bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of the morphology of some Sympetrum larvae (Odonata: Libellulidae) from eastern Canada
Authors: Trottier Robert
Published: August 2008

A comparative morphological study of the first five larval instars of Sympetrum vicinum (Hagen), S. rubicundulum (Say), and S. obtrusum (Hagen) supports a subgeneric grouping, based on adults, suggested by Walker (unpublished). Qualitative and quantitative comparisons verify that S. vicinum belongs to one group and that S. rubicundulum and S. obtrusum belong to another. It is recommended that the setal formula for the labium of the second and third instar be used as a criterion for further studies of subgeneric grouping in Sympetrum.
Effects of hypophysectomy on the testis and secondary sex characters of the adult guppy Poecilia reticulata Peters
Authors: Pandey S.
Published: August 2008

Hypophysectomy of the adult guppy causes marked regression in the testis, completely blocks mitosis in the spermatogonia, and prevents their transformation into spermatocytes. However, spermatocytes, spermatids, and sperm already present in the testis at the time of operation develop into spermatophores. The spermatophores rupture after 8 weeks and the resulting sperm are phagocytosed within the sperm ducts. The epithelial cells lining the sperm ducts, the Sertoli cells, and the interstitial cells regress. Of two particularly well-differentiated secondary sex characters, the gonopodium (modified anal fin) remains unaffected, while the patches of bright lipophores (yellow and red pigments) present on the sides of the body become faint or entirely disappear.
Trypanosomes in amphibians and reptiles in southern Ontario
Authors: Woo Patrick T. K.
Published: August 2008

During a survey of trypanosomes of poikilothermic vertebrates by the haematocrit centrifuge technique, 396 amphibians and 364 reptiles were examined from four study areas in southern Ontario. T. rotatorium, T. ranarum, T. gaumontis, and T. pipientis were found in Rana spp. Trypanosoma canadensis n. sp. of Rana pipiens is similar to T. pipientis except that the kinetoplast is round and there is no endosome. Also, metacyclic forms occur in the crop of leeches, epimastigotes divide evenly, and yellow granules are present in epimastigotes. T. chrysemydis was found in Chrysemys picta marginata and Graptemys geographica. Redescriptions of the trypanosomes are given.
Singhfilaria hayesi n. sp. from Meleagris gallopavo and a revision of Lemdaniinae (= Eufilariinae)
Authors: Anderson Roy C. , Prestwood Annie K.
Published: August 2008

Singhfilaria hayesi n. sp. from subcutaneous tissue of Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris of the southeastern United States is readily distinguished by its broad complex left spicule, cuticular markings, and two pairs of bulky male caudal papillae. Eufilariinae López-Neyra 1956 is considered a synonym of Lemdaninae López-Neyra 1956 and a key, with diagnoses and a list of species, is given to the following genera regarded as members of the Lemdaninae: Lemdana, Saurositus, Singhfilaria (= Lemdanella), Ameeria, Aproctiana, Sarconema, Eufilaria (= Eufilariella), and Chiropterofilaria. The following new combinations are proposed: Singhfilaria alii (Sultana, 1961) n. comb. for Lemdana alii; ?Singhfilaria dartovellei (Ezzat and Tadros, 1958) n. comb. for Lemdana dartovellei; Sarconema pyrrhurae (Freitas and Mendonça, 1952) n. comb. for Aprocta pyrrhurae; Eufilaria micropenis (Travassos, 1926) n. comb. for Lemdana micropenis; Eufilaria singhi (Sultana, 1961) n. comb. for Lemdana singhi. Eufilaria coua nom. nov. is proposed for Eufilaria singhi Chabaud, Brygoo, and Richard, 1964.
Analysis of insect freezing temperature distributions
Authors: Salt R. W.
Published: August 2008

Because the temperature at which an individual insect freezes is largely unpredictable, distribution curves representative of the freezing temperature of a population are necessary for analysis and interpretation of the factors affecting the particular freezing events. As the individual effects of several of these factors have lately been determined, analysis of combined effects can now be attempted.The effect of changing nucleator numbers on freezing temperature distribution is shown in two complementary series of curves. Very high and very low numbers of nucleators produce narrow distributions at high and low subzero temperatures. A progressive series of intermediate nucleator numbers reveals a bimodal phase whose development and subsidence is distinct and regular.The range of a potential freezing temperature distribution affects the incidence of freezing events when the amount of supercooling is relatively small and is therefore important to insect hibernation.
The feeding response of some forest birds to the black-headed budworm
Authors: Gage S. H. , Miller C. A. , Mook L. J.
Published: August 2008

The predatory effect of nine species of forest birds on the large-larval and pupal stages of the black-headed budworm was investigated for 3 years. Successive bird collections and subsequent gizzard analyses within a season permitted the development of response curves that show changes in consumption in relation to changes in prey size, density, and other characteristics within the season. Percentage predation varied from 3 to 14% over the 3 years and strongly suggested that birds act in a density-dependent manner.
The development of haemoglobins in Chironomus riparius (Meig.) (Diptera: Chironomidae)
Authors: Shrivastava H. N. , Loughton B. G.
Published: August 2008

Electrophoretic and gel filtration studies on the haemolymph of Chironomus riparius are described. The multiple nature of Chironomus haemoglobins was confirmed and the changes in haemoglobin pattern during development analyzed. Gel filtration studies revealed two haemoglobin types, one with a molecular weight of 32 000 and the other with a molecular weight of 16 000. The changes in the ontogenetic pattern of haemoglobin were assessed in the light of gel filtration studies of haemolymph at critical stages of development. It is suggested that the appearance of two new haemoglobins in the fourth-instar larva can be explained on the basis of the synthesis of a haemoglobin monomer and its subsequent dimerization.
Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) (Nematoda: Dioctophymata) in Manitoba mink
Authors: Crichtoni V. J. , Urban R. E.
Published: August 2008

An examination of 246 mink, Mustela vison Schreber, from both southeast and southwest Manitoba, showed Dioctophyme rénale in three animals from the former area but none in the latter. This is the first record of D. renale from wild mammals in Manitoba.
An electron microscopic study of vitellogenesis and egg membrane formation in Lytta nuttalli Say (ColeopterarMeloidae)
Authors: Sweeny P. R. , Church N. S. , Rempel J. G. , Frith Wendy
Published: August 2008

Vitellogenesis and egg membrane formation in the terminal ovarian follicles of Lytta nuttatii were investigated by electron microscopy. Three kinds of yolk globules are produced. They apparently are composed predominantly of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, respectively. The "carbohydrate" and "lipid" yolk are assembled in the ooplasm, the former by rough endoplasmic reticulum and the latter by Golgi complexes. Their production begins early in oogenesis. "Proteid" yolk formation begins somewhat later. The "proteid" yolk globules evidently are formed from exfraovarian materials that pass through large spaces that develop between the follicular epithelial cells, then through the oocyte plasma membrane by pinocytosis. Fairly late in development, glycogen granules appear in the inner ooplasm. In the nearly fully grown follicle, the "membranous system" of the vitelline membrane is elaborated. It probably is formed largely from an electron-dense material of undetermined origin that accumulates outside the bases of the oocyte plasma membrane microvilli. Immediately after completion of the vitelline membrane, the chorion is laid down, presumably from dense globules of material produced by Golgi complexes in the follicle cells.
Two new species of Micropeplus from the Pliocene of western Alaska with remarks on the evolution of Micropeplinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)
Authors: Matthews Jr. John V.
Published: August 2008

A radiometrically dated Pliocene fossil locality in western Alaska contains specimens representing two new species of insects: Micropeplus hoogendorni n. sp. and Micropeplus hopkinsi n. sp. (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Micropeplinae). Fossils of the extant Micropeplinae species Kalissus nitidus LeConte and Micropeplus tesserula Curtis occur with the fossils of the newly described species. Other insect fossils and plant fossils from the locality suggest that M. hoogendorni and M. hopkinsi lived in a coniferous forest somewhat similar to those in present-day British Columbia or Southeastern Alaska.The holotype and paratypes of Micropeplus hopkinsi provide morphological evidence for the evolutionary sequence of elylral puncture development in the genus Micropeplus. This and other information is used to construct a provisional phylogeny for the subfamily Micropeplinae. The probable derivation of the species groups of Micropeplus is discussed.
A technique for monitoring bat activity with results obtained from different environments in southern Ontario
Authors: Fenton M. Brock
Published: August 2008

Nocturnal activity of bats over different environments may be measured using a heterodyning device which converts the ultrasonic echolocating cries to audible "clicks." Preliminary results obtained by this method indicate that bats are more active over lakes than over streams or fields, and that activity is greater over rural areas with buildings than over uninhabited forest areas without buildings. Rain was found to depress the nocturnal activity of bats.
The structure of the micropyles of Lytta nuttalli Say and L. viridana LeConte (Coleoptera: Meloidae)
Authors: Church N. S. , Salkeld E. H. , Rempel J. G.
Published: August 2008

Scanning electron microscopy showed the micropyles of Lytta nuttalli to have a simple but variable external structure, consisting of protruding flaps of chorion that form sloping roofs over cavities in the chorion. The roofs apparently prevent the cavities from being occluded by the mucilaginous secretion deposited over the chorion during oviposition, and may serve as guides to the entrance cavities for sperm deposited within the ring of micropyles. The micropyles of Lytta viridana are believed to be similar to those of L. nuttalli.
The effects of gonadectomy and testosterone treatment on the reproductive behavior of the male blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus
Authors: Johns L. S. , Liley N. R.
Published: August 2008

A total of 16 male blue gouramis Trichogaster trichopterus were gonadectomized and, 1 month after the operation, tested for reproductive behavior. Eleven of the 16 castrates failed to build nests or go through the prespawning and spawning procedures typical of intact fish. When placed with intact or castrated males they fought as vigorously as normal males until a dominance relationship was established. These males carried relatively short rounded dorsal fins and remained pale compared to intact males.Five castrated males built nests and spawned, and initially cared for inviable eggs. These fish possessed dorsal fins similar in length to intact males.Testosterone treatment resulted in a restoration of nest-building and spawning behavior and an elongation of the dorsal fin in castrated males which had previously failed to spawn.It is concluded that in the blue gourami reproductive behavior and secondary sexual characteristics are under the control of the gonadal hormones. The persistence of sexual behavior in five of the castrates was probably due to undetected regeneration or, less likely, to an extragonadal source of androgen. Agonistic behavior other than that involved in the defence of a territory is apparently unaffected by castration.
Les substances neuroleptiques et le comportement des insectes. VIII. Effets de l'éther méthylique d'épiréserpate de méthyle (Su-9064 CIBA) sur la fécondité de Drosophila melanogaster Meig.
Authors: Ouellet I. , Corrivault G.-W. , Perron J.-M. , Huot L.
Published: August 2008

The methyl ether of methyl epireserpate (Su-9064 CIBA) slows down the vitellogenesis process of Drosophila melanogaster without completely stopping it at any given stage. The product inhibits egg laying but does not affect oocyte maturation.
A crowding factor causing spontaneous decapitation in cultures of the planarian Dugesia tigrina
Authors: Vowinckel Christa , Wolfson Nancy , Marsden Joan R.
Published: August 2008

Cultures of Dugesia tigrina maintained at densities of around 0.3 worms/ml or more show high frequencies of head injury. Histologically these injuries are seen to include the brain. The percentage of worms with head injuries is related to population density. The volume of culture water and time elapsed since feeding are also seen to influence the occurrence of injuries. The factor(s) concerned appear to be heat stable and dialyzable.
Helminths of Bonaparte's gulls, Larus Philadelphia, from Cooking Lake, Alberta
Authors: Hair Jay D. , Holmes John C.
Published: August 2008

Thirty-three Bonaparte's gulls (Larus Philadelphia) from Cooking Lake, Alberta, were examined for helminths during the fall of 1969. Seven species of helminths were recovered: one trematode, Diplostomum spathaceum; three cestodes, Lateriporus clerci, L. mathevossianae (immature), and Schistocephalus solidus; and three acanthocephalans, Polymorphus contortus, P. marilis, and P. paradoxus (all immature). All are new host records. Lateriporus clerci was the most abundant helminth, and the only one present in all of the gulls.
Adrenal weights in relation to reproductive status in the pika, Ochotona princeps (Richardson)
Authors: Millar John S.
Published: August 2008

Relative weights of adrenal glands (mg per 100 g body wt.) of 301 pikas from southwestern Alberta were examined in relation to season, sex, age, and reproductive status. Significant enlargement of adrenal glands was found only in adult females and was associated with pregnancy and lactation.
Deflating the big bang
Authors: Smith Randy , Estan Cristian , Jha Somesh , Kong Shijin
Published: August 2008

Deep packet inspection is playing an increasingly important role in the design of novel network services. Regular expressions are the language of choice for writing signatures, but standard DFA or NFA representations are unsuitable for high-speed environments, requiring too much memory, too much time, or too much per-flow state. DFAs are fast and can be readily combined, but doing so often leads to state-space explosion. NFAs, while small, require large per-flow state and are slow.

We propose a solution that simultaneously addresses all these problems. We start with a first-principles characterization of state-space explosion and give conditions that eliminate it when satisfied. We show how auxiliary variables can be used to transform automata so that they satisfy these conditions, which we codify in a formal model that augments DFAs with auxiliary variables and simple instructions for manipulating them. Building on this model, we present techniques, inspired by principles used in compiler optimization, that systematically reduce runtime and per-flow state. In our experiments, signature sets from Snort and Cisco Systems achieve state-space reductions of over four orders of magnitude, per-flow state reductions of up to a factor of six, and runtimes that approach DFAs.
Virtual routers on the move
Authors: Wang Yi , Keller Eric , Biskeborn Brian , van der Merwe Jacobus , Rexford Jennifer
Published: August 2008

The complexity of network management is widely recognized as one of the biggest challenges facing the Internet today. Point solutions for individual problems further increase system complexity while not addressing the underlying causes. In this paper, we argue that many network-management problems stem from the same root cause---the need to maintain consistency between the physical and logical configuration of the routers. Hence, we propose VROOM (Virtual ROuters On the Move), a new network-management primitive that avoids unnecessary changes to the logical topology by allowing (virtual) routers to freely move from one physical node to another. In addition to simplifying existing network-management tasks like planned maintenance and service deployment, VROOM can also help tackle emerging challenges such as reducing energy consumption. We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of novel migration techniques for virtual routers with either hardware or software data planes. Our evaluation shows that VROOM is transparent to routing protocols and results in no performance impact on the data traffic when a hardware-based data plane is used.
Satellitelab
Authors: Dischinger Marcel , Haeberlen Andreas , Beschastnikh Ivan , Gummadi Krishna P. , Saroiu Stefan
Published: August 2008

Planetary-scale network testbeds like PlanetLab and RON have become indispensable for evaluating prototypes of distributed systems under realistic Internet conditions. However, current testbeds lack the heterogeneity that characterizes the commercial Internet. For example, most testbed nodes are connected to well-provisioned research networks, whereas most Internet nodes are in edge networks.

In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of SatelliteLab, a testbed that includes nodes from a diverse set of Internet edge networks. SatelliteLab has a two-tier architecture, in which well-provisioned nodes called planets form the core, and lightweight nodes called satellites connect to the planets from the periphery. The application code of an experiment runs on the planets, whereas the satellites only forward network traffic. Thus, the traffic is subjected to the network conditions of the satellites, which greatly improves the testbed's network heterogeneity. The separation of code execution and traffic forwarding enables satellites to remain lightweight, which lowers the barrier to entry for Internet edge nodes.

Our prototype of SatelliteLab uses PlanetLab nodes as planets and a set of 32 volunteered satellites with diverse network characteristics. These satellites consist of desktops, laptops, and handhelds connected to the Internet via cable, DSL, ISDN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular links. We evaluate SatelliteLab's design, and we demonstrate the benefits of evaluating applications on SatelliteLab.
P4p
Authors: Xie Haiyong , Yang Y. Richard , Krishnamurthy Arvind , Liu Yanbin Grace , Silberschatz Abraham
Published: August 2008

As peer-to-peer (P2P) emerges as a major paradigm for scalable network application design, it also exposes significant new challenges in achieving efficient and fair utilization of Internet network resources. Being largely network-oblivious, many P2P applications may lead to inefficient network resource usage and/or low application performance. In this paper, we propose a simple architecture called P4P to allow for more effective cooperative traffic control between applications and network providers. We conducted extensive simulations and real-life experiments on the Internet to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of P4P. Our experiments demonstrated that P4P either improves or maintains the same level of application performance of native P2P applications, while, at the same time, it substantially reduces network provider cost compared with either native or latency-based localized P2P applications.
Taming the torrent
Authors: Choffnes David R. , Bustamante Fabián E.
Published: August 2008

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems, which provide a variety of popular services, such as file sharing, video streaming and voice-over-IP, contribute a significant portion of today's Internet traffic. By building overlay networks that are oblivious to the underlying Internet topology and routing, these systems have become one of the greatest traffic-engineering challenges for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the source of costly data traffic flows. In an attempt to reduce these operational costs, ISPs have tried to shape, block or otherwise limit P2P traffic, much to the chagrin of their subscribers, who consistently finds ways to eschew these controls or simply switch providers.

In this paper, we present the design, deployment and evaluation of an approach to reducing this costly cross-ISP traffic without sacrificing system performance. Our approach recycles network views gathered at low cost from content distribution networks to drive biased neighbor selection without any path monitoring or probing. Using results collected from a deployment in BitTorrent with over 120,000 users in nearly 3,000 networks, we show that our lightweight approach significantly reduces cross-ISP traffic and, over 33% of the time, it selects peers along paths that are within a single autonomous system (AS). Further, we find that our system locates peers along paths that have two orders of magnitude lower latency and 30% lower loss rates than those picked at random, and that these high-quality paths can lead to significant improvements in transfer rates. In challenged settings where peers are overloaded in terms of available bandwidth, our approach provides 31% average download-rate improvement; in environments with large available bandwidth, it increases download rates by 207% on average (and improves median rates by 883%
Symbol-level network coding for wireless mesh networks
Authors: Katti Sachin , Katabi Dina , Balakrishnan Hari , Medard Muriel
Published: August 2008

This paper describes MIXIT, a system that improves the throughput of wireless mesh networks. MIXIT exploits a basic property of mesh networks: even when no node receives a packet correctly, any given bit is likely to be received by some node correctly. Instead of insisting on forwarding only correct packets, MIXIT routers use physical layer hints to make their best guess about which bits in a corrupted packet are likely to be correct and forward them to the destination. Even though this approach inevitably lets erroneous bits through, we find that it can achieve high throughput without compromising end-to-end reliability.

The core component of MIXIT is a novel network code that operates on small groups of bits, called symbols. It allows the nodes to opportunistically route groups of bits to their destination with low overhead. MIXIT's network code also incorporates an end-to-end error correction component that the destination uses to correct any errors that might seep through. We have implemented MIXIT on a software radio platform running the Zigbee radio protocol. Our experiments on a 25-node indoor testbed show that MIXIT has a throughput gain of 2.8x over MORE, a state-of-the-art opportunistic routing scheme, and about 3.9x over traditional routing using the ETX metric.
Mechanical strain of alveolar type II cells in culture: changes in the transcellular cytokeratin network and adaptations
Authors: Felder Edward , Siebenbrunner Marcus , Busch Tobias , Fois Giorgio , Miklavc Pika , Walther Paul , Dietl Paul
Published: August 2008

Mechanical forces exert multiple effects in cells, ranging from altered protein expression patterns to cell damage and death. Despite undisputable biological importance, little is known about structural changes in cells subjected to strain ex vivo. Here, we undertake the first transmission electron microscopy investigation combined with fluorescence imaging on pulmonary alveolar type II cells that are subjected to equibiaxial strain. When cells are investigated immediately after stretch, we demonstrate that curved cytokeratin (CK) fibers are straightened out at 10% increase in cell surface area (CSA) and that this is accompanied by a widened extracellular gap of desmosomes–the insertion points of CK fibers. Surprisingly, a CSA increase by 20% led to higher fiber curvatures of CK fibers and a concurrent return of the desmosomal gap to normal values. Since 20% CSA increase also induced a significant phosphorylation of CK8-ser431, we suggest CK phosphorylation might lower the tensile force of the transcellular CK network, which could explain the morphological observations. Stretch durations of 5 min caused membrane injury in up to 24% of the cells stretched by 30%, but the CK network remained surprisingly intact even in dead cells. We conclude that CK and desmosomes constitute a strong transcellular scaffold that survives cell death and hypothesize that phosphorylation of CK fibers is a mechano-induced adaptive mechanism to maintain epithelial overall integrity.
Usefulness of pressure-controlled ventilation at high inspiratory pressures to induce acute lung injury in mice
Authors: Eckle Tobias , Füllbier Lars , Grenz Almut , Eltzschig Holger K.
Published: August 2008

Acute lung injury (ALI), as occurs with prolonged mechanical ventilation, contributes to morbidity and mortality of critical illness, and studies on novel genetic or pharmacological targets are areas of intense investigation. Here, we systematically tested a murine model of ALI by using pressure-controlled ventilation to induce ventilator-induced lung injury. For this purpose, C57BL/6 or Sv129 mice were anesthetized and underwent tracheotomy followed by induction of ALI via mechanical ventilation. Mice were ventilated in a pressure-controlled setting at different inspiratory pressure levels (15–45 mbar) and over different times (0–90 min, 100% oxygen). As outcome parameters, we assessed pulmonary edema (wet-to-dry ratios), bronchoalveolar fluid albumin content, pulmonary myeloperoxidase activity, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, and pulmonary gas exchange. These studies revealed maximal differences in severity of lung injury between different mouse strains after 90 min of ventilation time at 45 mbar. Use of lower concentrations of inspired oxygen did not alter disease severity. Increases of CD73 transcript (5′-ectonucleotidase, pacemaker of extracellular adenosine production) or total pulmonary adenosine levels with mechanical ventilation were less pronounced in C57BL/6 mice, suggesting attenuated adenosine protection in C57BL/6 mice. Together, these studies demonstrate feasibility of this model to induce murine ALI.
Gas Chromatography Data Classification Based on Complex Coefficients of an Autoregressive Model
Authors: Zhao Weixiang , Morgan Joshua T. , Davis Cristina E.
Published: August 2008

This paper introduces autoregressive (AR) modeling as a novel method to classify outputs from gas chromatography (GC). The inverse Fourier transformation was applied to the original sensor data, and then an AR model was applied to transform data to generate AR model complex coefficients. This series of coefficients effectively contains a compressed version of all of the information in the original GC signal output. We applied this method to chromatograms resulting from proliferating bacteria species grown in culture. Three types of neural networks were used to classify the AR coefficients: backward propagating neural network (BPNN), radial basis function‐principal component analysis (RBF‐PCA) approach, and radial basis function‐partial least squares regression (RBF‐PLSR) approach. This exploratory study demonstrates the feasibility of using complex root coefficient patterns to distinguish various classes of experimental data, such as those from the different bacteria species. This cognition approach also proved to be robust and potentially useful for freeing us from time alignment of GC signals.
Commutator Length of Finitely Generated Linear Groups
Authors: Alizadeh Sanati Mahboubeh
Published: August 2008

The commutator length “cl(G)” of a group G is the least natural number c such that every element of the derived subgroup of G is a product of c commutators. We give an upper bound for cl(G) when G is a d‐generator nilpotent‐by‐abelian‐by‐finite group. Then, we give an upper bound for the commutator length of a soluble‐by‐finite linear group over C that depends only on d and the degree of linearity. For such a group G, we prove that cl(G) is less than
k(k + 1)/2 + 12d3 + o(d2), where k is the minimum number of generators of (upper) triangular subgroup of G and o(d2) is a quadratic polynomial in d. Finally we show that if G is a
soluble‐by‐finite group of Prüffer rank r then cl(G)≤r(r + 1)/2 + 12r3 + o(r2), where o(r2) is a quadratic polynomial in r.
Sleep Quality and Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescents
Authors: Javaheri Sogol , Storfer-Isser Amy , Rosen Carol L. , Redline Susan
Published: August 2008

Background—

We assessed whether insufficient sleep is associated with prehypertension in healthy adolescents.

Methods and Results—

We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of 238 adolescents, all without sleep apnea or severe comorbidities. Participants underwent multiple-day wrist actigraphy at home to provide objective estimates of sleep patterns. In a clinical research facility, overnight polysomnography, anthropometry, and 9 blood pressure measurements over 2 days were made. Exposures were actigraphy-defined low weekday sleep efficiency, an objective measure of sleep quality (low sleep efficiency ≤85%), and short sleep duration (≤6.5 hours). The main outcome was prehypertension (≥90th percentile for age, sex, and height), with systolic and diastolic blood pressures as continuous measures as secondary outcomes. Prehypertension, low sleep efficiency, and short sleep duration occurred in 14%, 26%, and 11% of the sample, respectively. In unadjusted analyses, the odds of prehypertension increased 4.5-fold (95% CI, 2.1 to 9.7) in adolescents with low sleep efficiency and 2.8-fold (95% CI, 1.1 to 7.3) in those with short sleep. In analyses adjusted for sex, body mass index percentile, and socioeconomic status, the odds of prehypertension increased 3.5-fold (95% CI, 1.5. 8.0) for low sleep efficiency and 2.5-fold (95% CI, 0.9 to 6.9) for short sleep. Adjusted analyses showed that adolescents with low sleep efficiency had on average a 4.0±1.2-mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure than other children (
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

Poor sleep quality is associated with prehypertension in healthy adolescents. Associations are not explained by socioeconomic status, obesity, sleep apnea, or known comorbidities, suggesting that inadequate sleep quality is associated with elevated blood pressure.
Advanced Glycation End Products Accumulate in Vascular Smooth Muscle and Modify Vascular but Not Ventricular Properties in Elderly Hypertensive Canines
Authors: Shapiro Brian P. , Owan Theophilus E. , Mohammed Selma F. , Meyer Donna M. , Mills Lisa D. , Schalkwijk Casper G. , Redfield Margaret M.
Published: August 2008

Background—

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are believed to increase left ventricular (LV) and vascular stiffness, in part via cross-linking proteins. We determined whether and where AGEs were increased in elderly hypertensive nondiabetic dogs and whether an AGE cross-link breaker (ALT-711) improved vascular or ventricular function.

Methods and Results—

Elderly dogs with experimental hypertension (old hypertensives [OH]) were randomized to receive ALT-711 (OH+ALT group; n=11; 1 mg/kg PO) or not (OH group; n=11) for 8 weeks. Conscious blood pressure measurements (weekly), echocardiography (week 8), and anesthetized study (week 8) with LV pressure–volume analysis and aortic pressure–dimension and pressure–flow assessment over a range of preloads and afterloads were performed. In LV and aorta from OH, OH+ALT, and young normal dogs, AGE content (immunohistochemistry and Western analysis for
N
ε
-(carboxymethyl)lysine [CML]) was assessed. Aortic CML content was markedly increased in OH and OH+ALT dogs compared with young normal dogs. CML was localized to aortic and aortic vasa vasorum smooth muscle but not to collagen or elastin. CML was essentially undetectable in young normal, OH, or OH+ALT myocardium but was visible in large vessels in the LV. ALT-711 therapy was associated with lower blood pressure and pulse pressure, decreased systemic vascular resistance, increased aortic distensibility and arterial compliance, and, notably, significant aortic dilatation. Neither LV systolic nor diastolic function was different in OH+ALT versus OH dogs.

Conclusions—

In elderly hypertensive canines, AGE accumulation and AGE cross-link breaker effects were confined to the vasculature without evidence of myocardial accumulation or effects. The lack of AGE accumulation in collagen-rich areas suggests that the striking vascular effects may be mediated by mechanisms other than collagen cross-linking.
Enhanced Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Mechanisms Mediate Decreases in Arterial Pressure Attributable to Chronic Low-Dose Angiotensin II in Female Rats
Authors: Sampson Amanda K. , Moritz Karen M. , Jones Emma S. , Flower Rebecca L. , Widdop Robert E. , Denton Kate M.
Published: August 2008

The renin-angiotensin system is a far more complex enzymatic cascade than realized previously. Mounting evidence suggests sex-specific differences in the regulation of the renin-angiotensin system and arterial pressure. We examined the hemodynamic responses, angiotensin II receptor subtypes, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene expression levels after graded doses of angiotensin II in males and females. Mean arterial pressure was measured via telemetry in male and female rats in response to a 2-week infusion of vehicle, low-dose (50 ng/kg per minute SC) or high-dose (400 ng/kg per minute SC) angiotensin II. The effect of concurrent infusion of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) blocker (PD123319) was also examined. The arterial pressure response to high-dose angiotensin II was attenuated in females compared with males (24±8 mm Hg versus 42±5 mm Hg;Pfor the interaction between sex and treatment <0.002). Remarkably, low-dose angiotensin II decreased arterial pressure (11±4 mm Hg;Pfor the interaction between sex and treatment <0.02) at a dose that did not have an effect in males. This decrease in arterial pressure in females was abolished by AT2R blockade. Renal AT2R, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, and left ventricular AT2R mRNA gene expressions were markedly greater in females than in males with a renal angiotensin II type 1a receptor:AT2R ratio of ≈1 in females. Angiotensin II infusion did not affect renal AT2R mRNA expression but resulted in significantly less left ventricular mRNA expression. Renal angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 mRNA expression levels were greater in females than in males treated with high-dose angiotensin II (≈2.5 fold;Pfor the interaction between sex and treatment <0.05). In females, enhancement of the vasodilatory arm of the renin-angiotensin system, in particular, AT2R and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 mRNA expression, may contribute to the sex-specific differences in response to renin-angiotensin system activation.
Thermodynamic Consistency of the Anelastic Approximation for a Moist Atmosphere
Authors: Pauluis Olivier
Published: August 2008

The primary goal of this paper is to validate the use of the anelastic approximation for fluids with a complex equation of state such as moist air or seawater. The anelastic approximation is based on a leading-order expansion of the equations of motion for a compressible fluid in terms of density. Its application to atmospheric flows has been based on a dry framework that treats phase transitions as an external energy source. However, cloudy air is more accurately described as a two-phase fluid in which condensed water and water vapor are in thermodynamic equilibrium. Thermodynamic equilibrium reduces to three the number of state variables necessary to describe the thermodynamic state of moist air, and leads to a discontinuity in the partial derivatives of the equation of state at the saturation point. A version of the anelastic approximation for a moist atmosphere is derived here by considering the atmospheric density as a small perturbation from a moist-adiabatic reference profile, and using moist entropy and total water content as prognostic variables, with buoyancy determined from the complete nonlinear equation of state.

The key finding of this paper is that this implementation of the anelastic approximation conserves energy. The total energy is equal to the sum of the kinetic energy and the thermodynamic energy. The latter is found to be equal to the sum of the enthalpy and geopotential energy of the parcel. Furthermore, the state relationships between this thermodynamic energy, entropy, and other state variables are the same as those for moist air after replacing the total pressure with the reference state pressure. This guarantees that, as long as the pressure perturbation remains small, the thermodynamic behavior of a fluid under the anelastic approximation is fully consistent with both the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

Two implications of this finding are also discussed. First, it is shown that the first and second laws of thermodynamics constrain the vertically integrated buoyancy flux. This is equivalent to deriving the total work performed in a compressible atmosphere from its entropy and energy budgets. Second, it is argued that an anelastic model can be built with temperature or enthalpy as a prognostic variable instead of entropy. The rate of change for this new state variable can be obtained from energy conservation, so that such a model explicitly obeys the first law of thermodynamics. The entropy in this model is equal to the entropy of the parcel evaluated at the reference pressure, and its evolution obeys the second law of thermodynamics.
Aspects of Precipitation Development in Trade Wind Cumulus Revealed by Differential Reflectivity at S Band
Authors: Knight Charles A. , Miller L. Jay , Rilling Robert A.
Published: August 2008

Early radar echo development in trade wind cumulus clouds is studied using the equivalent reflectivity factor Ze combined with the differential reflectivity Zdr. The clouds studied are among the largest of trade wind cumulus, developing significantly positive values of Zdr and attaining at least about a 30-dBZ equivalent reflectivity factor. The measures used for analysis are values calculated for entire constant–elevation angle sweeps through the clouds and entire volume scans—not maximum single-pulse-volume values. The radar echo evolution follows fairly closely the Marshall–Palmer distribution with scatter toward higher values of Zdr especially in the earliest stages of echo intensification, where some of the scatter in the whole-sweep values is caused by size sorting. The data provide no evidence for an important role of ultragiant aerosols (UGA) in initiating coalescence. They are in strong contrast with similar data from a cloud over northern Alabama that do suggest a major role for UGA in producing several-mm-diameter raindrops that dominate its weak, early radar echo.
“Cult,” Church, and the CCP
Authors: Dunn Emily C.
Published: August 2008

Eastern Lightning, also known as the Church of Almighty God, teaches that Jesus has returned to earth as a Chinese woman. It originated in China's rural north in the early 1990s and is now the largest Christian-related new religious movement. This article provides an introduction to the group's beliefs, and the ways the Chinese government and Chinese Protestants have responded to it. It finds that while posing a very contemporary challenge for the Chinese state and Protestant communities, Eastern Lightning also reflects the influence of heterodox religious traditions that stretch back far into China's past.
Projected Sustainability of Innovative Social Programs
Authors: Savaya Riki , Elsworth Gerald , Rogers Patricia
Published: August 2008

This study is an exploratory examination of the projected sustainability of more than 100 projects funded by the Australian government. Using data collected by the body that evaluated the projects and data from a government database, it examines the predictors of various forms of sustainability. Findings show that some two thirds of the project leaders who expected their programs to continue after the expiration of the initial funding expected them to continue with the same activities and target population; almost half envisioned them diversifying to new activities, target groups, or locations. Auspice organization involvement increased the expectation that the project would be continued, project effectiveness decreased that expectation, and diversity of initial funding became less important as other sources of support and sustainability were taken into consideration.
“Slipperiness, Evasion, and Ambiguity”
Authors: Bull Peter
Published: August 2008

Noncommittal political discourse in televised political interviews is examined in the context of Bavelas, Black, Chovil, and Mullett's theory of equivocation. The two central propositions of this theory are shown to be well supported. Bull and others' reconceptualization of the theory in terms of face and face management is also discussed. It is argued that the latter is more parsimonious in its explanation of equivocal discourse in political interviews. Furthermore, it may be extended to those instances in which politicians do reply to questions, and to the assessment of the interview performance of both interviewers and politicians. In addition, it provides a useful conceptual framework for future research on nonequivocal political discourse. Overall, it is proposed that in the analysis of political discourse, the main propositions of equivocation theory can be subsumed within the wider conceptual framework of face and face management.
“I Think, Therefore . . .”
Authors: Berlin Lawrence N.
Published: August 2008

At the crossroads of political and forensic linguistics, the notion of commitment presents a rich area for investigation into language use. An analysis of the discourse delivered by a high-level political official during testimony at the 9-11 Commission Hearings reveals three types of commitment: (a) commitment to a course of action, (b) commitment to an assertion, and (c) commitment to truth value. Within these three types, the juxtaposition of the common expression I think in terms of both evidential and non-evidential use is examined to determine whether it functions as a pragmatic trigger for the degree of commitment expressed by the speaker and, concomitantly, as an attempt on the part of the speaker to manipulate the perceptions of the hearers and overhearers to achieve specific intentions.
“And I Think That Is a Very Straightforward Way of Dealing With It”
Authors: Fetzer Anita
Published: August 2008

This contribution examines the distribution and communicative function of cognitive verbs in political discourse, giving particular attention to their impact on the expression of commitment. From a semantic viewpoint, cognitive verbs are seen as a means of subjectification expressing the speaker's attitude towards proposition and force whereas, from a discursive perspective, they are assigned the status of multifunctional devices expressing different types and different degrees of commitment. Part I analyzes the semantics and pragmatics of cognitive verbs, in particular those of think. Part II examines their particularized form and function in political discourse, accommodating both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. It shows that cognitive verbs tend to co-occur with other linguistic devices expressing commitment, thus illustrating their fine-grained interplay in the presentation of the political agent. The particularized use of cognitive verbs is assigned the status of a contextualization device, inviting the addressees to adopt the speaker's perspective and interpret a communicative contribution accordingly.
Emotional Commitment in Public Political Internet Message Boards
Authors: Kleinke Sonja
Published: August 2008

This study focuses on political discourse among laypersons in public Internet-based political discussion groups and analyzes emotive communication as a product, which is viewed as a continuum including both emotional attachment and emotional detachment. It analyzes 11,000 words of discussion in 180 contributions produced by a total of 65 participants of three political message boards with regard to a selected range of linguistic token features signaling emotional commitment. The results obtained are compared to their frequency in private conversation and newspaper registers to determine where the message boards range within the scale of related registers. The findings are discussed against the background of the framing conditions of political message board communication.
Improving Writing Through the Marketing Curriculum
Authors: Bacon Donald R. , Paul Pallab , Johnson Carol , Conley Theresa
Published: August 2008

An objectively scored assessment of basic writing skills was used systematically in several courses throughout the marketing curriculum at a private university. Results indicate that repeated testing on editing skills with feedback will lead to repeated improvements in skills and that these skills tend to be recalled for substantial periods of time. Furthermore, the objectively scored instrument was found to correlate significantly with actual writing performance. Despite the success with this method, barriers remain to wider adoption.
Attitudes Toward Wife Beating
Authors: Rani Manju , Bonu Sekhar
Published: August 2008

Using demographic and health surveys conducted between 1998 and 2001 from seven countries (Armenia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Turkey), the study found that acceptance of wife beating ranged from 29% in Nepal, to 57% in India (women only), and from 26% in Kazakhstan, to 56% in Turkey (men only). Increasing wealth predicted less acceptance of wife beating, except in Cambodia and Nepal. Higher education level was negatively associated with acceptance in Turkey and Bangladesh. Younger respondents justified wife beating more often, with some exceptions, showing persistent intergenerational transmission of gender norms. Working women were equally or more likely to justify wife beating compared to nonworking women. Men were significantly more likely to justify wife beating in Armenia, Nepal, and Turkey. Targeted proactive efforts are needed to change these norms, such as improving female literacy rates and other enabling factors.
Mental Health Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence in Marital Relationships in a Nationally Representative Sample of Males and Females
Authors: Afifi Tracie O. , MacMillan Harriet , Cox Brian J. , Asmundson Gordon J. G. , Stein Murray B. , Sareen Jitender
Published: August 2008

It is important to understand the epidemiology of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by both males and females. Data were drawn from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey Replication. The relationships between physical IPV and child abuse, mental disorders, and suicidal ideation and attempts among males and females were examined. The results indicate that child sexual abuse was associated with IPV among males, whereas child physical and sexual abuse was associated with IPV among females. IPV was associated with poor mental health outcomes for males and females, although sex differences are noted. The sex differences indicate that females experience a wider range of poor mental health outcomes compared to males. Knowledge about correlates of IPV can be useful in identifying individuals exposed to violence. Further research is required to identify effective methods to reduce exposure to IPV and to adequately address the specific needs of male and female victims of IPV.