bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hexactinellid and associated sponges from the upper Reef Trail Member of the Bell Canyon Formation, southern Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Authors: Rigby J. Keith , Bell Gorden L. , Thompson Kirsten
Published: October 2007

A small faunule of silicified hexactinellid sponges and root tufts has been recovered from the upper Guadalupian Reef Trail Member of the Bell Canyon Formation, from the Patterson Hills, in the southwestern part of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in western Texas. Some demosponges from the type section of the Reef Trail Member, near the mouth of McKittrick Canyon on the front of the Guadalupe Mountains in the park, have also been documented. Included in the faunule from the Patterson Hills localities are the new amphidiscosid hexactinellid pelicasponge Trailospongia reischi n. gen. and sp., the questionable pelicaspongiid Hexirregularia nana n. gen. and sp., and the dictyospongiid hexactinellids Microstaura doliolum Finks, 1960, and Microstaurella minima n. gen. and sp., and Microstaurella parva n. gen. and sp. They are associated with specimens of the lyssacinosid brachiosponges Toomeyospongiella gigantia Rigby and Bell, 2005, Toomeyospongia modica n. sp., and Toomeyospongia minuta n. gen. and sp., and fragments of three different types of root tufts, termed Tufts 1, 3, and 4. Two specimens of the new cylindrical demosponge Mckittrickella pratti n. gen. and sp. are associated with Tuft 2 in the collection from the type section of the Reef Trail Member, and a third specimen was collected from the member in the Patterson Hills. These sponges from Localities 1-7 are the youngest Permian sponges known from the region, and possibly from North America.
The furcula in Suchomimus tenerensis and Tyrannosaurus rex (Dinosauria: Theropoda: Tetanurae)
Authors: Lipkin Christine , Sereno Paul C. , Horner John R.
Published: October 2007

Ossified clavicles, either as paired elements or as a median furcula, have been recorded in all major clades of dinosaurs, including ornithischians, sauropodomorphs, and theropods (Bryant and Russell, 1993). Nearly all but the most basal theropods, Eoraptor lunensis and Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, have an ossified furcula including coelophysids (Downs, 2000; Tykoski et al., 2002; Carrano et al., 2005), allosauroids (Chure and Madsen, 1996), tyrannosaurids (Makovicky and Currie, 1998; Larson and Donnan, 2002; Brochu, 2003; Lipkin and Sereno, 2004; Larson and Rigby, 2005), therizinosaurids (Xu et al., 1999a; Zhang et al., 2001), oviraptorids (Barsbold, 1983; Clark et al., 1999, 2001; Hwang et al., 2002; Osmólska et al., 2004), troodontids (Xu and Norell, 2004), and dromaeosaurids (Norell et al., 1997; Norell and Makovicky, 1999; Xu et al., 1999b; Burnham et al., 2000; Hwang et al., 2002). No ossification of any element beyond the coracoid has been found in the pectoral girdle of the well-preserved primitive theropods, Eoraptor lunensis and Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis.
Like father, like son? Not amongst the eurypterids (Chelicerata) from Beartooth Butte, Wyoming
Authors: Tetlie O. Erik
Published: October 2007

The eurypteridStrobilopterus princetoniifrom the Lower Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation of Wyoming is redescribed, and previously unknown morphological features, including shape and position of eyes and ocelli are identified, and the prosomal appendages are described in more detail. The monotypicErieopterus latus, based on a much smaller specimen from the same locality, shares a large number of characters withS. princetonii, and must be interpreted as belonging to the genusStrobilopterus.It is here interpreted as a juvenileS. princetonii, but exhibits extreme ontogenetic variation in the morphology of the swimming leg. The other monotypic eurypterid from the locality,Dorfopterus angusticollis, remains mysterious. It might be aS. princetoniitelson, but evidence is inconclusive. The name of the Devonian eurypterid genusSyntomopterusis preoccupied for a beetle (Coleoptera: Insecta) and the replacement nameSyntomopterellais proposed. The phylogenetic position ofS. princetoniiis problematic since it lacks unequivocal synapomorphies with other eurypterids, but the genus is showing more similarities toSyntomopterella, ErieopterusandBuffalopterusthan it does toDolichopterus, contrary to earlier suggestions.
Trilobites of thePseudokoldinioidiaFauna (Uppermost Cambrian) from the Taebaek Group, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea
Authors: Lee Seung-Bae , Choi Duck K.
Published: October 2007

ThePseudokoldinioidiaFauna is a newly documented uppermost Cambrian trilobite assemblage from the Dongjeom Formation of the Taebaek Group, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea. It is characterized by low species diversity comprising six trilobite taxa:Micragnostus chiushuensis, Koldinioidia typicalis, leiostegiid genus and species indeterminate,Pseudokoldinioidia perpetis, Onychopyge borealis, and pilekiid genus and species indeterminate. Of these, special attention has been paid toPseudokoldinioidia perpetis, which was originally assigned toMissisquoia, an index fossil for the uppermost Cambrian in Laurentia.Pseudokoldinioidiais restricted to eastern Asia, whereasMissisquoiais confined to Laurentia. The appearance of thePseudokoldinioidiaFauna is interpreted as contemporaneous with the base of the‘Missisquoia’ perpetisZone of North China, which in turn is correlated with the base of theMissisquoia typicalisSubzone of Laurentia. The associatedKoldinioidiaandOnychopygemake it possible to compare thePseudokoldinioidiaFauna of Korea and North China with the latest Cambrian trilobite assemblages of South China, Australia, South America, and Mexico, and also suggests an interesting biogeographic connection among these areas in the latest Cambrian.
Conodont biostratigraphy of the Chattanooga Shale, Middle and Upper Devonian, southern Appalachian basin, eastern United States
Authors: Over D. Jeffrey
Published: October 2007

The Chattanooga Shale of the southern Appalachian Basin contains a diverse conodont fauna of the high Givetian, Frasnian, and Famennian. The predominantly fine-grained strata were deposited in an offshore setting where depositional packages are separated by unconformities. Conodonts allow regional and global correlation of these strata, recognition of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary, and narrow biostratigraphic constraint of two Frasnian ash beds, MN Zone 8 for the Belpre Ash and upper MN Zone 13 for the Center Hill Ash. Three new Frasnian palmatolepid conodonts are described in open nomenclature, and the holotype ofPalmatolepis regularisCooper is reillustrated.
The Middle Devonian (Givetian) ammonoid Pharciceras from the New Albany Shale, Kentucky
Authors: Work David M. , Mason Charles E. , Klapper Gilbert
Published: October 2007

Pharciceras Hyatt, 1884 is the diagnostic ammonoid of the late middle Givetian Stage of the Middle Devonian Series. It occurs in the Rhenish Massif in Germany, the Montagne Noire in southern France, and in equivalent strata in the Anti-Atlas in southern Morocco. Verified North American occurrences of Pharciceras are confined to the New York succession, where the appearance of the ancestral species P. amplexum (Hall, 1886) in the Upper Tully Limestone represents an important and well-established biostratigraphic datum within the Taghanic onlap interval (see Aboussalam and Becker, 2001 for discussion). In this note we describe a second, distinctly younger, North American species, Pharciceras barnetti n. sp., from the New Albany Shale in eastcentral Kentucky that provides new evidence on the Taghanic onlap interval (Upper Tully/Geneseo Sequence of Baird and Brett, 2003) in the central Appalachian Basin. This occurrence is particularly significant because of its association with conodonts that provide a basis for refined correlations between the central Appalachian Basin and the Taghanic onlap succession in New York.
Ontogeny and evolution of the Early Cambrian trilobite genus Nephrolenellus (Olenelloidea)
Authors: Webster Mark
Published: October 2007

The cephalon of Nephrolenellus multinodus and its stratigraphically higher sister-taxon N. geniculatus passed through the same four successive phases of development: entry into phase 2 is defined by a change from a decrease to an increase in the dynamic pattern of distance between the intergenal spine bases relative to cephalic length; entry into phase 3 is defined by the appearance of genal spines; and entry into phase 4 is defined by the effective isolation of glabellar furrow S3 from the axial furrow. Phase transitions were associated with significant changes in allometric growth patterns of the cephalon. Five instars are identified within the early development (phases 1 and 2) of N. multinodus. Despite the general similarity in cephalic ontogeny, significant interspecific differences in patterns of shape change are documented throughout phases 1, 2, and 3 of cephalic development which, with differences in rates of glabellar shape change relative to size (higher in N. multinodus) and ontogenetic loss of glabellar axial nodes (higher in N. geniculates), demonstrate that evolutionary modification to ontogeny was mosaic and complex. Stratigraphic occurrences and a temporal trend towards increased rate of glabellar axial node loss relative to size in N. geniculates are consistent with a hypothesis that N. geniculates was a direct descendant of N. multinodus. However, ontogenetic data are needed for immediate outgroups of Nephrolenellus to determine whether two potential autapomorphies of N. multinodus, which refute such a hypothesis, are indeed unique to this taxon. Nephrolenellus jasperensis is recognized as a junior synonym of N. multinodus.
Sediment quality assessment and dredged material management in Spain: Part I, application of sediment quality guidelines in the bay of Santander
Authors: Alvarez-Guerra Manuel , Viguri Javier R , Casado-Martínez M Carmen , DelValls T Ángel
Published: October 2007

Sediments are an essential component of aquatic ecosystems that must be assessed and managed properly. The use of quantitative environmental quality standards derived from consideration of sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) can be effective as part of a tiered risk assessment approach. In Part I of this 2-part paper addressing sediment quality assessment and dredged material management in Spain, different SQG methods are used to evaluate sediment quality in the Bay of Santander, located in the Cantabric Sea along the northern coast of Spain, and to guide development of empirically derived SQGs for marine sediments. The results of the study indicate a great heterogeneity of SQGs, both with regard to the numeric values for a particular chemical and the number of substances for which SQGs have been derived. The analysis highlights the scarce development of empirical SQGs for priority substances identified in current European Union water policy. Nonetheless, the application of SQGs makes it possible to classify different zones of sediment quality in the Bay of Santander. Part II of this 2-part paper considers the environmental impacts of dredged material disposal. Legislation and criteria used to regulate dredged material disposal at sea in different European countries are reviewed, and action levels derived by different countries were used to evaluate management of dredged sediments from Cádiz Bay, located on the South Atlantic coast of Spain.
Evaluating consistency of best professional judgment in the application of a multiple lines of evidence sediment quality triad
Authors: Bay Steven , Berry Walter , Chapman Peter M , Fairey Russell , Gries Tom , Long Edward , MacDonald Don , Weisberg Stephen B
Published: October 2007

The bioavailability of sediment-associated contaminants is poorly understood. Often, a triad of chemical concentration measurements, laboratory sediment toxicity tests, and benthic infaunal community condition is used to assess whether contaminants are present at levels of ecological concern. Integration of these 3 lines of evidence is typically based on best professional judgment by experts; however, the level of consistency among expert approach and interpretation has not been determined. In this study, we compared the assessments of 6 experts who were independently provided data from 25 California embayment sites and asked to rank the relative condition of each site from best to worst. The experts were also asked to place each site into 1 of 6 predetermined categories of absolute condition. We provided no guidance regarding assessment approach or interpretation of supplied data. The relative ranking of the sites was highly correlated among the experts, with an average correlation coefficient of 0.92. Although the experts' relative rankings were highly correlated, the categorical assessments were much less consistent, with only 1 site out of 25 assigned to the same absolute condition category by all 6 experts. Most of the observed categorical differences were small in magnitude and involved the weighting of different lines of evidence in individual assessment approaches, rather than interpretation of signals within a line of evidence. We attribute categorical differences to the experts' use of individual best professional judgment and consider these differences to be indicative of potential uncertainty in the evaluation of sediment quality. The results of our study suggest that specifying key aspects of the assessment approach a priori and aligning the approach to the study objectives can reduce this uncertainty.
Design and application of a transparent and scalable weight-of-evidence framework: An example from Wabamun Lake, Alberta, Canada
Authors: McDonald Blair G , deBruyn Adrian MH , Wernick Barbara G , Patterson Luanne , Pellerin Normand , Chapman Peter M
Published: October 2007

A weight-of-evidence (WOE) framework was developed to evaluate potential effects on the aquatic ecosystem of Wabamun Lake (Alberta, Canada) associated with the release of Bunker “C” oil after a train derailment. The wide variety of stakeholders and interested regulatory agencies made it necessary to develop a consistent and transparent approach to assessing ecological effects on multiple ecosystem components within the lake with the use of a large number of lines of evidence (LOEs). Consequently, a scalable WOE framework was necessary to integrate the findings of 38 different LOEs. A priori and a posteriori weighting factors were applied to each individual LOE, and a combination of numeric and nonnumeric rating systems was used to integrate LOEs into an overall WOE conclusion for 5 different ecosystem components. We provide guidance regarding the development of a WOE framework and emphasize techniques that enhance the application of best professional judgement during the WOE process.
Clinical Evaluation of Partial‐ and Full‐Mouth Scaling in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis
Authors: Knöfler Gerhild U. , Purschwitz Regina E. , Jentsch Holger F.R.
Published: October 2007

Background: Full‐mouth scaling (FMS) is claimed by some researchers to be superior to standard scaling and root planing (SRP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of two modalities of non‐surgical periodontal therapy for patients with chronic periodontitis.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study, 37 subjects with chronic periodontitis were treated by SRP in two quadrants at 4‐week intervals (N = 20) or by FMS (N = 17). Clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded at premolar and molar teeth at baseline and after 6 and 12 months.

Results: Both therapies resulted in significant improvements of all clinical variables. After 12 months, CAL at pockets with PDs of 4 to 6 mm was reduced significantly from 4.5 ± 0.8 mm to 3.4 ± 1.0 mm with SRP and from 4.7 ± 0.9 mm to 3.8 ± 1.1 mm with FMS (P <0.001). PD decreased from 4.4 ± 0.6 mm to 3.3 ± 0.9 mm in the SRP group and from 4.5 ± 0.7 mm to 3.5 ± 1.0 mm in the FMS group (P <0.001). BOP was reduced from 63.6% ± 45.3% to 29.0% ± 42.6% in the SRP group and from 59.6% ± 43.8% to 28.6% ± 38.3% in the FMS group (P <0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to CAL gain, PD, and BOP reduction.

Conclusion: Both therapy modalities have the same positive influence on clinical outcome at premolar and molar teeth with PDs of 4 to 6 mm.
Treatment of Intrabony Defects Using Guided Tissue Regeneration and Autogenous Spongiosa Alone or Combined With Hydroxyapatite/β‐Tricalcium Phosphate Bone Substitute or Bovine‐Derived Xenograft
Authors: Zafiropoulos Gregory‐George K. , Hoffmann Oliver , Kasaj Adrian , Willershausen Brita , Weiss Oren , Van Dyke Thomas E.
Published: October 2007

Background: The aim of this case‐control study was to investigate the clinical regeneration of deep intrabony defects using guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with autogenous spongiosa (ASB) alone or using GTR with a mixture of ASB with a bovine‐derived xenograft (BDX) or a synthetic composite bone substitute (hydroxyapatite/β‐tricalcium phosphate [HA/β‐TCP]).

Methods: Sixty‐four patients with a total of 93 intrabony defects of 2‐ or 3‐wall morphology and an intrabony component (IC) ≥4 mm participated in this study. Defects were treated with a bioabsorbable membrane and ASB alone or ASB mixed with HA/β‐TCP or BDX. Clinical parameters measured at baseline and 12 months after surgery included IC, bleeding on probing (BOP), and plaque accumulation (PLI). Vertical bone gain (VBG) and percentage relative bone gain (RBG) were used as indicators of treatment efficacy. A stringent plaque control regimen was enforced in all patients during the 12‐month observation period.

Results: At baseline, no statistically significant differences in any of the clinical parameters were observed between the groups. At 12 months, HA/β‐TCP and BDX treatments produced similar improvements in intrabony tissue regeneration as shown by VBG (P = 0.616) and RBG (P = 0.826) with significantly better outcomes than ASB alone (P <0.0001). Changes in BOP and PLI did not differ significantly between the groups.

Conclusion: The combined use of ASB with BDX or HA/β‐TCP led to significantly greater gain of clinical attachment and hard tissue formation compared to the use of ASB alone.
The Effect of Periodontal Disease on Medical and Dental Costs in a Middle‐Aged Japanese Population: A Longitudinal Worksite Study
Authors: Ide Reiko , Hoshuyama Tsutomu , Takahashi Ken
Published: October 2007

Background: Although periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic diseases, it is not clear whether periodontal disease is associated with increased health care costs. The authors examined the effect of periodontal disease on medical and dental costs and use for 3.5 years prospectively.

Methods: The data were derived from health and dental examinations and health insurance claims of 4,285 Japanese civil officers aged 40 to 59 years. The subjects were divided into three categories: no pathological pocket, moderate periodontitis, and severe periodontitis. Age, gender, smoking, body mass index, and hypertension were adjusted in a multivariate analysis after excluding subjects with any history of liver disease, heart disease, or diabetes mellitus.

Results: The cumulative cost for subjects with severe periodontitis was ∼21% higher than for subjects with no pathological pocket, and the hospital admission rates of subjects with severe periodontitis were highest (male: odds ratio [OR] =1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.80; female: OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.75 to 2.20). In males, the annual hospital costs of subjects with severe periodontitis were 75% higher than for subjects with no pathological pocket. There was no clear trend identified for outpatient care. The annual dental visit rates and costs for subjects with severe periodontitis were highest in both genders. Periodontal disease might increase the medical care costs for diabetes mellitus, digestive disease, and liver disease.

Conclusion: Periodontal disease may have played an important role in the cumulative health care cost increases in middle‐aged adults over a period of only a few years.
The Role of Race/Ethnicity in the Relationship Between Emergency Department Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Authors: Lipsky Sherry , Caetano Raul
Published: October 2007

Objectives. We examined the relationship between intimate partner violence victimization among women in the general population and emergency department use. We sought to discern whether race/ethnicity moderates this relationship and to explore these relationships in race/ethnic–specific models.

Methods. We used data on non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, and His-panic married or cohabiting women from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression.

Results. Women who reported intimate partner violence victimization were 1.5 times more likely than were nonvictims to use the emergency department, after we accounted for race/ethnicity and substance use. In race/ethnic–specific analyses, only Hispanic victims were more likely than their nonvictim counterparts to use the emergency department (AOR = 3.68; 95% CI = 1.89, 7.18), whereas substance use factors varied among groups.

Conclusions. Our findings suggest that the emergency department is an opportune setting to screen for intimate partner violence victimization, especially among Hispanic women. Future research should focus on why Hispanic victims are more likely to use the emergency department compared with nonvictims, with regard to socioeconomic and cultural determinants of health care utilization.
Association of Smoking Cessation With Financial Stress and Material Well-Being: Results From a Prospective Study of a Population-Based National Survey
Authors: Siahpush Mohammad , Spittal Matt , Singh Gopal K
Published: October 2007

Objectives. We used 4 waves of prospective data to examine the association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being.

Methods. Data (n = 5699 at baseline) came from 4 consecutive waves (2001–2005) of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. We used mixed models to examine the participant-specific association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being.

Results. On average, a smoker who quits is expected to have a 25% reduction (P<.001; odds ratio [OR]=0.75; 95% confidence interaval [CI]=0.69, 0.81) in the odds of financial stress. Similarly, the data provided strong evidence (P<.001) that a smoker who quits is likely to experience an enhanced level of material well-being.

Conclusions. Our findings indicate that interventions to encourage smoking cessation are likely to improve standards of living and reduce deprivation. The findings provide grounds for encouraging the social services sector to incorporate smoking cessation efforts into their programs to enhance the material or financial conditions of disadvantaged groups. The findings also provide additional incentives for smokers to stop smoking and as such can be used in antismoking campaigns and by smoking cessation services.
US Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Policies for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Administrative Trends and Implications for Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Research
Authors: Frueh B. Christopher , Grubaugh Anouk L. , Elhai Jon D. , Buckley Todd C.
Published: October 2007

An accumulating body of empirical data suggests that current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychiatric disability and rehabilitation policies for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are problematic. In combination, recent administrative trends and data from epidemiological and clinical studies suggest theses policies are countertherapeutic and hinder research efforts to advance our knowledge regarding PTSD. Current VA disability policies require fundamental reform to bring them into line with modern science and medicine, including current empirically supported concepts of resilience and psychiatric rehabilitation.
The Evolution of Changes in Primary Care Delivery Underlying the Veterans Health Administration’s Quality Transformation
Authors: Yano Elizabeth M. , Simon Barbara F. , Lanto Andrew B. , Rubenstein Lisa V.
Published: October 2007

Objectives. Suffering from waning demand, poor quality, and reform efforts enabling veterans to “vote with their feet” and leave, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) health care system transformed itself through a series of substantive changes. We examined the evolution of primary care changes underlying VA’s transformation.

Methods. We used 3 national organizational surveys from 1993, 1996, and 1999 that measured primary care organization, staffing, management, and resource sufficiency to evaluate changes in VA primary care delivery.

Results. Only rudimentary primary care was in place in 1993. Primary care enrollment grew from 38% in 1993 to 45% in 1996, and to 95% in 1999 as VA adopted team structures and increased the assignment of patients to individual providers. Specialists initially staffed primary care until generalist physicians and nonphysican providers increased. Primary care-based quality improvement and authority expanded, and resource sufficiency (e.g., computers, space) grew. Provider notification of admissions and emergency department, urgent-care visit, and sub-specialty-consult results increased nearly 5 times.

Conclusions. Although VA’s quality transformation had many underlying causes, investment in primary care development may have served as an essential substrate for many VA quality gains.
In vitro susceptibility patterns of fungi associated with keratomycosis in horses of the northeastern United States: 68 cases (1987–2006)
Authors: Ledbetter Eric C. , Patten Valeri H. , Scarlett Janet M. , Vermeylen Francoise M.
Published: October 2007

Objective—To determine in vitro susceptibility patterns of fungi associated with keratomycosis in horses in the northeastern United States and compare those patterns with results of studies from other geographic regions.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—68 horses with keratomycosis.

Procedures—Medical records of horses with a clinical diagnosis of keratomycosis, positive results of corneal fungal cultures, and susceptibility data were reviewed from the years 1987 to 2006. Fungal identification and in vitro antifungal susceptibility test results were recorded. The percentage of susceptible isolates was compared among antifungals for all isolates together and for the most common genera individually.

Results—74 fungal isolates from 68 horses that met inclusion criteria were identified. Aspergillus, Candida, and Fusarium spp were the most frequent isolates. Grouped isolates had the highest percentage of susceptibility to nystatin (87.7%), natamycin (87.5%), and clotrimazole (80.6%). Grouped isolates had the lowest percentage of susceptibility to fluconazole (15.8%) and miconazole (27.5%). Aspergillus spp (≥ 81.0%) were most susceptible to nystatin, clotrimazole, itraconazole, and natamycin. Candida spp (100%) were most susceptible to ketaconazole, natamycin, and nystatin. Fusarium spp (100%) were only consistently susceptible to natamycin.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—On the basis of in vitro susceptibility testing, nystatin, natamycin, or clotrimazole is recommended for initial topical treatment of keratomycosis in horses from the northeastern United States. Contrary to results of studies of ocular fungal isolates of horses from other regions, Candida spp were identified more frequently and miconazole had lower in vitro efficacy in the present study.
Carbon-14 in Tree Rings in the Vicinity of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, Lithuania
Authors: Mazeika Jonas , Petrosius Rimantas , Pukiene Rutile
Published: October 2007

The results of 14C measurements in the annual tree rings from the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) vicinity, Lithuania, for the period of its operation from 1984 to 2002 are presented. The terrestrial samples, mainly moss and related topsoil, are studied in places as well. The tree rings have shown the slightly enhanced 14C activity due to operation of the nuclear power plant. The maximal calculated normalized 14C release of 11 TBq/GWe/year and the maximal effective dose of 2.0x10-3 mSv/year resulting from the 14C were estimated for 1999. The excess of 14C specific activity measured in the moss and soil samples from moss-covered sites near the nuclear power plant (up to 0.5 km) showed highly elevated 14C contents (up to 813 pMC), probably indicating releases of the particulate material.
Luminescence Dating of Neolithic Ceramics from Lumea Nouă, Romania
Authors: Benea Vasile , Vandenberghe Dimitri , Timar Alida , van Den Haute Peter , Cosma Constantin , Gligor Mihai , Florescu Cristian
Published: October 2007

Luminescence dating was applied to four Neolithic pottery fragments excavated at Lumea Nouă (Alba Iulia, Romania), with the purpose of improving the chronology for the archaeological finds, and hence, the occupational history of the site. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was applied to both blue and infrared stimulated luminescence signals from coarse quartz and polymineral fine grains, respectively. A more conventional approach which uses a multiple-aliquot additive-dose protocol and thermoluminescence signals from polymineral fine grains was applied as well. The characteristics of the OSL and IRSL signals were investigated in terms of behaviour in the SAR protocol, dose response and dose recovery. Additionally, anomalous fading measurements of the 410 nm IRSL emission and of the blue TL emission from polymineral fine-grains were performed. Both signals were observed to be affected by anomalous fading. OSL dating of quartz using the SAR protocol is considered to be the technique of choice; it yields an average age of 6.0±0.4 ka (n = 4), which is in agreement with archaeological expectations. The dating results allow refining the typological interpretation of the objects and improve the chronological framework for the site.
The Absolute Chronology of the Zoogenic Deposits From the Negev Desert (Israel)
Authors: Babenko Anna , Khassanov Bulat
Published: October 2007

Zoogenic deposits are one of the most important sources of the information on the history of arid ecosystems. Different organic materials form the deposit thus offering an opportunity for palaeobotanic analysis as well as for radiocarbon dating. However, many obstacles arise while dating zoogenic deposits. Some layers can be readily dated by radiocarbon as dung layers, but some of them do not contain any organic material preserved.

Three zoogenic deposits from the central part of the Negev Desert (Israel) were investigated. Azmaut deposit was accumulated more then 5000 years. This deposit is a key object of this research. The Ramon I deposit was accumulated for the last 8000 years.

The observed coincidence of the changes of the deposits and the pollen spectra testifies the presence of common causes driving them. It allows us to compare the spectrum of sufficiently dated Azmaut deposit with that of the poorly dated Bsor one. The bottom layers of the Ramon I deposit were formed 2000 years earlier than that of Azmaut. Combining the results of the pollen analysis and the radiocarbon dating of the three deposits enables us to reconstruct the vegetation history of the region during the last 8000 years.
Where Memory Resides: A Review of AT Memory's Edge and Munich and Memory
Authors: James-Chakraborty Kathleen
Published: October 2007

James E. Young, At Memory’s Edge: After Images of the Holocaust in Contemporary Art and Architecture (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000)

Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, Munich and Memory: Architecture, Monuments, and the Legacy of the Third Reich (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000)
(Re)constructing Community in Berlin: Turks, Jews, and German Responsibility
Authors: Laurence Jonathan
Published: October 2007

An immigration dilemma has confronted the Federal Republic of

Germany since the early 1970s. Postwar labor migrants from predominantly

Muslim countries in the Mediterranean basin were not

officially encouraged to settle long-term, yet many stayed once

immigration was halted in 1973. Though these migrants and their

children have enjoyed most social state benefits and the right to family

reunification, their political influence has remained limited for

the last quarter-century. Foreigners from non-EU countries may not

vote in Germany, migrants are underrepresented in political institutions,

and state recognition of Muslim religious and cultural diversity

has not been forthcoming. Since 1990, however, a much smaller but

significant number of Jewish migrants from eastern Europe and the

former Soviet Union have arrived in Germany. This population of

almost 150,000 has been welcomed at the intersection of reparations

policy and immigrant integration practice.
Setting the Tone: A Review of German-Jewish History in Modern Times
Authors: Beller Steven
Published: October 2007

Michael Meyer, ed., Michael Brenner, asst. ed., German-Jewish

History in Modern Times, volume 3, Integration in Dispute: 1871-1918;

volume 4, Renewal and Destruction: 1918-1945 (New York: Columbia

University Press, 1997, 1998)
The PDS and the Concept of the Catch-all Party
Authors: Hough Daniel
Published: October 2007

In the years since unification, Germany’s political parties have faced

a number of formidable challenges. They range from incorporating

the citizens of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) into the Federal

Republic’s political processes, reassessing Germany’s role in the

wider world, overcoming gridlock on many pressing policy questions

at home (perhaps best understood as the overcoming of the Reformstau),

to finding a way out of Germany’s much maligned economic

malaise.1 Such challenges have had a not inconsiderable effect on the

German party system, the end product of which has been that this

system, once a bastion of cast-iron stability, has become characterized

by diversity and genuine electoral competition in a way that it has

not been since the late 1950s. Therefore, the electoral position of the

much-vaunted Volksparteien, if perhaps not their control of the political

process, has slipped considerably.
Genocide as a Category of Analysis
Authors: Greenwald Rachel T.
Published: October 2007

Guenter Lewy, The Nazi Persecution of the Gypsies (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000)

Robert Gellately and Nathan Stolzfus, ed., Social Outsiders in Nazi Germany (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001)
Multikulti or Schweinerei in the Year 2000
Authors: Borneman John
Published: October 2007

In 1995, as a Fulbright professor, I taught a seminar on “culture and

international order” at Humboldt University in Berlin. There I

reached the conclusion that, in order to analyze Kultur in Germany,

one also had to take into consideration the work of Schweinerei. In the

five years between the opening of the wall and my seminar, there had

been an explosion of interest in the concept “Kultur”—defined quite

concretely in public discourse as an element that united (or divided)

East and West Berliners, or as a substance that had been damaged

during the cold war and now needed restoration.1 Irrespective of the

speaker, Kultur was always something good, a positive ordering. One

never needed less Kultur. Either one argued, as a proponent of Multikulti,

for more of them, more cultures, or, as a monoculturalist, for

merely better (more refined, more pure) Kultur and the value of a

distinct German culture. The decision reached in 1991 to move the

capital from Bonn to Berlin as a means of unifying Germans also cast

a kind of Klieg light on Kultur, as the relocation itself drew many

new visitors, who, having only construction sites of the future capital

to view, spent the rest of their time enjoying Berlin’s numerous (often

duplicate) cultural institutions and industries for the first time.2 At this

very moment of general good will, inclusiveness, and prominence,

these Berlin cultural institutions had the most to lose (or gain), as

ministers of the newly unified state promised more selective support

following a round of rationalizations if not eliminations.
Political Culture and Political Change in Eastern Germany: Theoretical Alternatives
Authors: McFalls Laurence
Published: October 2007

In the past century, Germany, for better and for worse, offered itself

as a natural laboratory for political science. Indeed, Germany’s

excesses of political violence and its dramatic regime changes largely

motivated the development of postwar American political science,

much of it the work of German émigrés and German-Jewish

refugees, of course. The continuing vicissitudes of the German experience

have, however, posed a particular challenge to the concept of

political culture as elaborated in the 1950s and 1960s,1 at least in

part to explain lingering authoritarianism in formally democratic

West Germany. Generally associated with political continuity or only

incremental change,2 the concept of political culture has been illequipped

to deal with historical ruptures such as Germany’s “break

with civilization” of 1933-1945 and the East German popular revolution

of 1989. As well, even less dramatic but still important and relatively

rapid cultural changes such as the rise of a liberal democratic

Verfassungspatriotismus sometime around the late 1970s in West Germany3

and the emergence of a postmodern, consumer capitalist culture

in eastern Germany since 19944 do not conform to mainstream

political culture theory’s expectations of gradual, only generational

change. To be sure, continuity, if not inertia, characterizes much of

politics, even in Germany. Still, to be of theoretical value, the concept

of political culture must be able not only to admit but to

account for change.
The Myth of Heimkehrillusion
Authors: Klimt Andrea
Published: October 2007

Many observers of the German scene have argued that the long-term

non-German resident populations have become de facto permanent

members of German society. Beginning in the 1980s, the term

Heimkehrillusion, the “illusion of returning home,” gained prominence

in accounts of the guest workers’ trajectories, as many social scientists

and policy makers came to dismiss the continued assertions of some

migrant populations of their intention to eventually return “home.”

The increasingly accepted view was that “even though many [migrants]

have the goal to return sometime, this goal becomes increasingly

unlikely the longer they stay in Germany. For many families who have

established themselves here, there are no possibilities left in the country

of origin” (Institute für Zukunftsforschung, 15). The evidence that

“most of the ‘guest-workers’ would not return to their home countries”

continues to be pointedly cited in more recent efforts to push the German

state into reforming citizenship laws and taking responsibility for

the multicultural reality of German society (Hagedorn 2000, 4). The

permanence of the non-German population and their growing commitment

to life in Germany has, over the years, been the cornerstone of

progressive arguments that non-German residents merit full membership

in the German polity and that notions of “Germanness” must be

de-ethnicized and made more permeable. Explicit reference to

Heimkehrillusion has largely dropped out of current discussions of citizenship

reform and forms of belonging, but the conclusion that all resident

migrants in Germany are unambiguously there to stay has come

to form the unquestioned basis of contemporary debate.
The Communist Past and the Inter-German Present: Two Perspectives
Authors: Baylis Thomas A.
Published: October 2007

A. James McAdams, Judging the Past in Unified Germany (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001)

Christiane Olivo, Creating a Democratic Civil Society in Eastern Germany: The Case of the Citizen Movements and Alliance 90 (New York: Palgrave, 2001)
Alphaviruses: Semliki Forest Virus and Sindbis Virus Vectors for Gene Transfer into Neurons
Authors: Ehrengruber Markus U. , Lundstrom Kenneth
Published: October 2007

Alphaviral vectors based on Semliki Forest virus and Sindbis virus infect many host cell types, causing rapid and high‐level transgene expression. Compared to other viruses used to infect CNS cell and tissue preparations, Semliki Forest virus and Sindbis virus exhibit an outstanding preference for neurons rather than glial cells. High‐titer vector generation typically requires biosafety level 1 or 2 containment and occurs in less than 2 days. Wild‐type vectors are cytotoxic, permitting short‐term transgene expression. However, mutant vectors with decreased cytotoxicity, to prolong host cell survival, have been developed. They also increase transgene expression and cellular coinfection, permitting heteromeric protein expression in individual cells. Other mutants with temperature‐dependent control of transgene expression and altered host cell preference to target interneurons and astrocytes rather than principal neurons are available. Because of these advantages, alphaviral vectors are increasingly used in neurobiological and other studies, including structural biology, vaccine development, and cancer treatment. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 41:4.22.1‐4.22.24. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Split‐Ubiquitin System for Identifying Protein‐Protein Interactions in Membrane and Full‐Length Proteins
Authors: Grefen Christopher , Lalonde Sylvie , Obrdlik Petr
Published: October 2007

Protein‐protein interactions play a fundamental role in the regulation of almost all cellular processes. Thus, the identification of interacting proteins can help to elucidate their function. The mating‐based split‐ubiquitin system (mbSUS) uses yeast as a test organism to identify potential interactions between full‐length membrane proteins or between a full‐length membrane protein and a soluble protein. The mbSUS can also be used to provide further evidence for protein‐protein interactions detected with other methods and to map the interaction domains of selected proteins. The mbSUS is optimized for systematic screening approaches employing a mating‐based approach, as typically used to determine protein interactions on a genomic scale. Construction of bait and prey fusions is simplified by adapting two different cloning procedures: (i) in vivo cloning in yeast, and (ii) Gateway cloning in E. coli. Protocols for small‐scale interaction tests, as well as systematic approaches using sorted bait and prey arrays, are described. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 41:5.27.1‐5.27.41. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Models of Nociception: Hot‐Plate, Tail‐Flick, and Formalin Tests in Rodents
Authors: Bannon Anthony W. , Malmberg Annika B.
Published: October 2007

Experimental models of pain include tests of response thesholds to high intensity stimuli (acute pain tests) and changes in spontaneous or evoked behavioral responses in animals with peripheral injury or inflammation (persistent pain models). Acute thermal pain is modeled by the hot‐plate and tail‐flick test, while persistent pain can be modeled by the formalin test. This unit presents protocols for all three of these tests, including preparation of animals (rats or mice), administration of a compound being tested for its analgesic properties and data collection. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 41:8.9.1‐8.9.16. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ratings of L‐DOPA‐Induced Dyskinesia in the Unilateral 6‐OHDA Lesion Model of Parkinson's Disease in Rats and Mice
Authors: Cenci M Angela , Lundblad Martin
Published: October 2007

This unit provides detailed protocols for establishing rodent models of L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia. The 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) lesion procedure is described in more detail for mice than for rats since the lesioning procedure in rats has been described extensively in previous work and is less difficult to perform. Unlike primate models, rodent models of L‐DOPA‐induced dyskinesia are relatively simple and fast to set up, thus being affordable to most laboratories. These models allow for studying the dyskinetic complications of L‐DOPA treatment on large groups of animals under strictly controlled experimental conditions. Along with information and structured protocols for the practical execution of the test, this unit provides a detailed description of the rating scale and the phenomenology of rodent abnormal involuntary movements, and suggestions for beginners. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 41:9.25.1‐9.25.23. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chromosome Conformation Capture Carbon Copy Technology
Authors: Dostie Josée , Zhan Ye , Dekker Job
Published: October 2007

Chromosome conformation capture (3C) is used to quantify physical DNA contacts in vivo at high resolution. 3C was first used in yeast to map the spatial chromatin organization of chromosome III, and in higher eukaryotes to demonstrate that genomic DNA elements regulate target genes by physically interacting with them. 3C has been widely adopted for small‐scale analysis of functional chromatin interactions along (cis) or between (trans) chromosomes. For larger‐scale applications, chromosome conformation capture carbon copy (5C) combines 3C with ligation‐mediated amplification (LMA) to simultaneously quantify hundreds of thousands of physical DNA contacts by microarray or ultra‐high‐throughput DNA sequencing. 5C allows the mapping of extensive networks of physical interactions among large sets of genomic elements throughout the genome. Such networks can provide important biological insights, e.g., by identifying relationships between regulatory elements and their target genes. This unit describes 5C for large‐scale analysis of cis‐ and trans‐chromatin interactions in mammalian cells. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 80:21.14.1‐21.14.13. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE): Experimental Method and Data Analysis
Authors: Blackshaw Seth , Croix Brad St. , Polyak Kornelia , Kim Jae Bum , Cai Li
Published: October 2007

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) involves the generation of short fragments of DNA, or tags, from a defined point in the sequence of all cDNAs in the sample analyzed. This short tag, because of its presence in a defined point in the sequence, is typically sufficient to uniquely identify every transcript in the sample. SAGE allows one to generate a comprehensive profile of gene expression in any sample desired from as little as 100,000 cells or 1 µg of total RNA. SAGE generates absolute, rather than relative, measurements of RNA abundance levels, and this fact allows an investigator to readily and reliably compare data to those produced by other laboratories, making the SAGE data set increasingly useful as more data is generated and shared. Software tools have also been specifically adapted for SAGE tags to allow cluster analysis of both public and user‐generated data. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 80:25B.6.1‐25B.6.39. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tissue Collection for Systematic Phenotyping in the Mouse
Authors: Antal Cristina , Teletin Marius , Wendling Olivia , Dgheem Mounzer , Auwerx Johan , Mark Manuel
Published: October 2007

In this unit, a procedure for post‐mortem examination of mice and tissue collection is provided. This procedure is performed for post‐mortem analysis of anatomical defects (necropsy) and histological analysis and/or tissue collection destined for molecular biology applications. In both cases, tissue preservation is the major issue, but the way to achieve it depends on the objective. When histological analysis is the aim, tissue preservation is achieved by rapid transfer into fixative solutions. In contrast, molecular biology applications require rapid freezing of tissue samples to preserve mRNA integrity. Consequently, performing both procedures simultaneously may be at the expense of the final product quality. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 80:29A.4.1‐29A.4.23. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.