bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Role for RNAi in the Selective Correction of DNA Methylation Defects
Authors: Teixeira Felipe Karam , Heredia Fabiana , Sarazin Alexis , Roudier François , Boccara Martine , Ciaudo Constance , Cruaud Corinne , Poulain Julie , Berdasco Maria , Fraga Mario F. , Voinnet Olivier , Wincker Patrick , Esteller Manel , Colot Vincent
Published: January 2009

DNA methylation is essential for silencing transposable elements and some genes in higher eukaryotes, which suggests that this modification must be tightly controlled. However, accidental changes in DNA methylation can be transmitted through mitosis (as in cancer) or meiosis, leading to epiallelic variation. We demonstrated the existence of an efficient mechanism that protects against transgenerational loss of DNA methylation in
Arabidopsis
. Remethylation is specific to the subset of heavily methylated repeats that are targeted by the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. This process does not spread into flanking regions, is usually progressive over several generations, and faithfully restores wild-type methylation over target sequences in an RNAi-dependent manner. Our findings suggest an important role for RNAi in protecting genomes against long-term epigenetic defects.
The Role of Fingerprints in the Coding of Tactile Information Probed with a Biomimetic Sensor
Authors: Scheibert J. , Leurent S. , Prevost A. , Debrégeas G.
Published: January 2009

In humans, the tactile perception of fine textures (spatial scale <200 micrometers) is mediated by skin vibrations generated as the finger scans the surface. To establish the relationship between texture characteristics and subcutaneous vibrations, a biomimetic tactile sensor has been designed whose dimensions match those of the fingertip. When the sensor surface is patterned with parallel ridges mimicking the fingerprints, the spectrum of vibrations elicited by randomly textured substrates is dominated by one frequency set by the ratio of the scanning speed to the interridge distance. For human touch, this frequency falls within the optimal range of sensitivity of Pacinian afferents, which mediate the coding of fine textures. Thus, fingerprints may perform spectral selection and amplification of tactile information that facilitate its processing by specific mechanoreceptors.
Zircon Dating of Oceanic Crustal Accretion
Authors: Lissenberg C. Johan , Rioux Matthew , Shimizu Nobumichi , Bowring Samuel A. , Mével Catherine
Published: January 2009

Most of Earth's present-day crust formed at mid-ocean ridges. High-precision uranium-lead dating of zircons in gabbros from the Vema Fracture Zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge reveals that the crust there grew in a highly regular pattern characterized by shallow melt delivery. Combined with results from previous dating studies, this finding suggests that two distinct modes of crustal accretion occur along slow-spreading ridges. Individual samples record a zircon date range of 90,000 to 235,000 years, which is interpreted to reflect the time scale of zircon crystallization in oceanic plutonic rocks.
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Deficiency Is Associated with Enhanced Severity of Group B Streptococcal Disease
Authors: Puliti Manuela , Uematsu Satoshi , Akira Shizuo , Bistoni Francesco , Tissi Luciana
Published: January 2009

Group B streptococcus (GBS) has been recognized as an ever-growing cause of serious invasive infections in nonpregnant adults, in particular, in association with severe underlying diseases. The most common manifestations include primary bacteremia, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, meningitis, peritonitis, and osteoarticular infections. Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) mediates host responses to gram-positive bacteria. TLR2 function was investigated in murine GBS-induced sepsis and arthritis in wild-type (wt) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2−/−) mice. Mice were infected with different doses of GBS (107, 5 × 106, or 106CFU per mouse). Mortality, appearance of arthritis, GBS growth in the organs, and local and systemic cytokine and chemokine production were examined. TLR2−/−mice showed earlier and higher mortality rates and increased incidence and severity of arthritis than wt mice at all the infecting doses employed. Histopathological analysis of the joints confirmed clinical observations. TLR2−/−mice exhibited a higher microbial load in blood, kidneys, and joints than wt animals. In vitro experiments performed with peritoneal polymorphonuclear cells and macrophages showed a significantly lower bactericidal ability of cells from TLR2−/−mice. Increased systemic and local levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-2 accompanied the more severe development of sepsis and arthritis in TLR2−/−mice. In conclusion, the lack of TLR2 was associated with an impaired host resistance to GBS infection, likely due to a diminished bacterial clearing and a consequent enhanced inflammatory response.
Antimicrobial Effects of Interferon-Inducible CXC Chemokines againstBacillus anthracisSpores and Bacilli
Authors: Crawford Matthew A. , Zhu Yinghua , Green Candace S. , Burdick Marie D. , Sanz Patrick , Alem Farhang , O'Brien Alison D. , Mehrad Borna , Strieter Robert M. , Hughes Molly A.
Published: January 2009

Based on previous studies showing that host chemokines exert antimicrobial activities against bacteria, we sought to determine whether the interferon-inducible Glu-Leu-Arg-negative CXC chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 exhibit antimicrobial activities againstBacillus anthracis. In vitro analysis demonstrated that all three CXC chemokines exerted direct antimicrobial effects againstB. anthracisspores and bacilli including marked reductions in spore and bacillus viability as determined using a fluorometric assay of bacterial viability and CFU determinations. Electron microscopy studies revealed that CXCL10-treated spores failed to undergo germination as judged by an absence of cytological changes in spore structure that occur during the process of germination. Immunogold labeling of CXCL10-treated spores demonstrated that the chemokine was located internal to the exosporium in association primarily with the spore coat and its interface with the cortex. To begin examining the potential biological relevance of chemokine-mediated antimicrobial activity, we used a murine model of inhalational anthrax. Upon spore challenge, the lungs of C57BL/6 mice (resistant to inhalationalB. anthracisinfection) had significantly higher levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 than did the lungs of A/J mice (highly susceptible to infection). Increased CXC chemokine levels were associated with significantly reduced levels of spore germination within the lungs as determined by in vivo imaging. Taken together, our data demonstrate a novel antimicrobial role for host chemokines againstB. anthracisthat provides unique insight into host defense against inhalational anthrax; these data also support the notion for an innovative approach in treatingB. anthracisinfection as well as infections caused by other spore-forming organisms.
Protection from Pneumonic Infection withBurkholderiaSpecies by Inhalational Immunotherapy
Authors: Goodyear Andrew , Kellihan Lisa , Bielefeldt-Ohmann Helle , Troyer Ryan , Propst Katie , Dow Steven
Published: January 2009

Burkholderia malleiandB. pseudomalleiare important human pathogens and cause the diseases glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Both organisms are highly infectious when inhaled and are inherently resistant to many antimicrobials, thus making it difficult to treat pneumonicBurkholderiainfections. We investigated whether it was possible to achieve rapid protection against inhaledBurkholderiainfection by using inhaled immunotherapy. For this purpose, cationic liposome DNA complexes (CLDC), which are potent activators of innate immunity, were used to elicit the activation of pulmonary innate immune responses. We found that mucosal CLDC administration before or shortly after bacterial challenge could generate complete or nearly complete protection from inhalational challenge with 100% lethal doses ofB. malleiandB. pseudomallei. Protection was found to be dependent on the CLDC-mediated induction of gamma interferon responses in lung tissues and was partially dependent on the activation of NK cells. However, CLDC-mediated protection was not dependent on the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase, as assessed by depletion studies. We concluded that the potent local activation of innate immune responses in the lung could be used to elicit rapid and nonspecific protection from aerosol exposure to bothB. malleiandB. pseudomallei.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Heat Shock Protein 60 Alter the Pathogenesis ofHistoplasma capsulatum
Authors: Guimarães Allan J. , Frases Susana , Gomez Francisco J. , Zancopé-Oliveira Rosely M. , Nosanchuk Joshua D.
Published: January 2009

Heat shock proteins with molecular masses of ∼60 kDa (Hsp60) are widely distributed in nature and are highly conserved immunogenic molecules that can function as molecular chaperones and enhance cellular survival under physiological stress conditions. The fungusHistoplasma capsulatumdisplays an Hsp60 on its cell surface that is a key target of the cellular immune response during histoplasmosis, and immunization with this protein is protective. However, the role of humoral responses to Hsp60 has not been fully elucidated. We generated immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) toH. capsulatumHsp60. IgG1 and IgG2a MAbs significantly prolonged the survival of mice infected withH. capsulatum. An IgG2b MAb was not protective. The protective MAbs reduced intracellular fungal survival and increased phagolysosomal fusion of macrophages in vitro. Histological examination of infected mice showed that protective MAbs reduced the fungal burden and organ damage. Organs of infected animals treated with protective MAbs had significantly increased levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor alpha and decreased levels of IL-4 and IL-10. Hence, IgG1 and IgG2a MAbs to Hsp60 can modifyH. capsulatumpathogenesis in part by altering the intracellular fate of the fungus and inducing the production of Th1-associated cytokines.
Helicobacter pylori-Induced Interleukin-12 p40 Expression
Authors: Takeshima Eriko , Tomimori Koh , Teruya Hiromitsu , Ishikawa Chie , Senba Masachika , D'Ambrosio Daniele , Kinjo Fukunori , Mimuro Hitomi , Sasakawa Chihiro , Hirayama Toshiya , Fujita Jiro , Mori Naoki
Published: January 2009

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine produced by antigen-presenting cells that promotes the development of T-helper lymphocyte 1 (Th1). Chronic gastritis induced byHelicobacter pyloriis considered a Th1-mediated process. IL-12 levels in gastric biopsy samples ofH. pylori-infected patients are higher than in those of uninfected individuals, but the cellular source of IL-12 remains elusive. IL-12 staining was detected in mucosal epithelial cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages in specimens of patients withH. pylori-positive gastritis. Therefore, we investigated IL-12 p40 mRNA induction byH. pyloriin gastric epithelial cells and T cells. Althoughcagpathogenicity island (PAI)-positiveH. pyloriinduced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression, an isogenic mutant of thecagPAI failed to induce it in both cell types. Supernatants fromH. pyloricultures andH. pyloriVacA induced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression in T cells but not in epithelial cells. The activation of the IL-12 p40 promoter byH. pyloriwas mediated through NF-κB. The transfection of IκB kinase and NF-κB-inducing kinase dominant-negative mutants inhibitedH. pylori-induced IL-12 p40 activation. Inhibitors of NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Hsp90 suppressedH. pylori- and VacA-induced IL-12 p40 mRNA expression. The results indicate thatH. pyloriinduces IL-12 p40 expression by the activation of NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Hsp90 is also a crucial regulator ofH. pylori-induced IL-12 p40 expression. In addition to thecagPAI, VacA might be relevant in the induction of IL-12 expression and a Th1-polarized response only in T cells.
Development and validation of a ζ-globin-specific ELISA for carrier screening of the (−−SEA) α thalassaemia deletion
Authors: Tang L , Zhu P , Zhou W J , Zheng J , Zhou Y Q , Fu N , Xu X M
Published: January 2009

Aims:

The Southeast Asian (SEA) deletion (−−SEA) represents the most common determinant causing α thalassaemia in Southeast Asian countries. The embryonic ζ-globin chain has been defined as a marker for the detection of this deletion in adults. The aim of this study was to develop an appropriate low-cost ELISA for ζ-globin chain detection as a routine screening test for (−−SEA) α thalassaemia deletion.

Methods:

A sandwich ELISA system for ζ-globin chains was established with a pair of ζ-globin-specific monoclonal antibodies prepared in-house, and locally made products. Against a gap-PCR method that was taken as the standard, this assay was validated in a cohort study testing a total of 526 individuals comprising patients scheduled for haemoglobinopathy diagnostic analysis and normal individuals. Routine screening of the (−−SEA) deletion in 300 random student volunteers was conducted using the assay.

Results:

While the cut-off point was set at a percentage positive value of 30, the sensitivity and specificity of this ELISA method were 100% and 99.24%, respectively. The mean intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation among the different concentrations in the optimised ELISA conditions were 2.1–11.4% and 4.3–13.2%, respectively. Seventeen of the 300 volunteers sampled were determined by the ELISA to have the (−−SEA) deletion; these results were in 100% agreement with the gap-PCR results.

Conclusions:

This study validates the ELISA method described here as a simple, rapid and cost-effective assay that is potentially adaptable for application in large-scale population screening for this prevalent disorder in SEA areas such as southern China.
Self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation: does it work outside trial conditions?
Authors: Gardiner C , Longair I , Pescott M A , Erwin H , Hills J , Machin S J , Cohen H
Published: January 2009

Background:

Patient self-monitoring (PSM) of oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) can improve anticoagulant control, but poor uptake and high dropout rates have prompted suggestions that PSM is suitable for only a minority of patients in the UK.

Aims:

To determine whether PSM could be a viable alternative to regular hospital anticoagulant clinic attendance, if offered from the start of treatment.

Methods:

318 consecutive patients referred, for the first time, to an anticoagulation clinic were assessed for eligibility using established criteria. Patients electing for PSM attended training and, following successful assessment, performed a capillary blood INR every two weeks or more frequently if directed to do so by the anticoagulation clinic. Primary outcome measures were uptake of PSM and the percentage time in target therapeutic INR range (TIR) compared to patients electing for routine clinic care.

Results:

Of 318 patients referred for OAT, 188 were eligible for PSM. 84 (26%) elected to self-monitor, of whom 72 (23%) remained self-monitoring or had completed their course of treatment at the end of the audit. Self-monitoring patients had significantly better anticoagulant control than those receiving routine hospital anticoagulation clinic care (TIR 71% vs 60%, p = 0.003) and significantly less time outside critical limits, ie, INR <1.5 or >5.0 (0.45% vs 2.04%, p = 0.008).

Conclusions:

Patients offered PSM from the start of treatment show increased uptake compared to previous UK studies and a level of oral anticoagulation control comparable to that reported in previous clinical trials.
CD105/endoglin expression in Gorham disease of bone
Authors: Franchi A , Bertoni F , Bacchini P , Mourmouras V , Miracco C
Published: January 2009

Background:

Gorham disease is a rare pathological condition characterised by a proliferation of vascular channels of haematic and lymphatic origin in bone and adjacent soft tissues, which results in a progressive destruction of the involved bone segment.

Aim:

To evaluate expression of the vascular endothelial cell marker CD105/endoglin in Gorham disease of bone.

Methods:

An immunohistochemical analysis was conducted on four cases of Gorham disease of bone, and for comparison on eight cases of conventional haemangioma of bone and on normal fetal and adult bone tissue specimens.

Results:

Diffuse and intense immunostaining of endothelial cells for CD105 was observed in the specimens of fetal bone in areas undergoing ossification and in the growth plate of young adults. In medullary bone, CD105 positivity was limited to sinusoids of haemopoietic marrow, while endothelial cells of capillaries and small arterioles and venules within fatty marrow were either negative or showed weak immunostaining. The mean percentage of positive vessels in Gorham disease was significantly higher than in osseous haemangioma (58.9 (SEM 14.9) vs 17.2 (SEM 12.0); p = 0.03, Mann–Whitney U test). A significant direct correlation was observed between the proliferative activity assessed by MIB-1 immunostaining, and the percentage of CD105 positive vessels in the entire series (r = 0.681; p = 0.01).

Conclusions:

Data indicate that the phenotype of proliferating endothelial cells of Gorham disease is similar to that of the endothelial lining of vessels of metabolically active bone characterised by high expression of CD105, while that of conventional haemangioma is more similar to that of metabolically quiescent bone tissue, such as fatty marrow, with low levels of expression of CD105. This may have potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
A retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst mimicking adrenal tumour in an adult: is differential diagnosis truly possible?
Authors: Önol F F , Baytekin F , Dikbaş O , Ergönenç T , Tanidir Y
Published: January 2009

Bronchogenic cysts are developmental abnormalities of the primitive foregut resulting from aberrant budding from the ventral diverticulum. A retroperitoneal position for a bronchial cyst is extremely unusual and should be differentiated from other neoplastic lesions. Although histologically they can be differentiated from other lesions, bronchial cysts may show various pathological patterns of differentiation that may cause confusion in differentiating them from cystic teratomas. This is a case of a retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst featuring uncommon histological findings, which raises the question whether these benign lesions can always be accurately differentiated from teratomatoid cystic neoplasms.
Myth of reincarnation: a challenge for mental health profession
Authors: Gadit A A Muhammad
Published: January 2009

Mental health practitioners often come across a number of challenges in their clinical practice. One such challenge that posed a management dilemma presented with the history of reincarnation. This subject has been discussed in non-scientific literature at length but there is an absolute paucity in scientific literature. This paper describes a case where a boy presented with memories of previous life that started haunting him and caused significant anxiety. The subject of reincarnation needs extensive research in order to understand and manage the resultant clinical challenges.
The role of advance euthanasia directives as an aid to communication and shared decision-making in dementia
Authors: Hertogh C M P M
Published: January 2009

Recent evaluation of the practice of euthanasia and related medical decisions at the end of life in the Netherlands has shown a slight decrease in the frequency of physician-assisted death since the enactment of the Euthanasia Law in 2002. This paper focuses on the absence of euthanasia cases concerning patients with dementia and a written advance euthanasia directive, despite the fact that the only real innovation of the Euthanasia Law consisted precisely in allowing physicians to act upon such directives. The author discusses two principal reasons for this absence. One relates to the uncertainty about whether patients with advanced dementia truly experience the suffering they formerly feared. There is reason to assume that they don’t, as a consequence of psychological adaptation and progressive unawareness (anosognosia). The second, more fundamental reason touches upon the ethical relevance of shared understanding and reciprocity. The author argues that, next to autonomy and mercifulness, “reciprocity” is a condition sine qua non for euthanasia. The absence thereof in advanced dementia renders euthanasia morally inconceivable, even if there are signs of suffering and notwithstanding the presence of an advance euthanasia directive. This does not mean, however, that advance euthanasia directives of patients with dementia are worthless. They might very well have a role in the earlier stages of certain subtypes of the disease. To illustrate this point the author presents a case in which the advance directive helped to create a window of opportunity for reciprocity and shared decision-making.
Does medicine still show an unresolved discrimination against women? Experience in two European university hospitals: Figure 1
Authors: Santamaría A , Merino A , Viñas O , Arrizabalaga P
Published: January 2009

Have invisible barriers for women been broken in 2007, or do we still have to break through medicine's glass ceiling? Data from two of the most prestigious university hospitals in Barcelona with 700-800 beds, Hospital Clínic (HC) and Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (HSCSP) address this issue. In the HSCSP, 87% of the department chairs are men and 85% of the department unit chiefs are also men. With respect to women, only 5 (13%) are in the top position (department chair) and 4 (15%) are department unit chiefs. Similar statistics are also found at the HC: 87% of the department chairs and 89% of the department unit chiefs are men. Currently, only 6 women (13%) are in the top position and 6 (11%) are department unit chiefs. Analysis of the 2002 data of internal promotions in HC showed that for the first level (senior specialist) sex distribution was similar. Nevertheless, for the second level (consultant) only 25% were women, and for the top level (senior consultant) only 8% were women. These proportions have not changed in 2007 in spite of a 10% increase in leadership positions during this period. Similar proportions were found in HSCSP where 68% of the top promotions were held by men. The data obtained from these two different medical institutions in Barcelona are probably representative of other hospitals in Spain. It would be ethically desirable to have males and females in leadership positions in the medical profession.
Assistive technology, telecare and people with intellectual disabilities: ethical considerations
Authors: Perry J , Beyer S , Holm S
Published: January 2009

Increasingly, commissioners and providers of services for people with intellectual disabilities are turning to assistive technology and telecare as a potential solution to the problem of the increased demand for services, brought about by an expanding population of people with intellectual disabilities in the context of relatively static or diminishing resources. While there are numerous potential benefits of assistive technology and telecare, both for service providers and service users, there are also a number of ethical issues. The aim of this paper is to raise these issues and to set them within the ethical framework proposed by Beauchamp and Childress. There is a need for a wider debate as a first step in the development of strategies to address the issues raised in the paper.
Ethical and legal considerations in video recording neonatal resuscitations
Authors: Gelbart B , Barfield C , Watkins A
Published: January 2009

As guidelines for neonatal resuscitation evolve from a growing evidence base, clinicians must ensure that practice is closely aligned with the available evidence, based on methodologically sound and ethically conducted research. This paper reviews ethical, legal and risk-management issues arising during the design of a quality-assurance project to make video recordings of neonatal resuscitations after high-risk deliveries. The issues, which affect patients, researchers, staff and the hospital at large, include the following: 1) Informed consent for research involving emergency procedures is often not possible, for lack of time to provide sufficient information. The mental capacity of the subject or parent may be compromised by the impending emergency, and freedom of choice is threatened by the time pressure to consent. 2) Video recording of the inevitable medical errors raises issues of whether participating staff may be identifiable and accountable, affecting their willingness to participate in such research. The approach to staff participation and identification is reviewed. 3) The use of video data for education threatens the privacy of research subjects. The ethics of maintaining privacy is balanced with the ethics of using the data to improve practice of resuscitation. 4) The research subjects (patients, or the staff whose performance is being monitored) must be defined. 5) There are legal and ethical aspects of management and ownership of data. 6) The role of the Human Research Ethics Committee in protecting the research subject and possibly the medicolegal interests of the hospital is discussed. This paper reviews the literature and discusses the issues.
Holding personal information in a disease-specific register: the perspectives of people with multiple sclerosis and professionals on consent and access: Table 1
Authors: Baird W , Jackson R , Ford H , Evangelou N , Busby M , Bull P , Zajicek J
Published: January 2009

Objective:

To determine the views of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and professionals in relation to confidentiality, consent and access to data within a proposed MS register in the UK.

Design:

Qualitative study using focus groups (10) and interviews (13).

Setting:

England and Northern Ireland.

Participants:

68 people with MS, neurologists, MS nurses, health services management professionals, researchers, representatives from pharmaceutical companies and social care professionals.

Results:

People with MS expressed open and altruistic views towards the use of their personal information to facilitate service provision and research, placing trust in responsible guardianship and legitimate use of their information. Participant’s proposed that people with MS should be able to select their individual level of involvement in a register using levels of consent. It was agreed that access to the register should be governed by a guardianship committee composed of a range of stakeholders. People with MS did not wish their details to be used by marketing agencies and did not consider this a legitimate use of their data. Whilst participants were positive of the role a register could play in promoting research, participants felt that access to data by pharmaceutical industries should be administered by the guardianship committee. People with MS are concerned should their employers be able to access their personal information. Professionals were more cautious than people with MS in their approach to the use of patient personal data within a register.

Conclusions:

Whilst all stakeholders were positive of the benefits of an MS register, development of such a resource must incorporate robust data security and guardianship measures in order to ensure that, whilst opportunities are maximised, risks to the privacy of individuals and legal challenges to professionals are avoided.
Is once always enough? Revisiting the single use item
Authors: Moszczynski A
Published: January 2009

The reuse of single use medical items is a complex ethical issue that many healthcare providers are faced with, for while recommendations and literature do not advocate the reuse of these items, the reality is that many single use items are frequently reused. Further, many healthcare workers are ethically divided over whether or not to share this information with their patients, or who should reveal this information. While single use items are convenient to use, the reality of the cost to the healthcare system and the environment is being realised. Three distinct issues in regard to reuse of single use items are explored: patient consent, fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship. Exploring these issues through the ethical frameworks of utilitarianism, contractarianism, and land ethic or holism can offer guidance in attending to the question “is once always enough?” Applying an integrated ethical framework can further assist healthcare providers and stakeholders to make informed, ethical choices in regard to choosing single use medical devices and items. Short, fictionalised narratives based on authentic events are used to illustrate the ethical context of the reuse issue.
Do research ethics committees identify process errors in applications for ethical approval?
Authors: Angell E , Dixon-Woods M
Published: January 2009

We analysed research ethics committee (REC) letters. We found that RECs frequently identify process errors in applications from researchers that are not deemed “favourable” at first review. Errors include procedural violations (identified in 74% of all applications), missing information (68%), slip-ups (44%) and discrepancies (25%). Important questions arise about why the level of error identified by RECs is so high, and about how errors of different types should be handled.
Cigarette affordability trends: an update and some methodological comments
Authors: Blecher E H , van Walbeek C P
Published: January 2009

Objectives:

To calculate cigarette affordability for a number of countries using different techniques and data, to investigate trends since 1990 and to assess the appropriateness of different measures of affordability.

Design:

Two existing measures were specified. Relative income price (RIP) uses per capita gross domestic product (GDP) as the measure of income, while “minutes of labour” is based on a Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) survey of earnings.

Subjects:

RIP (1990–2006) is calculated for 32 high-income and 45 low-income and middle-income countries. The “minutes of labour” measure is calculated for 29 high-income and 23 low-income and middle-income countries.

Results:

In high-income countries cigarettes are significantly more affordable than in low-income and middle-income countries, but have become less affordable since 1990. Among low-income and middle-income countries, cigarettes have become more affordable since 1990 and at an increasingly rapid rate since 2000. In 33 of 34 countries where cigarette affordability decreased since 1990, the real price increased. In 20 of 37 countries where cigarettes became more affordable, real price decreased.

When measuring affordability in low-income and middle-income countries, a broad income measure, such as per capita GDP, is most appropriate. For high-income countries, the choice of income measure is not important.

Conclusions:

In international comparisons, cigarette prices should not only be viewed in monetary terms but also in terms of their affordability. Fast-growing countries face greater tobacco control challenges since rising incomes increase the affordability of cigarettes. The fact that cigarettes have become increasingly affordable in a majority of low-income and middle-income countries is a major tobacco control failure.
Elusive isotopic properties of deglacial meltwater spikes into the North Atlantic: example of the final drainage of Lake AgassizThis article is one of a series of papers published in the Special Issue on the theme Polar Climate Stability Network.
Authors: Hillaire-Marcel C. , Hélie J.-F. , McKay J. , de Vernal A.
Published: January 2009

The impact of the final drainage of Lake Agassiz, some 8.4 ka ago on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is still debated. The lack of isotopic response in planktic foraminifer records at the outlet of the drainage channel constitutes a puzzling element in this debate. To estimate the response of the 18O–salinity relationship in ocean surface waters to drainage, we use a core raised from southeast Hudson Bay to document δ18O values of lake waters, immediately prior to drainage. Valves of Candona sp. (an ostracod) from lacustrine varved-sediments underlying marine clays, yielded δ18O values clustered around –20.5‰ (versus VPDB (Vienna PeeDee Belemnite)). Assuming a lake bottom temperature of about 0 °C, an isotopic composition of –25‰ (versus VSMOW (Vienna standard mean ocean water)) is calculated for paleolake waters, not unlike values reported for earlier stages of Lake Agassiz. This value is only slightly more negative than those estimated for Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) meltwaters during the last glacial maximum (∼ –21‰), or for the “apparent” freshwater end member diluting modern northwest Atlantic surface waters (–20.3‰ ± 0.4‰). The estimated ∼ –0.1‰ shift of the 18O–salinity relationship of ocean surface waters, in the salinity domain (>34) characterizing the only planktic foraminifer ( Neogloboquadrina pachyderma , Np) then abundant off the drainage outlet, seems barely distinguishable from background noise of Np δ18O records from such environments. Most other similar LIS deglacial events have probably not left any clear isotopic records in deep-sea cores from surrounding basins.
Geochemical reconstruction of Pacific decadal variability from the eastern North Pacific during the HoloceneThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the themePolar Climate Stability Network.
Authors: Ivanochko Tara S. , Calvert Stephen E. , Thomson Richard E. , Pedersen Thomas F.
Published: January 2009

Determining climate variations over the Holocene requires high-resolution records with well-developed age models. A 40 m long marine sediment core raised from Effingham Inlet, an anoxic fjord on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, yields such a record. Forty six14C accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates determined from terrestrial plant material form the age model. Downcore sampling at both 5 cm (20 year) and 1.5 cm (7 year) resolution indicates that high-frequency oceanographic variability has prevailed at this site over the last 10 000 years. Spectral analysis of wt.% opal, a proxy for diatom productivity in the basin, reveals the bidecadal and pentadecadal periods of the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) – North Pacific index (NPI) that are related to changes in the strength of the Aleutian Low. Coherence analysis between the Effingham Inlet data and δ18O records from Jellybean Lake (a high elevation site in southwest Yukon) indicates regional coherence at periods of 45, 70, and 510 years between productivity in Effingham Inlet and changes in the Aleutian Low strength. Over the entire Holocene, the strength of decadal variability has changed. Both 20- and 50-year periods are present to some degree in the early Holocene, and only the 50 year period is evident in the late Holocene. These data imply that regime shifts would have been more frequent in the early Holocene relative to the last several thousand years.
High-resolution paleomagnetic secular variation and relative paleointensity records from the western Canadian Arctic: implication for Holocene stratigraphy and geomagnetic field behaviourThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Polar Climate Stability Network.GEOTOP Contribution 2008-0024.
Authors: Barletta Francesco , St-Onge Guillaume , Channell James E.T. , Rochon André , Polyak Leonid , Darby Dennis
Published: January 2009

Two piston cores recovered from the Chukchi and the Beaufort seas document Arctic Holocene geomagnetic field behaviour and highlight the potential of secular variation and relative paleointensity as a regional chronostratigraphic tool. Several centennial- to millennial-scale Holocene declination and inclination features can be correlated in both cores, with other high-resolution western North American lacustrine and volcanic paleomagnetic records and with records of changes in Earth’s dipole moment, supporting the geomagnetic origin of these features and implying that they are associated with changes in Earth’s dipole moment.
210Pb–226Ra–230Th systematics in very low sedimentation rate sediments from the Mendeleev Ridge (Arctic Ocean)This article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Polar Climate Stability Network.GEOTOP Publication 2008-0031.
Authors: Not Christelle , Hillaire-Marcel Claude , Ghaleb Bassam , Polyak Leonid , Darby Dennis
Published: January 2009

U-series isotope behaviour in subsurface sediment of the Arctic Ocean is investigated based on high resolution measurements of natural radionuclides (210Pb, 226Ra, 230Th) and a few analyses of anthropogenic 137Cs in cores collected during the 2005 Healy-Oden Trans-Arctic Expedition (HOTRAX). Cores from the Mendeleev Ridge, representing distinct bathymetric settings, are analyzed in more detail as a means to assess the dating potential of such radionuclides at sites characterized by very low sedimentation rates (∼3 mm ka–1). The sediment consists of variable proportions of fine-grained carbonates, clays, and ice-rafted debris and shows excesses in 210Pb (210Pbxs) over parent 226Ra content, down to ∼1 cm below core top. This 210Pbxs distribution is due to shallow mixing by benthic organisms and (or) diffusion from the sediment–water interface, as also indicated by 137Cs activities. From ∼1 to 7 cm downcore, 210Pb activities closely follow 226Ra activities. Below 7 cm downcore, 226Ra activities are controlled by variable excesses in parent 230Th (230Thxs) resulting from its scavenging in the overlying water column. 226Ra diffusion is observed towards the water column occuring from the upper ∼7 cm of sediment below the seafloor (with a flux of ∼0.043 disintegrations per minute (dpm) cm–2 a–1) and deeper in the sediment below 230Thxs peaks but with lesser fluxes. Both cores show identical 210Pb profiles despite their 1 km bathymetric difference. This suggests negligible 230Th and 210Pb scavenging below water depths of ∼1.6 km, i.e., the bathymetry of the shallower core. In such settings where sedimentation rates are very low and vertical particle rain is the major sediment source, estimates of the actual 210Pbxs require precise knowledge of the 226Ra-supported fraction, which is controlled by 230Thxs, Ra diffusion, and thus sedimentation rates and porosity.
Arctic vs. North Atlantic water mass exchanges in Fram Strait from Pb isotopes in sedimentsThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Polar Climate Stability Network.
Authors: Carignan Jean , Hillaire-Marcel Claude , de Vernal Anne
Published: January 2009

Surface sediment samples (n = 10), collected between Spitzbergen and Greenland, and two cores raised east (C04) and west (C16) from Fram Strait were analyzed for their chemical and isotopic (Pb) compositions to trace the source of sediments and water masses exchanging between the Arctic and the North Atlantic oceans. In surface sediments, variable major and trace element concentrations suggest variations in both the mineralogy (carbonate and quartz dilution of other silicate minerals) and source regions of detrital supplies, based on Th/Zr and, to a lesser extent, on Th/U ratios. Each core site shows specific but nearly constant Th/Zr ratios, indicating homogeneous source supplies. At both core sites, Pb concentrations and isotopic compositions display similar patterns: homogeneous low Pb and radiogenic crustal signals below 5–10 cm, contrasting with high Pb and less radiogenic anthropogenic inputs at core-tops. However, the differing pre-anthropogenic Pb isotopic ratios in C04 and C16 confirm the involvement of distinct source supplies east and west of Fram Strait. We suggest that this isotopic specificity is mainly owing to inputs of material carried from northwestern Europe by the North Atlantic water mass and from the Laptev Sea by the Transpolar Drift, respectively. Some material from the Greenland margin and possibly from the North Atlantic Ocean may reach this zone as well. Sediments from the western Arctic are not significantly transported into the Fram Strait area, suggesting that the Canadian and the Eurasian basins remained decoupled, at least during the time span of the cored sediments (∼2000 years).
Reorganization of the upper ocean circulation in the mid-Holocene in the northeastern AtlanticThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme Polar Climate Stability Network.GEOTOP Publication 2009-0002.
Authors: Solignac Sandrine , Grelaud Michael , de Vernal Anne , Giraudeau Jacques , Moros Matthias , McCave I. Nicholas , Hoogakker Babette
Published: January 2009

A micropaleontological investigation was conducted on two sediment cores from the Reykjanes Ridge (RR; core LO09-14; 59°12.30′N, 31°05.94′W) and the Faroe–Shetland Channel (FSC; core HM03-133-25; 60°06.55′N, 06°04.18′W) to document hydrographical changes of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) during the Holocene. Dinocyst and coccolith assemblages were analyzed, and quantitative reconstructions of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea surface salinities (SSSs) were conducted based on dinocyst assemblages. Both proxies suggest a major reorganization of surface circulation patterns in the northeastern North Atlantic between 7 and 5.4 ka BP. At both sites, SSSs before 6.5–7 ka BP were lower than during the mid-late Holocene, suggesting dispersal of meltwater through the NAC. Long term trends of SSTs, however, show higher than present summer SSTs on the RR from 9.3 to ∼6 ka BP, and lower than present SSTs in the FSC until ca. 5.4 ka BP. The contrasted SST trends at the two sites suggest that decreasing summer insolation was not the only forcing behind hydrographical changes in the region. Decoupling of the NAC and the Slope Current (SC), which both influence the FSC, is proposed as a possible mechanism. We hypothesize that a strong NAC during the early to middle Holocene resulted in a SST increase on the RR and decrease in the FSC. Inversely, a weaker NAC after 5–6 ka BP, leading to decreased SSTs on the RR, would have enhanced the relative contribution of the warmer, saltier SC in the FSC, thus resulting in a regional SST and SSS increase.
Thirteenth Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium: Ice design criteria for wide arctic structures
Authors: Blanchet Denis
Published: January 2009

The derivation of design global ice loads for wide vertical caisson-type arctic exploration structures is presented. Correction factors are applied to global ice-load data measured during ice–structure interactions to create a set of design criteria for two typical exploration structures: circular (100 m diameter) and rectangular (160 × 50 m). Return periods for the proposed deterministic design ice loads for these two structures are then determined for typical ice conditions encountered in the Harrison Bay shear zone area in 20–30 m of water. Key words: exploration structures, global design ice loads, risk, probability of exceedence, return periods.
Soil temperatures and freezing indices at depth
Authors: McCormick G.
Published: January 2009

A method for determining the freezing index and the minimum soil temperature at depth is presented. Data are based on published soil records from several weather stations in northern Canada. Key words: ground freezing, permafrost, frost, soil temperatures.
Consolidation analysis of oil sand masses under applied temperature changes
Authors: Srithar T. , Byrne Peter M.
Published: January 2009

Stress and temperature changes in oil sand masses associated with in situ oil recovery schemes can give rise to stability and deformation problems. An analytical method is derived to analyze such problems and is incorporated in a finite-element formulation. A step-temperature approach, as used in thermal elasticity, is not appropriate to analyze the temperature-induced effects, unless the time steps are made very small. A better formulation is presented here, which involves introducing additional terms in the stress–strain relation and in the flow-continuity equation, to account for temperature-induced effects. The new approach reduces the fluctuations predicted by the step-temperature approach and leads to more realistic results. The finite-element formulation involves nonlinear variations of stress–strain response, compressibility, and flow and is performed in an incremental manner. The developed formulation has been verified by comparing the finite-element program results with both closed-form solutions and laboratory data. The program has been applied to predict the responses associated with an oil recovery scheme. Such analyses are important in the rational design of oil recovery schemes in oil sands. Key words: oil sand, thermal consolidation, thermal analysis, nonlinearity, finite element, oil recovery scheme.
Hydrologic conditions leading to debris-flow initiation
Authors: Johnson K. A. , Sitar N.
Published: January 2009

Mitigation of the hazards posed by debris flows requires an understanding of the mechanisms leading to their initiation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and document the hydrologic response of a potential debris-flow source area to major rainstorms and to evaluate whether traditional models of hillslope hydrology can account for the observed response. A field site in an area of previous debris-flow activity was instrumented and monitored for two winter seasons. Hydrologic responses for a wide variety of antecedent conditions were recorded, including two storm events that produced well-defined positive pore-pressure pulses at the site and initiated numerous debris flows in the immediate vicinity of the site. The observed hydrologic response was highly dependent on antecedent moisture conditions which can be characterized by soil matric suction measurements. The pressure-head pulses observed had a magnitude of approximately 50 cm of water, were transient, traveled downslope, and exhibited some spatial variability. Traditional models of hillslope hydrology do not fully account for the positive pore-pressure pulses observed high on the hillslope. Key words: debris flow, hillslope hydrology, pore pressure, antecedent moisture, tensiometer, piezometer, field investigation.
Numerical analysis of oil sand under nonisothermal conditions
Authors: Vaziri Hans H. , Byrne Peter M.
Published: January 2009

Theoretical expressions, in terms of elastic and thermal properties of multiphase soil systems, have been derived for the change in pore fluid pressure under undrained conditions and the change in soil stress under drained conditions. A methodology is proposed for linking these equations to Biot's generalized coupled flow and deformation formulations in a form suitable for finite-element implementation. The thermoconsolidation numerical model developed for this study employs a modified form of the hyperbolic stress-strain relationship that can account for the shear-induced volume change (dilation) effects. The numerical model is verified under drained conditions and then applied to simulate three triaxial experiments that previously had been performed on good-quality Athabasca oil sand samples. The analyzed tests include drained compression at room temperature, drained compression at an elevated temperature, and an undrained heating under anisotropic stress conditions. The numerical simulations were in remarkable agreement with the observed response under drained and undrained conditions, and the results indicated that the dilative effectsplây a crucial rolein satisfactorily modelling the response of oil sands, particularly under undrained conditions. The application of the numerical model in analyzing the laboratory tests provides a means for determining some of the soil parameters that would otherwise be difficult to measure. Key words: finite elements, numerical modelling, undrained heating, drained heating, thermal consolidation, oil sand, stiffness properties, thermal properties.