bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease differ in Chinese and American patients
Authors: Chow T. W. , Liu C. K. , Fuh J. L. , Leung V. P. Y. , Tai C. T. , Chen Li‐Wen , Wang S. J. , Chiu H. F. K. , Lam L. C. W. , Chen Q. L. , Cummings J. L.
Published: October 2002

Background

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is similar across ethnic groups. To our knowledge, no comparison of behavioral symptoms has been addressed.

Objective

This cross‐sectional, retrospective, descriptive study compares neuropsychiatric symptoms of Chinese subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) at tertiary care centers in Taiwan and Hong Kong against Caucasian subjects in Los Angeles, California. We compared the frequency and severity of symptoms and caregiver responses to neuropsychiatric symptoms of AD using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). We hypothesized that Chinese patients do not seek care unless they have high severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms and that Caucasian Americans do not wait for behavioral disturbances to develop before coming to medical attention.

Results

The Caucasian sample had the highest mean educational level and mildest Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale distributions of all four groups. Older age and lower educational levels contributed to higher CDR scale scores, which in turn correlated with higher total NPI scores. Only one of the Chinese samples had a higher frequency of severe neuropsychiatric symptoms than the Caucasian sample. Chinese caregivers reported anxiety and delusions more frequently (58.1%) than Caucasians (37.3% and 39.6%; χ2, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Caucasians reported appetite changes (47.3%) and apathy (59.2%) more frequently than the Chinese samples (χ2, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Caregivers at all four centers were distressed by behaviors qualified as severe.

Conclusion

We found support for our hypothesis, in that Chinese subjects presented during a more severe stage of dementia than American subjects, but the delay in seeking care could not be correlated with significant differences in neuropsychiatric profiles of the demented subjects. Other barriers to dementia care warrant investigation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clock drawing test in mild and moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type: a comparative and correlation study
Authors: Heinik Jeremia , Solomesh Isaac , Shein Victoria , Becker Daniel
Published: October 2002

Objectives

(a) To compare two different clock drawing tests (CDTs) in mild and moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT); (b) To examine presumed correlation between these CDTs and some demographic, cognitive and activities of daily living (ADL) variables in mild and moderate DAT.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study. Psychogeriatric outpatient clinic. 49 DAT patients, total; 26—mild, 23—moderate, mean age 77.8 and 80.6, respectively.

Evaluations included the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), and a Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL)—dressing subscale. Severity of dementia was determined with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Each clock was blindly scored by the same investigator, according to Shulman's and Freedman's methods.

Results

Mild and moderate DAT groups were similar in age, gender and education. Performance on Shulman's clock was similar between groups while moderate DAT subjects performed significantly worse on Freedman's clock compared to mild DAT patients. Both clocks correlated highly in mild and moderate DAT. CDT scores correlated significantly with age and education only in mild DAT. Neither clock correlated with ADLs in either stage of dementia severity. CDTs correlated with the MMSE score, and the CAMCOG score in mild DAT, and only with the CAMCOG score in moderate DAT. These correlations were still significant after controlling for age and education.

Conclusions

Different aspects of cognition and dementia severity are reflected depending on how a clock drawing is scored. Some scoring systems may have greater sensitivity than others in monitoring progression of cognitive deterioration. Correlation between different CDTs and the variables studied (demographic, cognitive, ADLs), when present, is not ubiqitous and changes with the dementia severity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Can clock drawing test help to differentiate between dementia of the Alzheimer's type and vascular dementia? A preliminary study
Authors: Heinik Jeremia , Solomesh Isaac , Raikher Boris , Lin Ruth
Published: October 2002

Objectives

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine if clock drawing performance may help to differentiate between dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and vascular dementia (VD) patients.

Methods

Eighty‐eight community‐dwelling outpatients were comprehensively evaluated and met DSM‐IV criteria for DAT or VD. Cognitive evaluation included the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG). CAMCOG derived clock drawings were blindly evaluated by the same investigator, according to Freedman's method for clock drawing, and a total score as well as subscores (contour, numbers, hands and center) were determined.

Results

There were no significant differences between DAT and VD patients in terms of demographic (age, gender, education) and cognitive (MMSE score, CAMCOG score) characteristics. On the average, the VD group showed slightly poorer performance on each of the clock drawing test (CDT) measures studied. With application of the Bonferroni correction, only Freedman's total score and hands subscore were statistically different between groups (p<0.003, p<0.004, respectively). Stepwise logistic regression analyses showed that the only significant variable was Freedman's total score (B=−0.273, p=0.005). Stepwise discriminant analysis identified Freedman's total score as the only significant predictor of diagnosis (Wilkes' lambda=0.903, p=0.003). This model correctly classified 65.9% overall into the respective DAT and VD groups.

Conclusions

CDT scored according to a comprehensive technique may be of value in differentiating DAT from VD patients. We hypothesize that the classificatory ability of Freedman's method might be attributed to its presumed sensitivity to impaired executive functioning which is more pronounced in VD compared with DAT patients. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Caregiver burden in mobile and non‐mobile demented patients: a comparative study
Authors: Miyamoto Yuki , Ito Hiroto , Otsuka Toshio , Kurita Hiroshi
Published: October 2002

Objectives

To identify the impact of behavior disturbances on subjective burden of caregivers in demented patients attending day care services.

Methods

Subjects were 379 primary caregivers of randomly sampled demented patients living at home, who attended geriatric day care programs. The caregiver burden of the mobile and non‐mobile demented patients were measured using the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI). The Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Personal Self‐Maintenance Scale (PSMS) were used to assess the patients' condition. The Troublesome Behavior Scale (TBS), originally developed in Japan, was used to assess the frequency of behavior disturbances exhibited by patients.

Results

The caregivers of the mobile demented patients reported greater caregiver burden compared to those of the non‐mobile demented patients. The frequency of behavior disturbance was significantly higher in the mobile patients than the non‐mobile patients. For the mobile patient caregivers, wandering, interfering, aggression and repetition were the predictors of caregiver burden. For the non‐mobile patient caregivers, ‘repeating same questions and/or clinging’ was the only predictor of caregiver burden.

Conclusion

The caregivers of the mobile demented patients reported higher burden due to the patients' behavior disturbance compared to those of the non‐mobile patients. These findings indicate a need for further development of interventions to prevent behavior disturbances that are especially burdensome for caregivers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The distribution of Mini‐Mental State Examination scores in an older UK African–Caribbean population compared to MRC CFA study norms
Authors: Stewart Robert , Johnson Jo , Richards Marcus , Brayne Carol , Mann Anthony
Published: October 2002

Objective

To describe normative data for the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a UK African–Caribbean population and compare these with norms for white UK‐born elders.

Design

A comparison of MMSE data from two cross‐sectional surveys.

Method

The MMSE had been administered to a community UK African–Caribbean population and scores were compared to norms from the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS). MMSE data were analysed for 248 African–Caribbean participants aged 55–75 and 5379 CFAS participants aged 65–74, without visual or auditory problems. Distributions of scores were tabulated and error rates for individual items compared.

Results

Median MMSE scores were 25 (interquartile range 22–27) for the whole African–Caribbean sample, 24 (22–27) for those aged 65–75 in the African–Caribbean sample, and 27 (25–29) for CFAS. Differences in error rates were specific to particular items: naming the season, serial seven subtraction, phrase repetition, three‐stage command, and copying intersecting pentagons. These differences persisted when both samples were restricted to those with statutory duration of education, who were literate and who had worked in non‐manual occupations. Normative data are displayed for MMSE scores in both groups.

Conclusion

Different distributions of MMSE scores between UK African–Caribbean and Caucasian groups can be principally explained by cultural bias in certain items. If the MMSE is to be administered to older African–Caribbean people, specific normative data should be referred to or else a culturally modified version of the instrument should be used. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of diabetes on adult employment and earnings of Mexican Americans: Findings from a community based study
Authors: Bastida Elena , Pagán José A.
Published: October 2002

Epidemiological studies indicate that minority populations in the US – including African Americans, Native Americans and Mexican Americans – are particularly at risk for diabetes and that their complications are more frequent and severe. Using microdata from a 1994–1999 population based study of middle aged and older Mexican Americans in the Southwest, this study analyzes the impact of diabetes on the employment and earnings outcomes of adults 45 years of age and older. The empirical results from estimating maximum likelihood employment and earnings models suggest that diabetes leads to lower productivity and earnings for women but has no statistically significant impact on their employment probability. In the case of men, however, diabetes leads to a lower employment propensity but has no effect on earnings. Thus, the problems associated with this condition could lead to potential future financial difficulties particularly for high‐risk populations in their later years. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distant metastases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands and the value of diagnostic examinations during follow‐up
Authors: van der Wal Jacqueline E. , Becking Alfred G. , Snow Gordon B. , van der Waal Isaac
Published: October 2002

Background

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) accounts for approximately 10% of all neoplasms of the salivary glands. Late distant metastases and local recurrences are responsible for a rather low long‐term survival rate.

Aim

To study the metastasizing pattern of ACC of the salivary glands in 51 patients.

Method

Fifty‐one patients with an ACC in the intraoral/sublingual salivary glands (n = 30), parotid gland (n = 8), submandibular gland (n = 2), maxillary sinus (n = 6), and nasal cavity (n = 5) have been studied. The male–female ratio was 1:1, the mean age was 54.3 (range, 19–81) years. In 30 cases treatment consisted of surgery and radiotherapy. In 13 cases surgery alone was carried out. The average follow‐up time was 117.8 (range, 1–171) months.

Results

In 28 cases (54.9%) distant metastases occurred, and in 3 patients (5.8%) regional lymph node metastases occurred. In 12 of the 28 patients with distant metastases (42.8%), only the lungs were involved, whereas in 5 of the 28 patients (17.8%), the distant metastases occurred in other organs (eg, bones and brain). In 11 of the 28 patients (39.2%) metastases were found both in the lungs and other organs. Twenty‐four of the 51 patients (47.0%) died because of their tumor. The average time between the occurrence of lung metastases and death was 32.3 months and between the occurrence of metastases elsewhere and death 20.6 months.

Conclusion

Distant metastases of ACC of the salivary glands occur most often in the lungs. Although these lung metastases are the first to occur, these patients die later than patients with distant metastases in other organs. The value of annual chest films or other tests for the presence of distant metastases during follow‐up after surgical removal of an ACC seems rather questionable. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 779–783, 2002
Post‐training excitotoxic lesions of the dorsal hippocampus attenuate forward trace, backward trace, and delay fear conditioning in a temporally specific manner
Authors: Quinn Jennifer J. , Oommen Santosh S. , Morrison Glenn E. , Fanselow Michael S.
Published: October 2002

The present study sought to determine whether post‐training excitotoxic lesions of the dorsal hippocampus would disrupt retention of fear conditioned using a trace procedure. Rats were trained using one of six procedures. Forward trace conditioning consisted of 10 trials in which a 16‐s tone conditional stimulus (CS) was followed by a 28‐s stimulus‐free trace interval and then a mild footshock unconditional stimulus (US). We used two forms of delay conditioning where the tone and footshock co‐terminated. Short delay used a 16‐s tone and long delay used a 46‐s tone. Backward trace conditioning was the same as forward trace, except that the order of the CS and US was reversed. CS‐only and US‐only were similar to forward trace except that the footshock or tone, respectively, was eliminated. One day later, animals received either an N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA)‐induced lesion of the dorsal hippocampus or sham surgery. One week later, the rats were tested for freezing to the tone in a novel context. The next day, they were tested for freezing to the original training context. Hippocampal lesioned trace conditioned rats showed significantly less freezing during the tone compared with their sham lesioned controls. The lesion did not affect freezing during the tone in delay conditioning, nor in the other training conditions. During the 1‐min period after tone offset, there was a trend in all hippocampal lesioned animals toward a deficit in freezing, compared with their corresponding sham lesioned controls, although only short delay, forward and backward trace groups showed a significant deficit. Hippocampal lesions also attenuated contextual conditioning. Thus, the hippocampus is critical for the consolidation and/or expression of a trace fear conditioned stimulus. Hippocampus 2002;12:495–504. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Informal risk‐sharing arrangements (IRSAs) in rural Burkina Faso: lessons for the development of community‐based insurance (CBI)
Authors: Sommerfeld Johannes , Sanon Mamadou , Kouyate Bocar A. , Sauerborn Rainer
Published: October 2002

In resource‐poor environments, community‐based insurance (CBI) is increasingly being propagated as a strategy to improve access of poor rural populations to modern health care. It has been repeatedly hypothesized that CBI schemes need to be grounded in national as well as local traditions of solidarity. This paper presents a typology of informal risk sharing arrangements (IRSAs) in a rural area of North‐Western Burkina Faso and discusses their modus operandi as well as the underlying concepts of solidarity and reciprocity. The research was explicitly multi‐disciplinary, combining anthropological and economic as well as qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Focus group and interview data were complemented by a census of existing IRSAs. In addition to presenting the main features of existing institutions, the paper discusses whether IRSAs can serve as entry points for CBI schemes. In spite of the fact that existing IRSAs fulfil important solidarity functions in the rural Burkinian context, we conclude that they cannot serve as institutional models for more formalized CBI schemes. Community participation in a future CBI scheme will need to tap into existing notions of solidarity and mutuality. The CBI scheme itself, however, needs to be newly tailored. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Institutional and curricular characteristics of leading graduate HRD programs in the United States
Authors: Kuchinke K. Peter
Published: October 2002

HRD graduate programs form an important component of the system of human resource education in the United
States. This study investigated the institutional and curricular characteristics of fifty‐five leading
programs in this country, focusing on three areas: institutional arrangements, student enrollment, and core
curriculum content. Findings include a large degree of heterogeneity among program names, departmental
affiliations, and specializations. Compared to data from 1991, student enrollment has declined at the
master's level while part‐time course taking has increased. Analysis of the core curriculum at these
institutions showed a disparity between course offerings and much current writing in the field.
Interactions between alcohol and caffeine in relation to psychomotor speed and accuracy
Authors: Mackay Michelle , Tiplady Brian , Scholey Andrew B.
Published: October 2002

Unlike other CNS depressants, alcohol intoxication can be associated with increased error rates, coupled with unaffected (or speeded) response rates during psychomotor and cognitive processing. The present study examined whether concurrent consumption of caffeine may differentially affect these aspects of alcohol and performance.

A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled design was utilised in which 64 healthy young volunteers received either 0.66 g/kg alcohol, caffeine (110–120 mg), both or neither. Performance was assessed using a four choice reaction time task (FCRT) with elements of repetitive (predictable) and random stimuli sequences and the digit symbol substitution task (DSST).

Individuals on alcohol made significantly more errors during both fixed and random FCRT sequences, and there was evidence of weak antagonism of these effects by caffeine on the latter measure. On the DSST test of psychomotor speed, alcohol was associated with a significant slowing, the caffeine group were significantly faster and there was clear antagonism of the effects of alcohol by caffeine. These findings confirm that alcohol consumption is associated a greater number of errors and provide some evidence for task‐specific antagonism of alcohol's cognitive effects by caffeine. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trial of Ginkgo biloba for antidepressant‐induced sexual dysfunction
Authors: Kang Byung‐Jo , Lee Seung‐Jae , Kim Moon‐Doo , Cho Man‐Je
Published: October 2002

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Ginkgo biloba on antidepressant‐induced sexual dysfunction. The Ginkgo biloba (n=19) and the placebo groups (n=18) were divided; each to be administered with Ginkgo biloba and placebo respectively for 2 months by means of a randomized placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study. The results of this 2 month trial were: (1) there was no statistical significant difference from the placebo at weeks 2, 4 and 8 after medication; (2) in comparison with baseline, both the Ginkgo biloba group and the placebo group showed improvement in some part of the sexual function, which is suggestive of the importance of the placebo effect in assessing sexual function. This study did not replicate a prior positive finding supporting the use of Ginkgo biloba for antidepressant, especially SSRI, induced sexual dysfunction. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of serotonin and catecholamine depletion on interleukin‐6 activation and mood in human volunteers
Authors: Harrison Ben J. , Olver James S. , Norman Trevor R. , Nathan Pradeep J.
Published: October 2002

There is increasing evidence that depression and related neurotic illnesses are associated with alterations in immune function that may contribute to their pathogenesis. For example, clinical and experimental studies have shown that abnormal HPA‐axis activation and monoamine neurotransmission may be related to an increased release of proinflammatory cytokines from stimulated lymphocytes in the periphery and brain. In the present investigation, the effects of tryptophan depletion (TD) on unstimulated plasma interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) concentrations were investigated in order to determine whether acute changes in serotonin (5‐HT) neurotransmission would induce a proinflammatory response in healthy individuals. The effects of TD were compared with the analogous procedure of tyrosine depletion (TPD), which reduces catecholamine metabolism in humans. Thirteen female participants completed three experimental sessions: TD, TPD and a balanced‐control condition (B). Mood‐ratings and blood sampling were performed at baseline and 5 h after the administration of the mixtures. Analyses revealed that TD and TPD markedly reduced tryptophan and tyrosine/phenylalanine levels, respectively. No changes in plasma IL‐6 production or ratings of lowered mood were observed, however, subjects did report feeling more fatigued after TD. These findings indicate that a transient disruption in global monoamine function does not stimulate a proinflammatory response of IL‐6 in normal volunteers. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Baseflow and peakflow chemical responses to experimental applications of ammonium sulphate to forested watersheds in north‐central West Virginia, USA
Authors: Edwards Pamela J. , Wood Frederica , Kochenderfer James N.
Published: October 2002

Stream water was analysed to determine how induced watershed acidification changed the chemistry of peakflow and baseflow and to compare the relative timing of these changes. Two watersheds in north‐central West Virginia, WS3 and WS9, were subjected to three applications of ammonium sulphate fertilizer per year to induce acidification. A third watershed, WS4, was the control. Samples were collected for 8 years from WS9 and for 9 years from WS3. Prior to analyses, concentration data were flow adjusted, and the influence of natural background changes was removed by accounting for the chemical responses measured from WS4. This yielded residual values that were evaluated using robust locally weighted regression and Mann–Kendall tests. On WS3, analyte responses during baseflow and peakflow were similar, although peakflow responses occurred soon after the first treatment whereas baseflow responses lagged 1–2 years. This lag in baseflow responses corresponded well with the mean transit time of baseflow on WS3. Anion adsorption on WS3 apparently delayed increases in SO4 leaching, but resulted in enhanced early leaching losses of Cl and NO3. Leaching of Ca and Mg was strongly tied, both by timing and stoichiometrically, to NO3 and SO4 leaching. F‐factors for WS3 baseflow and peakflow indicated that the catchment was insensitive to acid neutralizing capacity reductions both before and during treatment, although NO3 played a large role in reducing the treatment period F‐factor. By contrast, the addition of fertilizer to WS9 created an acid sensitive system in both baseflow and peakflow. On WS9, baseflow and peakflow responses also were similar to each other, but there was no time lag after treatment for baseflow. Changes in concentrations generally were not as great on WS9 as on WS3, and several ions showed no significant changes, particularly for peakflow. The lesser response to treatment on WS9 is attributed to the past abusive farming and site preparation before larch planting that resulted in poor soil fertility, erosion, and consequently, physical and chemical similarities between upper and lower soil layers. Even with fertilizer‐induced NO3 and SO4 leaching increases, base cations were in low supplies and, therefore, unavailable to leach via charge pairing. The absence of a time lag in treatment responses for WS9 baseflow indicates that it has substantially different flow paths than WS3. The different hydrologies on these nearby watersheds illustrates the importance of understanding watershed hydrology when establishing a monitoring programme to detect ecosystem change. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A passive microwave snow depth algorithm with a proxy for snow metamorphism
Authors: Josberger Edward G. , Mognard Nelly M.
Published: October 2002

Passive microwave brightness temperatures of snowpacks depend not only on the snow depth, but also on the internal snowpack properties, particularly the grain size, which changes through the winter. Algorithms that assume a constant grain size can yield erroneous estimates of snow depth or water equivalent. For snowpacks that are subject to temperatures well below freezing, the bulk temperature gradient through the snowpack controls the metamorphosis of the snow grains. This study used National Weather Service (NWS) station measurements of snow depth and air temperature from the Northern US Great Plains to determine temporal and spatial variability of the snow depth and bulk snowpack temperature gradient. This region is well suited for this study because it consists primarily of open farmland or prairie, has little relief, is subject to very cold temperatures, and has more than 280 reporting stations. A geostatistical technique called Kriging was used to grid the randomly spaced snow depth measurements. The resulting snow depth maps were then compared with the passive microwave observations from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). Two snow seasons were examined: 1988–89, a typical snow year, and 1996–97, a record year for snow that was responsible for extensive flooding in the Red River Basin. Inspection of the time series of snow depth and microwave spectral gradient (the difference between the 19 and 37 GHz bands) showed that while the snowpack was constant, the spectral gradient continued to increase. However, there was a strong correlation (0·6 < R2 < 0·9) between the spectral gradient and the cumulative bulk temperature gradient through the snowpack (TGI). Hence, TGI is an index of grain size metamorphism that has occurred within the snowpack. TGI time series from 21 representative sites across the region and the corresponding SSM/I observations were used to develop an algorithm for snow depth that requires daily air temperatures. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of transient climate change on basin hydrology. 1. Precipitation scenarios for the Arno River, central Italy
Authors: Burlando Paolo , Rosso Renzo
Published: October 2002

Long‐term simulations of temporal rainfall and temperature under transient global climate conditions are discussed to give an insight into potential modifications of atmospheric inputs at the basin scale in the Arno River in central Italy. The outputs from a global circulation model (GCM), simulating climate changes due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting from a continuous trend in the growth of CO2 atmospheric concentration and accounting for the influence of both CO2 and sulphate aerosols, are downscaled using a stochastic approach based on the observed non‐stationarity of precipitation and temperature patterns. By using the historical joint variability of the internal structure of storm events, one can infer future changes in storm duration and depth from GCM trend variables, thus indicating the extent of changes in the occurrence of wet and dry periods and in the daily rates, including those of distributional properties at the monthly and annual scales. Because the changes detected mainly affect the tails of the distributions, one can conclude that modifications can occur in both low and high values of rainfall at the monthly and annual scales, with a shift of the storm patterns towards shorter and more intense convective rainfall, especially in the summer season. Stochastic simulation also shows that the distributional and scaling properties of rainfall extremes may progressively change, thus indicating that some revision of current practices to estimate extreme storms is needed to account for possible effects of non‐stationary climate conditions. This approach provides local precipitation that, together with temperature scenarios, can be used for hydrological simulation of basin water fluxes in the Arno River, as reported in a companion paper (Burlando P, Rosso R. Hydrological Processes this issue). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The flood of November 1994 in Piedmont, Italy: a quantitative analysis and simulation
Authors: Cassardo C. , Loglisci N. , Gandini D. , Qian M. W. , Niu G. Y. , Ramieri P. , Pelosini R. , Longhetto A.
Published: October 2002

The disastrous flood that occurred in the southern area of Piedmont (north‐western Italy) at the beginning of November 1994 was associated with heavy rainfall episodes over a relatively small area in a course of events spanning the period 3–6 November 1994. The most intense rainfall (for which values over 200 mm were reported) occurred in two regions located in the upper reach of the Tanaro and Bormida river basins (Maritime Alps) and over the north‐west sector of the Alps. The distribution of rainfall intensities was different in the two areas where the precipitation peaks were observed. In the former, almost all rainfall was concentrated between the 4 and 5 November; in the second, rainfall was intense but spread over the entire period. The intense rainfall over these two mountain areas was enhanced by the confluence of the surface south‐easterly flow and of the upper‐level southerly current. This confluence was strongest over the two zones in which the maxima of rainfall and vertical wind velocity were observed. The cyclonic area was stationary over Western Europe for three consecutive days (4–6 November), due to the blocking situation over Eastern Europe. The mesoscale Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS), driven by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts analyses, was used to simulate this event. We focused our attention on the target area (Tanaro and Bormida valleys). As we were interested in the hydrologic budget during the flood, we replaced the original soil scheme of RAMS (a version of Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS), too simplified to allow very detailed pattern resolution) with the Land Surface Process Model (LSPM). This method allowed all components of the hydrologic budget to be inferred during the flood episode, particularly the runoff and soil moisture content. The results of the simulation demonstrated that the coupled model RAMS–LSPM was able to give a quite realistic representation of a mesoscale event such as the flood event in this study. The coupling with LSPM improved RAMS not only because the coupled model can represent the upper‐ and surface‐level fields (geopotential, potential temperature and specific humidity), but also because it provides quantitative estimates of the hydrologic budget and other surface parameters. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of soil surface moisture initialization on rainfall in a limited area model: a case study of the 1995 South Ticino flash flood
Authors: Cassardo C. , Balsamo G. P. , Cacciamani C. , Cesari D. , Paccagnella T. , Pelosini R.
Published: October 2002

The influence of the soil moisture initialization on predicting rainfall in a limited‐area model (LAM) was analysed. The model selected for the simulation was the LAM of Bologna (LAMBO). The case study selected in this paper was the flash flood episode that occurred during September 1995 in the South Ticino area (Switzerland). Two different experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, all initial fields including the initial soil moisture were provided by European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) analyses. In the second one, the initial soil moisture fields were calculated by running a soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer scheme (the Land Surface Process Model—LSPM) in stand‐alone mode. The LSPM was driven by the synoptic observations carried out on a mesoscale area that includes Northern Italy. In order to overcome the well‐known problem of the initial soil moisture content, LSPM was run for a long period (5 months) preceding the flood, in order to reach a stability state. The soil moisture field calculated by LSPM is more structured than the ECMWF one, and the numerical values of soil moisture are generally lower than those of ECMWF. The results seemed to indicate that the precipitation field obtained for the flood episode in the second experiment is closer to the observations than in the control run, even if there were still some underestimations. The precipitation peak modelled on South Ticino was closer to the observations, and this result seems to confirm the importance of the correct initialization of the soil moisture field even in cases of short‐range forecasting. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inbank and overbank velocity conditions in an arid zone anastomosing river
Authors: David Knighton A. , Nanson Gerald C.
Published: October 2002

Relative to those at sub‐bankfull flow, hydraulic conditions at overbank flow, whether in the channel or on the floodplain, are poorly understood. Here, velocity conditions are analysed over an unusually wide range of flows in the arid zone river of Cooper Creek with its complex system of anastomosing channels and large fluctuations in floodplain width. At‐a‐station hydraulic geometry relationships reveal sharp discontinuities in velocity at the inbank–overbank transition, the nature of the discontinuity varying with the degree of flow confinement and the level of channel–floodplain interaction. However, despite inter‐sectional differences, velocities remain modest throughout the flow range in this low‐gradient river, and the large increases in at‐a‐station discharge are principally accommodated by changes in cross‐sectional area.

Velocity distribution plots suggest that within‐channel conditions during overbank flow are characterized by a central band of high velocity which penetrates far toward the bed, helping to maintain already deep cross‐sections. Floodplain resistance along Cooper Creek is concentrated at channel bank tops where vegetation density is highest, and the subsequent flow retardation is transmitted across the surface of the channels over distances as large as 50–70 m. The rough floodplain surface affects flood wave transmission, producing significant decreases in wave speeds downstream. The character of the wave‐speed–discharge relationship also changes longitudinally, from log–linear in the upper reaches to nonlinear where the floodplain broadens appreciably. The nonlinear form is similar in several respects to relationships proposed for more humid rivers, with flood wave speed reaching an intermediate maximum at about four‐fifths bankfull discharge before decreasing to a minimum at approximately Q2·33. It does not regain the value at the intermediate maximum until the 10 year flood, by which time floodplain depths have become relatively large and broad floodways more active. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isotope studies of inner snow layers in a temperate region
Authors: Hashimoto Shigemasa , Shiqiao Zhou , Nakawo Masayoshi , Sakai Akiko , Ageta Yutaka , Ishikawa Nobuyoshi , Narita Hideki
Published: October 2002

Post‐depositional change of isotope concentration was investigated in a temperate snow pack. Daily snow pit studies were carried out at Moshiri, Hokkaido, for about a week in April 1998. During this time the snow layers were at the melting point. Isotope analysis was conducted on snow particles and the liquid water in between the particles every 5 cm in depth, and on the precipitation and the runoff water (from the bottom of the snow pack) collected during the observation period. It was found that the oxygen isotope concentration in the liquid part was smaller by about 2‰ than the solid part of the wet snow. The difference between the isotope concentrations of the liquid and the solid was low in the surface snow layer, but increased at the bottom. The results suggested that isotope fractionation took place between the liquid and the solid, when liquid water (formed by melting at the snow surface layer) flowed groundwards. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An automated tunnel evaporation measurement system for confined spaces
Authors: Salve Rohit
Published: October 2002

An automated tunnel evaporation‐rate measurement system (TEMS) has been designed to measure automatically the evaporation from a cylinder 0·30 m in diameter and ∼0·10 m tall. This cylinder continuously maintains a constant height of water, with losses to evaporation replenished from a stilling cylinder connected to a water reservoir. The evaporation rate is measured by a transducer located at the bottom of the stilling well. The TEMS was tested over a period of 3 months in an underground research facility with relatively strong wind effects, changing temperature, and changing humidity. During this period, the TEMS continued to function uninterrupted, automatically measuring the evaporation amounts along a tunnel and an enclosed niche. These observations suggest that this tool can be useful for investigations of evaporation processes both in enclosed and ventilated environments. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A data‐driven algorithm for constructing artificial neural network rainfall‐runoff models
Authors: Sudheer K. P. , Gosain A. K. , Ramasastri K. S.
Published: October 2002

A new approach for designing the network structure in an artificial neural network (ANN)‐based rainfall‐runoff model is presented. The method utilizes the statistical properties such as cross‐, auto‐ and partial‐auto‐correlation of the data series in identifying a unique input vector that best represents the process for the basin, and a standard algorithm for training. The methodology has been validated using the data for a river basin in India. The results of the study are highly promising and indicate that it could significantly reduce the effort and computational time required in developing an ANN model. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The soil hydrologic response to forest regrowth: a case study from southwestern Amazonia
Authors: Godsey Sarah , Elsenbeer Helmut
Published: October 2002

As a large and dynamic land‐use category, tropical secondary forests may affect climate, soils, and hydrology in a manner different from primary forests or agricultural areas. We investigated the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ksat of a Kandiudult under different land uses in Rondonia, Brazil. We measured Ksat at four depths (12·5, 20, 30 and 50 cm) under (a) primary forest, (b) a former banana–cacao plantation (SF1), and (c) an abandoned pasture (SF2). At 12·5 cm, all three land uses differ significantly (α = 0·1), but not at the 20 and 30 cm depths. At 50 cm, Ksat was significantly greater in the former pasture than in other land uses. Lateral subsurface flow is expected during intense rainfall (about 30 times per year) at 30 cm depth in SF1 and at 50 cm depth in the forest, whereas the relatively low permeability at shallow 12·5 cm in the SF2 may result not only in lateral subsurface flow, but also saturation overland flow. For modelling purposes, recovering systems seem to have Ksat values distinct from primary forest at shallow depths, whereas at deeper layers (>20 cm) they may be considered similar to forests. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cancer patterns in eastern India: The first report of the Kolkata cancer registry
Authors: Sen Urmi , Sankaranarayanan Rengaswamy , Mandal Syamsundar , Ramanakumar Agnihotram V. , Parkin Donald Maxwell , Siddiqi Maqsood
Published: October 2002

There are no population‐based data available for the cancer patterns in Eastern India. This is the first report of cancer incidence in the region from the population‐based cancer registry in Kolkata (Calcutta), the capital city of the state of West Bengal, India, for the period 1998–1999. The cancer registry collects data on all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the resident population of Kolkata. Since cancer is not a notifiable disease in India, registration is carried out by active data collection by the registry staff. The cancer registry staff visits 50 data sources comprising cancer hospitals, secondary and tertiary care hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic laboratories and death registration offices; scrutinizes medical records and collects details on incident cancer cases. A customized version of CanReg‐3 software was used for data entry and analysis. A total of 11,700 cases were registered during the 2‐year period from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999. The overall age‐adjusted (world population) incidence rates were 102.1 per 100,000 males and 114.6 per 100,000 females. The most frequently reported malignancies in males were lung cancer (16.3%), followed by cancers of the oral cavity (7.1%), pharynx (5.7%) and larynx (5.7%). In females, the most frequently reported malignancies were breast (22.7%) followed by uterine cervix (17.5%), gallbladder (6.4%) and ovary (5.8%). The data reported by the Kolkata cancer registry provide information on the cancer profile in Eastern India for the first time. The highest incidence rate of lung cancer in males in India is reported from Calcutta. A high risk of gallbladder cancer is observed in women. The observed cancer patterns indicate that tobacco‐control measures and early detection of head and neck, breast and cervical cancers are of importance for cancer control in this population. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Is the telomerase assay useful for screening of endometrial lesions?
Authors: Maida Yoshiko , Kyo Satoru , Kanaya Taro , Wang Zhuo , Tanaka Masaaki , Yatabe Noriyuki , Nakamura Mitsuhiro , Inoue Masaki
Published: October 2002

Telomerase activation is specifically observed in most cancers but not in normal tissues with some exceptions, such as germ cells or certain tissues with regenerative potential, suggesting a diagnostic opportunity for cancers involving measurement of telomerase activity. Cytologic screening for endometrial cancer has not been well established, due to the complexity of diagnostic criterion. In the present study, we investigated the utility of the telomerase assay for screening endometrial lesions. A total of 100 patients with or without endometrial lesions were examined for telomerase activity by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay using endometrial scraping samples and the correlation with cytology was investigated. The TRAP assay revealed frequent telomerase activation in normal endometria at reproductive age, particularly in 67% of proliferative‐phase endometria, suggesting that the telomerase assay is not suitable for screening women of reproductive age. However, in postmenopausal women, telomerase activity was rarely detected (8%) in normal endometria, while it was observed in >80% of endometrial cancers or hyperplasias. Interestingly, some cases of endometrial cancer and hyperplasia were misdiagnosed by cytology but correctly detected by the TRAP assay. The sensitivity of the TRAP assay to screen endometrial lesions was 87%, equivalent to that of cytology. Combination of cytology and the TRAP assay increased sensitivity to 100%. We thus concluded that measuring telomerase activity in endometrial scrapings is a useful diagnostic tool for the screening of endometrial lesions in postmenopausal women, particularly when used with cytology to increase screening sensitivity. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Value of Tenascin‐C content and association with clinicopathological parameters in uterine cervical lesions
Authors: Buyukbayram Huseyin , Arslan Adem
Published: October 2002

To determine whether the content of the matrix protein tenascin‐C (Tn‐C) is of diagnostic or prognostic value in cervical lesions, we evaluated increases in Tn‐C immunoreactivity in 80 formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded biopsies and surgical specimens of the uterine cervix. Tn‐C content in the basement membrane zone and in the stroma was graded and compared to some prognostic parameters. In the normal cervix, Tn‐C formed a thin continuous band. In cervicitis, Tn‐C bands thickened in the basement membrane zone and the adjacent stroma in the form of thin filaments. In 30 squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) of various grades, Tn‐C bands were either slightly (1+) or moderately (2+) thickened in the basement membrane zone, while slight stromal Tn‐C immunoreactivity in the form of thin bands was observed in 12 cases, regardless of grade and inflammatory stromal reaction. In invasive carcinoma, Tn‐C content was markedly increased in the stroma and around the invasive nests of tumors. The intensity of Tn‐C immunoreactivity was significantly higher in grade I tumors than in others (p < 0.04). The intensity of increase in Tn‐C immunoreactivity was 10.5‐fold (95% CI 3.39–32.5) higher in invasive cervical carcinomas than in others (cervicitis, low‐grade SIL and high‐grade SIL) (p = 0.0001). A significant correlation was found between weak Tn‐C immunoreactivity and lymphatic space invasion (p = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.01), desmoplastic stromal component (p = 0.0001) and stromal inflammation (p = 0.002). In conclusion, increase in Tn‐C immunoreactivity may be of value in the assessment of noninvasive and invasive cervical lesions and the appearance of Tn‐C may be an indicator of adequate biologic defense in cervical cancer patients. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Perceptions of early relationships during the transition to motherhood: The mediating role of social support
Authors: Priel Beatriz , Besser Avi
Published: October 2002

Perceptions of the availability of social support were assumed to mediate the association between the future mother's perceptions of early relationships and positive postpartum outcomes. We explored the idea that pregnant women's perceptions of early caretaking relationships as optimal associate with the perceived availability of, and satisfaction with, social support, which in turn, were assumed to affect postpartum depressive symptomatology, the APGAR (i.e., rates of Appearance [color]; Pulse [heartbeat]; Grimace [reflex]; Activity [muscle tone]; and Respiration [breathing], Nelson, 1987) scores of the newborn, and the mother's perceptions of the infant. Using a longitudinal design, we enrolled 120 first‐time pregnant participants, who were assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy and eight weeks postpartum. Newborns were assessed immediately after birth. Findings confirmed the expected model, controlling for levels of depressive symptomatology during pregnancy. This model is discussed in the context of system and transactional models of mother–infant interactions. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.