bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vanishing Acts: Perpetrators in Postwar Germany
Authors: von Kellenbach Katharina
Published: November 2005

Family history is a dangerously neglected aspect of Germany's struggle with memory of the Holocaust. Breaking with established procedures of scholarly detachment, the author explores this subject via her own family history. This essay traces the career, court trials, and subsequent trial suspension of one SS officer, who was also the author's uncle. By drawing upon archival documents, textual analysis of court documents, and personal recollections, the author illustrates the powerful pressures that erase consciousness of genocide while protecting families and communities from facing the moral dilemmas raised by evil of such magnitude.
Ghetto Experience in Golta, Transnistria, 1942–1944
Authors: Deletant Dennis
Published: November 2005

Despite the appalling conditions in the ghettos and labor camp in the town of Golta, Transnistria, most of the Jews who arrived there in late spring 1942 (after having escaped the December 1941 massacres in the Bogdanovka area by the Romanian authorities) survived their ordeal. This article describes and analyzes the conditions in two ghettos and a labor camp, concluding that the experience of the Jews in Golta was a microcosm of ghetto experience in Transnistria as a whole from summer 1942 to the Romanian withdrawal in March 1944.
“My Holocaust Is Not Your Holocaust”: “Facing” Black and Jewish Experience in The Pawnbroker, Higher Ground, and The Nature of Blood
Authors: Zierler Wendy
Published: November 2005

What is to be gained by drawing literary comparisons between the African Diaspora experience of slavery and the Jewish experience of the Holocaust? Can such comparisons be made without distorting the historical record? This article critiques the juxtaposition of tragedy found in The Pawnbroker—both the novel and the film version—and offers a reading of Cynthia Ozick's The Shawl as a polemical response to The Pawnbroker. Two Holocaust-related novels by the West Indian writer Caryl Phillips are then examined as models of how a literary text can enact a “facing” of black and Jewish experience through the postmodern technique of narrative fragmentation and juxtaposition.
The Ruins of the Gas Chambers: A Forensic Investigation of Crematoriums at Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau
Authors: Keren Daniel , McCarthy Jamie , Mazal Harry W.
Published: November 2005

Combining engineering, computer, and photographic techniques with historical sources, this research note discusses the gas chambers attached to crematoriums at Auschwitz I and the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Among other things, the authors identify the locations of several of the holes in the roofs through which Zyklon B was introduced: five in Crematorium I and three of the four in the badly damaged Crematorium II. The authors began their project before David Irving's libel suit against Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt, proceeding simultaneously with, but independently of, the trial. The defense presented the first version of the authors' report during Irving's subsequent application to appeal. Irving's application was rejected by the court.
Jewish Israeli Teenagers, National Identity, and the Lessons of the Holocaust
Authors: Lazar Alon , Chaitin Julia , Gross Tamar , Bar-On Dan
Published: November 2005

This article examines the attitudes of a group of Jewish Israeli adolescents who participated in a Holocaust seminar that included an optional trip to related sites in Poland. The authors sought to determine whether youth who participate in such a seminar still consider Jewish Israeli identity important, which lessons of the Holocaust they value, and whether belonging to a survivor's family makes a difference when considering these lessons. The results show that, regardless of participation in the trip and affiliation with Holocaust survivors, the youth hold a strong sense of Jewish Israeli national identity and tend to support Jewish and Zionist lessons more than universalistic ones, although a complex interplay exists between identity and those lessons. Adolescents whose family members included survivors connected a more “power-oriented” interpretation of the Holocaust to a strong sense of national identity; participants not related to survivors developed a more complex frame of reference that combined both power-oriented and humanistic lessons of the Holocaust.
Pope Pius XII and the Rescue of Jews in Italy: Evidence of a Papal Directive?
Authors: Zuccotti Susan
Published: November 2005

Little evidence supports the notion that Pius XII delivered a directive to members of the Catholic Church to help Jews during the German occupation of Italy, argues the author of this article. That many such men and women did open their doors is well known, and several thousand Jews in Italy were saved as a result. The pope and his advisers knew that many Jews, along with many more non-Jewish fugitives from the Nazis and Fascists, were hiding in religious institutions outside Vatican City, and being sheltered individually in prelates' residences in Vatican City itself. However, they seem not to have been aware of the full extent of the rescue effort, nor to have ordered it initially.
The Role of Antisemitic Doctrine in German Propaganda in the Crimea, 1941–1944
Authors: Tyaglyy Mikhail I.
Published: November 2005

Why did antisemitic propaganda continue in specific localities long after the Jews had been exterminated there? Relying on a case study of the Crimea, the following survey addresses this and other little-researched questions, such as how propaganda fit into the occupation regime's division of labor and how the German administration organized the means of mass information; why some antisemitic canards were emphasized and others downplayed; the balance between local and central information sources; and the role of collaborationist intellectuals. The author considers the long-term influence of Nazi propaganda on its intended audiences.
John Knox Bokwe, Colonial Composer: Tales about Race and Music
Authors: Olwage Grant
Published: November 2005

This article intervenes in debates on the status of ‘race’ in ethno/musicological writings. It does so through an examination of the compositional discourse of colonial black South African choral music, particularly detailed analyses of the work of John Knox Bokwe (1855–1922) and their metropolitan sources such as late nineteenth-century gospel hymnody, exploring both how Bokwe's compositional practice enacted a politics that became anticolonial and how early black choral music became ‘black’ in its receptions. The article concludes that ethno/musicological claims that colonial black choral music contains ‘African’ musical content conflate race and culture under a double imperative: in the names of a decolonizing politics and a postcolonial epistemology in which hybridity as resistance is racialized.
Fancy a Stay at the ‘Hotel California’? The Role of Easy Entry and Exit for FDI
Authors: Görg Holger
Published: November 2005

Investment incentives targeted at attracting multinational firms have been extensively researched, and empirical evidence has shown them to be influential. The same is not true of exit restrictions. Yet, as recent theory suggests, there may be a trade‐off between entry incentives and ease of exit. This paper focuses on that trade‐off in the case of US multinationals in 33 host countries. An indicator of labour market regulations is used as a measure of ease of exit. Results suggest that both entry incentives and labour market regulations are important and ignoring the latter neglects an important dimension in firms' location decision.
‘Market Discipline’, Lending Ceilings and Subnational Finance
Authors: Londero Elio
Published: November 2005

The ‘market discipline’ approach to subnational finance requires that moral hazard derived from the possibility of a central government bailout be made insignificantly small. Therefore, governments interested in following this approach and willing to abide by its rules should start by creating the conditions for a default and its resolution to be possible. This article discusses the use of lending ceilings as an instrument to allow the default, without dragging in the central government.
Is Sectoral Diversification a Solution to Unemployment? Evidence from EU Regions#
Authors: Longhi Simonetta , Nijkamp Peter , Traistaru Iulia
Published: November 2005

There is a growing interest in the academic and policy making communities in understanding the effects of sectoral specialisation on labour market performance. The existing empirical evidence, mainly based on US data, generally finds a positive correlation between sectoral specialisation and labour market indicators such as wages and unemployment. The policy implication one can draw from these results is that fostering sectoral diversification may reduce unemployment. However, this lesson may not hold for all countries. In particular, in the case of Europe, the diversity of labour market institutions may play a distinct role in shaping the relationship between sectoral specialisation and labour market performance.

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between regional sectoral specialisation and regional unemployment rate in the context of different collective bargaining institutions in the EU countries. We find that collective bargaining institutions do play a role in shaping the unemployment rate differentials across regions belonging to the same country. Furthermore, the relationship between regional specialisation and the regional unemployment rate is stronger in countries with intermediate and decentralised collective bargaining institutions in comparison to countries with centralised collective bargaining institutions.

Our results suggest that labour market institutions are likely to influence the outcome of policies aiming at fostering regional diversification. While such policies may result in reducing regional unemployment in countries with decentralised and intermediate levels of collective bargaining, they may not make a big difference in countries with centralised collective bargaining institutions.
Integrating the Empirical Tests of the Natural Rate Hypothesis: A Meta‐Regression Analysis
Authors: Stanley T. D.
Published: November 2005

A meta‐analysis of thirty‐four restriction tests from nine studies of the natural rate of unemployment hypothesis (NRU) finds the statistical trace of a false empirical hypothesis. A theme of bias and misspecification among those studies that tend to be more supportive of NRU emerges. When combined with a separate meta‐analysis of NRU's falsifying hypothesis, unemployment ‘hysteresis’ (Stanley 2004a), the natural rate hypothesis may be regarded as empirically ‘falsified’ (Popper 1959). Monte Carlo simulations validate the meta‐regression methods used here to integrate different restriction tests and to identify their limitations.
Skin‐sensitizing and irritant properties of propylene glycol
Authors: Lessmann Holger , Schnuch Axel , Geier Johannes , Uter Wolfgang
Published: November 2005

In the several publications reviewed in this article, propylene glycol (PG; 1,2‐propylene glycol) is described as a very weak contact sensitizer, if at all. However, particular exposures to PG‐containing products might be associated with an elevated risk of sensitization. To identify such exposures, we analysed patch test data of 45 138 patients who have been tested with 20% PG in water between 1992 and 2002. Out of these, 1044 patients (2.3%) tested positively, 1083 showed a doubtful, follicular or erythematous reaction (2.4%) and 271 explicit irritant reactions (0.6%). This profile of patch test reactions is indicative of a slightly irritant preparation, and thus, many of the ‘weak positive’ reactions must probably be interpreted as false positive. No private or occupational exposures associated with an increased risk of PG sensitization were identified, except for lower leg dermatitis. Therefore, according to our patch test data, PG seems to exhibit very low sensitization potential, and the risk for sensitization to PG on uncompromised skin seems to be very low.
Colophonium and Compositae mix as markers of fragrance allergy: Cross‐reactivity between fragrance terpenes, colophonium and Compositae plant extracts
Authors: Paulsen E. , Andersen K. E.
Published: November 2005

The aim of this study was to assess the strength of any association between sensitization to ‘new’ fragrance compounds and sensitization to Compositae, fragrance mix, Myroxylon pereirae resin and colophonium, respectively.

Consecutive eczema patients were tested with a series of essential oils and selected fragrance compounds and another series of oxidized terpenes in connection with European multicentre fragrance projects. Contact allergy to either series was frequently detected, in 5% of 318 and 4.6% of 262 persons tested, and both had a statistically significant association with Compositae, colophonium and fragrance mix sensitization. The individual results indicated that simultaneously occurring positive reactions to essential oils, colophonium and Compositae were based on cross‐reactivity rather than concomitant sensitization. Thus, all patients with positive reaction to the rare fragrance sensitizer β‐caryophyllene had positive colophonium reactions, and cross‐reactivity between essential oils and Compositae was related to the Compositae plant extracts of the Compositae mix and not the pure sesquiterpene lactones of the standard series. The implication is that Compositae mix and colophonium may be markers of fragrance allergy, which is important to know when assessing the relevance of positive reactions to Compositae plant extracts and colophonium.
Predictive identification of human skin sensitization thresholds
Authors: Basketter David A. , Clapp Catherine , Jefferies Donna , Safford Bob , Ryan Cindy A. , Gerberick Frank , Dearman Rebecca J. , Kimber Ian
Published: November 2005

For years, methods have been available for the predictive identification of chemicals that possess the intrinsic potential to cause skin sensitization. However, many have proven less suitable for the determination of relative sensitizing potency. In this respect, the local lymph node assay (LLNA) has been shown to have a number of important advantages. Through interpolation of LLNA dose–response data, the concentration of a chemical required to produce a threshold positive response (a 3‐fold increase in activity compared with concurrent vehicle controls, the EC3 value) can be measured. The robustness of this parameter has been demonstrated rigorously in terms of inter‐ and intralaboratory reproducibility. Additionally, the relationship between potency estimates from the LLNA and an appreciation of human potency based on clinical experience has been reported previously. In the present investigations, we have sought to consolidate further our understanding of the association between EC3 values and human skin‐sensitization potency by undertaking a thorough and extensive analysis of existing human predictive assays, particularly where dose–response information is available, from historical human repeated insult patch tests (HRIPTs). From these human data, information on the approximate threshold for the induction of skin sensitization in the HRIPT was determined for 26 skin‐sensitizing chemicals. These data were then compared with LLNA‐derived EC3 values. The results from each assay, expressed as dose per unit area (μg/cm2), revealed a clear linear relationship between the 2 values, thereby substantiating further the utility of LLNA EC3 values for prediction of the relative human sensitizing potency of newly identified skin sensitizers.
Experimental elicitation of contact allergy from a diazolidinyl urea‐preserved cream in relation to anatomical region, exposure time and concentration
Authors: Zachariae Claus , Hall Barbara , Cottin Martine , Cupferman Sylvie , Andersen Klaus E. , Menné T.
Published: November 2005

The elicitation potential of the cosmetic preservative diazolidinyl urea was studied in formaldehyde‐ and diazolidinyl urea‐sensitized volunteer patients using a stepwise controlled exposure design. The test product was a facial moisturizer, preserved with varying concentrations of diazolidinyl urea, ranging from 0.05% to 0.6%. A repeated open application‐like exposure test was performed on volunteers and a control group with the test product containing increasing preservative concentrations, on arm, neck and face, sequentially, for 2 weeks or until dermatitis developed. The preservative action in the cream at different test concentrations was tested in microbial challenge tests and was found effective at all concentrations tested. The study established a non‐eliciting concentration of diazolidinyl urea of 0.05% in formaldehyde‐sensitive patients and showed that the skin reactivity depends on the anatomical region, increasing from the upper arm to neck and, possibly, to the face. The study design, beginning on the upper arm and moving on to the neck and face seems to be relevant for the study of reactions to cosmetic products. A clear dose–response relationship was seen regarding preservative concentration in the product.
Electrophysiological findings of peripheral neuropathy in newly diagnosed type II diabetes mellitus
Authors: Rota Eugenia , Quadri Roberto , Fanti Edoardo , Isoardo Gianluca , Poglio Fabio , Tavella Alessia , Paolasso Ilaria , Ciaramitaro Palma , Bergamasco Bruno , Cocito Dario
Published: November 2005

Abstract  This study was aimed at assessing the electrophysiological signs of peripheral neuropathy in diabetes mellitus (DM) type II patients at diagnosis. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) of median, ulnar, peroneal, tibial and sural nerves were performed in 39 newly diagnosed DM subjects and compared to those of 40 healthy controls. Metabolic indices were also investigated. Electrophysiological alterations were found in 32 (82%) of the DM patients, and more than half of them (62.2%) showed multiple (two to five) abnormal parameters. Because most of the subjects (84.4%) had from two to five nerves involved, these alterations were widespread in the seven nerves evaluated. Forty‐two percent of the patients had NCS alterations suggestive of distal median mononeuropathy, implying that metabolic factors in DM make the median nerve more susceptible to focal entrapment. A reduced sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude was observed in the median nerve in 70% of the patients, in the ulnar in 69% and in the sural nerve only in 22%. In the presence of a decrease in the SNAP amplitude of the ulnar or median nerve, the SNAP amplitude of the sural nerve was normal in 82 or 80% of the subjects, respectively. This finding may be in keeping with a distal involvement of the sensory fibres, as explored by routine median or ulnar NCS. No correlation was found between metabolic indices and NCS parameters. In conclusion, a high percentage of newly diagnosed DM patients show signs of neuropathy, and upper limb nerve sensory NCS seem to be more sensitive in detecting it than lower limb NCS.
Obesity and peripheral neuropathy risk: a dangerous liaison
Authors: Miscio Giacinta , Guastamacchia Giulia , Brunani Amelia , Priano Lorenzo , Baudo Silvia , Mauro Alessandro
Published: November 2005

Abstract  This study investigates motor (MNCS) and sensory (SNCS) nerve conduction in a sample of non‐diabetic obese people without symptoms suggestive of neuropathy and looks for a possible metabolic alteration. Twenty‐one patients and 20 age‐matched controls underwent (a) MNCS (median, ulnar, peroneal, and tibial) and SNCS (median, ulnar, and sural); (b) quantitative sensory testing to measure sensory threshold for vibration, warm and cold sensation (WS‐CS), heat and cold‐induced pain; and (c) blood sample analysis to evaluate glucose and insulin levels and calculate the quantitative insulin‐sensitivity check index (QUICKI). The obese group showed significantly decreased compound muscle action potential amplitude of tibial and peroneal nerves and decreased sensory action potential amplitude of all nerves. Most of the sensory thresholds were altered in obese patients. Insulin serum levels were significantly increased while QUICKI decreased in obese patients. WS and CS from the index and little fingers and WS from the big toe significantly correlated with QUICKI. Thermal and pain thresholds from the index and thermal thresholds from the little finger correlated with QUICKI values. The non‐diabetic obese patients showed a subclinical involvement of different diameter sensory fibers. Such impairment was related to hyperinsulinemia and insulin sensitivity. The increase in sensory threshold of obese patients might be due to a metabolic alteration, potentially leading to a future clinical neuropathy.
Ultrasound imaging of the rabbit peroneal nerve
Authors: De Kool B. S. , Van Neck Johan W. , Blok Joleen H. , Walbeehm Erik T. , Hekking Ineke , Visser Gerhard H.
Published: November 2005

Abstract  Ultrasound imaging of peripheral nerves is increasingly used in the clinic for a wide range of applications. Although yet unapplied for experimental neuroscience, it also has potential value in this research area. This study explores the feasibility, possibilities and limitations of this technique in rabbits, with special focus on peripheral nerve regeneration after trauma. The peroneal nerve of 25 New Zealand White rabbits was imaged at varying time intervals after a crush lesion. The ultrasonic appearance of the nerve was determined, and recordings were validated with in vivo anatomy. Nerve swelling at the lesion site was estimated from ultrasound images and compared with anatomical parameters. The peroneal nerve could reliably be identified in all animals, and its course and anatomical variations agreed perfectly with anatomy. Nerve diameters from ultrasound were related to in vivo diameters (p < 0.001, R2 = 77%), although the prediction interval was rather wide. Nerve thickenings could be visualized and preliminary results indicate that ultrasound can differentiate between neuroma formation and external nerve thickening. The value of the technique for experimental neuroscience is discussed. We conclude that ultrasound imaging of the rabbit peroneal nerve is feasible and that it is a promising tool for different research areas within the field of experimental neuroscience.
Large and small fiber neuropathy in chronic alcohol‐dependent subjects
Authors: Zambelis Thomas , Karandreas Nikos , Tzavellas Elias , Kokotis Panagiotis , Liappas John
Published: November 2005

Abstract  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of large and small fiber neuropathy among alcohol‐dependent subjects and to correlate neuropathy with the pattern of alcohol abuse, age of the subjects, nutritional status, and biochemical parameters. The study sample comprised 98 consecutive alcohol‐dependent subjects without signs of malnutrition treated for detoxification voluntarily in the specialized unit of the Athens University Psychiatric Clinic in an inpatient basis. Polyneuropathy (PN) was graded using the neuropathy symptoms score and neurologic disability score, conduction velocity studies, and quantitative sensory tests. Seventy‐seven men and 21 women aged 27–70 years took part in the study. PN was diagnosed in 57 subjects (58.2%). PN of both large and small fibers was found in 25 patients (25.5%); exclusively small fiber neuropathy was observed in 12 (12.2%) and exclusively large fiber neuropathy in 20 patients (20.4%). Neuropathy was significantly correlated with the age of the subjects, duration of alcohol abuse, liver dysfunction, macrocytosis, and blood sugar levels upon admission. PN was significantly more frequent in males than in females. The two groups of exclusively large and exclusively small fiber neuropathy did not differ significantly in any clinical and laboratory parameter. Subclinical neuropathy (stage 1) was observed in 11.2%, which also did not differ significantly in any clinical and laboratory parameter from the stage 2 PN group subjects. Our findings indicate the direct toxic effect of alcohol on peripheral nerve fibers as the main etiologic factor of alcoholic PN. Long‐standing hyperglycemia may be another contributing factor. Impaired vitamin B12 utilization may be also involved.
Assessing genetic diversity in indigenous Veneto chicken breeds using AFLP markers
Authors: De Marchi M. , Dalvit C. , Targhetta C. , Cassandro M.
Published: November 2005

Genetic variation in four indigenous chicken breeds from the Veneto region of Italy was assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 99 individuals were analysed using three AFLP primer combinations that produced 70 polymorphisms. Four indigenous Veneto chicken breeds (Ermellinata, Padovana, Pépoi and Robusta) and a reference broiler line were included in the analysis. Breed‐specific markers were identified in each breed. The expected heterozygosity did not differ significantly among the indigenous Veneto chicken breeds and the broiler line. The coefficient of gene variation (Gst) value across loci indicated that almost half of the total variability was observed among breeds. Nei's standard genetic distance between pairs of breeds showed that the distance between the broiler line and the Pépoi breed was greater than the distances between the broiler line and the other three chicken breeds. Cluster analysis based on standard genetic distances between breeds indicated that the Padovana and Pépoi breeds were closely related. Factorial analysis based on a binary matrix of the AFLP data showed a clear distinction of all breeds.
Identification of quantitative trait loci regulating haematopoietic parameters in B6AKRF2 mice
Authors: van Os Ronald , Ausema Albertina , Noach Estelle J. K. , van Pelt Kyrjon , Dontje Bert J. H. , Vellenga Edo , de Haan Gerald
Published: November 2005

The haematopoietic system is a complex organised tissue with a hierarchical structure. Identification of organisational pathways within the haematopoietic system is relevant for a better understanding of haematopoiesis in health and disease. We have analysed numerous haematopoietic parameters in two panels of a total of 157 genetically distinct B6AKRF2 mice, derived from an intercross between AKR and C57Bl/6 mice, strains known to differ in various stem cell traits. The major objective of our study was to assess the extent to which various haematopoietic parameters, such as stem cell numbers, progenitor cell cycling, progenitor cell mobilisation and neutrophil numbers in blood and bone marrow are coregulated. The genotypes of these mice were used to search for genetic loci that regulate these parameters. We found significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with the number of stem cells (CAFC‐35) in the bone marrow and the number of neutrophils in the blood. However, most haematopoietic parameters appeared to be controlled by non‐heritable (epigenetic) factors, or by multiple QTLs. Our study reveals striking differences in structure of the haematopoietic hierarchy between individual mice. Surprisingly, stem and progenitor cell pool size and proliferation rate, as well as peripheral blood cell counts are all independently regulated.
Nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase is not involved in the initiation of apoptosis induced by 1‐Methyl‐4‐phenyl‐pyridium iodide (MPP+)
Authors: Kodama Rieko , Kondo Tomoyoshi , Yokote Hideyuki , Jing Xuefeng , Sawada Takahiro , Hironishi Masaya , Sakaguchi Kazushige
Published: November 2005

Nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is implicated in the process of apoptosis. To study the function of GAPDH, we expressed GAPDH C‐terminally fused with or without nuclear localization signal (NLS) in SH‐SY5Y and NB41A3 cells using a retrovirus expression system. GAPDH carrying NLS (GAPDH‐NLS) was expressed mainly in the nucleus. However, expression of GAPDH‐NLS did not cause any difference in cell survival rate as compared to that of the vector alone or GAPDH without NLS. Treatment with 1‐Methyl‐4‐phenyl‐pyridium iodide (MPP+) caused no difference in the cell survival rate or in the pattern or extent of apoptosis among the three transductants. In the cells expressing GAPDH without NLS, MPP+ did not cause visible translocation of GAPDH into nucleus before the onset of apoptosis. Since GAPDH is known to comprise a CRM1‐mediated nuclear export signal, we blocked the nuclear export of GAPDH by treatment with leptomycin B, an inhibitor of CRM1‐mediated nuclear export. The treatment did not cause any difference in apoptosis among the three transductants. An additional treatment with MPP+ induced no apoptotic difference in these cells. Thus, we have concluded that a simple nuclear localization of GAPDH does not induce apoptosis, and that MPP+‐induced apoptosis is not caused by nuclear translocation of GAPDH.
Thioredoxin is related to life span regulation and oxidative stress response inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Jee Changhoon , Vanoaica Liviu , Lee Jungsoo , Park Byung Jae , Ahnn Joohong
Published: November 2005

Thioredoxin, an oxidoreductase, is a multifunction protein. The thioredoxin system is composed of NADPH, thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin. This enzyme is highly conserved from bacteria to humans. We have characterized TRX‐1, a thioredoxin homolog inC. elegans, which has about 36% identity in amino acid sequence with human thioredoxin. Bygfpreporter system,trx‐1has been shown to be restrictedly expressed in ASI and ASJ neurons and in intestine. Immunostaining confirmed the intestinal expression. Full‐length cDNA oftrx‐1has been isolated by cDNA library PCR and subsequently cloned and sequenced. We have shown that the encoded protein functions as a reductase in the insulin reducing assay. Moreover, we have isolated a deletion mutant by PCR‐based TMP‐UV mutagenesis method. Mutant animals have reduced life span and are sensitive to oxidative stress. Reintroduction oftrx‐1into mutant worms fully restored the wild‐type phenotype. Our results suggest thattrx‐1has important functions in life span regulation and oxidative stress response inC. elegans.
Constraining the Sheffield dynamic global vegetation model using stream‐flow measurements in the United Kingdom
Authors: Picard G. , Woodward F.I. , Lomas M.R. , Pellenq J. , Quegan S. , Kennedy M.
Published: November 2005

The biospheric water and carbon cycles are intimately coupled, so simulating carbon fluxes by vegetation also requires modelling of the water fluxes, with each component influencing the other. Observations of river streamflow integrate information at the catchment scale and are widely available over a long period; they therefore provide an important source of information for validating or calibrating vegetation models. In this paper, we analyse the performance of the Sheffield dynamic global vegetation model (SDGVM) for predicting river streamflow and quantifying how this information helps to constrain carbon flux predictions.

The SDGVM is run for 29 large catchments in the United Kingdom. Annual streamflow estimates are compared with long time‐series observations. In 23 out of the 29 catchments, the bias between model and observations is less than 50 mm, equivalent to less than 10% of precipitation. In the remaining catchments, larger errors are because of combinations of unpredictable causes, in particular various human activities and measurement issues and, in two cases, unidentified causes.

In one of the catchments, we assess to what extent a knowledge of annual streamflow can constrain model parameters and in turn constrain estimates of gross primary production (GPP). For this purpose, we assume the model parameters are uncertain and constrain them by the streamflow observations using the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation method. Comparing the probability density function of GPP with and without constraint shows that streamflow effectively constrains GPP, mainly by setting a low probability to GPP values below about 1100 g C−1 m2 yr−1. In other words, streamflow observations allow the rejection of low values of GPP, so that the potential range of possible GPP values is almost halved.
Carbon sequestration potential in European croplands has been overestimated
Authors: Smith Pete , Andrén Olof , Karlsson Thord , Perälä Paula , Regina Kristiina , Rounsevell Mark , Van Wesemael Bas
Published: November 2005

Yearly, per‐area carbon sequestration rates are used to estimate mitigation potentials by comparing types and areas of land management in 1990 and 2000 and projected to 2010, for the European Union (EU)‐15 and for four country‐level case studies for which data are available: UK, Sweden, Belgium and Finland. Because cropland area is decreasing in these countries (except for Belgium), and in most European countries there are no incentives in place to encourage soil carbon sequestration, carbon sequestration between 1990 and 2000 was small or negative in the EU‐15 and all case study countries. Belgium has a slightly higher estimate for carbon sequestration than the other countries examined. This is at odds with previous reports of decreasing soil organic carbon stocks in Flanders. For all countries except Belgium, carbon sequestration is predicted to be negligible or negative by 2010, based on extrapolated trends, and is small even in Belgium. The only trend in agriculture that may be enhancing carbon stocks on croplands at present is organic farming, and the magnitude of this effect is highly uncertain.

Previous studies have focused on the potential for carbon sequestration and have shown quite significant potential. This study, which examines the sequestration likely to occur by 2010, suggests that the potential will not be realized. Without incentives for carbon sequestration in the future, cropland carbon sequestration under Article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol will not be an option in EU‐15.
Nitrogen stunning of rainbow trout
Authors: Wills Carmel C. , Zampacavallo Giulia , Poli Bianca‐Maria , Proctor Marlene R.M. , Henehan Gary T.M.
Published: November 2005

This study examined the use of nitrogen gas for stunning of Rainbow Trout. It was found that nitrogen could be used as an effective stunning method and that the strong aversive reaction reported for carbon dioxide stunning was not observed. Measurement of ATP, its metabolites and pH were carried out to evaluate the effects of nitrogen stunning on post mortem muscle biochemistry. This treatment was compared to percussive stunning and air asphyxiation. Post mortem ATP levels in nitrogen stunned fish (1.96 ± 0.36 μmol g−1) were significantly higher than for asphyxiated fish (0.2 ± 0.11 μmol g−1) but lower than values for percussively stunned fish (5.9 ± 0.89 μmol g−1). This work indicates that the use of gasses other than carbon dioxide for stunning of fish deserves further study.
The solubility of apricot kernel oil in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Özkal Sami Gökhan , Yener Meryem Esra , Bayındırlı Levent
Published: November 2005

The solubility of kernel oil from apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) in supercritical carbon dioxide at 313.15, 323.15 and 333.15 K and at 15, 30, 45, 52.5 and 60 MPa was determined. Appropriate models were fitted to the data and the crossover pressure of apricot kernel oil was found to be between 20 and 30 MPa. Crossover pressure is a pressure value at which the effect of temperature on the solubility changes. Solubility increased as the temperature increased above the crossover pressure but decreased when temperature increased below the crossover pressure. It increased with an increase in pressure over all of the temperature range. The solubility data were well represented by models based on density but the best was found to be the Adachi & Lu equation. An empirical model that did not require density data for CO2 was proposed to relate solubility to temperature and pressure and it was found equally successful to the Adachi & Lu equation.
Re‐analysis of meta‐analysis: support for the stress‐gradient hypothesis
Authors: LORTIE CHRISTOPHER J. , CALLAWAY RAGAN M.
Published: November 2005

Using meta‐analysis, Maestre et al. (2005, Journal of Ecology, 93, 748–757) recently rejected the predictions of the stress‐gradient hypothesis for arid and semi‐arid environments in entirety. It was concluded that neither positive nor negative effects of neighbours increased with abiotic stress and that different theoretical models are now needed.

In light of this sweeping conclusion, we re‐examined the analytical approach and explored the general synthetic power of meta‐analysis.

Detailed statistical re‐analyses demonstrated that some of the meta‐analyses of Maestre et al. were robust. However, more rigorous data selection criteria, changing gradient lengths between studies and covariance in response effects did not support their original conclusions. Additionally, application of more rigorous data selection criteria did allow us to detect a significant and consistent positive effect of neighbours, which suggests that facilitation is important at many points along stress gradients.

Careful evaluation of the studies used by Maestre et al. also revealed serious limitations. Many studies included in the meta‐analyses were not conducted along stress gradients, did not identify a stress gradient within the study, focused on invasive species or were not peer reviewed. Most importantly, however, gradient lengths were not quantified and appeared to differ dramatically among studies. This crucial source of variation was not accounted for statistically nor in the interpretations.

Meta‐analyses are useful tools for synthesis and description but are inherently limited by the appropriateness of the data selected. Unfortunately, in this particular instance, the data available to and selected by Maestre et al. did not adequately test the stress‐gradient hypothesis and cannot thus reject its value for understanding the organization of plant communities in arid systems.

The ecological implication of our synthesis is that meta‐analytical summary statistics may not always tell the whole story. Alternative interpretations of differences in effect sizes (or lack thereof) are possible because studies will vary in their ability to test specific predictions of a hypothesis, and furthermore, a certain level of judgement is required to infer the relative importance of certain ideas to synthetic progress within a discipline.
Effects of mesoscale environmental heterogeneity and dispersal limitation on floristic variation in rain forest ferns
Authors: JONES MIRKKA M. , TUOMISTO HANNA , CLARK DAVID B. , OLIVAS PAULO
Published: November 2005

Field studies to evaluate the roles of environmental variation and random dispersal in explaining variation in the floristic composition of rain forest plants at landscape to regional scales have yet to reach a consensus. Moreover, only one study has focused on scales below 10 km2, where the effects of dispersal limitation are expected to be easiest to observe.

In the present study, we estimate the importance of differences in some key environmental variables (describing canopy openness, soils and topography) relative to the geographical distances between sample plots as determinants of differences in pteridophyte (ferns and fern allies) species composition between plots within a c. 5.7 km2 lowland rain forest site in Costa Rica.

To assess the relative importance of environmental vs. geographical distances in relation to the length of environmental gradient covered, we compared the results obtained over the full range of soil types, including swamps, with those for upland soils alone.

Environmental variability was found to be a far stronger predictor of changes in floristic differences than the geographical distance between sample plots. In particular, differences in soil nutrient content, drainage and canopy openness correlated with floristic differences.

The decline in mean floristic similarity with increasing geographical distance was stronger than proposed by the random dispersal model over short distances (up to c. 100 m), which is probably attributable to both dispersal limitation and environmental changes. The scatter around the mean was large at all distances.

Our initial expectation was that the effects of dispersal limitation (represented by geographical distance) on observed patterns of floristic similarity would be stronger, and those of environmental differences weaker, than at broader spatial scales. Instead, these results suggest that the niche assembly view is a more accurate representation of pteridophyte communities at local to mesoscales than the dispersal assembly view.
Analysis of nurse conversation: methodology of the process recording
Authors: ENGLAND M.
Published: November 2005

The study explored elements of effective nurse–client interaction between a nurse and a nursing home resident on the third day of the client's recovery from surgery. The interaction was recorded from memory in the form of a process recording then divided into unique conversation segments. Two nurses independently used seven typologies to classify segments of the conversation. Cohen's coefficient kappa for inter‐rater reliability of the classifications was 0.98. Findings from the study revealed that two‐thirds of the nurse's conversation was effective and consistent with the orientation phase of the nurse–client relationship. The nurse communicated her role through the provision of leadership, resources and help, and technical expertise. Her approaches were rather evenly divided between making requests, giving information, and affirming the client's experience. One‐third of the conversation was oriented toward assessment and diagnosis, one half toward treatment of the client's experiences, and the rest toward planning and evaluation. Themes identified in the client's conversation included issues of dependency, disorientation to time, unresolved grief, separation anxiety, and the client's need for validation. These findings are valuable for illuminating the contribution that nurse conversation makes to evidence‐based clinical practices. They also have implications for further refinements in the use of the process record and multiple coding schemes for the study of the nurse–client relationship.
Is the reducing effect of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale owing to a learning effect? An explorative study
Authors: DE NIET G. J. , HUTSCHEMAEKERS G. J. M. , LENDEMEIJER B. H. H. G.
Published: November 2005

This study explores the decline in the amount of reported aggression incidents when using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale (SOAS). Because this decline could hold significant implications for practice or research, the objective of this study was to explore the plausible explanations for this phenomenon. The influence of systematic feedback of the gained data was also studied. The SOAS was introduced on a closed ward in a psychiatric institution in the Netherlands as a measuring instrument to assess the amount of aggression incidents during a 16‐week period. The standard procedure for reporting general incidents was continued. After 10 weeks of registration, systematic feedback of the gathered data took place. Statistic analysis was used to determine significant changes in the total amount as well as on the various forms of aggression. During this observation period, qualitative data were collected to support the analysis of the quantitative data. A significant decrease in the total amount of reported aggression incidents as well as in the categories of ‘verbal aggression’ and ‘remaining aggression’ was found. However, the category ‘physical aggression’ was stable during the entire observation period. The number of standard procedure reports did not decrease when compared with the pre‐test period. Nursing staff did not recognize a reduction in the amount of aggression incidents. The role of a learning effect in the reduction of reports on aggression incidents is not excluded but there are indications that the reduction is also the result of ‘reporting fatigue’ and ‘shifting attention’.
Coercive manoeuvres in a psychiatric intensive care unit
Authors: RYAN C. J. , BOWERS L.
Published: November 2005

The practice of physical restraint techniques in the management of disturbed behaviour is a significant part of the role of mental health nurses, particularly in Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs). Debate about what constitutes good practice is intense, and the subject of recently issued guidelines by National Institute for Mental Health in England. However, the contribution of other forms of conflict management techniques has tended to be ignored. The purpose of this study was to identify, describe and categorize coercive manoeuvres used by nurses, and to examine the circumstances and appropriateness of their use. Non‐participant observation of verbal and non–verbal interaction between patients and nurses during conflict situations was undertaken on one PICU. The critical incidents observed were identified, categorized and systematically recorded. Nurses used a variety of low level physical and interactional manoeuvres in order to manage patients’ disturbed and resistive behaviour. These manoeuvres were seldom recorded, discussed or reviewed, although they were frequently used to manage critical conflict situations. These manoeuvres have neither been previously described nor evaluated. They may, in some cases, be useful substitutes for actual restraint, alternatively they may, in some cases, be judged undesirable. It is not known how widespread these practices are in acute psychiatry.
Single case study and evidence‐based practice
Authors: STICKLEY T. , PHILLIPS C.
Published: November 2005

With the current emphasis upon evidence‐based medicine in statutory healthcare provision in the UK, mental health nursing is challenged to justify its approaches. Psychological theories, once taken for granted in mental health nursing, are now being challenged by new definitions of evidence. In this paper the authors focus upon the use of individual case study. The discussion questions the validity of applying the hierarchies of evidence proposed by evidence‐based medicine to mental health nursing theory and practice. The role of case study as the prime source of evidence is argued and is justified in mental health nursing research and practice.
An Upper Aptian saline pan/lake system from the Brazilian equatorial margin: integration of facies and isotopes
Authors: PAZ JACKSON D. S. , ROSSETTI DILCE F. , MACAMBIRA MOACIR J. B.
Published: November 2005

Facies and isotope (Sr and S) data were combined in order to discuss the genesis and palaeohydrology of an Upper Aptian evaporite succession formed during the initial development of an intra‐continental rift from northern Brazil. Comparison of facies distribution between two investigated areas shows: (i) stable, well‐stratified and hypersaline lakes with periods of anoxia and closure in the eastern margin of the basin, where there was evaporite precipitation only in central lake environments; and (ii) more ephemeral conditions in the eastern margin of the basin, where a saline pan complex developed and evaporite precipitation took place mainly in marginal salinas and surrounding mudflats. In both areas, expansion/contraction cycles developed as sedimentation took place, accompanied by a decrease and then an increase in 87Sr/86Sr‐ and δ34S‐isotope values. This, combined with the wide distribution of Sr‐ and S‐isotope data within individual depositional cycles, as well as petrographic and scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) images, led to the conclusion that diagenesis was not enough to obscure the primary geochemical signature. A non‐marine brine source is suggested by 87Sr/86Sr ratios between 0·707824 and 0·709280, which are higher than those from Upper Aptian sea water (i.e. between 0·70720 and 0·70735). The δ34S value varies from 16·12 to 17·89‰ in the eastern margin of the basin, which is in disagreement with Upper Aptian marine values (13 to 16‰). Both geochemical tracers were influenced by facies characteristics, and thus a model is provided, where 87Sr/86Sr values respond to changes in expansion and contraction episodes of saline pan/lake systems.