bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gully position, characteristics and geomorphic thresholds in an undisturbed catchment in Northern Australia
Authors: Hancock G. R. , Evans K. G.
Published: June 2006

Gullying is a significant process in the long‐term dynamics and evolution of both natural and rehabilitated (i.e. post‐mining) landscapes. From a landscape management perspective it is important that we understand gully initiation and development, as it is well recognized that catchment disturbance can result in the development of gullies that can be very difficult to rehabilitate. This study examines gully position using geomorphic statistics relating to features such as depth, width and length in a catchment undisturbed by European activity in the Northern Territory, Australia. The results demonstrate that gullying occurs throughout the catchment and that a slope–area threshold does not exist and that gully position broadly follows the catchment area–slope relationship. Simple relationships relating catchment area and slope to gully depth, width and length provide poor results, despite these relationships having been found to apply for ephemeral gullies in cropland. The results suggest that gully initiation thresholds are low as a result of an enhanced fire regime. A threshold model for gully position that uses catchment area and slope to switch between gully and hillslope was evaluated and found broadly to capture gully position. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influences of catchment characteristics on nitrogen concentration in largely forested streams during the base flow period
Authors: Su Baolin , Kazama So , Katayama Seiichiro , Sawamoto Masaki
Published: June 2006

Based on measured stream nitrogen concentrations at outlets of 12 small sub‐areas (1·3–54·7 km2) in a largely forested catchment during the base flow period, we investigated the influences of discharges and different catchment characteristics on stream nitrogen concentration. Our field surveys were carried out during the 11‐month's period from April 2001 to February 2002 and the correlations between nitrogen concentrations and catchment characteristics were studied. The results showed that the vegetation cover was strongly correlated to total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate + nitrite − nitrogen (NOx‐N) concentrations. That is, the TN and NOx‐N concentrations had positive correlations with mean normalized difference vegetation cover index (NDVI) of each sub‐area during dormant seasons (mean NDVI < 0 · 70) and had negative correlations during the growing season (mean NDVI ≥ 0 . 70). The significance of catchment characteristics to TN and NOx‐N concentrations was ranked as vegetation cover > soil > topography > land use, and the best models can account for 55–64% of the variance of TN and NOx‐N concentrations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uncertainties in real‐time flood forecasting with neural networks
Authors: Han Dawei , Kwong Terence , Li Simon
Published: June 2006

Although artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been applied in rainfall runoff modelling for many years, there are still many important issues unsolved that have prevented this powerful non‐linear tool from wide applications in operational flood forecasting activities. This paper describes three ANN configurations and it is found that a dedicated ANN for each lead‐time step has the best performance and a multiple output form has the worst result. The most popular form with multiple inputs and single output has the average performance. In comparison with a linear transfer function (TF) model, it is found that ANN models are uncompetitive against the TF model in short‐range predictions and should not be used in operational flood forecasting owing to their complicated calibration process. For longer range predictions, ANN models have an improved chance to perform better than the TF model; however, this is highly dependent on the training data arrangement and there are undesirable uncertainties involved, as demonstrated by bootstrap analysis in the study. To tackle the uncertainty issue, two novel approaches are proposed: distance analysis and response analysis. Instead of discarding the training data after the model's calibration, the data should be retained as an integral part of the model during its prediction stage and the uncertainty for each prediction could be judged in real time by measuring the distances against the training data. The response analysis is based on an extension of the traditional unit hydrograph concept and has a very useful potential to reveal the hydrological characteristics of ANN models, hence improving user confidence in using them in real time. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Chen Yaning , Takeuchi Kuniyoshi , Xu Changchun , Chen Yapeng , Xu Zongxue
Published: June 2006

The hydrological response to climate change in the Tarim River Basin was investigated by analysing the hydrological, temperature and precipitation data of the past 50 years. The long‐term trend of the hydrological time‐series, including air temperature, precipitation, and streamflow, was examined by using both parametric and non‐parametric techniques and the plausible association between streamflow and climate change by the method of grey correlation analysis. The results show that the study area became warmer in the last few decades. The air temperature experienced a significant monotonic increase by 5%; the precipitation showed a significant decrease in the 1970s and then a major increase in the1980s and 1990s, with average annual precipitation up by 6·8 mm per decade. A step change occurred in both temperature and precipitation around 1986, with mean temperature and precipitation increasing from 6·7 °C and 146 mm before 1986 to 7·3 °C and 180 mm respectively after 1986. The temperature has risen by nearly 1 °C over the past 50 years, possibly resulting from the impact of global climate change. Streamflows in the Aksu River and the Yarkant River have shown a significant (P < 0·05) tendency of increase. This is particularly the case for the Aksu River. The coefficients of streamflow increase in the Aksu and Yarkant Rivers are 0·41 and 0·13 respectively. The results of grey correlation analysis show that in the Aksu River, which is located in the northwest of the basin, the impact of precipitation on streamflow is much greater than that of temperature. However, in the Hotan River, which is located in the southwest of the basin, the impact of temperature on streamflow is much greater than that of precipitation. This is likely to be related to the geographic distribution of the headstreams of the rivers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Upper versus lower Colorado River sub‐basin streamflow: characteristics, runoff estimation and model simulation
Authors: Fassnacht S. R.
Published: June 2006

Streamflow in the upper Colorado River in the western USA is always snowmelt dominated, whereas the lower river's perennial streamflows are snowmelt dominated only 50% of the time. The magnitude and timing of peak flows is important for water resources management. In the upper basin the annual maximum daily discharge usually occurs in May or June, and in the lower basin this peak is observed to occur in any month except May or June. The timing of one‐half of the specific runoff is used as a second measure of the variability in timing and magnitude of streamflows. For the upper basin, nine watersheds are used to illustrate streamflow trends, with the Yampa River used as a sample sub‐basin. For the lower basin, five watersheds are used, of which Salt River is used as sample sub‐basin. The differences in monthly flow variation over 20‐year time periods (1920–1939, 1940–1959, 1960–1979, and 1980–1999) are substantial for the Salt River but not for the Yampa River.

Three model types were used to estimate streamflow characteristics. An autocorrelation model was used to generate winter specific runoffs, which were more reasonable for the Yampa River than the Salt River. A regression between snow water equivalent (SWE) and winter specific runoff showed a good correlation for the two sub‐basins. A weaker relationship exists between SWE and non‐winter flows for the sample lower basin watershed. Streamflow was simulated relatively well using the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System hydrological model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A review of pervaporation for product recovery from biomass fermentation processes
Authors: Vane Leland M
Published: June 2006

The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 80:603–629.
Effect of glucose:xylose ratio on xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase activities from Candida guilliermondii in sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate
Authors: da Silva Débora Danielle Virgínio , de Almeida Felipe Maria das Graças
Published: June 2006

The influence of glucose on xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) enzyme activity was evaluated from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate fermentations with different glucose:xylose ratios (1:25, 1:12, 1:5 and 1:2.5) by employing an inoculum of Candida guilliermondii grown in media containing glucose, a mixture of glucose and xylose, or only xylose as carbon sources. According to the results, the glucose:xylose ratio affected positively this bioconversion and a correlation was not observed between the favourable conditions for xylitol production and the XR and XDH activities. Also, the results were influenced not only by the glucose:xylose ratio in the fermentation medium, but also by the carbon source employed in the growth medium of the inoculum. The optimum condition for xylitol production by C. guilliermondii in sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate should use hydrolysate with a 1:5 glucose:xylose ratio and inoculum grown in medium containing xylose as the only carbon source. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Chiral separation strategy in polar organic solvent chromatography and performance comparison with normal‐phase liquid and supercritical‐fluid chromatography
Authors: Matthijs Nele , Maftouh Mohamed , Vander Heyden Yvan
Published: June 2006

A strategy, including a rapid screening and several optimisation steps, for the separation of chiral molecules of pharmaceutical interest by polar organic solvent chromatography (POSC), using four polysaccharide‐based stationary phases, is proposed and compared with previously reported strategies in normal‐phase (NPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). In a first part of this paper, different examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the POSC strategy for fast method development. Optimisation is based on the use of experimental design to map the experimental domain in an efficient way. In the second part, the best screening results, obtained after performance of earlier defined chromatographic screening strategies in NPLC and SFC, are compared to those obtained in POSC. The three techniques show complementary separation results and allowed baseline separation of 23 of 25 compounds. POSC is found to be a very interesting separation mode compared to NPLC, because of the many fast (< 10 min) baseline separations obtained.
Chiral discrimination of primary amines by HPLC after labeling with a chiral derivatization reagent, trans‐2‐(2,3‐anthracenedicarboximido)‐cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride
Authors: Akasaka Kazuaki , Ohtaki Takashi , Ohrui Hiroshi
Published: June 2006

Enantiomeric discrimination of chiral primary amines was performed by both reversed‐phase HPLC and normal‐phase HPLC after labeling with a chiral fluorescent derivatization reagent, (1R,2R)‐ and (1S,2S)‐trans‐2‐(2,3‐anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride. Use of HPLC permits separation of diastereomeric derivatives of amines up to C30 which have a primary amino group at the middle of the alkyl chain. The derivatives of primary amines having an anteiso alkyl chain, which has a chiral branched‐methyl at the n‐3 position of the alkyl chain, were also separated by HPLC, and it was also possible to separate niphatesine D by reversed‐phase HPLC after derivatization.
Kinetics of the thermal isomerization of 1,1,2,2‐tetramethylcyclopropane
Authors: Lewis David K. , Gray Timothy , Katsva Vlad , Parcella Kyle , Schlier Jessica , Kalra Bansi L. , Cho Janet , Mish Debra
Published: June 2006

Reaction rates for the structural isomerization of 1,1,2,2‐tetramethylcyclopropane to 2,4‐dimethyl‐2‐pentene have been measured over a wide temperature range, 672–750 K in a static reactor and 1000–1120 K in a single‐pulse shock tube. The combined data from the two temperature regions give Arrhenius parameters Ea=64.7 (±0.5) kcal/mol and log10(A, s−1) = 15.47 (±0.13). These values lie at the upper end of the ranges of Ea and log A values (62.2–64.7 kcal/mol and 14.82–15.55, respectively) obtained from three previous experimental studies, each of which covered a narrower temperature range. The previously noted trend toward lower Ea values for structural isomerization of methylcyclopropanes as methyl substitution increases extends only through the dimethylcyclopropanes (1,1‐ and 1,2‐); Ea then appears to increase with further methyl substitution. In contrast, the pre‐exponential factors for isomerization of cyclopropane and all of the methylcyclopropanes through tetramethylcyclopropane lie within ±0.3 of log10(A, s−1) = 15.2 and show no particular trend with increasing substitution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 483–488, 2006
Surfactant effects on the reaction of 2‐(4‐cyanophenoxy)‐quinoxaline with hydroxide ion
Authors: Cuenca Angela
Published: June 2006

A reaction of 2‐(4‐cyanophenoxy)quinoxaline 1 with hydroxide ion is accelerated by supramolecular aggregates of cetyltrialkylammonium chlorides (alkyl = Me, n‐Pr, and n‐Bu). In diluted surfactant solutions, with relatively high substrate concentration (7.0 × 10−5 M), rate constants go through double rate maxima with increase in the surfactant concentration. The first rate maximum is ascribed to a reaction occurring in premicellar aggregates and the second to reaction in micelles. At low substrate concentration (7 × 10−6 M), second‐order rate constants in the micellar pseudophase are dependent on the surfactant headgroup size, which is related to charge dispersion in the transition state. Nonmicellizing tri‐n‐octylmethylammonium ions (TOAMs) increase the reaction of 1 with hydroxide ion. The observed rate enhancements may be due to the formation of small, hydrophobic aggregates which bind the substrate and promote the nucleophilic substitution reaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 510–515, 2006
Kinetics of the thermal isomerization of 1,1,2‐trimethylcyclopropane
Authors: Lewis David K. , Hughes Steven V. , Miller Justine D. , Schlier Jessica , Wilkinson Kevin A. , Wilkinson Sara R. , Kalra Bansi L.
Published: June 2006

The Arrhenius parameters for the gas phase, unimolecular structural isomerizations of 1,1,2‐trimethylcyclopropane to three isomeric methylpentenes and two dimethylbutenes have been determined over a wide range of temperatures, 688–1124 K, using both static and shock tube reactors. For the overall loss of reactant, Ea = 63.7 (± 0.5) kcal/mol and log10 A = 15.28 (± 0.12). These values are higher by 2.6 kcal/mol and 0.7–0.8 than previously reported from experimental work or predicted from thermochemical calculations. Ea for the formation of trans‐4‐methyl‐2‐pentene is 1.5 kcal/mol higher than Ea for the formation of the cis isomer, which is identical to the Ea difference previously reported for the formation of trans‐ and cis‐2‐butene from methylcyclopropane. Substitution of methyl groups for hydrogen atoms on the cyclopropane ring is expected to weaken the CC ring bonds, and it has been reported previously that activation energies for structural isomerizations of methylcyclopropanes do decrease substantially over the series cyclopropane > methylcyclopropane > 1,1‐ or 1,2‐dimethylcyclopropane. However, the present study shows that the trend does not continue beyond dimethylcyclopropane isomerization. Besides reductions in CC bond energy, steric interactions may be increasingly important in determining the energy surface and conformational restrictions near the transition state in isomerizations of the more highly substituted methylcyclopropanes. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 475–482, 2006
Extrapyramidal symptoms in Wilson's disease are associated with olfactory dysfunction
Authors: Mueller Antje , Reuner Ulrike , Landis Basile , Kitzler Hagen , Reichmann Heinz , Hummel Thomas
Published: June 2006

Wilson's disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the accumulation of copper, mainly in the liver and the brain. As copper accumulation in the brain leads to disturbances in basal ganglia function, neurological‐type patients typically present with hypo‐ and hyperkinetic extrapyramidal symptoms, with Parkinsonism being very common. Although there are numerous reports on olfactory deficits in primary neurodegenerative disorders, olfactory function has not been investigated in metabolic disorders presenting with extrapyramidal features. Twenty‐four patients with Wilson's disease participated in the investigation. All patients were treated pharmacologically. They comprised patients with liver disease alone (including mild enzyme elevation in asymptomatic individuals; n = 11) and/or neurological symptoms (n = 13) at the time of testing. Twenty‐one patients underwent both [18F]fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose positron emission tomography ([18F]FDG‐PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The severity of extrapyramidal symptoms was judged using a clinical score system ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 3 (severe symptoms). In all patients, psychophysical testing was performed using the “Sniffin' Sticks,” which involved tests for odor threshold, discrimination, and identification. Results from the present study revealed that Wilson's disease patients with neurological symptoms show a significant olfactory dysfunction compared to hepatic‐type patients. Individuals who are more severely neurologically affected also present with a more pronounced olfactory deficit. Of interest, there was no significant effect of long‐term treatment with penicillamine on olfactory function. Olfactory function did not correlate significantly with the presence of MRI visible lesions in the basal ganglia or with any regional glucose metabolism as measured by [18]F‐FDG‐PET. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the underlying pathological alterations with degeneration in the basal ganglia and neuronal loss in association with a marked increase of the copper content in this brain region play a role in the olfactory deficit. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Development of a decision support system for diagnosis and grading of brain tumours using in vivo magnetic resonance single voxel spectra
Authors: Tate Anne R. , Underwood Joshua , Acosta Dionisio M. , Julià‐Sapé Margarida , Majós Carles , Moreno‐Torres Àngel , Howe Franklyn A. , van der Graaf Marinette , Lefournier Virginie , Murphy Mary M. , Loosemore Alison , Ladroue Christophe , Wesseling Pieter , Luc Bosson Jean , Cabañas Miquel E. , Simonetti Arjan W. , Gajewicz Witold , Calvar Jorge , Capdevila Antoni , Wilkins Peter R. , Bell B. Anthony , Rémy Chantal , Heerschap Arend , Watson Des , Griffiths John R. , Arús Carles
Published: June 2006

A computer‐based decision support system to assist radiologists in diagnosing and grading brain tumours has been developed by the multi‐centre INTERPRET project. Spectra from a database of 1H single‐voxel spectra of different types of brain tumours, acquired in vivo from 334 patients at four different centres, are clustered according to their pathology, using automated pattern recognition techniques and the results are presented as a two‐dimensional scatterplot using an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). Formal quality control procedures were performed to standardize the performance of the instruments and check each spectrum, and teams of expert neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists and neuropathologists clinically validated each case. The prototype decision support system (DSS) successfully classified 89% of the cases in an independent test set of 91 cases of the most frequent tumour types (meningiomas, low‐grade gliomas and high‐grade malignant tumours—glioblastomas and metastases). It also helps to resolve diagnostic difficulty in borderline cases. When the prototype was tested by radiologists and other clinicians it was favourably received. Results of the preliminary clinical analysis of the added value of using the DSS for brain tumour diagnosis with MRS showed a small but significant improvement over MRI used alone. In the comparison of individual pathologies, PNETs were significantly better diagnosed with the DSS than with MRI alone. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perfusion, diffusion and spectroscopy values in newly diagnosed cerebral gliomas
Authors: Catalaa Isabelle , Henry Roland , Dillon William P. , Graves Edward E. , McKnight Tracy R. , Lu Ying , Vigneron Daniel B. , Nelson Sarah J.
Published: June 2006

Purpose

To evaluate perfusion, diffusion, and spectroscopy values in enhancing and non‐enhancing lesions for patients with newly diagnosed gliomas of different grades.

Materials and Methods

Sixty‐seven patients with newly diagnosed glioma were entered into the study 20 grade II, 26 grade III and 21 grade IV. MR data were acquired at 1.5T and included diffusion weighted images (59/67 patients), dynamic perfusion weighted images (30/67 patients) and 3D H‐1 MR spectroscopy (64/67 patients). Enhancing and non‐enhancing lesions were delineated by a neuroradiologist and applied to maps of relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), relative anisotropy (RA) and metabolite intensities.

Results

The median rCBV within enhancing regions of grade IV gliomas was significantly elevated relative to enhancing regions in grade III gliomas and normal brain. ADC was elevated relative to normal brain, but was not significantly different between grades or between enhancing and non‐enhancing regions. The RA was higher in the non‐enhancing region of grade IV gliomas relative to grade II and grade III. Levels of lactate plus lipid were significantly elevated in grade IV relative to grade II and grade III gliomas. Both enhancing and non‐enhancing regions in grade IV gliomas showed significant correlations between CBV, ADC and choline levels.

Conclusion

The data were consistent with grade IV gliomas having higher membrane turnover, increased cell density and increased vascularity within enhancing lesions. Analysis of the correlations among parameters within grade IV gliomas suggested that high vascularity (high rCBV) was correlated with increased cellularity (low ADC) and increased membrane turnover (high choline) in these lesions. The non‐enhancing region of grades II and III gliomas had MR parameters consistent with increased cellularity and/or membrane turnover. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Current Awareness in NMR in Biomedicine
Authors:   John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Published: June 2006

In order to keep subscribers up‐to‐date with the latest developments in their field, John Wiley & Sons are providing a current awareness service in each issue of the journal. The bibliography contains newly published material in the field of NMR in biomedicine. Each bibliography is divided into 11 sections: 1 Books, Reviews ' Symposia; 2 General; 3 Technology; 4 Contrast Agents; 5 Brain and Nerves; 6 Neuropathology; 7 Cancer; 8 Cardiac, Vascular and Respiratory Systems; 9 Liver, Kidney and Other Organs; 10 Muscle and Orthopaedic; 11 Plants, Micro‐organisms and Parasites; 12 Others. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author. If, in the preceding period, no publications are located relevant to any one of these headings, that section will be omitted.
Adaptive reduction‐based AMG
Authors: MacLachlan Scott , Manteuffel Tom , McCormick Steve
Published: June 2006

With the ubiquity of large‐scale computing resources has come significant attention to practical details of fast algorithms for the numerical solution of partial differential equations. Included in this group are the class of multigrid and algebraic multigrid algorithms that are effective solvers for many of the large matrix problems arising from the discretization of elliptic operators. Algebraic multigrid (AMG) is especially effective for many problems with discontinuous coefficients, discretized on unstructured grids, or over complex geometries. While much effort has been invested in improving the practical performance of AMG, little theoretical understanding of this performance has emerged. This paper presents a two‐level convergence theory for a reduction‐based variant of AMG, called AMGr, which is particularly appropriate for linear systems that have M‐matrix‐like properties. For situations where less is known about the problem matrix, an adaptive version of AMGr that automatically determines the form of the reduction needed by the AMGr process is proposed. The adaptive cycle is shown, in both theory and practice, to yield an effective AMGr algorithm. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of a slow‐release and superabsorbent nitrogen fertilizer and its properties
Authors: Liu Mingzhu , Liang Rui , Zhan Falu , Liu Zhen , Niu Aizhen
Published: June 2006

A slow‐release and superabsorbent nitrogen fertilizer (SSNF) was synthesized by aqueous solution copolymerization of acrylic acid and maleic anhydride using N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker, ammonium persulfate and sodium sulfite as an initiator in the presence of urea. The effects on water absorbency such as amount of crosslinker, initiator, urea and maleic acid, degree of neutralization, etc. were investigated. To improve slow release and water retention properties, the product was surface‐crosslinked with trihydroxymethyl propane glycidol ether (6360). The nitrogen content of the SSNF synthesized under optimal conditions was 28.5%, and the water absorbencies were about 900 (g/g) in distilled water and 180 (g/g) in tap water. The nitrogen slow release behavior of the SSNF in water and water retention capacity of the soil with SSNF were also investigated. The results showed that the surface‐crosslinked product not only had good slow release property but also excellent soil moisture preservation capacity, which could effectively improve the utilization of fertilizer and water resources simultaneously. The results of the present work indicated that the SSNF could be found an application in agriculture and horticulture, especially in drought‐prone areas where the availability of water is insufficient. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The comparative safety of rosuvastatin: a retrospective matched cohort study in over 48 000 initiators of statin therapy
Authors: McAfee Andrew T. , Ming Eileen E. , Seeger John D. , Quinn Sherry G. , Ng Eva W. , Danielson Jared D. , Cutone Jennifer A. , Fox Jonathan C. , Walker Alexander M.
Published: June 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare incidence rates of hospitalization associated with rhabdomyolysis, myopathy, renal, or hepatic dysfunction, and of in‐hospital death, between initiators of rosuvastatin and other statins.

Methods

This was a matched cohort study of statin initiators from the administrative database of a large health insurer in the US, during the first 6 months of rosuvastatin availability with up to 18 months of follow‐up. All outcome events were verified by medical record review. Incidence rates, risk ratios, and associated 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

Results

From an initial pool of 12 217, 11 249 eligible rosuvastatin initiators were matched to 37 282 initiators of other statins. The incidence rate (IR) per 1000 person‐years for rhabdomyolysis was 0.10 [0.00, 0.55] for rosuvastatin initiators (n = 1) and 0.06 [0.01, 0.22] for other statin initiators (n = 2), for a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.98 [0.18, 21.90]. The IR for myopathy was 0.20 [0.02, 0.71] for rosuvastatin initiators (n = 2) and 0.00 [0.00, 0.09] for other statin initiators (n = 0). The IR for renal dysfunction was 1.18 [0.61, 2.06] for rosuvastatin initiators (n = 12) and 1.26 [0.91, 1.71] for other statin initiators (n = 42), for a HR of 0.90 [0.47, 1.73]. The IR for hepatic dysfunction was 0.20 (0.02, 0.71) for rosuvastatin initiators (n = 2) and 0.24 (0.10, 0.47) for other statin initiators (n = 8), for a HR of 0.87 (0.18, 4.14).

Conclusions

This study found no difference between rosuvastatin and the other statins in the incidence of hospitalizations associated with renal or hepatic events, or death. The absolute incidence rates of rhabdomyolysis and myopathy were reassuringly low among all statin initiators but remain too small for firm conclusions to be drawn on any difference between the statins. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristic overpressure–impulse–distance curves for vessel burst
Authors: Ferradás Enrique González , Alonso Fernando Díaz , Sánchez Pérez Juan Francisco , Aznar Agustín Miñana , Gimeno José Ruiz , Alonso Jesús Martínez
Published: June 2006

In industrial explosions, various models have been proposed to calculate overpressure and impulse at specified distances. When the explosion is attributed to vessel burst, the Baker method is widely used. From the curves given by this model, data are fitted to obtain equations showing the relationship between overpressure and impulse. These curves, referred to as characteristic curves, can be fitted by potential equations, which depend on explosion energy and geometry of the tank. If several characteristic curves (corresponding to different explosion energies) are represented in the same overpressure–impulse diagram, including distances to the explosion center, determination of overpressure and impulse at each distance is simple and fast. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2006
MHP‐OSGi convergence: a new model for open residential gateways
Authors: Vilas Ana Fernández , Díaz Redondo Rebeca P. , Cabrer Manuel Ramos , Pazos Arias José J. , Solla Alberto Gil , Duque Jorge García , Nores Martín López , Fernández Yolanda Blanco
Published: June 2006

Nowadays, we are living in a time of important technological changes that affect our lives at home and our communication with the outside world. Among them, the developments in Interactive Digital TV (IDTV) and the smart home field can be considered as particularly important. Related to the former, the new Set‐Top Boxes (STBs) are not only a decoder for digital television broadcast but also an entry point to the Information Society and a suitable platform to support the execution of interactive applications. With regards to the latter, the Residential Gateways (RGs) combine different network technologies to allow the connection of different electronics devices and appliances at home, not only with each other but also with the Internet. Since there is no widespread consensus about the configurations and functions of the RGs, we propose to coordinate the two aforementioned worlds by extending the functionality of STBs to become a RG. Our proposal consists of merging the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP), one of the main standard frameworks for IDTV, with Open Service Gateway Initiative (OSGi), the most widely used open platform to set up RGs. To overcome the radically different nature of these specifications—the function‐oriented MHP middleware and the service‐oriented OSGi framework—we define a new kind of application, coined as XbundLET. This application is able to bridge the gap between the two frameworks and make their interaction feasible. We also show how this proposal has the potential to enable the production of scenarios that cannot currently be put into practice in a natural way. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International perspectives on newborn screening
Authors: Pollitt R. J.
Published: June 2006

The development of electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (MS‐MS) has greatly increased the number of diseases that can be detected by newborn blood‐spot screening. Different countries are introducing the technology at different rates and for different disease panels. Current policies in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States are taken as examples. In the United Kingdom, many laboratories are using MS‐MS for routine screening for phenylketonuria but, except for those participating in a two‐year pilot study of screening for medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, are forbidden use MS‐MS to screen for other disorders. In Germany there has been considerable experience of MS‐MS screening for a wide range of diseases, but recently the Federal Ministry for Health and Social Security prescribed a much more restricted disease panel, with the instruction that any other diagnostic results are to be suppressed and not reported. By contrast, a recent report from the American College of Medical Genetics, still being debated, recommends screening procedures that will detect an extremely broad range of disorders, including some that are very rare or of unproven clinical significance. The lack of even broad concordance at the level of national policy is extremely disturbing. Though all discussion is nominally founded on the ten principles laid down by Wilson and Jungner in 1968, there seems no generally accepted way of using these principles, or derived criteria, as objective decision tools. Alternative, less categorical, approaches are needed: the disorders concerned are not homogeneous entities and there may be advantages to screening other than reducing morbidity or mortality.
From state socialism to capitalism: The role of class and the world system
Authors: Lane David
Published: June 2006

While theories of global capitalism have added a new dimension to our understanding of the dynamics of the modern world, a ‘globalisation’ approach to the transformation of the state socialist societies is relatively underdeveloped. This paper studies the role of international and global factors under state socialism and the world system in the pre-1989 period. The paper considers traditional Marxist approaches to the transition to capitalism and criticises the model of state capitalism as well as the world system approach. In contrast, social actors (the ‘acquisition’ and ‘administrative’ social strata and the global political elite)are identified as playing a major role in the fall of state socialism, and were a nascent capitalist class. The transformation of state socialism, it is contended, had the character of a revolution rather than a shift between different types of capitalism.
Cultural comparisons and their consequences for nationhood in Ukraine
Authors: Shulman Stephen
Published: June 2006

Several theories of nationalism argue that ethnic and regional cultural heterogeneity are a source of conflict and alienation in a state, and therefore impede nation-building. This article tests this assertion with respect to ethnic and regional differences in Ukraine. Using a 2001 mass public opinion survey developed by the author, the article engages in bi-variate and multivariate statistical analysis of the relationship between perceived ethnic and ethno-regional diversity in Ukraine and various measures of national identity and national unity. The results of this analysis suggest that subjective cultural differences in Ukraine do not substantially undermine national identity, but they do weaken national unity.
Constructing an event, contemplating ruins, theorizing nature: the Lisbon earthquake and some Italian reactions
Authors: ADAMO SERGIA
Published: June 2006

The consideration of some Italian writings on the Lisbon earthquake allows us to single out three different kinds of reaction to the catastrophe. The very first contemporary reports reflect the process of the construction of an event that, according to Gilles Deleuze, is characterized by extension, intensity and formation of something new. Then, some years after 1755, a new interest in the theme of ruins emerges in the work of Giuseppe Baretti, for whom ruins represent the reference to a past that has to be contemplated in its loss of functionality (following a pattern of perception recently described by Marc Augé). Finally, a third aspect is linked to the materialistic reflection about nature put forward by the nineteenth-century poet Giacomo Leopardi who elaborates his pessimistic conception of nature in a strict dependence on Voltaire's Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne pointing out the antinomy between collective happiness and individual sorrow.
Probability tails of wavelet coefficients of magnetometer records
Authors: Kokoszka P. , Maslova I. , Sojka J. , Zhu L.
Published: June 2006

The ground‐based magnetometer network has long been a powerful tool for monitoring and observing the variations of the currents flowing in the magnetosphere‐ionosphere (M‐I) system. The time series of magnetograms are nonstationary and their frequency behavior changes over time. They are therefore not amenable to traditional time domain or spectral (Fourier) analysis. In recent years, various new mathematical techniques have been developed to analyze magnetometer data and the wavelet technique has stood out as being particularly relevant. In order to correctly make statistical inferences based on wavelet analysis, the wavelet coefficient distributions of magnetograms must be examined. In this work, we apply the discrete wavelet transform to the 1‐min magnetometer records and then use several statistical techniques to analyze the probability distributions of the wavelet coefficients. It is found that the distributions of these coefficients for both storm and quiet times are highly nonnormal and can be classified as being heavy tailed. This finding suggests that when applying statistical techniques to the wavelet coefficients of the magnetograms, one must make sure that these techniques are robust to large departures from Gaussianity manifested by the presence of heavy probability tails. It is also found that the tail indexes for storm times are on average smaller than those of quiet times, which reflects the stronger impulsive and nonstationary features in magnetometer data during storm times, and the shifts are most significant for the wavelet coefficients corresponding to physical scales of 4–8 min.
Groundwater drainage and recharge by networks of irregular channels
Authors: Ni Wei‐Jay , Capart Hervé
Published: June 2006

A linear complementarity theory is proposed for the coupled treatment of groundwater seepage and surface runoff along a sloping plane ground perturbed by irregular channels. Steady downslope routing is applied to the two‐dimensional overland flow, while Green functions are used to relate the three‐dimensional groundwater motion to the surface drainage and recharge distribution. The coupling between the surface and subsurface components is formulated as a linear complementarity problem. The algorithms needed to compute useful solutions are presented and validated. Two variants of the theory are addressed, one applicable to large‐scale problems in which capillary effects can be neglected and the other to small‐scale processes for which the range of variation of the topography does not exceed the capillary fringe. Linearized theories for these two cases are found to be very close in their structure and in their predictions, providing a rigorous basis for the representation of field‐scale processes by laboratory‐scale analogues. Predictions from the theory are compared with detailed experiments in which groundwater sapping was monitored using a video camera and a laser sheet scanning apparatus.
Real‐time reconstruction of the three‐dimensional ionosphere using data from a network of GPS receivers
Authors: Fridman Sergey V. , Nickisch L. J. , Aiello Mark , Hausman Mark
Published: June 2006

We present a system that processes phase and group delay time series from a network of dual‐frequency GPS receivers and produces a dynamic ionospheric model that is consistent with all the input data. The system is intended for monitoring the ionosphere over a fixed geographical area with dimensions of the order of several thousand kilometers. The inversion technique utilized in this system stems from the inversion technique previously developed by our group within the Coordinate Registration Enhancement by Dynamic Optimization (CREDO) project (a software package for inverting the vertical sounding, backscatter sounding, and satellite total electron content (TEC) data for over‐the‐horizon radar). The core of this technique is Tikhonov's methodology for solving ill‐posed problems. We extended the method to multidimensional nonlinear inverse problems and developed techniques for fast numerical solution. The resulting solution for the ionospheric distribution of electron density is guaranteed to be smooth in space and time and to agree with all input data within errors of measurement. The input data consist of time series of absolute TEC and relative TEC (directly calculated from the raw dual‐frequency group delays and phase delays, respectively). The system automatically estimates the measurement noise and receiver‐transmitter biases. We test the system using archived data from dual‐frequency GPS receivers in the southern California Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC) network and data from a vertical sounder.
Ionosonde networking, databasing, and Web serving
Authors: Galkin I. A. , Khmyrov G. M. , Kozlov A. , Reinisch B. W. , Huang X. , Kitrosser D. F.
Published: June 2006

A comprehensive set of technical solutions has been developed for the distributed network of digisonde ionospheric sounders to make their data available in a timely and user‐friendly fashion. In a significant engineering effort, 34 digisondes operating worldwide stand as a modern sensor network with on‐site intelligent data interpretation, data delivery to multiple locations for the automated storage and dissemination to end users, and a software suite for interactive data visualization/editing and remote network maintenance and sounding schedule control. The paper discusses lessons learned from the system operations and outlines future efforts.
Robust Sahel drying in response to late 20th century forcings
Authors: Biasutti Michela , Giannini Alessandra
Published: June 2006

The African Sahel experienced severe drying between the 1950s and the 1980s, with partial recovery since. We compare Sahel rainfall in the 20th century, pre‐industrial, and increased greenhouse gases (GHG) simulations produced for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The simulations forced by 20th century concentrations of aerosol and GHG reproduce (i) a global change in SST akin to that associated with Sahel drought and (ii) a correspondent drying of the Sahel. We conclude that late 20th century Sahel climate was significantly dryer than pre‐industrial, and at least 30% of the drying was externally forced. Comparison between 20th century runs and runs forced by GHG alone reveals the key role of reflective aerosols: they force a gradient in SST that excites robust drying in the northern edge of the Atlantic Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and in the Sahel.
Echinococcus multilocularis – a zoonosis of anthropogenic environments?
Authors: Romig T. , Thoma D. , Weible A.-K.
Published: June 2006

Transmission of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of human alveolar echinococcosis, is known to depend on various environmental factors which are subject to human influence. Epidemiological data suggest that in most endemic regions anthropogenic landscape changes (e.g. deforestation and agricultural practices) have led to more favourable conditions for the parasite's animal hosts, especially arvicolid rodents, thereby increasing the risk for parasite transmission and human disease. Examples are the conversion of forests or crop fields into meadows and pastures in Europe, China and North America, and overgrazing of natural grassland in central Asia. Other anthropogenic factors include interference with host population densities by wildlife disease control, changing hunting pressure and provision of new habitats, e.g. in urban areas. Domestic dogs may, under certain conditions, get involved in the otherwise largely wildlife-based transmission, and thereby greatly increase the infection pressure to humans. The introduction of neozootic host species may increase transmission, or even initiate the parasite's life-cycle in previously non-endemic regions. Lastly, the parasite itself may be accidentally introduced into non-endemic areas, if suitable host populations are present (e.g. in northern Japan).
Resistance against heterogeneous sequential infections: experimental studies with a tapeworm and its copepod host
Authors: Kurtz J. , Hammerschmidt K.
Published: June 2006

Parasite heterogeneity is thought to be an important factor influencing the likelihood and the dynamics of infection. Previous studies have demonstrated that simultaneous exposure of hosts to a heterogeneous mixture of parasites might increase infection success. Here this view is extended towards the effect of parasite heterogeneity on subsequent infections. Using a system of the tapeworm Schistocephalus solidus and its copepod intermediate host, heterogeneity of the tapeworm surface carbohydrates is investigated, i.e. structures that are potentially recognized by the invertebrate host's immune system. With lectin labelling, a significant proportion of variation in surface carbohydrates is related to differences in worm sibships (i.e. families). Tapeworm sibships were used for experimental exposure of copepods to either homogeneous combinations of tapeworm larvae, i.e. worms derived from the same sibship or heterogeneous mixtures of larvae, and copepods were subsequently challenged with an unrelated larva to study re-infection. Contrary to expectation, neither an effect of parasite heterogeneity on the current infection, nor on re-infection were found. The effect of parasitic heterogeneity on host immunity is therefore complex, potentially involving increased cross-protection on the one hand, with higher costs of raising a more heterogeneous immune response on the other.
A Role for the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase 1 in Epithelial Wound Healing
Authors: Deng Maoxian , Chen Wei-Li , Takatori Atsushi , Peng Zhimin , Zhang Lin , Mongan Maureen , Parthasarathy Ranjani , Sartor Maureen , Miller Marian , Yang Jianhua , Su Bing , Kao Winston W.-Y. , Xia Ying
Published: June 2006

The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) kinase 1 (MEKK1) mediates activin B signals required for eyelid epithelium morphogenesis during mouse fetal development. The present study investigates the role of MEKK1 in epithelial wound healing, another activin-regulated biological process. In a skin wound model, injury markedly stimulates MEKK1 expression and activity, which are in turn required for the expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. MEKK1 ablation or down-regulation by interfering RNA significantly delays skin wound closure and impairs activation of Jun NH2-terminal kinases, induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, and restoration of cell–cell junctions of the wounded epidermis. Conversely, expression of wild-type MEKK1 accelerates reepithelialization of full-thickness skin and corneal debridement wounds by mechanisms involving epithelial cell migration, a cell function that is partially abolished by neutralizing antibodies for PAI-1 and metalloproteinase III. Our data suggest that MEKK1 transmits wound signals, leading to the transcriptional activation of genes involved in ECM homeostasis, epithelial cell migration, and wound reepithelialization.