bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Language development in school‐age girls with fragile X syndrome
Authors: Sterling A. , Abbeduto L.
Published: June 2012

Background  Girls with fragile X syndrome (FXS) have a wide range of cognitive and language abilities. The range of language outcomes experienced by girls with FXS, however, has been relatively unexplored. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine receptive and expressive language, with a focus on vocabulary and syntax, in a group of school‐age girls with FXS.

Method  Twenty‐one girls with FXS aged 7–15 years participated in the study. The girls completed a receptive vocabulary test, non‐verbal IQ test and an expressive language sample.

Results  The mean IQ for this group of girls was at the cut‐off for intellectual disability. Vocabulary was an area of strength relative to non‐verbal cognition. Age and non‐verbal IQ were significant predictors of vocabulary performance.

Conclusions  The data suggest that a substantial portion of the sample would qualify for speech and language services. This study highlights the need for continued research in the area of language and cognitive development in girls with the full mutation of fragile X.
What are the potential outcomes of integrating emotionally competent behaviours into the care of psychiatric patients?
Authors: DOAS M. D.
Published: June 2012

Accessible summary

Psychiatric nurses regularly encounter stressful clinical situations.

Today's challenging behavioural/psychiatric healthcare environments may impede a nurse's ability to demonstrate emotionally competent behaviours.

Emotional competence refers to one's ability to effectively express or release inner feelings. It also implies mutual respect for others and the ability to effectively communicate and participate in productive interpersonal interactions.

Emotionally competent nurses effectively deal with their emotions in stressful situations without suppressing others or their emotions.

This descriptive study explored the concept of emotional competence in inpatient psychiatric nurse's daily interactions. Psychiatric registered nurses were asked to identify interactions of emotional competence they experienced on the nursing unit. Content analysis revealed deficits in self‐awareness, mood management and managing relationships.
Regional differences in cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) slow wave activity and interhemispheric EEG asymmetry in the fur seal
Authors: LYAMIN OLEG I. , PAVLOVA IVETTA F. , KOSENKO PETER O. , MUKHAMETOV LEV M. , SIEGEL JEROME M.
Published: June 2012

Slow wave sleep (SWS) in the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) is characterized by a highly expressed interhemispheric electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry, called ‘unihemispheric’ or ‘asymmetrical’ SWS. The aim of this study was to examine the regional differences in slow wave activity (SWA; power in the range of 1.2–4.0 Hz) within one hemisphere and differences in the degree of interhemispheric EEG asymmetry within this species. Three seals were implanted with 10 EEG electrodes, positioned bilaterally (five in each hemisphere) over the frontal, occipital and parietal cortex. The expression of interhemispheric SWA asymmetry between symmetrical monopolar recordings was estimated based on the asymmetry index [AI = (L−R)/(L+R), where L and R are the power in the left and right hemispheres, respectively]. Our findings indicate an anterior–posterior gradient in SWA during asymmetrical SWS in fur seals, which is opposite to that described for other mammals, including humans, with a larger SWA recorded in the parietal and occipital cortex. Interhemispheric EEG asymmetry in fur seals was recorded across the entire dorsal cerebral cortex, including sensory (visual and somatosensory), motor and associative (parietal or suprasylvian) cortical areas. The expression of asymmetry was greatest in occipital–lateral and parietal derivations and smallest in frontal–medial derivations. Regardless of regional differences in SWA, the majority (90%) of SWS episodes with interhemispheric EEG asymmetry meet the criteria for ‘unihemispheric SWS’ (one hemisphere is asleep while the other is awake). The remaining episodes can be described as episodes of bilateral SWS with a local activation in one cerebral hemisphere.
Treating hepatitis C: current standard of care and emerging direct‐acting antiviral agents
Authors: Poordad F. , Dieterich D.
Published: June 2012

Summary.  During the late 1990s and early 2000s, major advances were made in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Interferon, combination interferon plus ribavirin (RBV) and pegylated interferon plus RBV increased sustained virologic response (SVR) rates from ∼5% to ∼40–80%, depending on the genotype of HCV infection. Advances in molecular biology have allowed investigators to begin to understand the mechanisms of HCV infection and replication. Advances in understanding of viral kinetics have provided tools to identify patients who are most likely to attain SVR. With the advances in the science of HCV infection, the first part of the 21st century has seen the development and early introduction of a number of direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) drugs. These novel medications interfere with critical steps in HCV replication and have the potential to significantly increase SVR rates. This article will review the key elements of HCV replication and evaluate the various classes of new and investigational DAA that have the potential to create a revolution in the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Physiology and development of the M and S molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae in Burkina Faso (West Africa)
Authors: MOULINE K. , MAMAI W. , AGNEW P. , TCHONFIENET M. , BRENGUES C. , DABIRE R. , ROBERT V. , SIMARD F.
Published: June 2012

In West Africa, M and S molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) Giles, frequently occur together, although with different population bionomics. The S form typically breeds in rain‐dependant water collections and is present during the rainy season only whereas the M form can thrive all year long in areas with permanent breeding opportunities. In the present study, we explored physiological and developmental trade‐offs at play in laboratory colonies and field populations of the M and S forms that originated from an area of sympatry in Burkina Faso, where M and S larvae exhibit such habitat segregation. In the laboratory, larvae of the M form developed slower than the S form (mean values 9.51 and 8.85 days, respectively, Wilcoxon's test, P < 0.001).

Although wing length and dry weight at emergence showed large variations, M females were on average 8% heavier than S females of similar wing length. Higher nutritional reserves (proteins and lipids) in teneral adults explained part of this weight difference, reflecting a better ability of the M form to garner resources at the larval stage. Furthermore, a higher rate of ovarian maturation was observed in the M form after a single bloodmeal. The relevance of these findings for parasite transmission is discussed.
Different biogeographic patterns of prokaryotes and microbial eukaryotes in epilithic biofilms
Authors: RAGON MARIE , FONTAINE MICHAËL C. , MOREIRA DAVID , LÓPEZ‐GARCÍA PURIFICACIÓN
Published: June 2012

Microbial biogeography studies expend much effort in determining whether environmental selection or stochastic processes related to dispersal are more important in shaping community composition. While both types of factors are possibly influential, it is tacitly assumed that protists, or microbial eukaryotes in general, behave biogeographically as prokaryotes because of their small physical size. However, direct evidence for this in exactly the same environment and at the same phylogenetic depth is lacking. In this study, we compared the structure of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic components of microbial communities forming biofilms on mineral substrates in different geographic locations at the level of small‐subunit (SSU) rRNA‐based operational taxonomic units (OTUs). These microbial communities are subjected to strong environmental selection and contain significant proportions of extremophilic microorganisms adapted to desiccation and UV radiation. We find that the nature of the substrate as well as climatic variables and geography influences microbial community structure. However, constrained correspondence analyses and distance–decay curves showed that, whereas the substrate type was the most significant factor structuring bacterial communities, geographic location was the most influential factor for microbial eukaryote communities. Biological explanations implying a higher dispersal success for bacteria combined with more mobile lifestyles for predatory protists may underlie these different prokaryote versus microbial eukaryote biogeographic patterns.
Relationship between baseline impedance levels and esophageal mucosal integrity in children with erosive and non‐erosive reflux disease
Authors: Borrelli O. , Salvatore S. , Mancini V. , Ribolsi M. , Gentile M. , Bizzarri B. , Cicala M. , Lindley K. J. , de’Angelis G. L.
Published: June 2012

Background  Baseline impedance measurement has been reported to be related to esophageal acid exposure and hypothesized to be a marker of microscopic changes of the esophageal mucosa. Aims of the study were to establish whether any relationship existed between the magnitude of intercellular space diameter (ISD) of esophageal mucosa and baseline impedance levels in children with gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GERD), and to compare baseline impedance levels between children with non erosive (NERD) and erosive (ERD) reflux disease.

Methods  Fifteen children (median age: 11.2 years) with NERD, and 11 with ERD (median age: 9.6 years) were prospectively studied. All patients underwent upper endoscopy. Biopsies were taken 2–3 cm above the Z‐line, and ISD was measured using transmission electron microscopy. All patients underwent impedance pH‐monitoring, and baseline impedance levels were assessed in the most distal impedance channel.

Key Results  Mean (±SD) ISD did not differ between NERD (1.0 ± 0.3 μm) and ERD (1.1 ± 0.3 μm, ns). Considering all patients together, no correlation was found between distal baseline impedance and ISD (r: −0.15; ns). Conversely, negative correlations were found between distal baseline impedance and acid exposure time (r: −0.76; P < 0.001), long‐lasting reflux episodes (r: −0.78; P < 0.001), acid reflux episodes (r: −0.62; P < 0.001), and acid clearance time (r: −0.79; P < 0.001). Distal baseline impedance was significantly lower in ERD [1455 (947–2338) Ω] than in NERD children [3065 (2253–3771) Ω; P < 0.01].

Conclusions & Inferences  In children with GERD baseline impedance levels are not useful in predicting reflux‐induced ultrastructural changes in the esophageal mucosa, despite their ability to discriminate between NERD and ERD.
Reduced expression of antimicrobial PLUNC proteins in nasal polyp tissues of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Seshadri S. , Lin D. C. , Rosati M. , Carter R. G. , Norton J. E. , Suh L. , Kato A. , Chandra R. K. , Harris K. E. , W. Chu H. , Peters A. T. , Tan B. K. , Conley D. B. , Grammer L. C. , Kern R. C. , Schleimer R. P.
Published: June 2012

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a disease characterized by inflammation of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. This inflammation may result in part from decreased epithelial barrier and innate immune responses, leading to frequent bacterial and fungal colonization. The objectives of this study were to investigate the expression of innate immune proteins of the palate lung and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) family in patients with CRS.

Methods

Nasal tissue samples were collected from control subjects and CRS patients with and without nasal polyps. Expression of the members of the PLUNC family was analyzed by real‐time PCR. Expression of SPLUNC1 and LPLUNC2 proteins was analyzed by ELISA, immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

Levels of mRNA for most of the members of the PLUNC family were profoundly reduced in nasal polyps (NPs) compared to uncinate tissue from control subjects or patients with CRS. LPLUNC2 and SPLUNC1 proteins were decreased in NPs of patients with CRS compared to uncinate tissue from control subjects. Immunohistochemical data revealed that within submucosal glands of sinonasal tissues, SPLUNC1 and LPLUNC2 were differentially expressed, in serous and mucous cells, respectively. The decrease in the expression of these molecules is probably explained by a decrease in the number of glands in NPs as revealed by correlations with levels of the glandular marker lactoferrin.

Conclusions

Decreased SPLUNC1 and LPLUNC2 in NPs reflect a profound decrease in the number of submucosal glands. Decreased glands may lead to a localized defect in the production and release of glandular innate defense molecules.
Human platelet antigen genotypes in Turkish and Caucasian blood donors in Germany
Authors: Hauck‐Dlimi B. , Hammon K. , Eckstein R. , Ott S. , Zimmermann R. , Dengler T. , Ringwald J.
Published: June 2012

Exposition to allogenic human platelet antigens (HPAs) can lead to antibody formation causing neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT), post‐transfusion purpura or platelet (PLT) transfusion refractoriness. The frequencies of HPA differ between ethnical groups which could be associated with different potential alloimmunization risk. The Turkish population is the largest ethnic minority group living in Germany. However, no data are available about the HPA frequency among Turkish population. We compared the frequency of HPA between Caucasian and Turkish blood donors. DNA from blood samples of 119 Caucasian and 117 Turkish blood donors was isolated. The genotype of HPA‐1, ‐2, ‐3 ‐4, ‐5 and ‐15 was determined using a commercialized polymerase chain reaction kit with sequence‐specific primers. In Turkish blood donors, the gene frequencies of HPA‐1a/1b, ‐2a/2b, ‐3a/3b, ‐4a/4b, ‐5a/5b and ‐15a/15b were 0.863/0.137, 0.868/0.133, 0.607/0.393, 0.996/0.004, 0.893/0.107 and 0.474/0.256, respectively. In Caucasians, we observed 0.798/0.202, 0.908/0.092, 0.567/0.432, 1.000/0.000, 0.916/0.084 and 0.517/0.483 for HPA‐1a/1b, ‐2a/2b, ‐3a/3b, ‐4a/4b, ‐5a/5b and ‐15a/15b, respectively. No statistically significant difference between genotypes in these populations could be observed. Due to the similar distribution of HPA genotypes in both ethnical groups, no increased risk of NAIT for children of mixed couples or of post‐transfusion purpura or PLT transfusion refractoriness secondary to antibodies to HPAs for recipients of PLT concentrates from blood donors of the other ethnicity is given.
Relevance of maintenance triple‐drug immunosuppression to bridle the amplification of rat cytomegalovirus infection after experimental lung transplantation
Authors: Lehle K. , von Suesskind‐Schwendi M. , Diez C. , Michl M. , Geissler E.K. , Wottge H.U. , Schmid C. , Hirt S.W.
Published: June 2012

Immunosuppressive therapy required to treat rejection after lung transplantation (LTx) contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease. In a weak allogeneic left LTx model in the rat (Fisher 344 [F344] to Wistar Kyoto [WKY] rats) we analyzed the influence of acute CMV infection on postoperative day (POD) 3, with application of standard triple‐drug immunosuppression (TD‐IS) (cyclosporin A, azathioprine, prednisolone) on late outcome after LTx. Native right lungs and syngeneic grafts (WKY to WKY) served as controls. Rats were sacrificed on POD 15, 30, 60, and 100. TD‐IS completely prevented acute and chronic rejection in non‐infected rats. Allografts of CMV‐infected rats treated with TD‐IS showed only mild perivascular infiltrations in 6/10 rats (POD 15 and 30), which persisted up to POD 100 in 4/10 rats. In the long‐term course, mild isolated interstitial and alveolar changes were found in 40% of these animals. In conclusion, rat CMV infection partially neutralized the immunosuppressive effect of TD‐IS. However, an amplification of CMV infection under TD‐IS can be controlled and does not result in fatal outcome.
Non‐tuberculous mycobacterial infection among lung transplant recipients: a 15‐year cohort study
Authors: Knoll B.M. , Kappagoda S. , Gill R.R. , Goldberg H.J. , Boyle K. , Baden L.R. , Fuhlbrigge A.L. , Marty F.M.
Published: June 2012

Background

The incidence of infection with non‐tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) after lung transplant is insufficiently defined. Data on the impact of NTM infection on lung transplant survival are conflicting.

Methods

To quantify the incidence and outcomes of colonization and disease with NTM in patients after lung transplantation, the medical records, chest imaging, and microbiology data of 237 consecutive lung transplant recipients between 1990 and 2005 were reviewed. American Thoracic Society (ATS)/Infectious Diseases Society of America and Centers for Disease Control criteria were used to define pulmonary NTM disease and NTM surgical‐site infections (SSI), respectively. Incidence rates for NTM colonization and disease were calculated. Comparisons of median survival were done using the log‐rank test.

Results

NTM were isolated from 53 of 237 patients (22.4%) after lung transplantation over a median of 25.2 months of follow‐up. The incidence rate of NTM isolation was 9.0/100 person‐years (95% confidence interval [CI), 6.8–11.8), and the incidence rate of NTM disease was 1.1/100 person‐years (95% CI 0.49–2.2). The most common NTM isolated was
Mycobacterium avium complex (69.8%), followed by
Mycobacterium abscessus (9.4%), and
Mycobacterium gordonae (7.5%). Among these 53 patients, only 2 patients met ATS criteria for pulmonary disease and received treatment for
M. avium. One patient had recurrent colonization after treatment, the other one was cured. Four of the 53 patients developed SSI, 3 caused by
M. abscessus and 1 caused by
Mycobacterium chelonae. Three of these patients had persistent infection requiring chronic suppressive therapy and one died from progressive disseminated disease. A total of 47 (89%) patients who met microbiologic but not radiographic criteria for pulmonary infection were not treated and were found to have only transient colonization. Median survival after transplantation was not different between patients with transient colonization who did not receive treatment and those who never had NTM isolated.

Conclusion

Episodic isolation of NTM from lung transplant recipients is common. Most isolates occur among asymptomatic patients and are transient. Rapidly growing NTM can cause significant SSI, which may be difficult to cure. NTM disease rate is higher among lung transplant recipients than in the general population. In this cohort, NTM isolation was not associated with increased post‐transplantation mortality.
The effect of historical legacy on adaptation: do closely related species respond to the environment in the same way?
Authors: PRUNIER R. , HOLSINGER K. E. , CARLSON J. E.
Published: June 2012

The many documented examples of parallel and convergent evolution in similar environments are strong evidence for the role of natural selection in the evolution of trait variation. However, species may respond to selection in different ways; idiosyncrasies of their evolutionary history may affect how different species respond to the same selective pressure. To determine whether evolutionary history affects trait–environment associations in a recently diverged lineage, we investigated within‐species trait–environment associations in the white proteas, a closely related monophyletic group. We first used manovas to determine the relative importance of shared response to selection, evolutionary history and unique responses to selection on trait variation. We found that on average, similar associations to the environment across species explained trait variation, but that the species had different mean trait values. We also detected species‐specific associations of traits with the environmental gradients. To identify the traits associated uniquely with the environment, we used a structural equation model. Our analysis showed that the species differed in how their traits were associated with each of the environmental variables. Further, in the cases of two root traits (root mass and root length/mass ratio), two species differed in the direction of their associations (e.g. populations in one species had heavier roots in warmer areas, and populations in the other species had lighter roots in warmer areas). Our study shows that even in a closely related group of species, evolutionary history may have an effect on both the size and direction of adaptations to the environment.
Ultrastructure of hydathode trichomes of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus alectorolophus and Odontites vernus: how important is their role in physiology and evolution of parasitism in Orobanchaceae?
Authors: Těšitel J. , Tesařová M.
Published: June 2012

The Rhinanthoid clade of the family Orobanchaceae comprises plants displaying a hemiparasitic or holoparasitic strategy of resource acquisition. Some of its species (mainly Rhinanthus spp.) are often used as models for studies of hemiparasite physiology. Although there is a well‐developed concept covering their physiological processes, most recent studies have neglected the existence of hydathode trichomes present on leaves of these hemiparasitic plants. As a first step for the proposed integration of these structures in the theory of physiological processes of the hemiparasites, we described the outer micromorphology and ultrastructure of the hydathode trichomes on leaves of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus alectorolophus and Odontites vernus with scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively). The TEM inspections of both types of trichome revealed typical ultrastructural features: labyrinthine cell wall, high content of cytoplasm in cells with numerous mitochondria and presence of plasmodesmata. All these features indicate high metabolic activity complying with their function as glandular trichomes actively secreting water. The active secretion of water by the hydathode trichomes (evidence for which is summarised here) also presents a possible mechanism explaining results of previous gas exchange measurements detecting high dark respiration and transpiration rates and a tight inter‐correlation between them in hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae. In addition, this process is hypothesised to have allowed multiple evolutionary transitions from facultative to obligate hemiparasitism and unique xylem‐feeding holoparasitism of Lathraea with a long‐lived underground stage featuring a rhizome covered by scales of leaf origin.
Biased sex ratios, mating frequency andNosemaprevalence in European corn borer, at low population densities
Authors: White J. A. , Burkness E. C. , Hutchison W. D.
Published: June 2012

The widespread adoption of transgenicBtmaize in the Midwestern United States has led to historically low populations of the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis(Hübner). Reduced population densities might influence mating and/or disease dynamics inO. nubilalis, potentially amplifying or diminishing the benefits of areawide suppression. We hypothesized thatO. nubilalismating success and infection by the microsporidiumNosema pyraustaPaillot would be decreased in areas of low pest density. Over 2 years (2009, 2010), we collected moths from black‐light traps, evaluating sex ratio, mating status and infection byNosema. We found several locations that exhibited female‐biased sex ratios: to our knowledge, this is the first report of female‐biased sex ratios inO. nubilalisin the Midwestern United States. Despite this bias and subsequent rareness of males, proportion mating was still high (>90%) in most locations, and there were no statistically significant relationships among population density (as measured by black‐light trap catch), sex ratio and proportion of female moths that were mated.Nosemaprevalence was highly variable among locations, ranging from 0% to 87% of female moths infected.Nosemainfection was not significantly related to population density in either year, but was positively associated with sex ratio in 2009. It is possible thatNosemaor some other microbe may be manipulating reproduction inO. nubilalis. Regardless of mechanism, our results indicate thatNosemais being maintained inO. nubilalis, which is an encouraging indication that this important natural enemy may continue to provide biological control to complement transgenic technology. Additional surveys are warranted to better understand the extent of female‐biased sex ratios in low‐density populations ofO. nubilalis. Population models developed for studying the risk ofBtresistance in this pest should consider the possible impact of female‐biased sex ratios (vs. the conventional 1 : 1 sex ratio).
Larval competition within and between insecticide resistant and susceptible individuals in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis
Authors: Okuyama T. , Hsu J.‐C.
Published: June 2012

Insecticide resistance is a serious issue in agriculture. Ecological interactions may be used to manage the spread of resistance, but little information is currently available. In particular, virtually none is known about interactions between resistant and susceptible individuals. This study investigated competition between resistant and susceptible oriental fruit fly larvae (Bactrocera dorsalis). Competition in the larval stage was examined with an explicit consideration of individual identity (resistant or susceptible). Guava fruits were inoculated with eggs of susceptible and/or resistant flies, and their development and survival were monitored. Egg density influenced the time that larvae stayed in fruits as well as their survival. In addition, susceptible flies survived better when interacting with resistant flies than with other susceptible flies, indicating that susceptible flies are competitively superior to resistant flies. The results suggest that artificially creating environments that induce competition between susceptible and resistant flies can be useful for the management of insecticide resistance.
Effects of carbapenems and their combination with amikacin on murine gut colonisation by Candida albicans
Authors: Samonis George , Galanakis Emmanouil , Ntaoukakis Markos , Sarchianaki Emmanouela , Spathopoulou Thomai , Dimopoulou Dimitra , Kofteridis Diamantis P. , Maraki Sofia
Published: June 2012

Carbapenems are broad‐spectrum antibiotics increasingly used for the treatment of severe infections. We evaluated the effects of four carbapenems given as monotherapies or in combination with amikacin on the level of gastrointestinal colonisation by Candida albicans in a previously established mouse model. Adult male Crl : CD1 (ICR) BR mice were fed chow containing C. albicans or regular chow. The mice fed with Candida chow had their gut colonised by the yeast. Both groups were subsequently given imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, doripenem or their combination with amikacin or normal saline subcutaneously for 10 days. Stool cultures were performed immediately before, at the end and 1 week after discontinuation of treatment. Candida‐colonised mice treated with the antibiotics had higher counts of the yeast in their stools than control C. albicans‐colonised animals treated with saline. All four carbapenems and their combination with amikacin caused a significant increase in C. albicans concentration. Mice fed regular chow and treated with the study antibiotics or saline did not have any Candida in their stools. Dissemination of Candida was not detected in any animal. These data suggest that carbapenems and carbapenem plus amikacin induce substantial increases in the murine intestinal concentration of C. albicans.
Use of Ultrasound in the Reproductive Management of Dairy Cattle
Authors: Quintela LA , Barrio M , Peña AI , Becerra JJ , Cainzos J , Herradón PG , Díaz C
Published: June 2012

Contents

The significant decrease in fertility observed in dairy cattle during the last few decades and increasing requirements by the farmers have made a regular control of reproduction indispensable to urgently identify and solve potential problems affecting reproductive efficiency. Traditionally, the main diagnostic methods used for reproductive control in cattle included rectal palpation, inspection of vaginal discharge and vaginoscopy. Since the 1990s, the use of ultrasound (US) has become a common diagnostic method as a result of the new advances made in the development of US scans: smaller size, high level of autonomy, high image quality and accessible prices. Ultrasound improves accuracy in the diagnoses of stages of the oestrous cycle, ovarian and uterine pathologies, and pregnancy diagnosis. In addition, it facilitates the diagnosis of alterations during pregnancy (embryo mortality, foetal malformations, etc.) and helps determining foetal sex from day 55 of pregnancy.
Effects of light heterogeneity on growth of a submerged clonal macrophyte
Authors: ZHAO CHUN‐FU , LI HONG‐LI , LUO FANG‐LI
Published: June 2012

Many studies have examined the effects of spatial heterogeneity in light supply on clonal plants in terrestrial environments, but few have examined those in aquatic conditions. In a greenhouse experiment, we grew the rhizomatous submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis L. in containers in three homogeneous light treatments (100%, 65%, and 30% of ambient light coded as high, medium, and low light, respectively) and two heterogeneous ones differing in patch scale (small and large patch). The growth of V. spiralis decreased significantly with decreasing light availability. In the low light conditions, V. spiralis allocated greater biomass to shoots and developed elongated leaves. In the patchy treatments, ramets distributed in the light‐rich patches had significant costs in the large patch treatment, but not in the small patch treatment, while both small and large patch treatments had no significant benefits in the light‐poor patches. We conclude that V. spiralis could escape from adverse habitats and occupy the favorable habitats. Providing the same amount of light, responses of V. spiralis to different patch scales were different at the patch level, but not at the whole clone level. Together, growth of V. spiralis could not benefit from different patch scales in heterogeneous environments at the patch as well as the whole clone level.
Sex differences in the impact of diabetes on the risk of geriatric conditions
Authors: Lu Feng‐Ping , Chan Ding‐Cheng , Kuo Hsu‐Ko , Wu Shwu‐Chong
Published: June 2012

Aim:  To examine whether sex differences exist in the relationship between diabetes and geriatric conditions.

Methods:  This was a cross‐sectional analysis of 2629 community‐dwelling older adults, drawn from the 2003 wave of the “Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan.” Selected geriatric conditions included cognitive impairment, depression, falls and urinary incontinence (UI). Diabetes and comorbid conditions (heart disease, hypertension, chronic lung disease, stroke, hip fracture, arthritis, chronic kidney disease and cancer) were assessed using questionnaires.

Results:  A greater proportion of older women, compared with men, had cognitive impairment (15.8% vs 7.3%), depression (22.6% vs 10.4%), falls (26.7% vs 16.3%), and UI (20.9% vs 15.1%). After adjustment for basic demographics and comorbid conditions, diabetes was associated with increased risk for cognitive impairment (RR 1.85 [CI 1.12–3.05], P = 0.017), depression (RR 2.03 [CI 1.39–2.97], P = 0.0003) and falls (RR 1.72 [CI 1.2–2.48], P = 0.003), but not UI (RR 1.4 [CI 0.9–2.1], P = 0.067) among older women. However, we did not find any associations in men.

Conclusions:  Diabetes was associated with excessive risk for geriatric conditions among older women, but not men. The effect of sex differences on the relationship between diabetes and geriatric conditions requires further exploration. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 116–122.
Experimental climate change weakens the insurance effect of biodiversity
Authors: Eklöf Johan S. , Alsterberg Christian , Havenhand Jonathan N. , Sundbäck Kristina , Wood Hannah L. , Gamfeldt Lars
Published: June 2012

Ecosystems are simultaneously affected by biodiversity loss and climate change, but we know little about how these factors interact. We predicted that climate warming and CO
2‐enrichment should strengthen trophic cascades by reducing the relative efficiency of predation‐resistant herbivores, if herbivore consumption rate trades off with predation resistance. This weakens the insurance effect of herbivore diversity. We tested this prediction using experimental ocean warming and acidification in seagrass mesocosms. Meta‐analyses of published experiments first indicated that consumption rate trades off with predation resistance. The experiment then showed that three common herbivores together controlled macroalgae and facilitated seagrass dominance, regardless of climate change. When the predation‐vulnerable herbivore was excluded in normal conditions, the two resistant herbivores maintained top‐down control. Under warming, however, increased algal growth outstripped control by herbivores and the system became algal‐dominated. Consequently, climate change can reduce the relative efficiency of resistant herbivores and weaken the insurance effect of biodiversity.
Common and rare plant species respond differently to fertilisation and competition, whether they are alien or native
Authors: Dawson Wayne , Fischer Markus , van Kleunen Mark
Published: June 2012

Plant traits associated with alien invasiveness may also distinguish rare from common native species. To test this, we grew 23 native (9 common, 14 rare) and 18 alien (8 common, 10 rare) herbaceous species in Switzerland from six plant families under nutrient‐addition and competition treatments. Alien and common species achieved greater biomass than native and rare species did overall respectively. Across alien and native origins, common species increased total biomass more strongly in response to nutrient addition than rare species did and this difference was not confounded by habitat dissimilarities. There was a weak tendency for common species to survive competition better than rare species, which was also independent of origin. Overall, our study suggests that common alien and native plant species are not fundamentally different in their responses to nutrient addition and competition.
Affiliations between bacteria and marine fish leeches (Piscicolidae), with emphasis on a deep‐sea species from Monterey Canyon, CA
Authors: Goffredi S. K. , Morella N. M. , Pulcrano M. E.
Published: June 2012

Leeches within the Piscicolidae are of great numerical and taxonomic importance, yet little is known about bacteria that associate with this diverse group of blood‐feeding marine parasites of fish and elasmobranchs. We focused primarily on the bacteria from a deep‐sea leech species of unknown identity, collected at ∼ 600 m depth in Monterey Canyon, CA, along with two shallow‐living leech genera, Austrobdella and Branchellion, from Los Angeles Harbor, CA. Molecular analysis of all five leech species revealed a dominance of gammaproteobacteria, which were distinct from each other and from previously reported freshwater leech symbionts. Bacteria related to members of the genus Psychromonas (99% similarity in 16S rRNA) were dominant in the deep‐sea leech species (80–94% of recovered ribotypes) collected over 19 months from two different locations. Psychromonas was not detected in cocoons or 2–16 week‐old juveniles, suggesting that acquisition is via the environment at a later stage. Transmission electron microscopy did, however, reveal abundant bacteria‐like cells near areas of thinning of the juvenile epithelial surface, as well as Psychromonas sparsely distributed internally. Electron and fluorescence in situ microscopy of adults also showed Psychromonas‐like bacteria concentrated within the crop. Despite the apparent non‐transient nature of the association between Psychromonas and the deep‐sea leech, their functional role, if any, is not known. The prevalence, however, of an abundant bacterial genus in one piscicolid leech species, as well as the presence of a dominant bacterial species in singular observations of four additional marine species, suggests that members of the Piscicolidae, possibly basal within the class Hirudinea, form specific alliances with microbes.
Couple therapy for depression in a naturalistic setting in Finland: a 2‐year randomized trial
Authors: Seikkula Jaakko , Aaltonen Jukka , Kalla Outi , Saarinen Pirjo , Tolvanen Asko
Published: June 2012

The dialogical and narrative processes in couple therapy (CT) for depressions project was conducted to develop therapy for depression and to investigate the effectiveness of CT in everyday clinical practice; thus aiming at high external validity. Patients with moderate or major depression were randomized to a CT group (n = 29) and a control group (n = 22). The CT group needed significantly fewer therapy sessions. There were significant differences in favour of the CT group in terms of general mental health (symptom check list), Hamilton depression rating scale, global assessment of functioning and decreasing alcohol use. As regards depressive symptoms using the Beck depression inventory, 79 per cent of the research group and 70 per cent of the control group showed a clinically significant improvement. CT may be the method of choice in moderate and severe depression if agreement is reached with the couple concerning the form of therapy.
Video games: support for the evolving family therapist
Authors: Jordan Nickolas A.
Published: June 2012

Video games are a growing part ofUSAand world culture. Gaming may have addictive effects on some gamers and may foster violent thoughts and behaviour in children and adults. Conversely, there are documented positive outcomes from playing video games. Through this growing media, family therapists have a new gateway to better understand the experience of a younger generation of clients. To keep up with a changing client base, family therapists must learn about video games, their contextual impacts, addictive aspects and possible uses in the therapeutic setting while ignoring the myth that all gaming is harmful.
Meditative dialogue: tuning in to the music of family therapy
Authors: Lord Susan A.
Published: June 2012

Meditative dialogue is a mindfulness method through which families and their therapists are able to access the present moment and develop acceptance, non‐judgmental attitudes and attunement with one another and with the music that is always present in their lives. This process can be used to deepen empathic connections, tap into creative forces and loosen and encourage embodied and flexible interactions that alter patterns and cultivate openness to possibility and to change.
The Feasibility of IFI‐Led Institutional Reform: Four Turkish Experiments Compared
Authors: Güven Ali Burak
Published: June 2012

Institutional reform has proved an enduring theme in the lending programmes of international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the IMF and the World Bank. But research harbours strong objections to the feasibility of IFI‐led institutional restructuring. This article evaluates these objections in the light of evidence from Turkey, a country with an early record of programme‐based reform initiatives in many institutional domains. Drawing on Turkey's central bank independence, banking regulation, anti‐corruption and agricultural subsidy reforms, it argues that IFI‐guided institutional restructuring may indeed encounter severe feasibility problems unless prescribed and implemented in a propitious environment marked by powerful international norms, widely accepted design templates, high levels of bureaucratic preparedness, and active endorsement from key domestic players.
Policy Sequencing and the Development of Rice Value Chains in Senegal
Authors: Demont Matty , Rizzotto Amy C.
Published: June 2012

In response to the world food crisis in 2008, Senegal developed a productivist national food self‐sufficiency programme. However, the critical question is not whether the programme can meet its ambitious target of self‐sufficiency in rice production by 2015, but, if it does, how will domestic rice reach urban markets, where consumers generally prefer imported rice for its superior grain quality. Information collected through interviews and a stakeholder workshop advances the argument that policy sequencing will be crucial in order to upgrade Senegalese rice value chains progressively. Any large‐scale investments in productivity will need to be preceded by investments in post‐harvest grain‐quality infrastructure before sector‐wide marketing strategies can be adopted that enhance the chain competitiveness of domestic relative to imported rice.
EXISTENCE: WHO NEEDS IT? THE NON‐IDENTITY PROBLEM AND MERELY POSSIBLE PEOPLE
Authors: WEINBERG RIVKA
Published: June 2012

In formulating procreative principles, it makes sense to begin by thinking about whose interests ought to matter to us. Obviously, we care about those who exist. Less obviously, but still uncontroversially, we care about those who will exist. Ought we to care about those who might possibly, but will not actually, exist?

Recently, unusual positions have been taken regarding merely possible people and the non‐identity problem. David Velleman argues that what might have happened to you – an existent person – often doesn't merit moral consideration since the alternative person one would have been had what might have happened actually happened is a merely possible person about whom one has no reason to care. He argues that his way of thinking can eliminate the non‐identity problem. Caspar Hare argues that merely possible people have interests and are morally relevant. He argues that we can solve the non‐identity problem by rejecting the view that merely possible people are morally irrelevant. Both Hare and Velleman argue that focusing on one's de dicto rather than on one's de re children can help us avoid the non‐identity problem.

I analyze the role that merely possible, nonexistent hypothetical entities ought to play in our moral reasoning, especially with regard to procreation. I refute both Velleman's and Hare's views and demonstrate the difficulties we encounter when we try to apply their views to common non‐identity cases. I conclude with the common‐sense view regarding who matters, morally: only those who do, did, or will exist.
Does the Candidate Matter? Comparing the Voting Choice of Early and Late Deciders
Authors: Catellani Patrizia , Alberici Augusta Isabella
Published: June 2012

Candidate personality traits have long been recognized as influential in the determination of voting choice. However, little is understood of how the perception of candidates' traits influences different categories of voters. Based on a large‐scale electoral‐panel survey (ITANES, ITAlian National Election Studies), the present study investigated whether the voting choice of early and late deciders differentially relied on candidate traits. Results showed that after considering the influence of ideology and economy assessment, candidate traits still influenced the voting choice of early deciders and, even more, of late deciders. However, while early deciders took into account both incumbent and challenger traits, late deciders mainly relied on incumbent traits. Political sophistication moderated this effect, with high‐sophisticated early deciders relying even more on the challenger, and low‐sophisticated late deciders relying even more on the incumbent. The distinction between incumbent and challenger is discussed as a key variable in explaining the role of candidate traits in the choice of voters differing as to voting decision time and political sophistication.
CLASSICAL LIBERALISM IN THE LIBERAL PARTY SINCE 1886
Authors: Davies Stephen
Published: June 2012

Although the Liberal Party has seen a clear shift towards social liberalism as its main philosophy since 1890 and has seen a series of defections to the Conservative Party, there has been a classical liberal element within the party throughout this period. Moreover, even when such people have left the Party they have typically not gone over to conservatism but have rather entered the world of think tanks and independent thought. Others have stayed in the party. This reflects the way that supporters of the ideas have rejected conservative social attitudes and have worked out a radical market position.
THE ORANGE BOOK – TURNING RIGHT OR CHANGING GEARS?
Authors: Sanderson‐Nash Emma
Published: June 2012

The Liberal Democrats becoming kingmakers in 2010 did not depend solely on the numbers adding up on May 5th. Did The Orange Book pull the party to the right, making coalition with the Tories a meeting of minds? Or was it better viewed as an element in an overall strategic shift towards greater professionalism, making a deal with either of the major parties more likely?
THE ORANGE BOOK: EIGHT YEARS ON
Authors: Laws David
Published: June 2012

The Orange Book had an important influence on Liberal Democrat thinking, particularly on economics, tax, and public service reform. Without the policy changes which the book and its authors anticipated, it is much more difficult to imagine the governing Liberal Democrat‐Conservative coalition being formed and sustained. This paper examines the origins and impact of the book, and sketches out future directions for policy development.
FAT TAXES AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS WON'T CURE OBESITY
Authors: Craven Barrie M. , Marlow Michael L. , Shiers Alden F.
Published: June 2012

Many countries are either introducing or proposing to introduce taxes on fat in foods as an attempt to curb growing rates of obesity. It is argued here that such taxes would be uneconomic, ineffective, discriminate racially, encourage rent‐seeking behaviour and result in various adverse unintended consequences.
PRESCRIPTION FOR CONFLICT: WHY THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND THE ANTI‐TOBACCO MOVEMENT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF SMOKERS
Authors: Basham Patrick , Luik John C.
Published: June 2012

Large pharmaceutical companies are major funders of anti‐smoking lobby groups. The same firms manufacture the products used in Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and stand to gain when governments recommend this approach to smoking cessation. There is growing evidence, however, that NRT is less effective than ‘cold turkey’ methods, and, indeed, that it has a number of harmful side effects. Its continued promotion, together with counterproductive anti‐smoking measures, raises serious questions about the influence of special interests over tobacco policy.
PROTECTIONISM AND PROPERTY RIGHTS: COASIAN BARGAINING AND DEBT‐FOR‐NATURE SWAPS
Authors: Hobbs Bradley K.
Published: June 2012

Debt‐for‐nature swaps (DNSs) are a method of simultaneously addressing debt problems in developing countries and protecting environmentally‐sensitive tracts of land and forests. The number and scope of DNSs declined after a flurry of activity in the early to mid‐1990s. While a number of problems have been identified that may have contributed to this pattern the literature has ignored the role that weakly defined and enforced property rights may play. DNSs are interpreted as Coasian bargains and an explanation for their decline based upon property rights, transactions costs, and competitive bidding is advanced.
THE DECISIONS OF THE SHADOW MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE AND MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE SINCE 2002
Authors: Koo Jahyun , Paya Ivan , Peel David A.
Published: June 2012

We analyse the decisions of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and the recommendations of the Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (SMPC) over the period 2002–2011. We find that the SMPC policy recommendations have to a large extent agreed with the policy actions of the MPC on interest rates. We offer some suggestions as to how the recommendations of the SMPC could be enhanced.