bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ward reduction of gastroschisis in a single stage without general anaesthesia may increase the risk of short‐term morbidities: Results of a retrospective audit
Authors: Rao Shripada C , Pirie Simon , Minutillo Corrado , Gollow Ian , Dickinson Jan E , Jacoby Peter
Published: May 2009

Background:  Ward reduction of gastroschisis in a single stage without the need for general inhalational anaesthesia (ward reduction) has been reported by some authors to be effective and safe. We introduced this practice to our neonatal unit 2 years ago.

Aim:  To compare the short‐term outcomes of this new practice with the standard procedure of reduction under general anaesthesia (GA).

Methods:  Retrospective case series of all infants with gastroschisis between January 2004 and January 2008.

Results:  Twenty‐seven infants were managed with the traditional approach and 11 infants underwent ward reduction without GA. Infants in the ward reduction group had an increased frequency for all the three major adverse events (ischemic necrosis of bowel: 27.3% vs. 3.7%, odds ratio (OR) 10.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72, 159.6; need for total parenteral nutrition (TPN) more than 60 days: 18% vs. 3.7%, OR 4.13, 95% CI: 0.28, 61.55; and unplanned return to theatre: 27.3% vs. 7.4%, OR 3.88, 95% CI: 0.44, 34.08), although none of these events reached statistical significance. There were no significant differences between the groups for the outcomes of time to reach full feeds, duration of hospital stay and number of days on antibiotics.

Conclusions:  These results raise concerns over the role of ward reduction of gastroschisis in a single sitting without the use of GA. Randomised trials with appropriate design and sample size are needed before embracing this method as a standard practice.
Linking ecological function to species composition in ecological restoration: Seed removal by ants in recreated woodland
Authors: LOMOV BORIS , KEITH DAVID A. , HOCHULI DIETER F.
Published: May 2009

Evaluations of ecological restoration typically focus on associating measures of structural properties of ecosystems (e.g. species diversity) with time since restoration efforts commenced. Such studies often conclude a failure to achieve restoration goals without examining functional performance of the organism assemblages in question. We compared diversity and composition of ant assemblages and the rates of seed removal by ants in pastures, 4‐ to 10‐year old revegetated areas and remnants of Cumberland Plain Woodland, and an endangered ecological community in Sydney, Australia. Ant assemblages of forest remnant sites had significantly higher species richness, significantly different species composition and a more complex functional group structure in comparison with ant assemblages of pasture and revegetated sites, which did not differ significantly. However, the rates of seed removal by ants in revegetated sites were similar to those in forest remnants, with the rates in pasture sites being significantly lower. Approximately, one‐third of all ant species were observed to remove seeds. Forest remnant sites had significantly different assemblages of seed removing ant species from those in pasture and revegetated sites. These results demonstrate that similar ant assemblages of unrestored and restored areas can function differently, depending on habitat context. Evaluation of restoration success by quantifying ecosystem structure and function offers more insights into ecosystem recovery than reliance on structural data alone.
Superficial lizards in cold climates: Nest site choice along an elevational gradient
Authors: DOODY J. SEAN
Published: May 2009

Embryonic conditions may limit the distributions of egg‐laying ectotherms, and recent research suggests that nesting mothers of wide‐ranging species may use a number of factors to compensate for differing climates. However, while variation in temporal factors across environmental gradients are common or pervasive (i.e. seasonal timing of nesting), similar evidence for spatial factors is rare (e.g. aspect, openness and depth of nest sites). I tested the idea that a wide‐ranging lizard, the Australia water dragon (Physignathus lesueurii), uses nest depth to counter climate differences along a temperature cline at their cold‐end range margin. Two measures of nest depth were significantly, inversely related to elevation across six populations spanning 700 m. Elevation explained 83–86% of the variation in nest depth. These findings support a thermal compensatory mechanism for this pattern, although soil moisture compensation is plausible. My results directly support a recent, untested prediction that the evolution of viviparity in reptiles is preceded by a behavioural shift towards increasingly superficial nest sites in cold climates, followed by selection for increased egg retention to avoid temperature extremes. However, in the present study egg desiccation rates increased with increasing elevation in a dry year, suggesting that increased egg retention may evolve in response to lethal hydric conditions, rather than lethal temperatures. When considered alongside recent research, the present study indicates that water dragons possess several mechanisms for adjusting to climate change.
Antidiabetic effects of 11β‐HSD1 inhibition in a mouse model of combined diabetes, dyslipidaemia and atherosclerosis
Authors: Lloyd D. J. , Helmering J. , Cordover D. , Bowsman M. , Chen M. , Hale C. , Fordstrom P. , Zhou M. , Wang M. , Kaufman S. A. , Véniant M. M.
Published: May 2009

Aim:  11 β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β‐HSD1) is considered to contribute to the aetiology of the metabolic syndrome, and specific inhibitors have begun to emerge as treatments for insulin resistance and other facets of the syndrome, including atherosclerosis. Given the role of glucocorticoids and 11β‐HSD1 in the anti‐inflammatory response and the involvement of inflammation in the development of atherosclerosis, 11β‐HSD1 inhibition may exacerbate atherosclerosis. Our aim was to investigate in vivo the effects of a specific 11β‐HSD1 inhibitor (2922) on atherosclerosis while assessing glucose homeostasis.

Methods:  We conducted a 12‐week study administering 2922 (at three doses, 3, 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight) in Ldlr 3KO (Ldlr−/−Apob100/100Lepob/ob) mice, a genetic model of obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and atherosclerosis. Rosiglitazone and simvastatin were used to test the responsiveness of our model in both types of therapy.

Results:  2922 was effective in reducing 11β‐HSD1 activity in inguinal adipose tissue (>90% for 100 mg/kg) and was efficacious in improving glucose homeostasis at doses ≥10 mg/kg. Plasma insulin, blood glucose, glucose tolerance and homeostatic model assessment indices were all improved in mice treated with 2922 (100 mg/kg) compared with control animals. Despite an improvement in these parameters, no differences were observed in body weight, adipose or lean tissue masses in the 2922‐treated mice. Interestingly, circulating lipids, proinflammatory cytokines and atherosclerosis were unaltered in response to 2922, although a small reduction in LDL cholesterol was detected.

Conclusions:  Importantly, 11β‐HSD1 inhibition leads to improved glucose metabolism and does not result in a worsening of atherosclerotic lesion area, yet retained antidiabetic potential in the face of multiple severe metabolic aberrations. This study reinforces the potential use of 11β‐HSD1 inhibitors in patients with the metabolic syndrome without negatively impacting atherosclerosis.
Adult Educators: an example of the new approach to lifelong learning in Poland
Authors: MAZURKIEWICZ GRZEGORZ
Published: May 2009

This article presents reflections arising from a study on adult learning professions in Poland. Changes in the socio‐political and legal context created phenomena that have occurred in the adult education systems, mechanisms and approaches. The article focuses on the impact of those processes on a specific professional group — adult educators.

Because of the increasing importance of lifelong learning and the promising vision of a knowledge society, new initiatives in education open challenging possibilities for human development. Based on interviews with practitioners the article describes the professional situation of adult educators: training, development, awareness, values, priorities and practice. A new trend noticeable in these interviews — the emergence of a new kind of educator. The working style of this new group (operating like a closed caste) with a specific language and communication style, value system, ethics and critical skills resulted in the creation of the culture of lifelong learning. The culture of adult educators has developed skills of survival in a fragmented reality of the Polish educational policy, a chaotic legal frame and the strong pressure of the labour market.
Teacher Education in Italy, Germany, England, Sweden and Finland
Authors: OSTINELLI GIORGIO
Published: May 2009

This article presents a brief analysis of teacher education in five European countries: Italy, Germany, England, Sweden and Finland. In the post‐industrial world, the sense of teaching has profoundly changed, influenced by a rapidly evolving socio‐economic context.

The responses given by each country are different, but two tendencies emerge: on the one hand, the English model, which seeks to make a teacher a faithful executor with regard to centrally decided learning objectives; on the other, the Nordic model that conceives the teacher as a ‘fully‐fledged’ professional.

From the point of view of the sustainability and of the safeguard of the educative mission of the school, the second model, though with all the difficulties that its efficacious realisation entails, presents some advantages when compared to the first. The article concludes with some considerations on the need to conceive the reform of teacher education from a systemic point of view, in the context of a global change of national school systems, where the autonomy of the single schools plays a role of paramount importance.
Lifelong Learning on Either Side of the Border: the effects of government policy on adult education in The Netherlands and Belgium
Authors: SMIT HEMMO , DEN OUDENDAMMER FROWINE , KATS ERIK , VAN LAKERVELD JAAP
Published: May 2009

Although there is a tendency to develop policy plans on adult education at a European level, there are still large differences between the various EU countries. These national policy contexts depend on historical, cultural, economic and political factors and can have a profound impact on the way adult education is shaped and developed within a country. Two examples of such policies are presented to clarify this point. In the Netherlands, there is a strong emphasis on the vocational side of adult education. This is for a large part the result of the introduction of the Law on Adult and Vocational Education (Wet Educatie en Beroepsonderwijs) in 1996. The non vocational branch of the sector was rather marginalised by this new law. In Belgium, there has been a great effort to support, develop and streamline non vocational adult education. The special Flemish government decree (Decreet betreffende het sociaal‐cultureel volwassenenwerk) of 2003 was very important in that regard. This decree regulates all aspects of non vocational education or socio‐cultural work, including funding and quality assurance. Although the Flemish decree could be seen as a good practice of upgrading non‐formal adult education through legislation, it could also be considered a typical Flemish case, rooted in the traditions of adult education in Flanders.
Professionalisation in General Adult Education in Germany — An Attempt to Cut a Path through a Jungle
Authors: DAUSIEN BETTINA , SCHWENDOWIUS DOROTHEE
Published: May 2009

The article summarizes the findings of a study on adult learning professions in Europe (ALPINE) commissioned by DG Education and Culture. It explores the current professional and social situation of staff in non‐vocational adult education in Germany. It describes the structures and organisations of general adult education in Germany and investigates the types of staff in adult learning institutions, their tasks and qualifications as well as their employment situation. Moreover, it highlights the major challenges for professional development in the adult education sector in Germany. The article is based on the results of a literature and Internet research as well as interviews with representatives of adult learning institutions and other experts in adult education.
‘Unwilling’ versus ‘unable’: capuchin monkeys’ (Cebus apella) understanding of human intentional action
Authors: Phillips Webb , Barnes Jennifer L. , Mahajan Neha , Yamaguchi Mariko , Santos Laurie R.
Published: May 2009

A sensitivity to the intentions behind human action is a crucial developmental achievement in infants. Is this intention reading ability a unique and relatively recent product of human evolution and culture, or does this capacity instead have roots in our non‐human primate ancestors? Recent work by Call and colleagues (2004) lends credence to the latter hypothesis, providing evidence that chimpanzees are also sensitive to human intentions. Specifically, chimpanzees remained in a testing area longer and exhibited fewer frustration behaviors when an experimenter behaved as if he intended to give food but was unable to do so, than when the experimenter behaved as if he had no intention of giving food. The present research builds on and extends this paradigm, providing some of the first evidence of intention reading in a more distant primate relative, the capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). Like chimpanzees, capuchin monkeys distinguish between different goal‐directed acts, vacating an enclosure sooner when an experimenter acts unwilling to give food than when she acts unable to give food. Additionally, we found that this pattern is specific to animate action, and does not obtain when the same actions are performed by inanimate rods instead of human hands (for a similar logic, seeWoodward, 1998). Taken together with the previous evidence, the present research suggests that our own intention reading is not a wholly unique aspect of the human species, but rather is shared broadly across the primate order.
Brainstem correlates of temporal auditory processing in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Basu Madhavi , Krishnan Ananthanarayan , Weber‐Fox Christine
Published: May 2009

Deficits in identification and discrimination of sounds with short inter‐stimulus intervals or short formant transitions in children with specific language impairment (SLI) have been taken to reflect an underlying temporal auditory processing deficit. Using the sustained frequency following response (FFR) and the onset auditory brainstem responses (ABR) we evaluated if children with SLI show abnormalities at the brainstem level consistent with a temporal processing deficit. To this end, the neural encoding of tonal sweeps, as reflected in the FFR, for different rates of frequency change, and the effects of reducing inter‐stimulus interval on the ABR components were evaluated in 10 4–11‐year‐old SLI children and their age‐matched controls. Results for the SLI group showed degraded FFR phase‐locked neural activity that failed to faithfully track the frequency change presented in the tonal sweeps, particularly at the faster sweep rates. SLI children also showed longer latencies for waves III and V of the ABR and a greater prolongation of wave III at high stimulus rates (>30/sec), suggesting greater susceptibility to neural adaptation. These results taken together appear to suggest a disruption in the temporal pattern of phase‐locked neural activity necessary to encode rapid frequency change and an increased susceptibility to desynchronizing factors related to faster rates of stimulus presentation in children with SLI.
Nonlinear epigenetic variance: review and simulations
Authors: Kan Kees‐Jan , Ploeger Annemie , Raijmakers Maartje E. J. , Dolan Conor V. , Van Der Maas Han L. J.
Published: May 2009

We present a review of empirical evidence that suggests that a substantial portion of phenotypic variance is due to nonlinear (epigenetic) processes during ontogenesis. The role of such processes as a source of phenotypic variance in human behaviour genetic studies is not fully appreciated. In addition to our review, we present simulation studies of nonlinear epigenetic variance using a computational model of neuronal network development. In each simulation study, time series for monozygotic and dizygotic twins were generated and analysed using conventional behaviour genetic modelling. In the results of these analyses, the nonlinear epigenetic variance was subsumed under the non‐shared environmental component. As is commonly found in behaviour genetic studies, observed heritabilities and unique environmentabilities increased with time, whereas common environmentabilities decreased. The fact that the phenotypic effects of nonlinear epigenetic processes appear as unsystematic variance in conventional twin analyses complicates the identification and quantification of the ultimate genetic and environmental causes of individual differences. We believe that nonlinear dynamical system theories provide a challenging perspective on the development of individual differences, which may enrich behaviour genetic studies.
Sensitivity to communicative relevance tells young children what to imitate
Authors: Southgate Victoria , Chevallier Coralie , Csibra Gergely
Published: May 2009

How do children decide which elements of an action demonstration are important to reproduce in the context of an imitation game? We tested whether selective imitation of a demonstrator’s actions may be based on the same search for relevance that drives adult interpretation of ostensive communication. Three groups of 18‐month‐old infants were shown a toy animal either hopping or sliding (action style) into a toy house (action outcome), but the communicative relevance of the action style differed depending on the group. For the no prior information group, all the information in the demonstration was new and so equally relevant. However, for infants in the ostensive prior information group, the potential action outcome was already communicated to the infant prior to the main demonstration, rendering the action style more relevant. Infants in the ostensive prior information group imitated the action style significantly more than infants in the no prior information group, suggesting that the relevance manipulation modulated their interpretation of the action demonstration. A further condition (non‐ostensive prior information) confirmed that this sensitivity to new information is only present when the ‘old’ information had been communicated, and not when infants discovered this information for themselves. These results indicate that, like adults, human infants expect communication to contain relevant content, and imitate action elements that, relative to their current knowledge state or to the common ground with the demonstrator, is identified as most relevant.
Do you see what I see? Infants’ reasoning about others’ incomplete perceptions
Authors: Luo Yuyan , Beck Whitney
Published: May 2009

Twelve‐month‐olds realize that when an agent cannot see an object, her incomplete perceptions still guide her goal‐directed actions. What would happen if the agent had incomplete perceptions because she could see only one part of the object, for example one side of a screen? In the present research, 16‐month‐olds were first shown an agent who always pointed to a red object, as opposed to a black or a yellow object, suggesting that she preferred red over the other colours. Next, two screens were introduced while the agent was absent. The screens were (1) red or green on both sides; (2) red on the front (infants’ side) but green on the back (the agent’s side) or vice versa; or (3) only coloured red or green on the front. During test, the agent, who could see only the back of the screens, pointed to one of the two screens. The results revealed that while infants expected the agent to continue acting on her colour preference and point to the red rather than the green screen during test, they did so in accord with the agent’s perception of the screens, rather than their own perceptions: they expected the agent to point to the red screen in (1), but to the green‐front screen in (2), and they had no prediction of which screen the agent should point to in (3). The implications of the present findings for early psychological reasoning research are discussed.
The Diet, Obesity and Genes (Diogenes) Dietary Study in eight European countries – a comprehensive design for long‐term intervention
Authors: Larsen T. M. , Dalskov S. , Van Baak M. , Jebb S. , Kafatos A. , Pfeiffer A. , Martinez J. A. , Handjieva‐Darlenska T. , Kunešová M. , Holst C. , Saris W. H. M. , Astrup A.
Published: May 2009

Diogenes is a Pan‐European, randomized, controlled dietary intervention study investigating the effects of dietary protein and glycaemic index on weight (re)gain, metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in obese and overweight families in eight European centres. The article is methodological in character, and the presentation of ‘results’ will be limited to baseline characteristics of the study populations included. A total of 891 families with at least one overweight/obese parent underwent screening. The parents started an initial 8‐week low‐calorie diet and families with minimum one parent attaining a weight loss of ≥8%, were randomized to one of five energy ad libitum, low‐fat (25–30 E%) diets for 6 or 12 months: low protein/low glycaemic index, low protein/high glycaemic index, high protein/low glycaemic index, high protein/high glycaemic index or control (national dietary guidelines). At two centres the families were provided dietary instruction plus free foods for 6 months followed by 6‐month dietary instruction only. At the remaining six centres the families received dietary instruction only for 6 months. The median weight loss during the low‐calorie diet was 10.3 kg (inter‐quartile range: 8.7–12.8 kg, n = 775). A total of 773 adults and 784 children were randomized to the 6‐month weight (re)gain prevention phase. Despite major cultural and dietary regional differences in Europe, interventions addressing effects of dietary factors are feasible with a reasonable attrition.
KERNEL DENSITY ESTIMATION WITH MISSING DATA AND AUXILIARY VARIABLES
Authors: Dubnicka Suzanne R.
Published: May 2009

In most parametric statistical analyses, knowledge of the distribution of the response variable, or of the errors, is important. As this distribution is not typically known with certainty, one might initially construct a histogram or estimate the density of the variable of interest to gain insight regarding the distribution and its characteristics. However, when the response variable is incomplete, a histogram will only provide a representation of the distribution of the observed data. In the AIDS Clinical Trial Study protocol 175, interest lies in the difference in CD4 counts from baseline to final follow‐up, but CD4 counts collected at final follow‐up were incomplete. A method is therefore proposed for estimating the density of an incomplete response variable when auxiliary data are available. The proposed estimator is based on the Horvitz–Thompson estimator, and the propensity scores are estimated nonparametrically. Simulation studies indicate that the proposed estimator performs well.
Instructional design and technology grounded in enactivism: A paradigm shift?
Authors: Li Qing , Clark Bruce , Winchester Ian
Published: May 2009

Although traditional instructional design and technology (IDT) has largely been based on objectivism, in the past 20 years, constructivism has emerged as a dominant framework for IDT. Both perspectives, however, present shortcomings. This paper explores enactivism—an emerging new philosophical world view—as an alternative paradigm. It also investigates the possibilities offered by this new paradigm to IDT. The philosophical world view known as enactivism is reviewed to illustrate the similarities and differences among the three philosophical paradigms, namely, objectivism, constructivism and enactivism. Finally, details of enactivism and its implications for IDT are explored.
Researching computer‐based collaborative learning in inclusive classrooms in Cyprus: The role of the computer in pupils' interaction
Authors: Mavrou Katerina , Lewis Ann , Douglas Graeme
Published: May 2009

This paper discusses the results of a study of the role of the computer in scaffolding pupils' interaction and its effects on the disabled (D) pupils' participation and inclusion in the context of socio‐cultural theories and the ideals of inclusive education. The study investigated the interactions of pairs of D and non‐disabled (ND) pupils working together on computer‐based tasks, in mainstream primary schools in Cyprus. Twenty dyads of pupils (each comprising a D child and an ND peer) were observed and videotaped while working together at the computer. Data analyses were based on the collaborative nature of events for the non‐verbal interaction and the functional–structural approaches for verbal interaction. Through application of video analyses, seven central aspects of interaction were identified: helping behaviours, motivation, self‐confidence, peer‐acceptance, affection, positive and negative socio‐emotional status, and the input of the computer. Results of the study showed that the computer was a mediational scaffolding agent of the other six areas of the participants' interaction as it: (1) was an important interactional agent in initiating and terminating a conversation, (2) facilitated interaction and participation, as an intellectual and physical tool, (3) promoted different styles of interaction (not always positive ones) through the various input and output devices, by differentiating participation. Hence, the computer emerged as the third party in the collaborative activity which provided various opportunities and motivations for interaction.
The Ins and Outs of Biosecurity: Bird 'flu in East Anglia and the Spatial Representation of Risk
Authors: Nerlich Brigitte , Brown Brian , Wright Nick
Published: May 2009

Avian influenza, or ‘bird 'flu’ arrived in Norfolk in April 2006 in the form of the low pathogenic strain H7N3. In February 2007 a highly pathogenic strain, H5N1, which can pose a risk to humans, was discovered in Suffolk. We examine how a local newspaper reported the outbreaks, focusing on the linguistic framing of biosecurity. Consistent with the growing concern with securitisation among policymakers, issues were discussed in terms of space (indoor–outdoor; local–global; national–international) and flows (movement, barriers and vectors) between spaces (farms, sheds and countries). The apportioning of blame along the lines of ‘them and us’– Hungary and England – was tempered by the reporting on the Hungarian operations of the British poultry company. Explanations focused on indoor and outdoor farming and alleged breaches of biosecurity by the companies involved. As predicted by the idea of securitisation, risks were formulated as coming from outside the supposedly secure enclaves of poultry production.
The Theory of Raising Rivals’ Costs and Evidence from the International Labour Organisation
Authors: Boockmann Bernhard , Vaubel Roland
Published: May 2009

The strategy of raising rivals’ costs may be adopted by firms in a market, a cartel or interest group or by political majorities in a federal state or international organisation. We provide a first survey and formal exposition of the theory and present examples for each of these applications. In an international cross‐section analysis using unpublished data for the period 1980–98, we explain roll‐call voting of government representatives in ILO committees drafting international labour standards. Using four different indices of regulation and country samples, we find that governments vote for tighter standards if labour regulation is high in their own country. Our evidence rejects the hypothesis of Brown, Deardorff and Stern that countries exporting low‐skill labour‐intensive products vote for ILO standards in order to restrict their own supply and increase their terms of trade. As expected, left‐party governments vote more in line with labour unions than other governments do. Domestic regulation has a considerably larger effect on voting if the convention in question would raise labour costs in ILO member states. This indicates that highly regulated countries try to raise others’ costs.
The role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition: a meta‐analysis of 40 years of litterbag studies
Authors: Kampichler Christian , Bruckner Alexander
Published: May 2009

Litterbags have been utilized in soil ecology for about 50 years. They are useful because they confine organic material and thus enable the study of decomposition dynamics (mass loss and/or nutrient loss through time, colonization by soil biota)in situ, i.e. under field conditions. Researchers can easily restrict or permit access to certain size classes of soil fauna to determine their contribution to litter mass loss by choosing adequate mesh size or applying specific biocides. In particular, the mesofauna has received much attention since it comprises two very abundant and diverse microarthropod groups, the Collembola (springtails) and Acari (mites). We comprehensively searched the literature from the mid‐1960s to the end of 2005 for reports on litterbag experiments investigating the role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition. Thirty papers reporting 101 experiments satisfied our selection criteria and were included in the database. Our meta‐analysis revealed that microarthropods have a moderate but significant effect on mass loss. We discuss in detail the interactions of the microarthropod effect with study characteristics such as experimental design (e.g. number of bags, duration of experiment), type of exposed organic matter, climatic zone and land use of the study site. No publication bias was detected; however, we noticed a significant decrease in the microarthropod effect with publication year, indicating that, in the first decades of litterbag use, soil zoologists may have studied “promising” sites with a highera prioriprobability of positive microarthropod effects on litter mass loss.

A general weakness is that the treatments differ not only with respect to the presence or absence of microarthropods, but also with regard to mesh size (small to exclude microarthropods, wide to permit their access) or presence (to exclude microarthropods) and absence (to permit their access) of an insecticide. Consequently, the difference between the decomposition rates in the treatments is not a pure microarthropod effect but will be influenced by the additive effects of mesh size and insecticide. The relative contribution of the “true” microarthropod effect remains unknown without additional treatments controlling for the differential mesh size/insecticide effect. A meta‐analysis including only those studies using different mesh size and for which the data were corrected by subtracting an estimated mesh size effect based on data from the literature yielded a significantly negative microarthropod effect on litter decomposition. These results cast doubt on the widely accepted hypothesis that microarthropods generally exert a positive effect on litter mass loss. We conclude that after 40 years of litterbag studies our knowledge on the role of microarthropods in litter mass loss remains limited and that the inclusion of a third treatment in future studies is a promising way to retain litterbags as a meaningful tool of soil biological studies.
Development of a parent‐report computer‐adaptive test to assess physical functioning in children with cerebral palsy I: lower‐extremity and mobility skills
Authors: TUCKER CAROLE A , GORTON GEORGE E , WATSON KYLE , FRAGALA‐PINKHAM MARIA A , DUMAS HELENE M , MONTPETIT KATHLEEN , BILODEAU NATHALIE , NI PENGSHENG , HAMBLETON RONALD K , HALEY STEPHEN M
Published: May 2009

The objective of this project was to develop computer‐adaptive tests (CATs) using parent reports of physical function in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). The specific aims of this study were to (1) examine the psychometric properties of an item bank of lower‐extremity and mobility skills for children with CP; (2) evaluate a CAT using this item bank; (3) examine the concurrent validity of the CAT with the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) and the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ); and (4) establish the discriminant validity of simulated CATs with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels and CP type (diplegia, hemiplegia, or quadriplegia). Parents (n=190) of children and adolescents with spastic diplegic (48%), hemiplegic (22%), or quadriplegic (30%) CP consisting of 108 males and 82 females with a mean age of 10 years 7 months (SD 4y 1mo, range 2–21y) and in GMFCS levels I to V participated in item pool calibration and completed the PODCI and FAQ. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model for the 45 basic lower‐extremity and mobility items. Simulated CATs of 5, 10, and 15 items demonstrated excellent accuracy (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs] >0.91) with the full item bank and had high correlations with PODCI transfers and mobility (ICC = 0.86) and FAQ scores (ICC = 0.77). All CATs discriminated among GMFCS levels and CP type. The lower‐extremity and mobility skills item bank and simulated CATs demonstrated excellent performance over a wide span of ages and severity levels.
Consider the context: Blocked versus interleaved presentation of antisaccade trials
Authors: Ethridge Lauren E. , Brahmbhatt Shefali , Gao Yuan , Mcdowell Jennifer E. , Clementz Brett A.
Published: May 2009

Conclusions about the cognitive and neural requirements of saccade control may differ as a result of stimulus presentation method. This issue was examined in the current study by evaluating behavioral differences in pro‐ and antisaccade responses among 12 healthy young adults as a function of task presentation method, length of cue‐to‐target interval, and previous trial type. A 1‐s cue‐to‐target interval fostered goal neglect, indicated by an increase in uncorrected errors and reaction times for “error” saccades. There was also a strong relationship between speed of visual orienting (prosaccade latencies) and failed inhibition (antisaccade errors) for the simultaneous condition. Interestingly, only the simultaneous condition produced task switch costs (on saccade latencies and error response percentages). The saccadic task presentation method, therefore, can influence conclusions about the cognitive operations supporting successful performance.
Bilateral parietal and contralateral responses during maintenance of unilaterally encoded objects in visual short‐term memory: Evidence from magnetoencephalography
Authors: Robitaille Nicolas , Grimault Stephan , Jolicœur Pierre
Published: May 2009

A component of the event‐related magnetic field (ERMF) response was observed in magnetoencephalographic signals recorded during the maintenance of information in visual short‐term memory (VSTM). This sustained posterior contralateral magnetic (SPCM) field is likely the magnetic equivalent of the sustained posterior contralateral negativity (SPCN) found in electrophysiology. Magnetoencephalography data showed, at the sensor level, a bilateral activation over the parietal cortex that increased in amplitude for higher memory load. Others sensors, also over the parietal cortex, showed an activation pattern similar to the SPCN with higher activation for the hemisphere contralateral to the visual field from which visual information was encoded. These two activation patterns suggest that the SPCN and SPCM are generated by a network of cortical sources that includes bilateral parietal loci, likely intra‐parietal/intra‐occipital cortex, and contralateral parietal sources.
Self‐reported health and cardiovascular reactions to psychological stress in a large community sample: Cross‐sectional and prospective associations
Authors: Phillips Anna C. , Der Geoff , Carroll Douglas
Published: May 2009

Exaggerated cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress have been implicated in a number of adverse health outcomes. This study examined, in a large community sample, the cross‐sectional and prospective associations between reactivity and self‐reported health. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at rest and in response to an arithmetic stress task. Self‐reported health was assessed concurrently and 5 years later. In cross‐sectional analyses, those with excellent/good self‐reported health exhibited larger cardiovascular reactions than those with fair/poor subjective health. In prospective analyses, participants who had larger cardiovascular reactions to stress were more likely to report excellent/good health 5 years later, taking into account their reported health status at the earlier assessment. The findings suggest that greater cardiovascular reactivity may not always be associated with negative health outcomes.
Consumer acceptance of food irradiation: a test of the recreancy theorem
Authors: Sapp Stephen G. , Downing‐Matibag Teresa
Published: May 2009

Consumers living in both developed and developing nations rely upon foods that have been produced and processed in many countries and in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, it is not surprising that they express concerns about the safety of their food supplies. A technology proposed to improve consumer trust in food safety is irradiation. Despite extensive education efforts and endorsements given by many health‐related organizations worldwide, food irradiation has been slow to gain widespread acceptance. This ineffectiveness of diffusion efforts might indicate a need to broaden our theoretical perspectives of consumer acceptance of controversial technologies. Most theoretical approaches explain acceptance primarily as a function of perceived risks associated with a technology. The recreancy theorem, in contrast, explains acceptance as a function of public trust in societal institutions to effectively manage a technology. This study investigated the extent to which the recreancy theorem explained acceptance of food irradiation by US consumers, while statistically controlling for perceived risk and social‐demographic variables. The study used a longitudinal field design to survey one adult each in 116 households located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area during the first large‐scale market test of irradiated food. The results indicate that the recreancy theorem might provide a valid conceptual approach to gaining a broader understanding of consumer acceptance of controversial new technologies.
Effects of natural childbirth preparation versus standard antenatal education on epidural rates, experience of childbirth and parental stress in mothers and fathers: a randomised controlled multicentre trial
Authors: Bergström M , Kieler H , Waldenström U
Published: May 2009

Objective  To examine the effects of antenatal education focussing on natural childbirth preparation with psychoprophylactic training versus standard antenatal education on the use of epidural analgesia, experience of childbirth and parental stress in first‐time mothers and fathers.

Design  Randomised controlled multicentre trial.

Setting  Fifteen antenatal clinics in Sweden between January 2006 and May 2007.

Sample  A total of 1087 nulliparous women and 1064 of their partners.

Methods  Natural group: Antenatal education focussing on natural childbirth preparation with training in breathing and relaxation techniques (psychoprophylaxis). Standard care group: Standard antenatal education focussing on both childbirth and parenthood, without psychoprophylactic training. Both groups: Four 2‐hour sessions in groups of 12 participants during third trimester of pregnancy and one follow‐up after delivery.

Main outcome measures  Epidural analgesia during labour, experience of childbirth as measured by the Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire (B), and parental stress measured by the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire.

Results  The epidural rate was 52% in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the experience of childbirth or parental stress between the randomised groups, either in women or men. Seventy percent of the women in the Natural group reported having used psychoprophylaxis during labour. A minority in the Standard care group (37%) had also used this method, but subgroup analysis where these women were excluded did not change the principal findings.

Conclusion  Natural childbirth preparation including training in breathing and relaxation did not decrease the use of epidural analgesia during labour, nor did it improve the birth experience or affect parental stress in early parenthood in nulliparous women and men, compared with a standard form of antenatal education.
Defining the surgical management of suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer by estimating patient numbers through alternative management strategies
Authors: Warwick J , Vardaki E , Fattizzi N , McNeish I , Jeyarajah A , Oram D , Hassan L , Covens A , Duffy S , Reynolds K
Published: May 2009

Objective  To establish the optimal management strategy for women with suspected stage 1 ovarian cancer.

Design  We created a flowchart to illustrate each of six hypothetical management strategies. These considered two surgical approaches (systematic lymphadenectomy versus no lymph node dissection at all) in combination with three different policies for giving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Setting  Gynaecological cancer centre, London, UK.

Data sources  Patient data and published papers.

Methods  We developed a deterministic model that uses information from multiple sources to estimate patient flow through each level of a hypothesised decision tree.

Results  We estimated that for every 100 cases of suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer, there would be 37 cases with ‘apparent’ stage 1 disease and that of these, two (6%) would be denied potentially life‐saving adjuvant treatment if systematic lymphadenectomy was not performed. The number of women given chemotherapy would not, according to our estimates, differ greatly between the two surgical approaches, the 7% increase with systematic lymphadenectomy being because of cases identified as having nodal metastases.

Conclusions  We present a model of the intraoperative decision‐making process that determines the extent of the staging procedure to be performed within our department when early‐stage ovarian cancer is suspected. Unless adjuvant chemotherapy is prescribed for all, systematic pelvic and para‐aortic node dissection is required to optimise survival. However, in our department, this would result in 32% of women with suspected early‐stage ovarian cancer undergoing systematic node dissection. This flexible focused model may facilitate multidisciplinary team discussion when this part of the surgical staging procedure is considered within the context of the population presenting to the team, the morbidity of the procedure within the department and the predictive values of frozen section within that department. As the model is not disease‐specific, it may be useful for decision making in other medical disciplines.
Infant Sleep Position: A Randomized Clinical Trial of an Educational Intervention in the Maternity Ward in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Authors: Issler Roberto Mário Silveira , Marostica Paulo José Cauduro , Giugliani Elsa Regina Justo
Published: May 2009

Background:
Few studies in Brazil have been published about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and none has addressed the mother's orientation about placing the infant to sleep in the supine position. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on mothers of an individual educational intervention in the maternity ward about infant sleep position.
Methods:
A randomized clinical trial was conducted with a study sample of 228 mother‐infant pairs assigned to an intervention or a control group. The intervention consisted of an individual orientation session at the maternity ward, at which folders and an oral explanation were given to mothers at discharge about the importance of the supine position as a preventive measure for SIDS. The outcome was the sleeping position at 3 months of age assessed during a home visit. The variables with p< 0.2 at a bivariate analysis were included in a logistic regression model.
Results:
Among mothers in the intervention group, 42.9 percent put their infants to sleep in a supine position at the 3‐month visit, compared with 24 percent of mothers in the control group (p = 0.009). In a multivariate analysis, the intervention at the hospital was the only variable that influenced maternal practices with respect to infant sleep positioning (OR 2.22; 95% CI 1.17–4.19).
Conclusions:
An individual educational session in the maternity ward about infant sleep position significantly increased the prevalence of supine position for sleeping in the infant's third month. Nevertheless, the intervention was not sufficient to guarantee that most mothers would put their infants to sleep in the recommended position.
Confident Commitment Is a Key Factor for Sustained Breastfeeding
Authors: Avery Alexis , Zimmermann Kristine , Underwood Patricia W. , Magnus Jeanette H.
Published: May 2009

Background:
The characteristics that distinguish women who breastfeed successfully from those who do not are just beginning to be identified in breastfeeding literature. The objective of this study was to identify the processes contributing to breastfeeding decisions among Caucasian and African American women.
Methods:
Data were initially collected through 24 focus groups consisting of separate groups of African American and Caucasian pregnant women, and breastfeeding and formula‐feeding mothers from three major United States cities. The focus group study was initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to obtain data on salient messages that would inform a national campaign to promote breastfeeding. This study was a secondary analysis of those data using a modified grounded theory approach.
Results:
The process that emerged associated with successful breastfeeding was labeled “confident commitment.” This process included several components: a) confidence in the process of breastfeeding, b) confidence in their ability to breastfeed, and c) commitment to making breastfeeding work despite obstacles.
Conclusions:
Contrary to popular conceptions, breastfeeding appears to be a learned skill. If mothers achieved a level of “confident commitment” before the birth, they were able to withstand lack of support by significant others and common challenges that occurred as they initiated breastfeeding. Without the element of “confident commitment,” a decision to breastfeed appeared to fall apart once challenged.