pairs of physical properties are studied in detail, using a k-means cluster analysis: re and τ, OLR and SST, and LW CRF and SW CRF. The cluster analysis of re and τ reveals that for each of the cloud types, there is a cluster of cloud objects with negative slopes, a cluster with slopes near zero, and two clusters with positive slopes. The joint OLR and SST probability plots show that the OLR tends to decrease with SST in regions with boundary layer clouds for SSTs above approximately 298 K. When the cloud objects are split into “dry” and “moist” clusters based on the amount of precipitable water above 700 hPa, the associated OLRs increase with SST throughout the SST range for the dry clusters, but the OLRs are roughly constant with SST for the moist cluster. An analysis of the joint PDFs of LW CRF and SW CRF reveals that while the magnitudes of both LW and SW CRFs generally increase with cloud fraction, there is a cluster of overcast cloud objects that has low values of LW and SW CRF. These objects are generally located near the Sahara Desert, and may be contaminated with dust. Many of these overcast objects also appear in the re and τ cluster with negative slopes.
A Practical Pyrgeometer Using the Representative Angle
Authors: Sakai Satoshi , Ito Aya , Umetani Kazuhiro , Iizawa Isao , Onishi Masanori
Published: June 2008

A simple directional pyrgeometer is tested and compared with a conventional standard pyrgeometer. The system presented in this article has a narrow directional response and points to the representative zenith angle of 52.5°. Because of its directional response, it can be used in a street canyon or in a forest provided that a small part of the sky is visible at the representative angle. The system can be assembled using inexpensive parts that are widely used in household appliances. As this system does not have a flat spectral sensitivity, a spectral correction method is also presented. The results show that the output of the new system agrees well with that from a conventional pyrgeometer (Kipp & Zonen CG3). The correlation coefficient is 0.995 and the standard deviation is 5.6 W m−2 for 1-h averaged values.
Statistical Properties of Rain Cells in the Padana Valley
Authors: Capsoni Carlo , D’Amico Michele , Locatelli Paolo
Published: June 2008

A large collection of radar reflectivity maps gathered from 1988 to 1992 at the Spino d’Adda experimental station, located in the Padana Valley, has been exploited to investigate the statistical properties of rain structures and their descriptors. The results of this analysis can be of interest for meteorological, hydrological, and telecommunication applications. The authors found that the isosuperficial diameter follows an exponential distribution; when the threshold of rain intensity is increased, disappearance is dominant over fragmentation; moreover, the number of “mother cells” that generate N “daughter cells” decreases exponentially with N. To give a complete but concise characterization of the geometrical, physical, and morphological properties of rain cells, a set of analytical descriptors has been introduced and statistically defined through their probability density functions and the centrality, dispersion, and excursion parameters. As a final point, comparative statistical analyses have been performed at different thresholds for every couple of descriptors introduced, which allowed the authors to highlight correlations between them.
Inherently Conservative Nonpolynomial-Based Remapping Schemes: Application to Semi-Lagrangian Transport
Authors: Norman Matthew R. , Nair Ramachandran D.
Published: June 2008

A group of new conservative remapping schemes based on nonpolynomial approximations is proposed. The remapping schemes rely on the conservative cascade scheme (CCS), which employs an efficient sequence of 1D remapping operations to solve a multidimensional problem. The present study adapts three new nonpolynomial-based reconstructions of subgrid variation to the CCS: the Piecewise Hyperbolic Method (PHM), the Piecewise Double Hyperbolic Method (PDHM), and the Piecewise Rational Method (PRM) for comparison with the baseline method: the Piecewise Parabolic Method (PPM). Additionally, an adaptive hybrid approximation scheme, PPM-Hybrid (PPM-H), is constructed using monotonic PPM for smooth data and local extrema and using PHM for steep jumps where PPM typically suffers large accuracy degradation because of its original monotonic filter. Smooth and nonsmooth data profiles are transported in 1D, 2D Cartesian, and 2D spherical frameworks under uniform advection, solid-body rotation, and deformational flow. Accuracy is compared via the L1 global error norm. In general, PPM outperformed PHM, but when the majority of the error came from PPM degradation at sharp derivative changes (e.g., the vicinity near sine wave extrema), PHM was more accurate. PRM performed very similarly to PPM for nonsmooth functions, but the order of convergence was worse than PPM for smoother data. PDHM performed the worst of all of the nonpolynomial methods for nearly every test case. PPM-H outperformed PPM and all of the nonpolynomial methods for all test cases in all geometries, offering a robust advantage in the CCS scheme with a negligible increase in computational time.
Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 2006
Authors: Pasch Richard J. , Blake Eric S. , Avila Lixion A. , Beven John L. , Brown Daniel P. , Franklin James L. , Knabb Richard D. , Mainelli Michelle M. , Rhome Jamie R. , Stewart Stacy R.
Published: June 2008

The hurricane season of 2006 in the eastern North Pacific basin is summarized, and the individual tropical cyclones are described. Also, the official track and intensity forecasts of these cyclones are verified and evaluated. The 2006 eastern North Pacific season was an active one, in which 18 tropical storms formed. Of these, 10 became hurricanes and 5 became major hurricanes. A total of 2 hurricanes and 1 tropical depression made landfall in Mexico, causing 13 direct deaths in that country along with significant property damage. On average, the official track forecasts in the eastern Pacific for 2006 were quite skillful. No appreciable improvement in mean intensity forecasts was noted, however.
Gender differences in musical instrument choice
Authors: Hallam Susan , Rogers Lynne , Creech Andrea
Published: June 2008

Historically, there have been differences in the musical instruments played by boys and girls, with girls preferring smaller, higher-pitched instruments. This article explores whether these gender preferences have continued at a time when there is greater gender equality in most aspects of life in the UK. Data were collected from the 150 Music Services in England as part of a larger survey. Some provided data regarding the sex of pupils playing each instrument directly. In other cases, the pupils' names and instruments were matched with data in the national Common Basic Data Set to establish gender. The findings showed distinctive patterns for different instruments. Girls predominated in harp, flute, voice, fife/piccolo, clarinet, oboe and violin, and boys in electric guitar, bass guitar, tuba, kit drums, tabla and trombone. The least gendered instruments were African drums, cornet, French horn, saxophone and tenor horn. The gendered pattern of learning was relatively consistent across education phases, with a few exceptions. A model was developed that sets out the various influences that may explain the continuation of historical trends in instrument choice given the increased gender equality in UK society.
Chronic mild stress-induced reductions in saccharin intake depend upon feeding status
Authors: Hatcher J.P. , Bell D.J. , Reed T.J. , Hagan J.J.
Published: June 2008

The consumption of a weak saccharin solution was examined in rats subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS). Intake of saccharin was reduced in stressed animals compared to isolated and group control animals but saccharin preference was not affected. Removal of water deprivation from the CMS schedule did not alter the effects of CMS upon saccharin intake. However, when food deprivation was omitted entirely from the CMS schedule the reduction in saccharin intake was eliminated. Similarly, in animals habituated to the full CMS procedure, reduction in saccharin intake was abolished by omitting food deprivation or by delaying the intake test for 24 h. Both CMS and food deprivation reduced water intake but had no effect on food consumed during the fluid-intake test. The presence of food deprivation during CMS appears to be a key factor affecting saccharin intake. Our data suggest that saccharin intake is not an appropriate measure of stress and anhedonia.
The use of videotaped assessment in relation to a study of enhanced management in treatment-resistant schizophrenia
Authors: Owens David G. C. , Finlayson Alan , Mercer Gavin , Johnstone Eve C.
Published: June 2008

Videotaped assessments of standardized interviews were used to ensure blindness in relation to a clinical trial of multifaceted programmes of management in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The technique, although laborious, was feasible in all patients studied and offered advantages in relation not only to blindness but also to assessing the nature of psychopathological changes in patients with schizophrenic deficit syndrome of severe degree. The method is likely to be useful in further studies assessing the possible advantages of newer antipsychotic drugs.
The use of the plasma concentration-effect relationship as a tool for the study of the mechanism of action of naloxone effects on mood and endocrine function
Authors: Martin del Campo Alfonso F. , Granados-Soto Vinicio , Aguirre-Bañuelos Patricia , Cárdenas Mario , Castañeda-Hernández Gilberto
Published: June 2008

The relationship between naloxone-plasma concentrations and their effects on mood and endocrine function was studied. Ten healthy volunteers received 1.0 mg/kg i.v. naloxone or placebo following a randomized double- blind design. Effects on mood, determined by a visual analogue scale and luteinizing hormone (LH) and naloxone-plasma concentrations were measured at selected times. Naloxone induced significant effects on confusion, bewilderment and indifference, and an increment in LH levels. The timecourse of the responses on confusion and bewilderment was similar to that of naloxone-plasma concentration, suggesting that these effects are directly related to the action of naloxone on its receptors. Responses for indifference and LH, however, exhibited a delayed onset. This delay could be due to an indirect action, i.e. to the participation of additional physiological mechanisms in a cascade-like manner. The results show that analysis of the concentration-effect relationship can be a useful tool for understanding naloxone effects on mood and endocrine function.
Microbial characteristics associated with six different organic wastes undergoing anaerobic decomposition in batch vial conditions
Authors: In Chul Kong
Published: June 2008

In this study, the biodegradation characteristics of six plant-based wastes were compared in anaerobic batch vial systems. The highest gas accumulation and methane (CH4) concentrations (approximately 70%) were observed in samples containing copy paper, newspaper and box paper materials, whereas the lowest were observed in samples containing wood and leaves. In samples containing steamed rice and fruit, the methanogenic activity was inhibited, which resulted in acid accumulation. The high biodegradation activity of newspaper samples was also associated with high adenosine triphosphate levels and dehydrogenase activity. No significant differences were, however, observed in the dehydrogenase activity of the samples. High bioluminescence was observed in samples with high biodegradation activities, indicative of low toxicity.
Preliminary study for the management of construction and demolition waste
Authors: Kourmpanis B. , Papadopoulos A. , Moustakas K. , Stylianou M. , Haralambous K.J. , Loizidou M.
Published: June 2008

This paper refers to the management of the construction and demolition (C&D) waste since, according to the EU Waste Strategy, C&D waste is considered to be one of the priority waste streams and appropriate actions need to be taken with respect to its effective management. Initially, the paper presents the state-of-the-art of the problem of C&D waste, including the amount and composition of C&D waste in EU countries, differences in the characteristics of this waste stream depending on its origin, as well as collection and management practices that are applied. A methodology is described for the estimation of the quantities of the waste stream under examination, since in most cases quantitative primary data is not available. Next, the fundamentals for the development of an integrated scheme for the management of C&D waste are presented and discussed, such as appropriate demolition procedures and location of waste management (off-site waste management, on-site waste management, direct on-site recovery, centralized on-site recovery). Finally, taking into consideration all relevant parameters, alternative systems that could be applied for the management of the C&D waste are suggested.
Mathematical modelling of a composting process, and validation with experimental data
Authors: Gomes Ana P. , Pereira F. Antunes
Published: June 2008

The present study aimed to develop a mathematical model of composting which, while not overlooking the fundamental principles of physical and microbiological chemistry, could be easily applied in practice and be validated by experimental data. The experimental results of the biological aerobic decomposition of a mixture consisting of rice and rice husks, could be explained in terms of the parameter aggregation model, assuming a set of pseudo-first-order reactions in series, in which a hydrolysis step is followed by a biochemical oxidative step with formation of compost, biomass and biological gases (CO2, O 2). The corresponding kinetic parameters and their temperature dependence were determined. These parameters indicated that the hydrolysis step was always the slowest one, and, therefore, the overall rate-determining step. This is in substantial agreement with our experimental observations of a non-dependency of the overall rate on the oxygen concentration, and suggests that rather than using mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria and fungi for seeding or accelerating the process, adequate hydrolytic enzymes (or related micro-organisms) should be added, instead.
Modelling seasonal variation in biomedical waste generation at healthcare facilities
Authors: Katoch Surjit S. , Kumar Vineet
Published: June 2008

A mathematical model can help waste planners to optimize waste management systems related to environmental protection. It can also help government bodies set guidelines and regulations, and evaluate prevailing strategies for handling and disposal of waste. In this paper, a technique to develop a mathematical model to correlate the generation rate of biomedical waste (contaminated with blood and body fluid) as a function of bed occupancy and type of ailment (in terms of seasonal changes) using data for two consecutive years from three different healthcare facilities is presented. The data exhibit different trends in biomedical waste generation rates and number of beds occupied in two different years. However, the seasonal variation in biomedical waste production rate remained nearly the same during these 2 years. The fixed trend in biomedical waste generation rate in two consecutive years could be due to similar seasonal illnesses pattern and social factors.
Dangerous obsession
Authors: Monck Adrian
Published: June 2008

In an extract from his new book, the head of journalism and publishing at City University, London, comments: "There are important issues about the way the media conducts itself, but they're not important because we need to build 'trust'. Trust is a shoddy yardstick. It doesn't gauge truth, it gauges what looks close to the truth: verisimilitude - not a word to use after a late night out. As journalists, we tend to sneer at intellectualism and value pragmatism. If broadcasters are going to take their editorial policies seriously, then they need to get over the current obsession with 'trust' and engage with the moral contradictions and intellectual problems at the heart of those policies. And that might require a little more philosophy and a little less marketing."
Knighthoods errant
Authors: McCrystal Cal
Published: June 2008

With the Queen's birthday honours imminent, a distinguished writer questions whether working journalists should accept such rewards. McCrystal writes: We cannot claim that our virtues blossom on our natures or our work as radiantly, unselfconsciously, and inevitably as the flower on the hawthorn bough. Those government and parliamentary people who claim otherwise by "honouring" certain journalists may be classified as a tribunal of mediocrity. And what does that make us? Should our sights be on a gong and its intimations of flunkeyism and hypocrisy, or on the morass of misery and sweated labour at the bottom of society; a morass sustaining an edifice of competitive commerce as greedy as it is merciless? And he concludes: I cannot see that a scrupulous effort to maintain distance between the journalist and the state should not be regarded as crucial to effective journalism and an easy conscience.