bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Executive compensation in libraries: an oxymoron?
Authors: Goodrich Jeanne , Singer Paula M.
Published: July 2005

Pay, benefits, perquisites, the work environment and the intrinsic rewards that it offers, all need to be used to attract the executive a library needs and wants. To that end, this article provides an overview of current practices in library executive compensation, with an explanation of various approaches and the provision of ideas for compensation components. This is especially pertinent, as nearly 60 percent of professional librarians will retire, including a large number of library executives, during the next ten to 15 years. Other fields and professions face similarly large numbers of retirements. The competition for top‐quality library executives will be fierce. Both library executives and libraries hiring new executives need to be aware of the variety of compensation approaches available to them.
Simple basics: little things that make us look stupid
Authors: Holt Glen E.
Published: July 2005

This list of 41 “Stupid Things that Libraries Do” was largely culled from public library practitioners’ postings on the PUBLIB electronic discussion list. Libraries must take action to ensure that their operations, and particularly their public services, are unhampered by these common bad practices. By identifying possible failings in advance, librarians can better place themselves to meet the expectations of their users, and provide the professional service expected of them.
Special events: defining goals, planning and measuring success
Authors: Wilson John S.
Published: July 2005

Successful special events planning and execution are part of a library development officer's job. Understanding the need to set goals early and then properly evaluating the event based upon these goals is essential to measuring the success or failure of the event. Often the only measurement criteria for an event is the profit at the end of the day. Thinking strategically regarding an event, both short‐ and long‐term, will make a difference in the lasting quality of the library development program as well as the libraries’ place on the campus or in the community.
Power to the people: the case for Wikipedia
Authors: Lipczynska Sonya
Published: July 2005

Purpose

To examine the case for the Wikipedia as a major reference tool.Design/methodology/approach – Summarises content of the Wikipedia and looks at the controversy its development has engendered. The controversy is examined with reference to recent press articles and internet postings. The aim is to look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Wikipedia in the light of this controversy, with a view to arriving at a balanced assessment of its value.Findings – Finds that the Wikipedia, through its editorial and up‐keep systems and ability to reflect very recent developments, is a source of unquestioned reference value.Research limitations/implications – The assessment of Wikipedia is brief and the analysis of the controversy surrounding it is confined to a small selection of recent articles and web postings.Practical implications – This assessment provides further exposure of the newly developed Wikipedia and contributes to the growing debate about its value and usefulness.Originality/value – Responds to the growing need for a dispassionate assessment of the Wikipedia and offers informed opinion to library and information workers considering exploiting it as a reference resource.
Polarica's wild berries: an example of a required storage capacity calculation and where to locate this inventory
Authors: Levén Erik , Segerstedt Anders
Published: July 2005

Polarica is a company in northern Europe buying, refining and selling wild berries and other specialty foods. During the last couple of years the volume of wild berries, mostly blueberries, has increased a lot. This expansion forces Polarica to consider investments in freezing‐in capacity and cold‐storage capacity. A simple heuristic model was constructed, from which it was concluded that additional volumes of frozen blueberries require more storage facilities and it was also recommended that the location should be based on load‐distance analysis. The way this problem is tackled and solved can be copied and hopefully it presents ideas for other similar studies.
Serendipity and the realpolitik of negotiations in supply chains
Authors: Ramsay John
Published: July 2005

The paper presents evidence of a gap between the competition‐to‐co‐operation narrative of the purchasing, marketing and supply chain management fields and the negotiating practice of professional buyers. Drawing on evidence from negotiation theory and practice, it argues that the discovered buyer behaviour is entirely rational. A plea is made for the study of negotiation in the supply chain management field, and it concludes that the current narrative, describing a journey from uninformed adversarial buyer‐supplier attitudes towards enlightened co‐operative relations in chains, may be more fictional than factual.
Knowledge redundancy in supply chains: a framework
Authors: Sivakumar K. , Roy Subroto
Published: July 2005

Knowledge redundancy is a powerful concept in understanding supply chain performance including supply chain value creation and competitive advantage. This paper argues that knowledge redundancy is not about “redundancy” that might suggest a waste or duplication of knowledge. In contrast, knowledge redundancy between adjacent members of the supply chain is critical to superior supply chain performance. The paper examines the tacit and explicit nature of knowledge and knowledge redundancy in supply chains. It develops a conceptual model and a series of propositions that argue that managing knowledge redundancy in the context of supplier‐related factors, firm‐related factors, and interface‐related factors can bring positive supply chain performance outcomes.
Women's Admission to Guilds in Early‐Modern England: The Case of the York Merchant Tailors’ Company, 1693–1776
Authors: Smith S. D.
Published: July 2005

The admission of women into the York merchant tailors’ is a remarkable episode in the history of post‐medieval guilds. Within England, the York experience was probably exceptional; across Europe more generally, it can be classified as a rare phenomenon. The article analyses male and female merchant tailors and apprentices in order to identify the gender‐specific characteristics of women guild members. It argues that the decision of the York Company to admit women illustrates that guilds could be flexible in their responses to female employment, depending on local conditions, particularly the attitude of the civic corporation. In consequence, generalisations about the relationship between guild regulation and women's work need to be tested against the results of specific case studies.
‘Unfortunate Objects’: London's Unmarried Mothers in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Evans Tanya
Published: July 2005

Unmarried mothers in eighteenth‐century London captivated the public imagination in unprecedented ways. Using the petitions for admission into London's Foundling hospital, this article argues that unmarried mothers did not have to conform to a model of female sexual passivity, of ‘respectable illegitimacy’, in order to receive charitable relief in the eighteenth‐century metropolis. The governors of the Foundling Hospital could be indiscriminate in the petitions that they passed. This did not mean, however, that petitioners were unaware of how best to represent their case in their attempts to find a home for their child. But throughout the eighteenth century, ‘proper objects of charity’ included petitioners with many different stories to tell. These were determined by the concerns and questions of the Foundling Hospital's authorities and were not unproblematic representations of poor women's mental maps, but this piece emphasises that the circumstances of their lives rarely required embellishment to convince others of their necessity. Economic need rather than shame was the all‐important criterion in the admission of a child into the Foundling Hospital. Women's accounts of their lives provided overwhelming evidence that they, rather than the fathers of their babies, were the ‘unfortunate sex’, but they were neither hopeless nor without desire. The language of the petitions was intimately related to the everyday lives of London's poor. What framed most of the accounts presented by petitioners was not seduction, shame or secrecy but misfortune.
‘I Just Like to Kill Things’: Women, Men and the Gender of Sport Hunting in the United States, 1940–1973
Authors: Smalley Andrea L.
Published: July 2005

This paper examines women's place in sportsmen's magazines and their role in the creation of sport hunting's image in the post‐war United States. It argues that sport‐hunting women were not challenging post‐war constructions of femininity or domesticity. Nevertheless, sportsmen attacked women's attempts to construe hunting as heterosocial recreation, fearing that they would undermine hunting's cultural significance. Instead, the dominant, male‐authored discourse connected authentic hunting to a new post‐war formulation of masculinity that revolved around militarism and the emotional bonds between men developed through battlefield experiences. This analysis takes seriously both men's and women's interpretations of a cultural practice historically associated with one sex, in order to reveal how gender identities are constructed and contested.
Acceleration of wound healing in healing‐impaired db/db mice with a photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogel containing fibroblast growth factor‐2
Authors: Obara Kiyohaya , Ishihara Masayuki , Fujita Masanori , Kanatani Yasuhiro , Hattori Hidemi , Matsui Takemi , Takase Bonpei , Ozeki Yuichi , Nakamura Shingo , Ishizuka Takamitsu , Tominaga Susumu , Hiroi Sadayuki , Kawai Toshiaki , Maehara Tadaaki
Published: July 2005

Application of ultraviolet light irradiation to a photocrosslinkable chitosan (Az‐CH‐LA) aqueous solution including fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) results within 30 seconds in an insoluble, flexible hydrogel. The FGF‐2 molecules retained in the chitosan hydrogel remain biologically active and are released from the chitosan hydrogel upon in vivo biodegradation of the hydrogel. To evaluate the accelerating effect on wound healing of this hydrogel, full‐thickness skin incisions were made in the backs of healing‐impaired diabetic (db/db) mice and their normal (db/+) littermates. The mice were later killed, and histological sections of the wound were prepared. The degree of wound healing was evaluated using several histological parameters such as the rate of contraction, epithelialization, and tissue filling. Application of the chitosan hydrogel significantly advanced the rate of contraction on Days 0 to 2 in db/db and db/+ mice. Although the addition of FGF‐2 into the chitosan hydrogel in db/+ mice had little effect, application of the chitosan hydrogel–containing FGF‐2 further accelerated the adjusted tissue filling rate (Days 2 to 4 and Days 4 to 8) in db/db mice. Furthermore, the chitosan hydrogel–containing FGF‐2 markedly increased the number of CD‐34‐positive vessels in the wound areas of db/db mice on Day 4. Thus, the application of chitosan hydrogel–containing FGF‐2 onto a healing‐impaired wound induces significant wound contraction and accelerates wound closure and healing.
Identification of fibrocytes in postburn hypertrophic scar
Authors: Yang Liju , Scott Paul G. , Dodd Carole , Medina Abelardo , Jiao Haiyan , Shankowsky Heather A. , Ghahary Aziz , Tredget Edward E.
Published: July 2005

Fibrocytes are a unique leukocyte subpopulation implicated in wound healing. They are derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, display fibroblast‐like properties, and synthesize extracellular matrix macromolecules. This study investigated whether fibrocytes are present in healing burn wounds and whether the number of fibrocytes in tissue correlates with the degree of burn injury and the development of hypertrophic scar. Proteins extracted from cultured fibrocytes and nonadherent lymphocytes were found to be similar using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and quite distinct from those obtained from fibroblasts. However, one protein, identified as leukocyte‐specific protein 1 using mass spectrometric peptide mapping, was found in significantly larger amounts in fibrocytes than in lymphocytes but was undetectable in fibroblasts. Double immunostaining with antibodies to leukocyte‐specific protein‐1 and to the N‐terminal propeptide of type I collagen was performed on cryosections of hypertrophic scar, mature scar, and normal skin. Fibrocytes were seen in scar tissue as dual‐labeled spindle‐shaped cells but were absent from normal skin. Moreover, the number of fibrocytes was higher in hypertrophic than in mature scar tissue. We conclude that fibrocytes, which have been reported to be antigen‐presenting cells, are recruited to wounds following extensive burn injury and could potentially upregulate the inflammatory response and synthesize collagen and other matrix macromolecules, thus contributing to the development of hypertrophic scarring.
Fluorescent‐activated cell‐sorting analysis of intracellular interferon‐γ and interleukin‐4 in fresh and frozen human peripheral blood T‐helper cells
Authors: Kilani Ruhangiz T. , Delehanty Megan , Shankowsky Heather A. , Ghahary Aziz , Scott Paul , Tredget Edward E.
Published: July 2005

T‐helper (Th) cells can be classified into at least three subsets based on their cytokine profiles: Th0, Th1, and Th2. The functional significance of each subset of Th cells can be determined in isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Using two‐ or three‐color cytometric detection of intracellular cytokines. These analyses have been limited by the requirement for fresh cells making sequential samples and longitudinal studies difficult. Cryopreservation of PBMC in liquid nitrogen for up to 1 year was evaluated to determine whether the Th1/Th2 ratio remained unchanged in cryopreserved lymphocytes. Aliquots of human PBMC from normal volunteers analyzed for activation using phorbol myristate acetate and evaluated using morphology showed that the surface marker expression was unchanged in fresh and frozen cells. Cytokine expression was measured using intracellular cytokine staining and three‐color flow cytometric analysis. The percentages of cells producing interferon (IFN)‐γ or interleukin (IL)‐4 were determined after 16 hours of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin stimulation in the presence of brefeldin A. No significant difference was found in cytokine production between fresh and frozen cells. The percentage of IFN‐γ and IL‐4 producing CD3‐positive fresh T cells was 19.2 ± 5.8 percent and 0.9 ± 0.4 percent vs. 17.6 ± 0.75 percent and 0.9 ± 0.3 percent, respectively, for frozen PBMC. The effects of thermal injury on the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio and the development of hypertrophic scarring were then determined. Twelve burn patients examined 4 weeks postburn showed a significant shift in the Th1/Th2 ratio, compared with 13 normal human volunteers used as controls. IL‐4 levels in the patient group were significantly higher than controls at 1 month postburn (12.7 ± 2.6 percent vs. 3.9 ± 0.5 percent, p < 0.01) and IFN‐γ levels were significantly lower (9.3 ± 1.7 percent vs. 15.3 ± 2.3 percent, p < 0.05). Thus, PBMC can be cryopreserved for up to 1 year, enabling investigation of chronologic changes in Th1/Th2 profiles. It is suggested that a “locked on” Th2 profile may contribute to the development of hypertrophic scarring after burn injury.
Effective lysis of lymphoma cells with a stabilised bispecific single‐chain Fv antibody against CD19 and FcγRIII (CD16)
Authors: Bruenke Joerg , Barbin Karin , Kunert Susanne , Lang Peter , Pfeiffer Matthias , Stieglmaier Kristin , Niethammer Dietrich , Stockmeyer Bernhard , Peipp Matthias , Repp Roland , Valerius Thomas , Fey Georg H.
Published: July 2005

A recombinant bispecific single‐chain fragment variable antibody (bsscFv), directed against the B‐cell antigen CD19 and the low affinity Fc‐receptor FcγRIII (CD16), was designed for use in the treatment of patients with leukaemias and lymphomas. The Fc‐portions of whole antibodies were deliberately eliminated in this construct to avoid undesired effector functions. A stabilised bsscFv, ds[CD19 × CD16], was generated, in which disulphide bonds bridging the respective variable light (VL) and variable heavy (VH) chains were introduced into both component single‐chain (sc)Fvs. After production in 293T cells and chromatographic purification, ds[CD19 × CD16] specifically and simultaneously bound both antigens. The serum stability of ds[CD19 × CD16] was increased more than threefold when compared with the unstabilised counterpart, while other biological properties were not affected by these mutations. In antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity experiments, ds[CD19 × CD16] mediated specific lysis of both CD19‐positive malignant human B‐lymphoid cell lines and primary tumour cells from patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Natural killer cells, mononuclear cells (MNCs) from healthy donors and, in some instances, MNCs isolated from patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, were used as effectors. Thus, ds[CD19 × CD16] holds promise for the treatment of CD19+ B‐lineage malignancies.
Essential thrombocythaemia: challenges and evidence‐based management
Authors: Harrison Claire N.
Published: July 2005

Essential thrombocythaemia was first described over 70 years ago. This condition is dominated by thrombotic and haemorrhagic complications and, in the long‐term, by risk of transformation to myelofibrosis and/or acute leukaemia. However, it is heterogeneous both clinically and biologically. Here, a review of current concepts in disease aetiology and management is offered with reference to recent focused reviews where appropriate. In addition, five specific areas are discussed in detail: the role of the trephine biopsy, the disease entity prefibrotic myelofibrosis; the recently described Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutations; the leukaemogenicity of hydroxyurea (hydroxycarbamide); and lastly, the implications of the results of the Medical Research Council Primary Thrombocythaemia 1 study are explored.
Clinical characteristics, biologic features and outcome for young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Nachman James
Published: July 2005

Young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) represent a unique epidemiologic subgroup in that therapy may be provided by either adult or paediatric oncologists. There seem to be no differences in presenting clinical features, immunophenotypic characteristics, or cytogenetic abnormalities for young adult ALL patients treated on paediatric or adult protocols with the exception of median age (16‐paediatric trials versus 19‐adult trials). There is no evidence to suggest that age within the 16–21 year old subgroup has any prognostic significance. Compared with patients 1–9 years, young adult ALL patients have a lower incidence of favourable cytogenetics t(12; 21) hyperdiploidy, a slightly increased incidence of the t(9;22), and an increased frequency of T cell immunophenotype. Compared with patients >30 years, young adult ALL patients have a significantly lower incidence of the t(9; 22). In multiple studies, there is a consistent, large event‐free survival and survival advantage for young adult patients treated on paediatric versus adult protocols.
Hypermethylation of the suppressor of cytokine signalling‐1 (SOCS‐1) in myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Brakensiek Kai , Länger Florian , Schlegelberger Brigitte , Kreipe Hans , Lehmann Ulrich
Published: July 2005

Transcriptional silencing because of hypermethylation is now recognised to be a hallmark of human tumours. In contrast to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), comparably little is known about aberrant methylation in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a heterogeneous clonal stem cell disorder with a risk of transformation into secondary AML of up to 30%. Recent evidence demonstrates that suppressor of cytokine signalling SOCS‐1, a negative regulator of cytokine pathways, may act as a tumour suppressor gene, and inactivation because of hypermethylation was shown in various malignancies. Employing a newly developed quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction‐based methylation assay we analysed, for the first time, SOCS‐1 methylation in MDS and found disease‐specific hypermethylation in 27 of 86 MDS patients (31%). Demethylation experiments provided direct evidence that aberrant methylation of SOCS‐1 induces transcriptional silencing in myeloid cells. In addition, by analysing the expression of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)‐induced genes we provide for the first time evidence that the activity of the Janus kinase/STAT pathway is increased in primary patient samples showing SOCS‐1 hypermethylation.
Der(6)t(1;6)(q21–23;p21.3): a specific cytogenetic abnormality in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia
Authors: Dingli David , Grand Francis H. , Mahaffey Victor , Spurbeck Jack , Ross Fiona M. , Watmore Ann E. , Reilly John T. , Cross Nicholas C. P. , Dewald Gordon W. , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: July 2005

Chromosome anomalies are detected in approximately half of patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) although none of the most prevalent lesions are specific to the disease. In a prospective cytogenetic study of 81 patients with MMM, we encountered three with an unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 1 and 6 with specific breakpoints; der(6)t(1;6)(q21–23;p21.3). A subsequent Mayo Clinic cytogenetic database search identified 12 patients with this chromosome anomaly among 17 791 consecutive patients. A similar database search from Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, UK revealed two additional patients among 8000 cases. The clinical phenotype and survival for each of these 14 patients was typical of MMM. These findings suggested that der(6)t(1;6)(q21–23;p21.3) is a highly specific cytogenetic anomaly that may harbour gene(s) specifically associated with MMM. In a preliminary fluorescence in situ hybridization study, the breakpoints on chromosome 6 in two additional cases were found to be telomeric to the gene for 51 kDa FK506‐binding protein (FKBP51).
The use of digital ‘virtual slides’ in the quality assessment of haematological morphology: results of a pilot exercise involving UK NEQAS(H) participants
Authors: Burthem J. , Brereton M. , Ardern J. , Hickman L. , Seal L. , Serrant A , Hutchinson C. V. , Wells E. , McTaggart P. , De la Salle B. , Parker‐Williams J. , Hyde K.
Published: July 2005

We report the results of a pilot study assessing the use of digital ‘virtual slides’ in haematological quality assessment. Conducted together with the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme for General Haematology, the study involved 166 separate participants, using the format of a typical assessment exercise. The results revealed substantial concordance of observations made using digital slides with those reported in previous glass slide surveys that used identical cases. Participant feedback strongly supported the use of electronic slides in teaching and assessment roles. Our results suggest roles for this new electronic resource in external quality assessment (EQA), education and continuing professional development.
Stomatocytic haemolysis and macrothrombocytopenia (Mediterranean stomatocytosis/macrothrombocytopenia) is the haematological presentation of phytosterolaemia
Authors: Rees David C. , Iolascon Achille , Carella Massimo , O'Marcaigh Aengus S. , Kendra James R. , Jowitt Simon N. , Wales J. K. , Vora Ajay , Makris M. , Manning Nigel , Nicolaou Anna , Fisher Julie , Mann Anuska , Machin Samuel J. , Clayton Peter T. , Gasparini Paolo , Stewart Gordon W.
Published: July 2005

Phytosterolaemia (sitosterolaemia) is a recessively inherited metabolic condition in which the absorption of both cholesterol and plant‐derived cholesterol‐like molecules at the gut is unselective and unrestricted. In haematology, Mediterranean stomatocytosis or Mediterranean macrothrombocytopenia is a poorly understood haematological condition that combines stomatocytic haemolysis with the presence of very large platelets. Five pedigrees showing this haematology were identified. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) showed that all of the patients with this highly specific haematology had grossly elevated levels of phytosterols in the blood, diagnostic of phytosterolaemia. All showed mutations in the ABCG5 and ABCG8 previously linked to phytosterolaemia. Three pedigrees showed five new mutations, while two pedigrees showed the common W361X mutation in ABCG8. We draw the following four conclusions: (i) that Mediterranean stomatocytosis/macrothrombocytopenia is caused by an excess of phytosterols in the blood; (ii) that phytosterolaemia, which does not respond to standard statin treatment, can be diagnosed via the distinctive haematology described here, even when the cholesterol is normal; (iii) that phytosterolaemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all patients with large platelets; and (iv) that the platelet size should be noted in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.
Empirical antimicrobial monotherapy in patients after high‐dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation: a randomised, multicentre trial
Authors: Reich Gernot , Cornely Oliver A. , Sandherr Michael , Kubin Thomas , Krause Stefan , Einsele Hermann , Thiel Eckhard , Bellaire Tanja , Dörken Bernd , Maschmeyer Georg
Published: July 2005

We report on 232 patients undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) entered into a multicentre, randomised trial comparing the efficacy and tolerability of meropenem (MPM) with that of piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) as empirical antimicrobial first‐line therapy for febrile neutropenia. In 27·6% of patients in the MPM group and 22·4% in the P/T group, therapy was initially supplemented with a glycopeptide for venous catheter infection or bacteraemia because of coagulase‐negative staphylococci. Complete response rate after 72 h was 63·8% in the MPM group and 49·6% in the P/T group (P = 0·034). Overall complete response rate after treatment modification was 94·0% in the MPM group and 93·1% in the P/T group. Median time to defervescence was 2 d in the MPM group and 3 d in the P/T group. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Gram‐positive cocci. Treatment was well tolerated in both groups. One patient (0·4%) died from infection. Empirical first‐line therapy with MPM as well as with P/T is safe and effective in febrile episodes emerging after ASCT. Higher response rates to primary treatment can be achieved with MPM.
Risk factors and characteristics associated with severe and difficult to treat asthma phenotype: an analysis of the ENFUMOSA group of patients based on the ECRHS questionnaire
Authors: Gaga M. , Papageorgiou N. , Yiourgioti G. , Karydi P. , Liapikou A. , Bitsakou H. , Zervas E. , Koulouris N. G. , Holgate S. T. ,   on behalf of the ENFUMOSA study group
Published: July 2005

Background
Severe and difficult to treat asthma impairs health status and accounts for about half of asthma expenditure. In 1994, a European Network For Understanding Mechanisms of Severe Asthma (ENFUMOSA) was formed. A large group of patients from nine European countries has been selected.

Objective
To examine the risk factors and symptoms associated with a phenotype of severe/difficult to treat asthma.

Methods
The present report presents data assessed through the use of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) Questionnaire in 148 mild–moderate controlled and 155 severe asthmatics from the ENFUMOSA group.

Results
There is a negative association of severe asthma with reported allergy and with a family history of allergy (Odds ratio (OR)=0.45). Sharing a bedroom before the age of five is associated with a higher risk of severe asthma (OR=1.5) while childhood infections, play school attendance and exposure to allergens or animals are not. A larger proportion of severe asthma patients report symptoms at work (OR=2.7) or have to change jobs (OR=4.3) and fewer severe than mild patients are currently employed (OR=0.39). Smoking and exposure to smoke is similar in mild and severe asthma. Dietary habits do not differ between the groups, but severe asthmatics report eating less savoury snacks and there is a trend for lower intake of sweets.

Conclusions
Analysis of the ECRHS questionnaire in the ENFUMOSA study shows that severe asthma patients experience more symptoms and their health status is impaired by their inability to work and perhaps eat freely. Personal and maternal history of allergy is associated with mild but not severe asthma. Other than sharing a bedroom before the age of 5 years, no childhood exposure risk factors associated with severe asthma could be identified from this analysis.
Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillation phase changes are recorded in the isotopes (δ18O and δ13C) of Cassiope tetragona plants
Authors: Welker Jeffrey M. , Rayback Shelly , Henry Greg H. R.
Published: July 2005

The Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations (AO/NAO) are large‐scale annual modes of atmospheric circulation that have shifted in the last 30 years. Recent changes in arctic climate, including increasing surface air temperature, declining sea ice extent, and shifts in the amounts seasonality of precipitation are linked to the strong positive phase of the AO/NAO. Here, we show that phase changes in the AO/NAO are recorded in the isotopic (δ18O and Δ‐carbon isotope discrimination) characteristics of the long‐lived circum‐arctic plant, Cassiope tetragona, as summer rain has become a more important water source than snowmelt water which in turn has lead to decreases in Δ and reductions in plant stem growth. These isotopic records in C. tetragona may facilitate reconstructions of climate, plant–soil water relations, plant gas exchange attributes and a mechanistic understanding of growth responses to shifts in atmospheric circulation. If plant specimens were available for populations across the arctic as part of the International Polar Year, these archives could provide a circum‐arctic record of historical climate change and associated shifts in physiological plant performance and growth.
Synergy between small‐ and large‐scale feedbacks of vegetation on the water cycle
Authors: Scheffer Marten , Holmgren Milena , Brovkin Victor , Claussen Martin
Published: July 2005

Predictions of the effects of climate change on the extent of forests, savannas and deserts are usually based on simple response models derived from actual vegetation distributions. In this review, we show two major problems with the implicitly assumed straightforward cause–effect relationship. Firstly, several studies suggest that vegetation itself may have considerable effects on regional climate implying a positive feedback, which can potentially lead to large‐scale hysteresis. Secondly, vegetation ecologists have found that effects of plants on microclimate and soils can cause a microscale positive feedback, implying that critical precipitation conditions for colonization of a site may differ from those for disappearance from that site. We argue that it is important to integrate these nonlinearities at disparate scales in models to produce more realistic predictions of potential effects of climate change and deforestation.
Phenolic compounds in seedlings ofBetula pubescensandB. pendulaare affected by enhanced UVB radiation and different nitrogen regimens during early ontogeny
Authors: Keski‐Saari Sarita , Pusenius Jyrki , Julkunen‐Tiitto Riitta
Published: July 2005

We studied the ability of tree seedlings to respond to two environmental factors, elevated ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and availability of nitrogen (N), at the beginning of their development. Seeds of two birch species,Betula pubescensEhrh. (common white birch) andB. pendulaRoth (silver birch), were germinated and the seedlings grown in an experimental field in eastern Finland. The experimental design consisted of a constant 50% increase in UVB radiation (including a slight increase in UVA), a UVA control (a slight increase in UVA) and a control. The seedlings were fertilized with three levels of N. The experiment lasted for 2 months; aboveground biomass was measured and the most mature leaf of each seedling was taken for the analyses of phenolics. Growth of the seedlings was not significantly affected by enhanced UVB, but was increased by increasing N. Elevated UVB induced significant changes in phenolic compounds. Quercetin glycosides were accumulated in the leaves of both species in response to UVB; this is considered to be a protective response. However, the direction of the responses of individual phenolics to different N regimens differed. In addition, concentration of soluble condensed tannins was lower at moderate N than that at lower levels of N in both species; on the contrary, inB. pubescensthe concentration of insoluble condensed tannins was highest at moderate N. No significant interaction between UV and N was detected, and the responses of the two species were highly similar to UVB, while the responses to N regimens varied slightly more between species.
Historical land‐use legacy and Cortaderia selloana invasion in the Mediterranean region
Authors: Domènech Roser , Vilà Montserrat , Pino Joan , Gesti Josep
Published: July 2005

Two major components of global change: land‐use changes and intentional or accidental species introduction are threatening the conservation of native species worldwide. In particular, Mediterranean coastal areas are highly susceptible to the invasion of alien species and they also have experienced major changes in land use such as agricultural abandonment and urbanization. However, there has been little research done which quantitatively links biological invasions and the components of land‐use changes (i.e. number, trajectory and direction of the changes). We analysed the current distribution and abundance of Cortaderia selloana (Schultes et Schultes fil.) Asch. et Graebner, an alien ornamental species, in 332 fields in Aiguamolls de l'Empordà (Catalonia, NE Spain) and related the patterns of invasion to spatiotemporal data on land‐use changes from 1956 to 2003. Our aim was to determine which land uses had been more susceptible to C. selloana invasion during the last 5 years and to find out which components of land‐use changes triggered invasion. We found that 22.30% of the fields are currently invaded. In the last 5 years, fields have triplicated the total density of C. selloana. The presence of C. selloana decreases with the distance from urban areas. Invasion is over‐represented in pastures and old‐fields, and it has increased with time since abandonment. The presence of C. selloana was also associated to fields that had experienced many changes in land use in the last 46 years. The most heavily invaded fields were those that were pastures in 1956 and are now old fields in 2003. On average, the largest plants are found in agricultural field margins and in fields that had a disturbed land use both in 1956 and in 2003. Furthermore, pastures had the lowest proportion of reproductive plants. Overall, current C. selloana patterns of invasion can be explained by the historical legacy of land‐use changes.
Climate change‐driven forest fires marginalize the impact of ice cap wasting on Kilimanjaro
Authors: Hemp Andreas
Published: July 2005

The disappearing glaciers of Kilimanjaro are attracting broad interest. Less conspicuous but ecologically far more significant is the associated increase of frequency and intensity of fires on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, which leads to a downward shift of the upper forest line by several hundred meters as a result of a drier (warmer) climate since the last century. In contrast to common belief, global warming does not necessarily cause upward migration of plants and animals. Here, it is shown that on Kilimanjaro the opposite trend is under way, with consequences more harmful than those due to the loss of the showy ice cap of Africa's highest mountain.
Below‐ground responses of silver birch trees exposed to elevated CO2 and O3 levels during three growing seasons
Authors: Kasurinen Anne , Keinänen Minna M. , Kaipainen Saara , Nilsson Lars‐Ola , Vapaavuori Elina , Kontro Merja H. , Holopainen Toini
Published: July 2005

Field‐growing silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones (clone 4 and 80) were exposed to elevated CO2 and O3 in open‐top chambers for three consecutive growing seasons (1999–2001). At the beginning of the OTC experiment, all trees were 7 years old. We studied the single and interaction effects of CO2 and O3 on silver birch below‐ground carbon pools (i.e. effects on fine roots and mycorrhizas, soil microbial communities and sporocarp production) and also assessed whether there are any clonal differences in these below‐ground CO2 and O3 responses. The total mycorrhizal infection level of both clones was stimulated by elevated CO2 alone and elevated O3 alone, but not when elevated CO2 was used in fumigation in combination with elevated O3. In both clones, elevated CO2 affected negatively light brown/orange mycorrhizas, while its effect on other mycorrhizal morphotypes was negligible. Elevated O3, instead, clearly decreased the proportions of black and liver‐brown mycorrhizas and increased that of light brown/orange mycorrhizas. Elevated O3 had a tendency to decrease standing fine root mass and sporocarp production as well, both of these O3 effects mainly manifesting in clone 4 trees. CO2 and O3 treatment effects on soil microbial community composition (PLFA, 2‐ and 3‐OH‐FA profiles) were negligible, but quantitative PLFA data showed that in 2001 the PLFA fungi : bacteria‐ratio of clone 80 trees was marginally increased because of elevated CO2 treatments. This study shows that O3 effects were most clearly visible at the mycorrhizal root level and that some clonal differences in CO2 and O3 responses were observable in the below‐ground carbon pools. In conclusion, the present data suggests that CO2 effects were minor, whereas increasing tropospheric O3 levels can be an important stress factor in northern birch forests, as they might alter mycorrhizal morphotype assemblages, mycorrhizal infection rates and sporocarp production.
The microfood web of grassland soils responds to a moderate increase in atmospheric CO2
Authors: Sonnemann Ilja , Wolters Volkmar
Published: July 2005

The response of the soil microfood web (microflora, nematodes) to a moderate increase in atmospheric CO2(+20%) was investigated by means of a free air CO2enrichment experiment. The study was carried out in a seminatural temperate grassland for a period of 4 consecutive years (1 year before fumigation commenced and 3 years with fumigation). Several soil biological parameters showed no change (microbial biomass, bacterial biomass) or decline (microbial respiration) in the first year of elevated CO2treatment as compared with controls. Each of these parameters were higher than controls, however, after 3 years of treatment. The relative abundance of predaceous nematodes also decreased in year 1 of the experiment, increased in year 2, but decreased again in year 3. In contrast, the relative abundance of root hair feeding nematodes, at first, increased under elevated CO2and then returned to the initial level again. Increased microbial biomass indicates enhanced C storage in the labile carbon pool of the active microfood web in subsequent years. According to measurements on the amounts of soil extractable C, changes in resource availability seem to be key to the response of the soil microfood web.

We found a strong response of bacteria to elevated CO2, while the fungal biomass remained largely unchanged. This contrasts to findings reported in the literature. We hypothesize that this may be because of contrasting effects of different levels of CO2enrichment on the microbial community (i.e. stimulation of bacteria at moderate levels and stimulation of fungi at high levels of CO2enrichment). However, various CO2effects observed in our study are similar in magnitude to those observed in other studies for a much higher level of atmospheric carbon. These include the particular sensitivity of predaceous nematodes and the long‐term increase of microbial respiration. Our findings confirm that the potential of terrestrial ecosystems to accumulate additional carbon might be lower than previously thought. Furthermore, CO2‐induced changes of temperate grassland ecosystems might emerge much earlier than expected.
Spatial and temporal variation of phenological growing season and climate change impacts in temperate eastern China
Authors: Chen Xiaoqiu , Hu Bing , Yu Rong
Published: July 2005

Using phenological and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from 1982 to 1993 at seven sample stations in temperate eastern China, we calculated the cumulative frequency of leaf unfolding and leaf coloration dates for deciduous species every 5 days throughout the study period. Then, we determined the growing season beginning and end dates by computing times when 50% of the species had undergone leaf unfolding and leaf coloration for each station year. Next, we used these beginning and end dates of the growing season as time markers to determine corresponding threshold NDVI values on NDVI curves for the pixels overlaying phenological stations. Based on a cluster analysis, we determined extrapolation areas for each phenological station in every year, and then implemented the spatial extrapolation of growing season parameters from the seven sample stations to all possible meteorological stations in the study area.

Results show that spatial patterns of growing season beginning and end dates correlate significantly with spatial patterns of mean air temperatures in spring and autumn, respectively. Contrasting with results from similar studies in Europe and North America, our study suggests that there is a significant delay in leaf coloration dates, along with a less pronounced advance of leaf unfolding dates in different latitudinal zones and the whole area from 1982 to 1993. The growing season has been extended by 1.4–3.6 days per year in the northern zones and by 1.4 days per year across the entire study area on average. The apparent delay in growing season end dates is associated with regional cooling from late spring to summer, while the insignificant advancement in beginning dates corresponds to inconsistent temperature trend changes from late winter to spring. On an interannual basis, growing season beginning and end dates correlate negatively with mean air temperatures from February to April and from May to June, respectively.
Land‐use change and water losses: the case of grassland afforestation across a soil textural gradient in central Argentina
Authors: Nosetto Marcelo D. , Jobbágy Esteban G. , Paruelo José M.
Published: July 2005

Vegetation changes, particularly those involving transitions between tree‐ and grass‐dominated covers, often modify evaporative water losses as a result of plant‐mediated shifts in moisture access and demand. Massive afforestation of native grasslands, particularly important in the Southern Hemisphere, may have strong yet poorly quantified effects on the hydrological cycle. We explored water use patterns inEucalyptus grandisplantations and the native humid grasslands that they replace in Central Argentina. In order to uncover the interactive effects that land cover type, soil texture and climate variability may have on evaporative water losses and water use efficiency, we estimated daily evapotranspiration (ET) in 117 tree plantations and grasslands plots across a soil textural gradient (clay‐textured Vertisols to sandy‐textured Entisols) using radiometric information from seven Landsat scenes, existing timber productions records, and13C measurements in tree stems. Tree plantations had cooler surface temperatures (−5°C on average) and evaporated more water (+80% on average) than grasslands at all times and across all sites. Absolute ET differences between grasslands and plantations ranged from ∼0.6 to 2 mm day−1and annual up‐scaling suggested values of ∼630 and ∼1150 mm yr−1for each vegetation type, respectively. The temporal variability of ET was significantly lower in plantations compared with grasslands (coefficient of variation 36% vs. 49%). Daily ET increased as the water balance became more positive (accumulated balance for previous 18 days) with a saturation response in grassland vs. a continuous linear increase in plantations, suggesting lower ecophysiological limits to water loss in tree canopies compared with the native vegetation. Plantation ET was more strongly affected by soil texture than grassland ET and peaked in coarse textured sites followed by medium and fine textured sites. Timber productivity as well as13C concentration in stems peaked in medium textured sites, indicating lower water use efficiency on extreme textures and suggesting that water limitation was not responsible for productivity declines towards finer and coarser soils. Our study highlighted the key role that vegetation type plays on evapotranspiration and, therefore, in the hydrological cycle. Considering that tree plantations may continue their expansion over grasslands, problematic changes in water management and, perhaps, in local climate can develop from the higher evaporative water losses of tree plantations.
Statistical analysis of the major variables controlling methane emission from rice fields
Authors: Yan Xiaoyuan , Yagi Kazuyuki , Akiyama Hiroko , Akimoto Hajime
Published: July 2005

Rice cultivation is an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric methane (CH4), the emission of which is affected by management practices. Many field measurements have been conducted in major rice‐producing countries in Asia. We compiled a database of CH4 emissions from rice fields in Asia from peer‐reviewed journals. We developed a statistical model to relate CH4 flux in the rice‐growing season to soil properties, water regime in the rice‐growing season, water status in the previous season, organic amendment and climate. The statistical results showed that all these variables significantly affected CH4 flux, and explained 68% of the variability. Organic amendment and water regime in the rice‐growing season were the top two controlling variables; climate was the least critical variable. The average CH4 fluxes from rice fields with single and multiple drainages were 60% and 52% of that from continuously flooded rice fields. The flux from fields that were flooded in the previous season was 2.8 times that from fields previously drained for a long season and 1.9 times that from fields previously drained for a short season. In contrast to the previously reported optimum soil pH of around neutrality, soils with pH of 5.0–5.5 gave the maximum CH4 emission. The model results demonstrate that application of rice straw at 6 t ha−1 before rice transplanting can increase CH4 emission by 2.1 times; when applied in the previous season, however, it increases CH4 emission by only 0.8 times. Default emission factors and scaling factors for different water regimes and organic amendments derived from this work can be used to develop national or regional emission inventories.