bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current status of contraceptive use among rural married women in Anhui Province of China
Authors: Zhang X‐J , Wang G‐Y , Shen Q , Yu Y‐L , Sun Y‐H , Yu G‐B , Zhao D , Ye D‐Q
Published: September 2009

Objectives  This study aims to explore the current status of married women in regard of their use of contraceptive methods (permanent methods versus non‐permanent methods) and to find out factors that affect the use of contraceptive methods in rural areas of Anhui Province of China.

Design  Survey.

Setting  Anhui, China.

Population  A total of 53,652 married women aged 18–49 years.

Methods  A multistage probability sampling method was used to identify a representative sample of 53,652 married women aged 18–49 years. All women were asked to provide detailed information by completing detailed questionnaires.

Main outcome measures  Contraceptive prevalence and influence factors.

Results  The total birth control rate of the sample was 95.2%. Samples choosing the permanent and nonpermanent contraceptive methods have taken up 46.7 and 48.5% respectively. Female sterilisation was the first choice with a usage rate of 43.6%, followed by intrauterine device (IUD), which was used by 41.1% of samples. Single‐variable analysis showed that the choice of contraceptive methods was associated with age, education level, parity, frequency of sex intercourses in a month, contraceptive knowledge, RTI symptom and the gender of the last child of rural married women.

Conclusions  A significant increase in contraceptive use of rural married women in Anhui Province of China. Female sterilisation and IUD still play the dominant role. Effective family planning methods should be advocated through adequate counselling on the correct use and proper management, with consideration of the background of custom and belief.
Gene regulation of α4β2 nicotinic receptors: microarray analysis of nicotine‐induced receptor up‐regulation and anti‐inflammatory effects
Authors: Hosur Vishnu , Leppanen Scott , Abutaha Adham , Loring Ralph H.
Published: September 2009

α4β2 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors play an important role in the reward pathways for nicotine. We investigated whether receptor up‐regulation of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors involves expression changes for non‐receptor genes. In a microarray analysis, 10 μM nicotine altered expression of 41 genes at 0.25, 1, 8 and 24 h in hα4β2 SH‐EP1 cells. The maximum number of gene changes occurred at 8 h, around the initial increase in3[H]‐cytisine binding. Quantitative RT‐PCR corroborated gene induction of endoplasmic reticulum proteins CRELD2, PDIA6, and HERPUD1, and suppression of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐6. Nicotine suppresses IL‐1β and IL‐6 expression at least in part by inhibiting NFκB activation. Antagonists dihydro‐β‐erythroidine and mecamylamine blocked these nicotine‐induced changes showing that receptor activation is required. Antagonists alone or in combination with nicotine suppressed CRELD2 message while increasing α4β2 binding. Additionally, small interfering RNA knockdown of CRELD2 increased basal α4β2 receptor expression, and antagonists decreased CRELD2 expression even in the absence of α4β2 receptors. These data suggest that endoplasmic reticulum proteins such as CRELD2 can regulate α4β2 expression, and may explain antagonist actions in nicotine‐induced receptor up‐regulation. Further, the unexpected finding that nicotine suppresses inflammatory cytokines suggests that nicotinic α4β2 receptor activation promotes anti‐inflammatory effects similar to α7 receptor activation.
Efficacy of anti‐aging products for periorbital wrinkles as measured by 3‐D imaging
Authors: Kaczvinsky Joseph R , Griffiths Christopher E M , Schnicker Marcia S , Li Jim
Published: September 2009

Background  The periorbital area is a key wrinkle‐prone region, where the first signs of aging usually appear.

Aims  To demonstrate the ability of new anti‐aging moisturizing products to improve overall smoothness and wrinkle depth appearance in the periorbital region via the Fast Optical in vivo Topometry of Human Skin (FOITS).

Methods  Two double‐blind, randomized, controlled, split‐face studies (n = 42, Study 1; n = 35, Study 2) were conducted in women 30–70 years old with moderate to distinct periorbital wrinkles. Subjects applied 0.5 g of individual products to half their face twice daily for 4 weeks. Four test products containing niacinamide, the peptides Pal‐KT and Pal‐KTTKS, and carnosine were used and included a daytime SPF 30 lotion also containing antioxidants, a night cream, an eye cream also containing caffeine, and a wrinkle treatment containing retinyl propionate. The wrinkle treatment was only tested in Study 2. The FOITS technique was used to measure changes in periorbital Ra (mean roughness) and Rz (average maximum roughness) at 2 and 4 weeks.

Results  In Study 1, the daytime SPF 30 lotion, night cream, and eye cream significantly improved crow’s feet smoothness after 4 weeks relative to no treatment. After 4 weeks, the daytime SPF 30 lotion and night cream, but not the eye cream, were significantly better than no treatment at improving Rz. In Study 2, the night cream, eye cream, and wrinkle treatment, but not the daytime SPF 30 lotion, significantly improved both Ra and Rz after 4 weeks. To increase power and precision of estimates, a meta‐analysis was performed; the pooled data showed all three products were significantly better than no treatment at improving Ra and Rz after 4 weeks.

Conclusions  Four weeks of treatment with these products was shown to improve the smoothness of periorbital skin and to reduce the apparent depth of larger wrinkles.
Changes in skin physiology and clinical appearance after microdroplet placement of hyaluronic acid in aging hands
Authors: Williams Stefanie , Tamburic Slobodanka , Stensvik Henriette , Weber Mateja
Published: September 2009

Background  Up to now rejuvenating treatment of the hands has been challenging and results often disappointing.

Aims  To determine whether hyaluronic acid (HA) microdroplet placement into the dorsal hands has an impact on skin physiology and clinical appearance and whether there is any difference between stabilized HA (S‐HA) and nonstabilized HA (NS‐HA).

Patients/methods  The intra‐individual comparison in 15 volunteers involved injection sessions at week 0, 4, and 8 with random assignment of left and right hand to either S‐HA or NS‐HA. Skin physiology parameters cutaneous elasticity, surface roughness, hydration, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were measured in vivo at weeks 0 (before treatment), 4 (before subsequent treatment), 12, and 24. Clinical hand assessment was carried out at weeks 0 and 12 by a blinded dermatologist.

Results  Intradermal injection of S‐HA generated significant improvement in skin elasticity and surface roughness at week 12 compared to baseline. On the hands treated with NS‐HA, there was a trend for improvement (not significant). While there was no significant difference in hydration and TEWL between both hands before treatment, at week 12 hands treated with S‐HA displayed a significantly higher hydration level and lower TEWL compared to NS‐HA treatment. Clinically S‐HA proved to be significantly superior to NS‐HA. At week 24 the observed effects started to return back toward baseline, with S‐HA treatment still offering better results compared to the NS‐HA.

Conclusions  Skin revitalization with injectable HA can improve clinical appearance and skin physiology parameters on the back of the hands. It has been shown that S‐HA has better effects when compared with NS‐HA.
Eating chocolate can significantly protect the skin from UV light
Authors: Williams Stefanie , Tamburic Slobodanka , Lally Carmel
Published: September 2009

Background  Cocoa beans fresh from the tree are exceptionally rich in flavanols. Unfortunately, during conventional chocolate making, this high antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced due to manufacturing processes.

Aim  To evaluate the photoprotective potential of chocolate consumption, comparing a conventional dark chocolate to a specially produced chocolate with preserved high flavanol (HF) levels.

Methods  A double‐blind in vivo study in 30 healthy subjects was conducted. Fifteen subjects each were randomly assigned to either a HF or low flavanol (LF) chocolate group and consumed a 20 g portion of their allocated chocolate daily. The minimal erythema dose (MED) was assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks under standardized conditions.

Results  In the HF chocolate group the mean MED more than doubled after 12 weeks of chocolate consumption, while in the LF chocolate group, the MED remained without significant change.

Conclusions  Our study demonstrated that regular consumption of a chocolate rich in flavanols confers significant photoprotection and can thus be effective at protecting human skin from harmful UV effects. Conventional chocolate has no such effect.
A multi‐center, double‐blind, randomized controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of Juvéderm® injectable gel with and without lidocaine
Authors: Weinkle Susan H , Bank David E , Boyd Charles M , Gold Michael H , Thomas Jane A , Murphy Diane K
Published: September 2009

Introduction  Pain is a common patient complaint during dermal filler injections. The primary objective of this study was to compare a new formulation of Juvéderm® injectable gel with lidocaine (denoted as JUV + L) to commercially‐available Juvéderm® injectable gel without lidocaine (denoted as JUV) with respect to procedural pain scores in subjects desiring nasolabial fold (NLF) correction.

Methods  Subjects received randomized treatment with the lidocaine filler in one NLF and the filler without lidocaine in the other NLF. Investigators determined the appropriate formulation (Ultra or Ultra Plus) and volume of material to inject but were blinded as to which syringe contained lidocaine. Subjects rated procedural pain (pain during injection) using an 11‐point scale within 30 min after receiving treatment in both NLFs and compared procedural pain between right and left NLFs using a 5‐point scale. NLF severity was rated by both subjects and investigators before and 2 weeks after treatment.

Results  The mean difference on the procedural pain scale was 3.4 (P < 0.0001), and 93% of subjects found JUV + L to be less or slightly less painful than JUV. Improvement in NLF severity was comparable for both products. Common treatment site reactions (CTRs) of pain and tenderness were considerably less frequent for JUV + L than JUV while all other CTRs showed no statistically significant differences.

Conclusion  The dermal filler formulated with lidocaine is effective in reducing procedural pain during correction of facial wrinkles and folds while maintaining a similar safety and effectiveness profile to the filler without lidocaine.
Sustainability of cosmetic products in Brazil
Authors: De Paula Pereira Neila
Published: September 2009

Background  The most recent research in the area of cosmetics to sustainability has focused on obtaining formulations rich in nontraditional oils and butters from seeds and fruits native to Brazilian tropical flora. These have contributed to aggregate value for the raw materials and involvement of small farms forming rural production in Brazil, since the plants are cultivated in preservation areas sponsored by companies who are partners in the Government Program for Brazilian Sustainability. Given that the oils extracted from seeds have the potential to replace these cutaneous constituents, it has been verified that new products of strong commercial impact show an increasing tendency to incorporate in their formulas the oils of plants grown in Brazilian soil.
A novel LCD (coal tar) solution for psoriasis does not discolor naturally light or color‐processed hair in an exaggerated exposure test model
Authors: Johnson Colleen , Edison Brenda , Brouda Irina , Green Barbara
Published: September 2009

Background  Scalp psoriasis is reported to occur in 50–80% of psoriasis sufferers. Treatment of scalp psoriasis requires special consideration of product esthetics and staining potential due to the presence of hair.

Aim  To evaluate the potential of a new, marketed liquor carbonis distillate (LCD; coal tar) solution to discolor naturally light or color‐processed hair under exaggerated exposure conditions.

Methods  Samples of naturally light and color‐processed hair from a single donor were exposed to LCD solution repeatedly over 14 days and via submergence for 24 h. Color of LCD‐treated hair samples was compared with untreated control hair samples.

Results  LCD solution did not discolor naturally light or color‐processed hair following repeated exposures and 24 h submergence.

Conclusion  The marketed LCD solution does not appear to discolor naturally light or color‐processed hair.
Safety and effectiveness of hyaluronic acid fillers in skin of color
Authors: Grimes Pearl E , Thomas Jane A , Murphy Diane K
Published: September 2009

Objectives  To assess the safety and effectiveness of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers in skin of color.

Methods  Two prospective studies followed up subjects with Fitzpatrick skin phototypes of IV, V, or VI for 24 weeks after dermal filler injections. In a double‐blind, randomized study, subjects were injected with one of three high concentration (24 mg/mL) HA fillers (Juvéderm Ultra, Ultra Plus, and 30) in one nasolabial fold and Zyplast collagen in the other. In an open‐label, randomized study, subjects received one of three low concentration (5.5 mg/mL) HA fillers (Hylaform, Hylaform Plus, and Captique) in both nasolabial folds.

Results  A total of 160 subjects (a subset of 439 study subjects) were randomized and treated with one of the three high concentration fillers, and 119 subjects were randomized and treated with one of the three low concentration fillers. For subjects treated with the high concentration fillers there were no occurrences of hypersensitivity or hypertrophic scarring, and no increased incidence of hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation in non‐Caucasian vs. Caucasian subjects. For subjects treated with the low concentration fillers there were no occurrences of keloid formation, hypertrophic scarring, hypopigmentation, hypersensitivity, and three instances of mild hyperpigmentation. For all of the fillers the majority of subjects maintained ≥1 point improvement in nasolabial fold severity scores through 24 weeks.

Conclusions  All of the HA fillers were well tolerated in individuals with skin of color and demonstrated effectiveness throughout the 24 week period. Furthermore, the fillers provided smooth, natural‐looking wrinkle correction in darker skin types.
Landscape modification by meltwater channels at margins of cold‐based glaciers, Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Authors: ATKINS CLIFF B. , DICKINSON WARREN W.
Published: September 2009

Atkins, C. B. & Dickinson, W. W. 2007 (January): Landscape modification by meltwater channels at margins of cold‐based glaciers, Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Boreas, Vol. 36, pp. 47–55. Oslo. ISSN 0300–9483.

This article describes distinctive lateral meltwater channels at the margins of low‐elevation cold‐based glaciers in the Dry Valleys. The channels significantly modify the ground surface and indicate that cold‐based glaciers can be active geomorphic agents. Summer meltwater from the glacier surface flows over ice‐aprons and erodes into the frozen ground creating channels up to 3 m deep and 10 m wide adjacent to unmodified ground that is protected beneath the glacier itself. Rapid fluvial excavation in the channels leads to undercutting and collapse of channel walls, which is capable of overturning large boulders. During glacial retreat, a succession of channels is incised into newly exposed ground creating a distinctive series of nested lateral channels and ridges. These represent the most obvious and persistent geomorphological signature of cold‐based glacier activity in the region. Cold‐based glaciers may advance and retreat over the same area many times without necessarily destroying older features, thereby creating a complex series of channels, deposits and remnant surfaces with a disordered chronology. Recognizing the role of cold‐based glaciers and their meltwater channels on landscape evolution is critical for interpreting the timing and style of glacial events in the Antarctic.
DAMOCLES: a DAshing MOnolith Cutter for fine sectioning of peats and sediments into LargE Slices
Authors: JOOSTEN HANS , KLERK PIM DE
Published: September 2009

Joosten, H. & de Klerk, P. 2007 (January): DAMOCLES: a DAshing MOnolith Cutter for fine sectioning of peats and sediments into LargE Slices. Boreas, Vol. 36, pp. 76–81. Oslo. ISSN 0300–9483.

Simple cutting devices such as used in the printing industry allow precise and fine sectioning of frozen peats and sediments, thus enabling research with high temporal resolution. Large slices are useful in the collection of multiple synchronous subsamples for multidisciplinary research. This article describes the apparatus (called DAMOCLES) and its operation, and presents some examples from practice. These include combined microfossil, macrofossil and chemical analyses of the same sample with a sample resolution of 0.5 cm (temporal resolution c. 1 year): rapid changes occur that would have remained unnoticed with a coarser sampling distance. The final example presents a sample resolution of only 0.5 mm. These examples illustrate the possible uses of the DAMOCLES apparatus in palaeoecological research.
A new Holocene sea‐level curve for the southern North Sea
Authors: BEHRE KARL‐ERNST
Published: September 2009

Behre, K.‐E. 2007 (January): A new Holocene sea‐level curve for the southern North Sea. Boreas, Vol. 36, pp. 82–102. Oslo. ISSN 0300–9483.

A new sea‐level curve (MHW, mean high water level) for the southern North Sea is presented, spanning the last 10000 years and based on new data recently obtained along the German coast. The 118 dates were selected from basal as well as intercalated peats of the Holocene sequence and archaeological dates from the last 3000 years. Because of different MHW levels along the German North Sea coast, all data were corrected to the standard tide gauge at Wilhelmshaven to make them comparable. Special advantages of this area for sea‐level reconstructions are negligible tectonic and isostatic subsidence and the absence of coastal barrier systems that might have mitigated or masked sea‐level changes. Changes of water level had therefore immediate consequences for the facies and could be dated exactly. The chronostratigraphic Calais‐Dunkirk system has been improved and adapted to the new data. Altogether seven regressions (R 1‐R 7) have been identified, each of them characterized by a distinct decline in sea level. These fluctuations are in accord with the evidence from other parts of the North Sea region. A draft of former North Sea shorelines is presented on the basis of this sea‐level curve.
Palaeo‐ice streaming in the central sector of the British—Irish Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum: evidence from the northern Irish Sea Basin
Authors: ROBERTS DAVID H. , DACKOMBE ROGER V. , THOMAS GEOFF S. P.
Published: September 2009

Late Devensian glacial sediments and landforms of the Isle of Man record the advance and deglacial signature of the central sector of the British‐Irish Ice Sheet. Evidence from the area, gathered from striae, erratic trains and drift limits, show ice was routed over and around the island in two flow phases post‐36 kyr BP In the south of the island, streamlined depositional bedforms with low elongation ratios suggest low ice‐flow velocities resulting from one or more of (i) the up‐ice location of the island within a regional onset zone, (ii) flow retardation of ice interacting with the margins of the island and (iii) localized drainage of the deforming bed. The deglacial landform assemblage of lateral marginal sandurs and drainage diversions, coupled with a lack of dead‐ice features, suggests ice did not downwaste in situ but retreated intact along the coastal margins as Manx Upland ice thinned. In the north of the island, however, the Bride Moraine complex indicates a change in deglacial ice‐sheet dynamics, with temporary re‐advance and marginal oscillation causing proglacial tectonism and thrusting of the glacial sediment pile, possibly during the Killard Point Stadial event (18.8–16.4 cal. kyr BP). From a basin‐wide perspective, the Irish Sea Basin sector of the British‐Irish Ice Sheet had many of the characteristics of an ice stream, such as a zone of flow convergence up‐ice, a grounding line in the southern Celtic Sea and recessional limits characterized by proglacially tectonized and thrust dead‐ice landscapes indicative of a rapidly oscillating ice margin.
Supporting evidence from the New York drumlin field that elongate subglacial bedforms indicate fast ice flow
Authors: BRINER JASON P.
Published: September 2009

Although drumlins and other subglacial bedforms are well‐studied features, controls on their formation and morphometry have remained elusive. Of current interest is the hypothesis that elongate bedforms (length:width ratios≥ 10) indicate fast ice flow, and perhaps the location of past ice streams. This hypothesis is explored by analysing drumlins from the New York State drumlin field. A subset of 548 drumlins between Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario was digitized using 10‐m grid cell digital elevation data. Because bedform elongation is greatest along the axis of a reconstructed lobe and increases down flowline, elongate bedforms are best explained by fast ice flow. The swath of elongate bedforms between lakes Ontario and Oneida, the boundaries of which do not coincide with topography, may signify the location of an ice stream during deglaciation.
The Holocene vegetation history of the Arfon Platform, North Wales, UK
Authors: WATKINS RUTH , SCOURSE JAMES D. , ALLEN JUDY R. M.
Published: September 2009

Detailed pollen, charcoal and loss on ignition profiles were analysed from Llyn Cororion, North Wales, UK. The chronology was based on 11 radiocarbon dates. This site is particularly important for this region because its high‐resolution record improves the spatial and temporal resolution of records of Holocene vegetation change in an area characterized by a highly variable environment. An early Holocene phase of Juniperus‐Betula scrub was succeeded by Betula‐Corylus woodland. Quercus and Ulmus were established by c. 8600 14C yr BP, with Pinus dominating at c. 8430 14C yr BP. Local disturbance then allowed the spread of Alnus; Tilia was a common component of the forest by 5650 14C yr BP. Charcoal and pollen records suggest that by c. 2600 14C yr BP there was progressive deforestation, increased use of fire and spread of grassland; the first cereal grain was recorded at c. 2900 14C yr BP. Compared with data from upland Snowdonia, the results show that within a topographically diverse region there were significant local variations in forest composition. These variations developed as a response to interactions between many environmental parameters and were further complicated by the influence of human activity. In an area such as North Wales it is therefore unlikely that one site can be representative of regional Holocene vegetational development. The site is additionally important because it contributes to the data available for meta‐analyses of environmental change in the North Atlantic region, particularly as detailed pollen diagrams from coastal lake sites around western Europe are rare.
A preliminary record of the historical seabird population in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, from geochemical analyses of Mochou Lake sediments
Authors: LIU XIAODONG , SUN LIGUANG , XIE ZHOUQING , YIN XUEBIN , ZHU RENBIN , WANG YUHONG
Published: September 2009

An 85‐cm long sediment sequence from Mochou Lake on Mirror Peninsula in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, was investigated for elemental geochemistry, biogeochemistry and strontium (Sr) isotopic composition in the acid‐insoluble and acid‐soluble fractions. The biogeochemical data showed that the freshwater lacustrine sediment originated after 2750 BP. The element Zn, Cu, F, P and Se fluxes displayed almost the same vertical distribution patterns, and their ratios over loss on ignition had strong positive correlations with each other, indicating a common source, probably from seabird droppings. The Sr isotopic compositions provided further evidence of the influence of seabirds on the freshwater lacustrine sediments. The87Sr/86Sr ratios determined in the acid‐soluble fraction were remarkably lower than those of the acid‐insoluble fraction; with a bedrock87Sr/86Sr signature, they were close to those of the marine‐derived Sr and were negatively correlated with total amino acids. Using the ratio vs. depth profiles of P, Zn, Cu, Se, F, As, Cd and Ni fluxes over Al, we reconstructed the historical seabird population in the catchment area of Mochou Lake. During the past c. 2800 years, the seabird population has experienced substantial changes in the absence of human activity, and four troughs were identified. After comparison with the palaeoclimatic records and glacial advance and retreat history, the pronounced seabird population declines seem to be related to climatic deterioration.
Holocene lateral expansion and carbon accumulation of Luovuoma, a northern fen in Finnish Lapland
Authors: MÄKILÄ MARKKU , MOISANEN MARKKU
Published: September 2009

Holocene lateral expansion and carbon accumulation within Luovuoma, a northern fen in Finnish Lapland, were examined utilizing stratigraphy, peat properties such as humification and macrofossil composition, 58 radiocarbon dates and the carbon content of 31 volumetric samples, in an attempt to understand variations in carbon accumulation over time. Paludification started about 9800 years ago. The lateral expansion of the mire was most rapid during phases subsequent to the first signs of paludification, with the result that by 5000 cal. yr BP 79% of the present area of Luovuoma supported mire vegetation. The mire initially expanded laterally at a relatively fast rate with an irregular outline, and only gradually attained its more regular existing form. This is corroborated by the amounts of carbon accumulated during different times: 58% of the carbon had formed before the time point of 5000 cal. yr BP. The long‐term net carbon accumulation rate, based on the vertical and lateral growth of the peat deposit, was 11.8 g C/m2/yr. Variations in carbon accumulation rates can be explained to a great extent by natural succession and variable local conditions, but the role of climate cannot be ignored. A marked decline in average carbon accumulation rates (from 26 to 9 g C/m2/yr) during the period between 7800 and 4900 cal. yr BP may indicate a relatively dry and warm climate. The levelling out and subsequent increase in carbon accumulation rates after 4900 cal. yr BP, with special reference to the youngest areas of Luovuoma, indicates a change to a predominantly cooler and moister climate. The stratigraphy of Luovuoma suggests that carbon exchange and accumulation by the mire has always been sensitive to climatic fluctuations, which have been characteristic of the entire Holocene.
The surface geometry of the Last Glacial Maximum ice sheet in the Andøya‐Skånland region, northern Norway, constrained by surface exposure dating and clay mineralogy
Authors: NESJE ATLE , DAHL SVEIN OLAF , LINGE HENRIETTE , BALLANTYNE COLIN K. , MCCARROLL DANNY , BROOK EDWARD J. , RAISBECK GRANT M. , YIOU FRANCOISE
Published: September 2009

Blockfields, weathering boundaries and marginal moraines have been mapped along a longitudinal transect from northern Andøya to Skånland in northern Norway. The degree of rock‐surface weathering above and below glacial trimlines, clay‐mineral assemblages and surface exposure dating based onin situcosmogenic10Be have been used to reconstruct the vertical dimensions and timing of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet in this region. The cosmogenic exposure dates suggest that the lower blockfield boundary/trimline along the Andøya‐Skånland transect represents the upper limit of the Late Weichselian ice sheet, with an average surface gradient ofc. 9.5 m/km. The surface exposure dates from Andøya pre‐date the LGM, suggesting that the LGM ice sheet did not reach mountain plateaux at northwest Andøya. The results thus support evidence from lake sediment records that the northern tip of Andøya was not covered by the Scandinavian Ice Sheet during the LGM.
Younger Dryas cirque glaciers in western Spitsbergen: smaller than during the Little Ice Age
Authors: MANGERUD JAN , LANDVIK JON Y.
Published: September 2009

The outermost moraines in front of the Scottbreen glacier in Spitsbergen date from c. AD 1900. These moraines rest on top of a marine shoreline radiocarbon‐dated to about 11 200 14C yr BP and demonstrate that the AD‐1900 moraines show the maximum glacier extent since late Allerød time. This means that Scottbreen was smaller during the Younger Dryas than at AD 1900, in contrast with glaciers on mainland western Europe, which were all much larger during the Younger Dryas. The explanation is probably starvation of precipitation on western Spitsbergen during the Younger Dryas. In contrast, ice sheets and glaciers in Spitsbergen reacted more or less in concert with glaciers in western Europe, during the global Last Glacial Maximum and the Little Ice Age.
Timing of the last deglaciation in Belarus
Authors: RINTERKNECHT VINCENT R. , PAVLOVSKAYA IRINA E. , CLARK PETER U. , RAISBECK GRANT M. , YIOU FRANCOISE , BROOK EDWARD J.
Published: September 2009

We measured 10Be concentrations in boulders collected from the Orsha and Braslav moraines, associated with the Last Glacial Maximum extent and a recessional stage of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet (SIS), respectively, providing a direct dating of the southeastern sector of the ice‐sheet margin in Belarus. By combining these data with selected existing radiocarbon ages, we developed a chronology for the last deglaciation of Belarus. The northeastern part of the country remained ice free until at least 19.2 ± 0.2 cal. kyr BP, whereas the northwestern part of the country was ice free until 22.3 ± 1.5 cal. kyr BP. A lobate ice margin subsequently advanced to its maximum extent and deposited the Orsha Moraine. The ice margin retreated from this moraine at 17.7 ± 2.0 10Be kyr to a position in the northern part of the country, where it deposited the Braslav Moraine. Subsequent ice‐margin retreat from that moraine at 13.1 ± 0.5 10Be kyr represented the final deglaciation of Belarus. Direct dating of these moraines better constrains the relation of ice‐margin positions in Belarus to those in adjacent countries as well as the SIS response to climate change.
Luminescence and radiocarbon ages from laminated Lateglacial aeolian sediments in western Jutland, Denmark
Authors: KOLSTRUP ELSE , MURRAY ANDREW , POSSNERT GÖRAN
Published: September 2009

The chronology of two adjacent Danish Lateglacial sedimentary sequences with well‐developed layering of alternating aeolian sand and organic matter has been investigated using both Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (14C). Both sites are known to cover at least the period Bølling to Younger Dryas, with the so‐called older and younger coversand types present at both localities. Typical overall uncertainties with the OSL data are about two to five times those of the 14C ages, but both data sets contain clear outliers. When these are excluded, OSL ages appear to be systematically slightly younger than the 14C ages, by about 10%; possible reasons for this are discussed. The investigation stresses the importance of making several age estimates from any single locality. The older coversand type makes up the pre‐Bølling and most, or possibly all, of the Bølling (which also has the highest net accumulation rate). Deposits of the younger coversand type are dominant in layers younger than the Bølling.
The lithostratigraphy of the Les Echets basin, France: tentative correlation between cores
Authors: VERES DANIEL , WOHLFARTH BARBARA , ANDRIEU‐PONEL VALÉRIE , BJÖRCK SVANTE , DE BEAULIEU JACQUES‐LOUIS , DIGERFELDT GUNNAR , PONEL PHILIPPE , AMPEL LINDA , DAVIES SIWAN , GANDOUIN EMMANUEL , BELMECHERI SOUMAYA
Published: September 2009

Two new long sediment cores (EC1 and EC3), recovered from different locations within the infilled basin at Les Echets, France, provide a new high‐resolution record of terrestrial and lacustrine responses to climatic changes during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 and 2. The lithologies of the cores are described in detail and correlated with each other by stratigraphic marker horizons, fluctuations in organic matter and AMS radiocarbon ages. The tentative correlation of the new cores to those described and analysed by de Beaulieu et al. (1980) and de Beaulieu & Reille (1984a) provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic framework. Sedimentation during MIS3 started with accumulation of sands and silts and was followed by alternating gyttja and clayey gyttja silts. Exceptionally high sedimentation rates during MIS2 led to the infilling of the basin. Alternating organic‐rich and minerogenicrich sediments appear to coincide with changes in pollen assemblages (de Beaulieu & Reille 1984a) and suggest that millennial‐scale climatic changes controlled lake productivity and catchment stability during most of MIS3.
Domestic Transitions, Desiccation, Agricultural Intensification, and Livelihood Diversification among Rural Households on the Central Plateau, Burkina Faso
Authors: West Colin Thor
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT  Understanding how and why domestic groups alter their function and form has long been a theme within anthropology. Numerous accounts have detailed the processes that drive household transformations and their underlying mechanisms. Mostly, these studies describe how domestic groups fission and fuse between extended and nuclear forms. In recent years, scholars have emphasized that these transformations should be understood within larger contexts of social and environmental change. Mossi communities on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso provide an excellent opportunity to explore such processes because the large extended households documented 30 years ago were predicted to decline and eventually disappear. In this study, I examine dynamics of household transformations and test the validity of this prediction. I use perspectives from sustainability science and computer‐simulation modeling to understand how regional desiccation, agricultural intensification, and livelihood diversification articulate with domestic transitions.
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge as Situated Practices: Understanding Fishers’ Knowledge in the Western Solomon Islands
Authors: Lauer Matthew , Aswani Shankar
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT  In this article, we draw on research among fisherfolk of Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, to examine certain epistemological assumptions of the “indigenous knowledge” concept. We describe how approaches to knowledge in Roviana differ from prevailing models of knowledge that distinguish between cognitive aspects and other modalities of knowing. For many Roviana fishers, ecological knowledge is not analytically separated from the changing contexts of everyday activities such as navigating and fishing. Inspired by Roviana epistemologies, we argue that a practice‐oriented approach provides a more sympathetic and informative theoretical framework for understanding knowledge and its role in contemporary marine‐resource conservation efforts. The theoretical and methodological implications of the perspective are illustrated with examples from an ongoing marine conservation project in the western Solomon Islands that integrates indigenous knowledge, remote‐sensing techniques, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies.
The Arctic Cooking Pot: Why Was It Adopted?
Authors: Harry Karen , Frink Liam
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT  Cross‐culturally, clay cooking pots are correlated with societies situated in warm and dry climates and reliant on foods that benefit from prolonged moist cooking. Neither of these conditions, however, characterized the aboriginal coastal Arctic, where clay cooking containers were produced and used for more than 2,500 years. We explore the factors that encouraged pottery use in the Arctic and conclude that the adoption of cooking pots resulted from the interplay of social and functional factors. We propose that it was adopted (1) to meet the needs of socially constructed preferences for cooked foods and (2) to overcome specific problems associated with other cooking methods within the local social and environmental context. We demonstrate the importance of adopting an integrated perspective in the study of technology—one that considers how cultural values and social practices interact with environmental and economic factors to shape technological decisions.
Eating between the Lines: Mississippian Migration and Stable Carbon Isotope Variation in Fort Ancient Populations
Authors: Cook Robert A. , Schurr Mark R.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT Appreciating variation along the edges of traditional archaeological Culture Historical boundaries requires close consideration of social contexts associated with culture contact. We focus on dietary variation as a function of these concerns through a case study of Fort Ancient populations who, on average, consumed lower quantities of maize than their Mississippian neighbors as determined by stable carbon isotope ratios of bone collagen. However, this dichotomy is not as rigid as initially thought, with some Fort Ancient burials producing stable carbon isotope ratios similar to Mississippian cases. Detailed investigation of internal variation of carbon isotopes for human burials at the SunWatch site provides evidence that contact included small‐scale Mississippian migrations to Fort Ancient sites. The main conclusion is that variation in diet and archaeological context can be a useful approach for examining prehistoric migration.
Contagion and Alterity: Kowoj Maya Appropriations of European Objects
Authors: Pugh Timothy W.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT From initial contact with the Europeans until their conquest (C.E. 1525–1697), the Itza and their political rivals, the Kowoj, dominated Petén, Guatemala. Colonial artifacts at Zacpetén record the initial appropriations of European objects by the Kowoj. All such objects rested in ceremonial contexts, indicating that the Kowoj considered them positive sources of sacred power. The Kowoj were in contact with the Spaniards and knew they were the source of the valued materials; hence, the materials also signified otherness. Social elites frequently retained objects obtained from long distances, even those of oppressive colonial groups, as positive contagion. I argue that the Kowoj incorporated colonial objects into their rites to harness the power of alterity.
Pulse Variations of a Conducted Energy Weapon (Similar to the TASER® X26 Device): Effects on Muscle Contraction and Threshold for Ventricular Fibrillation*
Authors: Beason Charles W. , Jauchem James R. , Clark III C. D. , Parker James E. , Fines David A.
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  Conducted energy weapons (such as the Advanced TASER X26 model produced by TASER International), incapacitate individuals by causing muscle contractions. To provide information relevant to development of future potential devices, a “Modifiable Electronic Stimulator” was used to evaluate the effects of changing various parameters of the stimulating pulse. Muscle contraction was affected by pulse power, net/gross charge, pulse duration, and pulse repetition frequency. The contraction force increased linearly as each of these factors was increased. Elimination of a precursor pulse from X26‐like pulses did not have a significant effect on the normalized force measured. Muscle‐contraction force increased as the spacing increased from 5 to 20 cm, with no further change in force above 20 cm of spacing. Therefore, it is suggested that any future developments of new conducted energy weapons should include placement of electrodes a minimum of 20 cm apart so that efficiency of the system is not degraded. In the current study, the 50% probability of fibrillation level of X26‐like pulses ranged from 4 to 5 times higher than the X26 itself. Relatively large variations about the X26 operating level were found not to result in fibrillation or asystole. Therefore, it should be possible to design and build an X26‐type device that operates efficiently at levels higher than the X26.
Destruction of Peroxide Explosives
Authors: Oxley Jimmie C. , Smith James L. , Huang Jiaorong , Luo Wei
Published: September 2009

Abstract:  Chemicals containing multiple peroxide functionalities, such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP), diacetone diperoxide (DADP), or hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), can be explosive. They are impractical and are not used by legitimate military groups because they are shock and heat sensitive compared to military explosives. They are attractive to terrorists because synthesis is straightforward, requiring only a few easily obtained ingredients. Physical removal of these synthesis products is highly hazardous. This paper discusses methods to degrade peroxide explosives chemically, at room temperature. A number of mixtures containing metals (e.g., zinc, copper) and metal salts (e.g., zinc sulfate, copper chloride) were found effective, some capable of destroying TATP solutions in a few hours. Strong acids proved useful against solid peroxide materials; however, on a 1 g scale, addition of concentrated sulfuric acid caused TATP to detonate. Thus, this technique should only be used to destroy small‐laboratory quantities.
Secretion of SDF‐1α by bone marrow‐derived stromal cells enhances skin wound healing of C57BL/6 mice exposed to ionizing radiation
Authors: Landry Yannick , Lê Oanh , Mace Kimberly A. , Restivo Terry E. , Beauséjour Christian M.
Published: September 2009

Patients treated for cancer therapy using ionizing radiation (IR) have delayed tissue repair and regeneration. The mechanisms mediating these defects remain largely unknown at present, thus limiting the development of therapeutic approaches. Using a wound healing model, we here investigate the mechanisms by which IR exposure limits skin regeneration. Our data show that induction of the stromal cell‐derived growth factor 1α (SDF‐1α) is severely impaired in the wounded skin of irradiated, compared to non‐irradiated, mice. Hence, we evaluated the potential of bone marrow‐derived multipotent stromal cells (MSCs), which secrete high levels of SDF‐1α, to improve skin regeneration in irradiated mice. Injection of MSCs into the wound margin led to remarkable enhancement of skin healing in mice exposed to IR. Injection of irradiated MSCs into the wound periphery of non‐irradiated mice delayed wound closure, also suggesting an important role for the stromal microenvironment in skin repair. The beneficial actions of MSCs were mainly paracrine, as the cells did not differentiate into keratinocytes. Specific knockdown of SDF‐1α expression led to drastically reduced efficiency of MSCs in improving wound closure, indicating that SDF‐1α secretion by MSCs is largely responsible for their beneficial action. We also found that one mechanism by which SDF‐1α enhances wound closure likely involves increased skin vascularization. Our findings collectively indicate that SDF‐1α is an important deregulated cytokine in irradiated wounded skin, and that the decline in tissue regeneration potential following IR can be reversed, given adequate microenvironmental support
Identification of a novel pro‐apopotic function of NF‐κB in the DNA damage response
Authors: Karl Sabine , Pritschow Yvonne , Volcic Meta , Häcker Sabine , Baumann Bernd , Wiesmüller Lisa , Debatin Klaus‐Michael , Fulda Simone
Published: September 2009

NF‐κB is activated by DNA‐damaging anticancer drugs as part of the cellular stress response. However, the consequences of drug‐induced NF‐κB activation are still only partly understood. To investigate the impact of NF‐κB on the cell’s response to DNA damage, we engineered glioblastoma cells that stably express mutant IκBα superrepressor (IκBα‐SR) to block NF‐κB activation. Here, we identify a novel pro‐apoptotic function of NF‐κB in the DNA damage response in glioblastoma cells. Chemotherapeutic drugs that intercalate into DNA and inhibit topoisomerase II such as Doxorubicin, Daunorubicin and Mitoxantrone stimulate NF‐κB DNA binding and transcriptional activity prior to induction of cell death. Importantly, specific inhibition of drug‐induced NF‐κB activation by IκBα‐SR or RNA interference against p65 significantly reduces apoptosis upon treatment with Doxorubicin, Daunorubicin or Mitoxantrone. NF‐κB exerts this pro‐apoptotic function especially after pulse drug exposure as compared to continuous treatment indicating that the contribution of NF‐κB becomes relevant during the recovery phase following the initial DNA damage. Mechanistic studies show that NF‐κB inhibition does not alter Doxorubicin uptake and efflux or cell cycle alterations. Genetic silencing of p53 by RNA interference reveals that NF‐κB promotes drug‐induced apoptosis in a p53‐independent manner. Intriguingly, drug‐mediated NF‐κB activation results in a significant increase in DNA damage prior to the induction of apoptosis. By demonstrating that NF‐κB promotes DNA damage formation and apoptosis upon pulse treatment with DNA intercalators, our findings provide novel insights into the control of the DNA damage response by NF‐κB in glioblastoma.
Neuronal death in Alzheimer’s disease and therapeutic opportunities
Authors: Donev Rossen , Kolev Martin , Millet Bruno , Thome Johannes
Published: September 2009

Introduction

Origin of the disease and mechanisms for neuronal death in AD

Treatment approaches

Conclusions

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age‐related neurodegenerative disease that affects approximately 24 million people worldwide. A number of different risk factors have been implicated in AD; however, neuritic (amyloid) plaques are considered as one of the defining risk factors and pathological hallmarks of the disease. In the past decade, enormous efforts have been devoted to understand the genetics and molecular pathogenesis leading to neuronal death in AD, which has been transferred into extensive experimental approaches aimed at reversing disease progression. Modern medicine is facing an increasing number of treatments available for vascular and neurodegenerative brain diseases, but no causal or neuroprotective treatment has yet been established. Almost all neurological conditions are characterized by progressive neuronal dysfunction, which, regardless of the pathogenetic mechanism, finally leads to neuronal death. The particular emphasis of this review is on risk factors and mechanisms resulting in neuronal loss in AD and current and prospective opportunities for therapeutic interventions. This review discusses these issues with a view to inspiring the development of new agents that could be useful for the treatment of AD.
Sepsis, complement and the dysregulated inflammatory response
Authors: Ward Peter A. , Gao Hongwei
Published: September 2009

Introduction

Future directions

Sepsis in human beings is a major problem involving many individuals and with a high death rate. Except for a single drug (recombinant activated protein C) that has been approved for treatment of septic patients, supportive measures represent the main clinical approach. There are many models of experimental sepsis, mostly in rodents. A commonly used model is cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In this model, robust activation of complement occurs together with up‐regulation of C5a receptors (C5aR, C5L2) in a variety of different organs (lungs, kidneys, liver, heart). In septic human beings there is abundant evidence for complement activation. Interception of C5a or its receptors in the CLP model greatly improves survival in septic rodents. There is compelling evidence that CLP causes an intense pro‐inflammatory state and that C5a interaction with its receptors can be linked to apoptosis of the lymphoid system and cells of the adrenal medulla, loss of innate immune functions of blood neutrophils, consumptive coagulopathy and cardiac dysfunction. These findings may have implications for therapeutic interventions in human beings with sepsis.