bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The disempowering empowerment of children's consumer “choice”
Authors: Cook Daniel Thomas
Published: February 2007

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore how discourses of children's empowerment through goods have emerged and function as a key narrative among many in children's commercial industries, particularly in the USA and Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The central philosophical and theoretical approach guiding this inquiry rests on the notion that the “child consumer” exists as a rhetorical figure which has an existence that is as consequential as “real,” biographical children. The child consumer arises from, and in many ways resides in, discourses produced by marketers, retailers, researchers and advertisers on the pages of marketing publications, often framing the imaginations and guiding the actions of advertisers, retailers, merchandisers and marketers. Articles from trade publications such asAdWeek,BrandWeek,Brandmarketing;KidScreenandProgressive Grocer, in addition to books written by marketers about the children's market since the 1990s, were examined.

Findings

Three key themes – choice, recognition and involvement – were found to be the most prominent in framing children's consumption as “empowering.”

Originality/value

For scholars and practitioners, the paper offers an approach to understand corporate practice as moral practice by highlighting the ideological justifications presented in defense of promoting children's consumption in the last decade. It offers a cautionary tale about the power of capital to produce and deploy social meaning.
Thorstein Bunde Veblen as precursor of business and society field
Authors: Mesure Herve
Published: February 2007

Purpose

The paper is a viewpoint about Thorstein Bunde Veblen (1857‐1929) a known yet misunderstood author, as much appreciated as criticised. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of Veblen's work whilst providing a few keys to his writing and showing the interest of his work for the business and society field of researches.

Design/methodology/approach

It starts by presenting Veblen's body of work. Then it turns to a general evaluation of Veblen's work. It finishes with a discussion of Veblen's possible contributions to the business and society field.

Findings

Finds that Veblen's work is an attempt to understand the fundamentals of the functioning and evolution of societies and economies and that in many respects he placed great emphasis on the relations between the work of business and society.

Research limitations/implications

The implications may be theoretical since this paper is an invitation to renew the standard way of studying the business and society field.

Originality/value

This may be seen as a new approach to Veblen's work.
Is performance management applicable in developing countries?
Authors: de Waal André A.
Published: February 2007

Purpose

To test whether performance management is a useful management tool for organisations in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, an overview is given of the status of performance management in developing countries and in particular in Africa. Secondly, prescriptive empirical research, in the shape of a case study at the Tanzanian College of Business Education, is used to test whether performance management is a useful technique for organisations in developing countries.

Findings

It seems clear from the case study that the management technique of performance management is suitable for organisations in developing countries to try out. At the same time, the case study also makes clear that performance management, and especially the fostering of performance‐driven behaviour, cannot be implemented lightly and should not be underestimated. Its takes continuous attention, dedication and in particular stamina from management to keep focussing on performance management in order to keep it “alive” in the organisation.

Research limitations/implications

Performance management was only tested at one organisation in one developing country. More research is needed to identify the manner in which performance management can be implemented in other types of organisations and other countries.

Practical implications

Performance management has been proven to improve the performance of western organisations. The case study in Tanzania gives an indication that the same might be true for organisations in developing countries. This gives management of organisations in these countries the incentive to also start improving the results of their organisation by implementing performance management.

Originality/value

There is not much known yet about the factors influencing and behavioural changes needed to make performance management a success in organisations in developing countries. The case study provides insight into the suitability of performance management and the importance of performance‐driven behaviour for organisations in these countries.
The effect of food composition on serum testosterone levels after oral administration of Andriol® Testocaps®
Authors: Schnabel Peter G. , Bagchus Wilma , Lass Holger , Thomsen Torben , Geurts T. B. Paul
Published: February 2007

Objective  Andriol® Testocaps® is a new oral formulation of testosterone undecanoate (TU) for treatment of hypogonadism. As TU is taken up by the intestinal lymphatic system, both the presence and the composition of food influence the absorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of food composition on the pharmacokinetics of oral TU.

Design  An open‐label, single‐centre, four‐way crossover study. With a washout period of 6–7 days, 80 mg TU was administered in the morning 5 min after consuming each of four different meals in a randomized order (A: 230 kcal, 0·6 g lipid; B: 220 kcal, 5 g lipid; C: 474 kcal, 19 g lipid; D: 837 kcal, 44 g lipid).

Patients  Twenty‐four postmenopausal volunteers.

Measurements  Serial blood samples were collected until 24 h after dosing to determine testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS).

Results  The bioavailability of testosterone after a low‐calorie meal containing 0·6 g lipid or 5 g lipid was relatively low, the area under the concentration–time curve (AUC0–tlast) for testosterone being 30·7 and 43·5 nmol h/l, respectively. The bioavailability of testosterone after a meal containing 19 g lipid was considerably higher (AUC0–tlast = 146 nmol h/l), whereas increasing the lipid content to 44 g lipid did not further increase the bioavailability of testosterone (AUC0–tlast = 154 nmol h/l).

Conclusion  Approximately 19 g of lipid per meal efficiently increases absorption of testosterone from oral TU. Therefore, coadministration with a normal rather than a fatty meal is sufficient to increase serum testosterone levels when using oral TU.
A novel mutation Thr162Arg of the melanocortin 4 receptor gene in a Spanish children and adolescent population
Authors: Ochoa M. C. , Azcona C. , Biebermann H. , Brumm H. , Razquin C. , Wermter A.‐K. , Martínez J. A. , Hebebrand J. , Hinney A. , Moreno‐Aliaga M. J. , Marti A. ,   Grupo de Estudio Navarro de la Obesidad Infantil (GENOI) members
Published: February 2007

Objective  The melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) is involved in body weight regulation. While many studies associated MC4R mutations with childhood obesity, information on MC4R mutations in Spanish children and adolescents is lacking. Our objective was to screen a population of children and adolescents from the north of Spain (Navarra) for MC4R mutations and to study the phenotypes of carriers and their families. In addition, functional assays were performed for a novel MC4R mutation.

Methods  The study was composed of 451 Spanish children and adolescents (49% boys), aged 5–18 year. According to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria, the groups included 160 obese, 132 overweight and 159 normal‐weight control subjects.

Results  One novel (Thr162Arg) and three known nonsynonymous mutations in the MC4R gene (Ser30Phe, Thr150Ile, Ala244Glu) were detected heterozygously. The MC4R mutations were found in three male (one obese and two overweight) and two female subjects (one obese and one overweight). The novel mutation did not appear to lead to an impaired receptor function. An unequivocal relationship of MC4R mutations with obesity in pedigrees together with an impaired function of the encoded receptor could not be established for any of the mutations.

Conclusions  The presence of heterozygous MC4R mutations in obese and overweight subjects indicates that these mutations may be a susceptibility factor for obesity development, but lifestyle factors, such as exercise or sedentary activities, may modify their effect.
Structural characteristics of clay‐dominated soils of a marsh and a palaeosol in a crossed diagram
Authors: Bernard M. , Dudoignon P. , Pons Y. , Chevallier C. , Boulay L.
Published: February 2007

Although the shrink‐swell phenomenon of clays has been thoroughly studied, the in situ relation of the shrinkage curve to the structure profile is rarely presented from the shrinkage limit to the liquid limit. We studied the consolidated structure of clay‐dominated (<2 μm) soils formed on ‘pseudo‐liquid’ marsh sediments in the ‘Marais de l’Ouest’ (France). The profiles were studied in a grassland field and in a sunflower field from unsaturated surface soils down to deeper, saturated, levels characterized by a very large water content (100% by weight). The consolidation states were quantified recording cone resistance (Qd) profiles using a dynamic penetrometer in successive seasons. These Qd profiles were compared with the associated wet density and gravimetric water‐content profiles. Two consolidation depths were evident, the surface soil and a 130‐cm deep palaeosol. The seasonal Qd profiles demonstrate the partial irreversibility of the consolidation peaks associated with the surface soil and with the palaeosol. The shrinkage properties were established through drying curves of undisturbed test samples. In the void ratio (e)‐water content (W) and water content (W)‐saturation index (Sr) diagrams, the profiles as a whole exhibit only one clay soil behaviour from their pseudo‐liquid to plastic to solid states. Each Qd profile is represented by a hyperbolic curve in the e/Qd diagram. Represented in a (e – W – Qd —Sr) crossed diagram, the vertical evolution of the successive profiles shows the soil structure behaviour from the initial pseudo‐liquid sediment to the consolidated soil. A simple cone resistance recording associated with gravimetric water‐content profiles, characterizes the evolution of structural layers of soils for the seasonal drying‐wetting cycles, for the over‐consolidation associated with the palaeosol, and also for the effect of ploughing.
Late Glacial‐Holocene genesis of Andosols from the Seaca‐Tãtarca (South Gurghiu Mountains, Romania)
Authors: Fehér O. , Langohr R. , Füleky Gy. , Jakab S.
Published: February 2007

The purpose of the research presented here was to find an answer for the possible origin and mode of deposition of soil parent materials for Andosol formation and to link the soilscape variability to the various soil forming factors since the Last Glaciation. Soil formation was studied along a 20‐km climo‐toposequence in the Miocene Andesitic area of the South Gurghiu Mountains (Romania). Six representative soil profiles were chosen from a larger geopedological study on the western slope of the Seaca‐Tãtarca volcano. Based on the macromorphological, micromorphological and chemical properties it was possible to say that the soil profiles are composed of two major types of soil material: a relict type, with a crystalline clay fraction; and a recent type with an amorphous colloidal fraction. It was found that the present‐day distribution of the Andosols on the Seaca‐Tãtarca volcano must be related to the rejuvenation of the soil parent material by processes of aeolian input of frost‐shattered volcaniclasts and by a glacial reworking. It appears that the extension of the glaciated areas during the Pleistocene could have been larger than concluded from geomorphological studies. General Carpathian glacial features are closely related to the altitudinal distribution of the Carpathian Andosols. At the present climatic optimum, the soils of Seaca‐Tãtarca are influenced by pedogenetic processes of freeze‐thaw, oxido‐reduction, strong leaching and internal colluviation, strong accumulation of organic matter and considerable biological activity. Those Andosols that are located in special microtopographic positions with stronger water percolation tend to evolve towards Podzols.
Environmental noise in spawning areas: the case of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus)
Authors: ROYER F. , FROMENTIN J.‐M.
Published: February 2007

This paper provides an exploratory analysis aiming to seek whether the colour of environmental noise theory could help in understanding the intriguing reproductive strategy of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). A frequency‐based approach based on spectral exponents, fβ with β < 0, is chosen and applied on 10 biogeographical provinces covering the North Atlantic. The major BFT spawning area, i.e. the Mediterranean Sea, was the only one to display a pink power spectrum, whereas open ocean regions displayed more reddened fluctuations, i.e. greater variance at low frequencies. Environmental noise in the Mediterranean could, thus, offer more favourable characteristics on the long‐term than the open ocean. The implications of these findings are discussed in regards to medium and long (possibly evolutionary) time scales.
Climate increases regional tree‐growth variability in Iberian pine forests
Authors: ANDREU LAIA , GUTIÉRREZ EMILIA , MACIAS MARC , RIBAS MONTSE , BOSCH ORIOL , CAMARERO J. JULIO
Published: February 2007

Tree populations located at the geographical distribution limit of the species may provide valuable information about tree‐growth response to changes on climatic conditions. We established ninePinus nigra, 12P. sylvestrisand 17P. uncinatatree‐ring width chronologies along the eastern and northern Iberian Peninsula, where these species are found at the edge of their natural range. Tree‐growth variability was analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) for the period 1885–1992. Despite the diversity of species, habitats and climatic regimes, a common macroclimatic signal expressed by the first principal component (PC1) was found. Moreover, considering the PC1 scores as a regional chronology, significant relations were established with Spanish meteorological data. The shared variance held by the tree chronologies, the frequency of narrow rings and the interannual growth variability (sensitivity) increased markedly during the studied period. This shows an enhancement of growth synchrony among forests indicating that climate might have become more limiting to growth. Noticeably, an upward abrupt shift in common variability at the end of the first half of the 20th century was detected. On the other hand, moving‐interval response functions showed a change in the growth–climate relationships during the same period. The relationship between growth and late summer/autumn temperatures of the year before growth (August–September, negative correlation, and November, positive correlation) became stronger. Hence, water stress increase during late summer previous to tree growth could be linked to the larger growth synchrony among sites, suggesting that climate was driving the growth pattern changes. This agrees with the upward trend in temperature observed in these months. Moreover, the higher occurrence of extreme years and the sensitivity increase in the second half of the 20th century were in agreement with an increment in precipitation variability during the growing period. Precipitation variability was positively related to tree‐growth variability, but negatively to radial growth. In conclusion, a change in tree‐growth pattern and in the climatic response of the studied forests was detected since the mid‐20th century and linked to an increase in water stress. These temporal trends were in agreement with the observed increase in warmer conditions and in precipitation variability.
Dispersal propensity and settling preferences of European corn borers in maize field borders
Authors: BAILEY RICHARD I. , BOURGUET DENIS , PALLEC ANNE‐HELENE LE , PONSARD SERGINE
Published: February 2007

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops kill pest larvae but have led to resistance evolution in several target pests. The high dose‐refuge (HDR) strategy aimed at delaying Bt resistance evolution depends on dispersal patterns of target pests. Examination of adult dispersal of the European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (ECB), the main target of Bt maize, can help to improve resistance management.

Estimated recapture rates over 20 mark–release–recapture sessions in herbaceous field borders, where ECB adults rest during the day and mate at night, were used to examine the influence of sex, release period and site on ECB dispersal. Data from an additional 30 sessions were used to test the influence of night temperature, humidity, dew index and wind speed.

Average recaptures within 50 m of release were lower 12 h after night (7·7%) than 12 h after day (34·5%) releases, did not differ between sexes, and decreased during nights with higher temperatures and lower wind speed.

Local habitat had a major influence on dispersal. The number of unmarked adults caught initially in a given section of field border was strongly correlated with those subsequently captured in the same section, suggesting that moths flying in from the surroundings consistently settle in the same preferred spots. Moreover, recapture rates of marked adults were positively correlated with the prior density of unmarked adults in the release section.

The spatial distribution of recaptured moths around the release point suggests that they moved on a very local scale, while those not recaptured probably left the area by a different, long‐range type of dispersal.

Synthesis and applications. A proportion of European corn borer adults typically remained within a few metres of their initial location for at least 12 h. This should favour non‐random mating early in the flight season when nights are cold, population mixture is low and most individuals are unmated. Non‐random mating can accelerate the evolution of resistance, but this effect may be offset by non‐random oviposition. Our findings suggest that the intensity and direction of dispersal could be manipulated by field border management. Our data on the range and prevalence of short‐range dispersal and the factors influencing this process, support the view that resistance evolution is multifactorial. Our results can be used to parameterize multifactorial models from which specific management recommendations can be formulated.
Patterns of movement and dispersal in an endangered damselfly and the consequences for its management
Authors: ROUQUETTE JAMES R. , THOMPSON DAVID J.
Published: February 2007

Coenagrion mercuriale is one of Europe's rarest and most threatened damselflies. It is listed in the European Community (EC) Habitats and Species Directive and is the only odonate currently given priority status in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Information regarding patterns of movement and dispersal in this species is required to guide conservation and management programmes. Management is currently geared towards habitat restoration of isolated subpopulations, with little attention paid to the metapopulation and landscape context.

A multisite mark–release–recapture project was carried out in the valley of the River Itchen in southern England to determine the extent of movement and the factors affecting movement of mature adults of this endangered damselfly. A total of 8708 individuals was marked.

The species was found to be extremely sedentary, with dispersal limited to an area of contiguous habitat. The median net lifetime movement was 31·9 m and 66% of individuals moved less than 50 m in their lifetime. Movements of greater than 500 m were rare and the longest recorded movement was 1·79 km. This makes it the most sedentary odonate that has been studied in the UK.

The highest recapture rates and the lowest movement distances were recorded at the most isolated site. Time between capture and recapture, and day in season had an effect on movement, and individuals travelled further on their first than on subsequent moves. There was no consistent effect of age or sex on distance moved.

There was strong evidence for inverse density‐dependent movement, with individuals moving further in low‐density than high‐density populations. This is the first time that inverse density‐dependent movement has, to our knowledge, been observed in a natural population of odonates.

Synthesis and applications. Coenagrion mercuriale, along with many other invertebrate species of conservation concern, lives in a management‐dependent mid‐successional habitat. However, the species is highly sedentary. Furthermore, patterns of movement and dispersal are strongly affected by landscape structure and population density. This means that it is unable to recolonize isolated sites and requires ‘stepping stone’ habitats to improve its chances of survival in the medium to long term. Suitable habitat management between sites that are beyond the dispersal distance of individuals can be used to connect or reconnect populations. Within existing sites only small sections of habitat should be managed in any one year and new areas should be created close to existing populations. The long‐term persistence of C. mercuriale and other invertebrate species requires a landscape approach to management, with connectivity an important part of management planning. It is clear that carefully conducted studies of movement and dispersal are key components in guiding invertebrate conservation strategies.
Trends in the prevalence and severity of asthma, rhinitis and atopic eczema in 6‐ to 7‐ and 13‐ to 14‐yr‐old children from the north‐east of England
Authors: Shamssain Mohammed
Published: February 2007

The aims of the present study were to assess time trends in symptoms of asthma, rhinitis and atopic eczema among children in the north‐east of England. Two cross‐ sectional surveys 6 yr apart, 6‐ to 7‐ and 13‐ to 14 yr of age, using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, core questionnaire were performed. There was a general increase in symptoms for all the three conditions in both the age groups. In the age group 6‐ to 7 yr, the increase was generally the same in boys and girls, while in the age group 13‐ to 14 yr, the increase was generally more marked among boys. In the younger age group, indices related to lifetime diagnosed ever had asthma and having hay fever increased in girls but not in boys, while indices related to lifetime diagnosis of ever having eczema increased in boys and girls. In the older age group, indices related to lifetime diagnosis of ever had asthma slightly increased in boys but did not change in girls, while lifetime diagnosis of ever having hay fever slightly decreased in girls but did not change in boys. The prevalence of lifetime diagnosis of ever having eczema increased in boys and girls. Changes observed in the present study could be related to the changes in lifestyle or environmental factors, awareness or management of symptoms.
Kikuchi‐Fujimoto disease of 16 children in a single center of Korea
Authors: Park Hyun Seok , Sung Min Jung , Park Su Eun , Lim Young Tak
Published: February 2007

Kikuchi‐Fujimoto disease (KFD) is subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis characterized by fever, leukopenia and cervical lymphadenopathy. There are few reports on the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of KFD in the pediatric literature. In this study, we evaluate the characteristics and outcome of KFD in children. A total of 412 patients were studied with fever and peripheral lymphadenopathy at Pusan National University Hospital from January 1998 to December 2003. Among the total 412 there were 16 patients diagnosed with KFD by lymph node biopsy. We analyze the clinical, laboratory and outcome after review of the medical records retrospectively. The mean age of the patients was 10.6 ± 3.4 yr (range: 4–17 yr). The male to female ratio was 1:1. Almost all patients, except two, had cervical lymph node swelling. The size of the involved lymph node was less than 4 cm in the greatest dimension in 75% of the patients. All the children had fever as the chief complaint and the mean duration of the fever was 17.7 ± 11.2 days (range: 2–122 days). Approximately 87% of the patients had leukopenia (WBC < 4000/mm3) and 43.8% of the patients had a mild increase in the transaminases on liver function testing. A total of 8 out of the 16 patients were initially misdiagnosed as an infectious disease and treated with antibiotics which caused prolonged hospitalization for most patients. Six patients were treated with prednisone and the prolonged fever subsided immediately after steroid therapy. KFD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of prolonged fever in children with cervical lymphadenopathy. Early cervical lymph node biopsy is necessary to minimize inappropriate examinations and treatments in such cases.
Interspecific variation in egg testosterone levels: implications for the evolution of bird song
Authors: GARAMSZEGI L. Z. , BIARD C. , EENS M. , MØLLER A. P. , SAINO N.
Published: February 2007

Although interspecific variation in maternal effects via testosterone levels can be mediated by natural selection, little is known about the evolutionary consequences of egg testosterone for sexual selection. However, two nonexclusive evolutionary hypotheses predict an interspecific relationship between egg testosterone levels and the elaboration of sexual traits. First, maternal investment may be particularly enhanced in sexually selected species, which should generate a positive relationship. Secondly, high prenatal testosterone levels may constrain the development of sexual characters, which should result in a negative relationship. Here we investigated these hypotheses by exploring the relationship between yolk testosterone levels and features of song in a phylogenetic study of 36 passerine species. We found that song duration and syllable repertoire size were significantly negatively related to testosterone levels in the egg, even if potentially confounding factors were held constant. These relationships imply that high testosterone levels during early development of songs may be detrimental, thus supporting the developmental constraints hypothesis. By contrast, we found significant evidence that song‐post exposure relative to the height of the vegetation is positively related to egg testosterone levels. These results support the hypothesis that high levels of maternal testosterone have evolved in species with intense sexual selection acting on the location of song‐posts. We found nonsignificant effects for intersong interval and song type repertoire size, which may suggest that none of the above hypothesis apply to these traits, or they act simultaneously and have opposing effects.
Predominance of outcrossing in Lymnaea stagnalis despite low apparent fitness costs of self‐fertilization
Authors: PUURTINEN M. , EMILY KNOTT K. , SUONPÄÄ S. , NISSINEN K. , KAITALA V.
Published: February 2007

We have quantified the natural mating system in eight populations of the simultaneously hermaphroditic aquatic snail Lymnaea stagnalis, and studied the ecological and genetic forces that may be directing mating system evolution in this species. We investigated whether the natural mating system can be explained by the availability of mates, by the differential survival of self‐ and cross‐fertilized snails in nature, and by the effects of mating system on parental fecundity and early survival. The natural mating system of L. stagnalis was found to be predominantly cross‐fertilizing. Density of snails in the populations had no relationship with the mating system, suggesting that outcrossing rates are not limited by mate availability at the population densities observed. Contrary to expectations for outcrossing species, we detected no evidence for inbreeding depression in survival in nature with inferential population genetic methods. Further, experimental manipulations of mating system in the laboratory revealed that self‐fertilization had no effect on parental fecundity, and only minor effects on offspring survival. Predominance of cross‐fertilization despite low apparent fitness costs of self‐fertilization is at odds with the paradigm that high self‐fertilization depression is necessary for maintenance of cross‐fertilization in self‐compatible hermaphrodites.
Ecological dynamics of the bivalve‐killing dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama and its infectious viruses in different locations of western Japan
Authors: Tomaru Yuji , Hata Naotsugu , Masuda Takeshi , Tsuji Masaharu , Igata Kuniyoshi , Masuda Yuji , Yamatogi Toshifumi , Sakaguchi Masao , Nagasaki Keizo
Published: February 2007

We studied the ecological relationships between the bloom‐forming dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama and its infectious viruses in field surveys conducted in western Japan. The occurrence of H. circularisquama blooms in Imari Bay during 2002 and in Ago Bay during 2002 and 2004 was accompanied by specific increase in abundance of viruses lytic to H. circularisquama. Using northern dot‐blot analysis, ∼96% of the clonal virus isolates collected in the field surveys positively reacted with a molecular probe specific for HcRNAV (H. circularisquama RNA virus); hence, viral impacts on H. circularisquama population observed in these field surveys are considered largely due to HcRNAV and/or its closely related viruses. The dynamics of type UA viruses and type CY viruses having complementary host ranges to H. circularisquama clones were different in each survey and considered to reflect fluctuations in abundance of their suitable host cells in situ. The dynamics of H. circularisquama and its viruses in Ago Bay from 2002 to 2004 suggests the concentration of HcRNAV in the sediment prior to the host's blooming season is a significant factor in determining the size and length of the H. circularisquama blooms. These results support the hypothesis that HcRNAV infection is one of the significant factors affecting the population dynamics of H. circularisquama in both quantity (biomass) and quality (clonal composition).
Coupling between autocatalytic cell death and transparent exopolymeric particle production in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium
Authors: Berman‐Frank Ilana , Rosenberg Gad , Levitan Orly , Haramaty Liti , Mari Xavier
Published: February 2007

Extracellular polysaccharide aggregates, operationally defined as transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), are recognized as an important conduit for carbon recycling and export in aquatic systems. Yet, the factors controlling the build‐up of the TEP pool are not well characterized. Here we show that increased TEP production by Trichodesmium, an oceanic bloom‐forming nitrogen‐fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacterium, is coupled with autocatalytic programmed cell death (PCD) process. We demonstrate that PCD induction, in both laboratory cultures and natural populations, is characterized by high caspase‐like activity, correlates with enhanced TEP production, and occurs under iron and phosphorus starvation, as well as under high irradiance and oxidative stress. Enhanced TEP production was not observed in actively growing populations. We provide further evidence that iron is a key trigger for the induction of PCD. We demonstrate, for the first time, the concomitant enhanced build‐up of the TEP pool when Trichodesmium is Fe‐stressed. These results suggest a functional linkage between activation of caspases and PCD in Trichodesmium and regulation of vertical carbon and nitrogen fluxes. We hypothesize that modulation of TEP formation and its qualities by different mortality pathways could regulate the fate of phytoplankton blooms and particulate organic matter in aquatic ecosystems.
Collimonas fungivorans, an unpredicted in vitro but efficient in vivo biocontrol agent for the suppression of tomato foot and root rot
Authors: Kamilova Faina , Leveau Johan H. J. , Lugtenberg Ben
Published: February 2007

Summary Although bacteria from the genus Collimonas have demonstrated in vitro antifungal activity against many different fungi, they appeared inactive against the plant‐pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis‐lycopersici (Forl), the causal agent of tomato foot and root rot (TFRR). Visualization studies using fluorescently labelled organisms showed that bacterial cells attached extensively to the fungal hyphae under nutrient‐poor conditions but not in glucose‐rich Armstrong medium. Collimonas fungivorans was shown to be as efficient in colonizing tomato root tips as the excellent colonizer Pseudomonas fluorescens strain WCS365. Furthermore, it appeared to colonize the same sites on the root as did the phytopathogenic fungus. Under greenhouse conditions in potting soil, C. fungivorans performed as well in biocontrol of TFRR as the well‐established biocontrol strains P. fluorescens WCS365 and Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391. Moreover, under biocontrol conditions, C. fungivorans did not attach to Forl hyphae colonizing plant roots. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that C. fungivorans mainly controls TFRR through a mechanism of competition for nutrients and niches rather than through its reported mycophagous properties, for which attachment of the bacteria to the fungal hyphae is assumed to be important.
The Violence of Non‐Violence: Law and War in Iraq
Authors: Esmeir Samera
Published: February 2007

The article examines the relation between war making in Iraq and juridical reforms aimed at instituting democracy, or what the article coins juridico‐democracy. It is argued that a certain aspiration for global peace, global security, and non‐violence to be instituted by juridico‐democracy accompanies the war against Iraq. Rather than leave this aspiration intact, the article examines the extent to which this aspiration itself is conducive to the war's violence. The associations between violence and non‐violence, war and peace, conflict and security are examined not as oppositions, but as cycles, where nonviolence, peace, and security are performative of more violence.
Diversity as a Basis for Shared Organizational Identity: The Norm Congruity Principle
Authors: Rink Floor , Ellemers Naomi
Published: February 2007

Although the social identity approach is generally used to explain the negative consequences of diversity for the formation of a common identity within organizations, we propose that social identity processes can also lead employees to evaluate their differences in a positive way. We propose norm‐congruency as a central principle to understand these issues. We argue that when differences among team members in organizations are congruent with norms and expectations, diversity can become a basis for organizational identification.
National Identity, Globalization and the Discursive Construction of Organizational Identity*
Authors: Jack Gavin , Lorbiecki Anna
Published: February 2007

This paper pursues two goals. First, it explores the connections between national identity and organizational globalization within the context of three British organizations' attempts to synchronize their corporate and organizational identities through diversity management initiatives. Second, it teases out the implications of these connections for current theorizing on organizational identity, looking in particular to extendHatch and Schultz's (Human Relations, 55 (2002), pp. 989–1018) processual model of image– culture dynamics. Based on a Foucauldian theoretical frame, and a data set comprising 36 in‐depth interviews, we show the complex and highly particular relationships between articulations of Britishness, and corporate, organizational and personal identities. Such complexity is suggestive of the contradictory connections between national and organizational identities, and of the disjointed, discursive and affective characteristics of organizational identity. Our contribution to the study of organizational identity lies in both an illumination of the local discursive dynamics of identity construction at the individual and collective levels, and an assertion of the ontological role of discourse(s) in structuring understandings and expressions of organizational identity.
Marital Conflict and Conduct Problems in Children of Twins
Authors: Harden K. Paige , Turkheimer Eric , Emery Robert E. , D'Onofrio Brian M. , Slutske Wendy S. , Heath Andrew C. , Martin Nicholas G.
Published: February 2007

The Children‐of‐Twins design was used to test whether associations between marital conflict frequency and conduct problems can be replicated within the children of discordant twin pairs. A sample of 2,051 children (age 14–39 years) of 1,045 twins was used to estimate the genetic and environmental influences on marital conflict and determine whether genetic or environmental selection processes underlie the observed association between marital conflict and conduct problems. Results indicate that genetic and nonshared environmental factors influence the risk of marital conflict. Furthermore, genetic influences mediated the association between marital conflict frequency and conduct problems. These results highlight the need for quasiexperimental designs in investigations of intergenerational associations.
Infant Joint Attention, Temperament, and Social Competence in Preschool Children
Authors: Vaughan Van Hecke Amy , Mundy Peter C. , Acra C. Françoise. , Block Jessica J. , Delgado Christine E. F. , Parlade Meaghan V. , Meyer Jessica A. , Neal A. Rebecca , Pomares Yuly B.
Published: February 2007

Infant joint attention has been observed to be related to social‐emotional outcomes in at‐risk children. To address whether this relation is also evident in typically developing children, 52 children were tested at 12, 15, 24, and 30 months to examine associations between infant joint attention and social outcomes. Twelve‐month initiating and responding to joint attention were related to 30‐month social competence and externalizing behavior, even when accounting for 15‐month temperament ratings, 24‐month cognition and language, and demographic variables. These results suggest that, in addition to associations with language and cognition, infant joint attention reflects robust aspects of development that are related to individual differences in the emergence of social and behavioral competence in childhood.
Testing Equivalence of Mediating Models of Income, Parenting, and School Readiness for White, Black, and Hispanic Children in a National Sample
Authors: Raver C. Cybele , Gershoff Elizabeth T. , Aber J. Lawrence
Published: February 2007

This paper examines complex models of the associations between family income, material hardship, parenting, and school readiness among White, Black, and Hispanic 6‐year‐olds, using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS–K). It is critical to test the universality of such complex models, particularly given their implications for intervention, prevention, and public policy. Therefore this study asks: Do measures and models of low income and early school readiness indicators fit differently or similarly for White, Black, and Hispanic children? Measurement equivalence of material hardship, parent stress, parenting behaviors, child cognitive skills, and child social competence is first tested. Model equivalence is then tested by examining whether category membership in a race/ethnic group moderates associations between predictors and young children's school readiness.
Children's Sleep and Cognitive Functioning: Race and Socioeconomic Status as Moderators of Effects
Authors: Buckhalt Joseph A. , El‐Sheikh Mona , Keller Peggy
Published: February 2007

Race and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the link between children's sleep and cognitive functioning. One hundred and sixty‐six 8‐ to 9‐year‐old African and European American children varying in SES participated. Sleep measures were actigraphy, sleep diaries, and self‐report; cognitive measures were from the Woodcock–Johnson III and reaction time tasks. Children had similar performance when sleep was more optimal, but after controlling for SES, African American children had lower performance with sleep disruptions. Children from lower and higher SES had similar performance with better sleep quality and less variability in sleep schedules, but when sleep was more disrupted, higher SES children had better performance. Examination of environmental variables associated with race and SES that may underlie these effects may lead to directions for interventions to improve cognitive performance.
Perceiving “Outside the Box” Occurs Early in Development: Evidence for Boundary Extension in Three‐ to Seven‐Month‐Old Infants
Authors: Quinn Paul C. , Intraub Helene
Published: February 2007

This investigation examined whether infants display boundary extension—a tendency to remember more of a visual scene than was presented. Three‐ to 7‐month‐olds were familiarized with a photograph of a visual scene, and tested with wide‐angle versus close‐up views of the scene. Infants preferred the close‐up, indicating that they perceived the wide angle (the one consistent with boundary extension) as more familiar. Converging experiments showed that: (a) infants did not spontaneously prefer the close‐up, (b) adults did not judge the wide angle to be more similar to the familiarization stimulus, and (c) infants spontaneously preferred the close‐up when the photographs depicted outline objects without backgrounds. The findings suggest that infants anticipate information that lies beyond the borders of a scene view.
A technology valuation model to support technology transfer negotiations
Authors: Baek Dong‐Hyun , Sul Wonsik , Hong Kil‐Pyo , Kim Hun
Published: February 2007

The development and commercialization of advanced technologies will depend increasingly on efficient technology transfer and technology trading systems. This requires the development of technology markets or exchanges and hence a reliable technology valuation methodology. This paper develops a methodology for an objective and impartial valuation of fully developed technologies.

A web‐based technology valuation system is developed with which interested users can make efficient and real‐time evaluations of technologies.
From the kitchen and the field: Gender and maize diversity in the Bajío region of Mexico
Authors: Chambers Kimberlee J. , Momsen Janet Henshall
Published: February 2007

The conservation of crop genetic diversity in farmers’ fields is important for future food security. Recent research on women and biodiversity has emphasized the importance of women’s knowledge in plant domestication and biodiversity conservation. This paper presents a case study of the differences in women’s and men’s knowledge of maize landraces in four different environments in the Bajío region of Mexico. We argue that research on crop diversity and conservation needs to include both men and women farmers’ knowledge. Gendered knowledge results from men and women in a household being responsible for different tasks and sometimes for farming separate plots. In addition, as economic pressures increasingly force men to work away from their communities for extended periods, women become the primary agricultural decision‐makers.
Women and seed management: A study of two villages in Bangladesh
Authors: Oakley Emily , Momsen Janet Henshall
Published: February 2007

Seed management has until recently been neglected in agrobiodiversity research. Gender dimensions in seed selection, processing, storage and exchange embody critical task areas in the human management of diverse crop species and varieties. This paper focuses on women’s roles in seed management in field and homegarden crops in Bangladesh and reports on the findings of a study in two villages in Tangail District. Seventy‐five women were surveyed with a questionnaire and subsets interviewed in‐depth; focus groups conducted for women and men provided a means of cross‐checking responses. Three distinct areas of agrobiodiversity were addressed: the gendered divisions of labour among agricultural tasks; the pervasiveness of seed saving among respondents; and seed management practices and techniques. The results indicate that while men have greater authority over field activities, homegarden production is the exclusive domain of women. Seed management is seen as an extension of women’s domestic duties: women are responsible for all seed processing, storage and exchange for field as well as homegarden crops. The vast majority of seeds sown are saved on‐farm by women, revealing important cultural, economic and environmental implications for agrobiodiversity conservation and local differences.
An Analysis of Mercosur's Regional Trading Arrangements
Authors: Philippidis G. , Sanjuán A. I.
Published: February 2007

After six years of stop‐start negotiations, Mercosur is no closer to signing a regional trading agreement (RTA) with the EU, whilst negotiations to finalise a Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) have also stalled. This is due to various factors: economic crises in Mercosur, intransigence by member countries and uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the Doha Round. Estimates from the trade literature predict welfare gains to Mercosur from both RTAs whilst only one study assesses the additional benefits of removing non‐tariff barrier (NTB) trade costs which have remained largely unchallenged within the multilateral forum.

In this paper, we improve the treatment of NTB estimates employing a theoretically consistent gravity specification, where calculated tariff‐equivalent estimates are subsequently implemented into a modified computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Relative to a realistic baseline, and incorporating trade‐induced productivity and capital accumulation effects, we reassess the benefits of both regional initiatives to Mercosur, revisiting the claim that NTB trade cost abolition doubles the ‘standard’ welfare estimates. Contrary to previous studies, the results suggest that an FTAA yields greater gains to Mercosur than an EU RTA whilst the claim ofMonteagudo and Watanuki (2003) pertaining to trade cost elimination is understated.
Entrepreneurship and Intergenerational Links in Switzerland
Authors: Falter Jean‐Marc
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  The growing share of self‐employment among the workforce is one of the most striking phenomenon that has taken place on the Swiss labour market in the past 20 years. Although many factors can be put forward to explain this trend, no study in Switzerland has focused on the role of intergenerational links. This topic is quite important as one has to assess whether the surge in entrepreneurship has made this type of work accessible to anyone, or whether some constraints such as intergenerational links limit the supply of entrepreneurs. Based on data from the Swiss Household Panel, we find that a father self‐employed is the most important factor shaping the supply of self‐employed in Switzerland. Our results also suggest that self‐employment is not correlated to pecuniary factors.
Preference Change and Increasing Wage Inequality
Authors: Connolly Sara , Hargreaves Heap Shaun
Published: February 2007

Abstract.  This paper argues that preference change could explain, in part, the growth of within‐group wage inequality in the USA and the UK in the 1980s. The absence of such preference change in continental European countries might also help explain why their wage inequality did not rise in the same way. The argument relies on evidence from the World Values Surveys and uses an efficiency wage model of within‐group wage inequality where there are differences in the degree of discretion at work across firms and workers value not just the wage but also the degree of discretion on the job.