bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vision in the deep sea
Authors: Warrant Eric J. , Locket N. Adam 
Published: October 2004

ABSTRACTThe deep sea is the largest habitat on earth. Its three great faunal environments – the twilight mesopelagic zone, the dark bathypelagic zone and the vast flat expanses of the benthic habitat – are home to a rich fauna of vertebrates and invertebrates. In the mesopelagic zone (150–1000 m), the down‐welling daylight creates an extended scene that becomes increasingly dimmer and bluer with depth. The available daylight also originates increasingly from vertically above, and bioluminescent point‐source flashes, well contrasted against the dim background daylight, become increasingly visible. In the bathypelagic zone below 1000 m no daylight remains, and the scene becomes entirely dominated by point‐like bioluminescence. This changing nature of visual scenes with depth – from extended source to point source – has had a profound effect on the designs of deep‐sea eyes, both optically and neurally, a fact that until recently was not fully appreciated. Recent measurements of the sensitivity and spatial resolution of deep‐sea eyes – particularly from the camera eyes of fishes and cephalopods and the compound eyes of crustaceans – reveal that ocular designs are well matched to the nature of the visual scene at any given depth. This match between eye design and visual scene is the subject of this review. The greatest variation in eye design is found in the mesopelagic zone, where dim down‐welling daylight and bioluminescent point sources may be visible simultaneously. Some mesopelagic eyes rely on spatial and temporal summation to increase sensitivity to a dim extended scene, while others sacrifice this sensitivity to localise pinpoints of bright bioluminescence. Yet other eyes have retinal regions separately specialised for each type of light. In the bathypelagic zone, eyes generally get smaller and therefore less sensitive to point sources with increasing depth. In fishes, this insensitivity, combined with surprisingly high spatial resolution, is very well adapted to the detection and localisation of point‐source bioluminescence at ecologically meaningful distances. At all depths, the eyes of animals active on and over the nutrient‐rich sea floor are generally larger than the eyes of pelagic species. In fishes, the retinal ganglion cells are also frequently arranged in a horizontal visual streak, an adaptation for viewing the wide flat horizon of the sea floor, and all animals living there. These and many other aspects of light and vision in the deep sea are reviewed in support of the following conclusion: it is not only the intensity of light at different depths, but also its distribution in space, which has been a major force in the evolution of deep‐sea vision.
Global Environmental Issues: Responses from Japan
Authors: YU-JOSE LYDIA N. 
Published: October 2004

The timing of the Japanese Government's acceptance of the United Nations multilateral treaties governing several environmental concerns indicates Japan's priorities: biodiversity, global warming, and depletion of the ozone layer. Banning transboundary movement of hazardous wastes is the least prioritized, as indicated by Japan's failure to accept the Ban Amendment to the Basel Convention. The Japanese Environment Agency's policy statements and budget allocations between 1985 and 2000, as well as other official statements and programs, likewise indicate the same priorities. Moreover, of the three priorities, global warming is the top.Japan, which has been looking for a niche in world leadership, has found it in global warming concerns. However, it would be hard for it to maintain a leadership role in global environmental concerns if it would not be able to play a proactive role in the more technologically, economically and politically difficult task of banning transboundary movement of hazardous wastes.
Household annuitization decisions: simulations and empirical analyses
Authors: DUSHI IRENA , WEBB ANTHONY 
Published: October 2004

Annuities provide insurance against outliving one's wealth. Previous studies have indicated that, for many households, the value of the longevity insurance should outweigh the actuarial unfairness of prices in the voluntary annuity market. Nonetheless, voluntary annuitization rates are extremely low.Previous research on the value of annuitization has compared an optimal decumulation of unannuitized wealth with the alternative of annuitizing all unannuitized wealth at age 65. We relax these assumptions, allowing households to annuitize any part of their unannuitized wealth at any age and to return to the annuity market as many times as they wish.Using numerical optimization techniques, assuming the levels of actuarial unfairness of annuities calculated in previous research, and retaining the assumption made in previous research that one half of household wealth is pre-annuitized, we conclude that it is optimal for couples to delay annuitization until they are aged 73–82, and in some cases never to annuitize. It is usually optimal for single men and women to annuitize at substantially younger ages, between 65 and 70. Households that annuitize will generally wish to annuitize only part of their unannuitized wealth.Using data from the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old and Health and Retirement Study panels, we show that much of the failure of the average currently retired household to annuitize can be attributed to the exceptionally high proportions of the wealth of these cohorts that is pre-annuitized. We expect younger cohorts to have smaller proportions of pre-annuitized wealth and project increasing demand for annuitization as successive cohorts age.
Igniting the Spirits
Authors: Duhamel Olivier 
Published: October 2004

‘The Cypriot Minister for Foreign Affairs, George Iacavou, asked in Luxembourg to maintain in the European Constitution project the quotation of the Greek historian Thucydides which had been crossed out in the last document of the Irish Presidency. According to AFP, Hellenists affirmed that the sentence (“our Constitution... is called a democracy because the power is in the hands not of a minority, but of the greatest number”) was badly translated and also that Thucydides was a disputed personality’.Let us note that the translation was already modified by the Convention. The first version evoked ‘the whole people’, the ‘ultimate’, ‘the greatest number’.
Until the last minute, the Preamble had been discussed. In the Convention, Robert Badinter, former president of the French constitutional Council, had already co-signed, on 3 June 2003, with the author of these lines and Pervenche Berès, a proposal for an amendment to the Preamble to remove the quotation of Thucydides. It did not seem suitable to us to place the Union under the auspices of the founder of realistic geopolitics, a kind of Kissinger of ancient Greece. Others say that they oppose this quotation because it refers to the power of the people, not that of States. The quotation finally disappeared during the Brussels summit on 17 and 18 June 2004. As we see, no word of the Preamble is left aside.
Defence: Old Problems in a New Guise?
Authors: Besselink Leonard F.M. 
Published: October 2004

While the Nice Treaty cast a shadow over the Convention's work on the institutions and led to the project's first failure in the Brussels Summit, the war in Iraq cast shadows over the common foreign and security agenda. On the one hand, it proved the extent to which Europe is divided over substantive positions and over the means to act, particularly the resort to war. On the other hand, there is an increased popular sense that Europe should play a role (reflected in Eurobarometer polls, including one especially commissioned by Giscard). Article I-40 of the Draft Constitution on defence reflects that ambition. It remains to be seen whether this facilitates Europe to unite when it comes to giving foreign policy teeth in the form of a real and effective common ‘defence’ policy.As with most other provisions of the Constitution, Article I-40 in the main builds on and consolidates the texts as we already have them in the existing Treaties, but at the same time, it innovates.
Citizenship in Abeyance
Authors: Rousseau Dominique 
Published: October 2004

In a text which claims constitutional rank the principle of citizenship, in all meanings of the term, is fundamental. If a treaty has as its first reference the State, a constitution naturally has as a reference also the citizen. Indeed in the European Constitution provisions abound referring to the citizen. In Part I they are to be found in Titles II and VI; in Part II there is the whole Title V and in Part III there is Title II. As citizenship is everywhere in the Draft, this would deserve it the rank of Constitution that it claims.This first impression, however, is not supported by reading the different actual provisions in the Draft Constitution concerning citizenship. They fall short on three grounds.
Traditional Mediterranean diet and longevity in the elderly: a review
Authors: Trichopoulou Antonia 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:To review the evidence that the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity.Setting:Elderly persons of both genders in Greece, Spain, Denmark and Australia studied by different groups of investigators.Methods:Adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet was operationalised through a score devised a priori, and study participants were followed up until death or the end of the study. Proportional hazard models were used.Results:Closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significant decrease in general mortality among the elderly persons studied.Conclusion:The Mediterranean diet is positively associated with longevity among the elderly. If the assumption holds that there is no interaction between age and diet with respect to general mortality, it can be inferred that the traditional Mediterranean diet represents a healthy nutritional pattern.
Mediterranean diet and overall mortality differences in the European Union
Authors: Trichopoulos Dimitrios , Lagiou Pagona 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:To assess whether the Mediterranean diet contributes to overall mortality differences and trends between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean European Union (EU) countries.Design:Routinely recorded adjusted overall mortality and food availability data in Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean EU countries. A Mediterranean diet score designed a priori was used as instrument.Setting:Fifteen EU countries in the 1960s and the 1990s.Subjects:The general population in the 15 EU countries.Results:The difference between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean EU countries in a 7-point Mediterranean diet score was reduced from 2.9 in the 1960s to 1.6 in the 1990s. This reduction may underlie the reduction in the difference in general mortality between these countries, from about 100 deaths per 100 000 person-years in the early 1970s to about 50 deaths per 100 000 person-years in the 1990s.Conclusions:The decline in overall mortality in the 15 EU countries over the last 25 years is probably unrelated to diet. However, the gradual loss of the survival advantage of Mediterranean EU citizens, compared with other EU citizens, may be linked to the gradual abandonment by the former of their dietary traditions.
Mediterranean diet and cancer
Authors: La Vecchia Carlo 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:To analyse the role of various aspects of the Mediterranean diet in several common epithelial cancers, including digestive and selected non-digestive tract neoplasms.Design:Systematic analysis of data from a series of case-control studies.Setting:Northern Italy, between 1983 and 1998.Subjects:Over 12 000 cases of 20 cancer sites and 10 000 controls.Results:For most epithelial cancers, the risk decreased with increasing vegetable and fruit consumption, with relative risk (RR) between 0.3 and 0.7 for the highest versus the lowest tertile. For digestive tract cancers, population-attributable risks for low intake of vegetables and fruit ranged between 15 and 40%. A protective effect was observed also for breast, female genital tract, urinary tract and a few other epithelial neoplasms. A number of antioxidants and other micronutrients showed an inverse relationship with cancer risk, but the main components responsible for the favourable effect of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit remain undefined. Fish tended to be another favourable diet indicator. In contrast, subjects reporting frequent red meat intake showed RRs above unity for several common neoplasms. Intake of whole-grain foods was related to a reduced risk of several types of cancer, particularly of the upper digestive tract. This may be due to a favourable role of fibre, but the issue is still open to discussion. In contrast, refined grain intake and, consequently, glycaemic load and glycaemic index were associated with increased risk of different types of cancer including, among others, breast and colorectal.Conclusions:A low-risk diet for cancer in the Mediterranean would imply increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as avoiding increasing the intakes of meat and refined carbohydrates. Further, olive oil and other unsaturated fats, which are also typical aspects of the Mediterranean diet, should be preferred to saturated ones.
Assessment of Turkish women's knowledge concerning folic acid and prevention of birth defects
Authors: Unusan Nurhan 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjectives:In Turkey, the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) is 30.1 per 10 000 births. For this reason it seems an important problem for women of childbearing age. Adequate periconceptional consumption of folic acid could prevent NTDs. Most women are unaware of this recommendation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate women' knowledge and beliefs with regard to folic acid, and to estimate the consumption frequency of vitamin supplements periconceptionally and during the first trimester of pregnancy.Design:Eight hundred and eighteen married women who had delivered a live-born infant within the previous 12 months completed the questionnaire. Each subject participated in a 20-minute interview, with the questionnaire comprising multiple-choice statements. A random sample of 10 public health centres was drawn from 27 in three districts in Konya where about 50% of the population lives.Results:Only 22% of subjects had heard or read about folic acid. Thirteen per cent of women indicated knowledge of the direct link between folic acid supplementation and NTD prevention. The knowledge was greatest among 26- to 35-year-olds. Women with a university degree were more likely to have heard about folic acid than were less-educated women.Conclusion:The results indicate that further government efforts are needed to inform the population and promote the optimal use of folic acid supplements and folate-enriched foods. It is the responsibility of national authorities to increase health education concerning folic acid and the prevention of NTDs in their countries.
Analysis of herbal teas made from the leaves of comfrey (Symphytum officinale): reduction of N-oxides results in order of magnitude increases in the measurable concentration of pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Authors: Oberlies Nicholas H , Kim Nam-Cheol , Brine Dolores R , Collins Bradley J , Handy Robert W , Sparacino Charles M , Wani Mansukh C , Wall Monroe E 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjectives:To determine the relative quantities of two hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, symphytine and echimidine, in teas prepared from comfrey leaves (Symphytum officinale), and to determine the potential contribution of theN-oxide forms of these alkaloids to levels of the parent alkaloids.Design:Comfrey leaves were purchased from three commercial sources and used to prepare tea in a manner consistent with the methods used by consumers. An extraction scheme was devised for extraction of the alkaloids, and a gas chromatographic method was developed to quantify the two major alkaloids, symphytine and echimidine. Recognising that theN-oxide derivatives of these alkaloids have also been identified in comfrey preparations, chemical reduction was applied to determine the total quantities of the alkaloids as free bases and asN-oxide derivatives.Results:The concentration of symphytine and echimidine varied considerably between teas prepared from leaves purchased from the different vendors of plant material. Moreover, a much higher concentration of symphytine was found in the tea when steps were included to reduceN-oxides prior to analysis. The treatment of pure symphytine with hot water did not generate theN-oxide derivativede novo.Conclusions:Since the pyrrolizidine alkaloids are known to be hepatotoxic, consumption of herbal teas made from comfrey leaves may be ill-advised. The concentration of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in such teas may be underestimated substantially unless the concentration ofN-oxides is taken into consideration.
Effects of revision of Japanese food composition tables on estimation of nutrient intakes, with reference to age-dependent differences
Authors: Matsuda-Inoguchi Naoko , Shimbo Shinichiro , Nakatsuka Haruo , Watanabe Takao , Higashikawa Kae , Ikeda Masayuki 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:To identify effects of revision of the Japanese food composition tables from the fourth version to the fifth version on nutrient intake estimation.Design:A database on 783 samples of 24-hour food duplicate portions was re-visited. Nutrients in the duplicate portions were estimated by use of the fourth and fifth versions of the Japanese food composition tables in parallel, together with supplemental use of other databases. The two sets of estimates were subjected to comparison.Setting:The sample collection was conducted at 31 sites all over Japan.Subjects:The sample donors were 783 women aged 20–78 years.Results:Compared with the estimates by use of the fourth version of the tables, the estimates by the fifth version were substantially higher for intakes of energy, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, vitamin A and niacin, and lower for iron intake. The increase in carbohydrate intake estimates was more evident in older women than in young women, whereas the decrease in the intake estimation of iron and the increase in that of dietary fibre were more marked in young women than in older women.Conclusion:The recent revision of food composition tables in Japan induced substantial changes in the estimation of nutrient intakes, i.e. an increase in energy, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, vitamin A and niacin, and a decrease in iron. The extent of the changes varied depending on age.
Low compliance with recommendations on folic acid use in relation to pregnancy: is there a need for fortification?
Authors: Knudsen Vibeke K , Orozova-Bekkevold Ivanka , Rasmussen Lone B , Mikkelsen Tina B , Michaelsen Kim F , Olsen Sjúrður F 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:As a means to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), women planning pregnancy in Denmark are recommended to take a dietary supplement of 400 μg folic acid daily during the periconceptional period. We examined compliance with this recommendation in a national survey.Design:Cohort study on pregnant women in Denmark.Setting:The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC).Subjects:From November 2000 to February 2002, 22 000 pregnant women were recruited for DNBC. Use of dietary supplements was recorded at enrolment. Compliance with the recommendation was related to an information campaign that took place during the second half of 2001, and to lifestyle factors provided in a telephone interview by the end of the first trimester of pregnancy.Results:An increase was seen in the proportion of women complying with the recommendation in the study period and this coincided with the information campaign events. However, even at the end of the period, only 22.3% of the women who had planned their pregnancy fully complied with the recommendation. No increase at all was seen in periconceptional folic acid use among women with unplanned pregnancies. Young age, low education and smoking were identified as factors that determined non-compliance.Conclusions:Alternative and more effective strategies are needed if the Danish population is to benefit fully from the knowledge that folic acid prevents NTDs. Future strategies should not only target vulnerable groups, such as the less educated and the young, but also women who get pregnant without planning this. The only possible way to reach the last group may be through fortification of foods with folic acid.
Do childhood growth indicators in developing countries cluster? Implications for intervention strategies
Authors: Fenn Bridget , Morris Saul S , Frost Chris 
Published: October 2004

AbstractObjective:The effectiveness of geographic targeting in nutrition programmes depends largely on the degree to which malnutrition clusters within particular areas. This study investigates the extent to which the childhood nutrition indicators, stunting (height-for-age Z-score <−2) and wasting (weight-for-height Z-score <−2), are spatially clustered; this information is used to determine the implications of spatial clustering for the effectiveness of geographic targeting.Design:Analysis of data from Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) results. Clustering is assessed by calculating intra-cluster correlation coefficients (ICCs). Estimating the proportion of malnourished children covered by a programme successfully targeting 10% of clusters with the highest malnutrition prevalences allows an assessment of the effectiveness of geographic targeting.Setting:Fifty-eight DHS III (1992–1997) and DHS IV (1998–2001) reports from 46 developing countries.Subjects:Pre-school children of mothers interviewed by DHS.Main results: The extent of clustering of nutritional status was surprisingly low (median ICC for national samples: stunting=0.054, wasting=0.032) and most countries were characterised by having an ICC <0.1 – i.e. low clustering – for childhood undernutrition (91% of countries for wasting and 78% for stunting). Our assessment of the effectiveness of geographic targeting showed that coverage was better for wasting than for stunting; for wasting, 23% of countries would achieve less than 20% coverage, compared with 76% of countries achieving less than 20% coverage for stunting. Coverage is dependent on the overall prevalence of malnutrition and the ICC.Conclusions:Childhood nutritional status is determined at the household, or even individual, level; nutrition programmes that are geographically targeted may result in high levels of under-coverage and leakage, thereby compromising their cost-effectiveness; the lack of clustering questions the appropriateness of current nutrition interventions.