bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing Political Culture Theory: The Political Science of Ronald Inglehart
Authors: Newman Saul
Published: November 2008

In the last two decades Ronald Inglehart has developed, tested, and attempted to falsify a series of hypotheses explaining some of the most important political changes occurring around the globe and has also sought to resolve some of the most intractable challenges to the development of a paradigmatic comparative politics. This article examines the writings of Ronald Inglehart and demonstrates how his writings have enriched many important theoretical and empirical debates in comparative politics. At the same time it critically examines these writings to reveal some of the larger difficulties in creating a predictive political culture theory.
Capital Punishment Decision Making on the Supreme Court of Florida
Authors: Tauber Steven C.
Published: November 2008

As they have done with research on the U.S. Supreme Court, judicial politics scholars have studied the influences on state supreme court justices' decision making. Although earlier state court decision‐making research focused on extra‐legal explanations, more recent studies have integrated both legal and extra‐legal variables into their models. However, most of the extant research on state court decision making employs a multi‐state design, which has been quite useful, yet it does not capture adequately the influence of state court precedent. Consequently, this paper complements this literature by testing an integrated model of Florida Supreme Court justices' capital punishment decision making. This integrated model is based on a random sample of 150 capital punishment cases decided by the Florida Supreme Court from 1980 to 1997. I examine the 995 individual votes each justice cast, testing the influence of an array of legal precedent, including Florida's, and extra‐legal variables. The results confirm the validity of the integrated model.
Cue Voting: Which Women Vote for Women Senate Candidates?
Authors: Stambough Stephen J. , O'Regan Valerie R.
Published: November 2008

This article explores the effects of candidate gender on individual voting behavior. We investigate whether female candidates attract support from female voters based on their gender. Our research centers around three areas. First, we discuss cue theory and how it applies to gender studies. Second, we investigate the 19 Senate elections from 1988‐92 in which one of the major party candidates was a female. Finally, we examine the potential impact of partisanship and seat status—whether an incumbent ran or whether there was an open seat—on voting for female candidates. We find that seat status is important and that gender cue voting is a factor only among Republican voters, especially male Republicans.
“Divided Government” in State Executive Branches
Authors: Monardi Fred
Published: November 2008

The study of “divided government” has focused on the split partisan control of executive and legislative branches. The concept of divided government can also be applied to the study of state executive branches. There is no plausible reason for state electorates to prefer one party for governor and the opposing party for other state executive branch officials, yet many states have a governor of one party, while several of the state executive branch officers are of the opposing party. This study examines the extent of divided executive branches in state politics. Incumbency, state partisanship, and the changing nature of Southern politics affect levels of divisiveness in state executive branches. Electoral features do not affect levels of divisiveness. The data comprises states that have separately elected state executive officers between the years 1968 and 1993.
The Use of State Tax Incentives to Promote Forest Preservation on Private Lands in Tennessee: An Evaluation of Their Equity and Effectiveness Impacts
Authors: Brockett Charles D. , Gottfried Robert R. , Evans Jonathan P.
Published: November 2008

This study of Tennessee's tax incentive program for nonindnstrial forest preservation on private lands provides perhaps the most thorough empirical analysis available of this type of public program. First, the program's equity consequences are analyzed by examining both the concentration of land ownership and of subsidy benefits among program participants. Second, its effectiveness is evaluated by estimating the impact of the program under differing sets of assumptions about preferred selling prices and through a survey and comparison of a matched set of program participants and nonparticipants concerning their land use practices and attitudes. The study concludes with recommendations for tax policy reforms to create a better balance between public and private benefits, especially the expansion of program objectives to include biological diversity conservation and other non‐commodity‐based values.
Community Service Learning: Bridging Education and Social Practice
Authors: Sabia Debra
Published: November 2008

Advocates of service learning believe that meaningful education should provide students with opportunities to learn about themselves while learning about the world around them. Many proponents of service learning also believe that connecting education to the world of public affairs is critical to the future functioning of a democratic society. As early as the founding of the Republic, Thomas Jefferson recognized the importance of normative education in nurturing public civility and tolerance. John Dewey's (1916 and 1938) theories of experiential and democratic education recognized the importance of engaging students in the concrete problems of their communities so they might develop the skills necessary for civic engagement. Teachers of political science have a unique opportunity for fostering a student's love of learning with a passion for greater social justice. This article examines the evolution of a community service project designed to address the problems of poor Hispanic farm families. The article discusses the evolution of the project, the strategies, struggles, and the lessons learned along the way for both students and faculty.
Overcoming One‐Party Dominance: How Contextual Politics and West Virginia Helped Put George Bush in the White House
Authors: Grossback Lawrence , Hammock Allan
Published: November 2008

In West Virginia it is often said that coal is king. If so, the Democratic Party and organized labor serve as its princess. West Virginia had voted Republican in presidential contests on only three occasions since 1932. If there ever was a one‐party state, West Virginia was it. Yet in 2000, Republican George Bush won the state, thus securing five electoral votes—one more than his eventual margin of victory. This article looks at how this victory came about in light of scholarly questions about how national campaigns select issues on which to campaign in targeted states and how a dominant party can be overcome through such efforts. We propose an answer to these questions that is rooted in the contextual theory of electoral politics and test this theory against qualitative data taken from local and national media and quantitative data in the form of county level election returns.
Abortion Restrictions and Abortion Rates: Has State Abortion Policy Been Successful?
Authors: Oakley Maureen Rand
Published: November 2008

This study tests the hypothesis that state abortion rates are influenced by state restrictions on abortion. Earlier studies have shown mixed results. I develop a model of abortion rates for the time period from 1988 through 1996 and hypothesize that the adoption of abortion restrictions requiring parental involvement for minors, abortion‐specific informed consent, and waiting periods prior to the procedure lead to lower state abortion rates. I further hypothesize that individual four‐year models of the period before and after the Casey (1992) decision will demonstrate that this effect was strongest in the time period after the Casey decision. Analysis of the data confirms the first hypothesis that restrictions have a significant impact on abortion rates while controlling for other factors that influence the abortion rate. The second hypothesis is not confirmed, as the effect is significant prior to the Casey decision.
United Nations Human Rights Conventions: Obligations and Compliance
Authors: Glen Carol M. , Murgo Richard C.
Published: November 2008

Since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, a dramatic increase has occurred in the volume of international law, particularly in the area of human rights. Today, there are dozens of UN sponsored human rights conventions, and most have been widely ratified. We examine how effective these treaties have been in protecting individual rights and liberties. Specifically, we hypothesize that a positive correlation exists between aggregate human rights treaty ratification over time and an improving global human rights record. We also test whether an observed improvement in a country's human rights record correlates positively to recent human rights treaty ratification. Our results support our hypotheses.
Representing Public Opinion: American Courts and the Appeals Process
Authors: Marshall Thomas R.
Published: November 2008

Whether American courts either do or should represent public opinion is a long‐debated issue. Some court rulings agree with nationwide public opinion polls, while others do not. Overall, does the appeals process bring judicial policy‐making more closely into line with American public opinion? Evidence from nationwide polls since the mid‐1930s suggests that U.S. Supreme Court decisions and federal appeals courts decisions better represent American public opinion than do the decisions of federal district courts or of state courts. A lower‐level court decision that agrees with nationwide public opinion is much more likely to be upheld upon appeal by an upper‐level court. The Supreme Court's certiorari decisions disproportionately select for review lower court decisions that disagree with nationwide polls. Five reasons for this pattern are offered.
The Anglo‐American Origins and International Diffusion of the “Third Way”
Authors: Studlar Donley T.
Published: November 2008

Although much has been written about the meanings of the “Third Way,” a term popularized by Prime Minister Tony Blair in Britain and U.S. President Bill Clinton to characterize their similar approaches to governing, little analysis has been done of the phenomenon of the rapid diffusion of this concept internationally. Although the Democratic Leadership Council used the term first in the United States in 1991, it was decided at a high‐level meeting between Clinton and New Labour executive officials in 1997 to popularize the term to describe their common approach to governing. This paper describes both the intellectual and political sources of this concept and how it has spread, not only as a label for its originators, but also to other governments and parties in the world. The test of whether the Third Way becomes recognized as a coherent ideology will be whether, over time, those who advocate it become identified with distinctive, consistent policies.
The Political Economy of Polarization: The Italian Case, 1963–1987
Authors: Pelizzo Riccardo , Babones Salvatore J.
Published: November 2008

Economic voting in Italy has received scant attention in the literature, and the few studies available show little or no empirical support for economic voting hypotheses as applied to Italy. We argue that this dearth of results is primarily due to poor operationalization and study design. In contrast to previous studies that focused on the relationship between the state of the economy and the electoral performance of individual parties, we investigate the impact of prices, employment, and economic output on the polarization of the party system. Using data on seven Italian national elections covering the period 1963–87, we show that polarization is, in fact, closely related to macroeconomic performance. Additionally, in contrast to past studies of Italy, the results are robust with respect to the lag period of the economic variables.
Rebels and Nomads: Have White Southerners Found Refuge in the Republican Party?
Authors: Vogel Ronald , Ardoin Phillip J.
Published: November 2008

During the last 30 years, the Republicans have expoused an interesting assortment of economic, international, and social conservatism, with each aspect having more prominence at distinct times. Examining key votes throughout this period, we assess how the most recent converts to the party, those from Southern states, align with Republicans from other regions on each of these three dimensions. We also estimate the relative importance of each of the three dimensions annually during this period. Finally, we examine whether the lack of coherence that haunted the Congressional Democrats through the first half of the Cold War era has merely found a new resting place in the Republican Party. In order to analyze these issues, House roll call votes from 1975 to 2000 are examined in order to determine how closely Southern and non‐Southern Republicans are aligned. Next, various issue dimensions are reviewed to assess how party cohesion is affected when different sets of issues take on greater legislative importance. Our findings confirm that issue dimensions affect party cohesion and that regional differences are an important distinction to consider when analyzing House Republicans in a modern context.
A Research Note on Identity Politics in the Older British Commonwealth
Authors: Mayer Lawrence C. , Justice Jeff W.
Published: November 2008

The gap created by declining support for mainstream parties in western democracies, due to the declining salience of class and religiosity, has been filled by an emerging category of parties that has been identified as radical right. Drawing data from two comparable Older Commonwealth systems, we show that these parties do not clearly fit on the traditional left to right dimension. Support for these parties is associated with a sense of identity, of belonging to a folk—issues that are distinct from those associated with the traditional right. The same set of attitudes predicts support for these identity parties whether the folk is defined at the national or the subsystem level. Identity parties may promote nationalism or secession.
Taking the Lead: Congressional Foreign Policy Entrepreneurs in U.S. Foreign Policy
Authors: Carter Ralph G. , Scott James M.
Published: November 2008

This article examines the characteristics of individual members of Congress who become “foreign policy entrepreneurs.” Rather than simply responding to an administration's foreign policy requests, such legislators try to lead Congress by initiating action on the foreign policy issues they care about rather than awaiting administration action. This study examines foreign policy entrepreneurs across a number of factors, including the parties to which they belong, the chambers in which they serve, the various legislative access points they employ, and the different legislative tactics they use. Also examined are the changes in such patterns over time. We test hypotheses about the characteristics and behavior of entrepreneurs using a data set of 2,621 instances of entrepreneurial behavior across the post‐World War II period. We conclude that congressional foreign policy entrepreneurs are increasingly salient players in the foreign policy process and are driven by policy disagreements and partisan calculations.
An Examination of Five Reform Periods in the U.S. House of Representatives in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Schousen Matthew M.
Published: November 2008

This paper addresses the research questions of why, in the United States House of Representatives, so few Congresses attempt major institutional reforms and why some reforms succeed where others fail. Rejecting the most common approach of analyzing individual reform eras in isolation, I create three conditions that must be met in order for major institutional rule changes to be successfully implemented and apply those conditions to the five most recent major reform periods in the House of Representatives. Using the Congressional Record, other primary sources, the rich scholarly literature, and Poole and Rosenthal's DW‐NOMINATE scores, I analyze the reform eras of 1910 ‐ 1911, the mid‐1940s, the early and mid‐1970s, 1992 ‐ 1993, and 1994 ‐ 1995. The comparative analysis suggests that the three conditions outlined help move us away from explanations of individual reform eras and towards a more general theory of institutional reform.
An Analysis of Reasons for the Use of the Line‐Item Veto in Southern States
Authors: Reese Catherine C.
Published: November 2008

This study analyzes reasons given for the individual use of line‐item vetoes by the governors of Southern states from 1973–1992 in light of historical changes in gubernatorial roles in state budgetary processes. The original purpose of the line‐item veto was to defend executive budget estimates and prevent unconstitutional expenditure. However, reasons for its use have evolved along with changes in state budgetary processes. Thus, the line‐item veto is used most of the time today not only to defend executive budget estimates and prevent unconstitutional expenditures, but also to protect gubernatorial policy prerogatives and occasionally control overall state spending. Conventional wisdom notwithstanding, it is seldom used against pork‐barrel expenditure. Much more common is the occasional intensive use of the line‐item veto by particular governors over specific policy‐related disagreements with state legislatures.
Across and Within State Reinvention of Workplace Drug Testing Legislation
Authors: Lamothe Scott
Published: November 2008

This paper has two main research foci. First, the patterns of across and within state reinvention of workplace drug testing legislation are explored. The results indicate that this policy conforms to the findings of prior research on other policies. That is, across state reinvention tends to be unidirectional—in this case toward more pro‐business legislation—and this trend is reinforced through within state reinvention, or amendment. Second, an event history model is employed to investigate the determinants of within state reinvention. The results show weak support for the influence of social learning on the decision to amend. Stronger support is found for societal context. Specifically, a state's drug‐related arrest rate is positively and significantly related to the likelihood of amendment.
Booting Barnes: Explaining the Historic Upset in the 2002 Georgia Gubernatorial Election
Authors: Hayes Danny , McKee Seth C.
Published: November 2008

Republican Sonny Perdue's defeat of Democrat Roy Barnes in the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election was a stunning upset. Not only did Barnes, the incumbent, have history on his side—no Republican had been elected governor of Georgia since Reconstruction—he led in every pre‐election poll and outspent Perdue six to one. To explain Perdue's victory, we rely on a unique exit poll conducted by Fox News and a county‐level statistical model. Our analyses of these data show that several issues salient in the campaign helped Perdue win. Specifically, Barnes was hurt by anger over his positions on education reform and a drastic overhaul of the state flag. At the same time, the victory can be interpreted more broadly in terms of an ongoing realignment among white Georgia voters.
Gender and Generation Gaps in Russian Economic Values during the Yeltsin Years
Authors: Stegmaier Mary A. , Erb Gwyn
Published: November 2008

Russians today enjoy freedoms and opportunities unknown to previous generations. However, when economic shock therapy commenced in 1992 certain societal groups faced distinct disadvantages. Because women encountered discrimination in hiring, were more likely to be laid off, and government propaganda encouraged them to return to their traditional roles, the numbers of women employed declined at twice the rate of the decline in men's employment during the Yeltsin years. Older generations also experienced great hardships at this time, particularly those who received state pensions. How did these different experiences based on gender and generation affect support for free‐market values in early post‐communist Russia? We explore this question with World Values data from 1991 and 1995, drawing from questions appearing across both surveys. While important differences emerged in cross‐temporal analysis of attitudes, the relative orientations of these groups remained surprisingly stable over this time span. For example, while overall orientations toward government versus private ownership of businesses turned decidedly toward increased government involvement, women continued to be less positively oriented toward the free‐market than men, which is consistent with the pre‐democratization period. However, men's views fell more precipitously than those of women, which was a result not anticipated by the existing literature exploring this era.
A Test of Herd Theory: The Number of Lobbyists and the Venture Capital Loan Policy
Authors: Hunter Kennith G.
Published: November 2008

This report examines the relationship between selected interest group lobbying efforts and a venture capital policy used by the American states to promote economic development. Using discriminant analysis, two different sets of interest group lobbying efforts are used to predict the presence of the policy groups. Results indicate that the most common efforts are essentially equal to the least common lobbying efforts at predicting the presence of the policy groups despite the former having fewer members. In addition, the percentage of correctly classified states does not increase as it should according to the traditional theories of interest group behavior. Furthermore, the results do not appear to be unique to this policy because similar results were mapped for five other economic development policies. Given this, it is plausible that interest groups engage in herd behavior, thus explaining why the differences among organized interests do not vary in predicting the six policies.
Attitudes of Georgians toward “Do Not Call”
Authors: Bason James J.
Published: November 2008

Using data collected from the Fall 2003 Georgia Poll, this research note examines the proportion of Georgians who are aware of National and Georgia Do Not Call legislation and estimates the proportion of Georgians who report being registered on the Do Not Call Registry. The estimated number of Georgians who report being signed up on the Do Not Call Registry is then compared to the number of Georgians who have actually signed up on the registry. A secondary analysis examines public understanding of Do Not Call legislation by examining knowledge of what types of organizations may not call a household on the Do Not Call Registry, which organizations are not covered by Do Not Call legislation, and attitudes towards receiving unsolicited telephone calls from different types of organizations.
Ambilobea, a new genus from Madagascar, the position ofAucoumea, and comments on the tribal classification of the frankincense and myrrh family (Burseraceae)
Authors: Thulin Mats , Beier Björn‐Axel , Razafimandimbison Sylvain G. , Banks Hannah I.
Published: November 2008

Phylogenetic analyses of 46 species, representing all tribes and 14 out of 18 recognized genera of Burseraceae, are performed using nuclear ETS and plastidrps16sequences.Boswellia madagascariensis, the only Malagasy species of this genus, is shown to belong to a clade comprising all sampled members of the current tribe Canarieae plusTriomma, whereas other species ofBoswellia(including the type,B. serrata) form a clade that is strongly supported as sister toGaruga. A new genus,Ambilobea, is proposed forB. madagascariensisand the new combinationA. madagascariensisis made.Ambilobeadiffers fromBoswellias. s. by being dioecious and by having valvate petals and, furthermore, is unique in the family by its winged tips to the petioles, by having pyrenes that remain attached to the detached valves of the fruit at dehiscence, and by its long‐spinose pollen grains.Aucoumea, a monotypic central African rain forest genus, is strongly supported as sister to a clade with the arid‐adaptedBurseraandCommiphora.Boswellias. s. andGarugaform a clade characterized by having hermaphroditic flowers. The relationships within Burseraceae emerging from this and previous phylogenetic studies are, on several points, in conflict with current tribal delimitation. The following suggestions for a new tribal classification of Burseraceae are made: 1)Beiselia, sister to the rest of the family, needs to be placed in a tribe of its own, Beiselieae, trib. nov., 2) Protieae should be restricted toCrepidospermum, ProtiumandTetragastris, although generic rearrangements seem to be needed within this tribe, 3) Bursereae should be restricted toAucoumea, BurseraandCommiphora, but generic rearrangements are needed in theBursera–Commiphoracomplex, 4) the remaining genera,Ambilobea, Boswellia, Canarium, Dacryodes, Garuga, Haplolobus, Pseudodacryodes, Rosselia, Santiria, Scutinanthe, TrattinnickiaandTriomma, are probably best placed in a broadly circumscribed Garugeae.
Three-Dimensional Elasticity Solution for Sandwich Plates With Orthotropic Phases: The Positive Discriminant Case
Authors: Kardomateas George A.
Published: November 2008

A three-dimensional elasticity solution for rectangular sandwich plates exists only under restrictive assumptions on the orthotropic material constants of the constitutive phases (i.e., face sheets and core). In particular, only for negative or zero discriminant of the cubic characteristic equation, which is formed from these constants (case of three real roots). The purpose of the present paper is to present the corresponding solution for the more challenging case of positive discriminant, in which two of the roots are complex conjugates.
The Characteristics of Fluid Flow Through Multilayer Porous Media
Authors: Allan F. M. , Hajji M. A. , Anwar M. N.
Published: November 2008

The characteristics of fluid flow through three porous layers are investigated. The two outer porous layers are considered to be of infinite width, while the middle porous layer is assumed to be of finite width. The mathematical model of the fluid flow in the middle region can be described as laminar fully developed flow and is assumed to be governed by Brinkman equations. The flow through the upper and lower porous media is governed by Forchheimer equations. At the two interface regions between the middle finite width porous layer and the outer infinite porous layers, the continuity of the velocity and of the shear stress are imposed. Under these matching conditions, the exact solutions for the set of equations describing the flow velocity are obtained. It is found that the flow velocity is affected by two parameters, namely, Reynolds number and Darcy’s number. The effects of these parameters on the flow velocity profiles through the flow regions are investigated and presented.
Slip Effects on the Peristaltic Flow of a Third Grade Fluid in a Circular Cylindrical Tube
Authors: Ali N. , Wang Y. , Hayat T. , Oberlack M.
Published: November 2008

Peristaltic flow of a third grade fluid in a circular cylindrical tube is undertaken when the no-slip condition at the tube wall is no longer valid. The governing nonlinear equation together with nonlinear boundary conditions is solved analytically by means of the perturbation method for small values of the non-Newtonian parameter, the Debroah number. A numerical solution is also obtained for which no restriction is imposed on the non-Newtonian parameter involved in the governing equation and the boundary conditions. A comparison of the series solution and the numerical solution is presented. Furthermore, the effects of slip and non-Newtonian parameters on the axial velocity and stream function are discussed in detail. The salient features of pumping and trapping are discussed with particular focus on the effects of slip and non-Newtonian parameters. It is observed that an increase in the slip parameter decreases the peristaltic pumping rate for a given pressure rise. On the contrary, the peristaltic pumping rate increases with an increase in the slip parameter for a given pressure drop (copumping). The size of the trapped bolus decreases and finally vanishes for large values of the slip parameter.
Dynamic Variational-Asymptotic Procedure for Laminated Composite Shells—Part I: Low-Frequency Vibration Analysis
Authors: Lee Chang-Yong , Hodges Dewey H.
Published: November 2008

An asymptotically correct dynamic shell theory, valid over a wide range of frequencies and wavelengths, is rigorously derived from an analytical point of view. The derivation provides insight and guidance for the numerical modeling of layered shells. This work is based on three essential theoretical foundations: (a) the concept of decomposition of the rotation tensor, which is to establish the dynamic three-dimensional elasticity problem in a compact and elegant intrinsic form for application to the complex geometry of shells; (b) the variational-asymptotic method, which is to perform a systematic and mathematical dimensional reduction in the long-wavelength regime for both low- and high-frequency vibration analysis; and (c) hyperbolic short-wavelength extrapolation, which is to achieve simple, accurate, and positive definite energy functionals for all wavelengths. Based on these, unlike most established shell theories that are limited to the long-wavelength low-frequency regime, the present theory describes in an asymptotically correct manner not only the low-frequency but also some of the first high-frequency branches of vibrations in the long-wave range. Moreover, it recovers the approximate three-dimensional stress state in both long- and short-wavelength ranges.
Genetic Zoogeography of theMysis relictaSpecies Group (Crustacea: Mysidacea) in Northern Europe and North America
Authors: Väinölä Risto , Riddoch Bruce J. , Ward Robert D. , Jones Roger I.
Published: November 2008

The zoogeography and systematics of the Mysis relicta species group were elucidated in an allozyme survey of populations across northern Europe and North America. The North American populations are here identified as an independent species (sp. IV), distinct from the three previously recognized European M. relicta group taxa (spp. I–III). The geographical pattern of gene frequency variation in North America supports a late-glacial colonization by separate eastern and western refugial stocks of sp. IV. In Europe, sp. III is known from a single subarctic lake, while both spp. I and II are widespread. They coexist in the Baltic Sea, but their lacustrine distributions are largely different. Species I accounts for most Fennoscandian populations and those in Poland and Germany whereas sp. II lives in Ireland, parts of southwestern Scandinavia, and Karelia. With the paleohydrographical reference, the distributions suggest that both species survived the last glaciation in proglacial lakes east of the Scandinavian Ice. Subsequent distributional differentiation was influenced by environmental variations; the dispersal of sp. II in southwestern Scandinavia was facilitated by a broader euryhalinity than that in sp. I and other stenohaline "glacial relief" crustaceans. The Irish populations may represent a distinct refugial stock within sp. II.
Optimum Exercise Conditioning Velocity for Growth, Muscular Development, and Swimming Performance in Young-of-the-Year Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)
Authors: Young Paciencia S. , Cech Jr. Joseph J.
Published: November 2008

Young-of-the-year striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were exercise conditioned for 60 d at four different water velocities: <0.02 (control), 0.5–1.2 (slow), 1.5–2.4 (moderate), and 2.4–3.6 body lengths∙s−1(fast). Sampling for growth (body weight change), muscular development (red and white muscle cross-sectional areas), and swimming performance (critical swimming velocity) was done at 50 and 60 d of the exercise conditioning period and at 14, 28, 42, and 56 d post-conditioning. Optimum conditioning velocities for growth and swimming performance were the moderate and fast velocities, respectively, with both effects persisting 56 d post-conditioning. Fish exercised at the moderate and fast velocities showed significant increases in red muscle areas (at 0 and 14 d post-conditioning, respectively) and in white muscle areas (at 0–28 and 14–28 d post-conditioning, respectively). Exercise-conditioned fish at any velocity showed a significant increase in the red to white muscle ratio at the end of 60 d of conditioning. Our data suggest that exercise-conditioned young-of-the-year striped bass would have size and swimming advantages consistent with higher survival than unexercised fish when stocked in natural ecosystems.
When Did Acid-Sensitive Adirondack Lakes (New York, USA) Begin to Acidify and Are They Still Acidifying?
Authors: Cumming B. F. , Davey K. A. , Smol J. P. , Birks H. J. B.
Published: November 2008

A transfer function was used to reconstruct pH values of 20 low-alkalinity Adirondack Park lakes based on the species composition of scaled chrysophytes (Chrysophyceae, Synurophyceae) in stratigraphie intervals from210Pb-dated sediment cores. Approximately 80% of the lakes acidified since preindustrial times. Four categories of lake response to acidic deposition were identified: (i) lakes that showed little or no evidence of acidification since preindustrial times, (ii) lakes with preindustrial pH values between 5 and 6 that began to acidify ca. 1900, (iii) "naturally" acidic lakes that acidified even further ca. 1900, and (iv) lakes with preindustrial pH values around 6 that acidified ca. 1930–50. Lakes that acidified ca. 1900 were generally smaller, higher elevation lakes with lower preindustrial pH values than lakes in category i or iv. These patterns are consistent with the acidic deposition hypothesis of recent lake acidification. Our results indicated that "critical" sulfate deposition loads for Adirondack lakes that started to acidify ca. 1900 and ca. 1950 are between 5–10 and 20–25 kg∙ha−1∙yr−1, respectively. Post-1970 trends in lake water pH have been small and variable, suggesting that low-alkalinity Adirondack lakes have been relatively unresponsive to the post-1970 declines in sulfate deposition.
Improvements to the Diurnal Upstream–Downstream Dissolved Oxygen Change Technique for Determining Whole-Stream Metabolism in Small Streams
Authors: Marzolf Erich R. , Mulholland Patrick J. , Steinman Alan D.
Published: November 2008

Whole-stream metabolism in a first-order stream was measured using upstream–downstream changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration measured at 1-min intervals over a 40-h period. The measured change in DO was corrected for reaeration flux using a reaeration coefficient determined from injections of conservative and volatile tracers. The whole-stream metabolism measurement was compared in the spring with in situ chamber measurements performed a few days later in the same stream reach. Chamber measurements of community respiration extrapolated to a 24-h period (CR24) were about one third the whole-stream measurements, while gross primary production (GPP) measured at midday in the chambers was roughly 20% less than the whole-stream estimate. Whole-stream GPP was higher during the spring just prior to forest canopy closure than in summer or autumn. Community respiration exceeded whole-stream GPP on all dates and was greatest during the summer. Our results suggest that this whole-stream approach provides a measure of total stream metabolism that is relevant to other stream ecosystem processes measured on reach scales, such as nutrient spiralling.
Leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) in the Experimental Lakes Area, Northwestern Ontario, Canada: Patterns of Species Composition in Relation to Environment
Authors: Grantham Brian A. , Hann Brenda J.
Published: November 2008

Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to examine the distribution of leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) in 18 lakes at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). Leech community composition was best described by an ordination incorporating alkalinity, primary productivity, and lake area. In general, highest species richness occurred in small, eutrophic lakes whereas lowest richness was recorded in medium to large lakes with low productivity. Contrary to results for some other taxa, lake pH was not a dominant variable, describing only a small amount of variance in the species–environment relationship.
Distribution and Movements of Belugas,Delphinapterus leucas, in the Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Smith Thomas G. , Martin A. R.
Published: November 2008

Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, move into the coastal waters of Somerset Island as soon as the annual land-fast ice breaks up in late June – early July. Six bays or inlets which receive the outflow of rivers are the major areas of summer aggregation. Belugas captured and equipped with satellite-linked UHF transmitters in Cunningham Inlet (Barrow Strait), Elwin Bay (Prince Regent Inlet), and Creswell Bay moved west into Peel Sound where they frequented two other estuaries. Rapid and directed movement out of Peel Sound occurred in late August. All of the animals which transmitted locations into September or October moved to eastern Devon Island and Jones Sound. The longest period of transmission was 75 d, lasting until mid-October. Belugas tagged in three different locations around Somerset Island in the summers of 1988–93 showed a well-defined and consistent pattern of behaviour. Aerial surveys done during this period confirm that the vast majority of belugas in this region are involved in these seasonal movements.
Oversecretion of interleukin-15 from skeletal muscle reduces adiposity
Authors: Quinn LeBris S. , Anderson Barbara G. , Strait-Bodey Lena , Stroud Ashley M. , Argilés Josép M.
Published: November 2008

Obesity is a risk factor for development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and some forms of cancer. Many of the adverse health consequences of excess fat deposition are caused by increased secretion of proinflammatory adipokines by adipose tissue. Reciprocal muscle-to-fat signaling factors, or myokines, are starting to be identified. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a cytokine that is highly expressed in muscle tissue and that, on the basis of cell culture experiments, has been proposed to act as a circulating myokine that inhibits adipose tissue deposition. To test this hypothesis in vivo, two lines of transgenic mice that overexpressed IL-15 mRNA and protein in skeletal muscle tissue were constructed. By substitution of the inefficient native IL-15 signal peptide with a more efficient signal peptide, one of the transgenic mouse lines also exhibited elevated secretion of IL-15 in the circulation. Overexpression of IL-15 in muscle tissue without secretion in the bloodstream resulted in no differences in body composition. Elevated circulating levels of IL-15 resulted in significant reductions in body fat and increased bone mineral content, without appreciably affecting lean body mass or levels of other cytokines. Elevated circulating levels of IL-15 also inhibited adiposity induced by consumption of a high-fat/high-energy diet in male, but not female, transgenic mice. Female mice with elevated serum IL-15 exhibited increased deposition of lean body mass on a low-fat/low-energy diet and a high-fat/high-energy diet. These findings indicate that muscle-derived circulating IL-15 can modulate adipose tissue deposition and support addition of IL-15 to the growing list of potential myokines that are increasingly being implicated in regulation of body composition.
Impact of lipid phosphatases SHIP2 and PTEN on the time- and Akt-isoform-specific amelioration of TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes
Authors: Ikubo Mariko , Wada Tsutomu , Fukui Kazuhito , Ishiki Manabu , Ishihara Hajime , Asano Tomoichiro , Tsuneki Hiroshi , Sasaoka Toshiyasu
Published: November 2008

TNF-α is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance associated with obesity and inflammation by serine phosphorylating and degrading insulin receptor substrate-1. Presently, we further found that pretreatment with TNF-α inhibited insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt2 greater than Akt1. Since lipid phosphatases SH2-containing inositol 5′-phoshatase 2 (SHIP2) and phosphatase and tensin homologs deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) are negative regulators of insulin's metabolic signaling at the step downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, we investigated the Akt isoform-specific properties of these phosphatases in the negative regulation after short- and long-term insulin treatment and examined the influence of inhibition on the amelioration of insulin resistance caused by TNF-α in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of WT-SHIP2 decreased the phosphorylation of Akt2 greater than Akt1 after insulin stimulation up to 15 min. Expression of a dominant-negative ΔIP-SHIP2 enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt2 up to 120 min. On the other hand, overexpression of WT-PTEN inhibited the phosphorylation of both Akt1 and Akt2 after short- but not long-term insulin treatment. The expression of ΔIP-PTEN enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt1 at 120 min and that of Akt2 at 2 min. Interestingly, the expression of ΔIP-SHIP2, but not ΔIP-PTEN, protected against the TNF-α inhibition of insulin-induced phosphorylation of Akt2, GSK3, and AS160, whereas both improved the TNF-α inhibition of insulin-induced 2-deoxyglucose uptake. The results indicate that these lipid phosphatases possess different characteristics according to the time and preference of Akt isoform-dependent signaling in the negative regulation of the metabolic actions of insulin, whereas both inhibitions are effective in the amelioration of insulin resistance caused by TNF-α.
Activation of AMP kinase and inhibition of Rho kinase induce the mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells through endothelial NOS and BMP-2 expression
Authors: Kanazawa Ippei , Yamaguchi Toru , Yano Shozo , Yamauchi Mika , Sugimoto Toshitsugu
Published: November 2008

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Rho kinase (ROK) are known to modulate the mevalonate pathway. Activation of AMPK suppresses 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-coenzyme A (CoA) reductase. ROK acts downstream of HMG-CoA reductase, and its inhibition exerts antiatherosclerosis effects. However, whether or not these enzymes are involved in bone metabolism is unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of an AMPK activator, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide1-β-d-ribonucleoside (AICAR), and a ROK inhibitor, fasudil hydrochrolide, on the mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Real-time PCR and mineralization stainings revealed that both AICAR and fasudil significantly stimulated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and osteocalcin mRNA expression as well as mineralization in the cells. Supplementation of either mevalonate or geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate, the downstream molecules of HMG-CoA reductase, or coincubation with either a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, or a BMP-2 antagonist, noggin, significantly reversed these AICAR-induced reactions. Western blot analysis showed that AICAR activated protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). ERK inhibitor significantly reversed the AICAR-induced increase in eNOS and BMP-2 mRNA expression. Measurement of ROK activities by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that both AICAR and fasudil significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of the myosin-binding subunit of myosin phosphate, a ROK substrate. These findings suggest that the AMPK activator and the ROK inhibitor are able to stimulate the mineralization of osteoblasts through modulating the mevalonate pathway. These agents could be candidate drugs that promote bone formation for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Localization of ACE2 in the renal vasculature: amplification by angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade using telmisartan
Authors: Soler María José , Ye Minghao , Wysocki Jan , William Josette , Lloveras Josep , Batlle Daniel
Published: November 2008

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 is a carboxypeptidase that degrades angiotensin II and other peptides. In the kidney, ACE2 localization within the glomerulus and tubules is cell specific. This study was aimed to investigate the localization of ACE2 within the renal vasculature. We also studied the effect of the administration of a specific angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, telmisartan, on ACE2 expression in the renal vasculature. ACE2 and ACE were localized in renal arterioles using confocal microscopy and specific cell markers. Quantitative measurements of ACE2 and ACE mRNA were estimated in kidney arterioles isolated by laser capture microdissection using real-time PCR. In kidney arterioles, ACE was localized in the endothelial layer, whereas ACE2 was localized in the tunica media. In mice treated with telmisartan (2 mg·kg−1·day−1) for 2 wk, ACE2 expression was increased by immunostaining, whereas ACE expression was decreased. This was reflected in a decrease in the ACE/ACE2 ratio compared with vehicle-treated controls (0.53 ± 0.14 vs. 7.59 ± 2.72, P = 0.027, respectively). In kidney arterioles isolated by laser capture microdissection, the ACE/ACE2 mRNA ratio was also decreased compared with control mice (1.21 ± 0.31 vs. 4.63 ± 0.86, P = 0.044, respectively). In conclusion, in kidney arterioles ACE2 is preferentially localized in the tunica media, and its expression is increased after administration of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, telmisartan. Amplification of ACE2 in the renal vasculature may contribute to the therapeutic action of telmisartan by increasing angiotensin II degradation.
Adjustments Differ Among Low-Threshold Motor Units During Intermittent, Isometric Contractions
Authors: Farina Dario , Holobar Aleš , Gazzoni Marco , Zazula Damjan , Merletti Roberto , Enoka Roger M.
Published: November 2008

We investigated the changes in muscle fiber conduction velocity, recruitment and derecruitment thresholds, and discharge rate of low-threshold motor units during a series of ramp contractions. The aim was to compare the adjustments in motor unit activity relative to the duration that each motor unit was active during the task. Multichannel surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis muscle of eight healthy men during 12-s contractions ( n = 25) in which the force increased and decreased linearly from 0 to 10% of the maximum. The maximal force exhibited a modest decline (8.5 ± 9.3%; P < 0.05) at the end of the task. The discharge times of 73 motor units that were active for 16–98% of the time during the first five contractions were identified throughout the task by decomposition of the EMG signals. Action potential conduction velocity decreased during the task by a greater amount for motor units that were initially active for >70% of the time compared with that of less active motor units. Moreover, recruitment and derecruitment thresholds increased for these most active motor units, whereas the thresholds decreased for the less active motor units. Another 18 motor units were recruited at an average of 171 ± 32 s after the beginning of the task. The recruitment and derecruitment thresholds of these units decreased during the task, but muscle fiber conduction velocity did not change. These results indicate that low-threshold motor units exhibit individual adjustments in muscle fiber conduction velocity and motor neuron activation that depended on the relative duration of activity during intermittent contractions.