bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Austérité budgétaire et flexibilisation du marché du travail: une association risquée
Authors: CAPALDO Jeronim , IZURIETA Alex
Published: April 2013

Les auteurs évaluent les effets de l'association entre politiques d'austérité budgétaire et de réduction du coût du travail, et apportent ainsi quelque éclairage sur les débats en cours. Ils s'attaquent au problème de l'agrégation dans une perspective mondiale au moyen d'un macromodèle mettant en évidence la dynamique de la répartition. La flexibilisation réduit la part salariale et entraîne des rétroactions qui s'enchaînent dans une spirale descendante avec une contraction de l'activité, même dans les économies tirées par les exportations. Les gains initiaux de compétitivité se révèlent éphémères. Sur le long terme, les salaires sont les premiers moteurs de l'économie mondiale, qui réagit positivement aux stimuli keynésiens coordonnés.
Mesurer les difficultés d'absorption de la force de travail dans les pays en développement: les limites du concept de taux de chômage
Authors: SYLLA Ndongo Samba
Published: April 2013

Le concept de chômage «standard» est souvent critiqué parce qu'il omet de nombreuses personnes classées comme travaillant ou inactives, alors qu'elles sont de fait dans une situation équivalant au chômage. L'auteur examine les limites de ce concept dans les pays en développement. Il commence par les problèmes méthodologiques et statistiques associés à la définition type du taux de chômage, puis s'interroge sur sa signification lorsque l'emploi est très hétérogène. Il montre ensuite que ce taux tend à sous‐estimer l'excès d'offre de travail et qu'il est un mauvais indicateur du déficit de travail décent. Il conclut sur les limites de ce taux en tant que guide de la politique économique.
Croissance économique et inégalités à Singapour: plaidoyer pour un salaire minimum
Authors: Hui Weng Tat
Published: April 2013

Sur fond de vieillissement de sa population et de dépendance vis‐à‐vis d'une main‐d'œuvre étrangère peu qualifiée, Singapour connaît une stagnation du revenu des travailleurs à bas salaire qui compromet l'objectif d'une croissance profitant à tous. L'auteur plaide pour l'instauration d'un salaire minimum, sans remettre en cause le complément de revenu actuellement versé aux travailleurs peu rémunérés. Il réfute les objections à cette instauration et en précise les modalités. Il propose aussi des mesures pour renforcer le filet de protection sociale et garantir une croissance durable.
Réflexions sur le traitement de la crise de l'emploi en Europe
Authors: Sarfati Hedva
Published: April 2013

L'Europe connaît depuis les années 1970 une crise chronique de l'emploi, qui a pris une ampleur sans précédent avec la crise économique actuelle. L'auteure examine certains éléments qui peuvent nous éclairer dans ce contexte: bilan du dialogue social et des pactes sociaux conclus pour réformer les marchés du travail et les régimes de retraite; évaluation des politiques actives du marché du travail; caractéristiques des économies résilientes. Elle conclut sur la nécessité de repenser le dialogue social, les filets de protection sociale, l'allocation du crédit, surtout vers les PME, et la coordination des politiques macroéconomiques en vue d'accroître la demande de travail.
Factors Influencing the Thermal Stability and Lead Sorption Capacity of Hydroxyapatite Manufactured by Precipitation Method Using Industrial Calcium Hydroxide
Authors: Salem Amin , Velayi Elmira
Published: April 2013

In this study, the thermal stability of hydroxyapatite was investigated as a function of synthesis factors such as pH, aging time, and calcination temperature. Hydroxyapatite was prepared using calcium hydroxide and orthophosphoric acid and the effect of heat treatment on lead sorption were determined by the batch equilibrium technique. Although the thermal stability of powders was independent from the synthesized condition up to 800°C the material produced at neutral pH and aged during 24 h indicated the suitable stability even at 1000°C. Also, the powder synthesized at above condition completely removed lead compared to that for the other powders.
Successful presurgical management by intravenous steroid therapy in spinal dural arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Matsumoto Hideyuki , Ichi Shunsuke , Bannai Taro , Igeta Yukifusa , Suzuki Ichiro , Hashida Hideji
Published: April 2013

The present report describes the case of a 57‐year‐old male patient with spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF). During the diagnostic examination, intravenous steroid therapy was implemented. The next day, the patient's symptoms were mildly improved and magnetic resonance imaging showed that the spinal cord swelling was markedly reduced. After the angiographic diagnosis of spinal dural AVF fed from the radicular artery originating from the sixth intercostal artery, the shunts were surgically interrupted by cutting the drainage vein. Clinical deterioration after steroid therapy was reported in several previous papers on this disorder. Based on the present case, however, we propose the possibility that intravenous steroid therapy is a viable option for presurgical management.
Systemic View on Heading and Overwintering: Are They Always Opposed?
Authors: Šimkūnas A. , Valašinaitė S. , Denisov V. , Salytė A.
Published: April 2013

The study investigated the cultivars of non‐obligatorily requiring vernalization plant Festulolium braunii and assessed the influence of non‐hardy reproductive and hardy vegetative structures on overwintering effect. The study was conducted taking into account systemic relations between these types of structures. The results show the cultivars differ according to the percentage of headed and overwintered plants, when the cultivars with the most abundant heading – ‘Felopa’ and ‘Sulino’ – are also better at overwintering. The positive correlation between heading and overwintering characteristics was also observed, what seemed to be a rather new finding. It can be explained by systemic effect: non‐hardy later reproductive structures induce the post‐generative regrowth of vegetative shoots, which during shorter days halt development and become potentially hardy. More detailed interpretation is also provided including discussion of causal mechanisms of the detected phenomenon. The authors suppose that these mechanisms constitute a survival strategy for such perennial plants. The observed late heading which represents reproductive structures could be applied in plant breeding as a marker of winter‐hardiness among perennial grass plants which non‐obligatorily demand vernalization.
Influences of health consciousness on consumers' modern health worries and willingness to use functional foods
Authors: Chen Mei‐Fang
Published: April 2013

This study draws on research to ascertain whether or not consumers with varying degrees of health consciousness will have different degrees of modern health worries (MHWs) and willingness to use functional foods. A total of 1,166 responses collected in Taiwan indicate there are 5 extracted MHW factors: household environment safety; medical safety; environmental pollution; food safety and health; and radiation pollution. The results reveal that the high health consciousness group had higher mean scores of the extracted MHW factors and greater willingness to use functional foods than did its low counterpart. However, the MHW pattern between the two groups was almost the same. A comparison of sociodemographic characteristics between the 2 health‐consciousness groups is also included.
Corporate Social Responsibility in the EU, 1993–2013: Institutional Ambiguity, Economic Crises, Business Legitimacy and Bureaucratic Politics
Authors: Kinderman Daniel
Published: April 2013

What drives European Union (EU) policy change in a sensitive and contentious area? To answer this question, this article tells the story of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the EU from its beginnings until the present. The EU's role in EU CSR has changed from social‐liberal standard‐setter to neo‐liberal cheerleader and back. This article attempts to explain these shifts. It argues that Europe's institutional diversity hampers standard‐setting while economic crises and declining levels of business legitimacy facilitate it. Contention has been fuelled by CSR's inherent ambiguity: is CSR a means to regulate the economy, or a domain of voluntary activity that must remain free of state regulation? Fearful of regulation, business groups – German employers in particular – have forcefully advocated the latter view. In addition to converting EU CSR from social‐liberal to neo‐liberal, business has neutralized two of the Commission's standard‐setting advocates. The financial crisis, the power of arguments and discourse, and the impact of global policy developments in the field of CSR have re‐empowered standard‐setters. The article concludes with a critical analysis of the EU's renewed CSR strategy and non‐financial reporting agenda.
Treatment of multiple adjacent Miller class I and II gingival recessions with a Modified Coronally Advanced Tunnel (MCAT) technique and a collagen matrix or palatal connective tissue graft: a randomized, controlled clinical trial
Authors: Aroca Sofia , Molnár Bálint , Windisch Péter , Gera István , Salvi Giovanni E. , Nikolidakis Dimitris , Sculean Anton
Published: April 2013

Background

A newly developed collagen matrix (CM) of porcine origin has been shown to represent a potential alternative to palatal connective tissue grafts (CTG) for the treatment of single Miller Class I and II gingival recessions when used in conjunction with a coronally advanced flap (CAF). However, at present it remains unknown to what extent CM may represent a valuable alternative to CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions (MAGR). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes following treatment of Miller Class I and II MAGR using the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique (MCAT) in conjunction with either CM or CTG.

Methods

Twenty‐two patients with a total of 156 Miller Class I and II gingival recessions were included in this study. Recessions were randomly treated according to a split‐mouth design by means of MCAT + CM (test) or MCAT + CTG (control). The following measurements were recorded at baseline (i.e. prior to surgery) and at 12 months: Gingival Recession Depth (GRD), Probing Pocket Depth (PD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Keratinized Tissue Width (KTW), Gingival Recession Width (GRW) and Gingival Thickness (GT). GT was measured 3‐mm apical to the gingival margin. Patient acceptance was recorded using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The primary outcome variable was Complete Root Coverage (CRC), secondary outcomes were Mean Root Coverage (MRC), change in KTW, GT, patient acceptance and duration of surgery.

Results

Healing was uneventful in both groups. No adverse reactions at any of the sites were observed. At 12 months, both treatments resulted in statistically significant improvements of CRC, MRC, KTW and GT compared with baseline (p < 0.05). CRC was found at 42% of test sites and at 85% of control sites respectively (p < 0.05). MRC measured 71 ± 21% mm at test sites versus 90 ± 18% mm at control sites (p < 0.05). Mean KTW measured 2.4 ± 0.7 mm at test sites versus 2.7 ± 0.8 mm at control sites (p > 0.05). At test sites, GT values changed from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 1.0 ± 0.3 mm, and at control sites from 0.8 ± 0.3 to 1.3 ± 0.4 mm (p < 0.05). Duration of surgery and patient morbidity was statistically significantly lower in the test compared with the control group respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The present findings indicate that the use of CM may represent an alternative to CTG by reducing surgical time and patient morbidity, but yielded lower CRC than CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I and II MAGR when used in conjunction with MCAT.
In vitro bonding effectiveness of three different one‐step self‐etch adhesives with additional enamel etching
Authors: Batra Charu , Nagpal Rajni , Tyagi Shashi Prabha , Singh Udai Pratap , Manuja Naveen
Published: April 2013

Aim

To evaluate the effect of additional enamel etching on the shear bond strength of three self‐etch adhesives.

Methods

Class II box type cavities were made on extracted human molars. Teeth were randomly divided into one control group of etch and rinse adhesive and three test groups of self‐etch adhesives (Clearfil S3 Bond, Futurabond NR, Xeno V). The teeth in the control group (n = 10) were treated with Adper™ Single Bond 2. The three test groups were further divided into two subgroups (n = 10): (i) self‐etch adhesive was applied as per the manufacturer's instructions; (ii) additional etching of enamel surfaces was done prior to the application of self‐etch adhesives. All cavities were restored with Filtek Z250. After thermocycling, shear bond strength was evaluated using a Universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using anova independent sample's ‘t’ test and Dunnett's test. The failure modes were evaluated with a stereomicroscope at a magnification of 10×.

Results

Additional phosphoric acid etching of the enamel surface prior to the application of the adhesive system significantly increased the shear bond strength of all the examined self‐etch adhesives.

Conclusions

Additional phosphoric acid etching of enamel surface significantly improved the shear bond strength.
Two‐dimensional profiling of carriers in terahertz quantum cascade lasers using calibrated scanning spreading resistance microscopy and scanning capacitance microscopy
Authors: DHAR R.S. , BAN D.
Published: April 2013

The distribution of charge carriers inside the active region of a terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser (QCL) has been measured with scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) and scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM). Individual quantum well‐barrier modules with a 35.7‐nm single module thickness in the active region of the device have been resolved for the first time using high‐resolution SSRM and SCM techniques at room temperature. SSRM and SCM measurements on the quantum well‐barrier structure were calibrated utilizing known GaAs dopant staircase samples. Doping concentrations derived from SSRM and SCM measurements were found to be in quantitative agreement with the designed average doping values of the n‐type active region in the terahertz quantum cascade laser. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy provides a partial picture of internal device parameters, and we have demonstrated with our results the efficacy of uniting calibrated SSRM and SCM to delineate quantitatively the transverse cross‐sectional structure of complex two‐dimensional terahertz quantum cascade laser devices.
Citicoline (CDP‐choline) increases Sirtuin1 expression concomitant to neuroprotection in experimental stroke
Authors: Hurtado Olivia , Hernández‐Jiménez Macarena , Zarruk Juan G. , Cuartero María I. , Ballesteros Iván , Camarero Guadalupe , Moraga Ana , Pradillo Jesús M. , Moro María A. , Lizasoain Ignacio
Published: April 2013

CDP‐choline has shown neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia. In humans, although a recent trial International Citicoline Trial on Acute Stroke (ICTUS) has shown that global recovery is similar in CDP‐choline and placebo groups, CDP‐choline was shown to be more beneficial in some patients, such as those with moderate stroke severity and not treated with t‐PA. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the beneficial actions of CDP‐choline. We have now studied the participation of Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in the neuroprotective actions of CDP‐choline. Fischer rats and Sirt1−/− mice were subjected to permanent focal ischemia. CDP‐choline (0.2 or 2 g/kg), sirtinol (a SIRT1 inhibitor; 10 mg/kg), and resveratrol (a SIRT1 activator; 2.5 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally. Brains were removed 24 and 48 h after ischemia for western blot analysis and infarct volume determination. Treatment with CDP‐choline increased SIRT1 protein levels in brain concomitantly to neuroprotection. Treatment with sirtinol blocked the reduction in infarct volume caused by CDP‐choline, whereas resveratrol elicited a strong synergistic neuroprotective effect with CDP‐choline. CDP‐choline failed to reduce infarct volume in Sirt1−/− mice. Our present results demonstrate a robust effect of CDP‐choline like SIRT1 activator by up‐regulating its expression. Our findings suggest that therapeutic strategies to activate SIRT1 may be useful in the treatment of stroke.

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Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is implicated in a wide range of cellular functions. Regarding stroke, there is no direct evidence. We have demonstrated that citicoline increases SIRT1 protein levels in brain concomitantly to neuroprotection. Citicoline fails to reduce infarct volume in Sirt1‐/‐ mice. Our findings suggest that therapeutic strategies acting on SIRT1 may be useful in the treatment of stroke.
Medical students' attitudes towards science and gross anatomy, and the relationship to personality
Authors: Plaisant Odile , Stephens Shiby , Apaydin Nihal , Courtois Robert , Lignier Baptiste , Loukas Marios , Moxham Bernard
Published: April 2013

Assessment of the personalities of medical students can enable medical educators to formulate strategies for the best development of academic and clinical competencies. Previous research has shown that medical students do not share a common personality profile, there being gender differences. We have also shown that, for French medical students, students with personality traits associated with strong competitiveness are selected for admission to medical school. In this study, we further show that the medical students have different personality profiles compared with other student groups (psychology and business studies). The main purpose of the present investigation was to assess attitudes to science and gross anatomy, and to relate these to the students' personalities. Questionnaires (including Thurstone and Chave analyses) were employed to measure attitudes, and personality was assessed using the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Data for attitudes were obtained for students at medical schools in Cardiff (UK), Paris, Descartes/Sorbonne (France), St George's University (Grenada) and Ankara (Turkey). Data obtained from personality tests were available for analysis from the Parisian cohort of students. Although the medical students were found to have strongly supportive views concerning the importance of science in medicine, their knowledge of the scientific method/philosophy of science was poor. Following analyses of the BFI in the French students, ‘openness’ and ‘conscientiousness’ were linked statistically with a positive attitude towards science. For anatomy, again strongly supportive views concerning the subject's importance in medicine were discerned. Analyses of the BFI in the French students did not show links statistically between personality profiles and attitudes towards gross anatomy, except male students with ‘negative affectivity’ showed less appreciation of the importance of anatomy. This contrasts with our earlier studies that showed that there is a relationship between the BF dimensions of personality traits and anxiety towards the dissection room experience (at the start of the course, ‘negative emotionality’ was related to an increased level of anxiety). We conclude that medical students agree on the importance to their studies of both science in general and gross anatomy in particular, and that some personality traits relate to their attitudes that could affect clinical competence.
Reasons Underlying Low Fish Consumption Where Availability Is Not an Issue. A Case Study in Brazil, One of the World's Largest Fish Producers
Authors: Mitterer‐Daltoé M.L. , Latorres J.M. , Queiroz M.I. , Fiszman S. , Varela P.
Published: April 2013

This research investigated consumer behavior toward fish in a population with low fish consumption, using the theory of planned behavior. A questionnaire was run on a sample of 200 fish consumers in the city of Rio Grande (RS, Brazil). The low frequency of fish consumption could be due to different barriers: a perceived difficulty in buying, preparing, cooking, the belief that it is expensive or the unpleasant sensory properties linked to fish (fishbones or smell). But there can also be cultural parameters determining habits and low consumption. Exploring the individual factors that determine fish consumption makes it possible to develop public policy strategies. Results showed that attitudes toward eating fish, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control all had a significant positive influence on the intention to eat fish. Intention and attitude both proved significant determinants of fish consumption frequency, with attitude inversely correlated to fish consumption. Habit appeared as an important discriminating variable for the consumption of fish. The findings show that the sampled population could be potentially bigger consumers of fish with the correct promotion strategies. The Brazilian government should plan campaigns to promote the habit of eating fish that use the idea of health‐consciousness, target younger people and increase the appeals to give the family healthy food.

Practical Applications

The practical application of the theory of planned behavior as a tool to study a population with low fish consumption is that it aids the understanding of the factors and barriers influencing this behavior and facilitates planning for future changes in eating behavior.
Validating forest types based on geological and land‐form features in central Amazonia
Authors: Figueiredo Fernando O.G. , Costa Flávia R.C. , Nelson Bruce W. , Pimentel Tania P.
Published: April 2013

Questions

Are topography‐based forest types floristically consistent between sites in central Amazonia? Do broad landform and geological features control site‐specific edaphic and floristic variation and therefore obfuscate the floristic classification based on local topographical classes? Is model‐based clustering a useful tool for floristic classification?

Location

Non‐inundated forest of central Amazonia, north of the Amazon River.

Methods

We analysed species presence–absence of a group of terrestrial monocot herbs (Zingiberales) in 123 plots (250 × 2 m) concentrated in three sites of non‐inundated forests. Distances between plots were 1–140 km. Floristic patterns were extracted by dimensionality reduction using geodesic floristic distance. We applied a model‐based cluster analysis (MC) coupled with the Bayesian information criterion to determine the best floristic classification. We used geometric and non‐geometric internal evaluators to compare the performance of MC to the agglomerative hierarchical clustering method UPGMA. The floristic clusters were tested for differences in edaphic and topographic features. Landform‐geological classes were defined based on geological maps and a digital elevation model. We used the Kappa index and ANOVA to evaluate the agreement between landform–geological classes, floristic clusters and environmental features.

Results

The best MC solution found four floristic clusters. Differences in soil chemical properties, which were linked with lithological classes and broad land‐form features, explained abrupt floristic changes and floristic differences between the same topographical habitats of different sites. Within poor soils, floristic classes defined by elevation along the soil catena (upland and valley forests) were fuzzy. Valley sandy forest was not floristically consistent across sites due to subtle edaphic variation. Using a non‐geometric internal evaluator, MC coupled with geodesic floristic distance estimation performed better overall than UPGMA.

Main conclusions

Geological classes defined by lithology and broad landform features control the major variation of edaphic and floristic patterns in central Amazonia. MC proved to be a useful method to classify and interpret floristic patterns. Revised vegetation maps that account for lithology, broad land‐form features and edaphic conditions would therefore be a better proxy for regional floristic variation than the presently used simple classes based on position along the catena.
A Note on Measuring the Depth of Minimum Wage Violation
Authors: Bhorat Haroon , Kanbur Ravi , Mayet Natasha
Published: April 2013

In the empirical literature on minimum wage enforcement, the standard approach is to measure the number of violations, not their depth. In this paper we present a family of violation indices that, by analogy with poverty indices, can emphasize the depth of violation to different degrees. The standard measure is a special case of this family of indices, but other members of the family highlight the depth of violation. We present an application to South Africa to show that the depth of violation matters, and is not captured by the standard measure in actual situations.
Measuring Implicit and Explicit Knowledge in Second Language Research
Authors: Rebuschat Patrick
Published: April 2013

This article reviews three types of measures which have been widely used in psychological research to assess the conscious or unconscious status of knowledge: retrospective verbal reports, direct and indirect tests, and subjective measures. The goal is to make these techniques available to a wide audience of second language (L2) researchers and to offer suggestions for their sound use in order to promote the study of implicit L2 learning. Each section begins with a brief definition of what it means to have acquired unconscious (implicit) knowledge according to the measure in question. This is followed by a description of representative studies that illustrate how the technique has been used and by a discussion of its limitations. Each section concludes with specific guidelines on how to apply the respective measure to the investigation of implicit and explicit L2 learning.
Effects of coastal orientation and depth on the distribution of subtidal benthic assemblages
Authors: Martins Gustavo M. , Patarra Rita F. , Álvaro Nuno V. , Prestes Afonso C. L. , Neto Ana I.
Published: April 2013

A better understanding of biological systems can only be gained if we understand what processes are important and how they operate to determine the distribution of organisms. Coastal orientation and depth can influence environmental conditions, including the degree of water motion and availability of light, which in turn may influence the horizontal and vertical patterns of organism distribution. Here, we used a mixed‐model design to examine the effects of coastal orientation and depth on the structure of benthic assemblages by comparing the abundance and distribution of macroalgae and invertebrates in shallow and deep waters on the opposing coasts of São Miguel. Generally, coastal orientation had little influence on the distribution of most taxa. In contrast, significant differences were generally associated with depth, although patterns were spatially variable at the scale of locations. This study suggests that depth, and processes operating at the scale of location, but not at the scale of the coast, have an important influence on these assemblages, and that failure to recognise such a scale of variability may hamper our ability to better understand the processes that structure these communities.
Genotyping of Rhodopirellula baltica organisms using multispacer sequence typing
Authors: Cayrou Caroline , Terra Anthony , Drancourt Michel
Published: April 2013

Rhodopirellula baltica is a ubiquitous Planctomycetes organism isolated from marine environments worldwide. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) has been the only method used to assess the diversity of R. baltica organisms. Here, we developed multispacer sequence typing (MST) genotyping and applied it to four R. baltica isolates from the French Mediterranean Sea and R. baltica DSM10527T type strain. While MLSA yielded interpretable sequences for two of nine genes in three R. baltica isolates, MST based on sequencing two intergenic spacers yielded an unambiguous, strain‐specific profile for each one of the four R. baltica isolates under investigation. We propose that MST could be used as an alternative R. baltica genotyping method to assess the diversity of these Planctomycetes organisms.
Interspecific temporal and spatial differences in the acquisition of litter‐derived nitrogen by ectomycorrhizal fungal assemblages
Authors: Pena Rodica , Tejedor Javier , Zeller Bernd , Dannenmann Michael , Polle Andrea
Published: April 2013

The spatiotemporal dynamics of, and interspecific differences in, the acquisition of litter‐derived nitrogen (N) by natural assemblages of ectomycorrhizal root tips are poorly understood.

Small cylindrical mesh bags containing 15N‐labelled beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaf litter that permit hyphal but not root ingrowth were inserted vertically into the top soil layer of an old‐growth beech forest. The lateral transfer of 15N into the circumjacent soil, roots, microbes and ectomycorrhizas was measured during an 18‐month exposure period.

Ectomycorrhial fungi (EMF) showed large interspecific variation in the temporal pattern and extent of 15N accumulation. Initially, when N was mainly available from the leachate, microbes were more efficient at N immobilization than the majority of EMF, but distinct fungal species also showed significant 15N accumulation. During later phases, the enrichment of 15N in Tomentella badia was higher than in microbes and other EMF species. Roots and soil accumulated 15N with a large delay compared with microbes and EMF.

Because approximately half of the studied fungal species had direct access to N from leaf litter and the remainder to N from leached compounds, we suggest that EMF diversity facilitates the N utilization of the host by capturing N originating from early‐released solutes and late degradation products from a recalcitrant source.
Shoot desiccation and hydraulic failure in temperate woody angiosperms during an extreme summer drought
Authors: Nardini Andrea , Battistuzzo Marta , Savi Tadeja
Published: April 2013

Plant water status and hydraulics were measured in six woody angiosperms growing in a karstic woodland, during an extreme summer drought. Our aim was to take advantage of an unusual climatic event to identify key traits related to species‐specific drought damage.

The damage suffered by different species was assessed in terms of percentage of individuals showing extensive crown desiccation. Stem water potential (Ψstem) and percent loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) were measured in healthy and desiccated individuals. Vulnerability to cavitation was assessed in terms of stem water potential inducing 50% PLC (Ψ50). Stem density (ρstem) was also measured.

Species‐specific percentage of desiccated individuals was correlated to Ψ50 and ρstem. Crown desiccation was more widespread in species with less negative Ψ50 and lower ρstem. Desiccated individuals had lower Ψstem and higher PLC than healthy ones, suggesting that hydraulic failure was an important mechanism driving shoot dieback. Drought‐vulnerable species showed lower safety margins (Ψstem − Ψ50) than resistant ones.

The Ψ50, safety margins and ρstem values emerge as convenient traits to be used for tentative predictions of differential species‐specific impact of extreme drought events on a local scale. The possibility that carbohydrate depletion was also involved in induction of desiccation symptoms is discussed.
Recalcitrant vulnerability curves: methods of analysis and the concept of fibre bridges for enhanced cavitation resistance
Authors: CAI JING , LI SHAN , ZHANG HAIXIN , ZHANG SHUOXIN , TYREE MELVIN T.
Published: April 2013

Vulnerability curves (VCs) generally can be fitted to the Weibull equation; however, a growing number of VCs appear to be recalcitrant, that is, deviate from a Weibull but seem to fit dual Weibull curves. We hypothesize that dual Weibull curves in Hippophae rhamnoides L. are due to different vessel diameter classes, inter‐vessel hydraulic connections or vessels versus fibre tracheids. We used dye staining techniques, hydraulic measurements and quantitative anatomy measurements to test these hypotheses. The fibres contribute 1.3% of the total stem conductivity, which eliminates the hypothesis that fibre tracheids account for the second Weibull curve. Nevertheless, the staining pattern of vessels and fibre tracheids suggested that fibres might function as a hydraulic bridge between adjacent vessels. We also argue that fibre bridges are safer than vessel‐to‐vessel pits and put forward the concept as a new paradigm. Hence, we tentatively propose that the first Weibull curve may be accounted by vessels connected to each other directly by pit fields, while the second Weibull curve is associated with vessels that are connected almost exclusively by fibre bridges. Further research is needed to test the concept of fibre bridge safety in species that have recalcitrant or normal Weibull curves.
Sowing wild oats: Valuable experience or a field full of weeds?
Authors: BUSBY DEAN M. , WILLOUGHBY BRIAN J. , CARROLL JASON S.
Published: April 2013

In this study, the association was explored between the number of sexual partners individuals had in their lifetimes and martial outcomes. The research objective was to test whether the number of sexual partners was associated with sexual quality, communication, relationship satisfaction, and relationship stability, while controlling for relationship length, education, race, income, age, and religiosity, using the two competing theories of sexual compatibility and sexual restraint. The results, with a sample of 2,654 married individuals, indicated that the number of sexual partners was associated with lower levels of sexual quality, communication, and relationship stability, providing support for the sexual restraint theory. Gender was not significantly associated with the patterns in the model but age cohorts did have different patterns.
The impact of salinity exposure on survival and temperature tolerance of theAntarctic collembolanCryptopygus antarcticus
Authors: EVERATT MATTHEW J. , WORLAND MICHAEL R. , CONVEY PETER , BALE JEFF S. , HAYWARD SCOTT A. L.
Published: April 2013

The collembolanCryptopygus antarcticusWillem is potentially exposed to habitat salinities equal to (or greater than) sea water, as a result of sea spray, drying of littoral habitats, dispersal or temporary entrapment on the surface of sea water, or exposure to localized salt deposits from dense vertebrate populations on terrestrial habitats. To test the impact of this exposure onC. antarcticus, the tolerance of the collembolan to being placed on the surface of sea water and solutions of higher salt concentrations is investigated. The effects of acclimation to exposure to liquids of different salinities [44, 100 and 200 parts per thousand (ppt) sea salt] on cold and heat tolerance, as well as thermal activity thresholds, are also explored.Cryptopygus antarcticusshows > 75% survival after 10 days of exposure to both sea water and 100‐ppt salt, whereas it exhibits significantly lower survival after 5 days (60% survival) and 10 days (40%) of exposure to a 200‐ppt solution. Body water content also decreases after exposure to all salinities, and particularly to the 200‐ppt solution, in which > 50% of body water is lost after 10 days. Acclimation results in greater cold tolerance, although heat tolerance at 33, 35 and 37 °C is either unaltered or reduced. The thermal activity thresholds ofC. antarcticusat both high and low temperatures are also negatively affected by saline exposure. The data demonstrate the capacity ofC. antarcticusto tolerate periods of exposure to saline conditions, and also show that this exposure can enhance cross‐tolerance to low temperatures. The present study also demonstrates that salinity‐associated stress at moderately low and high temperatures narrows the thermal range of activity, thus reducing the ability of collembolans to forage, develop and reproduce. © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society
Intergenerational Income Persistence in Urban China
Authors: Deng Quheng , Gustafsson Björn , Li Shi
Published: April 2013

Intergenerational income elasticities are estimated using samples for urban China (covering many cities) for the years 1995 and 2002 and compared with results from other studies. We find that the income relation between the pairs—sons and fathers, sons and mothers, and daughters and mothers—are in 2002 all similar in magnitude. In contrast the relation between daughters' and fathers' income is weaker. The income relationship between offspring and mothers was weaker in 1995 than in 2002. Our preferred estimates of income persistence for the son/father pairs of 0.47 for 1995 and 0.53 for 2002 are higher than those which have been reported in the literature for several high‐income countries with large welfare states. The strength of the income link between sons and fathers in urban China appears to be not very different from what has been reported for countries such as Brazil, Chile, and the U.S.
Attention Deficit‐Hyperactivity Disorder as the Medicalization of Childhood: Challenges from and for Sociology
Authors: Rafalovich Adam
Published: April 2013

Sociology has problematized the expanding province of medicine for several decades, and it is important to clarify some of the central questions regarding the medicalization question for those new to this subset of the discipline. With a primary focus on the diagnosis of attention deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this paper seeks to accomplish four goals. First, this paper will summarize the general concept of medicalization, including the way that medical practitioners attribute children’s behavioral problems to disease entities. Second, this paper argues that the medicalization of childhood and the rise of the disease entity of ADHD stems from the transformation of children and childhood into objects of scientific study. Third, using the example of ADHD, this paper will attempt to demystify the premise that medicalization emanates from the “monolith” of medicine, but is instead, a process rife with internal contradiction and epistemological disagreement. Fourth, following the uncertainty of etiological positions toward childhood behavior problems, this paper will discuss some of the external critiques of medicalization, including the way that lay actors push back against the medicalization process, and concerns about the effectiveness of technologies used to diagnose and treat ADHD.
Leadership Trends in Advanced Democracies
Authors: Pakulski Jan
Published: April 2013

Political sociology suggests two inter‐related leadership trends in advanced democracies: the increasing prominence of political leaders, and the waning influence of political parties, especially the ideological‐programmatic ‘mass parties’ or Volksparteien. These trends intensified and reinforced each other over the last 30–40 years resulting in a rapidly changing physiognomy of contemporary democracy. Democratic politics becomes more elite driven, mass‐mediated and populist in style than in the past. Moreover, the power and elite structures in advanced democracies, as well as the electoral competition, increasingly resemble what Weber labelled ‘leader democracy’. The shift towards ‘leader democracy’ has coincided with the processes of party‐voter dealignment and decline of political parties, the rise of the electronic mass media, and the ascendancy of powerful leaders–reformers in the ‘core’ liberal democracies. The sociological argument about the shift is anchored in a theoretical framework derived from works of Max Weber and Joseph Schumpeter. It depicts democratic political leaders as key political actors embedded in broader elites, motivated by determination and commitment, and empowered by the resources of modern states and the mass media.
HLA associations with tubulointerstitial nephritis with or without uveitis in Finnish pediatric population: a nation‐wide study
Authors: Peräsaari J. , Saarela V. , Nikkilä J. , Ala‐Houhala M. , Arikoski P. , Kataja J. , Rönnholm K. , Merenmies J. , Nuutinen M. , Jahnukainen T.
Published: April 2013

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype has been shown to associate with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) and tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis syndrome (TINU). The association of HLA genes with TIN was examined in this nation‐wide study. HLA genotyping was performed in 31 pediatric patients with biopsy‐proven TIN. All patients were examined by an ophthalmologist to diagnose possible uveitis. Class II HLA genotypes of TIN patients were compared with the Finnish reference population. We found a significant association between the HLA alleles DQA1*04:01 [risk ratio (RR) 5.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0–11.2], DQB1*04:02 (RR 2.7, 95% CI 1.4–5.3), and DRB1*08 (RR 3.8, 95% CI 1.5–8.4) and TIN. Uveitis was found in 20/31 (64.5%) patients. HLA genotyping of the TINU patients showed additional risk HLA alleles: DQA1*01:04 (RR 6.1, 95% CI 1.5–17.8), and DRB1*14 (RR 8.2, 95% CI 2.2–22.1). The alleles DQA1*01:04 (RR 8.8, 95% CI 2.2–26.5), DQA1*04:01 (RR 3.2, 95% CI 1.2–7.3), and DRB1*14 (RR 12.0, 95% CI 3.2–33.0) were more frequent in patients with TIN and chronic uveitis than in reference population. The HLA class II haplotype DQA1*04:01/DQB1:04:02/DRB1*08 was the most common combination in our study population (58.1%). None of the patients had haplotype DQA1*04:01/DQB1*06:02/DRB1*15, which is common in Finland. HLA genotype did not predict the renal outcome. We found a strong association between certain HLA genotypes both in TIN and TINU patients. The TIN/TINU‐associated HLA alleles appear to vary depending on study population.
Trans‐sialidase Stimulates Eat Me Response from Epithelial Cells
Authors: Butler Claire E. , de Carvalho Tecia M. U. , Grisard Edmundo C. , Field Robert A. , Tyler Kevin M.
Published: April 2013

Epithelial cell invasion by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is enhanced by the presence of an enzyme expressed on its cell surface during the trypomastigote life cycle stage. The enzyme, trans‐sialidase (TS), is a member of one of the largest gene families expressed by the parasite and the role of its activity in mediating epithelial cell entry has not hitherto been understood. Here we show that the T. cruzi TS generates an eat me signal which is capable of enabling epithelial cell entry. We have utilized purified, recombinant, active (TcTS) and inactive (TcTS2V0) TS coated onto beads to challenge an epithelial cell line. We find that TS activity acts upon G protein coupled receptors present at the epithelial cell synapse with the coated bead, thereby enhancing cell entry. By so doing, we provide evidence that TS proteins bind glycans, mediate the formation of distinct synaptic domains and promote macropinocytotic uptake of microparticles into a perinuclear compartment in a manner which may emulate entosis.
Epitaxial growth of elemental Sb quantum wells
Authors: Gaspe Chomani K. , Cairns Shayne , Lei Lin , Wickramasinghe Kaushini S. , Mishima Tetsuya D. , Keay Joel C. , Murphy Sheena Q. , Santos Michael B.
Published: April 2013

An experimental study of growth, structural, and electronic properties of elemental Sb quantum wells with GaSb barriers was performed to explore their potential as topological insulators. A growth procedure on GaAs (111)A substrates was developed to realize ultrathin Sb layers with a thickness of ≤4 nm. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to optimize growth conditions. Resistivity measurements indicated that Sb wells with a thickness above ∼2 nm were metallic (relatively temperature-independent resistivity) whereas thinner wells showed insulating or semiconducting behavior (resistivity increased with decreasing temperature).
Subject‐centered free‐response ROC (FROC) analysis
Authors: Bandos Andriy I. , Rockette Howard E. , Gur David
Published: April 2013

Purpose:

To develop an approach of estimating subject‐centered free‐response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curve for providing patient‐centered inferences regarding detection‐localization characteristics of a diagnostic system.

Methods:

The authors examine properties of the conventional, target‐centered, FROC curve and demonstrate that in scenarios where the diagnostic performance correlates with the total number of targets on a subject, it may lead to inadequate inferences from the perspective of possible benefits to a patient. Following solutions to patient‐centered approaches in other applications, the authors define a subject‐centered FROC curve and develop its formulation as a covariate‐adjusted FROC curve. The authors also conduct a numerical study illustrating the relative properties of the conventional and subject‐centered approach and provide an example.

Results:

A simple‐to‐implement approach for estimating the subject‐centered FROC curve and its overall index can be formulated as a type of stratified FROC analysis. The authors demonstrate that when diagnostic performance is associated with the number of targets, the diagnostic system with apparently superior target‐centered characteristics (conventional approach) can be actually inferior from the subject‐centered perspective. The authors show that under some clinically reasonable conditions the magnitude of disagreement in results could be substantial. An example from an actual observer performance study illustrates the natural setting where the developed approach would be relevant and lead to conclusions that are contradictory to those obtained from conventional analysis.

Conclusions:

The authors developed a subject‐centered FROC curve and its overall index provides tools for inferences that may be relevant from a perspective of potential benefits to a patient.
Pervasive Externalities at the Population, Consumption, and Environment Nexus
Authors: Dasgupta Partha S. , Ehrlich Paul R.
Published: April 2013

Sticky Responses

A textbook example of an unaccounted-for consequence (externality) of commercial or industrial activity is the production of pollutants where neither the producer nor the buyer bears the cost of using common environmental resources.
Dasgupta and Ehrlich
(p.
324
) offer a theoretical analysis of externalities in two other areas of modern life—human fertility and material consumption. For example, when fertility decline lags mortality decline, the consequence could be environmental crash, the likelihood of which is greater if the environmental effects of consumption or population growth are external to the market.
A Business View on U.S. Education
Authors: Stephens Rick , Richey Mike
Published: April 2013

Business leaders depend on an education system capable of providing a workforce able to compete in a global marketplace. As a partner in education reform, the business community advocates for an increased focus on helping schools connect students more effectively to the world of work through hands-on problem-solving activities and practical experiences.
Developmental Decline in Neuronal Regeneration by the Progressive Change of Two Intrinsic Timers
Authors: Zou Yan , Chiu Hui , Zinovyeva Anna , Ambros Victor , Chuang Chiou-Fen , Chang Chieh
Published: April 2013

Turn Off Youth

Our neurons regenerate better when we are young than when we are more mature. Studying the mechanosensory anterior ventral microtubule (AVM) neuron of the nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans
,

Zou
et al.

(p.
372
; see the Perspective by

Nix and Bastiani

) found that worms lacking microRNA machinery had unusually robust axon regeneration and youthful-looking growth cones. Under- and overexpression of
let-7
microRNA confirmed its involvement in depressing axon regeneration.
Multicompartment Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles with Branched Shapes: An Epitaxial Growth Mechanism
Authors: Suteewong Teeraporn , Sai Hiroaki , Hovden Robert , Muller David , Bradbury Michelle S. , Gruner Sol M. , Wiesner Ulrich
Published: April 2013

Tuning Mesopores

Porous materials are of interest for catalysis and filtration because the open channels lend themselves to separating materials or function.

Suteewong
et al.

(p.
337
) report on a method to make branched mesoporous silica nanoparticles that contain cubic (core) and hexagonally structured (branch) parts within one particle. Controlling the extent of the branched structure is achieved by tuning the concentration of additives in a simple, one-pot reaction system.