bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and barriers to the introduction of umbilical cord blood gas and lactate analysis at birth
Authors: White Christopher R. H. , Kohan Rolland , Doherty Dorota A. , Newnham John P. , Pennell Craig E.
Published: March 2013

Background

Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of universal umbilical cord blood gas analysis (UCBGA), there remains reluctance in some maternity units to adopt universal testing.

Aims

Identify perceived barriers and benefits of universal UCBGA.

Methods

Medical and midwifery staff involved in intrapartum care at four level two maternity units (one metropolitan and three regional) completed questionnaires evaluating attitudes to UCBGA. Questionnaires included 13 statements with responses ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree and background demographic data.

Results

Most respondents considered UCBGA beneficial to perinatal care (n = 72; 67.3%), with only nine individuals (8.4%) believing UCBGA had no place in perinatal care. The majority of respondents considered benefits of UCBGA to include being an effective and objective marker of neonatal status (n = 64; 59.8%), as well as playing a role in medicolegal issues (n = 74; 69.2%) and audit and teaching (n = 64; 59.8%). Respondents considered that barriers to universal UCBGA introduction included insufficient time following delivery, increased workload and encroachment of technology into birth.

Conclusions

The majority of respondents indicated support for UCBGA. Information derived from this study may be useful in identifying and resolving concerns prior to the introduction of UCBGA. Further, it could be useful in the preparation of education and implementation packages necessary for introduction of UCBGA.
The osteochondral dilemma: review of current management and future trends
Authors: Ye Ken , Di Bella Claudia , Myers Damian E. , Choong Peter F. M.
Published: March 2013

The management of articular cartilage defects remains challenging and controversial. Hyaline cartilage has limited capacity for self‐repair and post‐injury cartilage is predominantly replaced by fibrocartilage through healing from the subchondral bone. Fibrocartilage lacks the key properties that characterize hyaline cartilage such as capacity for compression, hydrodynamic permeability and smoothness of the articular surface. Many reports relate compromised function associated with repaired cartilage and loss of function of the articular surface. Novel methods have been proposed with the key aim to regenerate hyaline cartilage for repair of osteochondral defects. Over the past decade, with many exciting developments in tissue engineering and regenerative cell‐based technologies, we are now able to consider new combinatorial approaches to overcome the problems associated with osteochondral injuries and damage. In this review, the currently accepted surgical approaches are reviewed and considered; debridement, marrow stimulation, whole tissue transplantation and cellular repair. More recent products, which employ tissue engineering approaches to enhance the traditional methods of repair, are discussed. Future trends must not only focus on recreating the composition of articular cartilage, but more importantly recapitulate the nano‐structure of articular cartilage to improve the functional strength and integration of repair tissue.
Coordinated release of tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor in VLBW infants
Authors: Palojärvi Anniina , Andersson Sture , Långström Satu , Petäjä Jari
Published: March 2013

Aim

Tissue factor (TF), a mediator between coagulation and inflammation, is upregulated in alveolar compartment and circulation in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants. We investigated the contribution of TF to systemic regulation of coagulation in VLBW infants.

Methods

We measured TF, total and free tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPIt, TFPIf), prothrombin fragment (F1 + 2), and thrombin–antithrombin complexes (TAT) in plasma from 51 VLBW infants during their first week of life.

Results

F1 + 2 in cord plasma was high (1385 pmol/mL) and decreased postnatally to 17% (p = 0.002). TAT decreased from a high cord concentration to 3% postnatally (p < 0.001). Plasma TF increased and peaked on day 3, showing no correlation with F1 + 2 or TAT. TFPIt and TFPIf increased postnatally, correlating with TF (day 1 TFPIf: R = 0.595, p < 0.001, day 3 TFPIf: R = 0.582, p < 0.001). Based on the TF/TFPIf ratio, a relative excess of plasma TF over TFPIf probably prevailed on day 3.

Conclusions

In VLBW infants plasma TF fails to associate with thrombin formation. This is partly explained by release of TFPI. Despite TFPI, the newborn VLBW infant is subjected to a substantial circulating pool of TF with potential proinflammatory effects.
Association between brain‐derived neurothropic factor variants and asthma in Chinese Han children
Authors: Yinli Cao , Jie Hao , Li Zhao , Jun Gao , Peiling Li , Weihong Yang
Published: March 2013

Aim

To identify the markers contributing to genetic susceptibility to asthma in Chinese Han children.

Methods

This study examined the potential association between childhood asthma and seven single nucleotide polymorphisms of Brain‐derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) – SNPs, rs16917204, rs6265, rs7103873, rs16917237, rs56164415, rs13306221 and rs10767664 – using the MassARRAY system. The participants, recruited between May 2009 and July 2012, were 319 children with asthma (mean age 9.82 ± 1.57 years) recruited from a hospital paediatric department and 309 healthy controls (mean age 10.25 ± 1.36 years), recruited from the medical examination centre at the same hospital.

Results

We observed a significant association for rs6265 (χ2 = 9.851, p = 0.002, OR = 1.427, 95% CI = 1.143–1.783), located in exon 4 of the BDNF. Another potential association was observed for rs13306221 (χ2 = 4.316, p = 0.038, OR = 1.604, 95% CI = 1.024–2.512) in the promoter region of the BDNF. Strong linkage disequilibrium was observed in block 1 (D' > 0.9). Significantly more G‐G‐G haplotypes in block 1 were found in children with asthma.

Conclusions

These findings point to a role for BDNF polymorphisms in Chinese Han children with asthma and may inform future genetic or biological studies on childhood asthma.
Impact of Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Domestic R&D Activity: Evidence from Taiwan's Multinational Enterprises in Low‐wage Countries
Authors: Chen Kun‐Ming , Yang Shu-Fei
Published: March 2013

This paper theoretically and empirically investigates the home‐country effects of a firm's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) activity, specifically OFDI motivated by lower labor costs in the host country. A two‐country imperfect competition model is developed, and the interaction between a firm's R&D spending and its OFDI is examined. It is found that the relationship between a firm's OFDI and its domestic R&D is indeterminate because there is a complementary effect as well as a substitution effect induced by OFDI activity. Panel data on Taiwanese manufacturing firms from 1992–2005 are applied to test the validity of the theoretical results. The propensity score matching method is used to construct a comparison group without selection bias. Our empirical evidence reveals that a Taiwanese firm's OFDI is positively related to its domestic R&D spending, particularly in R&D‐intensive industries.
Alternative Poverty Lines for Malaysia
Authors: Mok Thaiyoong Penny , Maclean Gillis , Dalziel Paul
Published: March 2013

Because of the shortcomings of the Malaysian official poverty line, this paper offers several alternative regional poverty line estimations with varying underlying assumptions. Using the Household Expenditure Survey 2004/2005, poverty lines are estimated based on the consumption patterns of 10th and 20th percentile household per capita expenditure. The regional poverty lines from these reference groups produced robust poverty measurement rankings across regions in the country. We suggest that the poverty lines from both reference groups be used as lower and upper poverty lines for the country.
Local trait organization established
Authors: Kühn Ingolf
Published: March 2013

Traditionally, ecological theory on community assembly and Applied Vegetation Science are considered distinct. Fischer et al. (this issue of Applied Vegetation Science), however, show neatly how differences in trait composition between resident and colonizing species could be established. By using an environmental context‐specific approach, the analysis bridges the gap between application and more theoretical understanding of vegetation ecology.
Optogenetic manipulation of neural activity in C. elegans: From synapse to circuits and behaviour
Authors: Husson Steven J. , Gottschalk Alexander , Leifer Andrew M.
Published: March 2013

The emerging field of optogenetics allows for optical activation or inhibition of excitable cells. In 2005, optogenetic proteins were expressed in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for the first time. Since then, C. elegans has served as a powerful platform upon which to conduct optogenetic investigations of synaptic function, circuit dynamics and the neuronal basis of behaviour. The C. elegans nervous system, consisting of 302 neurons, whose connectivity and morphology has been mapped completely, drives a rich repertoire of behaviours that are quantifiable by video microscopy. This model organism's compact nervous system, quantifiable behaviour, genetic tractability and optical accessibility make it especially amenable to optogenetic interrogation. Channelrhodopsin‐2 (ChR2), halorhodopsin (NpHR/Halo) and other common optogenetic proteins have all been expressed in C. elegans. Moreover, recent advances leveraging molecular genetics and patterned light illumination have now made it possible to target photoactivation and inhibition to single cells and to do so in worms as they behave freely. Here, we describe techniques and methods for optogenetic manipulation in C. elegans. We review recent work using optogenetics and C. elegans for neuroscience investigations at the level of synapses, circuits and behaviour.
Late Quaternary stratigraphy, sedimentology and geochemistry of an underfilled lake basin in the Puna plateau (northwest Argentina)
Authors: McGlue Michael M. , Cohen Andrew S. , Ellis Geoffrey S. , Kowler Andrew L.
Published: March 2013

Depositional models of ancient lakes in thin‐skinned retroarc foreland basins rarely benefit from appropriate Quaternary analogues. To address this, we present new stratigraphic, sedimentological and geochemical analyses of four radiocarbon‐dated sediment cores from the Pozuelos Basin (PB; northwest Argentina) that capture the evolution of this low‐accommodation Puna basin over the past ca. 43 cal kyr. Strata from the PB are interpreted as accumulations of a highly variable, underfilled lake system represented by lake‐plain/littoral, profundal, palustrine, saline lake and playa facies associations. The vertical stacking of facies is asymmetric, with transgressive and thin organic‐rich highstand deposits underlying thicker, organic‐poor regressive deposits. The major controls on depositional architecture and basin palaeogeography are tectonics and climate. Accommodation space was derived from piggyback basin‐forming flexural subsidence and Miocene‐Quaternary normal faulting associated with incorporation of the basin into the Andean hinterland. Sediment and water supply was modulated by variability in the South American summer monsoon, and perennial lake deposits correlate in time with several well‐known late Pleistocene wet periods on the Altiplano/Puna plateau. Our results shed new light on lake expansion–contraction dynamics in the PB in particular and provide a deeper understanding of Puna basin lakes in general.
In silico Target Fishing for the Potential Targets and Molecular Mechanisms of Baicalein as an Antiparkinsonian Agent: Discovery of the Protective Effects on NMDA Receptor‐Mediated Neurotoxicity
Authors: Gao Li , Fang Jian‐Song , Bai Xiao‐Yu , Zhou Dan , Wang Yi‐Tao , Liu Ai‐Lin , Du Guan‐Hua
Published: March 2013

The flavonoid baicalein has been proven effective in animal models of parkinson's disease; however, the potential biological targets and molecular mechanisms underlying the antiparkinsonian action of baicalein have not been fully clarified. In the present study, the potential targets of baicalein were predicted by in silico target fishing approaches including database mining, molecular docking, structure‐based pharmacophore searching, and chemical similarity searching. A consensus scoring formula has been developed and validated to objectively rank the targets. The top two ranked targets catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO‐B) have been proposed as targets of baicalein by literatures. The third‐ranked one (N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid receptor, NMDAR) with relatively low consensus score was further experimentally tested. Although our results suggested that baicalein significantly attenuated NMDA‐induced neurotoxicity including cell death, intracellular nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, extracellular NO reduction in human SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, baicalein exhibited no inhibitory effect on [3H]MK‐801 binding study, indicating that NMDAR might not be the target of baicalein. In conclusion, the results indicate that in silico target fishing is an effective method for drug target discovery, and the protective role of baicalein against NMDA‐induced neurotoxicity supports our previous research that baicalein possesses antiparkinsonian activity.
Child‐Care Subsidies and School Readiness in Kindergarten
Authors: Johnson Anna D. , Martin Anne , Brooks‐Gunn Jeanne
Published: March 2013

The federal child‐care subsidy program represents one of the government's largest investments in early care and education. Using data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, this study examines associations, among subsidy‐eligible families, between child‐care subsidy receipt when children are 4 years old and a range of school readiness outcomes in kindergarten (sample n ≈ 1,400). Findings suggest that subsidy receipt in preschool is not directly linked to subsequent reading or social‐emotional skills. However, subsidy receipt predicted lower math scores among children attending community‐based centers. Supplementary analyses revealed that subsidies predicted greater use of center care, but this association did not appear to affect school readiness.
Reexamining the Minimum Viable Population Concept for Long‐Lived Species
Authors: SHOEMAKER KEVIN T. , BREISCH ALVIN R. , JAYCOX JESSE W. , GIBBS JAMES P.
Published: March 2013

For decades conservation biologists have proposed general rules of thumb for minimum viable population size (MVP); typically, they range from hundreds to thousands of individuals. These rules have shifted conservation resources away from small and fragmented populations. We examined whether iteroparous, long‐lived species might constitute an exception to general MVP guidelines. On the basis of results from a 10‐year capture‐recapture study in eastern New York (U.S.A.), we developed a comprehensive demographic model for the globally threatened bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), which is designated as endangered by the IUCN in 2011. We assessed population viability across a wide range of initial abundances and carrying capacities. Not accounting for inbreeding, our results suggest that bog turtle colonies with as few as 15 breeding females have >90% probability of persisting for >100 years, provided vital rates and environmental variance remain at currently estimated levels. On the basis of our results, we suggest that MVP thresholds may be 1–2 orders of magnitude too high for many long‐lived organisms. Consequently, protection of small and fragmented populations may constitute a viable conservation option for such species, especially in a regional or metapopulation context.

Reexaminando el Concepto de Población Mínima Viable para Especies Longevas Resumen
Peritoneal fluid cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases as early markers of anastomotic leakage in colorectal anastomosis: a literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Cini C. , Wolthuis A. , D'Hoore A.
Published: March 2013

Aim

There has been recent interest in the measurement of peritoneal fluid cytokines in the early postoperative period to help diagnose anastomotic leakage at a preclinical stage. The currently available literature on the early diagnosis of colorectal anastomotic leakage by estimation of drain fluid cytokines or matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) is reviewed.

Method

A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library for all publications studying the feasibility of diagnosing colorectal anastomotic leakage earlier by estimation of peritoneal fluid cytokine or MMP levels. A meta‐analysis of the most commonly measured cytokines was performed.

Results

Eight publications were included. Tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were most frequently studied. Most studies found significantly higher levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 in patients with anastomotic leakage during the first three postoperative days. In the meta‐analysis IL‐6 levels were significantly higher from day 1 and TNF‐α from day 2. MMP‐9 was most often significantly elevated in patients with anastomotic leakage.

Conclusion

Measurement of drain fluid cytokines and MMP has the potential to diagnose colorectal anastomotic leakage at a preclinical stage, but is not yet ready for clinical use. Further research is needed, possibly using IL‐6 in combination with other cytokines and MMP as markers.
Short‐term outcome after neoadjuvant high‐dose‐rate endorectal brachytherapy or short‐course external beam radiotherapy in resectable rectal cancer
Authors: Hesselager C. , Vuong T. , Påhlman L. , Richard C. , Liberman S. , Letellier F. , Folkesson J.
Published: March 2013

Aim

Total mesorectal excision with preoperative radiotherapy reduces local recurrence in rectal cancer, but radiotherapy increases the risk of complications. This study compared the immediate postoperative outcome after external beam radiotherapy with outome after high‐dose‐rate endorectal brachytherapy (HDREBT).

Method

Patients (n = 318) treated with preoperative HDREBT (6.5 Gy, daily, over 4 days) followed by surgery 4–8 weeks later were matched with 318 patients from the Swedish Rectal Cancer Register treated with short‐course radiotherapy (SCRT; 5 Gy, daily, over 5 days) and surgery in the subsequent week and with 318 patients who had surgery only (i.e. no preoperative radiotherapy; RT‐) All 954 patients were followed for 30 days after surgery. Complications were divided into surgical, cardiovascular and infectious.

Results

The SCRT group had fewer cardiovascular complications (3.1%) than did HDREBT (9.4%, P = 0.002) and RT‐ (7.2%, P = 0.03) groups. There was less perioperative bleeding in HDREBT patients (379.3 ml) than in SCRT (947.2 ml; P < 0.0001) or RT‐ (918.9 ml) patients, and the re‐intervention rate was lower in HDREBT (4.1%) patients than in SCRT (14.2%; P = 0.005) and RT‐ (12.3%; P < 0.005) patients. The HDREBT group had fewer R2 resections than did the SCRT and RT‐ groups, but had a higher proportion of R0 resections compared with the RT‐ group (P = 0.03).

Conclusion

No major differences in postoperative complications were found. HDREBT patients had a higher rate of cardiovascular complications, but less perioperative bleeding and fewer re‐interventions. A longer interval between radiotherapy and surgery may be beneficial for tumour regression and this could be reflected in the number of radical resections.
Strategies for early detection of chronic Q‐fever: a systematic review
Authors: Wielders Cornelia C. H. , Morroy Gabriëlla , Wever Peter C. , Coutinho Roel A. , Schneeberger Peter M. , van der Hoek Wim
Published: March 2013

Background

Chronic Q‐fever, a condition with high morbidity and mortality, may develop after an acute infection with Coxiella burnetii (acute Q‐fever). Several strategies have been suggested for early detection of chronic Q‐fever, focusing on follow‐up of known acute Q‐fever patients and detection of asymptomatic or unknown chronic infections. As there is no international standard or consensus, the aims of this study were to summarise the available literature and assess the evidence for different follow‐up and screening strategies.

Design

We conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed and Embase. Twenty articles were included, of which fourteen only provided information on follow‐up of known acute Q‐fever cases, four presented data on identification of previously unknown C. burnetii infections, and two had information on both topics.

Results

The conversion rate of acute to chronic Q‐fever ranged from 0 to 5·0%. Most studies advised serological follow‐up of acute Q‐fever patients, but without consistent advice on optimum timing and duration. The recommendation to use echocardiography for all acute Q‐fever patients to detect valvular damage remains controversial. Screening of high‐risk patients in an outbreak setting is advised by studies investigating such strategy.

Conclusions

There is sufficient evidence to support serological follow‐up of all known acute Q‐fever patients at least once during the first year following the acute infection, and more frequently in patients with known risk factors for chronic disease, such as heart valve‐ or vascular prosthesis. Screening of risk groups should be considered in outbreaks of Q‐fever.
The Political Economy of State Government Subsidy Adoption: The Case of Ethanol
Authors: Skidmore Mark , Cotti Chad , Alm James
Published: March 2013

In this study, we examine the factors that determine the adoption of state economic development incentives in the ethanol industry. We compile data on the implementation dates for subsidies/tax credits for all states for the years 1984–2007, a period that covers the complete emergence of the biofuel industry in the United States and that was characterized by the passage of numerous state‐level subsidies and tax breaks aimed at increasing ethanol production. Using Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, we find that states are more likely to adopt ethanol subsidies when corn production is high, when corn prices are low and gasoline prices are high, when a state is affiliated with the National Corn Growers Association, when a check‐off is present, when a state has a high environmental score, and when state government is under the control of Democrats.
Conserved action of β‐catenin during female fate determination in the red‐eared slider turtle
Authors: Mork Lindsey , Capel Blanche
Published: March 2013

In reptiles such as the red‐eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta, development of an ovary from the bipotential gonad requires a coordinated expansion of the cortical domain and regression of the medulla. While estrogen, which is necessary and sufficient for ovarian development in non‐mammalian vertebrates, is thought to feminize both compartments, it remains unclear whether there is a signaling relationship between the two domains that coordinates their fates. We show that aromatase, the estrogen‐synthesizing enzyme, is localized to the medulla of the differentiating turtle ovary and that differentiation of the medulla precedes and is independent of cortical expansion. Coordinated feminization of the two domains may therefore rely on an estrogenic signal from the differentiating medulla. In eutherian mammals, where estrogen is dispensable for early ovary development, the canonical Wnt signaling pathway is critical for female fate determination. Whether this function is conserved among vertebrates and how it is potentially integrated with estrogen signaling are uncertain. Using a novel in vitro turtle gonad culture system, we demonstrate that ectopic activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway in presumptive male gonads induced a partial sex‐reversal of the medulla, but inhibition of the pathway was not sufficient to sex‐reverse differentiating ovaries. These patterns are similar to those previously observed in mice. Wnt signaling appears to function downstream of estrogen, as ectopic activation of the pathway rescued female development when estrogen synthesis was inhibited. Our findings therefore suggest that the ovary‐promoting effects of the Wnt signaling pathway may be functionally conserved between mammals and reptiles.
Phylogenetic analyses of termite post‐embryonic sequences illuminate caste and developmental pathway evolution
Authors: Legendre Frédéric , Whiting Michael F. , Grandcolas Philippe
Published: March 2013

Termites are highly eusocial insects with a caste polyphenism (i.e., discontinuous morphological differences between castes) and elaborated behaviors. While the developmental pathways leading to caste occurrence are well‐known in many species, the evolutionary origin of these pathways is still obscure. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies suggest multiple independent origins of sterile castes in termites, reviving a 30 years old debate. We demonstrate here that diploid sterile castes (“true” workers) evolved several times independently in this group and that this caste was lost at least once in a lineage with developmentally more flexible workers called pseudergates or “false” workers. We also infer that flexibility in post‐embryonic development was acquired multiple times independently during termite evolution. We suggest that focusing on detailed developmental pathways in phylogenetic analyses is essential for elucidating the origin of caste polyphenism in termites.
Planthopper‐rice interactions: unequal stresses on pure‐line and hybrid rice under similar experimental conditions
Authors: Crisol Eduardo , Almazan Ma. Liberty P. , Jones Peter W. , Horgan Finbarr G.
Published: March 2013

Hybrid and pure‐line (inbred) rice [Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae)] varieties have distinct physiologies, particularly as related to their nutrient requirements. These differences could confound the results and interpretation of experiments that compare rice varieties grown in pots for their resistance and responses to herbivores. In this study, a series of experiments was conducted to identify potentially confounding interactions between pot size (soil volume), fertilizer regime, and the use of acetate insect cages with rice line type (hybrid, fertile parental inbred, and male sterile inbred) during bioassays with the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). The growth of hybrid rice was often limited (relatively low biomass and low grain production) compared to fertile inbred lines even in large pots (7 200 ml) and when grown without added fertilizer. Several interactions between the effects of growth conditions and line type were detected. Acetate cages caused a significant reduction in grain yield in hybrids, but not in inbreds, mainly resulting from a cage‐induced decrease in grain weight (smaller grains). Hybrids and male sterile lines often had higher root or above‐ground biomass in the largest caged pots compared with fertile inbred lines, but biomass was similar in smaller pots, indicating that the large pots allowed longer unimpeded growth of fertile inbreds, but not other line types. There were no interactions between the presence or absence of planthoppers with line type or experimental conditions. All line types were equally susceptible to planthoppers. Often the effects of planthopper feeding on plant fitness (i.e., tolerance) were apparent when plants were grown in large pots but not in small pots, particularly for hybrid lines and under high nitrogen regimes. On the basis of these results we recommend that researchers ensure that plants are not unequally stressed by inadequate growth conditions during comparative studies with herbivores on physiologically distinct rice varieties or rice species. We recommend the use of large pots (soil volume) and lower fertilizer levels with young, non‐reproductive plants during comparative bioassays with planthoppers. Field cages are recommended for hybrid‐inbred comparisons during older plant stages but these are subject to a range of other confounding variables.
Feasting in fresh water: impacts of food concentration on freshwater tolerance and the evolution of food × salinity response during the expansion from saline into fresh water habitats
Authors: Lee Carol Eunmi , Moss Wynne E. , Olson Nora , Chau Kevin Fongching , Chang Yu‐Mei , Johnson Kelsey E.
Published: March 2013

Saline to freshwater invasions have become increasingly common in recent years. A key hypothesis is that rates of freshwater invasions have been amplified in recent years by increased food concentration, yet this hypothesis has remained unexplored. We examined whether elevated food concentration could enhance freshwater tolerance, and whether this effect evolves following saline to freshwater invasions. We examined physiological response to salinity and food concentration in a 2 × 2 factorial design, using ancestral brackish and freshwater invading populations of the copepod Eurytemora affinis. We found that high food concentration significantly increases low‐salinity tolerance. This effect was reduced in the freshwater population, indicating evolution following the freshwater invasion. Thus, ample food could enable freshwater invasions, allowing subsequent evolution of low‐salinity tolerance even under food‐poor conditions. We also compared effects of food concentration on freshwater survival between two brackish populations from the native range. Impacts of food concentration on freshwater survival differed between the brackish populations, suggesting variation in functional properties affecting their propensity to invade freshwater habitats. The key implication is that high food concentration could profoundly extend range expansions of brackishwater species into freshwater habitats, potentially allowing for condition‐specific competition between saline invaders and resident freshwater species.
Profiles of Low‐Income Maternal Well‐being and Family Climate: Relations to Toddler Boys' and Girls' Behaviors
Authors: Brophy‐Herb Holly E. , Martoccio Tiffany L. , Hillaker Barbara , Stansbury Kathy E. , Harewood Tamesha , Senehi Neda , Fitzgerald Hiram
Published: March 2013

Profiles of maternal well‐being and family emotional climate were identified and examined in relation to toddler boys' and girls' social‐emotional outcomes in a low‐income sample (n = 136). Four distinct profiles, reflecting variations in maternal well‐being and family emotional climate, were confirmed using K‐Means clustering, following initial hierarchical clustering methods: Competent, Distressed, Emotionally Expressive, and Emotionally Controlled Parenting. Results suggested that multiple patterns of maternal well‐being and emotional climate were related to children's positive behavioral outcomes. Significant relations were found between maternal cluster differences and toddlers' internalizing, externalizing, and dysregulatory behaviors as rated by their mothers and for toddlers' behavioral competencies as rated by their mothers and by early intervention staff. In gender‐specific analyses, profile differences were related to boys' and girls' mother‐reported dysregulation and competencies, to girls' mother‐reported externalizing behaviors, and to girls' competencies rated by early intervention staff.
Traditional Gender Role Orientation and Dyadic Coping in Immigrant Latino Couples: Effects on Couple Functioning
Authors: Falconier Mariana K.
Published: March 2013

The main goal of this study was to examine from a systemic‐transactional stress perspective (Bodenmann, 1997) whether a more traditional gender role orientation may affect psychological aggression and relationship satisfaction directly and indirectly by decreasing supportive (partner's efforts to help the other partner cope with stress) and common dyadic coping (partners' conjoint efforts to cope with stress) among first‐generation immigrant Latino couples. Structural equation modeling results from 104 couples indicate that the extent to which Latino men hold traditional gender role views and the extent to which those views differ from their female partners' may increase the risk for psychological aggression and relationship dissatisfaction directly, but also indirectly by reducing the couple's common dyadic coping and to some extent the male supportive coping. Latinas' traditional gender role views do not relate to either partner's psychological aggression or relationship satisfaction. The article discusses gender differences and research and clinical implications.
Regional Social Inequalities and Social Deprivation in Guangdong Province, China
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Wu Fulong
Published: March 2013

This article examines social deprivation at a regional scale using the case of Guangdong province, China. Counties, county‐level cities, and districts of prefecture cities are selected as the units of analysis. At the provincial level, a significant variation is found in terms of the social deprivation index, showing a pattern of increasing deprivation from the core of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) to the peripheral areas of Guangdong province. In the PRD, social development conditions are significantly different among these units, whereas the level of economic development is less differentiated. Social deprivation in urban areas is considerably lower than in rural areas. The differences between cities are significant, showing a bifurcation trend, whereas rural areas seem to be similar. Social disparities in Guangdong province are derived from unequal economic growth as well as social and regional policies.
Popular and Smart: Why Scholarship on the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain Still Matters
Authors: deVries Jacqueline R.
Published: March 2013

The history of the women’s suffrage movement in the British Isles suffers from the perception that little new is left to be said. However, more than a dozen new books demonstrate that the field is still vibrant. This new scholarship illuminates not only the historical contours of feminism, but also the complex, changing political cultures of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Historians have reworked the usual chronologies to reveal the long trajectory and shifting dynamics of women’s political participation in the 19th and 20th centuries. They remain sensitive to class dynamics, but also explore how region, ethnicity, religious affiliation and social networks made a difference to the way in which women conceptualized citizenship and exercised political agency. Increasingly, suffrage historians define the movement broadly and view feminism as a shifting discourse, so that even anti‐suffragists are included among these categories. This new crop of books contributes to the field’s ever‐expanding empirical sophistication, and the best make eminently clear why the study of women’s suffrage is still relevant and popular, among both scholars and the broader public.
The Epistemology and Politics of the Accidental: Connecting the Accident’s Intellectual and Cultural Historiography
Authors: Vieira Ryan Anthony
Published: March 2013

In recent years, historians on both sides of the Atlantic have begun to reconsider the accident as an historical phenomenon. Whereas the historical treatment of accidents between the 1950s and 1980s tended to focus on how the accident contributed to a larger narrative of progress, the more recent literature has begun to focus on the accident’s role in wider social, political, and cultural contexts. As the historiography has developed, however, there has been only limited theoretical debate across sub‐disciplinary lines. The present paper does not represent an exhaustive examination of the recent historical literature on accidents in both Europe and North America. Instead, it focusses on bridging the gap between those historians who have studied the intellectual development of the accident as a concept and those who have studied the cultural intersection between the accident and power. It does this by focussing on the centrality of narrative in both historiographic trajectories and by suggesting that through a focus on narrative we can connect the epistemological assumptions inherent within the accident concept and the strategies employed to culturally manage the anxieties and stresses which violent technological disasters bring to the surface.
Medieval Urban Environmental History
Authors: Magnusson Roberta J.
Published: March 2013

Medieval urban environmental history lies at the intersection of environmental history, urban history, and the history of public health. For many years, medieval towns were thought to be universally foul and filthy, a stereotype that remains common in both academic and popular histories. Since the 1920s, however, historians who work closely with the documentary evidence have challenged such a one‐dimensional characterization. A growing body evidence from urban archaeological sites has created the potential for a more integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the study of urban ecosystems and waste management. Recent environmental scholarship has also focused on ‘urban footprints’ (the impact of cities on their supply hinterlands) and on the social construction of medieval attitudes to hygiene.
An exploration of the differential usage of residential childcare across national boundaries
Authors: Ainsworth Frank , Thoburn June
Published: March 2013

The use of residential placements for children needing out‐of‐home care remains controversial. This article considers the discourse of ‘residential’ and ‘institutional’ care before describing, mainly through administrative data sources, the wide variations in group‐care usage in different jurisdictions. In some countries, its use is minimal, with foster care, kinship care and in some cases, adoption being the preferred options. This is not so in other countries where a high percentage of children in care are in residential placements. There is also diversity in the type of residential services, ranging from small group homes to large institutions. The challenges inherent in making process and outcome comparisons across national boundaries are explored. The authors concur with those who argue for more systematic ways of describing and analysing the aims and characteristics of residential settings. Only then can meaningful comparisons be made between outcomes from group‐care regimes in different jurisdictions.
Phosphorus in agricultural soils around the Baltic Sea – comparison of laboratory methods as indices for phosphorus leaching to waters
Authors: Eriksson A. K. , Ulén B. , Berzina L. , Iital A. , Janssons V. , Sileika A. S. , Toomsoo A
Published: March 2013

In this study we investigated the phosphorus (P) content of Baltic soils. In the first set of analyses, 99 soil samples from the Baltic states and Sweden (soil set 1, representing seven different catchments or experimental plots) were analysed for soil P using four extraction methods: ammonium lactate (PAL), double lactate (PDL), Mehlich 3 (PM3) and carbonate (POlsen) (r = 0.85–0.97). In absolute values, results from PM3, PDL and POlsen gave means of 71, 61 and 20%, respectively, of the value from the PAL extraction method. Significantly different relationships were found between P soil concentrations and pH of the extract. In addition, soil pH and organic matter content were found to be of importance. Secondly, we tested 110 soil samples (soil set 2) from five different Swedish monitoring fields with clay soils where PAL clearly correlated with soil P extracted in calcium chloride (PCaCl2) (r = 0.95). Values of a single‐point phosphorus sorption index (PSI) correlated with the aluminium concentration (AlAL) in the lactate extract (r = 0.91) and with (AlOX) in the oxalate extract (r = 0.96). None of the soil P tests with different extraction agents – calcium chloride (PCaCl2), water (Pw), POlsen or PAL– correlated with the mean annual flow‐weighted concentration (1999–2010) of dissolved reactive P (DRP) in drainage water. Neither was there any clear relationship between DRP concentration in drainage water and these tests combined with PSI or with other sorption indices including extracted Al and iron (Fe). However, DRP was related to the clay content of the topsoil (r = 0.91, P < 0.05).
Evaluation of species distribution models by resampling of sites surveyed a century ago by Joseph Grinnell
Authors: Smith Adam B. , Santos Maria J. , Koo Michelle S. , Rowe Karen M. C. , Rowe Kevin C. , Patton James L. , Perrine John D. , Beissinger Steven R. , Moritz Craig
Published: March 2013

Species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly applied to predict species’ responses to anticipated global change, but lack of data from future time periods precludes assessment of their reliability. Instead, performance against test data in the same era is assumed to correlate with accuracy in the future. Moreover, high‐confidence absence data is required for testing model accuracy but is often unavailable since a species may be present when undetected. Here we evaluate the performance of eight SDMs trained with historic (1900–1939) or modern (1970–2009) climate data and occurrence records for 18 mammalian species. Models were projected to the same or the opposing time period and evaluated with data obtained from surveys conducted by Joseph Grinnell and his colleagues in the Sierra Nevada of California from 1900 to 1939 and modern resurveys from 2003 to 2011. Occupancy modeling was used to confidently assign absences at test sites where species were undetected. SDMs were evaluated using species’ presences combined with this high‐confidence absence (HCA) set, a low‐confidence set in which non‐detections were assumed to indicate absence (LCA), and randomly located ‘pseudoabsences’ (PSA). Model performance increased significantly with the quality of absences (mean AUC ± SE: 0.76 ± 0.01 for PSA, 0.79 ± 0.01 for LCA, and 0.81 ± 0.01 for HCA), and apparent differences between SDMs declined as the quality of test absences increased. Models projecting across time performed as well as when projecting within the same time period when assessed with threshold‐independent metrics. However, accuracy of presence and absence predictions sometimes declined in cross‐era projections. Although most variation in performance occurred among species, autecological traits were only weakly correlated with model accuracy. Our study indicates that a) the quality of evaluation data affects assessments of model performance; b) within‐era performance correlates positively but unreliably with cross‐era performance; and c) SDMs can be reliably but cautiously projected across time.
Interspecific differences in stochastic population dynamics explains variation in Taylor's temporal power law
Authors: Linnerud Marit , Sæther Bernt‐Erik , Grøtan Vidar , Engen Steinar , Noble David G. , Freckleton Robert P.
Published: March 2013

Taylor’s power law, i.e. that the slope for the increase in variance with mean population size is between 1 and 2 at a logarithmic scale, provides one of the few quantitative relationships in population ecology, yet the underlying ecological mechanisms are only poorly understood. Stochastic theory of population dynamics predicts that demographic and environmental stochasticity will affect the slope differently. In a stable environment under the influence of demographic stochasticity alone the slope will be equal to 1. In large populations in which demographic variance will have a negligible effect on the dynamics the slope will approach 2. In addition, the slope will also be influenced by how the strength of density dependence is related to mean population size. To disentangle the relative contribution of these processes we estimate the mean‐variance relationship for a large number of populations of British birds. The variance in population size of most species decreased with the mean due to decreased influence of demographic stochasticity at larger population sizes. Interspecific differences in demographic stochasticity was the main factor influencing variation in slopes of Taylor’s power law among species through a significant negative relationship between the slope and demographic variance. In addition, slopes were influenced by interspecific variation in life history parameters such as adult survival and clutch size. These analyses show that Taylor’s power law is generated from an interplay between stochastic and density dependent factors, modulated by life history.
Evolution of stickleback feeding behaviour: genetics of population divergence at different ontogenetic stages
Authors: Herczeg G. , Ab Ghani N. I. , Merilä J.
Published: March 2013

The evolutionary significance of individual consistency in a given behaviour – called animal personality – has been subject to a lot of recent research. However, the genetic underpinnings of population divergence in mean personality have rarely been studied, especially across different ontogenetic stages. Previous work has shown that marine vs. pond populations of nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) have undergone adaptive divergence in a series of fitness‐related traits, including behaviour. One particular behavioural trait important in this system is feeding activity: giant pond sticklebacks are more active feeders than their normal sized marine conspecifics. In a common garden experiment, we raised individuals from pure and hybrid F1‐generation crosses of a highly divergent marine – pond population pair to see if (i) feeding activity and/or its ontogenetic change was consistent between individuals, and if (ii) population divergence at different ontogenetic stages could be explained by additive genetic, nonadditive genetic or maternal effects. We found that feeding activity decreased with age, but that these changes were consistently different among both individuals and crosses. The among cross patterns were consistent with a nonadditive genetic scenario: in the early period pond sticklebacks expressed dominance for high feeding activity, while in the late period marine sticklebacks expressed dominance for low feeding activity. We conclude that nine‐spined sticklebacks exhibit different feeding personalities, and that the population divergence in feeding personality is explainable by age‐dependent expression of genetic dominance.
The 12th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP‐12)
Authors: Weiss Louis M. , Cushion Melanie T. , Didier Elizabeth , Xiao Lihua , Marciano‐Cabral Francine , Sinai Anthony P. , Matos Olga , Calderon Enrique J. , Kaneshiro Edna S.
Published: March 2013

The 12th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists (IWOP‐12) was held in August 2012 in Tarrytown, New York. The objectives of the IWOP meetings are to: (1) serve as a forum for exchange of new information among active researchers concerning the basic biology, molecular genetics, immunology, biochemistry, pathogenesis, drug development, therapy, and epidemiology of these immunodeficiency‐associated pathogenic eukaryotic microorganisms that are seen in patients with AIDS and (2) foster the entry of new and young investigators into these underserved research areas. The IWOP meeting focuses on opportunistic protists, e.g. the free‐living amoebae, Pneumocystis, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, the Microsporidia, and kinetoplastid flagellates. This conference represents the major conference that brings together research groups working on these opportunistic pathogens. Slow but steady progress is being achieved on understanding the biology of these pathogenic organisms, their involvement in disease causation in both immune‐deficient and immune‐competent hosts, and is providing critical insights into these emerging and reemerging pathogens. This IWOP meeting demonstrated the importance of newly developed genomic level information for many of these pathogens and how analysis of such large data sets is providing key insights into the basic biology of these organisms. A great concern is the loss of scientific expertise and diversity in the research community due to the ongoing decline in research funding. This loss of researchers is due to the small size of many of these research communities and a lack of appreciation by the larger scientific community concerning the state of art and challenges faced by researchers working on these organisms.