bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dose-ranging effects of citrulline administration on plasma amino acids and hormonal patterns in healthy subjects: the Citrudose pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Moinard C. , Nicolis I. , Neveux N. , Darquy S. , Bénazeth S. , Cynober L.
Published: October 2007

Previous experimental studies have highlighted that citrulline (CIT) could be a promising pharmaconutrient. However, its pharmacokinetic characteristics and tolerance to loading have not been studied to date. The objective was to characterise the plasma kinetics of CIT in a multiple-dosing study design and to assess the effect of CIT intake on the concentrations of other plasma amino acids (AA). The effects of CIT loading on anabolic hormones were also determined. Eight fasting healthy males underwent four separate oral loading tests (2, 5, 10 or 15 g CIT) in random order. Blood was drawn ten times over an 8 h period for measurement of plasma AA, insulin and growth hormone (Gh). Urine samples were collected before CIT administration and over the next 24 h. None of the subjects experienced side effects whatever the CIT dose. Concerning AA, only CIT, ornithine (ORN) and arginine (ARG) plasma concentrations were affected (maximum concentration 146 (sem 8) to 303 (sem 11) μmol/l (ARG) and 81 (sem 4) to 179 (sem 10) μmol/l (ORN); time to reach maximum concentration 1·17 (sem 0·26) to 2·29 (sem 0·20) h (ARG) and 1·38 (sem 0·25) to 1·79 (sem 0·11) h (ORN) according to CIT dose). Even at high doses, urinary excretion of CIT remained low ( < 5 %). Plasma insulin and Gh were not affected by CIT administration. Short-term CIT administration is safe and well-tolerated. CIT is a potent precursor of ARG. However, at the highest doses, CIT accumulated in plasma while plasma ARG levels increased less than expected. This may be due to saturation of the renal conversion of CIT into ARG.
The scope interpretation of complex predicates in Japanese: A unified lexicalist analysis
Authors: KUBOTA YUSUKE
Published: October 2007

This paper proposes a unified analysis of adverb scope and quantifier scope phenomena in a lexicalist approach to complex predicates. I first observe that the availability of scope ambiguity for adverbs and for quantifiers always coincides for a given type of complex predicate, drawing on data from different kinds of compound verb constructions, the verbal noun-taking predicates and the nominative object construction. The challenge for a unified treatment in lexicalist frameworks comes from the fact that syntactic structures cannot be taken as the locus for representing the scope of adverbs and quantifiers, unlike in derivational frameworks where such an analysis is the most natural. Thus, a previous lexicalist analysis by Manning, Sag & Iida (1999) makes use of completely different mechanisms to account for adverb scope and quantifier scope, failing to capture the close parallel between them. I remedy this problem of Manning et al.'s analysis by proposing a unified account of adverb scope and quantifier scope that crucially makes use of a slightly enriched semantic representation explicitly encoding the property of mono-/biclausality with respect to scopal phenomena.
Body as subject
Authors: MEIR IRIT , PADDEN CAROL A. , ARONOFF MARK , SANDLER WENDY
Published: October 2007

The notion of subject in human language has a privileged status relative to other arguments. This special status is manifested in the behavior of subjects at the morphological, syntactic, semantic and discourse levels. Here we present evidence that subjects have a privileged status at the lexical level as well, by analyzing lexicalization patterns of verbs in three different sign languages. Our analysis shows that the sub-lexical structure of iconic signs denoting states of affairs in these languages manifests an inherent pattern of form–meaning correspondence: the signer's body consistently represents one argument of the verb, the subject. The hands, moving in relation to the body, represent all other components of the event – including all other arguments. This analysis shows that sign languages provide novel evidence in support of the centrality of the notion of subject in human language. It also solves a typological puzzle about the apparent primacy of object in sign language verb agreement, a primacy not usually found in spoken languages, in which subject agreement generally ranks higher. Our analysis suggests that the subject argument is represented by the body and is part of the lexical structure of the verb. Because it is always inherently represented in the structure of the sign, the subject is more basic than the object, and tolerates the omission of agreement morphology.
Shared assumptions: Semantic minimalism and Relevance Theory
Authors: WEDGWOOD DANIEL
Published: October 2007

Cappelen & Lepore (2005, 2006a, 2007) note that linguistic communication requires ‘shared content’ and claim that Relevance Theory makes content sharing impossible. This criticism rests upon two important errors. The first is a flawed understanding of Relevance Theory, shown in the application of an omniscient third party perspective to parts of Relevance Theory that depend only upon subjective judgements made by the addressee of an utterance. The second is confusion about different definitions of content. Cappelen & Lepore's evidence actually involves the communication of what they term Speech Act content, which need not be perfectly ‘shared’ according to their own position. Looking beyond this flawed criticism, a general comparison of Relevance Theory with Cappelen & Lepore's semantic minimalism reveals significant parallels, pointing to a notable convergence of two distinct approaches – one cognitive-pragmatic, the other philosophical-semantic – on the rejection of currently dominant assumptions in linguistic semantics. The key remaining difference is Cappelen & Lepore's claim that shared content is propositional. This contradicts other claims made for such content and in any case plays no active role in the explanation of communication. Cappelen & Lepore's position thus poses no threat to Relevance Theory; rather, Relevance Theory can benefit from their philosophical analysis of the state of semantic theory.
Weakly nonlinear dust ion-acoustic waves in a charge varying dusty plasma with non-thermal electrons
Authors: TRIBECHE MOULOUD , BERBRI ABDERREZAK
Published: October 2007

The weakly nonlinear dynamics of dust ion-acoustic waves (DIAWs) are investigated in a dusty plasma consisting of hot ion fluid, variable charge stationary dust grains and non-thermally distributed electrons. The Korteweg–de Vries equation, as well as the Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation, are derived on the basis of the well-known reductive perturbation theory. It is shown that, due to electron non-thermality and finite ion temperature, the present dusty plasma model can support compressive as well as rarefactive DIA solitary waves. Furthermore, there may exist collisionless DIA shock-like waves which have either monotonic or oscillatory behavior, the properties of which depend sensitively on the number of fast non-thermal electrons. The results complement and provide new insights into previously published results on this problem (Mamun, A. A. and Shukla, P. K. 2002 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 30, 720).
The reproductive cycle and size at maturity observed in Cancer pagurus in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Authors: Tallack Shelly M.L.
Published: October 2007

Seasonality of the reproductive cycle for Cancer pagurus was determined using three biological indicators: extruding sperm plugs (mating period), extrusion of eggs (spawning period) and presence of empty egg capsules (hatching period). Sperm plugs were found only in recently moulted females, indicating that mating coincides with moulting periods. Cancer pagurus mating indicators were observed during the summer months and into autumn; spawning occurred in winter, and broods were hatching throughout the summer into early autumn. Size at maturity, was assessed using a variety of reproductive and morphometric criteria; estimates from reproductive criteria are generally larger than those from morphometric criteria and these differences are often indicative of ‘functional’ vs ‘behavioural’ maturity. In C. pagurus, size at maturity estimates ranged from 101.6–125.0 mm carapace width (CW) in males and 110.7–147.3 mm CW in females; the sizes at functional maturity proposed are larger than those from morphometric indicators.
COI variation in Scandinavian marine species of Tubificoides (Annelida: Clitellata: Tubificidae)
Authors: Erséus Christer , Kvist Sebastian
Published: October 2007

Intra- and interspecific variation in a 658 bp long part of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene of the mitochondrial genome, i.e. a suggested ‘DNA barcode’, was assessed in four north-west European species of the marine tubificid genus Tubificoides: T. benedii, T. amplivasatus, T. heterochaetus and T. kozloffi. Within species mean genetic distance was from 0.10% (T. amplivasatus) to 0.14% (T. benedii), between species from 19.3% to 22.9%. For T. benedii and T. amplivasatus, material collected in two separate areas, The Sound between Denmark and Sweden, and the Koster area about 330 km to the north along the Swedish west coast, showed a geographically random distribution of COI haplotypes, suggesting that each of these two species forms a continuous population in southern Scandinavia. We conclude that the COI gene is suitable as a barcode marker for the secure identification of these species, at least within the area investigated. Tubificoides heterochaetus is reported for the first time from Denmark.
Diversity of meiofauna and free-living nematodes in hydrothermal vent mussel beds on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise
Authors: Copley J.T.P. , Flint H.C. , Ferrero T.J. , Van Dover C.L.
Published: October 2007

The ecology and biogeography of meiofauna at deep-sea hydrothermal vents have historically received less attention than those of mega- and macrofauna. This study examines the composition of major meiofaunal taxa in beds of the mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus at hydrothermal vents on the northern and southern East Pacific Rise (EPR) and presents the first comparison of species assemblages of the dominant taxon, the nematodes, among sites spanning 27 degrees of latitude. Meiofaunal samples were collected by submersible from three mussel beds at 9°N on the EPR and four mussel beds between 17 and 18°S in 1999. Estimated ages of the mussel beds at the time of sampling range from 4 to >20 years, enabling investigation of the influence of mussel bed age on meiofaunal assemblages. Overall, the meiofauna of the mussel beds was dominated by nematodes, with copepods constituting the second most abundant meiofaunal group. There was variation in the ratio of nematodes to copepods between sites, however, with copepods more abundant than nematodes in the youngest mussel beds. Apart from polychaete larvae, other meiofaunal groups were generally present at very low abundance (<1%) in the samples and restricted in diversity to gastropod larvae, acari, foraminifera, ostracoda and turbellaria. Seventeen nematode species from 14 genera and 11 families were found in the samples, with no evidence of endemicity to hydrothermal vents at the generic level. Four genera present were not previously recorded at hydrothermal vents. Nematode species richness, species:genus ratios and abundances were low compared with other deep-sea habitats, though the ecological relevance of comparisons with soft-sediment benthos is discussed. Nematode assemblages exhibited high dominance by a few species, with one species of Thalassomonhystera most abundant at five of the seven vent sites. Multivariate analysis of nematode assemblages reveals similarities among sites that do not match geographical proximity. The youngest mussel beds were most similar to each other and exhibited lower species richness than other sites, consistent with colonization of mussel bed habitat by nematodes over time. Similarity in the composition of nematode assemblages among sites separated by ~3000 km indicates that they lie within a single biogeographic province, consistent with that proposed for mussel bed macrofauna. At a generic level, samples exhibited some overlap with nematode assemblages at vents elsewhere on the EPR, on the Mid Atlantic Ridge and in the North Fiji Basin.
Exploitation status and stock assessment by pseudo-cohort analysis of the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia)
Authors: Dhieb Khalifa , Ghorbel Mohamed , Jarboui Othman , Bouaïn Abderrahmen
Published: October 2007

The bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, is quite abundant in the Gulf of Gabes, off the south-eastern coast of Tunisia. It is commercially exploited by artisanal gears and trawlers all year round, and by purse seine nets from May to August (bluefish fishery season). Catches of bluefish, in the period 1996–2004 fluctuated between 365.6 t and 1240.1 t with an annual average of 805 t. This fluctuation, partially due to the migratory nature of the species, could be also attributed to the fleet activities that sometimes changed at the mercy of the operators. The analysis of the virtual population of bluefish in the Gulf of Gabes showed that, in 2002, the stock that had just recovered rightly after an excessive fishing in 1996–1997 was again subject to a fishing effort that passed its capacity (E=0.71; E>0.5). The biomass (B) estimated to be ~2178.9 t only tolerated the extraction of 713.4 t (more or less one-third of B). However, the three fleets in use removed 1029.1 t with a yield per recruit (Y/R) of 70.5 g. As a result of this over-fishing, the actual stock of bluefish in the Gulf of Gabes was characterized by individuals having a mean total length of 17.88 cm, a size which is much lower than the one at first sexual maturity (23.5 cm). The turnover (D/B) being of 75.23%, it did not allow the reconstitution of the stock. The total removals (~1639 t) due to both natural mortality (M=0.28) and fishing mortality (F=0.675) had to be compensated especially by individual growth (1534.2 t; 93.6%) because of the low weight of the recruits.
Brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) associated with the octocoral Carijoa riisei (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) from the littoral of Pernambuco, Brazil
Authors: Neves B.M. , Lima E.J.B. , Pérez C.D.
Published: October 2007

The present work records for the first time the association between ophiuroids and the octocoral Carijoa riisei. Carijoa riisei is a colonial octocoral very abundant in the littoral of Pernambuco (Brazil), with growth by creeping stolons with an arborescent structure creating an optimal environment for epibionts. The objectives of the work were to identify the species of Ophiuroidea associated with C. riisei, and to verify the existence of seasonality through the density, abundance and frequency of sampled taxa. Due to the known relationship between the ophiuroids and sponges related in the literature, the sponges founded associated with C. riisei were recorded. Seasonal samples of the beaches of Porto de Galinhas and Guadalupe were realized. In Guadalupe, 39 and 21 ophiuroids (dry and rainy seasons respectively) belonging to the families Ophiactidae (Ophiactis savignyi, Ophiactis lymani) and Ophiotrichidae (Ophiotrhix angulata) were identified. Ophiactis savignyi stood out in all the analysed stations (48.72% in dry season and 52.38% in rainy season). The average density of the ophiuroids was 10.74 ind/100 g of C. riisei, varying from 12.56 ind/100 g in the dry season to 8.92 ind/100 g, in the rainy season. Amongst the species of ophiuroids recorded in the samples, O. savignyi showed 80% and 100% frequency of occurrence in the dry and the rainy seasons, respectively, and O. lymani showed 80% during the dry season. The presence of O. lymani in Guadalupe constitutes the first record in Pernambuco state. Taking into account that all the ophiuroids collected in Guadalupe were considered juveniles (1–3 mm of disc diameter), the microhabitat created by C. riisei may be utilized as a recruitment place for some ophiuroids. No ophiuroids were found at Porto de Galinhas beach, just as for sponges. On the other hand, the ophiuroids were always found with sponges in Guadalupe beach. For this reason, the ecological relation of the ophiuroids with C. riisei could be observed as an occasional relation, in the way that the octocoral supplies a support structure to the growth of the many sponges that have given a favourable habitat to shelter ophiuroids.
Description of two new species of Myersinella (Rotifera: Monogononta: Dicranophoridae) from the Mediterranean
Authors: De Smet Willem H.
Published: October 2007

Two new species of rotifers belonging to the Dicranophoridae are described from marine psammon collected at a depth of 30–40 m in the Mediterranean near the island of Elba, Italy. Myersinella uncodonta sp. nov. is characterized by two colourless eyespots; single, incurved acute apical rami teeth; two needle-shaped, slightly incurved elongate unci; manubria with forked head and crutched cauda; outer margin of rami angular postero-laterally. Myersinella longiforceps sp. nov. is characterized by two large red eyespots; a pair of extremely elongated, gouge-shaped apical rami teeth; two short, needle-shaped unci; manubria with forked head and double-crutched cauda; outer margin of rami rounded laterally, tapering towards fulcrum. This is the first report of the genus Myersinella from marine environments.
A new noise detected in the ocean
Authors: Guerra Angel , Martinell Xavier , González Angel F. , Vecchione Michael , Gracia Joaquin , Martinell Jordi
Published: October 2007

Many observers have noted that the sea is full of loud sounds, both ongoing and episodic. Among the many sources of natural ambient noise are wave action, physical processes such as undersea earthquakes, and biological activities of shrimps, fish, dolphins and whales. Despite interest by acoustics experts, sound production by cephalopods has been reported only twice, both involving squid. The ‘faint poppings’ produced were thought to result from fluttering of the thin external lips of the squid's funnel while water is being expelled through it. Otherwise, no information is available on cephalopod sounds. Here we present a noise produced by a stressed common octopus. The event was filmed and recorded in the wild. The hypothesis we offer to explain how this sound was produced is cavitation, which has been documented in several biological systems. In our case, the water expelled through the funnel may have created a jet with a velocity so high that the turbulent pressure dropped locally below the vapour pressure of the water. Seawater contains gas microbubbles, which will grow in size when they are entrained in the region of low pressure. Subsequently, the bubbles collapse violently when pressure rises again. The sound produced by the octopus is like a gunshot, and distinct lights observed at the same time contradict the existence of a simple pressure wave and point to the possible presence of gas-bubbles, which would change the light intensity by reflection and refraction of the sunlight. This behaviour seems to be a defensive strategy to escape from vibration-sensitive predators.
Diagnostic co-morbidity in 2300 psychiatric out-patients presenting for treatment evaluated with a semi-structured diagnostic interview
Authors: Zimmerman M. , McGlinchey J. B. , Chelminski I. , Young D.
Published: October 2007

Background

The largest clinical epidemiological surveys of psychiatric disorders have been based on unstructured clinical evaluations. However, several recent studies have questioned the accuracy and thoroughness of clinical diagnostic interviews; consequently, clinical epidemiological studies, like community-based studies, should be based on standardized evaluations. The Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project is the largest clinical epidemiological study using semi-structured interviews assessing a wide range of psychiatric disorders conducted in a general clinical out-patient practice. In the present report we examined the frequency of DSM-IV Axis I diagnostic co-morbidity in psychiatric out-patients.

Method

A total of 2300 out-patients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) upon presentation for treatment.

Results

The mean number of current and lifetime DSM-IV Axis I disorders in the 2300 patients was 1.9 (s.d.=1.5) and 3.0 (s.d.=1.8) respectively. The majority of patients were diagnosed with two or more current disorders, and more than one-third were diagnosed with three or more current disorders. Examination of the most frequent current disorders in the patients with the 12 most common principal diagnoses indicated that the pattern of co-morbidity differed among the disorders. The highest mean number of current co-morbid disorders was found for patients with a principal diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

Conclusions

Clinicians should assume that psychiatric patients presenting for treatment have more than one current diagnosis. The pattern of co-morbidity varies according to the principal diagnosis.
The processing of emotional prosody and semantics in schizophrenia: relationship to gender and IQ
Authors: Scholten M. R. M. , Aleman A. , Kahn R. S.
Published: October 2007

Background

Female patients with schizophrenia are less impaired in social life than male patients. Because social impairment in schizophrenia has been found to be associated with deficits in emotion recognition, we examined whether the female advantage in processing emotional prosody and semantics is preserved in schizophrenia.

Method

Forty-eight patients (25 males, 23 females) and 46 controls (23 males, 23 females) were assessed using an emotional language task (in which healthy women generally outperform healthy men), consisting of 96 sentences in four conditions: (1) neutral-content/emotional-tone (happy, sad, angry or anxious); (2) neutral-tone/emotional-content; (3) emotional-tone/incongruous emotional-content; and (4) emotional-content/incongruous emotional-tone. Participants had to ignore the emotional-content in the third condition and the emotional-tone in the fourth condition. In addition, participants were assessed with a visuospatial task (in which healthy men typically excel). Correlation coefficients were computed for associations between emotional language data, visuospatial data, IQ measures and patient variables.

Results

Overall, on the emotional language task, patients made more errors than control subjects, and women outperformed men across diagnostic groups. Controlling for IQ revealed a significant effect on task performance in all groups, especially in the incongruent tasks. On the rotation task, healthy men outperformed healthy women, but male patients, female patients and female controls obtained similar scores.

Conclusion

The advantage in emotional prosodic and semantic processing in healthy women is preserved in schizophrenia, whereas the male advantage in visuospatial processing is lost. These findings may explain, in part, why social functioning is less compromised in women with schizophrenia than in men.
A diffusion tensor imaging study of structural dysconnectivity in never-medicated, first-episode schizophrenia
Authors: Cheung V. , Cheung C. , McAlonan G. M. , Deng Y. , Wong J. G. , Yip L. , Tai K. S. , Khong P. L. , Sham P. , Chua S. E.
Published: October 2007

Background

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to investigate cerebral structural connectivity in never-medicated individuals with first-episode schizophrenia.

Method

Subjects with first-episode schizophrenia according to DSM-IV-R who had never been exposed to antipsychotic medication (n=25) and healthy controls (n=26) were recruited. Groups were matched for age, gender, best parental socio-economic status and ethnicity. All subjects underwent DTI and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate brain regions where fractional anisotropy (FA) values differed significantly between groups. A confirmatory region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of FA scores was performed in which regions were placed blind to group membership.

Results

In patients, FA values significantly lower than those in healthy controls were located in the left fronto-occipital fasciculus, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, white matter adjacent to right precuneus, splenium of corpus callosum, right posterior limb of internal capsule, white matter adjacent to right substantia nigra, and left cerebral peduncle. ROI analysis of the corpus callosum confirmed that the patient group had significantly lower mean FA values than the controls in the splenium but not in the genu. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for independent ROI measurements was 0.90 (genu) and 0.90 (splenium). There were no regions where FA values were significantly higher in the patients than in the healthy controls.

Conclusions

Widespread structural dysconnectivity, including the subcortical region, is already present in neuroleptic-naive patients in their first episode of illness.
Educational attainment, smoking initiation and lifetime nicotine dependence among male Vietnam-era twins
Authors: McCaffery J. M. , Papandonatos G. D. , Lyons M. J. , Koenen K. C. , Tsuang M. T. , Niaura R.
Published: October 2007

Background

Smoking initiation and persistence are clearly associated with factors commonly thought to be environmental in origin, including socio-economic status. However, twin models that incorporate gene–environment correlation and gene×environment interaction have not been applied to elucidate the genetic or environmental role that socio-economic status plays in smoking initiation and nicotine dependence.

Method

Twin structural equation modelling was used to examine gene–environment correlation and gene×environment interaction of one index of socio-economic status, educational attainment, with smoking initiation and nicotine dependence among 5119 monozygotic and 4295 dizygotic male–male Vietnam-era twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, a national registry of twin pairs who served in the military during the Vietnam era.

Results

Educational attainment correlated significantly with smoking initiation (r=−0.27, p<0.001). Additive genetic (p=0.011), shared environment (p=0.002) and unique environment (p=0.027) components contributed to the correlation between educational attainment and smoking initiation. Educational attainment also significantly moderated the variance in smoking initiation (p<0.001), suggestive of gene×environment interaction, although the interaction with the additive genetic, shared environmental and unique environmental components could not be resolved due to multicollinearity. In contrast, educational attainment neither correlated with nor moderated nicotine dependence, once smokers had initiated.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that educational attainment is associated with smoking initiation, in part due to gene–environment correlation and gene×environment interaction. However, once smoking initiation is taken into account, there are no effects – be they gene–environment correlation or gene×environmental interaction – of educational attainment on nicotine dependence.
Antisaccade deficit is present in young first-episode patients with schizophrenia but not in their healthy young siblings
Authors: de Wilde O. M. , Bour L. , Dingemans P. , Boerée T. , Linszen D.
Published: October 2007

Background

Results of studies on antisaccade (AS) deficit in relatives of patients with schizophrenia are inconclusive. We hypothesized that AS performance in siblings of patients with schizophrenia is worse than in healthy controls and better than in patients with schizophrenia.

Method

We included 55 first-episode patients with schizophrenia, 28 healthy siblings and 36 healthy controls to evaluate AS performance. Eye movements were measured electromagnetically by the double magnetic induction (DMI) method.

Results

Patients with schizophrenia had a significantly higher error rate than siblings (d=0.86, p<0.0001) and controls (d=1.35, p<0.0001). Siblings had a higher mean error rate than healthy controls but this did not reach significance (d=0.56, p=0.29). The intra-class correlation (ICC) was 0.33 for the error rate. Mean AS gain was higher in siblings than in patients (d=0.75, p=0.004) and controls (d=0.6, p=0.05). The ICC was 0.08.

Conclusion

AS parameters in strictly screened healthy young siblings of young first-episode patients with schizophrenia are comparable to results found in studies investigating older relatives. However, the statistical results (i.e. the ICCs) suggest that there is little evidence of shared environmental or genetic factors on error rate variation.
REPRESENTATIONS OF POVERTY IN THE COMMEDIA DELL' ARTE
Authors: Henke Robert
Published: October 2007

This essay explores the socioeconomic resonance of Italian professional theatre in the early modern period by considering a few records of performance by indigent entertainers, and by exploring the persistent theatrical and textual presence of poverty and hunger in texts both central and adjacent to the professional actors. Whether or not a given troupe or actor directly experienced or even cared about poverty, famine, destitution, or other social issues, by the time of the commedia's “golden age” these themes had by dint of theatrical tradition and performance sedimentation become part of the actors' repertoire, much more central to their performance tradition than they were in English and Spanish early modern theatres. Partly because of the medieval legacy of the itinerant mendicant orders in Italy, the commedia dell'arte inherited a culture in which poverty, begging, itinerancy, and a certain disposition to perform degradation were in the air, and this was absorbed into the grammar of their performance. Not only were tropes and gags of hunger and destitution continually deployed in the commedia, but some of the actors assumed, for their own rhetorical purposes, the histrionic pose of destitution. In other words, whatever their professional fortunes, they “played” poverty both onstage and in their offstage personae.
MOVING AROUND
Authors: Reinelt Janelle
Published: October 2007

When Mike Sell asked me to contribute to Critical Stages on the topic of “recent emigration in the field,” I had to make sure I understood. “Do you mean people like me,” I asked, “who have taken jobs outside the U.S.?” “Well yes,” he answered. “There's been quite a lot of informal discussion about this trend at various conferences and events.” Fair enough, but it has proven surprisingly difficult to quantify this phenomenon, and the data are partial and sometimes contradictory. There are a number of reasons why some American performance scholars may be choosing to work abroad now. Part personal, part professional, such reasons resist straight-ahead explanations. In what follows, I employ a somewhat paratactic structure to capture fragments of uneven cause and effect, finally placing the question of intellectual migration in the disciplinary experiences of Theodor Adorno during his period of exile in the United States.
THE AMERICAN SHOW PRINTER: CURTISS SHOW PRINT AND HATCH SHOW PRINT
Authors: Couch Nena
Published: October 2007

The history of American popular entertainment is documented in many different ways, ranging from materials such as correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, company records, oral-history interviews, and autobiographies that directly tell the story of performers, business managers, and behind-the-scenes crew, to material created by others and used for the promotion of the artists. In this second category fall the subjects of this article, two letterpress show printers, Curtiss Show Print of Continental, Ohio, and Hatch Show Print of Nashville, Tennessee. There were many show printers across the country from the late nineteenth through the twentieth centuries, but the majority of these companies have closed, and their type and printing blocks have been discarded or dispersed. Although other printers altered their operations because of changes in technology that allow work to be done in less laborious ways, Curtiss Show Print and Hatch Show Print are still working and using the old equipment and techniques. Both Nyle Stateler, owner of Curtiss Show Print, and Jim Sherraden, manager of Hatch Show Print, realize the historical and research value of their show-print materials, and both have taken steps to save those materials, forging institutional relationships that are commitments for the preservation of their show-print work.
Non-Bernoulli systems with completely positive entropy
Authors: DOOLEY A. H. , GOLODETS V. YA. , RUDOLPH D. J. , SINEL’SHCHIKOV S. D.
Published: October 2007

A new approach to actions of countable amenable groups with completely positive entropy (cpe), allowing one to answer some basic questions in this field, was recently developed. The question of the existence of cpe actions which are not Bernoulli was raised. In this paper, we prove that every countable amenable groupG, which contains an element of infinite order, has non-Bernoulli cpe actions. In fact we can produce, for any$h \in (0, \infty ]$, an uncountable family of cpe actions of entropyh, which are pairwise automorphically non-isomorphic. These actions are given by a construction which we call co-induction. This construction is related to, but different from the standard induced action. We study the entropic properties of co-induction, proving that ifαGis co-induced from an actionαΓof a subgroup Γ, thenh(αG)=h(αΓ). We also prove that ifαΓis a non-Bernoulli cpe action of Γ, thenαGis also non-Bernoulli and cpe. Hence the problem of finding an uncountable family of pairwise non-isomorphic cpe actions of the same entropy is reduced to one of finding an uncountable family of non-Bernoulli cpe actions of$\mathbb Z$, which pairwise satisfy a property we call ‘uniform somewhat disjointness’. We construct such a family using refinements of the classical cutting and stacking methods.
Non-continuous weakly expanding skew-products of quadratic maps with two positive Lyapunov exponents
Authors: SCHNELLMANN DANIEL
Published: October 2007

We study an extension of the Viana map where the base dynamics is a discontinuous expanding map, and prove the existence of two positive Lyapunov exponents.
DYNAMIC ASSIGNMENT OF DEDICATED AND FLEXIBLE SERVERS IN TANDEM LINES
Authors: Andradóttir Sigrún , Ayhan Hayriye , Down Douglas G.
Published: October 2007

Consider a system of queuing stations in tandem having both flexible servers (who are capable of working at multiple stations) and dedicated servers (who can only work at the station to which they are dedicated). We study the dynamic assignment of servers to stations in such systems with the goal of maximizing the long-run average throughput. We also investigate how the number of flexible servers influences the throughput and compare the improvement that is obtained by cross-training another server (i.e., increasing flexibility) with the improvement obtained by adding a resource (i.e., a new server or a buffer space). Finally, we show that having only one flexible server is sufficient for achieving near-optimal throughput in certain systems with moderate to large buffer sizes (the optimal throughput is attained by having all servers flexible). Our focus is on systems with generalist servers who are equally skilled at all tasks, but we also consider systems with arbitrary service rates.
A STORAGE SYSTEM WITH SPORADIC AND CONTINUOUS CLEARINGS
Authors: Stadje Wolfgang
Published: October 2007

We study a cumulative storage system that is totally cleared sporadically at stationary renewal times and whenever a finite-capacity threshold is exceeded. The independent and identically distributed inputs occur at time epochs that also form a stationary renewal process. We determine the distribution of the interoverflow times. Although this distribution is quite intricate when both underlying renewal processes are general, in the special case of Poisson sporadic clearings we obtain a neat formula for its Laplace transform.
NONNEGATIVITY OF COVARIANCES BETWEEN FUNCTIONS OF ORDERED RANDOM VARIABLES
Authors: Hu Taizhong , Yao Junchao , Lu Qingshu
Published: October 2007

In this article we investigate conditions by a unified method under which the covariances of functions of two adjacent ordered random variables are nonnegative. The main structural results are applied to several kinds of ordered random variable, such as delayed record values, continuous and discrete ℓ∞⩽-spherical order statistics, epoch times of mixed Poisson processes, generalized order statistics, discrete weak record values, and epoch times of modified geometric processes. These applications extend the main results for ordinary order statistics in Qi [28] and for usual record values in Nagaraja and Nevzorov [25].
A MEAN–VARIANCE BOUND FOR A THREE-PIECE LINEAR FUNCTION
Authors: Natarajan Karthik , Linyi Zhou
Published: October 2007

In this article, we derive a tight closed-form upper bound on the expected value of a three-piece linear convex function E[max(0, X, mX − z)] given the mean μ and the variance σ2 of the random variable X. The bound is an extension of the well-known mean–variance bound for E[max(0, X)]. An application of the bound to price the strangle option in finance is provided.
SEMI-MARKOV DECISION PROCESSES
Authors: Baykal-Gürsoy M. , Gürsoy K.
Published: October 2007

Considered are semi-Markov decision processes (SMDPs) with finite state and action spaces. We study two criteria: the expected average reward per unit time subject to a sample path constraint on the average cost per unit time and the expected time-average variability. Under a certain condition, for communicating SMDPs, we construct (randomized) stationary policies that are ε-optimal for each criterion; the policy is optimal for the first criterion under the unichain assumption and the policy is optimal and pure for a specific variability function in the second criterion. For general multichain SMDPs, by using a state space decomposition approach, similar results are obtained.
Abnormal reliance on object structure in apraxics' learning of novel object-related actions
Authors: BARDE LAURA H.F. , BUXBAUM LAUREL J. , MOLL ADRIENNE D.
Published: October 2007

We assessed the prediction that object structural cues could benefit the learning of object–action relationships in ideomotor apraxia (IMA). A total of 15 patients with left-hemisphere stroke, 11 of whom exhibited IMA, and 10 healthy subjects were trained to match novel gestures to novel tool pictures that were either High- or Low-Afforded by their associated tools. Learning was assessed with recognition and production tests. Only IMA patients demonstrated better recognition of High- than Low-Afforded gestures, and their recognition of High-Afforded gestures was statistically comparable to the other groups. This finding suggests that apraxics may rely abnormally on object structure when learning to associate novel gestures and tools. Finally, the “affordance benefit” was associated with relative sparing of structures in the dorsal visual processing stream. These data are consistent with the proposal that two routes may mediate skilled action, one specialized for stored information, and the other responsive to object structure, and that deficient gesture learning may be compensated by “bootstrapping” intact dorsal stream coding of action. (JINS, 2007,13, 997–1008.)
What it is said versus how it is said: Comprehension of affective prosody in men with Klinefelter (47,XXY) syndrome
Authors: VAN RIJN SOPHIE , ALEMAN ANDRÉ , SWAAB HANNA , KRIJN TESSEL , VINGERHOETS GUY , KAHN RENÉ S.
Published: October 2007

Difficulties in social communication in individuals with Klinefelter syndrome (XXY chromosomal pattern) have largely been attributed to deficits in left hemisphere-mediated, language functions. This study examined the ability of XXY men to decode emotions from tone of voice, a pragmatic aspect of social communication that may be associated with right hemisphere functioning. A total of 26 XXY men and 20 men from the general population completed tasks involving emotion discrimination in speech, based on verbal content or tone of voice. The XXY group displayed relative difficulties in discriminating emotions in tone of voice, and, to a lesser extend, in verbal content. This finding suggests that the XXY chromosomal pattern may not only be associated with difficulties in semantic aspects of language, but with prosodic aspects, as well. Our findings may contribute to the development of more comprehensive models addressing the role of the X chromosome in normal and abnormal development of social communication. (JINS, 2007, 13, 1065–1070.)
The influence of complex action knowledge on representations of novel graspable objects: Evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: CREEM-REGEHR SARAH H. , DILDA VALENTINA , VICCHRILLI APRIL E. , FEDERER FREDERICK , LEE JAMES N.
Published: October 2007

The influence of action knowledge associated with novel objects was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants were trained on complex actions associated with novel objects (“tools”) and had experience manipulating other visually similar novel objects (“shapes”). During scanning, participants viewed, imagined grasping, and imagined using the objects. Based on previous neuroimaging and neuropsychological findings, our primary goal was to examine frontal and parietal regions subserving action representations associated with visual objects, namely the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), the left ventral premotor cortex (VPM) and the presupplementary motor cortex (pre-SMA). We predicted differences between the tool and shape stimuli, modulated also by task demands. In viewing, we found greater effect sizes in the left VPM and IPL for tools versus shapes. In grasping, there was similar activation with both object types. The largest differences existed in using, in which greater effect sizes were found for tools versus shapes in left IPL and pre-SMA, and marginally in the left VPM. We suggest that representations of tools extend beyond classically defined affordances and recruit processing about both graspability and known action plans in tasks involving visual memory, motor imagery, and motor execution. (JINS, 2007, 13, 1009–1020.)
Personality characteristics and affective status related to cognitive test performance and gender in patients with memory complaints
Authors: VESTBERG SUSANNA , PASSANT ULLA , RISBERG JARL , ELFGREN CHRISTINA
Published: October 2007

The aims are to study personality characteristics of patients with memory complaints and to assess the presence of objective (OMI)versussubjective (SMI) memory impairment, the affective status, as well as potential gender differences. The patients were assessed by means of a neuropsychiatric examination and a neuropsychological test-battery. The Swedish version of the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. The 57 patients (38 women, 19 men, mean age 56.9) differed from the Swedish normative group in three of the five personality factors: neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness. This was mainly because of the scores of the female patients. Approximately half of the patients had OMI. No differences regarding personality factors or affective status were found between OMI and SMI patients. The female patients scored significantly higher than the male patients on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Neuroticism and symptoms of depression interacted with memory performance and gender. Our findings demonstrate the importance of applying an objective assessment of memory functions and a gender perspective when studying patients with memory complaints. (JINS, 2007,13, 911–919.)
Course of cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease: A meta-analysis
Authors: MUSLIMOVIĆ DINO , SCHMAND BEN , SPEELMAN JOHANNES D. , DE HAAN ROB J.
Published: October 2007

A meta-analysis was conducted on 25 longitudinal studies involving 901 initially non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients to examine the magnitude of decline across multiple cognitive domains associated with disease progression. Pooled effect sizes reflecting the standardized difference between baseline and follow-up neuropsychological performance were calculated for 8 cognitive domains using a random-effects model. Relatively small effect sizes were found across all cognitive domains (d= .00 − .40). During a mean follow-up interval of 29 months, significant declines were detected in global cognitive ability (d= .40), visuoconstructive skills (d= .32), and memory (d= .29). Age showed a significant relation with decline in global cognitive ability and memory. Lower educational level was associated with greater decline in all cognitive domains. Studies with longer follow-up intervals yielded larger effect sizes for global cognitive ability. In non-demented PD patients, changes in cognitive functions over time appear to be modest. Educational level, age, and length of the follow-up interval are likely to affect the magnitude of decline in several domains. Methodological flaws, such as selection bias and uncontrolled practice effects, may have caused underestimation of the true extent of decline (JINS, 2007,13, 920–932.)
Cognitive disinhibition and socioemotional functioning in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: NASH SCOTT , HENRY JULIE D. , MCDONALD SKYE , MARTIN INGERITH , BRODATY HENRY , PEEK-O'LEARY MARIE-ANDREE
Published: October 2007

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience difficulties with socioemotional functioning, and it has been proposed that cognitive disinhibition may be one potential mechanism that contributes to difficulties in this area. To test this possibility, twenty individuals with AD and 20 demographically matched controls were administered self-report measures of depression, emotion regulation and empathy, in addition to a behavioral measure that has proven to be very sensitive to inhibitory failures (the Hayling Sentence Completion Test). Relative to controls AD participants exhibited increased inhibitory failures on the Hayling, and self-reported significantly reduced cognitive empathy, but did not differ with respect to affective empathy, depression or perceived capacity for emotion regulation. Controlling for general cognitive status, in the AD (but not the control) group, reduced cognitive inhibition was associated with lower levels of depression. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. (JINS, 2007, 13, 1060–1064.)
Neurobehavioral impact of sickle cell disease in early childhood
Authors: SCHATZ JEFFREY , ROBERTS CARLA W.
Published: October 2007

The physical effects of sickle cell disease (SCD) begin in infancy or early childhood, yet most behavioral studies have focused on school-age children. We evaluated the impact of higherversuslower neurologic risk on language, motor abilities, executive functions, and temperament in toddlers and early preschoolers with SCD. Thirty-nine children with higher risk SCD were compared to 22 children with lower risk SCD. Language and motor abilities were lower in older compared with younger children but were unrelated to sickle cell subgroups. Executive functions, particularly working memory, were poorer in children with higher risk SCD regardless of age. Parent-reported activity level was also lower in children with higher risk. Specific behavioral influences of SCD are evident early in childhood and include working memory decrements. Executive function deficits in SCD can emerge early in life and may be an important context for other areas of cognitive and behavioral development. (JINS, 2007,13, 933–943.)