bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COP9 signalosome subunit 5 (CSN5/Jab1) regulates the development of the Drosophila immune system: effects on Cactus, Dorsal and hematopoiesis
Authors: Harari‐Steinberg Orit , Cantera Rafael , Denti Simona , Bianchi Elisabetta , Oron Efrat , Segal Daniel , Chamovitz Daniel A
Published: February 2007

The COP9 signalosome is a multifunctional regulator essential for Drosophila development. A loss‐of‐function mutant in Drosophila COP9 signalosome subunit 5 (CSN5) develops melanotic bodies, a phenotype common to mutants in immune signaling. csn5null larvae accumulated high levels of Cactus that co‐localizes with Dorsal to the nucleus. However, Dorsal‐dependent transcriptional activity remained repressed in the absence of an inducing signal, despite its nuclear localization. Dorsal activity in mutant larvae and NFκB activity in CSN5 down‐regulated mammalian cells can be induced following activation of the Toll/IL‐1 pathway. csn5null larvae contained more hemocytes than wild‐type (wt) larvae. A large portion of these cells have differentiated to lamellocytes (LM), a hemocyte cell type rarely seen in normal larvae. The results presented here indicate that CSN5 is a negative regulator of Dorsal subcellular localization, and of hemocyte proliferation and differentiation. These results further indicate that nuclear localization of Dorsal can be uncoupled from its activation. Surprisingly, CSN5 is not necessary for immune‐induced degradation of Cactus.
Risk factors for developing apical periodontitis in a general population
Authors: Kirkevang L.‐L. , Væth M. , Hörsted‐Bindslev P. , Bahrami G. , Wenzel A.
Published: February 2007

Aim  To identify and describe individual and tooth‐specific factors associated with the incidence or the persistence of apical periodontitis (AP) in a general population.

Methodology  In 1997, 616 randomly selected individuals had a full‐mouth radiographic survey. In 2003, 77% of the participants returned for a new full‐mouth radiographic examination. All teeth were assessed individually and data recorded for caries, marginal bone level, and tooth restorations. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of AP in the individual. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for development of AP in a tooth. Independent variables included a number of individual and tooth‐specific variables.

Results  Root fillings, coronal restorations, primary carious lesions, and reduced marginal bone level were associated with the incidence of AP in the individual. In teeth, the quality and presence of a coronal restoration was associated with the incidence of AP, and presence of a root filling also increased the risk of developing AP. Furthermore, an increased risk of developing AP was seen in relation to primary carious lesions, reduced marginal bone level, and molar teeth. The quality of the root filling was not associated with the incidence of AP, but the results suggest an association between the quality of the root filling and the healing of AP.

Conclusions  Results from the present study demonstrate that it is important to provide high quality dental restorations to minimize the risk of pulpal infection. The clinical focus, in relation to the incidence of AP, should be on improving the quality of the coronal restoration. The quality of a root filling was not associated with the incidence of AP, but may be of importance in relation to healing of AP.
Evaluation of a reflective learning intervention to improve critical thinking in novice nurses
Authors: Forneris Susan Gross , Peden‐McAlpine Cynthia
Published: February 2007

Title. Evaluation of a reflective learning intervention to improve critical thinking in novice nurses

Aim.  This paper reports a study to determine if a reflective contextual learning intervention would improve novice nurses’ critical thinking skills during the first 6 months of their practice.

Background.  Nursing research evaluating the development of critical thinking in novice nursing practice is limited. The continual struggle by nurse educators to improve critical thinking demonstrates the need for innovative educational interventions that assist in the development of critical thinking as novice nurses enter into practice.

Method.  This small case study was conducted in the United States of America in 2004 with six student/preceptor dyads. The contextual learning intervention was the case through which the novice nurses’ critical thinking were analysed using Stake's phases of data analysis. Specific questions (i.e. novice nurses’ use of reflection, context, dialogue, time) guided the analysis. Repeating patterns were coded and isolated and later collapsed/enhanced as the analysis moved forward.

Findings.  Three main themes describe the novice nurses’ development of critical thinking: (1) influence of anxiety and power on critical thinking; putting pieces together; (2) questioning as critical thinking: sequential thinking to contextual thinking; and (3) emergence of the intentional critical thinker.

Conclusion.  Used as a reflective practicum, contextual learning can be a model of clinical learning in nursing education that develops the contextual, reflective nature of critical thinking.
Does location matter? A study of the public’s preferences for surgical care provision
Authors: Schwappach David L. B. , Strasmann Thomas J.
Published: February 2007

Objectives  As in other countries, office‐based surgeons, outpatient clinics and hospitals in Germany are in increasing competition to each other. However, little is known about potential patients’ preferences for surgical care provision. The aim of this study was to investigate the general publics’ preferences towards location and other attributes of surgical treatment.

Methods  An economic evaluation technique, discrete choice analysis, was administered in a survey to a sample of a German general public Internet panel, representative in terms of age, gender and education. Responders were asked to choose their preferred provider of surgical care in a series of pairwise choices, defined by five attributes. Regression analysis was used to quantify preferences towards characteristics of care and to calculate utilities of treatment scenarios. The strength of preferences and the rate at which participants were willing to trade among attributes were estimated.

Results  The response rate was 76% (n = 1134). ‘Specialization and experience of provider’ was the single most important attribute, followed by ‘waiting times’ and ‘staff continuity’. Subjects traded a 4‐week waiting time to obtain surgery at a highly specialized institution. Responders favoured outpatient clinics over office‐based and inpatient surgery, but ‘location of care’ preferences were only weak. Whether participants had undergone surgery in the past had only minor effect on their preferences.

Conclusions  Potential patients base their choice between providers mainly on characteristics of care delivery and not location of care. The competition between and among providers of surgical care of different types of institutional organization will be determined by what is offered to patients.
Effects of modulators of Ca2+‐activated, intermediate‐conductance potassium channels on motility of the rat small intestine, in vivo
Authors: Ferens D. , Baell J. , Lessene G. , Smith J. E. , Furness J. B.
Published: February 2007

Abstract  The movements of the intestine shift between different motor patterns, including between propulsion and mixing, but there is little information concerning mechanisms that may lead to changes in the patterns of motility. We have investigated the influence on intestinal motility of drugs that affect the after‐hyperpolarization potential (AHP) of intrinsic primary afferent neurons (IPANs). The current of the AHP is carried by the intermediate conductance, calcium‐activated, potassium (IK) channel. In anaesthetized rats, the IK channel blocker, 1‐[(2‐chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl]‐1H‐pyrazole (0.05–1 mg kg−1, i.v.) disrupted the regular propulsive pressure waves that occur in the small intestine and reduced propulsion of the contents (after 1 mg kg−1, the fluid propelled was <25% of control). If the propulsion in the intestine was regular, the IK channel opener, 5,6‐dichloro‐1‐ethyl‐2‐benzimidazolinone (DC‐EBIO, 0.1 mg kg−1 h−1) had no effect. DC‐EBIO (0.1 mg kg−1 h−1) restored propulsive activity after the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine had changed motility to a mixing pattern. We suggest that the AHP determines the synchrony of action potential firing in synaptically coupled IPANs, and that this synchrony influences the patterns of firing of muscle motor neurons, and hence the pattern of contraction of the muscle and whether the pattern is predominantly propulsive or predominantly mixing.
Immunity and reproduction during colony foundation in the dampwood termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis
Authors: CALLERI DANIEL V. , ROSENGAUS REBECA B. , TRANIELLO JAMES F. A.
Published: February 2007

Abstract Termite primary reproductives may be exposed to pathogens when dispersing from their parental nest and establishing a new colony. Immunity and reproduction are investigated during colony foundation by implanting a nylon filament into the abdomen of mated and unmated female and male primary reproductives of the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis. Primary reproductives are paired in combinations of female/male, female/female and male/male and, using confocal microscopy, immune defence is assessed by measuring the degree of encapsulation of nylon implants during three periods of colony foundation: (I) shortly after pairing; (II) during copulation/oocyte maturation; and (III) during oviposition. There are differences in the encapsulation response of mated and unmated termites that are contingent on the period of colony foundation when termites are challenged. Mated females and males have significantly greater encapsulation responses than their unmated counterparts shortly after pairing, perhaps as a prophylactic measure against exposure to disease. The encapsulation response of mated and unmated males does not differ significantly during periods II and III. The onset of oviposition is significantly delayed in mated females that received implants during periods I and II. Mated females have a significantly reduced encapsulation response during the time of copulation and oocyte maturation, but not during oviposition. Overall, males have a significantly greater ability than females to encapsulate a nylon implant. The findings suggest that reproduction can reduce the immune response in female primary reproductives. The results are discussed in light of trade‐offs between immunity and reproduction during the critical life‐history phase of colony establishment in termites.
Dynamic egg maturation strategies in an aphid parasitoid
Authors: WU ZHISHAN , HEIMPEL GEORGE E.
Published: February 2007

Abstract Females of the parasitoid Aphelinus albipodus both lay more eggs on younger stages of their aphid host, Aphis glycines, and contain more mature eggs in their ovaries when held with these younger host stages. This suggests that egg maturation is more rapid in the presence of younger host stages. Three factors explaining the difference in the egg loads of A. albipodus females exposed to various host stages are examined. These are (i) the number of host‐feeding meals; (ii) the number of eggs laid; and (iii) the host stage utilized. Together, these factors explain 69% of the variance in A. albipodus egg load. The number of host‐feeding meals taken by females is a strong predictor of egg load. More host meals are taken on young hosts, suggesting that host feeding contributes to the trend of faster egg maturation in the presence of younger hosts. Host stage has a strong impact on egg load even when the effect of host feeding is accounted for. There is no evidence for an effect of the oviposition rate on egg load. The results indicate that egg maturation by A. albipodus is dynamic; females mature eggs faster when in the presence of preferred hosts. It is hypothesized that this allows A. albipodus females to more closely match their reproductive effort to reproductive opportunities.
A new measurement technique reveals rapid post‐illumination changes in the carbon isotope composition of leaf‐respired CO2
Authors: BARBOUR MARGARET M. , MCDOWELL NATE G. , TCHERKEZ GUILLAUME , BICKFORD CHRISTOPHER P. , HANSON DAVID T.
Published: February 2007

We describ an open leaf gas exchange system coupled to a tunable diode laser (TDL) spectroscopy system enabling measurement of the leaf respiratory CO2 flux and its associated carbon isotope composition (δ13CRl) every 3 min. The precision of δ13CRl measurement is comparable to that of traditional mass spectrometry techniques. δ13CRl from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) leaves tended to be positively related to the ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed [respiratory quotient (RQ)] after 24–48 h of prolonged darkness, in support of existing models. Further, the apparent fractionation between respiratory substrates and respired CO2 within 1–8 h after the start of the dark period was similar to previous observations. In subsequent experiments, R. communis plants were grown under variable water availability to provide a range in δ13C of recently fixed carbohydrate. In leaves exposed to high light levels prior to the start of the dark period, CO2 respired by leaves was up to 11‰ more enriched than phloem sap sugars within the first 10–15 min after plants had been moved from the light into the dark. The 13C enrichment in respired CO2 then decreased rapidly to within 3–7‰ of phloem sap after 30–60 min in the dark. This strong enrichment was not observed if light levels were low prior to the start of the dark period. Measurements of RQ confirmed that carbohydrates were the likely respiratory substrate for plants (RQ > 0.8) within the first 60 min after illumination. The strong 13C enrichment that followed a high light‐to‐dark transition coincided with high respiration rates, suggesting that so‐called light‐enhanced dark respiration (LEDR) is fed by 13C‐enriched metabolites.
Effects of hydraulic architecture and spatial variation in light on mean stomatal conductance of tree branches and crowns
Authors: EWERS B. E. , OREN R. , KIM H.‐S. , BOHRER G. , LAI C.‐T.
Published: February 2007

In aPinus taedaL. (loblolly pine) plantation, we investigated whether the response to vapour pressure deficit (D) of canopy average stomatal conductance (GS) calculated from sap flux measured in upper and lower branches and main stems follows a hydraulically modelled response based on homeostasis of minimum leaf water potential (ΨL). We tested our approach over a twofold range of leaf area index (L; 2–4 m2 m−2) created by irrigation, fertilization, and a combination of irrigation and fertilization relative to untreated control. We found thatGSscaled well from leaf‐level porometery [porometry‐based stomatal conductance (gs)] to branch‐estimated and main stem‐estimatedGS. The scaling from branch‐ to main stem‐estimatedGSrequired using a 45 min moving average window to extract the diurnal signal from the large high‐frequency variation, and utilized a light attenuation model to weigh the contribution of upper and lower branch‐estimatedGS. Our analysis further indicated that, regardless ofL, lower branch‐estimatedGSrepresented most of the main stem‐estimatedGSin this stand. We quantified the variability in both upper and lower branch‐estimatedGSby calculating the SD of the residuals from a moving average smoothed diurnal. A light model, which incorporated penumbral effects on vertical distribution of direct light, was employed to estimate the variability in light intensity at each canopy level in order to explain the increasing SD of both upper and lower branch‐estimatedGSwith light. The results from the light model showed that the upper limit of the variability in individual branch‐estimatedGScould be attributed to incoming light, but not the variation below that upper limit. A porous medium model of water flow in trees produced a pattern of variation below the upper limit that was consistent with the observed variability in branch‐estimatedGS. Our results indicated that stems acted to buffer leaf‐ and branch‐level variation and might transmit a less‐variable water potential signal to the roots.
Structural and functional characterization of ferredoxin‐NADP+‐oxidoreductase using knock‐out mutants of Arabidopsis
Authors: Lintala Minna , Allahverdiyeva Yagut , Kidron Heidi , Piippo Mirva , Battchikova Natalia , Suorsa Marjaana , Rintamäki Eevi , Salminen Tiina A. , Aro Eva‐Mari , Mulo Paula
Published: February 2007

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the chloroplast‐targeted enzyme ferredoxin‐NADP+‐oxidoreductase (FNR) exists as two isoforms, AtLFNR1 and AtLFNR2, encoded by the genes At5g66190 and At1g20020, respectively. Both isoforms are evenly distributed between the thylakoids and soluble stroma, and they are separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis in four distinct spots, suggesting post‐translational modification of both isoforms. To reveal the functional specificity of AtLFNR1, we have characterized the T‐DNA insertion mutants with an interrupted At5g66190 gene. Absence of AtLFNR1 resulted in a reduced size of the rosette with pale green leaves, which was accompanied by a low content of chlorophyll and light‐harvesting complex proteins. Also the photosystem I/photosystem II (PSI/PSII) ratio was significantly lower in the mutant, but the PSII activity, measured as the FV/FM ratio, remained nearly unchanged and the excitation pressure of PSII was lower in the mutants than in the wild type. A slow re‐reduction rate of P700 measured in the mutant plants suggested that AtLFNR1 is involved in PSI‐dependent cyclic electron flow. Impaired function of FNR also resulted in decreased capacity for carbon fixation, whereas nitrogen metabolism was upregulated. In the absence of AtLFNR1, we found AtLFNR2 exclusively in the stroma, suggesting that AtLFNR1 is required for membrane attachment of FNR. Structural modeling supports the formation of a AtLFNR1–AtLFNR2 heterodimer that would mediate the membrane attachment of AtLFNR2. Dimer formation, in turn, might regulate the distribution of electrons between the cyclic and linear electron transfer pathways according to environmental cues.
Features of chronic allograft rejection on rat small intestine transplantation
Authors: Ma Hao , Wang Jinhua , Wang Jian , Li Yousheng , Li Jieshou
Published: February 2007

Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a model of chronic rejection of the entire small intestine transplantation and to analyze the features of chronic rejection. Allogenic small bowel transplantation was performed in a rat combination of Lewis to F344. Intestines were procured at the 60th and the 90th day after operation. We compared the semiquantitative score of histological parameters. The immunological components involved in the chronic rejection process were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and the cytokine levels in grafts. The significant characteristics of the allograft on histology were changes of villous architecture, interstitial fibrosis, leukocyte infiltration, and obliterative arteriopathy. Allografts on the 60th day post‐transplantation had more score in inflammatory events, while the grafts on the 90th day after operation had more values in ischemia/fibrotic events. The number of infiltrating CD4, CD8 and macrophage cells in allografts progressively decreased over time. The level of intrgraft cytokines such as IL‐6, TNF‐αand IL‐10 in the 90th day after transplantation also decreased compared with that in the 60th day. These data suggested that in the early stage (POD 60), there were more active and intense inflammatory events; later (POD 90) allografts manifested less inflammation and more arterial obliteration and fibrosis.
Opposite diel patterns of nitrogen fixation associated with salt marsh plant species (Spartina foliosaandSalicornia virginica) in southern California
Authors: Moseman Serena M.
Published: February 2007

In marine wetlands, nitrogen fixation is a potentially important nutrient source for nitrogen‐limited primary producers, but interactions between nitrogen fixers and different vascular plant species are not fully understood. Nitrogen fixation activity was compared in sediments vegetated by three plant species,Spartina foliosa,Salicornia virginica, andSalicornia bigeloviiin the Kendall Frost Reserve salt marsh in Mission Bay (CA). This study addressed the effects of plant type, day and night conditions, and sediment depths on nitrogen fixation. Higher rates of nitrogen fixation were associated withS. foliosathan with either of the twoSalicorniaspp., which are known to compete more effectively thanSpartinafor exogenous nitrogen in the salt marsh environment. Rates of nitrogen fixation, determined by acetylene reduction, in sediments vegetated byS. virginicawere low during the day (7.7 ± 1.2 μmol C2H4 m−2 h−1) but averaged 13 ± 6.6 μmol C2H4 m−2 h−1at night, with particularly high rates in samples from locations with visible cyanobacterial mats. The opposite diel pattern was found for sediments containingS. foliosaplants, in which average daytime and nighttime rates of nitrogen fixation were 62 ± 23 and 21 ± 15 μmol C2H4 m−2 h−1, respectively. ForS. foliosa, nitrogenase activity of rinsed roots and different sediment sections (0–1, or 4–5 cm depths) were measured. Although nitrogen fixation rates in vegetated sediment samples were substantial, all but one of rinsedS. foliosaroot samples (n = 12) and subsurface sediments at 4–5 cm depths failed to show nitrogen fixation activity after 2 h, suggesting that the most active nitrogen fixers in these systems likely reside in surface sediments. Further, nitrogenase activity in shaded and unshadedS. foliosasamples did not differ, suggesting that nitrogen fixers may not rapidly respond to changes in plant photosynthetic activity. Average nitrogen fixation rates inS. foliosa‐vegetated samples from the Mission Bay salt marsh were on the same order as those of highly productive Atlantic coast marshes, and this microbially‐mediated nitrogen source may be similarly substantial in other Mediterranean wetlands. Sediment abiotic variables seem to exert greater control upon nitrogen fixation activity than the effects of particular plant species. Nonetheless, dominant plant species may differ substantially in their reliance on nitrogen fixation as a nutrient source, with potentially important consequences for wetland conservation and restoration.
A genetic diversity analysis of wild Lespedeza populations based on morphological characters, allozyme and RAPD methods
Authors: Zhang J. Y. , Yuan Q. H. , Meng Y. Q. , Li X. L. , Nan Z. B. , Wang Y. R. , Zhang W. S.
Published: February 2007

Genetic variability within and among 14 Chinese natural populations of Lespedeza Michx. Used mainly for wildlife food and cover and for erosion control was evaluated on the basis of morphological characteristics, allozyme markers and random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs). All methods disclosed a high degree of allelic heterogeneity among samples, also revealing a high degree of gene diversity. Genetic variation among populations was higher for RAPD than for enzyme loci. Correlation between morphological, allozyme and RAPD distance matrices were calculated by Mantel’ tests. There was a little disparity between the three level's distances on population relationships. However, there is a weak significant correlation (P < 0.001) between morphology and allozyme distances as well as morphology and RAPD distances, and the test of this correlation is very high.
Tumor suppressor in lung cancer‐1 as a novel ameloblast adhesion molecule and its downregulation in ameloblastoma
Authors: Usami Yu , Ito Akihiko , Ohnuma Kazuhiro , Fuku Takeichi , Komori Takahide , Yokozaki Hiroshi
Published: February 2007

Tumor suppressor in lung cancer‐1 (TSLC1) is an intercellular adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin superfamily. There is little information regarding the developmental expression profiles. In an attempt to clarify the distribution of TSLC1 proteins in mouse embryos tissue by immunohistochemistry, it was found that the TSLC1‐specific signals were detected in the tooth germ as early as bud stage. The signals of TSLC1 were in the enamel epithelium at the cap stage, and became restricted to ameloblasts during the transition to and throughout the bell stage. In contrast, the signals for E‐cadherin, which is important in odontogenesis, were distributed in all the components of the ectoderm‐derived germ at any stage. In addition, E‐cadherin preferred to locate on the basal membrane of ameloblasts, whereas TSLC1 preferred the lateral. And in further contrast, all the ameloblastomas examined were positive for E‐cadherin (18/18) whereas all but one was negative for TSLC1 (1/18). These results indicate that TSLC1 is a novel interameloblast adhesion molecule that may be downregulated during ameloblastic tumorigenesis.
Temporal and spatial variation in an Australian tropical rainforest
Authors: LAIDLAW MELINDA , KITCHING ROGER , GOODALL KYLIE , SMALL ANDREW , STORK NIGEL
Published: February 2007

Abstract  This study describes the floristics and structure of a 0.95‐ha lowland tropical rainforest plot at the Australian Canopy Crane Research Facility at Cape Tribulation, Queensland. Five years of post‐cyclonic change in forest floristics and structure following the passage of Tropical Cyclone ‘Rona’ in February 1999 are examined. Local and regional variation in tropical rainforest is examined in comparison with other lowland plots established nearby and mid‐elevation plots located elsewhere in north Queensland at Eungella, Paluma and the Atherton Tablelands. These plots are placed in a broader Australasian context along with lowland rainforest plots at Baitabag and Oomsis, Papua New Guinea. The 2005 survey found 680 stems of 82 species ≥10 cm d.b.h. on the crane plot, an increase of 30.3% in stems and 16.4% of species in the 5 years since the previous survey. The most abundant families were Meliaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Apocynaceae and the most abundant species were Cleistanthus myrianthus, Alstonia scholaris, Myristica insipida, Normanbya normanbyi and Rockinghamia angustifolia. Temporal floristic and structural variation suggests that the crane site remains in an active stage of post‐cyclonic recovery. Local spatial variability in floristics and structure at Cape Tribulation exceeded the variation exhibited by a single plot over a period of 5 years, despite the impact of Cyclone Rona. This finding suggests a high degree of temporal stability within this stand of rainforest despite frequent catastrophic disturbances. The rainforests of Cape Tribulation constitute a relatively unique floristic community when observed in an Australasian context. Variation in rainforest community composition across the region shows the importance of biogeographical connections, the impacts of local topography, environmental conditions and disturbance history.
Tropical rainforest canopies and climate change
Authors: STORK NIGEL E. , BALSTON J. , FARQUHAR G. D. , FRANKS P. J. , HOLTUM J. A. M. , LIDDELL M. J.
Published: February 2007

Abstract  There is less certainty about the impact of climate change on tropical rainforests than on temperate forests because of the comparative lack of background data and because few large scale experiments have been, and are being, carried out in tropical rainforests. Many of the factors critical to the future of tropical rainforests concern canopies, the key processes that take place there, and the roles and interactions of canopy biodiversity. In particular there are almost no data on how forest canopies and processes are changing with increased carbon dioxide levels. The implications of elevated carbon dioxide, climatic stress and related changes in water‐use efficiency, nutrient availability and other such changes are discussed particularly with references to Australia's tropical rainforests.
On the IASB comprehensive income project: an analysis of the case for dual income display
Authors: Van Cauwenberge Philippe , De Beelde Ignace
Published: February 2007

The IASB is presently involved in a project on reporting comprehensive income. Since the IASB accounting model mixes two income determination systems, namely, historical cost accounting and fair value accounting, an interesting question pertains to whether the display of comprehensive income should reflect the existence of these two paradigms. This article scrutinizes, from both the points of view of accounting theory and a valuation perspective, the typical arguments made by proponents of historical cost net income and comprehensive fair value income. It finds that claims for exclusive reliance on a single concept of income are untenable. The analysis provides arguments in defence of an income display that explicitly features both income concepts. Such a dual income display would correspond to a categorization of comprehensive income that is currently investigated in the IASB performance reporting project. However, given the importance of summarization in financial analysis, as is most extremely reflected in the focus on the earnings per share (EPS) number, the case for a dual income display should also be considered at the highest level of summarization of financial performance reporting. In other words, mandatory publication of two EPS numbers, one for net income, and one for comprehensive income, should be considered. Possible effects on perception and actual use of financial reports that should enter such a consideration are suggested as topics for experimental research.
Resolving Risk? Marriage and Creative Conjugality
Authors: Jackson Cecile
Published: February 2007

The idea of rural women as risk‐averse food producers has been powerful and persistent and constitutes one of our most enduring generalizations. This contribution begins with some critical thoughts about the prevalent consensus on women and risk behaviour and goes on to discuss some counter examples of risk‐taking women farmers in Zimbabwe and Zambia. It argues that risk behaviours of these kinds are strongly related to the character of marriage and forms of conjugality, and considers more broadly how insurance and dependence are gendered. There is a danger of overdrawing, and exclusively emphasizing, household and marriage as sites of gender subordination and thereby losing sight of the value to women of domestic groups and the existence of class‐based solidarities and emotional investments, across gender, which are intertwined with gender subordinations. To recognize these (and other) positive aspects of institutions of kinship and marriage, without simultaneously endorsing subordination, requires a focus on change and women's agency within such institutions, and the happy thought that there is no such thing as the status quo. This study therefore considers myths made within different but overlapping contexts; first the idea of women as reliably risk averse (as well as disadvantaged in access to insurance) which holds sway in international development organizations and some gender analysis; and second, the myth of households as composed of entirely separate individuals with opposed gender interests, in which marriage is predominantly a contract legitimating the exploitation of women. Marriage works as a safety net for women in many contexts, as a form of insurance, but it may become an impediment to accumulation — a feature shared with other social security institutions.
Crawling is associated with more flexible memory retrieval by 9‐month‐old infants
Authors: Herbert Jane , Gross Julien , Hayne Harlene
Published: February 2007

In the present experiment, we used a deferred imitation paradigm to explore the effect of crawling on memory retrieval by 9‐month‐old human infants. Infants observed an experimenter demonstrate a single target action with a novel object and their ability to reproduce that action was assessed after a 24‐hr delay. Some infants were tested with the demonstration stimulus in the demonstration context and some infants were tested with a different stimulus in a different context. Half of the infants in each test condition were crawling at the time of participation and half were not. Both crawling and non‐crawling infants exhibited retention when tested with the demonstration stimulus in the demonstration context, but only infants who were crawling by 9 months of age exhibited retention when tested with a different stimulus in a different context. These findings demonstrate that the onset of independent locomotion is associated with more flexible memory retrieval during the first year of life.
Social grooming in the kindergarten: the emergence of flattery behavior
Authors: Fu Genyue , Lee Kang
Published: February 2007

The present study examined the emergence of flattery behavior in young children and factors that might affect whether and how it is displayed. Preschool children between the ages of 3 and 6 years were asked to rate drawings produced by either a present or absent adult stranger (Experiments 1 and 2), child stranger (Experiments 2 and 3), classmate, or the children's own teacher (Experiment 3). Young preschoolers gave consistent ratings to the same drawing by the person regardless of whether the person was absent or present. In contrast, many older preschoolers gave more flattering ratings to the drawing when the person was present than in the person's absence. Also, older preschoolers displayed flattery regardless of whether the recipient was an adult or a child. However, they displayed flattery to a greater extent towards familiar individuals than unfamiliar ones, demonstrating an emerging sensitivity to social contexts in which flattery is used. These findings suggest that preschoolers have already learned not to articulate bluntly their true feelings and thoughts about others. Rather, they are able to manipulate their communications according to social context.
A European in Asia†
Authors: Hofstede Geert
Published: February 2007

How culture‐proof are the social sciences? Travelling in another continent, one meets culture's influences not only in the objects of social science research, but at least as much in the minds of the researchers. Researchers' problem definitions and choices of issues to be addressed and questions to be asked limit what they will find; they are a potential source of ethnocentric bias. A case example of the discovery of such a bias was the emergence of a fifth dimension of national cultures supplementing Hofstede's four, through Bond's Chinese Value Survey. In the area of personality research, a number of newer and older findings by Asian and European researchers suggest the need for expanding the ‘Big Five’ model of personality traits with a sixth factor, Dependence on Others, in order to make the model culturally universal. In general, researchers recognize primarily those aspects of culture for which their own culture differs most from others. For escaping from the cultural constraints in our own research we therefore need to trade ideas with colleagues from other parts of the world. In this respect, Asian researchers have an important role to play.
LIKELIHOOD MOMENT ESTIMATION FOR THE GENERALIZED PARETO DISTRIBUTION
Authors: Zhang Jin
Published: February 2007

Traditional methods for estimating parameters in the generalized Pareto distribution have theoretical and computational defects. The moment estimator and the probability‐weighted moment estimator have low asymptotic efficiencies. They may not exist or may give nonsensical estimates. The maximum likelihood estimator, which sometimes does not exist, is asymptotically efficient, but its computation is complex and has convergence problems. The likelihood moment estimator is proposed, which is computationally easy and has high asymptotic efficiency.
THE WRAPPED t FAMILY OF CIRCULAR DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: Pewsey Arthur , Lewis Toby , Jones M. C.
Published: February 2007

This paper considers the three‐parameter family of symmetric unimodal distributions obtained by wrapping the location‐scale extension of Student's t distribution onto the unit circle. The family contains the wrapped normal and wrapped Cauchy distributions as special cases, and can be used to closely approximate the von Mises distribution. In general, the density of the family can only be represented in terms of an infinite summation, but its trigonometric moments are relatively simple expressions involving modified Bessel functions. Point estimation of the parameters is considered, and likelihood‐based methods are used to fit the family of distributions in an illustrative analysis of cross‐bed measurements. The use of the family as a means of approximating the von Mises distribution is investigated in detail, and new efficient algorithms are proposed for the generation of approximate pseudo‐random von Mises variates.
ON LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION FOR DISCRETELY OBSERVED MARKOV JUMP PROCESSES
Authors: Dehay Dominique , Yao Jian‐Feng
Published: February 2007

The parameter estimation problem for a Markov jump process sampled at equidistant time points is considered here. Unlike the diffusion case where a closed form of the likelihood function is usually unavailable, here an explicit expansion of the likelihood function of the sampled chain is provided. Under suitable ergodicity conditions on the jump process, the consistency and the asymptotic normality of the likelihood estimator are established as the observation period tends to infinity. Simulation experiments are conducted to demonstrate the computational facility of the method.
A New Approach to Currency Depreciation
Authors: Batra Ravi , Beladi Hamid
Published: February 2007

Currency depreciation has been studied conventionally in terms of three hypotheses—the elasticities approach, the monetary approach and the absorption approach. In this paper we offer another hypothesis called the price approach, wherein the balance of payment disequilibrium results from an inappropriate price level. Specifically, a country has a trade surplus if the equilibrium price level is below that compatible with balanced trade; by contrast, it has a trade deficit if the price level is above that compatible with balanced trade. We illustrate the price approach with the experience of currency devaluations that have occurred in emerging markets since 1997.
Selective Integration of Linguistic Knowledge in Adult Second Language Learning
Authors: Jiang Nan
Published: February 2007

This study examined the development of integrated knowledge or automatic competence in adult SLA. Automatic competence was operationalized in terms of the participants' sensitivity to grammatical errors in a self‐paced reading task. Their sensitivity was determined by observing whether there was a delay in reading ungrammatical sentences. Native and nonnative speakers of English read grammatical and ungrammatical sentences that contained errors involving plural –s and verb subcategorization. Their reading times were measured and compared. The results showed that native speakers were sensitive to errors involving both structures, but nonnative speakers were only sensitive to errors involving verb subcategorization. The results confirmed that the development of second language automatic competence or integrated knowledge is selective. Alternative explanations of this selectivity are discussed.
High‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Chernobelsky Alexander , Ashen M. Dominique , Blumenthal Roger S , Coplan Neil L.
Published: February 2007

High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol has an important role in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease. High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol is becoming an increasingly important prognostic and therapeutic target. The purpose of this paper is to review the biochemical pathways involved in reverse cholesterol transport and to discuss potential, clinically based high‐density lipoprotein therapies that may contribute to reduction in risk of atherosclerosis.
A New Approach for Low‐Cost Noninvasive Detection of Asymptomatic Heart Disease at Rest
Authors: DeMarzo Arthur P. , Calvin James E.
Published: February 2007

It would be useful to have an inexpensive, noninvasive point‐of‐care test for early detection of asymptomatic heart disease. This study used impedance cardiography (ICG) in a new way to assess heart function that did not use stroke volume or cardiac output. There is a model of the ICG dZ/dt waveform that may be used as a template to represent normal heart function. The hypothesis was that a dZ/dt waveform which deviates from that template should indicate heart dysfunction and therefore heart disease. The objective was to assess the accuracy of this new ICG approach, using echocardiography as the standard. Thirty‐four outpatients undergoing echocardiographic testing were tested by ICG while sitting upright and supine. All patients had no symptoms or history of a structural or functional heart disorder. Echocardiographic testing showed 17 patients with abnormalities and 17 as normal. ICG testing yielded 16 true positives for heart dysfunction with 1 false negative (sensitivity = 94%) and 17 true negatives with no false positives (specificity = 100%). Considering that the cost, technical skill, and time required for this ICG test are comparable to those of an electrocardiograph, this new approach has potential as a point‐of‐care screening test for asymptomatic heart disease.
Amlodipine Added to Quinapril vs Quinapril Alone for the Treatment of Hypertension in Diabetes: The Amlodipine in Diabetes (ANDI) Trial
Authors: Tobe Sheldon , Kawecka‐Jaszcz Kalina , Zannad Faiez , Vetrovec George , Patni Rajiv , Shi Harry
Published: February 2007

This randomized, comparative, parallel‐group trial investigated strategies of blood pressure (BP)‐lowering in patients with diabetes and hypertension. Patients not reaching goal BP (<130/80 mm Hg) after 4‐week open‐label treatment with quinapril 20 mg/d (n=374) received 40 mg/d quinapril (n=167) or 20 mg/d quinapril plus amlodipine besylate (5 mg/d; n=162) for 6 weeks. Patients receiving combination therapy vs monotherapy had significantly greater reductions in mean ± SE sitting systolic BP (9.9±1.0 mm Hg vs 4.3±1.1 mm Hg; P<.001) and diastolic BP (6.5±0.6 mm Hg vs 2.7±0.6 mm Hg; P<.001). No significant differences between groups were observed in percentage of patients achieving goal BP (10.1% with combination therapy vs 8.2% with monotherapy). A clinically neutral effect was observed on high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein in both groups. Treatments were well tolerated; fewer than 3% of patients in any group discontinued due to treatment‐emergent or treatment‐related adverse events. In diabetic hypertensive patients, 20 mg/d quinapril plus 5 mg/d amlodipine besylate was a more effective BP‐lowering strategy than monotherapy with 40 mg/d quinapril.
B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide: A Critical Review
Authors: Wilson Tang W. H.
Published: February 2007

Natriuretic peptides have been used as tools for diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with heart failure, myocardial infarction, and unstable coronary syndromes, as well as in the general population. The biology of intra‐assay and intraindividual variations of plasma natriuretic peptide levels is still not clearly understood despite their broad adoption in clinical practice. Interpretation of plasma natriuretic peptide levels therefore requires availability of the clinical context as well as considerations of various confounders. It is clear that high plasma natriuretic peptide levels can be highly suggestive of underlying myocardial disease, although a specific underlying cause cannot be identified based on the test results. The potential use of natriuretic peptide levels to monitor and guide patient management or detect subclinical disease states is currently under investigation.
The Role of Effective Modeling in the Development of Self‐Efficacy: The Case of the Transparent Engine*
Authors: Scheibe Kevin P. , Mennecke Brian E. , Luse Andy
Published: February 2007

Computing technology augments learning in education in a number of ways. One particular method uses interactive programs to demonstrate complex concepts. The purpose of this article is to examine one type of interactive learning technology, the transparent engine. The transparent engine allows instructors and students to view and directly interact with educational concepts such as Web‐enabled software development. The article first presents a framework describing transparent engines. The framework details four types of transparent engines: (1) enactive mastery/manipulatable, (2) enactive mastery/nonmanipulatable, (3) vicarious experience/manipulatable, and (4) vicarious experience/nonmanipulatable. Following this, we present the results of an experiment designed to examine this framework by testing its predictions for one quadrant, vicarious experience/nonmanipulatable. The results support the framework in that students taught concepts with the aid of the vicarious experience/nonmanipulatable transparent engine had significantly higher domain‐specific self‐efficacy compared to those taught the same concepts without this tool.
Learning From the Pros: Influence of Web‐Based Expert Commentary on Vicarious Learning About Financial Markets*
Authors: Ford Matthew W. , Kent Daniel W. , Devoto Steven
Published: February 2007

Web‐based financial commentary, in which experts routinely express market‐related thought processes, is proposed as a means for college students to learn vicariously about financial markets. Undergraduate business school students from a regional university were exposed to expert market commentary from a single financial Web site for a 6‐week period. When compared to a control group, students in the experimental group were found to possess higher levels of financial market awareness. Degree of engagement, as approximated by measures of project exposure time and effort, was significantly related to market awareness. Finance majors were found to be more engaged in the process than nonfinance majors. Although this study should be considered exploratory in nature, findings support the notion of using Web‐based vicarious learning processes in financial education. Future research can extend the generalizability of these findings, as well as shape vicarious learning mechanisms for use across business disciplines.
A Study of Disciplinary, Structural, and Behavioral Effects on Course Outcomes in Online MBA Courses
Authors: Arbaugh J. B. , Rau Barbara L.
Published: February 2007

This article reports the results of a 2‐year study examining the effects of subject matter, course structure, and participant behaviors on students' perceived learning and satisfaction with delivery medium in Web‐based courses of an MBA program in the midwestern United States. Using finance as the referent discipline, we found statistically significant differences in the mean course outcomes (students' perceived learning and satisfaction with delivery medium) associated with 13 business disciplines. Although most of these disciplinary differences ceased to be significant predictors of student perceived learning as structural and behavioral characteristics were incorporated into the model, these differences remained significant predictors of perceived delivery medium satisfaction. We also found that some structural and behavioral characteristics were significant predictors of course outcomes, but in opposite directions. For instance, media variety was a positive predictor of delivery medium satisfaction but a negative predictor of perceived learning, while learner–learner interaction positively predicted perceived learning but negatively predicted delivery medium satisfaction. These findings suggest that instructors of online graduate courses must manage trade‐offs in balancing students' learning with their perceptions of the internet as a course delivery medium.