bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between pace of life and immune responses in wild rodents
Authors: Previtali M. Andrea , Ostfeld Richard S. , Keesing Felicia , Jolles Anna E. , Hanselmann Rhea , Martin Lynn B.
Published: April 2012

Life histories of animals tend to vary along a slow to fast continuum. Those with fast life histories have shorter life spans, faster development, and higher reproductive rates relative to animals with slower life histories. These differences in life histories have been linked to differences in investment in immunological defenses. Animals with faster life histories are predicted to invest relatively more in innate immune responses, which include rapidly‐deployed, non‐specific defenses against a broad spectrum of invaders. On the other hand, animals with slower life histories are predicted to invest relatively more in adaptive immune responses, which are more slowly‐deployed and are highly pathogen‐specific. These predictions have been confirmed in some taxa, but other studies have not found this association. We tested this prediction by measuring innate and adaptive immunity of white‐footed mice Peromyscus leucopus, chipmunks Tamias striatus, and gray squirrels Sciurus carolinensis, three species of rodents that inhabit deciduous forests in the northeastern US. These species exhibit a range of life histories, with mice having a relatively fast life history, squirrels a relatively slow one, and chipmunks an intermediate one. We found mice to have the greatest ‘bacterial killing capacity’, a common measure of innate immunity, and squirrels the lowest, consistent with the pace‐of‐life immune‐defense hypothesis. We also found squirrels to mount the most pronounced antibody response when challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an immunogenic component of bacteria, while mice had the lowest, again consistent with predictions based on their life histories. These results have implications beyond ecoimmunology because the probability that a host species will transmit an infection – its ‘reservoir competence’ – has been linked to its immune strategy. Understanding the relationship between immunology and reservoir competence is a critical frontier in the ecology of infectious diseases.
Diminished pheromone‐induced sexual behavior in neurokinin‐1 receptor deficient (TACR1−/−) mice
Authors: Berger A. , Tran A. H. , Dida J. , Minkin S. , Gerard N. P. , Yeomans J. , Paige C. J.
Published: April 2012

Studies in mice with targeted deletions of tachykinin genes suggest that tachykinins and their receptors influence emotional behaviors such as aggression, depression and anxiety. Here, we investigated whether TAC1‐ and TAC4‐encoded peptides (substance P and hemokinin‐1, respectively) and the neurokinin‐1 receptor (NK‐1R) are involved in the modulation of sexual behaviors. Male mice deficient for the NK‐1R (TACR1 −/−) exhibited decreased exploration of female urine in contrast to C57BL/6 control mice and mice deficient for NK‐1R ligands such as TAC1 −/−, TAC4 −/− and the newly generated TAC1 −/− /TAC4 −/− mice. In comparison to C57BL/6 mice, mounting frequency and duration were decreased in male TACR1 −/− mice, while mounting latency was increased. Decreased preference for sexual pheromones was also seen in female TACR1 −/− mice. Furthermore, administration of the NK‐1R‐antagonist L‐703,606 decreased investigation of female urine by male C57BL/6 mice, suggesting an involvement of NK‐1R in urine sniffing behavior. Our results provide evidence for the NK‐1R in facilitating sexual approach behavior, as male TACR1 −/− mice exhibited blunted approach behavior toward females following the initial interaction compared with C57BL/6 mice. NK‐1R signaling may therefore play an important role in pheromone‐induced sexual behavior.
The importance of plant life form on spatial associations along a subtropical coastal dune gradient
Authors: Castanho Camila T. , Oliveira Alexandre A. , Prado Paulo Inácio
Published: April 2012

Questions

Does the spatial association between isolated adult trees and understorey plants change along a gradient of sand dunes? Does this association depend on the life form of the understorey plant?

Location

Coastal sand dunes, southeast Brazil.

Methods

We recorded the occurrence of understorey plant species in 100 paired 0.25 m2 plots under adult trees and in adjacent treeless sites along an environmental gradient from beach to inland. Occurrence probabilities were modelled as a function of the fixed variables of the presence of a neighbour, distance from the seashore and life form, and a random variable, the block (i.e. the pair of plots). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were fitted in a backward step‐wise procedure using Akaike's information criterion (AIC) for model selection.

Results

The occurrence of understorey plants was affected by the presence of an adult tree neighbour, but the effect varied with the life form of the understorey species. Positive spatial association was found between isolated adult neighbour and young trees, whereas a negative association was found for shrubs. Moreover, a neutral association was found for lianas, whereas for herbs the effect of the presence of an adult neighbour ranged from neutral to negative, depended on the subgroup considered. The strength of the negative association with forbs increased with distance from the seashore. However, for the other life forms, the associational pattern with adult trees did not change along the gradient.

Conclusions

For most of the understorey life forms there is no evidence that the spatial association between isolated adult trees and understorey plants changes with the distance from the seashore, as predicted by the stress gradient hypothesis, a common hypothesis in the literature about facilitation in plant communities. Furthermore, the positive spatial association between isolated adult trees and young trees identified along the entire gradient studied indicates a positive feedback that explains the transition from open vegetation to forest in subtropical coastal dune environments.
Current Findings Regarding Zirconia Implants
Authors: Depprich Rita , Naujoks Christian , Ommerborn Michelle , Schwarz Frank , Kübler Norbert R. , Handschel Jörg
Published: April 2012

Purpose: The present article aims to analyze the available clinical data on the survival and success rate of dental zirconia implants (ZI).

Material and Method: Studies (2006–2011) listed in the bibliography were obtained by using the key words “zirconia, zirconium, implants, dental, clinical” and combinations of these in different databases and on the internet. These articles served as a basis for the article.

Results: A total of 17 clinical studies were found, involving 1,675 implants and 1,274 patients. In 16 studies, one‐piece implant systems were investigated. The survival rates for ZI range from 74–98% after 12–56 months, with success rates between 79.6–91.6% 6–12 months after prosthetic restoration. However, the design of most of the studies show considerable shortcomings, and only low evidence level.

Conclusion: The small number of studies and the limited period of observation permit only a qualified statement on the clinical success of ZI. The results available to date indicate that ZI are inferior to titanium implants (TI) with regard to survival and success rates. Well‐conducted long‐term studies are urgently needed to permit a meaningful assessment of the survival or success rates of ZI and a statement concerning their application as an alternative to TI.
Rewriting English Literary History 1042–1215
Authors: Faulkner Mark
Published: April 2012

The last 10 years have seen a swathe of revisionary scholarship on the afterlife of Old English texts in the 12th century. This article places this research beside work on the earliest Middle English texts and contemporary writing in Latin and French to suggest that the time is now ripe for a new, synthetic literary history of the period. In particular, the article identifies three key aspects of post‐Conquest literary culture which have been neglected because they chafe against the conventional paradigms of literary history, with its expectation of a literature national, monolingual and constantly original. The 12th‐century norms, by contrast, were regionalism, multilingualism, and the habitual recycling of older texts. Medievalists must insist these differences should inform wider discussions about the form and purpose of literary history in the 21st century.
Late Modernism: British Literature at Midcentury
Authors: Davis Thomas S.
Published: April 2012

This essay examines the relatively new field of late modernist studies. It gives an overview of the development of late modernism as a literary historical category during the debates over postmodernism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. From there, the essay surveys recent efforts in modernist studies to conceptualize and historicize late modernism with greater precision. Attention then shifts to a range of modernist activity in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Each of these sections serves a double function: first, they offer close readings of late modernist texts that detail how modernism endured and transformed in relation to historical pressures; second, they plot these readings alongside recent critical work that is reshaping how we understand the political and aesthetic dimensions of late modernist writing. The conclusion addresses the promises and risks of the study of late modernism.
Mapping the surface‐exposed regions of papaya mosaic virus nanoparticles
Authors: Rioux Gervais , Majeau Nathalie , Leclerc Denis
Published: April 2012

In general, the structure of the papaya mosaic virus (PapMV) and other members of the potexviruses is poorly understood. Production of PapMV coat proteins in a bacterial expression system and their self‐assembly in vitro into nanoparticles is a very useful tool to study the structure of this virus. Using recombinant PapMV nanoparticles that are similar in shape and appearance to the plant virus, we evaluated surface‐exposed regions by two different methods, immunoblot assay and chemical modification with 1‐ethyl‐3‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide or diethyl‐pyrocarbonate followed by mass spectrometry. Three regions were targeted by the two techniques. The N‐ and C‐termini were shown to be surfaced exposed as expected. However, the region 125–136 was revealed for the first time as the major surface‐exposed region of the nanoparticles. The presence of linear peptides at the surface was finally confirmed using antibodies directed to those peptides. It is likely that region 125–136 plays a key role in the lifecycle of PapMV and other members of the potexvirus group.
Effect of positive feedback loops on the robustness of oscillations in the network of cyclin‐dependent kinases driving the mammalian cell cycle
Authors: Gérard Claude , Gonze Didier , Goldbeter Albert
Published: April 2012

The transitions between the G1, S, G2 and M phases of the mammalian cell cycle are driven by a network of cyclin‐dependent kinases (Cdks), whose sequential activation is regulated by intertwined negative and positive feedback loops. We previously proposed a detailed computational model for the Cdk network, and showed that this network is capable of temporal self‐organization in the form of sustained oscillations, which govern ordered progression through the successive phases of the cell cycle [Gérard and Goldbeter (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA106, 21643–21648]. We subsequently proposed a skeleton model for the cell cycle that retains the core regulatory mechanisms of the detailed model [Gérard and Goldbeter (2011) Interface Focus1, 24–35]. Here we extend this skeleton model by incorporating Cdk regulation through phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and by including the positive feedback loops that underlie the dynamics of the G1/S and G2/M transitions via phosphatase Cdc25 and via phosphatase Cdc25 and kinase Wee1, respectively. We determine the effects of these positive feedback loops and ultrasensitivity in phosphorylation/dephosphorylation on the dynamics of the Cdk network. The multiplicity of positive feedback loops as well as the existence of ultrasensitivity promote the occurrence of bistability and increase the amplitude of the oscillations in the various cyclin/Cdk complexes. By resorting to stochastic simulations, we further show that the presence of multiple, redundant positive feedback loops in the G2/M transition of the cell cycle markedly enhances the robustness of the Cdk oscillations with respect to molecular noise.
Effectiveness of a condom use educational program developed on the basis of the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills model
Authors: KUDO Yoshiko
Published: April 2012

Aim:  To assess a condom use educational program developed using the Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills (IMB) model to enable Japanese young people to use condoms.

Methods:  The program was implemented in two sessions of approximately 90 min each over a 2 day period. The participants underwent the program in small same‐sex groups. The study participants were divided into the intervention group (n = 94) and the control group (n = 186). Knowledge relating to HIV/sexually‐transmitted diseases (STDs), attitudes towards contraception and sex, the risk perceptions of pregnancy and HIV/STD infection, anticipated reaction to proposed condom use, self‐efficacy of condom use, and sexual behaviors were assessed. Data were obtained at baseline, immediately after the program, and 1 and 3 months after the program or baseline survey.

Results:  Intervention group participants with experience of sexual intercourse (n = 14) had significantly higher scores for knowledge relating to HIV/STDs, self‐efficacy of condom use, and relief/confusion associated with condom use than the control group (n = 13) at the 1 and 3 month surveys. Intervention group participants with no experience of sexual intercourse (n = 14) had significantly higher scores for knowledge relating to HIV/STDs and self‐efficacy of condom use, and significantly lower scores for condom avoidance, than the control group (n = 116). Condom use behavior was not changed in either group.

Conclusion:  The program used in this study did not promote condom use, but it increased knowledge relating to HIV/STDs and self‐efficacy of condom use and reduced resistance to condom use.
Experiences of infertility through the lens of Iranian infertile women: A qualitative study
Authors: BEHBOODI‐MOGHADAM Zahra , SALSALI Mahvash , EFTEKHAR‐ARDABILY Hasan , VAISMORADI Mojtaba , RAMEZANZADEH Fatemeh
Published: April 2012

Aim:  The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of Iranian infertile women regarding infertility.

Methods:  A qualitative design, based on a content analysis approach, was used to reach this study aim. After employing purposive sampling to choose 10 women who were seeking infertility treatment at a referral center in Tehran, Iran, semi‐structured interviews were carried out to gather data.

Results:  During the data analysis, four main themes emerged including “abuse”, “marital instability”, “social isolation”, and “loss of self‐ esteem”.

Conclusion:  Infertility influences both the psychological and social well‐being of women. Improving the knowledge of healthcare professionals especially nurses about the complications of infertility and its related cultural–contextual factors are crucial in order to provide high quality care to infertile women.
Traditional neonatal care practices in Turkey
Authors: ALPARSLAN Özgür , DEMİREL Yeltekin
Published: April 2012

Aim:  The research was conducted as a descriptive and cross‐sectional study in order to identify the traditional neonatal care practices applied by women in the 15–49 year age range.

Methods:  The research sample comprised 263 married mothers aged 15–49 years living in the seven health center regions in Sivas city center and agreeing to participate in the study between 7 March 2008 and 30 April 2008. In data collection, a questionnaire form devised by the researchers on the basis of expert opinion was used. The data collected were assessed by computer by means of percentage analysis and χ2‐tests.

Results:  The traditional neonatal care practices for treatment of jaundice, rash, thrush, earache, swelling in the baby's chest (milk accumulation), falling of the umbilical cord, umbilical infection, eye crust, nail cut, and temperature were examined. The most frequently conducted traditional practices were identified as rubbing swollen nipples, “making the forties” (bathing the mother and neonate in a special ritual on the 40th day postpartum), salting, using holluk (sand‐filled nappy), and swaddling the baby. It was found that the mothers with low levels of education applied traditional practices like swaddling, salting, holluk, and making the forties more frequently (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  According to the study findings, mothers practiced traditional applications at least once during neonatal care. It was observed that the lower the mother's educational level, the more frequent the traditional practices were applied. For this reason, neonatal healthcare services should be delivered by midwives/nurses or other healthcare workers.
Effects of Impurity Iron Content on Characteristics of Sintered Reaction‐Bonded Silicon Nitride
Authors: Kusano Dai , Noda Yamato , Shibasaki Hitomi , Hyuga Hideki , Zhou You , Hirao Kiyoshi
Published: April 2012

The effects of impurity iron content on characteristics of sintered reaction‐bonded silicon nitrides were examined by adding iron powder to a high purity raw Si powder. Powder compacts of the raw Si powder doped with 2 mol% Y2O3 and 5 mol% MgSiN2 as sintering additives and Fe as impurity (0 mass%, 0.1 mass%, 1.0 mass% and 5.0 mass%) were nitrided at 1400°C for 8 h under a N2 pressure of 0.1 MPa, followed by post‐sintering at 1900°C for 6 h under a N2 pressure of 0.9 MPa. All the SRBSN (Sintered Reaction‐Bonded Silicon Nitride) specimens had about the same 4‐point bending strength of 730–770 MPa. The fracture toughness of the specimens was gradually decreased with increasing Fe additive amount due to the inhibition of development of rodlike β‐Si3N4 grains by SiFex particles formed during nitridation process. The thermal conductivity was also decreased with an increase in Fe amount. It seems that the increasing oxygen in grain‐boundary phase caused by the oxidation of Fe during milling resulted in the increase in lattice oxygen of β‐Si3N4 grains, which caused phonon scattering and thereby decreased thermal conductivity of β‐Si3N4. There was little change in the dielectric breakdown strength of the specimens: 24, 22, 22, and 21 kV/mm for the specimens without Fe, and with 0.1 mass%, 1.0 mass% and 5.0 mass% Fe, respectively. The surface resistivity of the specimens with 0 mass%, 0.1 mass% and 1.0 mass% Fe was in the range of 1013 Ω, but the specimen with 5 mass% Fe was about one order lower than the others.
Development of a Large‐sized Heat Transfer Container Based on Ceramic Integration
Authors: Kita Hideki , Himoto Iori
Published: April 2012

Several technologies were utilized to develop a method for producing a large‐sized heat transfer container. Specifically, material development, vessel and sub‐component design, fabrication, and assembly were integrated to create a container with superior properties. As a result, the finished vessel proved to be more energy efficient and lighter in weight than the one that is used currently for transferring molten aluminum.
Effects of LiF on the Structure and Properties of Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Ceramics
Authors: Tan Chee Kiang Ivan , Yao Kui , Ma Jan
Published: April 2012

Preparation of Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics with different amounts of LiF (BCZT‐xLiF) was done, and the effects of the LiF doping on the phase transition behavior and the electrical properties of the resulting ceramic were investigated. The experimental results showed that the polymorphic rhombohedral‐tetragonal phase transition temperature was found shifted toward room temperature with the Li doping. The study showed that BCZT lead‐free piezoelectric ceramic with improved performance properties at room temperature can be achieved by shifting the polymorphic phase transition point nearer room temperature through the addition of LiF.
Political Pressure: An Examination of U.S. Senators’ Actions in Restricting Canadian Softwood Lumber Imports
Authors: Godwin Joseph , Zhang Daowei
Published: April 2012

Over the past 30 years the U.S.–Canadian softwood lumber trade dispute has resulted in three managed trade agreements that have not been voted on in the U.S. Congress. Nevertheless, U.S. Senators have played an important role in shaping the political environment that has nurtured these agreements. In this paper we construct a lumber influence index based on 14 known events between 2001 and 2006 and analyze what factors influenced a senator's decision to publically call for restricting Canadian lumber imports and to adopt the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement. Our results show that the size of the wood products manufacturing industry in a state, campaign contributions, logrolling, and ideology played a significant role and that interest group politics is prevalent in this dispute.

Au cours des 30  dernières années, le différend commercial entre le Canada et les États‐Unis au sujet du bois d’œuvre résineux s’est soldé par trois  accords de commerce administré qui n’ont pas été mis au vote du Congrès des États‐Unis. Néanmoins, les sénateurs américains ont joué un rôle important dans le façonnement du climat politique dans lequel ces accords ont été préparés. Dans le présent article, nous avons mis au point un indice de l’influence fondé sur 14 événements connus qui se sont déroulés entre 2001 et 2006, et nous avons analysé les facteurs qui ont influencé un sénateur à préconiser publiquement des restrictions sur les importations de bois d’œuvre canadien et à adopter l’Accord sur le bois d’œuvre résineux en 2006. Les résultats de notre étude montrent que la taille de l’industrie de la fabrication des produits en bois dans un État, les contributions aux campagnes, les alliances politiques dans un but intéressé et l’idéologie ont joué un rôle considérable et que l’influence des groupes d’intérêt a été un facteur apparent dans ce différend.
High Mortality Rate of Infectious Diseases in Dialysis Patients: A Comparison With the General Population in Japan
Authors: Wakasugi Minako , Kawamura Kazuko , Yamamoto Suguru , Kazama Junichiro James , Narita Ichiei
Published: April 2012

Infectious disease is the second leading cause of death among dialysis patients, and it is generally assumed that the mortality rate of infectious disease is considerably higher in dialysis patients than in the general population. There are no comprehensive studies on this issue and on the contribution of each category of infectious disease to excess mortality in dialysis patients in Japan. We used mortality data reported to the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy and national Vital Statistics data for 2008 and 2009. We calculated standardized mortality ratios and compared the mortality rates for each category of infectious disease. During the 2‐year study period, 274 683 and 10 435 deaths from infectious diseases were recorded in 126 million people and 273 237 dialysis patients, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio for all infectious diseases was 7.5 (95% confidence interval, 7.3–7.6) in dialysis patients with respect to the general population in Japan. The categories of infectious disease with a significantly higher standardized mortality ratio among the dialysis patients were sepsis, peritonitis, influenza, tuberculosis, and pneumonia and in that order. In particular, the mortality rate of sepsis contributed to 69.5% of the difference in infectious disease mortality between dialysis patients and the general population. This study underlines markedly increased mortality from infectious diseases, particularly from sepsis, in dialysis patients compared with the general population.
Arsenic Removal from Natural Groundwater Using Cupric Oxide
Authors: Reddy K.J. , Roth T.R.
Published: April 2012

Groundwater is a main source of drinking water for some rural areas. People in these rural areas are potentially at risk from elevated levels of arsenic (As) due to a lack of water treatment facilities. The objectives of this study were to (1) measure As concentrations in approximately 50 groundwater samples from rural domestic wells in the western United States, (2) explore the potential of cupric oxide (CuO) particles in removal of As from groundwater samples under natural conditions (i.e., without adding competing anions and adjusting the pH or oxidation state), and (3) determine the effects of As removal on the chemistry of groundwater samples. Forty‐six groundwater well samples from rural domestic areas were tested in this study. More than 50% of these samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Limit (US EPA MCL) of 10 µg/L for As. CuO particles effectively removed As from groundwater samples across a wide range of pH (7.11 and 8.95) and concentrations of competing anions including phosphate (<0.05 to 3.06 mg/L), silica (<1 to 54.5 mg/L), and sulfate (1.3 to 735 mg/L). Removal of As showed minor effects on the chemistry of groundwater samples, therefore most of the water quality parameters remained within the US EPA MCLs. Overall, results of this study could help develop a simple one‐step process to remove As from groundwater.
An evaluation of the Wellington Regional Genuine Progress Index
Authors: Packard Aaron , Chapman Ralph
Published: April 2012

There is widespread discontent with the gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of progress for society. Alternative measures have been proposed, including the genuine progress indicator (GPI). This paper examines the changing institutional arrangements and attitudinal context in the recently developed Wellington region (New Zealand) GPI. We found an alignment between the GPI framework and the Local Government Act. Despite this fit, we identified challenges, including the need to revitalise public participation through deliberative techniques. It remains too early to judge whether the GPI initiative will launch a viable alternative to the GDP for the Wellington region.
Red deer in New Zealand: Game animal, economic resource or environmental pest?
Authors: Figgins Guil , Holland Peter
Published: April 2012

The 150‐year history of red deer in New Zealand reflects changing relations between people and introduced animals and has involved recreational, environmental and commercial hunting. Hunters initially pursued red deer for recreation then for environmental control before the animals were subsumed into society's economic processes. After 1930, they were regarded as environmental pests and hunting was open to all. Commercial hunting started after World War II, when economic value redefined the relationship between red deer and people. Relations between people and red deer continued to evolve as New Zealanders generated progressively more refined understandings of nature and the place of introduced species in this country's diverse environments.
Freshwater geographies: Experimenting with knowing and doing geography differently
Authors: Blue Brendon , Gregory Claire , McFarlane Kiely , Tadaki Marc , van Limburg‐Meijer Petra , Lewis Nick
Published: April 2012

The fair and effective governance of freshwater is an increasingly prominent issue in New Zealand. Emerging from a complex of cultural, economic and biophysical narratives, freshwater geographies are multiple, varied and increasingly acknowledged as worthy of interdisciplinary scrutiny. In this commentary, we reflect on a series of generative spaces that we – as group of postgraduate geographers (plus supporting staff) – created to engage with the multiplicity of freshwater meanings both within and beyond the academy. Through this evolving epistemic‐political project, we significantly reframed our own understandings about what freshwater ‘is’ and how it ought to be governed. By pursuing a deeper understanding of how the world gets made, we expand our ability to know and make it differently.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO: ROMANTIC DISSOLUTION, OFFENDING, AND SUBSTANCE USE DURING THE TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD*
Authors: LARSON MATTHEW , SWEETEN GARY
Published: April 2012

Recent studies have directed attention to the nature of romantic involvement and its implications for offending over the life course. However, this body of research has overlooked a defining aspect of nonmarital romantic relationships: Most come to an end. By drawing on insights from general strain theory, the age‐graded theory of informal social control, and research on delinquent peer exposure, we explore the impact of romantic dissolution on offending and substance use during late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Using data from the 1997 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we arrive at three general conclusions: 1) Experiencing a breakup is directly related to a range of antisocial outcomes; 2) the effect of a breakup is dependent on post‐breakup relationship transitions; and 3) a breakup is associated with increases in offending and substance use among males and in substance use among females. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings for the future of research on romantic involvement and crime over the life course.
Central vagal activation by alpha2‐adrenergic stimulation is impaired in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Kawada T. , Akiyama T. , Shimizu S. , Kamiya A. , Uemura K. , Sata Y. , Shirai M. , Sugimachi M.
Published: April 2012

Aim

To elucidate the abnormality of vagal control in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by measuring left ventricular myocardial interstitial acetylcholine (ACh) release in response to α2‐adrenergic stimulation as an index of in vivo vagal nerve activity.

Methods

A cardiac microdialysis technique was applied to the rat left ventricle in vivo, and the effect of α2‐adrenergic stimulation by medetomidine or electrical vagal nerve stimulation on myocardial interstitial ACh levels was examined in normotensive Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKY) and SHR under anaesthetized conditions.

Results

Intravenous medetomidine (0.1 mg kg−1) significantly increased the ACh levels in WKY (from 2.4 ± 0.6 to 4.2 ± 1.3 nmol L−1, P < 0.05, n = 7) but not in SHR (from 2.5 ± 0.7 to 2.7 ± 0.7 nmol L−1, n = 7). In contrast, electrical vagal nerve stimulation increased the ACh levels in both WKY (from 1.0 ± 0.4 to 2.9 ± 0.9 nmol L−1, P < 0.001, n = 6) and SHR (from 0.9 ± 0.2 to 2.2 ± 0.4 nmol L−1, P < 0.001, n = 6). Intravenous administration of medetomidine (0.1 mg kg−1) did not affect the vagal nerve stimulation–induced ACh release in either WKY or SHR.

Conclusion

Medetomidine‐induced central vagal activation was impaired in SHR, whereas peripheral vagal control of ACh release was preserved. In addition to abnormal sympathetic control, vagal control by the central nervous system may be impaired in SHR.
Perceptual foundations of bilingual acquisition in infancy
Authors: Werker Janet
Published: April 2012

Infants are prepared by biology to acquire language, but it is the native language(s) they must learn. Over the first weeks and months of life, infants learn about the sounds and sights of their native language, and use that perceptual knowledge to pull out words and bootstrap grammar. In this paper, I review research showing that infants growing up bilingual learn the properties of each of the their two languages simultaneously, while nonetheless keeping them apart. Thus, they use perceptual learning to break into the properties of each of the two native languages. While the fundamental process of language acquisition is the same whether one or two languages are being acquired, cognitive advantages accrue from the task of language separation, and processing costs accrue from the more minimal input received in each of the two languages. I conclude by suggesting that when there are sufficient cues to which language is being used, the cognitive advantages that accrue from language separation enable the bilingual infant to move forward in language acquisition even in the face of processing costs.
Medetomidine immobilisation and atipamezole reversal in large estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) using metabolically scaled dosages
Authors: Olsson A , Phalen D
Published: April 2012

Background  Restraint of large estuarine crocodiles is potentially dangerous. Neuromuscular blockers and other immobilising drugs have been used with variable results. Medetomidine has been reported as a reliable, repeatable and reversible immobilisation agent in small estuarine crocodilians.

Methods and Results  Two wild and two farmed male animals, between 3.05 and 4.6 m long, were hand‐injected into a triceps muscle with a metabolically scaled medetomidine dosage. Immobilisation occurred within 30 min. At the conclusion of the procedures, 70 min after medetomidine administration, three animals were injected with atipamezole IM into the opposite triceps muscle at a dosage based on body surface area. Reversal occurred within 5 min. The fourth animal was intubated prior to reversal of medetomidine and maintained on isoflurane anaesthesia for a gastrotomy. All animals were monitored closely post recovery and then regularly for at least 1 week.

Conclusions  Medetomidine at a metabolically scaled dosage delivered IM into the forelimb was effective for immobilising large estuarine crocodiles for at least 40 min. Atipamezole administered at a dosage calculated as a function of surface area effectively reversed this immobilisation.
Monitoring Microcirculation Changes in Port Wine Stains During Vascular Targeted Photodynamic Therapy by Laser Speckle Imaging
Authors: Qiu Haixia , Zhou Yang , Gu Ying , Ang Qing , Zhao ShiYong , Wang Ying , Zeng Jing , Huang Naiyan
Published: April 2012

This study was conducted to test laser speckle perfusion imaging (LSPI) for imaging microcirculation and monitoring microcirculatory changes of port wine stains (PWS) during vascular targeted photodynamic therapy (V‐PDT). Before and 5 min after V‐PDT, PWS lesions and the corresponding contralateral healthy skins of 24 PWS patients were scanned, whereas seven PWS patients were scanned throughout V‐PDT. V‐PDT was conducted immediately after intravenous injection of photocarcinorin (4–5 mg kg−1). A 532 nm laser was used for irradiation (power density: 80–100 mW cm−2, exposure time: 20–50 min). Before V‐PDT, all 24 PWS patients demonstrated a significant difference in perfusion between the PWS lesion and the contralateral healthy control skin (1132 ± 724 and 619 ± 478 PU, respectively, P < 0.01). Five minutes after V‐PDT, the mean perfusion value of the 24 PWS lesions was 1246 ± 754 PU. There was no significant difference compared to the perfusion before V‐PDT (P > 0.05). During V‐PDT, the perfusion of seven PWS patients increased rapidly after initiation of V‐PDT, reached a maximum within 10 min, lasted for several minutes, and slowly returned to a relatively lower level at the end of V‐PDT. On the basis of these results, LSPI is capable of imaging PWS microvasculature and monitoring microvascular reactivity to V‐PDT.
Do Demanding Conditions Help or Hurt Self‐Regulation?
Authors: Koole Sander L. , Jostmann Nils B. , Baumann Nicola
Published: April 2012

Although everyday life is often demanding, it remains unclear how demanding conditions impact self‐regulation. Some theories suggest that demanding conditions impair self‐regulation, by undermining autonomy, interfering with skilled performance and working memory, and depleting energy resources. Other theories, however, suggest that demanding conditions improve self‐regulation by mobilizing super‐ordinate control processes. The present article integrates both kinds of theories by proposing that the self‐regulatory impact of demanding conditions depends on how people adapt to such conditions. When people are action‐oriented, demanding conditions may lead to improved self‐regulation. When people are state‐oriented, demanding conditions may lead to impaired self‐regulation. Consistent with this idea, action versus state orientation strongly moderates the influence of demands on self‐regulatory performance. The impact of demanding conditions on self‐regulation is thus not fixed, but modifiable by psychological processes.
The Influence of Affective States on Cognitive Broadening/Narrowing: Considering the Importance of Motivational Intensity
Authors: Harmon‐Jones Eddie , Price Tom F. , Gable Philip A.
Published: April 2012

Decades of research suggested that positive affective states broaden cognitive processes, whereas negative affective states narrow cognitive processes. More recent research suggests, however, that these conclusions may be premature. These past experiments often compared positive affects low in motivational intensity with negative affects high in motivational intensity. These past experiments, therefore, may have confounded affective valence with motivational intensity. Recent evidence suggests that motivational intensity rather than affective valence influences cognitive broadening/narrowing. That is, affective states of low motivational intensity (e.g., sadness, postgoal positive affect) broaden cognition, whereas affective states of high motivational intensity (e.g., disgust, pregoal positive affect) narrow cognition. We posit that narrowing occurs during affective states of high motivational intensity to aid organisms in acquiring desirable objects or avoiding aversive ones. In contrast, broadening occurs during affective states of low motivational intensity to open organisms to new opportunities.
New Research Findings on Emotionally Focused Therapy: Introduction to Special Section
Authors: Johnson Susan M. , Wittenborn Andrea K.
Published: April 2012

This article introduces the special section “New Research Findings on Emotionally Focused Therapy.” Emotionally focused couple therapy researchers have a strong tradition of outcome and process research and this special section presents new findings from three recent studies. The first study furthers the goal of determining the kinds of clients for which EFT is effective (Denton, Wittenborn, & Golden, this issue) and the next two studies (Furrow, Edwards, Choi, & Bradley, this issue; Wittenborn, this issue) focus on the person of the therapist and provide some implications for EFT intervention and training. Together, these three studies provide valuable lessons on how to deepen our knowledge of the application of EFT for different populations and therapists.
Environmental governance and its implications for conservation practice
Authors: Armitage Derek , de Loë Rob , Plummer Ryan
Published: April 2012

Governments are no longer the most important source of decision making in the environmental field. Instead, new actors are playing critical decision‐making roles, and new mechanisms and forums for decision making are becoming important (e.g., in some contexts regulation is being supplemented or replaced by markets and cooperative arrangements). New ways of governing in relation to the environment have important implications for the practice of conservation. Greater awareness of key ideas and concepts of environmental governance can help conservation managers and scientists participate more effectively in governance processes. Understanding how conservation practice is influenced by emergent hybrid and network governance arrangements is particularly important. This short review explores key environmental governance concepts relevant to the practice of conservation, with specific reference to institutional fit and scale; adaptiveness, flexibility and learning; the coproduction of knowledge from diverse sources; the emergence of new actors and their roles in governance; and changing expectations about accountability and legitimacy. Case‐based examples highlight key directions in environmental governance.
Chassalia magnificens sp. nov. and C. chrysoclada comb. nov. (Rubiaceae) from central Africa
Authors: Lachenaud Olivier , Luke Quentin , Tchiengué Barthélemy , Bytebier Benny
Published: April 2012

Chassalia magnificens, a new species from the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is described and illustrated. The species is recognised inter alia by its large stipules and montane habitat. Chassalia chrysoclada is a new combination for a widespread, but hitherto overlooked, central African species originally described in the genus Psychotria. Chassalia chrysoclada is related to C. pteropetala (K. Schum.) Cheek but lacks the bicostate twigs and dorsally winged corolla lobes of that species.
Short‐term soil carbon sink potential of oil palm plantations
Authors: Smith Daniel R. , Townsend Toby J. , Choy Amanda W. K. , Hardy Ian C. W. , Sjögersten Sofie
Published: April 2012

Oil palm plantations cover ≈14.6 million ha worldwide and the total area under cultivation is expected to increase during the 21st century . Indonesia and Malaysia together account for 87% of global palm oil production and the combined harvested area in these countries has expanded by 6.5 million ha since 1990. Despite this, soil C cycling in oil palm systems is not well quantified but such information is needed for C budget inventories. We quantified soil C storage (root biomass, soil organic matter (SOM) and microbial biomass) and losses [potential soil respiration (Rs) and soil surface CO2 flux (Fs)] in mineral soils from an oil palm plantation chronosequence (11–34 years since planting) in Selangor, Malaysia. There were no significant effects of plantation age on SOM, microbial biomass, Rs or Fs, implying soil C was in dynamic equilibrium over the chronosequence. However, there was a significant increase in root biomass with plantation age, indicating a short‐term C sink. Across the chronosequence, Rs was driven by soil moisture, soil particle size, root biomass and soil microbial biomass N but not microbial biomass C. This suggests that the nutrient status of the microbial community may be of equal or greater importance for soil CO2 losses than substrate availability and also raises particular concerns regarding the addition of nitrogenous fertilizer, i.e. increased yields will be associated with increased soil CO2 emissions. To fully assess the impact of oil palm plantations on soil C storage, initial soil C losses following land conversion (e.g. from native forest or other previous plantations) must be accounted for. If initial soil C losses are large, our data show that there is no accumulation of stable C in the soil as the plantation matures and hence the conversion to oil palm would probably represent a net loss of soil C.
Environment may be the source of Flavobacterium columnare outbreaks at fish farms
Authors: Kunttu Heidi M. T. , Sundberg Lotta‐Riina , Pulkkinen Katja , Valtonen E. Tellervo
Published: April 2012

Flavobacterium columnare, causing columnaris disease, was isolated for the first time from free water and biofilms in the environment outside fish farms. Fourteen isolates were found from Central Finland from a river by a water intake of a salmonid farm and 400 m upstream of the farm. One isolate was from a lake not under the influence of any fish farming. The bacterium could not be isolated from five other lakes in Central Finland or from three lakes in Eastern Finland, none of them in use for fish farming. Among the environmental isolates there was both genetic variability and difference in virulence, but the isolates were less virulent than the isolates originating from a disease outbreak at a fish farm. The isolates were able to survive for months outside the fish host and also to change their colony morphology, a phenomenon probably used as a survival strategy for F. columnare. This indicates that waters upstream of fish farms are a potential source of columnaris outbreaks at the farms during the summer. The results support the hypothesis that fish farms and farming practices may select for the virulent strains of F. columnare occurring in environmental waters to cause the infections at the farms.
Mandibular angle fractures during third molar removal: a report of two cases
Authors: Özçakir‐Tomruk C , Arslan A
Published: April 2012

Although fracture of the tooth during surgical removal is common, mandibular fracture during lower third molar removal is an unusual and major complication. Possible aetiologies are age, gender, the position of the tooth, uncontrolled excessive force applied, insufficient surgical experience and improper instrumentation. Symptoms can vary widely and treatment options range from prescription of a soft diet to surgical treatment by open reduction and internal fixation. We present two cases of the treatment and follow‐up of fracture of the angle region of the mandible during removal.
Target Financial Reporting Quality and M&A Deals that Go Bust*
Authors: Skaife Hollis A. , Wangerin Daniel D.
Published: April 2012

This study investigates the role of financial reporting quality in merger and acquisition (M&A) deals that are ultimately terminated (i.e., go bust). If a target is a U.S. publicly traded company, an acquirer’s initial assessment of the potential benefits associated with the acquisition of the company is based on publicly available information. Generally, the acquirer obtains limited private information from the target prior to announcing the deal, but engages in transactional due diligence after signing the acquisition agreement to affirm that the financial reporting warranties made by the target are accurate. We construct a low‐quality financial reporting score based on measures prior research identifies as being associated with less reliable, less relevant, and less precise financial reporting. We find that acquirers offer higher premiums for targets with low‐quality financial reporting. However, we also find that low‐quality financial reporting increases the likelihood of deal renegotiation, and contributes to the probability of deals going bust. We document that failed targets are more likely to restate their financial statements after the announcement of the deal, supporting our conjecture that low‐quality financial reporting contributes to deals being terminated. Our research develops a new measure of low‐quality financial reporting, documents that the measure is related to M&A deal outcomes and financial restatements, and provides insights into the consequences of M&A transactional due diligence.
Path Emergence on the Korean Peninsula: From Division to Unification*
Authors: Hong Ki‐Joon
Published: April 2012

The primary objective of this article is to examine the possibility of a path emergent transition from division to unification on the Korean peninsula. The term “path emergence” is presented as a theoretical apparatus to examine the proposition that transition from division to unification exhibits emergent properties as unintended consequences. Thus, path emergence is defined as causal sequences which unfold emergent properties within a complex social system. The path emergence approach highlights four causal sequences: morphogenetic fields, self‐organized criticality, resonance and co‐evolution. These causal sequences serve as a conceptual linchpin for the case analysis of the “German Question” and also the “Korean Question.” This study shows that the German Question is a historical example of path emergence. From the hindsight provided by the German case, it is argued that path emergence on the Korean peninsula is likely to occur under certain specific conditions.