bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of global warming on streamflow drought in Europe
Authors: Feyen Luc , Dankers Rutger
Published: September 2009

Recent developments in climate modeling suggest that global warming is likely to favor conditions for the development of droughts in many regions of Europe. Studies evaluating possible changes in drought hazard typically have employed indices that are derived solely from climate variables such as temperature and precipitation, whereas many of the impacts of droughts are more related to hydrological variables such as river flow. This study examines the impact of global warming on streamflow drought in Europe by comparing low‐flow predictions of a hydrological model driven by high‐resolution regional climate simulations for the end of the previous century and for the end of this century based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A2 greenhouse gas emission scenario. For both time slices, low‐flow characteristics were derived from the simulated streamflow series using extreme value analysis. More specifically, we employed the methods of block maxima and partial duration series to obtain minimum flows and flow deficits and fitted extreme value distributions by the maximum likelihood method. In order not to mix drought events with different physical causes the analysis was performed separately for the frost and nonfrost season. Results show that in the frost‐free season streamflow droughts will become more severe and persistent in most parts of Europe by the end of this century, except in the most northern and northeastern regions. In the frost season, streamflow drought conditions will be of less importance under future climate conditions.
An analysis of sinuous ridges in the southern Argyre Planitia, Mars using HiRISE and CTX images and MOLA data
Authors: Banks Maria E. , Lang Nicholas P. , Kargel Jeffrey S. , McEwen Alfred S. , Baker Victor R. , Grant John A. , Pelletier Jon D. , Strom Robert G.
Published: September 2009

A suite of sinuous ridges with branching and braided morphologies forms an anastomosing network in southern Argyre Planitia, Mars. Several modes of origin have been proposed for the Argyre ridges. Imagery from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Camera (CTX) aboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topographic data sets from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) are used to constrain processes involved in formation of the Argyre ridges. We find the characteristics of the ridges and associated layered deposits consistent with glaciofluvial‐lacustrine processes and conclude that the ridges are most likely eskers. In particular, variations in ridge height appear to be related to the surrounding surface slope; ridge height increases with descending slopes and decreases with ascending slopes. This characteristic is observed in terrestrial eskers and is related to subice flow processes. The nature of some eroding beds in the ridges suggests induration. If the Argyre ridges are indeed eskers, the southern Argyre basin was once covered by the margin of a large, thick, stagnating or retreating ice deposit that extended for hundreds of kilometers or more. During ridge formation, water flowed on top, within, or beneath the ice deposit; the continuity and preservation of the ridges suggests that flow was primarily at the base of the ice. The dimensions (up to hundreds of meters tall and several kilometers wide), aspect ratio, and extent (hundreds of kilometers) of the ridges, as well as preliminary calculations of discharge, suggest that a significant amount of water was available.
Seasonal variation of the land‐sea breeze circulation in the Pearl River Delta region
Authors: Lu Xi , Chow Kim‐Chiu , Yao Teng , Fung Jimmy C. H. , Lau Alexis K. H.
Published: September 2009

The data of a 1‐year (2003–2004) simulation with a finest horizontal resolution of 1.5 km, using the Fifth‐Generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), were analyzed to investigate the seasonal‐mean features of the land‐sea breeze (LSB) and regional circulation over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China. The seasonal‐mean diurnal variations reveal the general patterns of the LSB in the four seasons. These small‐scale mean flow fields in the region have not been revealed in any previous studies. The results reveal a strong anomalous westerly sea breeze toward the eastern coast of the PRD in the early afternoon that is present in all the four seasons but is particularly strong in autumn and winter and may enhance the low‐level convergence in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the condition of the atmosphere in autumn and winter is much more stable when compared with that in spring and summer, which is not favorable for the vertical dispersion of pollutants. The overall effect of these mean meteorological conditions may be an important factor for the generally higher air pollution index observed in Hong Kong during autumn and winter.
Expression and intracellular localization of progesterone receptors in cultured human gingival fibroblasts
Authors: Kawahara Kazuko , Shimazu Atsushi
Published: September 2009

Objective:  The aim of this immunocytochemical study was to characterize the expression and distribution of the progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptor (ER) in gingival fibroblasts using culture cells derived from people at various ages.

Background:  The reaction of female hormones is tissue or cell specific, and receptor availability in the cell is one of the major causes for the different reactions. Gingiva is a target tissue for female hormones; however, the characteristics of PR and ER in both the fibroblasts and the other component cells remain largely unknown.

Materials:  Gingival tissue was obtained from six people at various ages and culture fibroblasts were established. At least three passages of each cell line were strained for PR and ER with monoclonal antibodies (Clone 1A6, Clone 1D5, respectively).

Results:  PR positive cells were detected in all six cell lines through early passages to late ones, but ER were only observed in two of six samples with faint reactions. The staining intensity for PR was greater than for ER, but less than that shown in the MCF‐7 breast cancer cells, positive control. In every positive control test, ER reactivity was equal to or higher than that of PR. During the interphase, significantly fewer positive fibroblasts occurred compared with negative fibroblasts, and positive nuclei were even fewer. Meanwhile, most of the mitotic cells were PR positive, showing intense localization around chromosomes and on microtubules. These findings suggest that gingival fibroblasts are fundamentally capable of expressing PR and transmit the signal to target genes.

Conclusions:  The present study may conclude that in either gender or at any age, gingival fibroblasts express PR rather low in level and do not necessarily localize PR in a nuclear dominant fashion, which is an essential feature for reproductive organ cells. The poor ER reactivity shown in the gingival fibroblasts was discussed in view of the receptor subtype.
Calcification of degenerating tissues in the periodontal ligament during tooth movement
Authors: Nakamura Yoshiki , Tanaka Takashi , Noda Koji , Shimpo Satoshi , Oikawa Takashi , Hirashita Ayao , Kawamoto Tadafumi , Kawasaki Kenzo
Published: September 2009

Objective:  Calcification of degenerating tissues in the periodontal ligament (PDL) during tooth movement was investigated longitudinally.

Materials and methods:  Upper first molars of male Wistar rats were moved lingually for 1, 7 and 21 d, following which unfixed undecalcified sections of the lingual PDL (in the pressure zone) were examined histologically, histochemically (autoradiography and electron probe microanalysis).

Results:  On d 1 of tooth movement, degenerating tissues, together with some calcified particles, were visible in the pressure zone of the lingual PDL. On d 7, substantial calcified aggregations were seen in the degenerating tissues, predominantly situated between the bone and root. This was confirmed by the 45Ca autoradiography. On d 21 of tooth movement, large calcified aggregations were still clearly evident between the bone and root.

Conclusions:  This calcification of the degenerating tissues is a self‐defense response of the living body to prevent direct contact between alveolar bone and the tooth root during compression of the PDL, so preventing friction between them and the development of ankylosis.
Role of plant glyoxylate reductases during stress: a hypothesis
Authors: Allan Wendy L. , Clark Shawn M. , Hoover Gordon J. , Shelp Barry J.
Published: September 2009

Molecular modelling suggests that a group of proteins in plants known as the β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases, or the hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase superfamily, includes enzymes that reduce succinic semialdehyde and glyoxylate to γ-hydroxybutyrate and glycolate respectively. Recent biochemical and expression studies reveal that NADPH-dependent cytosolic (termed GLYR1) and plastidial (termed GLYR2) isoforms of succinic semialdehyde/glyoxylate reductase exist in Arabidopsis. Succinic semialdehyde and glyoxylate are typically generated in leaves via two distinct metabolic pathways, γ-aminobutyrate and glycolate respectively. In the present review, it is proposed that the GLYRs function in the detoxification of both aldehydes during stress and contribute to redox balance. Outstanding questions are highlighted in a scheme for the subcellular organization of the detoxification mechanism in Arabidopsis.
Superconducting and magnetic properties of a new superconductor: EuAsFeO0.85F0.15
Authors: Dmitriev V. M. , Kostyleva I. E. , Khlybov E. P. , Zaleski A. J. , Terekhov A. V. , Rybaltchenko L. F. , Khristenko E. V. , Ishchenko L. A. , Omel’yanovskiy O. E. , Sadakov A. V.
Published: September 2009

Polycrystalline samples of the new superconducting compound EuAsFeO0.85F0.15, with critical temperature Tc=11K, are prepared by solid state synthesis. Its electric and magnetic properties are investigated in magnetic fields from 0.1to140000Oe. The critical magnetic fields Hc1 and Hc2 are measured, and thence the magnetic penetration depth λ and the coherence length ξ are estimated. The temperature dependence Hc2(T) exhibits clear hyperbolic-type behavior starting with the lowest fields. The data derived were used to estimate probable high Tc and Hc2 in compounds doped with rare earths having small atomic radii.
Antenna design for fast ion collective Thomson scattering diagnostic for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor
Authors: Leipold F. , Furtula V. , Salewski M. , Bindslev H. , Korsholm S. B. , Meo F. , Michelsen P. K. , Moseev D. , Nielsen S. K. , Stejner M.
Published: September 2009

Fast ion physics will play an important role for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), where confined alpha particles will affect and be affected by plasma dynamics and thereby have impacts on the overall confinement. A fast ion collective Thomson scattering (CTS) diagnostic using gyrotrons operated at 60 GHz will meet the requirements for spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the velocity distributions of confined fast alphas in ITER by evaluating the scattered radiation (CTS signal). While a receiver antenna on the low field side of the tokamak, resolving near perpendicular (to the magnetic field) velocity components, has been enabled, an additional antenna on the high field side (HFS) would enable measurements of near parallel (to the magnetic field) velocity components. A compact design solution for the proposed mirror system on the HFS is presented. The HFS CTS antenna is located behind the blankets and views the plasma through the gap between two blanket modules. The viewing gap has been modified to dimensions 30×500 mm2 to optimize the CTS signal. A 1:1 mock-up of the HFS mirror system was built. Measurements of the beam characteristics for millimeter-waves at 60 GHz used in the mock-up agree well with the modeling.
Ethanol gas sensitivity of carbon nanotip arrays/n-Si heterojunctions at room temperature
Authors: Chen Huijuan , Xue Qingzhong , Yan Keyou , Xie Jie , Zhou Xiaoyan , Li Jianpeng
Published: September 2009

Carbon nanotip arrays were grown from silicon substrates via direct current magnetron sputtering at room temperature (RT). The simple carbon nanotip arrays/n-Si (C∕Si) heterojunctions were used to detect ethanol gas at RT. The results show that the C∕Si junctions have high ethanol gas sensitivity, rapid response, and high recovery speed at RT. Upon exposure to ethanol gas (0.64g∕l) at RT, the resistance of the junction decreases by 35% at a given positive voltage of 8V. Moreover, the interface capacitance of the junction at 5kHz can increase by about 40% rapidly when exposed to ethanol gas. The phenomena should be attributed to the change in the Fermi level of the carbon film caused by adsorbing electrons from ethanol molecules. The study shows that the C∕Si junctions have potential application as ethanol gas sensors.
Influence of wall impedance and self-fields on the cyclotron maser instability
Authors: Khalilzadeh Elnaz , Maraghechi Behrouz , Chakhmachi Amir
Published: September 2009

The compound influence of wall impedance and self-fields on the cyclotron maser instability is investigated for a hollow electron beam. A stability analysis is carried out using the linearized Vlasov–Maxwell equations, under the assumption that the beam thickness is small compared to the beam radius. A dispersion relation is derived and solved numerically to study the effects of the wall impedance and self-fields on the cyclotron maser instability. These effects lead to the elliptical motion of the equilibrium configuration. The growth rate decreases due to the wall resistivity and self-fields. It has been shown that the interaction between the self-field and impedance effects is in the lower reduction in the growth rate when they are both present compared to their separate effects added together. The instability bandwidth increases due to the wall impedance and decreases due to the self fields. In the presence of self-fields, a very small increase in the wall impedance causes an increase in the instability bandwidth. This shows that the widening effect of the bandwidth due to the wall impedance is dominant and prevails over the narrowing effect of the self-field.
Three-dimensional microfabrication of materials by femtosecond lasers for photonics applications
Authors: Juodkazis Saulius , Mizeikis Vygantas , Misawa Hiroaki
Published: September 2009

Femtosecond laser fabrication of three-dimensional structures for photonics applications is reviewed. Fabrication of photonic crystal structures by direct laser writing and holographic recording by multiple beam interference techniques are discussed. The physical mechanisms associated with structure formation and postfabrication are described. The advantages and limitations of various femtosecond laser microfabrication techniques for the preparation of photonic crystals and elements of microelectromechanical and micro-optofluidic systems are discussed.
Efficient organometallic spin filter based on Europium-cyclooctatetraene wire
Authors: Xu Ke , Huang Jing , Lei Shulai , Su Haibin , Boey Freddy Y. C. , Li Qunxiang , Yang Jinlong
Published: September 2009

Electronic structures, magnetic, and transport properties of organometallic sandwich molecular wire (SMW) constructed with altering europium (Eu) atoms and cyclooctatetraene (COT) rings have been studied by spin-polarized first-principles calculations and nonequilibrium Green’s function method. The one-dimensional Eu-COT SMW is predicted to be a ferromagnetic semiconductor. The calculated average magnetic moment per Eu atom is about 7μB. The total magnetic moment (TMM) of Eun(COT)n+1(n=1–4) sandwich clusters increases linearly with the number of Eu atoms and the linear relation TMM=7n-2 holds, which agrees nicely with experimental observations. The spin transportation calculations show that Eu-COT clusters coupled to gold electrodes are nearly perfect spin filters. In addition, we find that this large transmission spin polarization is very robust regardless of the contact configuration of the junctions, which is very important for the future molecular spintronics.
The transition from plasma gratings to cavitons in laser-plasma interactions
Authors: Liu Z. J. , He X. T. , Zheng C. Y. , Wang Y. G.
Published: September 2009

One-dimensional Vlasov–Maxwell simulations of laser-plasma interactions are presented. It is shown that plasma gratings and density cavitons are formed sequentially. There are strong electromagnetic fields in the cavitons and the electromagnetic structures are nearly standing and long-lived. The formation of gratings and cavitons can be explained by a nonlinear second-order differential equation. The electromagnetic fields trapped in cavitons have both subcycle and cycle structures. Plasma whose density is higher than the critical density can be formed around the cavitons. Gratings and high density plasmas can reflect light in a very high level. This may be detrimental to the inertial confinement fusion.
Preferential oxidation of stacking faults in epitaxial off-axis (111) 3C-SiC films
Authors: Severino A. , Camarda M. , Scalese S. , Fiorenza P. , Di Franco S. , Bongiorno C. , La Magna A. , La Via F.
Published: September 2009

The effect of thermal dry oxidation on an off-axis (111) 3C-SiC film have been studied in order to subsequently realize a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure. A morphological characterization of the SiO2 surface, grown at 1200 °C in an O2 flux, pointed out some defect-related effects as a consequence of the preferential oxidation of stacking faults over the (111) 3C-SiC surface. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed such a hypothesis. Stacking faults are seen as promoters of a local polarity inversion in (111) 3C-SiC, from Si- to C-terminated surface, resulting in a higher oxidation rate as compared to defect-free zones.
Complexity, Entanglement, and Overflow in the New Carbon Economy: The Case of the UK's Energy Efficiency Commitment
Authors: Powells Gareth Douglas
Published: September 2009

I use ideas about the complexity of economic and sociotechnical relations, drawing especially on the work of John Law and Michel Callon, to consider domestic energy efficiency in a landscape in which governmental interventions attempt to reduce carbon emissions while also tackling fuel poverty. Policy responses to energy efficiency in the UK largely framed by ‘the market’ go on to perform the market in interventions such as the Energy Efficiency Commitment. The way that the Energy Efficiency Commitment has been designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while performing a welfare function and the multiple effects of calibrating it in such a way are explored in the paper. In particular, I suggest that attempts to order and govern energy networks struggle to contain the generative effects that stem from climate change and fuel poverty being hardwired to the same technical and social phenomena such as homes, energy technologies, and energy users.
Structural and cytochemical investigation of the leaf of silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a drought-resistant alien weed of the Greek flora
Authors: Christodoulakis Nikolaos S. , Lampri Paraskevi-Niki , Fasseas Costas
Published: September 2009

Light and scanning electron microscopy as well as histochemical reactions were employed to investigate the leaf structure and secretory activity of an adventive perennial pest that is rapidly dispersing in the Mediterranean region. Interesting structural characteristics, not common among the well-adapted native Mediterranean phanerophytes, were observed. Although ‘unconventional’, these structural characteristics produce an ecologically equivalent, xeromorphic leaf on a plant that proves to be competitive and very efficient under the Mediterranean climatic conditions.
REVEILLE1, a Myb-like transcription factor, integrates the circadian clock and auxin pathways
Authors: Rawat Reetika , Schwartz Jacob , Jones Matthew A. , Sairanen Ilkka , Cheng Youfa , Andersson Carol R. , Zhao Yunde , Ljung Karin , Harmer Stacey L.
Published: September 2009

The circadian clock modulates expression of a large fraction of the
Arabidopsis
genome and affects many aspects of plant growth and development. We have discovered one way in which the circadian system regulates hormone signaling, identifying a node that links the clock and auxin networks. Auxin plays key roles in development and responses to environmental cues, in part through regulation of plant growth. We have characterized REVEILLE1 (RVE1), a Myb-like, clock-regulated transcription factor that is homologous to the central clock genes
CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1
(
CCA1
) and
LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL
(
LHY
). Despite this homology, inactivation of RVE1 does not affect circadian rhythmicity but instead causes a growth phenotype, indicating this factor is a clock output affecting plant development.
CCA1
regulates growth via the bHLH transcription factors PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4) and PIF5, but RVE1 acts independently of these genes. RVE1 instead controls auxin levels, promoting free auxin production during the day but having no effect during the night. RVE1 positively regulates the expression of the auxin biosynthetic gene
YUCCA8
(
YUC8
), providing a mechanism for its growth-promoting effects. RVE1 is therefore a node that connects two important signaling networks that coordinate plant growth with rhythmic changes in the environment.
Chromatin protein HMGB2 regulates articular cartilage surface maintenance via β-catenin pathway
Authors: Taniguchi Noboru , Caramés Beatriz , Kawakami Yasuhiko , Amendt Brad A. , Komiya Setsuro , Lotz Martin
Published: September 2009

The superficial zone (SZ) of articular cartilage is critical in maintaining tissue function and homeostasis and represents the site of the earliest changes in osteoarthritis. Mechanisms that regulate the unique phenotype of SZ chondrocytes and maintain SZ integrity are unknown. We recently demonstrated that expression of the chromatin protein high mobility group box (HMGB) protein 2 is restricted to the SZ in articular cartilage suggesting a transcriptional regulation involving HMGB2 in SZ. Here, we show that an interaction between HMGB2 and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates the maintenance of the SZ. We found that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is active specifically in the SZ in normal mouse knee joints and colocalizes with HMGB2. Both Wnt signaling and HMGB2 expression decrease with aging in mouse joints. Our molecular studies show that HMGB2 enhances the binding of Lef-1 to its target sequence and potentiates transcriptional activation of the Lef-1-β-catenin complex. The HMG domain within HMGB2 is crucial for interaction with Lef-1, suggesting that both HMGB2 and HMGB1 may be involved in this function. Furthermore, conditional deletion of β-catenin in cultured mouse chondrocytes induced apoptosis. These findings define a pathway where protein interactions of HMGB2 and Lef-1 enhance Wnt signaling and promote SZ chondrocyte survival. Loss of the HMGB2-Wnt signaling interaction is a new mechanism in aging-related cartilage pathology.
Functional interaction between native G protein-coupled purinergic receptors inXenopusfollicles
Authors: Arellano Rogelio O. , Garay Edith , Vázquez-Cuevas Francisco
Published: September 2009

Purinergic receptors are expressed in the membrane of the follicular cell layer that communicates with theXenopusoocyte. Adenosine (Ado) generates a cAMP-dependent K+current (IK,cAMP), whereas ATP activates a Cl−current (FCl) and has a dual effect onIK,cAMP, provoking both its activation and inhibition. Here, purinergic responses were studied electrophysiologically, first in the whole follicle (w.f.), and then in the same follicle after removal of its epithelium/theca layers (e.t.r.follicle). Responses were analyzed as the ratio of the current amplitudes (ietr/iwf) in the two preparations. For ATP activation ofIK,cAMPandFCl, the ratiosietr/iwfwere 0.053 and 22, respectively, whereas that for Ado was 0.75. Thus, epithelium/theca removal drastically altered the ATP response, suggesting a change in the signaling pathway that correlated with changes in the pharmacological characteristics: the half-maximal effective concentration for activation of the main current inw.f.(IK,cAMP) was 14 ± 3.8 μM [Hill coefficient (nH) = 2.7 ± 0.61], and that ine.t.r.follicles (FCl) was 1.8 ± 0.68 μM (nH= 0.76 ± 0.09), whereas Ado-response parameters did not change. Responses to UTP and β,γ-methylene-ATP, specific agonists forIK,cAMPinhibition and activation, respectively, indicated that ine.t.r.follicles inhibition increased and activation decreased drastically. Thus, purinergic responses were not independent; instead, they were functionally linked. We hypothesize that this property was due to direct interactions between receptors for Ado (A2 subtype) and ATP (P2Y subtype) in theXenopusfollicle.
NO formation by a catalytically self-sufficient bacterial nitric oxide synthase from
Sorangium cellulosum
Authors: Agapie Theodor , Suseno Sandy , Woodward Joshua J. , Stoll Stefan , Britt R. David , Marletta Michael A.
Published: September 2009

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the host response to infection and in cellular signaling is well established. Enzymatic synthesis of NO is catalyzed by the nitric oxide synthases (NOSs), which convert Arg into NO and citrulline using co-substrates O
2
and NADPH. Mammalian NOS contains a flavin reductase domain (FAD and FMN) and a catalytic heme oxygenase domain (P450-type heme and tetrahydrobiopterin). Bacterial NOSs, while much less studied, were previously identified as only containing the heme oxygenase domain of the more complex mammalian NOSs. We report here on the characterization of a NOS from
Sorangium cellulosum
(both full-length, scNOS, and oxygenase domain, scNOSox). scNOS contains a catalytic, oxygenase domain similar to those found in the mammalian NOS and in other bacteria. Unlike the other bacterial NOSs reported to date, however, this protein contains a fused reductase domain. The scNOS reductase domain is unique for the entire NOS family because it utilizes a 2Fe2S cluster for electron transfer. scNOS catalytically produces NO and citrulline in the presence of either tetrahydrobiopterin or tetrahydrofolate. These results establish a bacterial electron transfer pathway used for biological NO synthesis as well as a unique flexibility in using different tetrahydropterin cofactors for this reaction.
The Incidence of First Hickman Catheter-Related Infection and Predictors of Catheter Removal in Cancer Patients
Authors: Rotstein Coleman , Brock Lucy , Roberts Robin S.
Published: September 2009

Objective:

To describe the incidence and types of first Hickman catheter-related infection (HCRI) in cancer patients and to identify indicators for catheter removal.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

A regional, tertiary, referral cancer center and its supportive care university teaching hospital.

Patients and Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted of 316 consecutive adult oncology patients who underwent Hickman catheter placement from 1986 to 1990 at a regional oncology center. HCRI was determined on the basis of clinical information incriminating the Hickman catheter as the source of infection. Patient characteristics and data about HCRIs (exit site cellulitis, tunnel infection with concomitant exit site cellulitis, bloodstream infection, and exit site cellulitis with bloodstream infection) were abstracted from patient medical records. Subsequently, univariate and multivariate analyses for the risk of HCRI and catheter removal were completed.

Results:

The incidence of first HCRI was 5.98 infections per 1,000 catheter days. Overall, 156 (49%) of 316 patients developed their first HCRI prior to catheter removal. The median time to HCRI was 90 days. Male gender (P= .0004) and hematologic malignancy (P= .0001) emerged as significant risk factors for HCRI in the univariate analysis. A Cox model verified that male gender (P=.02) and hematologic malignancy (P= .004) were associated with an enhanced risk of HCRI. There were 35 exit site infections (23%), three infections of the tunnel and the exit site (2%)) 80 bloodstream infections (51%), and another 38 bloodstream infections with concomitant exit site infections (24%). The incidence of bloodstream infection was 3.05 per 1,000 catheter days. Gram-positive pathogens outnumbered gram-negatives and fungi, with Staphylococcusepidermidis being most common. Fifty (32%) of 156 HCRIs resulted in catheter removal. Predictors of Hickman catheter removal in the univariate analysis were bloodstream infection (P= .046) and pathogen type (P= .006). Multiple regression analysis suggested that having a gram-negative (P= .014) or fungal (P= .057) pathogen was the most important factor for catheter removal.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that first HCRIs occur more commonly in male patients with hematologic malignancies than in patients with solid tumors. The removal of Hickman catheters in oncology patients probably is predicated on the causative pathogen, but further investigations are necessary to delineate this issue.
OSHA Inspections
Authors: Valenti August J. , Decker Michael D.
Published: September 2009

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that every worker be provided with a safe and healthful workplace and authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to conduct workplace inspections. OSHA conducts workplace inspections in hospitals and checks for compliance with the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, the Enforcement Policy and Procedures for Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis, and the Hazardous Chemicals Standards, among others. The hospital epidemiologist bears considerable responsibility for developing and implementing plans to protect employees from occupational exposures to infectious hazards such as bloodborne pathogens and tuberculosis. To prepare for an inspection, the hospital epidemiologist must understand the basis on which OSHA operates and must proceed in a thoughtful, coordinated manner.
Disease trends in women living in established market economies: evidence of cohort effects during the epidemiological transition
Authors: Kuh Diana , Santos Silva Isabel dos , Barrett-Connor Elizabeth , Leon David A.
Published: September 2009

This chapter examines trends in all-cause mortality and in coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, breast cancer, and lung cancer. These diseases show very different patterns over time and place but all had a significant impact on women's health in the 20th century. The first three are the classic “life course diseases” affected by factors operating at every stage of life and which may have interactive effects on individual disease risk. Trends in lung cancer are also considered given the importance of this disease for cohorts of women born in the 20th century.
The study plan
Authors: Meinert Curtis L. , Tonascia Susan
Published: September 2009

The basic elements of the plan for any trial is set long before the first patient is enrolled. The nature of the test treatment and outcome measure will be specified in the funding proposal. Specifics relating to the execution of the study plan may not be addressed until the trial has been funded. This chapter details the items that must be addressed in developing a study plan and treatment protocol for the trial.
Data collection considerations
Authors: Meinert Curtis L. , Tonascia Susan
Published: September 2009

Topics discussed include factors influencing the clinic visit schedule, data requirements by type of visit, considerations affecting item construction, and layout and format considerations.
The analysis database
Authors: Meinert Curtis L. , Tonascia Susan
Published: September 2009

This chapter discusses the issues involved in the development and maintenance of the analysis database. Topics covered include choice of computing facility, organization of programming resources, operational requirements for database maintenance, data security precautions, filing and storing the original study records, and preparation of analysis tapes.
Data analysis requirements and procedures
Authors: Meinert Curtis L. , Tonascia Susan
Published: September 2009

This chapter details general principles to be followed when results are analyzed. It also contains brief descriptions of commonly used methods of analysis for trials involving a binary event as the outcome measure.
Chile: Socioeconomic Differentials and Mortality in a Middle-Income Nation
Authors: VEGA JEANETTE , HOLLSTEIN ROLF DIETER , DELGADO IRIS , PEREZ JUAN C. , CARRASCO SEBASTIAN , MARSHALL GUILLERMO , YACH DEREK
Published: September 2009

In Chile, rapid social and economic change combined with relatively high-quality health data provides an important opportunity to study the relationship between socioeconomic status and mortality in a middle-income country. This chapter shows that despite overall economic growth and improvement in aggregate health status, health inequalities are large and widening in Chile. The increase is temporally related to broadening income inequalities associated with the structural economic reforms and marketization begun in 1981. Not only was Chile the first country in the American region to embark on a structural economic reform process, but its reform program has also been the most radical. This intensity persisted until the demise of Pinochet's military government and the arrival of democracy in 1990. In the light of the changing macroeconomic context, the chapter examines recent evidence on the factors underlying health inequalities in Chile through both individual-level and ecological-level analyses.
Gender, Health, and Equity: The Intersections
Authors: ÖSTLIN PIROSKA , GEORGE ASHA , SEN GITA
Published: September 2009

This chapter considers the issues of gender, equity, and health to illustrate the ways in which gender influences health inequalities. It argues that gender bias is one of the fundamental causes of inequity in health, and emphasizes the need for more equitable gender relations. The first part of the chapter explains the meaning of gender and how it informs a health equity perspective. Through a gender lens, it then examines inequalities in mortality, morbidity, health care, and health research. A policy analysis describes recent progress in bringing gender issues to the global health agenda and suggests mechanisms for moving toward greater gender equity both in process and in outcomes.
Sweden and Britain: The Impact of Policy Context on Inequities in Health
Authors: DIDERICHSEN FINN , WHITEHEAD MARGARET , BURSTRÖM BO , ÅBERG MONICA , ÖSTLIN PIROSKA
Published: September 2009

In comparing two western European countries, Sweden and the United Kingdom, this chapter demonstrates a methodology for distinguishing empirically between causal pathways in order to explain the way that macro-policies affect health. It examines the hypothesis that the effect of poverty on health may be weaker in Sweden than in Britain—that being poor in Sweden may be less damaging to health than being poor in Britain. It questions which aspects of the social and policy context in Britain add to and reinforce the negative experience of being poor, and, conversely, which aspects of living in Swedish society may be more supportive for poor people, possibly making the experience of poverty less stressful and damaging to health. The two countries serve as a “natural policy experiment” and make the case for more robust health equity impact assessments.
What Works in Foster Care?
Authors: Pecora Peter J. , Kessler Ronald C. , Williams Jason , Downs A. Chris , English Diana J. , White James , O'Brien Kirk
Published: September 2009

This book reports the findings from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study, which examined outcomes for adults who were placed in family foster care as children. The primary research questions were as follows: (1) How are maltreated youth who were placed in foster care faring as adults? To what extent are they different in their functioning from other adults? (2) Are there key factors or program components that are linked with better functioning in adulthood? The book also contains the agency comparisons and the predictive equations that link certain demographic foster care experiences and interventions with more positive alumni outcomes.
Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks and Past Research
Authors: Pecora Peter J. , Kessler Ronald C. , Williams Jason , Downs A. Chris , English Diana J. , White James , O'Brien Kirk
Published: September 2009

To understand the context and environment of the alumni while in foster care and their influence on adult outcomes, this chapter is divided into four sections. The first section deals with foster care research. Prior research informing this study's research questions and hypotheses is discussed. This section begins by presenting findings on the impact of child maltreatment on later development. The next section looks at Landsverk's conceptual framework. This model describing critical factors impacting youth development in foster care is presented. The third section examines developmental theories and conceptual models. Theories and conceptual models explaining child growth and development and informing the Northwest Alumni Study are discussed. The last section looks at esearch questions and hypotheses. This chapter concludes by presenting the primary and secondary research questions and hypotheses.
Relationships, Social Support Networks, and Parenting
Authors: Pecora Peter J. , Kessler Ronald C. , Williams Jason , Downs A. Chris , English Diana J. , White James , O'Brien Kirk
Published: September 2009

Prior chapters have reported on alumni functioning in terms of physical and mental health; education; and employment and finances. This chapter focuses on the nature and quality of the relationships that alumni have with key groups of people such as spouses or partners, birth family, and former foster parents. Sources and types of social support available to alumni are examined, as well as child-rearing status, parenting, and placement of children of alumni in foster care.
4 Aromas and Wine Wheels
Authors: Lehrer Adrienne
Published: September 2009

Wine descriptions since 1980 have shifted toward specific aromas in wines. Two important influences have been Robert M. Parker's olfactory descriptions and Ann Noble's Aroma Wheel and Sparkling Wine Wheel. More recently, a Mouthfeel Wheel was also constructed by Gawel et. al. The wine wheels consist of three concentric circles: words on the inner-most ring are the most general, such as fruity. The middle ring is slightly more specific, as in tropical fruit, and the outer ring, to which more examples can be added, is the most specific, such as pineapple, mango, papaya, and banana. The wheels are purely descriptive; hedonic judgments are not part of the structure.
8 The Stanford Subjects
Authors: Lehrer Adrienne
Published: September 2009

Subjects in the Stanford group had not drunk or discussed wine with one another before the experiments. At some sessions subjects worked alone to describe (usually) three different wines of the same color but from different countries and different grape varietals. Tasks included free descriptions, selecting words from a list of 145 descriptors, and deciding if a descriptor was appropriate for each wine. At other sessions subjects had partners where they had to agree on wine descriptions or each subject tried to match the same wines with the partner's descriptions. Results showed little consensus on all the tasks. Two contributing factors were differences in liking or disliking the wine and the differences in norms used for scalar judgments.
Addressing mental health needs
Authors: Taintor Zebulon
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes the challenges that terrorism poses to mental health and mental health issues related to the 9/11 attacks. It also describes ways of improving mental health system responses to terrorism.
Educating, informing, and mobilizing the public
Authors: Schoch-Spana Monica
Published: September 2009

This chapter focuses on the education, information, and mobilization of the public after the 9/11 attacks. It addresses the constructive public response, devising public-communication strategies, providing practical information, educating the public to use health services wisely, activating civil-society organizations, and utilizing volunteers. The chapter concludes that the wide range of positive public responses to the consequences of terrorist attacks in 2001 indicates that health and safety professionals need to reassess their assumptions about the public's capacity to respond constructively after a terrorist attack.
Chemical weapons
Authors: Spanjaard Herman , Khabib Oxana
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes chemical weapons, including the history of their development and use in World War I and beyond, classification of chemical weapons, and international control of chemical weapons. It also describes potential chemical weapons of the future. Weapons such as nerve agents, vesicants, pulmonary-damaging agents, cynanide, blood agents, riot-control agents, and tear gas are all discussed.
Protecting food, water, and ambient air
Authors: Hedberg Craig W. , Bender Jeffrey B. , Vesley Donald
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes protecting food, water, and ambient air. It discusses progress in developing and implementing environmental health measures during the 20th century. It describes challenges that terrorism poses to protecting food, water, and ambient air. It describes threats to crops and livestock, to food processing and distribution, to water, and to ambient air, and makes recommendations for addressing these threats.
Promoting international law
Authors: Weiss Peter
Published: September 2009

This chapter discusses the promotion of international law as a means of addressing terrorism. It describes responses of the U.S. government to the 9/11 attacks and how these responses have often been in violation of international law.
CHAPTER ONE Fontanetto and Turin, 1755–79
Authors: Lister Warwick
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes Viotti's early years: his childhood in the village of Fontanetto Po, Piedmont, Italy, his patronage by the Prince Dal Pozzo della Cisterna in Turin, and his early training with the great exponent of the Piedmontese school of violin playing, Gaetano Pugnani. Viotti's early career as a violinist in the opera house of Turin, the Teatro Regio, and in the royal chapel orchestra is considered at length.
CHAPTER TWO Grand Tour, 1780–81
Authors: Lister Warwick
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes the grand tour of Europe that Viotti and his teacher, Pugnani, undertook in 1780, which lasted for two years. An important eyewitness account of Viotti's playing in Geneva is given, as well as an account of the two musicians' visits to Berne, and the courts of Dresden, and Berlin and Potsdam, where they played for Frederick the Great and made music with Frederick's nephew, the Prince of Prussia. From there they went to Warsaw, where they were fêted by the Polish king, and to St. Petersburg, where they played for Catherine the Great, and to Moscow. After retracing their steps to Berlin the two Italians parted company—Pugnani returned to Turin and Viotti went to Paris. An account is given of Viotti's early works and his emergence as a world-class violinist.
CHAPTER FOUR Paris, 1789–92
Authors: Lister Warwick
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes Viotti's three-and-a-half years as the codirector of the Théâtre de Monsieur, later the Théâtre de la rue Feydeau, which was acclaimed for its productions of Italian opera buffa. Viotti's professional association with Luigi Cherubini, who was composer-in-residence in the theater, and who became Viotti's lifelong friend, is described. The chapter devotes considerable space to Viotti's extraordinary, unsuccessful attempt to gain control of the Paris Opéra. Viotti's organization of a series of concerts in his theater is treated at length. The effect of the French Revolution on his career is considered (Viotti fled to London in July 1792).
Chronic respiratory disease epidemiology
Authors: Speizer Frank E. , Tager Ira B.
Published: September 2009

This chapter traces the development of the epidemiology of chronic respiratory disease. The modern era of the study of the epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) did not blossom until the middle of the 20th century. Before that time clinicians generally believed that much of the symptomatology associated with the disease represented a ‘normal’ state. In the last fifteen years, much of the epidemiological research has been directed to identifying the characteristics of these subgroups at risk before clinical disease is apparent.
Epidemiology in war and disasters
Authors: Armenian Haroutune K.
Published: September 2009

This chapter begins with a review of important landmarks and innovations that have marked the use of epidemiology in disasters over the past fifty years. It presents some examples of projects that were conducted in wartime and during disasters that highlight the role of epidemiologists in such situations. It argues that much of what is being done in this area is palliative rather than preventive. Although philosophically epidemiologists may have no difficulty in accepting a role as public health professionals in the prevention of disasters, in particular man-made ones, but when they get to wars as a disaster situation, they may not be as clear about their commitment in its prevention.
Epidemiological methods: a view from Africa
Authors: Lucas Adetokunbo O.
Published: September 2009

This chapter focuses on the development of epidemiology in Africa. The development of epidemiology can be viewed in three broad historical dimensions: the age of discovery, largely dominated by work on communicable diseases; wider applications of epidemiology to chronic diseases and accidents; and modern epidemiology including sophisticated applications of epidemiological tools including mathematical modelling. Cross-national studies and epidemiological research capacity in Africa are also discussed.
The development of epidemiology in New Zealand and the South Pacific
Authors: Prior Ian , Beaglehole Robert
Published: September 2009

This chapter describes the development of epidemiology in New Zealand with a focus on the last fifty years and on cardiovascular diseases, which by about 1950 had become the leading cause of death in New Zealand. The story is told from the perspective of the first author who was instrumental in ensuring that epidemiology took hold and eventually flourished in New Zealand as it responded to the challenges of the health transition and the growing epidemics of chronic diseases.
History of modern epidemiology: Italy
Authors: Saracci Rodolfo , Terracini Benedetto , Merletti Franco
Published: September 2009

This chapter traces the development of epidemiology in Italy. Starting with the strong basis of genetics and the social movement of the 1960s, epidemiology began to gain a foothold in academic institutions. A major impetus for use of the subject was the need to investigate a number of environmental disasters. The creation of the Associazione Italiano di Epidemiologia (Italian Association of Epidemiologists) provided a firm foundation for the subject and it has prospered greatly since then.
Introduction to information theory
Authors: Mézard Marc , Montanari Andrea
Published: September 2009

This chapter introduces some of the basic concepts of information theory, as well as the definitions and notations of probability theory that are used throughout the book. It defines the fundamental notions of entropy, relative entropy, and mutual information. It also presents the main questions of information theory: data compression and data transmission. Finally, it offers a brief introduction to error correcting codes and Shannon's theory.