bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved quadrature or phased‐array coil for MR cardiac imaging
Authors: Fayad Zahi A. , Connick Thomas J. , Axel Leon
Published: March 2007

A tailored receive‐only coil for cardiac imaging has been designed. The coil consists of two overlapping coil elements and can be used either as a quadrature surface coil or as a phased‐array coil. Through phantom experiments and images of the heart, the authors have shown that the improved cardiac coil provided a signal‐to‐noise ratio 1.6 times higher than a conventional quadrature spine coil, 1.4 times higher than that of a single coil (having the same shape and total dimension), and three times higher than the body coil at the depth of the posterior wall of the heart. The authors have also shown that the cardiac coil improved image quality everywhere in the heart. This coil will enhance routine clinical cardiac studies as well as other examinations such as myocardial perfusion, wall motion, and coronary artery imaging.
Magnetization transfer in cartilage and its constituent macromolecules
Authors: Gray Martha L. , Burstein Deborah , Lesperance Leann M. , Gehrke Lee
Published: March 2007

The goal of this work was to investigate magnetization transfer (MT) in cartilage by measuring water proton signals Ms/Mo, as an indicator of MT, in (i) single‐component systems of the tissue's constituent macromolecules and (ii) intact cartilage under control conditions and after two pathomimetic interventions. Ms/Mo was quantified with a 12‐μT saturation pulse applied 6 kHz off resonance. Both glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and collagen exhibited concentration dependent effects on Ms/Mo, being approximately linear for GAG solutions (Ms/Mo = ‐0.0137[% GAG] + 1.02] and exponential for collagen suspensions (Ms/Mo = 0.80 x exp[‐(%collagen)/6.66] + 0.20); the direct saturation of water could not account for the measured Ms/Mo. Although the effect of collagen on Ms/Mo is much stronger than for a corresponding concentration of GAG, Ms/Mo is not very sensitive to changes in collagen concentration in the physiological range. Tissue degradation with 25 mg/ml trypsin led to an increase inMs/Mo from the baseline value of 0.2 (final/initial values = 1.15 ± 0.13, n = 11, P < 0.001). In contrast, a 10‐day treatment of cartilage with 100 ng/ml of interleukin‐1β (1L‐1β) caused a 19% decrease in Ms/Mo (final/initial values = 0.81 ± 0.08, n = 3, P = 0.085). The changes in hydration and macromolecular content for the two treatments were comparable, suggesting that Ms/Mo is sensitive to macromolecular structure as well as concentration. In conclusion, whereas the baseline Ms/Mo value in cartilage may be primarily due to the tissue collagen concentration, changes in Ms/Mo may be due to physiological or pathophysiological changes in GAG concentration and tissue structure, and the measured Ms/Mo may differentiate between various pathomimetic degradative procedures.
On the use of two‐dimensional‐J NMR measurements for in Vivo proton MRS: Measurement of homonuclear decoupled spectra without the need for short echo times
Authors: Dreher Wolfgang , Leibfritz Dieter
Published: March 2007

The potential of two‐dimensional (2D)‐J NMR for in vivo proton MRS is examined. Single voxel measurements on the rat brain were performed at 4.7 T using point‐resolved spectrocopy localization with a voxel size of 64 μl and total measuring times of 10‐15 min. It is shown that a series of measurements with only 16 or fewer different echo times (TE) enables good signal localization in the f1 axis corresponding to the coupling patterns. For data evaluation, the 2D‐J NMR spectrum as well as cross‐sections at given f1 values and projections onto the f2 axis are used. A comparison between cross‐section spectra taken at different f1 values may help to solve problems of peak assignment. The projection of the 2D magnitude spectrum onto the f2 axis corresponds to a homonuclear decoupled 1D proton spectrum. Because the T2 relaxation times of several coupled resonances (e.g., myo‐inositol and glutamate) are rather long, only minor losses in the quality of the projection spectra occur if the measurements with short TE (≤ 50 ms) are not used for data processing. Thus, homonuclear decoupled proton spectra detecting uncoupled and several coupled resonances can be measured with high quality in vivo, even on MR systems that are not equipped with actively shielded gradients, prohibiting data acquisition with TEs of 50 ms or less.
Correlation of rapid changes in the average water diffusion constant and the concentrations of lactate and ATP breakdown products during global ischemia in cat brain
Authors: Decanniere Caroline , Eleff Scott , Davis Delphine , Zijl Peter C. M. Van
Published: March 2007

Rapid changes in the average water diffusion constant, Dav = 1/3{Dxx + Dyy + Dzz}, and in the concentrations of lactate and purine nucleotides and nucleosides were measured upon global ischemia (cardiac arrest) in cat brain, at a combined time resolution of 36 s (n = 7). At this time resolution, the normalized time curves of 1 ‐ Dav and the increases in ATP breakdown products did not coincide, with the changes in Dav being most rapid. The normalized curves of 1 ‐ Dav and the lactate increase coincided for the first 2‐2.5 min after which the change in Dav was more rapid. After this time point, an excellent correlation was found between the drop in Dav and the decrease in energy utilization rate, which was calculated from the measured time curves of lactate formation and ATP breakdown, and from the time curve for phosphocreatine use reported in the literature. These results are in agreement with the expected biphasic changes in ion and water homeostasis during ischemia and with the model of diffusional changes being a consequence of a water shift from interstitial to intra‐cellular space.
Functional connectivity in the motor cortex of resting human brain using echo‐planar mri
Authors: Biswal Bharat , Zerrin Yetkin F. , Haughton Victor M. , Hyde James S.
Published: March 2007

An MRI time course of 512 echo‐planar images (EPI) in resting human brain obtained every 250 ms reveals fluctuations in signal intensity in each pixel that have a physiologic origin. Regions of the sensorimotor cortex that were activated secondary to hand movement were identified using functional MRI methodology (FMRI). Time courses of low frequency (<0.1 Hz) fluctuations in resting brain were observed to have a high degree of temporal correlation (P < 10−3) within these regions and also with time courses in several other regions that can be associated with motor function. It is concluded that correlation of low frequency fluctuations, which may arise from fluctuations in blood oxygenation or flow, is a manifestation of functional connectivity of the brain.
A precise and fast temperature mapping using water proton chemical shift
Authors: Ishihara Yasutoshi , Calderon Arturo , Watanabe Hidehiro , Okamoto Kazuya , Suzuki Yoshinori , Kuroda Kagayaki , Suzuki Yutaka
Published: March 2007

A new temperature measurement procedure using phase mapping was developed that makes use of the temperature dependence of the water proton chemical shift. Highly accurate and fast measurements were obtained during phantom and in vivo experiments. In the pure water phantom experiments, an accuracy of more than ± 0.5°C was obtained within a few seconds/slice using a field echo pulse sequence (TR/TE = 115/13 ms, matrix = 128 × 128, number of slices = 5). The temperature dependence of the water proton chemical shift was found to be almost the same for different materials with a chemical composition similar to living tissues (water, glucide, protein). Using this method, the temperature change inside a cat's brain was obtained with an accuracy of more than ± 1°C and an in‐plane resolution of 0.6 x 0.6 mm. The temperature measurement error was affected by several factors in the living system (B0 shifts caused by position shifts of the sample, blood flow, etc.), the position shift effect being the most serious.
Waiting time analysis of the M/G/1 queue with finite retrial group
Authors: Artalejo Jesus R. , Gómez‐Corral A.
Published: March 2007

We consider an M/G/1 retrial queue with finite capacity of the retrial group. First, we obtain equations governing the dynamic of the waiting time. Then, we focus on the numerical inversion of the density function and the computation of moments. These results are used to approximate the waiting time of the M/G/1 queue with infinite retrial group for which direct analysis seems intractable. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007
A clinical evaluation of the B‐D Pen
Authors: Rowe B R , Pizzey M , Barnett A H
Published: March 2007

The applicability and acceptability of the B‐D pen device (Becton Dickinson & Co) with Humulin insulin cartridges (Eli Lilly & Co., Ltd) in the daily treatment of one hundred diabetic patients were investigated during a three‐month open study. Questionnaire ratings demonstrated a high degree of patient acceptability, with no change in frequency of hypoglycaemia. A total of 94% of patients completed the study and all preferred the pen device to conventional syringes.
The prevalence of foot deformity in diabetic subjects: A population study in an English community
Authors: Walters D P , Gatling W , Hill R D , Mullee M A
Published: March 2007

The prevalence of foot deformity was estimated in 1077 diabetic subjects registered with ten general practices (total list size 97,034) in a geographically defined area of East Dorset. An age and sex matched non‐diabetic group consisting of 480 individuals drawn from the same population was also studied. Foot deformity was determined by clinical examination. The prevalence of foot deformity was 44.5% (95%CI 41.5) in the diabetic subjects and 47.7% (95% CI 42.7 to 52.2) in the non‐diabetic group. After adjusting for age, the difference was not significant (odds ratio (OR) 0.91, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.14, p=0.40). The prevalence of foot deformity increased with age and was more common in women for either group. Claw toe deformity, after adjusting for age, was more frequent in both types of diabetes although only reaching statistical significance for Type I subjects (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.08 to 4.61, p=0.03 for Type I diabetes and OR 1.41 95% CI 0.95 to 2.10, p=0.09 for Type 2 diabetes). Foot deformity was significantly associated with foot ulceration and peripheral neuropathy. Since foot deformity may be a risk factor for foot ulceration, Preventive strategies should be targeted to elderly diabetic subjects.
A versatile, inexpensive and intuitive off‐the‐shelf computer system for diabetes clinic audit
Authors: Levy A
Published: March 2007

Personal computer systems have now advanced to such a degree that facilities previously available only to computer buffs can be readily accessed by the layman. A simple, versatile and inexpensive data handling programme File Maker ProTM (Claris) has been used to set up a straightforward diabetes clinic audit system which can be used to generate letters to general practictioners and to automatically calculate parameters such as BMI, GFR and mean HBA1c. The computer file is arranged as if each patient's record is a single A4‐sized sheet in a ring‐bound pad. A letter is typed (from dictation) in the usual way into the space provided and a few simple physical and biochemical data entered. The collected data can be sorted by any of the parameters listed to facilitate audit and the format of the file changed at any time without disturbing pre‐existing data. Because the unsorted output of the system is clinic letters, much of the data entry can be carried out by the existing secretariat with little extra effort, and as the system would be physically based with the secretaries, the ambience and business of the clinic would be left undisturbed.
Objective assessment of morbidity and disability in aged diabetic patients
Authors: Jenkins C , Bayer AJ , Sinclair AJ
Published: March 2007

We decided to study the impact of diabetes mellitus on morbidity and disability in the elderly. Three groups were studied: (1) 30 consecutively admitted diabetic in‐patients; (2) 30 contemporary non‐diabetic in‐patients; (3) a community group of 30 non‐diabetic subjects. Comprehensive surveys of subjects' clinical histories, social details, visual acuities, activity of daily living (ADL) indices and mental status scores were performed. Compared with non‐diabetic in‐patients, diabetic in‐patients had a significantly higher prevalence of neuropathy (p<0.05) and amputation (p < 0.05) and significantly lower scores for the Barthel Index (p<0.02), Nottingham Extended ADL Index (p<0.001) and MMSE (p<0.05). Three of the diabetic in‐patients were registered blind.

Compared with community controls, diabetic in‐patients had a significantly higher use of social services (p<0.05), wheelchairs (p<0.01) and hospitals in the preceding year (p<0.05). They had a significantly higher prevalence of stroke (p<0.002), neuropathy (p<0.05), foot ulceration (p<0.05) and amputation (p<0.05). They scored significantly lower on Barthel Index (p<0.001), Nottingham Extended ADL Index (p<0.001) and MMSE (p<0.001).

Two conclusions were drawn from this: (1) compared with non‐diabetic control subjects, elderly in‐patients with diabetes have a high level of disability associated with a higher prevalence of micro and macro‐vascular complications; and (2) further studies on the impact of diabetes in the community may be required to guide future health care strategies in reducing this huge social, economic and personal health burden.
A telephone study of diabetic retinopathy and the diabetes miniclinic in general practice: A regional study in Wessex
Authors: Alexander M M , Canning C R
Published: March 2007

With the objective of examining the structure, staffing and policies for screening in diabetes miniclinics in general practices throughout a health region in the United Kingdom, a telephone study was conducted of 296 practices which had applied for permission from the local Family Health Servic Authority (FHSA) to conduct a diabetes clinic. All the clinics offered services to people with diabetes within the five FHSAs which comprise the region of Wessex.

Of the practices contacted, 286 (97%) provided information. Of these, 249 (84%) were conducting diabetes clinics which covered 65.4% of the Wessex population; 207 (83%) of the clinics were run in practices with a computerised record system. The most common model of care in 120 clinics (48%) was one in which each GP reviewed his or her own diabetic patients. The types of diabetic patients reviewed showed that 55% of the practices contacted saw both insulin‐dependent (IDDMs) and non‐insulin‐dependent (NIDDMs) diabetics; 28% of the clinics saw mainly NIDDMs with few IDDMs; and 12% of the clinics reviewed solely NIDDMs. In all, 23% of the clinics contacted never checked visual acuity and 23% never examined the fundus. Fundal examination through a dilated pupil occurred in fewer than half of the clinics (47%) and only 35% performed a full screening of visual acuity and dilated fundal examination.

It is concluded that the services offered to diabetic patients attending clinics in general practice are inadequate for the purpose of eye screening and will fail to detect much treatable pathology.
Awareness of chiropody services among patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Nankhonya JM
Published: March 2007

Many patients have diabetes‐related complications at diagnosis. This study assessed the awareness of chiropody provision among patients with diabetes mellitus and evaluated whether age, gender, duration of diabetes or treatment type influenced exposure to a chiropodist.

One hundred and twenty eight patients participated in the study. Mean duration of diabetes was 9.3 years. Duration of diabetes, gender, or treatment type per se did not influence exposure to a chiropodist; only age did (p=0.017). Forty‐one (32%) patients had no contact with a chiropodist since diagnosis, and 35 (27%) were not sure how to request this service. Fortynine patients were unsure whether chiropody was free to those with diabetes.

This project highlights the need to increase patients' awareness and access to proper chiropodial treatment in our quest to reduce discomfort and leg amputation rates.
Are diaries worthwhile in the diabetes clinic? A pilot study
Authors: Stewart MW , Kyne‐Grzebalski DA , Marshall S , Taylor R
Published: March 2007

To improve diabetes control, people with diabetes are often encouraged to monitor blood and/or urine glucose concentrations and record their results in a diary. The aims of this study were to establish how many people in the clinic possessed a diary, monitored and recorded their results, and responded to the result: and then to determine the effect this had on metabolic control. One hundred and ninety eight people were interviewed over five consecutive outpatient clinics using a simple questionnaire. The group included 102 males and 96 females of whom 22 (11%) were treated with diet, 43(22%) with oral agents, and 133 (67%) with insulin. Of these, 129 (65%) possessed a diary, of whom 126 (96%) performed glucose monitoring, but only 35 (27%) made any adjustment to treatment. HbA1c concentrations were similar in those with and without a diary: 7.1 (SD 1.8)% (diary) v 6.6 (SD 1.8%) (no diary). In conclusion, although people use diaries to record their glucose concentrations, their usefulness in helping people manage their own diabetes and improve metabolic control may be limited.
The mass rearing and utilization of Trichogramma to control lepidopterous pests: Achievements and outlook
Authors: Hassan Sherif A.
Published: March 2007

The release of mass‐produced egg parasites of the genus Trichogramma to control Lepidopterous pests has gained increasing attention in the last few years. About 18 different species of this egg parasite are being used to control pests on corn, sugar‐cane, rice, soybean, cotton, sugar‐beet, vegetables and pine. Some information on the global use of Trichogramma is given.

Trichogramma evanescens(Westw.) has been used commercially to control the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hb.) in Germany since 1980. The treated area reached about 6200 ha in 1992. The use of Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura to control the codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) and the summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana (F.R.) was started in 1990 and covered an area of c. 15 ha in 1992. Research is being carried out to select effective Trichogramma species to control other pests such as grape berry moth Eupoecilia ambiguella (Hb.), plum fruit moth Cydia funebrana Tr. and diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.).
The impact of impurities in synthetic peptides on the outcome of T‐cell stimulation assays
Authors: de Beukelaar Janet W. , Gratama Jan W. , Smitt Peter A. Sillevis , Verjans Georges M. , Kraan Jaco , Luider Theo M. , Burgers Peter C.
Published: March 2007

Protein‐spanning peptide pools have proven valuable as a screening tool for detecting T‐lymphocyte responses against a wide range of proteins. We have used this approach in our search for T cells reactive to the onconeural protein HuD. We found positive responses in only 3 of 127 individuals; however, these were highly unusual in that the same class I HLA alleles and peptides were involved. These T‐cell responses were not confirmed when peptides re‐synthesized by the same manufacturer with similar and with higher purity levels were used. Our observations indicated that these T‐cell responses were not directed against the designed HuD peptides. Here, we report on (i) comparisons of the peptide batches analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry (MALDI‐FTMS) that did –and did not – elicit T‐cell responses and (ii) a detailed analysis of the various by‐products of peptides, irrespective of T‐cell assay outcome. We found numerous differences between the peptide batches, such as omissions of amino acids in the primary structure of the peptides. Furthermore, some batches revealed strong interactions with calcium ions or contained sulfated peptides. Our data reveal that different batches from the same peptide may contain artefacts that influence the outcome of HLA‐restricted T‐cell response assays. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface pressure‐area curves compression isotherm of sericin Langmuir monolayer
Authors: Jianbin Yang , Puxing Zhu , Dacheng Wu
Published: March 2007

The Langmuir monolayer of sericin protein was studied by means of surface pressure (π)—molecular area (A) isotherms at different pH subphase. The monolayer of sericin exhibits typical phase transition phenomena at pH 2, pH 4.8, pH 7 and pH 11, respectively, including from gas state to gas‐liquid state and finally to condensed solid state. However, the monolayer of sericin on pH 11 subphase appears to be solid state. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hierarchical models for ROC curve summary measures: Design and analysis of multi‐reader, multi‐modality studies of medical tests
Authors: Wang Fei , Gatsonis Constantine A.
Published: March 2007

Comparative studies of the accuracy of diagnostic tests often involve designs according to which each study participant is examined by two or more of the tests and the diagnostic examinations are interpreted by several readers. Tests are then compared on the basis of a summary index, such as the (full or partial) area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, averaged over the population of readers. The design and analysis of such studies naturally need to take into account the correlated nature of the diagnostic test results and interpretations.

In this paper, we describe the use of hierarchical modelling for ROC summary measures derived from multi‐reader, multi‐modality studies. The models allow the variance of the estimates to depend on the actual value of the index and account for the correlation in the data both explicitlyviaparameters and implicitlyviathe hierarchical structure. After showing how the hierarchical models can be employed in the analysis of data from multi‐reader, multi‐modality studies, we discuss the design of such studies using the simulation‐based, Bayesian design approach of Wang and Gelfand (Stat. Sci.2002;17(2):193–208). The methodology is illustratedviathe analysis of data from a study conducted to evaluate a computer‐aided diagnosis tool for screen film mammography andviathe development of design considerations for a multi‐reader study comparing display modes for digital mammography. The hierarchical model methodology described in this paper is also applicable to the meta‐analysis of ROC studies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The two Newtons and beyond J. E. Force and S. Hutton (eds.), Newton and Newtonianism: New Studies. International Archives of the History of Ideas 188. Dordrecht, Boston and London: Kluwer, 2004. Pp. xvii+246. ISBN 1-4020-1969-6. £67.00 (hardback). Rob Iliffe, Milo Keynes and Rebekah Higgitt (eds.), Early Biographies of Isaac Newton 1660–1885. Vol. 1: Eighteenth-Century Biography of Isaac Newton: The Unpublished Manuscripts and Early Texts. Vol. 2: Nineteenth-Century Biography of Isaac Newton: Private Debate and Public Controversy. London: Pickering and Chatto, 2006. Pp. lxxii+387 and xliii+420. ISBN 1-85-196778-8. £195.00 (hardback). Milo Keynes, The Iconography of Sir Isaac Newton to 1800. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2005. Pp. viii+120. ISBN 1-84383-133-3. £40.00 (hardback). John Henry (ed.), Newtonianism in Eighteenth-Century Britain. 7 vols. Bristol: Thoemmes Continuum, 2004. ISBN 1-84371-113-3. £595.00 (hardback). Mordechai Feingold, The Newtonian Moment: Isaac Newton and the Making of Modern Culture. New York and Oxford: The New York Public Library and Oxford University Press, 2004. Pp. xv+218. ISBN 0-19-517735-5. £25.00 (hardback). Margaret C. Jacob and Larry Stewart, Practical Matter: Newton's Science in the Service of Industry and Empire 1687–1851. Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press, 2004. Pp. 201. ISBN 0-674-01497-9. £22.95 (hardback).
Authors: Mazzotti Massimo
Published: March 2007

The focus of Newtonian scholarship has shifted over the last couple of decades. Compare any relevant collection of studies from the third quarter of the twentieth century with a recent one such as Newton and Newtonianism: New Studies (2004), edited by James Force and Sarah Hutton, and the changes leap to the eye. Newtonian studies have been traditionally concerned with Newton's writings and achievements in the fields of mechanics, optics and mathematics, and with his influence on the subsequent development of these disciplines – a line of enquiry that was nourished by the systematic study of unpublished materials in the post-war period and has reached a high degree of technical sophistication. In this perspective, the priority attributed to Newton's natural philosophy and mathematics reflects the assumption that Newtonian ‘science’ should be granted an unquestioned pre-eminence over the rest of his much varied production, as the latter contributed ‘little or nothing to our twentieth-century world’. The landmarks of post-war Newtonian scholarship thus aimed at the identification, analysis and interpretation of Newton's ‘scientific’ manuscripts, carefully separated from the rest of his densely written and sometimes enigmatic paperwork. Establishing such a demarcation certainly made sense within a historiographical practice directed primarily at the reconstruction of Newton's contribution to the making of modern science, and was sustained by the perception of an essential continuity between Newton's alleged main concerns and the practices of twentieth-century physics and mathematics.
Robert Boyle and the early Royal Society: a reciprocal exchange in the making of Baconian science
Authors: HUNTER MICHAEL
Published: March 2007

This paper documents an important development in Robert Boyle's natural-philosophical method – his use from the 1660s onwards of ‘heads’ and ‘inquiries’ as a means of organizing his data, setting himself an agenda when studying a subject and soliciting information from others. Boyle acknowledged that he derived this approach from Francis Bacon, but he had not previously used it in his work, and the reason why it came to the fore when it did is not apparent from his printed and manuscript corpus. It is necessary to look beyond Boyle to his milieu for the cause, in this case to the influence on him of the Royal Society. Whereas the Royal Society in its early years is often seen as putting into practice a programme pioneered by Boyle, this crucial methodological change on his part seems rather to have been stimulated by the society's early concern for systematic data-collecting. In this connection, it is here shown that a key text, Boyle's influential ‘General Heads for a Natural History of a Country, Great or small’, published in Philosophical Transactions in 1666, represents more of a shared initiative between him and the society than has hitherto been appreciated.
Remote camera-trap methods and analyses reveal impacts of rangeland management on Namibian carnivore communities
Authors: Kauffman Matthew J. , Sanjayan M. , Lowenstein Jacob , Nelson Adam , Jeo Richard M. , Crooks Kevin R.
Published: March 2007

Assessing the abundance and distribution of mammalian carnivores is vital for understanding their ecology and providing for their long-term conservation. Because of the difficulty of trapping and handling carnivores many studies have relied on abundance indices that may not accurately reflect real abundance and distribution patterns. We developed statistical analyses that detect spatial correlation in visitation data from combined scent station and camera-trap surveys, and we illustrate how to use such data to make inferences about changes in carnivore assemblages. As a case study we compared the carnivore communities of adjacent communal and freehold rangelands in central Namibia. We used an index of overdispersion to test for repeat visits to individual camera-trap scent stations and a bootstrap simulation to test for correlations in visits to camera neighbourhoods. After distilling our presence-absence data to the most defensible spatial scale, we assessed overall carnivore visitation using logistic regression. Our analyses confirmed the expected pattern of a depauparate fauna on the communal rangelands compared to the freehold rangelands. Additionally, the species that were not detected on communal sites were the larger-bodied carnivores. By modelling these rare visits as a Poisson process we illustrate a method of inferring whether or not such patterns are because of local extinction of species or are simply a result of low sample effort. Our Namibian case study indicates that these field methods and analyses can detect meaningful differences in the carnivore communities brought about by anthropogenic influences.
The decline of the bumble bees and cuckoo bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombini) of Western and Central Europe
Authors: Kosior Andrzej , Celary Waldemar , Olejniczak Paweł , Fijał Jan , Król Wieslaw , Solarz Wojciech , Płonka Piotr
Published: March 2007

The bumble and cuckooo bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombini; Bombus spp. and Psithyrus spp., respectively) are important plant pollinators and any decline in numbers or species constitutes a significant threat both to biological diversity and to whole economies. The distribution, status and factors threatening all 60 known taxa (species and subspecies) of Bombini of 11 countries of Western and Central Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland) were assessed from the beginning of the 20th century. The analysis was based on a literature review, unpublished data, personal communications, our own observations, and an expert review. The IUCN Red List categories were used for assessing the threat of extinction. Eighty per cent of taxa were threatened in at least one country of the region, and 30% of taxa were threatened throughout their range in the countries considered. More species went extinct per country in the second than in the first half of the 20th century, and four taxa went extinct in all 11 countries during 1951–2000. Amongst the factors adversely affecting the Bombini anthropogenic factors (particularly those associated with large-scale farming schemes) appear to be of greater importance than natural factors. To halt population declines and species extinctions it will be necessary to preserve aspects of traditional farming practices and for all Bombini to be afforded legal protection in all countries of the region. The implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy is likely to have the greatest single impact upon pollinators in the near future.
Land cover in the Northern Forest Complex of Myanmar: new insights for conservation
Authors: Renner Swen C. , Rappole John H. , Leimgruber Peter , Kelly Daniel S. , Shwe Nay Myo , Aung Thein , Aung Myint
Published: March 2007

We classified land cover in the Northern Forest Complex in Myanmar using satellite imagery (MODIS/NDVI) and field surveys carried out in 2001, 2004 and 2005. Using Landsat TM/ETM+ images from 1991 and 1999 we determined deforestation rates. The c. 22,000 km2 Northern Forest Complex, including the Hkakabo Razi National Park in northern Kachin State, is characterized by tropical to subtropical pristine forests with low human impact. The area studied, which includes land beyond the boundaries of Hkakabo Razi National Park, is of special conservation importance because it provides a refuge for many rare plant and animal species. Less than 1.4% of the area is affected by humans (excluding hunting) and deforestation rates are low at <0.01% annually. We observed several bird and mammal species that are considered threatened elsewhere. Based on our data, those of previous surveys, and the fact that >10 new vertebrate species have been described in the region since 1999, it is likely there are still undescribed vertebrate species to be discovered. We recommend extending the boundaries of Hkakabo Razi National Park to the south and west, connecting it to Hpongkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary, and/or adding an additional sanctuary in the Naung Mung area, to protect the vast yet still pristine rainforest habitats that are home to many of the most important aspects of the region's biodiversity.
At the Crossroads: Justus Lipsius and the Early Modern Development of International Law
Authors: LEIRA HALVARD
Published: March 2007

Justus Lipsius (1547–1606) was among the most famed intellectuals in his time, but was largely forgotten during the Enlightenment. Intellectually, he stood at an important crossroads, his thought incorporating both late Renaissance traits and precursors of the early modern age. In this article I give a brief intellectual background to Lipsius's thought before concentrating on his thought regarding the lawful interaction between polities, with a focus on lawful government, dissimulation, war, and empire. I then detail the way in which Lipsian thought critically informed later theory and practice. It contained an eclectic mix of divine law, natural law, and positive human law, with some elements borrowed and popularized from earlier writers and others being more original. In the end, his work stands out both as an important inspiration for later theorists and practitioners, and as an example of the many idiosyncrasies and possible trajectories that early international law could have adopted.
The International Criminal Court and the Shortcomings of Domestic Legislation: Introductory Note
Authors: STAHN CARSTEN
Published: March 2007

In this issue the section on the International Criminal Court (ICC) contains two articles with a special focus on problems related to implementing legislation and co-operation with the Court (Zsuzsanna Deen-Racsmány's ‘Lessons of the European Arrest Warrant for Domestic Implementation of the Obligation to Surrender Nationals to the International Criminal Court’ and Héctor Olásolo's ‘The Lack of Attention to the Distinction between Situations and Cases in National Laws on Co-operation with the International Criminal Court with Particular Reference to the Spanish Case’) as well as a general article by Anne-Marie de Brouwer, ‘Reparation to Victims of Sexual Violence: Possibilities at the International Criminal Court and at the Trust Fund for Victims and Their Families’.
Lessons of the European Arrest Warrant for Domestic Implementation of the Obligation to Surrender Nationals to the International Criminal Court
Authors: DEEN-RACSMÁNY ZSUZSANNA
Published: March 2007

To help states parties circumvent domestic prohibitions on, inter alia, the extradition of nationals, the ICC Statute formally distinguishes ‘surrender’ of individuals to the Court from interstate ‘extradition’. The European Arrest Warrant contains a similar solution. As (successful) constitutional challenges by nationals to be surrendered under a European arrest warrant indicate, such a (semantic) distinction may not suffice. Despite considerable differences between surrender within the EU and to the ICC, these cases offer useful guidance to domestic legislatures occupied with implementing obligations arising under the ICC Statute so that they can ensure that ICC requests concerning the surrender of nationals can be honoured.
Exploring the cost effectiveness of an immunization programme for rotavirus gastroenteritis in the United Kingdom
Authors: LORGELLY P. K. , JOSHI D. , ITURRIZA GÓMARA M. , GRAY J. , MUGFORD M.
Published: March 2007

Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children aged <5 years old, two new vaccines have recently been developed which can prevent associated morbidity and mortality. While apparently safe and efficacious, it is also important to establish whether rotavirus immunization is cost effective. A decision analytical model which employs data from a review of published evidence is used to determine the cost effectiveness of a rotavirus vaccine. The results suggest that some of the health sector costs, and all of the societal costs, of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children can be avoided by an immunization programme. The additional cost to the health sector may be considered worthwhile if there is a sufficient improvement in the quality-of-life of children and parents affected by gastroenteritis; this study did not find any evidence of research which has measured the utility gains from vaccination.
Both food habit change in the past and obesity status may influence the association between dietary factors and postmenopausal breast cancer
Authors: Sonestedt Emily , Gullberg Bo , Wirfält Elisabet
Published: March 2007

Objective

Valid dietary data are essential when trying to identify whether or not one or more dietary exposures are responsible for disease. We examined diet composition in women who reported dietary change in the past compared with non-changers, and how the associations between dietary factors and postmenopausal breast cancer are influenced by dietary change, obesity status and misreporting of energy.

Design

A population-based prospective cohort study. Data were obtained by a diet history method, anthropometrical measurements and an extensive lifestyle questionnaire including items on past food habit change.

Setting

The Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) study, conducted in Malmö, Sweden.

Subjects

A subsample of 12 781 women from the MDC cohort recruited from 1991 to 1996. A total of 428 postmenopausal women were diagnosed with incident breast cancer, during 9.2 years of follow-up.

Results

Past food habit changers reported healthier food habits and lower energy intake compared with non-changers, a finding that raises issues regarding possible reporting biases. When excluding diet changers, the trend of increased breast cancer risk across omega-6 fatty acid quintiles was stronger, and a tendency of decreased risk emerged for ‘fruit, berries and vegetables’. When excluding individuals with non-adequate reports of energy intake, risk estimates were similar to that of the whole sample. In women with body mass index < 27 kg m− 2, significant trends of increased breast cancer risk were seen for total fat and omega-6 fatty acids, and of decreased risk for ‘fruit, berries and vegetables’.

Conclusions

This study indicates that both obesity and self-reported past food habit change may be important confounders of diet–breast cancer relationships. The study demonstrates that sensitivity analysis, through stratification, may facilitate interpretation of risk relationships and study results.
Evaluation of non-English dietary supplement advertisements in an ethnic minority community in America
Authors: Chung Eunice P , Hwang Hye J , Kim Myo-Kyoung
Published: March 2007

Objective

The primary objective was to evaluate the rate at which non-English dietary supplement advertisements distributed in a sampled ethnic minority community are in compliance with the federal advertising regulations. The secondary objective was to assess the availability of supporting evidence to substantiate the advertised health claims.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

The contents of dietary supplement advertisements from the Los Angeles Korea Times and the Los Angeles Korea Daily were evaluated during the month of July 2005. After removing duplicate advertisements, the percentage of advertisements making prohibited disease claims and DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) disclaimer statements was determined. The presence of data substantiating advertised claims was determined by requesting data from the manufacturers and browsing the manufacturers' websites. An observational technique was utilised for content analysis, and data analysis was conducted using quantitative descriptive statistics.

Results

Disease claims were present in 84.5%, while DHSEA disclaimer statements were present in only 18.4% of the advertisements. Data to substantiate the claims were provided by 53.4% of the manufacturers. The majority of the additional information consisted of repetition of the advertised claims and consumer testimonies. Experimental data were available for only 13.6% of the products.

Conclusions

The high rate of non-compliance with federal regulations suggests a need for better oversight of non-English promotions of dietary supplements.
A new conservation education delivery system
Authors: Clancy Sharon , Jacobson Britt
Published: March 2007

The Conservation Agriculture Project (CAP) of the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust (Trust) has demonstrated a new concept for delivering conservation education that improves farm economics while enhancing environmental health, restoring landscape functions and providing societal benefits. The 5-year project, initiated by the Trust in 2000, incorporated Resource Analysis Teams to assist four farmers and farm families serving as a demonstration in developing and implementing holistic farm plans. Resource Analysis Team members were agricultural, environmental, conservation and economic professionals. Resource Analysis Teams met with each demonstration farm family twice each year in a non-threatening setting, usually around the family's kitchen table. The integration of diverse knowledge bases resulted in an educational roundtable with all participants being educators and students at the same time. As round-table participants became familiar with the intricacies of each particular farm and with each other, adversarial relationships dissolved and team members worked together to move the farms toward sustainability—economic, environmental and social. This approach differs from most federal conservation programs to date, which have approached on-farm conservation in a piecemeal manner, only protecting a parcel of land or a critical problem area. For those programs, responsibility for searching out and implementing conservation practices has fallen primarily on the farmer, who also has had to assume associated risks. The Conservation Agriculture Project has demonstrated that the Resource Analysis Team approach yields positive results for the environment, wildlife, farm families and society while enhancing information delivery and improving communication and acceptance among diverse groups with varying agendas. Most importantly, it has demonstrated the need and positive impacts of delivering conservation education directly to farmers and ranchers, who manage 43% of the land nationwide.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory After 50 Years of Development
Authors: Harmon-Jones Eddie , Harmon-Jones Cindy
Published: March 2007

Abstract. Research and theoretical developments on the theory of cognitive dissonance are reviewed. After considering the self-consistency, self-affirmation, and aversive consequences revisions, the authors review research that has challenged each of the revisions and that supports the original version of the theory. Then, the authors review the action-based model of dissonance, which accepts the original theory's proposal that a sufficient cognitive inconsistency causes dissonance and extends the original theory by proposing why cognitive inconsistency prompts dissonance. Finally, the authors present results from experiments examining predictions derived from the action-based model and neural processes involved in dissonance reduction.
Vertical structure of stratiform marine boundary layer clouds and its impact on cloud albedo
Authors: Borg Lori A. , Bennartz Ralf
Published: March 2007

One year of passive microwave as well as near infrared remote sensing observations of cloud liquid water path (LWP) are used to study stratiform marine boundary layer clouds on a large scale. Good agreement between the two different remote sensing estimates of LWP was found for values below 150 g/m2, if the clouds were assumed to be stratified vertically. For higher values of LWP the near infrared observations show a lower LWP than the passive microwave observations. Theoretical calculations of cloud albedo suggest a potentially significant underestimation of cloud albedo if, for a given LWP, clouds are assumed to be vertically homogeneous. The results presented in this study bear significance especially for climate studies. Of particular relevance is the conclusion that also at the large scale marine boundary layer clouds need to be regarded as being vertically adiabatically or sub‐adiabatically stratified.
Geochemistry of west Siberian streams and their potential response to permafrost degradation
Authors: Frey Karen E. , Siegel Donald I. , Smith Laurence C.
Published: March 2007

Measurements of solute concentrations from previously unstudied watersheds throughout west Siberia suggest that warming and permafrost degradation will likely amplify the transport of dissolved solids to the Kara Sea and adjacent Arctic Ocean. We present concentrations of Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+, Si, Cl−, SO42−, HCO3−, inferred alkalinity, and total inorganic solutes (TIS) from 94 streams and rivers within the Ob'‐Irtysh, Nadym, and Pur river drainage basins. The sampled sites span ∼106 km2, a large climatic gradient (∼55°–68°N), and 39 permafrost‐influenced and 55 permafrost‐free watersheds. The solute composition of our samples is strongly influenced by carbonate mineral dissolution. Furthermore, our results show that TIS concentrations of waters in permafrost‐free watersheds average ∼289 mg L−1, in contrast to only ∼48 mg L−1 in permafrost‐influenced watersheds. This sixfold difference likely occurs because permafrost forms a confining barrier that inhibits the infiltration of surface water through deep mineral horizons and restricts mineral‐rich subpermafrost groundwater from reaching surface water pathways. A principal components analysis–based end‐member mixing analysis supports the premise that mineral‐rich groundwater is the primary source of solutes to streams in permafrost‐free watersheds, whereas mineral‐poor peat surface water is the primary source in permafrost‐influenced watersheds. With climate warming and subsequent permafrost thaw this region may transition from a surface water–dominated system to a groundwater‐dominated system. Additionally, should permafrost in the region completely disappear, we estimate that TIS export from the west Siberian region to the Kara Sea would increase by ∼59% (from its current value of ∼46 Tg yr−1 to ∼73 Tg yr−1). Such an increase in dissolved solid delivery to the Kara Sea could have important implications for future biological productivity in arctic Eurasian shelf waters and the Arctic Ocean basin interior.
Thickness dependence of parallel and perpendicular anisotropic resistivity in Ta/NiFe/IrMn/Ta multilayer studied by anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect
Authors: Thanh N. T. , Tu L. T. , Ha N. D. , Kim C. O. , Kim CheolGi , Shin K. H. , Parvatheeswara Rao B.
Published: March 2007

Ferromagnetic layer thickness dependence of anisotropic magnetoresistivities in Ta∕NiFe(t)∕IrMn (10 nm)∕Ta has been investigated for t=3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 20 nm by the method of anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect. Our results revealed that the parallel and perpendicular resistivity components performed a varying function with increment in NiFe thickness. Both the resistivities at first were observed to increase when the NiFe thickness increases from 3 to 10 nm; then for the NiFe thicknesses from 10 to 20 nm, the resistivities of NiFe layer decrease as the NiFe thickness increases. However, the anisotropic resistivity change, which is the difference between parallel and perpendicular resistivities, was observed to increase for the whole range of thicknesses when the NiFe thickness increases. The measured quantities were found to be in good agreement with the theoretically estimated parameters using single domain model; thus these behaviors are well explained based on the modern electron theory transition metals.