bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation and functional characterization of the Arabidopsis salt‐tolerance 32 (AtSAT32) gene associated with salt tolerance and ABA signaling
Authors: Park Min‐Young , Chung Moon‐Soo , Koh Hee‐Seok , Lee Dong J. , Ahn Sung‐Ju , Kim Cheol S.
Published: February 2009

Recently, we have isolated salt‐tolerance genes (SATs) on the basis of the overexpression screening of yeast with a maize cDNA library from kernels. One of the selected genes [salt‐tolerance 32 (SAT32)] appears to be a key determinant for salt stress tolerance in yeast cells. Maize SAT32 cDNA encodes for a 49‐kDa protein, which is 41% identity with the Arabidopsis salt‐tolerance 32 (AtSAT32) unknown gene. Arabidopsis Transfer‐DNA (T‐DNA) knockout AtSAT32 (atsat32) altered root elongation, including reduced silique length and reduced seed number. In an effort to further assess salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis, we have functionally characterized the AtSAT32 gene and determined that salinity and the plant hormone ABA induced the expression of AtSAT32. The atsat32 mutant was more sensitive to salinity than the wild‐type plant. On the contrary, Arabidopsis overexpressing AtSAT32 (35S::AtSAT32) showed enhanced salt tolerance and increased activity of vacuolar H+‐pyrophosphatase (V‐PPase, EC 3.6.1.1) under high‐salt conditions. Consistent with these observations, 35S::AtSAT32 plants exhibited increased expression of salt‐responsive and ABA‐responsive genes, including the Rd29A, Erd15, Rd29B, Rd22 and RAB18 genes. Therefore, our results indicate that AtSAT32 is involved in both salinity tolerance and ABA signaling as a positive regulator in Arabidopsis.
Hepatic involvement in a liver transplant recipient with disseminated cryptococcosis
Authors: Lu S. , Furth E.E. , Blumberg E.A. , Bing Z.
Published: February 2009

Abstract:Cryptococcosis occurs primarily in immunocompromised patients such as organ transplant recipients. Central nervous system and pulmonary infections are documented most frequently; hepatic involvement is rarely reported. We report a case of early hepatic cryptococcosis in a 54‐year‐old male liver transplant recipient. Two weeks after orthotopic liver transplant, he was readmitted with fever, malaise, diarrhea, and progressive pulmonary infiltrates. On admission, liver‐associated enzymes were decreased from those at discharge after transplantation. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage cultures were positive forCryptococcus neoformans. Despite treatment with amphotericin B and flucytosine, the patient developed both marked cholestasis and transaminase elevation. A liver biopsy performed 22 days after admission revealed numerous yeast‐like organisms in hepatic sinusoids consistent withC. neoformans. Despite treatment, the patient died 55 days after admission and 66 days after transplantation. Our case illustrates hepatic involvement of cryptococcal infection within the first month following transplantation.
Physiological Responses of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) –Aegilops Sharonensis Introgression Lines to Excess Copper
Authors: Nenova V. , Merakchiyska M. , Ganeva G. , Zozikova E. , Landjeva S.
Published: February 2009

Two wheat lines (TL3 and TL5) derived from selection for Cu tolerance among wheat –Aegilops sharonensis hybrids were compared when grown as hydroponics at zero (control), 10−6 and 10−5 m CuSO4. The morphometric measurements showed that the line TL5 with a more inhibited root system under 10−6 m CuSO4 had a less inhibited shoot growth under 10−5 m CuSO4 as compared to TL3. The decreased maximum efficiency of photosystem II and the more pronounced trend towards increased catalase activity suggested that despite the better shoot growth, the leaves of TL5 were more functionally injured. The increased content of carotenoids at excess Cu and the higher peroxidase and catalase activities of TL3 in control plants might contribute to its better stress tolerance. While no significant changes in enzyme activities were found at 10−6 m Cu, at 10−5 m the activities tended to increase. Although the close values of free phenolics concentrations in control plants, at Cu excess their content was higher in TL5 compared to TL3. The free phenolics content in roots at 10−6 m Cu decreased, and although higher at 10−5 m Cu, it remained below the control in TL3, and above the control in TL5. From the obtained results TL3 emerged to be more tolerant to excess Cu than TL5.
Integration and sensory experience‐dependent survival of newly‐generated neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb of female mice
Authors: Oboti L. , Savalli G. , Giachino C. , De Marchis S. , Panzica G. C. , Fasolo A. , Peretto P.
Published: February 2009

Newborn neurons generated by proliferative progenitors in the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) integrate into the olfactory bulb circuitry of mammals. Survival of these newly‐formed cells is regulated by the olfactory input. The presence of new neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) has already been demonstrated in some mammalian species, albeit their neurochemical profile and functional integration into AOB circuits are still to be investigated. To unravel whether the mouse AOB represents a site of adult constitutive neurogenesis and whether this process can be modulated by extrinsic factors, we have used multiple in vivo approaches. These included fate mapping of bromodeoxyuridine‐labelled cells, lineage tracing of SVZ‐derived enhanced green fluorescent protein‐positive engrafted cells and neurogenesis quantification in the AOB, in both sexes, as well as in females alone after exposure to male‐soiled bedding or its derived volatiles. Here, we show that a subpopulation of SVZ‐derived neuroblasts acquires proper neurochemical profiles of mature AOB interneurons. Moreover, 3D reconstruction of long‐term survived engrafted neuroblasts in the AOB confirms these cells show features of fully integrated neurons. Finally, exposure to male‐soiled bedding, but not to its volatile compounds, significantly increases the number of new neurons in the AOB, but not in the main olfactory bulb of female mice. These data show SVZ‐derived neuroblasts differentiate into new functionally integrated neurons in the AOB of young and adult mice. Survival of these cells seems to be regulated by an experience‐specific mechanism mediated by pheromones.
Estradiol modulates behavioral arousal and induces changes in gene expression profiles in brain regions involved in the control of vigilance
Authors: Ribeiro Ana C. , Pfaff Donald W. , Devidze Nino
Published: February 2009

Estrogens reduce lipocalin‐type prostaglandin D synthase (L‐PGDS) expression in a region‐dependent manner in the mouse preoptic area (POA). This result linked sex hormones with sleep–wake cycle regulation. In turn, the somnogenic effects of prostaglandin D2 have been shown to be mediated via increases in adenosine, and a select group of sleep‐active ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) neurons are directly activated by adenosine 2A (A2A) agonists. We hypothesized that increased arousal after estrogen administration is mediated by a reduction of L‐PGDS and lowered A2A receptor expression in the POA. To test this hypothesis, running wheel activity (RWA) of ovariectomized female mice treated with oil or different doses of estradiol benzoate (EB) was studied, followed by quantitative reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to determine mRNA expression of genes related to sleep and arousal in brain region extracts from oil‐treated and EB‐treated mice. RWA was increased in estrogen‐treated mice, and these effects followed an inverted‐U dose–response curve. The most effective dose (1.25 μg EB/capsule) increased RWA more than 2.5‐fold, as compared with control animals, and EB doses that were higher or lower were less effective. Increases in RWA were accompanied by decreased L‐PGDS mRNA in the POA and decreased A2A receptor mRNA in the POA and VLPO. Given that EB‐treated animals have higher motor activity and lower levels of L‐PGDS and A2A receptor mRNAs in sleep‐active areas, these correlational findings support the hypothesis that EB may increase behavioral arousal by decreasing the levels of well‐known sleep‐inducing molecules within the preoptic region.
Effects of stimulus–response compatibility on inhibitory processes in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Beste Christian , Dziobek Isabel , Hielscher Horst , Willemssen Rita , Falkenstein Michael
Published: February 2009

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative basal ganglia disorder accompanied by deficits in cognitive functions. One important executive function is the inhibition of responses. Due to basal ganglia damage, processes related to the selection of response are also dysfunctional. However, the relevance of deficits in response selection to processes related to response inhibition in PD is not clear. In this study we examined these processes by means of event‐related potentials (ERPs) in two Go/Nogo tasks. In one task the stimulus–response mapping was compatible and in the other task it was incompatible with the meaning of the stimuli. The behavioural results show that PD patients were unaffected in the compatible response inhibition task but encountered problems in the incompatible one. In the ERPs the N2, generally reflecting response selection, was delayed for the PD compared to the control group. This suggests that response selection is delayed in PD. Moreover, the N2 was specifically enhanced in Nogo trials. This indicates that premotor inhibition, which is probably reflected by the Nogo‐N2, is intensified in PD. The P3 was specifically attenuated and delayed after Nogo stimuli in the incompatible condition for PDs. Assuming that the Nogo‐P3 reflects the evaluation of successful motor inhibition, our data show that this process is attenuated and delayed in PD but mainly in the incompatible task. The results suggest that inhibitory deficits in PD are only evident in complex (incompatible) stimulus–response mappings. These effects are probably due to an overstrain of striatal processes.
Paraventricular thalamus mediates context‐induced reinstatement (renewal) of extinguished reward seeking
Authors: Hamlin Adam S. , Clemens Kelly J. , Choi Eun A. , McNally Gavan P.
Published: February 2009

Paraventricular thalamus (PvTh) is uniquely placed to contribute to reinstatement of drug and reward seeking. It projects extensively to regions implicated in reinstatement including accumbens shell (AcbSh), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA), and receives afferents from other regions important for reinstatement such as lateral hypothalamus. We used complementary neuroanatomical and functional approaches to study the role of PvTh in context‐induced reinstatement (renewal) of extinguished reward‐seeking. Rats were trained to respond for a reward in context A, extinguished in context B and tested in context A or B. We applied the neuronal tracer cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) to AcbSh and examined retrograde‐labelled neurons, c‐Fos immunoreactivity (IR) and dual c‐Fos/CTb labelled neurons in PvTh and other AcbSh afferents. In PvTh there was c‐Fos IR in CTb‐positive neurons associated with renewal showing activation of a PvTh–AcbSh pathway during renewal. In PFC there was little c‐Fos IR in CTb‐positive or negative neurons associated with renewal. In BLA, two distinct patterns of activation and retrograde labelling were observed. In rostral BLA there was significant c‐Fos IR in CTb‐negative neurons associated with renewal. In caudal BLA there was significant c‐Fos IR in CTb‐positive neurons associated with being tested in either the extinction (ABB) or training (ABA) context. We then studied the functional role of PvTh in renewal. Excitotoxic lesions of PvTh prevented renewal. These lesions had no effect on the acquisition of reward seeking. These results show that PvTh mediates context‐induced reinstatement and that this renewal is associated with recruitment of a PvTh–AcbSh pathway.
Suppression of ipsilateral motor cortex facilitates motor skill learning
Authors: Kobayashi Masahito , Théoret Hugo , Pascual‐Leone Alvaro
Published: February 2009

The primary motor cortex (M1) plays a critical role in early aspects of motor skill learning. Given the notion of inter‐hemispheric competition, unilateral disruption of M1 may increase excitability of the unaffected motor cortex and thus improve motor learning with the ipsilateral hand. We applied slow‐frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) before the initiation of practice of a simple motor skill. Participants were randomly divided into three stimulation groups: (i) ipsilateral M1; (ii) contralateral M1; and (iii) Cz (control site). The mean execution time and error rate were recorded in four sessions distributed over 2 days. Disruption of M1 with rTMS slowed down skill acquisition with the contralateral hand, albeit non significantly, but paradoxically enhanced learning with the ipsilateral hand. This was evidenced by a significant decrease of execution time at the end of day 1 in the group that received rTMS over the ipsilateral M1 compared with both control groups (Cz and contralateral M1 stimulation). This supports the notion of inter‐hemispheric competition and provides novel insights that may be applicable to neurorehabilitation.
Cbln1 binds to specific postsynaptic sites at parallel fiber–Purkinje cell synapses in the cerebellum
Authors: Matsuda Keiko , Kondo Tetsuro , Iijima Takatoshi , Matsuda Shinji , Watanabe Masahiko , Yuzaki Michisuke
Published: February 2009

Cbln1, which belongs to the C1q/tumor necrosis factor superfamily, is a unique molecule that is not only required for maintaining normal parallel fiber (PF)–Purkinje cell synapses, but is also capable of inducing new PF synapses in adult cerebellum. Although Cbln1 is reportedly released from granule cells, where and how Cbln1 binds in the cerebellum has remained largely unclear, partly because Cbln1 undergoes proteolysis to yield various fragments that are differentially detected by different antibodies. To circumvent this problem, we characterized the Cbln1‐binding site using recombinant Cbln1. An immunohistochemical analysis revealed that recombinant Cbln1 preferentially bound to PF–Purkinje cell synapses in primary cultures and acute slice preparations in a saturable and replaceable manner. Specific binding was observed for intact Cbln1 that had formed a hexamer, but not for the N‐terminal or C‐terminal fragments of Cbln1 fused to other proteins. Similarly, mutant Cbln1 that had formed a trimer did not bind to the Purkinje cells. Immunoreactivity for the recombinant Cbln1 was observed in weaver cerebellum (which lacks granule cells) but was absent in pcd cerebellum (which lacks Purkinje cells), suggesting that the binding site was located on the postsynaptic sites of PF–Purkinje cell synapses. Finally, a subcellular fractionation analysis revealed that recombinant Cbln1 bound to the synaptosomal and postsynaptic density fractions. These results indicate that Cbln1, released from granule cells as hexamers, specifically binds to a putative receptor located at the postsynaptic sites of PF–Purkinje cell synapses, where it induces synaptogenesis.
Postanal repair – do the long‐term results justify the procedure?
Authors: Mackey P. , Mackey L. , Kennedy M. L , King D. W. , Newstead G. L. , Douglas P. R. , Lubowski D. Z.
Published: February 2009

Objective  Early outcomes after postanal repair (PAR) demonstrated excellent results but subsequent reports showed an ever declining success rate in maintaining continence. The aim of this study was to document long‐term continence after PAR and relate this to patient satisfaction and quality of life.

Method  Patients with neurogenic incontinence who underwent PAR from 1986 to 2002 were interviewed by telephone, utilizing a questionnaire which assessed continence, patient satisfaction, overall improvement, and quality of life.

Results  One‐hundred one patients from four surgeons were identified. Fifty‐four patients were excluded because of loss to follow‐up. Three had a stoma (two for incontinence), four had undergone a graciloplasty, leaving 57 patients (F = 53), mean duration of follow‐up of 9.1 years (2.2–18.7 years). Mean CCS was 11.7 (SD 7.4). 26% (n = 15) scored none to minimal incontinence (CCS 0–5), 26% moderate (CCS 6–12), and 48% (n = 27) severe incontinence (CCS 13–24). 79% (n = 45) were satisfied with the outcome. A low CCS significantly correlated with good patient satisfaction, and was influenced by high QOL score (P < 0.0001). A high CCS significantly correlated with high bowel frequency (P = 0.0007). A favourable CCS was associated with a good QOL, a shorter duration of follow‐up, and being able to distinguish flatus and stool.

Conclusions  In patients with neurogenic faecal incontinence selected following anorectal physiology studies, PAR remains a useful treatment. It is associated with low morbidity and results in a satisfactory long‐term subjective outcome, despite the fact that many patients have a high incontinence score.
Haemorrhoidectomy with Ligasure™vsconventional excisional techniques: meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Milito G. , Cadeddu F. , Muzi M. G. , Nigro C. , Farinon A. M.
Published: February 2009

Objective To compare the use of LigaSure devices with conventional excisional techniques, circular stapling and use of Harmonic Scalpel in patients with symptomatic haemorrhoids and to review literature on LigaSure technology (Valleylab Inc. USA).

Method A literature review was performed using the National Library of Medicine’s Pubmed Database using the keywords Ligasure, haemorrhoidectomy, vessel sealing technology. Randomized trials comparing LigaSure with other techniques of excisional haemorrhoidectomy with valid end points were reviewed in the present article and included in a quantitative meta‐analysis.

Results There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients cured after Ligasure haemorrhoidectomy or other excisional techniques (P > 0.05). Patients treated with LigaSure had a significantly shorter operative time (P < 0.001), postoperative pain VAS Score (P < 0.001), wound healing time and time‐off from work (P < 0.001), than the patients submitted to excisional techniques. Postoperative bleeding did not significantly differ between the two groups (P = 0.056); however, the surgeons observed a reduction of intra‐ and postoperative bleeding using LigaSure™. In comparison to the circular stapler and Harmonic Scalpel the authors found similar postoperative outcomes and a slightly favourable trend for LigaSure regarding postoperative complications, ease of handling and length of the procedure.

Conclusion Our meta‐analysis shows that Ligasure haemorrhoidectomy is a fast procedure characterized by limited postoperative pain, short hospitalization, fast wound healing and convalescence.
What is the real impact of bone pain on survival in patients with metastatic hormone‐refractory prostate cancer treated with docetaxel?
Authors: Oudard Stéphane , Banu Eugeniu , Medioni Jacques , Scotte Florian , Banu Adela , Levy Eric , Wasserman Johana , Kacso Gabriel , Andrieu Jean‐Marie
Published: February 2009

OBJECTIVES

To determine the benefit of starting early chemotherapy with docetaxel (the recommended first‐line treatment) for patients with asymptomatic metastatic hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data were analysed from 145 patients with HRPC treated with chemotherapy between February 2000 and June 2002 in one French centre. Eligible patients were categorized into three groups according to the bone pain at baseline, i.e. minimal/no pain, mild, and moderate/severe pain. The primary endpoint was the effect of bone pain on overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Docetaxel was administered to 67% of patients. The risk of death was 1.56 and 2.11 times higher for patients with mild or moderate/severe pain than for those with minimal/no pain (P = 0.027). The median (95% confidence interval (CI)) OS was 23.1 (18.5–27.6) and 14.1 (8.9–19.2) months (P = 0.001, log‐rank‐test) for patients with minimal pain or no pain treated with docetaxel‐based chemotherapy compared with mitoxantrone, respectively. The prostate‐specific antigen doubling time (PSA‐DT) had a significant effect on OS in patients with minimal/no pain, with a median of 32.4 and 16.5 months for a PSA‐DT of ≥45 and <45 days, respectively (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that patients with HRPC and minimal or no bone pain could have better survival than those with mild pain or moderate to severe pain, independent of the treatment administered. In addition, patients with HRPC and minimal or no bone pain treated with docetaxel‐based chemotherapy have a significantly better OS than those treated with mitoxantrone. The PSA‐DT can be useful to identify asymptomatic patients who are candidates for early treatment.
Prostate‐specific antigen kinetics in localized and advanced prostate cancer
Authors: Fitzpatrick John M. , Banu Eugeniu , Oudard Stephane
Published: February 2009

The successful management of prostate cancer requires early detection, appropriate risk assessment and optimum treatment. To this end, much research has been conducted over many years with the goal of identifying a reliable and easily measurable tumour marker that could be used on a large scale for the diagnosis, staging and monitoring of the disease. Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) was independently discovered by two groups in the 1960s and 1970s, in semen and prostate tissue, and given different names. It later became evident that these proteins were encoded by the same gene and were the same protein. PSA was then identified as a useful marker for assessing patients with prostate cancer during their follow‐up. In 1986, PSA was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to monitor prostate cancer, and in 1994 approved as a tool for detecting the disease in men aged ≥50 years. PSA is now the most widely used serum marker for detecting and monitoring prostate cancer, but its use as a diagnostic marker is controversial because it has several limitations, including its low specificity (PSA levels are also increased in benign prostatic hyperplasia, and in general inflammatory responses) and low sensitivity. Furthermore, PSA levels are highly variable over time, and PSA poorly distinguishes indolent from aggressive cancers. As such, the use of PSA level as a diagnostic tool can lead to over‐detection of cancers that pose little threat to health and/or life. Moreover, the impact of PSA screening on prostate cancer mortality rates remains controversial, and will do so until the results of currently ongoing randomized controlled studies in Europe and the USA become available. To overcome the limitations of using PSA, research on PSA kinetics has developed considerably in the last decade. We review publications on the added value of PSA kinetics compared with single PSA measurements in the early detection of prostate cancer, and in predicting the outcome of patients with localized and advanced disease.
Foreign Universities in China: a case study
Authors: ENNEW CHRISTINE T. , FUJIA YANG
Published: February 2009

The international dimension of higher education has expanded rapidly in recent decades and private provision is becoming increasingly widespread in response to the diverse pressures of globalisation, rapid expansion in demand and increased pressures on public finances. As higher education has become marketised, opportunities for international providers have increased dramatically. Foreign providers may opt for delivery locally or remotely and via a variety of different legal and organisational arrangements. The focus of this article is on foreign provision of HE with specific reference to China and the UK. In the period post‐Mao, the policy environment for higher education in China has changed dramatically, culminating in 2003 in the decision to allow foreign universities to formally establish partnerships with Chinese universities for the delivery of higher education. The development and operation of the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, is discussed in order to provide more detailed insights into the nature and challenges of delivering foreign HE provision in a Chinese context.
Genetic population structure of marine fish: mismatch between biological and fisheries management units
Authors: Reiss Henning , Hoarau Galice , Dickey‐Collas Mark , Wolff Wim J.
Published: February 2009

An essential prerequisite of a sustainable fisheries management is the matching of biologically relevant processes and management action. In fisheries management and assessment, fish stocks are the fundamental biological unit, but the reasoning for the operational management unit is often indistinct and mismatches between the biology and the management action frequently occur. Despite the plethora of population genetic data on marine fishes, to date little or no use is made of the information, despite the fact that the detection of genetic differentiation may indicate reproductively distinct populations. Here, we discuss key aspects of genetic population differentiation in the context of their importance for fisheries management. Furthermore, we evaluate the population structure of all 32 managed marine fish species in the north‐east Atlantic and relate this structure to current management units and practice. Although a large number of studies on genetic population structure have been published in the last decades, data are still rare for most exploited species. The mismatch between genetic population structure and the current management units found for six species (Gadus morhua, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Merlangius merlangus, Micromesistius poutassou, Merluccius merluccius and Clupea harengus), emphasizes the need for a revision of these units and questions the appropriateness of current management measures. The implementation of complex and dynamic population structures into novel and less static management procedures should be a primary task for future fisheries management approaches.
Spatial construction skills of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and young human children (Homo sapiens sapiens)
Authors: Potì Patrizia , Hayashi Misato , Matsuzawa Tetsuro
Published: February 2009

Spatial construction tasks are basic tests of visual‐spatial processing. Two studies have assessed spatial construction skills in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and young children (Homo sapiens sapiens) with a block modelling task. Study 1a subjects were three young chimpanzees and five adult chimpanzees. Study 1b subjects were 30 human children belonging to five age groups (24, 30, 36, 42, 48 months). Subjects were given three model constructions to reproduce: Line, Cross‐Stack and Arch, which differed in type and number of spatial relations and dimensions, but required comparable configurational understanding. Subjects’ constructions were rated for accuracy. Our results show that: (1) chimpanzees are relatively advanced in constructing in the vertical dimension; (2) Among chimpanzees only adults make accurate copies of constructions; (3) Chimpanzees do not develop in the direction of constructing in two dimensions as human children do starting from age 30 months. The pattern of development of construction skills in chimpanzees partially diverges from that of human children and indicates that spatial analysis and spatial representation are partially different in the two species.
Leveraging mobile technology for sustainable seamless learning: a research agenda
Authors: Looi Chee‐Kit , Seow Peter , Zhang BaoHui , So Hyo‐Jeong , Chen Wenli , Wong Lung‐Hsiang
Published: February 2009

Over the next 10 years, we anticipate that personal, portable, wirelessly networked technologies will become ubiquitous in the lives of learners—indeed, in many countries, this is already a reality. We see that ready‐to‐hand access creates the potential for a new phase in the evolution of technology‐enhanced learning, characterised by ‘seamless learning spaces’ and marked by continuity of the learning experience across different scenarios or contexts, and emerging from the availability of one device or more per student. The challenge is to enable learners to learn whenever they are curious and seamlessly switch between different contexts, such as between formal and informal contexts and between individual and social learning, and by extending the social spaces in which learners interact with each other. In this paper, we review the potential of mobile learning research for designing seamless learning environments that can bridge both formal and informal learning, present a research agenda and discuss important methodological issues that concern research into formal and informal learning.
e is for exploration: Assessing hard‐to‐measure learning outcomes
Authors: Shephard Kerry
Published: February 2009

The focus of this paper is on the use of e‐technologies to enable higher education to better assess aspects of learning that have proved difficult to assess using more conventional means. Higher education describes the knowledge and abilities it intends its graduates to have acquired before graduation, and it has a wide range of approaches to assess these. Higher education also seeks affective outcomes in the form of values, attitudes, behaviours and related attributes or dispositions, and these have consistently proved more difficult to assess by examination or assignment. After graduation, however, graduates are often assessed within the professions via portfolios, interview and peer or expert review. Assessment may focus on teamwork and networking skills, productivity, creativity and values fit to the profession. How can e‐technologies help with these forms of assessment? This paper reviews some of the e‐based approaches and explorations that have supported or could support assessment of affective attributes. At each stage, the paper seeks to establish the common elements of assessment in the different regimes and how e‐assessment contributes, or may contribute in the future. The paper concludes that many of the strengths of e‐assessment lend themselves to an evaluation paradigm rather than to conventional assessment for intended learning outcomes.
Neonatal Stepping in Relation to Terrestrial Optic Flow
Authors: Barbu‐Roth Marianne , Anderson David I. , Desprès Adeline , Provasi Joëlle , Cabrol Dominique , Campos Joseph J.
Published: February 2009

This experiment examined whether newborn stepping, a primitive form of bipedal locomotion, could be modulated by optical flow. Forty‐eight 3‐day‐old infants were exposed to optical flows that were projected onto a horizontal surface above which the infants were suspended. Significantly more air steps were elicited by exposure to a terrestrial optical flow specifying forward translation than by a rotating optical flow or a static optical pattern. Thus, a rudimentary coupling between optical flow and stepping is present at birth, suggesting a precocious capacity in the newborn to perceive and utilize visual information specifying self‐motion. The findings may help the early diagnosis of infants with visual or visual‐motor deficits and the development of visually based interventions for disabled infants.
A Horse of a Different Color: Specifying With Precision Infants’ Mappings of Novel Nouns and Adjectives
Authors: Booth Amy E. , Waxman Sandra R.
Published: February 2009

A precisely controlled automated procedure confirms a developmental decalage: Infants acquiring English link count nouns to object categories well before they link adjectives to properties. Fourteen‐ and 18‐month‐olds (n= 48 at each age) extended novel words presented as count nouns based on category membership rather than shared properties. When the same words were presented as adjectives, infants revealed no preference for either category‐ or property‐based extensions. The convergence between performance in this automated procedure and in more interactive tasks is striking. Perhaps more importantly, the automated task provides a methodological foundation for (a) exploring the development of form–meaning links in infants acquiring languages other than English and (b) investigating the time course underlying infants’ mapping of novel words to meaning.
A Cognitive Approach to the Development of Early Language
Authors: Rose Susan A. , Feldman Judith F. , Jankowski Jeffery J.
Published: February 2009

A controversial issue in the field of language development is whether language emergence and growth is dependent solely on processes specifically tied to language or could also depend on basic cognitive processes that affect all aspects of cognitive competence (domain‐general processes). The present article examines this issue using a large battery of infant information‐processing measures of memory, representational competence, processing speed, and attention, many of which have been shown to predict general cognition in a cohort of full‐terms and preterms. Results showed that various aspects of infant memory and representational competence (a) related to language at both 12 and 36 months, (b) predicted similarly for the two groups, and (c) predicted 36‐month language, independently of birth status, 12‐month language, and the 12‐month Bayley Mental Development Index. Additionally, the results established predictive validity for the MacArthur 12‐month language measure. These findings support a domain‐general view of language.
Time Course of Visual Attention in Infant Categorization of Cats Versus Dogs: Evidence for a Head Bias as Revealed Through Eye Tracking
Authors: Quinn Paul C. , Doran Matthew M. , Reiss Jason E. , Hoffman James E.
Published: February 2009

Previous looking time studies have shown that infants use the heads of cat and dog images to form category representations for these animal classes. The present research used an eye‐tracking procedure to determine the time course of attention to the head and whether it reflects a preexisting bias or online learning. Six‐ to 7‐month‐olds were familiarized with cats or dogs in upright or inverted orientations and then tested with a novel cat and novel dog in the same orientation. In the upright orientation, infants fixated head over body throughout familiarization; with inversion, no head preference was observed. These findings suggest that infant reliance on the head to categorize cats versus dogs results from a bias that pushes attention to the head.
Face Adaptation and Attractiveness Aftereffects in 8‐Year‐Olds and Adults
Authors: Anzures Gizelle , Mondloch Catherine J. , Lackner Christine
Published: February 2009

A novel method was used to investigate developmental changes in face processing: attractiveness aftereffects. Consistent with the norm‐based coding model, viewing consistently distorted faces shifts adults’ attractiveness preferences toward the adapting stimuli. Thus, adults’ attractiveness judgments are influenced by a continuously updated face prototype. To investigate the development of this process, a novel method was developed for 8‐year‐olds. After reading a storybook composed of faces with either compressed or expanded features, 8‐year‐olds’ ratings of faces distorted in the direction of the adapting stimuli increased. Nonetheless, they required larger distortions than adults to rate undistorted faces as most attractive preadaptation. Thus, although 8‐year‐olds’ attractiveness preferences are influenced by a continuously updated prototype, their face space is less refined than that of adults.
Children’s Group Nous: Understanding and Applying Peer Exclusion Within and Between Groups
Authors: Abrams Dominic , Rutland Adam , Pelletier Joseph , Ferrell Jennifer M
Published: February 2009

In Study 1, 167 English children aged 6–8 or 9–11 evaluated peer English or French soccer fans that were loyal or partially disloyal. In Study 2, 149 children aged 5–11 made judgments about generic inclusion norms between and within competitive groups. In both studies, children’s understanding of intergroup inclusion/exclusion norms (group nous) was predicted by theory of social mind (a social perspective taking measure) but not multiple classification skill. In Study 2, the number of groups children belonged to (an index of peer group experience) also predicted group nous. Supporting the developmental subjective group dynamics model (D. Abrams, A. Rutland, & L. Cameron, 2003), children’s experience and perspective taking help them make sense of inter‐ and intragroup inclusion and exclusion.
Temperament, Harsh and Indulgent Parenting, and Chinese Children’s Proactive and Reactive Aggression
Authors: Xu Yiyuan , Farver Jo Ann M. , Zhang Zengxiu
Published: February 2009

This study examined the additive and interactive effects of temperament and harsh and indulgent parenting on Chinese children’s proactive and reactive aggression. Participants were 401 children (Mage = 9.29 years, 203 girls) and their parents who were recruited from 2 elementary schools in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. The results showed that children’s sensation seeking was associated with proactive aggression, whereas anger/frustration was associated with reactive aggression. Both subtypes of aggression were negatively related to children’s effortful control but positively related to harsh parenting. Significant Temperament × Temperament and Parenting × Temperament interactions were also found. The findings point to similarities and differences between proactive and reactive aggression in relation to children’s temperament and harsh and indulgent parenting in the Chinese context.
Does Equal Pay Legislation Reduce Labour Market Inequality?
Authors: Kaas Leo
Published: February 2009

This paper considers a labour market model of monopsonistic competition with taste‐based discrimination against minority workers to study the effect of equal pay legislation on labour market inequality. When the taste for discrimination is small or competition is weak, the policy removes job segregation and the wage gap completely. However, with a bigger taste for discrimination or stronger competition, equal pay legislation leads to more job segregation, and sometimes minority workers end up earning less than before. Profits of discriminating firms might increase, and discrimination can persist in the long run, although it would have disappeared without the policy.
Paternalism and Tax Competition
Authors: Kotakorpi Kaisa
Published: February 2009

When consumers make mistakes, the government may wish to use paternalistic taxation as a corrective measure. We analyse the extent to which tax competition undermines the feasibility of paternalistic taxation. We show that the paternalistic component of a tax on a harmful good is reduced when there is cross‐border shopping, but it does not disappear altogether. In a model with tax competition between two countries, only one of which has a paternalistic objective, we show that a minimum tax rate requirement can be Pareto improving despite the divergence in policy objectives. Tax harmonization, however, reduces welfare in the non‐paternalistic country.
Anxious Solitude, Unsociability, and Peer Exclusion in Middle Childhood: A Multitrait–Multimethod Matrix
Authors: Spangler Tamara , Gazelle Heidi
Published: February 2009

This study examines convergent and divergent validity for middle childhood anxious solitude, unsociability, and peer exclusion as assessed by five informants (peers, teachers, observers, the self, and parents). Participants were 163 (67 male, 96 female) third grade children (M age = 8.70 years). Parent reports were available for a subset of the sample (N = 95). Validity was analyzed via multitrait–multimethod correlation matrices and structural equation models. Results indicate that anxious solitude and peer exclusion have better convergent and divergent validity than unsociability, although there is evidence of shared method variance for all constructs. Peers have the best combination of convergent and divergent validity, and parents, the worst; teachers, observers, and the self demonstrated mid‐level validity.
Sticks and Stones: The Effects of Teasing on Psychosocial Functioning in an Overweight Treatment‐seeking Sample
Authors: Quinlan Nicole P. , Hoy Melanie B. , Costanzo Philip R.
Published: February 2009

This self‐report and observational study explores the relationship between perceptions of different kinds of teasing experiences and psychosocial functioning in an overweight treatment‐seeking adolescent population. Participants were 96 adolescents enrolled in a residential weight‐loss camp program. Prior to the start of treatment, participants' weight status was measured by trained program staff, and participants' perceptions of teasing experiences and psychosocial functioning were assessed through self‐report questionnaires. Controlling for body mass index, more frequent and upsetting weight‐related teasing experiences were associated with worse psychological functioning. Adolescents most distressed by weight‐related teasing exhibited lower self‐esteem and higher depressive symptoms regardless of reported frequency of weight‐related teasing. Competence‐related teasing was also associated with more worries about weight, greater depressive symptoms, and more negative anti‐fat attitudes. Weight‐related teasing, but not competence‐related teasing, was associated with lower levels of program and social involvement for heavier adolescents.
Rethinking agency: persons and things in the heterotopia of ‘traditional Indian craft’
Authors: Venkatesan Soumhya
Published: February 2009

Based on ethnography among handloom mat‐weavers in South India, this article asks how persons and things become agents, and what this process involves. Foucault's concept of the heterotopia is utilized to think through the puzzle seen in ‘traditional Indian craft’, but not restricted to it: why and how are certain marginalized persons and things brought by powerful others to the centre of a framed social space? How does this repositioning simultaneously enhance and constrain the capacity of these persons and things to act effectively? The article also proposes a way of thinking about acting things while avoiding the problem of intentionality.

Sur la base d'un travail d'ethnographie parmi les tisserands de tapis handloom d'Inde du Sud, l'auteur s'interroge sur la façon dont les personnes et les objets deviennent des agents et sur ce qu'implique ce processus. Le concept d'hétérotopie de Foucault est mis à contribution pour résoudre l'énigme de «l'artisanat indien traditionnel», sans toutefois s'y limiter : pourquoi et comment certaines personnes et certains objets marginalisés sont‐ils amenés par d'autres, plus puissants, au centre d'un espace social encadré? Comment ce repositionnement accroît‐il et restreint‐il à la fois la capacité d'agir efficacement de ces personnes et de ces objets? L'article propose également une approche de la réflexion sur les objets agissants, tout en évitant l'écueil de l'intentionnalité.
Neglect as project: how two societies forget
Authors: Littlewood Roland
Published: February 2009

A new dispensation demands that details, indeed memories, of the old ways be forgotten as fresh ideals and modes of action become paramount. This article proposes that an initial step in forgetting involves neglect – more specifically the neglect of certain patterns of comportment or material evidence or practice that recall a past now considered undesirable. In a millennialist Caribbean community, past memories and technical practices are discouraged by ‘ideological work’ that constantly weighs the old order against a new world in the process of creation: ‘directed forgetting’. For a post‐communist Albanian village, by contrast, neglecting a technology appears a more transparently ‘spontaneous’ process. For both, memories are insubstantiated in an older material world, which must be avoided or destroyed.

La tendance est aujourd'hui à vouloir oublier les détails, voire les souvenirs, des anciennes manières de faire lorsque les idées et les modes d'action nouveaux deviennent prédominants. L'article part de l'idée que l'oubli commence par la négligence, et plus précisément par la négligence de certains modes de comportement ou signes et pratiques matérielles rappelant un passé considéré comme désormais indésirable. Dans une communauté millénariste des Caraïbes, les souvenirs et pratiques techniques du passé sont découragés par un «travail idéologique» qui met constamment en regard l'ordre ancien et le monde nouveau dans un processus de création : l'oubli «dirigé». Dans un village albanais postcommuniste, en revanche, le fait de négliger une technologie apparaît comme un processus spontané plus transparent. Dans les deux cas, les souvenirs sont consubstantiels d'un monde matériel ancien, qui doit être évité ou détruit.
On vegetable love: gardening, plants, and people in the north of England
Authors: Degnen Cathrine
Published: February 2009

A dominant model in the West has metaphorically likened the human body to a machine since at least the time of the Enlightenment. Drawing on research in the north of England with gardeners, this article explores a different set of associations. I consider the implications of English gardening practices and knowledge that insist on reciprocal parallels between human bodies and intentionality and those of plants. While humans are not equated with plants, plants are incorporated into a worldview that is not straightforwardly mechanistic. I discuss the implications of describing these connections between plants and people as ‘simply’ metaphorical, arguing instead for a theoretical framing that seeks analytical space beyond metaphor.

La comparaison du corps humain à une machine est une métaphore dominante dans la pensée occidentale depuis le Siècle des Lumières au moins. À partir de recherches menées dans le Nord de l'Angleterre auprès de jardiniers, l'auteure explore un autre ensemble d'associations. Elle examine les implications des pratiques et connaissances du jardinage en Angleterre qui mettent l'accent sur des parallèles réciproques entre le corps et l'intentionnalité des humains et ceux des plantes. Bien que les humains ne soient pas assimilés aux végétaux, les plantes sont intégrées dans une vision du monde qui n'est pas rigoureusement mécaniste. L'auteure examine les implications qu'aurait une approche «simplement» métaphorique de ces liens entre plantes et personnes et avance qu'il faut, pour les décrire, un cadre théorique dont l'espace analytique irait au‐delà de la métaphore.
Long‐term outcome of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate use against hepatitis B in an HIV‐coinfected cohort
Authors: Alvarez‐Uria G , Ratcliffe L , Vilar JF
Published: February 2009

Objectives

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is active against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV. However, the long‐term efficacy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is not well known and the appearance of resistance is a major concern. We have studied the efficacy of TDF against HBV in patients treated at an Infectious Diseases Unit.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective observational study of the efficacy of TDF against HBV replication in a cohort of 52 HIV‐coinfected patients who received TDF for at least 6 months.

Results

The median duration of follow‐up of TDF treatment was 34 months. Forty‐one patients (79%) were positive for HBV envelope antigen (HBeAg) and 35 had received previous lamivudine monotherapy for a median duration of 32 months. Virological breakthrough was observed in nine cases (17%). At the end of the follow‐up period, HBV DNA levels were <1000 copies/mL in 42 patients (81%) and <200 copies/mL in 31 patients (60%). There were no significant differences between the lamivudine‐naïve and lamivudine‐experienced groups. In the lamivudine‐experienced group, the duration of previous lamivudine monotherapy was associated with failure to achieve HBV DNA levels <200 copies/mL (P=0.036). Adding lamivudine or emtricitabine to TDF did not improve virological suppression. In 39 patients who achieved <200 HBV DNA copies/mL during TDF treatment, virological breakthrough was seen only in two patients (5%) after a median follow‐up duration of 39.7 months.

Conclusions

TDF was able to control HBV replication in most HIV‐coinfected patients after a median follow‐up duration of 34 months, regardless of previous lamivudine treatment. However, a sizeable proportion of patients developed virological breakthrough.