bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous combined hormone replacement therapy relieves climacteric symptoms and improves health-related quality of life in early postmenopausal women
Authors: Pitkin Joan , Smetnik Vera Petrovna , Vadász Péter , Mustonen Mika , Salminen Kaisa , Ylikangas Stiina ,   The Indivina 321 Study Group
Published: August 2007

Objective. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves menopausal symptoms but its effect on health related quality of life (HRQoL) is uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three dose regimens of continuous combined HRT, consisting of estradiol valerate (E2V) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on HRQoL in early postmenopausal women (last menstrual period 1–3 years before study entry).

Study design. This was a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, multinational study comparing E2V (1 mg or 2 mg) plus MPA (2.5 mg or 5 mg) in different dose combinations. The intention-to-treat population comprised 459 women (average age 51.5 years). Main outcome measures. HRQoL was assessed by the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), the 15D Questionnaire and a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results. There were improvements on eight of the nine domains of the WHQ with all dose regimens during the first 12 weeks ( P<0.0001) and an improvement in the remaining domain (menstrual symptoms) with the lower-dose regimens ( P<0.05). These initial improvements in HRQoL were then maintained or augmented over the remainder of the study ( P<0.0001 for change from baseline at 52 weeks for all domains and dose regimens). Mean 15D total score had improved meaningfully and significantly by 12 weeks ( P<0.0001 versus baseline) in all treatment groups and this improvement was maintained thereafter. This improvement in 15D total score was most marked among previous non-users of HRT ( P<0.05 versus previous users). VAS scores recorded significant ( P<0.05) reductions in hot flushes, sweating and sleep disturbances in all groups after week 1 and highly significant ( P<0.0001) relief of all climacteric symptoms at week 52.

Conclusion. Continuous combined HRT was associated with pronounced improvement of vasomotor symptoms and HRQoL in this population of early postmenopausal women.
Risk factors for clinical fractures among postmenopausal women: a 10-year prospective study
Authors: van Geel Tineke A C M , Geusens Piet P , Nagtzaam Ivo F , van der Voort Danny J M , Schreurs Cyril M J R , Rinkens Paula E L M , Dinant Geert-Jan
Published: August 2007

Objective. Only scarce data are available on the long-term absolute risk (AR) of all clinical fractures, taking into account the time when they occurred. Therefore, we assessed during a 10-year follow-up the risk factors associated with the occurrence of any first or second clinical fracture.

Study design. This was a population-based study in 10 general practice centres. The sample comprised 2372 postmenopausal women, aged between 50 and 80 years at baseline, who completed a questionnaire about the incidence of radiographically confirmed fractures and fracture risks, analysed by multiple Cox regression.

Main outcome measure. AR for any clinical fracture.

Results. During the 10-year follow-up, 380 women (16%) had a fracture. A first fracture occurred in 267 women (11%). Osteoporosis at the lumbar spine (T-score <−2.5; hazard ratio (HR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.3) and age over 60 years (HR1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.8) were the only risk factors retained in the Cox analysis. The AR in the lowest-risk group was 10%, and it was 23% in the highest-risk group. A second fracture occurred in 113 women during follow-up (5%). The time when a fracture occurred was the only risk factor retained in the Cox analysis. The AR for a second fracture was 41% in the five years after any first fracture before baseline and 25% if the first fracture had occurred earlier (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.7).

Conclusion. In postmenopausal women, over a 10-year follow-up, the AR of a second clinical fracture is highest in the five years after any first clinical fracture. The AR for a first clinical fracture is lower and depends on osteoporosis and age.
Specific binding of a Pop6/Pop7 heterodimer to the P3 stem of the yeast RNase MRP and RNase P RNAs
Authors: Perederina Anna , Esakova Olga , Koc Hasan , Schmitt Mark E. , Krasilnikov Andrey S.
Published: August 2007

Pop6 and Pop7 are protein subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase MRP and RNase P. Here we show that bacterially expressed Pop6 and Pop7 form a soluble heterodimer that binds the RNA components of both RNase MRP and RNase P. Footprint analysis of the interaction between the Pop6/7 heterodimer and the RNase MRP RNA, combined with gel mobility assays, demonstrates that the Pop6/7 complex binds to a conserved region of the P3 domain. Binding of these proteins to the MRP RNA leads to local rearrangement in the structure of the P3 loop and suggests that direct interaction of the Pop6/7 complex with the P3 domain of the RNA components of RNases MRP and P may mediate binding of other protein components. These results suggest a role for a key element in the RNase MRP and RNase P RNAs in protein binding, and demonstrate the feasibility of directly studying RNA–protein interactions in the eukaryotic RNases MRP and P complexes.
Fairness and Channel Coordination
Authors: Haitao Cui Tony , Raju Jagmohan S. , Zhang Z. John
Published: August 2007

We incorporate the concept of fairness in a conventional dyadic channel to investigate how fairness may affect channel coordination. We show that when channel members are concerned about fairness, the manufacturer can use a simple wholesale price above her marginal cost to coordinate this channel both in terms of achieving the maximum channel profit and in terms of attaining the maximum channel utility. Thus, channel coordination may not require an elaborate pricing contract. A constant wholesale price will do.
Gang Membership and Subsequent Engagement into a Drug Free Therapeutic Community
Authors: Widlitz Michelle , Dermatis Helen , Galanter Marc , Bunt Gregory
Published: August 2007

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship of history of gang involvement to engagement in Therapeutic Community (TC) treatment. Residents (N = 222) at two Daytop facilities completed a survey assessing sociodemographic characteristics, prior gang involvement and multiple aspects of TC functioning. Residents with prior gang involvement (21%) were younger and less educated than those without prior gang involvement. Although gang involved residents were more likely to achieve a high work role status in the program they scored lower on multiple indicators of engagement in treatment including acceptance of Daytop philosophy and TC clinical progress.
Detection of Amplifiable mRNA Extracellular to Insulin-Producing Cells: Potential for Predicting Beta Cell Mass and Function
Authors: Rani Sweta , Clynes Martin , O’Driscoll Lorraine
Published: August 2007

Background: Detecting extracellular nucleic acids in the serum/plasma of cancer patients may help in cancer diagnosis. We investigated whether extracellular mRNAs are reproducibly detectable in conditioned medium (CM) from insulin-producing cell cultures and if their presence and amounts are indicative of cell number and/or function.

Methods: We isolated mRNA from medium conditioned by the culture of several insulin-producing cell types: MIN6(L) (glucose-responsive), MIN6(H) (glucose-nonresponsive), and MIN6 B1 murine beta cells and monkey kidney fibroblast cells engineered to produce human preproinsulin (PPI) (Vero-PPI). We used reverse transcription–PCR analyses to evaluate the occurrence of several mRNAs and investigated whether the presence and amounts of the various extracellular mRNAs are associated with cell mass and/or function.

Results: Reproducible amplification of mRNAs encoded by Pdx1, Npy, Egr1, Pld1, Chgb, Ins1, Ins2, and Actb from MIN6(L), MIN6(H), and MIN6 B1 cells and their CM suggests that beta cells transcribe and release these mRNAs into their culture environment. Similarly, PPI mRNA was detected in samples of Vero-PPI cells and CM. The amounts of some mRNAs reflected the numbers and functional status (i.e., glucose responsiveness vs nonresponsiveness) of the cells conditioning the medium. Although Pax4 mRNA was detected in the MIN6 B1 cell line, the fact that this transcript was not amplifiable from the corresponding CM suggested that mRNA release was selective.

Conclusion: mRNAs may be secreted from insulin-producing cells, are reproducibly detected in the extracellular environment, and may have potential as extracellular biomarkers for assessing beta cell mass and function.
(Re)Visionen. Übersetzende als AutorInnen von Intertexten
Authors: Kalt Daniel
Published: August 2007

Introducing the translator's name into literature as a trustworthy “label” would make translators more visible, recognize their independent contribution, and would also increase the overall (economic & symbolic) capital of what Bourdieu calls the literary field. A translated text is an intertext of the original in a foreign language. If, as in Borges's “Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote,” the text rewritten exactly in the same language is “infinitely richer” than the original, then a translation into a foreign language is also richer, for it is enriched by the new cultural context and the time elapsed since the writing of the original. Following Harold Bloom and Walter Benjamin one could argue that a translation works towards the completion of the original. The contributions of translators should be valued as highly as those of authors.
Überschwang durch Überschuss. Probleme beim Übersetzen einer Form – am Beispiel des Haiku. Eine theoretische Überlegung und ein praktischer Vorschlag
Authors: Takeda Arata
Published: August 2007

Haiku is the shortest literary form in world literature. In the Western tradition, translating or adapting the Japanese haiku have not yet led, however, to fully satisfactory results. We need to examine the specific features of the Japanese haiku and the Japanese language in order to reconsider how the formal peculiarity of the haiku can be rendered by means of the European syllabic, metric, and typographic systems. New standards are proposed for composing haikus and translating them into the European languages.
“Die Tüpfelung, die unausschöpfliche, die man dem Beiwerk zuschreibt.” Die Aussage der punktierten Linie bei Paul Celan und Jean Daive
Authors: Amthor Wiebke
Published: August 2007

An ellipsis in Paul Celan's translation of Jean Daive's “Décimale blanche” leads, with the help of Foucault's concept of discourse, to a study of the relationship between poetry, statement, ellipsis, and response in this poem. What is Celan's motive for using “Wort” when Daive writes “nom”? Dotted lines and ellipses become discursive means both in Celan's translation and in his own work, to generate unstable relations between things, images, and language. Celan's poem “Muta” shows how dotted lines can turn language into a visual as well as a musical figure.
L'allégorie et l'ironie imitatives et productives dans la littérature médiévale
Authors: Žakelj Špela
Published: August 2007

The concepts of allegory and irony had originally a philosophical and theological rather than literary meaning. To understand how these two concepts were transferred from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, we have to consider the notion of translatio studii. The most important channels through which knowledge of classical concepts was disseminated in the Middle Ages were texts of the classical rhetorical tradition, derivative compilations of early medieval authorities, oral instruction provided by the monastic schools and rhetorical manuals composed in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Translation studies ensured that medieval theory and literature adopted classical philosophy and rhetoric, classical hermeneutics combined with Christian theology. The concept of allegory relied, at least in medieval secular literature, more strongly on the classical sources than the concept of irony, which had freed itself from ancient concepts. Medieval literature is saturated with allegories, but its definitions are usually associated with narratives, whereas medieval irony distinguishes itself as a specific mode of thought.
All Bad. The Biblical Flood Revisited in Modern Fiction
Authors: Tumanov Vladimir
Published: August 2007

Modern retellings of the Flood pericope (Genesis 6–8) depend on the age of the targeted audience. Writing for adults, Wolfdietrich Schnurre, Brigitte Schär, Timothy Findley, and Anne Provoost ask whether universal annihilation can be justified. Their criticism of the divine notion that evil is universal and indiscriminate collective punishment is therefore justified, reveal values that are incompatible with those informing the original biblical narrative. However much modernity is aware that myths are symbolic, it apparently cannot assimilate their ethics without a critical reassessment. In this, modern writers rely on the realistic premises of modern novelistic narration. In contrast, modern retellings of the Flood story for children appear to be far more prepared to accept the ancient value system underlying the biblical narrative. Books for younger audiences seem to be much more comfortable with the notion of generalized evil and global punishment than works for adults. This becomes particularly striking in a number of picture books about Noah's ark. The narrative stance of writers ultimately depends on the way they perceive adulthood and childhood.
W.G. Sebalds laufende Bilder. Der Film und die Worte
Authors: Bonn Klaus
Published: August 2007

While research on Sebald's work has covered the intermedial relations in his writing between writing and ‘motionless’ pictures (photographs as well as paintings), the influence of film upon the realization of his texts has been neglected. How do filmic notions figure in Sebald's major novel “Austerlitz” and the stories “The Emigrants” and “Vertigo”? Sebald's review of Hanns Zischler's documentation on Kafka going to the movies may serve as a starting-point. Of special interest are documentary works that relate to Sebald's absorbing search for historical truth. He was also interested in feature films made by famous German directors, such as Fritz Lang and Werner Herzog.
Methodological approaches to studying immigrant communities: Why flexibility is important
Authors: Ogan Christine
Published: August 2007

Since 9/11 it has become increasingly difficult to conduct primary research with Muslim migrant communities in Europe. In addition to the usual problems such as locating Muslim respondents that cross major demographic categories and preparing questions that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, the tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims that have followed violent incidents in Europe and North America have increased the likelihood of misunderstanding in the interview environment. This article addresses the management of methodological issues through examples taken from field work that took place among Turkish migrants in the Netherlands in 2006.
Pilot Performance, Strategy, and Workload While Executing Approaches at Steep Angles and With Lower Landing Minima
Authors: Boehm-Davis Deborah A. , Casali John G. , Kleiner Brian M. , Lancaster Jeffrey A. , Saleem Jason J. , Wochinger Kathryn
Published: August 2007

Objective: We examined the willingness and ability of general aviation pilots to execute steep approaches in low-visibility conditions into nontowered airports. Background: Executing steep approaches in poor weather is required for a proposed Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) that consists of small aircraft flying direct routes to a network of regional airports. Method: Across two experiments, 17 pilots rated for Instrument Flight Rules at George Mason University or Virginia Tech flew a Cessna 172R simulator into Blacksburg, Virginia. Pilots were familiarized with the simulator and asked to fly approaches with either a 200- or 400-foot ceiling (at approach angles of 3°, 5°, and 7° in the first experiment, 3° and 6° in the second). Pilots rated subjective workload and the simulator recorded flight parameters for each set of approaches. Results: Approaches with a 5° approach angle produced safe landings with minimal deviations from normal descent control configurations and were rated as having a moderate level of workload. Approaches with 6° and 7° approach angles produced safe landings but high workload ratings. Pilots reduced power to control the speed of descent and flew the aircraft slightly above the glide path to gain time to control the landing. Conclusion: Although the 6° and 7° approaches may not be practical for routine approaches, they may be achievable in the event of an emergency. Application: Further work using other aircraft flying under a wider variety of conditions is needed before implementing SATS-type flights into airports intended to supplant or complement commercial operations in larger airports.
Effect of Head-Mounted Displays on Posture
Authors: Knight James F. , Baber Chris
Published: August 2007

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine if a wearable system based on a head-mounted display (HMD) causes users to alter their head position and adopt postures that place greater stress on the musculoskeletal system. Background: HMDs are common output devices used with wearable computers. HMDs provide the wearer with visual information by projecting computer-generated virtual images in front of the eyes. Deviations of neck posture from a neutral upright position increase the stresses on the musculoskeletal system of the head and neck. Method: Seven paramedics simulated the treatment of a patient under a normal condition and when using an HMD wearable computer system. During the simulations a posture analysis was performed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment method. Results: The postures adopted when wearing an HMD, as compared with a normal condition, scored significantly higher for the neck ( z = 2.463, p < .05) and for overall body posture (left side of the body: z = 2.447, p < .05; right side of the body: z = 2.895, p < .05). Conclusion: Wearing an HMD can force the wearers to modify their neck posture. As such, the musculoskeletal system of the head and neck may be placed under increased levels of stress. Application: Potential users should be made aware that HMDs could dictate modifications in neck posture, which may have detrimental effects and may compound the weight effect of the HMD.
Effect of Material Parameters on Color of Cementitious Pastes
Authors: Woods Amy Lamb , Lee Jae-Yong , Struble Leslie J.
Published: August 2007

When matching in-situ concrete, such as for repairing or rehabilitating a structure, consideration must be given to its color. Matching the color can often be difficult and subjective. The aim of this study was to focus on the cement paste color component of concrete by performing laboratory experiments on hydrated paste samples to determine how various parameters affect the color. The two main categories investigated were: (1) materials and proportions, and (2) curing conditions. The lightness, hue, and saturation color values were measured using a colorimeter that gave L*a*b* numerical values. Cement powder color had the greatest effect on cement paste color. Other parameters that greatly affected the paste color were water-cement ratio, mineral admixtures, and hydration age for young pastes (less than 14 days). Parameters that showed very little effect were chemical admixtures and entrained air.
Status on Development of Code Requirements for Exterior Stone Cladding
Authors: Lewis Michael D.
Published: August 2007

Existing building codes legislated to set minimum standards for construction state dangerously little about stone used to clad buildings. Without standards, failures have proliferated from the use of new materials in unproven applications and familiar materials in new systems. In response, the American National Standards Institute called upon the industry to develop standards that could be adopted into code. Past reliance on judgment without adequate experience must be replaced by uniform standards that include fundamental principles for the design and installation of contemporary systems to protect the public. To improve responsible use of stone as cladding, building codes must address differences from other veneers. Masonry veneers are more homogenous in production, erection, and behavior than stone, yet stone is presently governed by the same provisions of the building code. The in-progress Code Requirements will include parts of the present ASTM C1242 Standard Guide for Design and ASTM C1528 Standard Guide for Selection. The contents will address minimum material properties by stone type, engineering evaluation, attachment types, safety factors, joint design, and weather barrier integration. This is the status of the document’s development, which upon completion, is intended to be incorporated into the building code. ASTM Committee C18 on Dimension Stone has compiled the industry practice on behalf of producers, engineers, architects, contractors, and owners for over 80 years. While its standard test methods, material specifications, and guides are invoked by many projects’ construction documents, the documented knowledge is not currently incorporated into any of the model building codes, including the International Building Code. To develop the new standard Code Requirements for ANSI, professionals representing all interests of the stone building process are compiling the fundamental aspects of recommended stone cladding practice that should be mandatory.
LOX Compatible Toughened Bismaleimide Matrix Thermally Conductive Fiber Composites Part II: ASTM D2512 Specimen Fabrication, Cleaning And Testing
Authors: Gerzeski Roger
Published: August 2007

Composites of 61.5 to 63.7 % Vf were fabricated out of baseline T650-35-UC309 and the thermally conductive YSH50A and YSH60A fibers using the toughened Bismaleimide 5250-4 RTM matrix resin. ASTM D2512-95 (2002)e1 (D2512) specimens were fabricated from these composites and the toughened Bismaleimide neat resin. D2512 mechanical impact tests conducted at 72 ft∙lbs (98 J) on six sets of specimens indicated that both thermally conductive fibers repeatedly improved the D2512 liquid oxygen (LOX) compatibility of their composites by 1700+ % over the baseline fiber composite’s. This improvement occurred regardless of the thickness of the tested thermally conductive fibered composite specimens or type of thermally conductive fiber used. Only flash type reactions were detected for the thermally conductive specimens, whereas, flash, char and noise type reactions were detected for the baseline fiber composite specimens. The 100 % D2512 ignition rate exhibited by the neat resin specimens implies that the D2512 LOX compatibility improvement exhibited by the thermally conductive fiber composite’s over the baseline fiber composites is directly attributable to the use of these thermally conductive fibers.
Anglo-Saxonism in the Yukon: The Klondike Nugget and American-British Relations in the “Two Wests,” 1898–1901
Authors: ARENSON ADAM
Published: August 2007

During the Klondike Gold Rush, Americans and Britons connected their joint local experiences with the simultaneous colonial conquests in Cuba, the Philippines, South Africa, and China through the ideology of Anglo-Saxonism. From 1898 to 1901 Dawson's newspapers, memoirs, correspondence, and commercial photography demonstrated the power of this symbolic language of flags and balls, heated rhetoric and dazzling cartoons. The Klondike Nugget, the first newspaper in town and the only one run by Americans, took up the claims of global Anglo-Saxonism with the most fervor, although its sentiments were often echoed in the Canadian-edited Dawson Daily News. Differences re-emerged, especially over the boundary between Alaska and Canada, but this brief episode remained deeply imprinted in narratives of the “two Wests”—both of the North American frontier West and the West as Anglo-Saxon civilization—told at the turn of the twentieth century.
Integrins Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal
Authors: Hayashi Yohei , Furue Miho Kusuda , Okamoto Tetsuji , Ohnuma Kiyoshi , Myoishi Yasufumi , Fukuhara Yasuaki , Abe Takanori , Sato J. Denry , Hata Ryu-Ichiro , Asashima Makoto
Published: August 2007

Extracellular matrix (ECM) components regulate stem-cell behavior, although the exact effects elicited in embryonic stem (ES) cells are poorly understood. We previously developed a simple, defined, serum-free culture medium that contains leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) for propagating pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells in the absence of feeder cells. In this study, we determined the effects of ECM components as culture substrata on mES cell self-renewal in this culture medium, comparing conventional culture conditions that contain serum and LIF with gelatin as a culture substratum. mES cells remained undifferentiated when cultured on type I and type IV collagen or poly-d-lysine. However, they differentiated when cultured on laminin or fibronectin as indicated by altered morphologies, the activity of alkaline phosphatase decreased, Fgf5 expression increased, and Nanog and stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 expression decreased. Under these conditions, the activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 and Akt/protein kinase B (PKB), which maintain cell self-renewal, decreased. In contrast, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 activity, which negatively controls cell self-renewal, increased. In the defined conditions, mES cells did not express collagen-binding integrin subunits, but they expressed laminin- and fibronectin-binding integrin subunits. The expression of some collagen-binding integrin subunits was downregulated in an LIF concentration-dependent manner. Blocking the interactions between ECM and integrins inhibited this differentiation. Conversely, the stimulation of ECM-integrin interactions by overexpressing collagen-binding integrin subunits induced differentiation of mES cells cultured on type I collagen. The results of the study indicated that inactivation of the integrin signaling is crucial in promoting mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Transcriptional Analysis of Quiescent and Proliferating CD34+ Human Hemopoietic Cells from Normal and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Sources
Authors: Graham Susan M. , Vass J. Keith , Holyoake Tessa L. , Graham Gerard J.
Published: August 2007

Quiescent and dividing hemopoietic stem cells (HSC) display marked differences in their ability to move between the peripheral circulation and the bone marrow. Specifically, long-term engraftment potential predominantly resides in the quiescent HSC subfraction, and G-CSF mobilization results in the preferential accumulation of quiescent HSC in the periphery. In contrast, stem cells from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients display a constitutive presence in the circulation. To understand the molecular basis for this, we have used microarray technology to analyze the transcriptional differences between dividing and quiescent, normal, and CML-derived CD34+ cells. Our data show a remarkable transcriptional similarity between normal and CML dividing cells, suggesting that the effects of BCR-ABL on the CD34+ cell transcriptome are more limited than previously thought. In addition, we show that quiescent CML cells are more similar to their dividing counterparts than quiescent normal cells are to theirs. We also show these transcriptional differences to be reflected in the altered proliferative activity of normal and CML CD34+ cells. Of the most interest is that the major class of genes that is more abundant in the quiescent cells compared with the dividing cells encodes members of the chemokine family. We propose a role for chemokines expressed by quiescent HSC in the orchestration of CD34+ cell mobilization.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Reduced Mcm2 Expression Results in Severe Stem/Progenitor Cell Deficiency and Cancer
Authors: Pruitt Steven C. , Bailey Kimberly J. , Freeland Amy
Published: August 2007

Mcm2 is a component of the DNA replication licensing complex that marks DNA replication origins during G1 of the cell cycle for use in the subsequent S-phase. It is expressed in stem/progenitor cells in a variety of regenerative tissues in mammals. Here, we have used the Mcm2 gene to develop a transgenic mouse in which somatic stem/progenitor cells can be genetically modified in the adult. In these mice, a tamoxifen-inducible form of Cre recombinase is integrated 3′ to the Mcm2 coding sequence and expressed via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Heterozygous Mcm2IRES-CreERT2/wild-type (wt) mice are phenotypically indistinguishable from wild-type at least through 1 year of age. In bigenic Mcm2IRES-CreERT2/wt; Z/EG reporter mice, tamoxifen-dependent enhanced green fluorescence protein expression is inducible in a wide variety of somatic stem cells and their progeny. However, in Mcm2IRES-CreERT2/IRES-CreERT2 homozygous embryos or mouse embryonic fibroblasts, Mcm2 is reduced to approximately one-third of wild-type levels. Despite the fact that these mice develop normally and are asymptomatic as young adults, life span is greatly reduced, with most surviving to only ∼10–12 weeks of age. They demonstrate severe deficiencies in the proliferative cell compartments of a variety of tissues, including the subventricular zone of the brain, muscle, and intestinal crypts. However, the immediate cause of death in most of these animals is cancer, where the majority develop lymphomas. These studies directly demonstrate that deficiencies in the function of the core DNA replication machinery that are compatible with development and survival nonetheless result in a chronic phenotype leading to stem cell deficiency in multiple tissues and cancer.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
A Novel Role of Complement in Mobilization: Immunodeficient Mice Are Poor Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Mobilizers Because They Lack Complement-Activating Immunoglobulins
Authors: Reca Ryan , Cramer Daniel , Yan Jun , Laughlin Mary J. , Janowska-Wieczorek Anna , Ratajczak Janina , Ratajczak Mariusz Z.
Published: August 2007

Complement (C) and innate immunity emerge as important and underappreciated modulators of mobilization of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC). We reported that (a) C becomes activated in bone marrow (BM) during granulocyte–colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-induced mobilization by the classic immunoglobulin (Ig)-dependent pathway and that (b) C3 cleavage fragments increase the responsiveness of HSPC to a stromal derived factor-1 gradient. Since patients suffering from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mobilize poorly, we hypothesized that this could be directly linked to the lack of C activating Ig in these patients. In the current study to better elucidate the role of C activation in HSPC mobilization, we mobilized mice that lack Ig (RAG2, SCID, and Jh) by G-CSF or zymosan, compounds that activate C by the classic Ig-dependent and the alternative Ig-independent pathways, respectively. In addition, we evaluated mobilization in C5-deficient animals. Mobilization was evaluated by measuring the number of colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage and leukocytes circulating in peripheral blood. We found that (a) G-CSF- but not zymosan-induced mobilization was severely reduced in RAG2, SCID, and Jh mice; (b) impaired G-CSF-induced mobilization was restored after infusion of purified wild-type Ig; and (c) mobilization was severely reduced in C5-deficient mice. These data provide strong evidence that the C system plays a pivotal role in mobilization of HSPC and that egress of HSPC from BM occurs as part of an immune response.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Tectono-biosedimentary recordings at the Lias-Dogger transition: example of the Quercy carbonate platform (Aquitaine Basin, France)
Authors: Lezin Carine , Rey Jacques , Faure Philippe , Cubaynes René , Pelissie Thierry , Durlet Christophe , Deconinck Jean-François
Published: August 2007

On the eastern edge of the Aquitaine Basin, the Lias-Dogger transition and the events, which occurred during this time interval are studied in the Quercy sedimentary basin. Stratigraphic correlations are proposed using a biochronological calibration based on the determination of numerous ammonites and brachiopods. Facies analyses using statistical processing integrate the presence of faults and tectonic compartments and lead to reconstruction of palaeoenvironments in space and time. The paper includes the description of system tracts following Haq et al. [1987] and Vail et al. [1991], and twelve palaeogeographic maps of the area studied. The objectives are to distinguish the various allocyclic and autocyclic factors controlling sedimentation and to show the impact of the Mid-Cimmerian tectonic event on the evolution of the basin.
Turtles from the late Eocene – early Oligocene of the Krabi Basin (Thailand)
Authors: Claude Julien , Suteethorn Varavudh , Tong Haiyan
Published: August 2007

Two new species of geoemydid turtles from the late Eocene – early Oligocene of Krabi Basin in southern peninsula of Thailand are described on the basis of shells and other postcranial material: Mauremys thanhinensis n. sp. and Hardella siamensis n. sp. These early representatives of testudinoid turtles from South-East Asia shed light on the early evolution of extant geoemydids.
Comparing Performance and Parameterization of a One‐Dimensional Unsaturated Zone Model across Scales
Authors: Sheikh Vahedberdi , van Loon E. Emiel
Published: August 2007

The utility of an unsaturated zone soil moisture model is not only its ability to describe the soil moisture dynamics at a given point but also the possibility to generalize the results to larger areas. In this study we investigated the predictive performance of a one‐dimensional unsaturated zone soil moisture model when applied at point, field, response unit, and catchment scales, using detailed field observations from a 0.42‐km2 catchment in the Netherlands. Our main question was how model parameterization and model performance could be compared across these scales. We considered two different calibration–validation schemes and three performance statistics. In all cases we applied the same Levenberg–Marquardt optimization scheme. Differences between calibration–validation schemes (interpolation vs. extrapolation) were surprisingly small. Using one particular model parameterization across the various aggregation levels, the optimal Mualem–van Genuchten parameters for a coarser aggregation level can be derived from an underlying level by simple arithmetic averaging. The different performance indices (RMSE, index of agreement, and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient) were highly variable between observation locations and for different aggregation levels. Overall, the indices were more favorable at higher aggregation levels, and in correspondence with errors reported in comparable studies. The unsaturated‐zone model did not, however, provide satisfactory predictions of independent flux observations, in this case daily catchment discharge. Moreover we did not succeed in deriving a meta‐model to scale model performance indices with aggregation level. Our case study therefore supports the view that multiscale calibration studies that use both state and flux observations are required to compare results from unsaturated zone models at different aggregation levels.
Climatic and Human Influences on Groundwater in Low Atolls
Authors: White Ian , Falkland Tony , Metutera Taboia , Metai Eita , Overmars Marc , Perez Pascal , Dray Anne
Published: August 2007

Population centers in low, small islands have water supply problems that are among the most critical in the world. Limited land areas and extremely large soil hydraulic conductivities severely reduce surface runoff and surface storage, so that thin lenses of fresh groundwater floating over seawater comprise the major source of fresh water for people in many atolls. Atoll groundwater is extremely vulnerable to frequent El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)–related droughts, salinization due to storm surges and sea‐level rise, and to human activities with vadose zone transit times from surface to shallow groundwater being less than 1 h. We examine the relationship between groundwater, rainfall, and ENSO events in a low atoll, Tarawa, in the central and western Pacific Republic of Kiribati. Droughts can last as long as 43 months and occur with a current frequency of 6 to 7 years. The impact of droughts on the quality and quantity of a fresh groundwater lens is explored. The local drawdown of the water table due to pumping from long horizontal infiltration galleries is found to be less than diurnal tidal variations. The saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, of the Holocene unconsolidated coral sands was estimated from infiltration gallery drawdown in two islands. The geometric mean K0 was 14.6 m d−1 with a range from 0.9 to 111 m d−1 These large K0 values cause the rapid transmission of rainfall and surface pollutants through the unsaturated zone to groundwater. An example is given of Escherichia coli pollution due to traditional activities. Strategies for improving the adaptation of island communities and increasing resilience to climate change are discussed.
Combined Effects of Urbanization and Global Warming on Subsurface Temperature in Four Asian Cities
Authors: Taniguchi Makoto , Uemura Takeshi , Jago‐on Karen
Published: August 2007

Subsurface temperature profiles measured in boreholes can be analyzed to infer depths of thermal disturbance and associated surface warming due to combined global warming and urbanization (heat island effects). Asian cities are extremely vulnerable because of rapid increases in population. Average subsurface temperature profiles in four Asian cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, and Bangkok) were compared and analyzed to evaluate the effects of surface warming. The magnitude of surface warming is largest in Tokyo (2.8°C), followed by Seoul (2.5°C), Osaka (2.2°C), and Bangkok (1.8°C). Comparisons between analytical solutions and observations show that the mean depth of deviation from the regional geothermal gradient in each urban area may be one of the indicators of the history of urbanization in each city. The mean depth of deviation from the steady thermal gradient, which is approximately 140 m in Tokyo, 80 m in Osaka, and 50 m in Seoul and Bangkok, indicates the time from the start of the additional heat from urbanization. These results agree qualitatively with air temperature records in the cities during the last 100 yr. The heat island effect on subsurface temperature is an important global groundwater quality issue because it may alter the groundwater systems chemically and microbiologically. Measurement of subsurface temperature data provides important information for understanding the joint effects of urbanization and global warming on groundwater systems.
Combined Effects of Rainfall Patterns and Porous Media Properties on Nitrate Leaching
Authors: Sugita Fumi , Nakane Kazuro
Published: August 2007

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of water input properties on the movement of nitrate in three different porous media. A series of artificial rainfall amounts from 4.0 to 26 mm were applied every 24 h in 10 min durations over a weighing lysimeter packed with either fine sand, field soil over fine sand, or fine sand with artificial macropores. Movements of nitrate, chloride, and water in the lysimeter were monitored. Significant nitrate leaching occurred with pistonlike flow caused by the highest applications in all porous media. The nitrate movement coincided with that of chloride in a homogeneous sand medium. In a layered medium with soil cover over sand, nitrate/chloride ratios in the field soil decreased with time, suggesting the presence of degradation processes. Some parts of the soil may be serving as spots for denitrification. High nitrate concentration remained in the topsoil layer under light to intermediate rainfall applications in the two‐layered medium, causing large vertical spreading of nitrate under intermediate rains by which infiltration occurs. Double peaks in the concentration profiles were observed in the macroporous medium under 26‐mm applications, indicating that part of the nitrate was transported by preferential flow while the rest was transported by matrix flow. We estimated that heterogeneity of the porous medium resulted in large dispersion under intermediate to heavy rains and denitrification under light rains. Heterogeneity also affected pathways of leaching under heavy rainfalls. We estimated that climate change could significantly increase the chance of nitrate leaching by at least 25% in the Pacific East area of Japan through increases of heavy rain frequency and precipitation intensity and decreased time for denitrification in the surface soil.
Robustness of Sand Storage Dams under Climate Change
Authors: Aerts Jeroen , Lasage Ralph , Beets Wisse , de Moel Hans , Mutiso Gideon , Mutiso Sam , de Vries Arjen
Published: August 2007

This study shows the robustness of subsurface storage using sand dams under long‐term climate change for the Kitui District in Kenya. Climate change is predicted to enhance potential evaporation through an increase in average temperature of about 3°C. Even though average precipitation will also increase, approximately 13%, the net water availability is projected to decrease in the future, about 1 and 34% in the seasons November to March and April to October, respectively. This study shows that under current climate conditions, total storage in the 500 sand dams currently developed in Kitui captures only 1.8 and 3.8% from the total runoff generated during the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. These numbers increase to 3 and 20% of total available water for the year 2100 for the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. Hence, downstream water shortages can be expected under climate change in the April–October season. An additional water consumption scenario has been developed in which 1000 new sand dams are developed. In this case, the percentage storage by 1500 sand dams relative to the total available water increases to about 11 and 60% for the November–March and April–October seasons, respectively. In general, the variability in runoff is projected to increase under climate change, and the probability of years in which there is significant water shortage will increase from about once every 30 yr to once every 10 yr.
Physically Based Simulation of Potential Effects of Carbon Dioxide–Altered Climates on Groundwater Recharge
Authors: Green Timothy R. , Bates Bryson C. , Charles Stephen P. , Fleming P. Mick
Published: August 2007

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 will alter regional rainfall and evapotranspiration regimes that drive groundwater recharge. Improved methods of simulation and analysis are needed for assessing the potential sensitivities of soil–water–vegetation systems to climate change. This study demonstrates methods for generating climates and simulating soil–water and vegetation dynamics in response to current and double CO2 climate sequences. Climate change scenarios came from dynamic equilibrium (constant CO2) runs of a general circulation model (GCM). Based on historical climate and GCM output, a stochastic point weather generator produced realizations of the cross‐correlated daily climate variables. A numerical model of infiltration, variably saturated flow, and evapotranspiration produced temporal distributions of groundwater recharge rates for various soil–vegetation environments. Climate change scenarios were simulated for two climatic zones in Australia: subtropical (North Stradbroke Island, Queensland) and Mediterranean (Gnangara, Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia) having summer‐ and winter‐dominated rainfall regimes, respectively. In these simulations, groundwater recharge values were affected by the dynamic growth and senescence of vegetation, as changes in temperature and rainfall regimes affected growth rates and leaf areas. The temperature regime dominated the hydrologic response in the Mediterranean climate, and the rainfall frequency–duration regime dominated in the subtropical climate. For the simulated Mediterranean climate change (14% rainfall increase), changes in mean recharge values ranged from −34% to +119%, while subtropical climate change (37% rainfall increase) caused increases from 74 to > 500%. Changes in mean recharge rate, interannual variability, and temporal persistence were related to the soil and vegetation characteristics. The model was useful for quantifying complex, nonlinear responses to climate change that require further exploration.
Quantifying the Influence of Uncertainty and Variability on Groundwater Risk Assessment for Trace Elements
Authors: Altfelder Sven , Duijnisveld Wilhelmus H. M. , Streck Thilo , Meyenburg Gunnar , Utermann Jens
Published: August 2007

The application of leaching models to predict field‐scale heavy metal transport has been successful at several sites. Past studies involved site‐specific sorption experiments to quantify the leaching process and to investigate its spatial variability. Uncertainty due to lack of knowledge was frequently ignored. Here we present a leaching model that is based on an extended Freundlich equation to describe sorption. The equation is derived on a nationwide scale and is applicable to arbitrary sites in Germany. Instead of relying on site‐specific sorption experiments, it only requires information on the spatial variability of pH, organic carbon (Corg), and clay content. In addition to accounting for spatial variability, the model also considers the major sources of uncertainty influencing a leaching prediction. These sources involve uncertainty in the spatial distribution of pH, Corg, and clay content, as well as uncertainty of the extended Freundlich equation. The modeling strategy is based on a parallel soil column approach, in which a deterministic transport model is combined with a two‐dimensional Monte Carlo method. The model's ability to predict downward movement is tested on two sites in Germany—a wastewater irrigation area and an area in the vicinity of a metal smelter—where cadmium leaching has been modeled previously using extended Freundlich equations derived from local sorption data. Without any parameter fitting involved, the predicted field‐averaged cadmium profiles agree quite well with measured profiles in both cases.