bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Terrane sutures in the Maine Appalachians, USA and adjacent areas
Authors: Pollock Stephen G.
Published: February 2007

Terrane sutures in the Maine Appalachians and adjacent areas are recognized as melange dominated, deformed accretionary prisms of Ordovician age, and as a broad synmetamorphic transcurrent fault zone of probable Late Silurian‐Early Devonian age. Although the accretionary prisms are associated with present day aeromagnetic and Bouguer gravity anomalies, they are probably not associated with present day crustal penetrating boundaries. The geology of the accretionary prisms indicates subduction‐obduction dominated regimes during which (1) the Gander and Boundary Mountain (Dunnage) terranes amalgamated and (2) the composite Boundary Mountain‐Gander terrane accreted to the Laurentian margin. The Penobscottian orogeny produced and deformed the older of the two accretionary prisms. This accretionary prism indicates that the Penobscottian was a continuous or perhaps diachronous event which spanned the late Cambrian to early Late Ordovician. The younger accretionary prism was produced and deformed during the Taconian orogeny during late Middle to early Late Ordovician. Initial deformation of this accretionary prism may have overlapped the waning stages of the Penobscottian. Portions of the Taconian arc locally overlie the Penobscottian accretionary prism.

A synmetamorphic fault zone lies within Precambrian(?) to Ordovician(?) bimodal metavolcanic and metapelitic rocks assigned here to the Avalon terrane. This zone is several kilometres wide and is interpreted to be the postsubduction suture between the Avalon and Gander terranes, and may, in part, represent a fossil transform fault system. The fault zone contains phyllonites as well as shear zones which generally record dextral motion. The phyllonites were previously interpreted as a stratigraphic unit, whereas the shear zones span or are contained within mappable compositional units. Formation of and movement along these phyllonites and shear zones ceased before the intrusion of Early Devonian plutons. Not all faults in south‐western Maine are related to the suture. Younger dip and/or strike‐slip and thrust faults are approximately parallel to, or may lie within, the older shear zones and they complicate the recognition of the older faults.
Non‐periglacial stone stripes? An example from North Wales
Authors: Bennett Matthew R.
Published: February 2007

A set of active stone stripes below a small debris cone in North Wales is described. In form they do not appear to resemble stone stripes described elsewhere. They are of particular note because their form is not controlled by conventional periglacial processes, but by stones moving downslope when sheep disturb the debris cone above. This downslope movement of stones has resulted in a complex pattern of stripes and horizontal terraces, the exact form of which appears to be controlled by probability. These observations add to the debate over the mode of formation of active stone stripes in Britain and the role of non‐periglacial processes.
Nested plutons as megageopetal structures: The Merrimac plutons, northern Sierra Nevada, California
Authors: Guglielmo Giovanni
Published: February 2007

Contacts within nested plutons are crucial for constraining the relative timing of pluton emplacement and the internal geometry of composite plutons. Exposures in orogenic belts are commonly discontinuous, however, disguising these contacts. In this paper, the Merrimac plutons in the northern Sierra Nevada of California are used as an example of how composition and foliation patterns can allow the definition of unexposed contacts and identify nested plutons.

Image analysis techniques were used to determine modal compositions of a total of 52 samples from the Merrimac plutons. The integrated analysis of compositional data and foliations patterns reveals a critical contact within the plutons, and suggests that the Merrimac plutons indicate way‐up towards the north‐east at the time of emplacement 142 ± 3 Ma ago. This paper provides guidelines for recognizing nested plutons in poorly exposed areas and shows that consistent structural and compositional assymmetries within nested plutons can be used as regional top‐direction indicators.
A natural example of mud diapirs formed in wet sediments
Authors: Cave R. , Rushton A. W. A.
Published: February 2007

Small mudstone diapirs in multi‐layer Ordovician rocks near Llanwrtyd, Wales, match in anatomy those produced experimentally by Ramberg (1981) and Jackson and Talbot (1989). This appears to be the first record of natural examples at this scale, and they cast light on the relative viscosities of the sediments during early diagenesis.
An fMRI study of canonical and noncanonical word order in German
Authors: Bahlmann Jörg , Rodriguez‐Fornells Antoni , Rotte Michael , Münte Thomas F.
Published: February 2007

Understanding a complex sentence requires the processing of information at different (e.g., phonological, semantic, and syntactic) levels, the intermediate storage of this information and the unification of this information to compute the meaning of the sentence information. The present investigation homed in on two aspects of sentence processing: working memory and reanalysis. Event‐related functional MRI was used in 12 healthy native speakers of German, while they read sentences. Half of the sentences had unambiguous initial noun‐phrases (masculine nominative, masculine accusative) and thus signaled subject‐first (canonical) or object‐first (noncanonical) sentences. Noncanonical unambiguous sentences were supposed to entail greater demand on working memory, because of their more complex syntactic structure. The other half of the sentences had case‐ambiguous initial noun‐phrases (feminine gender). Only the second unambiguous noun‐phrase (eighth position in the sentences) revealed, whether a canonical or noncanonical word order was present. Based on previous data it was hypothesized that ambiguous noncanonical sentences required a recomputation of the sentence, as subjects would initially commit to a subject first reading. In the respective contrasts two main areas of brain activation were observed. Unambiguous noncanonical sentences elicited more activation in left inferior frontal cortex relative unambiguous canonical sentences. This was interpreted in conjunction with the greater demands on working memory in the former condition. For noncanonical ambiguous relative to canonical ambiguous sentences, an activation of the left supramarginal gyrus was revealed, which was interpreted as a reflection of the reanalysis‐requirements induced by this condition. Hum Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Misattribution of speech and impaired connectivity in patients with auditory verbal hallucinations
Authors: Mechelli Andrea , Allen Paul , Amaro Edson , Fu Cynthia H.Y. , Williams Steven C.R. , Brammer Michael J. , Johns Louise C. , McGuire Philip K.
Published: February 2007

Several studies report that patients with schizophrenia who experience auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) tend to misidentify their own speech as that of somebody else. We tested the hypothesis that this tendency is associated with poor functional integration within the network of regions that mediate the evaluation of speech. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured brain responses from 11 schizophrenics with AVH, 10 schizophrenics without AVH, and 10 healthy controls. Stimuli comprised prerecorded words, which varied for their source (self, alien) and acoustic quality (undistorted, distorted). Participants had to indicate whether each word was spoken in their own or another person's voice via a button press. Using dynamic causal modeling, we estimated the impact of one region over another (“effective connectivity”) and how this was modulated by source and distortion. In controls and in patients without AVH, the connectivity between left superior temporal and anterior cingulate cortex was significantly greater for alien‐ than for self‐generated speech; in contrast, the reverse trend was found in schizophrenic patients with AVH. In conclusion, when patients with AVH appraise their own speech we find impaired functional integration between left superior temporal and anterior cingulate cortex. Although this finding is based on external rather than internal speech, the same mechanism may contribute to the faulty appraisal of inner speech that putatively underlies AVH. Hum Brain Mapp 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Popovtzer Aron , Morgenstein Sara , Roizman Pepi , Gutman Dan , Bahar Gidi , Stern Yoram , Feinmesser Rafael
Published: February 2007

Background.

Recent studies have demonstrated that cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression is associated with the carcinogenesis of numerous neoplasms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of COX‐2 in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

Methods.

Tissue specimens of thyroid neoplasms were obtained from 22 patients with MTC and 15 control subjects with nonmalignant thyroid specimens.

Results.

This immunohistochemical study confirms the presence of COX‐2 in a significant number of MTCs. A large area of staining was noted in only 2 patients in the control group (13%) compared with 18 (82%) in the medullary carcinoma group. On a scale of 0 to 3, the average area of positive staining measured 2.35 in the study group and 0.9 in the control group (p < .0001). The average intensity of staining on a scale of 0 to 5 (deep brown) was 2.15 and 0.8 mm, respectively (p < .001).

Conclusion.

COX‐2 is expressed significantly in MTC including a larger area of staining and greater intensity than in nonmalignant thyroid tissue. These findings may have important treatment implications for the use of COX‐2 inhibitors in patients with MTC. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 2007
Speech outcomes in Cantonese patients after glossectomy
Authors: Wong Ripley Kit , Poon Esther Sok‐Man , Woo Cynthia Yuen‐Man , Chan Sabina Ching‐Shun , Wong Elsa Siu‐Ping , Chu Ada Wai‐Sze
Published: February 2007

Background.

We sought to determine the major factors affecting speech production of Cantonese‐speaking glossectomized patients. Error pattern was analyzed.

Methods.

Forty‐one Cantonese‐speaking subjects who had undergone glossectomy ≥ 6 months previously were recruited. Speech production evaluation included (1) phonetic error analysis in nonsense syllable; (2) speech intelligibility in sentences evaluated by naïve listeners; (3) overall speech intelligibility in conversation evaluated by experienced speech therapists.

Results.

Patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy had significantly poorer segmental and connected speech production. Total or subtotal glossectomy also resulted in poor speech outcomes. Patients having free flap reconstruction showed the best speech outcomes. Patients without lymph node metastasis had significantly better speech scores when compared with patients with lymph node metastasis. Initial consonant production had the worst scores, while vowel production was the least affected.

Conclusion.

Speech outcomes of Cantonese‐speaking glossectomized patients depended on the severity of the disease. Initial consonants had the greatest effect on speech intelligibility. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 2007
Isolated neck recurrence after definitive radiotherapy for node‐positive head and neck cancer: Salvage in the dissected or undissected neck
Authors: Liauw Stanley L. , Amdur Robert J. , Morris Christopher G. , Werning John W. , Villaret Douglas B. , Mendenhall William M.
Published: February 2007

Background.

The role of salvage neck dissection for isolated regional recurrences after definitive radiotherapy (RT) is ill‐defined.

Methods.

Five‐hundred fifty patients were treated with RT for lymph node–positive head and neck cancer. RT consisted of a median dose of 74.4 Gy. Chemotherapy was administered in 133 patients (24%). Patients were followed for neck failure after planned neck dissection (n = 341) or observation (n = 209). Salvage therapy was offered to those with isolated neck recurrences.

Results.

There were 54 (10%) failures in the neck at a median 3.7 months after RT (range, 0 to 17 months). Thirteen patients had isolated recurrences after receiving definitive RT with (n = 11) or without (n = 2) neck dissection. Nine patients underwent attempted surgical salvage with or without re‐irradiation and 4 were successfully salvaged without major complications.

Conclusions.

Patients with neck failure after definitive therapy usually have poor outcomes, but salvage attempts may be successful in selected patients with an isolated neck recurrence. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 2007
Metastatic carcinoma to the cervical nodes from an unknown head and neck primary site: Is there a need for neck dissection?
Authors: Aslani Maryam , Sultanem Khalil , Voung Te , Hier Michael , Niazi Tamim , Shenouda George
Published: February 2007

Background.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcomes and patterns of failure in patients with metastatic carcinoma to cervical lymph nodes from an unknown head and neck primary origin, who were treated curatively with radiotherapy, with or without neck dissection.

Methods.

The study included 61 patients referred to the McGill University Hospital Centers from 1987 to 2002. The median age was 57 years, with male to female ratio of 4:1. Distribution of patients by N status was as follows: N1, 16 patients (26%); N2a, 18 (30%); N2b, 13 (22%); N2c, 7 (11%); and N3, 7 (11%). Twenty patients underwent neck dissection (11 radical, 9 functional) and 41 patients had biopsy (9 fine‐needle aspiration and 32 excisional biopsy). All patients received radiotherapy. The median dose to the involved node(s) was 64 Gy, and 60 Gy to the rest of the neck. Treatment of the neck was bilateral in 50 patients (82%) and ipsilateral in 11 (18%). The minimum duration of the follow‐up was 12 months, with the median of 32 months.

Results.

The 5‐ and 8‐year overall survival for the whole population was 79% and 67%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the 8‐year actuarial overall survival (64.8% and 67.6%, respectively, p = .64) and local relapse‐free survival (75% vs 74.5%, respectively, p = .57), among patients who had biopsy versus those who had neck dissection.

Conclusion.

In our experience, definitive radiotherapy to the neck and the potential mucosal sites, whether preceded by neck dissection or not, is effective to achieve a good local control rate in the unknown primary cancer of the head and neck. The indication for neck dissection, in particular for early nodal stage, is controversial. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 2007
Alteration in serum neural cell adhesion molecule in patients of schizophrenia
Authors: Tanaka Yoko , Yoshida Satoshi , Shimada Yumi , Ueda Hiroshi , Asai Kunihiko
Published: February 2007

Introduction

The neural cell adhesion molecule (N‐CAM) plays important roles in neural migration, synaptogenesis and CNS development. Change of N‐CAM fragments in CSF of schizophrenic patients was reported previously, and we aimed to detect difference in circulating N‐CAM in the serum of schizophrenic patients and healthy controls.

Methods

Samples were from 14 chronic schizophrenic patients including 3 drug naïve patients and 11 healthy controls. After removal of albumin and globulin, N‐CAM fragments were measured by Western blot technique with monoclonal antibody.

Results

N‐CAM immunoreactive bands were detected primarily at 180, 140, 120, 75, 68 and 52 kDa. Samples from patients and controls showed similar patterns of bands, but schizophrenic patients showed increases or decreases at some bands intensity compared to healthy controls. The 68 kDa/73–75 kDa bands intensity ratio was substantially elevated in schizophrenic patients (0.262 ± 0.14 in patients, 0.065 ± 0.04 in controls) especially, the three drug naïve patients had a higher value of this ratio compared to the medicated patients. One drug naïve patient showed a decrease in this ratio after one month of antipsychotic medication.

Conclusions

The results suggest elevated membrane turnover and/or abnormalities in the regulation of proteolysis of N‐CAM in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of meteorological and hydrogeological factors on gross recharge percentage at unconfined sandy aquifers with an equatorial climate
Authors: Tan Stephen Boon Kean , Shuy Eng Ban , Chua Lloyd Hock Chye
Published: February 2007

A thorough understanding of rainfall recharge processes and their controlling factors is essential for management of groundwater systems. This study investigates the effects of various meteorological and hydrogeological factors on the gross recharge percentages, the rainfall–recharge relationships and the recharge threshold values for unconfined sandy aquifers under an equatorial climate. Among the meteorological factors investigated, rainfall intensity was found to have the most significant impact on the gross recharge rate. The effects of potential evaporation rate, relative humidity and air temperature on the gross recharge percentage were significant when the vadose zone thickness is larger than 2·5 m. The recharge threshold values were found to depend strongly on the vadose zone thickness. The rainfall–recharge relationships could generally be well defined by a normal–log relationship. The rainfall–recharge relationships derived here are applicable to yield estimates of gross recharge percentages for unconfined sandy aquifers under an equatorial climate, using rainfall intensity and vadose zone thickness as input variables. In this study, a theory was developed and validated to provide physical explanations for the observations, based on the residence time of the percolated rainwater within the vadose zone. Among the soil hydraulic parameters tested, porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity were found to have the most pronounced effects on the gross recharge percentage. Utilizing the sensitivity results and the theory derived, an approach was developed for extending the application of the derived rainfall–recharge relationships to other sand textures. The approach was found to be capable of producing rough and fast estimations of gross recharge percentage for other sand textures. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating soil water fluxes from soil water records obtained using dielectric sensors
Authors: Fernández‐Gálvez J. , Verhoef A. , Barahona E.
Published: February 2007

Accurate estimation of the soil water balance (SWB) is important for a number of applications (e.g. environmental, meteorological, agronomical and hydrological). The objective of this study was to develop and test techniques for the estimation of soil water fluxes and SWB components (particularly infiltration, evaporation and drainage below the root zone) from soil water records. The work presented here is based on profile soil moisture data measured using dielectric methods, at 30‐min resolution, at an experimental site with different vegetation covers (barley, sunflower and bare soil). Estimates of infiltration were derived by assuming that observed gains in the soil profile water content during rainfall were due to infiltration. Inaccuracies related to diurnal fluctuations present in the dielectric‐based soil water records are resolved by filtering the data with adequate threshold values. Inconsistencies caused by the redistribution of water after rain events were corrected by allowing for a redistribution period before computing water gains. Estimates of evaporation and drainage were derived from water losses above and below the deepest zero flux plane (ZFP), respectively. The evaporation estimates for the sunflower field were compared to evaporation data obtained with an eddy covariance (EC) system located elsewhere in the field. The EC estimate of total evaporation for the growing season was about 25% larger than that derived from the soil water records. This was consistent with differences in crop growth (based on direct measurements of biomass, and field mapping of vegetation using laser altimetry) between the EC footprint and the area of the field used for soil moisture monitoring. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
BRCA1‐IRIS activates cyclin D1 expression in breast cancer cells by downregulating the JNK phosphatase DUSP3/VHR
Authors: Hao Lu , ElShamy Wael M.
Published: February 2007

Cyclin D1 plays an important role in cell cycle progression. In breast cancer, Cyclin D1 expression is deregulated by several mechanisms. We previously showed that in breast cancer cells, overexpression of BRCA1‐IRIS induces Cyclin D1 overexpression and increases cell proliferation. BRCA1‐IRIS alone or in complex with steroid receptor co‐activators was targeted to the cyclin D1 promoter pre‐bound by the c‐Jun/AP1 and activated its transcription, which could explain the co‐overexpression of BRCA1‐IRIS and Cyclin D1 in breast cancer cells coupled with their increased proliferation. We report here an alternate or a complementary pathway by which BRCA1‐IRIS activates Cyclin D1 expression. BRCA1‐IRIS overexpression decreases the expression of the dual specificity phosphatase, DUSP3/VHR, an endogenous inhibitor of several MAPKs, including c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase. Although, the mechanism by which BRCA1‐IRIS overexpression accomplishes that is not yet known, it is sufficient to induce Cyclin D1 overexpression in a human mammary epithelial cell model. Cyclin D1 overexpression could be blocked by co‐overexpression of VHR in those cells. Furthermore, in 2 breast cancer cell lines that overexpress both BRCA1‐IRIS and Cyclin D1 (MCF‐7 and SKBR3) depletion of BRCA1‐IRIS by RNA interference attenuated the expression of Cyclin D1 by elevating the expression level of VHR. These data demonstrate a critical role for BRCA1‐IRIS in human breast cancer cell‐cycle control and suggest that deregulated expression of BRCA1‐IRIS is likely to reduce dependence on normal physiological growth stimuli, thereby providing a growth advantage to tumor cells and a potential mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapy. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Development of a local vasodilator delivery system using fibrin glue to prevent arterial graft from spasm
Authors: Qi Xian‐Rong , Yan Ying , Ma Xu‐Dong , Li Tao‐Yuan , Nie Xiao‐yan , Yang Bi‐Bo
Published: February 2007

The clinical benefits of coronary artery bypass graft operations can be compromised by postoperative vasospasm. Traditionally, local papaverine (PPV) has been employed during the procedure to prevent and counteract vasospasm. But the relatively short action period limited its application. Fibrin glue (FG) might be a potential carrier of PPV for counteracting vasospasm in a longer action period than PPV solution. After FG incorporated with PPV (PPV‐FG) was locally administrated in axillary and femoral arteries of dogs, PPV concentrations in artery vessels surrounding the administration sites were compared with the concentrations at the same sites in dogs given PPV solution. The properties of PPV's release in vitro and maintenance in vessel as well as the influence on the mean peripheral blood pressure and drug concentration in peripheral vein after the introduction PPV‐FG on the surface of artery in dogs were evaluated. FG was considered to provide a sustained release of PPV and could maintain a high PPV concentration in artery vessel around the administration site. The results suggested that FG was an effective substrate for reserving PPV in the administrated site in a defined period. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Early gene expression analyzed by cDNA microarray and real‐time PCR in osteoblasts cultured with chitosan monomer
Authors: Ganno Tomoko , Yamada Shizuka , Ohara Naoko , Matsunaga Tsunenori , Yanagiguchi Kajiro , Ikeda Takeshi , Ishizaki Hidetaka , Hayashi Yoshihiko
Published: February 2007

Chitosan has a variety of biological activities. Although it has been reported that chitosan promotes osteogenesis in bone lesions, little is known about how it modulates the hard tissue forming cells at the gene level. This study focused on gene expressions in osteoblasts cultured with a super‐low concentration of chitosan monomer. cDNA probes were synthesized from isolated RNA and labeled with fluorescent dye. They were hybridized with Human 3.8 II cDNA microarray, and the fluorescent signal was analyzed. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that 10 genes concerning to various signaling‐related molecules were expressed at ≥2.0‐fold higher signal ratio levels in the experimental group when compared with the control group after 3 days. Real‐time PCR analysis showed that chitosan monomer induced an increase in the expression of four signal transduction genes, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)K3, MAPKKK11, Rac1 and Shc1, together with the alkaline phosphatase gene. These results suggest that a super‐low concentration of chitosan monomer could modulate the activity of osteoblastic cells through mRNA levels and that chitosan monomer directly affects signal transduction inside cells. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
New computational strategy to analyze the interactions of ERα and ERβ with different ERE sequences
Authors: Marabotti Anna , Colonna Giovanni , Facchiano Angelo
Published: February 2007

The importance of computational methods for the simulation and analysis of biological systems has increased during the last years. In particular, methods to predict binding energies are developing not only with the aim of ranking the affinities between two or more complexes, but also to quantify the contribution of different types of interaction. In this work, we present the application of HINT, a non Newtonian force field, to rank the affinities of complexes formed by estrogen receptors (ER) α and β and different estrogen responsive elements (ERE) near the estrogen‐regulated genes. We used the crystallographic coordinates of the DNA binding domain of ERα complexed to a consensus ERE as a starting point to simulate several complexes in which some nucleotides in the ERE sequence were mutated. Moreover, we used homology modeling methods to create the structure of the complexes between the DNA binding domain of ERβ (for which no experimental structures are currently available) and the same ERE sequences. Our results show that HINT is able to rank the affinities of ERα and ERβ for different ERE sequences, and to correctly identify the positions on the DNA sequence that are most important for binding affinity. Moreover, the HINT output gives us the opportunity to identify and quantify the role played by each single atom of amino acids and nucleotides in the binding event, as well as to predict the effect on the binding affinity for other nucleotide mutations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2007
Learning from structural adjustment: why selectivity may not be the key to successful programmes in Africa
Authors: Noorbakhsh Farhad , Paloni Alberto
Published: February 2007

Many donors have come to view selectivity in aid allocation—particularly towards countries with good governance—as the key for improving aid effectiveness. This position draws support from research according to which the success of policy reforms depends exclusively on domestic political economy factors. This finding has recently been questioned, however. This paper makes an original contribution to the literature with its attempt to identify the determinants of compliance with World Bank conditionality by employing publicly available data which evaluate a country's compliance directly. Our analysis suggests that poor compliance is not exclusively determined by exogenous factors, which the World Bank cannot influence, but is also a consequence of poor policy design. Better design of reform programmes is essential for greater aid effectiveness. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neurobarrier coupling in the brain: Adjusting glucose entry with demand
Authors: Leybaert Luc , De Bock Marijke , Van Moorhem Marijke , Decrock Elke , De Vuyst Elke
Published: February 2007

Glucose transport over the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a nonrate‐limiting step and has therefore received little attention as a possible adjustment point within the transport reaction cascade from blood glucose to brain cell glycolysis. Considerations of the normal working point of facilitated BBB glucose shuttling via the GLUT‐1 protein indicate that the transport is working at about one‐third of Tmax under basal conditions. Substitution of Tmax estimates indicates that the transport is then just enough to keep up with glucose consumption, maintaining the steady state. After brain activation, glucose transport has to be stimulated, and this can be accomplished by increasing the driving force or changing the Tmax and/or Kt parameters of BBB transport. The first possibility involves a decrease of brain interstitial glucose with subsequent flow stimulation according to the law of mass action (LMA), whereas the second possibility involves signaling from activated neurons to the BBB, a regulation loop that we propose to be called “neurobarrier coupling” (NBC). Theoretical analysis of the LMA effect and comparison with data on glucose dynamics during brain activation suggest that this factor alone only covers about half of the stimulation necessary to bring glucose delivery into line with the elevated glucose consumption during activation. Adjusting glucose entry with demand thus probably involves both LMA and NBC effects, depending on the degree of brain activation. Further work is needed to demonstrate NBC effects following physiological brain activation in vivo and to identify the signals that lead to NBC in in vitro experiments. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Changes in selected quality characteristics of minimally processed carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) when treated with ascorbic acid
Authors: Ding Phebe , Ahmad Siti Hajar , Ghazali Hasanah Mohd.
Published: February 2007

‘B 10’ carambola of ripening stage (RS) 3 and 4 were minimally processed (MP) and then dipped in 0, 15 and 30 mg L−1 ascorbic acid (AA). The 1‐cm‐thick slices were then dried, packed into cling‐wrapped‐foam tray and stored at 7 °C for 0, 3 and 5 days. Skin colour (L*, C* and h°), flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration, vitamin C content, titratable acidity, pH, degree of browning, polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity and sensory attributes of MP carambola treated with AA were determined. AA treatment had significant effect in decreasing cut surface browning degree but no significant effect on all the selected quality characteristics of the MP carambola. In the sensory evaluation, flesh colour, sweetness, flavour and overall taste were significantly affected by AA treatment especially at 15 mg L−1. The RS of fruit significantly affected skin colour (C* and h°), pH and sensory attributes of colour and flavour of the MP carambola. As storage day (SD) progressed, skin colour (C* and h°), flesh firmness and vitamin C content, cut surface browning, PPO activity and all the sensory attributes of MP carambola decreased significantly. Flesh firmness of the MP carambola was affected by the interaction between AA × SD. Sensory attributes of MP carambola were affected significantly by AA × RS. All the sensory attributes of MP carambola positively correlated to each other but negatively correlated with browning degree. PPO activity positively correlated with browning degree. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Nutrient losses from rain‐fed bench terraced cultivation systems in high rainfall areas of the mid‐hills of Nepal
Authors: Acharya G. P. , McDonald M. A. , Tripathi B. P. , Gardner R. M. , Mawdesley K. J.
Published: January 2007

Between the elevations of 1000 and 2000 m in the mid‐hills of Nepal, over 12 million people subsist on land‐holdings of less than 0·5 ha. These farmers have limited access to commercial inputs such as fertilisers and are reliant on organic manures for soil fertility maintenance. Participatory research was conducted with farmers on bari land (upper slope rain‐fed crop terraces) in the hill community of Landruk (bench terraces 0–5° slope, 3000–3500 mm annual rainfall, which aimed to develop soil and water management interventions that controlled erosion without resulting in high leaching, and so were effective in minimising total nutrient losses. Interventions tested were the control of water movement through diversion of run‐on and planting fodder grasses on terrace risers on bench terraces. The interventions were effective in reducing soil loss from the bari land in comparison with existing farmer practices, but no effect was observed on nutrient losses in solution form through runoff and leaching. Losses of NO3‐N in leachate ranged from 17·3 to 99·7 kg ha−1 yr−1, but only 0·7 to 5·6 kg ha−1 yr−1 in runoff. The overall nutrient balance suggests that the system is not sustainable. Fertility is heavily dependent on livestock inputs and if the current trends of declining livestock numbers due to labour constraints continue, further losses in productivity can be expected. However, farmers are interested in interventions that tie ecosystem services with productivity enhancement and farmers' priorities should be used as entry points for promoting interventions that are system compatible and harness niche opportunities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Martinelli–Bochner formula for the Hermitian Dirac equation
Authors: Sommen Frank , Peña‐Peña Dixan
Published: February 2007

In this paper we present a generalization of the Martinelli–Bochner formula in several complex variables which is derived for a Hermitian Dirac operator. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surfactant protein‐A mRNA expression by human fetal membranes is increased in histological chorioamnionitis but not in spontaneous labour at term
Authors: Han YM , Romero R , Kim YM , Kim J‐S , Richani K , Friel LA , Kusanovic JP , Jeanty C , Vitale S , Nien JK , Espinoza J , Kim CJ
Published: February 2007

Surfactant protein‐A (SP‐A) is produced by the fetal lung, participates in innate immunity, and has been proposed to play a role in the initiation of parturition in mice. Amniotic fluid SP‐A concentration increases as a function of gestational age, and SP‐A protein has been demonstrated in human chorioamniotic membranes. This study was conducted to determine whether parturition at term, gestational age and chorioamnionitis in preterm delivery (PTD) are associated with changes in the expression of SP‐A in the chorioamniotic membranes. Chorioamniotic membranes were obtained from women at term and women with PTD (n = 58). SP‐A mRNA and protein expression was detected in amniotic epithelial cells, chorionic trophoblasts and macrophages by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR demonstrated predominant expression of SP‐A1 mRNA, whose expression was 17.4‐fold higher in patients with PTD with chorioamnionitis (n = 15) than in those without (n = 13) (p = 0.018). While no difference was observed in SP‐A1 mRNA expression in the chorioamniotic membranes of women at term not in labour (n = 16) and those in labour (n = 14) (p = 0.87), the expression in term membranes was higher than that of membranes from women with PTD without chorioamnionitis (p = 0.003). Analysis of JAR choriocarcinoma cells demonstrated SP‐A1 mRNA expression that was up‐regulated following lipopolysaccharide treatment. Furthermore, monocytic cell lines (THP‐1 and U937) and peripheral blood monocytes (CD14+/CD115+) obtained from pregnant women also expressed SP‐A1 mRNA and protein, suggesting the presence of autocrine/paracrine activation in vivo. Interestingly, a mid‐trimester amniotic fluid sample obtained from a case of tracheal atresia contained SP‐A (3.13 µg/ml), indicating the presence of SP‐A of extrapulmonary origin. These findings suggest not only that SP‐A expression is a part of the innate immune response deployed during chorioamniotic inflammation, but also that chorioamniotic membranes are a source of SP‐A in the amniotic fluid with advancing gestation. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hypocalcemia as a presentation for multifocal osteosarcoma
Authors: Soltani Akbar , Hasani‐Ranjbar Shirin , Moayyeri Alireza
Published: February 2007

We report the case of a 16‐year‐old male with multifocal osteosarcoma presented with symptomatic hypocalcemia. The patient presented signs of hypocalcemia accompanied by generalized bone pain and a femoral mass. Further evaluation revealed secondary hyperparathyroidism, highly elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, and generalized sclerotic and lytic lesions. Biopsy confirmed osteosarcomatosis. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, he died from progressive disease 2 months after diagnosis. The course of disease in this patient suggests that hypocalcemia reflects a poor prognosis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:687–689. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inhibition of bacterial translation and growth by peptide nucleic acids targeted to domain II of 23S rRNA
Authors: Xue‐Wen Huang , Jie Pan , Xian‐Yuan An , Hong‐Xiang Zhuge
Published: February 2007

The objective of this work was to study the inhibitory effects of antisense peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) targeted to domain II of 23S rRNA on bacterial translation and growth. In this paper, we report that PNA(G1138) or peptide‐PNA(G1138) targeted to domain II of 23S rRNA can inhibit both translation in vitro (in a cell‐free translation system) and bacterial growth in vivo. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) and the minimum inhibiting concentration (MIC) are 0.15 and 10 µM, respectively. The inhibition effect of PNA(G1138) in vitro is somewhat lower than that of tetracycline (IC50 = 0.12 µM), but the MIC of peptide‐PNA(G1138) against Escherichia coli is significantly higher than that of tetracycline (MIC = 4 µM). Further studies based on similar colony‐forming unit (CFU) assays showed that peptide‐PNA(G1138) at 10 µM is bactericidal, but the bactericidal effect is less effective than that of tetracycline. Nevertheless, the results demonstrated that the peptide‐PNA(G1138) treatment is bactericidal in a dose‐ and sequence‐dependent manner and that the G1138 site of 23S rRNA is a possible sequence target for designing novel PNA‐based antibiotics. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recombinant preparation and characterization of interactions for a calmodulin‐binding chromogranin A peptide and calmodulin
Authors: Kang Sunmi , Kang Jinho , Yoo Seung Hyun , Park Sunghyouk
Published: February 2007

Chromogranin‐derived peptides have important and varied biological activities. They affect a wide spectrum of targets such as fungal membranes, blood vessels, myocardial cells, and pancreatic cells. Despite the biological significance and the diverse activities, the molecular mechanisms of the interactions between the peptides and the target proteins have not been well understood. Here, we studied the interaction between a chromogranin A–derived peptide (CGA40–65) and its target protein, calmodulin, with NMR spectroscopy. Calmodulin was easily prepared with standard recombinant technology, but CGA40–65 posed challenges requiring multistep procedures. The recombinantly produced peptide retained the calmodulin‐binding property of the full‐length CGA, as shown by the HSQC binding experiment. By applying resonance assignments, we identified the residues in calmodulin involved in the CGA40–65 binding. We also found that the peak changes are close to those exhibited by the peptides having the wrap‐around binding mechanism. Further analysis revealed that the CGA40–65‐induced changes are more similar to those by CaMKIp peptide than those by smMLCKp peptide among the wrap‐around binding peptides, suggesting that CGA40‐65 can be categorized as a CaMKIp‐like peptide. Our report is the first residue‐resolution mechanistic study involving chromogranin peptides and their target proteins. Our approaches should be applicable to interaction studies involving other chromogranin‐derived peptides and their cellular target proteins. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meteorological conditions in heavy orographic rainfall in the british isles
Authors: Douglas C. K. M. , Glasspoole J.
Published: February 2007

The paper attempts to clarify certain points raised during the discussion on orographic rain held by the Society on February 21, 1945 (Q.J., 71 p. 41). It is shown that rain in the warm sectors of depressions plays a large and often dominant part in large falls of orographic rain. A brief description is given of the outstanding orographic rains since 1909, with a note on the synoptic situation. Some recent cases with upper air information bring out the importance of a deep damp layer (almost or quite saturated) in the warm air, and it is considered that convergence is the main factor in producing this, though other factors also are taken into account It is shown that potential instability in the warm air is not a necessary factor for heavy orographic rainfall. A general discussion of this subject is included.
The spontaneous crystallization of supercooled water
Authors: Mason B. J.
Published: February 2007

It is shown theoretically that the rate of nucleation of the ice phase in supercooled water changes very rapidly with temperature in the neighbourhood of −40°C. Thus, in chilling a supercooled water cloud below this temperature one would expect to observe a rapid increase in the number of ice crystals which appear as the temperature falls. This is verified by observations made in a cold chamber. The different critical temperatures for the spontaneous appearance of ice crystals quoted by Schaefer (−39°) and the Oxford workers (−41°C) probably arise as the result of differences in the experimental conditions. It is tentatively suggested that the parts of mother‐of‐pearl clouds showing iridescence at temperatures around −80°C consist of spheres of ‘glassy’ ice, which may eventually crystallize spontaneously to form ice crystals towards the leeward edges of the cloud.
Determination of wind stress on the surface of Lough Neagh by measurement of tilt
Authors: Darbyshire J. , Darbyshire Mollie
Published: February 2007

Continuous records of water level were taken at four points on the perimeter of Lough Neagh in N. Ireland during April 1949. The values of level at each point were measured over three‐hourly intervals to eliminate the effect of seiches and the differences in the values of level so obtained were found for all pairs of stations and are correlated with the wind speed and direction. The temperature difference between water and air is taken as a measure of the atmospheric stability.

It is shown that atmospheric stability has a very marked effect on the tilt of the water surface due to the wind, the slope of the surface for a given wind speed (measured at a height of 12 m over land near the Lough) being about twice as great in unstable conditions as in stable conditions. It is also shown that the stress coefficient C increases with the length of water under the action of the wind under all conditions of atmospheric stability.

Surface waves were also measured on the lake over this period but no conclusive evidence could be obtained to show that atmospheric stability has any effect on the generation of surface waves by the wind.
The salinity of rainfall as a function of drop size
Authors: Turner J. S.
Published: February 2007

Measurements of the salinity of raindrops as a function of drop size show that there are characteristic variations according to the type of rain. For Bergeron‐type rain near Sydney, New South Wales, the dependence may be expressed in the form salinity α (radius)−n, where n is a positive constant which is small when the cloudbase is low and as high as 2·6 for collection well below the cloud. The mean salinities over all drop sizes range from 1 to 41 parts NaCl per million. The main features of the experimental results are explained by a theoretical treatment which takes into account evaporation and the collection of salt below the cloud.

For rain from warm clouds in the Hawaiian Islands, the salinity has a pronounced minimum at a certain drop size near the median. The daily mean salinities decrease with increasing distance inland, along the direction of trade‐wind flow, from 2·0–20 parts per million sodium chloride near sea level to 0·34–8·5 pt/mn near mean cloud base (2,100 ft) and 0·26–3·8 pt/mn at 4,500 ft. The salinity minimum occurs in samples at all three positions and secondary processes below the cloud cannot account for it; nor can it be a result of averaging the considerable variations of salinity which are found to occur from shower to shower.

It is suggested as a possible explanation that the largest cloud drops might form on giant salt nuclei and grow to raindrop sizes first by coalescence with one another. This receives support from measurements on single showers, which show that the first raindrops to fall are large and have a high salinity. A detailed interpretation would seem to require a knowledge of the salt concentration in individual cloud drops.
Theoretical studies of diurnal wind‐structure variations in the planetary boundary layer
Authors: Buajitti K. , Blackadar A. K.
Published: February 2007

Averages of the wind vector at four times of the day were evaluated for 29 suitable days during the summer of 1951 at Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City. The periodic portion of the wind variation vector is an ellipse at all levels with the major axis approximately in the direction of the wind vector. The amplitude reaches a maximum at 2,500 ft above the ground.

The cause of the variation is sought by theoretical methods, first by finding what periodic variations would occur when the eddy viscosity is periodic in time and constant with height, and secondly by finding solutions with the aid of an electronic analogue computer for cases when the eddy viscosity is distributed arbitrarily with height. It is concluded that variations of the type which were observed can occur only when both the average value of the eddy viscosity and the amplitude of its variations decrease rapidly with height above the lowest third of the friction layer.
Seasonal and other temperature changes in the Antarctic atmosphere
Authors: Wexler H.
Published: February 2007

The annual variation of temperature in Antarctica has interesting properties: it is largest in the stratosphere (50° to 60°C), smaller at the surface (20° to 40°C) and smallest in the troposphere (10°C). During the winter night the troposphere temperature decreases only slightly while the stratosphere temperature drops steadily at about 1/4°C per day. This differential cooling, which weakens and at times wipes out the tropopause, is caused, on the one hand, by intense horizontal advection of maritime air into the Antarctic troposphere, and, on the other hand, by very little advection through the strong stratospheric jet stream encircling Antarctica.

This ventilation of the Antarctic troposphere by warm marine air causes large portions of Antarctica to exhibit the kernlose winter‐temperature curve instead of the sharp winter minimum usually found in polar continental climate. Anomalously high June temperatures in the lower troposphere at Little America are attributed to intense cyclones which form in the Ross Sea area and advect air from the lightly ice‐clad or open ocean located not too far north of the Ross Sea.

Large deviations in average monthly temperatures are found in the Ross Sea area which are undoubtedly a reflection of large year‐to‐year circulation changes in that area.

The Antarctic and Arctic stratospheres exhibit quite different temperature behaviours after the winter solstice. The Antarctic stratosphere continues to cool until the sun returns and then warms as much as 50°C in 1 month. On the other hand, the Arctic stratosphere exhibits a warming of 30° to 40°C, sometimes beginning 6 weeks before the sun returns.

A secular trend of temperature since 1912 of + 2·6°C at Little America (78° 12'S, 162° 15′W) compares with a + 6·2°C trend at Spitsbergen (78° 04′N, 13° 38′E).

Finally, temperature and outgoing radiation observations made at the South Pole I.G.Y. Station during the cold period of 19‐24 April 1958 are presented to illustrate quantitatively the important effect of warm cloud radiation on surface air temperature and its vertical gradient.