bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching genetics with multimedia results in better acquisition of knowledge and improvement in comprehension
Authors: Starbek P. , Starčič Erjavec M. , Peklaj C.
Published: January 2010

The main goal of this study was to explore whether the use of multimedia in genetics instruction contributes more to students' knowledge and comprehension than other instructional modes. We were also concerned with the influence of different instructional modes on the retention of knowledge and comprehension. In a quasi‐experimental design, four comparable groups of 3rd and 4th grade high school students were taught the process of protein synthesis: group 1 was taught in the traditional lecture format (n = 112 students), group 2 only by reading text (n = 124 students), group 3 through multimedia that integrated two short computer animations (n = 115 students) and group 4 by text supplemented with illustrations (n = 117 students). All students received one pre‐test in order to estimate their prior knowledge, and two post‐tests in order to assess knowledge and comprehension immediately after learning and again after 5 weeks. Results showed that students comprising groups 3 and 4 acquired better knowledge and improved comprehension skills than the other two groups. Similar results were observed for retention of acquired knowledge and improved comprehension. These findings lead to the conclusion that better learning outcomes can be obtained by the use of animations or at least illustrations when learning genetics.
Photo‐ and bio‐physical characterization of novel violet and near‐infrared lipophilic fluorophores for neuronal tracing
Authors: TONNIGES J. , HANSEN M. , DUNCAN J. , BASSETT M.J. , FRITZSCH B. , GRAY B.D. , EASWARAN A. , NICHOLS M.G.
Published: January 2010

Lipophilic fluorescent dyes have been used to trace neuronal connections because of their ability to diffuse laterally within nerve cell membranes. Given the hundreds to thousands of connections that a typical neuron makes with its neighbours, a diffusion‐matched set of spectrally distinct dyes is desirable. To extend a set of these dyes to obtain six independent labels, we have characterized the properties of novel violet and near‐infrared candidates. By combining two‐photon and confocal microscopy all of these candidates can be imaged using a single Titanium Sapphire laser. Here we present measurements of the two‐photon action cross‐sections and diffusion properties of the dyes, using either the relative diffusion distance or fluorescence recovery after photobleaching techniques, and demonstrate six‐colour neuronal tracing within the spinal cord and brain tissue.
Membrane fluidity determines sensitivity of filamentous fungi to chitosan
Authors: Palma‐Guerrero J. , Lopez‐Jimenez J. A. , Pérez‐Berná A. J. , Huang I.‐C. , Jansson H.‐B. , Salinas J. , Villalaín J. , Read N. D. , Lopez‐Llorca L. V.
Published: January 2010

The antifungal mode of action of chitosan has been studied for the last 30 years, but is still little understood. We have found that the plasma membrane forms a barrier to chitosan in chitosan‐resistant but not chitosan‐sensitive fungi. The plasma membranes of chitosan‐sensitive fungi were shown to have more polyunsaturated fatty acids than chitosan‐resistant fungi, suggesting that their permeabilization by chitosan may be dependent on membrane fluidity. A fatty acid desaturase mutant of Neurospora crassa with reduced plasma membrane fluidity exhibited increased resistance to chitosan. Steady‐state fluorescence anisotropy measurements on artificial membranes showed that chitosan binds to negatively charged phospholipids that alter plasma membrane fluidity and induces membrane permeabilization, which was greatest in membranes containing more polyunsaturated lipids. Phylogenetic analysis of fungi with known sensitivity to chitosan suggests that chitosan resistance may have evolved in nematophagous and entomopathogenic fungi, which naturally encounter chitosan during infection of arthropods and nematodes. Our findings provide a method to predict the sensitivity of a fungus to chitosan based on its plasma membrane composition, and suggests a new strategy for antifungal therapy, which involves treatments that increase plasma membrane fluidity to make fungi more sensitive to fungicides such as chitosan.
Natural variation in ozone sensitivity among Arabidopsis thaliana accessions and its relation to stomatal conductance
Authors: BROSCHÉ MIKAEL , MERILO EBE , MAYER FLORIAN , PECHTER PRIIT , PUZÕRJOVA IRINA , BRADER GÜNTER , KANGASJÄRVI JAAKKO , KOLLIST HANNES
Published: January 2010

Genetic variation between naturally occurring populations provides a unique source to unravel the complex mechanisms of stress tolerance. Here, we have analysed O3 sensitivity of 93 natural Arabidopsis thaliana accessions together with five O3‐sensitive mutants to acute O3 exposure. The variation in O3 sensitivity among the natural accessions was much higher than among the O3‐sensitive mutants and corresponding wild types. A subset of nine accessions with major variation in their O3 responses was studied in more detail. Among the traits assayed, stomatal conductance (gst) was an important factor determining O3 sensitivity of the selected accessions. The most O3‐sensitive accession, Cvi‐0, had constitutively high gst, leading to high initial O3 uptake rate and dose received during the first 30 min of exposure. Analyzing O3‐induced changes in stress hormone concentrations indicated that jasmonate (JA) concentration was also positively correlated with leaf damage. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in a Col‐0 × Cvi‐0 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population identified three QTLs for O3 sensitivity, and one for high water loss of Cvi‐0. The major O3 QTL mapped to the same position as the water loss QTL further supporting the role of stomata in regulating O3 entry and damage.
Rebuilding fish stocks no later than 2015: will Europe meet the deadline?
Authors: Froese Rainer , Proelß Alexander
Published: January 2010

Maintaining or restoring fish stocks at levels that are capable of producing maximum sustainable yield is a legal obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has been given the deadline of no later than 2015 in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of 2002. Here, we analyse stock assessment data of all major fish stocks of the Northeast Atlantic to determine whether Europe will be able to deliver on this commitment, which it has helped to bring about. The analysis shows that, if current fishing pressure continues, 91% of the European stocks will remain below target. If European ministers in charge of fisheries were serious about meeting their obligations, they would have to reduce drastically fishing pressure and halt fishing completely on some stocks. But even if fishing were halted in 2010, 22% of the stocks are so depleted that they cannot be rebuilt by 2015. If current trends continue, Europe will miss the 2015 deadline by more than 30 years. We argue that, from a legal perspective, such repeated enactment of fisheries management measures, which are incapable of maintaining or restoring Bmsy, does not comply with the requirements contained in UNCLOS and may constitute a breach of the precautionary principle of European Community law.
Measuring Corporate Social Performance: A Review
Authors: Wood Donna J.
Published: January 2010

This paper reviews the literature on corporate social performance (CSP) measurement and sets that literature into a theoretical context. Following a review of CSP theory development and the literature on relationships between CSP and corporate financial performance, Wood's CSP model (Wood, D.J. (1991). Corporate social performance revisited.Academy of Management Review, 16, pp. 691–718) is used as an organizing device to present and discuss studies that use particular measures of CSP. Conclusions emphasize the need for CSP scholars to refocus on stakeholders and society, and to incorporate relevant literatures from other scholarly domains.
The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice
Authors: Carroll Archie B. , Shabana Kareem M.
Published: January 2010

In this review, the primary subject is the ‘business case’ for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The business case refers to the underlying arguments or rationales supporting or documenting why the business community should accept and advance the CSR ‘cause’. The business case is concerned with the primary question: What do the business community and organizations get out of CSR? That is, how do they benefit tangibly from engaging in CSR policies, activities and practices? The business case refers to the bottom‐line financial and other reasons for businesses pursuing CSR strategies and policies. In developing this business case, the paper first provides some historical background and perspective. In addition, it provides a brief discussion of the evolving understandings of CSR and some of the long‐established, traditional arguments that have been made both for and against the idea of business assuming any responsibility to society beyond profit‐seeking and maximizing its own financial well‐being. Finally, the paper addresses the business case in more detail. The goal is to describe and summarize what the business case means and to review some of the concepts, research and practice that have come to characterize this developing idea.
Organizational Stages and Cultural Phases: A Critical Review and a Consolidative Model of Corporate Social Responsibility Development
Authors: Maon François , Lindgreen Adam , Swaen Valérie
Published: January 2010

Based on a stakeholder‐oriented conceptualization of corporate social responsibility (CSR), this paper offers a multi‐dimensional, dynamic perspective which integrates moral, cultural and strategic aspects of the CSR development process, together with its organizational implications. Therefore, the authors link existing stage models of CSR development with stakeholder culture and social responsiveness continuums and provide a consolidative model which highlights a seven‐stage development process towards CSR, articulated around three cultural phases (i.e. CSR reluctance, CSR grasp and CSR embedment). In a context in which literature on CSR development and implementation tends to be overly segmented, this consolidative model integrates organizational values and culture together with management processes and operations. In its emphasis on the importance of the organizational context and characteristics in analyses of organizations' CSR development, the proposed consolidative model offers novel research perspectives and highlights the relevance of adopting a phase‐dependent approach.
Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management
Authors: Noland James , Phillips Robert
Published: January 2010

The aim of this paper is to identify, review and assess two prominent recent trends in the literature on stakeholder engagement. Scholars in the first camp are referred to as Habermasians, owing to their reference and adherence to the work of the German philosopher most famous for elaborating on the concept of moral discourse. To these scholars, moral engagement is marked by specific conditions of communication which ensure that this communication is uncorrupted by power differences and strategic motivations. Others – those called here Ethical Strategists – argue that the engagement of stakeholders must be integral to a firm's strategy if it is to achieve real success. This camp is characterized by scholars contending that the distinction between strategy and morality is not only unfortunate, but logically unnecessary. They hold that good strategy properly understood must encompass what are typically recognized as moral concerns, because the very purpose of the firm and the capitalist system within which it operates is, when viewed rightly, the creation of value for all stakeholders. While recognizing the important contributions made by the Habermasians to the conversation about stakeholder engagement, it is concluded that, owing to the confluence of conceptual and practical concerns, the Ethical Strategists' position is the more attractive.
Can the Child Behavior Checklist be used to screen for motor impairment?
Authors: PIEK JAN P , BARRETT NICHOLAS C , DYCK MURRAY J , REIERSEN ANGELA M
Published: January 2010

Aim  It has been suggested that one approach to identifying motor impairment in children is to use the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as a screening tool. The current study examined the validity of the CBCL in identifying motor impairment.

Method  A total of 398 children, 206 females and 192 males, aged from 3 years 9 months to 14 years 10 months were assessed on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development to determine their motor ability. Parents completed the CBCL.

Results  The ‘Clumsy’ item on the CBCL was found to predict motor ability independent of the child’s age, sex, and scores on other items of the CBCL. However, the sensitivity of the ‘Clumsy’ item in terms of identifying motor impairment was found to be a low 16.7% compared with specificity of 93.2%. The item ‘Not liked’ was also found to be a significant predictor of motor impairment.

Interpretation  Although the ‘Clumsy’ and ‘Not liked’ items were found to have a relationship with motor ability, they should not be relied upon to categorize children as motor impaired versus not impaired. It is possible that these items may be better indicators of motor impairment in children with developmental disorders such as attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder, but clinical samples are needed to address this.
Determinants of responsiveness to botulinum toxin, casting, and bracing in the treatment of spastic equinus in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: YAP RITA , MAJNEMER ANNETTE , BENAROCH THIERRY , CANTIN MARIE‐ANDREE
Published: January 2010

Aim  The objective was to determine whether specific intrinsic (age, pattern of cerebral palsy [CP], child’s motivation) and extrinsic (number of treatments, parenting stress) characteristics were associated with responsiveness to botulinum toxin A (BoNT‐A) injections in children with CP 3 months after injection into the gastrocnemius muscle.

Method  Children with hemiplegia or diplegia recruited from a BoNT‐A programme were evaluated before and 3 months following injection of BoNT‐A into the gastrocnemius. Outcome measures included muscle tone, range of motion, gait pattern, level of ambulation, gross motor function, and functional independence. Determinants of responsiveness to BoNT‐A considered were age, number of treatments, distribution of CP, parenting stress, and motivation.

Results  Thirty‐one children were recruited (17 males, 14 females) – 22 with hemiplegia and nine with diplegia. Twenty‐eight were classified at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I and three at level III. The mean age was 6 years 4 months (SD 2y 11mo). Younger age (p=0.015) and fewer number (p=0.024) of BoNT‐A treatments were associated with greater change in gross motor function. Child’s motivation and parenting stress were significantly associated with improvements in muscle tone (p=0.006–0.017), passive range of motion (p=0.008–0.033), gait pattern (p=0.005–0.042), level of ambulation (p=0.001–0.043), and functional independence (p=0.004–0.027).

Interpretation  The results indicate that child, family, and treatment characteristics influence the degree of responsiveness to BoNT‐A treatment. The contribution of contextual factors (personal and environmental) on responsiveness may be underappreciated in children with CP.
Systemic adverse events following botulinum toxin A therapy in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: NAIDU KRISHANT , SMITH KATHERINE , SHEEDY MARY , ADAIR BROOKE , YU XAVIER , GRAHAM H KERR
Published: January 2010

Aim  We studied the incidence of incontinence and respiratory events in children with cerebral palsy who received injections of botulinum toxin A (BoNT‐A).

Method  We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate relationships between (BoNT‐A) dose, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, and the incidence of bladder or bowel incontinence, unplanned hospital admission, emergency department consultation or prescription of antibiotics for respiratory symptoms, and diagnosis of upper respiratory tract infection.

Results  Of 1980 injection episodes in 1147 children (mean age 4y 7mo, SD 1y 10mo, range 9mo–23y), 488 (25%) were in children with unilateral involvement and 1492 (75%) in children with bilateral involvement. At the time of injection 440 (22.2%) of children were at GMFCS level I, 611 (30.9%) were at level II, 330 (16.7%) were at level III, 349 (17.6%) were at level IV, and 250 (12.6%) were at level V. The incidence of serious adverse events was low, with 19 episodes of incontinence (1% of injection episodes) and 25 unplanned hospital admissions due to respiratory symptoms (1.3%). Incontinence typically resolved spontaneously 1 to 6 weeks after injection. The incidence of adverse events was associated with GMFCS level and dose of BoNT‐A.

Interpretation  The incidence of serious adverse events was low but suggests systemic spread as well as a procedural effect. We recommend reviewing upper dose limits for children at all GMFCS levels, particularly those at levels IV and V with a history of aspiration and respiratory disease. In these children, alternatives to mask anaesthesia may be particularly important.
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for Youth Offending, Psychiatric Disorder and Substance Abuse: Case Examples from a UK MST Team
Authors: Wells Charles , Adhyaru Jai , Cannon Jacqueline , Lamond Moira , Baruch Geoffrey
Published: January 2010

Background: The paper illustrates the MST treatment model with three types of presenting problem in young people aged 14–15.

Method: The MST model is described and then illustrated with detailed case material from a violent young person convicted of robbery, a young person with a history of serious self‐harming behaviour and hospitalisation, and a young person persistently smoking cannabis.

Results: All three cases improved after the MST intervention despite disparate presenting problems that included re‐offending, the elimination of self‐harming behaviour and a significant reduction in the use of cannabis. The three young people were re‐integrated into the education system.

Conclusion: This case series illustrates the potential uses of the MST model in CAMHS although RCT data are needed to replicate the effectiveness of MST in the British context.
Preference Heterogeneity and Habit Persistence: The Case of Breakfast Cereal Consumption
Authors: Thunström Linda
Published: January 2010

The efficiency of information, price campaigns and economic incentive policies related to food depend on the degree of habit persistence in food consumption. This paper estimates the strength of state dependence associated with breakfast cereal consumption and its heterogeneity across households, where positive state dependence implies habit persistence and negative state dependence implies variety seeking in consumption. The analysis uses a detailed micro‐level dataset from the research institute GfK Sweden on household breakfast cereal consumption in 2003. The analysis relies on a mixed multinomial logit model and finds breakfast cereal consumption is generally highly habitual. The degree of habit persistence, however, exhibits heterogeneity across households. In addition, some households can be characterised as variety seeking. The strength of habit persistence is similar across income and educational groups. The strength of habit persistence seems to be weaker for households with several adults and children compared with one‐adult households.
Do the BRICs and Emerging Markets Differ in their Agrifood Imports?
Authors: Haq Zahoor , Meilke Karl
Published: January 2010

This study develops an import demand model to explore the role of income in explaining the trade performance of low‐, middle‐ and high‐income countries with a special emphasis on Brazil, Russia, India and China – the BRIC economies. The study estimates the impact of the growth in per capita income on the trade of agrifood products using data from 52 countries and 20 agrifood products for the years 1990–2006. The results suggest that China, Russia and Brazil now have more income elastic import demands than other middle‐income countries. Conversely, the income elasticities of import demand in India are similar to other low‐income countries and for the most part statistically equal to zero.
An Organisational Discussion of Incomplete Contracting and Transaction Costs in Conservation Contracts
Authors: Steele Scott
Published: January 2010

Conservation in the agricultural sector is difficult to achieve. A primary complicating factor in achieving conservation is the large number of public good environmental services provided by large numbers of individuals acting under diverse economic and ecological conditions. The complexity of the problem implies that additional consideration must be given to transaction cost economics and the theory of incomplete contracting. Drawing on insights from organisational economics, this paper argues that conservation policy and research could be improved with explicit consideration of the effects of ‘holdup problems’, transaction costs and trust on the provision of conservation services. ‘Bottom‐up’ approaches are promising as they directly incorporate these organisational issues, and the paper concludes with an example of a ‘bottom‐up’ conservation programme, the Ontario Environmental Farm Planning programme.
Evaluating Rapid Participatory Rural Appraisal as an Assessment of Ethnoecological Knowledge and Local Biodiversity Patterns
Authors: MUELLER JOCELYN G. , ASSANOU ISSOUFOU HASSANE BIL , DAN GUIMBO IRO , ALMEDOM ASTIER M.
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  There is a pressing need to find both locally and globally relevant tools to measure and compare biodiversity patterns. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is important to biodiversity monitoring, but has a contested role in preliminary biodiversity assessments. We examined rapid participatory rural appraisal (rPRA) (a tool commonly used for local needs assessments) as an alternative to surveys of vascular plants conducted by people with local knowledge. We used rPRA to determine the local‐knowledge consensus on the average richness, diversity, and height of local grasses and trees in three habitats surrounding Boumba, Niger, bordering Park‐W. We then conducted our own vascular plant surveys to collect information on plant richness, abundance, and structure. Using a qualitative ranking, we compared TEK‐based assessments of diversity patterns with our survey‐based assessments. The TEK‐based assessments matched survey‐based assessments on measures of height and density for grasses and trees and tree richness. The two assessments correlated poorly on herb richness and Simpson's D value for both trees and grasses. Plant life form and gender of the participant affected the way diversity patterns were described, which highlights the usefulness of TEK in explaining local realities and indicates limitations of using TEK as a large‐scale assessment tool. Our results demonstrate that rPRA can serve to combine local‐knowledge inquiry with scientific study at a cost lower than vascular plant surveys and demonstrates a useful blunt tool for preliminary biodiversity assessment.
Designing Climate‐Smart Conservation: Guidance and Case Studies
Authors: HANSEN LARA , HOFFMAN JENNIFER , DREWS CARLOS , MIELBRECHT ERIC
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  To be successful, conservation practitioners and resource managers must fully integrate the effects of climate change into all planning projects. Some conservation practitioners are beginning to develop, test, and implement new approaches that are designed to deal with climate change. We devised four basic tenets that are essential in climate‐change adaptation for conservation: protect adequate and appropriate space, reduce nonclimate stresses, use adaptive management to implement and test climate‐change adaptation strategies, and work to reduce the rate and extent of climate change to reduce overall risk. To illustrate how this approach applies in the real world, we explored case studies of coral reefs in the Florida Keys; mangrove forests in Fiji, Tanzania, and Cameroon; sea‐level rise and sea turtles in the Caribbean; tigers in the Sundarbans of India; and national planning in Madagascar. Through implementation of these tenets conservation efforts in each of these regions can be made more robust in the face of climate change. Although these approaches require reconsidering some traditional approaches to conservation, this new paradigm is technologically, economically, and intellectually feasible.
Effects of More Frequent and Prolonged El Niño Events on Life‐History Parameters of the Degu, a Long‐Lived and Slow‐Reproducing Rodent
Authors: PREVITALI M. ANDREA , MESERVE PETER L. , KELT DOUGLAS A. , MILSTEAD W. BRYAN , GUTIERREZ JULIO R.
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  Global climate change (GCC) can have profound effects on species whose ecology is governed primarily by climatic factors. The ecology of small mammals inhabiting semiarid Chile is strongly affected by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). During La Niña events in this area, dry conditions prevail and species may disappear from the thorn‐scrub habitat. Conversely, El Niño events bring high rainfall, and associated pulses of food trigger small‐mammal population increases. We used capture–mark–recapture to study responses of the degu (Octodon degus), a dominant small mammal, to variation in rainfall over 18 years. In response to a recent trend toward wetter conditions, degus reached record‐high densities and maintained more stable numbers in the area. Underlying mechanisms involved variation in adult survival, juvenile persistence, and fecundity linked to rainfall changes during consecutive years (i.e., rainfall phases). During prolonged droughts, degus had low survival and produced fewer offspring, with low persistence. Following high rainfall, these parameters reversed; consecutive wet years resulted in further increases. Weak declines in fecundity and adult survival and high persistence of juveniles explained delayed responses to deteriorating conditions in initial dry years. If GCC leads to increased frequency of El Niño events, we anticipate greater numerical dominance of degus in semiarid Chile and possible range expansion. Furthermore, degus have strong impacts on other small mammal and some plant species, are important prey species, and are agricultural pests and disease reservoirs. Hence, GCC has the potential to dramatically influence their ecology in northern Chile and to have cascading effects on other components of this system.
Pearls for Ablation in Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: KANTER RONALD J.
Published: January 2010

Ablation in Congenital Heart Disease. Tachyarrhythmias occur in patients having congenital heart disease most commonly related to surgically created or naturally occurring conduction obstacles, and to postoperative hemodynamic effects on cardiac muscle. Less frequently, the underlying disease is associated with tachycardia substrates. Thorough knowledge of the patient's congenital anatomy and surgical procedures is required before considering catheter ablation. In many instances, procedural considerations should include meticulous hemodynamic surveillance, analogous to patients having structurally normal heart but cardiomyopathy. This includes careful selection of sedating and anesthetic agents. Congenital heart defects that have a higher than expected incidence of naturally occurring tachyarrhythmia substrates include Ebstein anomaly of the tricuspid valve, congenitally corrected transposition, and some of the heterotaxies. Intraatrial reentry tachycardia and atrial flutter are especially prevalent following the Mustard or Senning operations for d‐transposition of the great arteries and the earlier Fontan type operations. Although these tachyarrhythmias are not as frequent following atrial septal defect repair, the high incidence of this defect also makes these patients germaine to this discussion. Focal atrial tachyacrdia and atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia also occur in these patient groups. Macroreentry ventricular tachycardia occurs most frequently following right ventricular outflow tract surgery, especially following repair of tetralogy of Fallot. This article focuses on the technical aspects of catheter ablation of these arrhythmias, due to the challenges presented by the underlying anatomy compared with patients having normal hearts. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 223‐230, February 2010)
Social Representations of AIDS: Pictures in Abnormal Psychology Textbooks, 1984–20051
Authors: Schoeneman Thomas J. , Schoeneman‐Morris Katherine A. , Obradovic Jelena , Beecher‐Flad Liesl
Published: January 2010

We identified 129 pictures relating to AIDS/HIV in 94 abnormal psychology textbooks published between 1984 and 2005. Pictures included 189 persons with AIDS/HIV status or risk and 134 AIDS‐related objects; they appeared in chapters on stress, sexual issues, substance abuse, and organic brain disorders. Individuals depicted were overwhelmingly male, White, adult, of unspecified sexual orientation, and undiagnosed with mental disorder. The most frequent AIDS‐related objects were signs and posters, hospital furnishings, and drug paraphernalia. Thematic motifs across pictures included patient, information source, junkie, support group, celebrity, child victim, protesters, memorials, condom dispensary, and viral attack. Images of AIDS continue to invoke concepts of “the Other,” death, victimization, and culpability. It is difficult to discuss AIDS without accessing its stereotypes.
Team Training in China: Testing and Applying the Theory of Cooperation and Competition1
Authors: Lu Jia‐Fang , Tjosvold Dean , Shi Kan
Published: January 2010

The theory of cooperation and competition has the potential both to understand the conditions when organizational groups are productive and major ways to strengthen these groups. Work teams based in a high‐technology company in Beijing, China, participated in a training workshop and a 2‐month follow of feedback and development. Structural equation analyses of data taken before and after the workshop support the hypotheses. In addition, results suggest that the training and follow‐up activities developed cooperative goals and constructive controversy. Findings also indicate that relationships among groups affected the productivity of individual teams. Results were interpreted as suggesting that cooperative goals and constructive controversy contribute to potent, creative, and productive teams in China and perhaps other countries as well.
Minority‐Specific Determinants of Mental Well‐Being Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth
Authors: Berghe Wim Vanden , Dewaele Alexis , Cox Nele , Vincke John
Published: January 2010

This study discusses the impact of stress specific to being lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)—measured by means of the concepts of stigma consciousness and internalized homonegativity—on the mental well‐being of LGB youth. Also, the effects of positive and negative social support were considered within the model. The sample consisted of 743 LGBs less than 26 years old who were recruited during the online ZZZIP survey in Flanders, Belgium. Hierarchical regression shows that LGB‐specific unsupportive social interactions have the greatest direct effect on mental well‐being of LGB youth, followed respectively by stigma consciousness, internalized homonegativity, and confidant support.
Use of Community‐Based Participatory Research Methods in Adults' Health Assessment
Authors: Lewis Kristi L. , Sallee David , Trumbo Judith , Janousek Kathryn A.
Published: January 2010

Since adults 18 to 64 years of age represent the fastest growing population, we conducted a community assessment to assess health status, chronic disease prevalence, health behaviors, utilization of health screenings, and access to health care. A total of 450 adults completed a 56‐item assessment on quality of life. Prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes were higher than Healthy People 2010 targets. Respondents reported poor health behaviors, such as a lack of physical activity. Data from this community assessment will be used for program development and to obtain funding.
Discrepancies between metabolic activity and DNA content as tool to assess cell proliferation in cancer research
Authors: Quent Verena M.C. , Loessner Daniela , Friis Thor , Reichert Johannes C. , Hutmacher Dietmar W.
Published: January 2010

Cell proliferation is a critical and frequently studied feature of molecular biology in cancer research. Therefore, various assays are available using different strategies to measure cell proliferation. Metabolic assays such as AlamarBlue, water‐soluble tetrazolium salt and 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, which were originally developed to determine cell toxicity, are used to assess cell numbers. Additionally, proliferative activity can be determined by quantification of DNA content using fluorophores such as CyQuant and PicoGreen. Referring to data published in high ranking cancer journals, these assays were applied in 945 publications over the past 14 years to examine the proliferative behaviour of diverse cell types. In these studies, however, mainly metabolic assays were used to quantify changes in cell growth yet these assays may not accurately reflect cellular proliferation rates due to a miscorrelation of metabolic activity and cell number. Testing this hypothesis, we compared the metabolic activity of different cell types, human cancer cells and primary cells, over a time period of 4 days using AlamarBlue and the fluorometric assays CyQuant and PicoGreen to determine their DNA content. Our results show certain discrepancies in terms of over‐estimation of cell proliferation with respect to the metabolic assay in comparison to DNA binding fluorophores.
Oxygen‐mediated endocytosis in cancer
Authors: Wang Yi , Ohh Michael
Published: January 2010

Introduction

Concluding remarks

Solid tumours invariably exhibit regions of hypoxia and up‐regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) that trigger multiple signal pathways, including those that govern cell proliferation, survival and motility, ultimately contributing to oncogenesis. Although past studies have shown hypoxia‐dependent transcriptional and translational induction of several RTK expression and their respective ligands, recent evidence suggests that hypoxia regulates RTK signalling through endocytosis, a major deactivation pathway of RTKs. Hypoxia‐mediated endocytosis is also thought to modulate the activity of a growing list of other membrane‐associated proteins such as integrins and Na,K‐ATPase. These recent discoveries underscore the emergence of endocytosis as an important hypoxia‐mediated regulatory process in cancer.
Prevalence patterns of avian haemosporida on Hispaniola
Authors: Latta Steven C. , Ricklefs Robert E.
Published: January 2010

We used PCR to screen for the presence of haemosporidian parasites (Phylum: Apicomplexa; Order: Haemosporida) in avian blood samples, and sequenced the parasite mitochondrial cytochromebgene from infected hosts, to study patterns in the prevalence of haemosporidians in 1,166 individuals of 50 species in four habitats along an elevation gradient in the Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic, island of Hispaniola. We found an overall prevalence of 0.44 among species with ≥10 individuals sampled per year, but this varied considerably among species. We found no difference in infection rates between years, between males and females, between second‐year (<1 y old) and older birds, or among members of different foraging guilds. Prevalence differed significantly among migratory, endemic resident, and non‐endemic resident species, with endemics having the highest rates of infection. Prevalence also varied among habitats, decreasing with increasing elevation, but the pattern was confounded by variation in the host species present at each elevation. From 215 sequenced parasites from 17 species of avian hosts, we recovered multiple examples of 12 lineages ofHaemoproteus(Parahaemoproteus), two lineages of a Columbiformes‐specific clade ofH. (Haemoproteus), and 10 lineages ofPlasmodium, with an additional seven lineages sampled only once. A single parasite lineage was responsible for 34.4% of all infections, but five more lineages made up 41.8% of all infections. Several lineages were broadly distributed across multiple host species, but six lineages, allH. (Haemoproteus) orH. (Parahaemoproteus), were recorded from at least five individuals of a single host, suggesting host specialization. The number of host species from which each parasite lineage was recovered varied from one to nine; several host species harbored as many as 5–9 parasite lineages. Longitudinal data suggest that while hosts might harbor the same parasite lineage for more than a year, some hosts appear to clear infections from their circulating blood, while others manifested infections by a different parasite lineage.
Survival of suburban blackbirds Turdus merula varies seasonally but not by sex
Authors: Robinson Robert A. , Kew Jeff J. , Kew Allison J.
Published: January 2010

Survival is a key demographic parameter in bird populations yet remarkably little is known about the seasonal pattern of survival. Mortality may increase as a result of breeding behaviour, harsh environmental conditions, resource limitation or any combination of these; knowing which is important for understanding the ecology of population change. We analyse an intensive ten‐year colour marking programme of European blackbirds Turdus merula to estimate seasonal and sex‐specific survival rates. The annual survival rate (0.67) was similar to that produced from analyses of dead recoveries across Britain, but within year variation was significant. Survival rates were lowest during the early part of the breeding period and highest in the autumn, but there was little difference between the sexes. Understanding this pattern of variation is important in interpreting both life‐history variation and the mechanisms of population change.
BROADENING THE DEBATE: COMMENTS ON MICHAEL J. FEUER'S MODERATING THE DEBATE
Authors: Robertson Emily
Published: January 2010

Abstract. In Moderating the Debate: Rationality and the Promise of American Education, Michael Feuer argues that insights from cognitive science and the theory of bounded rationality can help us understand why educational policy makers overreach in seeking optimal solutions to educational problems. In this essay, Emily Robertson argues that cognitive science is of limited help for two reasons. First, since the findings of the theory of bounded rationality are supposed to describe how we actually do make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, it is unclear how those findings can help us explain why educational policy makers have apparently used different decision‐making strategies. Second, the idea that educational reform can be set right by being made the province of more fully rational policy makers neglects the public, value dimension of education, and thus obscures some of the true sources of overpromising.
WHY THE BEST ISN'T SO BAD: MODERATION AND IDEALS IN EDUCATIONAL REFORM
Authors: Kerdeman Deborah
Published: January 2010

In Moderating the Debate: Rationality and the Promise of American Education, Michael Feuer counsels reformers to “satisfice”: moderate their expectations and accept that flawed reforms can be good enough. Implicit in Feuer's view of satisficing is the assumption that moderating expectations entails eschewing ideals and replacing optimal goals with modest, real‐world solutions. In this essay, Deborah Kerdeman agrees with Feuer that moderation is vital for reform, but maintains that embracing moderation does not contradict pursuing goals. To show how goals and moderation work in concert to promote reform, Kerdeman examines and reframes Feuer's assumptions about ideals. She also distinguishes moderation from satisficing and argues that satisficing, not ideals, can be deleterious to reform. Kerdeman concludes that sensible policy and research, while important, will not necessarily help reformers embrace moderation; cultivating moderation instead requires ongoing self‐examination.
Alternative splicing: regulation of HIV‐1 multiplication as a target for therapeutic action
Authors: Tazi Jamal , Bakkour Nadia , Marchand Virginie , Ayadi Lilia , Aboufirassi Amina , Branlant Christiane
Published: January 2010

The retroviral life cycle requires that significant amounts of RNA remain unspliced and perform several functions in the cytoplasm. Thus, the full‐length RNA serves both the viral genetic material that will be encapsulated in viral particles and the mRNA encoding structural and enzymatic proteins required for viral replication. Simple retroviruses produce one single‐spliced env RNA from the full‐length precursor RNA, whereas complex retroviruses, such as HIV, are characterized by the production of multiple‐spliced RNA species. In this review we will summarize the current acknowledge about the HIV‐1 alternative splicing mechanism and will describe how this malleable process can help further understanding of infection, spread and dissemination through splicing regulation. Such studies coupled with the testing of splicing inhibitors should help the development of new therapeutic antiviral agents.
CHILDREN RESISTING POSTSEPARATION CONTACT WITH A PARENT: CONCEPTS, CONTROVERSIES, AND CONUNDRUMS
Authors: Fidler Barbara Jo , Bala Nicholas
Published: January 2010

This article provides an overview of the key concepts, themes, issues, and possible mental health and legal interventions related to children's postseparation resistance to having contact with one parent. We maintain that the too often strongly gendered polemic on alienation and abuse is polarizing and needs to be replaced with a more nuanced and balanced discussion that recognizes the complexity of the issues so that the needs of children and families can be better met. This article reviews the historical development of the concept of alienation; discusses the causes, dynamics, and differentiation of various types of parent child contact problems; and summarizes the literature on the impact of alienation on children. These are complex cases. A significant portion of the cases in which alienation is alleged are not in fact alienation cases; for those where alienation is present, interventions will vary depending on the degree of the alienation. More severe alienation cases are unlikely to be responsive to therapeutic or psycho‐educational interventions in the absence of either a temporary interruption of contact between the child and the alienating parent or a more permanent custody reversal. We conclude with a summary of recommendations for practice and policy, including the need for early identification and intervention to prevent the development of severe cases, interdisciplinary collaboration and further development and research of interventions.
HELPING ALIENATED CHILDREN WITH FAMILY BRIDGES: PRACTICE, RESEARCH, AND THE PURSUIT OF “HUMBITION”
Authors: Warshak Richard A. , Otis Mark R.
Published: January 2010

This article briefly summarizes and responds to feedback offered by Joan Kelly regarding Family Bridges: A Workshop for Troubled and Alienated Parent–Child Relationships™. We emphasize principles that promote an educational atmosphere, as opposed to a therapeutic one, and the court's role in contributing to successful interventions with severely alienated children. Among the considerations discussed are: working with favored parents, economic comparisons of Family Bridges with counseling approaches, modifying the program for use in prevention and with milder cases of alienation, and issues related to training additional team leaders and conducting outcome research.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS FAMILY CAMP:A PROGRAM FOR HIGH‐CONFLICT DIVORCED FAMILIES WHERE A CHILD1 IS RESISTING CONTACT WITH A PARENT
Authors: Sullivan Matthew J. , Ward Peggie A. , Deutsch Robin M.
Published: January 2010

Overcoming Barriers Family Camp is an innovative program designed to treat separating and divorced families where a child is resisting contact or totally rejecting a parent. Both parents, significant others, and children participate in a 5‐day family camp experience that combines psycho‐education and clinical intervention in a safe, supportive milieu. This article describes the components of the program, from referrals to intake to aftercare. Evaluation immediately following the camp experience is provided for the camps that ran in 2008 and 2009, and 6‐month follow‐up interview information is provided for the 2008 camp program as well as 1‐month follow‐up about the initiation of aftercare with the 2009 families. A discussion of the strengths and challenges of this approach with entrenched, high‐conflict family systems concludes the article.
ALIENATING AUDIENCES FROM INNOVATION: THE PERILS OF POLEMICS, IDEOLOGY, AND INNUENDO
Authors: Warshak Richard A.
Published: January 2010

When judging innovative programs like Family Bridges™, it is important to balance careful scrutiny with openness to new ideas. Judicial responses to children who reject a parent are best governed by a multifactor individualized approach. A presumption that allows children and one parent to regulate the other parent's access to the children is unsupported by research. A custody decision based solely on the severity of alienation leaves children vulnerable to intensification of efforts to poison their affections toward a parent. Concern with possible short‐term distress for some children who are required to repair a damaged relationship should not blind us to the long‐term trauma of doing nothing. Professionals are urged to minimize the infusion of polemics, rigid ideology, and rumors when offering opinions with inadequate information, particularly public statements that risk harming children.
LIFE AFTER DEATH: THE NEED TO ADDRESS THE LEGAL STATUS OF POSTHUMOUSLY CONCEIVED CHILDREN
Authors: Suppon Jenna M. F.
Published: January 2010

The advance of reproductive technology, coupled with a legal system that cannot keep up, has had a detrimental effect on posthumously conceived children. There is controversy over whether a child conceived after the death of one parent, by way of reproductive technology, is considered a child of that parent for inheritance purposes. An overwhelming majority of state legislatures have not given consideration to the unique question that posthumously conceived children pose. Legislative inaction has forced state courts to apply antiquated laws in the midst of a technological revolution. The result: children are being denied inheritance rights to their deceased parent's estate solely because of the way they were conceived. This Note advocates that all children should be given the same rights and benefits regardless of how they are conceived. To accomplish that goal, this Note proposes a model state statute to be adopted in all states. The model statute deems a posthumously conceived child to be the child of his or her deceased parent, and thus entitled to inheritance rights, if 1) the posthumously conceived child was provided for by will, or 2) the deceased parent intended to be a parent; there is a genetic relationship between parent and child; the child is born within three years from the death of his or her deceased parent; and the child's best interest, balanced against the state's interests, exceeds the state's interest. The desired effect of the statute is to put posthumously conceived children on equal footing with naturally conceived children.