bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brazilian phytopharmaceuticals – evaluation against hospital bacteria
Authors: de Barros Machado Thelma , Leal Ivana Correa Ramos , Kuster Ricardo Machado , Amaral Ana Claudia Fernandes , Kokis Valéria , de Silva Marlei G. , dos Santos Kátia Regina Netto
Published: August 2005

Pharmaceutical companies have demonstrated renewed interest in investigating higher plants as sources for new lead structures and also for the development of standardized phytotherapeutic agents of proven efficacy, safety and quality. This work analysed three commercial phytopharmaceuticals against multi‐resistant bacteria of medical importance, including methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the Brazilian endemic clone. From the phytopharmaceuticals assayed, plants from the products ‘Astmoflora®’ and ‘Kókolos®’ were considered active, while plants from ‘Uva do Mato®’ were not active in the tested concentrations, which ranged from 62.5 to 500 µg/mL. Among fractions of Aristolochia cymbifera and Myroxylon balsamum, the hexane extracts showed the best results against Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These fractions showed growth inhibition of all methicillin‐sensitive and ‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and the majority of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains at a concentration of 500 µg/mL. Bioassay‐guided fractionation of hexane extracts of Aristolochia cymbifera and Myroxylon balsamum led to the identification of the diterpene 2‐oxo‐populifolic acid and of the chalcone isoliquiritigenin, respectively, as antimicrobial compounds. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 expression in mouse macrophages by 4‐(3‐methyl‐but‐1‐enyl)‐3,5,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene, a resveratrol derivative from peanuts
Authors: Patel Bankim , Patel Sandip , Hoffman Richard
Published: August 2005

Resveratrol derivatives are of interest as inhibitors of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 and as antiinflammatory agents. The prenylated resveratrol derivative 4‐(3‐methyl‐but‐1‐enyl)‐3,5,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene was purified from fungally infected peanuts by thin layer chromatography and its structure was confirmed by mass spectrometry. 4‐(3‐Methyl‐but‐1‐enyl)‐3,5,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene inhibited lipopolysaccharide‐induced expression of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 protein and cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 mRNA in mouse macrophages at concentrations that were non‐cytotoxic. 4‐(3‐Methyl‐but‐1‐enyl)‐3,5,3′,4′‐tetrahydroxystilbene warrants further evaluation as an antiinflammatory agent. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isopimaric acid from Pinus nigra shows activity against multidrug‐resistant and EMRSA strains of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Smith Eileen , Williamson Elizabeth , Zloh Mire , Gibbons Simon
Published: August 2005

The diterpene isopimaric acid was extracted from the immature cones of Pinus nigra (Arnold) using bioassay‐guided fractionation of a crude hexane extract. Isopimaric acid was assayed against multidrug‐resistant (MDR) and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 32–64 µg/mL and compared with a commercially obtained resin acid, abietic acid, with MICs of 64 µg/mL. Resin acids are known to have antibacterial activity and are valued in traditional medicine for their antiseptic properties. These results show that isopimaric acid is active against MDR and MRSA strains of S. aureus which are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Both compounds were evaluated for modulation activity in combination with antibiotics, but did not potentiate the activity of the antibiotics tested. However, the compounds were also assayed in combination with the efflux pump inhibitor reserpine, to see if inhibition of the TetK or NorA efflux pump increased their activity. Interestingly, rather than a potentiation of activity by a reduction in MIC, a two to four‐fold increase in MIC was seen. It may be that isopimaric acid and abietic acid are not substrates for these efflux pumps, but it is also possible that an antagonistic interaction with reserpine may render the antibiotics inactive. 1H‐NMR of abietic acid and reserpine taken individually and in combination, revealed a shift in resonance of some peaks for both compounds when mixed together compared with the spectra of the compounds on their own. It is proposed that this may be due to complex formation between abietic acid and reserpine and that this complex formation is responsible for a reduction in activity and elevation of MIC. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A modified myocardial performance (Tei) index based on the use of valve clicks improves reproducibility of fetal left cardiac function assessment
Authors: Hernandez‐Andrade E. , López‐Tenorio J. , Figueroa‐Diesel H. , Sanin‐Blair J. , Carreras E. , Cabero L. , Gratacos E.
Published: August 2005

Objective

To determine whether a modified myocardial performance index (Mod‐MPI) involving assessment of the movements (clicks) of the mitral valve (MV) and aortic valve (AV), improves intra‐ and interobserver agreement as compared to the previously reported method for MPI estimation.

Methods

The Mod‐MPI was recorded by two experienced operators in the left cardiac chambers of 25 normally grown fetuses using pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. The isovolumetric contraction time (ICT) was measured from the closure of the MV to the opening of the AV, the ejection time (ET) from the opening to the closure of the AV, and the isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) from the closure of the AV to the opening of the MV. The Mod‐MPI was calculated as (ICT + IRT)/ET. In addition, the MPI was estimated without using the valve clicks (F‐MPI) as previously described. Intra‐ and interobserver agreement were then analyzed for both modalities.

Results

There was a significantly lower intra‐ and inter‐observer variability in the estimation of all time periods with the Mod‐MPI than with the F‐MPI (ICT: intra‐observer, 9.9% vs. 13.9%; interobserver 9.9% vs. 15.6%; IRT: intraobserver, 9.9% vs. 14.8%; interobserver 10.4% vs. 18.3%; and ET: intraobserver, 4.5% vs. 6.1%; interobserver 2.8% vs. 5.2%, respectively). Intraclass correlation coefficient (IntraCC) for the Mod‐MPI was 0.8 (95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.56–0.9) and for the F‐MPI, the IntraCC was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.26–0.84); P = 0.01. Agreement between observers using the Mod‐MPI showed a mean difference of 0.0 with 95% limits of agreement (LA) −0.09 (95% CI, −0.1 to −0.075) to 0.09 (95% CI, 0.075–0.1) and for the F‐MPI the mean difference was −0.01 with 95% LA −0.26 (95% CI, −0.3 to −0.22) to 0.25 (95% CI, 0.21–0.29).

Conclusion

Calculation of the Mod‐MPI based on Doppler echoes of the MV and AV clicks is associated with a lower variation and better inter‐ and intraobserver agreement than the previously used method for fetal cardiac evaluation. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ductus venosus shunting in marmoset and baboon fetuses
Authors: Tchirikov M. , Schlabritz‐Loutsevitch N. , Nathanielsz P. W. , Beindorff N. , Schröder H. J.
Published: August 2005

Objectives

The increased shunting of blood through the ductus venosus (DV) during stress situations is an important mechanism that ensures fetal survival. Although primate fetuses may serve to study the function of this important venous shunt, the rate of DV shunting has not been determined in non‐human primates under normal conditions.

Methods

DV shunting was measured in 11 marmoset (eight mothers) and eight singleton baboon fetuses in mid and late gestation using Doppler ultrasound.

Results

DV shunting in marmosets was 39 ± 20% (mean ± SD) and 28 ± 8% in baboon fetuses. Umbilical vein (UV) blood volume rate increased significantly in baboons with gestational age (GA) (UV flow volume = −111.8 + 1.6*GA; r = 0.94, P < 0.05) and slightly in marmosets (UV flow volume = −10.37 + 0.13*GA; r = 0.42, P > 0.05). Both UV diameter (r = 0.84) and the time‐averaged mean UV flow velocity in baboons depended on GA (r = 0.8, P < 0.05). Distinct pulsation was found in marmoset fetuses in the UV (pulsatility index (PI) = 1.3 ± 0.9) and the DV (PI = 1.9 ± 1.2) with zero blood flow velocity during atrial contraction.

Conclusions

A high level of pulsation is observed in the UV in marmoset fetuses. DV shunting in marmosets is higher than in baboon fetuses. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pelvic free fluid: clinical importance for reproductive age women with blunt abdominal trauma
Authors: Ormsby E. L. , Geng J. , McGahan J. P. , Richards J. R.
Published: August 2005

Objective

To evaluate the importance of isolated pelvic free fluid (FF) detected by ultrasound examination in pregnant patients and in non‐pregnant reproductive age women with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT).

Methods

Reproductive age women aged 10–50 years who presented with BAT and underwent focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) from January 1995 to June 2002 at a Level 1 trauma center were included. Patients were assigned to four groups according to the location of FF detected by ultrasound (Group 1, no FF; Group 2, FF in pelvis; Group 3, FF in abdomen; Group 4, FF in abdomen and pelvis). Ultrasound findings were compared with intra‐abdominal and pelvic injuries detected by computed tomography and/or laparotomy. Pair‐wise comparison was performed using a Fisher's exact test.

Results

Ultrasound detection of FF in the abdomen alone or FF in the abdomen and pelvis was significantly associated with intra‐abdominal injury (IAI) compared to those without FF (P < 0.001) for both pregnant and non‐pregnant reproductive age women. FF isolated to the pelvis was also associated with a higher injury rate compared to no FF in pregnant women (30% vs. 3%, P = 0.005) and in non‐pregnant reproductive age women (39.5% vs. 3.7%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In reproductive age women with BAT, ultrasound detection of FF in the abdomen alone, in both the abdomen and pelvis, or isolated to the pelvis is associated with a higher IAI rate. Therefore, isolated FF in the pelvis should not necessarily be considered physiological in pregnant and non‐pregnant patients with BAT. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electoral Rules and Constitutional Structures as Constraints on Corruption
Authors: KUNICOVÁ JANA , ROSE-ACKERMAN SUSAN
Published: August 2005

Electoral rules and constitutional structures can influence the level of political corruption. We show that proportional representation (PR) systems are more susceptible to corrupt political rent-seeking than plurality systems. We argue that this result depends on the different loci of rents in PR and plurality systems, and on the monitoring difficulties faced by both voters and opposition parties under PR. We also examine the interaction between electoral rules and presidentialism. We test our main predictions and interaction effects on a cross-section of up to ninety-four democracies. The empirical findings strongly support our hypothesis that PR systems, especially together with presidentialism, are associated with higher levels of corrupt political rent-seeking.
Multiparty Competition in Israel, 1988–96
Authors: SCHOFIELD NORMAN , SENED ITAI
Published: August 2005

Formal models of voting usually assume that political agents, whether parties or candidates, attempt to maximize expected vote shares. ‘Stochastic’ models typically derive the ‘mean voter theorem’ that each agent will adopt a ‘convergent’ policy strategy at the mean of the electoral distribution. In this article, it is argued that this conclusion is contradicted by empirical evidence. Estimates of vote intentions require ‘valence’ terms. The valence of each party derives from the average weight, given by members of the electorate, in judging the overall competence or ‘quality’ of the particular party leader. In empirical models, a party's valence is independent of current policy declarations and can be shown to be statistically significant in the estimation. It is shown here that the addition of valence gives a very strong Bayes factor over an electoral model without valence. The formal model is analysed and shown to be classified by a ‘convergence’ coefficient, defined in terms of the parameters of the empirical model. This coefficient gives necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence. When the necessary condition fails, as it does in these empirical studies with valence, then the convergent equilibrium fails to exist. The empirical evidence is consistent with a formal stochastic model of voting in which there are multiple local Nash equilibria to the vote-maximizing electoral game. Simulation techniques based on the parameters of the empirical model have been used to obtain these local equilibria, which are determined by the principal component of the electoral distribution. Low valence parties, in equilibrium, will tend to adopt positions at the electoral periphery. High valence parties will contest the electoral centre, but will not, in fact, position themselves at the electoral mean. Survey data from Israel for the elections of 1988, 1992 and 1996 are used to compute the parameters of the empirical model and to illustrate the dependence of equilibria on the electoral principal components. The vote maximizing equilibria do not perfectly coincide with the actual party positions. This divergence may be accounted for by more refined models that either (i) include activism or (ii) consider strategic party considerations over post-election coalition bargaining.
Divided We Stand – Unified We Govern? Cohabitation and Regime Voting in the 2002 French Elections
Authors: GSCHWEND THOMAS , LEUFFEN DIRK
Published: August 2005

In this article the impact of voters' regime preferences, i.e. their preferences for either divided or unified government, on their voting behaviour, is analysed. The theory expounded, combining behavioural as well as institutional approaches, predicts that voters weigh their regime against their partisan preferences to derive their vote choice. This theory and its implications are tested on the 2002 French legislative elections using a multinomial logit set-up. The results indicate that regime voting adds to the explanatory power of traditional vote-choice models. Statistical simulations provide further evidence that regime preferences play a decisive role in the voting booth, especially for voters who are not politically ‘anchored’.
Correcting for Small Group Inflation of Roll-Call Cohesion Scores
Authors: DESPOSATO SCOTT W.
Published: August 2005

Roll-call cohesion scores are the most widely used measures of voting blocs in legislative studies, appearing in literally hundreds of studies since their introduction in 1924. Despite a staple of legislative studies, we know virtually nothing about the statistical properties of these scores. In this article, it is shown how such scores suffer a serious bias problem: scores are artificially inflated for small parties, especially those that are less unified. The problem is demonstrated and an intuitive solution proposed. It is illustrated with data from the United States and from Brazil.
Do Exploitive Agents Benefit from Asymmetric Power in International Politics?
Authors: MAJESKI STEPHEN J.
Published: August 2005

Endowing agents that prefer co-operative outcomes with asymmetric power substantially increases the chances that both co-operative agents survive and that co-operative worlds evolve across a variety of structural settings of conflict and co-operation present in international relations; particularly when agents are endowed with the ability to selectively interact with other agents. These results are consistent with the general finding that non-compulsory play consistently helps co-operators. The question addressed in this analysis is whether or not asymmetric power also helps exploitive agents in the same structural settings; a question heretofore not analysed. Contrary to expectations, the simulation results reported here suggest that exploitive agents benefit from asymmetric power only in very restricted circumstances – circumstances relatively unlikely to occur in international relations. In effect, there is an asymmetry in the benefits of asymmetric power.
On the physical origin of the homochirality of life
Authors: CLINE DAVID B.
Published: August 2005

It seems to be well known that life cannot arise in a racemic mixture of molecules (L=D). The various physical mechanisms that could influence the homochirality of the molecules responsible for life are reviewed together with a model where these molecules might be produced in the galaxy prior to the formation of the earth. The focus is on the influence of a powerful supernovae explosion to affect the homochirality of these molecules. Possible tests of this concept with meteorites and future space missions are described.
How asymmetry in animals starts
Authors: GÜNTÜRKÜN ONUR
Published: August 2005

This review aims to present a speculation about mechanisms that shape the brains of humans and other animals into an asymmetrical organization. To this end, I will proceed in two steps: first, I want to recapitulate evidence from various experiments that show that some but not all asymmetries of the avian brain result from a prehatch light stimulation asymmetry. This should make it clear that avian embryos have a genetic predisposition to turn their head to the right. This results in a higher level of prehatch light stimulation of their right eye. The concomitant left–right difference in sensory input alters the brain circuits of the animal for the entire lifespan in a lateralized way. In the second part of the paper I will present evidence that some of the asymmetries of the human brain take a similar ontogenetic path as those observed in birds. This review provides the evidence that critical ontogenetic processes discovered in animal models could also be involved in the ontogeny of human cerebral asymmetries.
Asymmetry in the fossil record
Authors: BABCOCK LOREN E.
Published: August 2005

Asymmetry is a fundamental aspect of the biology of all organisms, and has a deep evolutionary history. The fossil record contains evidence of both morphological and behavioural asymmetries. Morphological asymmetry is most commonly expressed as conspicuous, directional asymmetry (either lateral asymmetry or spiral asymmetry) in body fossils. Few examples of fluctuating asymmetry, a form of subtle asymmetry, have been documented from fossils. Body fossil evidence indicates that morphological asymmetry dates to the time of the appearance of the first life on Earth (Archaean Eon). Behavioural asymmetry can be assumed to have been concomitant with conspicuous morphological asymmetry, but more direct evidence is in the form of trace fossils. Trace fossil evidence suggests that behavioural asymmetry, including nervous system lateralization, was in existence by the beginning of the Palaeozoic Era.
Symmetry in social exchange and health
Authors: SIEGRIST JOHANNES
Published: August 2005

Symmetry is a relevant concept in sociological theories of exchange. It is rooted in the evolutionary old norm of social reciprocity and is particularly important in social contracts. Symmetry breaking through violation of the norm of reciprocity generates strain in micro-social systems and, above all, in victims of non-symmetric exchange. In this contribution, adverse healthconsequences of symmetry breaking in contractual social exchange are analysed, with a main focus on the employment contract. Scientific evidence is derived from prospective epidemiological studies testing the model of effort-reward imbalance at work. Overall, a twofold elevated risk of incident disease is observed in employed men and women who are exposed to non-symmetric exchange. Health risks include coronary heart disease, depression and alcohol dependence, among others. Preliminary results suggest similar effects on health produced by symmetry breaking in other types of social relationships (e.g. partnership, parental roles). These findings underline the importance of symmetry in contractual social exchange for health and well-being.
On climate response to changes in the cosmic ray flux and radiative budget
Authors: Shaviv Nir J.
Published: August 2005

We examine the results linking cosmic ray flux (CRF) variations to global climate change. We then proceed to study various periods over which there are estimates for the radiative forcing, temperature change and CRF variations relative to today. These include the Phanerozoic as a whole, the Cretaceous, the Eocene, the Last Glacial Maximum, the 20th century, as well as the 11‐yr solar cycle. This enables us to place quantitative limits on climate sensitivity to both changes in the CRF, and the radiative budget, F, under equilibrium. Under the assumption that the CRF is indeed a climate driver, the sensitivity to variations in the globally averaged relative change in the tropospheric ionization ℐ is consistently fitted with μ ≡ − (dTglobal/dℐ) ≈ 7.5 ± 2°K. Additionally, the sensitivity to radiative forcing changes is λ ≡ dTglobal/dF = 0.35 ± 0.09°KW−1m2, at the current temperature, while its temperature derivative is undetectable with (dλ/dT)0 = −0.01 ± 0.04 m2W−1. If the observed CRF/climate link is ignored, the best sensitivity obtained is λ = 0.54 ± 0.12°KW−1m2 and (dλ/dT)0 = −0.02 ± 0.05 m2W−1. Note that this analysis assumes that different climate conditions can be described with at most a linear function of T; however, the exact sensitivity probably depends on various additional factors. Moreover, λ was mostly obtained through comparison of climate states notably different from each other, and thus only describes an average sensitivity. Subject to the above caveats and those described in the text, the CRF/climate link therefore implies that the increased solar luminosity and reduced CRF over the previous century should have contributed a warming of 0.47 ± 0.19°K, while the rest should be mainly attributed to anthropogenic causes. Without any effect of cosmic rays, the increase in solar luminosity would correspond to an increased temperature of 0.16 ± 0.04°K.
Physiological effects on fishes in a high‐CO2 world
Authors: Ishimatsu Atsushi , Hayashi Masahiro , Lee Kyoung‐Seon , Kikkawa Takashi , Kita Jun
Published: August 2005

Fish are important members of both freshwater and marine ecosystems and constitute a major protein source in many countries. Thus potential reduction of fish resources by high‐CO2 conditions due to the diffusion of atmospheric CO2 into the surface waters or direct CO2 injection into the deep sea can be considered as another potential threat to the future world population. Fish, and other water‐breathing animals, are more susceptible to a rise in environmental CO2 than terrestrial animals because the difference in CO2 partial pressure (PCO2) of the body fluid of water‐breathing animals and ambient medium is much smaller (only a few torr (1 torr = 0.1333 kPa = 1316 μatm)) than in terrestrial animals (typically 30–40 torr). A survey of the literature revealed that hypercapnia acutely affects vital physiological functions such as respiration, circulation, and metabolism, and changes in these functions are likely to reduce growth rate and population size through reproduction failure and change the distribution pattern due to avoidance of high‐CO2 waters or reduced swimming activities. This paper reviews the acute and chronic effects of CO2 on fish physiology and tries to clarify necessary areas of future research.
Magnetic crust of Mars
Authors: Arkani‐Hamed Jafar
Published: August 2005

The strong magnetic anomalies of Mars require highly magnetic sources in the crust. The bottom of the potentially magnetic layer is constrained by the Curie temperature of its magnetic carriers, and the top of the layer is constrained by the thickness of the uppermost crust that has been demagnetized by the impacts. This paper presents a systematic study of the thermal evolution of the Martian crust and the effects of eight major physical parameters on the thickness of the potentially magnetic layer in the crust. It is shown that the initial upper mantle temperature, the mantle viscosity, and the total radioactive content of Mars are the major parameters that have substantial effects on the thermal state of the crust in the first 1 Gyr of the planet's history. The magnetic source bodies that have been magnetized by the core field during the first 500 Myr are located in the upper about 100–90, 90–80, or 55–45 km of the crust if hematite, magnetite, or pyrrhotite is the major magnetic carrier of the source bodies, respectively. The shock pressures induced in the crust by impacts can demagnetize the uppermost part of the crust. It is demonstrated in this paper that impacts that create craters of diameters larger than ∼200 km are capable of demagnetizing the entire crust, and those that create craters of diameters less than ∼50 km can demagnetize the upper 10–20 km of the crust. Detailed studies of the secondary thermal remanent magnetization acquired by deeper parts of the crust, in the absence of the core field but in the presence of the magnetic field of the upper crust, suggest that the secondary magnetization has minor effects on the observed magnetic anomalies of Mars.
The use of detrital mineral cooling ages to evaluate steady state assumptions in active orogens: An example from the central Nepalese Himalaya
Authors: Ruhl K. W. , Hodges K. V.
Published: August 2005

The distribution of detrital mineral cooling ages in modern sediments has been proposed as a proxy for long‐term, catchment‐averaged erosion rates in developing orogens. However, the applicability of this potentially valuable tool hinges on restrictive assumptions regarding a catchment's steady state thermal and topographic evolution. In this paper, we outline a method by which these assumptions can be tested through statistical comparisons of cooling age distributions for detrital minerals and the hypsometric curves for their source regions using cumulative synoptic probability density functions. Our approach is illustrated with new detrital muscovite 40Ar/39Ar dates from the Marsyandi River valley, in the central Nepalese Himalaya. One of three studied catchments (Nyadi Khola) showed the strong correlation of hypsometry and cooling ages expected for steady state conditions over the 11 to 2.5 Ma time frame. The pattern of mismatch between hypsometry and cooling age distribution in the other catchments suggests that spatially nonuniform and transient erosional processes may be responsible for departure from steady state. Cooling age distribution comparisons for samples collected from nearby localities, samples collected in different years, and different grain size fractions from the same sample were used to evaluate sampling fidelity over a range of spatial scales (200 to 2590 km2). We found that approximately 50 analyses from a single sediment sample adequately characterize the cooling age signal for tributary catchments with simple erosional histories. However, because of temporally and spatially transient erosion, a specific detrital sample is unlikely to adequately characterize the complex signal in trunk stream sediments that integrate information from several large tributaries.
Prediction of mountain stream morphology
Authors: Wohl Ellen , Merritt David
Published: August 2005

We use a large and diverse data set from mountain streams around the world to explore relationships between reach‐scale channel morphology and control variables. The data set includes 177 step‐pool reaches, 44 plane‐bed reaches, and 114 pool‐riffle reaches from the western United States, Panama, and New Zealand. We performed several iterations of stepwise discriminant analysis on these data. A three‐variable discriminant function using slope (S), D84, and channel width (w) produced an error rate of 24% for the entire data set. Seventy percent of plane‐bed reaches were correctly classified (16% incorrectly classified as pool‐riffle and 14% incorrectly classified as step‐pool). Sixty‐seven percent of pool‐riffle channels were correctly classified (31% incorrectly classified as plane‐bed and 2% as step‐pool). Eighty‐nine percent of step‐pool reaches were correctly classified (9% incorrectly classified as plane‐bed and 2% as pool‐riffle). The partial R2 values and F tests indicate that S is by far the most significant single explanatory variable. Comparison of the eight discriminant functions developed using different data sets indicates that no single variable is present in all functions, suggesting that the discriminant functions are sensitive to the specific stream reaches being analyzed. However, the three‐variable discriminant function developed from the entire data set correctly classified 69% of the 159 channels included in an independent validation data set. The ability to accurately classify channel type in other regions using the three‐variable discriminant function developed from the entire data set has important implications for water resources management, such as facilitating prediction of channel morphology using regional S‐w‐D84 relations calibrated with minimal field work.
Impact of the Sudd wetland on the Nile hydroclimatology
Authors: Mohamed Y. A. , van den Hurk B. J. J. M. , Savenije H. H. G. , Bastiaanssen W. G. M.
Published: August 2005

Large evaporation occurs over the Sudd wetland, a huge swamp located on the upper Nile. Historically, water resources planners have had the intention to reduce the Sudd evaporation by shortcut channels (e.g., Jonglei canal). The question is: What is the effect of draining the Sudd wetland on the regional water cycle and on the Nile water flow? A regional climate model has been applied to the Nile Basin, with a special modification to include routing of the Nile flood over the Sudd. The impact of the wetland on the Nile hydroclimatology has been studied by comparing two model scenarios: the present climatology and a drained Sudd scenario. The results indicate that draining the entire Sudd has negligible impact on the regional water cycle owing to the relatively small area covered by the wetland. The runoff gain would then be up to ∼36 Gm3 yr−1. However, the impact on the microclimate is large. The relative humidity will drop by 30–40% during the dry season, and temperature will rise by 4°–6°C. The impact during the wet season is small.
Optical observations of meteoric dust in the middle atmosphere during Leonid activity in recent years 2001–2003 over India
Authors: Padma Kumari B. , Trigo‐Rodríguez J. M. , Londhe A. L. , Jadhav D. B. , Trimbake H. K.
Published: August 2005

Twilight photometric technique has been used in order to demonstrate that the middle atmosphere can be perturbed by the presence of tiny particles delivered after an encounter with cometary dust trails like the one produced by 55P/Tempel‐Tuttle. The presence of meteoric dust in the atmosphere from the Leonid activity that occurred from 2001 to 2003 was detected by the twilight photometer operated at Pune (18.5°N, 73.9°E), India. The November 2001 and 2002 Leonid storms, and the 2003 November outburst, caused significant enhancements of dust from just above the mesopause to the lower stratosphere. The present study shows the formation of meteoric dust layers at mesospheric levels and their subsequent descent to lower altitudes. The enhanced stratospheric layers are observed 4 to 8 days after the peak meteor activity.
A note on Hantush's integral M(u, β)
Authors: Trefry M. G.
Published: August 2005

New analytical results are presented pertaining to M. S. Hantush's integral M(u, β). This integral is often employed in studies of unsteady flow near partially penetrating wells and is usually evaluated via numerical quadrature. It is demonstrated here that Maclaurin and asymptotic series may be truncated to provide a choice of accurate algebraic approximations to M(u, β) over the relevant parameter space. The Maclaurin series lead to formally convergent solutions, although practical evaluation of these series is difficult for some ranges of parameter values. In these cases, the asymptotic expansions provide efficient estimates. Numerical implementation of the new results is straightforward, and guidelines for selection of series truncation limits are provided.
Sildenafil prevents indomethacin‐induced gastropathy in rats: role of leukocyte adherence and gastric blood flow
Authors: Santos Camila L , Souza Marcellus H L P , Gomes Antoniella S , Lemos Henrique P , Santos Armênio A , Cunha Fernando Q , Wallace John L
Published: August 2005

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator of gastric mucosal defense. Sildenafil (SILD), a cyclic GMP‐specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, promotes an increase in cGMP concentrations in the gastrointestinal tract. cGMP mediates many of the biological actions of NO.

We tested the hypothesis that SILD could increase mucosal defense against indomethacin‐induced gastropathy in rats.

SILD (1, 4 or 10 mg kg−1, p.o.) pretreatment significantly reduced (P<0.01) the gastric damage and the increase in gastric myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity elicited by indomethacin (20 mg kg−1 p.o.), with the maximal effect at the dose of 10 mg kg−1.

L‐NAME (3, 10 or 20 mg kg−1, i.p.) dose dependently reversed the protective effects of SILD, an effect not seen when L‐arginine (L‐ARG) (200 mg kg−1, i.p.) was co‐administered with L‐NAME.

Indomethacin‐induced leukocyte adhesion, assessed by intravital microscopy, was decreased (P<0.01) by SILD, and this effect was reversed by L‐NAME cotreatment.

Indomethacin elicited a decrease in gastric blood flow and in gastric PGE2 levels. SILD was able to prevent the decrease in gastric blood flow (P<0.01), without diminishing the inhibitory effect of indomethacin on prostaglandin synthesis.

These results indicate that SILD, acting via NO‐dependent mechanisms, prevents indomethacin‐induced gastropathy, possibly through a reduction of leukocyte adhesion and maintenance of gastric blood flow.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 481–486. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706361
Direct demonstration of β1‐ and evidence against β2‐ and β3‐adrenoceptors, in smooth muscle cells of rat small mesenteric arteries
Authors: Briones Ana M , Daly Craig J , Jimenez‐Altayo Francesc , Martinez‐Revelles Sonia , Gonzalez Jose M , McGrath John C , Vila Elisabet
Published: August 2005

Recent evidence supports additional subtypes of vasodilator β‐adrenoceptor (β‐AR) besides the ‘classical’ β2. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of β‐ARs in the wall of rat mesenteric resistance artery (MRA), to establish the relative roles of β‐ARs in smooth muscle and other cell types in mediating vasodilatation and to analyse this in relation to the functional pharmacology.

We first examined the vasodilator β‐AR subtype using ‘subtype‐selective’ agonists against the, commonly employed, phenylephrine‐induced tone. Concentration‐related relaxation was produced by isoprenaline (pEC50: 7.70±0.1) (β1 and β2). Salbutamol (β2), BRL 37344 (β3) and CGP 12177 (atypical β) caused relaxation but were 144, 100 and 263 times less potent than isoprenaline; the ‘β3‐adrenoceptor agonist’ CL 316243 was ineffective.

In arteries precontracted with 5‐HT or U 46619, isoprenaline produced concentration‐related relaxation but salbutamol, BRL 37344, CGP 12177 and CL 316243 did not. SR 59230A, CGP 12177 and BRL 37344 caused a parallel rightward shift in the concentration–response curve to phenylephrine indicating competitive α1‐AR antagonism, explaining the false‐positive ‘vasodilator’ action against phenylephrine‐induced tone. Endothelial denudation but not L‐NAME slightly attenuated isoprenaline‐mediated vasodilatation in phenylephrine and U 46619 precontracted MRA.

The β‐AR fluorescent ligand BODIPY TMR‐CGP 12177 behaved as an irreversible β1‐AR antagonist in MRA and bound to the surface and inside vascular smooth muscle cells in intact vascular wall. β‐ARs in smooth muscle cells were observed in a perinuclear location, consistent with the location of Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum.

Binding of BODIPY TMR‐CGP 12177 was inhibited by BAAM (1 μM) in all three vascular tunics, confirming the presence of β‐ARs in adventitia, media and intima. Binding in adventitia was observed in both neuronal and non‐neuronal cell types. Lack of co‐localisation with a fluorescent ligand for α‐ARs confirms the selectivity of BODIPY TMR‐CGP 12177 for β‐ARs over α‐ARs.

Our results support the presence of functional vasodilator β1‐ARs and show that they are mainly located in smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, we have demonstrated, for the first time, the usefulness of BODIPY TMR‐CGP 12177 for identifying β‐AR distribution in the ‘living’ vascular wall.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 679–691. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706369
Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling of NSAIDs in a model of reversible inflammation in the cat
Authors: Giraudel Jerome M , Diquelou Armelle , Laroute Valerie , Lees Peter , Toutain Pierre‐Louis
Published: August 2005

Data on the relationships between plasma concentration and analgesic and anti‐inflammatory effects of NSAIDs are limited because most inflammation models do not permit pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modelling to be readily performed.

In this study, a kaolin‐induced inflammation model in the cat was evaluated for pre‐clinical characterization of the pharmacodynamic profiles of NSAIDs (determination of efficacy, potency, sensitivity (that is the slope of the concentration–effect relationship) and duration of drug response), using meloxicam as a probe article.

Indirect response PK/PD models described the time course and magnitude of responses produced by 0.3 mg kg−1 meloxicam administered subcutaneously. For endpoints for which spontaneous recovery from inflammation was superimposed on drug response, a PK/PD model with a time‐dependent Kin was used to allow for the spontaneous changes of the inflammation with time.

The selected endpoints were suitable for studying simultaneously the analgesic, anti‐inflammatory and antipyretic effects of meloxicam, allowing comparison of relative potencies for these effects. Mean±s.d. IC50 or EC50 values (ng ml−1) were 777±124 (body temperature), 841±187 (locomotion variable), 883±215 (pain score), 911±189 (lameness score) and 1298±449 (skin temperature difference). Corresponding mean times±s.d. of peak responses (h) were 5.6±1.3, 8.6±3.8, 5.2±5.0, 5.6±3.7 and 4.3±2.4, respectively.

As the pharmacokinetic profiles of meloxicam in cats and humans are similar, simulations of several dosage regimens in the cat provided a pre‐clinical basis, illustrating the value of the cat model for predicting a clinical dose regimen for evaluation in man. The predicted loading doses (mg kg−1) of meloxicam in the cat producing 70% of the maximum attainable responses were 0.29 (body temperature), 0.32 (lameness score), 0.33 (overall locomotion variable), 0.36 (pain score) and 0.50 (skin temperature difference). The values are similar to or somewhat greater than the clinically recommended doses both in cats (0.3 mg kg−1) and humans (7.5–15 mg, that is, between 0.1 and 0.3 mg kg−1).

These findings indicate the potential value of the cat as a laboratory model, and of a PK/PD modelling approach in assisting NSAID development programs in animals and humans.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 642–653. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706372
Sustained aquaretic effect of the V2‐AVP receptor antagonist, RWJ‐351647, in cirrhotic rats with ascites and water retention
Authors: Ros Josefa , Fernández‐Varo Guillermo , Muñoz‐Luque Javier , Arroyo Vicente , Rodés Juan , Gunnet Joseph W , Demarest Keith T , Jiménez Wladimiro
Published: August 2005

A disturbance in body water homeostasis is a common feature in advanced cirrhosis. This disturbance is always associated with the existence of ascites and is characterized by an inability to adjust the amount of water excreted in the urine to the amount of water ingested. Vasopressin (AVP) is of major importance in the pathogenesis of water retention and hyponatremia in cirrhosis.

The current study assessed the renal, hormonal and hemodynamic effects induced by 10‐day chronic oral administration of RWJ‐351647 (0.5 mg kg−1 daily), a new nonpeptide V2‐AVP antagonist, in rats with CCl4‐induced cirrhosis, ascites and severe water retention. Urine volume (UV), urine osmolality and sodium and potassium excretion were measured daily. At the end of the study, systemic hemodynamic parameters were also assessed.

Long‐term administration of RWJ‐351647 has an aquaretic effect in rats with cirrhosis, ascites, water retention and hypo‐osmolality. It increases UV (ANOVA: F=7.32, P<0.0001) and reduces urine osmolality (ANOVA: F=12.69, P<0.0001) throughout the entire period of treatment, thereby leading to a greater renal ability to excrete a water load at the end of the 10‐day treatment period (the percentage of water load excreted improved from 30±8 to 92±21%, P<0.025).

The nonpeptide AVP V2‐receptor antagonist RWJ‐351647 also increased sodium excretion without affecting creatinine clearance and blood pressure.

These data suggest that RWJ‐351647 could be therapeutically useful in the treatment of water retention in human cirrhosis.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 654–661. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706375
Creative Industries: The Regional Dimension?
Authors: Jayne Mark
Published: August 2005

Creative Industries: The Regional Dimension is one of a series of reports published in recent years by the UK government which outlines the importance of creative industries to economic growth. It is in these terms that central government has promoted the creative industries as a newly recognised and fast-growing sector of the economy, thus seeking to quantify the Cool Britania branding so famously propagated by the then newly elected Labour government. The author unpacks the enthusiasm for the creative industries at the national level, and further investigates how the creative-industries developmental agenda has been unfolding within UK regions. The trajectory of the United Kingdom's creative-industries agenda is contrasted with policy and developmental strategies undertaken elsewhere in the world. It is argued that implementation of a creative-industries agenda at the regional level in the United Kingdom is at best patchy, and there is currently a lack of strategic planning, best-practice models, and empirical research to guide policymakers. The West Midlands is then addressed in more detail, and it is argued that at the regional administrative level, a creative industries development agenda per se is all but lost. The implications of this policy trajectory are discussed.
Universal versus Targeted Benefits: The Distributional Effects of Free School Meals
Authors: Morelli Carlo J , Seaman Paul T
Published: August 2005

UK government policy over the past thirty years has seen a movement away from universal provision of welfare towards the targeting of welfare. The advent of devolution in Scotland, and to a lesser degree Wales, has, however, created new policy forums in which the shift towards targeted benefits has been reversed in a number of important fields. Welfare provision in relation to children is a further key area in which this policy debate has emerged. Little evidence has been provided for the effectiveness of this shift in policy until now. We examine the effect of this divergence in welfare policy. We look at the issue of universality and targeting by examining the impact of the proposal for the introduction of universal free school meals to all children in full-time state education. The current system of free school meals is found to be the least effective method of welfare provision. Other methods of targeting are found to be more effective than the current system, but universal provision is found to be the only mechanism for consistently providing welfare to all low-income households.
Academic Discourse on Making New Towns in Israel: Three Approaches in Social Science
Authors: Tzfadia Erez
Published: August 2005

This paper places the making of twenty-eight new development towns in the Israeli periphery at the junction of political ideologies, spatial policy, and academic discourse. The objective of the paper is to delineate the policy of making the development towns and the reasons explaining their relatively disadvantaged state against the backdrop of three master approaches in the social sciences in the 20th century: the modernist – functionalist approach, particularly the planning perspective within this approach; the neo-Marxist approach; and the colonial approach. Each places the planning and establishment of the new towns within a wider political context and sociospatial structure, hence suggesting different explanations for the backwardness. Yet, combining the approaches yields a comprehensive picture of the towns. Finally, the juxtaposition of these master approaches with the making of new towns elucidates the contribution of geography and public policy to the general discourse in social science. That said, it also exposes the weaknesses of the modern and rational approaches, and portrayed public policy and spatial planning as ingredients of multilayered control and domination, which are expressed in cultural (ethnic), geographical, and economic terms.
The Challenge of Governance in Regional Waste Planning
Authors: Davoudi Simin , Evans Neil
Published: August 2005

Over the last 15 years profound changes have taken place within the policy and institutional context of strategic planning for waste management in the United Kingdom. In addition to the significant influence of the sustainability discourse on policy innovation and the reconfiguration of institutional arrangements and policy networks, there have been growing political and public interest, and tensions, in the regionalisation of waste management, as represented by the establishment of the Regional Technical Advisory Bodies (RTABs) for waste. Drawing on concepts developed within urban-regime theory and debates on institutional capacity building, the authors argue that if RTABs are to be seen as a new form of governance for waste planning, the development of their capacity to meet the challenge of ‘collective action’ depends on the quality of their governance relations and, in particular, on the existence and amplification of four forms of capital: intellectual, social, material, and political. The first stage of the research which, by the time of writing (April 2004), included around sixty semistructured interviews with RTAB members throughout the English regions, has identified a number of potential barriers and enablers that affect the ability of RTABs to develop such a capacity. In conclusion, the authors provide an overall assessment of RTABs and draw a tentative picture of their possible future.