bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A FRAMEWORK FOR COMBINING RP AND SP DATA AND MODELING DYNAMIC CHOICE BEHAVIOR
Authors: Chen Yu-Chin
Published: April 2009

The new high-speed rail (HSR) service, the most important intercity mode in Taiwan in this decade, started formally in January 2007. To be able to predict the intercity mode market more accurately, it is necessary to collect data relating to passengers' choice behavior. Thus, this
note explains the merits of combining data sources and addresses the framework of modeling dynamic choice behavior (See Figure 1).
Effects of Percent Tree Canopy Density and DEM Misregistration on SRTM/NED Vegetation Height Estimates
Authors: Miliaresis George , Delikaraoglou Demitris
Published: April 2009

The U.S National Elevation Dataset and the NLCD 2001 landcover data were used to test the correlation between SRTM elevation values and the height of evergreen forest vegetation in the Klamath Mountains of California.Vegetation height estimates (SRTM-NED) are valid only for the two out of eight (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) geographic directions, due to NED and SRTM grid data misregistration. Penetration depths of SRTM radar were found to linearly correlate to tree percent canopy density.
Thermodynamics and Extra‐thermodynamics of Bacillus subtilis α‐Amylase in Some Chromatographic Systems
Authors: BIAN Liujiao , WANG Xiaohua , YANG Xiaoyan , LIU Li , CHEN Chao
Published: April 2009

The thermodynamics and extra‐thermodynamics of Bacillus subtilis α‐amylase in five kinds of chromatographic systems were studied by determining their adsorption equilibrium constant KSL, enthalpy change, entropy change, free energy change and compensation temperature under different temperature areas. The results showed that on an RP‐C18 reversed‐phase medium, a Zn‐chelated Sepharose fast‐flow affinity medium and a WCX‐1 cation‐exchange medium, their ln KSL separately linearly changed with the reciprocal of absolute temperatures under two different temperature ranges of 13–30 and 30–50 °C; and on PEG‐400 and modified PEG‐400 hydrophobic media, their ln KSL separately linearly decreased with the reciprocal of absolute temperatures under the temperature areas of 13–40 and 13–30 °C, while when the temperatures were separately over 40 and 30 °C, they violently decreased with the reciprocal of absolute temperatures. Through studying the relations among the enthalpy change, entropy change, free energy change and the conformational change of α‐amylase under the different temperature areas, it was found that on the RP‐C18 reversed‐phase medium and Zn‐chelated Sepharose fast‐flow affinity medium under the temperature range of 30–50 °C and on the WCX‐1 cation‐exchange medium under the temperature range of 13–30 °C, their adsorption procedures were driven by both the enthalpy change and the entropy change; while on the Zn‐chelated Sepharose fast‐flow affinity medium under the temperature range of 13–30 °C, on the WCX‐1 cation‐exchange medium under the temperature range of 30–50 °C and on the PEG‐400 and modified PEG‐400 hydrophobic media under the temperature range of 13–65 °C, their adsorption procedures were driven only by the entropy change. Finally, by comparing the compensation temperatures of α‐amylase in these chromatographic systems each other, it was further found that their enthalpy changes could be compensated only with their entropy changes rising from their conformational change.
Pharmacophore Identification of Hydroxamate HDAC 1 Inhibitors
Authors: YU Liqin , LIU Fei , CHEN Yadong , YOU Qidong
Published: April 2009

A three‐dimensional pharmacophore model was established based on 24 hydroxamate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors by HypoGen algorithm embedded in Catalyst software. The best pharmacophore hypothesis (Hypo1), consisting of four chemical features (one hydrogen‐bond acceptor, one aromatic ring and two hydrophobic groups), has a correlation coefficient of 0.946. The Hypol was also validated by a test set consisting of 20 other compounds. Compared with the prior studies towards HDAC inhibitors the detailed chemical features of the "CAP" region in the reported HDAC inhibitors were for the first time depicted, which would be helpful in the further designing of novel HDAC inhibitors.
Fascin1 is dispensable for mouse development but is favorable for neonatal survival
Authors: Yamakita Yoshihiko , Matsumura Fumio , Yamashiro Shigeko
Published: April 2009

Fascin1, an actin‐bundling protein, has been demonstrated to be critical for filopodia formation in cultured cells, and thus is believed to be vital in motile activities including neurite extension and cell migration. To test whether fascin1 plays such essential roles within a whole animal, we have generated and characterized fascin1‐deficient mice. Unexpectedly, fascin1‐deficient mice are viable and fertile with no major developmental defect. Nissl staining of serial coronal brain sections reveals that fascin1‐deficient brain is grossly normal except that knockout mouse brain lacks the posterior region of the anterior commissure neuron and has larger lateral ventricle. Fascin1‐deficient, dorsal root ganglion neurons are able to extend neurites in vitro as well as those from wild‐type mice, although fascin1‐deficient growth cones are smaller and exhibit fewer and shorter filopodia than wild‐type counterparts. Likewise, fascin1‐deficient, embryonic fibroblasts are able to assemble filopodia, though filopodia are fewer, shorter and short‐lived. These results indicate that fascin1‐mediated filopodia assembly is dispensable for mouse development. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The course of eating disorders in patients with borderline personality disorder: A 10‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Zanarini Mary C. , Reichman Charlotte A. , Frankenburg Frances R. , Reich D. Bradford , Fitzmaurice Garrett
Published: April 2009

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to describe the longitudinal course of eating disorders in patients with borderline personality disorder.

Method:

The SCID I was administered to 290 borderline inpatients and 72 participants with other axis II disorders during their index admission and at five contiguous 2‐year follow‐up periods.

Results:

The prevalence of anorexia, bulimia, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) declined significantly over time for those in both study groups but the prevalence of EDNOS remained significantly higher among borderline patients. While over 90% of borderline patients meeting criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or EDNOS at baseline experienced a stable remission by the time of the 10‐year follow‐up, diagnostic migration was common, particularly for those with anorexia or bulimia. In addition, both recurrences (52%) and new onsets (43%) of EDNOS were more common among borderline patients than recurrences and new onsets of anorexia (28% and 4%) and bulimia (29% and 11%).

Discussion:

The results of this study suggest that the prognosis for both anorexia and bulimia in borderline patients is complicated, with remissions being stable but migrations to other eating disorders being common. The results also suggest that EDNOS may be the most prevalent and enduring of the eating disorders in these patients. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010
Promise, performance and current limitations of a magnetic Bedload Movement Detector
Authors: Hassan Marwan A. , Church Michael , Rempel Jason , Enkin Randolph J.
Published: April 2009

Understanding fluvial bedload transport and its geomorphic implications is hampered by the paucity and low accuracy of field‐derived transport data. Tunnicliffe et al. (Hydrological Processes, 2000; 14: 2631–2643) described the Bedload Movement Detector (BMD), a magnetic induction system for measuring bedload movement in gravel‐bed rivers based on a sensor that produces signals when its magnetic field is enhanced by a passing particle. We conducted two types of laboratory experiments to attempt to calibrate the BMD system: (1) rotating platter experiments were designed to relate sensor response curves to particle properties, and (2) flume experiments were designed to measure particle speed and permit computation of a calibrated model. Physically based relations were derived amongst particle volume, speed and magnetic content, and signal integral, amplitude and width. The calibrated relations demonstrate a basis to estimate sediment flux in gravel‐bed rivers, but they require independent knowledge of particle magnetic susceptibility. Over the course of the experiments a number of weaknesses in the sensor design and performance were identified and suggestions are made to improve the system. The high spatial and temporal resolution of data that magnetic sensors of bedload movement are likely to offer makes them valuable to consider for sediment transport measurements in both the field and laboratory. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bedside screening for executive dysfunction in patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease
Authors: Margraf Nils , Bachmann Thomas , Schwandner Wiebke , Gottschalk Stefan , Seidel Günter
Published: April 2009

Objective

We investigated several executive bedside tests for their effectiveness in the routine clinical diagnostics of dysexecutive syndrome in subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD).

Methods

Five executive tests, CLOX, the Tower of London (ToL), a cognitive estimation test (CET), a verbal fluency test, and the Five‐Point Test, were examined in 17 patients with marked cerebral microangiopathy in cranial MRI and clinical symptoms of SIVD. The test accuracy for discriminating the patients from 17 healthy comparison subjects closely matched for age, gender and level of education was determined.

Results

Aside from the CET we found a significant lower performance of the patients with SIVD in four of the five used executive tests. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses the accuracy of CLOX 1 showed excellent results for distinguishing between patients and comparison subjects (area under the curve (AUC) 0.901), while the ToL (AUC up to 0.845) and the productivity in the phonemic verbal fluency test (AUC 0.829) achieved a good accuracy. Differently the accuracy of the figural fluency was only poor to fair (AUC 0.706). However, the Youden Indices of the significant executive variables showed a wide range from 0.25 to 0.82.

Conclusions

Based on our data we consider CLOX, the ToL and the verbal fluency test promising executive bedside test concepts for diagnosing the dysexecutive syndrome in SIVD in clinical routine. Particularly for CLOX and the ToL a further psychometric evaluation is required. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Task‐related gamma‐band dynamics from an intracerebral perspective: Review and implications for surface EEG and MEG
Authors: Jerbi Karim , Ossandón Tomás , Hamamé Carlos M. , Senova S. , Dalal Sarang S. , Jung Julien , Minotti Lorella , Bertrand Olivier , Berthoz Alain , Kahane Philippe , Lachaux Jean‐Philippe
Published: April 2009

Although non‐invasive techniques provide functional activation maps at ever‐growing spatio‐temporal precision, invasive recordings offer a unique opportunity for direct investigations of the fine‐scale properties of neural mechanisms in focal neuronal populations. In this review we provide an overview of the field of intracranial Electroencephalography (iEEG) and discuss its strengths and limitations and its relationship to non‐invasive brain mapping techniques. We discuss the characteristics of invasive data acquired from implanted epilepsy patients using stereotactic‐electroencephalography (SEEG) and electrocorticography (ECoG) and the use of spectral analysis to reveal task‐related modulations in multiple frequency components. Increasing evidence suggests that gamma‐band activity (>40 Hz) might be a particularly efficient index for functional mapping. Moreover, the detection of high gamma activity may play a crucial role in bridging the gap between electrophysiology and functional imaging studies as well as in linking animal and human data. The present review also describes recent advances in real‐time invasive detection of oscillatory modulations (including gamma activity) in humans. Furthermore, the implications of intracerebral findings on future non‐invasive studies are discussed. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Efficacy of poly(sebacic acid‐co‐ricinoleic acid) biodegradable delivery system for intratumoral delivery of paclitaxel
Authors: Shikanov Ariella , Vaisman Boris , Shikanov Sergey , Domb Abraham J.
Published: April 2009

The effectiveness of an injectable polymeric formulation, based on poly(sebacic acid‐co‐ricinoleic acid) and paclitaxel against a heterotopic tumor model was studied. An injectable pasty polymer that releases an incorporated drug over a period of weeks was used. The degradation rate of formulations with paclitaxel was examined in vitro and in vivo. The effectiveness of the polymeric carrier of paclitaxel was investigated using a melanoma heterotopic model in C57BL/6 mice. Tumor bearing animals were injected intratumorally with 0.1 ml of formulations containing 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% paclitaxel. Formulations with 5% and 10% paclitaxel content degraded faster in vivo then in vitro. Changes in tumor progression, survival time, and body weight were observed over a period of 77 days. The highest tumor size was reported for the control groups that did not receive paclitaxel in their treatment regiment: 3.6 g on day 20, while in all groups treated with polymer loaded with paclitaxel the tumor size was much smaller than that in the blank polymer or non treatment groups and ranged from 1.3 g to 0.3 g. Intratumoral injection of paclitaxel loaded in the polymer was found to be an effective treatment for localized tumors. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2010
Systemes aromatiques à 10 électrons π dérivés de l'aza‐1‐pentalène. I. Recherches dans la série du pyrazolo[3,4‐d]‐v‐triazole
Authors: Gonzalez Emmanuel , Sarlin Raymond , Elguero José
Published: April 2009

Après avoir établi la structure des dérivés N‐méthylés par voie univoque, on examine la réactivité d'un dérivé du pyrazolo[3,4‐d]‐v‐triazole vis‐à‐vis de differents agents de méthylation. On propose une structure pour les dérivés NNO et NCOR.
Heterocycles tellures:Synthese et proprietes de tellurochromannones‐4
Authors: Dereu Norbert , Piette Jean‐Louis , Van Coppenolle Jacques , Renson Marcel
Published: April 2009

A general method of preparation of tellurochromanones is described by Friedel‐Crafts intramolecular cyclisation of the corresponding acids. The structure was determined by chemical evidence, analysis, uv, ir and nmr spectra. The first tellurochromannols and tellurochromene are also described.
The reactions of C(α), O‐dilithiooximes, C(α), N‐dilithiophenylhydrazones, and C(α), N,N‐trilithiohydrazones with diethyl oxalate to give biisoxazoles, bipyrazoles, and pyridazones
Authors: Sandifer Ronda M. , Dasher Luther W. , Hollinger Wayne M. , Thomas C. Wayne , Reames David C. , Beam Charles F. , Foote Robert S. , Hauser Charles R.
Published: April 2009

Several C(α), O‐dilithiooximes were condensed with diethyl oxalate and acid‐cyclized to give biisoxazoles. Only dilithio p‐fluoroacetophenone phenylhydrazone gave the bipyrazole when condensed with this diester. Other C(α), N‐dilithiophenylhydrazones and several C(α), N,N‐trilithio‐hydrazones were condensed with diethyl oxalate and acid‐cyclized to give the intramolecular 4‐hydroxy‐3‐pyridazones. Several non‐cyclized intermediates were isolated and a reaction mechanism is presented.
Benzo‐ and indoloquinolizine derivatives. III. Synthesis and structural assignments of 4b,5,6,7,8,8a,10,11‐octahydro‐15bH‐tribenzo‐[a,c,h]quinolizine (4b,5,6,7,8,8a,10,11–octahydro‐15bH‐isoquino[2,1‐f] phenanthridine)
Authors: Van Binst G. , Baert R. B.
Published: April 2009

Starting from either trans‐2‐phenylcyclohexylamine or the cis isomer, two epimers of 4b,5,6,7,8,8a,10,11‐Octahydro‐15bH‐tribenzo[a,c,h]quinolizine have been synthesized. The four possible diastereoisomers of this compound were obtained by reduction of the enamine 5,6,7,8,10,11‐hexahydro‐15bH‐tribenzo[a,c,h]quinolizine. Configuration and conformation are discussed by use of ir, 67.88 MHz cmr and 270 MHz pmr spectroscopy.
1,8‐Naphthyridines. Part III. Synthesis of some 6‐substituted‐1,8‐naphthyridin‐2(1H)ones
Authors: Eichler Eva , Rooney Clarence Stanley , Williams Haydn Windsor Richard
Published: April 2009

The syntheses of some 1,8‐naphthyridines substituted in the 6‐position with heterocyclic groups are described. A synthetic route to 6‐amino‐5,7‐dimethyl‐1,8‐naphthyridin‐2(1H)one is also presented.
A new synthesis of s‐triazines
Authors: Alsofrom D. , Grossberg H. , Sheffer H.
Published: April 2009

The unions of urea, guanidine, thiourea, biguanide, and biuret were reacted with aromatic nitriles to yield s‐triazines. Ortho‐chloro substituted aromatic nitriles gave other products or did not react because of steric factors.
GDCH als musikalisches Motiv
Authors: Cahn Peter
Published: April 2009

Zwei Komponisten haben im Jahr 1959 die Tonfolge G‐D‐C‐H zu je einem Musikstück verarbeitet.
Global harmonisiert in Europa
Authors: Gebel Thomas , Koch Juliane , Wilrich Cordula
Published: April 2009

Seit Januar sind Chemikalien nach neuen Regeln einzustufen, zu kennzeichnen und zu verpacken. Die Regeln folgen weltweit anerkannten Vorschlägen.
Nicht mehr nur Glückssache
Authors: Zbikowski Frauke
Published: April 2009

Mit Mitteln aus der Exzellenzinitiative hat die Technische Universität München ein Büro aufgebaut, das Partner von Spitzenwissenschaftlern dabei unterstützt, ihre eigene Karriere weiter zu verfolgen.
Hochschullehrernachwuchs und Professorinnen 2008
Authors: Schmitz Karin
Published: April 2009

Zum dritten Mal nach 2004 und 2006 wurden Ende vergangenen Jahres die Dekanate der Chemiefakultäten nach Anzahl und Fachrichtung der Habilitanden und Juniorprofessuren, der abgeschlossenen Habilitationen und der Zahl der weiblichen W2/C3— und W3/C4‐Professoren gefragt. Hier sind nun die Ergebnisse. Die GDCh dankt allen Ansprechpartnern an den Hochschulen, die die Daten ihrer Fakultäten zur Verfügung gestellt haben.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, A1298C and G1793A genotypes, and the relationship between maternal folate intake, tibia lead and infant size at birth
Authors: Kordas Katarzyna , Ettinger Adrienne S. , Lamadrid-Figueroa Héctor , Tellez-Rojo Martha M. , Hérnandez-Avila Mauricio , Hu Howard , Wright Robert O.
Published: April 2009

Small size at birth continues to be a problem worldwide and many factors, including reduced folate intake and Pb exposure, are associated with it. However, single factors rarely explain the variability in birth weight, suggesting a need for more complex explanatory models. We investigated environment–gene interactions to understand whether folate intake and maternal Pb exposure were associated with smaller newborn size in 474 women with uncomplicated pregnancies delivering term infants in Mexico City. We examined if folate intake modified the negative effects of maternal Pb burden on birth size. We also asked if maternal and infant methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotypes (C677T, A1298C and G1793A) modified the effects of folate intake or Pb exposure on birth size. Women were aged 24·6 (sd 5·1) years; 43·5 % were primiparous. Maternal blood Pb at delivery was 86 (sd 42) μg/l, with 26·7 % having levels ≥ 100 μg/l. Tibia Pb level was 9·9 (sd 9·8) μg/g. Of the women, 35·3 % had folate intakes < 400 μg/d. Birth weight was 3170 (sd 422) g. In covariate-adjusted regressions, higher folate intake was associated with higher birth weight (β 0·04; P < 0·05). Higher bone Pb was associated with lower birth weight (β − 4·9; P < 0·05). Folate intake did not modify the effects of Pb on birth size, nor did MTHFR modify the association between Pb or folate intake on birth size. Although modest, the relationship between maternal nutrition, Pb burden and birth size does underscore the importance of environmental exposures to child health because patterns of fetal growth may affect health outcomes well into adulthood.
Sex
Authors: Webber Jonathan
Published: April 2009

The sexual domain is unified only by the phenomenal quality of the occurrence of the desires, activities, and pleasures it includes. There is no conceptual restriction on the range of intentional objects those desires, activities, and pleasures can take. Neither is there good conceptual reason to privilege any class of them as paradigmatic. Since the quality unifying the sexual is not morally significant, the morality of sexuality is no different from morality in general. The view that participant consent is morally sufficient in the sexual domain therefore requires the more controversial view that it is morally sufficient in general.
Engaging the Unengaged: Using Visual Images to Enhance
Students' “Poli Sci 101” Experience
Authors: Ulbig Stacy
Published: April 2009

As the nation witnesses a distinct decline in civic engagement among
young adults, political science instructors across the nation face
the formidable task of engaging students in lower-level, general
education courses outside students' primary domain of interest. The
research presented here seeks to understand if visually enhanced
lecture material can effectively engage such students better than
more traditional methods of classroom delivery. The project utilizes
an experimental design involving two different sections of the same
introductory American government course. By exposing the sections to
different visual presentations, and controlling for a variety of
potentially confounding factors, the impact that simple visual
images have on student engagement both inside and outside the
classroom are isolated. Findings suggest that the use of simple
visual images can enhance students' impressions of the discipline of
political science and boost their interest in and knowledge of
politics and public affairs more generally.
ROBERT E. AGGER
Authors: Goldrich Dan , Swanson Bert E. , Medler Jerry , Baer Michael , Orbell John , Bronfman Lois , Bronfman Ben
Published: April 2009

Robert E. Agger died at age 80 in September 2007.
SAM HUNTINGTON
Authors: Rosen Stephen
Published: April 2009

Sam Huntington's works were taken seriously by political leaders and
informed publics around the world. He served in government and
advised administrations, both Republican and Democratic. But if you
asked Sam who he was, professionally, he would have said, I am sure,
“I am a social scientist.”
DUNCAN MACRAE, Jr.
Authors: Wright Deil S.
Published: April 2009

Duncan MacRae, Jr., was appointed Kenan Professor of Political
Science and Sociology at the University of North Carolina in 1972
and served in that capacity until his death as emeritus professor in
July 2008.
BRUCE M. UNGER
Authors: Turner Brian
Published: April 2009

Dr. Bruce M. Unger, professor of political science at Randolph-Macon
College, died of cancer at his home January 31, 2008. A native of
Brooklyn, and life-long Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Bruce
received his BA at Queens College in 1964, MA at Tulane University
in 1967, and Ph.D. at Tulane in 1973. He joined the faculty at
Randolph-Macon in 1968, and served 39 years on the faculty. He was
Charles J. Potts Professor of Social Sciences when he retired in
2007.
Evaluation und vorläufige Normierung des Computerbasierten Ulmer Lautunterscheidungstests (CULT)
Authors: Steinbrink Claudia , Vogt Katrin , Krammer Sandra , Bernauer Jochen
Published: April 2009

Zusammenfassung. Der Computerbasierte Ulmer Lautunterscheidungstest (CULT) ist ein neu entwickeltes Screeningverfahren zur Überprüfung von Phonemdiskriminationsleistungen bei Kindern im letzten Kindergartenjahr. Eine Besonderheit dieses Verfahrens ist die Umsetzung als computerbasiertes Spiel. Es werden zwei Evaluationsstudien zum CULT vorgestellt. Studie 1 analysiert die CULT-Ergebnismuster von 96 Kindergartenkindern. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Antwortmuster plausibel sind. In Studie 2 wird beleuchtet, wie sich Aspekte der medialen Umsetzung auf die Validität der Ergebnisse auswirken. Wir fanden, dass der CULT sowohl mit Aktivboxen, als auch mit Kopfhörern durchgeführt werden kann, und dass der Spielecharakter des Instruments die Validität der Ergebnisse nicht einschränkt. Weiterhin zeigt der CULT eine zufriedenstellende Übereinstimmungsvalidität mit einem etablierten Testverfahren sowie akzeptable Reliabilitätskennwerte. Insgesamt ist davon auszugehen, dass der CULT die Phonemdiskriminationsfähigkeiten von Kindern im letzten Kindergartenjahr valide und reliabel erfasst. Abschließend wird eine vorläufige Testnormierung an 248 Teilnehmern der Studie 2 vorgestellt.
Additional stratospheric NOx production by relativistic electron precipitation during the 2004 spring NOx descent event
Authors: Clilverd Mark A. , Seppälä Annika , Rodger Craig J. , Mlynczak Martin G. , Kozyra Janet U.
Published: April 2009

We analyze in detail the February 2004 Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS) NO2 observations in the northern polar latitudes during the springtime descent of NOx from the mesosphere into the stratosphere. We combine GOMOS observations with SABER‐observed NO 5.3 μm radiated power and an AARDDVARK‐derived radio wave index (RWI) to describe the impact of the 11 February geomagnetic storm. Energetic electron precipitation generated some additional NOx, supplementing the original amounts that were already descending. At altitudes of 50–70 km, GOMOS observations of NO2 showed a delayed response to the geomagnetic storm, with NO2 being generated 3 days after the start of the storm. The delayed response and duration of NO2 production was found to be consistent with the increase in the flux of relativistic electrons measured by GOES at geostationary orbit and by POES through relativistic electron contamination of the >16 MeV proton channel. Using the Sodankylä Ion and Neutral Chemistry model (SIC), we found that a good fit to the observed NO2 mixing ratios at the peak of the geomagnetic storm effect was produced by a monoenergetic 1.25 MeV electron beam with a flux of ∼0.3 × 106 el cm−2 sr−1 s−1 keV−1 or with a “hard” electron spectra taken from Gaines et al. (1995) but with fluxes enhanced by a factor of 15, i.e., 8 × 104 el cm−2 sr−1 s−1 for 2–6 MeV. Prior to the storm the descending NO2 had average mixing ratio values of ∼150 ppbv. The geomagnetic storm–induced relativistic electron precipitation event doubled the amount of NOx descending into the stratosphere to ∼300 ppbv after the storm.
Closing the terrestrial water budget from satellite remote sensing
Authors: Sheffield Justin , Ferguson Craig R. , Troy Tara J. , Wood Eric F. , McCabe Matthew F.
Published: April 2009

The increasing availability of remote sensing products for all components of the terrestrial water cycle makes it now possible to evaluate the potential of water balance closure purely from remote sensing sources. We take precipitation (P) from the TMPA and CMORPH products, a Penman‐Monteith based evapotranspiration (E) estimate derived from NASA Aqua satellite data and terrestrial water storage change (ΔS) from the GRACE satellite. Their combined ability to close the water budget is evaluated over the Mississippi River basin for 2003–5 by estimating streamflow (Q) as a residual of the water budget and comparing to streamflow measurements. We find that Q is greatly overestimated due mainly to the high bias in P, especially in the summer. Removal of systematic biases in P reduces the error significantly. However, uncertainties in the individual budget components due to simplifications in process algorithms and input data error are generally larger than the measured streamflow.
Study of Fish Weight Loss in Solar Dryer Across Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Nigeria
Authors: Olokor Julius , Ugoala Emeka , Ibitoye Adenike
Published: April 2009

Drying sessions were conducted across Nigeria to study the interaction between fish weight loss and the meteorological parameters. Correlation analyses using weight loss values show that latitude is strongly related (r =+0.96) to weight loss of fish inside the dryer while altitude had a weak relationship (r = +0.24) with weight loss. The results show that New Bussa recorded more weight loss of fish than Jos, despite their uniform latitude. Weight loss records in Jos, was however better than those of Warri and Ibadan.
Fabrication and characterization of DNA-templated conductive gold nanoparticle chains
Authors: Kim Hyung Jin , Roh Yonghan , Kim Seong Kyu , Hong Byungyou
Published: April 2009

We present a fabrication of conductive nanowires made of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) chains based on λ-DNA molecules immobilized on a surface of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-coated Si wafer as the template. A tilting technique was used to align and stretch the λ-DNAs on the surface. Aniline-capped AuNPs (AN-AuNPs) were electrostatically assembled along the immobilized DNAs by careful control of the AN-AuNPs treatment time and the DNA concentration. AuNPs are attached on DNA with a reduction in Au surface potential as the treatment time increases. Also, the interparticle spacing is dependent on the treatment time and the DNA concentration. AuNP chains with a complete contact between particles were obtained when the treatment time and the DNA concentration were optimized. For electrical conductivity measurements, an isolated AuNP chain was fixed between two gold electrodes. The AuNP chain based on DNA showed an Ohmic behavior at room temperature with the conductivity of two orders of magnitude lower than the bulk value.
Antiferromagnetic-spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing as a likely mechanism for unconventional superconductivity in LaAg1−cMnc alloys
Authors: Kumar S. , Kaul S. N. , Fernández J. Rodríguez , Barquín L. Fernández
Published: April 2009

Electrical resistivity, ac magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, dc magnetization, and dc magnetic susceptibility of superconducting LaAg1−cMnc alloys with c=0.0, 0.025, 0.05. 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 have been measured in the temperature range of 0.35 K≤T≤300 K at external magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 90 kOe with a view to unravel the exact nature of the superconducting ground state. In these alloys, each Mn atom carries a magnetic moment of ≅4μB. A comparison of the results of these investigations with the predictions of the existing theoretical models permits us to make a number of interesting observations that include the following. The intermetallic compound LaAg is an archetypal Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer (BCS) spin-singlet isotropic even-parity s-wave superconductor with a superconducting transition temperature of Tc=0.97 K. At low solute concentrations of c≈0.03, Mn substitutes for La at the La sublattice sites in the LaAg parent compound and Tc suddenly drop from 0.97 to temperatures below 0.35 K, reflecting thereby the destruction of conventional phonon-mediated s-wave superconductivity of the LaAg host by pair-breaking magnetic (Mn) impurities. At a threshold concentration of Mn, c≅0.05 (which corresponds to the antiferromagnetic instability/critical phase boundary in the magnetic phase diagram), superconducting gap opens up, Tc abruptly shoots up to 5 K, and unconventional superconductivity sets in at ambient pressure for T≤Tc. Beyond this threshold concentration, Mn has exclusive site preference for Ag at the Ag sublattice sites in LaAg and Tc increases from 5 to 6 K. The unconventional nature of superconductivity at these solute concentrations is signaled by strong departures from the BCS predictions. We present ample experimental evidence that favors antiferromagnetic-spin-fluctuation-mediated pairing as the most likely mechanism for the unconventional (d-wave) superconductivity observed in LaAg1−cMnc alloys with c≥0.05.
Critical behavior of a model for catalyzed autoamplification
Authors: Tchernookov Martin , Warmflash Aryeh , Dinner Aaron R.
Published: April 2009

We examine the critical behavior of a model of catalyzed autoamplification inspired by a common motif in genetic networks. Similar to models in the directed percolation (DP) universality class, a phase transition between an absorbing state with no copies of the autoamplifying species A and an active state with a finite amount of A occurs at the point at which production and removal of A are balanced. A suitable coordinate transformation shows that this model corresponds to one with three fields, one of which relaxes exponentially, one of which displays critical behavior, and one of which has purely diffusive dynamics but exerts an influence on the critical field. Using stochastic simulations that account for discrete molecular copy numbers in one, two, and three dimensions, we show that this model has exponents that are distinct from previously studied reaction-diffusion systems, including the few with more than one field (unidirectionally coupled DP processes and the diffusive epidemic process). Thus the requirement of a catalyst changes the fundamental physics of autoamplification. Estimates for the exponents of the diffusive epidemic process in two dimensions are also presented.
A microcomputed tomography guided fluorescence tomography system for small animal molecular imaging
Authors: Kepshire Dax , Mincu Niculae , Hutchins Michael , Gruber Josiah , Dehghani Hamid , Hypnarowski Justin , Leblond Frederic , Khayat Mario , Pogue Brian W.
Published: April 2009

A prototype small animal imaging system was created for coupling fluorescence tomography (FT) with x-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT). The FT system has the potential to provide synergistic information content resultant from using microCT images as prior spatial information and then allows overlay of the FT image onto the original microCT image. The FT system was designed to use single photon counting to provide maximal sensitivity measurements in a noncontact geometry. Five parallel detector locations are used, each allowing simultaneous sampling of the fluorescence and transmitted excitation signals through the tissue. The calibration and linearity range performance of the system are outlined in a series of basic performance tests and phantom studies. The ability to image protoporphyrin IX in mouse phantoms was assessed and the system is ready for in vivo use to study biological production of this endogenous marker of tumors. This multimodality imaging system will have a wide range of applications in preclinical cancer research ranging from studies of the tumor microenvironment and treatment efficacy for emerging cancer therapeutics.
Comparative floral ontogeny in Adesmia (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae: Dalbergieae)
Authors: Moço Maria Cecília de Chiara , Mariath Jorge Ernesto de Araujo
Published: March 2009

Floral organogenesis of six Brazilian species of Adesmia DC. was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Considering the number of species, this is the most comprehensive organogenetic study of a genus conducted. A unidirectional sepal formation from the adaxial towards the abaxial side of the floral meristem is shown for the first time in the subfamily Papilionoideae. This pattern was found in all studied taxa except for A. latifolia in which the five sepal primordia are formed simultaneously. The present study suggests that the ontogenetic floral differences among Adesmia species may be useful in a re-evaluation of infrageneric categories and for future systematic analyses.
Phenological trends among Australian alpine species: using herbarium records to identify climate-change indicators
Authors: Gallagher R. V. , Hughes L. , Leishman M. R.
Published: March 2009

Global temperatures are increasing at an unprecedented rate and the analysis of long-term phenological records has provided some of the most compelling evidence for the effect of these changes on species. In regions where systematically collected data on the timing of life-cycle events is scarce, such as Australia, researchers must seek alternative sources of information from which climate-change signals can be identified. In the present paper, we explore the limitations and strengths of using herbarium specimens to detect changes in flowering phenology, to select potential indicator species, and to pinpoint locations for potential monitoring schemes of native plants in Australia’s subalpine and alpine zone. We selected 20 species on the basis of a range of selection criteria, including a flowering duration of 3 months or less and the number of herbarium records available in the areas above 1500 m. By the use of gridded temperature data within the study region, we identified an increase in mean annual temperature of 0.74°C between 1950 and 2007. We then matched the spatial locations of the herbarium specimens to these temperature data and, by using linear regression models, identified five species whose flowering response may be sensitive to temperature. Higher mean annual temperatures at the point of collection were negatively associated with earlier flowering in each of these species (α = 0.05). We also found a significant (P = 0.02) negative relationship between year and flowering observation for Alpine groundsel, Senecio pectinatus var. major. This species is potentially a suitable candidate for monitoring responses of species to future climate change, owing to the accessibility of populations and its conspicuous flowers. It is also likely that with ongoing warming the other four species identified (Colobanthus affinis, Ewartia nubigena, Prasophyllum tadgellianum and Wahlenbergia ceracea) in the present study may show the same response.
Correlates of grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in northern Australia
Authors: Scott K. A. , Setterfield S. A. , Andersen A. N. , Douglas M. M.
Published: March 2009

Environmental features associated with the distribution of grass species are poorly known in tropical savannas, particularly at smaller spatial scales. The present study aimed to determine the relative influence of 11 environmental characteristics on grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in northern Australia. Environmental characteristics relating to woody-vegetation structure and soil, plus the long-term (14-year) fire frequency, were documented along an environmental gradient and compared with grass-species composition. Differences in grass-species composition, as well as richness and evenness, were related to differences in vegetation structure and edaphic characteristics. In particular, grass-species composition was most strongly related to plant-available moisture, the density of woody plants in the midstorey (2.0–9.99 m height), and canopy and litter cover. Grass-species richness and evenness were extremely low in areas where midstorey density, canopy cover and litter cover were high, and where soil moisture content in the root zone of grasses was low. Differences in fire frequency also influenced grass-species composition, with areas that had experienced lower fire frequency during the previous 14 years having lower density of the annual grass Sorghum intrans (F.Muell. ex Benth.) and the perennial grass Heteropogon triticeus (R.Br.) Stapf, and increased dominance of the perennial Eriachne triseta Nees ex Steud. The results of the present study demonstrate a complex interplay between bottom-up environmental factors and top-down processes such as fire, as determinants of grass-species composition in tropical savannas.
An experimental study of the pollination biology of the perennial halophyte Frankenia pauciflora var. gunnii (Frankeniaceae) in a South Australian salt marsh
Authors: Mackay Duncan A. , Whalen Molly A.
Published: March 2009

Relatively little is known about the pollination biology or breeding systems of entomophilous plant species in salt-marsh habitats. In the present study, the pollination biology of the perennial halophyte Frankenia pauciflora DC. var. gunnii Summerh. (Frankeniaceae) was investigated in a salt marsh near Goolwa, South Australia. The flowering peak of this species occurs in summer and flowers are visited by a diverse array of insects in the Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera. An experiment was performed to test for the presence of pollen limitation in the field. Flowers to which outcross pollen was added produced significantly more fruits and significantly more seeds per fruit than did unmanipulated control flowers. Average seed weight per fruit did not differ significantly between control and pollen-addition flowers. In glasshouse experiments, flowers to which cross-pollen was added produced significantly more fruit than did flowers to which self-pollen was added, suggesting the presence of a facultatively xenogamous breeding system.
Pollinator specificity, cryptic species and geographical patterns in pollinator responses to sexually deceptive orchids in the genus Chiloglottis: the Chiloglottis gunnii complex
Authors: Bower Colin C. , Brown Graham R.
Published: March 2009

Australian sexually deceptive orchids are typically highly pollinator specific, each species having a single unique hymenopteran pollinator species. Pollinator specificity in six of the nine described species in the Chiloglottis gunnii Lindl. complex was investigated by using field pollinator-choice tests, with Chiloglottis taxa translocated within and among biogeographical regions. Specific pollinators revealed the existence of five undescribed cryptic taxa in the C. gunnii complex, three within C. pluricallata D.L.Jones and two within C. valida D.L.Jones, in addition to the six described species. Of the 11 Chiloglottis taxa, 10 had a single thynnine-wasp pollinator throughout their sometimes large distributions, whereas one, C. valida, had a second pollinator in parts of its distribution. Eleven pollinators belonged to the genus Neozeleboria and one to Eirone. Pollinator-choice testing showed that cross-attraction of pollinators occurs between three geographically isolated Chiloglottis taxa on the New South Wales (NSW) New England Tableland and taxa in the South Eastern Highlands of NSW and Victoria. The data suggested there is sharing of chemical attractants and supported the recognition of at least five odour types within Chiloglottis, each encompassing one to three orchid taxa and their pollinators. The following two broad generalisations are made: (1) there is no cross-attraction of pollinators among sympatric Chiloglottis species, i.e. sympatric orchid taxa do not share attractant odours; and (2) all Chiloglottis species have different specific pollinators, although they may share attractant odours allopatrically. Some 28 thynnine-wasp species were attracted as minor non-pollinating responders to Chiloglottis taxa; five of these were pollinators of other Chiloglottis species. These wasps were much more taxonomically diverse than the pollinators, belonging to six genera, and suggest that some orchid-odour components are widely shared within the sex pheromones of the Thynninae.
Stress and the costs of extra-territorial movement in a social carnivore
Authors: Young Andrew J , Monfort Steven L
Published: April 2009

Costs associated with extra-territorial movement are believed to have favoured the evolution of delayed dispersal and sociality across a range of social vertebrates, but remain surprisingly poorly understood. Here we reveal a novel mechanism that may contribute substantially to the costs of extra-territorial movement: physiological stress. We show that subordinate male meerkats,Suricata suricatta, exhibit markedly elevated faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels (a non-invasive measure of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity) while conducting extra-territorial prospecting forays. While brief increases in glucocorticoid levels are unlikely to be costly, chronic elevations, arising from prolonged and/or frequent forays, are expected to compromise fitness through their diverse negative effects on health. Our findings strongly suggest that prolonged extra-territorial movements do result in chronic stress, as the high glucocorticoid levels of prospectors do not diminish on longer forays and are no lower among males with greater prospecting experience. A generalized ‘stress’ of extra-territorial movement may therefore have strengthened selection for delayed dispersal and sociality in this and other species, and favoured the conduct of brief forays over extended periods of floating. Our findings have implications too for understanding the rank-related distribution of physiological stress in animal societies, as extra-territorial movements are often conducted solely by subordinates.
Decline in the frequency and benefits of multiple brooding in great tits as a consequence of a changing environment
Authors: Husby Arild , Kruuk Loeske E.B. , Visser Marcel E.
Published: April 2009

For multiple-brooded species, the number of reproductive events per year is a major determinant of an individual's fitness. Where multiple brooding is facultative, its occurrence is likely to change with environmental conditions, and, as a consequence, the current rates of environmental change could have substantial impacts on breeding patterns. Here we examine temporal population-level trends in the proportion of female great tits (
Parus major
) producing two clutches per year (‘double brooding’) in four long-term study populations in The Netherlands, and show that the proportion of females that double brood has declined in all populations, with the strongest decline taking place in the last 30 years of the study. For one of the populations, for which we have data on caterpillar abundance, we show that the probability that a female produces a second clutch was related to the timing of her first clutch relative to the peak in caterpillar abundance, and that the probability of double brooding declined over the study period. We further show that the number of recruits from the second clutch decreased significantly over the period 1973–2004 in all populations. Our results indicate that adjustment to changing climatic conditions may involve shifts in life-history traits other than simply the timing of breeding.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Delayed Sequelae: A Review - Traumatic Brain Injury and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (Concussion) are Precursors to Later-Onset Brain Disorders, Including Early-Onset Dementia
Authors: Kiraly Michael A. , Kiraly Stephen J.
Published: March 2009

Brain injuries are too common. Most people are unaware of the incidence of and horrendous consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Research and the advent of sophisticated imaging have led to progression in the understanding of brain pathophysiology following TBI. Seminal evidence from animal and human experiments demonstrate links between TBI and the subsequent onset of premature, psychiatric syndromes and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Objectives of this summary are, therefore, to instill appreciation regarding the importance of brain injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and to increase awareness regarding the long-term delayed consequences following TBI.