bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Germ‐line genetic variation of TP53 in osteosarcoma
Authors: Savage Sharon A. , Burdett Laura , Troisi Rebecca , Douglass Chester , Hoover Robert N. , Chanock Stephen J.
Published: November 2006

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) has been well described in individuals with germ‐line TP53 mutations (Li‐Fraumeni Syndrome) but typically occurs sporadically in adolescents and young adults. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the most common germ‐line genetic variation, have been associated with risk for other types of cancer. We hypothesized that genetic variation in TP53 could be associated with OS risk based on its critical role in cell growth and effect of somatic mutations in OS tumors.

Procedure

Twelve common SNPs in TP53 were genotyped in a case‐control study of sporadic OS. These SNPs spanned the TP53 locus and captured common haplotypes. Genotype data were analyzed using contingency tables for additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models. PHASEv2.1 and HaploStats were used to evaluate haplotypes.

Results

The recessive model suggested an increased risk of OS when two copies of TP53‐34 C>G variant (IVS2+38, rs1642785) were present, P = 0.041, odds ratio (OR) 6.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–41.6). The TP53‐01 variant C>G (Pro72Arg, rs1042522) may also be associated with increased risk for OS, P = 0.028, OR 7.5 (95% CI 1.20–46.3). Common TP53 haplotypes as well as the remaining 10 SNPs were not associated with risk for OS.

Conclusions

These data do not indicate a strong link between variation in TP53 and OS risk, although they provide preliminary evidence of an increased risk of OS associated with variants at IVS2+38 and Pro72Arg. The findings warrant replication in further studies. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:28–33. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mosaic tetraploidy and transient GFI1 mutation in a patient with severe chronic neutropenia
Authors: Hochberg Jessica C. , Miron Patricia M. , Hay Beverly N. , Woda Bruce A. , Wang Sa A. , Richert‐Przygonska Monika , Aprikyan Andrew A.G. , Newburger Peter E.
Published: November 2006

This report presents the case of a 15‐year‐old male with severe chronic neutropenia, leukopenia, and persistent tetraploid mosaicism in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. His father had mild neutropenia and bone marrow tetraploidy. Flow cytometric analysis of DNA content peripheral blood showed tetraploidy in 20% of granulocytes and 15% of monocytes. Sequence analysis of the ELA2 gene was normal, but the GFI1 gene exhibited transient appearance of single base changes the coding region and promoter. We speculate that an underlying genetic defect, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, leads to both disordered mitosis and neutropenia in this kindred. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:630–632. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The initial development of an item bank to assess and screen for psychological distress in cancer patients
Authors: Smith A. B. , Rush R. , Velikova G. , Wall L. , Wright E. P. , Stark D. , Selby P. , Sharpe M.
Published: November 2006

Psychological distress is a common problem among cancer patients. Despite the large number of instruments that have been developed to assess distress, their utility remains disappointing. This study aimed to use Rasch models to develop an item‐bank which would provide the basis for better means of assessing psychological distress in cancer patients.

An item bank was developed from eight psychological distress questionnaires using Rasch analysis to link common items. Items from the questionnaires were added iteratively with common items as anchor points and misfitting items (infit mean square >1.3) removed, and unidimensionality assessed.

A total of 4914 patients completed the questionnaires providing an initial pool of 83 items. Twenty items were removed resulting in a final pool of 63 items. Good fit was demonstrated and no additional factor structure was evident from the residuals. However, there was little overlap between item locations and person measures, since items mainly targeted higher levels of distress.

The Rasch analysis allowed items to be pooled and generated a unidimensional instrument for measuring psychological distress in cancer patients. Additional items are required to more accurately assess patients across the whole continuum of psychological distress. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does three months of nightly splinting reduce the extensibility of the flexor pollicis longus muscle in people with tetraplegia?
Authors: Harvey Lisa , Baillie Rowena , Ritchie Bronwyn , Simpson David , Pironello Dallas , Glinsky Joanne
Published: November 2006

Background and Purpose. The extensibility of the paralysed flexor pollicis longus (FPL) muscle is an important determinant of an effective tenodesis grip in people with C6 and C7 tetraplegia. Therapists believe that splinting can reduce the extensibility of the FPL muscle and thus improve hand function. However, there remains much controversy around the optimal position of splinting and its effectiveness is yet to be verified. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a three‐month thumb splinting protocol reduces extensibility of the FPL muscle in people with tetraplegia. Method. An assessor‐blinded, within‐subject, randomized controlled trial was undertaken. Twenty people with tetraplegia and bilateral paralysis of all thumb muscles were recruited from a sample of convenience. One randomly selected hand of each subject was splinted each night for three months. The splint immobilized the FPL muscle in a relatively shortened position by positioning the carpometacarpal and metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb in flexion. The other hand remained unsplinted for the duration of the study. Carpometacarpal angle was measured with the application of a standardized torque by a blinded assessor at the beginning and end of the three‐month study period. A device specifically designed for this purpose that stabilized the wrist and other joints of the thumb in full extension was used. Results. No subject withdrew from the study. The three‐month splinting protocol had a mean treatment effect on carpometacarpal joint angle of 0° (95% CI, −6° to 6°). Conclusion. Splinting the FPL muscle in a relatively shortened position each night for three months does not reduce its extensibility. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mobility on discharge from an aged care unit
Authors: Gorgon Edward , Said Catherine , Galea Mary
Published: November 2006

Background and Purpose. Independent mobility is a crucial element of independent living and quality of life. However, little is known about the mobility of older people around the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. The present study aimed to describe mobility on discharge from an aged care rehabilitation unit.Method. The study utilized a descriptive, cross‐sectional design. Ninety‐five patients (mean age 81 (±8) years; 60% female) with diverse chronic conditions (median 5) who were able to walk at least 10 m without weight‐bearing restrictions were recruited from the aged care rehabilitation wards. Scores on the Barthel Index were obtained on admission and discharge to provide information about their overall level of function. Within the last week of rehabilitation stay, scores on the mobility and locomotion subsections of the Functional Independence Measure, gait velocity, and time and distance parameters of gait were obtained. Gait variables were measured by use of the GAITRiteTM, an instrumented walkway. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) were reported for mobility variables.Results. Following inpatient rehabilitation, many patients achieved independence in bed or chair transfers (83%), toilet transfers (81%), shower transfers (60%) and level‐surface walking (74%). Only 31% achieved independence in stair climbing. Patients walked slowly at a median (IQR) gait velocity of 45.96 (31.51) cm/s and with markedly diminished cadence and step length. Subjects with a low number of chronic conditions generally performed better on mobility measures than those with a high number of chronic conditions.Conclusions. Although many older people are able to transfer and walk independently around the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation their mobility is still often impaired. For example, only 9.5% achieved a walking velocity considered to be adequate for street crossing and few demonstrated the ability to negotiate stairs. This highlights the need for ongoing rehabilitation for many of these older people. The possible cumulative effects of chronic conditions on mobility require further investigation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Piezoresponse imaging and local characterization of ferroelectric domains in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–7%PbTiO3 single crystals
Authors: Zeng H. R. , Shimamura K. , Villora E. A. G. , Takekawa S. , Kitamura K. , Xu J. Y. , Yin Q. R.
Published: November 2006

Ferroelectric domain structures of (001)‐oriented Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–7%PbTiO3 (PZN‐7%PT) single crystals were visualized and characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). Locally regular domain configurations are found to be possibly related to the stable macroscopic properties in the PZN‐7%PT single crystals. Nanoscale piezoresponse hysteresis loops measured by PFM tip revealed no evidence of local domain switching behavior in the PZN‐7%PT single crystal. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of water extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa, Linn (Malvaceae) ‘Roselle’ on excretion of a diclofenac formulation
Authors: Fakeye T. O. , Adegoke A. O. , Omoyeni O. C. , Famakinde A. A.
Published: November 2006

The effect of beverages prepared from the dried calyx of the flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa on the excretion of diclofenac was investigated using a controlled study in healthy human volunteers. A high pressure liquid chromatographic method was used to analyse the 8 h urine samples collected after the administration of diclofenac with 300 mL (equivalent to 8.18 mg anthocyanins) of the beverage administered daily for 3 days. An unpaired two‐tailed t‐test was used to analyse for significant difference observed in the amount of diclofenac excreted before and after administration of the beverage.

There was a reduction in the amount of diclofenac excreted and the wide variability observed in the control with the water beverage of Hibiscus sabdariffa (p < 0.05). There is an increasing need to counsel patients against the use of plant beverages with drugs. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ginkgo biloba extract reduces naphthalene‐induced oxidative damage in mice
Authors: Tozan Ayfer , Şehirli Özer , Omurtag Gülden Z. , Cetinel Sule , Gedik Nursal , Şener Göksel
Published: November 2006

This investigation elucidated the role of free radicals in naphthalene‐induced toxicity and protection by Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb). BALB‐c mice of either sex were administered with naphthalene (100 mg/kg; i.p.) for 30 days, along with either saline or EGb (150 mg/kg, orally). At the end of the experiment, following decapitation, lung, liver and kidney tissue samples were taken for histological examination or determination of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and collagen contents. In addition, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α and IL‐β) and total antioxidant capacity (AOC) were assayed in the plasma, while lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was assayed in serum samples. The results revealed that naphthalene caused a significant decrease in GSH level, and significant increases in MDA level, MPO activity and collagen content of tissues. Similarly, plasma cytokines, as well as serum LDH activity, were elevated while AOC was decreased in the naphthalene group compared with the control group. On the other hand, EGb treatment reversed all these biochemical indices. The results demonstrate that EGb extract, by balancing the oxidant–antioxidant status and inhibiting the generation of proinflammatory cytokines and neutrophil infiltration, protects against naphthalene‐induced oxidative organ injury. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testing software components for integration: a survey of issues and techniques
Authors: Jaffar‐ur Rehman Muhammad , Jabeen Fakhra , Bertolino Antonia , Polini Andrea
Published: November 2006

Component‐based development has emerged as a system engineering approach that promises rapid software development with fewer resources. Yet, improved reuse and reduced cost benefits from software components can only be achieved in practice if the components provide reliable services, thereby rendering component analysis and testing a key activity. This paper discusses various issues that can arise in component testing by the component user at the stage of its integration within the target system. The crucial problem is the lack of information for analysis and testing of externally developed components. Several testing techniques for component integration have recently been proposed. These techniques are surveyed here and classified according to a proposed set of relevant attributes. The paper thus provides a comprehensive overview which can be useful as introductory reading for newcomers in this research field, as well as to stimulate further investigation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of Cuffed, Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Dialysis Grafts on Graft Outlet Stenosis
Authors: Liu Yun‐Hen , Hung Yen‐Ni , Hsieh Hung‐Chang , Ko Po‐Jen
Published: November 2006

Background

The objective of this study was to determine prospectively the difference between the graft outlet strictures of a polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft with a cuff at the graft‐vein anastomosis (Venaflo; Bard industries, Tempe, Ariz.) and that of the regular ePTFE graft (Stretch Gore‐Tex; Gore, Flagstaff, Ariz.) placed for hemodialysis access.

Methods

Between January and April 2005, 36 consecutive patients (average age: 63.3 years) underwent ePTFE graft implantation (36 implantations) for hemodialysis at the Vascular Surgery Section of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The patients of the study cohort were randomly assigned to two groups based on the graft used: cuffed graft group (Venaflo graft) and non‐cuffed standard graft group (Gore‐Tex graft). Each patient underwent antegrade venography at the 3‐month follow‐up to demonstrate the graft outlet stricture. Results of the graft outlet angiography analysis were examined, and all medical records were reviewed at end of the study. The degree of the graft outlet stenosis was compared between the two groups.

Results

Average stenosis of the cuffed graft group and non‐cuffed (standard) graft group were 22.76 ± 26.37%% and 44.95 ± 27.48%%, respectively; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The graft outlet stricture of cuffed ePTFE grafts for hemodialysis 3 months after implantation was less severe than that for the standard ePTFE graft. The correlation between the stricture level and dialysis graft patency requires further clarification.
Spatial dynamics, social norms, and the opportunity of the commons
Authors: Vincent Jeffrey R.
Published: November 2006

The most important message of Levin (Ecol Res 21:328–333, 2006) is that “Ecologists and economists have much incentive for interaction.” Recent studies that account for evolutionary processes and local interactions support this view by obtaining results that run counter to conventional wisdom within resource economics. A second major message of the article is that to meet environmental challenges, humanity must develop social norms that enhance cooperative responses. Successful examples of resource management systems back up norms with economic incentives: rewards for good behavior and punishments for bad. Economic incentives are especially important if rapid and large changes in human behavior are desired.
Comparative Anatomy of the Subsynovial Connective Tissue in the Carpal Tunnel of the Rat, Rabbit, Dog, Baboon, and Human
Authors: Ettema Anke M. , Zhao Chunfeng , An Kai-Nan , Amadio Peter C.
Published: November 2006

The tenosynovium in the human carpal tunnel is connected to the flexor tendons and the median nerve by the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT). The most common histological finding in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a compression neuropathy of the median nerve, is noninflammatory fibrosis of the SSCT. The relationship, if any, between the fibrosis and nerve pathology is unknown, although some have speculated that a change in the SSCT volume or stiffness might be the source of the compression. Yet, while animal models have been used to study the physiology of nerve compression, so far none have been used to study the relationship of the SSCT pathology to the neurophysiological abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to identify animal models that might be appropriate to study the interaction of SSCT and nerve function in the development of CTS. The front paws of a rat, rabbit, dog, and baboon were dissected. The carpal tunnel anatomy and SSCT of these animals were also examined by light and scanning microscopy and compared to the relevant human anatomy and ultrastructure. The carpal tunnel anatomy and contents of the baboon and rabbit are similar to humans. The canine carpal tunnel lacks the superficial flexor tendons and the rat carpal tunnel is very small. The human, baboon, and rabbit specimens had very similar organization of the SSCT, and content of the carpal canal. We conclude that, while both the baboon and rabbit would be good animal models to study the relationship of the SSCT to CTS, the rabbit is likely to be more practical, in terms of cost and animal care concerns.
An investigation of the cumulative impacts of shrimp trawling on mud-bottom fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine: effects on habitat and macrofaunal community structure
Authors: Simpson Anne W. , Watling Les
Published: November 2006

The cumulative impacts (i.e. collective, multi-year effects) of seasonal commercial shrimp trawling on habitat and macrofaunal community structure were investigated for two mud-bottom fishing grounds and adjacent untrawled areas in the Gulf of Maine. Habitat structure on mud-bottom fishing grounds did not differ significantly from that in similar untrawled areas. Moreover, sediment resuspension associated with shrimp trawling did not appear to result in net loss of deposited material on fishing grounds, but there is evidence that trawling may alter sediment mixing regimes. Visual inspection of the sediment surface in trawled areas revealed minimal evidence of fishing gear disturbance (such as door, bobbin, or net marks), but biological disturbance features, including numerous large burrows, pits, and dense aggregations of the brittle star Ophiura sarsi, were present in both trawled and untrawled areas. Macrofaunal communities on the two fishing grounds exhibited different responses to shrimp trawling, which were attributed to disparities in levels of fishing activity during the 2000–2001 shrimp season. The results suggest that seasonal shrimp trawling produced at least short-term changes (<3 months) in macrofaunal community structure, but did not appear to result in long-term cumulative changes. Resilience to trawling disturbance may be due in part to high levels of biological disturbance generated by benthic megafauna, such as lobsters and fish. By burrowing, pit-digging, and possibly foraging, these animals rework sediments to a depth of 16–17 cm, creating a natural level of disturbance that appears to maintain macrofaunal communities in a perpetually low successional state, so potentially minimizing trawling impacts.
New geochronological data on Palaeozoic igneous activity and deformation in the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, Russia, and implications for the development of the Eurasian Arctic margin
Authors: LORENZ HENNING , GEE DAVID G. , WHITEHOUSE MARTIN J.
Published: November 2006

The Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, located close to the continental edge of the Kara Shelf in the Russian high Arctic, represents, together with northern Tajmyr, the exposed Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic part of the North Kara Terrane. This terrane has been interpreted as an independent microcontinent or part of a larger entity, such as Arctida or Baltica, prior to collision with Siberia in Late Carboniferous time. A major stratigraphic break, the Kan'on (canyon) River Unconformity, separates folded Late Cambrian from Early Ordovician successions in one area, October Revolution Island. New geochronological U–Th–Pb ion-microprobe data on volcanic and intrusive rocks from this island constrain the age of an important magmatic episode in the earliest Ordovician. A tuff, in association with Tremadocian fossils, overlying the Kan'on River Unconformity, has been dated to 489.5 ± 2.7 Ma. The youngest rocks beneath the unconformity are of the Peltura minor Zone, and the latter has been dated previously, in western Avalonia, to 490.1+1.7−0.9 Ma. Thus, little time is available for the tectonic episode recorded by the unconformity, and the similarities in radiometric dates may indicate problems with the correlation of faunal markers for the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary across palaeo-continents. The other extrusive and intrusive rocks which have been related to Early Ordovician rifting in the Severnaya Zemlya area yield ages from 489 Ma to 475 Ma. An undeformed granite, cutting folded Neoproterozoic successions on neighbouring Bol'shevik Island has been dated to 342 ± 3.6 Ma and 343.5 ± 4.1 Ma (Early Carboniferous), in accord with evidence elsewhere of Carboniferous strata unconformably overlying the folded older successions. This evidence conflicts with the common interpretation that the structure of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago originated during the collision of the North Kara Terrane with Siberia in Late Carboniferous time. An alternative interpretation is that Severnaya Zemlya was located in the Baltica foreland of the Caledonide Orogen and that the eastward-migrating deformation of the foreland basin reached the area of the archipelago in latest Devonian to Early Carboniferous time. This affinity of the North Kara Terrane to Baltica is further supported by 540–560 Ma xenocrysts in Ordovician intrusions on October Revolution Island, an age which is characteristic of the Timanide margin of Baltica.
Experimental study of a jet in a crossflow at very low Reynolds number
Authors: CAMUSSI R. , GUJ G. , STELLA A.
Published: November 2006

Flow visualizations and phase-averaged particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements
of a jet in crossflow configuration at very low Reynolds numbers (Rej ≃ 100)
are performed in a water tunnel for jet-to-cross-stream velocity ratios R ranging from
1.5 to 4.5. The PIV vector fields and flow visualizations, carried out by injecting methylene
blue dye and by the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique, are analysed to
characterize the effect of R on the formation and evolution of large-scale vortices. It
is shown that two distinct flow regimes are established depending on R, with R ≃ 3
being a transitional value. At low R, the longitudinal vorticity dynamics is dominated
by the so-called wake-like structures which are shown to be strictly connected to the
streamwise counter-rotating vortices (CRVP) which drive the destabilization of the
jet flow. On the other hand, at large R, vortices with positive and negative vorticity
are coupled together. The establishment of these different behaviours is interpreted
physically as an effect of the jet Reynolds number which plays an essential role on
the destabilization mechanisms which lead to the formation of the jet shear-layer
structures. In any case, the onset of instability is driven by mechanisms which are
different from those characteristic of free jets.
The velocity field under breaking waves:
coherent structures and turbulence
Authors: MELVILLE W. KENDALL , VERON FABRICE , WHITE CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: November 2006

Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measurements of the velocity field under
breaking waves in the laboratory are presented. The region of turbulent fluid directly
generated by breaking is too large to be imaged in one video frame and so an
ensemble-averaged representation of the flow is built up from a mosaic of image
frames. It is found that breaking generates at least one coherent vortex that slowly
propagates downstream at a speed consistent with the velocity induced by its image
in the free surface. Both the kinetic energy of the flow and the vorticity decay
approximately as t−1. The Reynolds stress of the turbulence also decays as t−1 and
is, within the accuracy of the measurements, everywhere negative, consistent with
downward transport of streamwise momentum. Estimates of the mometum flux from
waves to currents based on the measurements of the Reynolds stress are consistent
with earlier estimates. The implications of the measurements for breaking in the
field are discussed. Based on geometrical optics and wave action conservation, we
suggest that the presence of the breaking-induced vortex provides an explanation for
the suppression of short waves by breaking. Finally, in Appendices, estimates of the
majority of the terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget are presented at an early
stage in the evolution of the turbulence, and comparisons with independent acoustical
measurements of breaking are presented.
Slip velocity and lift
Authors: JOSEPH D. D. , OCANDO D.
Published: November 2006

The lift force on a circular particle in plane Poiseuille flow perpendicular to gravity is
studied by direct numerical simulation. The angular slip velocity Ωs=Ωp+½γ˙, where
−½γ˙ is the angular velocity of the fluid at a point where the shear rate is γ˙ and Ωp
is the angular velocity of the particle, is always positive at an equilibrium position at
which the hydrodynamic lift balances the buoyant weight. The particle migrates to its
equilibrium position and adjusts Ωp so that Ωs > 0 is nearly zero because Ωp ≈ −1/2γ˙
No matter where the particle is placed, it drifts to an equilibrium position with a
unique, slightly positive equilibrium angular slip velocity. The angular slip velocity
discrepancy defined as the difference between the angular slip velocity of a migrating
particle and the angular slip velocity at its equilibrium position is positive below the
position of equilibrium and negative above it. This discrepancy is the quantity that
changes sign above and below the equilibrium position for neutrally buoyant particles,
and also above and below the lower equilibrium position for heavy particles. The
existence and properties of unstable positions of equilibrium due to newly identified
turning-point transitions and those near the centreline are discussed.

The long particle model of Choi & Joseph (2001) that gives rise to an explicit
formula for the particle velocity and the velocity profile across the channel through
the centreline of the particle is modified to include the effect of the rotation of the
particle. In view of the simplicity of the model, the explicit formula for Up and the
velocity profile are in surprisingly good agreement with simulation values. The value
of the Poiseuille flow velocity at the point at the particle's centre when the particle is
absent is always larger than the particle velocity; the slip velocity is positive at steady
flow.
Modelling the morning glory of the Gulf of Carpentaria
Authors: PORTER ANNE , SMYTH NOEL F.
Published: November 2006

The morning glory is a meteorological phenomenon which occurs in northern Australia
and takes the form of a series of roll clouds. The morning glory is generated by
the interaction of nocturnal seabreezes over Cape York Peninsula and propagates in a
south-westerly direction over the Gulf of Carpentaria. In the present work, it is shown
that the morning glory can be modelled by the resonant flow of a two-layer fluid over
topography, the topography being the mountains of Cape York Peninsula. In the limit
of a deep upper layer, the equations of motion reduce to a forced Benjamin–Ono
equation. In this context, resonant means that the underlying flow velocity of the
seabreezes is near a linear long-wave velocity for one of the long-wave modes. The
morning glory is then modelled by the undular bore (simple wave) solution of the
modulation equations for the Benjamin–Ono equation. This modulation solution is
compared with full numerical solutions of the forced Benjamin–Ono equation and
good agreement is found when the wave amplitudes are not too large. The reason
for the difference between the numerical and modulation solutions for large wave
amplitude is also discussed. Finally, the predictions of the modulation solution are
compared with observational data on the morning glory and good agreement is found
for the pressure jump due to the lead wave of the morning glory, but not for the
speed and half-width of this lead wave. The reasons for this are discussed.
Shell shock: an outcome study of a First World War ‘PIE’ unit
Authors: JONES EDGAR , THOMAS ADAM , IRONSIDE STEPHEN
Published: November 2006

Background. ‘Forward psychiatry’ was introduced by the French Army in 1915 to stem the loss of troops to base hospitals. Also known by the acronym PIE (proximity to the battle, immediacy of treatment and expectancy of recovery, including return to duty), it was subsequently used by the British and Americans in both World Wars. The US Army used PIE techniques in Korea and Vietnam. Although widely accepted as an effective intervention, forward psychiatry is not amenable to random-controlled trials and only one controlled outcome study has been conducted.

Method. All 3580 soldiers with shell shock admitted to 4 Stationary Hospital between January and November 1917 were recorded. Unit details, military experience, length of stay and outcomes were analysed. Soldiers were categorized into combat, combat-support and non-combatant groups. Admissions were correlated with military operations to compare the impact of defensive and offensive phases of warfare.

Results. Rates of admission for shell shock rose significantly during offensives when physical casualties escalated. Combat troops were disproportionately represented. Over 50% of admissions had less than 9 months service in France and 21% broke down within 3 months of going overseas. Less than 20% returned directly to combat units, most going to other hospitals, convalescent depots or base duties.

Conclusions. Forward psychiatry was not effective in returning combat troops to fighting units but, by allocating soldiers to support roles, it prevented discharge from the armed forces. Uncertainties remain about relapses, including other routes that servicemen used to escape from a combat zone.
Praise for a critical perspective
Authors: Airey David C. , Shelton Richard C.
Published: November 2006

The target article skillfully evaluates data on mental disorders in relation to predictions from evolutionary genetic theories of neutral evolution, balancing selection, and polygenic mutation-selection balance, resulting in a negative outlook for the likelihood of success finding genes for mental disorders. Nevertheless, new conceptualizations, methods, and continued interactions across disciplines provide hope.
Why we need memetics
Authors: Blackmore Susan
Published: November 2006

Memes are not best understood as semantic information stored in brains, but rather, as whatever is imitated or copied in culture. Whereas other theories treat culture as an adaptation, for memetics it is a parasite turned symbiont that evolves for its own sake. Memetics is essential for understanding today's information explosion and the future evolution of culture.
Intelligent design in cultural evolution
Authors: Cronk Lee
Published: November 2006

Intelligent design, though unnecessary in the study of biological evolution, is essential to the study of cultural evolution. However, the intelligent designers in question are not deities or aliens but rather humans going about their lives. The role of intentionality in cultural evolution can be elucidated through the addition of signaling theory to the framework outlined in the target article.
Evolution is important but it is not simple: Defining cultural traits and incorporating complex evolutionary theory
Authors: Fuentes Agustín
Published: November 2006

Examining homology in biological and cultural evolution is of great importance in investigations of humanity. The proposal presented in the target article retains substantial methodological weaknesses in the identification and use of “cultural traits.” However, with refined toolkits and the incorporation of recent advances in evolutionary theory, this overall endeavor can result in substantial payoffs for biological and social scientists.
The romance of balancing selection versus the sober alternatives: Let the data rule
Authors: McGrath John J.
Published: November 2006

Schizophrenia has attracted more than its fair share of evolutionary-based theories. The theories involving balancing selection are based on the assumption that the incidence of schizophrenia is invariant across time and place. Modern epidemiology allows us to reject this dogmatic belief. Once variations in the genetic and epidemiological landscape of schizophrenia are acknowledged, more productive research models can be generated.
Mental disorders are not a homogeneous construct
Authors: Polimeni Joseph
Published: November 2006

The only commonality between the various psychiatric disorders is that they reflect contemporary problematic behaviors. Some psychiatric disorders have a substantial genetic component, whereas others are essentially shaped by prevailing environmental factors. Because psychiatric ailments are so heterogeneous, any universal explanation of mental illness is not likely to have any clinical or theoretical utility.
Cultural evolution is not equivalent to Darwinian evolution
Authors: Read Dwight W.
Published: November 2006

Darwinian evolution, defined as evolution arising from selection based directly on the properties of individuals, does not account for cultural constructs providing the organizational basis of human societies. The difficulty with linking Darwinian evolution to structural properties of cultural constructs is exemplified with kinship terminologies, a cultural construct that structures and delineates the domain of kin in human societies.
Bipolar disorder evolved as an adaptation to severe climate
Authors: Sherman Julia A.
Published: November 2006

Keller & Miller (K&M) assert that mental disorders could not have evolved as adaptations, but they fail to make their case against the theory of the evolutionary origin of bipolar disorder that I have proposed (Sherman 2001). Such an idea may be unorthodox, but it has considerable explanatory power and heuristic value.
A science of culture: Clarifications and extensions
Authors: Mesoudi Alex , Whiten Andrew , Laland Kevin N.
Published: November 2006

We are encouraged that the majority of commentators endorse our evolutionary framework for studying culture, and several suggest extensions. Here we clarify our position, dwelling on misunderstandings and requests for exposition. We reiterate that using evolutionary biology as a model for unifying the social sciences within a single synthetic framework can stimulate a more progressive and rigorous science of culture.
A framework for supporting multidisciplinary engineering design
exploration and life-cycle design using underconstrained problem
solving
Authors: YAN XIU-TIAN , SAWADA HIROYUKI
Published: November 2006

The problem investigated in this research is that engineering design
decision making can be complicated and made difficult by highly coupled
design parameters and the vast number of design parameters. This
complication often hinders the full exploration of a design solution space
in order to generate optimal design solution. These hindrances result in
inferior or unfit design solutions generated for a given design problem
due to a lack of understanding of both the problem and the solution space.
This research introduces a computational framework of a new algebraic
constraint-based design approach aimed at providing a deeper understanding
of the design problem and enabling the designers to gain insights to the
dynamic solution space and the problem. This will enable designers to make
informed decisions based on the insights derived from parameter
relationships extracted. This paper also describes an enhanced
understanding of an engineering design process as a constraint centered
design. It argues that with more effort and appreciation of the benefits
derived from this constraint-based design approach, engineering design can
be advanced significantly by first generating a more quantitative product
design specification and then using these quantitative statements as the
basis for constraint-based rigorous design. The approach has been
investigated in the context of whole product life-cycle design and
multidisciplinary design, aiming to derive a generic constraint-based
design approach that can cope with life-cycle design and different
engineering disciplines. A prototype system has been implemented based on
a constraint-based system architecture. The paper gives details of the
constraint-based design process through illustrating a worked real design
example. The successful application of the approach in two highly coupled
engineering design problems and the evaluation undertaken by a group of
experienced designers show that the approach does provide the designers
with insights for better exploration, enabled by the algebraic constraint
solver. The approach thus provides a significant step towards fuller scale
constraint-based scientific design.
Constraint solving for direct manipulation of features
Authors: LOURENÇO DANIEL , OLIVEIRA PEDRO , NOORT ALEX , BIDARRA RAFAEL
Published: November 2006

In current commercial feature modeling systems, support for direct
manipulation of features is not commonly available. This is partly due to
the strong reliance of such systems on constraints, but also to the lack
of speed of current constraint solvers. In this paper, an approach to the
optimization of geometric constraint solving for direct manipulation of
feature dimensions, orientation, and position is described. Details are
provided on how this approach was successfully implemented in the
Spiff feature modeling system.
Synergy and transitivity in constraint dominance methods: Demonstration with linear motor design problem
Authors: DESHPANDE ASHISH , RINDERLE JAMES R.
Published: November 2006

Reasoning about relationships among design constraints can facilitate objective and effective decision making at various stages of engineering design. Exploiting dominance among constraints is one particularly strong approach to simplifying design problems and to focusing designers' attention on critical design issues. Three distinct approaches to constraint dominance identification have been reported in the literature. We lay down the basic principles of these approaches with simple examples, and we apply these methods to a practical linear electric actuator design problem. With the help of the design problem we demonstrate strategies to synergistically employ the dominance identification methods. Specifically, we present an approach that utilizes the transitive nature of the dominance relation. The identification of dominance provides insight into the design of linear actuators, which leads to effective decisions at the conceptual stage of the design. We show that the dominance determination methods can be synergistically employed with other constraint reasoning methods such as interval propagation methods and monotonicity analysis to achieve an optimal solution for a particular design configuration of the linear actuator. The dominance determination methods and strategies for their employment are amenable for automation and can be part of a suite of tools available to assist the designer in detailed as well as conceptual design.
The world voyage of James Keir Hardie: Indian nationalism, Zulu insurgency and the British labour diaspora 1907–1908
Authors: Hyslop Jonathan
Published: November 2006

In 1907–1908, the British labour leader, James Keir Hardie, made a round-the-world tour, which included visits to India, Australasia and southern Africa. The support for Indian nationalism which he expressed precipitated a major international political controversy, in the course of which Hardie came under severe attack from the Right, both in Britain and in her colonies. In southern Africa, the issue, combined with Hardie’s earlier criticism of the repression of the 1906 Bambatha rising in Natal, sparked rioting against Hardie by British settlers during his visit. This article seeks to show how Hardie’s voyage illuminates the imperial politics of its moment. Hardie’s journey demonstrates how politics in the British colonies of his era took place not within local political boundaries, but in a single field which covered both metropolis and colonies. The article is a case study which helps to illustrate and develop an argument that the white working classes in the pre-First World War British Empire were not composed of nationally discrete entities, but were bound together into an imperial working class which developed a distinct common ideology, White Labourism, fusing elements of racism and xenophobia with worker militancy and anti-capitalism. The current paper refines this analysis of the politics of the imperial working class by situating it in relation to the rising force of Indian nationalism in the same period, and to the changes this development generated in the politics of the settler colonies and the imperial centre. In India, Hardie forged links with the dynamic new political mobilization that had followed on the crisis over the partition of Bengal. In doing so, he entered, as an ally, into the discursive struggle which Indian nationalists were waging for self-government. By taking a pro-Indian position he antagonized the British Right. Labourites in the white settlement colonies wanted to defend Hardie, as a representative figure of British labour, but were embarrassed by the fact that Hardie’s position on India went against the grain of White Labourist ideology. In southern Africa, local leaders of British labour did opt to defend Hardie. But they did so not only at the risk of alienating their members, but also at the price of being forced into direct confrontations with anti-Hardie groupings.
Consequences of pacing the Pleistocene 100 kyr ice ages by nonlinear phase locking to Milankovitch forcing
Authors: Tziperman Eli , Raymo Maureen E. , Huybers Peter , Wunsch Carl
Published: November 2006

The consequences of the hypothesis that Milankovitch forcing affects the phase (e.g., termination times) of the 100 kyr glacial cycles via a mechanism known as “nonlinear phase locking” are examined. Phase locking provides a mechanism by which Milankovitch forcing can act as the “pacemaker” of the glacial cycles. Nonlinear phase locking can determine the timing of the major deglaciations, nearly independently of the specific mechanism or model that is responsible for these cycles as long as this mechanism is suitably nonlinear. A consequence of this is that the fit of a certain model output to the observed ice volume record cannot be used as an indication that the glacial mechanism in this model is necessarily correct. Phase locking to obliquity and possibly precession variations is distinct from mechanisms relying on a linear or nonlinear amplification of the eccentricity forcing. Nonlinear phase locking may determine the phase of the glacial cycles even in the presence of noise in the climate system and can be effective at setting glacial termination times even when the precession and obliquity bands account only for a small portion of the total power of an ice volume record. Nonlinear phase locking can also result in the observed “quantization” of the glacial period into multiples of the obliquity or precession periods.
A catalogue of deep mantle plumes: New results from finite‐frequency tomography
Authors: Montelli R. , Nolet G. , Dahlen F. A. , Masters G.
Published: November 2006

New finite‐frequency tomographic images of S‐wave velocity confirm the existence of deep mantle plumes below a large number of known hot spots. We compare S‐anomaly images with an updated P‐anomaly model. Deep mantle plumes are present beneath Ascension, Azores, Canary, Cape Verde, Cook Island, Crozet, Easter, Kerguelen, Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti. Afar, Atlantic Ridge, Bouvet(Shona), Cocos/Keeling, Louisville, and Reunion are shown to originate at least below the upper mantle if not much deeper. Plumes that reach only to midmantle are present beneath Bowie, Hainan, Eastern Australia, and Juan Fernandez; these plumes may have tails too thin to observe in the lowermost mantle, but the images are also consistent with an interpretation as “dying plumes” that have exhausted their source region. In the tomographic images, only the Eifel and Seychelles plumes are unambiguously confined to the upper mantle. Starting plumes are visible in the lowermost mantle beneath South of Java, East of Solomon, and in the Coral Sea. All imaged plumes are wide and fail to show plumeheads, suggesting a very weakly temperature‐dependent viscosity for lower mantle minerals, and/or compositional variations. The S‐wave velocity images show several minor differences with respect to the earlier P‐wave results, including plume conduits that extend down to the core‐mantle boundary beneath Cape Verde, Cook Island, and Kerguelen. A more substantial disagreement between P‐wave and S‐wave images reopens the question on the depth extent of the Iceland plume. We suggest that a pulsating behavior of the plume may explain the shape of the conduit beneath Iceland.
Movement and diving behavior of male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) during anomalous oceanographic conditions of 2005 compared to those of 2004
Authors: Weise Michael J. , Costa Daniel P. , Kudela Raphael M.
Published: November 2006

During the highly anomalous conditions in early 2005, characterized by increased water temperatures and decreased productivity, male California sea lions adopted previously undocumented foraging behaviors. We investigated the movement and spatially explicit foraging behavior of males using satellite‐linked data loggers and compared foraging behavior and effort between 2003–2004 and 2004–2005. Males foraged almost exclusively over the continental shelf during short trips in 2003–2004, while during anomalous conditions in 2004–2005 they altered their foraging effort by spending more time at sea and venturing up to 450 km offshore. Foraging trips in 2004–2005 were more than twice the distance and three times the duration of trips during 2003–2004. Our data indicated that the effects of climatic shifts during 2005 extended beyond the physical oceanography and lower trophic levels, to an apex predator; providing insight into the plasticity of foraging behavior and movement patterns of sea lions as they respond to environmental perturbations.
Deep and intermediate water in the western Mediterranean under the influence of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient
Authors: Schröder K. , Gasparini G. P. , Tangherlini M. , Astraldi M.
Published: November 2006

The well known changes in the deep thermohaline circulation of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the so‐called Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT), which modified the outflow characteristics through the Sicily Strait, led to significant changes in the western Mediterranean Sea since the early 90's. In spring 2005 an oceanographic survey, carried out in the central part of the western basin, showed the presence of a recently formed layer of western Mediterranean deep water, spreading at the bottom of the whole Algero‐Provençal Basin. It was characterized by unusual θ‐S shapes, as its temperature, salinity and density were higher with respect both to the resident deep waters and to the climatological values. The possible influence of the EMT on the deep water formation processes occurred in the Gulf of Lions in the previous winter is here evidenced, even taking into account other data sets previously collected in the western Mediterranean.