bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity and endemism in North American Carex section Ceratocystis (Cyperaceae)
Authors: Derieg Nathan J. , Sangaumphai Akanita , Bruederle Leo P.
Published: September 2008

Factors leading to endemism, and the evolutionary implications of endemism, can be explored by studying closely related taxa with variously restricted distributions. Such a model is provided by Carex section Ceratocystis (Cyperaceae); Carex cryptolepis, Carex sp. nov., and C. lutea are North American endemics with broad, restricted, and highly restricted distributions, respectively. The prediction that levels of genetic diversity are a consequence of distribution size was tested within a phylogenetic context using population level genetic variation at 18 allozyme loci. In contrast to expectations, mean proportion of loci polymorphic, number of alleles per polymorphic locus, and expected heterozygosity were significantly greater in C. lutea than either C. cryptolepis or Carex sp. nov. Although the possibility of a shift in breeding system, past introgression, or progenitor‐derivative relationships could explain the relatively high levels of variation observed in C. lutea, these were dismissed on the basis of allozyme and nuclear ribosomal sequence data. We conclude that C. lutea maintains levels of genetic diversity typical of caespitose carices despite its narrow endemism and that the low levels of genetic variation in C. cryptolepis and Carex sp. nov. are likely the result of population fluctuations during Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles.
Comparison of clonal diversity in mountain and Piedmont populations of Trillium cuneatum (Melanthiaceae‐Trilliaceae), a forest understory species
Authors: Gonzales Eva , Hamrick J. L. , Smouse Peter E.
Published: September 2008

The balance between clonal and sexual reproduction can vary widely among plant populations, and the extent of clonality may be influenced by the combined effects of historical land use and variation in environmental conditions. We investigated patterns of clonal spread in five Trillium cuneatum populations, two in the Appalachian Mountains characterized by mesic, cooler conditions, and three at lower elevations experiencing warmer, drier conditions and greater disturbance. Using a new measure of the genet effective number and innovative orthogonal contrast methods, we quantified genet structure, contrasting clonal growth in the mountains with that in the Piedmont. Asexual propagation was more common in the Piedmont, where 25% of the sampled ramets were clonally derived, but was much less frequent in the mountains (7% clonal replicates). Hierarchical partitioning of variation in genet diversity showed that the majority (75.8%) of the variation resulted from more vegetative replication in the Piedmont. Most of the remaining variation (21.6%) was attributable to differences between urban and rural Piedmont populations, and a small, statistically nonsignificant fraction of the variation (2.6%) was due to interpopulation differences within the mountains. Higher frequency of cloning may enhance both genetic and demographic population viability in fragmented Piedmont habitats.
Costs of Illness Among Older Adults: An Analysis of Six Major Health Conditions with Significant Environmental Risk Factors
Authors: Van Houtven George , Honeycutt Amanda , Gilman Boyd , McCall Nancy
Published: September 2008

This study estimates the cost burden associated with six major illnesses among Americans age 65 or older: chronic lung disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal illness. These illnesses were selected because of their relatively high impact among older populations and because they include environmental exposures as a significant risk factor. A prevalence-based cost-of-illness approach was applied. Medical costs were estimated from Medicare claims data in 2000. Productivity losses were estimated through regression analyses of National Health Interview Survey data and using age-specific earnings and household production estimates. Estimated costs range from $0.5 billion (gastrointestinal illness) to almost $60 billion (ischemic heart disease). The combined costs of these conditions among the 65-or-older population in 2000 were almost $135 billion. A simple extrapolation of these cost estimates based on population growth and increases in average medical care prices since 2000 implies that the comparable costs in 2007 were more than $196 billion. With the expectation that these costs will continue to increase significantly as the population ages, priority should be given to prevention strategies such as environmental quality improvements.
Single laboratory validation data and uncertainty estimation of a liquid chromatographic method for determination of aflatoxin B1 in animal feed
Authors: Nocentini M. , Focardi C. , Ninci S. , Biancalani G.
Published: September 2008

In the present work we have validated an analytical method for the determination of aflatoxin B1 in dairy compound feeds and peanut meal. The method is based on a preliminary extraction with a mixture of methanol and water followed by a clean-up step with immunoaffinity column. The content of aflatoxin B1 is then established using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. The method is fully validated by using Certified Reference Materials. Limit of detection is found to be 0.5x10-3 mg/kg. The Bartlett test has shown that the method is affected by a systematic error and as a consequence the results must be corrected for the recovery. The precision is found in all cases lower than those calculated by Horwitz equation. Uncertainty estimation has been performed taking into account the bottom-up approach as stated in the Eurachem/Citac guide. With this method the uncertainty is calculated by the addition of variances for a measurand M when the equation for the calculation of M is based only on multiplications and divisions. The bottom-up approach is a tool which identifies the parameters or working steps with an overly contribution to the total uncertainty, thus offering the chance to improve them. The final uncertainty budget has revealed that the main contributions to global uncertainty are those due to the recovery and to the calibration function.
The certification of the aflatoxin mass fractions in peanut butter
Authors: Buttinger G. , Harbeck S. , Josephs R.
Published: September 2008

In the context of control activities contamination of food and feed with aflatoxins is a frequently observed non compliance. Pistachios, peanuts and products thereof are particularly affected. The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements has therefore produced a peanut butter material certified for its aflatoxin mass fractions. This certified reference material (CRM) allows for the evaluation of analytical method performance and the assessment of the comparability of results from different laboratories. The CRM was produced using naturally contaminated raw materials to ensure equivalent behaviour compared to samples routinely encountered. The homogeneity and stability of the CRM were thoroughly tested and certified values were determined in an inter-laboratory study. Furthermore, uncertainties of the certified values were assessed including contributions of the homogeneity, stability and certification studies to the combined uncertainty. This newly prepared CRM allows an assessment of trueness of the analytical method at a concentration level corresponding to the legal limits enforced in the European Union. The material has the following certified properties: aflatoxin B1 1.77±0.29 µg/kg, aflatoxin B2 0.48±0.07 µg/kg, aflatoxin G1 0.9±0.4 µg/kg, aflatoxin G2 0.31±0.12 µg/kg and total aflatoxins, as sum of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, 3.5±0.5 µg/kg.
Test of the ecological‐constraints model on ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) in Ghana
Authors: Teichroeb Julie A. , Sicotte Pascale
Published: September 2008

For group‐living mammals, the ecological‐constraints model predicts that within‐group feeding competition will increase as group size increases, necessitating more daily travel to find food and thereby constraining group size. It provides a useful tool for detecting scramble competition any time it is difficult to determine whether or not food is limiting. We tested the ecological‐constraints model on highly folivorous ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) at the Boabeng‐Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana. Three differently sized groups were followed for 13 months and two others were followed for 6 months each in 2004–2005 using focal‐animal sampling and ranging scans; ecological plots and phenology surveys were used to determine home‐range quality and food availability. There was relatively little difference in home‐range quality, monthly food availability, diet, adult female ingestion rates, and rate of travel within food patches between the groups. However, home‐range size, day‐range length, and percent of time spent feeding all increased with group size. We performed a single large test of the ecological‐constraints model by combining several separate Spearman correlations, each testing different predictions under the model, using Fisher's log‐likelihood method. It showed that the ecological‐constraints model was supported in this study; scramble competition in this population is manifesting in increased ranging and time spent feeding. How costly this increased energy expenditure is for individuals in larger groups remains to be determined. Am. J. Primatol. 71:49–59, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Highly Enantioselective Copper‐Catalyzed Ring Opening of Oxabicyclic Alkenes with Grignard Reagents
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhu Shou‐Fei , Qiao Xiang‐Chen , Zhou Qi‐Lin
Published: September 2008

A highly efficient copper‐catalyzed enantioselective ring opening of oxabicylic alkenes with Grignard reagents has been developed by using chiral spiro phosphine ligands. Excellent trans selectivities, good yields, and high enantioselectivities are obtained for a broad range of Grignard reagents under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst system shows an extraordinary activity and the TON of the reaction reaches 9000.
Ein Lichtmast aus Glas für die Beleuchtung des Marktplatzes in Göppingen
Authors: Pocanschi Adrian , Phocas Marios C.
Published: September 2008

Im vorliegenden Aufsatz werden der Entwurf und konstruktive Details von Lichtmasten aus Glas dargestellt, deren Prototyp für eine blendfreie Beleuchtung des Markplatzes in Göppingen entwickelt wurde. Der kreuzförmige Mast besteht aus einem 2,0 m hohen Sockel aus Edelstahl, auf dessen Oberseite eine 6,0 m hohe Glassäule verschraubt ist. Die Glassäule setzt sich aus vier Flügeln aus Verbundsicherheitsglas (VSG) zusammen, die derart an einem mittig angeordneten Stahlkern befestigt sind, dass im Katastrophenfall die erforderliche Resttragfähigkeit der Konstruktion gewährleistet ist. Vier in einer Höhe von 8,0 m mit Facetten montierte Spiegel lenken die Lichtstrahlen um, die von den im Boden platzierten Lichtwerfern nach oben projiziert werden.
Vergleichende Lebenszykluskostenanalyse für Fußgängerbrücken aus unterschiedlichen Werkstoffen
Authors: Heitel Stephanie , Koriath Holger , Herzog Christoph S. , Specht Günter
Published: September 2008

Bei Infrastrukturobjekten können im Laufe der Nutzungsdauer erhebliche Kosten für Instandhaltungsmaßnahmen anfallen. Die Wahl der baulichen Variante sollte deshalb nicht nur anhand des Anschaffungspreises sondern unter Berücksichtigung der entstehenden Folgekosten erfolgen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde in einer Studie mit der Deutschen Bahn AG und der Peter Maier Leichtbau GmbH untersucht, welcher Werkstoff für Fußgängerbrücken die beste Gesamtwirtschaftlichkeit verspricht. Dabei wurde die Gesamtwirtschaftlichkeit anhand einer Lebenszykluskosten‐Analyse beurteilt.

Untersucht wurden Fußgängerbrücken als sog. Personenüberführungen aus den konventionellen Brückenbaustoffen Holz, Stahl und Stahlbeton sowie aus dem Werkstoff Aluminium. Als Vergleichswert für die Lebenszykluskosten wurde die Annuität herangezogen. Unsicherheiten bei der Kostenprognose wurden mit Hilfe von Sensitivitätsanalysen eingegrenzt. Für das im Rahmen der Untersuchung betrachtete System stellte sich die Aluminiumbrücke als die wirtschaftlichste Variante heraus.
Hydrogen/deuterium exchange study of subtilisin Carlsberg during prolonged exposure to organic solvents
Authors: Fasoli Ezio , Ferrer Amaris , Barletta Gabriel L.
Published: September 2008

It has been previously reported that prolonged exposure of an enzyme to organic solvents leads to substantial decrease of activity. This effect was found to be unrelated to the catalysts' structure or their possible aggregation in organic solvents, and up to the present day the cause for activity loss remains unclear. In the present work, the structural dynamics of the serine protease subtilisin Carlsberg (SC) have been investigated during prolonged exposure to two organic solvents by following hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange of mobile protons. The enzyme, after lyophilization, was incubated in organic solvents at controlled deuteriated water activity for different times and the H/D exchange was allowed to take place. The amount of deuterium exchanged was evaluated by 2H NMR, which in turn gave us a picture of the changing dynamics of our model enzyme during incubation and under different experimental conditions. Our results show that the flexibility of SC decreases during prolonged storage in 1,4‐dioxane (Diox) and acetonitrile (ACN) as indicated by the observed 3‐ to 10‐fold decrease in the apparent rate constants of exchange (k) of fast exchangeable protons (FEP) and slow exchangeable protons (SEP) in the protein. Our study also shows that SC is more flexible in ACN than in Diox (k 3–20 times higher in ACN for the FEP and SEP), suggesting that enzyme dynamics are affected by solvent physicochemical properties. Additionally, the enzyme dynamics are also affected by the method of preparation: decreased flexibility (k decreases 3‐ to 10‐fold for FEP and SEP) is observed when the enzyme is chemically modified with poly ethylene glycol (PEGylated) or colyophilized with crown ethers. A possible relationship between activity, enantioselectivity (E), and structural dynamics is discussed, demonstrating that direct correlations, as have been attempted in the past, are hampered by the multi‐variable nature and complexity of the system. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1025–1032. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mutated polyadenylation signals for controlling expression levels of multiple genes in mammalian cells
Authors: Yang Yuansheng , Mariati  , Ho Steven C.L. , Yap Miranda G.S.
Published: September 2008

A set of mutated SV40 early polyadenylation signals (SV40pA) with varying strengths is generated by mutating the AATAAA sequence in the wild‐type SV40pA. They are shown to control the expression level of a gene over a 10‐fold range using luciferase reporter genes in transient transfection assays. The relative strength of these SV40pA variants remains similar under three commonly used mammalian promoters and in five mammalian cell lines. Application of SV40pA variants for controlling expression level of multiple genes is demonstrated in a study of monoclonal antibody (mAb) synthesis in mammalian cells. By using SV40pA variants of different strengths, the expression of light chain (LC) and heavy chain (HC) genes encoded in a single vector is independently altered which results in different ratios of LC to HC expression spanning a range from 0.24 to 16.42. The changes in gene expression are determined by measuring mRNA levels and intracellular LC and HC polypeptides. It is found that a substantial decrease of HC expression, which increases the LC/HC mRNA ratio, only slightly reduces mAb production. However, reducing the LC expression by a similar magnitude, which decreases the LC/HC mRNA ratio results in a sharp decline of mAb production to trace amounts. This set of SV40pA variants offers a new tool for accurate control of the relative expression levels of multiple genes. It will have wide‐ranging applications in fields related to the study of biosynthesis of multi‐subunit proteins, proteomic research on protein interactions, and multi‐gene metabolic engineering. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1152–1160. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HPLC‐UV assay for monitoring total and unbound mycophenolic acid concentrations in children
Authors: Zeng L. , Nath C. E. , Shaw P. J. , Earl J. W. , McLachlan A. J.
Published: September 2008

A simple, accurate and sensitive HPLC method was developed for measuring total and unbound mycophenolic acid (MPA) in human plasma. Total MPA was extracted by protein precipitation and ultrafiltration was used to assess unbound MPA concentrations. The supernatant (20 µL) or ultrafiltrate (100 µL) was injected onto a C18 HPLC column with a mobile phase of 0.05 m sodium phosphate buffer (pH 2.31)–acetonitrile (55:45, v/v for total MPA; 50:50 for unbound MPA) with UV detection at 254 nm. The extraction recovery was over 93% and reproducible. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.07–50 mg/L for total MPA and 4–1500 µg/L for unbound MPA. Intra‐ and inter‐day assay reproducibility was less than 10%. Detection limits were 0.04 mg/L and 2 µg/L for total and unbound MPA, respectively. The assay utility was established in samples collected from five paediatric bone marrow transplant recipients who were receiving intravenous doses of mycophenolate mofetil. In these patients MPA concentrations ranged from 0.07 to 7.83 mg/L and unbound drug concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 107.5 µg/L. This method can be effectively applied to MPA pharmacokinetics in paediatric patients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristics of Oxidation of Diesel Paticulate Matter over a Spinel Type Cu0.95K0.05Fe2O4 Catalyst
Authors: Lin H. , Huang Z. , Shangguan W.
Published: September 2008

This paper presents an experimental study on oxidation of diesel paticulate matter (PM) and aims at investigating the characteristics of PM oxidation. The experiments were performed over a Cu0.95K0.05Fe2O4 catalyst which is attributed to a spinel type metal oxide. The effects of O2 on PM oxidation as well as on NOx reduction were studied and the roles of O2 in PM oxidation and in NOx reduction, respectively, are discussed. During the temperature‐programmed oxidation of PM, SOF oxidation and soot oxidation lead to two CO2 peaks at different temperatures. It was found that the presence of O2 benefits PM oxidation but suppresses the reduction of NOx into N2 by consuming the soot. This study revealed that the appearance of PM oxidation is different from that of soot oxidation. The mechanisms on PM oxidation and NOx reduction are discussed.
Effect of Structured Packing Characteristics on Styrene Monomer/Ethylbenzene Distillation Process
Authors: Salem A. , Shokrkar H.
Published: September 2008

The application of various types of structured packings to separate styrene monomer/ethyl benzene in packed columns is presented. The investigation was conducted over a wide range of operating conditions such as packing type, pressure, and reflux ratio. Several structured packings were used for separation of styrene monomer/ethyl benzene and the optimum conditions were determined for each of them. The proper condition of separation process and appropriate parameters for achieving better efficiency was discussed. The calculated results were compared with those obtained in industrial scale. It was shown that Mellapak‐Plus 252Y and 452Y packings can provide the maximum capacity with an acceptable level of efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.
Heterogeneous Catalysis in Supercritical Media, Part 3: Other Media
Authors: Kruse A. , Vogel H.
Published: September 2008

For technical applications, those reactions in supercritical fluids are of particular interest which have significant advantages over conventional methods or which are impossible in classical solvents or in the gas phase. This last part of the trilogy deals with heterogeneously catalyzed reactions in supercritical fluids other than carbon dioxide or water.
Complex Hydrothermal Reaction Systems: A Systematic Investigation of Copper Phosphonatoethanesulfonates by High‐Throughput Methods
Authors: Sonnauer Andreas , Stock Norbert
Published: September 2008

The polyfunctional ligand 2‐phosphonoethanesulfonic acid, H2O3P–C2H4–SO3H (H3L), was used in a high‐throughput (HT) investigation of a new class of compounds, the copper phosphonatosulfonates. An extensive HT study comprising 288 individual hydrothermal reactions was performed to systematically investigate the influence of temperature, pH, and molar ratio of Cu2+/H3L in the reaction system Cu(NO3)2/H3L/NaOH/H2O/temperature. The HT investigation led to five new compounds Cu2[(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(OH)(H2O)](H2O) (1), Cu2.5(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(OH)2 (2), Cu1.5[(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(H2O)]·H2O (3), Cu2[(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(OH)(H2O)2]·3H2O (4), and NaCu(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(H2O)3 (5). Their fields of formation were established unequivocally and from the large amount of data reaction trends were extracted. Furthermore, a new compound Cu1.5(O3P–C2H4–SO3)(H2O) (6) was synthesized under hydrothermal reaction conditions in a glass reactor. For compounds 1, 2, and 6 crystal structures were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The compounds exhibit a large structural variety. Thus, CuO4, CuO5, and CuO6 units are observed. Corner‐, edge‐ as well as face‐sharing polyhedra form chains, layers, or Cu3O12 clusters that are connected by the –CH2CH2– group of the ligand. Thermogravimetric investigations, magnetic measurements, IR spectra as well as chemical analyses of compounds 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are also presented.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Blockbuster Drug Intermediates – Synthesis of Five‐Membered Cyclic γ‐Amino Acid and γ‐Lactam Enantiomers
Authors: Forró Enikő , Fülöp Ferenc
Published: September 2008

A very efficient enzymatic method was developed for the synthesis of cyclic γ‐lactam and γ‐amino acid enantiomers, intermediates for drugs with a prominent turnover (e.g., abacavir and carbovir), through the CAL‐B‐catalysed enantioselective (E > 200) hydrolysis of the corresponding N‐Boc protected and unprotected racemic γ‐lactams with H2O in iPr2O. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Direct Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis of Hemoglobin/ZnO‐Chitosan/nano‐Au Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Duan Guoping , Li Yinfeng , Wen Yin , Ma Xiaoling , Wang Yao , Ji Jiahua , Wu Ping , Zhang Zongrang , Yang Haifeng
Published: September 2008

The highly efficient H2O2 biosensor was fabricated on the basis of the complex films of hemoglobin (Hb), nano ZnO, chitosan (CHIT) dispersed solution and nano Au immobilized on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Biocompatible ZnO‐CHIT composition provided a suitable microenvironment to keep Hb bioactivity (Michaelis‐Menten constant of 0.075 mmol L−1). The presence of nano Au in matrix could effectively enhance electron transfer between Hb and electrode. The electrochemical behaviors and effects of solution pH values were carefully examined in this paper. The (ZnO‐CHIT)‐Au‐Hb/GCE demonstrated excellently electrocatalytical ability for H2O2. This biosensor had a fast response to H2O2 less than 4 s and excellent linear relationships were obtained in the concentration range from1.94×10−7 to 1.73×10−3 mol L−1 with the detection limit of 9.7×10−8 mol L−1 (S/N=3) under the optimum conditions. Moreover, the stability and reproducibility of this biosensor were evaluated with satisfactory results.
Hepatic steatosis in response to acute alcohol exposure in zebrafish requires sterol regulatory element binding protein activation #
Authors: Passeri Michael J. , Cinaroglu Ayca , Gao Chuan , Sadler Kirsten C.
Published: September 2008

Steatosis is the most common consequence of acute alcohol abuse and may predispose to more severe hepatic disease. Increased lipogenesis driven by the sterol response element binding protein (SREBP) transcription factors is essential for steatosis associated with chronic alcohol ingestion, but the mechanisms underlying steatosis following acute alcohol exposure are unknown. Zebrafish larvae represent an attractive vertebrate model for studying alcoholic liver disease (ALD), because they possess the pathways to metabolize alcohol, the liver is mature by 4 days post-fertilization (dpf), and alcohol can be simply added to their water. Exposing 4 dpf zebrafish larvae to 2% ethanol (EtOH) for 32 hours achieves ˜80 mM intracellular EtOH and up-regulation of hepatic cyp2e1, sod, and bip, indicating that EtOH is metabolized and provokes oxidant stress. EtOH-treated larvae develop hepatomegaly and steatosis accompanied by changes in the expression of genes required for hepatic lipid metabolism. Based on the importance of SREBPs in chronic ALD, we explored the role of Srebps in this model of acute ALD. Srebp activation was prevented in gonzo larvae, which harbor a mutation in the membrane-bound transcription factor protease 1 (mbtps1) gene, and in embryos injected with a morpholino to knock down Srebp cleavage activating protein (scap). Both gonzo mutants and scap morphants were resistant to steatosis in response to 2% EtOH, and the expression of many Srebp target genes are down-regulated in gonzo mutant livers. Conclusion: Zebrafish larvae develop signs of acute ALD, including steatosis. Srebp activation is required for steatosis in this model. The tractability of zebrafish genetics provides a valuable tool for dissecting the molecular pathogenesis of acute ALD. (Hepatology 2008.)
A method to estimate mortality trends when death certificates are imprecisely coded: An application to cervical cancer in Italy
Authors: Capocaccia Riccardo , Martina Lucia , Inghelmann Riccardo , Crocetti Emanuele , De Lisi Vincenzo , Falcini Fabio , Guzzinati Stefano , Rosso Stefano , Tagliabue Giovanna , Tumino Rosario , Vercelli Marina , Zanetti Roberto , De Angelis Roberta
Published: September 2008

Systematic analysis of mortality trends of cervix and corpus uteri cancers is difficult in Italy, as in many other countries, because of the poor specification of uterine cancer subsites in official death statistics. The aim of this article is to propose a method for the analysis of uterine cancers mortality based on high quality incidence and prevalence data from population‐based cancer registries. The method assumes that the excess mortality of cancer patients, compared to death rates expected in the general population, is attributable to the specific cancer. The method is applied to estimate mortality trends for cancers of cervix, corpus and uterus as whole, during the period 1987–1999, in an area covered by 8 Italian cancer registries. Official mortality rates for the 2 subsites were about 60% lower than excess mortality rates, due to the very high proportion of deaths attributed to not specified subsite. Age adjusted cervical cancer excess mortality rates decreased from 3.7 to 2.7 × 100,000 women. Excess mortality for corpus uteri cancer remained approximately stable between 3 and 3.3 × 100,000 women in the period 1990–1999. The results support the efficacy of organized screening in reducing cervical cancer mortality. The same method can be used to assess mortality rates for every cancer entity identifiable in cancer registries data, not otherwise available from official death records. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimation of soil water content and evapotranspiration from irrigated cropland on the North China Plain
Authors: Jiang Jie , Zhang Yongqiang , Wegehenkel Martin , Yu Qiang , Xia Jun
Published: September 2008

For nearly 30 y, cropland on the North China Plain (NCP) has been irrigated primarily by pumping groundwater with no sustainable management strategy. This has caused a continuous decline of the water table. A sustainable groundwater management and irrigation strategy must be established in order to prevent further decline of the water table; to do this, one must quantify soil water content and daily rates of deep percolation and locate evapotranspiration from irrigated cropland. For that purpose, we developed a three‐layer soil–water balance (SWB) model based on an approach described by Kendy et al. (2003). In this model, the unsaturated soil zone is divided into three layers: a surface active layer, a middle active soil layer, and a lowest passive soil layer. The middle and the lowest layers dynamically change with the development of crop rooting depth. A simple “tipping bucket” routine and an exponential equation are used to redistribute soil water in the three soil layers. The actual evapotranspiration estimated is partitioned into soil evaporation and crop transpiration using a dual crop coefficient reference approach. At first, the model was calibrated using data obtained from five deficiently irrigated field plots located at an experimental site in the NCP between 1998 and 2003. Then, the model was validated by comparing estimated soil water contents with measured ones at three other plots with nondeficient irrigation. The estimates of actual evapotranspiration were compared with those measured with a large‐scale weighing lysimeter (3 m2). The index of agreement (IA) for soil water contents varied between 0.62 and 0.80; the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) and the root mean square error obtained from the same comparison were 0.34–0.65 and 0.043–0.074 cm3 cm–3, respectively. The rates of 10 d mean evapotranspiration estimated by the model show a good fit to those measured by the large‐scale lysimeter; this is indicated by IA = 0.94 and CCC = 0.88. Our results indicate that at the irrigated cropland on the plain, deep soil water–percolation rates are usually <200 mm y–1 under nondeficient‐irrigation conditions.
Fluxes of climate‐relevant trace gases between a Norway spruce forest soil and atmosphere during repeated freeze–thaw cycles in mesocosms
Authors: Goldberg Stefanie D. , Muhr Jan , Borken Werner , Gebauer Gerhard
Published: September 2008

For this century, an increasing frequency of extreme meteorological boundary conditions is expected, presumably resulting in a changing frequency of freezing and thawing of soils in higher‐elevation areas. Our current knowledge about the effects of these events on trace‐gas emissions from soils is scarce. In this study, the effects of freeze–thaw events on the fluxes of the trace gases CO2, N2O, and NO between soil and atmosphere were investigated in a laboratory experiment. Undisturbed soil columns were collected from a mature Norway spruce forest in the “Fichtelgebirge”, SE Germany. The influence of freezing temperatures (–3°C, –8°C, –13°C) on gas fluxes was studied during the thawing periods (+5°C) in three freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) and compared to unfrozen controls (+5°C).

Two different types of soil columns were examined in parallel—one consisting of O layer only (O columns) and one composed of O layer and mineral soil horizons (O+M columns)—to quantify the contribution of the organic layer and the top mineral soil to the production or consumption of these trace gases.

During the thawing period, we observed increasing emissions of CO2, N2O, and NO from the spruce forest soil, but the cumulative emissions of these gases did mostly not exceed the level of the controls. The results show that the O layers were mainly involved in the gas production. Severe soil frost increased CO2 fluxes during soil thawing, whereas repetition of the freeze–thaw events decreased CO2 fluxes from the thawing soil. Fluxes of N2O and NO were neither influenced by freezing temperature nor by freeze–thaw repetition.

Stable‐isotope analysis indicated that denitrification was mostly responsible for the N2O production in the FTC columns. Furthermore, isotope data demonstrated a consumption of N2O through microbial denitrification to N2. It was further shown, that production of N2O also occurred in the mineral horizons. The NO emissions were mainly driven by increasing soil temperature during thawing. In this freeze–thaw experiment up to 20 times higher NO than N2O fluxes were recorded. Our results suggest that topsoil thawing has little potential to increase the emissions of CO2, N2O, and NO in spruce forest soils.
Separation of Parent Homopolymers from Diblock Copolymers by Liquid Chromatography under Limiting Conditions of Desorption, 2 ‐ Optimization of Experimental Arrangement
Authors: Berek Dušan
Published: September 2008

The experimental arrangement for liquid chromatography under limiting conditions of desorption was optimized, aiming at separation of the parent homopolymers from diblock copolymers. Measurements with the block copolymer PS‐b‐PMMA have confirmed that the method enables fast and efficient separation of both parent homopolymers PS and PMMA from the copolymers in a single run. The new experimental set‐up also allows the separation of potentially present low molecular or oligomeric admixtures from the polymeric constituents of sample. The peak broadening of the non‐retained macromolecules has been suppressed. The sample recovery is high and can be easily checked by the injection of a large volume of an appropriate displacer.

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Enantiomeric differentiation of oxygenated p‐menthane derivatives by 13C NMR using Yb(hfc)3
Authors: Lanfranchi Don Antoine , Blanc Marie‐Cécile , Vellutini Muriel , Bradesi Pascale , Casanova Joseph , Tomi Félix
Published: September 2008

The 13C NMR behaviour of 21 p‐menthanic terpene bearing an oxygenated function (alcohol, ketone, acetate) was examined in the presence of a chiral lanthanide shift reagent (Yb(hfc)3). For each monocyclic compound, we measured the lanthanide‐induced shift (LIS) on the signals of the carbons and the splitting of signals allowing the enantiomeric differentiation. Some general features were found about their LIS behaviour: experimental data establishing distinct patterns for carvomenthone‐like compounds and menthone‐like compounds. The enantiomeric splitting was observed for the majority of signals in the spectrum of each compound. In the case of alcohols and acetates, the influence of the relative stereochemistry (cis vs trans) of isopropyl(ene) and the binding function was discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The reaction of nitrosodicyclohexylamine with organolithiums
Authors: Vázquez Alvaro J. , Rodríguez Cristian , Nudelman N. Sbarbati
Published: September 2008

The detailed study of the reaction of N‐nitrosamines with organolithium compounds, under different reaction conditions, allowed the development of a useful methodology for the synthesis of substituted hydrazones and trialkyl hydrazines. The reaction proved to be very sensitive to the reaction conditions, and different main products can be obtained by fine tuning of several variables. With the purpose of searching into the reaction mechanism, a careful isolation, characterization, and quantitative determination of several minor products was carried out. N,N‐ dicyclohexylamine, N‐cyclohexylidencyclohexyl amine, and N,N,N′‐dicyclohexylalkylhydrazines, were the main side products identified after the work up of the reaction mixtures. With the same aim, the kinetics of the reaction of N‐nitrosodicyclohexylamine with n‐BuLi, was determined at temperatures in the range 0 °C room temperature. Under the conditions leading to the trialkyl hydrazine, the results show an abrupt slowdown of the reaction rate, after a short reaction time. This result, together with other observations, such as the recovering of hydrazone even when using high [RLi], is indicative of equilibrium involving different species in the reaction mixture. The isolation of reduction products, as well as additional experiments carried out with lithium dialkylamides and NO, allowed suggestion of an overall mechanistic scheme for the complex consecutive and parallel reactions, that is consistent with the afforded evidences. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Watsu approach for improving spasticity and ambulatory function in hemiparetic patients with stroke
Authors: Chon Seung Chul , Oh Duck Won , Shim Jae Hun
Published: September 2008

Background and Purpose. This study reports the effect of Watsu as rehabilitation method for hemiparetic patients with stroke. Method. Watsu consisted of 40 treatment sessions for 8 weeks, delivered underwater or at water surface level, it applied in three patients. Outcome measures included tools for assessing spasticity and ambulatory function. Results. All patients showed decreased scores in the TAS and RVGA after Watsu application. Conclusions. Watsu was helpful in controlling spasticity and improving ambulatory function of the patients with hemiparesis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crystal structure of a 1.6‐hexanediol bound tetrameric form of Escherichia coli Lac‐repressor refined to 2.1 Å resolution
Authors: Stenberg Kaj A. E. , Vihinen Mauno
Published: September 2008

We report the structure of a novel tetrameric form of the lactose repressor (LacI) protein from Escherichia coli refined to 2.1 Å resolution. The tetramer is bound to 1.6‐hexanediol present in the crystallization solution and the final Rfree for the structure is 0.201. The structure confirms previously reported structures on the monomer level. However, the tetramer is much more densely packed. This adds a new level of complexity to the interpretation of mutational effects and challenges details in the current model for LacI function. Several amino acids, previously associated with changes in function but unexplained at the structural level, appear in a new structural context in this tetramer which provides new implications for their function. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural genomics reveals EVE as a new ASCH/PUA‐related domain
Authors: Bertonati Claudia , Punta Marco , Fischer Markus , Yachdav Guy , Forouhar Farhad , Zhou Weihong , Kuzin Alexander P. , Seetharaman Jayaraman , Abashidze Mariam , Ramelot Theresa A. , Kennedy Michael A. , Cort John R. , Belachew Adam , Hunt John F. , Tong Liang , Montelione Gaetano T. , Rost Burkhard
Published: September 2008

We report on several proteins recently solved by structural genomics consortia, in particular by the Northeast Structural Genomics consortium (NESG). The proteins considered in this study differ substantially in their sequences but they share a similar structural core, characterized by a pseudobarrel five‐stranded beta sheet. This core corresponds to the PUA domain‐like architecture in the SCOP database. By connecting sequence information with structural knowledge, we characterize a new subgroup of these proteins that we propose to be distinctly different from previously described PUA domain‐like domains such as PUA proper or ASCH. We refer to these newly defined domains as EVE. Although EVE may have retained the ability of PUA domains to bind RNA, the available experimental and computational data suggests that both the details of its molecular function and its cellular function differ from those of other PUA domain‐like domains. This study of EVE and its relatives illustrates how the combination of structure and genomics creates new insights by connecting a cornucopia of structures that map to the same evolutionary potential. Primary sequence information alone would have not been sufficient to reveal these evolutionary links. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Entomopathogens (Beauveria bassianaandSteinernema carpocapsae) for biological control of bark‐feeding mothIndarbela deaon field‐infested litchi trees
Authors: Schulte Marie Joy , Martin Konrad , Büchse Andreas , Sauerborn Joachim
Published: September 2008

BACKGROUND:The bark‐feeding mothIndarbela dea(Swinhoe) is one of the major pests of litchi (Litchi chinensisSonn.) in Asia. Effects on larval mortality and web production were tested by repeated, single and combined tree trunk applications of the entomopathogenic fungusBeauveria bassiana(Bals.) Vuill. and the entomopathogenic nematodeSteinernema carpocapsae(Weiser). Two separate application trials were conducted in different seasons on young and older larvae respectively.

RESULTS:In both trials, complete or nearly complete mortality (100% and 95%) of the larvae was achieved 3 weeks after application ofS. carpocapsaealone and 2 weeks after the combined application ofB. bassianaandS. carpocapsae(100% in both trials). However, in the combined application, all larvae were killed by one treatment, while the application ofS. carpocapsaealone needed to be repeated to reach the same result. The effectiveness of the combined entomopathogen application and of the application ofS. carpocapsaealone was not influenced by the age of the larvae. However, the single applications ofB. bassianawere only effective on young larvae. In both trials, web production of surviving larvae was very significantly reduced by the application ofS. carpocapsaein single and combined treatments.

CONCLUSIONS:As the results show, only one application is necessary in the combined application of the two entomopathogens to controlI. dea, which implies that such treatment is probably the economically most relevant solution. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Dynamics of photo‐excited carriers on GaAs(100) surface studied by ultrafast time‐resolved photoemission
Authors: Azuma Junpei , Tokudomi Shinji , Takahashi Kazutoshi , Kamada Masao
Published: September 2008

Dynamics of the photo‐excited carriers on the GaAs(100) surface have been studied by measuring the surface photo‐voltage effect (SPV) with the ultrafast time‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The fast SPV decay with a few picosecond lifetime has been observed on the n ‐type GaAs(100) surface. The lifetime of the fast decay component was almost independent with dopant levels, pump powers, and sample temperatures which mainly change the surface potential barrier in the band bending region. This result supports the SPV relaxation model of the hot electron because the time scale of the electron thermalization is considered to be less affected by the change of the surface potential barrier. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Simple model relating recombination rates and non‐proportional light yield in scintillators
Authors: Bizarri G. , Moses W. W. , Singh J. , Vasil'ev A. N. , Williams R. T.
Published: September 2008

We present a phenomenological approach to derive an approximate expression for the local light yield along a track as a function of the rate constants of different kinetic orders of radiative and quenching processes for excitons and electron‐hole pairs excited by an incident γ‐ray in a scintillating crystal. For excitons, the radiative and quenching processes considered are linear and binary, and for electron‐hole pairs a ternary (Auger type) quenching process is also taken into account. The local light yield (YL) in photons per MeV is plotted as a function of the deposited energy, ‐dE /dx (keV/cm) at any point x along the track length. This model formulation achieves a certain simplicity by using two coupled rate equations. We discuss the approximations that are involved. There are a sufficient number of parameters in this model to fit local light yield profiles needed for qualitative comparison with experiment. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Nonparametric statistical inference method for partial areas under receiver operating characteristic curves, with application to genomic studies
Authors: He Yaohua , Escobar Michael
Published: September 2008

Recently ROC50 index—the area under the lower portion of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve up to the first 50 false positives—has been increasingly widely used in genomic research. Unfortunately, statistical inferences on the ROC50 index are not commonly drawn due to a lack of handy statistical inference methods and/or software tools. In this paper, we reviewed developments in statistical methods for the partial areas under ROC curves and using nonparametric methods we derived a simple and direct variance calculation formula for the partial areas, different from existing methods in the literature. We have also verified our method through simulation studies and compared our method with existing bi‐normal approaches. We have shown that the partial area has an asymptotic normal distribution using trimmed U‐statistics theory. On the basis of this asymptotic normality, we have given formulas for the confidence interval and the test statistic and we reported on their application to a genomic study of sample size approximately 10 000. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimized message delivery framework using fuzzy logic for intermittently connected mobile ad hoc networks.
Authors: Ma Yaozhou , Jamalipour Abbas
Published: September 2008

Due to limited radio transmission range, sporadic node densities and power limitations, mobilead hocnetworks (MANETs) can usually become intermittently connected, thereby data routing process is disrupted in the absence of an end‐to‐end routing path. To this effect, various ‘store‐carry‐forward (SCF)’ routing algorithms have been proposed in the literature that exploit the mobility and storage space of the nodes to deliver messages even if a route never exists. To have a high probability of eventual delivery, flooding‐based or multi‐copy‐based forwarding strategy is adopted by majority of these schemes. Furthermore, in the human‐related environments containing correlated movements, performance is quantified in terms of the probability of the message delivery between any pair of nodes. However, in the multi‐copy case, the conventional individual delivery probability alone fails to address delivery opportunity from other nodes that also carry the same message copies. With this in mind, this paper presents several routing‐related key parameters and accordingly introduces a fuzzy logic‐based delivery framework (FLDF) to select and store messages that have higher delivery preference in the future. In the proposed mechanism, FL, which has the fundamental ability to deal with imprecise or uncertain information caused by intermittent connectivity as well as mobility randomness, is employed to handle the message evaluation and selection. Simulation results demonstrate the enhanced delivery performance offered by the proposed FLDF compared with the existing schemes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A simple assessment of physical activity is associated with obesity and motor fitness in pre-school children
Authors: Bayer Otmar , Bolte Gabriele , Morlock Gabriele , Rückinger Simon , von Kries Rüdiger ,   for the GME-Study Group
Published: September 2008

Objective

Physical activity is an important determinant of energy balance. However, its impact on overweight/obesity has proved difficult to measure in pre-school children and few studies have found significant associations. A set of simple questions was used to distinguish pre-school children with high and low physical activity, and the association of this classification with childhood overweight/obesity and performance in an established motor test was investigated.

Design

Survey, cross-sectional.

Setting and subjects

Weight and height were measured in 12 556 children taking part in the obligatory school entrance health examination 2004–5 and 2005–6 in three urban and three rural Bavarian regions. Their parents were asked to answer a questionnaire with a set of questions on physical activity.

Results

The mean age of the children evaluated was 5·78 (sd0·43) years, 6535 (52·1 %) were boys. Physically active children were less likely to be overweight (OR = 0·786, 95 % CI 0·687, 0·898) or obese (OR = 0·655, 95 % CI 0·506, 0·849) and achieved 6·7 (95 % CI 5·8, 7·7) % more jumps per 30 s than less active children in a motor test, adjusted for a number of potentially confounding variables.

Conclusions

Classification of pre-school children as physically active or not, based on a small set of questions, revealed significant associations with overweight/obesity and a motor test. Once further validated, this classification might provide a valuable tool to assess the impact of physical activity on the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.