bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Centaurea biebersteinii patch size on Urophora quadrifasciata (Dipt. Tephritidae) in Michigan, USA
Authors: Marshall J. M. , Storer A. J.
Published: February 2006

Abstract:  Host plant patch size plays an important role in the distribution and densities of many insect species. Understanding how the host plant patch size influences the population of a biological control agent is necessary to monitor the success of a biological control programme. Urophora quadrifasciata (Dipt. Tephritidae) was released in the early 1970s to control the spotted knapweed, Centaurea biebersteinii (Asteraceae) in North America. The studies reported here investigated the influences of spotted knapweed patch size and stem density on U. quadrifasciata larval populations overwintering within capitula in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. An inverse relationship was found between the percentage of capitula with U. quadrifasciata larvae and spotted knapweed patch size in 2002 from Houghton county, MI. In 2003, an inverse relationship was also found in the south region of the study area in Houghton and Keweenaw counties, Michigan. The percentage of capitula with U. quadrifasciata larvae and spotted knapweed patch size were positively related for the central region. No relationship was found for the North region in 2003. Dispersal of U. quadrifasciata is directed north‐east along the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan. With this directed spread, areas with well‐established populations of U. quadrifasciata would provide source individuals for new colonization. Spotted knapweed patch size may play an important role in the overwintering populations of U. quadrifasciata as a result of dispersal.
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF ALOE VERA LEAF GEL EXTRACT ON LIPID PROFILE STATUS IN RATS WITH STREPTOZOTOCIN DIABETES
Authors: Rajasekaran Subbiah , Ravi Kasiappan , Sivagnanam Karuran , Subramanian Sorimuthu
Published: February 2006

The effect of diabetes mellitus on lipid metabolism is well established. The association of hyperglycaemia with an alteration of lipid parameters presents a major risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetes. Many secondary plant metabolites have been reported to possess lipid‐lowering properties. The present study was designed to examine the potential antihyperlipidaemic efficacy of the ethanolic extract from Aloe vera leaf gel in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.

Oral administration of Aloe vera gel extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg bodyweight per day to STZ‐induced diabetic rats for a period of 21 days resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, hepatic transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), plasma and tissue (liver and kidney) cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids and a significant improvement in plasma insulin.

In addition, the decreased plasma levels of high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol and increased plasma levels of low‐density lipoprotein–and very low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol in diabetic rats were restored to near normal levels following treatment with the extract.

The fatty acid composition of the liver and kidney was analysed by gas chromatography. The altered fatty acid composition in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats was restored following treatment with the extract.

Thus, the results of the present study provide a scientific rationale for the use of Aloe vera as an antidiabetic agent.
The metabolic syndrome: evolving evidence that thiazolidinediones provide rational therapy
Authors: Wyne Kathleen L.
Published: February 2006

The metabolic syndrome, also known as the dysmetabolic syndrome, syndrome X or the insulin resistance syndrome, refers to the clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors that are present in many individuals who are at increased risk for both cardiovascular events and type 2 diabetes. Prediabetic subjects typically exhibit an atherogenic pattern of cardiovascular risks that is associated with hyperinsulinaemia. Thus, identification of components of the metabolic syndrome is important if patients are to be treated early enough to prevent cardiovascular events and other complications related to diabetes. Therapies targeted to specific components of the metabolic syndrome such as improving glycaemic control, managing dyslipidaemia and reducing the prothrombotic state should help to minimize cardiovascular risk, particularly if initiated early. Traditional pharmacologic agents used to manage the individual components of the metabolic syndrome do not typically impact the other components. The thiazolidinediones, a new class of agents that improve insulin resistance, have the ability, in addition to their glucose‐lowering effects, to exert several powerful anti‐atherogenic properties, including anti‐inflammatory effects in the vascular endothelium, redistribution of visceral fat and reduction of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperproinsulinaemia. This makes the thiazolidinediones ideal candidates for the early treatment of many components associated with the metabolic syndrome.
The Validity of Cloninger's Psychobiological Model Versus the Five‐Factor Model to Predict DSM‐IV Personality Disorders in a Heterogeneous Psychiatric Sample: Domain Facet and Residualized Facet Descriptions
Authors: De Fruyt Filip , De Clercq Barbara J. , van de Wiele Lieve , Van Heeringen Kees
Published: February 2006

ABSTRACT
The validity of Cloninger's psychobiological model and the Five‐Factor Model of personality to predict DSM‐IV personality disorders was examined in a psychiatric in‐patient sample of 130 individuals. Patients completed Dutch authorized versions of the TCI (Cloninger, Svrakic, & Przybeck, 1993) and the NEO PI‐R (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and were also administered the ADP‐IV (Schotte & De Doncker, 1994), a Dutch self‐report questionnaire to assess Axis‐II disorders. No personality‐descriptive model proved to be superior in explaining personality disorder symptoms at the higher‐order level: the TCI dimensions better explained the Obsessive‐Compulsive and the Narcissistic disorders, whereas the FFM accounted for more variance of the Avoidant disorder. However, differences were apparent at the lower‐order level with the NEO facets out performing the TCI subscales for six to four personality disorders. FFM facet‐level predictions of Widiger, Trull, Clarkin, Sanderson, and Costa (2002) were partially confirmed, with substantially better results using residualized facet scores. A set of TCI subscale personality disorder relationships is suggested.
Motive Congruence and Interpersonal Identity Status
Authors: Hofer Jan , Busch Holger , Chasiotis Athanasios , Kiessling Florian
Published: February 2006

ABSTRACT
This article examines the relationship between interpersonal ego identity formation and congruence of self‐attributed and implicit affiliation motives. A TAT‐type picture‐story test, the Personality Research Form, and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status were administered to 177 participants to assess data on affiliation motivation and interpersonal identity formation. According to a scoring system developed by Winter, the picture stories were coded for need for Affiliation. Analyses revealed that motive congruence is significantly associated with participants' level of identity achievement and identity foreclosure in the interpersonal domain. Such a relationship could not be identified for identity diffusion and moratorium.
Stagnation and Generativity: Structure, Validity, and Differential Relationships With Adaptive and Maladaptive Personality
Authors: Van Hiel Alain , Mervielde Ivan , De Fruyt Filip
Published: February 2006

ABSTRACT
Erikson's concepts of stagnation and generativity were investigated in two studies. Study 1 (N=457) yields two important results. First, it revealed that a model in which stagnation and generativity load on a separate dimension showed a significantly better fit to the data than a one‐dimensional model. Second, the stagnation and generativity measures were valid predictors of parental behavior. In Study 2 (N=191), the relationships between stagnation and generativity and the dimensions underlying comprehensive measures of personality were investigated. It was found that stagnation was strongly related to Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience, whereas generativity bore strong relationships with Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience. In the discussion, stagnation is distinguished from several related variables and a profile of the stagnant individual is constructed and compared with the generative individual. Finally, the interaction between stagnation and generativity in producing specific outcomes is discussed.
The Personality Construct of Hardiness, III: Relationships With Repression, Innovativeness, Authoritarianism, and Performance
Authors: Maddi Salvatore R. , Harvey Richard H. , Khoshaba Deborah M. , Lu John L. , Persico Michele , Brow Marnie
Published: February 2006

Abstract
Previous research has established hardiness as a dispositional factor in preserving and enhancing performance and health despite stressful circumstances. The present four studies continue this construct‐validational process by (a) introducing a shortened version of the hardiness measure and (b) testing hypotheses concerning the relationship between hardiness and repressive coping, right‐wing authoritarianism, innovative behavior, and billable hours (a measure of consulting effectiveness). Results of these studies suggest the adequate reliability and validity of the Personal Views Survey III‐R, which is the shortened, 18‐item measure of hardiness. Further, results support the hypothesis that the relationship of hardiness is negative with repressive coping and right‐wing authoritarianism and positive with innovative behavior and billable hours. Hardiness also appears unrelated to socially desirable responding.
A Decision Theoretic and Prototype Conceptualization of Possible Selves: Implications for the Prediction of Risk Behavior
Authors: Quinlan Shannon L. , Jaccard James , Blanton Hart
Published: February 2006

ABSTRACT
The present study explores a new framework for conceptualizing possible selves for the prediction of behavior. The framework uses decision theory, attitude theory, and classic expectancy‐value models. The focus is on using possible‐self constructs that (a) correspond to behavioral alternatives, (b) focus on self dimensions directly tied to the behavioral criterion, and (c) use expectancy‐value constructs to assess the core features of a given possible self‐dimension. A study of 305 college students was undertaken to predict alcohol use from possible self constructs using the framework. Results affirmed the utility of the approach, showing that possible‐self constructs predicted behavior over and above current self‐image and constructs in the Theory of Planned Behavior. Possible‐self constructs associated with negative attributes of both binge drinkers and nonbinge drinkers were predictive of behavior.
Infants show a facilitation effect for native language phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months
Authors: Kuhl Patricia K. , Stevens Erica , Hayashi Akiko , Deguchi Toshisada , Kiritani Shigeru , Iverson Paul
Published: February 2006

Patterns of developmental change in phonetic perception are critical to theory development. Many previous studies document a decline in nonnative phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age. However, much less experimental attention has been paid to developmental change in native‐language phonetic perception over the same time period. We hypothesized that language experience in the first year facilitates native‐language phonetic performance between 6 and 12 months of age. We tested 6–8‐ and 10–12‐month‐old infants in the United States and Japan to examine native and nonnative patterns of developmental change using the American English /r‐l/ contrast. The goals of the experiment were to: (a) determine whether facilitation characterizes native‐language phonetic change between 6 and 12 months of age, (b) examine the decline previously observed for nonnative contrasts and (c) test directional asymmetries for consonants. The results show a significant increase in performance for the native‐language contrast in the first year, a decline in nonnative perception over the same time period, and indicate directional asymmetries that are constant across age and culture. We argue that neural commitment to native‐language phonetic properties explains the pattern of developmental change in the first year.
Birthweight‐discordance and differences in early parenting relate to monozygotic twin differences in behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7
Authors: Asbury Kathryn , Dunn Judith F. , Plomin Robert
Published: February 2006

This longitudinal monozygotic (MZ) twin differences study explored associations between birthweight and early family environment and teacher‐rated behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7. MZ differences in anxiety, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems and academic achievement correlated significantly with MZ differences in birthweight and early family environment, showing effect sizes of up to 2%. As predicted by earlier research, associations increased at the extremes of discordance, even in a longitudinal, cross‐rater design, with effect sizes reaching as high as 12%. As with previous research some of these nonshared environmental (NSE) relationships appeared to operate partly as a function of SES, family chaos and maternal depression. Higher‐risk families generally showed stronger negative associations.
Learning words: children disregard some pragmatic information that conflicts with mutual exclusivity
Authors: Jaswal Vikram K. , Hansen Mikkel B.
Published: February 2006

Children tend to infer that when a speaker uses a new label, the label refers to an unlabeled object rather than one they already know the label for. Does this inference reflect a default assumption that words are mutually exclusive? Or does it instead reflect the result of a pragmatic reasoning process about what the speaker intended? In two studies, we distinguish between these possibilities. Preschoolers watched as a speaker pointed toward (Study 1) or looked at (Study 2) a familiar object while requesting the referent for a new word (e.g. ‘Can you give me the blicket?’). In both studies, despite the speaker's unambiguous behavioral cue indicating an intent to refer to a familiar object, children inferred that the novel label referred to an unfamiliar object. These results suggest that children expect words to be mutually exclusive even when a speaker provides some kinds of pragmatic evidence to the contrary.
Syllogistic reasoning and belief‐bias inhibition in school children: evidence from a negative priming paradigm
Authors: Moutier Sylvain , Plagne‐Cayeux Stéphanie , Melot Anne‐Marie , Houdé Olivier
Published: February 2006

Research on deductive reasoning in adolescents and adults has shown that errors in deductive logic are not necessarily due to a lack of logical ability but can stem from an executive failure to inhibit biases. Few studies have examined this dissociation in children. Here, we used a negative priming paradigm with 64 children (8–10 years old) to test the role of cognitive inhibition in syllogisms with belief‐bias effects. On trials where negative priming was predicted, results were as follows: For the first syllogism (A), the strategy ‘unbelievable‐equals‐invalid’ had to be inhibited. The logic of the syllogism led to affirming a conclusion inconsistent with one's knowledge of the world, such as ‘All elephants are light.’ For the second syllogism (B), one's real‐world knowledge and the syllogism's logic were congruent but the latter required affirming exactly what had been inhibited for A (i.e. that elephants are heavy). A negative priming effect on the A‐B sequence was reflected in a significant drop in reasoning performance on B. This supports the idea that during cognitive development, inhibitory control is required for success on syllogisms where beliefs and logic interfere.
Change in children's understanding of others’ intentional actions
Authors: Bellagamba Francesca , Camaioni Luigia , Colonnesi Cristina
Published: February 2006

The study investigated children's intention understanding using a longitudinal design. Thirty‐two Italian children were tested on the ‘Demonstration of Intention’ in the Re‐enactment paradigm devised by Meltzoff (1995a), at two ages. Mean age was 12 months at the first session and 15 months at the second session. Previous research by Meltzoff showed that 18‐month‐olds are able to re‐enact what the adult intended to do, when an adult tried but failed to perform certain target acts. Bellagamba and Tomasello (1999) found that, compared to 18‐month‐olds, 12‐month‐olds are less able to imitate unsuccessful goal‐directed actions. The current study had two main goals. The first was to replicate earlier findings on intention understanding in 12‐ and 15‐month‐olds longitudinally assessed. The second goal was to analyse which actions children perform when not producing the target act. A coding scheme was devised to evaluate these non‐target actions. Results confirmed previous findings, i.e. children's tendency to produce the target act was higher at an older age. At a younger age the most frequent response was ‘undifferentiated manipulation’ of target objects, followed by ‘approximation to the target action’. Since children differed in their intention understanding performance at the first session, we decided to check whether these individual differences remained stable at the second session. Individual children with high intention understanding performance at 12 months tended to remain high at 15 months of age.
The development of emotional face processing during childhood
Authors: Batty Magali , Taylor Margot J.
Published: February 2006

Our facial expressions give others the opportunity to access our feelings, and constitute an important nonverbal tool for communication. Many recent studies have investigated emotional perception in adults, and our knowledge of neural processes involved in emotions is increasingly precise. Young children also use faces to express their internal states and perceive emotions in others, but little is known about the neurodevelopment of expression recognition. The goal of the current study was to determine the normal development of facial emotion perception. We recorded ERPs in 82 children 4 to 15 years of age during an implicit processing task with emotional faces. Task and stimuli were the same as those used and validated in an adult study; we focused on the components that showed sensitivity to emotions in adults (P1, N170 and frontal slow wave). An effect of the emotion expressed by faces was seen on the P1 in the youngest children. With increasing age this effect disappeared while an emotional sensitivity emerged on N170. Early emotional processing in young children differed from that observed in the adolescents, who approached adults. In contrast, the later frontal slow wave, although showing typical age effects, was more positive for neutral and happy faces across age groups. Thus, despite the precocious utilization of facial emotions, the neural processing involved in the perception of emotional faces develops in a staggered fashion throughout childhood, with the adult pattern appearing only late in adolescence.
Multinational Corporations and the Competition for Media Influence in Developing Countries
Authors: SIBLEY MIKE , NADAS GINA
Published: February 2006

The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first objective should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

—Thomas Jefferson, 1787
ANALYSIS, ABSTRACTION PRINCIPLES, AND SLINGSHOT ARGUMENTS
Authors: Levine James
Published: February 2006

Frege's views regarding analysis and synomymy have long been the subject of critical discussion. Some commentators, led by Dummett, have argued that Frege was committed to the view that each thought admits of a unique ultimate analysis. However, this interpretation is in apparent conflict with Frege's criterion of synonymy, according to which two sentence express the same thought if one cannot understand them without regarding them as having the same truth–value. In a recent article in this journal, Drai attempts to reconcile Frege's criterion of synonymy with unique ultimate analysis by holding that, for Frege, if two sentences satisfy the criterion without being intensionally isomorphic, at most one of them is a privileged representation of the thought expressed. I argue that this proposal fails, because it conflicts not only with Frege's views of abstraction principles but also with slingshot arguments (including one presented by Drai herself) that accurately reflect Frege's commitment to the view that sentences alike in truth–value have the same Bedeutung. While Drai helpfully connects Frege's views of abstraction principles with such slingshot arguments, this connection cannot become fully clear until we recognise that Frege rejects unique ultimate analysis.
How Pupils Can be Helped to Develop Socially and Emotionally in Science Lessons
Authors: MORRISON LIZ , MATTHEWS BRIAN
Published: February 2006

In this article, the authors argue that secondary school academic subjects should integrate elements of pastoral work into their teaching through the use of collaborative group work. Pupils who are given the opportunity to develop emotionally and socially are more likely to understand each other, which can lead to a reduction of conflict in the classroom. Social and emotional development can be facilitated in normal school lessons, such as science, through structured group work. The evidence shows that pupils do improve their communication and understanding of other pupils in the class, developing their emotional literacy. Further investigation indicates that benefits are sustained and that the class is more cohesive and mutually supportive.
Cutaneous, pulmonary and hepatic sarcoidosis associated with autoimmune complications during interferon‐alpha treatment for hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Akay BN , Ekmekci P , Sanli H , Celik G , Bozdayi M
Published: February 2006

A patient with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was diagnosed with cutaneous, pulmonary and hepatic sarcoidosis following interferon alpha therapy. There are only a few cases of sarcoidosis associated with this treatment. This is the first case who not only developed sarcoidosis, but also autoimmune hypothyroidism and thrombocytopenia during interferon alpha therapy due to the immunomodulatory effects of the drug.
Is growth hormone a radioprotective agent?
Authors: Tekin SB , Ertekin MV , Erdogan F , Sezen O , Karslioglu I , Gepdiremen A , Serifoglu K , Altas S
Published: February 2006

There is currently substantial clinical interest in growth hormone (GH) as a protective agent against radiation‐related normal tissue injury. To further assess the potential radiation injury‐preventive effects of GH, these effects were studied in rats by using a radiation‐induced skin injury model. Group 1 received neither GH nor irradiation (control group). Group 2 received 30 Gy of gamma irradiation as a single dose to the right hind legs of the rats (radiation group). Group 3 and 4 received the same irradiation plus either 0.01 U/kg/day GH (RT + 0.01 GH group) or 0.02 U/kg/day GH (RT + 0.02 GH group) subcutaneously. Clinically and histopathologically, acute skin reactions were assessed by two independent experts in radiation oncology and pathology, respectively. Irradiation increased dermatitis in rats when compared with the control group. The severity of radiodermatitis in the rats in the RT + 0.01 GH and RT + 0.02 GH groups was significantly lower than that in the RT group; radiodermatitis developed earlier in the RT group than in the other groups. GH was efficacious in preventing epidermal atrophy, dermal degeneration such as oedema and collagen fibre loss, and hair follicle atrophy, but not better than in the control group. These results are preliminary to studies that will be performed with higher doses of GH in radiation‐treated cancer patients, with the aim of reducing radiation‐induced toxicity.
Self‐reported skin sensitivity in a general adult population in France: data of the SU.VI.MAX cohort
Authors: Guinot C , Malvy D , Mauger E , Ezzedine K , Latreille J , Ambroisine L , Tenenhaus M , Préziosi P , Morizot F , Galan P , Hercberg S , Tschachler E
Published: February 2006

Objective  This study aimed to examine the frequency of self‐assessed facial skin sensitivity and its different patterns, and the relationship with gender and sun sensitivity in a general adult population.

Methods  A standardized 11‐item questionnaire investigating reactions experienced during the past year was developed. The questions explored different patterns of skin sensitivity: pattern I (blushing related to vascular reactivity), pattern II (skin reactions to certain environmental conditions), pattern III (skin reactions after substance contact), and for women pattern IV (‘breakout of spots’ related to menstrual cycle). Additional items were addressed for women and men, including sun sensitivity. The questionnaire was administered to a large middle‐aged population involved in the ‘Supplément en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants’ (SU.VI.MAX) cohort.

Results  Sensitive facial skin was reported by 61% of the women (n = 5074) and 32% of the men (n = 3448), and the frequency decreased with age. The frequency of patterns I, II and III was greater for women (78, 72 and 58%, respectively) than for men (56, 48 and 28%) of comparable classes of age. The frequency of pattern IV was reported by 49% of premenopausal women, and skin reactions after shaving by 41% of the men. Sun sensitivity was found to be a major component of skin sensitivity. Factor analysis showed that individuals with fair phototype frequently evoked reactions associated with pattern I, and skin redness and burning sensations were related to certain environmental conditions (pattern II).

Conclusion  Skin sensitivity is a common concern that declines with age and is relevant for men as well as for women.
Cutaneous Crohn's disease mimicking Melkersson–Rosenthal syndrome: treatment with methotrexate
Authors: Tonkovic‐Capin V , Galbraith SS , Rogers RS , Binion DG , Yancey KB
Published: February 2006

A woman with a 5‐year history of unilateral orofacial granulomatosis required repeated evaluations (including sequential colonoscopies) to establish the diagnosis of cutaneous Crohn's disease, a condition that proved responsive to low doses of oral methotrexate administered weekly. To our knowledge this is the first report describing the use of methotrexate for treatment of orofacial granulomatosis caused by underlying Crohn's disease.
Introducing a fast and simple PCR‐RFLP analysis for the detection of mutant thiopurine S‐methyltransferase alleles TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C
Authors: Oender K , Lanschuetzer CM , Laimer M , Klausegger A , Paulweber B , Kofler B , Hintner H , Bauer JW
Published: February 2006

Background  Azathioprine, in combination with corticosteroids, is the first‐line therapy of severe forms of pemphigus vulgaris. Patients with an impaired thiopurine S‐methyltransferase (TPMT) activity are at risk of developing severe myelo‐suppression upon treatment with thiopurines such as azathioprine. Analysis of the TPMT status prior to drug administration is therefore highly recommended. However, because of the limited availability of TPMT testing outside of specialized centres, pre‐emptive TPMT testing is not widespread. To avoid laborious biochemical and sequencing assays, we evaluated a new restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.

Methods  We designed a rapid genetic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐RFLP screen for the most prevalent mutant TPMT*3A and TPMT*3C alleles that are known to result in reduced TPMT enzyme activity.

Results  Validating our fast system on 871 Caucasian DNA samples, we observed that 8.61% of our probands carried the TPMT*3A allele and 0.23% were heterozygous for the TPMT*3C allele, which is in concordance with previously reported allele frequencies.

Conclusion  This simple and low‐cost PCR‐RFLP TPMT polymorphism testing approach can be performed in a standard laboratory. It should be applied to all patients prior to receiving thiopurine drug therapy to avoid the severe, but predictable, haematopoietic side‐effects of thiopurine drug administration.
Religious Affiliation and Attendance Among Immigrants in Eight Western Countries: Individual and Contextual Effects
Authors: VAN TUBERGEN FRANK
Published: February 2006

This study examines the religious affiliation and participation of immigrants from a large‐scale, comparative perspective. I propose a “specific migration” framework, in which immigrants' religiosity is an outcome of both individual characteristics and contextual properties related to immigrants' country of origin, country of destination, and combinations of origin and destination (i.e., communities). I use notions discussed in the religion and migration literature that fit into this scheme. To test these ideas, I collected and standardized 20 existing surveys on immigrants in eight Western countries, yielding about 38,000 immigrants. Applying multilevel models, I found, among other things, that: (1) immigrants from countries with higher levels of modernization express lower levels of religious commitment; (2) immigrants in religious countries are more religious themselves; and (3) the well‐documented higher levels of religious commitment among women is not generalizable to immigrants.
Mother, Father, and Self: Sources of Young Adults' God Concepts
Authors: DICKIE JANE R. , AJEGA LINDSEY V. , KOBYLAK JOY R. , NIXON KATHRYN M.
Published: February 2006

Following developmental attachment theory, we predicted a path in which nurturing parents affect young adults' self‐concepts and self‐esteem, which in turn predicts the image of a nurturing God. To ascertain how images of parents and images of self predict God images, 132 young adults aged 18–22 (M = 19) completed the Tennessee Self‐Concept Scale, and a six‐item measure of God's perceived involvement in their lives (religiosity scale). In a follow‐up interview, they rated their parents, God, and selves on scales of closeness, nurturing, power, and punishing/judging. For men, mothers were responsible, more than fathers, for creating a climate for sons' self‐esteem through nurturance and discipline, which in turn contributed to seeing God as nurturing, feeling close to God, and being more religious. For women, mothers and fathers created a model of nurturance and power, which contributed to seeing God as nurturing and powerful. Punishing/judging parents directly affected punishing/judging God images in these young adults. Men perceived God to be more punishing/judging than did women, while women perceived God to be more nurturing. Even in adulthood, parents, especially mothers, continue to exert influences on young adults' faith and images of God.
Where Have All the Communes Gone? Religion's Effect on the Survival of Communes
Authors: BADER CHRISTOPHER D. , MENCKEN F. CARSON , PARKER JAMES
Published: February 2006

Although previous research has found religion to have a significant effect on commune survival, these conclusions were typically based on bivariate analyses. Drawing on data collected by the Fellowship for Intentional Community, we present a multivariate analysis of communal survival using a comparatively large sample (N = 454) of modern American communes. Controlling for key factors suggested by the literature, we find that religion does not have a significant, direct effect on commune survival. Rather, the total population of the commune, whether the commune owned the land, and its longevity significantly influenced survival of a commune between 1995 and 2000. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on the role of religion in communes.
The Public Perception of “Cults” and “New Religious Movements”
Authors: OLSON PAUL J.
Published: February 2006

The term “cult” has attracted much criticism from several sociologists of religion and religious studies scholars in recent years, and many scholars have dropped the word for a less pejorative term such as “new religious movement” (NRM). This research note seeks to determine if simply substituting an alternative term for cult changes people's attitudes toward a religious group. To this end, over 2,400 randomly selected Nebraskans were asked how comfortable they would feel if their neighbor joined a cult, NRM, or a “new Christian church,” and whether the government should regulate the activities of these groups. The survey results reveal the remarkably negative view Nebraskans have of cults, their general acceptance of NRMs, and their broad support for new Christian churches.
Religious Decline in Scotland: New Evidence on Timing and Spatial Patterns
Authors: VOAS DAVID
Published: February 2006

The 2001 population census in Scotland—the first to include questions on religion—provides important evidence on religious mobility and the effect of local context on religious disaffection. The amount of denominational switching is small both in absolute terms and relative to the incidence of complete defection. The trend toward disaffiliation dates from before World War II, but religious decline has been especially steep since the 1960s. While there are important geographical variations in religious adherence, the absolute size of the swing to no religion has been quite uniform across the country. These approximately constant reductions in affiliation imply, somewhat counterintuitively, the existence of neighborhood differences, with denominational identification being most likely to wane in areas where the denomination is weak. No association was found between the proportion of the local population affiliated with a religious group and the level of participation in that denomination.
Repeatable measures of take‐off flight performance in auklets
Authors: Renner M.
Published: February 2006

Rapid acceleration is the key to a successful escape manoeuvre and has attracted considerable research attention in a wide array of taxa. I recorded take‐offs of least auklets Aethia pusilla and crested auklets Aethia cristatella with digital video (60 frames per second). To smooth time–location data derived from video, I used predicted mean square error quintic splines, which have been shown to be good predictors of true acceleration. Repeated recordings of the same individual bird allowed me to measure repeatability of take‐off acceleration and velocity to find the most robust and biologically meaningful measure. The most repeatable take‐off parameters were power at time t=0.17 s after take‐off (r=75%) and acceleration at t=0.17 s (r=72%). The horizontal component of velocity at t=0.32 s was least affected by the slope of the take‐off trajectory. The mean acceleration of both species is close to expected values based on body mass, even though all previously studied species had considerably lower body mass. Within least auklets, however, I did not find a significant relationship of velocity or acceleration with mass. This would be expected if the observed drop in mass after hatching was an adaptation to reduce the risk of predation. I conclude that acceleration and exerted power at a certain time after take‐off is repeatable and the most suitable measure of performance for both inter‐ and intra‐specific comparisons.
Loudness summation and the mismatch negativity event‐related brain potential in humans
Authors: Oceák Attila , Winkler István , Sussman Elyse , Alho Kimmo
Published: February 2006

Infrequently omitting a sound from a repetitive sequence elicits the mismatch negativity (MMN) ERP response when the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) is less than 200 ms. We contrasted two alternative explanations of omission MMN. (1) Each sound starts a separate temporal integration process. Omissions violate the constancy of the temporal structure within the integration window. (2) Sounds preceding an omission are perceived to be louder than those followed by a sound within the integration period, because omissions allow the full stimulus aftereffect to be included in perceived loudness. We varied the SOA between 117 and 217 ms. For this case, the temporal structure explanation predicts that no MMN will be elicited, whereas the loudness summation explanation predicts that MMN will be elicited. MMN was elicited by tone omissions with random SOA, suggesting that loudness summation plays an important role in the elicitation of omission MMN.
Cardiorespiratory fitness and laboratory stress: A meta‐regression analysis
Authors: Jackson Erica M. , Dishman Rod K.
Published: February 2006

We performed a meta‐regression analysis of 73 studies that examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness mitigates cardiovascular responses during and after acute laboratory stress in humans. The cumulative evidence indicates that fitness is related to slightly greater reactivity, but better recovery. However, effects varied according to several study features and were smallest in the better controlled studies. Fitness did not mitigate integrated stress responses such as heart rate and blood pressure, which were the focus of most of the studies we reviewed. Nonetheless, potentially important areas, particularly hemodynamic and vascular responses, have been understudied. Women, racial/ethnic groups, and cardiovascular patients were underrepresented. Randomized controlled trials, including naturalistic studies of real‐life responses, are needed to clarify whether a change in fitness alters putative stress mechanisms linked with cardiovascular health.
Selective elimination of hepatic natural killer T cells with Concanavalin A improves liver regeneration in mice
Authors: Huang Wen , Dong Zhongjun , Wei Haiming , Ding Chen , Sun Rui , Tian Zhigang
Published: February 2006

Abstract: Background: Although concanavalin A (Con A) as a T cell stimulant can cause natural killer T (NKT) cell‐mediated liver injury in mice and a nonhepatotoxic dose of Con A can trigger innate immune cells including NKT cells to prevent tumor metastasis in the liver, little is known about the role of Con A‐primed NKT cells in liver repair. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of pretreatment with a nontoxic dose of Con A on subsequent liver regeneration in mice.

Methods: A nontoxic dose of Con A was injected intravenously 24 h before partial hepatectomy (PHx), which was used as a model of liver regeneration. Ratios of remnant liver mass to body weight, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling were used to assess liver regeneration.

Results: Hepatic mononuclear cells were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry. After PHx, the ratios of liver weight to body weight, PCNA‐positive hepatocytes and BrdU‐positive hepatocytes in Con A‐pretreated mice were significantly higher than that of phosphate‐buffered saline‐treated mice, indicating that Con A pretreatment can accelerate liver regeneration. Flow cytometric analysis showed that NKT cells were significantly activated and selectively eliminated after the Con A administration. Moreover, NKT cells expressed more apoptosis‐related molecules, Fas and Annexin V.

Conclusions: Taken together, Con A accelerates liver regeneration in mice by eliminating hepatic NKT cells via activation‐induced cell death.
Conservation Science and Forest Service Policy for Roadless Areas
Authors: TURNER JAMES MORTON
Published: February 2006

Abstract: Questions persist regarding whether the science of conservation biology can successfully affect environmental decision making. One of the most prominent fields of intersection between conservation science and environmental policy is public‐lands debates in the United States. I reviewed the role of conservation science in the roadless‐area policies of the U.S. Forest Service. Since 1971, the Forest Service has systematically evaluated roadless areas on national forests three times, most recently during the Clinton administration's Roadless Area Conservation Review (1998–2000) (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 2000b). Drawing on the agency's environmental impact statements and supporting documents and the internal records of conservation organizations, I examined the changing goals, methodology, and outcome of roadless‐area advocacy and policy. Since the 1970s, conservation science has successfully informed public and administrative concern for roadless‐area protection. Conservation science has transformed public discourse regarding roadless areas and has changed the scope and rationale of national conservation organizations' goals for roadless‐area policy from protecting some to protecting all remaining national forest roadless areas. The Forest Service has increasingly drawn on the lessons of conservation biology to justify its methodology and its administrative recommendations to protect roadless areas. The 2000 Roadless Area Conservation Review resulted in a recommendation to protect all remaining national forest roadless areas, up from 22% of roadless areas in the first roadless review. Despite the scientific merits of recent roadless‐area advocacy and policy, however, such initiatives have faced political difficulties. The emphasis on large‐scale, top‐down, national approaches to conservation policy has rendered such policies politically problematic.
Objectives for Multiple‐Species Conservation Planning
Authors: NICHOLSON EMILY , POSSINGHAM HUGH P.
Published: February 2006

Abstract: The first step in conservation planning is to identify objectives. Most stated objectives for conservation, such as to maximize biodiversity outcomes, are too vague to be useful within a decision‐making framework. One way to clarify the issue is to define objectives in terms of the risk of extinction for multiple species. Although the assessment of extinction risk for single species is common, few researchers have formulated an objective function that combines the extinction risks of multiple species. We sought to translate the broad goal of maximizing the viability of species into explicit objectives for use in a decision‐theoretic approach to conservation planning. We formulated several objective functions based on extinction risk across many species and illustrated the differences between these objectives with simple examples. Each objective function was the mathematical representation of an approach to conservation and emphasized different levels of threat. Our objectives included minimizing the joint probability of one or more extinctions, minimizing the expected number of extinctions, and minimizing the increase in risk of extinction from the best‐case scenario. With objective functions based on joint probabilities of extinction across species, any correlations in extinction probabilities had to be known or the resultant decisions were potentially misleading. Additive objectives, such as the expected number of extinctions, did not produce the same anomalies. We demonstrated that the choice of objective function is central to the decision‐making process because alternative objective functions can lead to a different ranking of management options. Therefore, decision makers need to think carefully in selecting and defining their conservation goals.
Toward a Psychosocial Theory of Military and Economic Violence in the Era of Globalization
Authors: Pilisuk Marc , Zazzi Joanne
Published: February 2006

A theory of the roots of violent conflict in the global era focuses upon a pattern of intervention by the United States, its allies, and proxy forces. It emphasizes a dominant set of beliefs and powerful networks in a position to apply them. The networks protect and extend their concentrations of wealth using violence or the threat of violence to produce compliant governments, to identify enemies, to mobilize consent, and to minimize the perceived costs of such activity. U.S. government agencies and large global corporations are central to this effort. Illustrations are provided by descriptions of military actions in Venezuela, East Timor, and Iraq. Implications for research include the value of using network analysis to identify centers of combined corporate and governmental power and the value of combining the study of belief systems with studies identifying such centers of power.
Language Impairment and Reading Disability: Connections and Complexities Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Silliman Elaine R. , Scott Cheryl M.
Published: February 2006

Researchers and practitioners in the fields of reading and language are well informed about the importance of phonological awareness in beginning reading. The purpose of this special issue of Learning Disabilities Research & Practice is to present recent research that extends the search for language and reading connections beyond the realm of phonological awareness. Many children with language impairment (LI) identified before formal schooling experience persistent difficulty in learning to read. Two interrelated issues are prerequisite for understanding the developmental course of events that might link language and reading (dis)ability in these children. One is an appreciation of exactly what is meant by LI, while the second concerns how LI should be explained. In this introductory article, we explore the complexities of these two issues, in particular the controversy between the domain‐specific perspective and the domain‐general perspective on the nature of specific LI (SLI). Consistent with these perspectives, future studies on possible language‐reading links will need to measure language and related processes in greater breadth and depth, over time, and within a variety of experiential contexts. The five articles in this issue represent a critical first step in this direction.
A Normativist Account of Language‐Based Learning Disability1,2
Authors: Tomblin J. Bruce
Published: February 2006

Research on learning disabilities (LD) depends upon a conceptual framework that specifies what it should explain, what kinds of data are needed, and how these data are to be arranged in order to provide a meaningful explanation. An argument is made that LD are no different in this respect than any other form of human illness. In this article, a theory of LD based on weak normativism drawn from the philosophy of medicine is presented. This theory emphasizes that cultural values (norms) determine which aspects of human experience and function are instances of ill health. Thus, ill health is fundamentally normative. However, the experiences and behaviors themselves arise out of the natural world and therefore can be explained by a culturally neutral natural science. Data from a longitudinal study of specific language impairment are used to show that academic achievement is culturally evaluated, that low achievement is disvalued, and that therefore actions are taken to help the poor achiever. Spoken language abilities in kindergarten are associated with judgments of the adequacy of fourth grade academic achievement and are mediated by reading prior to fourth grade and also via a path that is independent of reading. It is argued that poor academic achievement may be viewed as a disvalued state consistent with an illness, whereas language and reading skills can be viewed as basic causal systems that can explain the child's learning performance. Properties of this causal system are value free, except that they can inherit disvalue by their association with poor achievement. It remains to be determined whether the notion of LD is to be equated with poor achievement and therefore serve as a type of illness or whether it is to be viewed as a particular cause of poor achievement and thus functions as a type of disease associated with poor achievement. The conceptual framework lays out the alternative meanings for LD and the choice between these alternatives will ultimately depend on how it is used in the LD research community.