bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability in river temperature, discharge, and energy flux from the Russian pan‐Arctic landmass
Authors: Lammers Richard B. , Pundsack Jonathan W. , Shiklomanov Alexander I.
Published: November 2007

We introduce a new Arctic river temperature data set covering 20 gauges in 17 unique Arctic Ocean drainage basins in the Russian pan‐Arctic (ART‐Russia). Warm season 10‐day time step data (decades) were collected from Russian archival sources covering a period from 1929 to 2003 with most data falling in the range from the mid‐1930s to the early 1990s. The water temperature data were combined with river discharge data to estimate energy flux for all basins and over the Russian pan‐Arctic as a whole. Tests for trend were carried out for water temperature, river discharge, and energy flux. Spatially coherent significant increases in the maximum decadal river temperature were found in the European part of the Russian pan‐Arctic. Several other drainage basins showed significant changes, but there was no strong pattern either in the connections between variables or spatially. The trend in area averaged energy flux for the three largest drainage basins (Ob, Yenisey, Lena) combined was found to be significantly decreasing. We speculate that in the Yenisey basin, this decrease was due to large impoundments of river water. The lack of consistency between temperature and energy flux trends was due to the difference in timing between peaks in river temperature and river discharge. The mean area averaged energy flux from the Russian basins was 0.2 W m−2. Using this mean we estimated the total energy flux from the entire Russian pan‐Arctic, both gauged and ungauged, to be 82 EJ a−1.
Tectonic inheritance and continental rift architecture: Numerical and analogue models of the East African Rift system
Authors: Corti Giacomo , van Wijk Jolante , Cloetingh Sierd , Morley Chris K.
Published: November 2007

The western branch of the East African Rift is composed of an arcuate succession of elongate asymmetric basins, which differ in terms of interaction geometry, fault architecture and kinematics, and patterns of uplift/subsidence and erosion/sedimentation. The basins are located within Proterozoic mobile belts at the edge of the strong Tanzanian craton; surface geology suggests that the geometry of these weak zones is an important parameter in controlling rift development and architecture, although other processes have been proposed. In this study, we use lithosphere‐scale numerical models and crustal‐scale analogue experiments to shed light on the relations between preexisting structures and rift architecture. Results illustrate that on a regional scale, rift localization within the mobile belts at the curved craton's western border results in an arcuate rift system, which implies that under a constant extensional stress field, part of the western branch experienced orthogonal extension and part oblique extension. Largest depocenters are predicted to form mostly orthogonal to the extension direction, and smaller depocenters will form along the oblique parts of the rift. The varying extension direction along the rift zone furthermore results in lengthwise varying rift asymmetry, segmentation characteristics, and border fault architecture (trend, length, and kinematics). Analogue models predict that discrete upper crustal fabrics may influence the location of accommodation zones and control the architecture of extension‐related faults at a local scale. Models support that fabric reactivation is responsible for the oblique‐slip kinematics on faults and for the development of Z‐shaped or arcuate normal faults typically documented in nature.
A ground‐based multisensor cloud phase classifier
Authors: Shupe Matthew D.
Published: November 2007

A method for classifying cloud phase from a suite of ground‐based sensors is outlined. The method exploits the complementary strengths of cloud radar, depolarization lidar, microwave radiometer, and temperature soundings to classify clouds observed in the vertical column as ice, snow, mixed‐phase, liquid, drizzle, rain, or aerosol. Although the classification has been specifically designed for observations of Arctic clouds, the general framework is applicable to other locations with minor modifications. An example classification demonstrates the application to actual measurements.
Imaging the conduit size of the dome with cosmic‐ray muons: The structure beneath Showa‐Shinzan Lava Dome, Japan
Authors: Tanaka H. K. M. , Nakano T. , Takahashi S. , Yoshida J. , Ohshima H. , Maekawa T. , Watanabe H. , Niwa K.
Published: November 2007

We developed a radiographic technique to image a subsurface conduit shape using cosmic‐ray muons. The test measurement was performed in Showa‐Shinzan lava dome located in Hokkaido, Japan as an example. A muon detector with an area of 6000 cm2 was set up at the foot of the lava dome. Muon tracks recorded in nuclear emulsion films in the detector were analyzed to determine the level of energy absorption along different ray paths through subsurface beneath the lava dome. A typical angular resolution of the muon detector of 10 mrad corresponds to a spatial resolution of 10 m at a distance of 1 km, which is difficult to be addressed with seismological technique. We mapped differentially absorbed cosmic‐ray muons, which depend upon the varying thickness and density beneath the dome. We successfully imaged the conduit shape and determined a conduit diameter of 102 ± 15 m, assuming the observed high absorption region beneath the dome is localized in the vent area.
Stability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in the Last Glacial Maximum climate
Authors: Weber Susanne L. , Drijfhout Sybren S.
Published: November 2007

The stability of the glacial Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is examined using a coupled model of intermediate complexity. Two slightly different climatic states are generated. One has a southward overturning freshwater transport at the southern border of the Atlantic basin, the other a northward transport. Pulse experiments with varying magnitude always result in a collapsed circulation in case of a southward transport, while the overturning recovers in case of a northward transport. In the latter case recovery is due to a positive salinity‐overturning feedback, which strengthens the remnant circulation cell that exists in the ‘collapsed’ state. This is amplified by advection by wind‐driven currents and a southward ITCZ shift. The glacial circulation is more easily perturbed than the modern and restoring timescales are considerably longer, matching the duration of Heinrich events.
Experimental investigation of a flow driven by a combination of a rotating and a traveling magnetic field
Authors: Cramer A. , Pal J. , Gerbeth G.
Published: November 2007

Velocity measurements in a liquid metal flow were performed in order to study the combined action of a rotating (RMF) and a traveling magnetic field (TMF). In a cylindrical container, a RMF alone, as well as a TMF alone, cause axisymmetric volume forces, which drive corresponding axisymmetric base flows. The combination of both fields gives rise to an inherent three-dimensional constituent of the electromagnetic force distribution. In the case of equal RMF and TMF frequencies, this combination drives a three-dimensional flow consisting of a single large-scale helical motion, which implies an intense mixing of the melt. The necessary admixture of a TMF to a given RMF to cause a qualitative change of the flow structure is shown to be two orders of magnitude smaller in the case of equal field frequencies compared to the case of differing frequencies.
Polyhedra obtained from Coxeter groups and quaternions
Authors: Koca Mehmet , Al-Ajmi Mudhahir , Koç Ramazan
Published: November 2007

We note that all regular and semiregular polytopes in arbitrary dimensions can be obtained from the Coxeter-Dynkin diagrams. The vertices of a regular or semiregular polytope are the weights obtained as the orbit of the Coxeter-Weyl group acting on the highest weight representing a selected irreducible representation of the Lie group. This paper, in particular, deals with the determination of the vertices of the Platonic and Archimedean solids from the Coxeter diagrams A3, B3, and H3 in the context of the quaternionic representations of the root systems and the Coxeter-Weyl groups. We use Lie algebraic techniques in the derivation of vertices of the polyhedra and show that the polyhedra possessing the tetrahedral, octahedral, and icosahedral symmetries are related to the Coxeter-Weyl groups representing the symmetries of the diagrams of A3, B3, and H3, respectively. This technique leads to the determination of the vertices of all Platonic and Archimedean solids except two chiral polyhedra, snubcuboctahedron and snubicosidodecahedron.
Structure and morphology of pulsed laser depos ited boron carbide films: Influence of deposition geometry
Authors: Zemsky Daniel , Shneck Roni , Dagdigian Paul J. , Bar Ilana
Published: November 2007

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of a sintered boron carbide (B4C) target has been used for depositing crystalline thin films on room-temperature substrates of (100) oriented silicon surfaces. Deposition was accomplished by positioning the substrates parallel (on-axis geometry) to a rotating target or perpendicular (off-axis configuration) and tilted relative to the target. The morphology and structure of the B4C films were revealed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, while the crystalline structure and composition were elucidated by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The deposited film structures were found to be geometry dependent, consisting of crystalline B4C particles in an on-axis configuration and tilted nanocolumns (14°–59°), with respect to the surface normal in off-axis and tilted configurations. The tilt angles could be manipulated by changing the substrate to target angle (20°–90°) and consequently the vapor incident angle. The experimental column tilt angle could be described by the general relationship derived by Lichter and Chen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 1396 (1986)]. The ability of PLD to produce crystalline dense films or columnar films of boron carbide with a desired tilt angle might provide a unique advantage in design of three dimensional structures.
Generation-recombination and thermal noise coupling in the drift-diffusion model
Authors: Zocchi Fabio E.
Published: November 2007

In the framework of the drift-diffusion approximation in semiconductors, an expression for the autocorrelation of the current noise is derived that self-consistently leads to the well-known expression for thermal noise without the need of adding a proper stochastic term to the current density. The autocorrelation is derived on the basis of a single-particle model of the carrier motion. In the presence of generation-recombination processes, an interaction white noise term appears in the power spectral density of the current noise due to the coupling between thermal and generation-recombination noise. The proposed model is also applicable to the study of the contribution of diffusion to noise in nonstationary processes.
Selection and identity rules for subductions of type A quantum Iwahori-Hecke algebras
Authors: Chilla Vincenzo
Published: November 2007

This paper is concerned with the subduction problem of type A quantum Iwahori-Hecke algebras CH(Sf,q2) with a real deformation parameter q, i.e., the problem of decomposing irreducible representations of such algebras as direct sum of irreducible representations of the subalgebras CH(Sf1,q2)×CH(Sf2,q2), with f1+f2=f. After giving a suitable combinatorial description for the subduction issue, we provide a selection rule, based on the Richardson-Littlewood criterion, which allows to determine the vanishing coupling coefficients between standard basis vectors for such representations, and we also present an equivariance condition for the subduction coefficients. Such results extend those ones corresponding to the subduction problem in symmetric group algebras CSf↓CSf1×CSf2 which are obtained by q approaching the value of 1.
Analysis of vortex core in steady turbulent flow
Authors: Amromin Eduard
Published: November 2007

Profiles of velocity and pressure for the vortex core in turbulent flow were obtained by solving Reynolds equation for the circumferential component of the fluid momentum. The viscous core radius is defined as a function of viscosity coefficient, vortex intensity, and a Reynolds stress component. The obtained velocity profiles are in much better agreement with known experimental data than are the Rankin vortex profiles.
Structural and magnetic properties of Zn1−xMnxO (≤x≤0.40) nanoparticles
Authors: Duan L. B. , Rao G. H. , Yu J. , Wang Y. C. , Chu W. G. , Zhang L. N.
Published: November 2007

Zn 1 − x Mn x O nanoparticles synthesized by a combustion method with Mn concentration x up to 0.40 are carefully characterized by means of x-ray powder diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Single-phase solid solution Zn1−xMnxO is achieved with a solubility limit of ∼30 at. % Mn. An almost linear dependence of lattice constant on the Mn content is observed, indicating the homogeneous substitution of Mn2+ for the Zn2+ in wurtzite ZnO. Magnetization at T=5 K and H=5 T exhibits a maximum around the Mn doping concentration of xm=0.125. Room temperature ferromagnetism with low coercive field (Hc∼70±5 Oe) is obtained for the sample with x=0.01. The observed magnetic properties of Zn1−xMnxO can be well understood within the framework of the donor impurity band exchange model.
The salience of gender during the transition to higher education: male students' accounts of performed and authentic identities
Authors: Warin Jo , Dempster Steve
Published: November 2007

This article looks at the transition to higher education made by a group of male undergraduates. The data were collected though one‐to‐one interviews with 24 students, who were asked questions designed to elicit data about their positioning in relation to hegemonic masculinities. The evidence presented here supports the view that gender operates as a salient and accessible means of identifying an in‐group of peers and that ‘laddish’ practices are enacted as a function of the initial stages of peer group formation. However, such practices are described by many respondents as a ‘front’ or performance. In distancing themselves from such practices, these students did not succeed in articulating ‘alternative masculinities’, but many articulated a strong underlying value for an authentic self, providing an important insight into the experiencing of identity.
‘Voice’ is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors: Lundy Laura
Published: November 2007

This article provides a children's rights critique of the concept of ‘pupil voice’. The analysis is founded on Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives children the right to have their views given due weight in all matters affecting them. Drawing on research conducted on behalf of the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, the article assesses some of the barriers to the meaningful and effective implementation of the right within education. It is argued that the phrases which are commonly used as abbreviations for Article 12, such as ‘pupil voice’, have the potential to diminish its impact as they provide an imperfect summary of the full extent of the obligation. The article proposes a new model, which has four key elements, for conceptualising Article 12— Voice, Audience and Influence.
The use of email interviewing as a qualitative method of inquiry in educational research
Authors: James Nalita
Published: November 2007

This article argues for the potential that email interviewing has as a qualitative method in educational research. The article draws on research that uses email as a way of generating online narratives in order to understand how academics construct their identities. In doing so, the article considers the challenges that email interviewing poses for researchers who might wish to use the method as a way of studying and understanding academics' lives, particularly the nature of ‘presentation’ and ‘performance’ that takes place with/in email narratives. Nonetheless, despite these challenges, the article concludes by recognising the possibilities the method has for increasing reflexivity by providing both the time and space for academics to construct, reflect upon and learn from their stories of experience.
Was Richard Cantillon a Mercantilist?
Authors: Thornton Mark
Published: November 2007

Richard Cantillon is considered by many to be the first economic theorist. His contributions span such diverse topics as methodology, value and price theory, population, money, international trade, business cycles, the circular-flow model of the economy, and the price-specie-flow mechanism. His only known book, Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en Général (hereafter, the Essai), may represent one of the single largest steps forward in the social sciences. Many attempts have been made to classify Richard Cantillon into a well-defined school of thought and he has been claimed as a forerunner by many schools of economic thought, but for purposes of categorization, he is most often placed with the mercantilists. Cantillon lived and wrote before the Physiocrats. He was involved in John Law's Mississippi Bubble, one of the grandest attempts to actualize the mercantilist dream of increasing the supply of money, and he was involved in the merchant trade and merchant banking business, so it would be natural to consider him a mercantilist writer. Those who have classified him as a mercantilist, however, base their categorization mainly on excerpts from the Essai where Cantillon seems to display sympathy with mercantilist policy objectives in such areas as international trade, monetary policy, and economic development.
Cardinal Versus Ordinal Utility: António Horta Osório's Contribution
Authors: Mata Maria Eugénia
Published: November 2007

The history of economic thought remembers António Horta Osório for Schumpeter's reference to him in the History of Economic Analysis, in the context of a general appraisal of available works using mathematical instruments and language. This, however, does not do him justice, as he should also be praised for his pioneering interpretation of Pareto's general equilibrium. According to Stigler (1965), the definitive substitution of the cardinal utility hypothesis for the ordinal utility perspective was achieved by Johnson (1913) and Slutsky (1915). Weber (2001) discusses how far Pareto used cardinality, elects Slutsky (1915) as a pioneer of demand theory and prefers to reserve to R. G. Allen (1932–34), L. R. Klein and H. Rubin (1947–48), Samuelson (1947–48), R. C. Geary (1950–51), and Richard Stone (1954) the role of establishing ordinal utility in studying the utility function. This paper shows that Osório (1911) considered the subject of ordinalism before Johnson and Slutsky addressed the issue, as he had rejected the possibility of measuring utility and clearly stated that general equilibrium is not affected if cardinality is replaced by the ordinal conception for utility, according to Pareto's last formulation. Upon reading his book it becomes clear that not only was he perfectly aware of Edgeworth's contribution on the utility indifference curves, but also of Pareto's attempts to preserve general equilibrium from Fisher's criticism against cardinalism. Historians of economic thought have forgotten one of the early twentieth-century neoclassical economists. In this way the History of Economics has neglected an interesting proof of the consolidation of the Paretian ideas on ordinality, an issue that was an exciting and uncharted territory at that moment.
Housing conditions in childhood and cause-specific adult mortality: The effect of sanitary conditions and economic deprivation on 55,761 men in Oslo
Authors: Næss Øyvind , Claussen Bjørgulf , Smith George Davey
Published: November 2007

Aims: To examine indices of two plausible pathways linking housing conditions in childhood and adult cause-specific mortality: sanitary conditions and economic deprivation. To investigate if the effects of these are explained by education. Methods: Linked register study (housing information from the 1960 Census, the educational register in 1990 and the death register 1990—998). A Sanitary Conditions Index (SCI) and an Economic Deprivation Index (EDI) were constructed from the housing conditions variables. Participants: All men aged 30—54 years (n=55,761) who were residents in Oslo on 1 January 1990 with complete information on housing conditions (80%). Results: Both SCI and EDI were related to all-cause mortality independently of each other. Education explained to a large extent these effects. In a sub-sample, 24% of the effects could be explained by parental education and 31% by own education. The effects found for causes of death failed to give a heterogeneous pattern between the two indices. In the fully adjusted model psychiatric causes of death appeared to be more related to EDI than SCI. Conclusions: The two indices of childhood social circumstances, sanitary conditions and economic deprivation, appeared to be independently associated with all-cause mortality. The effect of both could to a large extent be explained by parental and own education.
Gender and images of heart disease in Scandinavian drug advertising
Authors: Riska Elianne , Heikell Thomas
Published: November 2007

Aims: This study examines the construction of the ``heart disease candidate'' in advertisements for cardiovascular drugs in Scandinavian medical journals. Methods: All advertisements for cardiovascular drugs (n=603) in Scandinavian medical journals (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) in 2005 were collected. Only advertisements that portray users (n=289, 48% of the advertisements) were analyzed. Results: The results show that coronary candidacy is constructed as a male condition in half of the advertisements for cardiovascular drugs. The advertisements suggest a gendering of heart disease: men are the major victims of heart failure and cardiac insufficiency, and women are in need of cholesterol-lowering drugs. The cardiovascular drug advertisements portray a restoration of men's hyperactive agency, valorized by means of sporty images, by drawing on masculinity as a fixed trait and behavior. Hypercholesterolemia as a woman's disease reproduces the tyranny of slimness for women: Only women's stoutness is medicalized, and there are no pictures of heavy men. Conclusions: The findings point to the public health implications of gendered images of coronary candidacy in medical advertising.
A Possible Mechanism Underlying the Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Drug Addiction
Authors: Yang Chae Ha , Lee Bong Hyo , Sohn Sung Hoon
Published: November 2007

Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of drug addiction. While there are still many unanswered questions about the basic mechanisms of acupuncture, some evidence exists to suggest that acupuncture can play an important role in reducing reinforcing effects of abused drugs. The purpose of this article is to critically review these data. The neurochemical and behavioral evidence showed that acupuncture′s role in suppressing the reinforcing effects of abused drugs takes place by modulating mesolimbic dopamine neurons. Also, several brain neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, opioid and amino acids including GABA have been implicated in the modulation of dopamine release by acupuncture. These results provided clear evidence for the biological effects of acupuncture that ultimately may help us to understand how acupuncture can be used to treat abused drugs. Additional research using animal models is of primary importance to understanding the basic mechanism underlying acupuncture′s effectiveness in the treatment of drug addiction.
Changes in volume of drinking after changes in alcohol taxes and travellers' allowances: results from a panel study
Authors: Mäkelä Pia , Bloomfield Kim , Gustafsson Nina‐Katri , Huhtanen Petri , Room Robin
Published: November 2007

Aims The aim of this paper is to study short‐term changes in alcohol consumption by subgroups of the population in Denmark, Finland and southern Sweden following large‐scale decreases in alcohol taxation in Denmark and Finland and large increases in travellers' allowances in Finland and Sweden.

Design General population random samples surveyed before and after the changes, using northern Sweden as a control site.

Setting Denmark, Finland, southern Sweden and northern Sweden.

Participants Respondents aged 16–69 years.

Measurements Volume of drinking is the main measure reported. Changes are examined by gender, age, income and year 2003 consumption level.

Results Consumption decreased or remained the same among women and men in all three study sites. Relative changes were similar across subgroups of age, gender and income in all countries. In absolute terms, there was a consistent differential change by age in Denmark, Finland and Southern Sweden, with the higher level of the young and lower level of the old converging. Women's and men's consumption converged in Finland and southern Sweden. The changes did not differ systematically by income. Changes were not larger among heavier drinkers.

Conclusions The results did not confirm expectations: an increase in consumption larger than that in the control site could not be shown in any of the countries or subgroups of the population. If there has been an effect – as shown in aggregate data in Finland – it seems to have been stronger among the old than the young and, in Finland and southern Sweden, among women rather than men.
Effects of progression to cigarette smoking on depressed mood in adolescents: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Authors: Munafò Marcus R. , Hitsman Brian , Rende Richard , Metcalfe Chris , Niaura Raymond
Published: November 2007

Aims  To investigate the relationship between smoking status and continuously distributed depressed mood among a cohort of adolescents.

Design  Quasi‐experimental design, selecting the subset of adolescents who reported never having smoked a cigarette at baseline, some of whom progressed subsequently to smoking at follow‐up approximately 1 year later.

Setting  Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, an ongoing study designed to assess the health status of adolescents, and explore the causes of adolescent health‐related behaviours.

Participants  Nationally representative sample of adolescents from the USA (n = 12 149), including a subsample who reported never having smoked a cigarette at baseline (n = 5475), aged on average 15 years at baseline and of predominantly European ancestry.

Measurements  Logistic and linear regression models controlling for potential confounders to explore the relationship between smoking status and depressed mood measured using the Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D).

Findings  Various relationships between smoking status and depressed mood were observed, with a general trend for these effects to be greater among females. Smoking status at baseline did not significantly predict CES‐D score at follow‐up, although this effect approached significance in females (P = 0.077). Among never smokers at baseline, level of depressed mood at baseline predicted subsequent progression to smoking initiation (P = 0.022) but not progression to regular smoking (P = 0.229). Among never smokers at baseline, progression to smoking initiation during the follow‐up period was associated with higher CES‐D scores at follow‐up, even after adjusting for baseline depressed mood (P < 0.001), with this effect greater for females than for males. Among those who initiated smoking, progression to regular smoking was associated with higher CES‐D score at follow‐up among females (P = 0.001), but not males (P = 0.966).

Conclusions  These data appear to support a complex model of the relationship between depressed mood and smoking status which includes elements of both confounding and causal models. The relationship between cigarette smoking and depression may be a factor in the development of subsequent dependence.
‘Social evils’ and harm reduction: the evolving policy environment for human immunodeficiency virus prevention among injection drug users in China and Vietnam
Authors: Hammett Theodore M. , Wu Zunyou , Duc Tran Tien , Stephens David , Sullivan Sheena , Liu Wei , Chen Yi , Ngu Doan , Des Jarlais Don C.
Published: November 2007

Aims  This paper reviews the evolution of government policies in China and Vietnam regarding harm reduction interventions for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, such as needle/syringe provision and opioid substitution treatment.

Methods  The work is based upon the authors' experiences in and observations of these policy developments, as well as relevant government policy documents and legislation.

Results  Both countries are experiencing HIV epidemics driven by injection drug use and have maintained generally severe policies towards injection drug users (IDUs). In recent years, however, they have also officially endorsed harm reduction. We sought to understand how and why this apparently surprising policy evolution took place. Factors associated with growing support for harm reduction were similar but not identical in China and Vietnam. These included the emergence of effective ‘champions’ for such policies, an ethos of pragmatism and receptivity to evidence, growing collaboration across public health, police and other sectors, the influence of contingent events such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic and pressure from donors and international organizations to adopt best practice in HIV prevention.

Conclusions  Ongoing challenges and lessons learned include the persistence of tensions between drug control and harm reduction that may have negative effects on programs until a fully harmonized policy environment is established. Excessive reliance on law enforcement and forced detoxification will not solve the problems of substance abuse or of HIV among drug users. Ongoing evaluation of harm reduction programs, as well as increased levels of multi‐sectoral training, collaboration and support are also needed.
Unintentional drug overdose death trends in New Mexico, USA, 1990–2005: combinations of heroin, cocaine, prescription opioids and alcohol
Authors: Shah Nina G. , Lathrop Sarah L. , Reichard R. Ross , Landen Michael G.
Published: November 2007

Aims  To determine the contribution of heroin, prescription opioids, cocaine and alcohol/drug combinations to the total overdose death rate and identify changes in drug overdose patterns among New Mexico subpopulations.

Design  We analyzed medical examiner data for all unintentional drug overdose deaths in New Mexico during 1990–2005. Age‐adjusted drug overdose death rates were calculated by sex and race/ethnicity; we modeled overall drug overdose death adjusting for age and region.

Findings  The total unintentional drug overdose death rate in New Mexico increased from 5.6 per 100 000 in 1990 to 15.5 per 100 000 in 2005. Deaths caused by heroin, prescription opioids, cocaine and alcohol/drug combinations together ranged from 89% to 98% of the total. Heroin caused the most deaths during 1990–2005, with a notable rate increase in prescription opioid overdose death during 1998–2005 (58%). During 1990–2005, the 196% increase in single drug category overdose death was driven by prescription opioids alone and heroin alone; the 148% increase in multi‐drug category overdose death was driven by heroin/alcohol and heroin/cocaine. Hispanic males had the highest overdose death rate, followed by white males, white females, Hispanic females and American Indians. The most common categories causing death were heroin alone and heroin/alcohol among Hispanic males, heroin/alcohol among American Indian males and prescription opioids alone among white males and all female subpopulations.

Conclusions  Interventions to prevent drug overdose death should be targeted according to use patterns among at‐risk subpopulations. A comprehensive approach addressing both illicit and prescription drug users, and people who use these drugs concurrently, is needed to reduce overdose death.
The use of teak (Tectona grandis) plantations by large mammals in the Kilombero Valley, southern Tanzania
Authors: Bonnington C. , Weaver D. , Fanning E.
Published: November 2007

The establishment of plantations is impacting the large mammal populations of the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. Animal spoors were used as a proxy for activity to determine the influence of teak stand age on mammals. Habitat variables were compared between different aged stands to investigate the relationship between mammal activity and vegetation characteristics. Vegetation surveys found plantation composition to differ with age; with young stands characterized by slender teak trees, limited leaf litter, abundant grass layer and substantial bare ground. Older plantations contained a high leaf litter layer and dead wood, low grass abundance and minimal bare ground. Spoor transects revealed that mammal species number decreased as the teak matured. Of those vegetation variables tested, grass and bare ground abundance explained significantly the variation in species number and in individual species’ habitat use between differently aged stands; therefore this habitat use was influenced by the foraging value of the plantation. This study showed that several species (some of which warrant conservation attention, such as elephant) use plantations <6 years old to a greater extent than plantations >6 years. Thus, there is a need for conservation measures, such as wildlife corridors and staggered teak planting to be continued, allowing large mammal movements in the valley.
Habitat preferences of the forest birds on the island of Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea
Authors: Dallimer Martin , King Tony
Published: November 2007

The forests of southwest Príncipe are recognized as important for biodiversity conservation. Here, we study the distribution and density of fifteen of the island’s endemic bird species (including three Globally Threatened and one Near‐Threatened) within the National Park. The endemic subspecies of the Near‐Threatened Gulf of Guinea thrush occurred at a density of 0.08 birds ha−1, which is far lower than its sister subspecies on the neighbouring island of São Tomé. We also present evidence that the effects of access routes around the protected area exert an influence on bird species within the National Park. The grey parrot, which still suffers from illegal hunting, was more likely to be encountered further away from roads, with 25% of variation in its occurrence explained by distance to the nearest road. In addition, the occurrence of all four threatened species was more likely further from access routes. Careful consideration must therefore be given to the potential impacts within the National Park of developments outside the currently protected area.
Monitoring and management of the endangered Cape mountain zebra Equus zebra zebra in the Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Smith Rebecca K. , Marais Andrae , Chadwick Peter , Lloyd Peter H. , Hill Russell A.
Published: November 2007

De Hoop Nature Reserve and a neighbouring conservancy contain the most genetically diverse subpopulation of the Endangered (IUCN) Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra Linnaeus 1758). Although vital for the long‐term stability of the meta‐population, the population had received limited monitoring post‐1999. We summarize data obtained during a population monitoring programme established in 2005. Ninety‐nine individuals were identified indicating a decline in annual population growth from 6.6% (1995–1999) to 4.5% (1999–2005). The population was male biased and the deficit of females is likely to have prevented additional breeding herd formation resulting in excess nonbreeding males. These animals are currently of limited reproductive value to the meta‐population and may be contributing to the decline in reproductive potential at De Hoop by competing for limited resources. One solution may be to translocate ‘excess’ males to reinforce existing small populations or establish new populations with females from elsewhere provided that a minimum of 78 animals is maintained at De Hoop to limit genetic loss. Population monitoring and effective management strategies for the De Hoop population and the meta‐population are vital to ensure the long‐term survival of Cape mountain zebra and for the success of other species recovery programmes.
Neutrophil elastase mutations and risk of leukaemia in severe congenital neutropenia
Authors: Rosenberg Philip S. , Alter Blanche P. , Link Daniel C. , Stein Steven , Rodger Elin , Bolyard Audrey A. , Aprikyan Andrew A. , Bonilla Mary A. , Dror Yigal , Kannourakis George , Newburger Peter E. , Boxer Laurence A. , Dale David C.
Published: November 2007

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a heterogeneous bone marrow failure syndrome predisposing to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukaemia (MDS/AML). We studied 82 North American and Australian SCN patients enrolled in the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry who were on long‐term treatment with granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor and for whom the neutrophil elastase (ELA2) gene was sequenced. There was no significant difference in the risk of MDS/AML in patients with mutant versus wild‐type ELA2: the respective cumulative incidences at 15 years were 36% and 25% (P = 0·96). Patients with either mutant or wild‐type ELA2 should be followed closely for leukaemic transformation.
ABT‐737 is a useful component of combinatory chemotherapies for chronic myeloid leukaemias with diverse drug‐resistance mechanisms
Authors: Kuroda Junya , Kimura Shinya , Andreeff Michael , Ashihara Eishi , Kamitsuji Yuri , Yokota Asumi , Kawata Eri , Takeuchi Miki , Tanaka Ruriko , Murotani Yoshihide , Matsumoto Yosuke , Tanaka Hideo , Strasser Andreas , Taniwaki Masafumi , Maekawa Taira
Published: November 2007

The effect of ABT‐737, a BH3‐mimicking inhibitor for anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐XL, but not Mcl‐1, against Bcr‐Abl‐positive (Bcr‐Abl+) leukaemic cells was examined. ABT‐737 potently induced apoptosis in Bcr‐Abl+ chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cell lines and primary CML samples in vitro and prolonged the survival of mice xenografted with BV173 cells, a CML cell line. Higher expression of anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 proteins reduced cell killing by ABT‐737 in each cell line, but there was no correlation between the sensitivities to ABT‐737 and the specific expression patterns of Bcl‐2 family proteins among cell lines. Thus, the cell killing effect of ABT‐737 must be determined not only by the expression patterns of Bcl‐2 family proteins but also by other mechanisms, such as high expression of Bcr‐Abl, or a drug‐efflux pump, in CML cells. ABT‐737 augmented the cell killing effect of imatinib in Bcr‐Abl+ cells with diverse drug‐resistance mechanisms unless leukaemic cells harboured imatinib‐insensitive Abl kinase domain mutations, such as T315I. The combination of homoharringtonine that reduces Mcl‐1 enhanced the killing by ABT‐737 strongly in Bcr‐Abl+ cells even with T315I mutation. These results suggest that ABT‐737 is a useful component of chemotherapies for CML with diverse drug‐resistance mechanisms.
Endophytic fungi decrease available resources for the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi and impair their ability to induce defences against predators
Authors: ZÜST TOBIAS , HÄRRI SIMONE A. , MÜLLER CHRISTINE B.
Published: November 2007

Abstract 1. The production of winged morphs is a well known mechanism of induced defence in aphids to escape from natural enemies, and is also a reaction to poor resource quality.

2. Host plants of aphids often associate with endophytic fungi that have been shown to reduce the fitness of some species of aphids.

3. It was hypothesised that endophyte infection of host plants that represent a low quality plant resource should increase the aphid’s induced response to a predator because both low plant quality and predator presence represent a stronger cue for wing production than predator presence alone.

4. In a laboratory experiment, bird cherry‐oat aphids Rhopalosiphum padi L. were exposed to the factors predator threat and endophyte infection and the effects of these factors on the proportion of winged morphs produced by the aphid colonies was analysed.

5. The presence of endophytic fungi strongly decreased aphid colony sizes. When a predator threat was present, all colonies on endophyte‐free grasses produced winged morphs whereas only a few colonies were able to produce winged morphs on endophyte‐infected grasses. However, these few colonies produced larger proportions of winged morphs than colonies on endophyte‐free grasses. Without a predator threat, no colonies on endophyte‐infected grasses produced any winged morphs.

6. These results show that aphids in stressed conditions and with reduced fitness will only invest in inducible defences when predators are present but are unable to produce winged morphs in response to endophyte presence.
Effects of aphids on foliar foraging by Argentine ants and the resulting effects on other arthropods
Authors: GROVER CRYSTAL D. , DAYTON KATHLEEN C. , MENKE SEAN B. , HOLWAY DAVID A.
Published: November 2007

Abstract 1. Although interactions between ants and honeydew‐producing insects have received considerable study, relatively little is known about how these interactions alter the behaviour of ants in ways that affect other arthropods. In this study, field and greenhouse experiments were performed that examined how the presence of aphids (Aphis fabae solanella) on Solanum nigrum influenced the foraging behaviour of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) and, in turn, modified the extent to which ants deter larval lacewings (Chrysoperla rufilabris), which are known aphid predators.

2. A field experiment demonstrated that the level of foliar foraging by ants increased linearly with aphid abundance, whereas no relationship existed between the level of ground foraging by ants and aphid abundance.

3. In the greenhouse, as in the field, foliar foraging by ants greatly increased when aphids were present. Higher levels of foliar foraging led to a twofold increase in the likelihood that ants contacted aphid predators. As a result of these increased encounters with ants, lacewing larvae were twice as likely to be removed from plants with aphids compared with plants without aphids. Once contact was made, however, the behaviour of ants towards lacewing larvae appeared similar between the two experimental groups.

4. Argentine ants drive away or prey upon a diversity of arthropod predators and parasitoids, but they also exhibit aggression towards certain herbivores. Future work should attempt to quantify how the ecological effects that result from interactions between honeydew‐producing insects and invasive ants, such as L. humile, differ from those that result from interactions between honeydew‐producing insects and native ants.
The quantitative analysis of peripheral blood FOXP3‐expressing T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Lin S.‐C. , Chen K.‐H. , Lin C.‐H. , Kuo C.‐C. , Ling Q.‐D. , Chan C.‐H.
Published: November 2007

Background  Expressed in naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, FoxP3 plays an important role in maintaining immune tolerance. We therefore evaluated the possibility that the peripheral blood FOXP3+ T‐cell deficiency is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Materials and methods  The FOXP3 expression in peripheral blood T cells were evaluated and correlated to the CD4 and CD25 expression by flow cytometric analysis. Cell frequencies of FOXP3+ T cells among CD4+ T cells and absolute FOXP3+ T cell counts in SLE and RA patients were determined for the statistical comparison with those in normal controls, and their correlation with disease activities in SLE patients was evaluated. The FOXP3 transcript levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were also determined to correlate the FOXP3+ T‐cell quantity and to evaluate the possible dysregulation in the expression of two FOXP3 mRNA variants in patients.

Results  SLE patients had the higher FOXP3+ T‐cell frequency and absolute CD4+CD25−FOXP3+ cell count than normal individuals, and the frequencies of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ and CD4+FOXP3+ cells were positively correlated with the disease activities in SLE patients. In contrast, the differences in frequencies and absolute counts of FOXP3+ T cells between normal controls and RA patients were found to be insignificant. Moreover, SLE and RA patients appear to express two FOXP3 transcript variants in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at the levels similar to normal individuals.

Conclusions  The peripheral blood FOXP3+ T‐cell frequency among CD4+ T cells is altered in SLE patients with the active disease activity. Therefore, the analysis on peripheral blood FOXP3+ T cells may be useful for the evaluation of lupus disease activity.
Assessing risk of myocardial infarction and stroke: new data from the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study‡
Authors: Assmann G. , Schulte H. , Cullen P. , Seedorf U.
Published: November 2007

Objectives  Based on the data of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study, a prospective study of men and women at work in the north‐west of Germany, we aimed (i) to develop a refined scoring scheme for calculating the risk of acute coronary events among adult and elderly men and women; and (ii) to generate a new scoring scheme for calculating the risk of ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).

Methods  The coronary risk score was derived from a Weibull function using data from 18 460 men and 8515 women who were recruited before 1996 and had a mean follow‐up period of 12 ± 6 years. The stroke score was derived using a Cox proportional hazards model using data of 5905 men and 2225 women aged 35–65 years with at least 10 years of unbroken follow‐up.

Results  The coronary risk score was based on 511 major coronary events, 462 (168 fatal, 294 non‐fatal) in men and 49 (18 fatal, 31 non‐fatal) in women and included the risk factors LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, triglycerides and diabetes mellitus status. It was accurate in both sexes over an age range from 20 to 75 years with an area under the receiver‐operating characteristics (ROC) curve of 0·82. The stroke score was based on 85 cerebral ischaemic events (21 TIAs, 64 ischaemic strokes) and included the risk factors age, sex, diabetes mellitus status, smoking status and systolic blood pressure. It had an area under the ROC curve of 0·78 and identified a high‐risk group comprising only 4% of the study population that contained 31% of all cerebral ischaemic events.

Conclusion  Both new PROCAM risk scores provide simple and effective ways to assess the risk of acute coronary events and ischaemic stroke in the general population and will improve the ability of physicians to target measures in an effort to prevent these potentially devastating conditions.